Category: English

I was in the bathroom stall when I heard the new hire at the sink outside, loudly sharing good news with his family. “I passed my probation! They’re starting me at $12,000 a month!” I sat there in silence. I’ve been at this company for six years. Year 1: Starting salary $6,000. No raise. Year 2: Salary $6,000. Year-end raise of 5%, adding a whopping $300. Year 3, 4, 5: Salary stagnant at $6,300. Year 6: HR just told me I’m getting another 5% raise next year. Total: $6,615. I currently manage the execution of five major projects. I was so overwhelmed they hired three juniors for me to train. The newest one just passed probation. His starting salary is $12,000. Almost double what I make after six years of blood, sweat, and tears. I walked out of the bathroom, went straight to the HR office, and resigned. The HR Manager, Linda, was shocked. “Why?” “The pay sucks, and I’m done.” 1 Linda stared at me for a full thirty seconds, stunned. “Chloe, don’t be impulsive.” “I’m not being impulsive,” I said. “I should have said this six years ago.” Since graduating, I’ve dedicated six full years to this company. In that time, I went from a lowly intern to managing the execution of five key accounts. Operations, client relations—nothing happens without me. To help me handle the load, the boss hired three interns at the beginning of the year specifically to assist me. And my reward for years of loyalty? My base salary went from $6,000 to $6,615. Meanwhile, the male intern who just passed probation starts at $12,000. “Linda, I don’t want to waste words. Please process my resignation as soon as possible.” Linda’s expression turned sour. “But Chloe, you’re handling five key projects right now. Quitting like this isn’t very professional, is it?” “Professional?” I laughed. When I joined, this company wasn’t even a real office. The boss and employees—less than ten of us—crammed into a tiny 200-square-foot room. No AC in the summer, no heat in the winter, unpaid overtime every single day. I endured it all. Relying on the sheer adrenaline of a fresh grad, I helped build this place from a failing startup to a company that rents four floors of a downtown office building. And today I find out the intern makes double my salary. “Linda, do you know how much I make a month?” “$6,615.” “For that money, I average three hours of overtime a day. I’m revising proposals at midnight. Even when I went home for Thanksgiving, one call from the boss had me working on the train.” “The male intern who just got hired? He’s been here three months. Clocks in on the dot, leaves on the dot. Last week he messed up a meeting time, and five department heads came to me to complain.” “Yet his base salary is $12,000.” “And you want to talk to me about being professional?” Linda fell silent. After a long pause, she finally spoke. “Well, who told you to be a woman?” “Excuse me?” I stared at her, thinking I misheard. Linda pressed her lips together and sighed. “I thought you understood how the world works.” “You’re a woman, twenty-eight years old. You’re going to get married and have kids soon. Wedding leave, maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks… that adds up to almost a year off.” “Plus, everyone knows that after women get married, their focus shifts. Their productivity drops.” “The boss is worried you won’t be able to balance work and family. You have to consider the company’s costs.” Her words were like knives, stabbing deep into my chest. I didn’t even have time to process the absurdity before I instinctively asked: “What about you? You’re five years older than me. Your second kid is in kindergarten.” “How much do you make?” Linda smirked, replying casually: “$8,000. But the CEO, Mr. Wang, is my cousin.” One sentence destroyed my entire argument. I thought of the countless all-nighters I pulled for this company over the last three years. The endless cups of instant noodles I ate at my desk to meet deadlines. The training courses I paid for out of my own pocket to improve my skills. I worked so hard, suffered so much, and in the end, it all amounted to nothing against the boss’s one sentence: You are a woman. Because I’m a woman, everything I did for the company means less than a male intern who can’t even schedule a meeting. Because I don’t have connections, I don’t deserve a fair wage, even though the company would collapse without me. All because of what’s between my legs. I suddenly laughed. “Okay,” I stood up. “I understand.” Linda blinked. “Understand what?” I didn’t reply. I opened the door and walked out. I understood that this company has been rotten from the inside for six years. 2 I opened my desk drawer and pulled out a new voice recorder pen I bought recently. Originally for meeting minutes, it was now my only weapon. I slipped it into my shirt pocket. A cup of coffee was placed in front of me. It was Ryan, my boyfriend of three years. He’s half a level above me. “Linda said you’re resigning?” I didn’t look up. “Yeah.” “Because of the salary?” My hand paused. I looked at him. “You knew?” He hesitated. “I knew.” “How much do you make a month?” Because we weren’t married, I never asked. But now, I was curious. Ryan’s eyes darted away. “$30,000. But I’m a Project Manager. You’re just in Operations. We’re different levels, of course it’s different.” I stared at him. “You were promoted to PM at the beginning of the year, but your salary hasn’t changed in two years.” “I started managing key accounts two years ago. My raise was 5%. I make less than a third of what you do.” “For six years, I’ve known every detail of every project. Every department waits for my signal to move.” “Without me, this company would be paralyzed by the afternoon. Not a single product would ship.” “Ryan, in this company, I am more important than you.” Ryan frowned. “So what? Ability doesn’t equal salary. Mr. Wang sets the wages. If you have a problem, go talk to him.” I stood up. “You’re right. I am going to talk to him.” I owed my six years an explanation. I walked toward the elevator. Ryan, startled, chased after me. “Chloe, don’t be impulsive!” I didn’t stop. I pressed the button. From the bullpen to the 5th floor, my mind replayed the last few years. Fresh out of college. I met Mr. Wang at a job fair. He was 37 then, just starting out. “Chloe, don’t look at our size now. We have dreams. We work hard. If you come, I promise you won’t be mistreated!” I believed him. Year 1. A residential apartment. Hot in summer, freezing in winter. As the only girl, Mr. Wang was considerate. He gave me an extra $500 a month as a “hardship allowance.” “Chloe, a top-tier grad like you deserves better. Sorry for the conditions.” Back then, everyone else made $4,000. I started at $6,000. Year 2. Things looked up. We moved to an office building. I got my first office. Mr. Wang was thrilled and gave me a 5% raise. A whole $300. That same year, Ryan joined as my subordinate. Starting salary: $8,000. Year 3. I worked myself to the bone, revising proposals sixteen times in two weeks, and finally landed the Apex Group account. The company made a fortune and finally took off. My reward? A cheap plaque and the responsibility of managing all key accounts. Mr. Wang patted my shoulder earnestly: “Chloe, I knew I picked the right person. The company relies on you.” That year, I was 25. Salary: $6,300. Year 4, Year 5. I brought in more projects. The company leased four floors. But I lost my office. Ryan was promoted to Manager, and he needed the space. Mr. Wang had developed a beer belly by then. His eyes were always yellow and muddy from drinking. “Chloe, don’t blame me. This promotion is because your talents are needed with clients, not sitting in an office.” He smoked a cigar, acting like he was doing me a favor. “Ryan joined later and hasn’t sold much, but he’s a man. It’s easier for him to drink with clients. And sometimes the staff needs a strong hand—a man just commands more authority, right?” I was naive then. I thought, he’s right, I hate office politics. As long as the boss values me, who cares about a title? But now, hearing Ryan say “We’re different levels” so self-righteously… I felt like a clown. The elevator dinged at the 5th floor. I took a deep breath, walked to the CEO’s office, and knocked. 3 “Come in.” Mr. Wang was smoking. Seeing me, he snubbed out the cigarette. “Linda told me about you resigning.” He poured me a glass of water personally. “I understand you’re unhappy with the pay. But you’re a veteran here. The company invested so much in you. Leaving like this isn’t very professional, is it?” That word again. I held the water cup, looking at him calmly. “Mr. Wang, I’ve been here six years. My salary is $6,615. The intern has been here three months. His salary is $12,000.” Mr. Wang’s face stiffened, then he put on a fatherly expression. “Yes, the salary oversight is my fault. How about this? I’ll give you another raise. 5%. How does that sound?” $6,615 plus 5% is roughly $6,945. Not even $7,000. Still $5,000 less than the intern. I didn’t back down. “Mr. Wang, I followed you for six years. In the hardest times, we didn’t even have a water cooler. We brought our own toilet paper.” “Back then, you paid me $2,000 more than everyone else.” “Now the company is thriving. The smallest project I manage is worth $5 million. Yet you won’t even pay me the same as an intern. Why?” I stared at him, waiting for the answer that would kill my hope completely. Mr. Wang twitched his mouth, reaching for his cigarettes. “Chloe, I didn’t want to say this, but since you insist: It’s because you’re a woman!” “A woman?” “Yes. A woman.” The fat on his face shook. “I’ve looked into it. In Fortune 500 companies, do you know the percentage of female executives? 21%! Some don’t have any. What does that tell you? Women are naturally inferior to men.” “But my performance is the best in the company,” I retorted. Mr. Wang scoffed. “So what? Aren’t you about to marry Ryan?” I froze. “So?” “So you have no value anymore.” He analyzed it for me seriously. “Once you marry Ryan, you’ll have to be a good wife. Once you have kids, you’ll have to be a good mother.” “How will you balance work and family? You’ll take wedding leave, maternity leave, parental leave. Who pays for the company’s loss?” “Plus, everyone knows women get ‘mommy brain’ after marriage. You’re 28. Soon you’ll be 30, then menopause. There are tons of young people out there. Why should I hire you?” My eyes were dead. I spoke calmly. “My performance is good.” “For a woman to have such good numbers, who knows who she slept with,” Mr. Wang muttered. “My capability is strong.” “How strong can it be? The manager is still your boyfriend, Ryan,” he sneered. “I’ve been here six years. I have the most seniority.” “That’s why I didn’t fire you. I gave you a raise. 5% is not a little.” I went silent, staring at the water cup. Mr. Wang patted my shoulder. “Alright, don’t be mad. I’ll round it up to $7,000. Forget about resigning. Work hard, and the company won’t treat you badly.” “By the way, the signing ceremony with Apex Group is tomorrow, right? Prepare well. It’s our biggest project this year. Don’t disappoint me.” Apex Group was a partner I had cultivated for three years. They were famous for their culture of “Respecting Women in the Workplace.” And coincidentally, their newly appointed CEO, Ms. Shen, was a successful woman who had suffered workplace discrimination herself. I looked up at the smiling Mr. Wang and stood. “Rest assured, Mr. Wang. I won’t disappoint you.” I turned and left. In my pocket, the recording pen and the mini-camera were still glowing with a faint red light. 4 That night, I had insomnia. I wasn’t sure if I could get justice tomorrow. I only knew that someone had to do something. And I was willing to be that person. At 8:00 AM, I arrived at the office as usual. Linda knew about my talk with Mr. Wang. She looked at me with pity. At 10:00 AM, Ryan asked me to lunch to celebrate not getting fired. “Thank god Mr. Wang is a good person and didn’t hold your tantrum against you. If my mom knew you were unemployed, she’d never let us get married.” I picked up my tray and left without giving him a glance. At 3:00 PM, Mr. Wang arrived. He walked into the bullpen, announcing proudly: “To celebrate landing the Apex Group project, I had Linda prepare a big bonus for everyone!” “Boss is the best!” “Thank you Mr. Wang!” Linda handed out the red envelopes. The male assistant who had been here three years gasped: “$5,000! Boss is too generous!” “I got $5,000 too! Working for Mr. Wang pays off!” A male colleague seven years my senior laughed until his eyes disappeared. Next to me, Vivi opened hers and muttered, “Why only $3,000?” “Me too.” The ones getting $3,000 were all women. “Whatever, $3,000 is better than nothing.” “But I do just as much work as the guys. Why?” Yeah, why? I opened my envelope. Five crisp bills. $500. “Chloe, don’t mind. I just gave you a raise yesterday. If I give you too much bonus, others might talk.” Mr. Wang explained with a smile, watching my reaction closely. He was trying to “tame” me. I didn’t argue. I accepted the envelope calmly. “Thank you, Mr. Wang.” At 7:00 PM, the Apex Group cars arrived. Ms. Shen led her delegation into the hall. Mr. Wang and Ryan greeted them eagerly. At 7:30 PM, the ceremony began. Mr. Wang took the stage: “We are grateful to Apex Group for this opportunity. Since our first collaboration, we have upheld the values of openness, fairness, and justice…” He spoke eloquently. In the VIP seat, Ms. Shen looked satisfied. She took the mic: “We trust your capabilities. However, more than capability, we care about whether your values of fairness and justice extend to your employees, especially regarding gender equality.” Mr. Wang stiffened for a second, then laughed. “Of course, of course.” Before he could finish, the big screen on stage went black. A few seconds later, the conversation between Mr. Wang and me echoed through the hall. “You women are naturally inferior to men…”

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A business trip, one too many drinks, and I ended up in bed with my boss. I woke up in the middle of the night, sobered by sheer panic, and made a run for it. The moment I got home in the pre-dawn gloom, I scrambled to check my bank account. An hour later, my heart sinking with every passing second, I had no choice but to call my boss. “Mr. Kingsley? I was just calling to see if you were satisfied with the VVIP service I arranged for you last night.” Silence. Then, his signature deep voice, raspy with sleep and a faint London accent, crackled through the phone. “I was drunk, Abby, not erased. Now get your ass back here and pick me up.” Me: Picking you up is not an option. But I can arrange for you to be… disposed of. 1 The company had just transferred a new boss from our London office. Marcus Kingsley. Young, rich, and so handsome it was almost unfair. He made all the other so-called “elites” in the office, who had seemed perfectly presentable before, look like absolute trolls. In the two months he’d been with us, Marcus had proven himself to be low-key in person but extravagant in his methods. He’d silently bulldozed through a year’s worth of backlogged problems, solving them all without breaking a sweat. At the quarterly review, our department didn’t just become number one; we also walked away with the largest team bonus. The old-timers who used to mutter about “overseas transfers being all style, no substance” suddenly shut their mouths. They were now the first to offer a friendly word or try to claim some distant connection. And once everyone knew Marcus was single, the women in the office went on the offensive. Take Jessica, for instance, widely considered the office bombshell. Her skirts got shorter, and whenever she went to Marcus’s office, she practically tried to sign documents from his lap. But Marcus deflected every advance with infuriating, effortless grace. After six months, the female troops had all retreated, defeated and demoralized. One day, they were all gathered in the breakroom, comparing notes and discovering that none of them had succeeded. There was a certain camaraderie in their shared failure. After a round of jokes, someone’s gaze landed on me. “If I remember correctly, Abby’s the only one who hasn’t thrown herself at Mr. Kingsley. What’s the matter? Not your type?” Marcus Kingsley had a face that could start a war. He was lean in a suit, but you just knew he was hiding a body that was pure muscle. Who wouldn’t be tempted? Besides, with everyone else so obviously trying, saying I wasn’t interested would just make me sound arrogant. That’s a major workplace sin. So, I quickly defended myself. “No way! I threw myself at him long before you all did. He just wasn’t catching.” “When?” The entire room was suddenly buzzing with gossip. I pretended to think hard. “The day he started. My heel got stuck in the elevator gap, and I stumbled right into his arms. Total coincidence.” It was a true story. He had steadied me by the waist, a small smile playing on his lips as he’d murmured, “Careful.” “Pfft, that was an accident,” they all laughed. I laughed along with them, deciding to come clean. “Look, a handsome face is nice, but I’m a woman who loves her money. I’m on a mission to save two million dollars so I can quit the rat race and retire to my quiet hometown. Men are nowhere near as important as cash.” As soon as the words left my mouth, the glass door to the breakroom slid open. Marcus Kingsley stood there, phone in hand. I had no idea how long he’d been listening. “Abby,” he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Pack your bags. We’re going on a business trip. Here’s your chance to make some money.” Me: … Everyone else scattered like startled birds. 2 It was my first business trip with Marcus in the six months he’d been here. The driver, Ben, was already waiting downstairs. He saw me get out of my cab and even helped with my luggage. As we were chatting, Marcus came down, a laptop bag in one hand, deep in a phone call. He handed the bag to me, his eyes gesturing for me to get in the car first. I settled into my seat, and he continued his call for another couple of minutes. Through the window, I unabashedly sized him up. He really was gorgeous. A perfect six-foot-two frame, a meticulously styled haircut, a strong nose, and sharp, intelligent eyes. When he wasn’t smiling, he had an untouchable air, but when he did, he was like a dangerously charming fox. No wonder women were falling all over him. I’d heard rumors that models and actresses were pursuing him. Who would be the lucky one to finally snag him? Marcus hung up and pulled open the car door. Our eyes met. He gave me a quick, assessing glance, then another. I immediately straightened up, staring straight ahead, trying to suppress the frantic beating of my heart and project an aura of pure professionalism. Then I heard him speak. “Move over.” Three seconds later, I practically launched myself to the other side of the car as if the seat were on fire. “Oh! Right, of course.” Marcus got in and closed the door. As the car pulled away, I turned to stare out my window, my mind racing. Damn it, that was so embarrassing! 3 On the road, Marcus took two more calls before turning his attention to me. “You’re from Aspen Creek, aren’t you, Miss Clark?” “Yes, I am.” He smiled, his long fingers tapping a rhythm on his thigh. They looked strong. “Aspen Creek is beautiful. A real gem.” “You’ve been?” “My family used to spend summers there sometimes, to escape the heat.” I instantly pictured the ridiculously expensive summer villas in the new district of my hometown. A wave of resentment toward the wealthy washed over me. Strangely, that feeling steadied my nerves. “It is,” I said, my voice gaining confidence. “It’s a famous summer destination. They’ve built a lot of new tourist spots in recent years. It’s a great place to relax…” Once I started talking about my hometown, I couldn’t stop. It was, after all, the reason I was so obsessed with saving enough money to quit. “I’ll have to visit again sometime,” Marcus said, smoothly ending my monologue and transitioning to work. The task for this trip wasn’t complicated, but the client was notoriously difficult. Everyone who had tried to deal with him before had failed, which was why Marcus had to handle it personally. My own skills were in meticulous attention to detail, not in blazing new trails, which I guessed was why he’d brought me along. When we met the client, he was just as difficult as advertised. A slippery old snake. You’d talk about work, he’d talk about gourmet food, the stock market, investment opportunities. You’d bring up contract terms, he’d lecture you on the art of relationships, quoting ancient philosophers. It was enough to make even someone with my patience want to start throwing things. Marcus, however, remained calm, intercepting a glass of wine meant for me. “Mr. Peterson, why don’t we continue this tomorrow? I hear there’s another club with fantastic grilled fish.” “Excellent! It’s a date, then.” After we sent the drunken Mr. Peterson on his way, I stood fuming in the parking lot. “Mr. Kingsley, do you think he’s ever going to sign?” For a fleeting moment, a harsh, predatory light glinted in Marcus’s eyes, vanishing so quickly I thought I’d imagined it. “Oh, he’ll sign,” he said with a soft, dangerous laugh. “Or I’ll kill him.” 4 A shiver went down my spine. I felt like I had just glimpsed a very dark, very real side of him. So much for the refined gentleman. Marcus told me to get in the car. We’d both had a bit too much to drink, and the drive back was long. Before I knew it, I had drifted off. When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Marcus with his arms half-wrapped around me, his eyes closed, his head nodding with sleep. The slightest movement from me caused his hand to tighten on my shoulder, as if to keep me from sliding off the seat. I froze, not daring to move an inch. We finally pulled up to the hotel. Before Marcus could even open his eyes, I scrambled out of his grasp like a whirlwind, tossing a single sentence behind me as I bolted. “I think I’m gonna be sick! Going back to my room!” I didn’t dare look back to see his expression. Back in my room, soaking in the bathtub, my head started to clear. I splashed my hot face with water, trying to calm myself down. It’s just a hug, what’s the big deal? It’s common courtesy. He’s a gentleman. He wasn’t going to let his female colleague fall onto the floor of the car, right? He couldn’t possibly be interested in me. I was just overthinking it. With that thought, I relaxed. But just as I finished my bath, there was a knock at the door. “Who is it?” I called out. After a short pause, Marcus’s low voice came from the other side. “It’s me. Open the door…” … “Mr. Kingsley? Is something wrong? I was just about to go to sleep.” I could almost hear him gritting his teeth. “Just open the door.” I had no choice. I cinched my robe tight and went to the door, cracking it open just a sliver. I peered out at him through the gap. “What can I do for you, Mr. Kingsley?” He was still wearing the same clothes from dinner, though he’d ditched the jacket. