Category: English

After offending the universally adored heroine, my life became a living hell. The school bully male lead rallied the entire school to isolate me. The devoted second male lead got me fired from my part-time jobs and stripped of my scholarship. The sinister villain pretended to approach me, planning to seduce and dump me just to vent the heroine’s anger. Sophie Lotus smiled, her expression innocent yet cruel: “Kneel down and kowtow to me, then crawl around the field like a dog three times. “I’ll tell them to let you go. How about it?” Meanwhile, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with notifications. [Be good, agree to be with me.] [No one will bully you ever again.] [Baby, don’t work those jobs anymore.] [Let me take care of you, okay?] [Does the puppy like his new collar… Master?] 1 I am the disposable cannon fodder in a story where everyone loves the heroine. Unfortunately for her, I’m prettier and smarter. So, when I ranked first in the entire school again, Sophie cornered me in the bathroom. She smiled sweetly, slapped herself twice, and mouthed silently: “Are you ready for your punishment?” The next second, the school bully, Lucas Stone, burst in. Sophie wiped her tears and threw herself into his arms. Lucas comforted her gently. But when his gaze fell on me, it was ice-cold. He didn’t say a word to me. No threats, no insults. But a few hours later, I learned the consequences of messing with Sophie Lotus. 2 My desk was stuffed with trash, my textbooks shredded and tossed in the bin. Dirty water was splashed on me in the hallways, and I was locked in bathroom stalls. In class, no matter how high I raised my hand, the teachers ignored me. When I tried to talk to classmates, they covered their noses and ran away in disgust. So this is what school bullying feels like. I decided to isolate everyone first. I stopped talking to classmates, stopped answering questions in class. I was cautious when using the bathroom or walking in the halls. I cleaned out the trash, carefully taped my books back together. And then. I ranked first in the grade again. This time, my score was even better. Fifty points higher than Sophie’s. Her eyes were red all afternoon. After school, a group of strangers cornered me. They dragged me by my hair to an abandoned building. Kicks and punches landed mercilessly on my body. A lighter singed my hair, and my clothes were torn off. I saw someone holding a phone, recording. Throughout it all, Lucas just watched coldly. Like he was looking at garbage. Until someone approached my face with a small knife. I panicked a little. Such a beautiful face. It would be a pity to ruin it. So, I desperately lifted my head to look at Lucas. My eyes filled with tears, panicked and pitiful. Lucas paused. I didn’t miss the flash of astonishment in his eyes. The next second, he looked away, his voice flat: “Carve it on her body. Leave the girl some dignity.” Soon, someone pinned my limbs down, like a pig for slaughter. My shirt had long been tossed into a corner. My bare stomach became a canvas. The blade cut into my pale skin. I bit my lip to stifle the scream. Just shedding helpless, pear-like tears. After a long time, they finally got bored and left. I climbed up expressionlessly, looking down at the word on my stomach. They had carved “Slut.” Just because I took the first place from the beloved heroine, I’m a slut? Then what if I take everything else from her? 3 Lucas’s family is the wealthiest in North City. The young master is too precious for school dorms. He has a luxury apartment near the school where he usually stays. I found a way to sneak in. Stripped naked, I lay under the covers, waiting to give him a surprise. The lights turned on. Lucas saw me, a flash of surprise in his eyes. But he didn’t look away with those dark, heavy eyes. Instead, his gaze slithered over my skin like a cold snake. I shrank back, trembling as I said: “Can… can you stop letting people bully me…” Lucas smiled, his voice lazy: “Sure, if you’re obedient enough.” I played along, disguising myself as a docile little rabbit, letting him do as he pleased. While crying and begging him to slow down; In the blind spots he couldn’t see, I greedily traced his face and body with my eyes. A face as exquisite as a computer model, broad shoulders, narrow hips, eight-pack abs… I’ve never had something this good before. As everyone knows, in a heroine-centric story, all good things belong to her. Such a prize shouldn’t have been within reach for a cannon fodder like me. Sophie Lotus personally delivered him to me. So I accepted graciously and enjoyed him thoroughly. 4 Lucas kept his word. After that day, the overt bullying decreased. Sophie was unhappy. But Lucas just said lazily: “Don’t worry, she’s learned her lesson. “She won’t provoke you again.” To make Sophie happy, Lucas transferred me from the top class to the worst one. If I saw Sophie in the hallway, I’d hide far away. Meanwhile, Lucas and I met frequently. We were obsessively addicted to each other’s bodies. The difference was, Lucas always bared his fangs openly. While I played hard to get, pretending to resist. Physical intimacy naturally brings hearts closer. When not having sex, we chatted like normal friends. As a romance novel male lead, Lucas inevitably had a cliché backstory. Lack of parental love since childhood, longing for sincere affection. Falling for Sophie was just because of a piece of candy she gave him as a kid. In war, conquering the heart is the best strategy. I established myself as a warm little sun. Constant care and concern every day. Good mornings and good nights, energetic encouragement, sharing funny stories. Just moving my fingers, didn’t cost a cent. Over time, Lucas started replying. [Will you be at school today?] [No] [Which dress do you like on me?] [1] [Saw a necklace that suits you perfectly, I’ll buy it for you when I save enough from work!] [.] On Lucas’s birthday, I bought the necklace as promised. Along with a cheap cake I got from a food delivery app promo. Lucas’s eyes were terrifyingly cold. He stomped the gift box flat and choked me with his large hand. “Who allowed you to celebrate my birthday without asking? “You’re just a toy to relieve boredom. “Given a little face, and you forget your place?” I was choked until my eyes rolled back, almost fainting. Lucas finally let go, tossing me aside. In the original story, Lucas’s mother died in childbirth. His father hated him for taking his beloved wife’s life and was cold to this son. To Lucas, his birthday wasn’t a celebration of birth. It was the anniversary of his mother’s death. So, Lucas never celebrated his birthday. Every year on this day, he would hide alone. Even the heroine, Sophie, didn’t dare find him then. My action undoubtedly touched Lucas’s taboo. I coughed incessantly to relieve the pain of suffocation. When I looked up at Lucas, a smile was squeezed onto my face again. “But, today is your birthday— “Birthdays are for eating cake, receiving gifts, making wishes…” Lucas kicked the sofa violently. “Are you f***ing deaf? “I said I never celebrate birthdays!” I asked calmly: “Because of your mother?” Lucas’s expression froze. Then, a huge rage ignited. He yanked my hand, dragging me up from the floor. Gritting his teeth, he said: “Chloe, do you really want to die?!” I stared calmly into his pupils. Without a trace of fear, I said lightly: “But, she was willing to give her life just so you could be born into this world.” Lucas froze. Looking deep into his eyes, I continued: “So, at least on this day. “I hope you can be happier than anyone else in the world.”

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The doctor told me it was terminal stomach cancer. I had three months left. I decided to die. But before I did, just like any other morning, I knotted Landon Cole’s tie. He leaned against the doorframe, the face his fans had placed on a pedestal a mask of bored irritation. “Amanda, I’m not coming home tonight. Don’t call me.” “Okay,” I said, smiling. “Goodbye, Landon.” He arched an eyebrow, probably finding my compliance unusual. With a short, contemptuous laugh, he slammed the door and was gone. He had no idea that this goodbye was forever. Three hours later, I parked my car on the bridge over the river and jumped. Landon, I’m finally setting you free. 1 The day I decided to jump was one of those rare, perfect days. The sun was so bright it made my eyes ache. I clutched the crumpled doctor’s report in my hand, staring at my reflection. My face was a ghastly white, like a ghost’s. Landon was a bear when he first woke up. I heard him call my name from the bedroom, his voice raspy and short-tempered. “Amanda, where’s my gray tie?” I shoved the report into the very bottom of the trash can, took a deep breath, and pasted a smile on my face before opening the door. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless, the lines of his muscles taut and smooth. His hair was a mess. Even after ten years, that face could still make my heart skip a beat. I pulled the tie from the wardrobe, walked over, and knelt by his legs to fasten it for him. “Right here.” Landon looked down at me, his fingers idly twisting a strand of my hair. Suddenly, he yanked. A sharp pain shot through my scalp, forcing my head back. I met his mocking, almond-shaped eyes. “Amanda, what perfume are you wearing today?” “It’s disgusting.” He let go, wiping his fingertips on the bedsheet as if he’d touched something foul. I froze, a lump forming in my throat. This was my favorite scent. He used to say it smelled like “Landon Cole’s wife.” Now, it was just disgusting. “I’m sorry. I won’t wear it again.” I lowered my head meekly and straightened his collar. Landon stood, looking down at me. He pulled a card from his wallet and flicked it at me. It grazed my cheek, stinging slightly, before fluttering to the floor. “Take this. Go buy some decent clothes.” “Stop dressing like a maid all the time. You’re embarrassing me.” The knit sweater I was wearing was a birthday gift from him, back when he was just starting out. It was pilled and worn, but I could never bring myself to throw it away. I bent down to pick up the card, my fingers trembling, but I forced my voice to remain steady. “Okay. Thank you, honey.” He snorted and turned to leave. At the door, he paused without looking back. “The celebration party is tonight. Bella will be there.” “I’m not coming home, so don’t act like a psycho and call me a hundred times to check up on me.” Bella. The up-and-coming starlet he was currently tangled with in a storm of media gossip. I’d heard she looked a lot like I did when I was younger. “…Okay.” I watched his back, his silhouette framed so perfectly, so coldly, by the light. “Landon.” I called out to him. He didn’t turn, his posture radiating impatience. “Spit it out.” “Goodbye.” I said it so softly, it was almost a whisper to myself. He glanced back at me then, an eyebrow raised, a scornful smile playing on his lips. “Don’t be so dramatic, Amanda.” “You’d never leave me. Not as long as there’s money involved.” Slam. The door shut. The world fell silent. I slowly sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around myself. You’re right, Landon. I could never bear to leave. But I have to go now. I don’t want you to see me bald from chemo, withered to a skeleton. And I don’t want to watch you smile at another woman while I’m dying. I drove to the bridge over the river. The wind was strong, biting at my cheeks. I climbed onto the railing, taking one last look at the world. My phone vibrated. A text from the bank. The card he’d given me had a million dollars on it. See? He always thought money could fix everything. But it couldn’t buy my life, and it couldn’t buy his love. I closed my eyes and took a step forward. The world fell away. The water was brutally cold, swallowing me in an instant. Landon. In the next life, I hope we never meet. 2 I thought death would be an endless void. I was wrong. I became a weightless shadow, drifting uncontrollably. Maybe my attachments were too strong, because I found myself floating into Landon’s celebration party. The ballroom was gilded and glittering, the air thick with warmth. But I still felt so cold. Landon sat at the head table, wearing the same custom-tailored suit I had once touched. He swirled a glass of red wine, a practiced smile on his lips as he listened to the fawning compliments of those around him. That easy confidence made him look like a king, radiant and in command. Anyone who couldn’t hear his thoughts would have thought him the perfect gentleman. But I knew better. I knew he was bored to tears. He hated these schmoozing events. “Mr. Cole, a toast to you.” A sweet, delicate voice cut through the noise. I turned to see Bella approaching, wine glass in hand. She wore a long white dress, her hair flowing over her shoulders. She did look a bit like I used to. Just a bit. As she neared Landon, her ankle suddenly twisted. With a small cry, she stumbled and fell right into his arms. Red wine sloshed over his expensive shirt, blooming like a dark wound. A collective gasp went through the room. Everyone knew Landon was a notorious germaphobe. An investor had once accidentally brushed against his sleeve, and Landon had frozen him out on the spot. I floated in the air, waiting for the explosion. But it never came. A long, steady hand caught Bella’s waist. His thumb even brushed lightly against the curve of her hip. “Careful,” Landon’s voice was a low, magnetic hum, laced with something that sounded like affection. “Are you hurt?” Bella’s face turned the color of a ripe tomato. She pushed herself upright, looking up at him shyly. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Cole. I ruined your shirt…” “It’s nothing.” Landon let her go, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes crinkling into a handsome curve. “A shirt can be replaced. If you’d fallen, I would have been worried.” The crowd erupted in teasing cheers. “Ooh, listen to Mr. Cole, already so protective!” “Looks like the rumors are true!” Bella ducked her head, blushing, but her fingers secretly curled around the hem of Landon’s jacket. I watched the scene, feeling a hollow ache in the place where my heart used to be. So he wasn’t a germaphobe. He was just disgusted by me. Look how gentle he could be with someone else. Landon took a napkin from a passing waiter and dabbed carelessly at his chest. “I’m going to go change.” He nodded to the crowd and turned toward the private lounge. Bella started to follow, but he held up a hand to stop her. “Be good. Wait for me here.” Be good. In the ten years we were together, he only ever called me “hey,” “you,” or the full, formal “Amanda Price.” I wanted to laugh at the irony, but I couldn’t even manage that now. I drifted after him into the lounge. The moment the door clicked shut, the smile vanished from his face. In its place was a chilling, violent disgust. He ripped off his tie and threw it on the floor. He tore off the wine-stained shirt and tossed it directly into the trash can. “Filthy,” he muttered, his voice like ice. He stormed into the bathroom and turned on the tap. I watched as he grabbed a bottle of antiseptic soap and began scrubbing the hand that had touched Bella, a frantic, desperate motion. Over and over, until the skin was raw and red, almost bleeding. He just kept scrubbing, his brow furrowed in a tight knot, as if he’d touched some unspeakable disease. I hovered behind him, tilting my head. What kind of sick game are you playing, Landon? You’re the one who pretends to be so charming, and you’re the one who’s repulsed. You’re insane. Truly. After a full ten minutes, he finally turned off the water and dried his hands. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, his face a blank mask. Only his eyes were dark, bottomless pits. “Amanda.” He said my name to the mirror. I jumped, thinking he could see me. But he was just staring into the empty space, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “It’s late. Why the hell hasn’t she called?” 3 After changing into a spare suit, Landon didn’t return to the party. He went to the rooftop garden. The wind up there was strong enough to cut through the smell of alcohol on him. He leaned against the railing, expertly tapping a cigarette from its pack and placing it between his lips. Click. The flame of the lighter flared, illuminating the hard line of his jaw. Smoke curled into the air, blurring his features. I used to hate it when he smoked. Every time I asked him to quit, he’d blow a cloud of smoke in my face and laugh cruelly. “Worry about yourself, Amanda.” Well, no one was here to nag him now. He must be thrilled. Landon pulled out his phone. The screen lit up, and I drifted closer to see. There was only one contact pinned to the top: “The Woman.” The profile picture was a photo of me, holding my cat. The chat history was a monologue, all from me. Last night, 8 PM: [Made your favorite sweet and sour pork. When are you coming home?] Last night, 10 PM: [The food’s cold. I’ll heat it up.] 1 AM: [Don’t drink too much. It’s bad for your stomach.] This morning, 7 AM: [Your tie is in the second drawer on the left.] His replies were sparse and brutal. [Not coming home.] [Annoying.] [Get lost.] The last message was the one I’d sent this morning, a transfer receipt for one million dollars. It was the card he’d given me. I’d sent the money right back, along with some of my own savings. He hadn’t replied. Or accepted it. Landon’s thumb swiped up and down the screen, rereading the messages over and over. Usually, a single text from me would annoy him. Now that I was dead and silent, he couldn’t stop looking. “This woman,” he muttered around his cigarette. “Won’t take the money, won’t even check up on me.” “Playing hard to get. Is that her new game?” He snorted, stubbed out his cigarette, and dialed my number. The line rang… and rang… and rang. My phone, like my body, was at the bottom of the cold, dark river. Of course, no one was going to answer. Landon’s brow furrowed. He hung up and redialed. And again. Still no answer. His expression began to shift. The lazy arrogance was gone, replaced by an unfamiliar anxiety. He started pacing, his leather shoes making sharp, frantic clicks on the tile. