Category: English

I had to work until eleven, and I hadn’t managed to get the Kobe Ribeye Liam wanted. As a peace offering, I splurged on an expensive Black Cod, the kind he’d mentioned wanting last week. But he didn’t want it anymore. He smashed the container against the tile floor, the spray of water soaking my slacks. The comments section was buzzing. [It’s the FMC’s fault. How much does that overtime pay anyway? Keeping the ML happy is the real job.] [Black Cod is delicious and expensive, but the ML specifically asked for the beef. Anyone would be mad at that kind of obvious substitution.] Really? Maybe they had a point, but I had just spent over twelve hours on the clock, and I was utterly exhausted. Too tired to handle the mess on the floor, or the furious man standing over it. 1 It was almost eleven PM, and only our office lights remained on in the entire corporate tower. I rubbed my pounding temples and saved the sixth draft of the proposal before powering down. The five-hour project review that afternoon had ended with the client tossing out everything we had. The whole team scrambled, managing to nail down the final outline just before the late-night commuter train stopped running. But we weren’t done. We had a week until the project deadline, and there was still a mountain of work to climb. Despite the screaming protest from my body, I shoved my laptop into my tote bag. The moment I pushed open my apartment door, a blast of cold air, thick with stale cigarette smoke, hit me. Liam was sitting on the sofa, a cigarette glowing faintly between his fingers. The acrid smoke made me cough. A low, almost inaudible scoff reached my ears: “Don’t start…” The sound vanished a second later, so fast it felt like a hallucination. On the first day we moved in together, we set a firm rule: no smoking inside the apartment. Liam was fine with it initially. Then, he started arguing that the living room wasn’t a room—only the bedrooms counted. Now, ash trays were scattered in every corner of our small space. Perhaps it was the chill of early winter, but my coughing escalated, a tight, painful spasm that felt like a tiny claw scratching at my lungs. I dropped my bag and headed straight for the water glasses. They were all empty. That’s when Liam finally spoke, his voice ice-cold. “You decided to come back, then? Take a look at how many times I called you.” I had already seen. The second the meeting ended, I checked my phone: five missed calls and one text message. [Get the Kobe Ribeye from The Prime Butcher on your way home. They close at seven.] I’d called him back, but he never picked up. I knew he was angry. Ever since I joined the project team, my life had accelerated. When I got busy, every minute, even for eating or drinking, was calculated. Liam was a freelance artist, usually sleeping until the late afternoon. He couldn’t accept my reasons. We’d fought countless times over missed calls and slow text replies. “We had a project review today. Everyone had to silence their phones.” I put my bag down, my voice heavy with exhaustion. “I saw the text at seven-thirty.” Liam sneered. “And? Where’s the beef?” “The Prime Butcher was closed.” I pulled a clear container from my canvas bag. “But I bought you Black Cod. It’s very fresh. Twenty minutes steaming, and it’s ready.” He shot up, snatched the container, and stared at the pale red fish, his eyes dangerously cold. “Ava. I was specific. The Kobe Ribeye from The Prime Butcher.” He ground out every word: “Are you suddenly deaf, or do you just not care what I actually want?” The words ended in a low, seething growl. A few familiar sentences scrolled across my vision. [The ML is just worried the FMC is working too hard. He’s taking it out on her.] [FMC, just apologize. Say some sweet words and it will all blow over.] [Honestly, the ML just feels neglected. That’s why he’s so furious.] A massive sense of absurdity washed over me. If he was just worried about me being tired, Liam had all afternoon—why couldn’t he have gone to pick up the beef? Why was I expected to work a twelve-hour day, buy the groceries, and then cook the meal? I was too drained to argue. I tried to reason with him calmly. “Liam, I didn’t get out until eight. That place was honestly closed. This fish—you said last week you were craving it. I drove forty minutes out of the way to the seafood market for this.” “Out of your way?” He scoffed. “Ava, you are always like this. Always falling short, always just almost enough. Just like you think you’re so dedicated to this stupid job, but you can’t balance our life with your so-called career!” His voice rose sharply. “Your company is making bank—have they cut you a single check for all this? You’re always pulling all-nighters, but why are you never the one getting promoted?” I froze. “What is that supposed to mean?” “It means you’re naive!” He practically yelled. “What’s the point of all this effort? You don’t have the connections, you don’t have a family name, and you’re not exactly a stunner—you are never going to move up! Just like this fish…” He violently threw the container onto the floor. “It will never replace the Kobe I wanted!” Under the harsh overhead light, Liam was breathing heavily, his eyes bulging with rage. I could barely see his face through the scrolling comments. [The ML went too far. He’ll regret this in a minute.] [He’s just worried about the FMC constantly working. He doesn’t know how to express it.] [FMC, don’t be sad. The ML actually wanted you to have the beef, not him.] I looked at the water spreading on the floor, the Black Cod’s scales flashing faintly under the light. That fish cost nearly fifty dollars. It was expensive for me. I’d deleted the new clothes I’d been eyeing for weeks from my online cart just to afford it. Now, it seemed I had lost both the pretty clothes and the fresh fish. I spoke softly. “Liam, I am genuinely exhausted.” He paused, clearly thrown by my subdued reaction. The usual Ava would already be explaining, apologizing, and placating him. She would probably promise to take a day off tomorrow just to buy him that specific beef. But he quickly recovered his rhythm, his voice louder than before, a raw, furious accusation. “You’re tired? I’m the one who’s tired!” “Waiting up for you every night, only to find out I can’t even have the one thing I asked for!” The comments kept refreshing. [The ML is using reverse psychology! He means he misses spending time with you.] [FMC, go hug him! He’s been waiting all night just to have dinner with you.] I stared at the words, and a small, brittle laugh escaped me. “What are you laughing at?” Liam frowned. I shook my head, knelt down, and carefully picked up the Black Cod. Its eyes were still clear, maintaining that fresh, glossy look. “What are you doing?” he demanded. I didn’t answer. I simply walked over to the kitchen trash can and dropped the entire fish inside. “Ava!” He shouted, his voice laced with disbelief. I turned back to him. “Since you don’t want it, I’m throwing it away.” The comments went silent for a beat, then erupted into a frenzy. [What is the FMC doing? She’s escalating the situation!] [The ML is stunned! She has never acted like this.] [It’s over, it’s really over this time!] Liam’s mouth was open, momentarily speechless. He looked at my calm face, his expression shifting from blind fury to confusion, even a hint of panic. “I’m going out.” I picked up the bag I’d just dropped. “Ava!” He called my name, his voice uncertain. “Where are you going?” I stopped at the doorway but didn’t turn around. “Maybe I’ll go find a place that’s still open right now, where I can buy The Prime Butcher’s Kobe Ribeye.” I spoke quietly. “Or maybe just a place where I can eat a meal in peace.” I opened the door, stepped out, and closed it. The actions were fluid, without hesitation. The motion-sensor light in the hallway clicked off. I stood in the dark and heard his frustrated sigh from inside the apartment. Then, the comments finally began to change. [This feels different.] [Is the FMC actually… leaving?] 2 I took a cab back to the office. Lying in the breakroom, I couldn’t fall asleep. My mind kept replaying our recent arguments. This was the third time Liam had exploded this month. The first time, it was because I was thirty seconds too slow handing him a yogurt. He threw it on the floor. “Clumsy idiot! Can’t even do one simple thing right!” The second time was even more ridiculous. I took a work call while ironing his shirt, and he snatched it away. “Is your job more important or is my shirt more important? You clearly don’t care about me! You’re completely selfish!” He acted like a constant observer in my life, using a magnifying glass to find my flaws, using any failure to immediately bend to his will as proof that I was worthless. [FMC, don’t be sad. The ML just has a short fuse, but he thinks the world of you.] [His words are harsh, but his heart is in the right place. Women really don’t need to work so hard.] [The ML is regretting everything right now, but he’s too proud to apologize. FMC, give him an opening!] The comments swirled around me like annoying flies. I suddenly realized they would always take Liam’s side, finding any excuse to absolve him. The next morning, my colleague handed me a coffee. She looked at the dark circles under my eyes and the messy bedding in the breakroom, and her concern was clear. “Ava, you look terrible. Another fight with your boyfriend?” I managed a weak smile. “I’m fine. Just didn’t sleep well.” “How many times this month?” My colleague, Maya, sighed. “Last week you were crying in the bathroom. The day before that, you had to call him during a meeting to send him a mini-manifesto of apology. Ava, this isn’t a normal relationship.” I opened my mouth, wanting to defend myself, but I couldn’t find a single reasonable argument. “Why don’t you crash at my place for a few days?” “He won’t allow it.” I rejected the idea instantly. Every time I suggested living apart, Liam would fly into a rage: “You want to break up, don’t you? I knew you didn’t love me anymore!” Then, he’d use even crueler words to validate my cold-heartedness and callousness. The final project meeting that afternoon confirmed the plan. I downed two cups of coffee and psyched myself up for another late night. Just then, my phone screen lit up. [I’m coming to pick you up after work.] Instead of the usual lift, my heart instinctively tightened. [I’m working late tonight. It’s a major push. Don’t come. I ordered that beef you like from Seamless. Just grab it.] I replied cautiously, but Liam seemed to ignore me. [Six thirty. Be downstairs on time.] The usual tone of command. [I really can’t leave. The Director is right next to me.] I could already feel the coming storm. [Ava, what is this supposed to mean?] [I actually offered to come get you. This is how you respond?] [If you don’t want to be with me, then don’t. No need for the theatrics.] Predictably, the comments were fueling the fire. [The ML is trying to be considerate!] [The ML is all talk, but the FMC must be thrilled inside!] [The ML was up all night fuming, and today he’s preparing for… hee hee, the FMC is going to have a rough night.] The Director had glanced at me several times. If I didn’t stop texting Liam, she was the one who was going to make my night rough. I set my phone to Do Not Disturb and shoved it into my desk drawer, forcing myself to concentrate. Ten minutes later, the internal office line rang suddenly. “I need to speak to Ava!” “Are you coming down or not? I’ve been waiting five minutes!” “I’m giving you three more minutes. If you don’t come down, I’m coming up to your office to find you!” Liam’s voice was so loud the handset vibrated in my hand. I lowered my voice to explain. “I’m racing a deadline. The Director is right…” “Is your Director more important than your boyfriend?” He cut me off sharply. “Or is your overtime more important than me? I came all this way to pick you up. Is this the right attitude? Ava, why are you always so selfish!” The whole office was looking at me. My face was burning. “Can you please be reasonable? This is my job…” “Job? Do you even call that pittance you make a job?” He scoffed. “A clueless brown-noser like you, are you actually thinking about a promotion? They must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel over there.” I was stunned into silence. “Thirty years old and still so clueless, still such an idealist. What do you even have? Money? Family status? Are you seriously acting like the heroine of some rags-to-riches story?” “Who else but me would put up with a personality like yours? Do you think the sky is going to fall if you’re not there to hold it up?” “You don’t even have basic social skills. If I came to pick up a dog, it would at least wag its tail. Ava, what is it that you actually bring to the table?” The comments offered their feeble defense. [The ML waited too long. Be understanding.] [He only says that because he cares. When she goes downstairs, he’ll run up and give her a big hug!] [FMC, go home with the ML. You look run-down. You need some tender loving care. Hahaha.] The comments were turning vulgar. I looked away, refusing to acknowledge Liam’s vicious remarks. Finally, he seemed to run out of steam, taking a ragged breath before asking: “Last chance. Are you coming down?” I looked at the crucial section I had just finished. I spoke softly. “No. Go home, Liam.” The line went dead silent for a moment, then I heard his voice, tight with pure venom. “Fine! Ava! You can marry your job! We’re done!” The crashing sound of a trash can being kicked silenced the entire office. I walked back to my cube, ignoring the astonished looks from my coworkers. I finished working around nine. Stepping out of the building, the night air was biting. My phone showed over a dozen missed calls. The latest text read: *[You seriously didn’t come down? I misjudged you completely! You wait!] * I turned the screen off and zipped my jacket all the way up. As I passed the corner, a street vendor selling hot pretzels was closing up shop. “Late night, miss?” The vendor, a kind old man, looked up and greeted me warmly. I managed a slight nod and kept walking. “Wait.” He called out, pulling the last pretzel from his warmer and carefully wrapping it in a paper bag. “Closing up. This one’s on me. You look completely worn out, dear. Have something warm.” In that moment, my eyes burned. Tears threatened to fall. A complete stranger could see my exhaustion and offer unsolicited warmth. And the man I lived with, the man who supposedly loved me? The old man pushed his cart away. “Go get some rest now, miss.” The pretzel in my hand radiated a warm, comforting heat, its smell simple and welcoming. The world settled back into a deep quiet. Liam didn’t send any more messages. The surface of the sea was calm, but I knew the deep currents were treacherous. Yet, I had no energy, no desire, to wrestle with his emotions anymore. I think, I really need to rest. 3 When I reached my apartment door, the electronic deadbolt screamed a harsh “BEEP-BEEP.” I paused, then entered the code again. It flashed red. “Password incorrect. Please try again.” The cold electronic voice was jarringly clear in the late-night hallway. I pulled out my phone and tried calling Liam three times. All went straight to voicemail. The fourth call didn’t even go through. The system showed my contact status as “abnormal.” He blocked me! I had no choice but to use the phone location tracker he’d insisted on opening “for my protection” to find the bar he frequented. It was almost laughable. By the time I arrived, it was eleven again. I pushed open the heavy, soundproof door, and the pounding music rushed over me. I saw Liam immediately. The long-haired woman draped over his arm was familiar: Chloe, a former college acquaintance who openly pursued him. Chloe had never hidden her hostility toward me. The first time we met, she trailed Liam, looking me up and down without politeness. Liam laughed then. “This is Chloe, an old friend. She’s crashing here for a few days.” Chloe batted her eyes, then walked over, grabbed my hand, and feigned enthusiasm. “You must be his mom, right? He said he was introducing me to his family, and you look so young, Auntie!” I had dressed up and done my makeup because I knew his friends were coming. I could find no excuse for her rudeness other than deliberate cruelty. Liam roared with laughter. “My mom? No, this is Ava, my girlfriend.” Chloe put on a show of surprise, covering her mouth with her hand, her face a mask of feigned regret. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Ava! It’s just that you dress so… so maturely. I honestly thought you were his elder! Heh.” I was shaking with anger, but Liam was doubled over, justifying her behavior. “Oh, you’re too cute, Chloe! Haha! You’re still young, making a mistake is normal. It’s Ava’s fault, really. I told her her features are too average, and she insists on copying those influencers. What’s that phrase… a cheap knock-off!” At twenty-five, it was the first time I’d been called “Auntie” in public. And my boyfriend couldn’t see my humiliation or rage; he only laughed at the offender’s “innocent charm.” “The lady of the house is here!” Someone shouted, and the noisy booth suddenly went quiet. Liam slowly turned his head, his arm still resting on Chloe’s shoulder. He was clearly drunk, but his eyes held a clear, sober challenge. “Well, well, if it isn’t Ava the workaholic. What, you finally have time to grace us with your presence?” Chloe made a show of trying to stand, but he pulled her back, pinning her to his lap. “Don’t worry, sweetie. We didn’t do anything wrong.” His friends’ expressions varied. Some hooted and whistled, some looked down at their drinks, and a few girls openly watched my reaction. After everything, I have to say, I was past the point of being angry at this kind of pathetic drama. Last month, I got soaked in a downpour. I called Liam to pick me up. He agreed, but never showed up, finally turning his phone off. I got home, completely drenched. The “unreachable” Liam was in the living room blow-drying Chloe’s hair. She was wearing my sweatshirt. Seeing my miserable entrance, he seemed to realize what he’d promised, a flicker of guilt crossing his eyes. But he immediately became defensive. “Chloe couldn’t get an Uber. She’s a young girl, and she doesn’t have any friends here. I couldn’t just leave her. As for you, why couldn’t you ride with a coworker? Why are you always so dramatic?” Chloe stood up nervously, her voice a delicate purr. “Liam, is Ava going to be mad?” Liam shrugged dismissively. “She’s not that petty.” The comments went silent for a moment, then rushed back in to defend him. [The ML is right. The FMC can’t rely on the ML for everything.] [The ML is just trying to teach her how to solve problems independently. It’s understandable.] Later that night, when I tried to express my frustration in the bedroom, Liam blamed me. “Can you stop being so sensitive? Sure, Chloe has a crush on me, but I don’t like her. If anything was going to happen between us, it would have already.” “Liam,” I said, my voice flat. “Did you change the door code?” He let out an exaggerated laugh. “Of course, I did. It’s my apartment, babe. Get it straight—why should you get to walk in whenever you feel like it?” He then leaned in and whispered something to Chloe, who giggled and playfully pushed his shoulder. [FMC, get mad! The ML is waiting for you to throw a drink in the Other Woman’s face!] [The ML is trying to provoke you. Tell him you care! Give him the validation he wants!] [The little tea girl is a total snake, but what guy can resist… HAHAHAHA.] The comments were flashing like a strobe light, dictating the appropriate emotional response. I was supposed to flip the table right now. But watching Liam’s deliberately performed intimacy, I suddenly found it all tedious. The three years of our relationship felt profoundly pointless. “Fine. I understand.” I nodded and turned to leave. One of Liam’s friends followed me. “He’s had too much to drink, Ava. Don’t take it personally…” I stopped, and I heard Liam shout from behind me. “Let her go! Don’t pretend you’re above it! You’re probably tearing up inside!” “Chloe, you ever heard that saying? Swallow your tears, don’t swallow blood—internal injuries are hard to fix! Hahaha!” He sounded smug, as if he had finally won this round of the emotional game. His friend looked at me awkwardly. “He really crossed the line tonight…” “It’s okay,” I interrupted him, my voice surprisingly calm. “I’m going.” Work really did have the ability to strip away a person’s passions and emotions. All I wanted was a long, quiet sleep. If I couldn’t go back to that apartment, I simply wouldn’t go back. I checked into a hotel, took a long, satisfying hot shower, and ordered the expensive meal I had always denied myself: a perfectly seared steak and a glass of good Bordeaux. A half-glass of wine cut through the mental fog, clarifying everything. I realized: when you’re constantly losing, the only way to win is to walk away from the table. This time, I was not going back.