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up, revealing toned forearms that radiated raw power. He looked annoyed. He took a step back, planting his hands on his hips. “Come out here.” I shook my head. “To prevent myself from doing anything inappropriate to you, I think it’s best I stay in here.” Marcus looked up at the ceiling as if praying for patience, then tried to reason with the drunkard. “I’d like to see what kind of ‘inappropriate things’ you have in mind. Get out here.” I was resolute. “For the sake of my two-million-dollar retirement fund, I cannot risk offending my boss.” That was the last straw. With a huff of exasperation, he threw a small white box onto the floor in front of the door and stalked off. As he left, he shot one last threat over his shoulder. “You’d better remember that two million dollars for the rest of your life!” !!! 5 After he left, I picked up the white box. Hangover pills. He was actually kind of thoughtful. The next morning, looking at the opened box of pills on my nightstand, I cringed at the memory of my drunken antics. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. I went downstairs and knocked on Marcus’s door to ask about the day’s plan. He opened it just a crack before turning and walking back into the room. His voice, cool and echoing slightly, floated out to me. “Miss Clark, if you can’t control yourself, you can deliver your reports from the hallway from now on.” I sighed in frustration. He was never going to let this go. I pushed the door open a little wider, slipped inside, and closed it behind me. “Mr. Kingsley, I brought you some breakfast…” I trailed off, my eyes widening at the scene before me. The six-foot-two man was standing by the fridge, drinking water, with nothing but a towel wrapped low around his hips. As he tilted his head back, a single drop of water traced a path down his long neck, over his sharp Adam’s apple, across a chiseled pec, and down his hard abs, finally disappearing beneath the edge of the towel. And the man was completely oblivious to how ridiculously tempting he looked. He finished drinking and turned to look at me, a smirk on his face. He let out a soft “Hah,” as if mocking me for being all talk and no action. “So, figured out how you’re going to have your wicked way with me yet?” he teased. My face flushed a deep crimson. I quickly looked away. “Mr. Kingsley, I was really drunk last night. Please, just make fun of me and get it over with.” He chuckled again, then turned and went into the bedroom to change without another word. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I really couldn’t handle him like this. We didn’t go out that morning. Marcus had me and another assistant review all our preliminary work from the beginning, looking for any oversights. If the problem wasn’t on our end, then our client had ulterior motives. Marcus supervised personally, double-checking every clause, especially the penalty fees and financial figures. He had changed into a pair of light grey casual pants and a matching knit sweater. The v-neck dipped just low enough to offer a tantalizing glimpse of his impressive physique. Yet his demeanor was once again cool and refined, as if the man who had been teasing me in a towel was a different person entirely. When Marcus worked, he was meticulous. He could spot a misplaced comma from a mile away. His level of professionalism was undeniable. The problem was, he was also young, and handsome, and… sexy, and… “Daydreaming?” Lost in thought, I snapped back to reality. I’d been staring at his face for three solid minutes. I quickly recomposed myself, chanting my mantra: This is the time for making money, not for lusting after men. “You have a great eye for detail, Mr. Kingsley,” I said, offering a clumsy compliment. He leaned back in his chair, stretching. “Draft a new contract with these revisions and send it to Mr. Peterson. If he still won’t sign, we’ll put it on hold.” On hold? I thought he was in a hurry. I couldn’t keep up with his thought process. We sent the revised contract. It was met with radio silence. As expected, Mr. Peterson was still not satisfied. Just as he’d said, Marcus put the deal on hold. No more dinner invitations for Mr. Peterson. The next day, Marcus announced he was taking me to a private cocktail party. I was confused, but at the party, I saw him: Mr. Peterson’s boss. After a bit of schmoozing from Marcus, the big boss was practically beaming at us, expressing his enthusiasm for our company. My eyes lit up. Was Marcus planning to cut out the middleman entirely? Ha! When that bald old snake Peterson found out, he was going to lose his mind. I gave Marcus a mental thumbs-up. The man was a genius. Our efforts paid off. Not only did we land a massive deal, but we also bypassed the middleman, opening up a whole new, more direct business channel. On the night we celebrated our success, Marcus took a lot of drinks for me. As a result, both of us ended up completely hammered. On the way back, Marcus was walking straight, seemingly steady. But the moment we got in the car, he started trying to wrestle the keys from our driver, Ben. “Ben, you’ve worked hard. Go on, take the night off. I’ll drive.” Ben looked like he was about to have a heart attack. “Mr. Kingsley, you’ve been drinking! You can’t drive!” Marcus turned to me. “Did I drink?” I answered with perfect seriousness. “Nope. You drank amnesia water. Ah, give me a cup of amnesia water…” Ben looked like his head was about to explode. When we got back to the hotel, I heard Marcus waving Ben off in the lobby. “Thanks for everything. Go home.” “Are you sure you don’t need me to help you up, sir?” Ben asked, his voice laced with worry. Marcus shook his head. “I’m fine. I know the way.” And then, he steadily followed me into my room and collapsed onto my bed. I was drunk too, but at least I wasn’t causing a scene. I stared at him, exasperated. “This is my room.” He looked at me with grave seriousness. “I paid for it.” I was speechless. I was starting to suspect he was faking it. Annoyed, I tried to pull him up. “Get up. This is my bed.” He looked at me lazily, not budging. “Could be mine.” I snapped. “If you don’t get up, I’ll do something inappropriate to you.” Even drunk, his tone was laced with that same mocking challenge. “Hah,” he scoffed, then added in a slow, infuriating drawl, “Go ahead. I dare you.” Me: Deep breaths, Abby. Deep breaths. Hadn’t anyone ever told him not to use reverse psychology on a drunk person? Looking at this infuriatingly handsome mix of innocent college boy and refined gentleman, I lost all control and pounced. Whatever. He asked for it. The moment I lunged, he caught me, and in one smooth motion, flipped us over, pinning me beneath him. My last conscious thought before passing out was a big question mark. Didn’t that move seem a little too smooth, a little too… premeditated? Like a fisherman who had finally hooked his catch?

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The apocalypse had dawned, and I was the team’s sole lucky charm. As long as I stood there in my pretty dress, no infected creature dared approach within ten miles. Tyler and the others treated me like fragile porcelain, terrified I might stumble or bruise myself. That was until they rescued Commander Valerie Stone, a woman brimming with fierce conviction. From the moment she arrived, she couldn’t stomach the sight of me eating the best canned food and sleeping on the softest bed. Her mouth was full of talk about “equality for all” and “no freeloaders.” When a zombie horde swept in, everyone was busy building defenses. I was sipping my caramel latte, trying to calm my nerves. Valerie stormed over, slapped the cup from my hand, and, grabbing my hair, shoved me towards the advancing tide. “Everyone else is fighting tooth and nail, why do you get special treatment? If you’re an ability user, then get to the front lines and kill!” I stumbled into the muddy water, tears streaming down my face. “Please, I’m scared of getting hurt, and my ability… it doesn’t work that way.” She kicked me out of the safety zone. “Excuses! You’re just a cowardly, spoiled brat, a useless burden!” Before I could react, a hard combat boot slammed into my lower back, sending me sprawling. … “Ah!” I landed in a puddle of mud just outside the fortress perimeter. My lace dress was soaked through, my knees scraping against sharp stones. I cradled the half empty caramel latte still in my hand, but then a heavy military boot came down. Smash! The cup shattered, splashing latte all over my face. “Drinking? You’re a joke!” Valerie Stone, clad in a combat vest, grabbed my hair, forcing my head back. “See that? That’s reality! Not your childish games!” My gaze was wrenched towards the undulating mass of infected, less than five hundred yards from our defensive line. Tyler had told me I was a fragment of divine grace, humanity’s last pure spot, and my ability was the Sanctuary. As long as I stayed happy and undefiled, I could project a field of absolute safety. But now I was covered in mud, my dress shredded. The infected, sensing the shift, turned their hollow, grey eyes towards me in unison. “Hnnnngh—” A chorus of guttural growls filled the air. I started trembling uncontrollably. “Please, I can’t… my ability isn’t for combat.” “Tyler? Don’t you dare try to use the Captain’s name against me!” Valerie yanked me to my feet and shoved me again, towards the horde. “Still lying? What do you mean ‘can’t get dirty’? You’re just pampered and terrified! Today, I’m going to make you see some blood! Go! Kill one of them for me!” I stumbled through the barbed wire gate, my foot slipped, and I fell, landing less than fifty yards from the nearest infected. It was a business-suited zombie, missing half its head, tilting to the side, making a rattling sound in its throat. It shuffled towards me, step by agonizing step. I squeezed my eyes shut, wrapping my arms around my head. One second, two seconds… The pain I anticipated never came. Instead, an eerie silence settled around me. I tentatively opened my eyes. The suited infected had stopped ten yards away, rigid, paralyzed with fear. Even though my dress was dirty, the lingering essence of my Sanctuary still held them back. They dared not touch me. “Ha! Hahahaha! Did everyone see that? These infected are nothing but idiots!” Valerie strode over, grabbed the back of my collar, and dragged me back. “I knew you were faking it! These zombies are pathetically weak, and you were scared senseless?” I struggled, my fingernails digging into the mud. “No! It’s because I’m here! That’s why they didn’t move! Let me go, I need to wash and change, or the aura will vanish!” “Wash?” Valerie abruptly released me, sending me sprawling onto the base’s concrete plaza. Survivors gathered, bowls in hand. With Tyler around, no one had dared speak, but now, the suppressed jealousy surged forth. “Listen, everyone!” Valerie stood on a stone, pointing at my mud streaked form. “This is your so called ‘lucky charm’! I just threw her at the infected, and they completely ignored her! It proves that the zombies out there aren’t so terrifying! We’ve all been deceived by her!” “She’s been exploiting your fear, spinning lies to get fed and housed! This kind of parasite deserves to be exterminated by all!” Whispers erupted from the crowd. “She’s right, I saw it too. The infected really didn’t move.” “Could we have really been fooled all this time? There’s no such thing as an aura?” “Damn it, last time I almost got my leg bitten off trying to find her a bottle of shampoo!” “No…” I shook my head, trying to explain, but my throat was too dry to make a sound. “Still making excuses?” Valerie sneered, drawing a combat knife as she advanced. “Since you’re so fond of looking pretty, so obsessed with cleanliness, then I’ll help you cure that nasty habit!” “What are you doing…” I shrank back, but Valerie snatched at the hem of my dress. Rip! The lace skirt was sliced open by Valerie’s knife. “No! Tyler gave me this!” I shrieked, lunging to grab it back. This wasn’t just a dress; it was the conduit for my ability, my sole source of security. Smack! Valerie backhanded me across the face, making my ears ring. “Tyler, Tyler! Are you utterly helpless without a man to cling to?” Valerie looked at me with disgust. “This is the apocalypse! Only warriors survive! Not women like you!” Her hand moved swiftly, rip, rip, rip, and in a few swift slashes, the once full and elegant dress was reduced to a pile of shredded fabric. The cold wind bit into my skin; I was left in nothing but a thin camisole. The shame was a sharper sting than the cold. Catcalls and crude laughter erupted, men’s gazes raking over my exposed skin. “What are you looking at!” Valerie snapped, glaring back at them, then kicked a dark, lumpy object towards me. It was a set of oil-stained, blood-splattered camouflage fatigues. A patch of rotting flesh clung to the collar, reeking of decay. “Put it on,” she commanded. “It belonged to Old Man Beckett, who died yesterday.” I stared at the clothes, my stomach clenching. I had an inherent fastidiousness, a core component of my power. Donning those clothes, tainted with death, would irrevocably corrupt the Sanctuary. “I won’t wear it… please, find me something clean…” I begged, tears streaming down my face. “Clean? Where do you think you are?” Valerie grabbed me, roughly forcing the filthy clothes over my head. “You’re asking for trouble, aren’t you? If you don’t want to wear them, then you can just go naked!” Her rough fingers dug into my skin, leaving raw red marks as the death tainted uniform was brutally forced onto me. In that instant, I distinctly felt the power within me extinguish, and the world grew cold and bleak. Boom— The sky turned an ominous, bruised red. The warning lights on the perimeter fence buzzed faintly. I glanced in that direction, my heart seizing. It was the warning of an ability collapse; the horde was about to retaliate. “Do you hear that?” I grabbed at Valerie’s combat trousers. “Something’s wrong out there! Get everyone to the bunkers!” Valerie merely kicked me aside, glanced at the sky, and snorted. “Don’t spread your fear mongering. That’s just thunder! What, are you scared of a storm now?” She turned to the crowd. “See that? This is your so called ‘lucky charm’!” “The slightest disturbance, and she’s pissing herself in terror! From today on, you’re Survivor 9527! Since you eat our rations, you’ll do our work!” Valerie pointed towards the medical tent. “That’s the quarantine zone. Hundreds of bloodied uniforms from the front lines are piled in there. You’ll wash them. No food until you’re done!” A cheer erupted from the crowd, but only Old Man Silas, his apron stained with grease, pushed his way forward. “Commander Stone, you mustn’t…” Old Man Silas fell to his knees, kowtowing. “The girl’s skin is too delicate. Those clothes in quarantine are crawling with pathogens! One scratch, and she could turn! If you need help, I’ll go wash them!” Valerie walked up to Old Man Silas, looking down at him. “Old fool, who asked you to speak?” “Since you’re so keen on playing the good samaritan, so concerned for her…” Crack! Valerie raised her foot and stomped, directly crushing Old Man Silas’s shin bone. “Ah—!” Old Man Silas screamed, clutching his leg, rolling on the ground as cold sweat drenched his clothes. “Old Man Silas!” I rushed forward to help him, but Valerie seized my hair, pulling me up. “That’s the consequence of defying me. Does anyone else want to plead for her?” The entire plaza fell silent. No one dared move. Valerie leaned close to my face, whispering, “See? You caused this. You caused him to break his leg. This is the original sin of the weak.” It was psychological warfare. “I hate you…” I bit out, glaring at her. “You’ll regret this… you’ll pay for it!” Smack! Another slap, making my ears ring even louder. “Get him out of here,” Valerie ordered, pointing at the groaning Old Man Silas. “This base doesn’t shelter freeloaders.” “No!” I clung to Old Man Silas, desperate. “He’s our cook! He can still make meals! You can’t do this!” “Cook? Anyone with hands can cook!” Valerie waved her hand, and two burly men, their faces expressionless, hoisted Old Man Silas and dragged him towards the main gate. “My girl… survive… you must survive…” Old Man Silas looked back at me, tears streaming down his face. In that moment, a vital thread inside me snapped. I felt no pain, no fear. Only a cold, searing hatred spread through my body. If they didn’t need a Sanctuary, then let this entire goddamn world descend into hell. One kilometer outside the base, a colossal, black scaled monstrosity burst from the earth. It sniffed the air, detecting the fading sacred aura, and a raw, hateful stench of blood filled the air. The quarantine zone’s washroom reeked of disinfectant and blood. In the tin basin before me, dozens of bloodied clothes soaked. The water had turned blackish red, greasy scum floating on its surface. My hands were numb, high concentration disinfectant combined with zombie pathogens had left them covered in red rashes and blisters. But I scrubbed mechanically, my mind replaying only Old Man Silas’s desperate gaze before he was dragged out of the base. “9527! Hurry up!” The guard at the door hammered on the metal door with his rifle butt. This same guard had once brought me wildflowers, but now, his eyes held only disgust. Valerie had told everyone that if I didn’t finish washing the clothes, everyone’s dinner would be halved. She knew how to exploit human nature, turning me into the common enemy. “Just two more…” I mumbled, lowering my head to continue scrubbing, when suddenly the ground violently shook. The box of washing powder on the shelf toppled and shattered. “An earthquake?” The guard looked out, puzzled. Boom— Another deafening roar, and I could hear the walls cracking. Immediately, the piercing wail of a Level One Combat Alert ripped through the air. I stumbled, fell, and landed back in the filthy water. I knew it had come. The Zombie King, suppressed by the Sanctuary for three long years. I pushed myself up against the wall, reaching the window. Through the grimy glass, I saw a massive breach in the base’s perimeter wall. Tens of thousands of infected were clambering over the corpses of their own, pouring through the gap. At the very forefront was a three meter tall Brute. With every strike, it took a life. Screams, gunfire, and desperate cries exploded into chaos. The very people who had mocked me moments ago were now scrambling in terror. “Help! The infected are inside!” “How can this be? How did they get so strong, so fast? We can’t hold them! Run!” I couldn’t help but laugh at the scene, tears streaming down my face. This was what they wanted. Bang! The washroom door was kicked open. Valerie burst in, her left arm bleeding, her eyes wild. She lunged at me, grabbing my throat and lifting me off my feet. “You did this, didn’t you?!” “You led them here! How could the infected suddenly become so strong? You must have tampered with something!” Choking, my face turning crimson, my legs flailing, I managed to gasp out, “I… told you… I was… a good omen…” “To hell with your good omens!” Valerie threw me to the ground and dragged me towards the exit. “Since you brought them here, you’ll be responsible for leading them away!” “What are you doing?!” I desperately clawed at the ground, my fingernails tearing. “What am I doing?” Valerie looked back, a twisted smile on her face. “I’m going to hang you on the flagpole. The infected love eating flesh, don’t they? If they’re busy devouring you, we’ll have time to retreat! This is the most valuable thing you’ll ever do – a sacrifice for the collective!”