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, Amanda Price,” he seethed. “Ignoring my calls.” Just then, the click of heels sounded from behind him. “Mr. Cole…” It was Bella again. She had followed him up, a man’s coat draped over her arm, her face a perfect picture of shy concern. “It’s windy up here. I was worried you’d get cold.” She moved to place the coat over his shoulders. Landon was on edge, the incessant ringing of the phone grating on his last nerve. He spun around, dodging her touch. The movement was so abrupt that the coat slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. The atmosphere froze. The smile on Bella’s face stiffened, and her eyes instantly welled with tears. “Mr. Cole, I was just…” “This isn’t a work event,” Landon cut her off, his voice sharp enough to draw blood. He didn’t even glance at the coat on the floor, his gaze fixed on his phone screen, his thumb rubbing restlessly at the edge. “And another thing.” He looked up, his eyes, which had been so full of feigned warmth at the party, were now burning with rage. “Who gave you permission to follow me up here?” Bella flinched, the tears threatening to spill. “I… I just… I like you…” “You like me?” Landon let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. He raised his left hand. A plain silver band on his ring finger caught the moonlight. It was the cheap ring we’d bought when we got married. I had been so happy I’d worn it to sleep for days. He’d always said it was embarrassing and never wore it. I had no idea why he had it on tonight. “See this?” he asked, holding his hand out for her to see. “I’m a married man.” He paused, his voice suddenly dropping, thick with an emotion I couldn’t place. “I’m a creature of habit. I don’t like change.” Bella’s face went white. She covered her face and ran, sobbing. Landon didn’t watch her go. He shoved his phone back in his pocket with a frustrated sigh. “Damn it,” he cursed, and strode toward the exit. “You’d better just be asleep, Amanda. Or I swear to God, when I get home, I’ll kill you.” He was already dialing my boss’s number as he walked. I floated behind him, watching as his pace quickened, his steps becoming almost a stumble. A twisted sort of satisfaction bloomed in my chest. So, you can feel anxious too, Landon? Don’t rush. You can’t kill me. I’m already dead. 4 Landon didn’t stay at home for long. He got in his car and sped to the nearest police station, running three red lights along the way. He screeched to a halt and jumped out before the car had even fully stopped. “I want to report a missing person.” He stormed into the station, slamming his hands on the front desk, his knuckles white. “My wife is missing.” The officer on duty, startled by his aggressive demeanor, pushed up his glasses. “Sir, please calm down. How long has she been missing?” Landon glanced at his watch. “Thirteen hours.” The officer paused, then put on a weary, professional smile. “Sir, for an adult, we can’t file a missing person’s report until they’ve been gone for at least twenty-four hours. Thirteen hours… her phone probably just died, or maybe she’s out with friends?” “Impossible,” Landon snapped. “She has no friends. Besides me, she knows no one. And her phone is never off. If I call her, she always answers immediately.” An old man at the next counter, there to report a stolen scooter, couldn’t help but chime in. “Now, hold on, son. You can’t talk like that. That’s… what do they call it? Gaslighting? The girl’s a person, not your property. She’s allowed to have a life.” “I bet she just got tired of you and is taking a break.” Landon shot the man a glare so venomous the old man flinched, dropping his bag of sunflower seeds. “She would never leave me,” Landon said, turning back to the officer, his voice low and intense. “She’s completely dependent on me. Even if I tried to kick her out, she’d be on her knees, begging me not to.” I floated in the air, watching his arrogant, self-assured performance. I wanted to slap him. But my hand passed right through his face. “So,” Landon said, taking a deep breath to control his rising temper. “She must be in trouble. I want you to check the surveillance cameras, track her phone, I don’t care what you have to do. Turn this city upside down if you have to, but find her.” The officer, though rattled by Landon’s intensity, was about to explain procedure again when a shrill phone rang, cutting through the tense silence. It was the inter-departmental line. The officer answered, his expression immediately turning serious. “Yes, this is the downtown precinct… What’s that? A body found… under the Riverside Bridge?” Landon’s body went rigid.

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1 I had the girl trying to worm her way into my husband’s bed committed to a psychiatric hospital. That night, Damien lost his mind. He strapped our son to the landing gear of a helicopter. The aircraft circled three hundred feet in the air. His ultimatum crackled through the intercom. “Elara, get her out of there, right now. Unharmed.” “For every hair on her head that’s out of place, I’ll cut off one of your son’s fingers and drop it down to you as a gift.” I fell to my knees on the helipad, my heart twisting in agony as I watched the tiny, dangling figure above. “Damien, are you insane? That’s your son! Your only son!” His voice came back, devoid of all warmth. “She’s just a girl. You locked her away in a place like that. When did you become so venomous, Elara?” “You have three minutes. If I don’t see her, I cut the rope. He can experience what a freefall feels like.” “The countdown starts now.” … My hands trembled so violently I could barely hold my phone. “Two minutes, fifty seconds.” My fingers stabbed blindly at the screen, misdialing several times before I got it right. The moment the call connected, I shrieked into the receiver. “Release her! Let Seraphina out, now! Have her call Damien the second she’s free!” The hospital director on the other end stammered, saying her discharge paperwork wasn’t even processed. Tears streamed down my face. I knelt on the rough concrete, screaming into the phone. “Forget the damn paperwork! Just get her out! If you’re a minute late, Damien will kill my son! Go! Now!” I hung up and tilted my head back, my eyes fixed on the helicopter circling in the night sky. The small, dark shape was tossed about like a dead leaf in the gale. I could hear his faint, terrified cries. “Mommy, it’s so high! Leo’s so scared… Where’s Daddy…?” I snatched the intercom, my voice a broken, trembling mess. “Damien, I’ve told them to release Seraphina! She’s coming out right now! Please, just bring Leo down! The wind is too strong up there, he can’t take it!” A cold laugh echoed in my headset. “Now you’re worried about your son, Elara? When you threw Sera into that hellhole, did you ever stop to think that she might be scared, too?” “One minute left.” The howling wind swallowed the sound of my sobs. I began slamming my forehead against the ground, again and again. Blood trickled into my eyes, turning my vision a sickening red. “I was wrong, I was wrong! Please, don’t take it out on Leo! He’s your son! I’m begging you, just land the helicopter! You can punish me however you want!” “Fifty seconds.” He ignored my pleas, his voice a metronome of doom, counting down the seconds. The psychological torture was tearing me apart. I scrambled to my feet, trying to get closer to the helicopter, but one of Damien’s bodyguards kicked me squarely in the knee. I crumpled to the ground, my chin splitting open on the concrete. I didn’t feel the pain. All I could do was crane my neck, my desperate gaze locked on the sky. My phone chimed. It was a video from the director. Seraphina was being escorted out of her room. I held the phone up, aiming it at the helicopter. “Damien, look! She’s out! They’ve released her! Stop this, now!” Two seconds of silence. Then, Damien’s voice, colder and darker than before. “Too late.” “I want you to remember this pain, Elara. This way, you’ll never dare to touch what’s important to me again.” Then came the sickening slice of a blade through rope. “NO—!” A horrifying scream ripped from my throat as I watched the small, dark shape detach from the helicopter. The aircraft was hovering directly over the man-made lake on the estate. Three hundred feet. Such a small child. I watched him plummet, a straight, unyielding line, with nothing to break his fall. A few seconds later, a massive splash erupted from the water, sending a plume several feet into the air. In that instant, my heart stopped beating. I shoved the bodyguards aside like a madwoman, stumbling and scrambling toward the lake, losing a shoe but not even noticing. I was about to jump in when more security guards tackled me, pinning me to the muddy bank. “Let me go! I have to save my son! Leo’s in the water!” I bit down on a guard’s arm, the coppery taste of blood flooding my mouth, but they didn’t budge. Damien’s helicopter descended slowly. He stepped out of the cabin, looking down at my soaked, pathetic form with an air of detached superiority as he adjusted his cuffs. “What’s all the screaming for? It’s a lake. He’s not going to die.” His lip curled in a sneer. “A little lesson for him. So he learns whose side he should be on. So he doesn’t grow up to be a spineless bitch like you.” The rescue team took a full ten minutes to pull Leo from the water. His little face was a ghostly white, his chest barely moving. His limbs hung limp and lifeless. I lunged forward, clutching his cold, small body, my trembling fingers searching for the faintest breath from his nose. It was barely there. “Call an ambulance! Someone call an ambulance!” I shrieked, my voice raw and broken. Damien watched, impassive. He waved a dismissive hand. “That’s enough. Leo didn’t fall from the helicopter. This was a lesson for both of you.” He gestured to his men. “Have the guards take him to the hospital, put him on an IV. He has to apologize to Sera tomorrow.” I held my unconscious son, a rage so profound it threatened to tear me in two boiling in my chest. Damien, if anything happens to Leo, I swear to God I will kill you. The red light above the emergency room door was a blinding glare. I stood there, soaked to the bone, water dripping from my clothes to form a small puddle on the sterile floor. A doctor burst through the doors, his surgical mask stained with blood. “The patient has ruptured internal organs! Three broken ribs have punctured his lung! He’s in critical condition and needs surgery immediately! We need a signature from his next of kin!” I grabbed the doctor’s arm. “I’ll sign! I’m his mother!” The doctor hesitated. “Mrs. Vance, Mr. Vance is his legal guardian. He gave us specific instructions that he must personally approve any surgery for Leo.” My world exploded. Damien. It was always Damien. My hand shaking, I pulled out my phone and dialed his number. It rang for a long time before he answered. Seraphina’s delicate, cloying sobs whispered through the speaker, followed by Damien’s low, comforting murmur. “Damien, my wrist hurts so much. Those restraints at the hospital were so tight. Do you think they’ll leave a scar?” “Don’t worry, darling. I’ve already sent for the best scar cream. You’ll be fine.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I screamed into the phone. “Damien! Leo needs surgery! You have to sign! He has massive internal bleeding, he’s on the operating table dying! Just tell the doctor it’s okay!” A moment of silence on the other end. Then, Damien’s cold, emotionless scoff. “Elara, you’re a compulsive liar. Wasn’t he perfectly fine at the lake a little while ago? Now he’s suddenly dying at the hospital?” “I’m busy helping Sera with her medication right now. I don’t have time for your little stories.” My knuckles were white, my nails digging into the palm of my hand. “He fell three hundred feet, Damien! Are you even human? That’s your son!” My voice broke into a desperate plea. “I’m begging you. Just tell the doctor you consent. If you wait any longer, it will be too late…” As I spoke, my legs gave out and I collapsed to the floor. I bowed my head to the empty air, slamming my forehead against the linoleum again and again. “Damien, please. I’m on my knees. I’ll never go near Seraphina again. Just save Leo… please…” The disgust in his voice was palpable. “Enough! Stop trying to manipulate me with this pathetic act. Sera has a red mark on her wrist. That’s what’s important. If Leo were really in trouble, you wouldn’t have the energy to be screaming like a banshee.” He hung up. When I tried to call back, the line was dead. I listened to the dial tone, and a tide of despair washed over me, pulling me under. The operating room doors opened again. A nurse ran out, holding a critical condition notice. “Did you reach Mr. Vance? The patient’s blood pressure is still dropping! If we don’t get a signature, we can’t take responsibility for what happens next!” I snatched the pen from her. “I’ll sign!” I yelled, a crazed look in my eyes. “He agreed on the phone! You can call him back if you don’t believe me!” The nurse gave me a skeptical look but handed over the consent form. With a trembling hand, I signed my name, and she rushed back inside. Leo, don’t be scared. Mommy’s here. You have to hold on. Please, don’t leave Mommy all alone. The seconds ticked by, each one a new slice of a blade against my heart. At three in the morning, the light above the operating room went out. The doctor emerged, pushing a gurney. The medical staff all stared at the floor, none of them daring to meet my eyes. A white sheet was draped over the gurney, covering him from head to toe. I stood up, my limbs numb and wooden. I walked over and pulled back the sheet. Leo’s small face was as white as the cloth, completely drained of color. There were marks all over his body where tubes had been, and his chest was wrapped in thick gauze, but it would never rise and fall again. Just yesterday morning, he’d slung his little backpack over his shoulder and told me in his sweet, soft voice, “Mommy, you look so pretty today! I’ll draw you a picture when I get home from school.” Now, my Leo was a cold, lifeless body. “Aaaargh—!” A gut-wrenching, soul-tearing scream ripped from my throat as I collapsed beside the gurney. “Leo! Wake up! Mommy’s here to take you home!” I clung to his body, still faintly warm, refusing to let go. Doctors and nurses tried to pull me away, but I shoved them back with the strength of a madwoman. “Get away from me! Don’t touch my son! He’s just sleeping!” Just then, footsteps echoed from the end of the hall. Damien approached, his arm wrapped around Seraphina, who was draped in his jacket. She leaned against him, a triumphant smirk on her face, though her words were meek. “Damien, Elara is so upset. Do you think something really happened to Leo?” Damien didn’t even glance at the body on the gurney. “For God’s sake, Elara, what are you wailing about in the middle of a hospital? Have you no shame?” I looked up from the floor at the two of them, a vision of pure evil. If looks could kill, they would have been hacked into a thousand pieces. “You’re too late, Damien,” I rasped, my voice thick with the taste of blood. “Leo’s dead. You killed him.” Damien’s brow furrowed for a second, then his expression soured into one of even deeper contempt. “Dead?” He let out a cold laugh and reached for the white sheet. “I think he’s gotten addicted to playing dead. What have you been teaching him? To participate in your little dramas at his age?” I scrambled forward and wrapped my arms around his leg, my nails digging into the fine wool of his trousers. “Don’t touch him! You don’t have the right!” He kicked me aside with such force that I slammed into the wall, the impact rattling my organs. Seraphina pointed at a corner of the sheet that had slipped down. “Oh, my,” she said with theatrical surprise. “Why is his face so pale? Is that a doll? Elara, you really went all out to try and trick Damien into coming back, didn’t you?” Her words fueled his anger. He ripped the sheet off and, to my horror, slapped Leo’s lifeless face. Twice. “Stop faking it! Get up!” Leo’s head lolled limply to the side. I flew at Damien like an animal, sinking my teeth into his wrist. “Let go, you psycho!” he roared in pain, backhanding me across the face. My ears rang, and blood trickled from the corner of my split lip, but I felt nothing. I threw myself back over Leo’s body, shielding him with my own. “Get out! Take your whore and get out! Don’t you dare defile my son’s path to the afterlife!” Damien stared at the deep, bloody bite mark on his wrist, his face a thunderous mask of rage. He rounded on the doctor. “How dare you!” he bellowed. “You’re all in on this together, trying to fool me!” The doctor flinched, shrinking back. “Mr. Vance, the young master… we received the consent form too late…” “Shut up!” Damien cut him off, his voice raw with fury. “A bunch of useless idiots!” He turned back to me, his eyes filled with nothing but disgust and disbelief. “Elara, I have to hand it to you, this is a very convincing performance. You’d even curse your own son just to make me feel guilty?” “Fine. This doll is creeping me out. Take it to the morgue and put it on ice! Let’s see what other tricks you have up your sleeve