Category: English

The fever had me in a haze, a heavy, suffocating sleep, when a sudden, violent yank sent me tumbling to the floor. My bones felt like shattered porcelain, but the pain was secondary to the sight of Sutton, her eyes bloodshot, reeking of alcohol and rage, staring down at me. “Owen! Is there seriously nothing you can do all day but try to kill yourself?” My throat felt shredded, raw from the fever, and I couldn’t speak, but she suddenly threw herself onto me, clinging to me, her body shaking as she choked out the words. “I chose you!” “What more do you want from me? Do you want me to die too? Is that what you want—for me to die?” Sutton was weeping, broken, but a strange, deep fatigue washed over me. It was her betrayal. She was the one who cheated. Yet somehow, I was still the villain of the story. “Sutton,” I pushed down the sharp, familiar ache in my chest and told her: “I’m letting you go.” 1 I felt Sutton’s body instantly stiffen. As she looked at me with stunned disbelief, I almost managed a calm, even a slightly relieved smile—the smile of a man who’d finally come to terms with things. But then Sutton laughed, a brittle, cynical sound. “Owen!” “What new game are you playing now?” Her eyes turned cold, her voice razor-sharp. “Don’t tell me you didn’t call my mother and tell her you were dying just to force her to bring me home!” “You go to my mom, play the victim, beg for my return, and then you stand here and talk about ‘letting me go’!” “If you truly wanted to let me go!” “Why didn’t you agree to the divorce all those times I brought it up? Why did you refuse? Who are you performing for now, Owen?” Sutton’s words felt like a cloud of fine needles piercing me from every direction. The pain made my whole body tremble. I wanted to tell her I hadn’t contacted her mother—that it was one of her mother’s students at the hospital who had mentioned my illness. But clearly. She wouldn’t have believed me. I wanted to tell her we could end everything peacefully. I thought and re-thought my response, finally just pushing Sutton away. Ignoring the deep, fresh cuts on my wrist where her fingers had dug in, I walked to the nightstand, pulled out the drawer, and took out the divorce papers I’d prepared. “Sutton.” I placed the agreement in her hand. “Just sign it.” “As soon as you sign,” I struggled to keep my voice even, though my heart still clenched, “you’ll be free.” “You and Rhys.” “You’ll have nothing to do with me anymore.” The air felt frozen. Time stopped in that second. I watched all the color drain from Sutton’s face as her eyes searched mine. I felt only exhaustion, a weariness so profound it cracked my voice. “Sutton.” “We met when we were sixteen.” “My entire youth, the better half of my life, was spent with you.” I tried to sound calm, not brittle, hoping for a dignified end. “You were the one crying during our wedding vows, promising to love me forever.” 2 “You said, ‘Owen, if I ever betray you, or do anything to hurt you, you have to snap me out of it! You have to show me how wrong I am, no matter what it takes!’” “The eighteen-year-old Sutton wanted a chance at forgiveness.” “So,” I looked at the flicker of impatience in her eyes but continued, “I made a scene, Sutton. I tried my best.” Rhys had tracked me down and told me that he and Sutton went back to our old high school, and that under the Old Oak—the one where she first confessed her love to me—she had scratched out my name and carved, ‘Sutton loves Rhys forever.’ I had certainly made a scene. I had screamed and demanded she take me back to the school, carve my name back in, and choose me. I had collapsed, practically hysterical, questioning her. “Sutton!” “How could you betray us?!” “How could you fall in love with someone else?!” I was screaming, a madman, frantic and out of control. Sutton just looked at me with cold indifference and said: “Owen, you’ve changed.” She told me. “You’re not yourself anymore.” “The old Owen wouldn’t act like a psychopath!” Sutton shoved me away violently. In my desperation to keep her, I acted like a lunatic, attempting suicide, slashing my wrists with a knife. When I was rushed to the hospital, she did come back. Sutton cried, leaning over my hospital bed. “Husband, I was wrong.” “I’m so sorry.” “Please, Owen, don’t die! Please don’t leave me!” Her tears felt like warm sunlight on ice, melting something in my heart. I desperately wanted to hold onto that fleeting warmth. I cried with her, until my throat was raw, pulling her close, telling her: “Sutton!” “If we die, we die together!” Sutton became compliant. She came home on time every day, walked with me in the park, attended my therapy sessions, took me traveling, went to the movies, watched stand-up, and helped me redecorate our house. She told me: “It’s a brand-new start.” And I was foolish enough to think I’d found happiness. I thought that love, even shattered, could be glued back together. Despite the cracks in our foundation, I tried not to look, not to think. I wanted to safeguard my little piece of happiness. Until. I was hospitalized for acute appendicitis. Barely recovered from surgery, I saw Sutton—who was supposedly away on a business trip—emerging from the internal medicine wing with Rhys. Her eyes were full of a soft, proprietary tenderness as she looked at him. “You’re the best little baby.” “Just take your medicine and be a good boy, heal up fast.” “And I’ll give you anything you want.” Happiness popped like a soap bubble. What was exposed was the ugly, brutal truth. My blood ran cold, and I stood there, face-to-face with them, struck by lightning. The hospital forms in my hand felt like a ridiculous joke, mocking my naïveté. Sutton instinctively pulled Rhys behind her. I snapped. I lunged at Rhys like a madman, grabbed a handful of his hair, and slammed his head against the wall, screaming. “You’re a homewrecker!” “You pathetic little slut!” “Why don’t you just die! Go die! Go to hell!” 3 Rhys’s screams echoed down the hospital corridor. The onlookers gawked at us, pointing and whispering, watching our pathetic spectacle. I was insane enough to want to drag Rhys down with me, but he just wailed. “Sutton, save me!” “Sutton, I’m scared!” And Sutton, without hesitation, stepped completely to his side, wrenching my attacking hand away and delivering a stinging slap across my face. Her eyes were so cold my breath hitched. “Owen.” “Apologize!” Sutton looked down at me. “Apologize to Rhys now! Immediately! Don’t make me say it again!” Staring at the woman I had loved for so many years, something inside me finally, irrevocably shattered. Tears streamed down my face, and I roared back. “No!” “I won’t!” “Why should I apologize to a homewrecker? Why?!” I was shaking uncontrollably, pointing at Rhys in a complete breakdown. “Did this bastard drug you?” “Sutton!” “He lied to you, didn’t he?!” “Sutton, you told me you loved me!” “You did!” I desperately searched her face for any trace of the woman who still loved me, for any reflection of myself in her eyes. Instead, I heard Rhys, still sobbing, chime in: “Sutton doesn’t love you!” “If you hadn’t tried to kill yourself! If you hadn’t gone crazy and cut yourself, Sutton would have divorced you ages ago!” I cursed Rhys, calling him trash and demanding he shut up. I lunged again, ready to fight him to the death, when a heavy force slammed into my lower back. My body pitched forward, and I tumbled down the staircase landing in the hallway. I screamed in terror, but I saw Sutton, holding Rhys, turn and walk away without a second thought. And before she left. I distinctly saw the look of smug triumph in Rhys’s eyes. My surgical wound split open. I almost died. I looked at Sutton—the woman I decided to spend my life with before I even understood what love was—and she was suddenly a stranger. “Sutton.” “I have kept the promise the eighteen-year-old Sutton asked me to keep. I tried my best.” I placed the fountain pen I’d prepared in her hand and told her. “Go find your true love.” “This time, I won’t stand in your way.” I watched Sutton stand rigid a step away, a sudden flicker of concern crossing her face. “Owen.” She hadn’t expressed care for me in a long time, and even this felt hard and remote. “Are you…?” I saw a struggle in her eyes. “Is your condition getting worse?” She placed the divorce agreement on the bed. “I’ll have some time at the end of the month,” she put a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll come with you for a check-up, okay?” “Owen, I promised I wouldn’t leave you to die.” She seemed to finally notice the blood seeping from my wrist. She lifted my hand and asked, “Does it hurt?” “A-Che.” “I’ll get the first-aid kit and re-bandage it for you.” Sutton started to turn, but I stopped her. “Sutton.” I watched her back stiffen. “Stop lying to yourself.” “Just sign it.” “Set me free, and set yourself free.” 4 The day I was rushed to the ER, Sutton’s mother finally erupted in anger, determined to teach her daughter a lesson. She sat by my bedside, shaking with fury, promising to hold Sutton accountable. But as soon as she called Sutton and heard her daughter was pregnant with Rhys’s child. She suddenly softened. “The baby comes first.” “Nothing is more important than the child.” I couldn’t hear what Sutton said, but her mother chuckled and replied, “I’ll handle the house. I’ll talk to Owen myself.” Sutton’s mother hung up. She sat by my bed and took my hand. “A-Che.” “You’ll be sensible, won’t you?” I stared blankly at the mother-in-law who had always doted on me. Before I could nod. My phone chimed. A friend request notification. Rhys added me on social media and immediately sent a video. In the video, Sutton signed a purchase agreement for a house. Rhys asked her: “Are you sure it’s okay to put the house only in my name?” “What if Owen throws another tantrum?” Sutton smiled, her expression tender and devoted. “He won’t.” “I’m here. He wouldn’t dare.” Sutton laughed and squeezed his hand. “I just want to give you security, to make sure you feel completely safe. It’s the least I can do to stop him from hurting you anymore.” Rhys sent me a text. “Owen, you will never be better than me.” “So what if she loved you when you were young? What good is young love now? I have Sutton’s present and her future. I have all of her.” “Just wait.” “Sutton will dump you eventually!” Rhys sent me daily snippets of his life with Sutton—photos of their meals, dates, trips, even intimate moments in bed. He described everything in excruciating detail. He said: “Sutton told me you were like a dead fish in bed, that you stopped satisfying her a long time ago.” “Owen, didn’t you get a huge scar on your inner thigh from saving Sutton in that fire when you were in high school?” “Sutton said she thinks it’s disgusting every time she sees it. Ha ha ha.” I looked at the barrage of voice messages, videos, and photos Rhys sent. In a state of total mental collapse, I violently smashed my phone, grabbed a paring knife from the kitchen, and, shaking uncontrollably, carved out the entire piece of flesh from my inner thigh where the scar was. The pain was agonizing, but a strange, liberating clarity washed over me. I laughed hysterically, taking a picture of the bloody wound, and sent it to Sutton. “Sutton.” “I don’t want you anymore.” Sutton didn’t reply. Rhys did, with a taunt. “Sutton said you’re disgusting!” I completely broke down. By this point, I hadn’t seen Sutton in a long time, and I hadn’t lashed out at her in weeks. But she truly seemed to have forgotten about me, forgotten how long it had been since she was last home. Sutton stood there. Motionless, like a statue, like she was about to crumble. I didn’t understand why she was hesitating. When she wanted the divorce, I was the one screaming and fighting. Now. That I was ready to let her go. She was the one in doubt. I picked up the pen and the agreement, walking toward Sutton. “Sutton.” The ringing of a phone shattered the silence. The screen flashed, illuminating Rhys’s smiling face. I saw the happy image of Rhys and felt a dull throb in my chest. Sutton nervously hung up, clearly intending to explain, but Rhys’s call was relentless, ringing again and again. As the screen kept lighting up, I walked up to Sutton, put the phone in her hand, but before I could speak. A thunderous pounding erupted at the front door. Rhys’s voice screamed from the hallway. “Sutton!” “Open the door, Sutton!” Rhys was frantically screaming her name. I watched the indecision flicker in Sutton’s eyes. Finally, she just told me: “I didn’t know he was coming.” “Owen…” Sutton started to say something else, but I cut her off. “Sutton, we are finished.” I told her simply. “When Rhys’s child is born, you will be a mother.” I gestured toward the door. “Go find your happiness.” Sutton’s image of me was that of a lunatic, a man who would lose his mind the minute Rhys was mentioned. When she heard I was seriously ill, she assumed I was just manipulating her to come home. She was ready to handle my drama and leave, never expecting. I would be so calm. So peaceful. It was a silence that made her realize just how far apart we had drifted. The pounding on the door was constant, making her anxious. “Owen, let’s make it a fake divorce.” She said. “Once the baby’s legal documents are sorted out, I’ll marry you again.”

