Category: English

1. My mother poured all her hopes into my brother. “My son will be extraordinary,” she said. “Every second of your life is precious.” She controlled every moment of his day—even making him recite English vocabulary in the bathroom. She used physical punishment, verbal abuse, and guilt as her main teaching tools. Under the pressure, my brother fell into depression and tried to kill himself by cutting his wrists. I begged Mom to stop. Instead, she wrapped his bleeding wrist with duct tape. “This way, the blade can’t cut through,” she said calmly. “If you’re going to cut, use this hand. You need your right hand for writing.” After a dozen canes were broken across his back and there was no unmarked skin left, he was accepted into Oxford. The day he got his acceptance letter, he jumped from the roof. I thought his death would break Mom’s obsession. Instead, she turned to me. “My sweet girl,” she said, a strange light in her eyes, “Mommy will make you even more successful than your brother.” But before she could start, on the seventh day after his death, my grandfather—who had been in a coma for twenty years—woke up. And the first thing he did was continue the project he had started long ago: to forge his daughter into a success. … My brother was dead. The day he found out his exam scores, the day my mother was already on the phone inviting all our relatives to come and see her perfect creation, he jumped from the roof. There was no dramatic scene with people trying to talk him down. He just jumped. Cleanly, decisively. As if he had completely given up on the world. Looking at his unrecognizable body, I felt a strange sense of relief mixed with my grief. “Isn’t that the Miller boy? I heard he did really well on his exams. Why would he do something like this?” “Kids these days have no resilience. His mother worked so hard to raise him, and this is how he repays her.” “I know, right? That poor woman. She raised him all by herself, made him so successful, and he just throws it all away. What an ungrateful brat.” No one cared why my brother jumped. They only saw a single mother to be pitied. They were wrong. I wanted to speak up for my brother, to tell them how suffocating and painful his life had been in that house. But the words wouldn’t come. I didn’t have the strength. He was already gone. Nothing I said would change that. I stole a glance at my mother. Her expression was a complex mask I couldn’t decipher. Would his death make her reflect on her actions? Not a chance. Because I heard her mutter, “What a waste. All those years of training, and now I have to start all over again.” Then, her eyes found mine. A chill spread through my entire body. I couldn’t move. My mother dragged me home without a second glance at my brother’s body. Someone from the crowd called her name. I couldn’t help but ask, “Mom, aren’t we going to do something about brother?” She didn’t even turn around. “Chloe, you’re not as naturally gifted as your brother. You don’t have time to waste on irrelevant things.” Her coldness made me snap. “That’s my brother! Your son! Is studying the only thing you care about? We’re human beings, not trophies for you to show off! Can’t you at least take care of his funeral?” Her response was a sharp, stinging slap across my face. “In the time it took you to say that, you could have memorized twenty vocabulary words.” My mother hadn’t changed at all. She couldn’t stand the thought of her children being average. She would do anything to get them into a top university, to ensure they had a good career. She didn’t care what they had to endure in the process. All that mattered was the result. It used to be my brother. Now, it was my turn. 2 My mother really did ignore my brother. Neighbors and police officers knocked on our door repeatedly, but she refused to deal with his body. When they became too persistent, she would just scream at them. “He’s a useless piece of trash! Why should I waste my precious time on him? Can’t you just find a ditch and bury him somewhere?” The police, at a loss, had to contact other relatives to handle the arrangements. All my mother did was push me to study. She held my last midterm exam paper, her brow furrowed. “How could you get such a simple question wrong? Your brother never made such a stupid mistake! It seems your foundation is very weak. From now on, you will sleep only six hours a night. You have to work harder than everyone else to get into Oxford or Cambridge!” Those were the only two universities that existed in her world. On the first day after my brother’s death, I already felt like I couldn’t breathe. My mother created a strict schedule for me. Three minutes to get out of bed. If I failed, I had to memorize vocabulary in the living room in my pajamas. Five minutes to eat. As much as I could shovel down. If I was still hungry, I had to study on an empty stomach. Two minutes for the bathroom. The second the time was up, my mother would burst in and drag me out, regardless of what I was doing. I failed on the very first day. It was winter, and the five a.m. alarm was brutal. I groggily turned it off and fell back asleep. Three minutes later, I was dragged from my warm bed, and a freezing, wet towel was slapped onto my face. I was instantly awake. I was only in my thin pajamas and wanted to change, but my mother stopped me. “Time is life. The time for changing has passed. Take your book and go to the living room.” The living room was filled with an intimidating number of electronic screens, all displaying countdown timers. When a timer hit zero, a piercing alarm would sound. My mother had deliberately opened a window to keep me alert. I stood there, shivering so hard my teeth chattered. My mother glanced at me coldly. “The cold won’t kill you. You need to be physically fit for the PE exam anyway. This is how your brother built up his endurance.” As soon as my food was served, a timer started. Five minutes. I had five minutes to eat. I stuffed food into my mouth, chewing frantically, not even stopping when I bit my tongue. I knew no one would feel sorry for me. The only person who would have was gone. As I ate, tears of frustration and despair streamed down my face. Was a good grade really that important? Under my mother’s supervision, I memorized a hundred English words, completed four reading comprehensions, and wrote half an essay. When it was almost time for school, for the first time in my life, I thought school was the most wonderful place on earth. But my mother couldn’t stand to see me happy. She wouldn’t let me change my clothes for school. “I told you, you wasted the time for changing. Now you have to face the consequences.” I fought back. I pushed past her, trying to get to my room. “You dare try to change?” I turned back, my eyes wide with terror. My mother had opened the window and had one leg over the sill. “If you don’t listen to me, I’ll jump from here!” The crazed look on her face paralyzed me. I had rarely seen her like this. Unlike with my brother, I had been mostly left to my own devices, sent to a boarding school for middle school. Whenever my mother had one of her episodes, my brother would send me to my room and handle her himself. I swallowed hard, my voice trembling. “Mom! What are you doing? Please, just get down from there!” She glared at me and shifted more of her weight outside, teetering precariously. “Are you going to listen to me or not?!” I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to become like my brother. But I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t actually jump. I had already lost my brother. I couldn’t lose my last remaining family member. I fell to my knees, banging my head on the floor. “I’m begging you, please get down! I won’t change my clothes!” A triumphant smile spread across my mother’s face. I knew, in that moment, that I was done for.

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It was time to pay for health insurance again. My mother called me. “Your father and I aren’t planning to pay this year. We’re both healthy, no need to waste money.” She said this every year, and every year I would volunteer to pay for them. This year, however, I didn’t want to. “If you don’t want to pay, then don’t. Just don’t regret it later.” Mom was silent for a few seconds, then hung up without a word. I knew she was angry, but I felt nothing. It wasn’t that I couldn’t spare the eight hundred dollars. It was that I was fed up with her cruel stupidity. 1 Not long after I hung up, my mother called again. “You don’t need to pay for us either. We don’t need it, and we certainly won’t thank you.” I chuckled humorlessly. “Of course. It’s not like I have money to burn.” Why bother doing something so thankless? Mom said nothing, her breathing growing ragged. I knew she was angry, but I had no desire to appease her. “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up. I’m at work.” “What if you secretly pay for us anyway?” she suddenly blurted out. “After all, you always used to, and you’ve always prided yourself on being a dutiful daughter.” Her sarcastic tone made a sudden irritation flare within me. “What exactly do you want?” “Swear on the baby in your belly. Otherwise, you’ll claim we’re taking advantage of you again.” My hand, holding the phone, unconsciously tightened, almost crushing the device. My husband, Michael, and I got married last year. We’d been trying for a baby for over a year, with two pregnancies. The first ended in miscarriage at two months. The second was now, barely three months along, and showing signs of threatened miscarriage again. She wasn’t asking me to swear; she was cursing my child. This was my own mother, Eleanor Stone. Ever since I was a child, if I ever displeased her in the slightest, she would brutally strike at my weakest points. The more I suffered, the happier she seemed. I clenched my fist, wanting to say, How about I swear on my mother instead? A living adult surely carries more weight than a tiny embryo. But I opened my mouth again and again, yet couldn’t bring myself to utter such vicious words. “What, you don’t dare?” she sneered. “Oh, come on, you’re usually so brave, ignoring us all year.” She knew I couldn’t be that cruel, so she doubled down on her provocation. “You’re on the verge of your second miscarriage and still arguing with me. Can’t you see? Even heaven is on my side.” I trembled with anger, tears welling in my eyes. I hated my tearful outbursts! Not wanting my distress to affect the baby in my belly, I hung up the phone and blocked her number. That evening, my mother posted on social media. “Getting old is truly useless. Can’t even pay for insurance on my phone. My only daughter is married now, busy taking care of her own little family, no time for me at all. What’s the point of living like this? God, please take me away quickly, don’t let me burden my child anymore!” A long message, seemingly self-reproachful, but actually a thinly veiled accusation. Uncle George was the first to comment, asking Mom what was wrong and if she needed help. Aunt Carol quickly followed, urging Mom not to think about doing anything drastic, offering to come stay with her immediately. Tomorrow was Grandma’s birthday. All the children and grandchildren would be there to celebrate. Mom had posted this simply to brand me “unfilial,” then rally everyone to condemn me and force me to submit. Michael looked at me worriedly. “Maybe you shouldn’t go tomorrow. You’re not feeling well right now, and it’s perfectly understandable if you don’t.” I shook my head. I had to go. I couldn’t let her ruin my reputation. I would reveal the truth in front of everyone, letting them know what she did a year ago. As I expected, the next day, upon entering Grandma’s house, I saw Mom leaning on Aunt Carol’s shoulder, wiping away tears. Uncle George looked at me with disapproval. “Bethany, I’m not usually one to lecture, but your mother raised you with such hardship. How can you treat her like this, not even paying for her health insurance!” Aunt Martha chimed in. “For years, my husband and I have had our health insurance paid by your cousin Thomas without even asking. It’s only eight hundred dollars, Beth. A few fewer meals out and you’d have it.” Aunt Carol spoke earnestly. “Your mother said you used to pay for her and your father’s insurance, but this year you suddenly refused. Did your in-laws instigate this? Bethany, don’t mind me for speaking plainly, but you can’t forget your own family for your new one. When things get tough, it’s your own family that will support you.” 2 Seeing everyone in the room speaking up for her, Mom cried even louder. “Ever since she got married last year, she’s changed completely. She doesn’t come home anymore, doesn’t care for her parents. I don’t know what we did wrong to make her hate us so much!” She accused, tears streaming, her swollen eyes making it seem as though she was genuinely suffering immense grievance. I looked at her coldly. “Did I distance myself from you because of my marriage? Last year, I transferred eight hundred dollars to you for health insurance. Did you pay it? What did you do with that money?” Ever since graduating from college and starting work, my paychecks had gone directly to my mother. Last year, when I got married, I wanted my card back. She threw a fit. “Don’t get too love-struck! You’ve only been married three months and you’re already giving your paychecks to his family!” I knew she was unwilling, but I needed money to live my life. Besides, I hadn’t taken a single penny of my sixty-thousand-dollar wedding funds; I’d given it all to her. To appease her, I pulled out my phone to pay for her and Dad’s health insurance. I wanted her to know that taking back my paycheck didn’t mean I wouldn’t care for them anymore. But she shot me a sideways glance. “Don’t bother. Just transfer the money to me, and I’ll take care of it myself.” I couldn’t argue with her, so I did as she asked. Who knew she hadn’t paid the health insurance at all? Instead, she’d put the eight hundred dollars in a gift envelope and ‘adopted’ a goddaughter. “What’s wrong with me adopting a goddaughter? I told you to buy your marital home near our house so it’d be convenient to look after your father and me, but you didn’t listen. Melanie moved in across the street and has often looked after and helped us. She’s much better than you!” Mom jutted out her chin, looking perfectly righteous. I suppressed the turmoil in my heart. “Don’t tell me you don’t know that Melanie bullied me for three years in middle school!” She led the charge to ostracize me, tore up my textbooks, burned my hair with a lighter, publicly pulled up my skirt, and spread vile rumors about me behind my back… For three whole years, she clung to me like a demon. Every single one of her cruel acts still tormented me, even now. Because of her, I didn’t get into a good high school. I even fell into depression, unable to pull myself out, and almost did something terrible. And my own mother had adopted that demon as her goddaughter. Mom scoffed. “Bullying this, bullying that. Was it really that serious? Kids playing together always have squabbles.” “Besides, didn’t she apologize to you later? Why are you still holding a grudge? You’re so petty.” All these years, she hadn’t changed one bit. Just like when I cried and begged her to go to school and stand up for me, she had instead asked: Why do they only bully you, and not others? Aunt Carol also shrugged it off. “Kids fighting is normal. It all happened so long ago, just let it go. You need to be more magnanimous.” Aunt Martha added, “Yes, to give your mother the silent treatment for a whole year over such a small thing, you really hold a grudge.” No one sympathized with me. They only defended Mom, accusing me of overreacting. Seeing this, Mom pressed her advantage. “You don’t even think, why I adopted Melanie as a goddaughter? Isn’t it because you’re unreliable, disappointing and hurting me again and again!” She pointed at her own chest as she spoke. I gave a bitter laugh. “What did I do that made you feel I was unreliable? Was it not buying a house near your home, as you wished? Or taking back my own paycheck from you?” 3 In our small town, a fifteen-minute drive would get you anywhere. All she needed to do was call, and no matter how busy or late it was, I would rush over. My paychecks, though I’d taken them back, I’d left her the sixty-thousand-dollar wedding funds. Was that still not enough? No! Not for her. She knew very well the harm Melanie had inflicted on me. She deliberately adopted her as a goddaughter, just to anger me, to punish my disobedience. “Mom, your need for control is too strong, you want too much. I truly can’t satisfy you.” I am a living, breathing person with my own thoughts, not a puppet on strings. My cousins exchanged glances. “Your paychecks were with your parents before you got married?” “Are you kidding? Of course I keep my own paycheck.” “Do you have to give wedding funds to your parents? I’m not married, I don’t know.” “Wedding funds are seed money for the new family. Parents usually don’t take them.” “So, Bethany’s actually pretty filial, then. Why is Aunt Eleanor still unhappy?” “Who knows? Anyway, I think she’s much more dutiful than I am.” They chatted excitedly in low voices. Uncle George shot them a stern look, and immediately no one dared to speak. Mom stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up and, with a thud, knelt before me. “Bethany, Mom was wrong! Mom willingly gave birth to you and raised you. I shouldn’t ask for anything in return. Just forgive Mom this once! If not, your father and I will go home and take pills to end our lives, guaranteeing we won’t burden you again!” She desperately clutched my sleeve, swearing, refusing to let go no matter how I struggled. “If you don’t forgive Mom today, Mom won’t get up!” The younger relatives stared wide-eyed in astonishment. They never would have dreamed that my mother would do such a thing. “This is awful!” Aunt Carol quickly walked over to help her up, her face filled with sympathy. “Bethany, it’s your Grandma’s birthday today. So many people are here. Must you deliberately humiliate your mother in public?” Uncle George also rose abruptly, his eyes like daggers. “I’m so disappointed in you, Bethany. There are no bad parents in this world. Don’t you fear shortening your life by forcing your mother to kneel before you?” “Apologize to your mother! Then dutifully pay for her health insurance, or don’t blame Aunt Carol and me for not being polite!” I shifted my gaze to Mom. She was wiping away tears, her head bowed, but the secretly upturned corners of her mouth were harder to suppress than a loaded gun. “What are you waiting for? Go quickly!” Aunt Carol grabbed my arm, yanking me forcefully towards Mom. I shook her off. A feeling of helplessness swept over me. I fought back tears, just barely. “The only mistake I made was coming here today!” After quickly saying goodbye to Grandma in the bedroom, I left without looking back. I had lost, utterly defeated. Mom’s knees were the most formidable weapon in the world, and I was defenseless against them. How could I have forgotten? After twenty years of being mother and daughter, I was always the one crushed. To tame me, she would stop at nothing. How could I ever be her match? Back home, Michael comforted me for a long time, but couldn’t help but voice his worry. “Are you really determined not to pay for your parents’ health insurance? I don’t mean anything by it, but they’re almost sixty. If they suddenly get a tricky illness, I’m afraid you’ll still end up picking up the pieces.” “No, I won’t!” I declared decisively. They were both more focused on their health than anyone, and they had money. Besides my wedding funds, their old family home also received thirty thousand in compensation. Adding that to their existing savings, they had at least fifty thousand in their accounts—enough to cover their medical expenses. Seeing my resolute stance, Michael didn’t bring up the subject again. However, fate seemed to be deliberately working against me. Not long after, my mother actually fell ill. Acute viral pneumonia, triggered by the flu. Her condition was very serious.