then, you crazy bitch!” He actually called his bodyguards and ordered them to take Leo’s body to the morgue. “No! Damien, you will pay for this!” I was pinned to the floor, forced to watch as they wheeled my son away. I struggled, my fingernails scraping bloody tracks into the linoleum. Seraphina walked over and crouched down in front of me. With her back to Damien, her face twisted into a hideously evil grin. “You see, Elara?” she whispered. “This is what happens when you cross me. Your son is dead, and Damien doesn’t even believe it. In his mind, Leo is worth less than this little red mark on my wrist.” I stared at her, a low, animalistic growl rumbling in my throat. “Seraphina… I’m going to kill you…” She immediately stood up, her expression morphing into one of pure terror as she ran back into Damien’s arms. “Damien, her eyes… she looks terrifying! Do you think she’s having a breakdown?” Damien held her close, stroking her back soothingly. When he looked at me, his eyes were like chips of ice. “I think she’s lost her mind,” he said. “Treating a doll like her own child.” “Since she’s insane, she can’t be allowed to run around making a scene. Lock her in the house. She’s not to step one foot outside without my permission.” The guards hauled me to my feet and began dragging me away. I went limp, my eyes fixed on the direction they had taken Leo, until the door to the morgue swung shut. And in that moment, my heart died with him. Back at the mansion, I was thrown into the master bedroom. The door was locked from the outside. I lay on the cold floor, thinking of the birthday cake Leo never got to finish, the picture for me he never got to draw. And the image of him falling from the sky… All of this was because of Damien. Because of his twisted affection for that bitch, Seraphina. I pushed myself up and took Leo’s photo album from the bookshelf. I traced his face in every picture, my tears long since run dry. I was locked in that room for two days. I didn’t eat or drink. I just sat on the floor, folding every piece of clothing Leo had ever worn and arranging them on the bed. Damien never came back. He was with Seraphina, tending to her bruised wrist. On the evening of the third day, the door opened. Damien stumbled in, reeking of alcohol, the house manager trailing nervously behind him. He glanced at the neat piles of children’s clothes on the bed and sneered. “Still keeping up the act? You’re very convincing.” I ignored him, mechanically placing Leo’s favorite little dinosaur stuffed animal on the pillow. My silence enraged him. He strode over and swept the clothes off the bed with a single, violent motion. “Did you hear me talking to you? Who are you playing deaf and dumb for?” The clothes scattered across the floor, and he ground them under the heel of his polished leather shoe. That finally got a reaction. I lunged forward, trying to push his leg away. “Get your foot off! Don’t you dare step on his clothes!” He didn’t move. Instead, he twisted his heel, grinding the fabric into the carpet. “It’s just a piece of clothing. You value it more than your life? I’m tired of your games, Elara.” He crouched down, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him. “Sera wants to come see Leo. Get that little bastard out here right now. Tell him to stop hiding.” I stared at the face so close to mine. I had once loved him more than life itself. Now, he just made me sick. “You forgot? Leo’s in the morgue.” “You’re the one who ordered him to be sent there.” Damien froze for a second, then his face contorted with rage. “Are you fucking done with this? Do you get some sick pleasure from cursing our son to death?” “Sera already told me! She went to check again! The body in the morgue is a fake!” He stood up and roared at the manager in the doorway. “Go find that little brat and drag him out here! I don’t believe he can hide from me forever!” The manager whispered, “Sir, the young master… he’s really not in the house.” Damien wasn’t listening. He tore the room apart, ripping open the closet doors, flipping the mattress. Finally, his eyes landed on a small box on the desk. It held a lock of Leo’s baby hair and his first tooth. Damien strode over and shook it. “What’s in here? More of your black magic to curse Sera?” I scrambled to get it back. “Give it to me! That’s Leo’s!” He opened the box. The sight of its contents only deepened his rage. “You’re disgusting. No wonder Sera’s been having nightmares.” He hurled the box against the wall. The baby teeth scattered across the floor, the lock of soft hair landing on the carpet. It wasn’t enough. He called for a maid. “Get the vacuum. Clean up this trash.” A desperate scream tore from my throat. I dropped to the floor, trying to shield the precious mementos with my hands. “Don’t! Damien, I hope you rot in hell!” The maid stood frozen, holding the vacuum, too scared to move. Damien snatched it from her, flipped the switch, and jammed the nozzle against the back of my hand. The powerful suction pulled at my skin, a searing, tearing pain. My heart felt like it was being squeezed to death. I coughed, and a spray of blood erupted from my lips. Damien recoiled in disgust. “Pathetic. Clean this place up.” He threw the vacuum down and turned to leave. At the door, he paused. “Since that brat loves to hide so much, he can hide for the rest of his life.” The door slammed shut, but this time, it wasn’t locked. I lay on the floor, my fingers combing through the carpet, desperately trying to find a single strand of hair. But there was nothing. It was all gone. Slowly, I pushed myself up and wiped the blood from my mouth. I looked at the ghost-like reflection in the mirror. Then I went to the garage and found the canister of gasoline. Night fell. The mansion was eerily silent. The staff knew Damien despised me, and they stayed in their quarters out back, not wanting to get in the way. I carried the gasoline can, my bare feet silent on the cold marble floor. I poured it over Damien’s favorite leather sofa, over the doorway to the nursery that was once filled with laughter but was now cold and empty. The acrid smell filled the house. I sat in the middle of the living room, a lighter in my hand. Click. A small flame flickered to life. I let it drop. It landed on the gasoline-soaked rug. WHOOSH. A wall of fire erupted, instantly devouring everything. The heat washed over me, singeing the ends of my hair. I pulled out my phone and dialed the familiar number. Damien answered instantly. In the background, I could hear the swell of an orchestra and the sound of laughter. “Elara, what now? I’m warning you…” “Damien,” I said softly, cutting him off. “You should come home.” “Come home to what?” he asked, annoyed. “To see our house. To see the fire. It’s such a big fire.” Two seconds of silence, then the sound of a glass shattering. “Elara! What are you doing?!” For the first time, there was panic in his voice. I smiled and began to sing Leo’s favorite nursery rhyme into the phone. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star…” “You’re insane! Put it out! I’m coming back right now!” Damien was screaming now, the background noise turning to chaos as he started to run. “How I wonder what you are…” My voice caught in my throat. “Leo is afraid of the dark. Daddy won’t go with him, so Mommy will. You just stay with your precious Seraphina, Damien. And live well, in this hell you’ve made on earth.” I threw the phone into the flames. The fire roared, and the support beams began to groan and splinter. I slipped out of the white dress Damien had once given me and tossed it into the heart of the inferno.

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I’ve been married to Ethan for three years. Everyone says we’re a loving, perfect match. But only I know that he has slept in the guest room for three years. He has never touched me. I placed the divorce papers on his desk, wanting to set him free. But then, I accidentally saw an open diary on the desk. “Today after she showered, she forgot to take her clothes. I held back for a long time, but I couldn’t control myself and hid one piece. I hope she won’t find out.” I froze. So the underwear I lost before was all taken by him. 1 Between the pages of the diary on the desk lay a black and gold fountain pen. It was the one I gave Ethan. But the underwear mentioned in the diary as being taken… Was bought by me just last week. Thinking back carefully, over these three years, I’ve lost more than twenty nightgowns and sets of underwear. I thought the wind blew them away. Or I forgot to bring them back from trips. I never suspected Ethan. Because he has a cold and aloof personality. After marriage, we’ve always treated each other with polite respect. When he talks to me, his eyes never wander. How could he do such a thing? But last night, Ethan said the faucet in the guest bathroom had no hot water. He borrowed my bathroom to shower. It took about half an hour in total, and he even said thank you when he left. I didn’t suspect a thing. I didn’t expect it was him who took it. But those are my intimate clothes, he can’t wear them, so what’s the use of taking them? Unsavory images suddenly popped into my mind. My face burned hot, daring not think further. I really wanted to go forward and read the previous content of the diary. I also wanted to rush into the guest room and rummage through his wardrobe. But that would be too unethical. I calmed down. Decided to pretend I saw nothing. Turned around and closed the study door. And those divorce papers were stuffed into the drawer of my vanity by me. True or false, I’ll know if I test him. 2 Ethan came back early tonight. Seeing the living room lights were off, he called my name. “Sarah.” I braced myself and walked out of the bedroom. “You’re back. I didn’t cook dinner tonight.” Ethan still had that serious look. Calling my name, always full name. But I read the diary! Thinking of him with this cold face, secretly using my nightgown to do that— I simply couldn’t look him in the eye. He didn’t notice anything unusual at all, handing over a blue gift bag. “It’s okay, we can go out to eat. “This is a gift for you.” I reached out to take it. My hand accidentally touched his fingertips. I quickly withdrew. Ethan’s eyes darkened slightly, then quickly returned to normal. Today is our third wedding anniversary. The gift I prepared for him was divorce papers. He bought me a pearl necklace. Suppressing complex emotions, I whispered: “I’m sorry, I forgot to prepare a gift.” Luckily he didn’t mind. “It’s okay, I don’t lack anything. “This necklace suits you well, so I bought it.” I whispered thank you. Ethan said lightly: “You’re welcome. Get ready, I’ll book a restaurant.” I changed into a strapless velvet dress with a fur shawl. Put on the pearl necklace he gave me. This outfit wasn’t overly flashy but very elegant. When I opened the door, Ethan looked up, clearly stunned for a moment. Our eyes met, my heart suddenly racing. Before I could speak, he had already looked away. “Let’s go.” Looking at his cold back, I secretly said: Let’s see how long you can pretend. … In the restaurant, the temperature was a bit high. Just as I was about to take off my shawl. He suddenly looked up and stared at me. Ethan has sharp features and deep eyes. Because of his glasses, he looked less aggressive and more refined. But at this moment, I saw danger in his eyes. “W… what’s wrong?” “Nothing, I’m going out for a smoke.” As soon as he left, the suffocating feeling relaxed a lot. I thought he was going to eat me just now. 3 During the meal, Ethan said he had a few days off. Asked if I wanted to go home. Actually, according to my plan, I intended to have a showdown with Ethan and go back after signing the divorce papers. After my family went bankrupt, my dad’s mental state was bad for a while. He went back to our hometown, rented a house, raised flowers and grew vegetables. Gradually adjusted. My dad always thought Ethan and I had a good relationship. I haven’t told him about the divorce. If I go back with Ethan, those divorce papers can only be put aside for now. Ethan was waiting for my reply. I could only bite the bullet and laugh dryly. “Sure, if you’re not busy, let’s go back together.” When leaving, Ethan didn’t move at the door. I looked at him. “Did you leave something behind?” His gaze fell on my shoulder, obscure. “Wear your shawl properly.” Perhaps realizing his tone was too cold and hard. He softened his voice and added: “It’s cold outside.” “…” After showering, I looked at the clothes in the laundry basket. Remembered my newly lost bra. Low-cut style, adorned with a circle of white lace. I liked it very much. Don’t know where Ethan hid it. I deliberately left the changed nightgown behind. Ethan will have to borrow the bathroom again tonight. If the nightgown disappears, then the evidence is solid. Sure enough, not long after, Ethan knocked on the door. Still that cold face. “Sorry, have to borrow it again tonight.” I smiled at him, generously saying: “It’s okay, go ahead.” Listening to the water sound in the bathroom, seconds felt like years. Reading a book, still on the same page. Finally, Ethan came out. His expression was as usual, whispering: “Rest early, goodnight.” “Mm-hm, goodnight.” As soon as he left, I rushed into the bathroom! Sure enough! My nightgown! Dis! Appeared! I was both ashamed and annoyed. Stormed to the guest room door. Just about to knock. Suddenly heard suppressed groans from the crack in the door. Could it be! Is he currently— My face burned hot. Afraid of seeing an awkward scene. Could only turn back to my room. Overthinking all day caused me to have strange dreams at night. In the dream, Ethan wore my underwear. Asking me if he looked good. I called him a pervert. He chuckled low and pressed over, whispering in my ear: “Nian Nian, then you wear it. “Wear it just for me, okay?” 4 Woke up the next day. I had two huge dark circles under my eyes. Ethan was already calling my dad. My dad heard we were coming back to stay for a few days. Happily said he would kill an old hen to make soup. The two chatted on the phone, the familiar atmosphere as if we were really a family. I packed my luggage with mixed feelings. Actually, Ethan treats me quite well. He supports me to continue painting. Didn’t make unreasonable demands because he saved my family from disaster. On the contrary, he respects me very much. Outsiders say we have deep feelings, the envy of everyone. I also had feelings for him. However, he attributed all kindness to repaying kindness. I had to think, maybe he just treats me like a sister. Except for a marriage certificate, we have no relationship at all. But now, thinking that my nightgown might be hidden in his suitcase, my scalp tingles. His seriousness turned out to be all an act. I closed the suitcase, putting away complex emotions. Made up my mind, after returning from my dad’s, I will end this absurd marriage. On the way back, had to drive for nearly six hours. Ethan is slightly germaphobic. So I didn’t open any of the big bag of snacks he brought me. I lay in the back seat playing games. Ethan looked at me from the rearview mirror. “Nothing you like to eat?” Wrong. He bought everything I love to eat. But this is his car, I still have to respect his germaphobia. So I was stubborn: “Oh, I’m not hungry.” Halfway, Ethan stopped the car at a service area. When I came out of the restroom, he stood under a camphor tree making a call. Sunlight shone through the leaves on him. Ethan, having taken off his suit and wearing a shirt, looked more boyish. He flicked the ash, brought it to his lips, and took a deep drag. Looked up and exhaled smoke. His straight shoulders and back relaxed at this moment. Looking sideways at me, there was still a faint smile on his lips. “Okay, hanging up now, call me if anything.” This gentle and humble appearance. Must be an act too! As soon as I got in the car, I covered myself with a jacket and pretended to sleep. Afraid he would talk to me again. Ethan drove very steadily. I pretended to sleep, and actually fell asleep. When I woke up, my dad had already opened the car door, greeting me to get off. “Nian Nian, you slept the whole way. You girl, didn’t switch driving with Ethan for a while?” I haven’t spoken yet. Ethan looked at me and smiled: “It’s okay, she’s not familiar with my car. It’s good for her to sleep more.” “Sleeping so long during the day, can you still sleep at night?” Ethan whispered: “If can’t sleep then don’t sleep, rare vacation.” A light sentence. But I felt a chill on my back. I got out of the car quickly and ran to the courtyard. Smelled the mellow chicken soup as soon as I entered. “Dad, I’m starving, let’s eat quickly.” “Okay okay okay, let you two taste dad’s cooking. Little Shu, take her to wash hands, watch her, don’t let her steal food!” Ethan took my suitcase, followed my dad, smiling and responding: “Okay, I’ll watch her.” I heard Ethan’s voice, my whole body tightened. As soon as he came in, I hurried out. My dad’s courtyard is spacious and bright. He also planted many flowers, I couldn’t name them. After washing hands, squatted aside and took a few photos to send to friends. Just typing, Ethan suddenly appeared behind me. “This is nodding clerodendron.” I was startled, stood up in panic. Didn’t stand firm, almost fell. Ethan reacted extremely fast, grabbed my arm, scooped me into his arms. “Careful.” The clean and cool scent on him drilled into my nose as soon as he approached. I only felt my heartbeat accelerate suddenly. Liking someone, you feel even his scent is a temptation. Just as I was about to push him away, my dad came out of the kitchen with chicken soup. “Eat eat—oops, I saw nothing, you two continue.” Ethan let go of me, I immediately rushed into the house. Awkward. Simply too awkward.