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1 Mia, my husband’s assistant, just stole the ten-million-dollar semiconductor deal I landed. At the celebration dinner, she boasted she was better than me and demanded I call her “Mommy.” I hurled a glass of wine in her face. “You backstabbing bitch. You stole my work. What’s there to be so proud of?” “You think I can’t get Sterling Corp. to cancel this deal right now?” But then my husband, Leo, slapped me across the face. “Just do what she says! The contract’s signed. You think you can just cancel it? Sterling Corp. is one of the biggest tech firms in the world. You think they’ll listen to you?” “Come on, everyone, a round of applause! Let’s cheer Laura on!” With the CEO backing her, Mia became impossibly arrogant, climbing onto a chair to look down on me. “Laura,” she cooed, “everyone’s watching. Don’t make this hard for me, okay?” I let out a cold laugh and pulled out my phone, dialing the chairman of Sterling Corp. directly. “Dad, I need you to come to my office. Cancel every contract, every single order.” … “Daddy, I’m so scared!” Mia actually had the gall to call my husband ‘daddy’ right then and there! She shot me a look of pure defiance. “I can’t believe the chairman of the world’s top semiconductor firm is your father. I guess that makes Leo my daddy now!” Then, turning to Leo, she simpered, “Besides, you said your dad already handed the company over to my daddy. He wouldn’t let you do something so rash, would he? Right, Dad?” Her clique of sycophants whistled and cheered. “Mia’s a legend!” “Haha, what a power move! Nothing to lose by calling him ‘daddy’!” Leo actually chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips. Everyone knew he doted on Mia, spoiling her rotten. No one was allowed to so much as frown in her direction, not even me. That’s why she felt so untouchable. His face hardened as he tossed a termination notice onto the table in front of me. “Sterling Corp. is a global leader in chip design,” he sneered. “You think just because you share a last name, you’re his daughter? Today, Mia is the hero of this company, and you will do as she asks. Call her ‘Mommy,’ or you’re fired. Now.” I felt like a clown trapped in a spotlight, being forced by my own husband to call another woman my mother. They called him the “King of Silicon,” a title he only had because I, in a grand gesture to prove my love, had handed my entire company over to him. Richard Sterling, the chairman of Sterling Corp., really was my father. But our family had a strict rule: once a child came of age, they had to go out and build their own success from scratch, without revealing their identity. I’d never told Leo, but I had been secretly going to my father for deals to help him succeed. I never imagined I’d be nurturing a viper. The room buzzed with whispers as everyone waited for the punchline of their joke. “Leo himself is telling her to do it. She wouldn’t dare refuse.” “Mia’s really hit the big time. Having the CEO’s wife call her ‘Mommy’? She’ll be dining out on that story for the rest of her life!” From her perch on the chair, Mia flashed a triumphant grin, her gaze dripping with condescension. Rage boiled over, and I yanked her off that chair. “You’re not worthy!” A collective gasp filled the room. Mia hit the floor with a hard thud, wailing in pain. “Laura, are you out of your goddamn mind?” A brutal kick from behind sent me sprawling. It was Leo. Mia scrambled up, clutching Leo’s arm and sobbing. “Leo, did I do something wrong by landing this deal? This is so humiliating! And I hurt all over… I feel like I’m dying. Why is she treating me like this?” Her performance struck a chord deep in Leo’s heart. He stroked her cheek tenderly. “Mia, don’t be upset. I’ll make sure she calls you whatever you want, okay?” Then, he turned on me, his eyes blazing. “Laura, you’re not going to do it, are you?” He barked at the others. “What are you all standing there for? Hold her down! Make her apologize to Mia and call her ‘Mommy’!” Instantly, the women who were always kissing up to Mia swarmed me. I fought back, but I was outnumbered. They pinned me to the floor, their weight crushing me. “How dare you touch Mia.” “Don’t you know? In Leo’s eyes, Mia’s sweeter and knows how to get what she wants. That makes her more important than you.” Their words were like gasoline on a fire. “This is my company! I built it! Is this a mutiny?” For a second, they all froze. But Mia, ever the actress, started fanning the flames again. “Leo, it’s fine if she kills me. But you… you work yourself to the bone for this company, day and night. She doesn’t appreciate you, and now she’s claiming the company is hers? How can anyone be so cruel?” Leo’s face flushed with rage. “Who told you to stop? This company is mine, and I call the shots!” “Make her say it!” A heavy force slammed my head against the floor. Once. Twice. The sharp, coppery tang of blood filled the air. “Call her Mommy, do you hear me?” “We only listen to Mia and Leo! Got it?” My head was splitting open, the pain a white-hot agony that ripped through my nerves. I had given him the company because he’d told me he was afraid I’d leave him if my business became too successful. I couldn’t bear to see him sad, so I handed it all over, telling him I would work for him from now on. My father had been furious, warning me against it. We fought, nearly severing our relationship, but I was blinded by love and ignored him. Now his words echoed in my head: You can never see what’s truly in a person’s heart. The rage and betrayal gave me a surge of impossible strength. I threw them off me. “Leo, I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into building this company! It’s mine, and I’m taking it back!” That only made him angrier. “You’re going to turn on me over this? Just because I asked you to call her ‘Mommy’?” “Laura, I am the legal owner of this company now. On what grounds do you think you can just take it back?” I pulled out my phone and brought up a copy of the transfer agreement I’d made him sign. “Who said once it was yours, it was yours forever?” “It’s written right here, clear as day: The first party reserves the right to reclaim ownership of the company at any time.” I’d put that clause in thinking of him. If he, being inexperienced, ever ran into serious trouble, I could take the company back and bear the consequences myself, protecting him from ruin. He was, after all, the husband I loved more than anything. I never thought I’d be using it against him. I expected him to be speechless, to finally apologize. Instead, Mia let out a cold, knowing laugh. “See, Leo? I told you. I knew she’d regret it someday.” Before I could process what she meant, Leo took out his own phone and showed me the official, hard-copy agreement. “Open your eyes and look closely. That clause isn’t here.” My world tilted. A buzzing filled my ears. I remembered it all in a flash. After drafting the agreement on my computer, I showed it to Leo, explaining my good intentions with the reclamation clause. He was so moved he agreed immediately and asked Mia to print it out for us to sign. “Mia,” I seethed, my eyes burning holes into her. “This was you, wasn’t it?” When we signed, I was so full of love and trust for Leo that I never doubted either of them. “I was just looking out for Leo,” she said with a shrug. “And look, you did go back on your word, didn’t you? Besides, it’s your own fault for not reading the fine print.” “You monster!” I lunged at her, wanting to tear her apart. “Hold her down!” Leo roared. His loyal cronies grabbed me again, pinning me to the floor, a foot planted firmly on my back. “You have some nerve, Laura. Accusing Mia when you’re the one with ulterior motives.” “Call her ‘daddy,’ or I’ll let them beat you to death. Try me.” “Stop!” A powerful voice cut through the chaos. I looked up. It was my father. He had gotten my call and rushed over. Richard Sterling. The chairman of the most advanced chip design firm in the world. He was in the city for a conference and must have been so worried he came alone. Tears welled in my eyes. “Mia, was it?” my father boomed, his voice shaking with fury. “Do you have any idea who you’re messing with? You want to be my grandmother?” “Let go of my daughter! This is assault, and I’m pressing charges! I will sue every single one of you!” He shoved them away and helped me to my feet. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Dad’s here. I’ll make them pay. Not a single one of them is getting away with this.” The room fell into a stunned silence. “That’s Laura’s father?” “No way… is that really Richard Sterling?” Leo’s brow furrowed in suspicion. “Laura, if he were your father, don’t you think I would have met him by now?” Confusion spread through the crowd. I scoffed silently. My father, despite his status, rarely made public appearances. And because of the family rule, children building their careers couldn’t return to the fold until their companies hit the billion-dollar mark. That’s why he wasn’t even at my wedding. “Because I never told you,” I said, my voice cold. “He is my father. And he’s the man behind Sterling Corp., the company you’ve been so desperate to work with.” Mia gasped. “You’re saying he’s really Richard Sterling?” “Now get on your knees and apologize!” I roared. But her shock quickly morphed into a sneer. “Oh, give me a break.” “You knew we’d never met him, so you hired an actor to play the part, didn’t you?” she accused, her voice ringing with false confidence. “Everyone on the planet wishes they were Richard Sterling’s kid. If you really were, you think you could have kept it a secret this long?” Her cronies chimed in. “Yeah, if my dad was Richard Sterling, I’d have it tattooed on my forehead.” “She really thinks sharing a last name makes her royalty.” Leo’s jaw was clenched in fury. “You’d go this far just to avoid calling her ‘Mommy’? Have you no shame?” “Get this impostor out of here!” As they moved toward my father, I threw myself in front of them. My dad had disapproved when I gave Leo the company, and he’d been furious when I came begging for contracts for Leo’s sake, calling me a fool. But in the end, he was still my father, and I was still his daughter. He always gave in. Since Leo was still so stubbornly blind, I would have my dad cancel the deals right in front of his face. “Dad, I was wrong,” I choked out. “I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you. You were right about him.” “It’s okay, sweetheart. Dad will always have your back.” My father took out his phone. “This is Richard Sterling. As of this moment, Sterling Corp. is terminating all contracts and partnerships with Apex Innovations. Effective immediately.” “I can afford the penalty fees.” Then he turned to Leo, his voice laced with ice. “This company belongs to my daughter. If you don’t hand it over, I will find the best lawyers on the planet and I will sue you into oblivion.” But Leo, pushed past his breaking point, snatched my father’s phone and smashed it on the ground. “Laura, how long are you going to keep this act up? You’re disgusting!” A wave of shock rippled through the room. No one had ever dared to treat my father like this. “Leo, you have no idea what you’re doing! You’re playing with fire!” my father roared. In response, Leo swung his arm back and slapped my father across the face. The sound was a sharp, deafening crack. “You old man,” Leo spat. “You think you can scare me?” “You didn’t want to leave? Fine. Beat him until he can’t stand!” In a heartbeat, Mia’s friends and the men in the room dragged my father to a corner and began to beat him with their fists and feet. He was in his fifties; he was no match for a mob of twenty-somethings. They treated him like a stray dog. A knife twisted in my gut. I screamed and tried to get to him, but the remaining few held me back. “Leo, he really is my father! You’re signing your own death warrant!” “Let him go! Let my father go!” I thrashed against their grip. Leo stared at me, his face a mask of resentment. “Mia is young and beautiful, and she cares about her image. What would it have cost you to stroke her ego and call her ‘Mommy’? You can call this fraud ‘daddy,’ but you can’t do that one small thing for her?” His voice rose with fury. “You want to protect this impostor? Fine! Then you can watch while I teach him a lesson!” Mia ran over to join them, shouting for them to strip my father naked. As he struggled, she grabbed a chair and brought it down with sickening force across his lower back. He collapsed, unable to move. Then, Mia grabbed his pants and yanked them down, turning away with a mock blush. The crowd erupted in cruel laughter. “Hahaha, old man! That’s what you get for lying!” “Ha!” Leo clapped, applauding her actions. My father is my world. Seeing him like this, a primal rage erupted in me, hot and blinding. I fought with everything I had. Leo struck me, a blow so hard my head spun. “What are you screaming for? This is what you get for trying to trick me! Now watch.” Seeing Leo’s approval, Mia’s cruelty escalated. She demanded my father kneel and act like her dog. When he resisted, she smashed a beer bottle over his head. Blood sprayed across the floor. Her cronies forced him to his knees. She lifted her foot, digging the heel of her stiletto into the gash on his head. “Bark! I said bark!” Bloody footprints smeared the floor. I couldn’t imagine how much blood he’d lost. I felt something break inside me. I was going to be sick. Just then, an employee from the business department burst in, looking panicked. “Leo! I—I just got a call. It’s real. It’s from Sterling Corp. They said they’re canceling everything, at any cost. Analysis shows… our losses will be in the hundreds of billions…” Leo’s jaw dropped. He turned and stared at me, his face a canvas of pure shock.

