Category: English

After I caught my wife, Arabella, and her oldest friend, Pierce, in bed together, a single question—why?—was enough for her to have me committed. Five years in a place they called an “asylum.” When I finally got out, I was quiet. Extremely obedient. If someone told me to walk east, I wouldn’t even think about the west. Arabella brought me home, her eyes as cold as the November air. “If you ever speak to Pierce with disrespect again, Cal,” she warned, her voice low and sharp, “I won’t be so lenient next time.” I nodded obediently. Then, I turned and picked up a fruit knife, ramming it into my mouth until my tongue was a mangled mess of flesh and blood. She immediately snatched the knife away, the color draining from her face as she looked at the grotesque wound filling my mouth. Pierce leaned close, his voice a venomous whisper in my ear. “Try another pathetic stunt to win Bella’s attention, and I’ll personally ship you back to the Institute.” Then, with a practiced gasp, he slapped himself hard across the face, stumbled, and fell to the floor. “I’m sorry, Cal. I shouldn’t have gotten in your way. Hit me back. Please, take out your frustration on me.” Arabella walked in just in time to see him on the ground. Her eyes flashed with immediate, furious conviction. She stomped on my hand, grinding her heel into my knuckles. “I brought you home out of the goodness of my heart, and this is how you repay me? Uncaring, ungrateful. Have you completely lost your soul?” I got up, walked to the garage, and obediently laid down on the commercial-grade cutting machine. I found the power switch and pressed it. Bone dust and blood sprayed everywhere. Arabella froze, shaking violently, before finally snapping out of it and shutting the machine off. In the ambulance, I heard Arabella’s voice, trembling as she spoke to the EMT. “I just… I yelled at him. I didn’t tell him to start cutting off his own flesh…” I was convulsing from the pain, but I managed to nod. She hadn’t told me to do it. But five years in that place, five years of endless beatings and torture, had taught me the lesson. Obey the unspoken command. Always. Later, she would ask me to die for Pierce one more time. And when I did as she asked, she would just cry and beg for my forgiveness. … It took three days in surgery just to keep me alive. Arabella looked at me, wrapped head to toe in bandages, and a flicker of something—pity? distress?—crossed her face. Pierce was quick to shift the blame. “Bella, I know Cal wanted me gone, but I never imagined he’d throw himself onto that thing to try and manipulate us,” he whined. “Maybe I should just leave. Who knows what he’ll try to pin on me next!” Arabella instantly pulled him into a hug. “If anyone’s leaving, it’s Callum! Five years hasn’t changed him. Look at him! He’s using self-mutilation as a ploy to get attention!” she spat, her gaze never leaving me. “If he really wanted to die, he would have plunged the knife into his heart. He laid on that machine because he knew we could still save him!” I had just opened my eyes enough to hear the words. A cascade of memories—the grinning faces of my torturers, the sting of the whip—slammed into my mind. I couldn’t stop the full-body tremor. Panicked, I threw myself off the bed. The stitches in my fresh wounds ripped open, and I was instantly a bloody mess. I barely felt the pain. I scrambled, grabbed a discarded scalpel, and plunged it into my chest, aiming for my heart. A sickening thud as the blade met flesh. Blood spurted across the crisp white sheets. Slumped on the floor, my hand resting on my still-beating heart, I felt a deep disappointment. I’d missed the mark. As I struggled to thrust the blade in again, Arabella snatched the scalpel away. “Callum Forrester, what are you doing now!” I coughed up blood. A pool of it gathered beneath me. Pierce started to speak, but Arabella impatiently cut him off. “Just stop it, both of you. Whatever you’re doing, don’t provoke him right now.” Pierce’s eyes widened in disbelief. She was defending me? He immediately turned his outrage into a weapon. His eyes blazing red, he struck himself, hard, twice across the face. “You’re right! It’s all my fault! I was trying to provoke him, I made him hit me, I forced him to hurt himself!” he wailed, dissolving into theatrical, heartbroken sobs. “Bella, every mistake is mine. Punish me however you see fit.” Arabella’s gaze flickered back and forth between us, torn. Finally, she helped Pierce up, deliberately looking away from me. “Callum,” she said, her voice strained. “Pierce is kind-hearted enough not to press charges. Apologize to him. Right now. And we’ll forget this ever happened.” I looked up at her, weak, dizzy. My body reacted before my mind did. If I was to apologize, I needed to show her the appropriate level of conviction. Before either of them could stop me, I smashed the glass flower vase. The shards dug deep into my knees, shredding the muscle as I knelt before Pierce. I began to hit my forehead against the floor, a rhythmic, bone-jarring thud. Each one was done with maximum force. My vision started to tunnel. I heard a crisp, snapping sound, like a dry twig breaking. I felt the raw scrape of bone on the floor. Finally, the crippling pain consumed me, and I collapsed. Pierce, still in Arabella’s arms, stared down at me, utterly stunned. A moment later, the room erupted into panicked shouts. In the last sliver of consciousness, I saw Arabella running to get a doctor, frantic enough that she’d lost one of her high heels. That night, Arabella played the surveillance footage back for Pierce. The malicious threat, the self-inflicted injury, Pierce’s dramatic performance—it was all laid bare. Pierce’s composure shattered. Tears instantly welled up. “I was so terrified, Bella… Cal went to that place because of me. He must hate me enough to kill me.” “I was just trying to test him. I needed to know if I was safe around him,” he stammered, pulling a small pocket knife from his jacket. “I’m sorry, Bella. If you blame me, I’ll pay him back with my life.” He made a show of pressing the blade to his wrist. Arabella’s anger instantly evaporated, replaced by frantic concern. She snatched the knife away and clutched him to her chest. “I don’t blame you! Five years ago, Cal was bullying you. It’s normal that you’d be worried,” she soothed. “Besides,” she added, her eyes hardening as she looked toward my bruised and bloodied body, “what normal human being is so pathologically obedient? No one slices their own tongue or jumps into a grinder just because of a few angry words.” Pierce had completely convinced her. She dug her sharp fingernails into my torn skin. “Callum, is this what you wanted? Was this whole act just a complicated way to plot revenge on Pierce?” she accused. “Your manipulation is so deep, I almost believed you.” The agonizing pain made my lips tremble. “No,” I whispered. “I will be obedient. Even if you told me to die, I would do it.” Arabella didn’t believe me. From that night on, her eyes were filled with a cold, perpetual scrutiny. With Arabella’s tacit approval, Pierce’s torment became even more brazen. He deliberately scalded my face with boiling water. Even as the skin blistered and peeled, I didn’t make a sound. Frustrated by my silence, he snatched the antique pocket watch Arabella had given me—my most treasured possession—and smashed it to pieces. Arabella watched, arms crossed, waiting for the once-proud, arrogant Callum Forrester to finally erupt in fury. I didn’t even flinch. A flicker of irritation crossed Arabella’s face. “Doesn’t it matter to you at all?” I simply nodded in placid compliance. “If that is what you want, then no. It doesn’t matter to me.” Arabella froze. A dark shadow crossed Pierce’s eyes, quickly replaced by a smug smile. He wrapped his arm around Arabella, his tone deliberately intimate. “Since he’s so accommodating, Bella, I have one more test we can try.” He gave me a challenging look, then lowered his head and kissed Arabella. The wet, intimate sounds echoed in the sterile room. Arabella initially looked flustered, trying to push him away while staring at me. But soon, under his aggressive intensity, she began to respond. When my expression remained utterly blank, Pierce upped the ante, brazenly cupping and fondling her breasts. Arabella let out a soft, low moan, her face flushed with passion. They acted as if I were invisible, shifting positions and intensifying the act. I watched the entire obscene process in silence. When her eyes finally met mine, my calmness seemed to infuriate her. She shoved Pierce away. “Callum, how could you have no reaction?” she demanded, her chest heaving. I saw the angry red marks Pierce’s hands had left on her skin. I lowered my eyes submissively. “I said I would be obedient. I wouldn’t interrupt your pleasure.” She must have forgotten. Five years ago, I’d stumbled upon Arabella and Pierce in the throes of their passion. I was consumed by a blinding rage. I attacked Pierce, demanding to know how he could be a homewrecker. Arabella had shielded him, accusing me of being the irrational one. That night, she told everyone I was suffering from a psychotic break and had me locked