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I went undercover as an intern at my sister’s company, hiding my identity. But after three months of hard work, HR informed me I failed the probation period. They were also withholding my entire salary. “The reason?” “You took 3 days off.” I looked at the HR manager, amused. “First, it was bereavement leave. My grandmother passed away.” “Second, I followed every legal procedure.” “Third…” I turned to look at another intern who started with me, Caleb Wilson. “He took off three times this month just to take care of his girlfriend who had cramps. Totaling 21 days.” “Why did he pass probation?” HR looked at me with disdain. “This company belongs to his family. Why do you think?” “Besides, period cramps can be excruciating. It’s a matter of life and death.” “You just had a grandmother die. What gives you the right to take leave?” 1 On the last day of my internship, I was called into the office of HR Manager Linda Fox. “Aiden, your application for full-time employment has been rejected.” Hearing this, I wasn’t surprised. “Additionally, because your excessive leave during the internship severely impacted workflow, per company policy, your entire salary for the three months will be deducted.” I finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Manager Fox, I need an explanation.” My reaction seemed to anger her. She sat up straight, her narrow eyes glaring at me sharply. “Explanation? What explanation do you need? It’s written in black and white: leave cannot exceed two days. How long were you gone?” “Three days,” I replied calmly. “First, I took bereavement leave for my grandmother. That is a legally protected right.” “Second, I submitted all necessary documentation and received approval from my department head.” “Third…” My gaze moved past her to the figure outside the office, laughing boisterously with colleagues. “Caleb Wilson, who started with me, took leave three times in three months to ‘take care of his girlfriend.’ Seven days each time, totaling 21 days. Why did he pass probation smoothly?” Linda scoffed, leaning back lazily in her chair. “Aiden, did you lose your brain during the internship? You’re comparing yourself to Caleb?” “Didn’t you ask around? Do you know whose family owns this company?” “Besides, period cramps can be life-threatening. It could affect future generations. And you?” She scanned me up and down, her lips curling in contempt. “You just had a grandmother die, right?” “Old people die eventually. Is that such a big deal to take three days off? So dramatic.” I lowered my eyes and didn’t argue further. Amidst her endless chatter and biting sarcasm, I silently reached into my pocket. My finger slid along the side of my phone and pressed the lock button. Before the screen went dark, I clearly saw the bright red, ticking timer of the voice recorder. Good. All the evidence is here. 2 Holding my water bottle, I walked back to my desk in the Marketing Department, expressionless. The bustling office quieted instantly. Everyone’s eyes focused on me like spotlights. Some pitied, some were curious, but most were gloating. I could hear whispered gossip buzzing like flies. Ignoring everyone, I walked straight to my seat and started packing. Keyboard, mouse pad, a mug I used for three years, and a few professional books. When I picked up the proposal for “Project Starlight,” my fingers paused. This plan, which cost me countless sleepless nights, had become the brightest highlight on Caleb’s resume. I remembered clearly how my direct supervisor, Tom Baker—a middle-aged man with a receding hairline who lived by the motto “less trouble is better”—handed this proposal to Caleb in front of the entire department. He praised him: “Exceptional talent, a promising future.” And me, the actual creator? I got a dismissive, “Aiden participated too. Keep working hard.” All this happened because everyone firmly believed Caleb was the Chairman’s fiancé. “Oh my, Aiden, what are you doing?” Caleb sashayed over to me, looking down with feigned surprise and syrupy sweetness. “Why are you packing? Did Manager Fox say something harsh?” “Please don’t take it to heart. She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.” He reached out to hold down my box, but I dodged sideways. Too lazy to look at him, I continued sweeping clutter into the box. Feeling ignored, his voice took on a tone of victorious boasting: “But don’t be too sad. Just because this company didn’t work out doesn’t mean others won’t. How about this? In a few days, I’ll ask my girlfriend to look out for you and introduce you to a good job. How does that sound?” I finally stopped, looked up at him, and said nothing. Uncomfortable under my gaze, he puffed out his chest anyway. I picked up the box, stood up, and walked away. “Aiden!” The receptionist, Jenny, ran over, grabbing my arm, her eyes red. “These people are too much! It’s bullying!” Jenny was the only person in the company who treated me as a friend. I patted her hand, slipped the voice recorder into her pocket, and whispered, “Keep this safe for me.” She froze, then nodded heavily. I didn’t look back. Hugging the box, I walked step by step toward the elevator. Passing the huge glass wall, I could see the faces inside, each harboring their own schemes. The elevator doors closed slowly, cutting off all sights and sounds. 3 Three days later, it was the company’s New Employee Welcome Gala. I hadn’t planned on going. A fired employee attending his own welcome party sounded like a joke. But Jenny’s calls nearly blew up my phone. “Aiden, are you really not coming?” “Come on, come on! The food is free anyway, don’t waste it!” Looking at my pale face in the mirror, the refusal on my lips was swallowed back. Maybe I should go. To see how Caleb accepts everyone’s congratulations as the victor. Before I could decide, an unexpected call came in. It was my sister, Elena. “Aiden, where are you?” Her voice was familiar, slightly tired but steady as always. “Home. Elena, aren’t you on a business trip in Europe? Finished so early?” “Changed plans, just landed.” She paused, a hint of a smile in her voice. “I have a surprise for you tonight. To celebrate our Aiden’s successful employment, I prepared a gift.” My heart sank. “What surprise?” “Not telling you yet. Get ready, wait for me to pick you up.” Before I could ask more, she hung up. I stared at the dark screen, an ominous feeling rising in my chest. Meanwhile, at the Starfall Hotel ballroom, the scene was lavish and bustling. Elena, in a perfectly tailored gown, attracted everyone’s attention the moment she stepped in. Her appearance froze the air for a few seconds. No one expected the elusive big boss to attend a small new employee welcome party. Ignoring the executives trying to chat her up, her cold gaze scanned the room, searching for someone. Once, twice. She frowned slightly. Aiden wasn’t there. Her gaze finally landed on the reception desk, on a familiar figure—Jenny. She knew Jenny. Aiden had mentioned she was his only friend at the company. Elena strode over with her long legs. “Hello, Ms. Vance!” Startled, Jenny nearly knocked over her champagne. She stood straight, greeting her nervously. “Where is Aiden?” Elena got straight to the point. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried undeniable pressure. “A-Aiden… he…” Jenny’s eyes panicked instantly, dodging her gaze. “He… he’s not feeling well today, so… so he didn’t come.” Elena stared at her, unconsciously twisting the ring on her finger. “Not feeling well?” She repeated, tone unreadable. “I spoke to him on the phone minutes ago. He didn’t say he was unwell.” Jenny’s face turned white instantly. Her lips trembled, unable to utter a word. Her reaction explained more than any words could. Elena’s heart sank. She realized something was wrong. 4 Just as Elena’s patience was running out, the ballroom lights dimmed, and a spotlight hit the center stage. The host enthusiastically announced the start of the New Employee Welcome Gala. Then, HR Manager Linda Fox, wearing a brand-new suit, walked onto the stage beaming. Enjoying the attention, she cleared her throat and spoke in a dramatic cadence: “Good evening, leaders and colleagues!” “Today is a day for celebration. Our company has injected fresh blood once again.” “After three months of strict evaluation, a group of outstanding interns has emerged to become official members of our family!” Polite applause rippled through the audience. Elena sat in the VIP corner, her grip on the wine glass tightening, her cold gaze locked on Linda. “Now, I will announce the list of employees who successfully passed probation!” Linda’s voice pitched up, unable to hide her smugness. She picked up the cue card and began reading. “Tech Department: Mark Johnson, Leo Smith…” “Admin Department: Emily Brown…” With each name, small cheers and applause erupted. Elena’s face darkened inch by inch. The pressure around her dropped so low that executives wanting to toast her stayed away. “Finally,” Linda dragged out the word, building suspense, her face piled with a fawning smile. “I want to grandly introduce the pride of our Marketing Department. Not only did he contribute several excellent ideas during his internship, but his performance was far ahead of everyone else. He is our company’s future star—Mr. Caleb Wilson!” The spotlight instantly swung to Caleb in the audience. Wearing a designer suit, he stood up elegantly, waving to colleagues around him, his face wearing the reserve and pride of a winner. The loudest applause of the night erupted. On stage, Linda continued her lavish praise: “Mr. Wilson’s excellence is obvious to all. His joining will surely bring new vitality to Vance Group! Let’s welcome Caleb Wilson officially joining us with another round of applause!” Thunderous applause. Elena’s gaze swept over Caleb without pausing, returning to Linda’s face. She listened quietly. Until Linda closed the cue card and said “That concludes the list” with a smile. She never heard the name she wanted to hear most. Aiden. Her brother, Aiden’s name, was not on the list. Amidst the endless applause, Elena stood up, face frosty. She slammed her wine glass onto the table. The thud was muffled in the noise, but it made those nearby jump. Striding forward, ignoring everyone, she walked straight toward the brilliantly lit stage. The crowd parted automatically. The applause faded. Everyone looked at the unsmiling big boss in confusion, wondering what she was doing. Linda, immersed in her perfect hosting, turned to find Elena’s freezing face inches away. Her smile froze. She stammered: “M-Ms. Vance, you…” Ignoring her, Elena reached out and took the microphone from her stunned hand. The feedback screech pierced through the speakers. The entire hall went dead silent. Her cold eyes swept over every confused face. Her voice, amplified, rang clearly through the hall: “Where is my brother, Aiden?”