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For thrills, my boyfriend tricked me into drinking a spiked cocktail. But just as the drugs kicked in, he got a call from his “White Moonlight”—the one that got away—and ditched me. I was about to protest when a stream of comments, like a live chat, suddenly floated across my vision: 【What a scumbag! How could he leave our girl at a time like this?! I’m fuming!】 【Scumbag is running to his ex again. Our girl is so pitiful!】 【Girl, forget that trash! Go next door and find Dr. Gu! He’s super in love with you!】 【Don’t hesitate! Dr. Gu is your antidote!】 I couldn’t think straight. Fighting the heat rising in my body, I knocked on my neighbor’s door. “Dr. Gu, help me…” 1 After hanging up, Caleb pulled his half-removed pants back up. “Something came up. I have to go out. Handle it yourself.” I was stunned, the drugs already clouding my mind. “You’re leaving now? What about me?” Hearing this, Caleb’s face darkened instantly. “Chloe, you’re an adult. Can’t you handle yourself?” Unbelievable. He drugged me, and now he wants me to “handle it myself”?! Before I could beg him to stay, his tone turned impatient. “Enough! Bella is sick. Can you not start drama with me right now?” The words died in my throat. I could only endure the torture of the drug, watching him leave in despair. The second the door clicked shut, floating text appeared before my eyes: 【How can this scumbag leave our girl now? That’s too much!】 【This is the eighth time Bella has been ‘sick’ this month. Every time, the scumbag dumps our girl for her! As expected of a melodramatic heroine, she’s tragic!】 【I can’t watch this. Who will save our girl?!】 【Girl, forget the scumbag. If you’re suffering, go find Dr. Gu next door! He’s your cure!】 【Yes! Go next door! Dr. Gu is tall and handsome, way better than that trash!】 I felt dizzy staring at the floating text. Dr. Gu? Dr. Gu, the aloof neighbor with the “do not disturb” face? Fueled by the drug, my body burned hotter and hotter. I couldn’t care less. Fighting the waves of heat, I stumbled to the door next door and knocked. 2 I knocked a few times. No answer. I must be hallucinating to believe floating text. Just as I turned to leave, the door clicked open behind me. A voice called out. “Chloe?” I turned around and met Dr. Gu’s deep, dark eyes. He must have just showered. He was shirtless, a white towel wrapped low around his waist. Looking closer… Broad shoulders, narrow waist, eight-pack abs… Water droplets still clung to his tight muscles. But right now, this view was adding fuel to the fire. My heart raced uncontrollably, chest heaving with every quick breath. A cool voice broke the silence. “Like what you see?” I looked up instinctively. Even backlit, I could clearly see his prominent brow bone, high nose bridge, and slightly upturned lips. How did I not notice before? Dr. Gu’s face is like an otome game character come to life! Blinded by his beauty, I blurted out: “Yes…” The figure froze. Dr. Gu’s expression turned unnatural. The floating comments exploded. 【OMG! Our girl is so direct! I love it!】 【What did I just see? The high-mountain flower blushed!】 【More than blushed! She said he looked good, and he… that’s ridiculous!】 I looked down instinctively and had to agree. …Indeed, ridiculous. The comments continued: 【Help! Even in a towel… I can’t imagine…】 【Hahaha, Dr. Gu is down bad!!】 【So tense, so exciting! Is the scene I’ve been waiting for finally happening?!】 【I command you, do it now! Immediately!】 3 I collapsed into Dr. Gu’s arms like a damp sponge. “Dr. Gu, I feel terrible…” “Can you kiss me?” Hearing this, the figure stiffened visibly. 【Mommy! Who gets it? Her voice is so soft and teary, my heart is melting!】 【Forget you, Dr. Gu is about to lose it, hahaha.】 【Understandable. He’s been crushing on her for three years. He must be exploding.】 【For real. Every time he saw her with the scumbag, his heart must have bled.】 The comments confused me. They said… Dr. Gu has liked me for three years? Why didn’t I notice at all? Before I could think, a sudden force pulled me inside. Bang! The door slammed shut behind us. My vision was blocked by a tall figure. He was looking down at me. Slender fingers brushed my cheek, warm breath fanning over me as he gently lifted my chin. His tone remained cool. “What did you mean just now?” I was forced to meet his gaze. Up close, I was suddenly too nervous to speak. But he didn’t seem ready to let me off. A dangerously charming face leaned in close to mine. “Be clear…” “Where does it hurt?” 4 I blushed, not knowing how to answer. But the heat was unbearable. So I grabbed his hands—those distinct, bony hands. 【Help! Can I watch this? Our girl is too good!】 【Who can resist this! Is a physical exam next? So exciting!】 【Can’t hold it back! RIP to the panties today!!!】 Feeling my touch, his breath hitched. He froze, face red enough to explode. Taking advantage of the moment, I wrapped my arms around his neck. I stood on tiptoes and kissed him lightly. The moment our lips met, he completely surrendered. I don’t know how long we kissed. I found myself placed on a soft bed. The man’s muscular body leaned over, enveloping me in an ambiguous shadow. “Chloe, how do you want me to help?” Before I could speak, his high nose nuzzled my neck and shoulder. A numbness spread from my ears to my entire body. I shivered uncontrollably. But then, my phone rang inappropriately. I couldn’t be bothered to look. I fumbled and hit reject. But as soon as one call ended, another came. The man above me stopped, staring straight at the phone. “Sorry, I’ll turn it off.” I moved to grab the phone. But a large hand pressed my wrist down. “Maybe… we should stop.”

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My sister was desperate to get rich overnight. So desperate that she orchestrated an “accident,” gravely injuring the grandson of the influential Harrington family. A piece of rebar pierced the child’s chest. She played the hero, rushing him to the hospital and donating 800cc of her own blood. To maximize her reward later, she pulled a “selfless hero” act and disappeared from the hospital as soon as the kid was out of danger. I didn’t stop her. In fact, I stood guard in the hallway for her. In my past life, when I saw her tampering with the construction site, I tried to stop her. I warned her we couldn’t afford to mess with the Harringtons. She pretended to give up and even praised me for being sensible. But on the way home, she dragged me to the top of the steel mill and pushed me off. I died impaled on rebar, my eyes wide open in disbelief. She blamed me for ruining her chance at wealth. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that day. This time, I’m going to watch her dig her own grave. 1 The Harrington heir was in emergency surgery. My sister, Jessica, was busy donating blood at the window. Her perfectly made-up face was etched with worry for the child. Her expensive dress was stained with blood. If you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes, you’d never connect her to the crime. After the nurse drew her blood, Jessica anxiously asked: “Is this enough? If not, keep drawing! I have plenty!” “He’s just a child, you have to save him! I’ll never forgive myself if he doesn’t make it!” The nurse praised her kindness and beauty, reassuring her that a child doesn’t need that much blood. She had already given far more than necessary. Jessica continued her act, bowing gratefully with tears in her eyes. But when the nurse asked for her name, she subtly changed the subject. This was part of her plan. Her information would be on the blood donation forms anyway. As long as she played the anonymous hero who wanted no reward… The Harringtons would give her even more. The Harrington family, the kings of the capital, never lacked money. After the transfusion, the nurse rushed back into the OR. Jessica finally dropped the mask. She pinched my arm hard. I hissed in pain. “From now on, watch your mouth. You know what to say and what not to say.” “We’re in this together. If the plan fails and the Harringtons find out, don’t think you can walk away clean!” She expected me, the cowardly sister, to try and stop her like before. But this time, I shook off her hand. “Don’t worry, you’re my sister. Who else would I side with?” “Just remember me when the Harringtons pay up and you start your company. A receptionist job is all I ask.” Jessica glanced at me with satisfaction, snorted, and wiped the blood off her dress with disgust. “Mom and Dad were right. You really are useless. Destined to be a wage slave forever. Without me, you’d work yourself to death and never afford a decent apartment!” I nodded eagerly, feigning fear. In our past life, she decided I ruined her big break and made sure I died a gruesome death. This time, I won’t stop her. I’ll help her. I want to see how she destroys herself by messing with the Harringtons! Jessica didn’t think twice. Seeing my fear, she smirked triumphantly: “Alright, stop acting like a wimp. It pisses me off!” “When I open my company, I’ll make you a secretary. Maybe hook you up with a driver. That should be enough to feed you for life!” With that, she dragged me to the elevator. Sure enough, as the doors opened, we ran into the Harrington scion, Julian Harrington, rushing in. 2 She shot me a sharp look. I quickly made an excuse about a stomachache and hid in the restroom. What a joke. Get involved with her now? And get dragged down when her scheme blows up? No thanks. Soon, I heard Jessica’s sweet, fake voice: “No need to thank me. Saving people is just the right thing to do. He’s only five; I couldn’t just stand by.” “I just wanted to help. I don’t want any reward. I have something to do, so I’ll be going now.” Just as the assistant pulled out a checkbook, she hurried away. But she deliberately left a business card behind. With her contact info on it. I came out and hid at the end of the hallway. I wanted to leave, but I overheard Julian talking to his assistant: “Find out if this was an accident or deliberate.” “Don’t call the police. I’ll handle it myself. If anyone dares hurt my son, I have ways to make them stay silent forever!” “Question everyone around the construction site at the time of the incident. Check the broken rebar. I want to see how poorly it was secured! Let’s see which is harder: the steel or the culprit’s neck!” The assistant nodded repeatedly. Seeing Jessica’s card, he hesitated: “What about this Jessica woman…” “Leave it for now. Let’s check on my son first. I’ll ask him when he wakes up.” Once Julian and his entourage got on the elevator, I finally left the hospital. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The Harringtons controlled the capital. Jessica dared to mess with the crown prince. Her future was doomed. I walked out of the hospital. Her car was gone. She didn’t answer her phone. I had to take a taxi home. The moment I walked in, Dad threw an ashtray at my head. Blood trickled down instantly. My ears rang with Mom’s screaming: “Jane, can’t you do anything right? You’re useless!” “Your dad worked at that site for years just for a chance like this! If you can’t help your sister, at least don’t drag her down!” Dad slapped the wound on my forehead. I trembled with pain. “Jessica told you to leave the hospital immediately! Are you deaf or did you want to steal her credit? How did I raise such a useless thing!” “If Mr. Harrington saw you, the whole act would be ruined! How would we ask for money?! Why don’t you just tattoo ‘blackmail’ on your forehead? Idiot!” So they knew it was blackmail. And they still helped Jessica commit crimes. Remembering how they blamed me in my past life and didn’t even collect my body… I had no love left for them. “Steal her credit? Or take the fall for her almost killing someone?” “I don’t have such grand ambitions! My heart is dirty, so everything looks dirty to me!” Dad was furious, ready to hit me again. Jessica, who had come home early, stopped him. “Ignore her. She’s useless anyway. I didn’t expect Mr. Harrington to come so fast. Good thing I was smart and left a card before running.” Hearing this, Mom’s angry face bloomed into a smile. “Jessica is capable! I always said you were smart since you were little. You’ll go far!” “Unlike some people. Good for nothing but trouble. Lazy mule! Raised for twenty years and still a money pit!” I ignored them and went to my room to grab tissues for the bleeding. In the living room, Jessica was excitedly recounting the events. 3 When she mentioned the child “accidentally fell,” I couldn’t help but sneer: “Just because you’re stupid doesn’t mean Mr. Harrington is. ‘Accidentally fell’? Do you really think your messy work will fool anyone?” “How hard is rebar? Does it just snap? And land perfectly on a kid? You can lie to others, but don’t lie to yourself!” Mom and Dad panicked. They rushed into my room. Each slapped me across the face. “I knew we couldn’t count on you! Useless thing! Keep your mouth shut! If you ruin your sister’s good fortune, I’ll break your legs!” “Remember, this was an accident! Your sister kindly saved the Harrington boy! It’s only right that the Harringtons pay us! It’d be heartless if they didn’t!” I held my face, laughing at their shamelessness. “So making money honestly makes me useless? Not joining her in blackmail makes me a waste?” “I’d rather starve to death than make money against my conscience!” Dad was enraged. He picked up the broken ashtray and smashed it on my head again. “Your conscience? What good is it! By the time you make money, your mom and I won’t even be able to afford a grave!” “You’re useless and you dare criticize your sister? Look at yourself! Worthless!” “If I knew it would be like this, I would’ve married you off for dowry money long ago!” The infection in my wound burned hot. But my heart was freezing cold. “I’m your daughter, not a product to be sold! If you hated me so much, why didn’t you stop at Jessica?” A flash of panic crossed their eyes. Before they could explode, Jessica spoke up smugly: “Ignore her. Born poor, stay poor. At the hospital, she was begging for a receptionist job at my future company. What good words can come out of a loser like her?” “The way Mr. Harrington looked at me today was special. His wife died years ago. Maybe he’ll call me in a couple of days. If he takes a liking to me, we’ll get way more than five million!” Mom and Dad laughed until they cried. Praising Jessica for being so capable. Only I knew that Julian’s look today was pure suspicion. Scheming against the Harringtons? She wouldn’t survive even with nine lives! They treated Jessica like a queen. Brought out the expensive supplements they’d been saving and gave them to her. Didn’t even look at me. I ignored them too. Priority one: cut ties and survive. I took the opportunity to insult their greedy, sinful faces. Predictably, they exploded. They told me to get out. Dad grabbed the family register, ripped out the page with my name, and threw it at me. “Get out! Get out now! I don’t have such a useless daughter!” Mom looked at me with disappointment and disgust. Jessica stared at her phone, waiting for Julian’s message. Without looking up, she sneered: “I was going to give you a job when I opened my company. Since you think you’re so high and mighty, get lost. Don’t come crawling back when you get laid off.” Goal achieved. I smiled and picked up the page from the floor. “One day you’ll realize the Harringtons aren’t simple.” “Dare to scheme against him? We’ll see who ends up begging on their knees.” I left the house and went to a pharmacy to treat my wound. The clerk looked at my bloody head with concern and urged me to go to the hospital. 4 But before I could leave the pharmacy, I collapsed from the infection. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Two nurses were chatting nearby, not noticing I was awake. “Did you hear? The VIP downstairs is the Harrington grandson! Hurt pretty bad. Mr. Harrington is going crazy! Flew in specialists from abroad overnight!” “How does a kid get hurt like that? Corporate rivalry?” “Who knows. Mr. Harrington’s wife died early, that kid is his life. Whoever targeted the kid must have a death wish! He’s still not out of the woods!” “Are those bodyguards outside here to…” “Shh! Don’t talk about it! Those guys look like mercenaries. Let’s not get involved!” They finished changing the IV and left. I felt a chill run down my spine. The Harringtons were definitely not simple. Jessica was done for. I struggled up to check myself out. But I bumped into Julian’s assistant paying bills. He looked frantic. Asking everyone in the hallway for their blood type. Saying the kid’s wound was infected, massive blood loss, the blood bank was empty. I hesitated for two seconds, then gritted my teeth and followed him. Consider it atonement for Jessica’s sins. The situation was critical. The Harringtons bypassed all procedures. No paperwork, straight to transfusion and surgery. After the surgery, hearing the child was out of danger, I pulled out the IV and fled the hospital. I left no information. After getting discharged, I rented a room immediately. My salary was low, so I could only afford a place in the suburbs. The apartment happened to be right next to the construction site where the accident happened. Through the window, I saw the site was shut down, cordoned off with caution tape. A group of workers were being questioned inside. Leading the interrogation was Julian Harrington. Terrified of being discovered, I hid in my rental, afraid to go out. Jessica was the opposite. She hung around the hospital entrance every day. Hoping Julian would pass by and recognize her as the “Good Samaritan.” But three days passed, and no one approached her. She got impatient. She went directly to the ward. Claiming she was worried about the child. Her actions got her noticed by Julian’s people. The assistant recognized her too. After hearing the child talk about the “nice big sister” who saved him… They thanked her profusely. Promising to visit her home personally once the child was discharged. This scene was filmed by someone Jessica hired and posted online. That day, the news of Jessica saving the Harrington heir went viral. She went from nobody to internet celebrity overnight. People trying to get to the Harringtons broke down our door. Everyone thanked her on Julian’s behalf. Saying she saved a life and a family. She was voted “Most Beautiful Face.” Banners and plaques flooded the house. Riding the wave, Jessica released a video. Saying she didn’t want a reward, that she would have saved any child. Her righteous speech cemented her image as a saint. The internet was flooded with praise. I panicked completely. I moved my household registration out that very night. When I went back to pack, my parents’ chins were so high they could see their own brains.