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The day I was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, I became the family’s “Porcelain Doll,” fragile and precious. The doctor warned that any shock could kill me instantly. So, my parents catered to my every whim, even sending my healthy younger brother to live with relatives in the countryside, just to give me a quiet environment. Until my eighteenth birthday. The whole family wept with joy. My brother, just brought back home, asked timidly: “Now that Sister survived, am I unwanted again?” That day, Dad kicked him hard for the first time, and Mom held me, crying, swearing she would never let me suffer. But on the night of my brother’s Valedictorian celebration party, when I clutched my chest, gasping for air… My mother, who always doted on me, suddenly twisted her face and slapped me: “Lily, how long are you going to act? Can’t you stand seeing your brother succeed?” “We owed him for eighteen years because of you. Now that he’s made something of himself, you want to ruin it?” “If you want to die, go die somewhere else! Don’t ruin today’s celebration with your bad luck!” She snatched my nitroglycerin pills, threw them into the sewer, and walked away, arm in arm with my brother. I couldn’t make a sound. In the suffocating pain, I watched their backs blur until everything went dark. 1 “Lily, how long are you going to play dead?” Mom’s voice pierced through the noise of the banquet hall, sharp and stinging. But I couldn’t answer. Because I was already dead. My soul floated in mid-air, watching my body, rapidly losing warmth, curled up in the shadows of the hotel’s back alley. That was my body. Face purple, eyes wide open, staring into nothingness. And my mother, Linda, stood a few meters away under the streetlamp. She impatiently checked her fresh manicure, her eyes full of disgust. “Enough, stop with the pity play.” “Today is Leo’s big day. If you dare come in and make a scene, I’ll pretend I never gave birth to you!” She cursed into the darkness a few more times. Receiving no response, she sneered and turned away. “Spoiled brat. Let her freeze out there. Once she’s cold enough, she’ll crawl back in.” She returned to the glittering banquet hall. There, my brother Leo was the star of the show. He wore a tailored suit, a red “Valedictorian” ribbon on his chest. My father, David, face glowing, raised his glass: “Thank you all! The proudest thing in my life is having a son as accomplished as Leo!” The crowd erupted in applause. No one remembered they had a daughter. A daughter who, ten minutes ago, knelt on the ground begging for medicine because her heart was failing. Back then, Leo held Mom’s arm, a barely noticeable smirk on his lips. He said: “Is Sister jealous of me? If she wants the spotlight, I can give the Valedictorian title to her.” Just that one sentence. And Mom’s slap landed on my face. The bottle of life-saving pills was thrown by her own hand into the stinking sewer. Now, that bottle lay quietly in the muck. Just like my cheap and ridiculous life. 2 Halfway through the party. Leo suddenly teared up, looking around. “Mom, Dad, where’s Sister?” “Her health is bad. She’s been out there for so long, will she be okay?” The guests praised him: “The Valedictorian is so kind-hearted, caring for his sibling.” Mom lovingly stroked his head: “You’re just too soft-hearted. That ungrateful wolf probably wants to die out there just to embarrass you.” Dad snorted: “Ignore her! It’ll be quieter if she’s dead!” I floated above them, watching this happy family of three. Though I had no physical body, phantom pain still radiated from my chest. Eighteen years. For eighteen whole years. Their acting was impeccable. To prevent shocking me, they always spoke to me in whispers. If I wanted strawberries, Dad would drive across town in the middle of the night to buy them. If I got a papercut, Mom would cry in distress. I thought I was the happiest “Porcelain Doll” in the world. Turns out, all this love had an expiration date. The expiration date was the day Leo became useful. “Ah—! Someone’s dead!” A piercing scream shattered the peace of the banquet hall. A waiter taking out trash stumbled in, face pale. “There’s… a woman dead at the back door!” The crowd went into an uproar. David frowned, his first reaction was annoyance at the bad luck. “Who died at the hotel? Call security to handle it, don’t disturb the guests!” The waiter pointed shakily outside: “N… no… it’s… it’s Miss Lily.” The air froze instantly. The smile on Linda’s face stiffened. She instinctively retorted: “Nonsense! She was arguing with me full of energy just now!” “She’s just trying to scare us! Lily, get out here!” She yelled at the door, but her voice started to tremble. No one answered. Only my cold body, carried in by the security guards who arrived moments later. Placed right on the expensive carpet in the center of the hall. 3 Seeing the body, Linda’s legs gave out, and she collapsed. Not from grief. I saw clearly; what flashed in her eyes was terror, the panic of a plan gone wrong. “How… how is she really dead?” She muttered to herself, crawling over to check my breath. Gone. “Lily! My daughter!” The next second, she burst into earth-shattering wails. “Why are you so silly! Mom just said a few angry words, how could you…” David’s eyes reddened too, rushing up to shake my corpse. “Doctor! Call a doctor!” The guests looked at each other, some sighing, some suspicious. Only Leo. He stood behind the crowd, looking down at my body. On his handsome face, there was not a trace of sadness. While our parents were wailing, he slowly squatted down. In a voice only he and I (if I were alive) could hear, he whispered in my ear: “Sister, you finally died.” “You occupied my place for eighteen years, enjoyed Mom and Dad’s love for eighteen years. It’s time to pay your debt.” “Did you know? I swapped those pills for vitamins yesterday.” “Whether Mom threw them or not, you were going to die today.” Boom— My soul trembled violently. So that was it. It wasn’t just favoritism. It was a premeditated murder. Leo stood up, put on a mask of utter grief, and threw himself into Linda’s arms. “Mom! Did Sister die because she blamed me…” “It’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have become Valedictorian! I shouldn’t have come back!” Linda hugged him tight, crying: “It’s not your fault! It’s her thin fate! She had no luck!” “My Leo, don’t blame yourself, Mom and Dad only have you now!” Watching this scene, I suddenly found it funny. I wanted to laugh, but tears of blood flowed instead. This was the family I treated as my life. If I could do it over. If I could start again… Extreme hatred made my soul begin to burn. The scene around me twisted, darkness surging like a tide. I will drag them all to hell! 4 “Now that Sister survived, am I unwanted again?” A timid voice, trembling with deliberate fear. I snapped my eyes open. I saw the familiar crystal chandelier and the living room filled with flowers. A familiar heartbeat came from my chest, weak but beating. I wasn’t dead? I instinctively touched my chest; my palm was warm. In front of me, eighteen-year-old Leo stood in a washed-out T-shirt, carrying a worn backpack, at the entryway. He kept his head down, but his eyes peeked through his bangs, secretly observing everyone’s reaction. This scene… It was my eighteenth birthday! And the first day Leo was brought back from the countryside. In my past life, after he said this, Dad was heartbroken, kicked him, and scolded him. Mom hugged me and cried, swearing I was the family’s only treasure. And I, foolishly guilty, offered to give him the best room. Inviting the wolf into the house. “Bastard! What nonsense are you spouting!” David’s furious voice rang out, raising his foot to kick Leo. This familiar script. In a flash, I moved. “Ah—!” I clutched my chest, letting out a short, painful scream. David’s foot stopped mid-air. Linda turned pale with fright, instantly rushing to my side: “Lily! What’s wrong? Did he scare you?” I gasped for air, face pale as paper (this body’s instinct). With trembling fingers, I pointed at Leo, tears streaming down. “He… his eyes are so scary…” “He said I survived… does he… does he want me dead?” Dead silence. Leo looked up sharply, shock unhidden in his eyes. He didn’t expect the sister who was always gentle and saintly to say such things. “I didn’t! Sister, that’s not what I meant…” he tried to explain. I rolled my eyes back and collapsed into Linda’s arms, twitching as I said: “Mom… chest hurts… am I extra… should I make space for him…” Hearing this, Linda’s heart broke. The doctor said I couldn’t take any stimulation, especially negative emotions. She turned her head sharply, glaring at Leo viciously. That was the look she gave my corpse in the past life. Now, it landed on Leo. “Get out!” Linda screamed. “Who let you talk to your sister like that! Do you want to kill her?!” David reacted too, and that kick finally landed. Only this time, it was harder than the last life. Bang. Leo was kicked into the doorframe, grimacing in pain. I leaned into my mother’s arms, the corner of my mouth curling into an imperceptible sneer. Leo. Welcome to my hell.