away for “treatment.” But it wasn’t a hospital. It was the private hell Pierce had meticulously selected for me. I was kept like a dog in a lightless cage. Whips, branding irons, skinning, and even live experiments—I endured every type of torture. Day after day, the relentless cruelty taught me one thing: complete submission. Which is why, no matter the humiliation, I would never resist again. Arabella was red-faced and breathing heavily, a fire in her chest. Pierce saw his opening. His eyes narrowed with malice. “Bella, Cal can endure this? God knows what he’s planning for us. I hired some guys—you know, the kind who ‘train’ guys at underground casinos. Let’s see how long his nerve lasts with them.” Arabella hesitated. She was about to speak, but Pierce gripped her hand and sighed heavily. “Bella, it’s for his own good. If he’s truly compliant, you can trust him to stay at home, right?” With a wave of Pierce’s hand, two menacing thugs instantly grabbed me and dragged me toward the basement door. Arabella, silent, turned and walked away, giving them her silent consent. The moment the door slammed shut, they yanked my hair back and tried to shove my face into a box filled with thousands of tiny steel needles. I beat them to it. I grabbed handfuls of the needles and shoved them into my mouth. I started to swallow them, the pinpoints tearing at my throat and viscera. The agonizing, tearing pain made me convulse, producing only a low, guttural roar. But compared to the five years of nightmares, it was nothing. The thugs stared at me, shocked into inaction. Pierce’s gaze was pure hatred. He shrieked, “Bring in the industrial shredder! There’s no way he can endure this!” He revved the machine to full power, his eyes filled with contempt. He was absolutely sure I would finally break down, either begging for my life or cursing his name. I didn’t hesitate. I launched myself into the rapidly spinning blades. My flesh, bones, and sinews were instantly shredded and atomized. My blood and viscera splattered over Pierce, coating him head to toe. He screamed, a high-pitched sound of pure terror, and scrambled out of the basement. In the throes of my unimaginable agony, I managed a final, blood-drenched smile. This time, surely, they would be satisfied. My latest hospital visit made the local news and brought Arabella’s parents—my in-laws—to the hospital. When I woke up, my mother-in-law, Lydia, slapped me hard across the face. She ignored my mutilated, shattered body. “Callum Forrester! You’re a curse! The minute you came back, you ruined my daughter’s reputation! I regret not forcing Bella to divorce you years ago!” “You should have stayed in that damned asylum forever!” My father-in-law held her back, his voice low and serious. “Cal, if you’re still angry about five years ago, we can resolve it. Why turn yourself into a spectacle?” I looked slowly at them. Five years ago, when I begged them to help me, they’d walked away without a backward glance. Resolve it? They wouldn’t lift a finger. Arabella walked in. For the first time, tears streamed down her face in genuine distress. “Callum,” she choked out. “I believe you now. Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anyone hurt you again…” I looked at her, my face expressionless. My silence only made her sob harder. Lydia suddenly yanked Arabella away, sneering at me. “Bella, don’t fall for his tricks! He’s doing this on purpose to make you feel guilty, to drag you down for the rest of your life!” “I’m filing the divorce papers right now. We’re throwing this garbage out of the Ashworth family for good!” Arabella violently pushed her mother away. “Mom, can’t you see what he’s done to himself? He almost died!” “So what if he did!” Lydia shot back, glaring at me with disgust. “He’s a psychopath! A menace! He doesn’t deserve to be a son-in-law here!” She turned, her face softening instantly as she saw Pierce. “Pierce, honey, don’t worry. We only trust you to be by Bella’s side. No one is going to hurt you.” Pierce offered Lydia a grateful smile, then pulled out a sheet of paper, his face etched with fake concern. “Bella, the doctor sent this. It’s Cal’s psychiatric evaluation.” “The doctor says Cal has XYY Syndrome and Antisocial Personality Disorder.” Lydia’s voice rose to a screech. “Then send him back to that place! Now! Lock him up forever!” She pulled Arabella three feet away from me, as if I were a contagious piece of filth. “If he kills someone, he’ll ruin the family! Why doesn’t he just finish the job and die already!” Arabella’s expression wavered. The words “just die” echoed in my skull. I struggled to rise. While they were distracted, I managed to find a large surgical blade. I raised it to my temple. And as the look of sheer terror flashed across Arabella’s face, I rammed the blade into my own temple. Blood mixed with brain matter instantly coated the room. A piercing shriek tore through the hospital corridor. “Cal!!!”

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My childhood friend, Hank, was home for the holidays, and I overheard his mother trying to set me up on a date. He asked, “Are you that bored?” His mother seemed surprised. “Why are you getting angry?” Everyone knew he was brilliant, a graduate from a top-tier university, while I had only attended an average one – a world of difference. He had no romantic interest in me. But no one knew this was the third year since our unspoken, complicated relationship had ended. Back then, he had simply leaned against the bathroom door and said, “It’s probably better to end things early. It was quite dull.” 1 “Who’s angry?” Hank’s expression was cool and indifferent. “Don’t bother. She won’t agree.” His mother asked, “You’re so sure?” Hank didn’t reply. He took his mother’s phone, scrolled through a few photos of potential suitors, and offered a lazy smile. His mother knew his arrogant demeanor well. Hank was a golden boy, effortlessly excelling in academics and blessed with striking looks. He was always the center of attention. “They can’t compare to you,” his mother conceded, “but what if Willow likes one of them?” “You can try.” His tone was detached, as if it had nothing to do with him. Yet, he paused, halting his movement towards the door. Ten minutes later, I sent my reply. [No need, thank you, Auntie.] He barely glanced at it, a silent “I told you so” expression on his face. He turned and walked out, dismissing the matter from his mind. So, he didn’t notice the second text message that immediately followed. [Auntie, I’m getting engaged next week.] 2 The summer I loved Hank most was the darkest time of my life. On the eve of winter break in my sophomore year of university, there was a high school reunion. I was packing my suitcase, trying to resist checking if Hank had replied to my message. He hadn’t. Instead, he had added someone else to our group chat. [What’s going on?] [Who’s this?] Friends in the chat started teasing. Hank wrote: [My girlfriend.] The word “girlfriend” exploded in my mind. I knew Hank wasn’t short of admirers, but he had always seemed so indifferent. So indifferent that I clung to a foolish hope. I clicked on his girlfriend’s profile picture. She was beautiful. I sat in my dorm room, applying a full face of makeup, then removing it, finding myself looking terrible no matter what. When I arrived at the reunion, the room was buzzing with lively conversation. Seeing me appear, the laughter abruptly stopped. Hank happened to be standing up, making space for his girlfriend. He leaned halfway towards me, his eyebrow slightly raised. “Willow, what kind of awful makeup is that?” It was a perfectly normal, joking tone for a friend, exactly the same as always. It was me who was different. My insecurity overflowed, leaving me flustered. Everyone chuckled. I instinctively laughed along, trying to hide my embarrassment. “What’s so funny?” Hank’s girlfriend pulled me out of the private room and led me to the restroom. She helped me remove my patchy foundation, asking as she did, “Hank is too mean. I’ll give him a talking-to for you later.” Her hands smelled sweet, her skin delicate. She was so gentle that even I couldn’t help but like her. How much more would he like her? That night, I trailed behind the crowd, watching Hank take her hand. They looked perfect together. In the latter half of the party, someone suggested drinking. Hank declined. His girlfriend got into the driver’s seat of his luxury car. I turned to follow the crowd, but Hank grabbed me and pulled me into the back seat. “Don’t pick up bad habits,” he said, his eyes smiling. “If your mother found out, she’d kill me.” “That’s right,” his girlfriend added, “We’ll drop you off at university.” Halfway there, his girlfriend decided she wanted crawfish and asked me, “Want to come eat with us?” Hank looked at me, one hand on the steering wheel, and I understood his expression: Don’t be a third wheel. “You two go ahead,” I said. Hank still dropped me off at university first. Before I got out, I heard his girlfriend quietly ask him, “Am I still coming to your apartment tonight?” The ink-black London night, a cold wind sweeping in, carried that soft but clear question right to my ears. His car sped away. I