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Two in the morning, and my sister asked me to go downstairs to get her takeout. “Zoey, you’re the best!” “My cramps are killing me. Can you just get it for me this once? Please?” I was about to say no, but the color was drained from her face, and she didn’t look like she was faking it. I sighed and nodded. But the moment I stepped out the door, a stream of comments flashed before my eyes! 【OMG, ZOEY, DON’T DO IT!!!】 【The delivery guy is her ex-boyfriend, Mark, in disguise! The second you go down there, he’s going to stab you to death!】 【Your sister knows everything. She’s using you as a shield, just trying to buy herself some time!】 I froze. I turned to go back inside, but the door was already locked from the inside! Just then, the elevator down the hall whirred to life, its soft hum signaling its ascent. The comments exploded in a frenzy: 【RUN, ZOEY, RUN! THE KILLER IS COMING!!!】 1 My heart skipped a beat. Without a second thought, I bolted for the fire stairwell at the end of the hall. The heavy door slammed shut behind me, and in the same instant, I heard the ding of the elevator arriving. In the dead silence of the hallway, a man’s heavy footsteps echoed. I huddled behind the stairwell door, my body drenched in a cold sweat. I remembered how my sister, Ava, had been clinging to my arm just moments before, whining for me to get her food. “Please, big sis? Just this one time? I’ll treat you to dinner later!” Even then, I’d felt something was off. Her eyes kept darting away, unable to meet mine. So she knew. She knew her psycho ex-boyfriend, Mark, was coming for her. I clenched my jaw, pressing my ear against the cold steel of the door. But it was strangely quiet now. The hallway had gone completely silent. The silence, however, was more terrifying than the footsteps. I had no idea what was waiting for me on the other side. I looked up, and the comments were still scrolling frantically across my vision. 【This is terrifying. Mark is right out there in the hall, listening at every door. He’s not making a sound on purpose. He’s hunting.】 【I can’t even imagine what would’ve happened if Zoey hadn’t run in time.】 【This is just like last time. Zoey didn’t know about Mark, and he stabbed her to death right outside her own door. And her sister, Ava, just listened to her scream for help and never, ever opened the door.】 【Her and Mark are both murderers!】 【Damn right! And after everything Zoey’s done for her. Zoey, you can’t let her get away with this!】 【Seriously, I’m so pissed. When you get out of this, you have to cut her off. A backstabbing bitch like that doesn’t deserve to be your sister!】 I bit my lip so hard I could taste blood, my eyes burning with rage. Growing up, Ava had always been the sweet talker, the master of getting me to take the fall for her. When we were eight, she was playing with matches and set the house on fire. When I rushed in to try and put it out, she shoved me right into the flames. I was almost burned alive. Afterwards, she told Mom and Dad it was my fault. To this day, any time I make a mistake, they bring that up. When she was sixteen, she ran away from home because our parents wouldn’t let her date some older guy. She begged me to go with her because she was scared. A month later, she snuck back home without me and tearfully told our parents that I was the one who forced her to run away. They made my life a living hell for a month. But I always thought it was just petty, stupid stuff. I never imagined she would actually try to get me killed. She didn’t want to get a job after college, so she moved in with me, mooching off me while I cooked for her, took care of her, supported her. And this is what I get in return? My open heart for a knife in the back. My hands curled into tight fists. The hallway was still silent. Hiding in the stairwell, I quietly pulled out my phone and called Ava. The comments flickered in confusion. 【What is she doing? Is she really calling her sister to warn her?】 【Zoey, Ava is the reason you’re in this mess! Forget about her!】 【You’re too nice! That’s why she got you killed all those other times!】 【No, don’t do it! Just let Ava die. People like her just make the world a worse place anyway!】 The light from my phone screen illuminated the small, dusty space around me. Ava picked up, her silence on the other end heavy with guilt. My voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “Your food’s here. Open the door.” I could hear Ava’s ragged, panicked breathing. “Zoey, I’m sorry, I was wrong! I didn’t actually order any food!” “Mark said he wouldn’t let me go. I thought… I thought you could help me. He wouldn’t hurt you, right? Can you just talk to him for me? Please?” “Mom and Dad always said you have to take care of me because you’re the big sister! You can’t just leave me to die!” 2 I bit down hard, my teeth grinding together. Before I could say a word, she hung up, probably terrified of what I was about to scream at her. So Ava knew everything. She was deliberately sending me to my death. The comments were even more furious than I was. 【Is Ava even human? How can she say that with a straight face?】 【The audacity. He’s an unstable maniac with a knife, and she tricked Zoey into facing him alone. That’s not just messed up, that’s attempted murder!】 【She’s a monster. Zoey, if you make it out of this alive, you have to disown her. For good.】 I took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing myself to calm down. Panicking wouldn’t help. The only way to survive was to get out of the building as fast as possible. If I stayed here, Mark would find me eventually. Steeling myself, I started to creep silently down the stairs. But just as I took the first step, the stairwell light flickered on without warning, blinding me. My first thought was: I’m screwed. The light from the stairwell would bleed through the door’s window, creating a bright rectangle in the otherwise pitch-black hallway. It was like painting a target on my back. A second later, I heard it. The sound of footsteps in the hall, slow and deliberate, like death itself approaching. I didn’t think twice. I flew down the stairs, taking them two, three at a time. Behind me, the stairwell door slammed shut. Mark was coming after me. While running, I managed to dial my mom, my voice trembling. “Mom, you have to come help me! Ava… Ava is trying to get me killed!” My mom’s voice was sharp with annoyance. “Don’t you start with that attitude, Zoey. I ask you to do one simple thing—watch out for your sister—and this is how you behave?” “Ava has always been a good girl. You’re the one who’s always causing trouble. How dare you say something like that about her? Stop calling me in the middle of the night with this nonsense!” She hung up. I tried calling back, but it went straight to voicemail. A wave of despair washed over me. It was always like this. If Ava said it, it was gospel. My words meant nothing. They still meant nothing. Our apartment was on the eighth floor. The ceilings were high, making the stairs long and steep. But I couldn’t stop, I just ran, my lungs burning, the metallic taste of blood filling my throat. I stumbled several times, nearly tumbling head over heels. The sound of his footsteps was a death knell behind me. I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Only when I reached the ground floor did I dare to glance at the comments again. My heart plummeted. 【ZOEY, DON’T GO DOWN!!!】 【Mark padlocked the main entrance when he came in! You can’t get out that way!】 I skidded to a halt, my legs turning to jelly. The sound from the stairwell behind me was a terrifying promise. A dead end. I was trapped. The footsteps grew closer, closer. In my mind’s eye, I could already see the cold glint of the knife in his hand. In a panic, I burst out of the stairwell and into the lobby. The main door was just as the comments had said—a heavy padlock gleamed on the handles. No way out. My eyes darted to the elevator. It was a long shot. I sprinted inside, frantically mashing the buttons for every floor. But I knew I couldn’t actually take the elevator. Mark was right behind me. He’d catch me before the doors could even close. It would be a steel coffin. Just as the doors began to slide shut, I slipped back out and dove headfirst into one of the large trash bins in the lobby. The comments seemed to hold their breath with me, the stream of text freezing for a moment. A minute later, Mark emerged from the stairwell. Through a crack in the lid, I saw him standing in front of the elevator, his head tilted back, his eyes fixed on the floor numbers lighting up above the door. He was watching it, trying to figure out which floor I’d gone to. My heart hammered against my ribs, but a wave of relief washed over me. Thank god I hadn’t taken the elevator. It looked like he’d bought it. He thought I’d gone back up. This building had another exit. The elevator went down to the underground parking garage. If I could just get back to it, I could escape. But just as Mark seemed ready to head back up the stairs, my phone—my goddamn phone—started ringing at full volume. 3 My heart leaped into my throat. The cold sweat returned, soaking through my clothes. Who the hell was calling me in the middle of the night? Mark stopped dead in his tracks. His cold, dark eyes scanned the lobby, zeroing in on my location. A wave of nausea washed over me, and I almost gagged from fear. I clamped my hand over my mouth, my terrified eyes watching as he turned and walked directly toward me. He stopped about six feet away and bent down, picking up my shrieking phone from the floor. I must have dropped it when I jumped into the bin. I watched in horror as Mark answered the call and put it on speaker. Ava’s annoyed voice filled the silent lobby. “Zoey, why are you calling Mom and Dad? I just asked you for one little favor!” “I swear, you’re doing this on purpose. You’re what, twenty-five? And you’re still tattling to our parents? What is wrong with you?” If Ava were standing in front of me right now, I would have ripped that lying mouth right off her face. How could she? She was the reason I was trapped here, hunted like an animal. The comments had come back to life, and they were a torrent of fury. 【THAT BITCH AVA DID IT ON PURPOSE!】 【She was afraid Mark wouldn’t be able to find Zoey, so she called to give away her position!】 【How can a person be this evil?】 I forced myself to stay calm, to stay silent, pressing my hand harder against my mouth. Mark stood there, holding the phone, a cruel smile playing on his lips as he toyed with the knife in his other hand. The sight sent a chill down my spine. Ava’s voice continued, oblivious. “Oh, by the way, remember you can take the elevator down to the parking garage to escape. Mark would never think of that!” The comments were practically screaming. 【WELL, HE KNOWS NOW, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!】 【I hope you die in Zoey’s place! I’m so angry I could spit!】 【And to think, last time, after Zoey died, that bitch got away with it. Her parents hired the best lawyers and she walked free. It makes me sick.】 Hearing that, Mark let out a low, guttural laugh. “Oh really? You think she can still run?” There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a piercing shriek. “Mark! If you want someone, go after Zoey! Don’t come after me!” “We’re broken up!” Ava hung up. Mark pocketed my phone, then slowly walked over to the electrical panel on the wall and yanked it open. I knew instantly what he was going to do. A second later, he took his knife and sliced through the main wires, plunging the entire building into absolute darkness. The only light came from the eerie green glow of the emergency exit signs. An icy dread crept through my veins. He had truly cut off every single escape route. The elevator wouldn’t work. I couldn’t get out of the building. I was completely and utterly trapped. Fear made the world spin, dark spots dancing in my vision. I dug my nails into the soft flesh of my thigh, the sharp pain the only thing keeping me conscious. If I made a sound now, Mark would find me in the dark. And then he would kill me. The lobby was a black void. I could barely see my hand in front of my face. The faint moonlight filtering through the glass of the main door was just enough to silhouette Mark’s hulking frame. He took a few steps toward me, his presence a suffocating weight in the darkness. His voice was a rasp, laced with chilling malice, and it sounded like he was whispering right in my ear. “I know you’re in here.” 4 For a second, my legs gave out, and I nearly collapsed inside the bin. He knows. He knows I’m in the trash can. What do I do? If he finds me now, I’m dead. It’s over. My eyes were locked on the shadowy figure in front of me. He slowly raised his arm, his hand reaching for the lid of my hiding spot. My heart was a frantic drum against my ribs, threatening to burst from my chest. Cold sweat poured down my back. I held my breath, praying with every fiber of my being. Don’t open it. Please, God, don’t open it. Just then, a man’s voice echoed from the fire stairwell, laced with curses. “For fuck’s sake, a power outage?” “My AC just died! I’m roasting in here!” It was another resident! A surge of hope shot through me. If that man came down here, I could scream, I could point Mark out. I would be safe. Mark heard it too. He retracted his hand and moved to stand by the stairwell door, knife raised. He was waiting. If that man came down, Mark would lunge. My heart sank. What if Mark killed him? An innocent man, dead because of me. If I screamed now, the man would live, but I would die for sure. But how could I just sit here and let someone walk into a slaughter? Thankfully, the man seemed to just be venting his frustration. After a few more muttered curses, the stairwell fell silent again. He must have gone back to his apartment. The comments let out a collective sigh of relief with me. 【That was too close. I really thought that guy was about to get shanked.】 【But what about Zoey? It’s so dangerous for her out there alone, and now she’s completely trapped.】 Just then, Mark moved. But this time, he didn’t come for me. He pushed open the stairwell door and headed back up. As the heavy door slammed shut, the tension in my body finally broke. I gasped for air, my lungs aching. The comments relaxed too. 【Thank god. He must think Zoey went upstairs after all.】 【I really hope she makes it this time. Last time, after she died, her own mother left her body at the morgue and didn’t even claim it. Instead, she spent a fortune on lawyers to get that monster Ava off the hook.】 【It’s so tragic. Nobody in that family gives a damn about Zoey. You’re better off alone, Zoey!】 Reading those words, a cold fury settled deep in my bones. I clenched my fists. Whatever happened before, it didn’t matter. This time, I was going to live. Gritting my teeth, I pushed open the lid, climbed out of the trash bin, and followed Mark back into the stairwell. The comments erupted in shock. 【Whoa, Zoey’s got balls! What is she doing following him?】 【This is a bad idea! What if he turns around? She was safe downstairs!】 【Oh god, it’s so dark in there. This is terrifying.】 I ignored the stream of text, focusing all my energy on listening, my breath held tight in my chest. Soon, I heard his footsteps echoing from above. Mark was going up. I crept silently to the second-floor landing. Just as I suspected, he had jammed something in the door handle, locking it from the stairwell side. He was clearing the building floor by floor. Since I was trapped, it was only a matter of time before he found me. 5 Mark was on the third floor now. I crouched on the second-floor landing, silently counting the seconds. Exactly one minute. It took him one minute to search an entire floor. Even if I tried to get help from a neighbor, he’d catch me the second I started knocking. Besides, this was a new building; half the apartments were still empty. I only had minutes. As he moved up to the fourth floor, I saw my chance and scrambled up the stairs, moving as fast and as silently as I could. I didn’t dare make a sound until I was back on the eighth floor. I crept to my apartment door and knocked softly. Silence. No response. I pressed my face close to the door, my voice a low, urgent whisper. “Ava, I know you’re there. Open the door. Let me in.” A moment later, Ava’s trembling voice came from the other side. “I’m sorry, Zoey. I can’t. I’m too scared.” I fought back a wave of rage, speaking slowly and clearly. “Do you really think you’ll survive after he kills me?” “The whole building is locked down. After he’s done with me, he’ll just wait right here for you to come out. Unless you plan on staying in there for the rest of your life, you’re next.” “If you let me in now, we can figure this out together.” Silence. My heart hammered against my ribs. It had taken me two minutes to get back up here. My time was running out. If she kept stalling, Mark would find me trapped in the hallway. This was my only chance. It was a gamble, but I had to take it. The seconds ticked by. Still no response from Ava. I kept my eyes glued on the stairwell door, mentally counting down, urging her on. “Have you made up your mind?” “This building is thirty percent occupied. If I die, there will be no one left to help you.” The next second, the stairwell door flew open. Mark stood there. He saw me, and a slow, cruel smile spread across his face. “There you are.” My breath caught in my throat. I watched in horror as he advanced on me, his smile widening with every step. At that exact moment, the apartment door was yanked open. I scrambled inside and collapsed on the floor, gasping for air. Ava slammed the door shut behind me, her hands shaking as she fumbled with the locks. Only when the deadbolt clicked into place did she lean against the door, breathing heavily. “Zoey… I’m… I’m so sorry.” “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I was just… I was so scared.” I pushed myself up from the floor and stared at her, my jaw clenched so tight it ached. “Why did you lock me out? You knew Mark was coming for you, didn’t you?” Ava’s eyes immediately filled with tears, her face a mask of pitiful innocence. “Zoey, I swear I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know. I just wanted you to talk to him for me.” “I never thought he’d have a knife…” I took a deep breath, trying to smother the fire in my chest. “Then why didn’t you call the police? Why didn’t you tell Mom and Dad?” A flicker of guilt crossed her face. “If Mom and Dad found out I was dating Mark, they’d kill me.” “Besides, you’re fine now, right? So just… don’t tell them. Please.” I shot her a look of pure hatred. Just when I thought we were finally safe, I heard a faint clicking sound from the lock. The sound of a key sliding into the mechanism. Ava’s eyes widened in terror, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks. “He… he has a key!” Listening to the keys jangling outside, trying one after another, I understood. He must have gotten a master key from the building management. I forced my voice to stay level. “Help me push the sofa in front of the door! Then call 911!” Ava just stood there, paralyzed, staring at me blankly. “My… my phone is dead. I’m too scared. I can’t move.” In that moment, I honestly wanted to open the door and let Mark have her. I let out a cold, humorless laugh. “Then I guess you can just wait here to die.” That seemed to snap her out of it. She scrambled to her feet and helped me shove the heavy sofa against the door. Once it was done, she looked at me wildly. “Zoey, what do we do now?” I kept my eyes on the door. “There are over eighty apartments in this building. Even with a master key, it’ll take him a while to find the right one. We have to use that time to get out.” My eyes darted to the window. “The window. There’s a maintenance pipe running down the side of the building. We can climb down.” Without waiting for a reply, I started tearing sheets and clothes into strips, knotting them together to make a makeshift rope. But just as I was finishing, Ava shoved me hard. I was already exhausted, and the push sent me sprawling to the floor. I looked up at her, my mind reeling in disbelief. She had snatched the rope. Tying it around her waist, she started climbing out the window, tossing a hasty apology over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Zoey, but I have to go first. He’s almost in!” “I can’t die. I’m too young! I want to live!” As she started to lower herself over the edge, a horrifying realization hit me. “Ava, wait! The other end isn’t tied to anything!” But it was too late. Ava, and the rope, plummeted eight stories to the ground below. The fall ended with a sickening crunch of bone on concrete. I peered over the edge. Her eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the sky. A dark pool of blood was already spreading out beneath her. She was dead. Before I could even process what had just happened, I heard a final click from the door. Mark had found the right key. The next second, he kicked the door open, splintering the frame, and stormed into the apartment.