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My mother-in-law suddenly called me while I was driving on the freeway. It wasn’t safe to answer, but she refused to hang up, interfering with my navigation. I managed to put on my Bluetooth headset. As soon as I connected, she started yelling: “Sarah, what are you doing? Why did it take you so long to answer?” I frowned. “Mom, didn’t I tell you yesterday I was going on a business trip? I’m on the road right now.” My mother-in-law was frantic. “Come back immediately! The TV is broken, and Liam is screaming to watch his cartoons. Nothing I do will calm him down.” She wouldn’t stop shouting. I couldn’t focus on driving. I had to slow down to 60 and move to the slow lane. “Mom, I’m driving. I can’t talk right now.” “If the TV is broken, take Liam downstairs for a walk. He shouldn’t be watching TV all day anyway, it’s bad for his eyes.” My mother-in-law retorted: “But he hasn’t eaten yet! He says he won’t eat until he watches his show.” She deliberately put me on speaker. From the other end came Liam’s piercing screams: “I won’t eat! I want to watch my show!” Then he started screaming incoherently. The sharp noise gave me a headache. My mother-in-law continued: “See? He won’t eat without his cartoons.” “Look at the time! How can he not eat?” “Think of something, quickly!” I felt helpless. The child was right next to her, yet she insisted I solve the problem. I controlled my emotions and said calmly: “Mom, why don’t you find a TV repairman to come take a look?” “It’s only 5:30, they shouldn’t be off work yet.” She paused. “I don’t know any repairmen!” “Then ask Liam’s dad. Ken should be home by now.” “Ken definitely doesn’t know any either.” I kept my patience. “We’re young people. Ken will figure it out.” My mother-in-law got impatient. “What can he do? Why trouble two people for such a small thing? Just pull over and make a call.” I explained: “Mom, you can’t stop on the freeway. It’s dangerous.” “Finding a repairman isn’t hard. There’s a computer and internet at home. Just tell Ken to look one up online.” “I need to focus on driving. I’m hanging up.” I ended the call. Just then, a truck drove parallel to me. The hazardous materials sign on its side was terrifying. The truck driver noticed I was a woman. He glanced at me contemptuously and honked repeatedly, signaling me to move and not block the way. I felt uncomfortable. I accelerated, preparing to overtake. Before I could pass, my mother-in-law called again. “Ken can’t find a repairman either. He said for you to contact one.” I sighed. “There are tons of appliance repair services online. Just call and make an appointment. They can be there in ten minutes.” Without thinking, she said: “Ken just can’t find one!” I started getting angry. “Is it that he can’t find one, or he didn’t even look?” She stammered for a while. “Ken said he’s very busy tonight and told me not to disturb him.” I frowned. “What is he busy with?” She said: “Something about ‘raiding’ or ‘leveling up,’ I don’t understand. Probably work.” I scoffed. So he was busy playing video games. My mother-in-law continued: “Sarah, you bought the TV. You should just handle it.” “Ken is tired from work every day too. You can’t just demand him to do this and that.” I laughed in anger. Yes, yes, her precious son is the most delicate flower. Don’t I work? I pick up the kid after work, cook for the whole family, clean up, and do laundry. Everyone treats me like a beast of burden. Am I not tired? I didn’t want to say anything more. I threw out a final sentence: “Mom, stop talking.” “I need to drive. I don’t have time for this.” “If Liam wants to cry, let him cry in Ken’s room. Let him cry at his dad.” With that, I hung up. Soon, it started to rain. Raindrops covered the windshield, visibility was poor. I turned on the wipers, gripping the steering wheel tightly, not daring to relax for a second. Traffic was congested. A beat-up sedan kept trying to cut in, very annoying. My mother-in-law kept calling. She called over a dozen times; I didn’t answer a single one. After a while, she stopped. Then Ken called. I picked up. “What?” Ken asked angrily: “Why aren’t you answering Mom’s calls?” “Where are you?” I rolled my eyes. “I said at dinner yesterday, I’m on a business trip today.” He said “Oh,” then added: “The TV is broken.” “Your son keeps screaming to watch cartoons. It’s noisy.” “So?” Ken clicked his tongue, sounding very dissatisfied. “Are you playing dumb?” “Find someone to fix it.” “Liam is so noisy, I can’t focus on my stuff.” I asked back: “Why do I have to find someone?” “I’m driving on the freeway. Why can’t you find someone?” Ken didn’t answer directly. It was like he didn’t even hear me. He continued talking to himself: “The neighbors in the group chat are complaining. They say Liam is too loud and disturbing their rest.” I was speechless. “Since you know Liam is disturbing others, why don’t you do something?” “Just let him scream and disturb others?” Ken: “That’s why you need to find someone to fix the TV quickly. Once it’s fixed, he’ll be quiet.” A sense of powerlessness instantly washed over me. Furious, I hung up and threw the headset onto the passenger seat. The rain fell harder. The wipers were on max speed. For safety, I found the nearest rest area to stop and wait out the rain. I checked my phone. The building group chat was full of curses. Everyone was complaining about a child screaming in the building. Obviously, they were talking about Liam. His dad didn’t care, but I couldn’t let our relationship with the neighbors crumble. I quickly found an appliance repair shop near home online. The guy on the other end was rude. He quoted $200. Take it or leave it. Looking at the terrible weather outside, I knew he was price gouging. But I had no choice. If this wasn’t resolved, my mother-in-law would call again. I had to agree and asked him to go asap. Then I called my mother-in-law, telling her I had booked a repairman. I told her to calm Liam down and stop him from screaming. She sounded smug: “Why didn’t you just do this earlier? Look how upset you made my grandson.” Hanging up, I sighed, leaning back and rubbing my throbbing temples. A moment later, my boss called. “Sarah, where are you?” I pulled myself together. “At a rest stop. The rain makes driving difficult, but I’ll arrive by tomorrow morning. I won’t delay the client’s schedule.” My boss sighed. “Sarah, bad news. The client’s schedule changed. You probably need to meet him tonight.” This put me in a tough spot. The destination was about 200 miles away. Driving fast in the rain was dangerous. Seeing my silence, the boss comforted me: “It’s okay. This is a sudden change. Don’t force yourself. I’ll send a sales rep from the branch office.” This deal was my big chance for a promotion. I couldn’t just hand it over. I gritted my teeth. “It’s fine, boss. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be there on time tonight.” … Hanging up, I rallied my spirits and set off again. The road was slippery. I watched the traffic carefully, controlling my speed and lane changes. The GPS kept announcing: “Speed limit 65 ahead…” “Accident-prone area, please maintain distance…” Occasionally, semi-trucks would speed past me. The splashed water instantly blurred my windshield. My heart tightened, but I dared not brake. Just then, my mother-in-law called again. I didn’t hesitate. Hung up. Seconds later, she called again. I hung up again. She kept calling. After five or six times, the GPS froze. I surrendered and put on the headset. “Why don’t you answer the phone?” “What kind of repairman did you find? Why does fixing a broken TV cost $200?” My heart sank. Yes, I had anticipated her reaction. She was from the countryside and would never accept paying $200 to fix a TV. So I had told the repairman in advance to just fix it and not mention money. I would transfer the money to him separately. She must have tricked the price out of him. I tried hard to explain: “Mom, that’s the standard price now. Plus it’s storming, it’s good enough he’s willing to come.” “Don’t worry about the money, I’ll pay for it.” She wasn’t having it. “What do you mean I don’t worry? Isn’t your money the family’s money?” “Ken works so hard, day and night. Does your heart not ache when you spend it?” My chest started to hurt. Her son works a factory job. He works day and night but earns less than my base salary. Without my support every month, he’d starve. I held back my emotions. “Mom, stop talking. Let the man fix the TV, then let Liam eat, okay?” “I’m driving. Hanging up now.” But she started yelling: “Fix what? I told him to get lost long ago.” “Trying to scam my family’s money? No way.” Hearing this, my heart went cold. Because I had already prepaid the service fee. $50 gone, just like that. My brain started to shut down. My mother-in-law kept chattering: “Oh no, Liam is starting to fuss again.” “Find another place quickly. If the TV isn’t fixed tonight, he won’t even sleep.” I wanted to say something, but a Toyota SUV sped past me honking. I panicked and instinctively swerved. The car lost control, skidding towards the guardrail. I tapped the brakes rapidly, gripping the steering wheel, trying to regain control. The car skid for hundreds of meters before stopping. Luckily, there were few cars because of the rain. Otherwise, it would have been a horrific crash. I stopped in the emergency lane, shaken to the core. My mother-in-law was still yelling: “What’s that rumbling noise over there?” “Say something.” “Can the TV be fixed or not?” I didn’t speak. I was trembling all over from fear, unable to utter a word. I tried to reach up to turn off the Bluetooth headset. But my hand wouldn’t obey. After fumbling for a while, I couldn’t even touch the headset. I got even more agitated. She kept yelling: “What do you mean by not talking?” “Do you think an old woman like me is annoying?” “I came all the way from the countryside to help you with the kid. What did I do wrong?” “I ask you to do one thing, and you’re so impatient?” I said tremblingly: “Mom, please stop. I almost got into a car accident.” There was a pause on the other end. “Car accident?” “Then how are you talking to me?” I forced myself to explain: “Not got into an accident, almost got into one…” She asked tentatively: “But you’re okay, right?” I said: “I’m not hurt. Just scared. My heart is racing…” She sighed in relief. “As long as you’re okay.” “Then hurry up and find someone for the TV.” “I finally coaxed Liam to eat, but I still need to listen to some opera later.” “I’ve loved opera all my life. If I don’t listen to a couple of pieces, I really can’t sleep.” My heart, which had just relaxed, tightened again instantly. At this moment, I couldn’t control my emotions anymore. I screamed at her: “Fix the TV! Fix the TV!” “Must the TV be fixed tonight?” “Can’t live without a TV?” “Why do you adults and the kid all have to make it hard for me?” “Won’t eat without cartoons? I never spoiled him with such bad habits!” “Is the kid’s dad disabled? No hands or feet? Is he useless?” “I’m telling you, I have my own things to do. Fix the TV or not, watch it or not, I don’t care anymore.” “Stop calling me!” Since getting married, I’ve always been gentle. My mother-in-law never dreamed I would talk to her like this. But I just brushed past death. Even a gentle rabbit bites when cornered. She yelled into the phone angrily: “Sarah, what do you mean by that?” “Rebelling are you! Is this how your parents taught you to speak?!” Before she could continue, I slammed the phone down. She called back instantly. I blocked her. Ten seconds later, Ken called. “How dare you talk to my mom like that? Do you know you scared her…” Blocked him too. The world was quiet. Only the sound of rain filled the universe. I rested my head on the steering wheel, taking deep breaths. I don’t know how long it took for my body to slowly recover. Then, the phone rang again. It was my boss. “Sarah, are you okay? Are you driving? You didn’t reply to my message, I was worried.” My usually calm boss sounded a bit panicked because of the rain. I rallied my spirits to respond: “I’m fine, boss. I’m still on the road. Should be there by 10 PM.” He sighed. “I’m not calling to rush you.” “The rain is getting heavier. I’m doing my best to communicate with the client, asking him to stay longer, buying time.” “It’s okay if you’re a bit late.” “Safety first.” The sincerity in his voice wasn’t fake, nor was it an attempt to absolve responsibility. My vision blurred. I touched my face; it was tears. How laughable. The first person to care about my safety was an outsider. After hanging up, I calmed down a bit more. Brain rational again, I decided to continue. I wasn’t moved by the boss to sell my life for him. But I had made a promise, and I had to keep it. Not hoping for others to pay for my mistakes is the greatest respect and courtesy. Back on the road. The rain showed no sign of letting up. My mother-in-law and Ken were blocked. No one would disturb me again. I could maintain absolute focus. But facts proved I was too naive. A call from an unknown number shattered my luck. At first, I thought it was spam and ignored it. A few seconds later, it rang again. I hesitated, then put on the headset. As soon as it connected, I heard my mother-in-law screaming: “Bad news! Bad news!” “What do we do! The TV exploded!” My heart skipped a beat. How could a TV explode? A chill ran down my back. I asked: “What happened?” “Speak slowly.” Her wailing was mixed with blame: “It’s all your fault!” “I told you to find someone else, but you wouldn’t answer!” “I had to ask my dance partner, old man Lee. To see if he could fix it.” “Who knew, halfway through, something wasn’t connected right, and the TV blew up!” I asked hurriedly: “Is anyone hurt?” She paused, voice dropping significantly: “Ken and I were far away, we’re fine. Old Lee got his arm burned.” “It’s just Liam…” I panicked: “What happened to Liam?!”