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After some liquid courage, it was supposed to be the perfect opportunity to confess my feelings. But I walked into the wrong hotel room. From then on, I lived the humble life of the “Boss’s Sugar Baby.” 1 When I woke up again, I didn’t know how much time had passed. But I felt something in my hand. I was startled and hurriedly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the stunningly beautiful face of my boss. She was sleeping soundly, looking quiet and gentle, completely unlike her usual icy demeanor. I knocked on my still somewhat groggy head, regretting drinking so much last night. I was on a business trip with my team members and the boss. We had a dinner meeting and drank. Especially since I was the only guy, I couldn’t let the two women take the brunt of the drinking. So, I drank the most. The team member with me was also my goddess. It wasn’t easy to be on a business trip together, so I planned to drink a little and use the liquid courage to confess to her. But I didn’t expect that when I went back to my room last night, I was so out of it that I actually stumbled into the boss’s room. What I didn’t expect was that although the boss didn’t drink much, the aftereffects hit her, and she was also a bit groggy. Just like that, I actually mistook the boss for my goddess and groggily slept with her. At this moment, I was filled with regret. I threw off the blanket and was about to slip away. But the boss’s voice rang out behind me. “What, eat and run? Not even saying a word?” I was instantly distressed, my face full of embarrassment. I turned around and said somewhat timidly: “Boss, this… this was an accident…” “You slept with me, and you say it’s an accident? So I just got slept with for nothing?” “Boss, please don’t fire me. I will definitely work hard to repay you in the future.” I still have debts! And my mom is sick, still in the hospital, and really needs money. The boss rolled her eyes at me and scoffed: “Useless thing, get out of here.” I quickly grabbed my clothes and slunk away. What I didn’t know was that after I left, my boss finally dared to get up. Because there was actually a pool of blood underneath her. 2 We signed the contract in the morning, and in the afternoon, we drove back. I was driving, my goddess Chloe was in the passenger seat, and the boss, Serena, was sitting in the back. I kept glancing at the boss in the rearview mirror, but she acted as if nothing had happened, reading documents in the back. Now I didn’t dare to say a word. Even though I usually tried hard to find topics to chat with my goddess, I didn’t dare to open my mouth now. The atmosphere was very weird until three hours later when we returned to the company. After the two of them got out of the car, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. For the next few days, I hardly spoke. Especially when facing the boss, I often kept my head down, not daring to look her in the eye. On the other hand, my heart was full of tension, and I didn’t even want to pay attention to Chloe. I used to be Chloe’s simp, but now I wasn’t taking the initiative, which made Chloe a bit surprised and disappointed. Of course, she wouldn’t show it. A week passed, and Chloe was the one who couldn’t sit still. I had just sat down when Chloe coughed lightly next to me. I looked at her. Chloe pretended to be casual, talking to herself: “The weather is quite hot. I’ve been craving lemonade recently!” She didn’t say it to me, but I knew it was deliberately said for me to hear. I didn’t move. My psychology was very conflicted right now. Should I deal with my relationship with the boss, or continue simping for Chloe? So, because of the conflict, I didn’t respond to her immediately. Chloe didn’t expect me to continue to be indifferent and couldn’t help but look at me: “Lucas, do you want some lemonade?” “My teeth have been a bit sensitive lately. I don’t dare to drink cold stuff.” I didn’t look at her, focusing on writing the proposal. She froze for a moment, completely dumbfounded. She had hinted so obviously, and I still hadn’t taken action. How could she not be astonished? She was a bit angry, picked up her cup, and went to get water. 3 When Chloe left, colleague Maya from the neighboring desk stretched her neck curiously and looked at me. I asked her what she was looking at. Maya smiled and said I wasn’t acting right. Why haven’t I been a simp these past two days? Did I find a new target? I smiled and shook my head, saying I wasn’t in the mood lately. She immediately sighed at me, saying I lacked perseverance. Going on like this, how could I woo a girl? Wooing girls isn’t something that can be done in a day or two; you must persist. I could only smile helplessly. Lately, I had been deliberately finding excuses not to meet the boss, trying to avoid the awkwardness between us. She could pretend to not care, but I couldn’t, because I’m thin-skinned. As long as this matter wasn’t talked out and there wasn’t a conclusion, I could never get over that hurdle in my heart. I was thinking I might need to take the initiative to find a time to have a good talk with her. I was afraid and guilty on one hand, and wanted to solve the problem on the other. It was truly a dilemma. But sometimes, the more you fear something, the more it happens. That day, the boss’s personal assistant, Jenny, came over and said to me: “Lucas, I need to take a long leave of absence. I might not be able to work for these two months, so you will take my place as the boss’s personal assistant.” I hurriedly waved my hands, saying I was a copywriter and had never been a personal assistant. I definitely couldn’t do it. I can’t even take care of myself, how could I take care of the boss? I said I couldn’t do it and told her to find someone else. But Jenny shook her head, saying this was the boss’s idea, not hers. I was stunned right then. The boss wants me to be her personal secretary? Are you kidding me? What should I do? Chloe next to me was also stunned. She didn’t expect this either. I hesitated. But Jenny said: “The boss’s schedule is very tight these two months. She always has to go on business trips, so she needs a driver. You know, us girls driving isn’t always reliable; you guys driving is much safer. So, driver and personal assistant, you’re the only one who can do it. There’s no one more suitable in our company.” Saying that, she sighed, saying the boss really had an eye for talent and made the best use of everything. 4 I had a bitter expression on my face. Jenny continued to pass on the message: “The boss said, if you don’t want to do it, then pack up your things and get out. Those were her exact words.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Yeah, if I had money and power, I would immediately pack my things and quit decisively. But I have an elderly mother to support and a mortgage. I don’t dare to quit casually right now; this is my only source of income. This is the sorrow of a corporate slave. I was somewhat reluctant and followed Jenny to Serena’s office with a miserable face. Knocking on the door, Jenny took me inside. Serena didn’t even look up and directly said: “Jenny, you can go.” Jenny nodded and turned to leave. As she brushed past me, she patted my shoulder. Looking at the smile on her face, I felt a shiver run down my spine, as if I were about to enter a tiger’s den. Sure enough, as soon as Jenny left, Serena looked up at me. Being stared at by her, I immediately lowered my head. “What’s wrong? Am I going to eat you or kill you? You don’t even dare to look at me?” I awkwardly raised my head, full of smiles, and asked: “What orders does Ms. Sterling have?” Serena put down the pen in her hand and looked at me with interest: “I heard you’re not willing to be my personal assistant. Seems like it’s a bit beneath you, isn’t it?” I quickly waved my hands, saying it was my honor. She smiled and told me that as long as I did a good job, my salary wouldn’t be lower than before, but if I didn’t do well, my salary might be cut by more than half. I really wanted to cry but had no tears. I could only state that I would definitely do my best. “Then starting today, your first task as a personal assistant is to go get me a cup of coffee.” I nodded, took the boss’s cup, and walked out. 5 Everyone looked at my miserable face and immediately started mocking me. “What? Working for the boss, and you’re still not happy?” “Seems like being by the boss’s side is beneath our Lucas!” I glared at them: “Don’t you know the boss’s temper? When she gets mad, no one has a good time. Just you laugh. One day it’ll be your turn.” They shook their heads, saying they didn’t have that “blessing.” I couldn’t care whether they were envious or jealous. I went straight to the pantry and brewed a cup of coffee for Serena. But when I brought the coffee to her, Serena despised it. She said the coffee was too hot and the aroma was gone. I had to take the coffee out and brew another cup for her. But this time, she said there was too little sugar and the coffee was too bitter. I took it out again and added another spoonful of sugar for her. When I went back, she said it was too sweet and wanted to make her sick. Just like that, I ran back and forth between the office and the pantry seven or eight times before finally getting a cup of coffee that was somewhat satisfactory. As she drank, she didn’t forget to insult me: “A personal assistant who can’t even make a simple cup of coffee. I think you should start as an intern.” I quickly apologized, saying I would definitely learn and guarantee success on the first try next time. She didn’t say anything more. But I muttered in my heart: “This woman doesn’t seem like a good person. Are you the reincarnation of an evil empress? You’re even harder to serve than that old witch.” “What are you muttering about?” Serena looked up at me. I panicked. Damn it, she even knows what I’m thinking. “I mean, if Ms. Sterling doesn’t have anything else, I’ll go out to work.” But Serena pointed to a small desk by the window: “From now on, you’ll work there, so I can call you directly if I need anything.” I had to nod and went out to move my things. 6 Maya smiled: “No wonder you’re not willing to simp for Chloe anymore. Turns out you’ve already hooked up with the boss. You’re set now, getting rich overnight!” “You silly girl, stop talking nonsense. I think I’m doomed this time. I don’t know how the boss is going to torture me!” Maya asked me strangely why? Did I provoke the boss? Or did I do something to wrong her? Otherwise, why would the boss torture me? Of course, I didn’t dare say I slept with the boss. I could only shrug, indicating I didn’t know. Just like that, I moved into the boss’s office and was alone in a room with her. Who knows what it means to be on pins and needles? Even without having a relationship with the boss, just sitting in the same office with her would be uncomfortable. Every second was torture. “Do you have sores or lice? What are you squirming around for?” The boss’s voice came. I quickly shook my head and sat up straight. “Are you still thinking about what happened that night at the hotel?” Serena suddenly dropped this line. I froze, hurriedly stood up, and immediately bowed to her, constantly apologizing. Serena frowned, walked over directly from her seat, and came to my desk. At this moment, she transformed into a female hooligan, stretched out her slender fingers, and lifted my chin, looking exactly like she was teasing me. “How do you think I should punish you?” “As long as the boss’s anger subsides, as long as you don’t fire me, anything goes.” I quickly stated my position. But she changed the subject: “Since you didn’t genuinely mean to sneak into my room, I’m curious to know, whose room were you originally trying to enter?” I immediately choked up and didn’t dare to speak. I couldn’t say I wanted to enter Chloe’s room. But the boss seemed to see through everything and said it for me: “I heard you like Chloe. You probably wanted to enter her room!” My back was covered in sweat, but I still forced myself to be calm, saying I was completely drunk and had no consciousness of where I went. But the boss suddenly shouted: “Since you were unconscious, how could you think of doing that kind of dirty deed?” 7 I immediately shut up. When the boss unleashes her power, nothing grows. She is a notorious demon in the company. “Ms. Sterling, just tell me how I can atone for my sins. I’ve been blaming myself for so long, I can hardly go on living.” I was completely wilted and could only beg for mercy. Serena scoffed: “You want release, right? Let me tell you, no way. I must torture you properly to vent my anger.” I immediately felt like I had fallen into hell, feeling that life had no hope, no light. “There’s a dumpling shop on the next street. Go buy me a box immediately. However, the dumplings will lose their original flavor ten minutes after coming out of the steamer. So you must deliver it to my desk within ten minutes, otherwise 10% will be deducted from your salary.” “Ah… Ms. Sterling, it’s over a kilometer round trip, plus crossing the street and taking the elevator. Even if I were an Olympic sprinter, I might not be able to run back in ten minutes.” “That’s your problem.” Saying that, she sat back at her desk. “Female demon…” I gnashed my teeth in my heart, but humble me still set out. Then I started a new round of torture. “It’s cold!” “It doesn’t smell good anymore!” “You’re out of time!” I was panting, much more tired than usual at work. “These dumplings are really dog food!” I couldn’t help complaining. Finally, I thought of a way. I went and bought a self-heating pot, took out the self-heating pack inside, added water, and put the dumplings inside to steam. I strolled back leisurely. Until I reached the office door, the dumplings were still hot. Serena couldn’t find any faults, so she glanced at the dumplings: “I suddenly don’t want to eat them now.” I really had the urge to pin her to the ground and rub her face in the dirt. For the next few days, I suffered endless torture. Pouring tea, getting documents, checking her schedule, buying things. The key was, almost every task had to be repeated several times before she was satisfied. I knew she was taking revenge on me, torturing me, but I could only endure it. 8 I dragged my exhausted body, getting ready to leave work. Chloe walked up to me: “You look like you’re working hard. Getting paid well, huh? How much of a raise did you get?” I didn’t have the energy to joke around, so I could only ignore her. But Chloe grabbed me: “Lucas, do you still like me?” I was startled. I didn’t expect her to be so direct. I nodded numbly. The boss and I, after she finished torturing me, would inevitably kick me away. Or in three months, when Jenny comes back, I’ll move out. By then, I’ll only have Chloe. Since she asked proactively, of course, I’m willing to continue pursuing her. Chloe looked at me and said, “If you really like me, then resign from the boss. Don’t hover around her anymore. You’re capable; changing companies won’t be any worse than here.” I was stunned again. She actually wanted me to job-hop. This was completely beyond my expectations. “Is there any conflict between me pursuing you and working in the boss’s office?” I couldn’t help asking. “The boss is a woman. You two being together, spending time together day and night, it’s inevitable there will be times you can’t control yourselves.” I finally understood. Chloe was actually jealous over me. I laughed: “Just relax. Who knows how much the boss hates me! Look at how she’s treated me recently. Nothing I do is right, doing useless things over and over again. I’m as tired as a dog right now; where would I have the mind for anything else.” Chloe sighed, looking into my eyes: “It seems it’s still impossible between us. Then don’t look for me anymore.” Saying that, she turned and left. I froze on the spot. When did Chloe’s logic become so twisted? I’m just a bit busier with work, how did that get mixed up with dating?

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I’m the CEO of the Moore Group. Recently, I’ve had my eye on a celebrity and was thinking about a hostile takeover of his heart. My assistant broke into a cold sweat: “CEO, you can’t! A year ago, Mr. Walker tried to blacklist him, and his corporation went bankrupt! “Six months ago, Mr. Zola tried to get handsy with him at a party, and ended up with a bleeding head from a wine bottle! “Three months ago, Mr. Lloyd tried to drug this celebrity, and got kicked in the family jewels, ending his bloodline! “And a month ago…” Me: “…” Love is precious, but life is priceless. I’m out of here. But not even half a month later. I was the one imprisoned. In the basement of a villa. That breathtakingly beautiful face that haunted my dreams wore a lazy smile, but his eyes were cold and gloomy: “Mr. Moore, didn’t you want to keep me as your sugar baby? Why the sudden change of heart?” Me: “???” 1 “CEO, you absolutely cannot do this!” Assistant Liam looked at the photo on the desk with a terrified face. The man in the photo possessed an extremely stunning beauty. A blooming rose was held between his red lips, his phoenix eyes staring straight at the camera with a playful provocation. The texture of the black silk shirt was perfectly outlined by the light, the collar loosely open, revealing a section of pale collarbone. Lazy, yet mixed with a hint of danger. So beautiful… I suppressed my pounding heart and asked puzzledly: “Why not? Are there few people keeping celebrities in this circle?” Assistant Liam took a deep breath and smiled bitterly: “CEO, you can like any celebrity in Hollywood, but if you have your eye on Ethan Hayes, you really can’t! This celebrity is cursed!” Me: “?” Wait, I’ve been celibate for twenty-seven years, and finally found someone I like, and you tell me I can’t? “What’s wrong with him?” Assistant Liam: “Everything is wrong!” Me: “…” “CEO, you’ve been busy with work, so there are things you don’t know.” “Ethan is so good-looking, how could no one covet him? When he first debuted, many people had their eyes on him!” “Those people investigated and thought, oh, he has no background, just beauty. Isn’t that a dead end for him to be manipulated?!” “Result!” Assistant Liam counted on his fingers: “A year ago, he rejected Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker tried to blacklist him, and the Walker Corp went belly up! “Six months ago, Mr. Zola tried to get handsy with him at a party, and ended up with a bleeding head from a wine bottle! “Three months ago, Mr. Lloyd tried to drug Ethan, and got kicked in the family jewels, ending his bloodline! “And a month ago…” “Three days ago…” “But in the end, nothing happened to this celebrity!” “He seems to have a mysterious force behind him. Whoever messes with him suffers! But no matter how much those people investigate, they can’t find his specific background!” “Of course, I can’t find it either.” “So CEO, don’t tell me you want all the information on this man in three minutes.” “I can’t do it.” “However, I can compile a report on who offended him, who wanted to keep him, who wanted to force him, and who ended up bankrupt, ruined, half-disabled, or doing time in federal prison for the rest of their lives. Then you can consider carefully.” “Please be careful!” Me: “…” Assistant Liam spent three hours organizing it and sent the package to me. After reading it. Me: “…” I painfully tore my eyes away from Ethan’s photo, reluctantly put the photo in the deepest drawer, then put a few stacks of documents on top, pressing the photo to the very bottom. I am not blindly confident in my strength. There are countless capable people in the Capital. Even if I have built the Moore Group to be no less than other first-tier enterprises, I never felt I was the most powerful one. If there is more than one force behind Ethan… Then better just wash up and sleep. With so many precedents, do I still want to crash my car into the wall to see if my bones are hard? Love is precious, but life is priceless. I’m out of here. 2 I felt like I must be dreaming. Otherwise, how could I dream that I was sleeping on a bed, one wrist cuffed, locked to the bedside by a long iron chain? I pinched my thigh. It hurts TvT. Looks like I’m not dreaming. I tried hard to recall. I had been neglecting sleep and food for a bidding project recently. Finally finished, I planned to give myself two days off to rest. Returned to the underground garage to park the car. Just as I closed the car door. Sudden pain in the back of the neck. Then I lost consciousness. Me: “…” Is this the security of the high-end gated community I live in? Even kidnappers can get in! Wait until I get out and sue the property management! I gradually came back to my senses. No. Do kidnappers tie people up like this? I raised my hand silently, feeling the heavy weight of the handcuff on my wrist, and looked at this space. This seems to be a basement. Dim light, few items, and a gloom and chill seeping into the bones. I just turned my head. Suddenly met eyes with a wall densely packed with “me”! Photos taken secretly were framed and hung neatly all over the wall! Reading documents seriously in the CEO’s office, listening indifferently to people arguing in the shareholders’ meeting, calm and cold in a suit at the bidding meeting, holding a wine glass deep in thought at the banquet… There were even photos of me showering, sleeping, changing clothes, and… taking care of my morning glory! Me: “???” Me: “…” My soul flew away in fright. Holy crap!!! I met a pervert! Leaving aside public photos, how did this pervert get these intimate photos?! At this time, I also discovered. The black suit on me had long been changed into soft white pajamas. Phone, keys, briefcase, etc., disappeared without a trace. Me: “!!!” If he just wanted money, I could still negotiate calmly. If he wanted… I tried my best to calm down. My gaze fell on the handcuffs on my wrist, thinking about how to break free. However, before I could move. Creak. The door opened. I looked up subconsciously. The person revealed his figure. Tall and straight posture, broad shoulders and narrow waist. That face displayed on the giant screens of Times Square, the face that haunted my dreams, was also revealed— Extremely gorgeous, extremely beautiful. For me, this person was as beautiful as an unreachable dream. I looked at him somewhat sluggishly. Is it a dream? However. The man looked straight at me, a lazy smile on the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were cold and gloomy: “Mr. Moore, didn’t you want to keep me as your sugar baby? Why the sudden change of heart?” Me: “???” 