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The Film Emperor, Julian Sterling, was getting dragged on social media for keeping his mouth shut during a kiss scene. The audience, looking pale and unsatisfied, commented righteously: [Zero chemistry. I felt nothing.] Being the messy person I am, I liked the post just to stir the pot. Suddenly, Julian posted: [Fine. Next movie, I’ll open it wide for you guys to see!] The comment section exploded with joy. I stood there, frozen. Wait a minute. Tomorrow, I’m the female lead in that “next movie.” 1 In the entertainment industry, Julian Sterling is known as the celibate, morally upright “good guy.” I, on the other hand, am known as the seductive vixen who flirts 24/7. I despise his fake persona, so I roast him online constantly. [Oh please, acting all cold and aloof, but behind those sunglasses, your eyes were practically crossing from staring at me.] He replied: [Sorry for the slow reply. It takes longer to type with my middle finger.] The comments were full of “LMAO,” used to our public beef. On the red carpet, I deliberately squeezed next to him. “Oops, my zipper feels like it’s slipping. Be a dear and zip me up?” Julian didn’t even look. He raised his hand—zip—done in 0.01 seconds. He didn’t touch a millimeter of skin. His other hand was even throwing up a peace sign for the cameras. I rolled my eyes. “So practiced. How many girls have you zipped up?” Julian looked down with a half-smile. I instinctively looked at his pants and understood immediately. “You pervert. One day I’ll expose your true face!” 2 Karma arrived swiftly. Julian was trending because he kept his mouth shut during a kiss scene. I lay on my couch, sipped my tea, and boldly liked the hate post. Then I commented: [If any of these comments hurt your feelings, let me know. I’d love to repeat them to your face!] Below me, the audience was united in their dissatisfaction. [The Film Emperor clearly has no game!] [Exactly. Zero immersion for us viewers.] [Don’t make us beg. Next movie, at the latest.] The next second, a new post refreshed. Julian: [Fine. Next movie, I’ll open it wide for you guys to see!] The fans went wild. The comments were celebrating like it was Christmas. I froze. Hold on. Tomorrow is our first scene together as leads. I took this role specifically to find evidence that he’s a fraud. I risked my own sanity for this. And now, the karma boomerang hit me right in the face. I frantically opened my phone. WeChat pinged. It was the director of Chasing Blossoms. Director: [Zoe, Julian wants to move the kiss scene from Scene 10 and the bed scene from Scene 20 to tomorrow.] Me: [You’re just gonna let him? That’s bullying, Director! Don’t let him win!] Director: [Julian’s dad is the main investor.] I went silent. But kiss Julian? I wasn’t going to make it easy for him! I raided my kitchen: garlic, onions, stinky tofu, fermented bean curd, durian. Heh heh. Just you wait. 3 The next day, before the kiss scene, I snuck into the changing room. I pulled a fresh green onion from my sleeve. Just as I was about to dip it in some bean curd, the door next to me opened. A tall man walked out, taking off his shirt. My eyes popped. Broad shoulders, narrow waist. Under the bright lights, every muscle was defined perfectly. Every curve was flawless. I screamed, covering my eyes. “Julian Sterling, you pervert! I’m exposing you on Weibo!” Then I peeked through my fingers. Nice body. Heh heh. Eight-pack abs. My face turned yellow with horniness. I completely forgot I was the one in the wrong changing room. Julian glanced at me coolly, didn’t say a word, and reached for his belt buckle. I gulped. “What are you doing? There’s an innocent maiden here! Are you blind?” Julian paused, amused. “Zoe Tao, didn’t you say you were a veteran of love, a flower in a field of men, a different guy every night? Why so shy over a belt?” Hearing that, I immediately feigned composure, crossing my arms. “That’s right. I’ve slept with more men than you’ve eaten hot dinners. Change. I’ll watch.” I stared at his knobby fingers as they unbuckled the belt. The suit pants dropped to the floor. And then… My face burned brighter than the sun. I couldn’t watch anymore. “Just you wait!” I fled the room. 4 Even while filming, the image of his defined muscles wouldn’t leave my head. “Zoe, what’s wrong? Why is your face so red?” I jumped up. “Nothing! Where’s my onion?” In the drizzling rain, Julian and I stood facing each other. “Gu Yebai, let’s just end it.” As the female lead, I dropped my arm in despair, gave him one last sorrowful look, and turned to leave. As we passed, a hand clamped onto my wrist. “I don’t agree.” That handsome face zoomed in. Lips pressed against mine, cold from the rain. Remembering his tweet, I clamped my mouth shut tight. No entry. Suddenly, a hand gripped my sensitive waist and pinched. “Mmph…” My mouth opened involuntarily. As our tongues tangled, he pulled me tight against his chest. His body was scorching hot. My fingertips tingled like I’d been electrocuted. I couldn’t breathe. Tears pricked my eyes. “Can’t handle a kiss?” He sighed lightly, chuckling into my ear. “Cut!” the director yelled. I tried to push him away, but my legs were jelly. I almost knelt. “It’s not New Year’s yet, Zoe,” he said, catching me effortlessly, grinning like a devil. “Don’t call me that.” I frowned. It felt too intimate. It made my heart feel weird. “Wait, bro, didn’t you taste anything?” I suddenly remembered I had chomped down on a raw onion right before this. “I tasted it. Very sweet.” Julian smiled at me, the mole under his eye dancing dangerously. I looked away. “You must be starving.” As for the bed scene, don’t worry about me. I have my own rhythm. I’ve filmed plenty of romance dramas. I am a pro… Wait, this kid can kiss. “Hey, where are you touching?” I pushed him weakly. My clothes slipped off my shoulder, exposing white skin. Julian’s hot breath sprayed across my neck, kissing down my collarbone. The camera zoomed in tight. Even his expressions of suppressed desire were captured perfectly. Under the covers, I took advantage of the chaos to grope his abs a few times. “Tsk tsk. Not bad.” Julian stiffened, then continued kissing me as if nothing happened.

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After being the “backup girlfriend” to the school’s notorious bad boy for a year, I still didn’t get promoted to the main role. He chose the “good girl” instead. Over the phone, he dragged out his words, his tone dripping with mockery: “Sorry, Luna. Compared to Chloe, you’re just too cheap.” Everyone bet I would throw a tantrum. Or maybe go full psycho, get jealous, and tear the good girl apart. But I just said, “Oh.” I hung up and continued booking my flight for studying abroad. No one knew the truth: I only got close to Jax to hide from a creepy stalker who had been obsessing over me. Graduation was here. The act was over. But later, Jax flew through a dozen countries just to corner me at an airport, eyes red and desperate. “Luna, were you just using me as a tool from the very beginning?” 1 It was pouring rain on graduation day. Jax invited me to a party, but I didn’t go. So, they decided to livestream it just for me. Everyone was there on camera. When they heard I wasn’t coming, the mood shifted. “Wait, wasn’t today the day he picks between her and Chloe? I was waiting for the drama. What’s up with Luna?” “Probably realized Jax would never pick her. She’s probably crying in a bathroom somewhere.” “LMAO. The simp finally realized she’s unworthy. I knew she’d crack.” For the past year, my desperate pursuit of Jax had been the school’s favorite joke. The camera zoomed in on Jax’s face. He looked bored. Sitting next to him was Chloe, the quintessential “good girl” everyone thought was perfect for him. Jax grabbed her chin. “Since Luna forfeited, you’re my girlfriend now. The only one who gets to kiss me.” The room erupted in cheers. Chloe’s face turned bright red. She looked down, acting shy, whispering, “Stop it.” Jax leaned in to kiss her, but someone interrupted. “Luna isn’t ugly though. Why didn’t you pick her, Jax?” “Yeah, I remember you walked her home a bunch of times. Bought her Christmas gifts too.” “But she was so desperate. She practically begged for it, right, Jax?” Jax paused. Then he scoffed. “Obviously.” Chloe, ears still burning, pouted. “Exactly. And Luna looks so… needy. Who knows how many guys she’s been with? She’s probably not even clean.” After she said that, everyone laughed. “Maybe I’ll chase her next week. See if I can hit it. She’s hot enough. You mind, Jax?” Jax took a sip of his drink, unbothered. “Why would I mind?” His gaze drifted toward the camera lens. After a few seconds of silence, he picked up his phone and dialed. “Hello, Luna.” The moment I picked up, the mocking laughter pierced my eardrums. “Gotta say it to her face for it to count.” “Yo, put it on speaker! I wanna hear if she cries loud.” “Hahaha, bet. Let me record this.” I didn’t say anything. I just heard Jax’s lazy, drawling voice. Every word was precise. “Luna, look. It’s like this.” “It’s a shame, really. But you’re just too cheap. Too easy. I like girls like Chloe. Innocent.” “So…” “Oh,” I said. I cut him off. Before he could continue, I hung up. 2 I was standing by the window, booking a flight for two days later. After hanging up, I confirmed the time and arrival airport. I stared at the ticket confirmation and exhaled deeply. I watched the livestream. Notifications kept popping up on my phone from classmates. It was hard to ignore. Jax was the school’s untouchable bad boy. When he played basketball, the way his muscles flexed made every girl squeal. They admired him but feared him. No one dared to approach him. Except me. Starting senior year, I “shamelessly” began chasing Jax. I waited for him after school, intercepted him at the gate. By the third week, Jax finally acknowledged my existence. Right after me, the second pursuer appeared: Chloe. Obviously, Jax preferred her type. I ran three blocks to buy Jax his favorite sports drink. He took one sip. Chloe bought a random water from the vending machine. She handed it to him, blushing. He put it on his desk and stared at it all afternoon like it was gold. I waited two hours at the basketball court for Jax. Chloe already had his number. She walked over with him, giggling every step of the way. When she saw me, she covered her mouth. “Jax, is that the girl everyone says is harassing you?” Jax looked at me. That was the first time he looked me in the eye and spoke to me. “Her? She’s not half as cute as you.” But even then, I didn’t give up. After three months of effort, I finally secured the position of Jax’s “Backup Girlfriend.” “Whenever you need me, I’ll do anything. I won’t cling to you. It’s all one-sided on my part.” I kept my head down, standing in front of him. He raised an eyebrow, his gaze a mix of amusement and disgust. “Really? Are you that desperate?” I still didn’t look up. I clenched my teeth. “Yes. All I want is to be around you more.” Jax scoffed. “Interesting.” He walked away. But luckily, after that, everyone knew about my ambiguous relationship with Jax. He’d walk with Chloe, then call me to bring them food. Sometimes when he played ball alone, he’d call me to fetch the rebounds. Classmates couldn’t figure out who he actually liked. When asked, Jax smiled openly. “I don’t date. They both know that.” So I was a backup. Chloe was too. The only difference was that Jax promised Chloe a “status” after graduation. The rumor spread that it was a choice between me and her. Without any suspense, I was destined to be the punchline. But honestly? I never took it seriously. A notification popped up: Jax’s official Instagram post. He tagged me specifically. The photo was a side profile of him kissing Chloe. I didn’t look closely. I just noticed a familiar name in the stream of “Congrats” comments. Seth: [Congrats] I grimaced, a mix of disgust and lingering fear. I should thank Jax. If not for his terrifying reputation, I don’t know how many times that creepy stalker Seth would have tried something. 3 Back in the private room. After the call ended, Jax hadn’t spoken a word. People were whispering. “What did Luna say? Did you hear?” “She just said ‘Oh’.” “No way. Seriously? No reaction? She used to run miles for him. She’d go for night runs at 2 AM if he called. How could she not care?” “I bet the shock was too big. She’s probably stunned.” At the table, people were toasting Jax and Chloe. Jax zoned out several times. He just smirked and gave noncommittal answers, scrolling through his phone. He refreshed his feed. No comment from Luna. No message. Jax’s eyes darkened. Nobody understood Luna like he did. He knew that her tone just now was flat. Emotionless. Like she heard news that had nothing to do with her. But why? Usually, she’d be ecstatic just to see him. Why did she hang up first? Suddenly, Chloe’s best friend stood up, pouring wine indignantly. “Ideally, you guys should have been together ages ago. It’s all because of someone who loves being the third wheel, ruining the vibe. So cheap. Right, Chloe?” Chloe bit her lip shyly. She nodded. “I can’t blame her. Even though Jax liked me back then, she probably thought she had a chance.” “Well, I don’t care. She better not cling to Jax anymore. Can we beat her up first before blocking her?” Chloe giggled. “Violence is too mean! Jax just needs to block her.” She turned to grab Jax’s phone. But her hand was pinned down. “What are you doing?” Jax stared at her, eyes cold. Chloe froze. She’d seen Jax angry before; it was never pretty. She swallowed her words. “N-nothing…” Her eyes turned red, tears welling up. Jax acted like he didn’t see it. He stood up. “You guys have fun. I’m leaving.” He grabbed his jacket and walked out. Chloe sat there, stunned. Outside, Jax stared at his phone for a long time. He looked up at the moon, took a deep breath, and opened the chat with Luna. [Usually you’re desperate to stick to me. Are you dead today?] [Just because I’m official doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. Don’t be too sad. Come out, I’ll comfort you. You have 30 minutes.] 4 I slept for 14 hours straight at home. Graduation meant no more classes, exams, or studying. I felt like my soul left my body the moment I hit the mattress. When I woke up, it was dusk. My dad called to remind me to pack for my trip. “Most importantly, the recommendation letter. Don’t lose it.” I scrambled up. “Yes, yes, I know.” After packing, I checked my phone. Messages flooded the screen. My throat tightened instantly. Unknown number. I recognized Seth immediately. [Can I come to your house tonight?] [Can you leave the window open? Your security guard pulled my arm really hard last time. It hurt for days. But I was happy because you looked at me.] [Jax has a girlfriend now. You shouldn’t waste time on him. He won’t stop us anymore.] [I heard you’re planning to go to NYU, right? I’ll rent a place near your dorm.] … I scrolled down. My jaw clenched uncontrollably. I was shaking. Seth. The most invisible guy in the class next door. The reason I got close to Jax. He noticed me in sophomore year. The scariest part? It wasn’t until junior year that I realized someone had been following me for a whole year. He mimicked my habits. He found out my likes. He sent me love letters written during his nightly fantasies about me. My desk was always missing a used eraser, an opened pack of tissues, a half-drunk water bottle. Every time I realized it, I went numb. The moment my instincts screamed the loudest was that one time. I turned around on the street. I saw him. He was rushing toward me, like he was about to pounce. “What are you doing?!” He snapped out of it and smiled, a痴痴 (obsessive/foolish) grin. “Nothing. Just looking at you.” Later, he followed me home. He even climbed through my window at night. We called the cops, but he kept following me like a ghost. Then I became Jax’s backup. He backed off for a year, afraid to offend Jax. Now he was back. Luckily, I graduated. I was leaving the country. NYU was just a smokescreen. Thinking about this, I relaxed my tense nerves. I booked a hotel immediately. My flight was in two days. I needed to hide. Unexpectedly, that night, I ran into Jax at a convenience store nearby. And Chloe. He was staring at his phone. Until we bumped into each other. He looked stunned. “Luna?” I ignored him. I turned to leave. But then I saw a familiar shadow in the distance. Standing in the dark, staring unblinkingly at me. Goosebumps exploded all over my body. I spun around and grabbed Jax’s sleeve. “Where are you going? Can I come?” Chloe froze. Her eyes reddened instantly. She gripped Jax’s hand. “Luna, Jax and I are together now. Can you please stop?” “Jax, ignore her! I’m your girlfriend. She can’t steal you!” Jax stared at me. He didn’t say anything. After two seconds, he scoffed. “Luna, what’s with the drama? I said 30 minutes. You forgot, didn’t you?” 30 minutes? I was confused. I had heard countdowns like that a million times. “Be here in 30 minutes or you’re fired as the backup.” “Five minutes. If you’re late, I’m blocking you.” … In that moment, fear consumed me. I clung to Jax. Almost begging: “I apologize for being late. Just this last time! Can I stay by your side for a bit?” The next second, Chloe burst into tears, and my hand was forcefully ripped away. Jax looked indifferent, yet amused. He laughed. “Luna, I thought you ignoring my messages meant you had some backbone.” “Didn’t expect you to be this cheap. Can’t live without a man? I look down on you.”