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The economy tanked, and my husband’s salary was slashed from ten thousand a month to just two thousand. Right around that time, our daughter was diagnosed with a severe heart condition. To cover the crushing medical bills, I took out loans to fund his new business venture. It failed, leaving us with nothing. “Honey, I’m so sorry!” he cried, standing on the edge of a rooftop, ready to jump. I ran to him, sobbing, and threw my arms around him. “It’s okay,” I promised. “We’ll get through this together.” We spent the next seven years surviving in a cramped, damp basement apartment. Our daughter died in my arms because we couldn’t afford the five-thousand-dollar dose of the specialty drug that could have saved her. Then, I ran into one of his old colleagues. “Eleanor, congratulations! I heard Macaulay’s been getting raises every year. And that pharmaceutical company he started is worth billions now!” I stood there, clutching our daughter’s ashes, the blood draining from my face. The man didn’t notice my expression. He just kept gushing. “His first love, Isabelle, is a single mom with a sick daughter, you know. For the past seven years, Macaulay’s been anonymously sending her ten thousand dollars a month. He even spent a fortune developing that five-thousand-dollar specialty drug and has been giving it to her daughter for free, an unlimited supply…” 1 “You’re so lucky, Eleanor! A man who’s so loyal to his past but respects the boundaries of his present? You couldn’t find a better guy if you tried!” I couldn’t process his words. I just asked for the address and stumbled my way to the gleaming headquarters of Macaulay’s company. As I reached his office door, I heard voices from within. “Mr. Vance, about Isabelle. We have her on the payroll, but she only comes in for one meeting a week. The reports we generate for her are never used, and after taxes and insurance, her salary is still over twenty thousand a month. Are you sure you want to give her another raise next month?” The secretary paused. “Also, your wife came by last week. She was on her knees, begging one of our reps to let her have a single dose of the specialty drug on credit. I think she really needs it…” Macaulay cut her off, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Isabelle’s salary will be increased every month. And that drug has an extremely limited production run right now; her daughter’s needs come first. She’s had it so hard all these years, raising a sick child on her own. A stable income and a guaranteed supply of medicine are the least I can do to give her peace of mind.” He took a breath. “As for my wife… don’t worry about her for now. Our daughter’s had this condition for years; it can’t be that severe. Keep this quiet from both of them. Isabelle has a good heart. If she knew the truth, she’d feel guilty, and I don’t want that.” My hand trembled on the doorknob, a chill seeping into my very bones. To raise the money for his “failed” business, I had borrowed from every single one of my relatives. I still hadn’t paid back a cent, and they treated me like a ghost. For seven long years, I’d shouldered every burden, never wanting to add to his stress. Our daughter had been on the brink of death so many times, and I had sat by her hospital bed alone, even when I was burning up with a 102-degree fever. I knew the pattern of the tiles on that hospital floor better than I knew my own reflection. The pittance he brought home each month didn’t even cover the basic medical co-pays. I lived on less than a dollar a day, scavenging for scraps from the market, even selling my plasma, just to keep our expenses under fifty dollars a month. In the dead of winter, I would drag our daughter out to the streets to sell trinkets from a small cart, constantly running from the cops. I remember once, she begged for a piece of cake. I broke my own rule and spent four dollars on a small slice for her. When Macaulay found out, he lectured me for wasting money. And all the while, he was secretly wiring ten thousand dollars a month to another woman. Setting her up with a cushy, no-show job, complete with benefits. I had nothing. And I couldn’t even save my daughter. Then, I heard his cold voice again from inside the office. “Isabelle is a good woman. She knows I’m married and has refused my help time and again. This is the only way I can support her without her knowing. Besides, I founded this company for her. Until the drug is in mass production, no one gets it before her daughter. Not even my own.” My heart felt like it had been ripped open. The dam of my emotions finally broke. I threw the door open. 2 “Eleanor?” Macaulay’s face was a kaleidoscope of emotions—shock, panic, then a deep, creeping guilt. He dismissed his secretary and walked toward me, forcing a look of pained apology. “When did you get here? I was just trying to get a dose of that specialty drug for our daughter, but they wouldn’t budge. I’m so sorry.” I shoved him away, the force of my grief tearing his pathetic mask to shreds. “Stop acting, Macaulay! I heard everything! Do you even know? Do you know that our daughter is DEAD?” My voice cracked. “You told me your salary was cut, and I believed you! I took out loans, I begged my family for money to fund your business! You said it failed, and I believed that too! So what is this? How do you explain this billion-dollar company?” “If you want to play the noble hero for your long-lost love, fine! But why did you have to drag me and our daughter down with you? You said she had it hard raising a child alone. You think I didn’t?” A gut-wrenching scream tore from my throat, and tears streamed down my face. Macaulay stared at me, dumbfounded, his lips trembling. “Dead? Sophie is… dead?” Before I could answer, there was a clatter at the door. An elegantly dressed woman stood there, her hand flying to her mouth as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. “Macaulay… you’re the owner of this company? So the anonymous payments, the job, the medicine… it was all you?” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea…” Her face was pale as she staggered back, overcome with shame. “Isabelle, it’s not your fault! I wanted to do it!” Macaulay cried, his heart breaking at the sight of her tears. Any flicker of guilt he’d felt over our daughter’s death was instantly extinguished. He rushed to comfort her, right in front of me, but she sidestepped him. That’s when I saw it. The Audi key fob in her hand. It looked exactly like mine. Seven years ago, when the loans for his “failed” business came due, the court had seized my dowry—my car and a sprawling 4,300-square-foot luxury villa. A sick feeling washed over me. I lunged for the personnel files on his desk, my fingers flying through them until I found her name. Isabelle’s current address was my villa. The one that had been “seized by the court.” It all clicked into place. Rage, pure and hot, consumed me. “Macaulay!” My voice was a strangled shriek. I grabbed the file and hurled it at his face. “You told me the court took my car and my villa! Why does she have them?” Faced with the undeniable truth, Macaulay was speechless. Isabelle, finally understanding, bowed her head in shame. “I’m so sorry,” she stammered, bowing to me. “I didn’t know. I’ll give you the keys back right now, and I promise I’ll move out of the villa immediately.” She pressed the keys into my hand and turned to Macaulay, her chin held high. “Macaulay, thank you for everything you’ve done for me in secret, but I can’t be the reason your marriage falls apart. As of today, I quit. And please, don’t send me any more money.” With a final, tearful glance at him, she turned and ran. “Isabelle!” he yelled, taking a few steps after her before stopping himself. He stood there for a long moment, then slowly turned back to me, his eyes filled with a deep, sorrowful expression. “Eleanor, we can talk about this later. Is Sophie really gone? I thought her condition was under control.” A bitter, broken laugh escaped my lips. “I was the one holding everything together all these years. What would you know, with all your ‘overtime’ and ‘business trips’?” “Eleanor, I…” He opened his mouth, but no words came out. To make amends, he dropped everything at the company. He spent the next three days with me, choosing a burial plot, ordering a headstone. He didn’t eat or drink, his lips cracking from dehydration, but he never complained. He didn’t dare speak to me. Then, he took a phone call. When he hung up, he knelt before me. His eyes were pleading, his voice laced with a desperate humility. “Eleanor, I failed you and Sophie. I’m a monster. You can hit me, scream at me, do whatever you want. But please… please let me be the one to see her off.” He looked up at me. “Can I be the one to bring her ashes to the gravesite? Please?” I stared at his pathetic display, my heart a cold, hard stone. But then I thought of Sophie, of how much she had always longed for her father’s attention. I finally nodded. “Do what you want.” We would deal with us after our daughter was laid to rest. A flicker of emotion crossed his face. He gave me a complicated look, then quickly stood and left. The minutes ticked by, and a strange anxiety began to crawl under my skin. I sat by Sophie’s small, empty grave and pulled out my phone, intending to call and ask if he’d picked up the ashes. But on impulse, I opened his social media page. His recent activity led me to a profile named “BrokenSparrow.” It was Isabelle. Her birthday was listed as April 17th. Macaulay’s screen name was “April_17.” Her profile background was a picture of the ocean. His status was: “Drowning in the sea.” My hand started to shake. I scrolled down, looking through her posts. Macaulay had liked or commented on every single one. My eyes landed on two posts from seven years ago. “I’m so jealous of women who get to drive Audis!” “Whoever buys me a 4,300-square-foot villa will be my hero forever.” The date on those posts? Exactly one week before my car and villa were “seized by the court.” I dropped the phone, my face wet with tears I hadn’t realized I was crying. Just then, a new post from her appeared on my screen. “I heard that human ashes can be used as a catalyst in certain folk remedies for heart conditions. I wonder if he’d be willing to part with them…” A cold dread washed over me. I scrambled to my feet and ran to the crematorium’s reception office. “The urn for Sophie Vance?” the manager said, looking puzzled. “Your husband picked it up twenty minutes ago. You didn’t know?” My breath came in ragged gasps. I called his phone, over and over. No answer. A cold sweat broke out across my body as I hailed a cab and sped to Isabelle’s—to my—villa. Through the iron gate, I could see it. Sophie’s urn was empty, discarded on the lawn. And Isabelle was smiling, feeding the last drops of a murky liquid to her own daughter. After sending her daughter inside, she turned to Macaulay, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Macaulay, thank you. I can never repay you. But what if your wife finds out you used your daughter’s ashes as a remedy for mine? Will she be angry? I heard her family is very powerful in this city.” Macaulay frowned, then waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about it. Eleanor is all alone now. Her family disowned her. No one will stand up for her. Besides, who else does she have to rely on but me? She wouldn’t dare make a scene.” The hatred was a physical force, and it sent me charging through the gate. I slapped him, hard. “Macaulay, are you even human? You had the cure, and you let our daughter die! And now you won’t even let her rest in peace? You’re a monster!” I rounded on Isabelle. “And you! Stop playing the innocent victim! If you had any decency, you wouldn’t have posted those things online, and you certainly wouldn’t have accepted his help, knowing full well he had a family!” Macaulay was stunned by the slap. “Eleanor? How did you get here?” Isabelle cowered behind him, her face ashen. I was losing my mind. I lunged at him, my nails raking across his face, leaving bloody tracks on his handsome cheek. He yelped in pain, his shock turning to rage. He kicked me, hard, in the chest. “Enough!” he roared. “It’s just some ashes! You went to medical school, you should know that when you’re dead, you’re dead! Keeping her ashes won’t bring her back! It’s better for them to have some final use, to help Isabelle’s daughter live!” The words, so utterly devoid of humanity, struck me harder than the blow. Pain exploded in my chest, and I collapsed, shaking. But the physical agony was nothing compared to the agony in my soul. I struggled to my knees, my voice a broken whisper. “I’m all alone because of you, Macaulay! I actually thought you felt some remorse for what happened to Sophie, but it was all a lie! Just another one of your schemes to get her ashes!” My voice rose to a scream. “You’ll pay for this! Both of you! I’m calling the police!” I fumbled for my phone. Isabelle burst into tears. “Macaulay, don’t let her call the police! My daughter and I will be ruined! We might as well just die!” “Don’t say that!” Macaulay’s face contorted in panic. Acting on pure instinct, he grabbed a small gardening axe from the porch and swung it at my arm. A scream of pure agony was ripped from my throat as the blade bit deep into my flesh. Blood sprayed across both our faces. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was the look of horror on his. When I came to, I was locked in the attic. Blood was still seeping from the wound on my arm, which was cut nearly to the bone. I crawled weakly across the floor and found my phone. The first thing I saw was a news alert trending online: “CEO Macaulay Vance: A Model of Loyalty and Integrity.” My hands shaking, I clicked the link. Somehow, the story of Macaulay’s anonymous support for Isabelle had been “leaked.” They were in the middle of a live television interview. “Mr. Vance is a true role model for our times,” the interviewer gushed. “To show such devotion to an old flame, while still maintaining clear boundaries… his own daughter must be the happiest girl in the world.” “I heard that every toy he buys for Miss Isabelle’s daughter costs over a thousand dollars, and those are the cheap ones!” “Someone online found out that when her daughter mentioned wanting to touch a cloud, Mr. Vance chartered a private helicopter, flew her up into the sky, and let her stick her hand out the window.” “And he takes them on international trips every month! If he treats his ex’s daughter this well, I can only imagine how much he must spoil his own!” I listened to the fawning praise, each word a dagger in my heart. My daughter had never even been on a plane. And Isabelle’s daughter got to wake up and touch the clouds. While they were jet-setting around the world, my Sophie was tied to a vendor’s cart with a piece of rope. I collapsed, a wave of gut-wrenching sobs shaking my entire body. I stared at the screen, at the three of them, looking like a perfect, happy family. With a final, choked cry, I smashed the phone against the floor. He still didn’t seem to realize. My daughter was already dead. And Isabelle’s wasn’t far behind. 3 I used a broken piece of furniture to shatter the attic window and escape. Down in the yard, I found Sophie’s empty urn. Clutching it to my chest, I ran, all the way to the live event. Macaulay was on stage, about to be presented with the “Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the Year” award. Isabelle and her daughter stood beside him, preening like peacocks in their designer clothes. I shoved my way through the crowd, a wild, blood-soaked apparition. I held up the empty urn. “I am Eleanor Vance, Macaulay Vance’s wife!” I screamed, my voice raw. “And I am here to tell you that this man is a fraud! He and this woman, Isabelle, this manipulative snake, they murdered my daughter!” My voice broke. “My daughter needed that specialty drug too. But he wouldn’t spare a single dose for her. The doctor said that just one dose… just one… and she would still be alive.” A shocked murmur ran through the crowd. All eyes turned to the stage. I met Macaulay’s panicked gaze and raised the urn higher. “And now my daughter has no grave, because he took her ashes and fed them to Isabelle’s child as some kind of twisted medicine!” “That’s absurd!” Macaulay finally found his voice. He rushed off the stage and pulled me into a corner. “Eleanor, stop it!” he hissed. “Whatever it is, we’ll discuss it at home. If you embarrass Isabelle in public, I’ll—” His eyes fell on my swollen face, on the deep, bleeding gash on my arm. He faltered, the threat dying on his lips. Suddenly, Isabelle ran over, her eyes red, and dropped to her knees in front of me, bowing her head again and again. She dramatically pulled up her sleeve, revealing a series of horrific-looking burns and welts on her arm. “Eleanor, please don’t say these things,” she sobbed. “I never, ever wanted to come between you. If you don’t want Macaulay helping me, I’ll disappear. I’ll go far away. Please, just leave me alone. I can’t take it anymore. I’ll just take my daughter and end it all!” The crowd gasped. Then, in a theatrical gesture of despair, Isabelle stood and ran toward the ballroom’s balcony, dragging her daughter with her. “Isabelle!” Macaulay screamed, chasing after her and pulling her back from the edge. Then he whirled around, grabbed the back of my head, and slapped me, over and over, more than a dozen times. All his composure was gone. He looked like a rabid animal. “You did this to her, didn’t you, Eleanor!” he roared. “You’ve been hurting her behind my back! You’re a sick, jealous monster! You couldn’t take care of your own daughter, so now you can’t stand to see Isabelle’s daughter get better! Ashes? Medicine? You say one more crazy word and I’ll have you committed to a psychiatric hospital!” His words hung in the air. The way people were looking at me changed. My head was spinning from the blows. “He’s lying,” I pleaded, shaking my head. “Please, believe me, I’m not crazy. I funded his company. He used my money to carry on with her behind my back! He really did feed my daughter’s ashes to her child!” But they just stared at me with a mixture of pity and scorn. “Ashes as medicine? Maybe she is crazy, like he said.” “Even a monster wouldn’t do that to his own child. Mr. Vance is a good man.” “I recognize you. You’re the one from the Feng family, the one they disowned. If your own family doesn’t want you, there must be something wrong with you.” They started pushing me, shoving me. I fell to the floor, clutching the empty urn. Someone stepped on my injured arm, and a fresh wave of agony shot through me. I was on the verge of passing out. Macaulay just stood there, watching with cold indifference. A tear of pure despair slid from the corner of my eye. And then, from the edge of the crowd, came Isabelle’s terrified scream. “Macaulay! My daughter is throwing up blood!” He whipped his head around. The little girl was collapsed on the floor, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Panic seized him. “What’s happening?” he cried, his voice cracking. My gaze drifted down to the empty urn in my hands. A slow, knowing smile spread across my face. Now, your karma has arrived.