stood there, remembering high school evenings when Hank would stop his bicycle outside my house, waiting for me. At the time, I thought, If someday he drives a car, how would I feel sitting inside it with him? Now I knew. 3 I heard Hank broke up with his girlfriend after only two weeks. My contact with him had ended long ago. I was busy with exams, lab work, writing papers—busy trying to shed that dark, unremarkable version of myself. It wasn’t until a few years later, before my senior finished university, that she dragged me to a bar. “Do you know that super handsome guy at the next table?” “I heard he’s a tech mogul, his starting salary went straight to six figures.” The speaker gestured a number, and everyone gasped in amazement. I looked at the next table. Hank sat amidst a crowd of handsome men and beautiful women. “I’m going to get his number,” a girl said, standing up and heading excitedly towards their table. She returned ten minutes later. “You didn’t get it, did you?” “That hotshot is notoriously hard to pin down, even at his university.” I got up and went to the restroom. As I came out after washing my hands, I ran into Hank, who was waiting by the door, cutting me off. He wore a black turtleneck, his figure tall and broad. His fair neck looked clean and alluring. He held my coat draped over his arm. He asked, “Did I offend you somehow?” “No.” “Then why did you block me?” His dark eyes stared straight into mine, easily making me feel irritated. “Give me back my coat.” He turned sideways. “No.” The alley outside the bar was filled with the biting cold of falling snow. He asked me again, “Is the guy sitting next to you your boyfriend? Did you learn from him, coming to a bar so late at night?” Seeing my silence, he snorted. “No offense. Just warning you to be careful who you choose. He doesn’t look like a good guy.” My steady gaze met his face. I suddenly understood that some things couldn’t be cured by quitting. They could only be appeased by obtaining them. “Are you angry?” My tone was calm. He chuckled. “Why would I be angry—” “Hank, are you coming home with me?” He froze, as if he didn’t understand the meaning of the words. “If not, then someone else will.” I turned to leave, but he gripped my wrist. On that first snowy night of November, our secret, unspoken relationship began. Honestly, I just wanted to know. What did that arrogant face look like when it was lost in passion? So this was the expression. Even in bed, he was still playing it cool, teasing me. Maliciously, he asked, “Would anyone else do?” No. I looked away, trying desperately not to cry. Month after month, we grew more addicted than the other. I felt I was beyond saving. At one point, I even thought he might genuinely like me. So when he held the hairdryer, his large hand running through my hair, and asked, “Do you like me?” I couldn’t help but say, “Let’s end this kind of relationship—” and then, truly be together. But before I could finish, he let go. The hum of the hairdryer stopped, and the bathroom grew silent, save for the sound of running water. He stared at me for a long time. Leaning against the bathroom door, he gave a faint smile. “It’s probably better to end things early. It was quite dull. Our kind of relationship, you know, it doesn’t even qualify as a breakup.” My soaking wet hair stuck to my back. One moment cold, the next hot. That was the moment I truly wanted to retreat. All these years, I had been so ordinary by his side. But I didn’t want to shortchange this ordinary self of mine anymore. [Auntie, I’m getting engaged next week.] Hank, who hadn’t seen this message, was at his childhood friend’s christening celebration. He knew I would be there today too. We hadn’t seen each other in three years. He casually glanced at my name tag, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Someone at the table mentioned, “Arthur Stone is getting engaged, did you hear?” “No way! He’s always been single, to the point the media questioned his sexuality. How did he find someone so fast?” “Met her through a setup.” Hank’s eyebrow twitched at the word. He was somewhat allergic to it today. Someone asked, “What kind of fiancée is she?” “A bit like Willow.” Hank’s gaze shifted from the door to the person who spoke. “So he likes that type,” the person joked, then asked Hank, “Why didn’t you ever think of introducing Willow to him?” Hank maintained his detached expression. But a cold draft from the half-open window ruffled the hair on his forehead, making his eyes seem a little darker. “I did introduce them,” Hank said. “She wasn’t interested.” Arthur Stone was known for his fierce, untamed nature, always hungry for more. He was a completely different type from Hank. “I was kind enough to have someone drive her home in her first year of university, to create an opportunity for them.” Hank’s voice was very soft as he spoke. “She even complained to me that Arthur was too aggressive.” Just then, Hank’s childhood friend, Patrick, walked over. He was one of the few who knew about Hank and my past relationship. He looked at Hank with interest and asked, “Do you know what ‘blind spot’ means?” Hank looked confused. Patrick didn’t explain further, but narrowed his eyes and smiled, telling the gossiping group at the table, “They say they met through a setup, but Arthur had a crush on her for many years. Too bad the girl was completely devoted to someone else. He finally got his chance.” Everyone was surprised. “No way, he’s got such great qualities, and he’s still poaching someone else’s girl.” “Whose girl is he poaching?” Patrick didn’t answer, just clapped Hank on the shoulder. “Did Arthur invite you to his engagement?” “No.” “That’s odd, you two are so close.” Patrick’s smile grew deeper as he asked Hank, “Want to see a photo of his fiancée?” With that, he pulled out his phone and shoved it in front of Hank. Hank leaned down to look, but someone nearby exclaimed, “Willow, you’re here!” His gaze instantly shifted to me at the entrance. I walked in, wearing a cream-colored knit dress. Patrick meaningfully put away his phone and said to Hank, “She looks good, doesn’t she? Never realized Willow had such a great figure back in university.” Hank’s calm gaze fixed on me, then he looked away. He knew. The first time we shared that snowy night, I wore a similar dress. I wore styles I liked for a long time. I was constant in everything. But he didn’t know that people and clothes were different. Once I hit a brick wall, I would turn back from my misguided path. I pulled out a chair and sat down. A long-lost scent drew near. Hank didn’t speak to me, didn’t even touch me. He was well-liked. People came to toast him, round after round. “When are you two getting married?” A drunken classmate clapped Hank on the shoulder, pointing at him and me. “What nonsense are you talking about?” He was pulled away by others. “Oh, right, it’s Willow.” “I thought she was Hank’s girlfriend.” “You two are dressed in black and white; I thought it was your wedding.” Hank chuckled at the remark, deflecting it, a charming glint in his eye. He raised his glass and drank the toast. This was the first time he had smiled tonight. 4 The banquet ended. Patrick, who hadn’t drunk, offered to drive me home. I opened the back car door, only to see Hank sitting there. When Hank was drunk, he didn’t like to talk; he just liked to stare at people with those dark, cold eyes. “He’s completely out of it. We’re taking him back together. You don’t mind, do you, Willow?” I got into the car and sat down. Hank’s hand remained suspended in the middle, maintaining a distinct separation. It was a long drive back to the city center. I leaned my head against the car window and closed my eyes, trying to sleep. The car would occasionally jolt, causing my head to bump slightly, but I didn’t care. The car window reflected Hank’s face. He stared at the noticeable distance between us, lost in thought. When we arrived at my place, Hank offered to see me upstairs. “No need.” He ignored me, his voice cold. “If anything happened to you, we’d all be responsible.” In the elevator, he leaned against the wall, alcohol-flushed, loosening his tie. “My mother’s setup was quite good. Why didn’t you go for it?” He tilted his chin slightly, looking down, his gaze probing. “Not impressed?” “Then what kind do you like?” He was deliberately provoking me again. “Like me?” I met his gaze in the elevator’s reflection. “Not anymore.” “Then the opposite of me, like Arthur Stone?” My gaze froze. He said, “Too late. He’s getting engaged.” Hank seemed intrigued, asking casually, “Willow, since you’re going on setups anyway, how about we give it a try?” With that, he leaned down, looking into my eyes. “You haven’t been waiting for me to say that, have you?” “No.” I looked up at him earnestly. “The day we ended things, I made it very clear: I wouldn’t like you anymore.” “Really?” He slipped one hand into his pocket, a lazy smile on his face. “Good. Don’t just marry someone to forget me.” Hank’s attitude was indifferent, explicitly a scoundrel but fond of saying pretty words. His tone was remarkably sincere: “More than anyone, I hope you find someone you love and marry them. I’ll definitely wish you well.”