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1 Evelyn and I were reborn. We came back to the day of our wedding, right after college graduation. She was still in the makeup chair when she suddenly tore off the pristine white gown. “Tim,” she said, her voice sharp and final. “I’ve thought it over. We’re not right for each other.” “I’m not marrying you.” I didn’t try to stop her. I knew. In our last life, she regretted every moment she spent with me. A heart that won’t warm up stays frozen, no matter how hard you try to melt it. And just like that, three years of love evaporated. We went our separate ways. Evelyn left the country, cutting off all contact. I stayed behind in Riverton. Seven years later, she returned, a success story with her childhood sweetheart in tow. They were the picture of happiness, their engagement announcement splashed all over social media. But when she found out I’d been married for four years—to the daughter of the city’s richest man—her regret was a poison she couldn’t swallow. “Tim, you promised you’d only ever love me!” she’d screamed in our first life. “How could you do this to me?” But that was then. This is now. On a perfect weekend, I’d cleared my schedule to spend the day at the beach with my daughter. She was a whirlwind of joy, giggling as she flung sand and seawater all over me. I was watching her, my heart overflowing, when my old college buddy Mark called. “Tim, where are you? It’s getting late.” I’d completely forgotten about the class reunion. “Sorry, man, totally spaced. I’ll be there.” “By the way,” he added, his tone shifting, “forgot to tell you. Evelyn’s back in town. She’s with Ethan.” Ethan. Back in freshman year, he was my biggest rival. He and Evelyn were childhood friends, practically joined at the hip. Their connection ran deep. But I’d won her over, or so I thought. I still remember Ethan clapping me on the shoulder after she and I got together, a fake smile on his face. “You better take care of her, man,” he’d said, a warning disguised as a joke. “Or I’ll be there to pick up the pieces.” I had the housekeeper take my daughter home and grabbed a cab to the hotel. On the way, Mark filled me in. Turns out Evelyn had done very well for herself abroad. With Ethan’s help, she’d landed a management position at a Fortune 500 company. The rumor was she made more in a month than most people do in two years. On top of that, her design work had won international awards. She was a rising star. Their return to Riverton was almost certainly to get married. Mark kept warning me to be careful, to not lose my cool at the party. “The person she is now, Tim,” he said, “you can’t afford to piss her off. And don’t even think about messing with Ethan.” “Thanks for the heads-up,” I said with a calm smile. “I’ll be careful.” I was stepping out of the cab at the hotel when a sleek, black BMW 3 Series screeched to a halt behind me. “Well, well, if it isn’t our resident genius, Tim!” The voice dripped with sarcasm. I turned. At the wheel was Kevin, Ethan’s most loyal lapdog. He’d hated my guts ever since Evelyn chose me over Ethan in college, even threatening to have me jumped. I still suspected he was behind the “random” mugging I suffered just off campus back then. Kevin parked haphazardly and swaggered over, slapping my shoulder. “Tim, my man! Years go by, but you haven’t changed a bit, have you?” I just smiled. Before I could reply, a Porsche Cayenne pulled up. And in the passenger seat, looking like she’d stepped off a magazine cover, was Evelyn. Seven years had passed. She wore designer sunglasses, a head-to-toe brand-name outfit, and flawless makeup. Ethan was driving, and when he saw me, his eyes narrowed into slits, a triumphant smirk he couldn’t hide spreading across his face. Kevin, true to form, scurried over like a puppy, fawning as he opened the passenger door. “Ethan, you made it!” “Yeah.” Ethan got out and gave me a dismissive nod. “Tim. Long time no see.” “Long time,” I echoed. Evelyn looked me up and down—the sandy hair, the dirty t-shirt, the board shorts and flip-flops. Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows furrowed in distaste. “Tim, have you gone backward? You couldn’t even bother to change for a class reunion?” I scratched my head, playing dumb. “Didn’t have time. It was a last-minute thing.” Evelyn scoffed. “With an attitude like that, I bet you don’t even have a girlfriend, do you?” I nodded. “Nope.” Kevin let out a derisive laugh. “Come on, Tim! You were the star of our department back at Riverton U. How did you end up like… this? You’re embarrassing all of us, man. Don’t you have any ambition?” Ethan could barely contain his glee, but he put on a show of magnanimity. “Alright, Kevin, that’s enough. We’re all old friends here. No need to be so harsh.” He turned to me, his voice oozing fake sympathy. “Look, talent doesn’t pay the bills these days. I’m sure Tim has his reasons for being in this spot. For my sake, let’s not rub salt in the wound.” Kevin just grinned and shut up. “Let’s go,” Ethan said. “Everyone’s probably waiting.” As we walked into the hotel, Evelyn linked her arm through Ethan’s, a gesture so natural it was like a second skin. She was tall and slender, her long legs accentuated by stilettos, turning more than a few heads. Ethan shot a glance back at me over his shoulder, a look of pure victory. I pretended not to see. The private room was already buzzing. When Ethan and Evelyn entered, our old classmates practically jumped to their feet, their faces lit up with welcoming smiles. “Ethan, man! You finally made it!” “Looking sharp as ever!” “Evelyn, you look stunning! So classy.” “You two look so good together!” “Looks like we’ll be getting a wedding invitation soon!” Ethan beamed at the praise, while Evelyn blushed, feigning modesty. I trailed in behind them like a ghost. No one said a word to me, no one even looked my way. Finally, Mark waved me over to an empty seat in the most inconspicuous corner of the room. As the food arrived, the room filled with laughter and toasts. I sat in my corner, ignored, and just ate. The conversation inevitably turned to Ethan. Mark asked, “So, Ethan, the company’s booming, huh? I heard you just landed a partnership with Sterling Enterprises. Is that true?” Ethan smiled casually. “We’re still in talks, but it’s looking very promising.” Kevin raised his glass. “Dude, the CEO of Sterling is the richest man in Riverton! Once you’re in with them, you’ll be unstoppable!” “It’s nothing, really,” Ethan said, waving it off modestly. “Just a small business. Compared to Evelyn, my achievements are nothing. She’s an internationally recognized designer now. Just won a major award.” As he spoke, he took Evelyn’s hand, and they exchanged a look brimming with affection. Watching them, my mind drifted. In our first life, after Evelyn and I got married, we both got jobs at the same firm. We lived a quiet, stable nine-to-five life. Our combined income was comfortably upper-middle-class for Riverton. We had a house, a car, savings. It was a good life. Evelyn seemed content, too. Until the day she saw her friend’s social media feed. Her best friend, a woman named Sarah, was by all accounts less attractive and came from a humbler background than Evelyn. But Sarah had married well. Her husband was a wealthy businessman. She never had to worry about money. She took spontaneous trips around the world, drove a Porsche, and lived in a mansion. Even the diamond on her wedding ring was five times the size of Evelyn’s. Evelyn couldn’t stand it. The thought of living out her days in quiet mediocrity became a nightmare. She started pressuring me, a daily barrage of brainwashing. “What’s the point of this dead-end job? This pathetic salary can barely support us!” “We only have a few hundred thousand in savings. It sounds like a lot, but we can’t even afford a luxury car.” “Thank god we didn’t listen to your parents and have kids early. We probably couldn’t even afford a decent preschool.” “Tim, you can’t go on like this! Just quit your job, let’s start a business together!” “Or we could move abroad! My friend guaranteed we could get residency within two years.” “We’re still young! If we don’t take a risk now, our whole lives are already written for us!” I tried to reason with her, to tell her that our life wasn’t so bad. Starting a business, moving to a new country—both came with massive risks. If we failed, we’d lose everything. But she wouldn’t listen. She gave me an ultimatum: take a risk with her, or get a divorce. Divorce. The word hit me like a physical blow. I never dreamed that the woman I’d loved so deeply, the wife with whom I’d never even had a serious argument, would say that. All because she’d seen her friend’s lavish lifestyle. The foundation of our love, which I thought was rock-solid, crumbled in an instant. In the end, I couldn’t change her mind. I agreed to the divorce. On the way to the courthouse, our car was rear-ended by a speeding dump truck. We both died. And then, we were reborn. “Tim! Hey, genius! Ethan asked you a question!” Kevin’s sharp voice snapped me back to the present. He gave me a rough shove. I looked up. Ethan was watching me, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “Tim, everyone’s shared what they’re up to. It’s your turn. So, where are you making your fortune these days?” “I’m not working at the moment,” I said calmly. “Unemployed, I guess.” “What? Unemployed?” Kevin crowed, his voice dripping with fake disbelief. “Tim, the genius from Riverton U, can’t even find a job? If word gets out, you’ll be a laughingstock!” A wave of snickers went through the room. Evelyn looked at me with a mixture of pity and disgust, but underneath it all, there was a flicker of relief. Relief that she had made the right choice. If she had married me, stayed in Riverton, her life would have been the same as the last one: comfortable, but painfully average. Nothing like the glamorous life she had now. Mark frowned. “Tim, if you don’t have an income, how are you getting by?” “I do odd jobs here and there,” I said. “Some freelance stuff. Enough to support myself.” Kevin scanned me from head to toe, his expression scornful. “And by ‘freelance stuff,’ do you mean hauling bricks at a construction site?” I didn’t answer, and the silence was all the confirmation they needed. The whispers started. “No wonder his clothes are so dirty, and he’s wearing flip-flops.” “He’s even got sand in his hair. Looks like Kevin was right.” “A top-tier university grad ending up as a manual laborer. What a waste.” “If I were him, I’d be too embarrassed to even show my face here.” “I bet the only reason he came was to see Evelyn.” “I still don’t get what she ever saw in him. She was the campus belle.” “Exactly! Ethan is handsome, rich… Tim can’t even compare to his little finger.” “Thank God they didn’t get married. Her life would have been ruined.” I’d had enough. I muttered an excuse and headed for the bathroom. I was washing my hands when I heard the click-clack of high heels behind me. It was Evelyn. She stood there, her eyes full of a familiar disappointment. “Tim, I can’t believe it. Just because I didn’t marry you, you let yourself go completely. You’ve become a total deadbeat.” “It’s been seven years,” she continued, her voice sharp with judgment. “Everyone has built a career. Even Mark is a sales manager now. But you… you have zero ambition. I’m so disappointed in you.” I looked at her face, so familiar yet so alien, and said calmly, “Everyone gets to choose their own life. I chose this one because I like it. I have enough to eat, a roof over my head, and I don’t have to deal with office politics or corporate burnout. It’s a good life.” Evelyn let out a contemptuous laugh. “Tim, do you know why I didn’t marry you?” “I do,” I said evenly. “We want different things. You want money and fame. That’s what matters most to you.” “It’s not just what I want. It’s what any sane person wants,” she retorted. “You only live once. If you don’t strive for something, what’s the difference between you and a piece of driftwood?” She softened her tone slightly, a calculated move. “You’re brilliant, you’re responsible, you can be romantic. You were the ideal husband material. But your biggest flaw is your lack of ambition. You’re happy being a big fish in a tiny, insignificant pond.” She took a step closer. “Tim, life is short. If you don’t push yourself, you’ll never know what you’re capable of. I’m glad I made the right choice. Instead of marrying you, I went abroad and fought for my career. Now, I’ve come back successful. You and I… we’re in two different worlds now.” I nodded. “You’re right. You’ve changed.” “But some people never change,” she said, her voice dripping with scorn. “Or they get even worse. Tim, I think you’re destined to be a loser for the rest of your life.” After delivering the final blow, she sighed dramatically. “But fine. For old time’s sake, I’ll give you a chance. Ethan’s company is looking for a design assistant. With your talent, you could handle it. The pay isn’t great, maybe six or seven thousand a month with bonuses, but it’s better than what you have now.” I shook my head. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m not interested.” Her brow knitted into a sharp ‘V’. “Tim, you’re in this state and you still have an ego? Ethan would never have offered this if it wasn’t for me.” Before I could reply, Ethan appeared. He wrapped an arm around Evelyn’s waist, his voice smooth as silk. “What’s wrong, babe? You look upset.” “Nothing. Just annoyed by someone who doesn’t know what’s good for him.” “Oh?” Ethan turned his gaze to me, a smug smile playing on his lips. “Let me guess. Tim turned down your generous offer, didn’t he?” He shook his head in mock pity. “Tim, Tim, Tim. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Evelyn has a good heart. She’s only trying to help you out of nostalgia. Look at you. You look worse than the security guard at the front door. She offers you a white-collar job with a decent salary that fresh grads would kill for, and you throw it back in her face. You’re a real disappointment.” I kept my voice level. “Ethan, I know my own limits. I haven’t had a real job in years. I’m used to being lazy. Thanks for the offer, but no thanks.” Evelyn snorted. “You can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.” She turned and walked away. After she was out of earshot, Ethan leaned in close, his voice low and menacing. “Tim, remember what I told you freshman year? I told you to take care of her, or I’d move in. You actually let her go. So thanks for that. That’s the only reason I let her offer you a job.” His smile vanished. “But I’ll give you another warning. Stay away from Evelyn. Don’t even think about getting back together with her. Or I will make you disappear.” He punctuated the last sentence with a hard shove against my shoulder, his face twisted in a snarl, all traces of his charming facade gone. I just looked at him and smiled faintly. Back in the room, it wasn’t long before the main event began. Ethan got down on one knee in front of everyone, presenting Evelyn with a massive bouquet of roses as he proposed. The room erupted in applause and cheers. Evelyn feigned surprise, but a delighted, shy smile spread across her face as she accepted the flowers. Mark shot a worried glance my way, but relaxed when he saw my expression was completely neutral. But then, as Ethan reached into his pocket for the ring, his expression changed. “That’s weird,” he said, patting his jacket. “The diamond ring… it’s gone.” Kevin piped up. “Did you leave it in the car, man?” “No way. I remember putting it in my pocket when I got out. I checked on it during dinner; it was definitely there.” A murmur went through the room. “Maybe it fell out somewhere?” “Or… maybe someone stole it?” Kevin immediately seized on the idea. “That’s it! One of us is a thief! Someone with sticky fingers stole Ethan’s ring!” “That ring must have been expensive, right?” someone asked. Ethan tried to sound casual. “Not too bad. Just over a million.” A collective gasp went through the room. Mark suggested calling the police, but Kevin shot that down. “No, the cops will take forever. Let’s just search everyone. We’re all old friends here. For Ethan’s future happiness, we can all put up with a little inconvenience.” Without waiting for an answer, he marched straight toward me. “Tim, we’ll start with you. You don’t mind, do you?” I said I didn’t, and he immediately started patting me down. A few seconds later, he pulled a glittering ring from my pocket. “This is it!” Ethan exclaimed. “That’s my ring!” The room exploded. “Tim, I knew you were poor, but I never thought you were a thief!” “There’s no honor among thieves, but stealing from an old classmate? That’s shameless.” “Everyone, check your wallets! See if anything else is missing!” “I knew this guy was bad news. Call the police! Get him arrested!” “A million-dollar ring? He’s going to jail for a long, long time.” Evelyn stared at me, her face a mask of cold, absolute disappointment. I tried to tell them I didn’t do it, but no one listened. As I stood there, cornered and accused, the door to the private room swung open. Led by the hotel manager, a woman of stunning beauty and unshakeable confidence walked in. She was holding the hand of a little girl, about two years old, who looked like a perfect porcelain doll. Ethan froze for a second, then his face broke into a wide, sycophantic grin as he rushed forward. “Ms. Sterling! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?” The woman gave him a quizzical look. “I’m sorry, have we met?” “I’m Ethan from Apex Innovations. We spoke briefly at the bidding conference the other day.” Mark whispered to the person next to him, “Who is that?” Kevin, the resident expert on the rich and powerful, whispered back, “You don’t know? That’s Sophia Sterling, the new CEO of Sterling Enterprises! Her dad is worth billions. She’s a true heiress!” The entire room was stunned into silence. But the biggest shock was yet to come. The little girl suddenly let go of her mother’s hand and came toddling straight toward me, her arms outstretched. “Daddy, up!”