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I went undercover as an intern at my brother’s company, hiding my identity. But after three months of hard work, HR informed me I failed the probation period. They were also withholding my entire salary. “The reason?” “You took 3 days off.” I looked at the HR manager, amused. “First, it was bereavement leave. My grandfather passed away.” “Second, I followed every legal procedure.” “Third…” I turned to look at another intern who started with me, Chloe Davis. “She took off three times this month just for period cramps.” “Why did she pass probation?” HR looked at me with disdain. “This company belongs to her family. Why do you think?” “Besides, period cramps can be excruciating. It feels like dying.” “You just had a grandfather die. What gives you the right to take leave?” 1 On the last day of my internship, I was called into the office of HR Manager Linda Fox. “Sarah, your application for full-time employment has been rejected.” Hearing this, I wasn’t surprised. “Additionally, because your excessive leave during the internship severely impacted workflow, per company policy, your entire salary for the three months will be deducted.” I finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Manager Fox, I need an explanation.” My reaction seemed to anger her. She sat up straight, her narrow eyes glaring at me sharply. “Explanation? What explanation do you need? It’s written in black and white: leave cannot exceed two days. How long were you gone?” “Three days,” I replied calmly. “First, I took bereavement leave for my grandfather. That is a legally protected right.” “Second, I submitted all necessary documentation and received approval from my department head.” “Third…” My gaze moved past her to the figure outside the office, laughing charmingly with colleagues. “Chloe Davis, who started with me, took leave three times in three months for period pain. Seven days each time, totaling 21 days. Why did she pass probation smoothly?” Linda scoffed, leaning back lazily in her chair. “Sarah, did you lose your brain during the internship? You’re comparing yourself to Chloe?” “Didn’t you ask around? Do you know whose family owns this company?” “Besides, Chloe’s cramps are life-threatening. It could affect future generations. And you?” She scanned me up and down, her lips curling in contempt. “You just had a grandfather die, right?” “Old people die eventually. Is that such a big deal to take three days off? So dramatic.” I lowered my eyes and didn’t argue further. Amidst her endless chatter and biting sarcasm, I silently reached into my pocket. My finger slid along the side of my phone and pressed the lock button. Before the screen went dark, I clearly saw the bright red, ticking timer of the voice recorder. Good. All the evidence is here. 2 Holding my water bottle, I walked back to my desk in the Marketing Department, expressionless. The bustling office quieted instantly. Everyone’s eyes focused on me like spotlights. Some pitied, some were curious, but most were gloating. I could hear whispered gossip buzzing like flies. Ignoring everyone, I walked straight to my seat and started packing. Keyboard, mouse pad, a mug I used for three years, and a few professional books. When I picked up the proposal for “Project Starlight,” my fingers paused. This plan, which cost me countless sleepless nights, had become the brightest highlight on Chloe’s resume. I remembered clearly how my direct supervisor, Tom Wilson—a middle-aged man with a receding hairline who lived by the motto “less trouble is better”—handed this proposal to Chloe in front of the entire department. He praised her “exceptional talent and promising future.” And me, the actual creator? I got a dismissive, “Sarah participated too. Keep working hard.” All this happened because everyone firmly believed Chloe was a relative of the Chairman. “Oh my, Sarah, what are you doing?” Chloe sashayed over to me, looking down with feigned surprise and syrupy sweetness. “Why are you packing? Did Manager Fox say something harsh?” “Please don’t take it to heart. She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.” She reached out to hold down my box, but I dodged sideways. Too lazy to look at her, I continued sweeping clutter into the box. Feeling ignored, her voice took on a tone of victorious boasting: “But don’t be too sad. Just because this company didn’t work out doesn’t mean others won’t. How about this? In a few days, I’ll ask my relatives to look out for you and introduce you to a good job. How does that sound?” I finally stopped, looked up at her, and said nothing. Uncomfortable under my gaze, she puffed out her chest anyway. I picked up the box, stood up, and walked away. “Sarah!” The receptionist, Jenny, ran over, grabbing my arm, her eyes red. “These people are too much! It’s bullying!” Jenny was the only person in the company who treated me as a friend. I patted her hand, slipped the voice recorder into her pocket, and whispered, “Keep this safe for me.” She froze, then nodded heavily. I didn’t look back. Hugging the box, I walked step by step toward the elevator. Passing the huge glass wall, I could see the faces inside, each harboring their own schemes. The elevator doors closed slowly, cutting off all sights and sounds. 3 Three days later, it was the company’s New Employee Welcome Gala. I hadn’t planned on going. A fired employee attending her own welcome party sounded like a joke. But Jenny’s calls nearly blew up my phone. “Sarah, are you really not coming? Just come keep me company, I’m so bored alone.” “Come on, come on! The food is free anyway, don’t waste it!” Looking at my pale face in the mirror, the refusal on my lips was swallowed back. Maybe I should go. To see how Chloe accepts everyone’s congratulations as the victor. Before I could decide, an unexpected call came in. It was my brother, Ethan. “Sarah, where are you?” His voice was familiar, slightly tired but steady as always. “Home. Ethan, aren’t you on a business trip in Europe? Finished so early?” “Changed plans, just landed.” He paused, a hint of a smile in his voice. “I have a surprise for you tonight. To celebrate our Sarah’s successful employment, I prepared a gift.” My heart sank. “What surprise?” “Not telling you yet. Get ready, wait for me to pick you up.” Before I could ask more, he hung up. I stared at the dark screen, an ominous feeling rising in my chest. Meanwhile, at the Starfall Hotel ballroom, the scene was lavish and bustling. Ethan, in a perfectly tailored suit, attracted everyone’s attention the moment he stepped in. His appearance froze the air for a few seconds. No one expected the elusive big boss to attend a small new employee welcome party. Ignoring the executives trying to chat him up, his cold gaze scanned the room, searching for someone. Once, twice. He frowned slightly. Sarah wasn’t there. His gaze finally landed on the reception desk, on a familiar figure—Jenny. He knew Jenny. Sarah had mentioned she was her only friend at the company. Ethan strode over with his long legs. “Hello, Mr. Vance!” Startled, Jenny nearly knocked over her champagne. She stood straight, greeting him nervously. “Where is Sarah?” Ethan got straight to the point. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried undeniable pressure. “S-Sarah… she…” Jenny’s eyes panicked instantly, dodging his gaze. “She… she’s not feeling well today, so… so she didn’t come.” Ethan stared at her, unconsciously twisting the ring on his finger. “Not feeling well?” He repeated, tone unreadable. “I spoke to her on the phone minutes ago. She didn’t say she was unwell.” Jenny’s face turned white instantly. Her lips trembled, unable to utter a word. Her reaction explained more than any words could. Ethan’s heart sank. He realized something was wrong. 4 Just as Ethan’s patience was running out, the ballroom lights dimmed, and a spotlight hit the center stage. The host enthusiastically announced the start of the New Employee Welcome Gala. Then, HR Manager Linda Fox, wearing a brand-new suit, walked onto the stage beaming. Enjoying the attention, she cleared her throat and spoke in a dramatic cadence: “Good evening, leaders and colleagues!” “Today is a day for celebration. Our company has injected fresh blood once again.” “After three months of strict evaluation, a group of outstanding interns has emerged to become official members of our family!” Polite applause rippled through the audience. Ethan sat in the VIP corner, his grip on the wine glass tightening, his cold gaze locked on Linda. “Now, I will announce the list of employees who successfully passed probation!” Linda’s voice pitched up, unable to hide her smugness. She picked up the cue card and began reading. “Tech Department: Mark Johnson, Leo Smith…” “Admin Department: Emily Brown…” With each name, small cheers and applause erupted. Ethan’s face darkened inch by inch. The pressure around him dropped so low that executives wanting to toast him stayed away. “Finally,” Linda dragged out the word, building suspense, her face piled with a fawning smile. “I want to grandly introduce the pride of our Marketing Department. Not only did she contribute several excellent ideas during her internship, but her performance was far ahead of everyone else. She is our company’s future star—Miss Chloe Davis!” The spotlight instantly swung to Chloe in the audience. Wearing a designer cocktail dress, she stood up elegantly, waving to colleagues around her, her face wearing the reserve and pride of a winner. The loudest applause of the night erupted. On stage, Linda continued her lavish praise: “Miss Davis’s excellence is obvious to all. Her joining will surely bring new vitality to Vance Group! Let’s welcome Chloe Davis officially joining us with another round of applause!” Thunderous applause. Ethan’s gaze swept over Chloe without pausing, returning to Linda’s face. He listened quietly. Until Linda closed the cue card and said “That concludes the list” with a smile. He never heard the name he wanted to hear most. Sarah. His sister, Sarah’s name, was not on the list. Amidst the endless applause, Ethan stood up, face frosty. He slammed his wine glass onto the table. The thud was muffled in the noise, but it made those nearby jump. Striding forward, ignoring everyone, he walked straight toward the brilliantly lit stage. The crowd parted automatically. The applause faded. Everyone looked at the unsmiling big boss in confusion, wondering what he was doing. Linda, immersed in her perfect hosting, turned to find Ethan’s freezing face inches away. Her smile froze. She stammered: “M-Mr. Vance, you…” Ignoring her, Ethan reached out and took the microphone from her stunned hand. The feedback screech pierced through the speakers. The entire hall went dead silent. His cold eyes swept over every confused face. His voice, amplified, rang clearly through the hall: “Where is my sister, Sarah?” 5 Those six words hit everyone like a sledgehammer. People applauding moments ago froze, faces full of disbelief. Sister? Mr. Vance’s sister? Which Sarah? Instantly, everyone’s eyes swept the room like searchlights, looking for the unnoticed, forgotten figure. But that corner was empty. Linda’s face went from red to white, then white to green in a second. Her hand holding the cue card shook like a leaf in the wind. She opened her mouth, throat blocked, unable to speak. How could she be Mr. Vance’s sister? That plainly dressed intern who never argued and let me bully her? In the audience, Chloe’s triumphant smile froze. Her designer dress seemed to lose its luster. She stood there stiffly, as if doused in ice water. Seeing Linda silent, Ethan turned his icy gaze to her. “Manager Fox, are you deaf? I asked you, why isn’t Sarah on the list?” The “Manager Fox” made Linda tremble. She forced a smile uglier than crying and stammered: “M-Mr. Vance, is there a mistake? We don’t have an intern named Sarah becoming full-time… Oh, there was one, but she… she…” “What about her?” Ethan pressed, voice colder. “Failed the assessment?” “Yes, yes! Failed!” Linda nodded frantically, grasping at straws. “She… she took excessive leave, seriously violating company rules, so… so…” “Excessive leave?” Ethan sneered, dropping the room temperature another few degrees. “How many days? For what?” “Th-three… three days…” Linda’s voice shrank, eyes darting, afraid to meet Ethan’s. “Because… family issues…” “Family issues?” Ethan’s voice spiked, sharp as a blade. “Since when did Vance Group culture become so cold-blooded? Is a funeral in an employee’s family just ‘issues’ to you, Manager Fox?” Funeral?! The audience exploded. Whispers spread like a tide. “Sarah took bereavement leave?” “Omg, fired for bereavement leave? That’s inhumane!” “I remember Chloe took three sick leaves this month…” Hearing every word, Linda broke into a cold sweat. She knew she was done. In desperation, she pointed at Chloe in the audience, trying to divert the fire: “Mr. Vance! It’s not my fault! I… I was doing it for the company! Miss Davis… Miss Davis is your…” She didn’t finish, but her fawning look said it all. She thought Chloe was someone to Ethan, so she sucked up to her, even firing an innocent intern. “My what?” Ethan’s gaze finally landed on the pale Chloe, filled with scrutiny and disgust. Chloe trembled under his look, stepping back instinctively. Linda, mind blank, just wanted to push the blame away. She almost screamed the truth: “I thought Miss Davis was your fiancée, our future boss’s wife! She said her family owned the company! Manager Wilson said so too! I just… I just wanted to clear obstacles for the boss’s wife, that’s why I fired that annoying Sarah! Mr. Vance, I did it for you!” These words hit like a thunderbolt, stunning everyone. Guessing the boss’s mind? Future boss’s wife? Clearing obstacles? The hall was terrifyingly quiet. Everyone looked between the icy Ethan, the panicked Linda, and the teetering Chloe. A carefully prepared welcome gala turned into an absurd farce. And the core of this farce was an intern everyone thought they could bully. Ethan listened expressionlessly to Linda’s incoherent explanation, eyes deep as a bottomless well. He said nothing more, slowly turning to look at the entrance. As everyone held their breath, guessing what the young CEO would do next, the ballroom doors were pushed open from the outside. 6 All eyes focused on the opening doors. I walked in. Behind me was Jenny, clutching my arm tight, palms sweaty. The noisy venue was now quiet enough to hear breathing. Hundreds of gazes—shock, confusion, schadenfreude, disbelief—covered me like a net. Ignoring everyone, I walked straight through the crowd toward the brightly lit stage. People instinctively made way. I saw Tom Wilson, looking at me with a complex expression, lips moving soundlessly. I saw colleagues who used to mock me to please Chloe now lowering their heads, afraid to meet my eyes. On stage, Linda looked like she’d seen a ghost, color draining from her face. “You… how are you here? Who let you in!” she shrieked, voice twisted with fear. I didn’t answer. I walked onto the stage and stood beside my brother, Ethan. Ethan said nothing, just gave me a reassuring look. That was enough. Linda was still screaming hysterically: “Mr. Vance, don’t listen to her! She’s just a disgruntled fired intern here to make trouble! Security! Where is security!” I took my phone from my pocket and, under everyone’s gaze, pressed play. Next second, Linda’s familiar, acerbic voice echoed through the speakers to every corner of the hall. “The reason?” — That was my calm question. “You took three days off.” — Linda’s contemptuous answer. … “She took off three times this month just for period cramps. Why did she pass probation?” “This company belongs to her family. Why do you think?” When this sentence played, the audience gasped. Everyone’s eyes shot like knives toward the teetering Chloe. The recording continued, Linda’s voice even more vicious: “Besides, period cramps can be excruciating. It feels like dying.” “You just had a grandfather die. What gives you the right to take leave?” “Just had a grandfather die.” These words hit everyone’s heart like a hammer. The hall was deathly silent; whispers vanished, leaving only Linda’s harsh voice echoing. Linda broke down completely. She lunged to grab my phone but was blocked by Ethan’s bodyguards. The recording didn’t stop. It even captured Tom Wilson’s voice, timidly reporting to Linda how he seamlessly attributed my “Project Starlight” proposal—result of three all-nighters—to Chloe. The truth was revealed nakedly, cruelly, undeniably. Chloe’s scam, Linda’s bullying, Tom’s cowardice, and the ugly faces of the sycophants were all exposed. I saw Chloe’s legs give out under the contemptuous stares, collapsing to the floor in disgrace. The male colleagues who once fawned over her now looked at her with disgust. The recording ended with a sharp static noise, leaving the hall in a silence more terrifying than before.