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I was the true daughter of the Parker jewelry dynasty. The moment I stepped inside the house, my mother pressed two bangles into the hands of myself and the other girl, the one they had raised. “Rory, you are my own flesh and blood.” “Evie, I raised you from a baby.” “We expect you both to live in peace. Your father and I promise, absolutely no favoritism!” The Parker assumed I was some ignorant hick from the backwoods. They thought I wouldn’t know the difference between the Flame Emerald Opal Bangle they gave Evie—valued at three million dollars—and the cheap glass knock-off they slipped onto my wrist, the kind you could buy a dozen of for a hundred bucks. They were wrong. Not only was I an expert gemologist, but I had a gift: a kind of clairvoyant eye. I could see through stone and straight into the core of a person’s heart. In the rough gemstone market, people risked fortunes on a single cut, one slice separating them from heaven or hell. For me, it was simply collecting free money. You can dismiss me now, Arthur and Cecilia. It won’t matter. Just promise me one thing: don’t regret it later. … My parents exchanged a self-satisfied look, watching me stare blankly at the glass bracelet. They assumed their deception had worked. My brother, Bryce, sauntered over, his voice dripping with condescension. “Aurora,” he drawled, using my full, hated name. “Spending twenty years in the wilderness, you’ve probably never seen anything this valuable, have you?” He snickered. “Keep it safe! When you finally manage to marry some mountain man, that glass trinket will be your whole dowry, ha-ha-ha—” I didn’t let him finish the laugh. I slammed the fake bangle against the pristine marble floor. The crisp, shattering sound echoed in the foyer. The Parker faces immediately tightened. Cecilia screamed first. “Aurora! What in God’s name are you doing?” Arthur’s face was the color of slate. “Such an ungrateful, ill-mannered girl!” Evie pretended to recoil in shock, but her eyes, when she thought no one was looking, glittered with vicious pleasure. Bryce pointed a finger at my nose. “You bumpkin! No class, no education! You just destroyed millions of dollars worth of jewelry?” “Millions?” I nudged the splintered shards with the toe of my boot. “Even a ‘bumpkin’ recognizes shattered glass, Bryce.” I met his furious gaze, holding it steady. “The Parker are global jewelry titans. You gift your biological daughter a cheap fraud. Are you not terrified of the shame when the world hears it?” They were instantly silenced. Cecilia struggled to salvage the moment, her voice thin and forced. “Rory, darling, it’s not that we didn’t want to give you the real thing. But you’ve only just come back from the mountains. We were afraid your… rough edges… might damage it. Evie is different. She’s always been so composed, so careful. When you’ve mastered her grace and etiquette, your mother will give you a real one.” I just scoffed. I didn’t bother to respond. Arthur’s temper flared. He pointed a shaking finger at me. “Don’t you dare sneer at me! I’m telling you, Aurora, Dr. Celeste Dubois—the most respected clairvoyant in Manhattan—read your chart! You have a Shadow Fate! A life of poverty and shallow luck. You simply cannot bear the weight of truly precious things! If you wore real opal, you’d bring disaster on yourself within three days!” He puffed out his chest, turning his gaze to his golden child. “You can’t compare to Evie. She is a Golden Anchor for this family. Our prosperity for the last twenty years? All thanks to her good karma!” I bit back a reply. They took my silence for submission. Cecilia breathed a sigh of relief. “Come now, don’t talk about this anymore. I’ll show you to your room.” Beyond the entrance hall was a sprawling gallery. Glass vitrines housed an array of opal and precious stones. I instantly recognized the hierarchy: VVS-Clarity Flame Red was the pinnacle, priceless. Ice-Opal was next, also astronomical. Then came the Water-Opal, Lavender, Glutinous, and Bean grades. Opal was the core of the Parker fortune. In one corner, a dozen or so rough, black stones were haphazardly piled. These were the “roughs”—stones encased in an outer crust. Without cutting, no equipment could fully reveal the quality or even the presence of the precious stone inside. It was truly “a gamble only the gods can judge.” Buyers relied on instinct and blind luck. A single cut could mean instant wealth or total ruin. This was the famous “cut-to-heaven, cut-to-hell” game. But they couldn’t see. I could. I flicked on my internal vision. Every secret of those roughs was laid bare. Only three had anything inside. The best was a low-grade Lavender, barely worth anything. And they called themselves a stone-gambling family? What a joke. My foster grandmother, who raised me in the isolated village, held my hand on her deathbed and said: “Rory, those eyes are a blessing from God, and a deep curse. Hide them. Never let anyone know.” My room was in the west wing of the mansion, its window facing a high brick wall. It was perpetually shadowed. Inside, there was only a hard, narrow bed and a chipped wardrobe. A stark contrast to Evie’s “princess suite” with its private balcony, walk-in closet, and marble en-suite. The next day, the house was a flurry of activity. The Parker were heading to the annual International Gemstone Rough Auction in Phoenix. Dr. Celeste Dubois arrived. She wore a flowing, pale-grey silk wrap dress, clutched a faux-Tibetan mala, and projected an air of faux-spiritual serenity. The Parker treated her with religious reverence. I almost choked on a laugh. My eyes saw right through the expensive silk. Underneath, she was wearing a bright red lace thong. A charlatan and a fraud, through and through. Dr. Dubois launched into a dramatic speech about Evie being the “Golden Anchor,” guaranteeing a massive profit at the auction. Arthur beamed, then turned to glare at me. “Listen, Aurora! Don’t you dare speak out of turn at the convention! If your bad aura disrupts Evie’s karma, I will hold you personally responsible!” I adopted a docile, obedient expression. I have two gifts, after all: clairvoyance and playing the fool. The trip was via a luxury sleeper car on the train. Late that night, I went to use the restroom. The door was locked, and a muffled, frantic sound came from inside. Through the wood paneling, my vision pierced the scene: Arthur had Dr. Dubois pressed against the wall. Her silk dress was hiked up, and the tacky red thong was a blazing spot of color. I quietly turned and walked away, pretending to have seen nothing. At the auction hall, the atmosphere was electric. The surface of the rough stones had certain indicators—veins, color patches—that suggested the presence of quality gems. The ones with no external clues were ignored. Bryce darted through the crowd, trying to look like a pro. “This one’s crust looks hot, it’s got to be a winner!” “Look at that vein structure, definitely a high-end deposit inside!” “I’ve studied this for years. I’m going to cut a Flame Red out of here, I swear it!” He spent over three million dollars in a frenzy, buying more than a dozen roughs. Evie was equally aggressive, choosing several large stones and spending even more than her brother. I trailed behind them, my eyes sweeping over every rock like an internal scanner. Good, mediocre, empty… I saw everything. After they finished their spree, I finally spoke. “I’d like to buy one, too.” The Parker erupted. “Do you know the first thing about this? Don’t waste your money!” “A person with a Shadow Fate shouldn’t even touch these things! You’ll cause a loss!” I ignored them and walked to the far corner of the hall, the “Boneyard”—the scrap heap of unwanted, trash-grade roughs that were free for the taking. No one wanted them; they just took up space. I quickly picked out a watermelon-sized stone. The Parker howled with laughter. “Aurora, did a door slam into your head?” “Picking up other people’s trash? Have some dignity!” Dr. Dubois shook her head, offering a theatrical sigh of derision. “That stone is energetically dead. A blight on the table. Touching it is an invitation to misfortune.” I didn’t reply. I carried the stone over and stood by the cutting area. Laugh all you want. You’ll be crying soon enough. The cutting area was a chaotic scene of diamond saws and grinding wheels. Bryce was first, pushing his dozen stones onto the slab. “Every single one of my picks is a winner!” he boasted, puffing out his chest. The saw screamed into life. The first stone: a dud. Just inert rock. The second: inert. The third: inert. All dozen were cut. Not a single piece of viable stone emerged. Three million dollars had vanished. The crowd erupted in jeers. “Big talk for nothing!” “The Parker boy has a terrible eye!” “He has the air of a genuine trust-fund disaster!” Bryce’s face turned beet red. He whirled on me, enraged. “It’s you, Aurora! You and your bad karma! You stood too close and