3 My brain crashed. I stared at him absent-mindedly for a long while before speaking hoarsely: “E… Ethan?” He walked over leisurely, approaching me bit by bit, letting out a very light laugh: “Mr. Moore, finally remembered?” “So, can you answer my question now?” When he leaned over, the warm breath he exhaled, combined with his extremely beautiful eyebrows and eyes, was like a colorful and gorgeous poisonous snake slowly clinging to the skin, revealing sharp fangs, slimy and cold. Like a terrifying stalker. Goosebumps rose all over my body. Every cell in my body screamed fear and danger. My heart beat extremely fast, crazily hitting my ribs, driving me to escape and get rid of this terrible person quickly. But my body didn’t move at all. I finally recovered from his super high looks and looked at him calmly: “Because I don’t want the Moore Group to go bankrupt.” Ethan: “???” I was sincere and straightforward: “I do have thoughts about you, but as far as I know, everyone who had thoughts about you and put them into action either went bankrupt or became half-disabled, either went to jail or lost their lives.” “I don’t want to drag the Moore Group down with me.” Ethan feigned regret: “Mr. Moore, maybe you are different in my heart? Maybe I am looking forward to your ‘hostile takeover’?” Me: “…” I’m not a mind reader! “Giving up without even trying, this is not in line with your consistent style, Mr. Moore.” Me: “…” Me: “Being rejected is too embarrassing.” I actually thought about being brave once. But my mental state is not very stable. If I was blatantly rejected by Ethan, I would very likely go crazy. But I can’t afford the price of going crazy. So better out of sight, out of mind. I held up the handcuffs in front of him: “Big Star Ethan, so what do you mean?” Ethan took it for granted: “If the mountain won’t come to me, I must go to the mountain.” Me: “So, your so-called going to the mountain is kidnapping, dark room, imprisonment?” Ethan flashed a brilliant smile at me: “Yes.” Ethan is a top-level succubus. Because his smile dazzled my eyes again. Finally, I was dragged back to reality by the warm, wet, soft touch and dense stinging pain on my earlobe. At this time, I was pressed on the bed by him, pajamas messed up, exposing a large chest. Ethan was intimately holding my waist, containing my earlobe in his mouth, biting gently, muttering indistinctly: “William…” His fingers were touching my abs dishonestly, looking like they were going lower. Me: “…” I am a normal man. Being teased like this by the person I like, it would be strange not to react. I panted and pushed him away: “What exactly do you want to do?” Ethan was confused: “Isn’t it obvious?” Me: “…You want to sleep with me?” Ethan: “Otherwise, why did I go to such lengths to catch you here?” Me: “…” I was stunned by his straightforward and bold words. No, bro. Even if I wanted to keep Ethan, I planned to do it step by step. Get to know each other first, hold hands, date, watch movies, have afternoon tea. When feelings deepen, kiss on the cheek, take it slow, then kiss on the lips. Top intimate things like sleeping together were not in my initial plan. Because I was afraid Ethan wouldn’t want to, and I didn’t want to force him. And now… Under the huge surprise, I felt absurd: “Do you like me?” Ethan pointed to the wall full of “trophies,” then buried his chin in the hollow of my neck, gently rubbing my skin with his canine teeth. Warm breath hit my neck, his voice slightly magnetically hoarse: “William, I like you so much I’m going crazy.” “From the first glance I saw you at a banquet, I wanted to lock you up, strip you naked, and devour you.” Me: “…” You are really rough with your words. In consternation, my pajama pants were also pulled down. Ethan let out a mischievous laugh, his hand grabbed: “Mr. Moore, you’re hard.” Looking at the surprised and teasing smile on his face, I couldn’t bear it anymore, grabbed his head, and kissed him angrily. The person I like delivered himself to my door with a beautiful face. How could I resist? I’m not a saint. … …… 4 When I woke up. The soreness and pain all over my body indicated a fact—— I slept with Ethan, and I was the one topped by him. A bit different from imagination, but the difference isn’t big. Got the person I’ve been dreaming of, doesn’t matter if he’s on top or bottom. Ethan was still sleeping soundly beside me with his arm around my shoulder, fine black short hair floating on his beautiful eyebrows. I pinched his cheek, then pinched his nose. How can a person look so good? I pulled away his right hand holding me. His hand was also very beautiful, well-proportioned and slender, like warm white jade. A red string was tied on his wrist, appearing inexplicably erotic. Last night he used the fingers of this hand… Even held it up for me to see… He even raised his eyebrows smilingly and said: “Mr. Moore, you are so… wet.” F*ck! I dispelled the improper and chaotic thoughts in my mind. The handcuffs on my hand had been unlocked. Just saw a pack of cigarettes by the bedside table. I took one and lit it with a lighter. A little scarlet appeared and disappeared at my fingertips. Gray-white smoke blurred my obscure expression. Holding hands (more accurately, grabbing hands, shackling, interlacing fingers), kissing face and neck, kissing lips, sleeping together… One step to the destination directly. Then what? He continues to be his big star? I continue to be my CEO? “Waking up so early, looks like I didn’t work hard enough.” A lazy and satisfied voice sounded. A pair of hands hugged my waist, a furry head rested on my thigh. I ignored his dirty talk: “…What time is it now? And where is my phone?” Ethan let go of the hand holding my waist, reached out, opened the drawer of the bedside table, and threw a phone to me. I opened it and thought calmly. Good, it’s already ten o’clock. I glanced at the dense photos on the wall, thinking what a pervert, but kept a calm face: “You plan to keep me locked up like this?” Ethan: “Of course not.” Before I could breathe a sigh of relief, Ethan said happily: “Mr. Moore, let me be your canary, and you be my sugar daddy, how about it?” Me: “…” Me: “I remember the person who wanted you to be a canary last time had his head broken by you.” Ethan said disgustedly and arrogantly: “Who does he think he is? Take a look in the mirror before wanting to be my sugar daddy?” Me: “…” Ethan hugged me smilingly and said: “Only William is worthy of being my sugar daddy~” Me: “…” Ethan: “Mr. Moore, being my sugar daddy has benefits. Don’t you want to cooperate with the Zane Corp?” I frowned at him. I did want to cooperate with the Zane Corp on a project in the Waterfront District recently, but the competition was too fierce. After multiple evaluations, I wasn’t very optimistic. Moreover, Mr. Jared Zane, the CEO of Zane Corp, looked refined, noble, and gentle, seemingly easy to talk to. In reality, he had a vicious eye, outstanding ability and means, but was cold-blooded and ruthless, a hard nut to crack. He had brought down many prominent families single-handedly. I vaguely heard that he obtained genetic data from an illegal large-scale human experiment organization, went crazy and cloned himself, and then got together with that clone. I feel my mental state is sometimes worrying. But not as crazy as this bro. None of the ethics and morals. Ethan: “As long as there’s no problem with your plan, one phone call from me, Jared Zane will definitely choose you!” Me: “…” This is simply turning the world upside down. Since when does a canary give resources to the sugar daddy? I twitched the corner of my mouth: “You have a friendship with him?” Ethan hummed: “I and he are life-and-death brothers! Rounding up, you are his sister-in-law (brother’s wife)! If he doesn’t help his sister-in-law, who will he help!” Me: “…So the person behind you is Mr. Zane?” Ethan: “More than that, I have too many brothers. Sigh, I’ll take you to meet them when I have a chance in the future.” Me: “.” Ethan kissed me, pushed me back onto the bed again, and said cheekily: “Anyway, it’s still early, Mr. Moore, you are on vacation again, let’s continue~” Me: “???” I pushed him away coldly and ruthlessly: “Continue your grandpa! Are you a reincarnation of an Energizer Bunny?” My waist is sore and painful now. Do it again and I’ll be disabled. Ethan leaned over pitifully, kissed my ear, looked up and blinked his phoenix eyes, asking softly: “Really not okay?” “Mr. Moore~” “William~” “Little William~” “Wifey~” “Baby~” “Just one time, one time okay?” This gorgeous and charming face swayed in front of me. The coquettish voice was gorgeous and deep, with a hint of laziness and fawning. It formed a sharp contrast with the cold, arrogant, and invincible big star image outside. He belongs to me now… Belongs to me alone… And he is the person I have desired for so long… What’s the harm in agreeing to him? I closed my eyes, voice with a bit of hoarseness and indulgence willing to sink. “Fine.” I saw a flash of successful calmness and smile in Ethan’s eyes. The next second, the few clothes left on my body disappeared. Ethan buckled my chin and kissed me. Me: “…” I shouldn’t play myself to death… right? 5 Three in the afternoon. Ethan, looking refreshed, carried me, weak and powerless, into the bathroom to shower. 6 The next day. Ethan moved into my house with a matter-of-course attitude. Me: “…”

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1 The express train pulled out of the station. I’d just come back from the restroom, and over a thousand passengers had vanished. I refused to believe it, frantically dialing the station’s help line. The agent on the phone insisted that due to a severe blizzard, Express Train G404 had been canceled. It never left the station. But I was sitting right there, in the warmth of a first-class seat. Even more terrifying, when I tried to call my mother, the number came back as disconnected. And the world outside the window, once a snowy landscape, had dissolved into a colorless, gray void… When I opened my eyes again, I was screaming in a psychiatric hospital. The doctors increased my dosage, even subjected me to electroshock therapy, all to make me forget the train. During an exercise period, I threw myself from a tenth-story window. And now, I was back. A second chance, on the same day of the holiday rush. “Attention passengers, the train is now approaching the platform…” My head snapped up. I stared at the crimson letters on the departures board. “Train G404, now boarding.” I pinched my thigh, hard. The pain was sharp, real. This time, I would find out the truth, even if it meant dying on this train. … I looked down at the sweat-dampened blue ticket in my hand. Train G404, Car 05, Seat 12F. Grabbing my suitcase, I bolted for the gate. I tumbled through, luggage and all, just a second before the barriers slid shut. The white bullet train sat silently on the tracks. With a trembling hand, I reached out and touched its cold, steel skin. The frantic beating in my chest finally slowed. It wasn’t a hallucination. I dragged my suitcase toward car 05. Shoving my way through the crowded aisle, I finally reached my seat. A man in his forties, his clothes worn from labor, was sitting there, peeling an orange, just like the last time. He looked up as I approached, awkwardly pulling his woven duffel bag closer to his legs. “Sorry, miss. Got a lot of stuff here. Let me make some room for you.” I stared at him for three long seconds. Then I reached out and patted his arm. It was warm, the muscle beneath his sleeve firm. He was a living person. “It’s okay,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “A little crowded, but it’s cozier that way.” I let out a long breath, heaved my suitcase onto the overhead rack, and sank into my seat. I glanced out the window. A platform attendant was waving a green flag. A sharp beep sounded. The doors hissed shut, and the train began to move. I pulled out my phone, opened my map app to track our GPS location, then leaned back and closed my eyes. Just three more hours, and I’d be home. “Water, miss?” The man beside me offered a bottle of water, his smile kind. “You’re sweating. Must be in a hurry to get home for the New Year, eh?” I took the water, a warmth spreading through my chest. “Yeah. In a hurry. My mom’s waiting.” “Heh, me too,” he said, his eyes crinkling into a smile. “Been working all year. This is the day I live for. My little girl wanted cherries, so I got her a whole crate.” I twisted the cap off the bottle but only took a tiny sip. This time, I wasn’t going to the restroom. I would hold it until we arrived, no matter what. 2 Last time, they locked me away like I was crazy. This time, I needed irrefutable proof. I opened my phone’s camera and started recording. “It is currently 3:20 PM on February 16th, 2026. New Year’s Eve.” “I’m in car number 05 of the G404 Express.” I narrated quietly, panning the camera across the car. The lens captured the young couple in front of me sharing a cup of instant noodles. In the aisle, a young mother struggled to soothe her wailing infant. Diagonally behind me, a few older men were playing a loud game of cards, the snap of their hands hitting the table echoing through the car. Finally, I turned the camera on the man next to me. “Hey, want to say hi? A little holiday travel documentary,” I said with a smile. He looked a bit shy, covering his face with one hand as he offered me half of his freshly peeled orange with the other. “Don’t film me, I’m a mess. Here, have an orange. It’s sweet.” “Thanks,” I said, making sure to capture the orange, and the digital watch on his wrist, in the video. I saved the clip and immediately uploaded it to my family’s group chat, then posted it to my social media. Caption: “Full speed ahead! Mom, get the dumplings ready, I’ll be home soon!” As the replies rolled in from aunts and uncles—emojis wishing me a safe trip—the last knot of anxiety in my stomach loosened. I had video. I had witnesses. I had a GPS trail. Not even God himself could call me a liar this time. I popped a segment of the sweet orange into my mouth. It was delicious. “Miss, do you feel that…?” the man beside me suddenly asked, his brow furrowed. “Is it just me, or is this ride getting really rough?” I paused. “Is it?” I glanced down at the water bottle on the tray table. The surface of the water was vibrating violently. “And… my ears are ringing,” he said, rubbing them with a pained expression. A cold dread trickled down my spine. Last time, I’d been so focused on getting to the restroom that I hadn’t paid any attention to my surroundings. Just then, the train’s PA system crackled to life with a piercing shriek of static. “Screeeeee—” Everyone in the car clapped their hands over their ears. The baby’s cries intensified. Grumbling turned to angry shouts. “What the hell is going on? Conductor!” “They’re going to make us deaf!” I whipped my head toward the window. A dark, gaping hole loomed ahead. A tunnel. The instant the front of the train entered the tunnel, the lights inside the car flickered. An immense pressure slammed into us. It felt like my head was being squeezed in a vise, my eyeballs about to burst from their sockets. The baby’s cries became a high, thin wail. The man’s curses warped into a low, guttural groan. “Sir! Sir, are you okay?” I gasped. Just as my hand was about to touch his sleeve… Crack! A sharp snap echoed in my mind. The lights went out completely. A second later, they flickered back on. I was panting, my hand still hovering in the air. But the man beside me was gone. I shot to my feet and scanned the car. The couple with their noodles, the mother with her baby, the men playing cards… In a single second, they had all evaporated. The entire train car was spotless, as pristine as a factory model. Even the creases on the seats had been smoothed away. I was the only one left, standing alone in the aisle. The half-eaten orange was still in my hand, its juice dripping onto the floor. “Aaaah!” A scream ripped from my throat as the familiar, suffocating despair crashed down on me once more. 3 I burst out of car 05, stumbling blindly through the train. Car 04 was empty. Car 03 was empty. The dining car was also empty. Over a thousand passengers, along with the luggage that had clogged the aisles, had all vanished. Outside the window, the blizzard was gone, replaced by a churning, chaotic grayness. I couldn’t see a thing, only the roar of the train reminding me that I was still alive. “Is anyone there? Hello!” “Conductor! Anybody!” I ran, shouting, but my voice was swallowed by the silence. Driven by desperation, I reached the connection between cars and slammed the emergency intercom button. “Bzzzt… bzzzt…” Only static answered. Calm down, Anna! You’re not the same naive girl you were last time! My hands shaking, I pulled out my phone. One bar of signal. I immediately dialed my mom. Ring… ring… ring… Answer, Mom! Please, please answer! “Hello? Anna?” The call connected! The moment I heard her familiar voice, a wave of relief washed over me. I slid to the floor and broke down, sobbing. “Mom! Mom, help me! Something’s wrong with the train! Everyone’s gone!” There was a two-second pause. “Anna? Honey, what are you talking about? What do you mean everyone’s gone?” “The train! G404! I’m on it!” I screamed, the words tumbling out in a rush. “It was full of people, and then suddenly they all disappeared! I’m the only one left!” “Anna… is it happening again?” My mom’s voice was laced with a new, terrifying edge of fear. “Are you still in the city? Are you just upset you couldn’t get a ticket?” “No! I got one! I’m on the train!” “You’re lying!” she suddenly shouted. “They just made an announcement at the station! It’s all over the news! The blizzard caused a power failure on the line. Train G404 was canceled! Everyone who had a ticket is here getting a refund right now!” It was happening. It was all happening again, just like last time. My panic reached a fever pitch. “That’s impossible! I have the ticket in my hand! I’ve been on this train for an hour! Mom, look at the group chat! I sent a video! I filmed the other people in the car!” I fumbled with my phone, switching back to the messaging app. “Look, Mom! The video in the group chat! That’s my proof!” I heard my mom fumbling with her phone on the other end. “What am I supposed to be looking at? The only thing in here is a video of you talking to an empty train car!” she cried, her voice breaking. “Anna, are you sick? Please don’t scare me like this!” Talking to an empty car? My body went rigid. I looked down, my thumb trembling as I pressed play. On the screen, I saw myself, holding my phone with a bright smile, excitedly narrating to the camera. “It is currently 3:20 PM on February 16th…” The background was a car of empty seats. “Hey, want to say hi…?” my video-self said, cheerfully panning the camera to the seat beside me. It was empty. There was no construction worker, no duffel bag, no golden-yellow orange. “No… no…” I stared at the screen, my grip on the phone so tight I thought it would shatter. “That’s impossible! I ate the orange! Look! Look at my hand!” I thrust my left hand forward. I was still clutching the half-eaten piece of fruit. But the video showed something different. I watched myself pop empty fingers into my mouth and pretend to chew. A wave of nausea and cold dread washed over me, starting from my toes and crawling up my spine. Am I losing my mind? No! I refused to believe it! The sweet, tangy taste of the orange was still on my tongue. It was real! “Mom! Believe me! I’m on the train!” I pleaded. “It’s still moving! It’s going really fast!” “Anna, where are you? I’ve already called the police! They’re tracking your phone right now!” my mom sobbed. “Don’t go anywhere! Just stay where you are!” The police… yes, the police would figure it out! “Mom, tell them to check! I have GPS! I’m moving! I’m really, really moving!” I switched back to my map app. The little blue dot representing me was flying across the map at an incredible speed. The display read: 190 mph. See! That was the proof! Who on earth can run at nearly two hundred miles an hour?! 4 Ten minutes later, a call came through from an unknown number. “Is this Ms. Anna Reid? This is Detective Morgan.” “Detective! Help me! I’m on train G404, and all the passengers are gone!” I clung to his voice like a lifeline. “Ms. Reid, I need you to remain calm.” The detective’s tone was strange, as if he was trying to suppress some strong emotion. “We’ve just pinpointed your phone’s location.” “You see it, right? I’m moving! The train is heading toward my hometown!” “Yes, we see that,” he said, pausing for a beat. “Your phone is indeed moving at approximately 190 miles per hour, and its location is tracking along the main North-South rail line.” “But…” “But what?” My throat tightened. “But we have the real-time dispatch map from the national rail network. At this very moment, there are no trains operating on that line. Not even a freight train.” “What does that mean?” My tongue felt thick and clumsy. The detective’s voice hardened. “Ms. Reid, are you carrying some kind of illegal signal jammer or GPS spoofer? I need to warn you, disrupting the rail network during the holiday season is a federal offense.” “No! I’m on the train! It’s a bullet train! It’s white! Why won’t any of you believe me?” I screamed, tears and snot streaming down my face. “Ms. Reid,” the detective asked suddenly, “do you have any history of mental illness?” His question was like a bucket of ice water. Last time, that’s exactly what they had asked. “I have a history of depression, from work-related stress,” I said, my teeth clenched. “But I’m not crazy! I can tell the difference between reality and a hallucination!” “And I have my ticket!” “Tickets can be faked.” “I have a video!” “Your mother showed it to us. You’re alone in it.” “I have an orange! The man next to me gave me an orange!” “You can buy an orange anywhere.” The world had built a perfect, logical prison around me, and the only conclusion was that I was insane.