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The expensive engine of the Bentley had just cooled when a woman—dressed in something cheap and red that screamed “look at me”—smashed her manicured fist against my window. I was startled, still settling in after the family dinner, and utterly confused as she angrily demanded I get out of the car. Before I could process the sudden terror, my husband, William, had opened his door. I watched, my heart sinking like a stone, as he wrapped his arms around her, instantly placating. “Baby, stop. Don’t make a scene. I know, I know. I wasn’t trying to ignore you, the Everett family dinner was just a thing tonight.” My throat tightened. I reached for my door handle, but William’s free hand shot out, slamming the door shut and shoving me back into the passenger seat. “Stay put, Eliza! Don’t you dare come out and upset her!” The woman—Savannah—saw red. She shrieked, pointing a sharp, venomous finger at my face. “You entitled bitch! William isn’t some prize you get to hog! If you ever stop him from taking my calls again, I swear I’ll tear your face off!” I, the legal wife, the one he promised forever to, was trapped in the luxury SUV, treated like the dirty secret, the one who didn’t belong. The world went white. Three years. Three years I’d spent in Europe, recovering from the complications of childbirth that had left me partially paralyzed, undergoing grueling physical therapy to walk again. I had just returned, healed, only to find his mistress behaving like the wronged wife. William didn’t spare me a glance. He tossed the keys onto the dash, scooped Savannah up in his arms like a precious artifact, and walked away, abandoning me and the car on the main road. I was still sitting there, frozen, when the phone rang. It was her. “Don’t even think about threatening William with divorce to get him to leave me, you pathetic fool. I don’t care if you two are married! A legal title is just baggage to me. My sons have inheritance rights, and his love and his money are all mine.” His money? How quaint. That challenge felt less like a threat and more like an invitation to a much higher-stakes game. 1 “Only a shallow woman like you cares about a title!” Savannah continued, her voice grating on the speaker. “I’ll ‘allow’ you to keep the name, Eliza. Now be a good little wife and stay out of the way of my relationship with William.” She was acting less like the other woman and more like a victorious queen giving a final, haughty warning. This arrogance, I knew, was a direct reflection of William’s coddling. A slow, cold fire began to burn in my chest. I tightened my grip on the phone. “If you were really so capable, Savannah, you wouldn’t be making a spectacle of yourself on a street corner, acting like a common street performer.” I spat the last words. “And sweetheart, my title wasn’t something you gave me, it’s something you could only dream of kneeling for. The things you don’t value? I don’t even see them.” The insult landed. “You’ll regret those words. I’ll make sure you see exactly how much your husband loves me!” Click. She hung up. I sat there, numb, clutching my phone for what felt like an eternity. If she hadn’t forced this confrontation, I would never have believed that William, the man who had vowed to spend every penny on my recovery, who had shown me such devotion during my darkest hours, had betrayed me. The thought of his sacrifice and his infidelity existing in the same space made me dizzy. I typed out a message to Gabriel Reyes, my late father’s most trusted attorney. “I need to freeze the assets. Run a full audit on William’s accounts. He’s having an affair.” Making that decision was a cold, sharp wrench, a visceral, suffocating pain, as if I was choosing to split myself in two. It was hours later when William finally came home. He looked miserable, but not in a way that suggested repentance, only weary frustration. He sat opposite me, quiet, looking like a little boy who had been caught cheating on a test. I stared at his face for a long time. Suddenly, I was eighteen again, watching him present me with a handful of freshly picked wildflowers. “I’ll keep bringing you flowers, Eliza. It’s my way of promising I’ll always love you passionately.” A drilling, soul-deep pain made my eyes burn. I was going to lose it. Perhaps seeing the tears welling up, his veneer of moody stoicism broke. He looked instantly nervous, his guilt finally showing. “I’m sorry, Eliza. I have wronged you.” It was a heavy, dull statement. He met my eyes for only a second before dropping his gaze, unable to sustain the look of shame. “Is that your full accounting for what you’ve done?” My voice cracked, betraying the false calm I was trying to project. “Savannah doesn’t care about a title. I’m going to try to balance things between you both.” 2 I felt my breath hitch. He wants two wives? I bit down on my lip hard. Unloved, raw rage was useless. I fought for calm. “Let’s divorce, William. I’ll clear the field for you.” He looked up instantly, his eyes holding a stubborn, non-negotiable rejection of the idea. “I married you, Eliza. I made an oath to you and your family. I will be responsible for you until the day I die.” He paused, leaning into the guilt. “Especially since you suffered so much, becoming paralyzed for three years after giving birth to our child. I’ll spend my whole life making it up to you. Just… don’t make things harder for Savannah.” I laughed, a sharp, humorless sound. “You’ll make it up to me? By sleeping with another woman?” He was silenced. He looked at me, completely overwhelmed, as if I were the one making an impossible demand. “I’m sorry. The truth is, I love you both, Eliza. I can’t give either of you up.” The crushing atmosphere was broken by his phone. He instantly snatched it up. Seeing the caller ID, his face tightened with a panicked urgency. “I will not divorce you,” he muttered, rushing out of the room before the call could even connect. I didn’t need to guess who it was. Savannah. In her presence, he was a loyal dog, ready to appear at her command. All the gestures of love he’d once reserved for me were now hers. I went to my in-laws, the senior Prestons, and told them everything. They waved their hands dismissively, their expressions utterly unconcerned. “Every wealthy man has his diversions, Eliza. Don’t worry. The Everett and Preston families are bound by an old alliance. Your position as the official wife is untouchable.” They assumed I was there begging them to intervene. I was there to tell them that when honor and love failed, all that remained was the fight for assets. I never wanted to be William’s opponent, but as the old saying goes, if you don’t fight for what’s yours, you’ll be left with nothing. I would not allow that woman to take my life, my marriage, and my dignity. I didn’t rest. I immediately threw myself back into the operations of Preston Industries. I needed to buy a gift for a major client whose birthday was coming up—a new, limited-edition emerald and diamond necklace. The attendant packaged it beautifully. “That will be two hundred and ninety thousand dollars, ma’am.” I handed her the black card William had given me five years ago—the one with the purported unlimited limit that I rarely used. The attendant slid it back to me, her expression apologetic. “I’m sorry, ma’am. The card is showing insufficient balance.” I froze. Insufficient? Just as I was about to call William, the sharp click-click-click of expensive heels echoed from behind me. “Honey, pack up all the latest releases for me, Chen.” It was Savannah. She sauntered past, glancing at me with a condescending sneer. From her newest Hermès Birkin, she pulled out a matte black card. The primary card. Mine, I suddenly realized, was a secondary card, its limit controlled by this one. “Miss Savannah, your total is fifty-six million, eight hundred thousand dollars.” She waved her hand dismissively, the transaction going through instantly. She then casually pulled a slender cigarette from her bag, lighting it with a snap. The staff instantly fawned over her, scrambling to light her smoke. She blew a plume of smoke directly into my face, her eyes mocking. “A man’s heart is where his money goes, Eliza. You don’t have any funds, and yet you dare to shop at high-end stores?” I stood utterly still, the toxic smoke stinging my eyes. I lifted my phone. “Hello, 911? I’m at the Cartier boutique in the Galleria. My husband’s credit card has been stolen and used fraudulently. Please send officers immediately.” 3 Savannah’s composure broke for just a moment, but she quickly recovered, her gaze becoming predatory. “William will be here. He’ll tear your face apart!” She instantly dialed him, her voice a furious, demanding screech. “William Preston, your wife is bothering me again! I’m giving you twenty minutes to get over here and deal with her, or we are through!” She was so brazen, so lacking in shame. She wasn’t the quiet, demure type of mistress; she was proud of her status, believing herself untouchable. The police arrived just as William burst through the doors, breathless. He immediately stepped in front of Savannah, shielding her, his eyes glaring at me. “What in God’s name is this drama, Eliza?” Savannah, emboldened by his protection, lunged past him and slapped me hard across the face. “You rotten bitch! How dare you call the cops on me! I spend my man’s money, it’s my absolute right!” Her sharp acrylic nail left a small bloody scratch near my eye. She was already winding up for a second blow when William grabbed her from behind. “Baby, don’t! Calm down. Let me handle this, okay?” She was the enraged lioness; he was the soothing, emotional zookeeper. He hadn’t raised his voice to her once. I finally snapped. I raised my arm to hit her back, but William’s grip on my wrist was instantly and brutally tight. I couldn’t move. He pleaded with me, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. “Just leave, Eliza! Please!” He was standing against me, protecting her, making me the public spectacle. The husband who had promised to protect me from the world was now ganging up with his mistress to humiliate me. A blinding pain shot through me, overriding the physical sting of the slap. I pulled my arm free and, with all my might, struck him across the face. “You’re protecting your whore while she abuses your wife!” He took the blow without flinching, his face a mess of regret and helplessness. But even in his misery, the scale in his heart tilted only towards Savannah. She was instantly hysterical, crying and trying to fight him to get to me. “You bastard! How dare you hit my man! I’ll end you, you hag!” William held her tight, his voice still low and placating. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. Don’t get upset. Listen, only I can hit you. Nobody else in the world, okay?” The officers separated us, asking me about the theft accusation. My eyes were still red from the smoke and the tears. I pulled up our marriage certificate on my phone. “We are married. My husband’s credit card is in the possession of this woman, who has used it to swipe over fifty million dollars. He and I did not authorize this spending. What would you call that but theft?” Savannah was completely unfazed. “I didn’t steal anything! My boyfriend gave me the card to use! I have every right to use my boyfriend’s money!” She looked at William, a demanding challenge in her eyes. “Husband, tell them! Did you give me the card, or did I steal it?” William hesitated, looking at me for a split second, which immediately earned him a slap on the arm from Savannah. “William, what does that look mean?! Do you still care about her?” “No, no, baby, stop. Don’t be so temperamental.” He soothed her, his arm automatically settling around her waist. He turned to the police. “It’s a complete misunderstanding. I gave her the card. It was authorized.” With those words, I became the absolute joke. The police, recognizing a domestic dispute, gave us a final warning. “Settle your emotional issues, please don’t waste our resources.” But Savannah stopped them. “Wait! This bitch filed a false police report and defamed me! I demand she be charged and prosecuted!” 4 William pleaded with her, keeping his voice low. “Savannah, please. Don’t blow this up. Give me some dignity.” “No! You’re protecting her too much! Does that mean you love her more than me? Fine! You two have a happy life, I’ll just go throw myself in front of a bus!” She was yelling, sobbing, and utterly unhinged—a full-blown harpy. I still couldn’t believe the sophisticated, gentle man I’d married had chosen this low-class, volatile woman. William was terrified she would leave. He turned to me, his jaw tight. “This is your fault, Eliza. You need a few days to think things over.” My heart turned to ash. I no longer recognized the man standing before me. At Savannah’s insistence that I face legal repercussions for filing a false report, the police took me into custody. As I was getting into the squad car, William rushed over to the window, his eyes full of pathetic regret. “Savannah is all bark and no bite, Eliza. Just rough around the edges. Next time, just try to stay out of her way.” I stared at him, my expression cold and dead. He wasn’t worth another word. From the detention center, I contacted Gabriel Reyes, instructing him to slip the finalized divorce agreement in with a stack of business documents, using a distraction to get William to sign it. Seven days later, I was released. It was the anniversary of the day our son, stillborn due to my complications, had died. Every year, William had been with me at the cemetery. I wanted my son to see that, despite everything, his parents hadn’t forgotten him. The housekeeper told me William hadn’t been home for a week. He was, predictably, with Savannah. I called his phone. Savannah answered. “The hag is out of jail? What do you want with my man?” I was about to unleash a verbal barrage when Gabriel arrived. He handed me the divorce papers, which bore William’s hurried, familiar signature. We were divorced. I didn’t need to waste any more words on her. “Today is his son’s anniversary,” I said flatly. “You can tell him, or not. I don’t care either way.” Savannah was instantly enraged. She opened a video chat. “Watch this, you deadbeat! William’s son is fine! If you curse our child again, I’ll kill you!” The video showed William at a dining room table, flanked by two children—a little girl who looked about two, and a small boy, maybe one. A birthday cake sat between them. William, beaming, held both of them in a tender embrace. “Daddy’s got you,” he cooed. When he saw me on the screen, his smile instantly vanished, replaced by a flash of panic and guilt. He didn’t even chastise Savannah for revealing the children. I was paralyzed. While I was in Europe, clinging to life, he had been building a second family with two children. Savannah, seeing my expression, leaned in and whispered a crushing, deliberate cruelty. “Oh, I remember now. You meant the one who died? How morbid. Today is our living son’s birthday. He’s too busy to visit a corpse, Eliza. Go by yourself.” Click. She hung up. I stood motionless, the phone heavy in my hand. Less than a minute later, a text from William flashed on the screen. “Wife, you are the most understanding. I promise I’ll go with you tomorrow. Please believe me, I still love you.” I stared at the text, and a strange, cold amusement spread across my face. The plank doesn’t hurt until it hits you, William. I would now treat him exactly the way he treated me. I turned to Gabriel, my eyes clear. “Let’s keep the divorce a secret for now. I have another plan.” That night, I quietly booked a flight and vanished, completely dropping off the face of the Earth. Savannah was ecstatic, even posting a taunt on my social media account: “Hahaha, the defeated woman runs away! What a loser!” Meanwhile, William was frantic. He hired private investigators globally. He even posted a public reward: thirty percent of Preston Industries stock for my safe return, later escalating it to fifty percent. But I was gone. A year later, at a Disney World resort, he was with his son and daughter when he spotted me, holding a baby in my arms. His face drained of color. His eyes went wide, turning red with relief and excitement as he rushed towards me. “Eliza! I finally found you, my wife!”