jinxed me, you poor trash!” I raised an eyebrow. “Can’t push a successful turd out, so you blame the earth’s gravitational pull, is that it?” The laughter grew louder. Bryce looked ready to explode. Arthur snapped at me. “Watch your filthy mouth!” Cecilia intervened. “Stop the fighting! Evie’s stones are up next!” Evie’s cutting began. The first two were total busts—no stone at all. Her face went pale, and Dr. Dubois looked highly flustered, grasping for an excuse. The third one, however, flashed red! “Glutinous Opal! Pale red! Not bad!” The fourth yielded a Lavender Opal. The fifth, a low-end Bean Opal. In the end, Evie had spent nearly four million dollars and recovered three medium-grade stones, worth about four million in total. Not a loss, but not a huge win either. Still, after they were polished and set, the profit margin would be significant. It counted as a successful gamble. Arthur and Cecilia sighed in collective relief, their faces wreathed in smiles. “That’s our Evie!” “Truly the family’s Golden Anchor!” Evie smiled smugly and immediately twisted the knife. “Sister, if you hadn’t been standing so close, poisoning the atmosphere, I’m sure I would have cut something even better.” Every eye in the room swiveled to me, filled with judgment. I ignored them, moving forward to present the watermelon-sized stone I’d picked up from the Boneyard. “Master Cutter, please.” “Ha!” Bryce immediately pounced. “This piece of garbage is worth cutting? Don’t waste the diamond saw!” Evie, all sweetness and malice, strongly agreed. “Cut it! Of course, cut it! Maybe my sister can finally find a diamond in a coal mine, yes?” The cutter, looking bored, started the machine. The screeching noise filled the air. First cut, a thin slice. Gray-white. “See! Trash!” Bryce roared. Second cut. Still gray-white. Evie’s smirk deepened. The cutter, impatient, decided to split the rock down the middle to end the farce quickly. The wheel descended. “ZZZZZZ!” The grating sound suddenly changed pitch. A shocking, liquid-clear flash of red exploded into everyone’s sight! “Red! It’s red!” “The clarity… the water… my God!” “Ice-Opal!” “Flame Apple Red!” The hall exploded. The cutter’s hand jumped. He immediately stopped the machine and carefully poured water over the cut. The streak of red became clearer, more brilliant. It was a fresh, crisp apple-red, second only to the true Flame Red in value and desirability. “A win! A massive win!” “That was from the scrap heap?” “Zero cost, a VVS-Clarity Apple Red? What kind of luck is that?” All eyes, stunned and blazing, were fixed on me. Bryce gaped like a fish thrown on the dock. Evie’s smile shattered into a million pieces. She looked like she’d just swallowed something foul. My parents stared at the red stone, their eyes widening with naked greed and disbelief. The Master Cutter carefully removed the remaining crust, revealing a perfect, seamless block of the gem. It weighed over six pounds. The color was uniform, the clarity flawless. The surrounding gem merchants went insane, shouting bids over each other. “Twenty million! Cash!” “Twenty-five million!” “Thirty million! I have to have this piece!” I pointed to the merchant who’d called thirty million. “Done. It’s yours.” He was ecstatic, writing me a check on the spot. Arthur suddenly galvanized, lunging forward to grab my arm. “Hand over that check! It will go toward mitigating your brother’s disastrous loss!” Cecilia rushed over, echoing his sentiment. “Exactly! A girl like you can’t carry so much cash. Give it to your mother for safekeeping!” I shook off Arthur’s grip and looked at them with ice in my eyes. “You put no capital in, so what right do you have to my money?” Arthur was momentarily speechless. He sputtered with rage. “You unfilial wretch! You viper! We raised you for nothing!” “Raised me?” I countered with a cold laugh. “When I was growing up in the mountains, struggling to eat, where exactly were you?” Bryce started stomping his foot. “You just got lucky, you little gold-digger! Don’t act like you’re some kind of expert gemologist!” “Luck is still luck,” I said with utter disdain. “It’s certainly better than the luck of someone who blew three million dollars on a pile of inert garbage.” Bryce looked like he might actually pass out from fury. The first day’s Full Rough Bidding session was over. The second day was the Semi-Rough Auction. Full Roughs are uncut—a blind gamble. Semi-Roughs have a “window” cut into them, revealing a small section of the stone. This makes the risk lower, the price higher, and the bidding highly competitive. The host took the stage, shouting into the mic. “Ladies and gentlemen! The highlight of the day! Lot 001!” Staff wheeled a massive rough stone onto the stage. The window cut showed an intense, liquid red. The quality was VVS-Clarity Ice-Opal, demonstrably better than my score yesterday. Every eye in the room was fixed on the stone. Breathing got shallow. Just before the bidding started, a young man strode into the hall. Tall, impeccably dressed, he possessed an almost unnerving aura of entitlement and power. It was Dominic “Dom” Keller, the sole heir of the rival Keller Luxury Holdings. Evie’s eyes lit up. She quickly smoothed her hair and practically sashayed over to him. She had a long-standing, obsessive crush on Dom and dreamed of marrying into the Keller family. “Dom, darling! I didn’t know you were joining the auction…” Dom didn’t break stride. He didn’t even glance at her, walking straight to the reserved seats in the front row. Evie froze, her face cycling from crimson to white. She stumbled back, furious and embarrassed. Seeing the wry, knowing look on my face, she lost her temper. “Go ahead and laugh! Dom is just playing it cool! He’s always liked me in his heart! He’s a man you could never, ever touch!” I ignored her. The auction began. “Twenty-five million!” “Forty million!” “Eighty million!” The price shot past one hundred million. It was Arthur who called out the bid. His eyes were wild, fully committed. The crowd quieted. One hundred million was the ceiling for many buyers. The host was about to drop the hammer when I calmly raised my hand. “One hundred and twenty million!” The room gasped. The Parker snapped their heads toward me, their shock palpable. “Aurora! Are you insane? You’re bidding against us?” I gave them a cold smile. “We’re not related by affection, Arthur. Why wouldn’t I compete?” Arthur was trembling with fury. “You don’t have that kind of money! Get out! Stop disrupting the auction!” I held my paddle high, my voice perfectly level. “Who says I don’t have it? Dom, darling, would you be willing to lend me a hundred million?” All eyes swiveled to Dom Keller. “Lend?” His eyes flashed with a hint of predatory amusement. “Why borrow when everything I own is already yours?” He stood up, his voice ringing out with confidence. “She is my fiancée! Bid as high as you want, my love. I will light the entire sky for you!” BOOM! The entire auction hall exploded in chatter. The Parker looked like they’d been struck by lightning. Evie’s face was ashen, her eyes burning with pure, unadulterated jealousy. I raised my paddle again. “One hundred and twenty million! Arthur, are you going to raise it?” Arthur’s face was puce, his chest heaving. Evie, however, had completely lost her mind to envy. She shrieked: “Dad! Bid! We cannot lose to her! One hundred and fifty million!” Arthur was trapped. Losing face in public was unthinkable, and losing the bidding star would ruin the year. He gritted his teeth and raised the paddle. “One hundred and sixty million!” I spoke softly. “Two hundred million.” I knew two hundred million was the absolute limit of the Parker’s liquid capital. Bryce jumped to his feet, screaming. “Aurora! Are you deliberately trying to bankrupt us?” I looked him straight in the eye, utterly without fear. “Ruin you? Good. Maybe then you’ll stop taking up valuable space on this planet.” That line sent Bryce into an emotional frenzy. “Three hundred million!” he roared. “We’ll sell the house! We’ll be broke! But we will not lose to you!” Everyone was stunned. Three hundred million for a semi-rough was a colossal risk. Yes, the window showed Ice-Opal Red, but who knew how deep it went, or what grade the rest of the stone was? This price would empty the Parker coffers and leverage almost every family asset. Arthur tried to intervene, but it was too late. Bryce, his eyes red, glared at me. “Come on! Raise it again, you trash! Too poor to keep up? Then get out!” I looked at them, and my smile deepened. My trap had sprung perfectly. My x-ray vision had already told me the truth: this Block of the Day had a paper-thin layer of high-grade Ice-Opal on the surface. The rest of the colossal stone was nothing but the cheapest, most worthless Gritstone Waste imaginable. I had deliberately driven the price up to break them. “Congratulations,” I said, my voice sweet. “You win.” “I’m out.” The host slammed the hammer down. “Three hundred million! Sold to the Parker!”