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My sister caught the eye of a top-tier billionaire heir at first sight. To win her favor, the heir willingly became a devoted “simp” without any official title, following her around, gifting money, cars, and houses. As my sister’s dearest younger sibling, I took advantage of the situation, raking in benefits like there was no tomorrow. Watching his brother lose both money and dignity, the heir’s CEO older brother was furious. He angrily tracked me down: “A man’s dignity cannot be trampled on. The Sterling men will never be simps.” “Since your sister brainwashed my brother, don’t blame me for targeting you.” “Let’s wait and see. In half a month at most, I will expose you two sisters for what you really are.” Half a month passed by quickly. And I, too, got my very own simp. 1 At her birthday party, my sister caught the eye of Leo Sterling, a top-tier billionaire heir. To pursue her, Leo gifted money, cars, and houses. He even tried to give me his older brother. “Mia, just help me woo your sister, and I’ll introduce my brother to you.” “You know my brother, Arthur Sterling, right? The nation’s heartthrob, tall and handsome, in the financial news every day…” “I promise you, the day I become your brother-in-law will be the day you become my sister-in-law.” I fell silent. I remembered seeing Arthur’s face once before. The young man looked to be about 6’2″. Dressed in a sharp suit, breathtakingly handsome. He appeared gentlemanly and refined. He was impeccably polite to everyone who came to flatter him. But there was always a hint of condescension in his words. Arrogant and nasty. I had no intention of messing with someone like him. I waved my hand at Leo: “I have no interest in being your sister-in-law. Leo, just give me money in exchange for information.” Leo nodded desperately, wishing he could agree to anything: “Okay, okay, okay.” A month passed. Leo tried every trick in the book. But he didn’t even get a smile from my sister. The last time. He took off his coat, revealing his abs, attempting a passionate seduction. But my sister just pushed up her rimless glasses and asked flatly: “Did you get robbed?” “…” Leo went crazy. He ran crying to his brother. “Bro, can you run me over with your car? Then I’ll reincarnate into the type she likes, and we can be together…” Arthur lifted his lips coldly: “Stop this nonsense.” Leo left. The next day, he knocked on his brother’s door, crying again: “Bro, I decided to find a way to get her pregnant, then I can trap her. You should do it too, okay?” Arthur hesitated slightly: “What do you mean? I have to get pregnant too?” Leo: “Yes.” Arthur: “…” Arthur finally realized the gravity of the situation. His foolish brother was truly bewitched by that woman. He had turned into an absolute simp. Only knowing how to chase after a woman all day. Arthur pressed his throbbing temples. Casually picked up the file his secretary just brought in. The photo on it was of the Summers sisters. They didn’t look like much. The older sister at least had an aura of elegance. But the younger sister looked silly, with round eyes, clearly not very smart. If these two were thrown onto the street, especially the younger one, he wouldn’t spare them a second glance. Arthur sneered disdainfully. Casually tossed the file into the trash can. Fine, Chloe Summers. Since you play my brother like a dog. Then don’t blame me for targeting your sister. Dealing with a little girl fresh out of college like her. He could make her cry with just a little effort. Hmph. He’d say it again. The Sterling men will never be simps. These two sisters can just wait to regret it. 2 When I received Arthur’s friend request. I thought it was a prank. And ignored it. But after I got out of the shower. My phone was still ringing. I answered confusedly: “Hello, who is this?” A pause on the other end. A man’s cool, clear voice came through: “Miss Summers, I am Leo’s older brother, Arthur Sterling.” I hesitated for a few seconds, frowning warily: “Ah, do you need something?” Arthur’s voice was deep and magnetic. With a hint of a gentle smile: “Nothing major. I just heard from my brother that you’ve been helping him woo your sister.” “He’s been a bother to you. To express my gratitude, I’d like to treat you to a meal.” My first instinct was to refuse. Who helped that idiot woo my sister? No one in the whole world except me was suited to be my sister’s minion. I had actually been scamming Leo all along. But on second thought. My sister’s attitude towards Leo had changed a lot recently; I was afraid she was falling for the silly boy. And this unfathomable man on the phone was the silly boy’s brother. He wasn’t someone to be trifled with. What if he teamed up with his brother to bully my sister later? It might be good to see what he’s up to. I cleared my throat. Tried to make my tone sound more polite: “Okay, Mr. Sterling, where should we eat?” 3 When I arrived at the agreed restaurant. Arthur was already sitting there. He shed his serious suit today, wearing a sapphire blue sweater. It made his skin look even fairer, his features clear and handsome. Leo really didn’t lie to me. His brother’s face was genuinely good-looking, and his fashion sense was great too. I was stunned by Arthur’s handsomeness for a few seconds. By the time I reacted. He was already standing in front of me. A fresh citrus scent instantly filled my nose. Arthur bent slightly, gentlemanly pulling out a chair for me: “Miss Summers, please sit.” I swallowed hard. My heart skipped an embarrassing beat. But quickly. I recovered my calm quickly. Because Arthur put a piece of meat on my plate. …Dear God, I’m a germaphobe, a severe germaphobe. At this moment, to hell with the citrus scent and gentlemanly demeanor. My face contorted in agony. While Arthur wasn’t looking. I speared the piece of meat he gave me. And threw it straight into the trash can under the table. After Arthur finished talking to the waiter. His gaze slowly landed on my plate. He raised an eyebrow without showing any emotion. This little girl… He found it somewhat amusing. Her heart must be racing like a deer right now. She swallowed the food he gave her in a second. Probably didn’t even chew out of excitement. But then again, he had been flattered like this since he was young. Receiving love letters since middle school. By high school, boys and girls looking at him crowded the hallways. In college, he was on the confession wall every few days. He had grown numb to it long ago, even a bit disdainful. Whether expanding his business empire or seducing the girl in front of him, everything was under his control. So he didn’t understand. As Arthur Sterling’s brother. How could Leo become a shameless simp? Giving money, cars, and houses; why didn’t he just give his life while he was at it? An absolute disgrace. Arthur was very confident. In two weeks, he could definitely close the net. When the time comes, he’ll handle this girl and vent his anger for his foolish brother. But he doesn’t like girls who are too infatuated. It’s just for fun; she better not cry when it’s over. 4 I looked up and met Arthur’s meaningful gaze. My heart skipped a beat. Did he notice? Fortunately, Arthur just gave me a friendly smile. And looked away. I let out a sigh of relief. Then heard Arthur say: “Miss Summers, this is the first time I’ve seen my brother like someone so much.” “So, please help him out more. Whatever conditions you have, just name them.” Saying that. Arthur smiled again. The smile didn’t reach his eyes, and he even put another piece of food on my plate while smiling. My eyes went wide. The words I wanted to say got stuck in my throat. Does this guy have any manners? Always putting food on other people’s plates. I forced a smile. Finally put down my chopsticks, unable to bear it anymore. “Mr. Sterling…” Arthur interrupted me: “No need to be so polite, just call me by my name.” “Miss Summers, I prepared a small gift for you on the way here. I hope you like it.” I was very surprised. Took the box Arthur handed me with both hands. Opened it gently— Wow. My grandma would love this. I tried hard to control my emotions, afraid Arthur would see a trace of disgust: “Thank you, Mr. Sterling. I like it very much, you have great taste.” Arthur wasn’t surprised at all. He casually crossed his long legs, a flash of contempt passing quickly in his eyes: “I’m glad you like it.” He said lightly. I quickly put the gift in my bag. Forget it. I’ll accept it for now. I hadn’t found a gift for my grandma’s 80th birthday anyway. 5 After dinner. Arthur didn’t give me a chance to refuse and drove me straight home. The car was eerily quiet. I closed my eyes tightly, pretending to sleep. Completely oblivious. Arthur beside me had fallen deep into thought. He was letting his imagination run wild. For some reason, he remembered seeing online that saying “goodnight” means “I love you.” He guessed this girl would definitely say goodnight to him. Little girls’ tricks were all the same. He would, of course, mercifully give this girl a chance to say goodnight. But if she got too excited and did something offensive, he wouldn’t be polite. Arthur hit the brakes. His long fingers tapped the steering wheel rhythmically. As if waiting for something. I didn’t care what he was waiting for. I dropped a “thank you” and fled the uncomfortable atmosphere. By the time Arthur realized what had happened. He was the only one left in the car. Where was his “goodnight”? An indescribable emotion spread in his chest. Arthur pursed his lips. After two seconds of thought, he finally figured it out. She was probably just shy. That made sense. Since he was a kid. No girl could remain calm after receiving a proactive gesture from him. Arthur leaned back, regaining his composed demeanor. 6 For the next two weeks. Arthur invited me to dinner every day. I was on edge for a few days before finally concluding that he didn’t seem to have any ill intent; he just wanted a dining companion. However, I don’t know if it’s because he’s getting older, but every dish he ordered was either steamed or stewed. I followed him miserably, my face turning green from the bland food, still having to fake a smile and say, “Delicious, delicious, so delicious.” Arthur tilted his head to look at me, a faint smile on his lips, certain that everything was under his control. Of course. The bland taste in my mouth almost made me want to flip the table. But turning around, I saw that my sister and Leo were on the verge of getting together. So I could only endure. Sob. My sister had no idea. How much I sacrificed for her happiness! But I didn’t expect. The turning point would come so quickly. 7 After a relatively pleasant fourteen days of dining with Arthur. On the fifteenth day. Arthur didn’t send me a message. I suffered through the morning with racking brains. Confirming he really wasn’t going to ask me out to eat anymore. I took out my phone with tears of joy. Sent a message to a friend I hadn’t contacted in a long time. Inviting them to a yacht party. I even specifically asked my best friend to bring two handsome guys she just met. The group of five had a blast on the yacht. I finally ate the long-lost BBQ. Wolfing it down while crying in the wind. The guy beside me, seeing my hands were full, attentively took a tissue to wipe my mouth. It was also at this time. I suddenly noticed a man leaning on the railing not far away looking somewhat familiar. The man wore a simple casual white shirt with elegant nobility. With sunglasses resting on his high nose bridge, his exact expression couldn’t be seen. But his slightly lowered head posture. And the phone screen in his hand that was frequently lit up and quickly dimmed. Revealed an obvious anxiety. He seemed to be waiting for a message… The next second. The man suddenly looked in my direction. …It was Arthur. Arthur just took one look at me. Then immediately locked onto the boy leaning in front of me.

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I’d been online dating my boyfriend for six months, but he absolutely refused to meet in person. I had no choice but to ask a food delivery rider to do some reconnaissance for me. After seeing him, the rider advised me: “Honestly, girl, forget it. The guy isn’t tall, isn’t handsome, and the kicker? He looks like he’s pushing sixty!” Hearing this, I instantly crumbled and cursed into the phone: “You old geezer! We’re breaking up!” The next day, forced myself to go to work, only to hear colleagues gossiping: “What kind of trauma did CEO Zhou suffer?” “Why is he asking everyone for links to anti-aging face masks?” 1 When I got that call from the delivery driver, I genuinely felt like the sky was falling. On the other end of the line, the driver was describing in vivid detail: “I’m really not making this up, miss. I was stunned when the door opened. The guy isn’t tall, isn’t handsome, and the main thing is, he looks like he’s nearly sixty! He was even holding a cane!” “You’re in the prime of your youth, don’t waste it on an old man, okay? Otherwise, when you actually meet, people will suspect you have a thing for geriatrics!” I responded in a daze, not even knowing how I hung up the phone. By the time I snapped back to reality, tears were already streaming down my face. No wonder he kept refusing to meet me. Turns out he’s elderly and has mobility issues! And all those red packets and bank transfers he sent me before—were those his retirement pension?! Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but cry again, clicking open my phone through the tears, ready to send the money back. Just as I opened the chat page, my phone vibrated. My online boyfriend sent a message: [Thanks for the afternoon tea, babe~] [Did you finish getting your nails done, babe? Want me to buy you bubble tea?] I almost gagged. Thinking about how I’d been calling this old geezer “babe” for six months, I couldn’t stop feeling nauseous. On the other side, totally oblivious to my mood, he kept sending messages: [Nails not done yet? Message me back when you’re free later, okay?] [I’ll reimburse you.] Followed closely by several large red packets. Financially, he’d never been stingy. Spending someone else’s money really is painless! Thinking of this, I was both angry and hateful. I directly returned the red packets and typed furiously: [No need.] [I never thought you were this kind of old geezer.] [Saying break up makes me sick. Don’t harass me again!] 2 After sending the message, I blocked and deleted him instantly, then started packing up my stuff. Clothes and bags the old geezer sent—throw! Shopping mall gift cards the old geezer loaded—sell! Specialty sausages the old geezer made himself… I hesitated for a second. The old geezer’s culinary skills were actually quite good; these sausages tasted way better than store-bought ones. But, I’m looking for a partner, not a chef! What’s the use of delicious sausages! So, I packed the sausages along with everything else and threw them downstairs to feed the stray dogs. I didn’t leave the house all weekend, curled up at home crying and being emo, until Monday when I finally tidied myself up and went to work. As soon as I entered the company, I felt something was off. There was a feeling of an approaching storm. “Luna!” A colleague waved at me: “Quick, come punch in!” I hurried over to sign in and wondered aloud, “What happened? Everyone looks so panicked.” My colleague sighed: “CEO Zhou is back from the branch office. And he’s in a terrible mood today! Several colleagues who went to report were scolded terribly by him!” I was stunned. Zhou Ting’an is back? This CEO who’d been inspecting for nearly half an year finally decided to return to headquarters? Speaking of which, I only joined the company in the last six months and hadn’t dealt with CEO Zhou yet. I heard from old colleagues that although he had a cold personality, he wasn’t difficult to get along with. But looking at it now… it seems that’s not the case at all. “He wouldn’t lose his temper for no reason, right?” I was puzzled. “Who provoked him?” My colleague looked around to make sure no one was nearby before whispering the gossip: “Heard CEO Zhou’s girlfriend dumped him!” “And it was an abrupt, out-of-the-blue breakup!” 