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On the day of our engagement party, I couldn’t reach Aidan Cross, the man I’d loved for ten years. I waited for him at the restaurant for eight solid hours. As night fell, he finally called me back, his voice tinged with a hollow apology. “Lia, I’m so sorry. Something came up. I hope I didn’t make your parents wait too long.” I massaged my aching legs and told him they hadn’t. His voice was laced with fatigue. “Let’s reschedule the engagement party. How about next week? I’ll call your parents and explain.” My phone vibrated. My social media feed had refreshed with another picture of Aidan and Megan Chen, cozy and intimate. Our mutual friends were all cheering in the comments, congratulating Megan on the 25 lavish gifts Aidan had prepared for her 25th birthday. The final gift had been a surprise visit. Which meant that for the eight hours he’d stood me up, Aidan had been on a flight to the next city over to celebrate his childhood friend’s birthday. A new message popped up on my screen. It was from Megan. 【Lia, the only person Aidan truly cares about is me. Are you really sure you still want to marry him?】 I turned off the screen, no longer feeling the need to question him or spiral into doubt. I simply replied to Aidan’s text. “Don’t worry about it. We’re… done.” Lia Stone was done trying to marry Aidan Cross. 1. “Dad, I’ll do it. I’ll marry Tim Cohen.” “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses, sweetheart. When it comes to love, you have to know when to cut your losses.” After hanging up, I made dinner, three dishes and a soup, just like any other night. When Aidan got home, he was holding a bouquet of my favorite white freesias. “Went out of my way to get these for you. Don’t be mad anymore.” Normally, I would have rushed over, taken the flowers, and thrown myself into his arms. This time, I just kept eating, my expression placid. “Still angry? How about I buy you flowers every day for a week?” He towel-dried his hair, a roguish grin on his face that was handsome enough to send hormones into overdrive. I dropped my gaze, collected my plate, and walked into the bedroom. “There’s no need.” Aidan followed me, his placating tone much softer now. “Alright, Lia, I know I was wrong to miss the engagement party. But I already apologized, didn’t I? You know how busy the Search and Rescue team is…” I cut him off. “What does your team have to do with you skipping our engagement party to go to Megan’s birthday?” He was speechless for a moment, his eyes darting away. “Lia, you know…” I interrupted him again, my voice steady. “Aidan, this has happened too many times.” On my birthday, he was with Megan, watching a meteor shower. On our anniversary, he took her out for a candlelit dinner. For five Valentine’s Days in a row, he lit up the city harbor with fireworks for her. A chill settled in the air between us. I took a deep breath. “Aidan, you knew she was doing it on purpose, and you went anyway.” “For eight hours, I stood there at our engagement party like an idiot, like a doll someone had thrown away.” My eyes burned, and I refused to say more. Aidan frowned and pulled a small, cheap-looking pouch from his pocket. “Lia, it’s all my fault. I picked out a gift for you…” Inside the flimsy pouch was a necklace. It was the cheap, complimentary item that came with one of Megan’s expensive designer birthday gifts. A throbbing started in my temples, and it took every ounce of my self-control to suppress the wave of rage that threatened to boil over. For all these years, no matter how deep our love was, Megan had always been wedged between us. Aidan’s parents died when he was young. Megan’s parents took him in, fed him, clothed him, and raised him. He told me everything the day we started dating. He said he owed them a debt of gratitude, that he had to be good to Megan for the rest of his life. I never objected to that. But for her, he abandoned me, hurt me, time and time again. And every time I tried to have a serious conversation with him about it, he would just laugh it off, saying Megan was just a kid who didn’t know the difference between platonic and romantic love. But what about him? Did he know what love was? 2. I closed the bedroom door, locking Aidan out. The next morning, an exquisite breakfast was laid out on the table with a sticky note attached. 【Honey, the team has a mission today. I had to leave early.】 I ate the breakfast, then packed up everything that belonged to me, and moved back to my parents’ house. Aidan came home just as I was wheeling my last suitcase out the door. He panicked, his brows knitting together. “Lia, I already said I was sorry. Why are you still making a scene?” I loved Aidan. I really did. In my sophomore year of college, our entire class went on a camping trip. A freak mudslide hit, followed by a wildfire. I remember it so clearly. So many rescue teams arrived, but it was Aidan, and Aidan alone, who snatched me from the jaws of death. I can still see the image of him shielding me from the flames, his body a desperate barrier. He suffered severe burns and lung damage, and spent a full year in the hospital recovering. It was a debt I owed him, one I never forgot. So when we fell in love afterward, I tried my best to understand him. When he left me for Megan, I tried not to make a big deal out of it. But this was different. I looked at him, my voice quiet. “Aidan, I’m not making a scene. I’ve just given up.” The panic in his eyes was palpable. His knuckles turned white as he snatched the suitcase from my hand. “You’re not leaving. Lia, we’re about to get married. You can’t be this childish.” A light rain began to fall outside. I’m a sentimental person, but I’m also cursed with a terrifying clarity. I took out my phone and showed him the texts Megan had sent me. “Do you really still believe her feelings for you are just sisterly affection?” Aidan’s jaw tightened. “Regardless, you are not leaving.” “Lia, you’re the one I love. I am absolutely certain of that.” A bitter smile touched my lips. He’d said that to me so many times. He was telling me he loved me while holding a single freesia, right after I’d seen a post of him giving Megan ninety-nine red roses. He was kissing my forehead and telling me he loved me right after I’d spent all night stewing a pot of soup for him, only to watch him turn and carefully feed it to Megan. He held me in his arms, overjoyed, when I presented him with a model airplane I’d spent three sleepless nights building for his promotion, only to give it to Megan because she casually mentioned she liked it. He said he loved me, but he saved all his best for her. As if to prove my point, his phone started ringing, a jarringly cheerful tune filling the room. “Prince, your princess is calling!” It was the ringtone Megan had set for herself on his phone. I’d been jealous about it for a long time. Aidan had just brushed it off. “Oh, come on, she’s just a kid. Let her have her fun.” Megan was a year older than me. If she was a kid, what was I? Her sickly-sweet voice filled the air. “Brother, has sister-in-law calmed down yet? You should bring her to the restaurant. I’ll apologize to her in person!” Aidan hung up and turned to me, his voice earnest. “Lia, Megan is getting married soon. She’s starting to realize her feelings for me aren’t romantic. Will you come have a meal with her? Please?” When I didn’t move, his voice softened. “If you still want to leave after that, I’ll let you go.” 3. I went with him to the restaurant. Megan was dressed like a little princess in a frilly pink dress and had ordered a mountain of food. Aidan was spinning like a top, serving me food one moment, and then serving Megan the next. She was all smiles, her eyes crinkling as she looked at me. “Lia, honey, I heard you and my brother are thinking of breaking up?” “The engagement party was my fault. You should forgive him.” I guess only Aidan would consider those two flippant sentences a real apology. I stared at her and forced a smile. “Fine. I forgive him.” The next second, Megan’s face soured. She stood up and slammed her plate on the floor. “Brother! She’s not even mad! Why did you make me apologize to her?” Aidan stood up, looking exasperatedly at me. “Lia, I thought you were angry. How are you suddenly not angry?” His tone was accusatory, as if I was the one being difficult. Of course. He always believed whatever Megan said. People in the restaurant were starting to stare. The soft classical music did little to soften the sharp tension of the scene. I picked up my bag. “I’m full. I’m going to the restroom.” Megan followed me, blocking my way with a belligerent expression. “How can you be so shameless? I’ve been trying to sabotage you for ten years, and you’re still desperate to marry my brother?” I washed my hands, my voice calm. “I broke up with him. Your business with him has nothing to do with me anymore.” Megan slapped herself hard across the face, then started tearing at her own clothes. A strange, secretive smile played on her lips. “Since you put it that way, you can do me one last favor.” She ran out of the restroom, sobbing, and threw herself into Aidan’s arms. “Brother! She hit me! She said I ruined her engagement party, so she’s going to ruin my life!” “I don’t want her as a sister-in-law! Please don’t marry her!” Aidan looked at her reddened cheek, his own eyes turning red with anger as he glared at me. “Lia! It’s bad enough you’re being childish and threatening to leave, but now you’re hitting people? When did you become like this?” I couldn’t help but laugh. Megan huddled in his arms, her sobs weak and breathless. As if afraid I’d reveal the truth, she urged Aidan to take her away. He gave me a look of profound disappointment and then escorted her out of the restaurant. I was left standing alone, the subject of whispers and pointed stares. It wasn’t the first time Aidan had abandoned me. Whenever Megan and I fought, he always comforted her first, then came to me later. And his excuse was always the same. “I told you when we started dating that I had to repay their kindness.” Yes, he had a debt to repay. And because of the debt I owed him, I had tolerated it for all these years. The truth was, I had gone to the restroom because I was afraid I would lose control and actually hit Megan. She had claimed she wanted to apologize, but she had been wearing the diamond ring Aidan gave her. And around her neck was another chain, holding several more rings. For ten years, I had hinted to Aidan that I wanted to get married. He never took the hint. Yet, every year, at Megan’s request, he bought her another diamond ring. He treated our future as a joke, all for her. On my way home, Aidan called. “Lia, I got Megan to sleep. You need to apologize to her for what happened.” I had never once hung up on Aidan. This time, I slammed the phone down. 4. For the next week, I was busy with wedding preparations. Aidan didn’t call again. Megan, however, sent me a string of taunting messages. 【Serves you right. Getting the silent treatment from my brother?】 【Let me tell you, you’ll never be more important than me. He’s drawing me a foot bath right now.】 【As long as I’m around, you will never be the one my brother loves most. ♡】 It wasn’t the first time she’d said things like that. I used to show them to Aidan, but he never took them seriously. He’d just wave it off. “Megan’s just a kid. It’s normal for her to be jealous that her brother has a girlfriend.” A ten-year-long bout of jealousy. Whenever I upset Megan, Aidan would give me the silent treatment until I was the one begging for his forgiveness. This time, I was done playing their twisted family games. I blocked Megan. The wedding required a set of expensive, traditional jewelry, and as it happened, the Cohen family was hosting an auction that evening where a perfect set was being sold. I arrived in my evening gown and ran into Aidan and Megan at the entrance. Megan’s eyes were filled with envy. “Well, look who it is. Someone has a short memory. Weren’t you just saying you were done? Still trying to cling to my brother?” She wasn’t wrong. I had swallowed my pride for him many times. I would meticulously track his movements, fly to whatever city he was in, and present him with a gift, humbly asking him to take me back. I had done that for ten years. All because when we first got together, I had sworn to always be understanding of his need to repay his debt. The auction proceeded smoothly. Aidan bought Megan several beautiful pieces of jewelry and some valuable art. To his credit, he was incredibly capable. He’d become the captain of the Air Rescue team at a young age, and the companies he’d invested in over the years had all seen explosive growth. He had never been stingy with me over the last decade. It was only when Megan was involved that I was always pushed to the bottom of the list. When the bidding for the jewelry set began, I raised my paddle. Megan scoffed from beside him. “You and my brother haven’t even had an engagement party, and you’re already trying to buy your wedding night jewels? You have no shame.” Aidan frowned at me, his displeasure clear. “Lia, stop this. We can’t get married unless Megan gives us her blessing.” I ignored them both and continued to raise the price. “Three million.” Megan, incensed, suddenly shouted, “Light the sky lantern!” “Let’s see how much money you have to fight me with!” The atmosphere in the room grew tense. The auctioneer, thrilled, continued to call out higher prices. I kept bidding, quickly driving the price to an astronomical figure. Megan’s face was pale with rage. “Lia! Are you just trying to buy this set to force my brother to marry you?” “I’m telling you, forget it! I will not approve!” “I will not allow an old woman like you to marry my brother!” Aidan watched from the side, his brow furrowed. “Lia, you just slapped Megan last week. Can’t you just let her have this one?” I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. He was a brilliant man. How could he not see that last week’s drama was all her own doing? He just didn’t want to call her out on it, and now he was using it as an excuse to make me back down. I could live without his love. Megan could have him. But this jewelry set was mine. I raised my hand and made a specific gesture. Megan stared, then burst out laughing. “Lia, did studying agricultural science make you stupid? I’ve already lit the sky lantern. What is that gesture supposed to mean?” Aidan’s face darkened. “Lia, stop making a scene! Don’t embarrass yourself here!” I looked at them both, a slow smile spreading across my face. “Do you want to know what real embarrassment looks like?” The next moment, the noisy auction hall fell silent. A figure emerged from the shadows of the high platform, stepping into the spotlight. “Allow me to tell you what that gesture means.”