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After my sixteenth birthday. I inherited a huge Trust Fund left by my parents. Once the money arrived, I hired fake family members online. Dad, Mom, and Brother. I instructed them: “My dad talks little, but agrees to everything I say.” “My mom is gentle, cooks great food, especially Mac and Cheese.” “My brother has poor health, also doesn’t like me, you just treat me as non-existent.” All three looked very uncomfortable. After a long time, the fake mom held my hand and asked softly: “Why do you want to hire family? Do you miss them too much?” I avoided the guilt in her eyes, buried my head in her arms and laughed: “Being alone is too boring.” They obviously sighed in relief. But in a place no one could see, I quietly wiped away tears. Actually what I didn’t say is, I am dying. This time, don’t hypnotize me again, to forget your faces. … Chapter 1 The three people in front of me are all my closest relatives. But the absurd thing is, I want to see them, but can only do so by hiring. The moment tears were wiped away, Mom unknowingly touched my head. “Riley, be good, from now on just treat us as your real family.” Dad also echoed and nodded: “We signed a six-month contract.” “These six months, we will treat you well.” I thought I was mentally prepared. No matter what they said, I wouldn’t be sad. But really hearing these words, my heart was still sour and swollen. Six months. What about before that? What about after? Are you going to fake death and abandon me again to make Brother happy? These words stuck in my throat, about to blurt out. But still suppressed by me, didn’t dare to ask a single word. Can’t ask. If I ask, they will understand I already know the truth, and will hypnotize me again. So I withdrew from Mom’s arms, forced a smile: “Okay, you guys act natural, just like a family, don’t be restrained.” “Tsk.” My voice fell, Brother suddenly sneered mockingly. Then didn’t even act, turned and went back to his own bedroom. Mom and Dad looked at each other, hurriedly chased after him. Door closed, I carefully walked over to listen to the movement in the bedroom. Brother still hates me so much. Even mentioning my name, tone carries disgust: “Mom, Dad, why did you sign that contract with Riley?” “Didn’t we agree to move out and never see her again during the five years of treating my illness?” “Jasper, didn’t you see Riley’s appearance, how pitiful.” Mom coaxed him: “It’s just a month, your health is almost recovered, just endure it and it will pass.” “After a month we will leave, next two years Mom and Dad will accompany you abroad, okay?” My heart “thumped”, blood all over body cold. Brother irritably said: “I just can’t stand it, based on what she is so healthy, even rarely gets a cold.” “I was born with constant major and minor illnesses, this is unfair!” Dad who hadn’t spoken for a while sighed: “Jasper, this matter doesn’t blame Riley.” “Back when your mom was pregnant with you, our family company was just starting, your mom suffered a lot, so your health is also not good.” “If want to blame can only blame me, didn’t take good care of you guys…” “Actually I just feel uncomfortable in heart.” Brother is the type who eats soft but not hard. Hearing Dad say so, tone slightly softened: “Forget it, anyway at most one month.” “After a month hypnotize Riley to forget this matter, we leave!” Hearing the word “Hypnotize”, my body uncontrollably trembled. Just wanted to leave quickly, just turned around, the door behind opened. Mom saw my figure, face changed. “Sorry ah Riley, my son is a bit unskilled, not intentionally throwing temper…” I looked into the room. Brother pursed lips, eyes full of disgust. I laughed awkwardly twice. “It’s okay Mom, he acts very well.” “My brother hates me just like this, wishing I go die.” When Mom was pregnant with me, Dad already gained a foothold in Seattle, no need to worry about money anymore. From pregnancy Mom was very careful. Ate and used were all the best. So after I was born until grew up, I was very healthy. Also lively and cheerful, loved to make noise and laugh. But Brother because Mom worked hard during pregnancy. Born with poor health, constant major and minor problems. He was very annoyed with me. Annoyed that I always smile, never get sick, even if catch a cold just take two pills and get well quickly. Even more annoyed that I could jump around when he was uncomfortable, hugging Mom and Dad’s arms acting spoiled. This annoyance accumulated day by day, gradually evolved into disgust. Before I didn’t understand. I never thought one day, health could also become a sin. Until Brother suffered from severe depression and cut his wrist. When he was sent to hospital for rescue, I was crying anxiously aside. Dad who never scolded me suddenly slapped me: “Still have face to cry, isn’t your brother like this all because of you!” “If Jasper has any mishaps, I will beat you to death!” I was beaten dumbfounded, also extremely scared. Luckily later Brother’s life was saved, nothing happened. From then on, I became careful in front of Brother. I never dared to jump around again, even deliberately pretended to be sick several times. Because I found once Brother saw me uncomfortable, he would rarely smile at me. He felt the sick me, the sickly me like him, was his sister. But such situation didn’t last long. Because I was really too healthy. Even if deliberately took a cold shower before checkup, result came out still no illness at all. Experienced doctor frowned and warned Mom: “Rest assured, just a bit cold constitution.” “But the little girl is only twelve, you don’t always give her cold food and drinks.” “Yesterday gave her cold shower right?” Mom and Dad stunned in place. I nervously clenched fingers looking at Brother. His face ugly, glared at me and ran away. After this day, the fake death plan that tortured me for three years, officially started implementation. That time I was only thirteen. Suddenly learned family all died in car accident, panicked unlike shape. Their plan was very thorough. Specially arranged people to help me handle funeral all the way, hired nanny to take care of me continue school. Also found lawyer said will was made long ago, wait until I am sixteen to inherit estate. I was too stupid, never thought they were lying to me. Just blindly sad, collapsed, self-healed, sad again… Cycle repeats. Until the year before last, I bumped into them at Disneyland. They were playing with Brother. When I crying pounced up, whole family’s face was very ugly. Mom flustered pushed me away, said I recognized wrong person. But how could I recognize wrong? Own Mom and Dad, how possible recognize wrong? I crying shouted: “You are my Mom and Dad ah! I didn’t recognize wrong!” “Is it I not obedient? What did I do wrong you can beat me scold me, why don’t want me?” Mom face pale, brushed away my hand hugging over again. “Riley, you just wait for us a few more years.” “Wait until you are eighteen we will go home, be obedient.” I felt like falling into ice cellar, hysterically shouted: “Why! Could it be just because I am healthier than Brother?” No one responded. They all stood in place watching me go crazy. And such indifference, let me besides anger born endless panic. I knelt on ground, heavily kowtowed crying shouted: “Beg you go home ba, I wrong, all my fault!” “You are my family ah, beg you come back ba!” I kowtowed until head broke, still no one paid attention to me. In trance, I even felt this was just a dream of mine. Everything in front was fake, I just missed them too much, so hallucinated they were still alive. Until Brother coughed twice. Mom and Dad nervously grabbed his hand: “Jasper are you okay? Is it uncomfortable?” “Said can’t come out play, let’s hurry go back!” Saying, they three turned want go. I confused and helpless asked: “Where are you going? Really don’t want me anymore?” Dad steps paused, turning back face full of sorrow. “Riley, you go home first, tomorrow you will forget this matter.” I looked at their walking away figures in disbelief, face pale. Sure enough not long, a Hypnotherapist found me. Pity, they underestimated my vigilance. Hypnosis failed. I just pretended to forget this matter. Next two years didn’t mention