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My high school nemesis posted a photo of me at the OB-GYN clinic, along with my pregnancy test results, to our class group chat. “A ghetto queen will always be a ghetto queen. Playing around and getting knocked up before marriage. Who knows which old geezer is the baby daddy? Maybe you should check for HIV while you’re at it?” Others piled on, kicking me while I was down. Someone even posted a photo of me holding my waist, being shoved by a middle-aged man. Just then, Lucas, the untouchable academic god of our school, replied: “I’m the father. You got a problem with that?” 1 [She got into a black Maybach with tinted windows after school last Friday. We all know what that means~] [Spill the tea! How much is the sugar daddy paying?] [Guys, don’t be mean… maybe it’s true love? Even if the old guy looks like he could be her dad.] … Before Lucas replied, the group chat was roasting me alive. Lucas and I were from two completely different worlds. He was elegant and handsome, making a plain shirt look like high fashion. He was the perpetual valedictorian, from a wealthy family. His grandfather was an academician, his father a professor at a top university, and his mother a famous entrepreneur. I, on the other hand, had no father, only a mother. I was bullied growing up. To protect myself and my mom, I worked at a Taekwondo gym and earned a black belt. My mind was never on my studies. I just wanted to work and earn money to lighten my mom’s burden. My grades were always at the bottom. With my terrible grades and terrifying fighting skills, I became the “Big Sister” of South City High School No. 1. The first time I met him was on a rainy day. I rushed into the school gate, soaked to the bone, three minutes late. He was on duty, eyelashes wet with mist, pen poised to write my name in the logbook. “Don’t write it,” I panted. “Just finished the night shift at the convenience store.” He looked up and saw the dark circles under my eyes, the burn on the back of my hand, and the coffee stain on my school pants. The pen paused. He didn’t write my name that day. Senior year, we were paired up in a study group. That’s when I truly connected with Lucas. He was incredibly patient, despite his sharp tongue. The girls glared daggers at me, but due to my reputation for violence, no one dared to trouble me directly. They just spread rumors behind my back. But Lucas didn’t distance himself from me. The seed of a crush took root in my heart. It wasn’t until a class reunion a year after graduation that I learned the aloof Lucas could also have a crush. Outside a karaoke room, I heard him confess to the school beauty, Grace. She didn’t say yes or no. Lucas was disappointed and drank a few too many glasses. But someone had spiked his drink. Delirious, he grabbed my hand, mistaking me for Grace. I couldn’t refuse the sight of the high-and-mighty academic god, flushed and desperate. I hesitated for a second, then spent most of the night entangled with him in another room. But I didn’t actually feel pleasure. The only sensation I remember is one word: pain. The next day, I woke up before Lucas. So this is what it’s like to give your first time to someone you like. I could hear flowers blooming in my heart. I didn’t expect him to take responsibility and planned to leave quietly. But getting up pulled at the wound below, and I fell to the floor, waking Sleeping Beauty. Lucas looked at the scene and understood what happened. He looked at the red stain on the bed, and the words that came out of his mouth sent me straight from heaven to the eighteenth level of hell— “Nice hymenoplasty. Looks real.” I forced a laugh. “Yeah, I know a doctor. Cheap.” “I didn’t mean that, I…” He tried to explain, but I didn’t listen. I threw on my clothes and ran out of the room. I was so angry and sad that I forgot to take the pill. 2 For three months after that, I worked like crazy, trying to forget the humiliation. Later, I collapsed from exhaustion and was taken to the hospital, where I found out I was pregnant. A photo of me was posted to the group chat by Grace’s lackey, Lily. Lucas and I hadn’t contacted each other privately, so I was shocked when he replied like that in the group. The next day, Lucas and his mother showed up at my door. Lucas was expressionless as usual. I couldn’t read him. Mrs. Lu was all business. She asked my age and what my parents did. When I said I had no father and my mother had uremia, requiring constant dialysis, she slowly replied, “A pitiful child.” “The Lu family has had only one son for three generations. We cannot give up the child in your belly. Name your price.” They wanted the child, not the mother. I asked them to transfer my mother to a hospital owned by the Lu family, find a kidney donor, and cover all medical expenses. Mrs. Lu agreed. We signed a contract stating I would cut all ties with the Lu family after giving birth. I went to the hospital to comfort my mom, telling her a kind classmate had sponsored us. She was a woman without many ideas of her own. Hearing this, she burst into tears and knelt to thank the Lu family. Leaving the hospital, I was taken to the Lu mansion. Lucas didn’t say a word the whole time, completely unwilling to communicate. I knew he hated me. Mrs. Lu left immediately after dropping us off. Mr. Lu was rarely home. The task of settling me in fell to Lucas. He didn’t give me a separate room, not even a servant’s room. He made me sleep on the floor of his bedroom. But the rich family’s blankets were soft. I slept better there than on my hard wooden bed at home. Seeing I slept well the next day, he showed a rare expression—a mocking smile and disgusted eyes. “As expected of a ghetto rat. Can sleep anywhere.” The Lu family made me quit all my part-time jobs, fearing it would affect the fetus. I helped the maid with chores within my ability. While cleaning Lucas’s study, I saw a photo of Grace on his desk—wearing a gown, playing the piano, noble and beautiful. Lucas snatched the frame from my hand. “Who allowed you to touch that!” It was the first time I’d seen him so emotional. He must really, really like her, I thought bitterly. Lucas started targeting me even more. Breakfast porridge was either too cold or too hot. He made me adjust the temperature constantly. If I turned over in my sleep, he’d scold me, then force me to get up and read to him until he fell asleep. One noon, while I was mopping the floor, he deliberately spilled coffee on it and watched me mop it again. “Can’t even clean the floor properly. No wonder you rely on crawling into men’s beds to survive.” Seeing me obey silently, he scratched his head in frustration. “Sue, why aren’t you angry?” I lowered my head silently. When I looked up, tears filled my large eyes. “I’m punching above my weight class. If not for that accident, I wouldn’t be disturbing your life…” Lucas’s breath hitched. After a long while, he said angrily, “Don’t cry. Don’t look at me.” He fled, leaving me bewildered. I actually had no right to hate him. After all, I wanted something from him. And— I chose the Lu family as my wallet after weighing my options against another offer. 3 The man pushing me in the group chat photo was a bodyguard sent by my biological father to take me for a DNA test. He didn’t mean to push me; he was moving me away from a speeding motorcycle. It sounds like a novel, but my father turned out to be a triad boss. He played with many women when he was young and ruined his body, leaving me as his only seed. He found me and wanted to take me away, but refused to help my mother. I planned to take over the gang and then save my mom, but her body couldn’t wait that long. That night with Lucas was an accident, but it gave me a better option. Compared to a sudden triad father, a high-intellectual family like the Lus was obviously more reliable. Moreover, I felt Lucas’s attitude softening. When I did too much housework, he forced me to rest, saying pregnant women shouldn’t overwork. When I had morning sickness, he handed me lemon water at the perfect temperature. Later, claiming I might crush the baby by rolling over, he forced me to sleep in his bed, hugging me—or rather, my belly—every night. Young men are full of vigor. Several times, I felt a “stick” poking my back and suggested sleeping separately. Rejected. “No, you sleep wild. You’ll crush the baby!” “You’re poking me, it’s uncomfortable…” I argued weakly. He got up and ran to the bathroom. He stayed so long I almost fell asleep, then came back smelling of moisture, lifted the blanket, hugged me again, and said righteously, “Sleep!” I slept like a log, unaware that he continued to visit the bathroom frequently in the second half of the night. I thought he cared a little, but soon realized this care was nothing compared to Grace. The day Grace came to the Lu house, it was drizzling. Mrs. Lu held her hand on the sofa, chatting affectionately. Lucas sat next to her, eyes gentle. I was in the kitchen prepping vegetables. Watching this picturesque scene, I could only sigh that they looked like a family. At lunch, Mrs. Lu made me serve the dishes. Watching me bustle about, Grace suddenly smiled and said, “Auntie, Sue is the future daughter-in-law. How can you make her do servant’s work?” Mrs. Lu glanced at me. “What daughter-in-law? She should be grateful the Lu family accepted the bastard in her belly. You and Lucas grew up together. Only you, Grace, are worthy of being our daughter-in-law. Right, Lucas?” “Mmh.” Lucas answered quickly. Grace smiled happily. “But Auntie Lu, are you sure the baby is Lucas’s? After all, classmates say Sue worked as an escort to make money. Several men in her neighborhood have played with her…” “What!” Mrs. Lu was furious. She slammed her chopsticks down and called a doctor to come for an amniocentesis. “So young and so loose. Who knows what diseases you have? Sinful!” I stood there, listening to Mrs. Lu’s insults. I looked up at Lucas. He just put down his chopsticks, silent, but gave Grace a strange look. I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to stay calm. It’s just a DNA test. I know the answer, I’m not afraid. Thinking of my mom in the hospital—Lucas told me last night they found a kidney match and surgery would be soon—I couldn’t provoke them. The doctor arrived quickly. Mrs. Lu had people hold my arm while blood was drawn. As the needle pierced my skin, I flinched. Not far away, Lucas’s eyes darkened. Done with this, Mrs. Lu waved me upstairs. “If you dare lie to me, I’ll show you what a dead end looks like.” Grace patted Lucas’s shoulder gently. “Lucas, you’re so unlucky to be entangled with such a shameless woman.” Lucas didn’t chime in, just watched me walk up the stairs. 4 I thought Lucas would kick me out of bed, so I packed my things first. He came in a while later. “What are you doing?” “Packing? You probably want me to leave.” “You…” He couldn’t get a sentence out. Mrs. Lu came up, worried. Seeing the scene, she frowned. “Are you sleeping together again?” “No, we’re just…” Sleeping in the same bed? No one would believe that. Seeing my hesitation, Mrs. Lu slapped me. “You low-class people only know how to seduce and climb into beds!” “Mom…” Lucas tried to defend me, but Grace, who had come up unnoticed, interrupted. “Auntie, don’t be angry. A man and a woman in one room invites gossip. Better separate them. It’s better for the baby too.” Mrs. Lu considered Grace’s suggestion. I panicked. “Mrs. Lu, what about my mom’s medical bills…” Mrs. Lu looked disgusted. “Relax. You’ll get what was promised. Assuming the baby is ours. If you lied, you won’t like the consequences!” She ordered servants to help pack my things, preparing to send me to the Lu family’s house in West Beijing. After giving instructions, she led Lucas and Grace away. Actually, I didn’t have much. Just one large suitcase of odds and ends. Dragging my suitcase to the stairwell, I saw Grace standing there with her arms crossed, the fake gentleness gone. She opened with pure malice: “Didn’t expect that aphrodisiac to benefit a rat like you!” “What do you mean?” “I lost a bet with a friend, so I let her have Lucas for a night,” she said casually. “Unexpectedly, Lucas actually cares a bit about you. Don’t know what’s so good about your poor ass. Maybe because you’re cheap?” Hearing her treat Lucas so casually, I felt angry for some reason. Seeing my anger, she felt satisfied. “What? Angry I scolded you, or jealous that Lucas is my property?” She stepped close to me, whispering in my ear, “Let me show you how far Lucas will go for me.” She gave a malicious smile, screamed, and threw herself down the stairs. Before I could react, Lucas rushed up, anxiously helping Grace up. He checked her carefully, coaxing her gently. After confirming she was okay, he glared at me, the “culprit.” “Sue, are you crazy! If anything happens to Grace, I won’t forgive you! Apologize now!” I didn’t do it. I wouldn’t apologize. I dragged my suitcase down the stairs. As I passed them, Lucas grabbed me. “Apologize!” “She fell herself.” I stared at him. Lucas laughed in anger. “Are you that vicious? Won’t apologize, huh?” He pressed my shoulder hard, forcing me to kneel. “Apologize. Or I’ll have the hospital stop your mother’s treatment.” I looked up at him in disbelief, seeing only disgust in his eyes. I lowered my head, tears falling, and whispered, “I’m sorry.” Grace ignored me, eyes red, voice delicate. “Lucas, my leg hurts…” Lucas picked her up immediately and walked upstairs, barking at me, “Get out!” 5 Less than three days later, Mrs. Lu arrived with the DNA results. I opened the door and got slapped. “I was played by a slut like you! Look at the results!” Clutching my red cheek, dazed, I took the report— [Probability of Paternity: 0.0001%] “Impossible!” I looked up sharply. “There’s a mistake!” Mrs. Lu snatched the report back with a sneer. “Evidence is solid, still denying it? Your mother’s medical funding stops today!” She waved to the bodyguards. “Throw her out!” I was roughly shoved out, my suitcase thrown after me, contents spilling everywhere. Meanwhile, my mom’s condition worsened. The doctor looked grave. “Uremia caused heart failure. Need a kidney transplant immediately. But you offended the Lu family. They gave the word, the hospital can’t keep you. Sigh…” Looking at my mom’s arm full of tubes, I gritted my teeth and dialed Lucas. I remembered Mrs. Lu’s warning not to contact him. But I had no choice. If I explained clearly, would he help, even out of pity? Ring—Ring— My heart tightened with every ring. Finally, it connected. A familiar female voice. Grace. She sounded breathless. “Hello… mmm… who is it…” My throat closed up. I couldn’t speak. Why did she answer Lucas’s phone? What were they doing? Before I could think, Lucas took the phone, sounding equally breathless. “Mmm… who?” I hung up in a panic, heart dead. Cornered, I called my biological father. “You said I could go back to the Gu family. I said you must save my mother…” “If you don’t agree, you’ll see my corpse soon, and you’ll have no heir left in this world. I mean it!” Unexpectedly, he laughed. “Haha! Truly my seed! Gutsy! Fine, but I only save her. I won’t bring her back to the Gu family.” My father’s men arrived at the hospital quickly. After briefing them on my mom’s condition, I prepared to leave with them. At the hospital, I saw Lucas again. He was supporting Grace for a checkup. Seeing me with a group of men in black, he ignored Grace and ran over, but was blocked. Through the bodyguards, I said, “Lucas, believe it or not, I’ll say it one last time. The child is yours. I didn’t push Grace.” He froze. I didn’t look at him again and left. Grace walked over, linking his arm. “Lucas, was that Sue? Found a new sugar daddy already?” Lucas shook off her hand, rare for him, and left hurriedly. He went home to check the surveillance camera on the stairs—installed only after I moved in, for fear I’d trip. His face darkened as he watched. The spring drug wasn’t me; he had held a grudge over that. He investigated the hospital that gave the DNA report and found it was forged on Grace’s orders. “Damn it!” He pounded the table and rushed out.