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“The System told me to raise a child. Me? The person who spent their entire childhood goofing off? One day, the little villain came home waving two test papers with perfect scores. “”I’m going to Harvard!”” I shoved a controller for Call of Duty into his hands. “”What’s the use of Harvard? Help me rank up first!”” After finals, he hung his head in despair. “”I got first place in the grade, but my score dropped by one point. I want to sign up for tutoring.”” I mumbled “”Sure”” through a mouthful of takeout pizza. The next day, I enrolled him in a gourmet cooking class. When his rebellious phase hit, he said he was going to an internet café. Worried he’d start trouble, I tailed him. Only to watch him sneak into… the library. Me: “”…”” Years later, the Ivy League-graduated villain became a business tycoon. Returning to his alma mater for a speech, someone asked the secret to his success. He looked down at the VIP seats, where I was chewing on sugarcane, playing a mobile game, and listening to an audiobook about face-slapping revenge. He smiled faintly. “”I have a fun-loving aunt.”” Me: “”?”” 1 When the System dropped me in front of Silas, he had just lost his mother. Wearing a black armband, he sat quietly at his desk, doing homework. Hearing me, he lifted his thin eyelids, gave me a dull look, and buried his head back in his books. System: “”Okay, your identity is his…”” I cut in: “”Auntie.”” “”?”” System: “”Wouldn’t ‘stepmother’ be cooler and more dramatic?”” Me: “”What do you know? ‘Auntie’ is the coolest figure in every childhood. Trendy, rich, and fun. I worshipped my aunt growing up! It’s the best way to bond!”” I flipped my wavy hair, strutted over in four-inch heels, and flashed a dazzling smile. “”Silas?”” The skinny boy didn’t stop writing. A faint “”Mhm.”” “”It’s almost New Year’s, why are you still studying?”” I reached out to pat his fluffy head. “”So good…”” The moment my hand touched him, Silas flinched violently. He wrapped his arms around his head, eyes squeezed shut, trembling uncontrollably. I froze. Before I could ask what was wrong, I saw the bruises on his exposed wrist. Stark purple against pale skin. The System explained: After the divorce, Silas’s mom developed mental health issues. Her moods swung wildly. On good days, she cooked and cleaned. On bad days, seeing a 99% on a test paper made her lash out with a willow switch. She’d scream hysterically while hitting him: “”I work myself to death for you, and this is how you repay me? “”Don’t do anything but study! You’re all I have left. If you’re useless, I’m finished!”” Then her voice would drop to a creepy, gentle whisper: “”Silas, does it hurt? Come here, Mommy will rub it better…”” Silas would crawl up from the floor. Limping, with angry red welts on his skin. He didn’t cry or hide. He let her vent, then whispered, head down, “”It doesn’t hurt, Mom. I’m going to study.”” He’d sit straight at his desk. Even though his shoulders hurt too much to lift properly. He’d grip the pen and start writing, his handwriting shaky. 2 After hearing the story, I was silent. Honestly, I felt a bit relieved. His mom leaving was actually… Sorry. Buddha, forgive me. 3 I might not know how to raise a kid. But I used to be one. I decided to give Silas the happiest, most unforgettable childhood ever. I grabbed the System by its ankles and shook it violently. A stack of cash and a Black Card fell out. “”Thanks, bro.”” The System hugged my leg, sobbing. “”Host, that’s my private stash!”” I gaslit him: “”I’ll pay you back! When the mission is done, you get half the gold coins!”” Gold coins are way more valuable than human money. The System immediately straightened up, energetic. “”Spend it all! Don’t hold back!”” That night. I kicked the door open, pushing a cart and carrying a giant bag of snacks. “”Silaaaaaas!”” I dumped the snacks on his book-cluttered desk and unloaded the newest iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and every gaming console known to man from the cart… I shoved them all into his arms. “”Here, Auntie’s New Year gifts.”” Silas was stunned. His dark eyes darted between me and the pile of loot on his bed. After a long pause. He pursed his lips, voice flat. “”Thank you, Auntie. I will study hard.”” He bent down to pick up his pen, ready to resume solving equations. It was heartbreakingly obedient. I grabbed his arm. “”I didn’t buy these to motivate you to study!”” Silas blinked, confused. I pulled him up. “”Stop studying. Come on, Auntie’s taking you to have fun!”” When it comes to playing, I’m a pro. Growing up, I did everything except study. My parents were chill. As long as I was alive and happy, they were good. I agreed. Being alive is already a win. 4 I dragged Silas to play video games, eat snacks, and do karaoke until midnight. We even set off fireworks downstairs. Silas needed to sleep. I yawned. “”Auntie is old, I can’t pull all-nighters anymore.”” I crashed on the sofa. The System collapsed at my feet. “”You really know how to party…”” I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Silas’s room was still lit up. Through the crack in the door, I saw the boy in a white shirt, shoulders thin, expression cold, head down writing. The clock said 3:30 AM. I pushed the door open without hesitation. “”Silas!”” He jumped, turning to look at me with hidden fear in his eyes. “”I’m almost done reviewing this week’s content. I won’t play anymore. Auntie, please don’t be mad…”” I was confused. “”What are you talking about? I just want you to sleep…”” The System whispered in my ear: “”His mom used to take him out for a day, then beat him at night, forcing him to make up for the ‘wasted time’ by studying all night…”” Oh. Silas had PTSD. He subconsciously thought I’d do the same. He was tiptoeing around me. Even with his mom gone, the shadows remained. My heart ached. I walked over and took his pen. “”You did great, but rest is more important. Health comes first. I don’t care about grades. Auntie just wants you healthy and happy.”” Silas blinked, not quite understanding, but nodded obediently. “”Okay. Thank you, Auntie.”” System: “”He didn’t listen. His mom’s influence is too deep.”” I smiled. “”It’s fine. We have time.”” 5 Another late night. In my daze, I heard the System memorizing vocabulary. “”Hysterical… what’s ‘hysterical’ in English?”” I mumbled with my eyes closed: “”‘Hysterical’ is a breakdown, ‘delicious’ is a breakdown…”” Wait. Something was wrong. I snapped my eyes open. The System was holding a book, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, acting like a scholar. I kicked the book away. “”What are you doing? Prepping for grad school?”” The System adjusted its glasses. “”Seeing Silas study moved me. I don’t want to be illiterate anymore. I want to improve myself.”” I caught the key point: “”Silas is still studying!”” I looked at the clock. 4 AM. Good lord. I rushed to Silas’s room. There he was, burying his head in books. “”No, no, no. This kid is going to study himself to death.”” I made a pact with Silas. Studying stops at midnight. Or Auntie blasts karaoke in his room. Silas frowned but agreed. System: “”Hehe, Host, do you know why he agreed so fast?”” Me: “”Why?”” System: “”Because your singing is truly terrible.”” Me: “”Just you wait.”” 6 For Silas’s birthday. I baked a strawberry cake. It said, in crooked icing: “”Happy Birthday Silas!”” I forced the System to transform into a tuxedo cat. Silas’s eyes lit up when he saw the kitten in my arms. I shoved it at him. “”Pet it all you want!”” The System, unused to hugs, opened its mouth to bite Silas. I coughed loudly. The System closed its mouth sullenly and glared at me. Candles lit. Warm yellow light reflected in the boy’s dark eyes. “”Happy Birthday to you~”” System: “”Meow meow meow meow~”” I cut a slice. “”For our cute birthday boy!”” System: “”Meow meow meow meow meow!”” Silas looked at the cake, hesitated, then took it and started eating small bites. Satisfied, I went to cut another piece. Thud. Silas collapsed, eyes closed. Red rashes spread rapidly up his pale neck. Me: “”!”” System: “”Meow!!”” I slapped the cat. “”You’re too old to act cute! Call 911!”” At the hospital, we learned Silas was allergic to milk. When we got back from the doctor… The boy in the bed was awake. His small face was pale and sickly under the cold lights. His dark eyes flinched when they met mine. I rushed over with the cat carrier, tears in my eyes. “”Silas!!!”” Silas’s lips trembled, looking panicked. “”Auntie, I’m fine. It won’t affect my studies. I can go home now…”” Before he finished. He felt warmth. He looked up into my concerned eyes. I was draping a bright red floral quilted jacket I bought from a convenience store over him. “”Here, lift your arms.”” Silas was confused but obeyed. I buttoned him up, stepped back to admire, and burst out laughing. “”Very festive.”” Silas: “”…”” “”Warm now? We left in a hurry, didn’t bring coats.”” Silas nodded hesitantly. “”Auntie, sorry for wasting your time…”” I rubbed his head. “”Nonsense. “”Did you know you were allergic to milk? You have to remember that. You scared me to death…”” “”I knew.”” My smile froze. “”What?”” Silas turned his head, lashes trembling. “”I knew I was allergic.”” “”Then why did you eat it?”” I was furious. Was he doing this on purpose? “”But you spent a long time making that cake…”” I froze. The noise of the hospital faded. Warmth spread from my chest to my eyes. I sighed and patted his head. “”This was Auntie’s mistake for not asking. “”And, I made the cake because I wanted to. Not to guilt-trip you into eating poison. “”Auntie wants you to love yourself, not prioritize other people’s feelings. “”Understand?”” Silas nodded. I didn’t know if he truly understood, but his eyes seemed a little brighter. Like snow on a roof reflecting winter sun.”