a word again, also didn’t go find them again. Even last year diagnosed Stomach Cancer, I also told no one, hid this matter in heart. Until after inheritance arrived, I then posted on Craigslist hiring relatives. I knew, they would definitely see. Not come, then I quietly go die. Come, is life last bit surprise. “Riley, today let’s eat Mac and Cheese.” Mom’s words pulled back my thoughts. She gently smiled at me: “Long time didn’t eat, Mom will make for you in a while!” My eye rims red, almost dropped tears again. “Better drink porridge, eating meat stomach will hurt.” “Why stomach hurt?” Mom nervously frowned. Dad and Brother in room also looked towards me. I smiled very lightly: “Bit gastroenteritis, it’s okay.” They all sighed relief. And I turned, fast walked into bedroom. Door closed, I covered face with hands. So close, just now tears almost fell. Mom Dad, you lied to me for three years. Today let me, also lie to you once ba… Chapter 2 I haven’t eaten Mom’s hand made food for a long time. Although my current body can’t eat much. But I still couldn’t help, drank two more bowls of porridge. After meal, Dad said had things go out. Mom cleaning in kitchen, me and Brother sitting on sofa watching TV. Such scene just like when young. We seem never separated. “Didn’t expect you would also have time getting sick.” Brother suddenly sneered once, “When got gastroenteritis? Eating medicine works?” I sank face: “My brother won’t actively talk to me.” His expression stiff, pursed lips awkwardly moved away sight: “Like who willing actively talk to you.” I watched TV, ignored him. After a while, he asked again: “Then did you take medicine?” I frowned, just about to let him be quiet. Then heard Dad’s voice ring at door. “Riley, you quick come look which medicine works?” Me and Brother turned head together. Dad hand carrying a bag, inside filled with dozen kinds of gastroenteritis medicine. I slightly stunned, somewhat cramped. Too long time no family concern. I already forgot how should respond. Brother face sank, turned back to room. Home atmosphere became subtle, Dad awkwardly stood in place, also didn’t know should give medicine to me or not. Finally was Mom took medicine bag handed to me. “Riley, your Dad specially went out bought for you.” “Let’s look together, which kind you usually eat?” “You guys act very well.” I took medicine bag, casually picked a box. “This is fine, I eat myself later.” Mom face smile stiff, eyes rose thick guilt. “Riley, didn’t we agree this month not mention contract matter?” “You just treat us as your biological parents, don’t say anything acting not acting anymore…” Don’t know if psychological effect, seeing medicine, my stomach really bit hurt up. I nodded, avoided her burning sight, went kitchen pour water take medicine. This night, Mom slept with me. I fell asleep fast, but had nightmare. In dream, I repeatedly returned to day being hypnotized. Hypnotherapist held me, constantly guided me forget family looks. I tried to wake up, but how also couldn’t succeed. To end, really forgot Mom Dad and Brother. I woke from dream, whole body cold sweat. Mom also woke, subconsciously patted me, “What wrong Riley, had nightmare?” Hearing her voice, I instantly cried out. “Health has fault ma? Why don’t want me?” I uncontrollably pounced into her arms, greedily smelling Mom’s scent: “Mom, is it if I die, you guys can love me a bit more?” Mom body stiff, tone panicked: “Riley, did you remember something?” Hearing this sentence, I like poured by a basin cold water on head, instantly sober. “Mom Dad, why you leave me, I miss you so much…” I vaguely crying, body shivering: “I also want die, I want go find you guys.” “Turns out talking in sleep.” Mom sighed, reached hand hugged me tight. Speak again, her voice also choked: “Riley, wait us another two years, just two years okay?” “Wait cure your brother’s body, we still are a family.” “You won’t remember anything, that time no pain anymore.” I closed eyes tight, heart like grabbed by big hand, painful almost suffocate. Mom, I can’t wait two years anymore ah… Next morning woke up, bed side already no one. Mom went make breakfast. I inexplicably felt stomach hurt severe. Force support get up wash. Brushing teeth time constantly retch, finally spit a mouthful fresh blood. I skilled opened tap wash clean, continue brush teeth. Originally didn’t care, who knew after breakfast, stomach hurt to unbearable level. I bit afraid, holding secret expectation asked Mom: “Afternoon, can accompany me go hospital? I feel bit uncomfortable.” Mom immediately agreed: “Of course.” Immediately concern asked: “Riley where you uncomfortable? How about we go now!” My heart rose a burst warmth, “Afternoon ba, morning I still have things.” Actually I nothing have, just because morning my doctor shift off. Plus Dad accompanied Brother went out, afternoon can come back. I want whole family go together. Mom nodded, poured me a cup hot water. Noon, I secretly took special painkiller slept a sleep. Result woke up, home no one person. Already three o’clock, where can they go? I called Mom. “Where are you guys? Didn’t say want go hospital with me…” “Riley, you go hospital yourself, my son fever, we can’t accompany you!” Words not finished, interrupted by Mom hurried voice. My heart fell into hell, momentarily didn’t know what to say. Mom apologetic said: “Sorry ah Riley, if you not urgent then wait, tomorrow we accompany you go also okay.” “No need.” I hung up phone. Then mechanically wore clothes, went out, went hospital. Until met Dr. Wilson, I all muddle headed, didn’t know how myself came over. Dr. Wilson looked my report, brows locked tight: “Riley, your current situation very bad.” “Although your parents passed away, you also have to take care yourself ah, do you have other relatives?” I lowered eyes, mocking bitter smile: “You just say, how long I can still live ba.” Dr. Wilson somewhat unbearable looking me: “One or two months ba…” “Thank you.” I nodded, put away report, turned out hospital. Sky floated snow, when I home, snowflakes fell full head. Mom eagerly welcomed up, “Riley, did you go hospital yourself? Why not wait us?” “Can’t wait.” I expressionless rubbed past her shoulder, back to bedroom. Left three people in living room look each other. From this day, I rarely spoke to them. Time passed fast up. Blink eye, one month passed, contract expire. Brother awkwardly threw new contract to me. “Sign it, accompany you act another two months.” I expressionless, didn’t even look contract once. “No need, you guys go, salary later transfer to you.” He surprised looking me, stunned in place. Good half while then bite teeth: “As to ma? From that day not accompany you go hospital start then throw face.” “This has what good gamble anger, you…” “Contract already expired, no need act anymore.” I looked him, eyes no sadness no joy: “Pack pack, take your Mom Dad, go ba.” His face embarrassed, silent long time, finally packed things, took Mom Dad leave. Before leave, Dad and Mom held my hand instruct: “Don’t hire people from internet again, in case bad people ne?” “You have our number, have thing contact us.” “Thank you.” I polite nodded, pulled hand out. Mom Dad sighed, turned leave. They left after, I replied Dr. Wilson message, clear expressed I don’t want hospitalize. Then transferred all money they left me, to Dad’s card. Remark: 【Return you guys, later we no relation again.】 Message sent, I also went pack things.

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A beautiful new transfer student came to our class, Threatening to sleep with my childhood sweetheart within three months. Xander Sterling said with a cold face she was delusional, turned and held my hand tightly acting spoiled: “Since childhood, who doesn’t know I am yours.” “Said before give me title after graduation, really can’t advance?” Transfer student vigorously chased until winter break, Xander didn’t give her a good face. Until a gathering before school started, Xander got drunk, I took him home. He mumbled my name all the way. My heart moved, prepared to secretly kiss him. This counts as my first kiss. Just touched his lips, he buckled my waist, voice hoarse: “Baby, so reserved this time?” “Not French Kiss anymore?” I froze in place.