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1 Visiting a home to buy back pre-owned designer bags, I unexpectedly ran into my ex-husband’s current wife. Who was also my older sister, Sienna Hayes. Calmly, I put on my gloves, inspected the bags for wear and tear, then looked up and politely asked her, “Are all these bags for sale?” Seeing me, she froze. Tears immediately welled in her eyes. “Eliza, are you doing so badly? Why are you doing this?” “Are you… still mad at me?” When she started to cry, I knew, without a doubt, that Adam Breaux was already standing behind me. It had always been this way. Wherever Adam Breaux was, she would innocently shed tears. Then, with a few well-placed words, she would twist the situation, making me the aggressor. Her methods were as clumsy as ever. Yet, they consistently managed to blind Adam Breaux. Now, I turned back with an indifferent expression. My eyes met Adam Breaux’s. I was the first to nod. “Hello, Adam.” Once, he was the man who governed my every breath, who caused me unbearable pain. Now, meeting again, I felt no ripples. … A look of intense astonishment flashed in Adam Breaux’s eyes. “Eliza…” “Where have you been all these years?” “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?” I offered a dismissive half-smile. “What right do you have to look for me?” His gaze darkened. “Eliza Bennett, what do you mean I have no right? Our sixteen years of shared history…” I found it amusing. “What history?” “As your ex-wife? Or your sister-in-law?” His body stiffened. I had no desire to reminisce with him. I turned back. The high-quality bags felt warm in my hands. Many of these bags, during my marriage to Adam Breaux, he had secretly bought for Sienna Hayes behind my back. I still vividly remembered the first time I stumbled upon her and Adam Breaux’s apartment. In the apartment’s living room, an exquisite display cabinet showcased designer bags. It perfectly recreated the dream she often spoke of in her youth: “My future husband will definitely be rich. He’ll make me an entire wall just for my bags!” That time, my “catching them in the act” didn’t faze Sienna Hayes at all. Instead, she gave me a provocative smile. “Pretty, aren’t they?” “Adam bought every single one of these bags for me himself, from abroad.” “Poor Eliza. The moment I bat my eyelashes and shed a tear, your husband can’t help but feel sorry for me.” “Do you really think there’s still a place for you in his heart?” Five years passed. Sienna Hayes had become Adam Breaux’s legitimate wife. That wall of bags had moved from the clandestine mistress’s apartment to their openly shared home. I quietly looked at these bags that had once driven me to madness. No emotion stirred within me. I calmly pulled out my phone to calculate the price. “For these bags, the second-hand resale price is a total of ten thousand three hundred dollars.” “If you’re planning to sell, my prices here are very competitive.” Adam Breaux looked at my tools, his shock even greater. “Eliza, you don’t play the piano anymore?” I sighed. My time was valuable. “If you’re not selling, I’ll be leaving now.” I wanted to leave their house as quickly as possible, but suddenly, he grabbed my hand. “Don’t be like that, I’m just worried about you…” When he touched my two deformed fingers, Adam Breaux’s pupils constricted. “Your hand, how could it be…” This pair of piano hands, which had once won countless trophies, was long ruined. It happened during the 36 hours when he locked me in the villa to be with Sienna Hayes, who was awaiting childbirth. I missed the optimal window for treatment. “Indeed.” “I haven’t played the piano in a long time.” “After all, I had three bone-setting surgeries and two years of physical therapy.” Being able to grasp and lift objects normally was a blessing. I said goodbye, distantly yet politely. As I stepped outside the apartment, those two people came chasing after me again. Adam Breaux anxiously blocked my path. “Where are you going? I’ll drive you.” Sienna Hayes’s face had already turned ashen. Yet, she still managed a strained, pitying smile. “Let Adam drive you. “Eliza, I was going to donate these bags to charity… but I can’t bear to see you struggling so much, so I’ll give them to you. Consider it a boost for your business.” I smiled. “You don’t need to give me bags. Adam doesn’t need to drive me either.” “After all, we’re not that close.” “And I certainly don’t want to be involved with a married woman in any way.” Back at the shop, the two young female assistants were scrolling through social media. “Mr. Breaux and Miss Hayes are trending again, they’re such an attractive couple.” “Mr. Breaux is a model husband. I heard that because his wife was once bullied by her own sister, he specifically established a foundation to protect against domestic bullying!” “This time, Mr. Breaux’s beloved is even planning to donate half of her designer bags, calling for more attention to domestic violence incidents.” “They’re such a perfect match, a beautiful and kind-hearted couple!” I chuckled. So, they were now seen as a philanthropic couple, actively involved in domestic violence cases. All these years later. He still believed Sienna Hayes was the one being bullied. Adam Breaux was the man I chose for myself. I was once utterly convinced we would spend our lives together. But in the year I loved him most, he ended up in the same bed as the person I hated most in this life. When I arrived at the scene, the messy, intimate room, and two naked, entangled bodies made my stomach churn. When I clearly saw the woman’s face, which bore an eight-point resemblance to my own, my world went silent. It was my older sister. Sienna Hayes. Adam Breaux was my neighbor. He witnessed my long childhood, marked by abuse from Sienna and my stepmother. On many nights, I was driven out of the house because of Sienna Hayes’s false accusations. It was Adam Breaux who wrapped a thick coat around me. The time Sienna Hayes’s pen pierced my eardrum, it was Adam Breaux who kicked open my door first, scooped me up, and rushed me to the hospital. “Eliza, hold on!!” “Eliza, don’t be afraid. I’m here. Sienna Hayes can’t hurt you.” He knew perfectly well how much I hated Sienna Hayes, and now… I lost control, rushing forward and slapping Sienna Hayes twice. “Sienna Hayes!!” “You’ve never wished me well, since we were children. Now you’ve even climbed into my husband’s bed! Why are you always haunting me??” The third slap didn’t land. My hand was seized by a crimson-eyed Adam Breaux. He urgently embraced me, his voice trembling. “Eliza, I’m so sorry, I was drugged… I mistook her for you.” “It’s all my fault, all my fault…” Sienna Hayes shivered, wrapping herself up, her eyes misty with tears. “Eliza, you’ve misunderstood me again… How could I do anything to betray you…” Looking at her habitual expression of feigned helplessness, my vision swam. … Before I could react to the absurdity of it all, I fainted. For a long time after I woke up, Adam Breaux begged for my forgiveness every day. He repeatedly presented me with evidence that he had been set up. “Eliza, no matter how much of a scoundrel I am, I would never be with Sienna Hayes. Please believe me, okay?” I tried to convince myself it was an accident. To let it go. But just as our rift was beginning to heal with time, Sienna Hayes updated her social media. It was a blurry photo, her nestled in a man’s arms at dusk. Caption: “Thank you for spending New Year’s Eve with me.” The man’s cufflink gleamed under the light. It was the ten-year anniversary gift I had given Adam Breaux. My blood rushed to my head in an instant. This was the fifth day of Adam Breaux’s supposed business trip. He had only left me a hasty message: “Eliza, decided last minute to stay an extra day. Don’t wait for me for dinner.” He went to be with Sienna Hayes. They had never broken contact. This fact hit me like a sledgehammer, knocking me senseless. By the time I arrived in the city, it was almost midnight. I staggered towards the Great Harbor Bridge. Fireworks instantly burst into the sky. The next second, in the flickering light, the scene of the two of them watching fireworks together, nestled close, unexpectedly crashed into my vision— “Do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl?” Sienna Hayes looked at Adam Breaux, her eyes crinkling in a smile. “Will this be its first New Year’s Eve?” I felt a momentary ringing in my ears. What boy or girl? Who was ‘it’? My body reacted faster than my brain. I rushed forward and slapped Adam Breaux hard, then grabbed Sienna Hayes’s hair. “You bitch! You still claim to be innocent?!” In that chaotic moment, Adam Breaux quickly shielded Sienna Hayes in his arms. He gripped my wrist, his brow furrowed, his eyes dark and heavy. His grip was so strong it felt like my bones would shatter. “What are you doing!? Sienna is pregnant!! What’s wrong with you?” I looked at him in disbelief, tears streaming down my face. “Her pregnancy, what does it have to do with you?” “Adam Breaux, who is your wife?!” Only then did he release me, as if waking from a dream. But from beginning to end, he held Sienna Hayes tightly in his arms. “Eliza, don’t be impulsive! Listen to me.” “Sienna is pregnant because of that accident… she’s carrying my child.” “The doctor said her constitution is special, if she doesn’t carry this child to term, she might never be able to get pregnant again! She was frantic, didn’t know what to do, that’s why she came to me.” “I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d overthink it…” Sienna Hayes’s face was streaked with two lines of tears, all too familiar to me. “Eliza, Mom and Dad want me to get rid of my baby.” “Please, please let me stay, let me have my baby, okay?” “I won’t disturb you two, I just want my own child…” My head buzzed. All my sharp edges were roused in that instant. “Sienna Hayes, you’re lying again!! What do you mean you won’t be able to get pregnant if you abort the baby? Do you think anyone believes you? Do you dare to go to the hospital with me for an examination?” Her eyes were misty with tears. “Eliza, why do you always have to be so extreme? Sister doesn’t want to ruin your happiness! Sister just wants to have her own child.” Adam Breaux’s face, meanwhile, hardened inch by inch. “Eliza, do you really have to speak of your own sister like that?” “Your sister is also a victim. I’m the one who wronged her. Do you have to be so aggressive?” “How can you be so cold-blooded?” The Adam Breaux of ten years ago and the man before me now, split and overlapped in my vision. The boy who would share his earphones with me on winter nights. Now looked at me with an indifference I had never seen before. I remembered that New Year, when I was seventeen. My piano teacher, who was in charge of my intensive training, gave me a day off. I took a four-hour bus ride, holding a cake box I had ordered with three months of pocket money, and stood at my front door. The fingerprint lock beeped an error. Once, twice, thrice. I called my father. In the background, the cold female voice of an airport announcement mixed with Sienna Hayes’s clear laughter. “Dad! Look! Snow-capped mountains!” My father’s voice was distant and impatient. “Why aren’t you practicing piano at school? What are you doing home? We’re with Sienna, skiing in Switzerland. You should go back.” The busy signal as he hung up pierced my eardrum like a needle. I didn’t know when the sky had completely darkened. I only remembered my fingers freezing numb, and the ribbon on the cake box flapping loudly in the wind. Then, a beam of headlights cut through the darkness. Adam Breaux jumped out of the car, his breath condensing into white mist in the cold air. He saw the melted cake at my feet, and his movements paused. Then he grabbed my frozen hands, and without a word, tucked them inside his sweater, pressing them against his warm chest. “Are you foolish?” “Couldn’t you call me?” My lips trembled, unable to make a sound. He took off his left earbud and gently placed it in my ear. “Eliza Bennett, look up.” I raised my tear-filled eyes. Firelight danced in his pupils, his face impossibly handsome in the interplay of light and shadow. “Don’t cry.” “Happy New Year.” “Trust me.” “I’ll definitely get you out of here. To a place without biased parents, without Sienna Hayes, without nightmares.” “Every year, I’ll be the first to wish you a Happy New Year.” At that moment, for the first time in my seventeen years of bleak existence, I saw light. The earphone hummed with a faint current, the song flowing like warm water into my frozen veins. “If the whole world speaks ill of you, I will whisper words of love for an eternity.” The moment the lyrics played, my tears fell onto his hand. The flutter in my heart then was beyond words. But ten years later, at the very first moment of the New Year, he held Sienna Hayes close. And called me a cold-blooded animal. After that day, I accepted an invitation for a concert tour abroad. I packed my bags overnight and left the country. For three months, I didn’t answer any of his calls. I didn’t know how to face his change. “Eliza, where are you? Don’t scare me.” “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have left you without a word.” “Eliza Bennett, I was ready to love you for a lifetime when I was sixteen. But I’m not a saint. I’m bound to make mistakes.” “Are you really going to completely shut down our future?” And his friends’ pleas also urged me: “Adam did make a mistake, but in his situation, let alone mistaking someone for you, even if he had genuinely slept with a stranger, wouldn’t it be understandable?” “Eliza, don’t be so stubborn. Adam protected you for so many years, with all his heart. Are you going to condemn him to death for one mistake?” “Isn’t Adam’s kindness also for your sake?” “If your sister really can’t get pregnant later, and you make her abort this child, what if she holds a grudge against you?” Gradually, I began to wonder if I was the one who was wrong. Perhaps I truly was too extreme. And I had to admit, I was too accustomed to Adam Breaux’s presence. I missed our old conversations, and even more, I missed… him. I composed myself and flew back home. During the seventeen-hour flight, I practiced smiling into the cabin window. Hoping to reconcile as soon as I saw Adam Breaux. But when I returned home, unexpectedly, no one was there. I turned to get the spare key from my car, and pulled open the door. The sweet scent of camellias, Sienna Hayes’s usual perfume, wafted out. On the passenger seat, my gray wool seat cover was gone. In its place was a thick, antique red lumbar support cushion, its edges embroidered with delicate patterns. The side storage pocket was filled with pregnant-woman-specific snacks: Japanese dried plums, organic nuts, sugar-free yogurt sticks… What did this mean? They… were living together? Anger once again consumed me. I sought them everywhere, finally finding the two of them in the hospital. But I saw Adam Breaux, with one leg injured, pale and leaning against the headboard. And Sienna Hayes, showing early signs of pregnancy, busily wiping his sweat. My heart suddenly leaped into my throat. “Adam, what happened to you?” Sienna Hayes, after a momentary stiffness, quickly adopted her most practiced pitiful expression. “Eliza…” she stood up, instinctively shielding her stomach. “You’re finally back…” “After you ran away, Adam was distracted every day. Last month, he was hit by a car.” “Eliza, Adam’s eyes and heart are full of you. All the mistakes… are my fault, please don’t blame him anymore.” Adam Breaux looked at me, his eyes red-rimmed, saying nothing. Seeing his disappointed gaze and his high-slung leg, I compromised. Paying the price for my reckless departure. I accepted his cold shoulder without protest. I even agreed to Sienna Hayes’s request to live in our home. I didn’t know what had happened during the three months I was away. But amidst the absurd cohabitation of three people, I clearly sensed that Adam Breaux no longer loved me. Love, or the lack thereof, cannot be hidden. Those tiny changes were like shards of glass, scattered throughout every corner of my life. Sienna Hayes would caress her slightly bulging belly, her voice soft. “The gray tones in the house make me so depressed, my appetite isn’t good… Can we change it to a warm brown?” “Eliza’s piano is so beautiful, can I touch it? Just for a second.” She would frown, her gaze drifting to my favorite photo on the mantelpiece, “Strange, this wedding photo makes me dizzy…” I was almost driven to a breaking point by her. I didn’t like warm colors. And I wouldn’t allow anyone to touch my piano. And that wedding photo of Adam Breaux embracing me from behind on the black sand beach in Iceland was my most cherished picture. Yet, every time I tried to refuse, Adam Breaux would speak first. “No problem.” “Eliza, she’s pregnant, give her some leeway.” “It’s just changing some soft furnishings, don’t be so petty.” “Let’s put the photo away for now, a pregnant woman’s emotions are important.” So, the gray walls were covered with dark red wallpaper. My piano was moved to a corner, its lid piled high with her pregnancy magazines. The day my wedding photo disappeared, I found it in a cardboard box in the storage room, the glass cracked with a fine line. My home became Sienna Hayes’s showroom. Anxiety and resentment coiled around my heart like vines. I became someone even I disliked, paranoid and jumpy. And each time, Sienna Hayes perfectly stirred the waters. “Eliza, don’t misunderstand, Adam just wants to listen to the baby’s heartbeat…” “Alright, I won’t discuss baby names with him anymore, so you don’t overthink it.” Adam Breaux would then turn to look at me, his brow furrowed in an arc of weariness. “She’s your sister, and she’s carrying my child. Can’t you be more generous?” “Our sixteen years of affection, can’t that outweigh your suspicions?” He sighed, his gaze drifting past me to the window. “I’m very tired. Why can’t you… be as understanding as Sienna?” I became withdrawn and silent. Allowing their laughter and joy to fill my home. I thought that if I just endured this period, everything would end once Sienna Hayes had her baby. But I never expected her tricks, usually reserved for our parents, to be used on Adam Breaux. At six months, Sienna Hayes secretly ate the medium-rare steak I had cooked for myself. That night, the wail of an ambulance siren tore through the quiet of the neighborhood. Acute gastroenteritis, threatened premature labor. In the stark hospital corridor, Adam Breaux roared at me, his finger almost poking my nose: “Eliza