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When the heatwave apocalypse hit, I got into a huge fight with my roommate because I wouldn’t let her open the window. While I was out on the balcony collecting laundry, she locked me out. Outside, it was 122°F (50°C). Inside, my roommate blasted the AC and laughed at me through the glass. “Bitch! That’s what you get for not letting me open the window!” I pounded on the door, begging, but she ignored me. I died of heatstroke on that balcony, never making it back inside. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. And this time, I decided to build a secret bunker and survive this apocalypse alone! 1 “Why won’t you let me open the window? Do you know how stuffy it’s been in here for days? How am I supposed to live?” My roommate, Lisa, stood with her hands on her hips, looking at me with pure venom. “It’s scorching outside. If you open the window, the inside temperature will match the outside in minutes. Our dorm will turn into a sauna,” I tried to reason with her, keeping my voice calm. “Why is no one else saying anything? Why are you always the one with a problem?” “What if we get sick from the bacteria in here because we don’t ventilate?” “If something happens to us, are you taking responsibility?” “Or do you just want us to die in this dusty room? You got your grad school acceptance, so why care if we live or die, right?” “If you hate being here so much, why don’t you just go die?” Why don’t you just go die? That sentence shattered my last line of defense. My heart went cold. I looked around at my other roommates. They sat at their desks, glued to their phones, pretending not to hear a thing. I was used to this. Ever since I told them I got accepted into grad school with a full ride, their attitude did a 180. At first, I thought I was being sensitive. Now I knew—they really wanted me dead. Tears rolled down my face. Lisa just sneered. “Crying again? What, gonna go tattle to the RA? Not like you haven’t done that before.” “Let’s see if she believes us or you this time.” I didn’t have the energy to fight Lisa anymore. The weather was getting hotter by the day. Clothes hung on the balcony dried in less than thirty minutes. This temperature spike wasn’t normal. The dorm AC was blasting at 64°F (18°C) 24/7, but it still didn’t feel cool enough. I looked at the laundry I’d washed an hour ago on the balcony and decided to bring it in. In this weather, you didn’t even need to leave the building to be drenched in sweat; just a few steps would do it. Lisa had followed me. The moment I stepped onto the balcony, I heard the click of the lock. She stood behind the glass door, staring at me coldly. The sheer malice in her eyes gave me goosebumps. “Lisa, open the door! Let me in!” The heat outside was unbearable. Just standing there, the sunlight felt like it was burning my skin. My forehead was already dripping with sweat. Because of the extreme heat and the enclosed nature of the balcony, I quickly found it hard to breathe. But Lisa wasn’t listening. She crossed her arms and smirked. “Don’t think you’re so special just because you got into grad school. Who gave you the right to order me around?” “Think about that while you cool off out there!” 2 I never imagined that the roommates I’d lived with for four years, people I was about to graduate with, could harbor such evil. I banged on the door, screaming their names. “Chloe! Sarah! Say something! Open the door, please!” But they kept their heads down, scrolling on their phones like I didn’t exist. Not a single person looked up. I deeply regretted not moving out sooner. The temperature kept climbing. I looked outside. The sun was blinding, but a strange fog covered the ground, obscuring everything. A loud bang echoed from below. I squinted—an electric scooter parked outside the next building had exploded from the heat. I grabbed a clothes hanger and tried to smash the glass door. If I could break it, I might survive. But no matter how hard I hit, the glass didn’t even crack. I smashed until I was exhausted and soaked in sweat. The oxygen on the balcony was thinning. I tried to crack open the outer window for air, but the moment I did, a wave of heat hit me like a physical blow. I felt like I was being boiled alive. The air was too hot to breathe. Lisa’s voice came from inside. “Hey, didn’t you say not to open the windows for ventilation? What are you doing?” I tried to turn my head to look at her face, but I had no strength left. I collapsed, dehydrated. Before I blacked out completely, I heard Lisa say to the others, “Don’t worry, she’s faking it. Just trying to trick us into opening the door.” I watched the world spin and distort. People fighting for water, corpses drying in the sun. Social order collapsed. People killed for a sip of water. I don’t know how long passed before I opened my eyes again. The burning sensation was gone, replaced by the cool comfort of my blanket. I grabbed my phone. Was it all a dream? I climbed out of bed carefully. Lisa was sitting in her chair, gaming. Seeing me, she shot me a nasty look. “Jenna, can I open the window? It’s stuffy in here.” The exact same words. I checked the date: July 20, 2025. I was reborn, back before I died. I didn’t try to reason with her this time. I tossed the AC remote at her. “Whatever. Open it if you want. Don’t ask me.” Lisa looked surprised, then grabbed the remote, turned off the AC, and ran to open the balcony door. The moment she opened it, she screamed. “Holy sh*t! Why is it so hot outside?!” The others, hearing her, put down their phones and walked to the balcony. “It’s roasting. Why is this summer so hot?” “This isn’t normal. Let’s not go out for hotpot at noon. Let’s just order delivery.” Lisa nodded. “Yeah, I’ll call the restaurant and cancel the reservation.” I looked at them. When did they plan a hotpot lunch behind my back? Maybe realizing something, they suddenly turned to look at me. Chloe said awkwardly, “Jenna, you’ve been so busy with grad school stuff, we thought you wouldn’t have time to eat, so we didn’t ask.” 3 I didn’t show any hurt like I used to. “It’s fine. I am busy. I’m going to the library to check some materials my advisor sent. You guys want to come?” Lisa rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with acid. “We’re not special like you. We didn’t get into grad school. Are we even worthy of the library?” I didn’t bother responding. I grabbed a few bottles of water and left. I am a nepo baby. A genuine, loaded nepo baby. But I got where I am without using a dime of my family’s money. To spite my family, I secretly changed my college application preferences and ran off to a university in the South. My mom, unable to stop me, secretly deposited 10 million dollars into my account behind my dad’s back. For years, out of stubbornness, I never touched a cent. I went to the bank and checked the balance. Then I walked out, relieved. Originally, I planned to take my roommates to live off-campus. Now I realized what a saintly idiot I was. They were jealous, plotted against me, and now they weren’t even hiding it. My nails dug into my palms. I was shaking. In my past life, they locked me on a balcony to die. In this life, why should I care if they live or die? Since God gave me a second chance, I was going to survive with the people I loved. I dialed a number I hadn’t called in years. My hands were trembling. The call connected, and a familiar voice came through. “Sweetie, is that you?” My mom sounded cautious. I took a deep breath, my voice thick with tears. “Mom, it’s me!” “I have something important to tell you!” Hearing me cry, my parents immediately started comforting me. I checked into a nearby hotel. “Mom, Dad, listen to me. The world is about to change. Something big is happening.” “You need to reinforce the house immediately. A heatwave apocalypse is coming.” “In a week, temperatures will hit 158°F (70°C). Anyone outside will die instantly.” “Then comes a global drought. At first, people will survive on stored food.” “Later, people will die on the streets looking for supplies.” “We need to prepare now.” I didn’t know if they’d believe me. After I told them everything about my past life, there was silence on the other end. A few minutes later, my dad spoke. “Sweetie, I’m calling contractors now to reinforce the villa. We’re installing industrial AC and insulation panels.” “When are you coming home?” “We really miss you.” I was grateful for their unconditional love. But I had my own plans. I wasn’t going to let those girls in the dorm get off easy! When I got back to the dorm, the windows were shut. They were laughing until I walked in, then silence fell. I paused at the door, then walked to my bed. As I climbed up, I felt a wet spot. Lisa walked over, arms crossed. “Jenna, it was too hot, so we sprayed some water to cool down. You don’t mind, right?” 4 I held my breath, face turning red. I looked up to see Lisa’s smug face. “I didn’t mean to, Jenna. Maybe you should sleep somewhere else tonight.” She sounded so self-righteous. I looked at the other two. “You guys think this is okay?” They turned away. Lisa was the aggressor, but their silence was just another form of violence. I nodded. “Fine.” “But before I go…” I took out my phone, climbed onto my bed, and took photos of all the wet bedding. “This set cost $4,500. It’s dry-clean only. Please pay up.” I pulled up the receipt on my phone. “And these plushies? That’s another $400. Pay me, and I’ll leave.” Ignoring Lisa’s shocked expression, I shook my phone impatiently. “Hurry up. Or I’ll post this in the RA group chat, the department chat, and the class chat. Let everyone see what kind of person you are.” Lisa glared, hands on hips. “Who knows if you’re lying! How can a student afford this? My monthly allowance is only $200!” “Who knows if some sugar daddy bought that for you?” I looked her up and down with disdain. “I didn’t tell you my family was rich because I didn’t want you to feel insecure.” “Turns out my kindness just made you entitled.” Lisa lunged at me. Luckily, my dad forced me into Taekwondo as a kid. I was rusty, but the muscle memory was there. I flipped her onto the floor. “Not paying?” “Fine. Wait for it.” I grabbed my bag and walked out, uploading the photos and videos to the group chats as I went. Seeing me leave, Lisa scrambled up, grabbed my phone, and smashed it against the wall. “Why is your life so perfect?!” “A kept woman like you doesn’t deserve grad school!” I didn’t want to argue. I shook her off to leave. But Lisa grabbed my hair and yanked me back. My scalp burned. I kicked her hard, then grabbed a basin and went to the bathroom. I filled it to the brim and dumped the water all over Lisa’s bed. The AC was on, but I felt a fire burning inside me. The two silent roommates finally spoke up. “Jenna, Lisa, stop fighting.” “What will the other dorms think? We’ll be a laughingstock.” I pointed at Chloe and Sarah. “You two hypocrites. You enjoyed the show while we fought, pretending to be dignified!” “You poor, nasty bitches. Just wait to roast to death in a few days!” I grabbed my bag and slammed the door, ignoring their protests. Outside, a heatwave hit my face. I gasped for air. The apocalypse was really coming. School wasn’t out yet. When the end came, schools and densely populated areas would fall first. People would loot, or die trying. Humanity’s ugly side—and its good side—would reveal itself in an instant.

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On our wedding anniversary, Julian Marriott—a man meticulous in all things—stood me up for the very first time. He was at a welcome-home party for his ex-wife. In a video that was already circulating, Julian, a notorious germaphobe who loathed physical contact, was seen embracing everyone in the room. When he reached his ex-wife, he paused for a moment before pulling her into a tight, lingering hug. A smile touched the lips of the man whose face was usually a mask of perfect composure. It was then I realized with a sickening lurch that in five years as his wife, I had never once seen a real, unguarded emotion cross his face. But I am Elara Vance, the sole heiress to the Vance fortune. I get what I want. And I would never stoop to the clownish drama of fighting another woman for a man. 1. A photo of their embrace, snapped by some socialite, quickly found its way online. Rumors of a rift in the marriage of the Marriott empire’s crown prince shot to the top of every major newsfeed. Before I could even react, the trending topic, which had been marked with a blazing “EXPLODING” tag, vanished. The Marriott Corporation’s official account released a crisp statement. The most rabid posters were served with court summonses. The entire affair was sterilized from the internet in less than ten minutes. Julian Marriott would never allow anything to threaten the alliance between the Marriott and Vance families. Just as I shut my phone, my name was splashed across every billboard in the city. A grand, public display, affirming my status and the respect due to Mrs. Marriott. But I just stared at the neon lights, lost. In five years, this was the first time. The first time the ever-punctual, ever-organized man had missed our anniversary. The next morning, as I was about to leave, I saw Julian’s car pulling into the driveway. He stepped out, a child’s brightly colored backpack—a stark contrast to his usual refined elegance—in one hand. In the other, he held the hand of a little girl. He knelt, pulling the child into a hug, his eyes filled with a softness I had never seen before. Following behind them was a woman in a simple white dress. I recognized her. Julian’s ex-wife. He saw me standing by my car and froze for a second before stopping. “Elara,” he began, his eyes downcast as if in explanation, “Lily has to attend school here in the city. It’s an issue with her records.” Before I could speak, the woman beside him cut in. “Mrs. Marriott, I’m so sorry. I’m raising her on my own, I really had no other choice.” I looked down at her from the slight advantage of my heels, my voice dripping with scorn. “My husband and I are speaking. Who gave you permission to interrupt?” Julian frowned slightly but said nothing. As the woman’s face flushed with humiliation, I turned to my husband, my expression hardening. “Because of this morning’s photos, the joint Vance-Marriott enterprise has already dropped ten percent.” My cold stare was enough to make the little girl in his arms burst into tears. “Go away! He’s my daddy!” Julian’s frown deepened, and he quickly patted Lily’s back to soothe her. He looked at me with a weary sort of helplessness. “Elara, it was just a hug. And I’ve already had my team handle the crisis with the company.” His tone was exasperated, but it was a familiar one, and it made my chest tighten. It was the same as it had been for the past five years. He would always protect my public dignity as Mrs. Marriott. But he seemed to forget that I needed to be loved, too. I had once tried to teach him how to make me happy. But now I realized that if a relationship needed to be taught, it was already a failure. “Have them gone by the time I get home tonight,” I said, turning my back to him, and drove to my office. As the Vance heiress, I had little time to waste on intruders. I worked until midnight. When I finally returned home, I was certain that the ever-pragmatic Julian would have handled the situation. That certainty shattered the moment I opened the door. “Mrs. Marriott,” Mona said, having changed into a rather provocative silk nightgown. “You’re back. I’ll have the butler prepare dinner for you.” My eyes narrowed. Was she playing lady of the house? I walked towards her, a mocking smile playing on my lips. I hooked a finger under the strap of her nightgown. “A fan of hand-me-downs?” Mona’s face stiffened, clearly thrown by my lack of reaction to her provocation. “Can you just give him back to me?” she pleaded, her voice suddenly trembling. “There’s no love between you. But my child needs her father.” I paused on the stairs and turned, one eyebrow raised. “A family heiress needs profits, not love,” I said, my smile turning derisive. “Your worldview is rather limited, isn’t it?” The disdain in my eyes was a direct hit to her fragile pride. The color drained from her face. I was about to turn away when she lost control and blocked my path. “You know he was with me last night, don’t you? But do you know what we did?” She flashed her phone screen at me. A picture of a rumpled hotel bed filled the display. “Are you really that tolerant, Mrs. Marriott?” I glanced down. I recognized Julian’s hand instantly. The ring on his finger was the one I had placed there myself. My own fingers curled into a fist, just for a second. But on the surface, I was still the cool, untouchable Elara Vance. “After a steady diet of caviar, I suppose even he craves something… common.” Mona gasped, her face turning crimson with humiliation. Back in my room, I looked at the man already asleep in our bed. His usually perfect hair was mussed, falling softly across his forehead. I unconsciously touched the ring on my own hand. My fingers traced the line of his brow, down the bridge of his nose, and came to rest on his thin lips. Julian, don’t let me down. 2. The next morning, I woke to an empty space beside me. I opened the bedroom door to the sound of laughter. A sound this cold, silent villa had never known. I stood at the top of the stairs, looking down. Julian, the man who hadn’t set foot in our kitchen in the five years we’d been married, was frying eggs. The innocent-looking woman and the sweet little girl were playing happily on the sofa. A bitter, mocking smile touched my lips, and my eyes began to sting. For a sickening moment, I felt like I was the intruder. The harmonious atmosphere shattered the moment I reached the bottom of the stairs. “Elara,” Julian said, carrying a plate, his expression perfectly normal. “When are you sending them away?” I asked. It was the first time I had ever used such a tone with him. He didn’t answer. Instead, he placed Lily in her high chair, made sure she was settled, and only then did he look up at me. His eyes held that restrained, tightly controlled impatience I had come to despise. “I told you. She needs to go to school here.” A flash of irritation went through me. “Don’t tell me the great Julian Marriott can’t handle a simple school enrollment! Are you trying to keep the child close, or the woman?” “Elara!” he cut me off, his voice a low warning. “Watch your tone. Mona is Lily’s mother. The child is too young to be separated from her.” At the sound of our raised voices, the little girl shrieked and flung a bowl of hot porridge directly at me. “I hate you!” she wailed. “You’re the bad lady who broke up Mommy and Daddy!” A searing pain shot through my leg. I winced, my eyes flashing towards her. “I’m so sorry, she didn’t mean it. She just misses her father so much,” Mona said, quickly stepping in front of the girl, blocking my view. I struggled to breathe past the tightness in my chest. It was only then that I saw it clearly. The three of them looked like a perfect family. And I was standing on the opposite side, a ridiculous obstacle. A wave of fury washed over me, and I lost my composure. I stared coldly at Mona. “Do you really think the Marriott family would want an heir who, at five years old, is still a rude, ill-mannered little brat—” “Elara Vance!” Julian’s voice was like ice, instantly extinguishing my anger. He faced me, his expression colder than I had ever seen it, devoid of any emotion. “Lily is my daughter. As my wife, you will accept her presence. And today, you were unbecoming.” With that, he scooped up the tearful little girl and walked away. Mona, naturally, picked up his briefcase. She glanced back at me, a flicker of triumph in her eyes. The noisy villa fell silent once more. A bitter taste filled my mouth. In Julian’s eyes, I was the perfect Vance heiress, his elegant and composed wife. I wasn’t allowed to have my own emotions. I was never, ever to lose my composure. As the sound of the car engine faded, the strength seemed to drain from my spine, and I slumped forward. Julian, you let me down after all. Five years ago, during the global financial crisis, the Marriott and