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I was late for school and forced to stand in the hallway as punishment. The school’s notorious bad boy, seeing my predicament, wouldn’t stop pestering me for my name. Thinking quickly, I gave him the name of the school’s top scholar instead. The bad boy looked thoughtful. During Monday’s assembly, while reading his “reflection essay” for past misdeeds, the bad boy added a line at the end: “Julian Ji, I liked you the moment I saw you. I want the whole school to know, you belong to me!” Amidst the screaming crowd, I clapped until my hands were red: “Love is love! I support it!” 1 I knew the guy running around on stage shouting into the microphone. It was Jax Zhou, the school bully. Bleached hair, ears full of piercings, uniform worn like a rag—the school’s famous delinquent. I knew the person he was confessing to even better. My deskmate, Julian Ji. Already accepted into a top university, he transferred to our mediocre high school for the last three months just to “experience life.” Both of them got called to the principal’s office. The principal is such a dinosaur. It’s the 21st century; a little bromance between boys is totally normal. 2 While squatting in the bathroom, I overheard two girls discussing today’s drama. “Who do you think is the top and who’s the bottom?” “I prefer the pretty boy top.” “You think Julian is the top? But Jax is taller, and he’s not ugly either.” “Sigh, you don’t get it. Listen…” Their voices dropped to a whisper. I pressed my ear against the stall wall but couldn’t hear a thing. Classmates, what are you “getting”? Let me get it too! Speaking of Jax, I only put a face to the name a few days ago. Our school is famous for being chaotic. Fights, dating, skipping class—it’s all fair game. Being late usually meant sneaking in. But Jax, after getting caught himself, yelled, “Teacher! That late kid is trying to sneak in!” Resulting in me standing in the hallway as punishment. As he left, he grabbed my arm. “Hey, what’s your name?” He looked like he wouldn’t let go until I answered. Annoyed, I blurted out, “I’m Julian Ji, okay!” Jax seemed to chew on the name. I shook him off and ran. He shouted from behind, “Hey—Julian Ji! You didn’t tell me your class number!” Thinking back, my heart skipped a beat. This mess won’t come back to bite me, right? 3 The teacher called me to the office to give me this month’s financial aid. Three years ago, despite having scores good enough for the top high school in the city, I came to this bottom-tier school. I had no choice; they offered too much money. Back in the classroom, Julian was already in his seat. He looked calm and elegant, an air of nobility about him. Julian and I were sort of childhood friends. He grew up in a detached villa. I grew up in the maid’s quarters next to the villa. But kids play together regardless of status. Later, my grandma retired due to illness, and we moved to a cheap urban village. I hadn’t seen Julian since. Until this winter break, while I was busy working at a restaurant. A hesitant voice came from behind. “Stella He?” I turned around. A life-sized Julian was smiling at me. “It really is you.” Then, he transferred to our school. Said he wanted to “experience life.” I didn’t know what was so great about this life. This school was leagues below the top one. Thinking of this, I vaguely remembered that Jax’s family invested in this school. Just so Jax could have a proper high school diploma before going abroad. Julian threw a stack of workbooks at me, saying casually, “Bought too many. Don’t throw them away.” I accepted them with tears in my eyes. I really want to fight these rich people. 4 The school beauty, Chloe Chu, sat in front of us. She had wavy hair, cute cat eyes, and delicate hands with colorful manicures. But her mouth was venomous: “Stella, what’s the point of studying so hard? You’ll just end up working for me anyway.” Her family was in real estate. I chewed on my pen cap, pretending not to hear. Julian coldly pushed her hand off his desk. “Dirty.” Chloe had publicly confessed to Julian and been rejected. It was ugly. Now she had ammunition to mock him. “So the young master doesn’t like me because he likes men.” Julian was unfazed, treating her like air, continuing to explain a math problem to me. Chloe scoffed. “Nouveau riche and cold-blooded capitalist. Birds of a feather. Hope you live happily ever after.” I stopped Chloe, kindly reminding her, “Your family is nouveau riche too, but nobody wants you.” When Jax entered the classroom, Chloe was screeching, ready to slap me. He quickly blocked her sharp nails. “What are you doing? School rules say no fighting!” Funny coming from him. Considering his assembly speech was an apology for fighting street thugs. Facing two six-foot guys, Chloe slunk away resentfully. Julian glared immediately. “You again.” Jax didn’t look happy either. “Why are you haunting me?” I quickly stepped between them. “Calm down, calm down! Life is hard for everyone!” 5 The two of them fought in the principal’s office. Tacitly avoiding each other’s faces. Jax rolled up his sleeve pitifully. “Look, he bruised me.” “It’s all your fault for giving a fake name. You have to take responsibility.” Julian chuckled. “I didn’t hit you there. Stop faking it.” Seeing another argument brewing, I felt a headache coming on. I apologized to Jax first. “Sorry for lying the other day.” Then to Julian. “Sorry for ruining your reputation.” They said in unison, “Not your fault! It’s his fault!” Fine. Jax moved his desk behind mine and refused to leave. Claiming he needed to be influenced by top students. The principal couldn’t do anything, and the class went wild with screams. I won’t say who’s shipping who. I’m shipping them too. After school, I couldn’t shake Jax off. I sighed. “Jax, where are you following me to?” He can’t follow me to wash dishes. Jax blushed. “Even though I got the name wrong today, I actually like you.” I spoke righteously. “We’re in the critical period of senior year. I won’t date.” To make him give up, I added a strong dose. “And you’re not my type.” Jax got anxious. “What’s your type?” I looked him up and down, implying the opposite. “I like guys who study well, have black hair, and are serious.” The exact opposite of Jax. But he seemed happy. Dropping a “See you tomorrow,” he ran off faster than a rabbit. I quickly forgot about it. Pushing open the familiar restaurant door, I called out sweetly, “I’m here, Auntie.” Auntie poked her head out from the kitchen. “Stella, rest a bit after school.” I tied up my hair and dove into the kitchen to wash dishes. “It’s okay, Auntie. You pay me, not for resting.” Auntie sounded worried. “Two jobs a day… don’t ruin your health.” I smiled like a flower. “It’s fine, I’m not tired!” 6 When the teacher announced study groups, Julian wasn’t there. I put both our names down. Jax held my pen down, looking pitiful. “No one wants me. Can you help me study?” Jax had transformed. Blonde hair dyed back to black. Ear piercings gone. Shirt buttoned to the top, even added glasses. Looked like a total model student. I hesitated. Julian and Jax didn’t get along. And I needed Julian’s help with my studies. So I rejected him firmly. Jax’s eyes reddened instantly. “My parents never cared about me. Home is cold, so I play outside. At least people talk to me there.” “Now they want to dump me abroad. I really want to study hard and show them I’m not useless…” I was raised by my grandma. Parents were a sore spot for me. Jax spoke with such emotion, eyes misty. Finally, carried away by emotion, he said sincerely, “I can pay you five thousand a month for tutoring.” I grabbed his hand immediately. “Jax, it’s not about the money.” “Your story moved me. I won’t give up on any student who wants to improve!” “By the way, you can just transfer the fee to me!” Jax sniffled and smiled. “Then accept my friend request first, Teacher Stella.”

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I had just wrapped an international merger deal, and the jet lag felt like lead in my bones as I dragged my suitcase into the foyer. That’s when I saw them: a pair of men’s sneakers that absolutely did not belong here. Crisp, designer high-tops, a limited drop, and definitely not a small size. They were tossed carelessly by the door, a silent, arrogant declaration of the intruder’s presence. Almost instantly, the semi-transparent, relentless torrent of text that only I could see—The Feed—began to scroll across my vision. 【HOLY SHIT! The forced-love scene is finally here! Tristan’s making his move!】 【AHHHH! Tonight’s the night! Cook that rice, baby! Go, go, go!】 【Wait until that stuck-up mom gets home and loses it, LOL. Her daughter belongs to our Tristan now!】 I watched the words with an expressionless face. They swarmed like a cloud of buzzing, bloodthirsty gnats directly on my retina. 1 My name is Delaney Stone. I’m a commercial litigator, known for my ruthless precision in the courtroom, and a single mother. Three days ago, I woke up. I realized I was trapped inside a toxic young adult novel titled The Exclusive Obsession of the Campus Psychopath. My role? The villainous mother, Delaney, who tries to keep the main characters apart, only to be utterly destroyed—her life ruined, her daughter’s future devastated, and finally, herself dying wretchedly in a psychiatric facility—by the “blackened” male lead. My daughter, Maya, is the tragic heroine. She would be kidnapped, tormented, and eventually develop severe Stockholm Syndrome, mistaking her captivity and trauma for “undying love.” And the owner of the shoes by the door, Tristan Kael, was the male lead—the so-called “beautiful, powerful, and tragic” hero. A maniac who packaged stalking, harassment, and violent coercion as deep affection, and who romanticized his own obsession and possessiveness as salvation. I lifted my gaze toward my daughter’s tightly closed bedroom door. Faintly, I could hear muffled sobs and a boy’s impatient, low attempts at persuasion. The Feed kept scrolling. 【Don’t cry, Maya! Tristan loves you so much! Your mom is such a puritan, what does she know about real love?】 【Seriously, this mom needs to just die and stop getting in the way of our ship!】 【Hurry up, hurry up! I can’t wait for the forced-love payoff!】 I silently set down my suitcase, kicked off my high heels, and walked toward the kitchen, my bare feet sinking into the carpet. I didn’t call 911. I didn’t call building security. Against a rabid dog that skirts the edge of the law, conventional methods only serve to excite them further. From the utensil block, I took the weapon I’d bought specifically for processing large cuts of meat: a heavy-duty, razor-sharp bone cleaver. The blade glinted under the recessed lights, cold and unforgiving. The Feed seemed to sense the shift. It paused for a brief, shuddering moment. 【??? What is the mom doing? Is she grabbing a knife?】 【That’s not in the script! She’s supposed to be pounding on the door and begging the ML to let her daughter go!】 【Whoa, wait a second. Something is off. Her eyes look insane.】 I ignored them. I walked, step by calculated step, to Maya’s bedroom door. It was locked from the inside. “BOOM!” I lifted my foot and drove it, with all the focused force of a trained athlete, into the door right next to the lockset. The solid-core wooden door shuddered violently. The sounds from inside ceased immediately. “Who the hell is that!” Tristan’s voice, sharp with alarm and irritation, cut through the silence. The Feed exploded. 【WTF! She kicked the door?! This mom is unhinged!】 【Spicy! Is the plot twisting?! Author, get your ass in here!】 I offered no response. I simply stepped back, focused, and drove my heel into the same spot. “CRACK!” The second impact. A spiderweb of cracks formed in the wood around the shattered lock housing. “SMASH!” The third. The lock assembly disintegrated with a wrenching sound, and the door flew inward, slamming against the wall. The scene inside was instantly exposed. My daughter, Maya, was huddled on the corner of her bed, her school blouse torn open at the shoulder, tears streaming down her pale face. She was trembling uncontrollably. Tristan, the boy The Feed worshiped as the “God-Tier Campus King,” was straddling her, one hand pinning her wrist, the other reaching for a button on her top. He was clearly stunned by the sudden violence. He froze, his body rigid, and turned his head to stare at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. The-Feed-was-in-ecstasy. 【OMG, that position! Tristan is so Alpha!】 【The mom’s arrival is perfect! Let her watch her daughter become his!】 【Hurry, Tristan! Do it right now! That’ll really piss off the old hag!】 Tristan recognized me. The shock on his face rapidly curdled into a mix of contempt and aggressive provocation. He even managed a playful, wicked grin, leaning down to Maya’s ear and speaking just loud enough for me to hear. “Look, Maya. Mommy’s home. Should we… continue what we started, right here, in front of her?” Maya’s trembling intensified. Tears spilled onto her cheeks. “You… let go of me…” “Let go of you?” Tristan scoffed, his gaze locked on mine in a pure act of defiance. “Look, Ma’am—don’t blame me. Maya and I are soulmates. You’re the one trying to tear us apart.” I looked at his face, flushed with adrenaline and dark excitement. I looked at the obscene comments scrolling before my eyes. Slowly, I raised the heavy cleaver in my hand. “What was that?” My voice was unnervingly quiet. “It’s loud in here. I didn’t quite catch that.” I aimed the blade directly at him. Tristan’s pupils constricted. He probably thought I was bluffing. The Feed did, too. 【What’s she doing? A middle-aged woman with a cleaver thinks she’s some kind of action star?】 【LOL. Does she really think she can touch a hair on our Tristan’s head?】 The very next second, I moved. I didn’t charge him. I simply whipped my wrist, putting every ounce of my body weight into the throw, sending the heavy bone cleaver flying. The blade cut a terrifying arc through the air, whooshing with the speed of its passage. Its target was not Tristan, but the heavy wrought-iron and crystal fixture directly above his head. “CLANG!” A deafening, metallic snap. The fixture’s main chain was precisely severed. The massive chandelier, dragging countless glass shards and wires, CRASHED! Tristan reacted on pure instinct, rolling off the bed and scrambling sideways, narrowly evading the impact. But Maya, pinned beneath him, was not so lucky. I would never hurt my daughter. In the instant the chandelier fell, I shot forward, grabbed the paralyzed Maya off the bed, and pulled her tight against me, shielding her body with my own. “KABOOM!” The crystal light fixture obliterated the mattress, turning the soft bed into a chaos of pulverized glass, twisted metal, and springs. Several shards of glass sliced Tristan’s cheek and arm, leaving bright red trails. He stared, dumbfounded, at the wreckage. If he had been half a second slower, he would have been crushed. The entire room fell into a deathly silence. The Feed stopped entirely. After a full five seconds, a single line of text appeared, shaky and hesitant. 【…she’s… she’s psychotic… this mom is a stone-cold lunatic…】 I held my daughter, who was still shaking violently, and stood up from the wreckage. My eyes, cold and assessing, settled on Tristan. He was clutching his bleeding face, and for the first time, his expression was a raw mix of terror and disbelief. “You…” I cut him off. I walked over, picked up the largest shard of glass near his feet—its edge was sharp enough to reflect his ashen face. I knelt down, and with that deadly piece of glass, I lightly tapped his cheek. “Now,” I looked him directly in the eye, asking, word for word, “Can you hear me clearly?” Tristan’s lips trembled. He stared at the shard of glass, which was easily capable of slitting his throat, and couldn’t utter a single sound. The contempt and swagger in his eyes had evaporated. Only fear remained. The pure, paralyzing fear one feels when confronted by a superior predator. 2 Tristan scrambled away, practically crawling. He even forgot his designer high-tops. The Feed was a scene of collective grief and bewilderment. 【I swear! My yandere hero just got scared off like a puppy? Character assassination!】 【What in God’s name is this mom’s background? She’s brutal! I thought she was going to murder him right there.】 【NGL, that was kind of hot? Psycho vs. Psycho?】 I didn’t care about The Feed, nor did I bother to chase Tristan. I knew he would be back. A narcissist and obsessive like him, whose ego was his universe, would never accept this humiliation. He would return for an amplified, vicious revenge. I shut the broken door, wedged the heavy sofa against it, and turned to hold my still-shaking daughter. “It’s alright, Maya. You’re safe. Mom’s here.” Maya buried her face in my shoulder and burst into deep, heart-wrenching sobs. Her body was fluttering like a leaf in an autumn storm. “Mom… I’m so scared… He… he wasn’t like this…” I knew exactly what she meant. In the original narrative, Tristan first appeared as Maya’s “savior.” Because of my own supposed “high-pressure parenting,” Maya was shy and insecure. When she was bullied at school, Tristan stepped in to protect her. This created the foundation for her dependence and the first stirrings of a confused attraction. She had no idea that her “tormentors” had all been put up to it by Tristan himself. A perfectly orchestrated, self-directed act of heroism had stolen my daughter’s initial trust. “I know, baby,” I stroked her back, my voice impossibly soft. “I know everything. But I promise you, he will never hurt you again. I guarantee it.” After calming her down and ensuring she had locked herself securely in the room, I began my cleanup. First, I called the building management. I reported a home invasion and attempted robbery, stating the door was forced and the property damaged. I demanded security be dispatched immediately and all hallway surveillance footage be secured. Then, I dialed a number I hadn’t used in years. A lazy, smoky voice answered. “Well, well, if it isn’t Delaney Stone, the Great Litigator. Did you finally finish your merger case?” “Quinn, I need a favor. Now.” I went straight to the point. “Run a background check on someone: Tristan Kael. Seventeen, St. Jude’s Academy.” Quinn was a college friend, now a private investigator with a notorious reputation. “Tristan Kael?” Quinn chuckled. “Oh, I know that name. The Kael Group’s messy little bastard son. What did he do? Key your Lexus?” “He tried to assault my daughter.” The laugh vanished. Quinn’s voice hardened. “Send me the address. I’ll have every dirty little detail on him, from his first parking ticket to who he stole a lollipop from in kindergarten, within three days.” I hung up, staring out at the heavy night outside. My gaze was ice cold. The Feed was still drifting by in scattered lines. 