3 It really is breakup season… Thinking of my own situation, I couldn’t help but sigh, then asked curiously: “They wouldn’t break up just like that, right? There must be a reason?” My colleague squeezed a few words out of her throat: “Seems like she disliked CEO Zhou for being old…” I gasped: “Zhou Ting’an is old???” Isn’t he not even thirty yet?! And with that handsome face looking like a male model, to still be disliked… what kind of goddess must his girlfriend be! Before I finished speaking, the elevator door beside us rang. The door opened, and I made direct eye contact with the person inside. It was Zhou Ting’an. Don’t know if he heard me talking or not, anyway, his eyes were chilly, staring at my back until it felt cold. “CEO Zhou.” My colleague quickly greeted him, and the noisy corridor instantly went quiet. I subconsciously took two steps back to the side and also called out: “CEO Zhou.” Zhou Ting’an responded coldly/indifferently, stepping out. Just as it looked like he would pass me by, his footsteps suddenly stopped. The next second, he turned his head to look over, his gaze landing on my face: “Which department are you from?” 4 I was stunned for a moment. The team leader nearby quickly said: “This is Luna, new to the Planning Department.” Zhou Ting’an stared at me for a few more seconds, then instructed: “Have her come to find me to report later. I want to see the caliber of the new hires you’re recruiting.” The team leader agreed hastily, but I was completely bewildered. How did a small fry like me get picked to report? “Don’t be nervous.” After Zhou Ting’an walked away, the team leader comforted me: “Anyway, you’ve been following this project all along. Showing your face more in front of the boss is good for you taking on big projects in the future.” Since it came to this, I could only pack up the materials and go to the CEO’s office. Zhou Ting’an’s office was on the 17th floor, with excellent lighting, just frighteningly quiet. I did mental preparation at the door for quite a while before knocking on the CEO office door. “Come in.” A voice came from inside. I let out a breath and pushed the door open: “CEO Zhou, I’m here to report on work.” Zhou Ting’an sat behind the desk, expressionless: “Go ahead.” I had indeed been following the project; I was clear on the framework and details. I spoke for about ten minutes before stopping: “That’s roughly it, CEO Zhou.” Zhou Ting’an didn’t speak immediately, just flipping through the document file I brought. After a moment, he looked up, his cool, handsome face revealing no emotion: “Are you very nervous?” I nodded honestly: “A little.” Zhou Ting’an didn’t react much to this, just lowered his eyes again, finishing the last data set, and tossed the file folder onto the desk: “Go to HR to handle the handover.” I was dumbfounded: “CEO Zhou?” Zhou Ting’an looked at me, face waveless: “You are not suitable for the Planning Department.” My heart skipped a beat. Is he going to fire me?? 5 Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but gasp and quickly expressed my loyalty: “CEO Zhou, I know my report still has deficiencies, but I will work hard to learn from seniors in the department. Please give me another chance!” Zhou Ting’an ignored me, operating the computer on his own, looking like he was about to send an email to HR. Watching his actions, I knew there was no room for turning this around, and a wave of sadness rose in my heart. Don’t they say unlucky in love, lucky at cards (work)? How come I lost both the fish and the bear’s paw?! The more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt. I held back my emotions and asked: “CEO Zhou, can I ask where I didn’t do well? Just consider it a lesson learned, so I won’t make the same mistake when I go to another company in the future.” Words fell, Zhou Ting’an finally looked over. His gaze paused for a moment on my red-rimmed eyes, and when he spoke, he seemed a bit helpless: “What are you going to another company for? To be a corporate spy?” I twitched my lips: “Aren’t you going to fire me?” Zhou Ting’an seemed to laugh: “When did I say I was going to fire you?” As he spoke, he pointed to the file folder on the desk, tone flat: “Just for this bit of stuff, you talked for so long. It’s a waste of talent in the Planning Department. Come over to my side.” I blinked, a bit confused. Zhou Ting’an had to turn the computer around to show me. Only then did I see that what he edited wasn’t a termination notice, but a transfer notice. Zhou Ting’an transferred me to the CEO’s office! “Go handle the handover this morning, come here to report in the afternoon.” Zhou Ting’an looked at me: “Any problems?” At this moment, my heart didn’t hurt anymore, my eyes weren’t red anymore, I nodded repeatedly: “No problem!” Zhou Ting’an gave a noise of assent and pushed the file folder over: “Go back and pack up.” I answered yes and stepped forward to take the document. My fingers touched the folder, but couldn’t pull it. I was stunned, looked up, and saw Zhou Ting’an reach out and press on the document, fingertips slightly tense. “This manicure of yours…” He stared at my fingertips, brows furrowing slightly: “Looks a bit familiar to me.” 6 I subconsciously looked down at my fingers. Because it was my zodiac year, I specially got a red manicure. It was even the style I chose together with that online dating old geezer. Seeing this touch of red now, I felt a sense of “seeing the nails is like seeing the geezer,” and inexplicably felt a bit annoyed. “Yes, this style is very popular this year, many people have gotten it done.” I gave a dry laugh and decided to remove the nail polish as soon as I got back. Zhou Ting’an looked at the nails, then looked at me. In the end, he said nothing and waved his hand to let me leave. The whole morning was chaotic. It was already noon by the time the handover was finished. I took a breather and went to the cafeteria for lunch. My appetite wasn’t good these past two days, so I just ordered plain noodles. After sitting down, I habitually pulled out my phone to take a picture and send it to my pinned contact: [Babe, lunch check-in~] After sending it, I put down my phone to eat. Just after slurping two mouthfuls of noodles, I suddenly felt something was wrong. Didn’t I already delete that online dating old geezer? Then who was I reporting to just now?? Thinking of this, my heart gave a jolt. I hurriedly turned on my phone. Once I saw the screen clearly, my vision suddenly went black— My current pinned contact was… Zhou Ting’an! Half an hour ago, I just got the CEO’s WeChat from the executive assistant and kept it pinned as requested. Who would have thought I’d cause trouble right after turning around! “Bad habits kill people…” I wailed, scrambling to retract it, but it was already over two minutes and couldn’t be operated. Even more frightening was that the next second, my phone vibrated. Zhou Ting’an actually replied to the message: [Who are you calling babe, Luna.] 7 Seeing this, I was incredibly embarrassed and hurriedly explained: [Sorry boss, sent to the wrong person…] Zhou Ting’an didn’t seem to mind either, just asked: [Eating so little?] I told the truth: [Not much appetite these past two days.] It went quiet on Zhou Ting’an’s end; he didn’t reply again. I figured he was just being polite casually, so I put away my phone and ate with peace of mind. Because of the handover work, I came down late. Plus, my habit of eating slowly meant that by the time colleagues in the cafeteria finished and left in twos and threes, I was only halfway through this bowl of noodles. There was still more than half an hour left until the end of the lunch break. Just as I was debating whether to continue eating or go upstairs to sleep, a shadow suddenly fell in front of me. Looking up, it was actually the executive assistant beside Zhou Ting’an. “Still eating?” The assistant sister smiled and handed over a lunch box, “Extra food.” I was stunned for a moment, reached out to take it, opened it, and a fragrant smell hit my nose. It was several small stir-fry dishes, perfect in color, aroma, and taste. “Wow, thank you!” I felt my appetite instantly improve. While feasting, I casually glanced at the lunch box logo and was shocked: “Sister, this restaurant is so expensive!” The assistant waved her hand: “CEO Zhou’s treat, eat up.” I clicked my tongue: “Gotta say, working in the CEO’s office is pretty good, can sponge meals off the boss.” The assistant laughed: “How could that be? CEO Zhou doesn’t order takeout much; he often eats in the cafeteria. Guess he wanted a change of taste today.” I blinked, thinking to myself that I was quite lucky to mooch a meal on my very first day. I didn’t have much work in the afternoon either, just following the executive assistant to learn, and got off work early in the evening. Back home after dinner, I slumped on the sofa ready to start a game. Just logged into the account and the screen flashed wildly, message notifications 99+, phone vibrating so hard I couldn’t hold it. It took a full minute for the phone to quiet down. Only then did I see the culprit, sure enough, it was the online dating old geezer. Only blocked his WeChat, forgot to delete the game friend. Looking at the couple icon flashing above our heads, I felt a wave of disgust and scrambled to unbind, but a message jumped out first: [Babe you’re finally online!] [Babe why break up with me QAQ] I looked at the message with a chill. Such a grown man still using emojis, disgusting! I was too lazy to even reply, clicked to delete friend, but just as I was about to tap delete, another message popped up: [I’m not even thirty yet. Although older than you, I can’t be called an old geezer, right? Babe is there some misunderstanding between us!!]

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I was the bait for our apocalypse survival squad. My brother had awakened a lightning ability, and my sister possessed a pocket dimension. I alone was powerless, my only talent being that I could outrun a zombie, if only by a fraction. Before the next horde of the undead arrived, I pleaded with Mom and Dad, begging them not to send me out to lure them this time. Mom and Dad pointed to the “safe house” they’d marked on the map, reassuring me. But when we reached the spot, my brother and sister cheered at the sight of the horde swirling around the house. I hid in the barren basement, shivering uncontrollably. When hunger finally made my head spin, I pushed open the cellar door, only to find no living breath outside. I picked up the walkie-talkie, and a voice crackled through: “Decoy deployed successfully, main team has withdrawn.” Only then did I realize I was nothing but a living shield of flesh. 1 Static. The crackle on the walkie-talkie hadn’t ceased. That chilling phrase, “Decoy deployed successfully,” hit me like a physical slap, stinging my face. The cellar was pitch black, truly, utterly dark. I felt my stomach; it was hollow. Three days. I’d survived on moldy potato skins for three days. Outside, guttural moans filled the air, punctuated by the scrape of nails on wood – a sound that grated like chalk on a blackboard, setting my teeth on edge. My name is Laila. Just as my old name suggested, I was soft-hearted, and my life, worthless. Three months into the apocalypse, I had become the family’s “full-time decoy.” My brother, Quinn, with his lightning ability, was the family’s bedrock. My sister, Rowan, with her spatial power, was our mobile storage unit. Mom and Dad handled logistics. And I? I was just the live target, the one who could “run a little faster.” “Laila, darling,” my mother used to say, “your brother is your only protector, and your sister manages our food supply. For the good of this family, what’s a little run?” This time, the horde was unprecedented in scale. They told me there was a safe house ahead. If I could just draw the bulk of the horde away, they could get inside, set up traps, and be secure for good. I believed them. Instead, I found myself locked in this basement, where only rats found refuge. They, however, drove off in their modified SUV, foot to the floor, speeding towards a true sanctuary. Leaving every single undead monster to me. The doorboards began to give. The stench of decay seeped through the cracks. I didn’t cry. Tears were water, and in this hellhole, every drop of water was life itself. I tightened my grip on the rusted steel pipe. It was my only weapon. BANG! A gap splintered open in the cellar door. A pale, grey hand snaked through, its nails like daggers. I didn’t scream. In the grip of absolute terror, a person often finds their voice seized. My mind echoed only one phrase: “Main team has withdrawn.” Withdrawn? Where to? That “Paradise Sanctuary” marked in red on the map? Two hundred miles from here. I laughed. The laugh tore at my chapped lips, drawing tiny beads of blood. The scent of blood seemed to excite whatever was outside. With a splintering CRACK. The flimsy wooden door shattered completely. A dozen pairs of sickly green eyes squeezed into the doorway. I should have died. By all rights, a pushover like me should have been ripped to shreds in a second. But just as the first zombie lunged. My world… slowed. Not metaphorically. It truly, literally slowed. The grotesque fangs, the spraying saliva, even the dust motes dancing in the air. Everything moved at half-speed. Instinctively, I dodged sideways. The sure-kill lunge brushed past my clothes, missing entirely. The zombie slammed into the wall, its skull rupturing. I froze. I stared at my hands. A strange heat pulsed through my limbs, tingling everywhere. Hunger. Not the hunger in my stomach. It was my cells roaring, craving energy. I looked at the dead zombie. Inside its ruptured skull was a small, glittering object. A core. My brother always forbade me from touching these when he killed zombies, claiming a normal person like me would explode if I did. Driven by an impulse I couldn’t explain, I picked it up. Wiped it clean, then swallowed it. BOOM! Something erupted inside my head. The warm current transformed into a raging hurricane. I heard it. The SUV’s engine, two hundred miles away. I smelled it. The savory aroma of stewed meat from my sister’s pocket dimension. And my parents’ false laughter. “Finally rid of that dead weight,” that was Mom’s voice. “The extra rations will last us days.” “She only survived this long because she could run fast,” my brother added. “Good riddance. A waste, but at least we got some use out of her.” I closed my eyes, then opened them again. Darkness, to me, was now as bright as day. I stepped over the corpses on the ground and walked out of the cellar. The horde outside instantly turned their heads toward me. Hundreds of them. A squirming mass. If this were before, I would have wet myself. But now, looking at them, I just felt… They were too slow. Slow as snails. I stretched my neck, my bones crackling with sharp pops. “Decoy deployed successfully?” I murmured to the empty street. “Then are you ready to face the hunter?” 2 I sprinted across the desolate wilderness. The wind, once a biting whip, now felt like a gentle caress on my face. Two hundred miles. Four hours by car, given the rough roads. I made it in a single night. My shoe soles were shredded, yet my feet were without a single blister. Dawn was just breaking. I spotted the familiar SUV. It was parked beside a dilapidated roadside diner and rest stop. Sprayed across its side was my brother’s obnoxious team name: “The Stormbringers.” A perimeter of zombie repellent powder had been liberally scattered around them. Such luxury. I’d risked my life to snatch that from a pharmacy, nearly losing my throat to a Licker in the process. Now, they used it like mosquito coils. I didn’t charge in directly. Though my speed was immense, I still wasn’t sure of the full extent of my newfound “ability.” My brother’s lightning, my sister’s stocked dimension, and my parents’ silver tongues that could twist black into white. I had to be cautious. I climbed a withered, skeletal tree. My vision was unnaturally sharp; through the tinted windows, I could make out every detail inside. They were eating breakfast. A self-heating meal. Steaming hot, the rich sauce bubbling. Rowan picked up a piece of processed meat, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “More lunch meat? I crave fresh vegetables.” Mom quickly soothed her, “Be a good girl, Rowan. Once we reach Paradise Sanctuary, I’ll grow you all the vegetables you want. Your space keeps things fresh, doesn’t it? Just save some for later.” Dad picked at his teeth, “Good thing we didn’t bring Laila. Otherwise, we’d have to share a sip of this soup with her.” My brother scoffed, “Give her soup? A waste. Her scrawny frame could survive on water alone.” I sat on the tree branch, listening without a flicker of expression. That gnawing hunger surged within me again. Not for their meal. No… I craved flesh. Living flesh. The thought startled even me the moment it surfaced. I touched my canine teeth. They seemed… sharper, longer? Just then, commotion stirred at the other end of the rest stop. A lone zombie shuffled, swaying, towards them. Drawn by the scent of their meal. Quinn frowned, setting down his fork. “How irritating.” He raised his hand, a violet arc of electricity crackling in his palm. ZZZZT! The zombie hadn’t even gotten close before it was incinerated into charcoal. “My boy is amazing!” Mom clapped. “Your ability is getting so powerful!” Quinn proudly blew on his fingertips. “Of course. I’m a Level Two ability user now.” Level Two? I narrowed my eyes. The zombie’s core hadn’t been extracted yet. I moved. Like a whisper of wind. Before they could even react, I had already swept past the charred corpse. With a flick of my fingers, the dull grey core landed in my palm. Then, I was back in the shadows behind the tree. The entire sequence took less than two seconds. “Huh?” Quinn rubbed his eyes. “Did something just… pass by?” “What are you talking about?” Rowan rolled her eyes. “It was just the wind. Are you seeing things, Quinn? You must be exhausted.” Dad cautiously scanned our surroundings. “Stop being paranoid. Eat quickly, then we hit the road.” Hidden behind the tree, I popped the still-warm core into my mouth. It crunched. Like a candy drop. Another wave of warmth flooded through my body. I felt my hearing sharpen even further. I could even discern the rhythm of Rowan’s heartbeat. And in her pocket dimension… the rustling of stacked supplies. So, it wasn’t just speed. I could “sense” things. My gaze fixed on the pendant around Rowan’s neck. The conduit for her spatial ability. And one of my targets. Since you called me dead weight, I’ll show you what true “heavy lifting” looks like. I picked up a pebble from the ground. Aiming for the SUV’s rear tire. With a powerful flick of my finger. PHUT— A muffled thud. The SUV lurched violently downwards. “Damn it! A flat tire?!” Quinn swore, scrambling out of the vehicle. The show had begun. 3 “What the hell happened? These are run-flat tires!” Quinn crouched by the wheel, staring at the finger-sized hole, utterly bewildered. “Did you run over a nail?” Mom fretted, wringing her hands. “Out here in the middle of nowhere, how are we supposed to change a tire?” “Where’s the spare?” Dad demanded. Rowan’s face went pale. “The spare… I tossed it out to make room for those designer bags.” The air hung heavy, thick with silence for three excruciating seconds. “You threw out the spare for bags?!” Quinn roared, his voice cracking. “What time do you think it is? Can those bags feed us? Can they get us out of here?” Rowan’s eyes welled up with tears of indignation. “But they were limited edition! I could never get them before! Besides, who knew a run-flat tire could burst anyway?” “Alright, alright, stop fighting!” Dad intervened, trying to be the peacemaker. “Rowan just wants us to live comfortably later. Quinn, you’re an ability user, surely you can figure something out.” “What am I supposed to do? I control lightning, not wrenches!” Quinn, frustrated, kicked the car door. Watching from the tree, I almost burst out laughing. So much for the “elite squad.” No spare tire meant they either abandoned the SUV or tried to patch it up, desperate. But this was a rest stop. A favorite gathering spot for the undead. The muffled pop of the tire, though not loud, would carry far in the silent wasteland. In the distance, faint yet distinct, came the sound of many footsteps. “Damn it, a horde!” Quinn’s face tightened, his ears twitching. “Quick! Grab what you can and run!” Rowan frantically began stuffing things into her pocket dimension. The car, the tent, the half-eaten self-heating meal… “Stop grabbing junk! Get the weapons! The water!” Quinn roared. It was then that I struck again. I aimed for Rowan’s wrist. WHIZZ! A pebble shot forth. Striking her nerve point dead on. “Agh!” Rowan shrieked, her hand spasming. The several cases of bottled water she was trying to store vanished from her grip, clattering to the ground and rolling everywhere. “My hand! My hand is numb!” She clutched her wrist, sobbing uncontrollably. “Stop wailing! They’re here!” Dozens of zombies burst forth from the rest stop buildings. Clad in tattered uniforms, their faces dripping with decaying flesh. “Quinn! Hold them off!” Dad pushed my brother forward, while pulling Mom back. Quinn gritted his teeth, unleashing lightning from both hands. “Lightning Net!” Several bolts of electricity arced out, felling the first few zombies. But the ones behind simply trampled over their fallen comrades, surging forward. And among them, this time, was one that was different. It crawled on all fours, its tongue disturbingly long, dragging on the ground. A Licker. The very kind that had almost ripped out my throat. It fixed its gaze on Rowan, seemingly sensing the vibrant warmth of her living flesh. ROAR! The Licker lunged. Blindingly fast, a crimson blur. Quinn’s lightning missed. “Rowan! Watch out!” Mom shrieked. Rowan froze, petrified, even forgetting to retreat into her dimension. Just as that long, horrid tongue was about to coil around Rowan’s neck. I dropped from the tree. Not to save her. But to steal her kill. This Licker’s core looked promising. I descended like a hawk, plummeting from the sky. My steel pipe, fueled by the force of my descent, plunged with chilling precision into the Licker’s hind brain. SPLAT. Black blood sprayed. The Licker didn’t even manage a whimper, nailed dead to the ground. I planted one foot on its head, yanked out the pipe, and swiftly dug out the core. My movements were fluid, seamless, too quick for the eye to follow. The air around us fell silent, instantly. The lightning in Quinn’s hands sputtered out. Rowan’s mouth hung open, tears still streaking her face. Mom and Dad stared, eyes wide, as if they’d seen a ghost. I slowly lifted my head, shaking the blood from the steel pipe. And offered them a radiant smile. “Hello, family.” “Surprised? Unexpected?” “A ghost… a ghost!” Mom was the first to react, her eyes rolling back as she swayed, about to faint. Dad fumbled to steady her, his whole body trembling. “La… Laila? You’re not…” “Dead?” I finished for him, toying with the blood-slicked core in my hand. “Disappointing, isn’t it? The Grim Reaper apparently found me too fast to catch.”