Vance families, the two titans of the city, had proposed a marriage alliance to fight off foreign capital. As the only Vance daughter, I chose the recently divorced Julian Marriott. I knew he had an ex-wife and a daughter. But I thought, who doesn’t have a past? Who doesn’t have someone they remember fondly? In our marriage, Julian was a near-perfect husband. But now that a true exception to his perfectly controlled world had appeared, I realized I wasn’t as calm as I thought I could be. … The next day was the Marriott family patriarch’s birthday banquet. As Julian’s wife, my attendance was required. That evening, Julian arrived at the villa precisely on time. In the car, an invisible wall stood between us. After a long silence, Julian seemed to relent. He sighed, raised the privacy divider, and moved to sit beside me. “Elara,” he said, breaking the silence. “The title of Mrs. Marriott will always be yours.” I felt the warmth of his hand covering mine and was momentarily dazed. I knew this was his way of making peace. The city lights flashed across his handsome face, and for a moment, his deep eyes reflected only me. He held my hand all the way into the banquet hall, and I felt a flicker of hope. But that hope was quickly extinguished. “Julian,” a voice called out. Mona, dressed in a stunning traditional gown, was greeting guests as if she were the lady of the house. She smoothly took the birthday gift from his hand before turning to me with a look of feigned, timid surprise. “Oh… Mrs. Marriott.” I frowned but kept my composure in the crowded room. My eyes, however, demanded an explanation from Julian. “She is Lily’s mother,” he said, his gaze unwavering. “It’s Grandfather’s birthday, and he wanted to see his great-granddaughter.” The fragile hope that had just begun to bloom within me withered and died. “She’s standing here, in the Marriott family home, playing hostess. Where does that leave me?” Julian finally seemed to register my words, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. I pulled my hand from his, the warmth instantly replaced by a spreading chill. A man like Julian Marriott, a perfect heir forged in the brutal wars of high society, couldn’t possibly be blind to Mona’s intentions. He wasn’t intervening. He was allowing it. Feeling the curious stares of the other guests, I forced the bitterness from my face and became the perfect marriage partner once more. The lights and chatter swirled around me, my thoughts a tangled mess. Before I knew it, I had wandered out to the long veranda in the back garden to clear my head. This was where Julian and I had first met. Our story began in the deep autumn, we came together in the summer, and now, in the dead of winter, we were drifting apart. “The great Elara Vance, being provoked to her face and still holding back?” a low, magnetic voice teased from behind me. I turned. It was Caleb Blackwood, the current head of the Blackwood family. “This isn’t like you,” he said, draping his jacket, which smelled of pine, over my shoulders, chasing away the cold. “Just say the word, and I can make her disappear.” I didn’t find the offer strange in the slightest. In our world, if you weren’t ruthless, you became a casualty of family politics. “There’s no need. She’s not a real threat.” Caleb suddenly moved closer, his cool presence enveloping me. “Then why are you out here drinking your sorrows away?” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “When you chose your marriage alliance, I was too slow to deal with the obstacles in my own family. But now… can you consider me?” Caleb had always been a charming rogue around me. Seeing him so serious now, I was struck by how much he had changed from the boy I once knew. “I’m still married to Julian, you know.” He shrugged. “I’m willing to be the other man. I’d be honored.” I laughed and playfully punched his arm. I was about to reply when a strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back. Julian stood there, his face dark, glaring at Caleb. The temperature around the two alpha males seemed to drop several degrees. “We’re going home,” Julian said, his voice clipped. In the car, he raised the divider. Then, to my astonishment, he leaned over me. This was nothing like his usual tender kisses. This was a brutal, bruising claim that made me wince. After a long moment, he pulled back, panting, his deep eyes swirling with an emotion I had never seen before. “Elara,” he rasped, “stay away from him.” 3. The pain on my lips made me push him away, a surge of anger rising within me. I had merely exchanged a few words with Caleb. He, on the other hand, had paraded his ex-wife and child through my home. What right did he have to make demands of me? “Why should I?” I asked, my voice cold. Julian looked up, his dark eyes like whirlpools, pulling me in. “Because you are my woman.” I frowned. “No, I’m not. Mona is.” He actually chuckled, the usual frost on his face melting into something softer. “Mrs. Marriott, you’re jealous.” I shoved him away, my actions fueled by a childish petulance I despised in myself. “Send them away.” The atmosphere instantly froze over. The smile vanished from Julian’s face, as if the brief warmth had been a figment of my imagination. “Elara,” he said, loosening his tie with a sigh of immense weariness. “She is not a threat to you. Besides, Lily is my daughter. I can’t just abandon her.” I stared out the window at the passing city lights, which were beginning to blur. A light rain had started to fall, smudging my view. “I never told you not to take care of Lily.” Julian looked at me as if I were a petulant child. “Mona raised our daughter alone overseas for five years. I owe her.” A bitter, indescribable ache spread through my chest. “So you’re telling me I just have to accept her presence in my life?” He looked down, then turned my body to face him. His hand gently covered my eyes, which I knew were turning red. “I need you to understand. No matter what, you will always be my wife.” His evasive defense of her felt like a betrayal. Suddenly, the whole thing felt pointless. All the moments I had genuinely tried, all the effort I had put in, seemed utterly meaningless. In this grand performance I had hoped for, he had let me down yet again. Just then, my phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number. [Miss Vance, Julian and I were inconsiderate today. I’m sorry.] Attached was a photo. In it, Julian was holding Lily under the moonlight, while Mona stood beside them, smiling. I narrowed my eyes. My chest felt tight, constricted. It was a cheap trick, but a brutally effective one. I tossed the phone to Julian, my voice devoid of emotion. “It seems I’m the third wheel in your relationship, aren’t I?” He looked down at the phone, and his first instinct was still to defend her. “She probably just felt you’d be upset and wanted to apologize.” I laughed, a sharp, angry sound. “Julian, are you playing dumb, or are you really this blind? Do I have to catch you in bed with her to get you to admit what’s happening?!” “Elara,” he warned, his voice low and dangerous. “Watch what you say. Nothing inappropriate has happened between Mona and me.” I let out a cold laugh, a sob catching in my throat that only I could hear. “Nothing inappropriate? So it only counts if you’re naked?” The car fell silent. When I looked at Julian, his eyes were filled with a coldness I had never seen directed at me before. “Elara Vance, you are Mrs. Marriott. Show some damn grace!” I don’t know how to describe the feeling of that moment. The garden I had cultivated for him in my heart had turned to barren wasteland. I fought back the bitterness, my eyes burning. “I have no grace? Ha…” “If I had no grace, I would have thrown them out the very first night! Would she have even had the chance to shove her bed photos in my face?” “If I had no grace, when the photos of you two hit the internet, the Vance family would have already made her disappear!” The sudden emotional outburst was fueled by the raw pain of being so completely misunderstood. It was like being pricked by the thorns of a rose. All anyone else saw was the beautiful flower, but all I felt was the piercing pain. Julian looked stunned, his gaze fixed on my tear-filled eyes. “I…” I turned away and rolled down the window, letting the fine rain mist my face, hiding the pathetic tears. “Do you know why my parents named me Elara?” I asked, speaking to no one in particular. “They said it’s because I was their one and only. Unique.” I took a deep breath, pulling the dignity of the Vance heiress around me like a shield. “So, if to you, I am just a disposable piece in a game of profit and loss, then we are done.” Hearing this, a panic he didn’t understand seized him. He turned and pulled me into a fierce embrace. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” 4. The moment we stepped into the villa, Mona appeared, holding a crying Lily, her face a mask of fragile distress. “Julian, Lily won’t stop crying for you, I…” But this time, Julian didn’t take the child. Instead, he had the nanny take her back to her room. Then, under Mona’s bewildered gaze, he threw my phone at her. “Apologize,” he bit out. The sudden fury in his voice left Mona stunned. She glanced at the phone, her eyes flashing with jealousy. Julian looked at my cold, impassive face and lost his patience. “Elara is my wife. Don’t send her things that could be misunderstood.” Perhaps it was the first time she had ever seen him so stern. Mona’s eyes immediately filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Miss Vance,” she sobbed, a picture of wounded pride. “My wording was inappropriate. Please forgive me.” I met her gaze, my own eyes cold. I stepped forward and tilted her chin up with one hand, my voice dripping with contempt. “‘Miss Vance’? If the words ‘Mrs. Marriott’ are too difficult for you to say, I don’t mind having someone pry your mouth open.” I looked down at her. “Drop the act. Or I will show you just how many arrogant little fools are locked away in the Vance family’s basements.” Mona swayed, her face pale as a sheet. Julian frowned and stepped in. “That’s enough. She knows she was wrong. I’ll buy a separate house for you and Lily. Don’t come here or to the main estate again.” He stood up, subtly shielding Mona from my gaze. Mona looked at him in disbelief. Tears streamed down her face as she took Lily and left the villa. But the very next evening, she was back, kneeling before me, her face streaked with tears. Julian stood beside her, his expression grim. “Mrs. Marriott, I was wrong! I never should have disturbed your life! But Lily is innocent! She’s just a child! I’m begging you, please let her go!” I frowned, my face a mask of ice. “Watch your mouth. Who do you think you are, trying to pin something on me?” Julian, who had been silent, stepped forward, his face darker than I had ever seen it. “The kidnapper’s phone was traced back to the son of your family’s butler.” He closed his eyes, fighting for control. “Elara, the child is innocent. Hand her over to me, and I can let this go.” I stared at him in disbelief. “You think I’m that kind of person?” Perhaps my expression was too full of pain. He looked away. “I have to believe the evidence.” In that instant, our five-year marriage felt like a joke. It took me five years to understand that some people, some things, should never have been a part of my life. I reined in my emotions, my voice flat. “Julian Marriott, in the end, you still managed to disappoint me.” Seeing the confusion in his eyes, I added, “If Elara Vance wants to get rid of someone, she wouldn’t be stupid enough to use her own servants.” I turned to the trembling Mona. “Even a viper doesn’t eat its own young. You’re a special kind of monster.” I looked at the two of them standing side-by-side, my heart filled with scorn. As I left, I called my assistant. “Prepare divorce papers for Julian Marriott and myself. And,” I closed my eyes, opening them again to reveal nothing but cold resolve, “pull all domestic Vance investments from Marriott Industries. Divest from our overseas joint enterprise. Contact the Blackwood family. I want Marriott Industries’ stock to hit rock bottom. Within three days.” I hung up. Outside the car window, the rain had stopped. “Julian Marriott,” I whispered to the empty car. “I’m going to show you what regret really means.”

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We were getting ready to move our residency registration when we hit a snag. The clerk told me there was a 12-year-old kid registered under my name. Turns out, someone had secretly registered their kid under my name to mooch off the top-tier school district associated with my property. I was furious. So I flipped the script. I called the cops, claiming my “child” was missing, stolen by traffickers. With police assistance, I brought the kid straight home to my house. Now it was the other family’s turn to lose their minds. I just smiled darkly. “You haven’t seen anything yet. I’m already processing the paperwork to renounce his citizenship.” 1 We were at the city clerk’s office, ready to transfer our household registration, when the staff dropped a bomb. The paperwork was incomplete. Apparently, there was a 12-year-old child under my name, and I needed his documents too. My wife and I were stunned. We’d only been married a few years. Where the hell did a 12-year-old come from? My wife burst into tears right there in the office, screaming at me, accusing me of having a secret love child, threatening divorce. I swear I don’t have a secret kid. I don’t even have a secret pet! It took everything I had to calm her down. The clerk insisted. According to the system, there was indeed a 12-year-old boy named “Gavin White” registered under my household. He should be in elementary school right now. “You must be mistaken,” I argued desperately. “I don’t have a kid. And my last name isn’t White, it’s Ray!” “Not my problem,” the clerk said flatly. “The system says what it says. We follow the system.” Her indifference made my blood boil. “Can you check when this kid was added to my registry?” “No.” “Can you see where he lives now?” “No.” “Can you just delete him from my household?” “No. You need to provide proof of non-paternity before we can remove him.” My knuckles turned white as I gripped the counter. Proof of non-paternity? I’ve never met this kid. Today is the first time I’ve heard his name. I don’t know where he is or when he was added to my file. How am I supposed to prove he’s not mine? Should I forge a document? “Can you at least give me some details about this child?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. The clerk scoffed. “You’re funny. You don’t know your own kid, so you ask a stranger? Is he your son or mine?” “Nowadays, you see all kinds of crazies. Asking strangers about their own kids.” I pride myself on being a civilized man, but being publicly mocked like that broke something inside me. Bang! I slammed my fist on the desk, making the clerk jump. “Tell me the kid’s information,” I growled, eyes red with rage. 2 Walking out of the government building, I immediately called a buddy who works in the police force. He’s seen it all; maybe he’d have an idea. After hearing my story, he pinpointed the issue immediately. “They’re after the school district,” he said. “Your property is zoned for the best schools.” It clicked. Why else would anyone give their son to a stranger on paper? My family doesn’t have a throne to inherit. It had to be for the school district spot. I used to think stories like this were urban legends—people buying a house just for a school spot is one thing, but stealing a spot? Now it was happening to me. It felt ridiculous and surreal. Our current apartment is in a prime school district. My wife and I worked our asses off for over a decade to afford it. To scrape together the down payment, we emptied our savings and borrowed heavily from both sets of parents. To pay the mortgage, we lived like monks. No vacations, no fancy meals, not even decent gifts during the holidays. We lived in this run-down, cramped “old shoe-box” apartment solely so our future child could have access to top-tier education. We wanted our kid to win at the starting line. But now? Our kid isn’t even born yet, and the spot has been hijacked by some stranger? The frustration was immense. It felt like raising a daughter for eighteen years only to watch her marry a deadbeat with a mullet. I gritted my teeth so hard I thought they’d crack. I wanted to grab a knife and turn these people into mincemeat. Thankfully, my cop friend was calmer. He talked me off the ledge. On his advice, I didn’t go looking for blood. I went to a law firm instead. 3 The lawyer offered some comfort. The situation wasn’t as hopeless as it seemed. If the extra kid was a clerical error by the census bureau, it was an administrative mistake. The department had a duty to correct it, and we could even sue for damages. But if it wasn’t an error—if someone did this deliberately—that was fraud. Specifically, school district fraud. We could sue for damages and press criminal charges once we had evidence. “I suggest you gather evidence quickly and file a lawsuit,” the lawyer advised professionally. “This will minimize your losses and prevent further complications.” My wife and I looked at each other and shook our heads. Suing them? That was too merciful. Leaving the law firm, I called my cop friend again to check on his investigation. “Bad news,” he said. “I found the clerk who handled that district back then. He’s retired, senile, remembers nothing. But looking at the digital trail… this wasn’t an accident. It was definitely intentional.” Hearing this, my wife and I shared a look. We had a plan. We went straight to the police station to file a report. “Officer, our child is missing. We think he’s been kidnapped by traffickers.” 4 We spun the story we’d rehearsed. “The kid was playing downstairs. It got dark, and he never came back. We searched everywhere.” The police immediately pulled surveillance footage. But they hit a wall. Our old neighborhood was ancient. Aside from being near a top school, it had zero amenities. The few cameras that existed were broken or pointed at nothing. Useless. The officer asked for a description. We gave vague answers—”average height, average looks.” Watching the police mobilize to find “our” child, my wife and I exchanged a satisfied glance. This was exactly what we wanted. If they put the kid under my name, then fine. I’ll take the kid. I won’t abuse him, but I sure as hell won’t send him to that fancy school. We’ll see who cracks first. As for whether the other family wants to hand him over? Not my problem. What proves you are you? Your ID card. What proves your mom is your mom? The household registry (Hukou). If the kid is in my registry, legally, he’s mine. If they refuse to hand him over, I have the law—and the police—on my side. 5 A few days later, the police called. “Mr. Ray? We found the child. But… the situation is a bit complicated. You need to come down here.” When I arrived at the station, the young officer looked confused. “Mr. Ray, are you sure this is your child?” “Of course he is! Why else would he be in my household registry? Who adopts a stranger’s kid for fun?” “Here’s the thing,” the officer explained. “We found the boy in the home of a couple named White in the south district. The man, Mr. White, insists Gavin is his son, not yours.” I nodded calmly. “Expected.” “We asked the boy. He also insists the Whites are his parents.” The officer looked at me skeptically. I was prepared. I paused, acting thoughtful. “Is it possible… my son has been brainwashed? Or manipulated?” “Brainwashed?” The officer blinked. “Yeah. Cults do it. If these people are pros at manipulation, and my son is young and impressionable… maybe they mentally controlled him.” “That’s… theoretically possible,” the officer said, clearly not buying it. The Whites didn’t look like cult leaders. “But why is his last name White, not Ray?” “Feng Shui,” I lied smoothly. “He lacked ‘water’ in his astrological chart. ‘White’ corresponds to metal, which produces water. So we gave him that surname.” “But…” “Officer, isn’t this ridiculous?” I cut him off. “Legally speaking, if he’s in my registry, he’s my son.”