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I lived twenty-something years before I suddenly realized I was the villainess in a romance novel. The heroine was naive and kind, eternally loved by everyone. I, on the other hand, was the gloomy creature crawling in the dark, doing every wicked thing imaginable. Thinking back on my past behavior, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. So, I did the only logical thing: I packed my bags and ran away with the baby I had just discovered was growing inside me. I never expected that four years later, just as I was watching the news about my perfect sister running away from her wedding, I would receive a call from the Male Lead. “Hello? Where are you? I miss you.” 01 I loathed my father. He abandoned my mother for fame and fortune, only to hypocritically bring me home after she died. He always spoke to me with an air of charity, as if acknowledging my existence was a gift from God. I hated him, and naturally, I hated his new family. But hatred is the most useless thing in the world. My younger sister, Lily, was pampered from birth. She was soft, sweet, and kind. Anyone who met her couldn’t help but want to be close to her. I was just the foil. The shadow to her light. Consumed by jealousy, I made many mistakes. I even threw myself at the Male Lead, seducing him in a desperate bid for attention. But when I found myself in a clinic, realizing there was a tiny life inside me, I re-evaluated my entire existence. I decided to quit the game. I took my unborn child and left that city for good. Time flows like water. I spent four years hiding with a child I “shouldn’t” have had. Just as my life was stabilizing, I saw the news. Lily had fled her wedding. The news anchor read my sister’s name in that practiced, serious tone, and for a moment, I was in a daze. My phone rang. I picked up. It was a drunk, raspy voice I hadn’t heard in years. “I miss you.” 02 I looked at Lily’s photo on the TV, then remembered the look of disgust on that man’s face the first time he saw me. What did he mean? Did he want to drag me back into that abyss of pain? I replied calmly, “I’m sorry, you have the wrong number.” I turned off my phone and fed my sweet boy, Leo. Only after he was asleep did I turn it back on. Dozens of missed calls. Because Lily left, he suddenly remembered the half-sister who shared her blood? “Do you even deserve to bleed the same blood as her?” I still remembered him whispering that in my ear years ago. So why look for me now? Or did he know about Leo? Was he coming to take my son? I gritted my teeth. I would never go back to those days of fighting for scraps of affection, of being a pawn in their games. I packed overnight. We were moving first thing in the morning. If he was looking for me, I didn’t have much time. I felt terrible for Leo. I had promised him that once he started preschool, we wouldn’t move anymore. I wasn’t a good mother. I broke my promise again. 03 The new city I chose was a small, quiet town in the Pacific Northwest. It turned out to be a good decision. Leo loved his new preschool and even made friends. Our landlord was a kind older man named Arthur who owned the bakery downstairs. I worked as a pastry chef in his shop. Arthur had a daughter about Leo’s age. In my free time, we often talked about the kids. “Leo’s father… what kind of man was he?” Arthur asked one day while we were kneading dough. I immediately recalled a man with a personality like dynamite—one spark and he’d explode. The years I spent entangled with him were hardly pleasant. “Let’s just say he’s dead,” I said calmly. Arthur paused, stunned. But he was a man of boundaries. He sensed my discomfort and offered a gentle smile. “That… must have been hard for you.” Actually, it was fine. Being a single mother in the modern world was easier than I imagined, even if my morning sickness had been ten times worse than the internet said. Since my mother died, I had nothing. My father detested me. That house was my prison, not my home. Leo wasn’t born to my father, and certainly not to my “boyfriend.” In this world, only Leo wouldn’t abandon me. He wouldn’t hurt me. He would just hug me and sweetly call me “Mommy.” As long as I had him, I feared nothing. Perhaps the loneliness on my face was too obvious. Arthur laughed heartily. “It’s just a dead man! Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you to someone better!” I didn’t know when it happened, but Arthur’s bright smile gave me strength. He was like family. If only I really had a brother like him. I smiled and agreed. Finding a dad for Leo… it wasn’t a bad option. Single-parent households… they do affect children eventually. 04 Life in the small town was stable and slow. Everyone took their time. I thought living here forever wouldn’t be a bad thing. Until that man, Leo’s father, appeared. When I saw him, he was chatting and laughing with Arthur. My heart plummeted into my stomach. How did he find me? His leg was in a cast. Standing next to him, laughing happily, was Leo. Blood rushed to my brain. For a few seconds, I thought my heart had stopped. He saw Leo. Was he going to take him? If he wanted custody, with the Sterling family’s power, I wouldn’t stand a chance. My mind raced. Finally, my heart restarted, and blood began to flow again. I forced myself to calm down. Don’t panic. Nothing has happened yet. Getting rid of him is the priority. I walked slowly into the shop. I picked Leo up. He saw me instantly. He was broader now, his features sharper, more rugged. He had shed his youthful arrogance for a heavy, steady presence. He stared at me without blinking. His pupils constricted, his breathing quickened. He tried to stand, but I immediately carried Leo to Arthur’s side and gently nudged Arthur with my elbow. I leaned against Arthur naturally. “Caleb,” I said. “Long time no see.” Caleb’s gaze was like a blade. His voice was ice-cold. “Who is he?” I responded politely, just as I would have years ago. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.” Arthur, bless his heart, was emotionally dense. Seeing the tension, he tried to smooth things over. Just then, a sleepy voice drifted from the stairwell behind the kitchen. “Daddy, it’s so loud…” It was Arthur’s daughter! Leo looked up from my arms, saw her, and grinned, his eyes turning into crescents. “Sissy!” Ha. Divine intervention. The scene was perfect. Arthur’s daughter called him Daddy. Leo called her Sissy. I was Leo’s mom. To an outsider who didn’t know the facts, we were a happy family of four. Caleb’s face turned green. “Daddy? Son? Daughter?” I smiled. “Naturally.” Dense Arthur finally found his brain. “Is he… wait, isn’t he the dead guy?” Caleb’s face went from green to black. “Dead?!” I nodded at Arthur. “Don’t worry, he’s leaving right now.” Caleb stared at me, jaw clenched so hard a vein popped. He forced out a smile that looked like he wanted to set my face on fire. “Vivian. Is this how you greet an old friend?” I knew that look. He was in his “burn it all down” phase. I nudged Arthur again, signaling him to get the kids out of the blast zone. Once they were gone, I calmly reminded him that I had broken up with him years ago. And, to be precise, we were never officially together. “Our relationship should have ended a long time ago,” I repeated the words he once used on me. “Those were your words. I don’t understand what I still owe you.” He choked on the memory, his chest heaving. “If you loved me, why did you leave without a word? Do you know how long I looked for you? I finally got your number, and you said ‘wrong number’! I crashed my car on the way here trying to find you. I broke my leg. And you? You dumped me, and now you’re playing happy family with… him?” “Vivian,” he hissed, “you said you loved me. Is this how you love someone?!” I was confused by his barrage of accusations. I didn’t understand where this vague sense of grievance was coming from. I thought back to the past. Yes… I did tell him I “liked” him. Drugging someone was already shameful. To save my life, I had to invent a script: I had a crush on him for years but couldn’t have him, so I resorted to desperate measures. If I said I had a crush, maybe he wouldn’t kill me. If he knew I was actually targeting his brother, I would have been torn to shreds right then and there. But that was just an excuse. He never cared about my “like.” He despised me, constantly calling me a liar. Why was he obsessing over my old lies now? Surely he didn’t believe them? So many people lined up to love him. Did he really need one more? “Lily is gone. I suppose you missed her. But…” He looked like he was laughing and crying at the same time. “You really gave me a surprise…” Where did he get the confidence that I would wait for him forever? I looked at this man with a sense of resignation. “I knew you for ten years. I was by your side for two. If you had ever cared about me, if you had ever treated me well, we wouldn’t be standing here today.” I was so starved for affection back then. If he had given me even an ounce of tenderness, even knowing it was hopeless, I would have flown into the fire like a moth. But he never did. He despised me like everyone else. Worse, actually—others ignored me. He slept with me and then despised me. He gritted his teeth, pronouncing every word. “I didn’t treat you well? For you, I even…” My heart rate spiked, a ringing filled my ears. He cornered me against the counter. I couldn’t hold on anymore. I couldn’t hear his last few words. I slid toward the floor. Panic flashed across his face. He tried to grab me, but lost his crutch and fell with me, cushioning my fall with his own body. It took me a few minutes to come to. Arthur had rushed back in and was pulling me up. “It’s dark. We’re closed. Please leave,” Arthur told the man on the floor. Arthur escorted him out of the bakery. That night, holding a cup of hot water, I told Arthur the rough outline. He sighed. “So what now? You lied to him about us being a family. Are you and Leo staying in the shop tonight?” The second floor was Arthur’s home. I had already caused him enough trouble. I declined his offer and took Leo back to our apartment. I thought it would be fine. It was wishful thinking. My rationality told me that. I should leave. I should take Leo and run as far as possible. But I couldn’t bear to make Leo sad. He had just adjusted. He loved it here. He had friends. He told me excited stories about preschool every day… I didn’t want to be the bad mom who ruined his life again. Besides… where could we run? That man was crazy. If he wanted to find me, I would be found. I had insomnia. I tossed and turned until Leo groggily patted my face. “Mommy, sleep.” I kissed his cheek, closed my eyes obediently, and lay awake all night.

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Five days before our wedding, my boyfriend died in an accident. As his elder sister-in-law, I promised to raise his younger brother until he graduated from college. I washed his underwear for him. He said: “Sister-in-law, please have some self-respect.” I advised him not to date too early. He cursed me with a cold face: “Stupid woman.” Finally, after enduring until his college graduation, my family introduced him to countless blind dates, but he seemed uninterested in women. Now I had overcorrected. “What kind of girl do you want?” He stared at me intently, “Not too smart.” 1 The first time I saw Kian, it was at my boyfriend’s funeral. His relatives led a teenager in a school uniform to me. “This is Liam’s younger brother.” “This is your sister-in-law.” I tried my best to appear kind and amiable as an elder, forcing a smile, but I probably looked uglier than crying. The teenager stared at me with peach blossom eyes, but there were dark clouds underneath them. I was defeated and silently burned joss paper. Later, I heard Liam’s relatives say that Kian was a straight-A student. “Excellent character and academics, material for a top university.” “It’s a pity he lost his parents and brother overnight; don’t know how he will survive.” “Although you and Liam didn’t have a wedding, they have long treated you as family. As the elder sister-in-law is like a mother, if you are not in a hurry to find someone new, you should take care of him.” … I listened to everyone’s “persuasion,” looking at the thin back of the teenager in front of the coffin, nodding and saying yes. So my 17-year-old brother-in-law moved into my house. 2 After the funeral, I went back to work as usual. Passing by the office, the boss was scolding someone harshly again. “It’s understandable if Chloe’s report is bad, but for you to do it like this, did your boyfriends die too?” In an instant, my face turned crimson. I am Chloe. My colleague quickly pulled me away. “Luckily you haven’t gotten the certificate yet, otherwise your next marriage would be a second one.” I listened, dazed for a while, opened my mouth, and finally just forced a cooperative smile. That night I worked late into the night. My phone rang dozens of times in a row. It was my mom, introducing me to a blind date. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Mom, Liam has been gone for less than a month.” “Tell mom the truth, he’s gone, do you want to follow him?” My mom cried without warning, heartbreakingly. After coaxing my mom for half an hour, I dragged my tired body home. 3 Arriving at the door, key inserted. I leaned against the door in a daze. I remembered the time Liam and I argued during our long-distance relationship. The first time I cooked, I cut my hand, went to the clinic alone for three stitches. Coming out of the clinic, the bus was gone, it was raining outside, couldn’t get a taxi, and I didn’t bring an umbrella. I called him, breaking down. “What’s wrong?” His voice was hoarse, like he had drunk too much again. “Where are you?” I asked worriedly. “Toilet.” He was uncomfortable. “Just threw up, have to go back and continue drinking.” “Then stop drinking!” “How can I do that? If I don’t fight, how can we end the long distance, how can I marry you home?” He comforted me with a smile. “Why did you call me?” My breakdown was suppressed instantly, didn’t speak again. “Suddenly missed you a bit.” “I miss you too.” Hanging up the phone, I chose to walk home in the rain. When I opened the door, he was standing in the hallway, smiling when he saw me. “How did you get here?” I was surprised. He lowered his head to hug me, voice low and hoarse, “I heard your voice wasn’t right on the phone, sobered up instantly.” So just because my voice wasn’t right, this man spent over eight hundred dollars taking a taxi over two hundred kilometers to see me. … Thoughts stayed here, not knowing who I was competing with, I stopped for five minutes before opening the door. As soon as I opened the door, I was shrouded in a large shadow. He came back? I held my breath, couldn’t help reaching out to hug the man at the door. At Liam’s funeral, I didn’t cry. When uninformed friends asked why the wedding was canceled, I didn’t cry. When my mom forced me to move on and introduced blind dates, I didn’t cry either. But the moment I hugged him, tears burst like a dam. I bit my lip, daring not make a sound, afraid if I did, he would disappear. When I cried enough, I looked up and saw a pair of bottomless eyes. “Sister-in-law, please have some self-respect.” He had a contemptuous smile on his lips. 4 I bounced away in shock, wiping tears frantically, standing there. It was Kian. His skin was sickly pale, stature actually slightly taller than his brother, but his frame was thin, the kind of thinness from growing too fast during puberty where muscles couldn’t keep up. How did I mix up the two. “Why are you here?” “Amnesia? You asked me to come.” He glanced at me, turned and walked inside. I took a second to remember, his homeroom teacher called me a few days ago saying Kian’s situation was terrible, so I let him come back here. “His mock exam scores dropped from top of the class to bottom. “Doesn’t sleep at night, sleeps during the day. “Drinking, fighting, dating early with those delinquent students every day, he’ll be ruined if this continues.” … Thinking of what his homeroom teacher said, I decided to act like an elder and talk some sense into him. “You are a student, should focus on studying, dating can wait until college.” “Mm, and then?” He sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette for himself, staring at me quietly. The draft I made in my heart was stunned by his smoking. “Kids shouldn’t smoke.” I reached out reflexively to take his cigarette. “Hot.” He draped his long arm to the side. I didn’t grab the cigarette but fell headlong into his arms. He frowned at my impact, snorted lightly. “Sister-in-law sure you want to lecture me in this position?” He lowered his eyes staring at me. I bounced up from him abruptly, feeling a loss of dignity, cleared my throat, “I know you don’t understand why I’m saying this now, but as your sister-in-law, telling you to study well won’t harm you.” He listened patiently, just didn’t give any reaction. Finally when I finished, his slender hand stubbed out the cigarette on the box, looking up at me, “The day my brother died, why didn’t you answer the phone?” I was stunned by his question, avoiding his pressing gaze, “My phone was on silent.” “Was it silent, or was sister-in-law’s ex-boyfriend here?” His tone didn’t sound like asking, but very certain. Me: ! In an instant, painful memories swept over me. I stood there, the whole room seemed to only have my heartbeat left.