Bennett! You know pregnant women can’t eat raw meat!” “She’s your sister! Are you trying to kill her and the baby?!” I stood frozen, chilled to the bone. “I never intended to cook it for her. That was for me to take to the office.” “She’s framing me again!!” Adam Breaux scoffed. “Always claiming to be framed! She’s six months pregnant!! What could she gain by framing you? Do you have a persecution complex?!” Not far away, Sienna Hayes winked provocatively at me. As if pressing her advantage, she became emotionally distraught, tears streaming down her face. “Eliza! When you were little, you hurt your eardrum playing around, and you blamed me!” “When you ran off with your boyfriend and missed an exam, you falsely accused me of locking you in!” “Even now! You deliberately fed me raw meat, even though Adam was home watching, and you still try to argue it!?” Sienna Hayes’s chest heaved with indignation. She was very convincing. Adam Breaux rushed back to her bedside, soothing Sienna Hayes as she gasped for breath. “Alright, don’t get upset.” “Be careful not to disturb the baby again.” When he looked up at me, his gaze had completely chilled, filled with intense disgust. “Leave. Don’t provoke your sister here any further.” A hysterical argument erupted once more. “Do you honestly believe I’m the one bullying her?!” “Adam Breaux, have you checked the security footage? Have you investigated? How can you be so certain…” My words were cut off by his impatient interruption. “Certain of what? For the few months Sienna’s been pregnant, you’ve been suspicious, wanting to watch her and me 24/7! What’s wrong with her just wanting her own child? What’s wrong with me providing some emotional support to a pregnant woman??” I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Providing emotional support to a pregnant woman requires soaking her feet? Peeling shrimp for her? Attending every prenatal appointment with her?” His face went completely dark. “Eliza Bennett, you always see problems with other people. Have you ever considered that for Sienna Hayes, that’s also a stepmother! Why do people only target you? Why do they pamper Sienna?” “Why do you never look for reasons within yourself?” “I’ve never seen Sienna Hayes bully you! It’s all something you fabricated!” I stared at him in disbelief. I almost couldn’t stand. “Adam Breaux!! You don’t love me anymore, you’ve changed your mind, just say it! Why twist the facts and slander me?!” His expression shifted. Just as a look of guilt crossed his face, Sienna Hayes’s suppressed sobbing came from behind: “Don’t argue, both of you… it’s all my fault…” He rushed back to her bedside. The only thing left for me was his back. “Eliza, just go home for now. Don’t act crazy in front of a patient.” In that instant, my decade-long affection for Adam Breaux, in his indifferent gaze, faded away with the wind. Later, the two of them acted as if they held an unbreakable shield for those last few months. They completely dropped any pretense. Adam Breaux didn’t even bother to explain anything to me. The prized tickets to the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert, which I had cherished, were again used by him to take Sienna Hayes for prenatal music education. “Sienna says the baby has been moving a lot lately, and the doctor suggested listening to calming classical music.” “I’m taking her to listen. She’s having a tough pregnancy, she deserves to relax.” Sienna Hayes leaned against him, her fingers caressing her swollen abdomen, giving me a smile mixed with apology and superiority. “Eliza, you don’t mind, do you? Adam is just doing what’s best for the baby.” I opened my mouth, but found my throat clogged with something, unable to make any sound. That Berlin concert was playing my favorite, Brahms’s Fourth Symphony. Countless times in the dead of night, Adam Breaux and I would lean our heads together, sharing a single earphone to listen to this piece. When the second movement began, he would kiss my earlobe, “We must go hear it live someday, just the two of us.” Later, he did go to hear it live. Only it wasn’t with me, but with my sister. After that long half-month, they returned, the living room piled with shopping bags. Sienna Hayes looked remarkably well. Her skin had a honeyed glow from the European sun, and a delicate diamond pinky ring adorned her ring finger. Adam Breaux pulled out a shoddily packaged box of Mozart chocolate balls from the bottom of his luggage. “Eliza, I brought these for you.” He didn’t even look at me, instead bending down to massage Sienna Hayes’s slightly swollen calves. “Try them, they’re a specialty of Salzburg.” I stared at that box of chocolate balls, available at any airport. I remembered many years ago, when we were poor students and went to Shanghai for a concert for the first time. He clutched two student tickets, but after the show, he pulled out a small, ridiculously expensive box of Godiva, his eyes shining brightly. “Eliza, from now on, every time we go to a concert, I’ll buy you better chocolate.” My thoughts drifted back. Recalling that frantic, desperate past. Now, only a desolate calm remained in my heart. … “Eliza, do you know Mr. Breaux?” “He said he wanted to see you.” My thoughts returned to the present.

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On the day my husband, Gideon, gave our son’s life-saving meds to his childhood crush’s cat, I stopped being the wife he hated. Overnight, everything he disliked about me disappeared. He stayed out all night; I didn’t ask. His flirty texts; I ignored them. Even when we buried our son and he claimed a work emergency, I simply replied, “Okay,” and buried Jamie alone. His assistant watched my pale face with unease. “Mr. Pierce is swamped, ma’am. He’ll rush over after the meeting.” I remained silent, placing our son’s urn into the cold niche. Just before sealing it, Gideon’s car screeched to a halt. Drenched from the rain, he rushed over. “Sienna! Why didn’t you wait? I’m Jamie’s father!” My voice was flat. “Your work is important. Jamie would understand.” His heart clenched at my calmness. He reached for me, but whispers from onlookers stopped him. “Mr. Pierce only has eyes for Ms. Holloway. If she’d accepted his proposal, Sienna would’ve never married him.” Gideon turned back, urgent. “Tessa and I are just friends! I swear!” I handed him my umbrella. “I know. It’s raining. Use this.” I turned to leave. He grabbed my wrist. “If you’re angry, hit me! Why make it so damn unbearable?” Unbearable? He used to hate my tears, saying men can’t stand women who make scenes. Now that I was calm and understanding, why was he so upset? 1 I was about to shake his hand off when his phone blared, a jarring interruption in the heavy silence. Gideon frowned but answered. “I’m busy. Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow.” A tearful voice crackled through the speaker. “Gideon, Mochi is throwing up again. Can you please come see him? Please?” Mochi. That was the cat’s name. Gideon’s eyes flickered to me. When I offered no reaction, he immediately replied to the call. “Okay. I’m on my way.” He hung up. I pushed myself to my feet. My knees, numb from kneeling for so long, buckled beneath me. “Careful!” He lunged to steady me. I regained my balance and gently pulled my arm from his grasp. “Go,” I said. “A sick pet needs care. Drive safely.” I even retrieved his coat for him, holding it out with a steady hand. Gideon took it, a sharp, unidentifiable pain twisting in his chest. He walked to the door, then turned back suddenly. “I’ll be home for dinner tonight.” “Okay. I’ll wait for you.” Of course, he never came home. I made four dishes and a soup. I waited from seven until eleven. I reheated the food three times before finally scraping it all into the trash. At two in the morning, Tessa posted a new photo online. 【With you here, I’m not afraid of anything. Thank you, my guardian angel.】 The picture was of Gideon’s profile. He was frowning in concentration, giving a shot to a small cat, his expression focused and gentle. I liked the post. Then, I sent a message to my parents overseas. “The cooling-off period for the divorce ends in seven days. I’ll accept the arranged marriage you mentioned.” 2 For the next seven days, I practically lived at the office, trying to numb my hollowed-out soul with grueling work. My colleagues avoided my gaze, their whispers following me down the halls. “She’s such a workaholic. Her son just died and she’s already back at the office.” I said nothing, burying myself in spreadsheets. Tessa walked by with a coffee, pausing deliberately beside my desk. “Sienna, darling, don’t overdo it. Your health is important.” Her voice was soft, but loud enough for everyone nearby to hear her add, “She’s so focused on work, she didn’t even notice her own son was sick.” My fingers tightened around my pen. Gideon had never offered a single word of explanation about swapping the medication. He let the rumors fester, let the blame settle squarely on my shoulders. During the afternoon board meeting, Gideon’s father, the chairman, suddenly slammed a folder on the table. “Sienna, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re my daughter-in-law!” he roared. “You worked for three straight days on a project and ignored your own son’s fever! How did our family end up with a heartless woman like you?” I looked up at Gideon. He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Dad, this whole thing…” “You shut up!” his father snapped, slamming his palms on the table and rising to his feet. “This is all your fault for spoiling her!” He stormed over to me and his hand flew up, striking my face with a sharp crack. “This first one is for killing my grandson!” I stumbled back, my cheek burning. Across the room, I could see a triumphant smirk playing on Tessa’s lips. “And this is for losing the company the Corbin account!” He struck me again, harder this time. My ears rang, and I could taste blood in my mouth. “When Mr. Corbin heard you don’t even care about your own son, he said he couldn’t trust a family with no humanity! He canceled the contract this morning!” Gideon finally moved. “Dad!” he shouted, jumping up from his chair. “What, you’re still going to protect her?” Gideon spread his arms in front of me. “If you want to hit her, you’ll have to hit me first!” His father’s voice trembled with rage as he pointed a shaking finger in my face. “You see? He’s still defending you! I’ve been too soft on you, let you get away with murder!” The third slap never came, but I was already swaying. The world went dark, and I collapsed. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Gideon was sitting beside me. “Tessa had a difficult childhood,” he began quietly. “Besides me, that cat was the only friend she had.” He paused. “Can’t you just let this one thing go? For us? Please?” I closed my eyes. “Sienna, let’s start over. Tonight, we can try for another baby. I’ll give you anything you want as compensation, I promise.” I finally turned my head to look at him, my throat raw. “And if I say no?” He froze, his brow furrowing in annoyance. “Don’t throw a tantrum.” I could still feel the stinging throb on my cheek. “I’m not throwing a tantrum. I just want to know. Do I still have the right to say no?” 3 His last ounce of patience evaporated. “Get some rest. I’ll come back to check on you later.” He left quickly. As the door clicked shut, I heard Tessa’s concerned voice from the hallway. “Gideon, is she okay?” “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have asked you to bring the medicine.” Gideon’s voice immediately softened. “It has nothing to do with you. She’s the one who can’t let it go.” I stared at the ceiling as a single tear escaped, sliding down my temple and disappearing silently into the pillow. I thought I had cried myself dry in the days after Jamie died, but it seemed I was wrong. The next day, a driver took me back to the Pierce estate. As I walked in, I saw Tessa sitting on the sofa, laughing with Gideon’s parents. She was cuddling Mochi, and tied around the cat’s neck was the little silver bell our son used to play with. The bell was one I had made myself for Jamie’s first birthday, with his name engraved inside. The doctor had advised me to get rid of his belongings after he passed. I had burned everything. Everything except that bell. It was the only thing I had left. “Oh, Sienna, you’re back,” Tessa said, standing up. “Mochi just loves this little bell. Gideon said Jamie wouldn’t be needing it anymore, so he let Mochi have it.” I walked past her without a word and snatched the bell from the cat’s collar. The startled animal hissed, its claws raking across the back of my hand, drawing blood. “Sienna, are you insane?” Gideon’s mother shrieked, rushing over. “It’s just a bell! Are you really going to pick a fight with a cat?” “She’s right, Sienna,” Tessa said, her eyes welling up. “If you’re upset, I apologize. Please don’t scare Mochi.” I clutched the bell, blood seeping between my fingers. Just then, Gideon walked in. His face darkened when he saw the scene. “What now?” Tessa immediately went to his side, tugging on his arm. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have given the bell to Mochi.” Gideon’s gaze, filled with reproach, landed on me. “It’s a bell, Sienna. It’s not a big deal. Why are you making such a scene?” He strode over, pried the bell from my grasp, and tied it back around Tessa’s cat’s neck. “The world doesn’t revolve around you!” I looked down at the plane ticket confirmation on my phone for the day after tomorrow, then turned and walked back to my room without another word. The next day, I went to the office. My assistant informed me that Mr. Corbin was demanding a personal explanation from me. I nodded, picked up the file, and went to the conference room. Mr. Corbin sat at the head of the table, his expression grim. “Mrs. Pierce,” he said, his voice cold. “I hear you prioritize your work over your own son. How can I trust a business partner like that?” I stood my ground. “Mr. Corbin, the circumstances of that day…” “The circumstances are irrelevant,” he waved his hand dismissively. “The entire industry is talking about it. The Pierce daughter-in-law let her son’s fever rage while she was chasing a contract. I have children of my own. I have no respect for such a ruthless woman.” The other executives in the room were whispering, their eyes on me. Gideon sat beside them, silent. I took a deep breath. “What would you like me to do, Mr. Corbin?” He pushed a glass of clear liquid toward me. “Drink this. Apologize publicly. Say you were wrong to neglect your family for your career. And we’ll consider the matter closed.” It was a full glass of whiskey, at least two shots. I have a sensitive stomach; my doctor has forbidden me from drinking. I looked at Gideon. He averted his eyes. “Mr. Corbin is offering you a way out, Sienna. Just take it.” I picked up the glass, my hand trembling. Everyone was waiting for the show. Behind Gideon, Tessa was smiling. I took a sip. The liquid burned my throat. After the second sip, my vision started to blur. When the last drop was gone, I turned the glass upside down. “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I was wrong.” Mr. Corbin finally smiled. “Well done, Mrs. Pierce. Very sporting.” I turned and fled to the restroom, where I collapsed over the toilet, vomiting until my body ached. Blood mixed with the bile, and I had to cling to the sink just to stay upright. Gideon followed me in, his face a mask of displeasure. “Are you okay?” I rinsed my mouth. “I’m fine.” “If you can’t drink, you shouldn’t have forced it.” “Didn’t you tell me to?” He was silent. He reached out to wipe the blood from the corner of my mouth. I took a step back. “Mr. Pierce. This is the office. We should maintain a professional distance.” His hand froze in mid-air. That afternoon, Gideon’s father summoned me to his study. A new agreement was laid out on the desk. “You will forfeit Jamie’s shares in the company,” he said flatly. “Furthermore, your position here is terminated. The Pierce family does not support freeloaders.” I had been wondering how I would get Gideon to sign the final divorce papers. Now, it seemed, the problem had solved itself. But just as my pen touched the paper, Gideon burst into the room. “Dad! She can’t sign that!” “What? Still protecting her?” Gideon glanced at me, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. “Tessa is pregnant.” 4 The pen slipped from my fingers, leaving a long, black gash across the page. Gideon’s father stared, then his face broke into a grin of pure elation. “Really?” “We just found out. She’s two months along.” “The timing… the baby will be born right around the time Jamie passed. It must be a sign from heaven.” Tessa appeared in the doorway, her head bowed. “Sienna… I’m so sorry.” My father-in-law had already forgotten I existed. He rushed to Tessa’s side, taking her hand. “My dear girl, come, sit down.” He beamed. “Two months! Gideon, you’ve finally done something right!” I stood frozen, a roaring in my ears. Two months. Jamie passed away just over two months ago. Of course. Gideon walked over and wrapped his arms around me in a gentle embrace. “We can raise this child as our own,” he murmured. “It’ll be easier for you, don’t you think? You won’t have to suffer so much.” I looked at him, and for the first time, he seemed like a terrifying stranger. The three of them chattered excitedly about the new baby. No one noticed as I folded the agreement, tucked it into my purse, and walked out. That night, I packed my things. I had burned all of Jamie’s photos, keeping only a single small negative hidden in my phone case. But the bell was still on that cat. I had to get it back. I walked out of my room and saw Tessa standing in the doorway of what used to be Jamie’s nursery, holding Mochi. The room was empty now, and she was directing movers to bring in a large cat tree. “This will be Mochi’s new playroom,” she said, smiling sweetly when she saw me. “You don’t mind, do you, Sienna? Gideon said it was a shame to let the space go to waste.” I saw the bell, my son’s bell, tossed carelessly into a nearby trash can. My nails dug into my palms. “Oh, by the way, there’s something else I forgot to tell you,” she continued, her voice syrupy. “Don’t blame Gideon. That day, Jamie and Mochi both started coughing up blood at the same time. The vet said they both needed the medication immediately.” Her words hit me like a physical blow. Gideon had told me he hadn’t noticed Jamie was coughing up blood. “Gideon agonized over it for a long time,” Tessa purred.