【Investigating Tristan? Useless. The Kael family practically owns Portland. What can one small-time lawyer do?】 【Just wait for Tristan to come back with backup and settle this with the mother-daughter duo.】 【Yeah, put this mom in the dark room, too. Hehehe…】 I scoffed. You think this is over? You think I’ll be like the “evil mother” in your plot, relying only on useless methods like calling the police or complaining to the school? No. You underestimate me. You want a psychopath. You want forced love. You want a storyline that spirals out of control. Fine. I will give you a performance of utter, unhinged chaos. The very next morning, the school called. The principal’s voice was strained and frantic. “Mrs. Stone, you need to come in right now! Maya… something awful has happened!” My heart sank, but I kept my tone calm. “What exactly is going on?” “On the school forum… someone posted… some inappropriate pictures of Maya… The whole school is seeing them…” I ended the call, my eyes the temperature of liquid nitrogen. Tristan’s retaliation was faster and more vicious than I had anticipated. I arrived at St. Jude’s Academy to find Maya surrounded by a cluster of students in a classroom corner. They were pointing, whispering vile comments. “Hey, Maya, that’s you in the pictures, right? Didn’t realize you were such a freak.” “How wild do you get with the Campus King? Was it good?” Maya was clutching her backpack, her head bowed, her face paper-white and silent. I strode over and shoved the most aggressive boy standing in front. “Move.” My appearance silenced the immediate circle. The boy I pushed, one of Tristan’s lackeys, stumbled, turned, and glared at me. “Who the hell are you?” I ignored him. I walked straight to my daughter, took off my trench coat, and wrapped it around her, pulling her close into my arms. “Mom…” Maya’s tears immediately began to flow. “Don’t be scared,” I patted her back, then lifted my head, my eyes sweeping over the young, malicious faces surrounding us. “Who posted the pictures?” No one spoke. The boy I had pushed, Leo, scoffed. “Ma’am, your daughter’s the one who posed for them. Don’t try to play the innocent victim here.” I looked at him and smiled slowly. “Your name is Leo, correct?” The boy froze. “How… how do you know that?” “Leo Davis. Grade 11, Section C, Student ID 24. You were suspended last month for fighting at an off-campus club. Your father is a mid-level manager at City Planning, and your mother works at the department store. You’re currently pursuing a girl named Tiffany in the next class, and you stole three hundred dollars from your dad to buy her a designer bag, didn’t you?” Leo’s face completely changed. His arrogance dissolved into sheer terror. “You… you investigated me?!” The surrounding students started murmuring, their eyes now wary. I didn’t acknowledge his panic. I continued: “As for the photos, they’re synthetic. The Photoshop work is amateurish. Any forensic photo expert can tell. I have already contacted the police and my litigation team. You, and every single student who has made a derogatory comment on the forum, will be receiving a cease-and-desist letter within the hour.” “Defamation is a serious crime. Depending on the severity, it can carry a penalty of jail time. Since you are minors, you won’t be incarcerated, but the resulting felony record will follow you for life. Say goodbye to college applications, federal jobs, and any chance of a clean start.” My voice was low, but every word sliced through the tension. The students, who minutes ago had been so bold, now looked sickly pale. 【HOLY SHIT! This mom is a professional!】 【I take back everything! She’s not a puritan, she’s a predator!】 【LOL, these pathetic brats got a major reality check. They picked the wrong fight.】 I allowed myself a moment to appreciate their fear, then shifted my attention to the teacher hiding in the corner. “Ms. Williams,” I said, looking at the stunned principal. “As the homeroom teacher, my daughter has been subjected to severe bullying and slander in your class, and you stood by and watched. I believe I need to have a serious discussion with the District and the Board about your professional conduct.” The principal’s face turned the color of beet juice. Just then, an arrogant voice cut in from the doorway. “Oh, what a lively scene.” Tristan had arrived. He had a bandage on his cheek and a wrap on his arm. He swaggered in, trailed by a few large, menacing boys. His presence was a shot of confidence to the students, who immediately began to look less terrified. Tristan stopped in front of me, looking down with eyes full of pure malice and triumph. “Mrs. Stone, I told you you’d regret crossing me.” He smiled, utterly feral. “This is just the beginning. I will make your daughter unlivable in this city, completely destroy her name, and she will crawl back to me on her hands and knees.” He believed he had won. The Feed agreed. 【Tristan is dominant! We love this psycho-energy!】 【That’s right! When dealing with an annoying bitch, you use the nuclear option!】 I looked at him. And I smiled, too.

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I was born with the Divine Bone, revered by all as a goddess. But I carved it out with my own hands. As blood pooled on the floor, my legitimate sister panicked. She offered a fortune to any doctor in the land who could reattach my Divine Bone. In my past life, I was betrothed to the Crown Prince because I could protect the nation’s fortune and summon rain. But shortly after our marriage, my sister claimed she was the true goddess. Every time, she summoned the heavenly dew before me. She even predicted fortunes and disasters, accurately calculating the date of a great calamity before I could. She was worshipped like a deity, gathering countless followers. Meanwhile, I was locked in the Cold Palace, where the Crown Prince personally carved out my bones, one by one. “Clara is the true goddess! You imposter, you stole credit for her predictions and usurped her identity!” “The position of Crown Princess should have been Clara’s! She has the heart of a goddess, not fighting or snatching, which gave you the chance to make me miss out on her!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the Empress was selecting the Crown Princess… 1 “Which one is the goddess of the Cloud family, born with the Divine Bone?” At the palace banquet, the Empress scanned all the candidates for Crown Princess. The same question as my past life rang in my ears. I endured the stinging pain in my chest and curtsied: “It is I, your humble servant.” As I straightened up, blood soaked through my clothes. The Empress’s expression changed abruptly: “What… is going on with you?” Beside me, my legitimate sister, Clara, turned pale instantly. More shocked than even the Empress, she screamed before anyone else could react: “Quick, fetch the royal physician!” “My sister must not come to any harm!” The moment I realized I was reborn. The first thing I did was carve out the unique Divine Bone from my chest, the symbol of my identity as a goddess. Waves of agonizing pain assaulted me. Yet I lowered my eyes and twitched the corner of my lips. Then I knelt, my voice weak and raspy: “Your Majesty, I encountered an assassin before entering the palace. Someone carved out my Divine Bone.” “I am no longer a goddess. I am unworthy of His Highness the Crown Prince…” I looked up at my sister, who was twisting her handkerchief nervously. I pointed at her and said softly: “Actually, the Cloud family has two goddesses.” “I had the Divine Bone, while my sister has a lifelike Buddha Lotus on her chest.” “My sister is the true match for the Crown Prince!” Suddenly mentioned by me in front of everyone, Clara was shocked for a moment, but then subconsciously covered her chest. The Empress asked skeptically: “You truly have a Buddha Lotus on your chest?” “Why haven’t I heard anyone mention this?” Clara’s lips trembled, her eyes reddening, looking extremely troubled: “The Cloud family already had one goddess.” “My sister’s fame is widespread, and the Grand Preceptor himself said she could protect the nation’s fortune. How could I dare steal her thunder…” 2 In my past life. When I was born, celestial phenomena occurred. Hundreds of phoenixes circled and cried over the Cloud family roof, and colorful clouds filled the sky. As I grew up, I could summon rain and pray for blessings. For over a decade, the country enjoyed favorable weather, and wars against enemy nations ended in total victory! The Grand Preceptor in the palace took one look at me, touched the bone in my chest, and declared I possessed the Divine Bone. A goddess descended to earth. As long as I lived, the nation’s fortune remained! But Clara and the First Madam were dissatisfied and jealous. I had the Divine Bone and was revered by the people. They secretly hired an artist to tattoo an ethereal, snow-white Buddha Lotus on Clara’s chest. I haven’t forgotten. In my past life, Clara covered the Buddha Lotus on her chest, speaking to the Crown Prince with a fragile, aggrieved tone: “She is my sister, so I tolerated her usurping my identity and didn’t expose her as a fake goddess.” “Those previous predictions of fortune and disaster were calculated by my divination, but she peeked and took the credit.” Clara pretended to be magnanimous but hesitant: “It doesn’t matter that she stole my identity as a goddess, but I’m afraid she’ll anger the heavens and bring down punishment…” After hearing her twist the truth, the Crown Prince, in a rage, his eyes bloodshot, personally carved out every bone in my body. “For stealing Clara’s identity as a goddess! For occupying the position of Crown Princess…” “Didn’t you claim to have the Divine Bone? I’ll shave off every bone of yours and see how you swindle people then!” Thinking back now, every cut still feels like it’s landing on my body. I can’t help but tremble. In my past life. The person going to the Sacred Altar to pray for rain should have been me, but I suddenly fainted before leaving the Cloud house. When I woke up, my fingertip had been pricked, and blood taken. By the time I rushed to the Sacred Altar, Clara was already kneeling there devoutly, kowtowing repeatedly to the heavens, her forehead covered in blood and dirt. Soon, heavenly dew fell, ending months of drought. I exhausted my spirit, divining for days and nights, only for her to steal my predictions every time, claiming credit before the Emperor with eloquence. Not long after, an earthquake struck the suburbs. Because of Clara’s “prediction,” the people had been evacuated, and no one was hurt. Clara’s divination abilities were confirmed by everyone! Overnight, Clara became the true goddess. I became a despised fraud, an imposter. My previous rain summons and predictions became stolen, impersonated acts. In this life, if Clara wants to be the goddess, I’ll let her! 3 At the Crown Prince’s consort selection banquet. After my reminder. Clara bit her lip shyly. In front of everyone, she slightly opened her silk robe, revealing the Buddha Lotus on her snow-white chest. “Is there really a Buddha Lotus?” “Does the Cloud family have two goddesses?” “The illegitimate sister with the Divine Bone suddenly had it carved out before entering the palace. Clara stands out now—what luck!” Amidst the murmurs, a blush spread across Clara’s face. “Mother forbade me from stealing my sister’s thunder before, so I never mentioned it or let outsiders know.” “My sister is a goddess, and so am I…” “What my sister can do—summoning rain, praying for blessings—I can do too!” I didn’t expose Clara’s lies. I lowered my eyes to hide the sneer within. After Clara publicly admitted to being a goddess who could also protect the nation’s fortune, the Empress bestowed the marriage on the spot. In this life, the person marrying the Crown Prince changed to my sister! Back at the Cloud residence, seeing the bloody hole in my chest, Clara’s joy of becoming the Crown Princess vanished, replaced by panic. Her voice trembled as she scolded me shrilly: “Even if the Cloud family has more than one goddess! Your Divine Bone is so important. How could you be so careless and let someone carve it out?” “Think quickly! Who was the assassin! Where did he throw your Divine Bone?” She mobilized everyone in the Cloud family to find the carved-out bone. Finally, they found the shattered bone pieces in the carriage I took to the palace. Clara visibly sighed in relief. She spared no expense hiring famous doctors to reattach the bone for me. Another famous doctor examined my wound, frowned, and shook his head: “Can’t be reattached.” “It’s been carved out too long. It’s useless now…” “If recovery goes poorly, she might become a cripple.” Hearing I might become a cripple, my expression didn’t change a bit. But Clara beside me trembled heavily, panic flashing in her eyes. She grabbed a teacup and smashed it angrily in front of the doctor. “You bunch of useless trash.” “I can pay any consultation fee, and you can’t even reattach a bone!” After driving the doctor away, Clara glared at me with sinister, cold eyes. I ignored her gaze, closing my eyes to rest, but sneering internally. In this life, without my divine blood, without my ability to predict, let’s see what she uses to pretend to be a goddess! 4 On the wedding day. Crown Prince Xavier married Clara with a ten-mile dowry procession, a ceremony befitting a nation. I stayed in the courtyard nursing my wound. Before leaving, Clara came to see me in her gorgeous phoenix crown and wedding robes. Her wedding dress was sewn with gold thread and adorned with pearls, much grander than mine in the past life. She laughed triumphantly, deliberately dragging out her sarcastic tone. “Aria, so what if you have the Divine Bone?” “This time, the position of Crown Princess, and the identity of the goddess revered by all, are mine!” From these two sentences, I realized Clara was reborn like me. The Crown Prince arrived to pick up the bride. Clara went up, linking arms with him gently and intimately. Xavier looked down from his high horse, glancing at me with disgust, as if looking at something filthy, and immediately looked away. Clara gently pulled his sleeve, pretending to pity me: “Sister has lost her Divine Bone and has fallen from a high goddess to a cripple.” “Why don’t Your Highness marry her as well, making her a concubine?” Xavier’s face was dark, and he snorted coldly: “Not just any cat or dog can be my concubine!” “Clara, you said she’s a waste. Trash should just wait to die. She’s not fit for the Eastern Palace!” “In this life, I only want to marry you! Clara, you are the noble, unworldly goddess who doesn’t fight or snatch.” “As for her, full of lies and vanity, looking at her makes me sick!” I watched coldly as they sang their duet, humiliating me. In this life, Xavier and I hadn’t interacted yet. His hatred for me and his care for Clara showed he was reborn too. After a moment of distraction. Xavier took out a scroll of bright yellow imperial edict from his robe and threw it in front of me. “I asked for an edict for you.” “To marry General Silas, the Conqueror of the North.” Clara covered her mouth in shock, but her eyes held a malicious smile. “Didn’t General Silas fall into an ambush on the battlefield and remain in a coma, practically a vegetable?” “If sister marries him, isn’t it just a ‘冲喜’ (marriage to ward off bad luck for a sick person) leading to widowhood? How can this be?” Xavier narrowed his eyes sinisterly: “It’s exactly for her to bring luck to the mortally wounded Silas!” He sneered: “Aria, didn’t you claim to be a goddess? Able to protect the nation? A little luck-bringing marriage shouldn’t be hard for you!” “Hurry up and accept the edict!” I didn’t move. Clara picked up the edict and held it in front of me. She leaned in, whispering a sneer: “You lost your Divine Bone and aren’t a goddess anymore. You don’t still dream of being Crown Princess, do you?” “A cripple matching a cripple, isn’t it perfect?” As she stuffed the edict into my hand, her sharp nails deliberately scratched the back of my hand. My eyes turned cold, and I pushed her away. Clara fell back conveniently into the Crown Prince’s arms. Tears welled up in her eyes, aggrieved: “I just wanted to persuade sister to accept the edict. Disobeying an imperial decree brings punishment. I didn’t expect her to treat me like this.” Clara looked at me pitifully: “Sister, I know you admire the Crown Prince too.” “But the position of Crown Princess is noble. You are no longer a goddess, how can you be worthy? Only I possess the Buddha Lotus on my chest…” “I tried to persuade His Highness, but he wouldn’t even give you a concubine position.” I curled my lips in a sneer: “Don’t worry. I won’t fight you for the Prince or the goddess title. Those are things I don’t want!” Though the goddess identity is noble, it carries the burden of protecting the people. Great glory comes with great responsibility. Does she think being a goddess is easy? As for Crown Prince Xavier, blind as a bat. Reborn yet still doesn’t know who the true goddess is, thinking he found the right person. Clara acted like she suffered a huge humiliation, tears falling. Xavier, holding her, flew into a rage, his face dark as ink. “Guards! Since she refuses a toast only to drink a forfeit, force her to kneel and accept the edict!”