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Victoria got into a car accident picking up my car. A fractured tibia. By the time I rushed to the hospital, a young man with eyes swollen red from crying was screaming in my face, his words a relentless tirade. “What right do you have to make Ms. Beaumont get your car? If you weren’t so lazy, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt!” “Do you have any idea she broke her leg? And fractured a rib…” He spoke with an infuriating sense of entitlement, like a manager scolding a delinquent employee. It wasn’t just me; Victoria’s friends and family, who had come to visit, were all stunned into silence. Victoria shot him a fond, almost doting look before turning to me, her voice soft and placating. “He’s just young, trying to stand up for a client. He’s very direct, don’t mind him.” Her heart clearly wasn’t with me anymore. So no, I didn’t mind. I stared at the boy, my expression a blank mask, waiting calmly until his histrionics ran out of steam. “Are you finished? Good. My turn.” My voice cut through the quiet room. “This is the second time your dealership has made such a critical error. If you don’t provide a satisfactory explanation, you can expect to hear from the police and the Quinn family’s legal team.” 1 The boy’s face went pale, and his eyes darted to the woman on the bed, pleading for help. Victoria’s expression tightened. “Alexander, it was my mistake. I lost control of the car. It had nothing to do with him. I’ve already handled the accident report.” “You lost control?” I raised an eyebrow, my gaze fixed on her. “What’s the damage?” Victoria coughed. “I’m fine. Just the broken leg and a slight concussion. It’s nothing to—” I cut her off. “I’m asking about the car.” My coldness seemed to physically wound the boy. His voice cracked as it shot up an octave. “Ms. Beaumont is in the hospital, and all you care about is your car? Do you even have a heart?” “You must be Ryan, then?” I said, my voice dangerously soft. I casually slipped my hands into my pockets, my face unreadable. “First, that car is a limited global release valued at over two and a half million dollars.” “Second, Victoria is my wife, in the eyes of the law. Is there a problem with her picking up my car for me?” “And finally…” I paused, my eyes dropping to his hand, which was clutching the fabric of Victoria’s hospital gown. “You’re just a college student she sponsored. On what grounds, exactly, are you standing here interrogating me?” Ryan’s face turned a deep shade of crimson. He instinctively let go of her gown but still tried to defend himself. “I… I’m just worried about Ms. Beaumont!” “You could have gotten the car yourself! You made her go, and now that she’s hurt, you can’t even muster a single word of concern…” I glanced at a text from my assistant that had just come through and let out a cold, humorless laugh. “You should be more worried about yourself.” “The damage assessment is in. Preliminary repair costs are estimated to be upwards of three hundred thousand dollars. Will that be cash or card?” Ryan’s legs gave out from under him. He swayed, staring at me with a mixture of defiance and despair. “Three… three hundred thousand? That’s extortion!” He then looked desperately toward Victoria. “Ms. Beaumont…” Victoria struggled to sit up, hissing in pain as the movement jarred her injuries. “Alexander, he just graduated, he’s just a kid. Where would he get that kind of money? Don’t scare him.” She looked at me, her voice firm. “It was my mistake. I’ll pay for it.” A triumphant smirk flickered across Ryan’s face. I stared at her, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Quite the generous benefactor, aren’t we, Ms. Beaumont? Was gifting him an entire dealership not enough?” Victoria clearly hadn’t expected me to know. Her expression froze. Ryan, all his previous bravado gone, bit his lip and mumbled, “Mr. Quinn, if you’re angry, take it out on me. Don’t blame Ms. Beaumont. She only helped me start the business because she felt sorry for me.” Victoria sighed and waved a dismissive hand at him. “This has nothing to do with you. You should go home.” Ryan shuffled toward the door, head down, casting long, lingering glances back at the bed. Just as he reached the doorway, he spun around and rushed back. He pressed a small, delicately carved wooden charm into Victoria’s palm. His eyes, misty with tears, held a look so tender it was practically tangible. No one watching them could believe there was nothing between them. Ryan bit his lip, gave her one last reluctant look, and finally left. As he passed me, he whispered, “Mr. Quinn, it was my fault. The car wasn’t properly inspected before Ms. Beaumont drove it off the lot. That’s why she crashed.” He glanced down at the charm in her hand. “Please don’t misunderstand. I carved that for her myself. I was just hoping it would bring her some luck… ward off any evil.” Not properly inspected? But the dealership had called me specifically to tell me the car was ready for pickup. The last time, when the brakes failed… could that have also been a lack of inspection? 2 “Alexander, I’ve been meaning to tell you about the dealership.” Victoria’s voice pulled me back to the present. We were alone in the room now. A smile played on her lips as she carefully set the wooden charm on her bedside table and reached for my hand. “It was Ryan’s graduation and his birthday, so I got him a gift. That’s all. Surely my big-shot CEO isn’t jealous, is he?” She said it so casually, as if she’d given away a cheap toy. I shifted, avoiding her touch. “Is that your type?” The air in the room went still. Victoria’s smile faltered. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t tell you because I was worried you’d overthink it.” “There is nothing going on between Ryan and me. We’re—” “I don’t care.” My interruption was blunt, indifferent. “I may not have caught you in bed, but I don’t tolerate filth in my life, Victoria. Drop the act. Making a scene would be ugly for everyone.” She looked up at me, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You don’t believe me?” I met her gaze, my own eyes flat and emotionless. My silence was the only answer she needed. She was about to say more, but her phone buzzed on the nightstand. The name “Ryan” glowed on the screen, a glaring insult. Victoria hesitated before answering. Ryan’s pathetic, whimpering voice immediately filled the silence. “Ms. Beaumont, is Mr. Quinn giving you a hard time? Even if he’s angry, please don’t fight with him, okay?” “I ordered some bone broth from The Gilded Spoon for you. I won’t bring it myself, though. I don’t want Mr. Quinn to get the wrong idea.” Two simple sentences, and he’d managed to play the victim, curry favor, and subtly remind her of their intimacy all at once. I stood motionless. Victoria glanced at my face, then quickly ended the call. A cold smirk touched my lips. I was done with this charade. I turned and walked out of the room. “Alexander!” Victoria called out desperately. “Are you really that angry?” “I promise, I’ll stay away from him. I’ll cut off all contact. Just… please don’t be so cold to me. Please?” Her voice trembled. “My leg hurts…” I turned my head slightly, my voice devoid of any warmth. “If your leg hurts, call a doctor. I have work to do. You get some rest.” Outside the hospital, the crisp night air did little to quell the rage simmering in my gut. I pulled out my phone and called my assistant. “I want you to dig into that kid, Ryan. Everything you can find. I suspect he was involved in my brake failure last time.” After the last service, my brakes had given out on the highway. I’d had to swerve into the median to avoid a catastrophic pile-up. Later that evening, the manager of a luxury watch boutique arrived at my office, sent by Victoria. He presented dozens of obscenely expensive timepieces for me to choose from. “Ms. Beaumont is so devoted to you, Mr. Quinn. A love like that is truly something to be envied.” I glanced over the collection of watches, a bitter irony twisting in my stomach. “You’re mistaken. A man who cheats will spend the night whispering ‘I love you’ to his wife, trying to wash away his own guilt.” I looked the manager in the eye. “Women are no different.” Victoria thought I was just throwing a tantrum. She probably saw me as one of those men who marry up, who, upon discovering their wife’s infidelity, resort to tears and threats before being placated with an expensive gift and a lavish party. She seemed to have forgotten who I was. I am Alexander Quinn. I may not have been born into a corporate dynasty like her, but I built my own empire. At sixteen, I was fast-tracked into a top international university. By twenty-two, I was carving out a name for myself on Wall Street. By twenty-five, I had returned to the country as her direct competitor. We got married not because I couldn’t live without her, but because she promised me a lifetime of fidelity—one man, one woman, forever. What a joke. In just five short years, she’d tossed that promise aside like it was nothing. 3 The next day, I received a friend request on my messaging app from Ryan. The note read: Mr. Quinn, I’d like to explain the issue with your car’s service. The day was a blur of back-to-back meetings. That evening, I had to catch a flight back to my hometown for my uncle’s—my only living relative’s—70th birthday party. I didn’t even see the request until I landed. I accepted it. A voice message came through almost instantly. It was Ryan, explaining that the mechanic who worked on my car was a temp who had since stopped showing up for work and was unreachable. I didn’t reply. As I swiped back, my thumb accidentally opened his social media profile. His latest post was from half an hour ago. The picture was of Victoria, sitting on the sofa in our villa, sipping soup. In the background, you could clearly see the oil painting I’d paid a fortune for at auction and the custom-made Italian rug. What made my blood run cold was that Ryan was wearing my favorite silk robe and my slippers. He was beaming, squeezed in beside her, holding his phone up for a selfie with one hand while making a peace sign with the other. The caption read: Finally able to take care of you while you’re sick. Even though people misunderstand, the truth will speak for itself. Homemade bone broth to help you heal faster. I screenshotted it and sent it to Victoria. “Living in my house, wearing my clothes, getting cozy with my wife. Is this what you call ‘nothing going on’?!” She replied instantly: Alexander, he spilled soup on his clothes, he’s just borrowing yours for a bit. He was only trying to be nice. Don’t read too much into it. I laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “Trying to be nice?” “Or was making soup just an excuse to play house in my home? What’s the plan, dress up in my clothes and hope you can just replace me?” Could you stop being so cynical? her tone shifted. You’re never around. He came here specifically to take care of me. Can’t you show a little grace? You weren’t like this before, Alexander. When did you become so overbearing, so ruthless? I stared at the screen and laughed until it hurt. Overbearing? Ruthless? When the Beaumont Corporation’s funding dried up, it was my “overbearing” leadership that pushed my team through a month of sleepless nights to secure the critical investment that saved her company. When her father was gravely ill, it was “ruthless” me who dropped a multi-million-dollar acquisition and sat by his hospital bed for two weeks. She used to say she admired my decisiveness, my killer instinct in the boardroom. But now that she had her gentle, considerate little angel by her side, I was suddenly just cynical and harsh. My uncle insisted I stay an extra day, so it wasn’t until the third morning that I took the earliest flight home. The digital lock hadn’t been changed, but my fingerprint had been deleted. I stood on my own doorstep and rang the bell. The man who opened the door was Ryan. This time, he was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of loose-fitting athletic shorts. His hair was wet, as if he’d just stepped out of the shower. “Mr. Quinn?” he asked, feigning surprise. “What are you doing back? Ms. Beaumont is still asleep…” I cut him off. “This is my house. Do I need an invitation?” “Get out of my way.” “That’s not what I meant,” he said, stubbornly blocking the doorway. “But Ms. Beaumont is resting, and you seem like you’re in a bad mood. I don’t want you to disturb her…” I’d had enough. I shoved him aside. “Get lost.” The noise woke Victoria. She emerged from the bedroom, leaning on a crutch. Seeing the tense standoff, she frowned. “What’s going on?” 4 Before Ryan could even speak, tears started streaming down his face. “Ms. Beaumont, I’m so sorry. You were so exhausted last night, I just wanted you to get some more sleep. I didn’t mean to offend Mr. Quinn.” He wiped his tears away with the back of his hand and turned his face, like a little white rabbit that had been horribly bullied. The tips of his ears, however, were bright red. Victoria coughed twice, then looked at me. “Alexander, you’ve completely misunderstood. Apologize to him.” I ignored her and sat down on the sofa. My eyes scanned the room and landed on the display shelf. The silver frame holding my wedding photo with Victoria was gone. In its place sat the hand-carved wooden charm from Ryan, now displayed proudly on a polished mahogany stand. On the coffee table, a pair of men’s underwear—not mine—lay discarded. “No wonder you tried to stop me at the door. You two certainly know how to have a good time, don’t you?” Ryan scrambled to pick up the underwear, his voice choked with tears. “These are mine! I washed them! They were just drying here…” “Drying? In the living room?” I sneered. “Victoria has a broken leg. Tell me, just who was servicing whom? Was it comfortable?” Ryan’s face flushed a violent shade of red. He stammered, “Mr. Quinn, you… you’ve got it all wrong. Me and Ms. Beaumont… we didn’t do anything.” “That’s enough!” Victoria snapped, glaring at me. “Alexander, do you have to be so vulgar? Do you enjoy humiliating him?” “He’s just an innocent young man, not like you, with your mind full of schemes!” I looked up at her. “And what, exactly, have I been scheming?” “You’ve been scheming how to embarrass him, how to ruin his reputation! How to make me bend to your will, so I’ll only ever have eyes for you!” Victoria’s voice rose with every word. “Yes, I let him stay here! But nothing happened between us!” “He was taking care of me, and I was grateful. It’s that simple! Why do you have to assume the absolute worst of people?” “Whether people are good or bad doesn’t interest me,” I said, pulling a folder from my briefcase. “But this does.” “Six months ago, you used Beaumont corporate funds and resources to set him up with a dealership. An investment of two million dollars, which you filed under ‘charitable donation’.” “Did you get board approval for that, Victoria? Misappropriating company funds to keep a lover on the side. How does that sound as a criminal charge?” Victoria’s face went ashen. “You investigated me? He’s not my lover!” “Then what is he?” I stood up and walked over to Ryan. “Mr. Park, why don’t you tell us? What are you?” Ryan bit his lip. “I… I just admire Ms. Beaumont. I was grateful for her help, so I came to look after her for a couple of days…” “Admire her enough to wear my clothes and sleep in my bed?” I gestured toward the master bedroom, where the door was slightly ajar. “I saw you both come out of my bedroom, Victoria. How do you explain that?” She gritted her teeth. “Believe it or not, Ryan slept on the floor so he could be close by to help me. We did nothing!” “I don’t care if you slept together or not.”