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Ten years ago, my wife carved my brain from my skull and sealed my shattered body in a cryogenic vault. All because I was the prime suspect in a notorious, large-scale human trafficking case. A decade after my death, she had my brain thawed for a public trial. A new technology could now dissolve human brains to extract memories, the color of the resulting solution indicating the person’s moral alignment: black for evil, crimson for good. On the day of the trial, a giant screen in Civic Plaza broadcasted the memories live to a massive, waiting crowd. “Simon Fairchild was a monster! That degenerate tortured trafficked children. He wasn’t even human!” “He framed his own wife and nearly got her entire squad killed! The man was pure scum!” “I’d love to crack open that bastard’s skull and see just how black his soul is. Probably as rotten as the rest of him!” The crowd seethed, a chorus of curses calling for my annihilation, wishing they could tear me limb from limb and scatter my ashes to the wind. Amid the uproar, the black cloth covering the vat of solution was pulled away. The sight of the vibrant crimson that signified ultimate good left everyone speechless. 1 “What… how is that possible? How could a man as vile as Simon Fairchild not have a black solution?” “Did the coroner mess up? Maybe they mixed him up with some other John Doe.” Elara Rhodes frowned at the glaring crimson, ordering her team to re-verify everything. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist. She turned to see Bob, the man who was now her husband, holding her close. Her expression softened at the sight of him. “What are you doing here? You just had surgery. You should be resting.” Bob didn’t answer, his gaze fixed thoughtfully on the crimson liquid. “It’s all in the past, Elara. Why drag it all up again?” After a moment, he added in a small, wounded voice, “You’re not… thinking about him, are you? I mean, you and my brother were married once.” Elara quickly wrapped her arms around him, placing his hand on her stomach and whispering a reassurance. “That animal? I wish I could have been the one to cut him into a thousand pieces.” “The only ones I love now are you and our child.” “But his crimes were immense, the list of his victims endless. I just want the world to see the full extent of his evil, to have his name cursed for eternity.” Only then did Bob seem content, pulling her into a tight embrace. While the technicians worked, the crowd buzzed with talk of the decade-old case. “I remember that case. The ringleader was a syndicate boss, Morgana Shaw. Simon Fairchild was her kept man.” “Simon’s father, Marcus Fairchild, was a corporate shark with mob ties. Father and son were two sides of the same corrupt coin.” “But Marcus’s adopted son, Bob, he’s different. He’s spent years supporting the victims’ families, trying to atone for his father’s sins.” “Goes to show you, it’s not all about genes.” The case was infamous. No one could accept the crimson solution, and they clamored for the coroner to confirm the results. The coroner looked exasperated. “If you want to know if these are Simon Fairchild’s memories, just watch the screen.” The dark screen in the plaza flickered to life. My face appeared. The agony of my dissolving brain felt like my very soul was being set ablaze. The sight of my face only stoked the crowd’s fury, their venomous curses echoing through the plaza. Elara’s expression mirrored their rage. I watched as the eyes that once held me like a precious treasure now burned with hatred. My dead heart ached with a phantom pain. The Simon on the screen was only twenty. He wore a crisp white shirt, riding a bicycle down a tree-lined campus path with Elara on the back. The sun was brilliant, but the young man’s smile was brighter. Knowing the dangers of her job, I placed a protective charm I’d gone to great lengths to acquire around her neck. She accepted it solemnly, then surprised me by producing a delicate silver ring and slipping it onto my finger. “Officer Rhodes, is this a proposal?” I teased, leaning closer. Elara blushed and looked down. I chuckled at her flustered expression, then leaned in and captured her lips with mine. The two of us on the screen were so happy. Even now, watching that moment of pure bliss, Elara’s composure wavered. Bob shifted uncomfortably, forcing a note of pity into his voice. “It’s a shame she didn’t cherish such happy days, choosing instead to become the plaything of a syndicate boss…” He trailed off, but his words were enough to snap Elara out of her reverie. She looked at him with gentle eyes. “If it weren’t for his heartlessness, I never would have known how good you are,” she said softly. “I never would have found true happiness.” Bob smiled, satisfied, and drew her into his arms, his hands resting protectively on her belly. They whispered to each other, lost in their own world, as my memories continued to play. 2 At twenty-two, I stumbled in my tuxedo and fell to the ground in front of the police headquarters. I remember that day. It was supposed to be my wedding day. But Elara wasn’t wearing the custom-made, million-dollar gown. She was in her police uniform, snapping a pair of gleaming handcuffs onto my father’s wrists. The romantic wedding venue was swarmed by police, white roses crushed underfoot. My eyes were bloodshot as I grabbed her arm, demanding to know why. She just wrenched her hand away, leaving me alone amidst the wreckage of our wedding. On the way to the station, my father died of a heart attack. I chased her to the headquarters, only to be surrounded. They tore at my clothes, clawed at my face. Rotten eggs and wilted cabbage rained down on me. Someone threw the first punch, and the mob ignited like a powder keg. Fists and clubs rained down on me. Each blow was laced with a deep, personal hatred. A heavy pipe slammed into my lower back, and with a sickening crack, I heard my own spine break. I was tossed aside like a broken doll, my blood staining the pavement… The scene was so brutal that a flicker of conflict crossed Elara’s face. The crowd had fallen silent, but one man’s voice rang out. “My child was one of the ones they trafficked! He suffered hell before he was rescued! That bastard’s father laundered money for those scumbags. He got what he deserved!” “Yeah! He deserved it! Killing him would’ve been too good for him!” The plaza erupted again. On the screen, I was forced to my knees, my head pressed against the sun-baked asphalt until I finally passed out. Floating in this ethereal space, I watched my past self’s agony, and my very soul trembled. The scene changed. We were outside the courthouse. My face was a cold mask as I tore our marriage certificate in two. Elara looked devastated. “Simon, what your father did has nothing to do with you. I don’t want to divorce you.” “Trust me,” she pleaded. “Once this is all over, I’ll be the same as before.” I cut her off with a sneer full of scorn and hatred. “Officer Rhodes, I was the heir to a fortune. You killed my father, you ruined me, and you still have the delusion that we can be together?” “I used to be somebody! People bowed when they saw me!” I spat. “I had luxury cars, beautiful women! I’d never been with a girl like you before, so I thought I’d try something new. And you actually thought I was serious? That this was true love?” “Look at this cheap little thing you gave me,” I said, yanking the silver ring from my finger and throwing it to the ground. “It disgusts me to even wear it.” This memory made Elara’s face contort with an ugly discomfort. Bob held her, his voice a soft, sympathetic sigh. “My brother only ever saw money. He could never recognize what was truly precious. I believe a true heart is what matters most.” Someone in the crowd snorted. “That shallow trust-fund baby. He spent his whole life enjoying his father’s blood money. What would he know about real feelings?” “He shamelessly became a trafficking boss’s boy toy later. She treated him like a dog!” A wave of derisive laughter swept through the plaza. The scene shifted again, this time to the presidential suite of a high-end nightclub. A line of muscular male models stood before us. I was among them, dressed in revealing clothes. The syndicate boss, Morgana Shaw, surveyed us, her face an emotionless mask. “If you can hold your liquor, you stay. The rest of you, get out.” I downed two bottles of whiskey, one after the other. I could barely stand, but I refused to leave. Morgana’s expression didn’t change. She suddenly smashed a bottle, picked up a shard of glass, and tossed it at my feet. “You want to be my man? You want to make money?” she said, her voice flat. “Carve my name into your skin.” “Morgana Shaw.” I didn’t hesitate. I plunged the glass into my chest, carving her name, letter by bloody letter. Blood streamed down my torso, pooling on the floor. My entire body was shaking. But when I looked up at her, my lips twisted into a seductive smile that never reached my eyes. “Crawl to me,” Morgana commanded in that same deadpan tone. I lowered myself to the floor. And like a dog, I crawled to Morgana Shaw, becoming her kept man, a member of a human trafficking organization. Bob made a disgusted gesture, as if I were something utterly foul. “How could my brother debase himself like that for money?” The thought that she had once given her heart to such a man made Elara sick. Her brow furrowed in revulsion. The crowd was just as scornful. “The solution has to be wrong! How could a man that filthy have a pure crimson solution?” “That pathetic dog deserved to die!” “Selling his soul for money to traffic kids. He’s worse than an animal. A slow, painful death would be too kind.” “Keep it playing! We want to see how the bastard gets what’s coming to him!” 3 The coroner ignored the shouts and continued to play my memories. The scene showed me as a core member of the trafficking ring, strolling casually past a group of terrified, kidnapped children. I suddenly extended a hand, the sharp edge of my ring glinting, and slashed a deep, bloody line across a little girl’s beautiful face. She screamed in agony. I paid her no mind, turning my attention to a sturdy-looking boy whose eyes were wide with fear. “Can you swim?” I asked. The boy, confused, nodded. “What about with your hands and feet tied?” I grinned maliciously. I bound him with thick rope and kicked him into the river. Later that night, Morgana whipped me with a barbed lash. I knelt on the floor, begging her for mercy. She watched me coldly. “I let you have your fun, Simon. But to kill one of them? Do you have any idea how much that boy’s organs were worth?” I shrugged nonchalantly. “How was I to know he was so weak?” Morgana’s face darkened, and the whip struck harder. “Mr. Lee and his friends have… particular tastes. They like them young and untouched. I had the perfect girl for them, and you dared to ruin her face!” My back was a mess of raw, bleeding flesh. Hissing in pain, I still managed a sycophantic smile. “What’s the fun in a little girl? I know far more ways to please a man than she does.” Morgana let out a dry laugh. “I never would have guessed. The former golden boy of the city’s elite has quite a few hidden talents.” Covered in fresh wounds, I walked into a room full of leering, corpulent men. Their eyes devoured me. Instead of flinching, I walked right up to them, a welcoming smile on my face. The coroner quickly paused the feed, applying a digital filter before resuming the broadcast. A voice from the back of the crowd piped up. “The rope looked a little loose. Maybe the boy didn’t die?” “And the girl, her face was ruined, but at least she’s alive.” The suggestions were immediately shot down. “Are you kidding? They got lucky. Simon was trying to kill them.” “He had no mercy, not even for children! The man was a monster!” “And look how he throws himself at those men. He’s nothing but a whore.” “Don’t insult whores. Some of them have no choice. Look at him, he’s enjoying it. It’s disgusting!” The curses flew thick and fast. Bob’s eyes welled with tears, his voice choked with emotion. “How could my brother be so cruel? It’s just… inhuman.” Elara gently wiped his tears away. “Bob, you’re too good. You could never understand someone as rotten as Simon Fairchild.” “A man like him deserved to be erased. I dissected him, dissolved his brain, and had his body incinerated. Now, not even a speck of his dust remains in this world.” Before Bob’s tears had dried, his own face appeared on the screen. In the dark of night, I tossed a bag to him. “Same as always. Distribute the money inside to the victims’ families.” The crowd stared in disbelief. Why would this monster suddenly develop a conscience and give money to the families he’d helped destroy? Elara’s brow furrowed as she looked at Bob. “Is this true? You never told me about this.” Bob’s eyes reddened again. “My brother was always malicious. And later… he contracted a disease. I was terrified he might have intentionally contaminated the money with the virus to hurt people.” Elara was silent for a moment, an unsettling feeling creeping over her. “Would Simon really do something so petty? Besides, a virus can’t survive long outside the body without special preservation.” At her words, tears streamed down Bob’s face. “I don’t know anything about that! I was just so scared someone else would get hurt! Are you doubting me, Elara? I burned all the money. I had to.” His grief was so profound that Elara chided herself for her suspicion. The crowd quickly came to his defense. “The media reported on what Bob Fairchild did! He voluntarily surrendered all of the Fairchild family assets and has been using his own wages to support the victims’ families.” “A man that kind wouldn’t lie. He was just trying to keep everyone safe.” “Exactly! Who knows what kind of sick trick a monster like Simon would pull? Burning the money was the right thing to do!” With everyone on Bob’s side, Elara let the matter drop. Hidden from the crowd, Bob let out a quiet sigh of relief. The memory continued. I pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to him. “You have to give this to Elara. It’s important!” Watching the screen, Elara’s gaze snapped back to Bob, her suspicion returning full force. She had never seen that note.

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