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It was just after the New Year when my cousin was sentenced to prison for hitting and killing a heavily pregnant woman with his car. The victim’s family was demanding a multi-million-dollar settlement, and I was the only lawyer in the city willing to take the case. After days without sleep gathering evidence, I was about to rush to the courthouse in my cousin’s car when my aunt stopped me. “Seriously? Another poor relative showing up only to beg for money or borrow a ride?” She planted her hands on her hips, her expression a sneer. “You think just because my son is easygoing you don’t even need to ask to take his car? Who gave you the audacity! This is a custom-spec G-Wagen. Even if I charged you a thousand an hour—ten thousand a day—you’re not driving it off this property without cash.” Court was about to start. I held up the files, trying to reason with her. She looked at me with open disdain. “A lawyer who graduated from some third-rate college thinks she can handle my son’s case? Are you kidding me? The heavy-hitters from the top White-Shoe firms were just having dinner with him yesterday!” “I see what this is,” she accused, narrowing her eyes. “You just want to drive my son’s car to look important, don’t you?” I shook my head urgently. “Aunt Brenda, no. Wesley is in serious trouble, I need to—” I didn’t even finish the sentence before she slapped me. “Stop with the nonsense! You already drove the car out of the garage. If you don’t pay me now, you’re not leaving this driveway!” As she yelled, she snatched the evidence—the one thing that could save my cousin—and ripped it to shreds. Watching my all-night effort get destroyed, I heard my phone vibrate repeatedly with calls from the courthouse. I simply offered a faint smile. “You don’t need me? Fine. I won’t go. Let’s see how long it takes for my cousin to come home.” 1 “Sienna, I hit someone. Every lawyer in the city is refusing to help me. I have nowhere else to turn!” “The victim was pregnant, two lives, Sienna. And I swear I wasn’t drinking, but they found alcohol in my system. Please, you have to get back here, or my life is over!” My cousin, Wesley, had called me in the middle of the night. I’d flown back immediately. It was just after the New Year holiday. Wesley was driving to his company to hand out employee bonuses when he collided with a heavily pregnant woman. She died instantly, a double fatality. Worse, when the police arrived, they charged him with a DUI, compounding the felony. Wesley insisted he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol. He’d thrown half his company’s operating budget at high-profile connections, but no reputable attorney would touch the case—everyone considered it a guaranteed loss. That’s when he finally called me. After days of relentless investigation, I’d found the smoking gun hidden in his bathroom: a bottle of potent, alcohol-based mouthwash. It was the only way to challenge the DUI charge. If I could clear him of drunk driving, we could focus on a settlement and securing forgiveness from the victim’s family to reduce the sentence. I checked my watch. One hour until the hearing. I didn’t have time to go home for my own car, and catching a ride-share was too risky. I grabbed the keys to Wesley’s G-Wagen and prepared to leave for the courthouse. That’s when Aunt Brenda materialized, blocking the driveway and motioning for me to get out. “Another broke relative. Always hitting my son up for a loan or his car. Get out!” I rolled down the window. “Aunt Brenda, I’m on my way to a crisis. I’ll explain everything later.” She didn’t care. She reached in, yanked the door open, and physically dragged me out of the driver’s seat. “Your crisis is not my problem! You’re just trying to drive my son’s car for clout while he’s gone, aren’t you?” she spat. “My Wesley is too good-natured, he lets all you poor relatives walk all over him. But why did you pick his most expensive car? How dare you! If you put so much as a scratch on this, your annual salary wouldn’t cover the repair bill!” Assuming she still didn’t know the extent of Wesley’s trouble, I tried to stay patient. “Aunt Brenda, I’m not lying. I’m going to handle something urgent for Wesley. If I’m late, he’s in serious trouble…” She threw her head back and laughed maniacally. “You mean my son begged you to handle something for him? You’ve got some nerve trying to flatter yourself like that!” “What are you, anyway? He has no need to beg you. Stop trying to con me. This car is imported, it’s expensive. Fine, since we’re family, I’ll charge you a thousand-dollar rental fee per hour. If you’re not back by noon, that’s ten thousand dollars!” She stood directly in front of the vehicle. “You pay me what you owe before you leave this spot.” 2 I was genuinely stunned. I rarely interacted with Wesley’s family and had never, as she claimed, borrowed anything from them. If I hadn’t been cutting it so close, needing to avoid the risk of traffic or a canceled ride-share, I never would have taken Wesley’s car. I had zero interest in taking advantage of them. And honestly, if Wesley hadn’t always been relatively decent to me growing up, I wouldn’t have taken this toxic, high-risk case in the first place. He was the one who was begging me, and she was demanding an exorbitant rental fee? I anxiously checked my watch again. Another ten minutes wasted. If I was late, Wesley wouldn’t have a defense lawyer. The outcome was predictable: either the death penalty or life imprisonment. “Aunt Brenda, I am telling you the truth. Wesley hit someone. The court opens in fifty minutes. I am his defense attorney. You have to let me go.” She froze for two seconds. Her expression suggested she registered the seriousness of the situation. I thought, This is it. She’s going to move. But just as I reached for the door handle, she roared with laughter and slammed the door shut on my hand. My fingers throbbed instantly. “Aunt Brenda, what are you doing?” She stared at me with contempt. “Doing? You have the wildest stories! My son was just out of the city on a business trip two days ago. How could he have hit someone?” “Besides, even if he did hit someone, he knows dozens of high-powered lawyers. Why would he need you, a fresh graduate from some online degree mill?” “I bet you’re the one who’s desperate. You probably begged him, and he threw you a bone, didn’t he? Don’t you dare curse my son again! See how I deal with you!” I was numb from her abuse. She’d always looked down on my side of the family. My studying abroad was dismissed as attending a “fake foreign university.” Because Wesley had dropped out and made a pile of cash, she felt she was superior, that no one could measure up to her son. What she didn’t know was that I earned just as much as Wesley, and I definitely preferred my own reliable sedan to her son’s ostentatious G-Wagen. I couldn’t waste any more time arguing about status. I decided to drop the bomb. “He hit someone and was charged with a DUI. Right now, no one except me will touch his case!” Seeing her hesitation, I immediately pulled the case files from the car to show her. “Look, Aunt Brenda, this is the official filing. My name and Wesley’s are on it. Please, let me go. I have less than half an hour now!” The seconds were dissolving. I was terrified of failing my cousin, of going back on my word. His fate rested entirely on my shoulders. Aunt Brenda snatched the file. She looked at it, not with understanding, but with sheer fury. “Settlement with the family for two million dollars! Sienna Thorne, you’re trying to use Wesley’s absence to steal his company stamp and scam money, aren’t you? Pay the car fee immediately, or I’ll make sure you regret this!” 3 Aunt Brenda held my wrist, her fingernails digging into my flesh, refusing to let go no matter how much I protested. The phone in my pocket vibrated incessantly. It was the court clerk. They were probably calling to remind me, seeing as I was late. I thought, If she hears it from the court, she has to believe me. “The court is calling! If you don’t believe me, listen!” I answered quickly, put it on speaker, and held it near her ear. The clerk’s frantic voice cut through the air. “Ms. Thorne, why aren’t you here? The court is about to start! Your client’s position is already tenuous. If you’re a no-show, sentencing is a certainty. It’s either the death penalty or life without parole. If you have any evidence, get here immediately!” I hung up, thinking, Now she finally gets it. Instead, she burst into high-pitched laughter. “Sienna Thorne, you cheap tramp! You’re really desperate, aren’t you? Spending all that money to hire actors to trick me and my son? How many more do you have lined up? Bring them all out!” “And you, a lawyer from a diploma mill? You think you even qualify to step into a real courtroom?” “Without my son, all of you would starve!” I was stunned. I regretted everything. If I hadn’t already promised Wesley, I’d wash my hands of the whole toxic family right then. Aunt Brenda pointed triumphantly at the G-Wagen. “You drove my son’s car out of the garage. It’s sitting here baking in the sun. I bet you bumpkins don’t know how bad that is for the paint and the interior.” “So?” I asked, confused about what else she could possibly want. “So, ten thousand dollars is no longer enough! You owe me an extra five thousand for the detailing and maintenance fee!” “And I’m warning you—you drag this out any longer, and you’ll owe me the full purchase price of the car!” Looking at her face, I knew arguing was pointless. I still had fifteen minutes. If I drove fast, I might still make it. I grit my teeth. “Fine, I’ll transfer the money.” Everything could wait until after Wesley’s initial hearing. I quickly transferred the funds to her account and reached for the car door to leave. I hadn’t even sat down when she grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me out of the car with all her strength. The pain was blinding. I landed hard on the asphalt. A vicious look was in her eyes. “Did I say you could leave? You paid the rental fee, but we still have to settle the matter of you trying to scam me and my son out of two million dollars!” I was horrified. I genuinely couldn’t believe her level of delusion and malice. When had I tried to scam them? That was the settlement money for the victim’s family! Two million dollars couldn’t buy back a life, and the family might not even accept it! My scalp was throbbing. “I am telling you, I didn’t try to steal your money! If you don’t believe me, call Wesley right now!” 4 “Oh, I will call my son right now!” The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up. It was Tiffany, Wesley’s wife. “Hello, Mom? What’s going on?” Hearing her voice, a wave of despair washed over me. I’d forgotten that Wesley hadn’t taken his phone with him—he’d called me from his assistant’s line. Aunt Brenda glared at me. “This tramp, Sienna Thorne, says my son hit someone with his car. Is that true?” On the other end, Tiffany was immediately agitated. “Nonsense! My husband said he had an urgent matter to deal with two days ago! There’s no way he hit anyone!” “Mom, don’t you dare let that foul-mouthed woman get away with this! The New Year hasn’t even passed, and she’s already cursing my husband!” “Don’t worry. I won’t let her!” I pulled out the mouthwash bottle. “This is the evidence I found…” I didn’t get another word out. Aunt Brenda slapped me hard across the face in a burst of sheer rage. “You tramp, still trying to fool me? I’ll tell you something right now! Even if my son did hit someone, they must have been standing in the road and deserved it! It’s their own fault for getting in the way of my son’s business!” “With all my son’s connections in this town, you think he can’t handle a little thing like that?” I couldn’t help but recoil. “Aunt Brenda, that was a pregnant woman. Two lives. How can you say that?” If this was Wesley’s attitude, there was no way I would help him. She kicked me hard in the stomach. “Are you trying to teach me a lesson? It’s the truth! In this world, the poor have cheap lives!” “And you poor relatives are all the same, like parasites living in the sewer! You can’t survive without my son!” She snatched the bottle of mouthwash from my hand and raised it high. Seeing her intention, I screamed desperately. “Don’t break it! That is the only evidence proving Wesley wasn’t drunk driving! You will regret this!” She was resolute. “What kind of damn evidence? You think I’ll still believe you?” Crash! The bottle shattered, the glass fragments and the clear, strong-smelling liquid scattering across the asphalt. It was the end of the only defense we had. Seeing my panic, Aunt Brenda looked even more pleased. “You told me not to break it, so I did.” I tried to ignore the pain and reached for the case files. They couldn’t be damaged, or Wesley would be completely doomed. But Aunt Brenda got to them first. She tore them to pieces while shouting: “Let’s see how you lie now! No wonder my son says you’re the worst of the lot, thinking you’re hot stuff just because you went to college!” “He always dreaded getting a call from your family—it always meant you were asking for money!” I suddenly understood. No wonder he never answered my calls or holiday texts, only replying days later that he was “too busy.” He didn’t want to talk to me because he was afraid I was going to ask him for money. He was just too cheap. My phone rang again. It was the court clerk. “Ms. Thorne, did you run into an emergency? Should I ask the judge for ten more minutes?” Aunt Brenda lunged for the phone. “Ten more minutes of what? You’re saying my son will be sentenced in ten minutes?” She laughed loudly, treating the call like a silly prank. “I’d like to see that! I want to see what happens to my son in ten minutes!” I made up my mind. My voice was calm and steady. “No, thank you. Could you please tell my cousin that Aunt Brenda insisted I stay, so I won’t be coming.” The moment the words left my mouth, Wesley’s enraged shout echoed over the line: “Mom, shut the hell up! I’m serious, I’m in deep trouble! Sienna, my good cousin, don’t listen to her! Get here now, you’re my only chance!” 5 Aunt Brenda snatched the phone back and listened intently to Wesley’s voice. Her certainty wavered. Her face went from flushed to pale. “That… that’s my son’s voice? How can that be?” She immediately shook her head. “Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Sienna Thorne, how much did you pay for that AI deepfake of my son’s voice? It must be worth it, considering the two million dollars you’re after.” “My son’s voice has a rasp. He’s a long-time smoker, he always has a little cough. You can’t fool me!” I found her ridiculous. Wesley was under police custody. Of course, he couldn’t smoke. His voice would naturally sound clearer. Wesley, who had heard the entire exchange, became even more frantic. “Cousin! Explain it to her! Mom, please, shut up! Are you trying to kill me?” “I bet you have a secret child out there, and you’re trying to get me out of the way!” Wesley screamed, his panic making him lash out. He couldn’t have realized in that moment that the person pulling the last life raft from his hands was his own mother. Stung by his accusation, Aunt Brenda looked ready to jump through the phone and tear him apart. “Don’t you dare talk nonsense! I’ll rip your mouth off! I don’t have a secret child, and my son is perfectly fine!” “I AM YOUR SON! Don’t you understand me? I’m about to be sentenced to death! If I go down, your comfortable life goes down with me!” Wesley was right about that. Aunt Brenda’s family used to be dirt-poor. If Wesley hadn’t struck out and found success, starting his own business, she would never have lived this life of a suburban socialite, thanks to my lazy, good-for-nothing uncle. She was the one stopping me from saving him. I was now morbidly curious to see the look on her face when she realized she was responsible for her son’s ruin. “I’m about to go to trial, you need to immediately transfer…” Wesley’s words were cut off as Aunt Brenda furiously hung up the phone. She muttered curses under her breath. “The New Year isn’t even over and he’s cursing himself? My son is not in trouble!” She was utterly convinced. I snatched my phone back from her. Her eyes held a menacing glint, reminding me of a protective mother wolf I’d seen as a child in the countryside. “Sienna Thorne, you malicious bitch! How dare you curse my son! I almost fell for your trick!” She raised her hand to hit me again, but this time I grabbed her wrist and shoved her back hard. “You almost had a chance to save your son,” I said, my voice flat. I sighed dramatically. “Well, I guess fate decided otherwise. The two million dollars you didn’t want to pay? You don’t have to pay it now.” She sneered. “You know you can’t scam me, don’t you? You think you can overpower me because you’re young? I’m calling everyone outside! I’ll make sure you can never work in this town again!” She stormed out of Wesley’s mansion and yelled at the top of her lungs: “Everyone come look! My husband’s nephew’s shameless daughter drove my son’s car without permission—and that’s not all! She hired someone to impersonate my son and tried to scam two million dollars from us!” Within minutes, a crowd gathered outside Wesley’s house. I knew exactly what Aunt Brenda was doing. Wesley lived in a wealthy, exclusive enclave. These non-profit, high-net-worth neighbors were my potential clients. Ruining my reputation here would dry up my business pipeline. Too bad her plan was flawed. With my current standing and connections, I didn’t have time for these small-scale local cases anyway. The crowd buzzed with gossip: “That young girl, so malicious?” “Two million dollars! That’s felony territory. She dared to try that?” “Why wouldn’t she? Young girls these days all try to be mistresses. I caught one just last week! Scamming a little money is nothing. She’s just unlucky to be caught.” Aunt Brenda put on a poor victim act. “You all know how generous my family is to relatives. I never thought she’d take advantage of us like this.” “Look closely, everyone! She’s a lawyer! If you ever need legal counsel, you better be careful!” She gave me a smug, victorious look. “She’s a lawyer? I heard that crowd is nothing but trouble.” “Tell me about it. The lawyer my husband hired last month was a young thing. She even dared to text me and provoke me! This one probably just wants to be a homewrecker, too.” “If she’s trying to scam money, she’s probably been a mistress as well.” “Let’s take pictures quickly so we can warn our friends.” Aunt Brenda beamed as they snapped photos, feeling completely vindicated. Take your pictures, I thought. My assistant has plenty of time to file defamation lawsuits against every single one of you. I’ll make a profit on it. Someone eventually called the police. A siren wailed in the distance. Two officers arrived, asked a few simple questions, and escorted both Aunt Brenda and me to the precinct. I glanced at my watch. Wesley’s hearing had definitely ended.

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