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My sister was a swan, and I was the ugly duckling. My parents were always comparing us. “Look at your sister, and then look at you.” Even the boy next door, who I’d grown up with, used to say, “Gennifer’s like a princess, and you’re like the servant who takes care of her.” I didn’t like it, so I asked him why. He sniffled and said, “Because you look… messy.” Until the day I went to that party. My parents dragged my sister over to the hosts, trying their best to sell her, praising her to the skies. I shrank into a corner, staring at the imported cookies on the table, my mouth watering. But the hosts’ young son didn’t even glance at my sister. He walked straight through the crowd and pulled me into a tight hug. “Mine,” He said. 1 Gennifer had a face that could launch a thousand ships. Almond eyes, high cheekbones, skin as white as fresh cream. Her eyelashes were long and fluttered like delicate fans. Whenever we went out, strangers would stop my mom and ask, “This child is so pretty, is she a model?” My mom would smile modestly, “Oh, no, she just takes after her father.” If I happened to chime in with a, “Mom?” The strangers would jump, then look down at my freckled face, which was usually smeared with chocolate. “Oh, is this also your daughter?” My mom’s smile would falter, “Yes.” “The younger one.” The strangers would chuckle, “Looks like the older one stole all the nutrients in the womb!” My mom would laugh along, “That’s right, the older one is a go-getter.” I took that whole thing about Gennifer stealing my nutrients in the womb to heart. For a long time, I saw her as my nemesis. Well, not that long. Maybe a couple of months. My main tactic was stealing her snacks. Like those bright red strawberries, those shiny cherries, and that stinky-but-delicious durian. My mom would always wash them, slice them, and serve them to Gennifer. A huge plate, arranged all fancy. I’d only get the scraps. When I finished my portion and was still hungry, I’d sneakily grab some from Gennifer’s plate. You can’t go to the well too often without getting wet. I got caught in the act after a few times. Gennifer started crying, all teary-eyed and pathetic. “She’s stealing my food.” She even looked good when she cried, like a porcelain doll shedding pearl tears. I stuck my neck out and yelled, “It’s her fault for stealing my nutrients in the womb!” Gennifer sobbed and retorted, “I didn’t!” I started throwing a fit, “You did, you did!” My face contorted, and my eyes crossed. Compared to Gennifer’s perfect tears, I looked like something from a horror movie. Like a wicked witch tormenting a damsel in distress. My mom snapped, grabbed a clothes hanger, and started swatting my butt. “I’ll teach you to lie!” “You’re not pretty, but you’re nasty on the inside, too!” I jumped around trying to avoid my mom’s attacks, pleading, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, don’t hit me!” My mom put her hands on her hips, pointed at my nose, and yelled, “Your sister doesn’t owe you anything!” “If I ever see you taking her things again, I’ll break your legs!” Gennifer didn’t steal my nutrients. So why did she look like an angel and I looked…well, me? I couldn’t figure it out. Why were my parents so biased? I couldn’t figure that out either. So I asked someone else. I sat with Fred Davies on a bench in the park, each of us holding half a popsicle. “Do you have a brother?” I asked Fred. He sucked on his popsicle, making a slurping sound. “Yeah, why?” “Does your mom treat your brother better?” “Better? What do you mean?” He looked over at me. I thought for a moment, then gestured wildly, “Like…she only gives your brother the good snacks, only sends your brother to tutoring…” He frowned for a long time, then shook his head, “Nah, not really.” “But isn’t not going to tutoring a good thing?” We looked at each other, like we’d found a kindred spirit. “Totally.” My mom had signed Gennifer up for all kinds of classes: piano, dance, etiquette, you name it. Every time she went out, Gennifer had to wear a tight dress and get all dolled up, like a mannequin. Her schedule was packed solid. I was different. I was a free range kid. While Gennifer was in a studio trying to stretch, I was in the sandbox making mud pies. Tutoring sounded awful. Thinking about it that way, Gennifer was kind of pathetic. My jealousy vanished. Fred asked, “Do you have a sister?” “Yep,” I said. He just said “Oh,” and didn’t ask anything else. The only sound was us slurping our popsicles. 2 I’d regained my strange sense of inner peace. I stopped causing trouble at home, and even started looking at Gennifer with a bit of sympathy. I was still doing my own thing, and I had my friends. One day, I was having too much fun and lost track of time. By the time I noticed, the sun had already set, and the park lights were dim. One by one, my friends were picked up by their parents. Some parents were angry, some were worried, some yelled, some spoke softly. But they were all taken home. Even Fred was dragged away by his older brother, who looked just like him, only better-looking. Before he left, Fred turned around and yelled, “Go home, Sunny!” The busy playground instantly emptied, becoming eerily quiet. I realized I was the only one left. It was so quiet. I looked up at my building. It was tall, and the lights in the living room were on, a warm yellow. Why weren’t my parents looking for me? I kicked a small pebble at my feet. If Gennifer was out this late… Whatever, there was no point in thinking about it. My mom was like her personal bodyguard, always by her side, shuttling her between classes. It was only a short walk home. But I didn’t know who I was mad at, so I didn’t move. I squatted down and started drawing in the sandbox. I drew cats, castles, princesses, bows… I filled the entire sandbox. People came home from work, one after another. Still, no one came to look for me. The park became emptier, and my stomach started growling. The wind blew, and the leaves rustled. It sounded like ghosts were running through the woods. A chill ran down my spine, and my hair stood on end. I was too scared to look back, so I took off running. I burst into the lobby, jumped into the elevator, and pounded on the door. I felt like a million ghosts were chasing me. Three…two… I was about to be captured… I was about to cry. The door opened. … White light streamed from the doorway, and the ghosts vanished. I was saved. My mom opened the door, glanced at me, and frowned. “Where’ve you been running around? You’re so late.” “Dinner’s in the oven. Get it yourself.” I was still relieved, smiling foolishly. “Thanks, Mom.” I quickly took off my shoes and went to get some food. Gennifer was sitting on the couch watching cartoons. I finished my dinner in a few bites and sat down next to her. It was Detective Conan. The wealthy old man’s ruby was missing, and there were four suspects. When one of the guys came on screen, I pointed at the TV and yelled, “It’s him! He looks like a bad guy!” Gennifer rolled her eyes and ignored me. I got excited. “Wanna bet? If I win, you have to give me half your allowance.” She didn’t say anything, pretending to be all cool. I stared at her with wide eyes. She got annoyed and clicked her tongue. “What’s your reasoning?” I said, “You can tell by looking at him! He has a bad face!” “Oh,” Gennifer said casually, “He kind of looks like you.” I got angry and was about to hit her. My mom’s voice boomed, “Gennifer, it’s time to practice your piano!” Gennifer’s face immediately fell, and she got up reluctantly. I was happy and stuck my tongue out at her. I went back to watching TV. My mom yelled again, “Sunny, turn off the TV! Your sister’s practicing piano, don’t bother her!” I said “Okay,” turned off the sound, and kept watching the show silently. 3 That stupid TV station. It always cut off at the crucial moment. Who was the killer? I had to wait another week. I was very bitter. So bitter that Fred noticed. We were each on a swing, rocking back and forth. He asked, “What’s wrong with you?” I complained about the TV station. After hearing the story, Fred slapped his thigh. “I think it’s the guy with the rat face, too!” We looked at each other and high-fived. “Great minds think alike!” “Hey, did your mom yell at you last time you came home late?” “Nope,” I said. He was envious. “Your mom’s so cool. She doesn’t care about you.” I didn’t say anything, but something felt wrong. As we were talking, Gennifer came back from her lesson. She was wearing a pink dress and a shiny headband. My mom was holding her hand and walking towards us. I yelled, “Mom! Gennifer!” My mom waved her hand and yelled, “Don’t play too late.” Gennifer glanced back, then walked away with my mom. I turned around and saw Fred’s popsicle on the ground, covered in sand. “What’s wrong?” Fred stared at Gennifer, his mouth wide open and his eyes bulging. “That’s your sister?” I said, “Yep.” He looked at the direction Gennifer disappeared, then at me, then back at her. “You were adopted, weren’t you?” I freaked out. “You were adopted! Your whole family was adopted!” Fred was still muttering, “Your sister’s like a princess.” I also thought Gennifer was like a princess. But I didn’t want to hear him say it. When he saw I wasn’t listening, he leaned in. “You two don’t look like sisters at all.” “Then what do we look like?” He thought for a moment, then said seriously, “Like a princess and her servant.” Some friend! I got so angry that I pushed him hard. He wasn’t expecting it and fell into the sandbox, getting sand all over himself. “Hey! Why’d you hit me for telling the truth!” “Jerk!” I stormed off, crying. “We’re over! Don’t talk to me again!” I was so angry. When I got home, I tore up all the superhero cards that Fred had given me. Fred was such an idiot. Even if his brother was a hundred times better-looking, I never said it to his face! There were pieces of paper everywhere. My mom saw it and exploded. “Sunny! What are you doing now!” “Making a mess! Can’t you keep things clean?” I picked up the pieces while arguing, “Gennifer spilled soup last time, but you didn’t yell at her!” “She didn’t mean to!” “I didn’t mean to, either!” I got emotional and burst into tears. “Does that mean that I’m doing it on purpose?” My mom put her hands on her hips and glared at me. “You’re talking back now? Why can’t you be more like your sister? She’s so much better behaved!” “What are you crying for? Don’t be so embarrassing!” I yelled back, “That’s because you never yell at her!” My mom laughed angrily. “So it’s our fault?” She made a move to grab the clothes hanger. I got scared and ran back to my room, locking the door. She didn’t chase me. After a while, I heard the door close. My mom had taken Gennifer out again. 4 I pulled out the small mirror that I hid under my pillow. I bitterly thought that everyone loved Gennifer. Was it just because she was pretty? I wasn’t that ugly. The mirror reflected a face covered in tears and snot. It was dirty, like a bitter melon. I scared myself and quickly turned the mirror over. When I thought about Gennifer crying, it was beautiful, like an angel crying pearls. People are so different. I felt a little resentful. Why did my mom make Gennifer so pretty and then just throw me together? I felt like the world was out to get me. My parents were biased. Even my friends betrayed me and couldn’t take their eyes off Gennifer. I decided I would be a cold-blooded killer. They would all regret it! The next day at school. Fred said hi to me. I pretended not to see him and walked right past him. Fred insisted on getting in my way, waving his hand in front of my face. “Are you blind?” I said coldly, “Please stay away from me. We’re over.” He smirked. “Are you really mad?” “It was my fault. Don’t be angry.” As he said that, he took out a bottle of milk from his bag and gave it to me. There was writing all over it, I couldn’t read it. “Here, my aunt bought this. It’s imported milk, really expensive.” I was a little tempted. At home, all the good food was for Gennifer. I was about to reach out and take it. Then he pulled out a pink bottle with big strawberries on it. “This one’s for your sister.” My hand recoiled like I’d been shocked. Fred didn’t realize what he’d done. “This strawberry one is sweet, girls love it. Your sister will definitely like it.” I didn’t say anything. I sped up, went around him, and walked away without looking back. Fred yelled, “Hey! Sunny!” “Why are you running, Sunny?”