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The charity case my mom sponsored was impersonating me at school. At the bustling school gate, she beat me to it, skillfully sliding into the back seat of my family’s car. Loud enough for everyone around to hear, she shouted at me: “Chloe, I know we’re close, and I don’t want to hurt our friendship over petty things.” “But just because we’re friends doesn’t mean you can always hitch a ride. We don’t even live in the same direction. You can’t just keep relying on my family’s driver to take you home.” As soon as the words left her mouth, disdainful looks shot my way from all directions. In the past, I would have flushed crimson, speechless and mortified. But unfortunately for her, I had just been reborn. So, in front of everyone, I yanked her out of the car without mercy. I climbed in, rolled down the window, and spat at her: “Lived the good life for a few days and forgot your own last name, huh?” “Your family’s driver? Go ahead, call him that. See if he dares to answer.” 1 The noisy crowd fell silent at my cold words. With a look of utter disgust, I glanced at Bella, her school uniform disheveled from being dragged out of the car. She didn’t say another word. Bang. I slammed the car door shut and ordered the driver to go. Outside, a recovering Bella banged on the window, putting on that inexplicable air of arrogance, demanding I open the door. “Miss, this isn’t good, is it?” The driver turned to look at me, his tone filled with hesitation. “Not good?” I sneered. Bella wanted me to open the door? Fine. I’d grant her wish. Wait for the moment she was distracted, I unlocked the door. Just as she pulled it open, I leaned back slightly, lifted my leg, and Bang! kicked the door hard. Bella didn’t dodge in time. The door slammed into her head with immense force, knocking her flying. “Ah!” A scream pierced the air as Bella hit the ground. I leaned casually against the door frame, watching her sprawl awkwardly on the concrete, scrapes on her arms and legs bleeding, a bump instantly swelling on her forehead. “Chloe Chen!” Regaining her senses, Bella screamed my name hysterically. Even now, eyes red, she tried to twist the truth: “It’s not like I won’t ever give you a ride! Even if we’re best friends, you can’t just mooch off my family’s car every single day!” “This is my family’s car! Aren’t you going too far?!” “Me? Going too far?” I pointed at my nose, amused, and let out an undisguised scoff: “You asked me to open the door, and I did, didn’t I?” “You didn’t dodge in time and hit the door yourself. I haven’t even accused you of insurance fraud yet.” “Besides, since when can anyone just run their mouth? You say this is your car? Where’s the proof?” “Open your dog eyes and look. Do you even recognize the brand of this car? Wore fancy clothes for a few days, put on a human skin, and you really think you’re somebody now?” I didn’t waste another word on her. I slammed the door shut again and told the driver to drive. Seeing the driver, Uncle Lee, look out the window at the crying Bella with pity in his eyes, my face darkened instantly. “Uncle Lee, don’t forget who pays your salary.” “When my dad gets back from overseas, I’ll tell him everything that’s happened lately.” “Think about your son. Rein in that overflowing sympathy of yours. Don’t waste it on people who don’t deserve it.” Uncle Lee’s sympathetic expression vanished instantly. He was originally my dad’s driver. Since my dad spent most of his time abroad managing the branch office, he assigned Uncle Lee to me. His son was my dad’s assistant, and his wife was a maid at the Chen family estate taking care of my grandmother. The whole family worked for us. I knew why Uncle Lee sympathized with Bella. Ever since my mom brought her home six months ago, she had been sucking up to everyone to secure her place. She’d help the maids prep food, chat with Uncle Lee while he washed the car… Over time, the staff grew fond of her, pitying her background and taking extra care of her. My warning was a reminder: don’t forget who your real boss is. Since my dad assigned him to me, he should serve me wholeheartedly, not be distracted by some two-faced manipulator. 2 When I got home, Nanny Liu immediately came to take my schoolbag. Seeing I was alone, her smile faltered. She asked immediately: “Miss, why are you alone? Where’s Bella? Didn’t she come back with you?” I ignored her and went straight to the dining room to wash my hands and eat. The table was full of Bella’s favorites. The braised beltfish I specifically asked for yesterday was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Bella’s favorite braised pork ribs sat in the center. In that instant, fury burned in my chest. But Nanny Liu, oblivious to my darkening face, ignored Uncle Lee’s attempts to stop her and kept rambling: “Madam might be late tonight. Miss, should we wait for Miss Bella before eating?” “Did you have a fight with Bella again? Miss, really, why must you always make things difficult for such a good girl like Bella?” “Old Lee, go back and pick up Bella quickly. The poor child doesn’t know the area well, what if she gets lost again like last time?” Nanny Liu nagged on. It sounded like questions, but the tone was full of blame. I tapped my fingers on the table, watching coldly as she turned to urge Uncle Lee to go back for Bella. “Shut up, stop talking.” Seeing Nanny Liu’s cluelessness, Uncle Lee couldn’t help but scold her in a low voice. Finally, I spoke, my voice calm: “Nanny Liu, where is the braised beltfish I asked for yesterday?” Nanny Liu froze, finally realizing something was wrong. She turned slowly to explain: “Well, um, I went out a bit late today, and the market was out of beltfish, so I didn’t make it.” “If Miss wants it, maybe tomorrow—” “Is our city so small that there’s only one market?” I cut off her clumsy lie coldly. “Went out late? Out of beltfish? How come they weren’t out of ribs?” “Was there really none, or did you just forget because you didn’t want to make it!” I picked up the plate of mouth-watering ribs and dumped the whole thing into the trash can. I don’t lose my temper often, but these people seemed to have forgotten who the real master of this house was! “Nanny Liu, if you listen to Bella so much, let her pay your salary from now on.” “I don’t want to repeat myself. Clear this table.” “I want beltfish today. If I don’t get it, pack your bags and retire early!” I turned and went upstairs. As I turned, I heard Nanny Liu and Uncle Lee whispering: “What’s wrong with the Young Miss today?” “She never used to care about these things.” 3 Lying on my bed, exhausted after making a call, I stared at the ceiling and rubbed my throbbing temples. Nanny Liu was right. The old me wouldn’t have cared. But at the school gate, Bella beat me to the car and humiliated me publicly. “Chloe, I know we’re close…” Those words echoed in my mind. If it were the past, I would have been flushed with embarrassment, unable to react. But coincidentally, at that exact moment, I was reborn. In my past life, she impersonated me, deliberately embarrassing me in public, kicking me out of the car, making everyone think I was a thick-skinned moocher. I wanted to clarify my identity at the parent-teacher conference, to expose Bella’s lies. But my mom showed up instead of Bella’s parents. In front of everyone, she announced that Bella was her only daughter. I cried and asked why she treated me like this, why she wouldn’t acknowledge her own daughter. She just waved her hand and “clarified” to everyone: “Who’s your mom? You’re just the daughter of my maid.” “I pitied you and sponsored you, but you delusionally want things you don’t deserve.” “What a sin!” Her words were like a thunderbolt, casting me into hell. With my mom’s favor, Bella had no fear. She instigated her lackeys to bully me at school, driving me to near depression. I called my dad crying, pouring out my grievances. My dad, who loved me dearly, rushed back from abroad but died in a plane crash. My only other support, my grandma, fell down the stairs and died upon hearing the news of my dad’s death. I was underage, so everything naturally went to my mom. After inheriting my dad’s company and assets, my mom immediately adopted Bella. To prevent me from being supported by the board of directors when I came of age, they concocted a lie that I had schizophrenia and sent me to a mental asylum. Under their orders, I was tortured to death in that asylum. Before I died, I learned a massive secret. The pain of my past life flashed before my eyes. I didn’t want to make useless vows to heaven. Being reborn was enough to steel my heart. Everyone who hurt me would pay. And those who truly loved me, I would protect them from their tragic fates. … A knock on the door broke my thoughts. Nanny Liu nervously called me down for dinner. On the dining table, my favorite braised beltfish sat in the center. The other dishes had been swapped for seafood I usually loved. Nanny Liu looked at me cautiously, fawningly calling me “Young Miss.” I didn’t say a word, didn’t even look at her. I sat down and ate with relish. The taste of the beltfish melted in my mouth, salty, fresh, and sweet. Just a common dish, but it took me a lifetime to taste it again. Because Bella was allergic to seafood, it had vanished from our table the moment she moved in. But why? The master of this house isn’t named Zhou! Starting today, I will fulfill every regret from my past life. 4 When my mom returned from the hospital with a bandaged Bella, she saw me feasting on a table full of seafood. Smelling the seafood, Bella turned pale and retched. When my mom looked at her, she covered her mouth, apologizing for not holding it in. Already angry about me hurting Bella, my mom exploded. She rushed over and swept all the seafood onto the floor, ignoring that I was eating. “Eat, eat, eat! You’ve got some nerve!” “You hurt Bella like this, and you have the face to eat? And seafood at home? You selfish animal, don’t you know Bella is allergic?” “What does her allergy have to do with me?” I looked up into my mom’s eyes. In my past life, she always told others I had a bad temper, unlike the obedient Bella. To please her, I kept a low profile and didn’t fight, but she still scolded me for being scheming. Since nothing I did satisfied her, I might as well show her what a real “bad temper” looked like. I took the half-eaten crab from my mouth and threw it at Bella standing behind her. Good aim. It hit her right in the face, eliciting a scream. I sneered, looking at her with disdain: “She’s just a charity case begging at our door. Why should I, the young mistress of the Chen family, accommodate her?” “What is she? Me giving her leftovers is already doing her a favor.” “Picking and choosing all day long. Who does she think she is? Look in the mirror and see if you’re worthy.” I leaned back, speaking casually. Truthful words, but Bella acted like she was wronged by the heavens, eyes red, sobbing uncontrollably. But I could see the venom she could barely suppress under that mask of grievance. “Bella!” My mom was shocked. She quickly picked the crab off Bella’s face. Seeing the tearful Bella, she hugged her, comforting her distress. Once Bella calmed down, she remembered me, the culprit. “You vicious little bitch! Do you think I won’t discipline you?!” “Look at what you did to Bella! I’m going to beat you to death today, you animal!” “I dare you!” Just as my mom raised her hand, face twisted in rage, a shout rang out from the entrance. My mom froze, her hand suspended in mid-air. As the sound of a cane tapping the floor drew nearer, the expression on Zhou Yaqin’s face turned to terror. “Grandma!” I was instantly excited, running past Zhou Yaqin to embrace the newcomer. “Grandma, I missed you so much!” I threw myself into her arms like a child. Thinking that in my past life, my beloved grandma’s death was indirectly caused by me, my heart bled, and tears fell uncontrollably. “Oh my, my precious Chloe, why are you crying?” “Let Grandma look at you. Have you lost weight?” “Don’t cry, baby. Grandma is here! Grandma will back you up. Who dared to make my Chloe cry?” Seeing my tears, my grandma’s eyes filled with pain. She patted my back gently, just like when I was little. Once I stopped crying, she touched my face lovingly, then pulled me behind her, her face changing instantly as she looked at Zhou Yaqin. “My son isn’t home, so you think you run the place?” “If Chloe hadn’t called saying she missed me and I decided to visit, I wouldn’t have known this house had a new master!” Grandma sat me down in the living room. Zhou Yaqin hated my grandma but was too terrified to look up. Seeing her silence, Grandma snorted and banged her cane on the marble floor. Zhou Yaqin visibly trembled. “Mom, this was Chloe’s fault. I was just teaching her a small lesson—” “Lesson? What right do you have to teach her a lesson!” Grandma barked. She had always looked down on my mom’s background and despised her for continuing to work in showbiz after marrying, disregarding the Chen family’s reputation. Scandals with tycoons one day, young idols the next. Countless people in the elite circle laughed at my grandma and dad behind their backs. In my past life, I tried to mediate their relationship, making up good things about my mom, but it was a thankless task. “I don’t care what you do outside, but don’t forget how you got your position and status. If you let my granddaughter suffer even a little bit again, there’s no need for you to stay in this house!” “And you!” Grandma’s gaze shifted to Bella beside Zhou Yaqin. The sharp look almost made Bella kneel. She stammered in fear: “G-Grandma, I…” “Don’t call me Grandma. I only have one granddaughter, Chloe.” Grandma’s disgust was palpable. She said coldly: “I heard you’ve been impersonating the Chen family’s young mistress at school?” “No, I didn’t, I—” “Whether you did or not, you know best.” Grandma pressed on, giving Bella no chance to argue. Another cold snort, and sweat rolled down Bella’s forehead. After my grandfather passed away when my dad was a teen, the massive Chen business empire fell into my grandma’s hands. Until my dad was capable enough to take over, Grandma ran the Chen Group. Back then, the group wasn’t as successful as today. Grandma led it through its toughest times, transforming it into a thriving business. Her methods and courage were unmatched. Decades of decisive leadership meant even in her old age, a single look could make people tremble. “I’ll put it here today. The Chen family has only one young mistress, and only one future successor: Chloe.” “Some people who want to play dirty tricks better weigh their own worth. Are you qualified to go against this old woman?” “If I hear anyone playing games and making Chloe suffer again, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” With that, she pulled me up and ordered Nanny Liu behind her: “Pack my things. I’m staying here for a while.” “I want to see who dares to act up under my nose!”

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