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1 I couldn’t bear to look a second time at the monster in the mirror. The strength and resilience I had maintained all these years collapsed the moment I touched the cold glass. The artery was severed, blood dyeing a tub of warm water red. I sat painfully slumped by the bathroom window. Allowing my body to gradually turn cold and stiff. When I opened my eyes again, I had become a soul floating into the living room. The neighbors were laughing and chatting with my parents. “Your Chloe is beautiful and capable. She was promoted to lead news anchor this year, wasn’t she?” “The groom comes from a good family. I heard he’s a manager at a foreign company in the city. These two kids have finally ended their 7-year marathon and tied the knot.” I felt strange. Didn’t they know I was disfigured and had my legs amputated? Even if they mistook my twin sister, Mia, for me. But we both quit the radio station. Then who was promoted to lead anchor? Thinking of this, I felt a bit uneasy. My parents looked jubilant. They exchanged a knowing glance and stayed silent. After the guests left. My father looked worriedly toward my room and lowered his voice. “Good thing we didn’t tell anyone about Chloe being disfigured and amputated, otherwise we would have lost so much face today.” “But letting Mia take over Chloe’s job, isn’t that unfair to Chloe?” My mother suddenly threw down the broom in annoyance. She sat on the sofa with her head down, wiping her tears. “Isn’t it enough that she’s dragging us down? She still wants fairness? Who gives us fairness?” “We are getting old, yet every day we have to carefully feed her, give her medicine, bathe her, and empty her bedpan.” “It’s been five years. I’ve done right by her. Sometimes I even wonder why she doesn’t just die. She’s just torturing my old bones.” My father kept nodding and sighing. I simply couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Five years ago, a massive fire destroyed my career as the station’s top anchor. I specifically remember my whole body being burned black as charcoal, covered in blood. My legs had to be amputated to save my life due to severe burn infections. My parents practically sold everything they owned, spending two million dollars to pull me back from death’s door. My father endured the pain of skin grafts to save me. My mother and Ethan took turns massaging me day and night. But the pain of rehab and dressing changes terrified me so much that my whole body spasmed. Many times, I couldn’t hold on. “Just let me die!” Whenever this happened, they would cry and kneel before me, begging me to keep going. Especially my mother. She said if I died, she would jump off the building. In order not to disappoint their expectations. I gritted my teeth and held on until now. It turns out they wanted to get rid of me long ago. Looking at my transparent body, I smiled bitterly. Now that I’m dead, everyone is free. I floated around the house in a daze for a few days. On the seventh day, Mia and Ethan returned from their honeymoon. Ethan’s $300,000 car was parked at the door; my parents felt very proud. As soon as they entered, my father pulled Ethan to drink tea and chat in the living room. My mother called my sister into the bedroom. Mysteriously taking out a bank card, she gave it to her. “Mia, there’s a million dollars in this card. Consider it the startup fund we’re giving you young newlyweds.” Mia’s eyes widened. “Mom, where did you get so much money? Didn’t our family incur a lot of debt for sister’s treatment?” “And if you have a million dollars, why didn’t you use it to save sister? That way, her legs could have been saved!” My mother quickly covered her mouth. Secretly opening the door a crack, she confirmed there was no movement from my room before breathing a sigh of relief. “Keep your voice down. The family isn’t in debt at all. This is from crowdfunding donations for your sister online!” “We’ve already spent two million saving her; we’ve done right by her. But she’s severely burned all over. Even if we didn’t amputate, she’d be a cripple for the rest of her life!” “Ethan comes from such a good family. Your sister being disfigured can’t hold onto him. We might as well keep this money to support you. Between two daughters, I have to save at least one.” My spirit form trembled uncontrollably. Frantically tearing at my own face. It turns out my parents didn’t try their best to save me at all. “Why didn’t you save me? I became like this because I saved Mia!” I regretted it. If possible, I would rather have never saved my sister. What right did she have to steal my life? My mother fell silent for a moment, then added: “Fate plays tricks on people. We can only blame her bad luck.” “Keep this card safe. It will let you hold your head high in Ethan’s hometown. You’ve had a sweet mouth since childhood. Between my two daughters, you are my favorite. You living well is better than anything else.” I looked blankly at my mother, my heart shattered into pieces. When it was time to eat, the mother and daughter finally dawdled out. At the dinner table, Ethan finally noticed something was wrong. “Mom, where’s Chloe?” 2 My mother glanced at my room, humming and hawing. “On the day of the wedding, her emotions were very agitated. I was afraid she’d make a scene… so I gave her a mirror.” As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere instantly became oppressive. Mia turned pale with fright. “Mom, sister won’t be able to handle it!” Ethan frowned slightly. “She… hasn’t come out for days, hasn’t eaten?” The emotions suppressed in my mother’s heart exploded. She slammed her chopsticks down, turned her head, and wiped away a tear. “Even if she can’t handle it, she has to accept reality. She can’t keep running away. This is the perfect time for her to give up hope.” “Looking like a ghost that even a dog would despise, how could she have the nerve to ask Ethan to marry her? How much longer does she want to drag us down?” My father didn’t speak, just blindly drank his alcohol. Ethan and Mia exchanged a glance and chose to remain silent. Suddenly, I felt no emotion at all. Staring blankly at my mother, I just felt she was a stranger. “Mom, I’m already dead now. You can rest easy.” The weightless sentence scattered in the air. My mother looked up abruptly. Glancing suspiciously at my room, she continued chattering. “These past few days, I’ve been at her door trying to talk sense into her every day, even kneeling and begging her to open the door, but she just ignores me.” “I don’t dare open the door recklessly, afraid of angering her further. Tell me, is this easy for me?” After the meal, while my mother was in the kitchen washing dishes. Ethan and Mia quietly brought a bowl of rice and knocked on my door. “What are you doing?” My mother suddenly appeared. Extraordinarily angry, she snatched the rice bowl away. Ethan felt somewhat helpless. He wanted to take the rice bowl back but watched as my mother threw it directly into the trash can. Ethan couldn’t help but get red eyes. “Mom, what are you doing? When it comes down to it, we are the ones who wronged Chloe in this matter.” Mia looked at my door and lowered her head guiltily. “Mom, I feel terrible. I really didn’t do it on purpose.” “That day the power went out, Ethan and I were drunk and lost control, accidentally knocking over the candle and starting the fire…” “Mom, sister hasn’t come out for days. She wouldn’t do anything foolish, would she? I’m worried and want to go in and check.” My mother panicked and quickly covered her mouth. “Silly girl, you are newlyweds; you can’t cry.” “A huge mistake has already been made; crying now is useless. Do not tell your sister about this!” Ethan patted her shoulder gently, comforting her silently. My father looked over, then lowered his head and smoked his cigarette. I was completely dumbfounded. They all knew and kept it from me alone? Mia continued to sob, blaming herself. My mother was both angry and anxious. Walking quickly to my door, she pounded on it loudly. “Chloe Sterling, how much longer are you going to torture your sister? You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” “Don’t push your luck. The more we accommodate you, the more you bully us. When did you become so selfish?” The piercing voice made my scalp tingle. How long has it been since I heard such a loud noise? Since I was burned, my emotions have become unusually sensitive. They didn’t dare make any noise in front of me. I remember once my father closed the door a bit heavily, startling me. My mother was so angry she didn’t speak to him for three days. She stayed by my bedside 24 hours a day, terrified I’d do something foolish. But now, my mother was venting her anger, looking like she wanted to smash the door down. “Mom, don’t be like this…” Ethan couldn’t bear it and quickly came over to pull her away. Mia haphazardly wiped her tears and also ran over to help. Suddenly, she pointed at my door and exclaimed. “What is that smell? It stinks!” 3 “The mirror!” “Mom, Chloe didn’t do something foolish, did she?” Realizing something, Ethan’s face was full of horror. Mia’s face changed drastically; she lifted her foot to kick the door. My mother calmly blocked the doorway. Her face showed a tartness and meanness I had never seen before. “Don’t go in!” “It’s been so many years. If she really wanted to die, she would have died long ago!” “Maybe she’s angry with me and deliberately soiled herself in bed waiting to torture me. She won’t be satisfied until she drives someone crazy.” The more my mother spoke, the angrier she got. She pushed them outside. “It’s very late. You guys go back first.” “As soon as you come back, she pulls this stunt on purpose. If you pay attention to her this time, she’ll definitely escalate her fussing in the future, giving you no peace for the rest of your lives!” I have never felt such deep hatred. A weeping ghost cry echoed through the night sky. As they prepared to get in the car, Ethan keenly noticed something was wrong. After the amputation, I had always lived in fear, calling her every day to connect. But it had been three days. Not a single questioning phone call from me. Hesitating again and again, she tremblingly took out her phone. “I’ll give Chloe a call.” Just as she was about to dial, my mother snatched the phone and hung up. Pointing at the silhouette in the second-floor bathroom window, she snorted disdainfully. “She’s fine. She’s secretly watching us from the window now. Give him some time.” “Alright, you guys hurry back.” Everyone looked in the direction she pointed and breathed a sigh of relief. I glanced at the dark silhouette in the window. Silently crying tears of blood. They didn’t know that was just my corpse. It was early summer, and my corpse had already begun to decay. Taking one last look at the second floor. Ethan found something in the driver’s seat and gave it to my mother. “Mom, this is the peace amulet Mia and I asked for Chloe yesterday. A master blessed it, saying it can protect her safe and sound. Please give it to her.” “Okay…” My mother nodded. Waiting for their car to drive far away. She hesitated for a moment, then decisively threw the peace amulet into the trash can. My father was pale with fright. “What are you doing? Didn’t you hear Ethan say this peace amulet can protect Chloe…” My mother impatiently interrupted him. “Give it to her for what? So she can harbor unrealistic fantasies about Ethan and ruin Mia’s marriage?” It turned out that in my mother’s heart, my health was far less important than Mia’s happiness. I cried, my soul almost dissipating in the night wind. My mother didn’t return to her room but came to my door. Knocking gently, she coaxed me softly just like before. “Chloe, I know you’ve already seen from the window. Don’t blame Mom for being cruel. Looking like this, it’s already impossible between you and Ethan.” “Be good. Open the door and let Mom in to help you bathe. If you don’t clean yourself, your skin will rot.” “Good child, consider it Mom begging you.” No matter how softly she pleaded, there was no movement in my room. Until my father’s sigh came from behind. My mother hastily wiped her tears and went back to their room with him. Closing the door. My father didn’t know how to comfort her, jokingly saying: “I thought you only cared about Mia.” To his surprise, my mother’s tears fell even harder. “What nonsense are you talking about? The palms and backs of hands are all meat. I was just venting my emotions earlier.” “Calling me Mom means a lifetime of responsibility. No matter how hard it is, I will never abandon Chloe.” Saying this, my mother brought out the bankbook. As if making a difficult decision, she smiled bitterly. “I never thought of abandoning Chloe. I’ve already contacted plastic surgery experts from out of state. They’ll come tomorrow to treat her. At least give her hope to keep living.” My father frowned. “This is our retirement money. Chloe has already had her limbs amputated. What’s the point of spending money on plastic surgery?” My mother got angry. Standing up abruptly, she pointed at my father and yelled. “Because she is the child I carried for ten months! Anyone can abandon her, but we can’t!” “Chloe only has us now.” By the last sentence, my mother was already sobbing uncontrollably. My father thought for a moment, then nodded helplessly. Looking at their faces full of hardship and helplessness, my heart was filled with mixed feelings. I remember when I first got my prosthetics, my mother knelt on the ground holding my feet. My father supported my body, moving step by step for rehab therapy. Every day I was in so much pain I sweated profusely. My parents were also exhausted, panting heavily. It seems that from then on, their backs remained hunched, never to straighten again. I covered my face, shaking my head painfully. Mom, keep the money. I don’t need it anymore, and I will never be your burden again. The next day, the medical team arrived. My mother paced anxiously outside my door. “Chloe, open the door. The doctors are here to do your plastic surgery.” Trying several times, she found the door was locked from the inside. But the putrid smell in the room grew stronger. The doctors couldn’t stand it and wanted to leave. My mother panicked. Quickly calling Ethan and the others. “Ethan, Mia, come quickly! Your sister is being too unreasonable, she even locked the door. I remember you have the key.” Twenty minutes later, they arrived in a rush. The moment the door opened, everyone widened their eyes in horror. 4 A smell of blood mixed with a rotting stench hit their faces. Everyone present couldn’t help but run to the door and dry heave. My mother pushed through the crowd and entered, instantly collapsing onto the floor. The bloody water flowing from the bathroom deeply pierced her eyes. She rushed into the bathroom like a madwoman. Ethan frowned in disgust, supporting Mia as they quickly followed. The corpse had already reached the state of bloating. Eyeballs protruding, lips turned outward. The skin was bloody from the maggots gnawing on it. My mother trembled and grew cold all over, kneeling on the ground in a breakdown, howling in pain. “Ah, Chloe, my child!” “Chloe…” Mia covered her mouth in terror, hiding in Ethan’s arms with a pale face. Ethan stood frozen in place like ice. My father realized something was wrong and also rushed in in a panic. The cigarette in his hand fell to the ground the moment he saw my corpse. It was very light, but very heavy. I suddenly wanted to laugh. Didn’t they think I was a burden? Now that I’m dead, what’s the meaning of putting on this show? The people present helped call the police. The house was already in a chaotic mess. Even the neighbors gathered around, whispering to each other, looking at them with changed expressions. “What’s going on? Didn’t Chloe just get married a few days ago? Whose corpse is this?” “Look at the woman holding Ethan. She has a mole on her ear, seems only their younger daughter Mia has that.” I stared straight at my mother, waiting to see how she would explain. She just kept crying, completely afraid to look up. The police arrived quickly. The medical examiner preliminarily determined I had been dead for more than three days. My mother stood up abruptly, gasping. “So, it was on the day of Mia’s wedding that she…” The medical examiner noticed the mirror shards by my feet and couldn’t help but frown. “I heard the deceased is your eldest daughter, severely burned, disfigured, and amputated. Why did you put a mirror in her room? This is very dangerous!” “For someone who worked in radio, being disfigured is equivalent to losing half her life. You didn’t put the mirrors away, but brought one out to deliberately trigger her?” Seeing the mirror again, I felt a wave of dizziness. Actually, I knew I was disfigured, and must be very ugly. But when I saw my hideous face, and that the two misplaced holes were actually my nostrils. My psychological defenses collapsed. In utter despair, I took the path of no return. The moment I cut my wrist hurt, but for me, it was an unprecedented relief. My mother knelt heavily on the ground again, crying and beating her chest. “I gave her the mirror. It’s been five years, I thought she should be able to accept it by now…” “Chloe, Mom didn’t really want you to die. Those were words spoken in anger!” The medical examiner looked at my corpse, a look of pity in his eyes. Turning his head to reprimand: “For her, this kind of emotional trauma lasts a lifetime. It’s highly likely she struggled between life and death every day.” The emotions that had been blocking my heart burst because of the medical examiner’s words. He was right. Just staying alive had exhausted all my strength. I wasn’t being manipulative, nor was I pushing my luck. I just couldn’t control myself. My father looked at the bloodstained mirror in the medical examiner’s hand in shock, unable to hold back his tears. Ethan’s heart was enveloped by an immense guilt. He couldn’t help clenching his fists. Actually, when he helped me change my prosthetics, I had seen the disgust on his face countless times. I proposed breaking up; he was the one who disagreed. That day I rushed out just to ask clearly. I really never thought of dragging anyone down. But later, when emotions took over, I despaired. The medical examiner sighed helplessly, preparing to carry my corpse away. Just then, Mia pointed at my hand and exclaimed. “Look, sister has something in her hand!”

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