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1 During the most down-and-out year of my life, my biological parents found me. The orphanage director, worried I’d be mistreated when I went back, pulled some strings and fabricated an incredibly impressive background for me. But fake is fake. I exposed my ignorance at every turn, arousing my parents’ suspicions. I knew that if they found out I was a loser, they would definitely abandon me. Just when I thought the jig was up and I was doomed, the fake heiress stepped forward. “My sister bullied me in college!” I was stunned in place. My middle school diploma problem was solved just like that? … Hearing these words, I felt like I was in a trance. The thing I’d been worrying about for so long… was solved? I asked uncertainly, “Are you really saying I bullied you in college?” I deliberately emphasized the word “college”. Before this, I had no idea how high a level of education the director had fabricated for me. It wasn’t until my first day home. When Chloe proudly introduced the university she graduated from. That I realized how ridiculously exaggerated the director’s fabrication was. Hearing my words, Chloe acted as if she were frightened. She immediately knelt in front of me, trembling, and started slapping her own face. “Sister, I didn’t mean to bring this up, will you forgive me?” “Please don’t hit me anymore, okay?” After she finished, she glanced out of the corner of her eye at our parents, who had dark expressions. When she turned back to me, her eyes were full of calculation. My parents’ faces darkened slightly as they looked at me and asked coldly, “What is going on? Did you and Chloe know each other before?” Before I could open my mouth, Chloe beat me to it, speaking with a trembling voice. “Mom, Dad, don’t blame my sister. I deserved to be hit, it really has nothing to do with her.” Seeing our parents frown, a flash of smugness crossed her eyes. She thought our parents would attack me for her sake. But she was wrong! My parents just frowned and turned to me, asking uncertainly. “Did you really attend classes at that university?” “I…” I lowered my head, not knowing how to answer. I understood their doubts. A socialite returning from studying abroad wouldn’t love eating from street food carts, but I couldn’t get enough of it. A socialite returning from studying abroad wouldn’t look at price tags when shopping, but I comparison-shopped everywhere. Although I repeatedly explained that I had lived a poor life before, And even though I had money now, I still didn’t want to spend recklessly. I could see the distrust in their eyes. I even overheard their conversation a few days ago about planning to send me away. Seeing the growing impatience between my parents’ brows. I was so nervous that my palms broke out in a cold sweat. What if I nodded and they asked other questions? How should I answer? I had no substantial evidence to prove I had studied there. Gritting my teeth, I was about to come clean directly. When Chloe suddenly let out an “Ouch”. When everyone looked at her. A yellowing photo fell to the floor. After seeing the content of the photo clearly, I was once again too shocked to speak. 2 Chloe seemed to just realize something. She hurriedly stepped forward and covered the photo, stammering an explanation. “This… this is all fake, it’s not true, my sister she… she doesn’t usually hit me this fiercely…” Her adding oil to the fire made my dad bend down directly and snatch the photo from her hand. The photo was a group picture of me and Chloe. Only… she was pinned under me. The background was exactly the backdrop of the school she studied at abroad. My dad’s frown deepened, and he held the photo, examining it for a long time. Chloe, afraid he wouldn’t believe it, quickly explained. “Dad, that day was my sister’s birthday, and she just wanted me to be her beast of burden for once. I really didn’t mind.” “Besides, my sister is very famous at school. Making her happy, I’m also quite proud.” “Oh right, my sister is also very generous. She shares her old clothes and bags she doesn’t wear with us.” She painted me as a tyrannical local bully. But I saw my dad’s originally disgusted look soften a bit. My hanging heart dropped halfway. Does this prove the fact that she and I went to the same school? Will they not drive me away? But then I heard my dad speak coldly again. “But your English seems poor. You studied there for a few years, how come you can’t even order food clearly?” I’m doomed! My heart hung up again. I nervously interlocked my hands tightly. At a loss for what to do, Chloe answered for me. “That’s because my sister graduated early. Mom, Dad, are you doubting my words?” “I didn’t want you to punish my sister for me. I actually really hope to get along peacefully with my sister.” “I don’t care about the past anymore. I only hope that in the days to come, I can share Mom and Dad’s burdens together with my sister.” After she finished, she gave me a smug smile. When she saw our parents walking towards me in unison, she even mouthed a sentence. “You’re dead.” When my parents stopped in front of me, my dad raised his hand. She put on an act and cried out. “Dad, don’t hit my sister. She didn’t do it on purpose, just forgive her this once!” “As long as my sister apologizes, I won’t lower myself to her level…” Before she finished speaking, her mouth dropped open. She looked in my direction in disbelief. I saw my dad’s hand land on my shoulder, and he said to me earnestly. “Mom and Dad misunderstood you before and made you suffer a lot. We will make it up to you.” “Tomorrow you come to work at the company, assist me, and slowly familiarize yourself with the company’s business.” “Dad…” Chloe was too surprised. Forgetting to pretend to be pitiful, she sprang up from the ground. She questioned loudly, “She doesn’t know how to do anything, how can you let her go to the company?” Only after she finished did she realize she misspoke. She quickly changed her tone, saying pitifully. “What I mean is, my sister is not familiar with anything. Suddenly working with Dad, I’m afraid she won’t adapt.” “If people in the company hear about my sister’s past, they probably won’t be able to work with her.” My dad threw out a bank card with a dark face and said lightly. “Then make the people in the company shut up for me.” This was a disguised compensation for me. I heard my dad say again. “But you’re also right. Let your sister adapt with you first before transferring her to my side.” Chloe didn’t dare to object and obediently swallowed everything. The next day, when she drove me to the company. Her words were full of provocation. “Don’t think winning my dad’s favor is enough. There’s no room for any mistakes in company matters, understand?” I nodded nervously. This was also what I was worried about. A middle school graduate like me didn’t even know how to use a computer. How could I understand such complicated things in the company? So the moment I sat at the desk, I couldn’t help but start sweating. If I turn myself in now, what are the chances of being sent away? Just as I was thinking, Chloe threw a document in front of me. “This is the company’s recent bidding project. Calculate how much money is needed, fill it out, and send it to me. I have to report to the chairman before leaving work.” I recognized every word on the document, but put together, I couldn’t understand a single word. I pulled my hair all day. Until it was time to leave work, I was called to my dad’s office. Chloe was also there. Holding the document, she looked at me sympathetically. “Sister, really. I clearly told you to give the document to me first, and I would hand it to Dad.” “Why did you send it to the other company first?” I looked at Chloe in surprise. What document? The one she asked me to estimate the price for? It’s done? 3 Our eyes met, and hers were full of provocation. But when she turned to my dad, she pretended to plead for me. “Dad, don’t blame my sister too much. Sister definitely wanted to prove herself to you and had no other intentions.” “It’s just that we haven’t researched that price, and haven’t even investigated other companies’ prices. Will this affect the cooperation?” “If this deal falls through, the company…” She didn’t continue. But my dad’s face had darkened to the extreme. He slammed the desk hard and questioned sternly. “Ava, do you have a brain? Do you really have work experience abroad or not?” My fingers tightened. I’m doomed, my dad is suspecting me again! I nervously wrung my hands, scared pale. I managed to cover up the education part, but how do I make up work experience? My breathing became erratic. I even imagined how hard life would be after being kicked out. The next moment, my dad stood up from his chair. My heart tightened with his movement. At this critical moment, an abrupt ringtone broke everything. I watched helplessly as my dad walked out. I heard Chloe say smugly in my ear. “I saw that it was the chairman of the other company calling.” “You’re finished!” “Sister, if you hadn’t come back, you could have lived a carefree life abroad. But what now? Can you still go back?” I was too nervous to utter a sound. But in her eyes, it meant something else. “Heh, even now, you’re still pretending to be calm?” “You’ve never worked before. Don’t you know you’ve committed an industry taboo, and you still think you can escape?” Bang! The abrupt sound of the door opening interrupted everything. My dad rushed in. Seeing him, Chloe hurried to meet him. “Dad, don’t be too anxious. Even if the partner kicks us out, it doesn’t matter.” “I have some relationship with Mr. Lee from their sales department, he can help put in a good word.” Seeing my dad bypass her and walk towards me. She hastily added another sentence. “Dad, this is the office. I know you’re angry, but if you hit my sister, it’s not very appropriate here.” Though her words were persuasive, her feet didn’t move an inch. Arms crossed, she lowered her head waiting to watch the show. With a loud smack. Chloe happily curled her lips. She looked up at me again, mumbling. “Sister, don’t blame Dad for hitting you. He’s just too angry. This deal concerns the company’s future…” The next moment! Smack! Smack! Smack! She widened her eyes stiffly, watching my dad clap his hands forcefully three times right where he stood. Reacting, she hurried forward. “Dad, how can you be confused? Don’t be too excited. Sister didn’t do it on purpose. If you hit her, she won’t blame you…” Before she finished, she was thrown off by my dad. The next moment… She watched in shock as my dad grabbed my arm and said loudly. “Ava, how are you so amazing? How did you do it?” 4 “Dad, what do you mean?” Seeing my surprised look, my dad said happily. “The fact that our company gave the proposal early was exposed, and other companies followed suit. But the amounts they gave were not good. We were the most sincere.” “Mr. Sterling has already contacted me, agreed to cooperate, and canceled the bidding.” “What?” Chloe looked at my dad in disbelief, speaking hurriedly. “How is that possible?” “Dad, did you make a mistake?” “That quote is clearly higher than the market price. Our chances of winning…” “Mr. Sterling thinks low price doesn’t necessarily mean good. He is an entrepreneur with a conscience, wanting quality, not just making up numbers.” “On the contrary, with a high price, he feels we are doing things seriously and calculating carefully!” “But…” “Enough!” My dad interrupted her coldly and said to me amiably. “The signing ceremony is in a few days. You come with me, and I’ll introduce you to everyone then.” My dad happily kicked Chloe out and pulled me to have a heart-to-heart talk for the whole afternoon. When I came out of his office. Chloe glared at me fiercely. “Don’t be too smug, I won’t just let this go.” I was worried she would make me do some documents again, living in fear all day. Fortunately, until the day of the signing ceremony, she didn’t cause me trouble. Just occasionally made a few sour remarks. Two days later, I followed my dad to the signing ceremony with trepidation. The whole time my dad introduced me to his clients, I trembled with nervousness. I couldn’t say a complete sentence. My dad, who was originally satisfied with me, darkened his face again. “Don’t you socialize with clients abroad?” “Ava, tell me the truth, what exactly did you do abroad?” I swallowed hard, just as I was about to explain. Chloe appeared. She wore a piece of haute couture, taking away all the spotlight the moment she appeared. My dad’s face softened a bit. He asked Chloe to take my place in entertaining those guests first, and then went elsewhere to discuss business himself. Having never seen so many people, I hid aside at a loss. Just as I wanted to go out for some fresh air, Chloe found me. Changing her previous meanness, she took the initiative to care about me. “Sister, I see you’re not feeling well. There’s a lounge here, let me take you there first.” After speaking, regardless of my willingness, she pulled me into the lounge. As soon as I entered, I felt something wasn’t quite right. By the time I reacted, I was already unbearably hot. I wanted to leave, but she pinched my chin tightly. Unable to move. She pushed me in hard, smiling. “Don’t you love to show off?” “Later I’ll arrange for you to perform a live sex show. I just wonder what my dad and those clients will think of you when they see it?” I tried to struggle, but the heat on my body became more and more uncomfortable. Eventually, pushing her turned into tearing at my own clothes. Chloe laughed uproariously, crossing her arms and mocking me coldly. “When you are kicked out of the house, I will visit you.” “Oh, by the way, the man coming in later is the security guard at the door. A perfect match for you. Enjoy.” The door was slammed shut. Not long after, it was pushed open again. Feeling the cool chill, I rushed over impatiently. And pushed the person down onto the bed. … When I woke up, the room was already full of people. Chloe, with crying red eyes, was explaining to the partner, Mr. Sterling. “Mr. Sterling, my sister absolutely didn’t do it on purpose,” “She probably just couldn’t hold it back. She didn’t want to do this kind of thing on such an occasion.” My dad was so angry he slapped me across the face. “How did I give birth to such a shameless thing like you, doing it with a man in public… you… you are simply going to anger me to death!” I looked at the mocking gazes filling the room, and looked at Mr. Sterling’s murderous glare. My heart sank. It’s over! It’s all over! Not only did I mess up the signing ceremony, but I also offended the partner. And dragged myself down with it. While trembling with fear, I heard Chloe ask hesitantly. “Sister, in this situation, how about you ask the other party to come out first?” “No matter how low the other party’s status is, it’s still your choice. He should come out and bear everything with you.” As soon as her voice fell, a figure walked out from behind. Seeing him, a flash of amazement crossed Chloe’s eyes. But it was quickly replaced with disgust. “Looking at the attire, he’s the security guard at the door, right?” “But if you two truly love each other, I believe Dad will grant your wish.” Just as she was speaking triumphantly, someone called out behind her. “Young Mr. Sterling?” She looked at the person behind her in confusion. Not noticing that both my dad and Mr. Sterling had their mouths wide open, looking in disbelief at the man beside me.

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