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On New Year’s Eve, my brother-in-law died naked in my bed. When discovered, his lower body was still high up. When I was slapped awake by my sister from the bed, my whole world collapsed. To redeem my sin, My General husband divorced me, turned around and married my adopted sister. All properties and shares under my name were also transferred to her by my uncle Sebastian, helping my adopted sister sit firmly as the USO Star. And I, was sent to a Psychiatric Ward by them, to escape Court-Martial. Just as the statute of limitations passed, they drove to pick me up. Ex-husband carefully draped a coat over me, expression of excessive heartache looked very hypocritical: “Serena, it’s all over, I’m here in the future.” But media reporters who heard the news swarmed up instantly. “Miss Serena Sterling, why did you disregard ethics to seduce your brother-in-law, and finally killed him?” “You relied on fake mental proof to escape punishment, enjoying life in the mental hospital, is this fair to the victim?” They were still indignantly saying something, but I couldn’t hear clearly anymore. Endless Electroshock Therapy in the mental hospital had long left me with constant tinnitus. Until Scarlett’s fan rushed up, splashed a whole bottle of Red Paint on my head and face. “Bitch! To pick you this murderer out, no one accompanied Scarlett properly on her birthday party!” “You killed her husband, destroyed her home, now even want to snatch her only remaining relatives? Why don’t you go die!” I froze in place. But back then, clearly it was them, one dislocated my jaw so I couldn’t defend, one forged evidence to push me into hell. Let me endure years of inhuman torture. And all this, was just to cover up the truth that Scarlett was the real murderer! … Chapter 1 I slowly raised my hand, wiped the dirty paint off my face. No crying, no noise, nor looked at them again, turned and walked out of the crowd. “Serena?” Uncle Sebastian’s voice sounded behind, with a trace of imperceptible astonishment, “Where are you going?” Julian Vance also quickly stepped forward to block me, frowning tight. “Serena, we pick you home, don’t play child temper.” I stopped, finally lifted eyes to look at them. “Home?” “Which home?” “Sebastian Sterling, all my property and shares, haven’t you already transferred to Scarlett? Do I still have a home to return to?” Uncle’s face suddenly stiffened. Gaze fell on Julian who was tightly gripping my wrist, I hooked my lips. “Forgot to congratulate you, wish you and Scarlett hundred years of good union.” “Next time remarry no need to hide, you guys could secretly communicate even under my eyelids, why care about others’ eyes when holding a wedding?” “Serena Sterling!” Julian’s face sank, “Must you speak in this tone?” Uncle was furious, reached out to grab me. “Serena you what attitude! We paid so much for you, is this how you repay us?” During pulling, that fan who splashed paint on me just now actually rushed over again. His face full of resentment, raised hand want to hit me. “Bitch! Dare to be so rude to Scarlett’s uncle and husband, I beat you to death!” This time, Julian and Uncle blocked him. Julian looked at me with frowned brows, tone full of helplessness: “Serena, look at you, must you intensify conflict like this? Communicate well can’t?” Communicate well? I looked at them, only felt incomparably ridiculous. “I intensify conflict?” “From start to end, what exactly did I do wrong? She Scarlett is the murderer!” “You guys biased her, indiscriminately locked me into mental hospital, destroyed my life!” “Now, actually still want me to be grateful to you group of executioners?” “You shut up!” Uncle roared out. “What murderer! Scarlett so kind and gentle, you still want slander her!” “Clearly you jealous of her, jealous Gabriel treat her good, so had evil thoughts to harm people.” “We just sent you to mental hospital to receive treatment, didn’t let you go suffer Court-Martial, already is biggest mercy to you, you don’t not know good bad!” Julian sighed. “Serena, you calm down. I know you suffered grievance. But I marry Scarlett, really is expedient measure.” “She suffered severe depression because of Gabriel’s death, I stay by her side also to take care of her, redeem for you!” “Wait her illness thoroughly good, I just remarry with you, that time we lifetime no longer separate!” “Slap!” I used all body strength, fiercely slapped him a slap. Julian’s face fiercely turned to one side, clear finger marks rapidly surfaced on face. He stunned, seemed completely didn’t expect I would move hand. Uncle also shocked, “Serena Sterling, you crazy!” My voice trembling, but carried bone piercing coldness: “Start over?” “Julian Vance, you really make me sick.” “Live a lifetime with your Scarlett, you guys scumbag and bitch born a pair! I won’t accompany!” Uncle angry face iron green, pointing my nose scold: “Serena Sterling, I give you last chance, now immediately kneel down, apologize to Julian and Scarlett!” “Otherwise, I won’t recognize you this niece! See how you stand in military compound then!” Just then, a low-key luxury military nanny car quietly stopped outside the crowd. Door opened, Scarlett supported by assistant, gracefully walked down. “Uncle, Julian, not allowed speak to sister like this.” Julian and Uncle saw her, immediately swarmed up one after another. “Scarlett why you got off? Here too messy, quick go back!” Uncle hurriedly said. “Yes ah Scarlett, your health not good, don’t close here.” Julian reached out protected her in arms, not let anyone close. Their careful care look, stung my eyes painful. Once upon a time, I was also treated like treasure like this. When I was blocked in corner by senior kids in military compound. Uncle took off suit jacket just rushed up, one person against three. Beaten nose blue face swollen, still silly look at me said: “Don’t fear, Uncle protect you.” Julian silently settled all troubles, even used family connection let opponent father transferred away important post, whole family move. For this he beaten by Old Master Vance with military stick back full of wounds, but didn’t mention a word to me. More clear memory picture, reality in front more like a absurd nightmare. See no one focus me, previous that fan united other few people fierce rushed up, grabbed my hair, fiercely threw me on ground. “Tear rotten your this seductive face!” “Murderer, I want remove harm for military!” “Deserve! Beat die her! Remove harm for society!” Five years mental hospital life, enough teach me how protect self in beating. I instinct curl body, protect back head and heart. Vision became blur in shaking. In peripheral vision, Julian was lowering head saying something to Scarlett, side face line was softness I never seen. Sebastian Sterling then frowned, disgustedly glanced my side. Scarlett like just discovered violence here, exclaimed: “Stop!” She stopped few fans, reached hand want pull me, “Sister, are you okay?” Fingertip but fiercely pinched into my arm wound. I pain muffled hum. She but like scared withdraw hand, tears fell more fierce: “Sorry Sister, I not intentional, I just want help you up.” Uncle lifted foot, fiercely kicked on my waist side. I whole person kicked rolling half circle on ground, eyes burst black. “You exactly still want harm Scarlett to when?!” He squatted down, a grab my hair. “Act! You again give me act! Scarlett just touched you a bit, you just this look want die not live.” “Are you again want repeat old trick, like back then impersonate her save me, use bitter meat trick frame her, destroy her hard earned reputation and status?” “I tell you, Serena Sterling, Scarlett heart kind, will worry these groundless rumors, but I won’t!” Scalp came tearing pain. “You if again dare use those dirty means on Scarlett, mental hospital can lock you five years, can lock you a lifetime! You better give me remember clear!” “Enough!” Julian a grab Sebastian wrist. “Serena anyhow is your relative…” “Relative? She worthy ma?” Uncle force threw away Julian hand. “From moment she for self live, threw me alone in valley, head not back run away.” “My Sebastian Sterling relative, just only Scarlett one.” Chapter 2 Julian looked at emotional Uncle, again looked at curled on ground, almost lost consciousness me, finally sighed. He took off his military coat, stiffly covered on me, then turned walk towards Scarlett. “I first send Scarlett go military hospital check a bit, she just now seem scared, face always not good.” Scarlett immediately snuggle into his arms, voice weak: “Julian, my stomach pain.” “Don’t fear, I immediately take you hospital.” Julian careful carry her up, from start to end, didn’t look back at me again. Sebastian even disgustedly glanced me, ordered guards and bodyguards still at scene: “Handle here well, don’t let messy people close Scarlett car again.” Finished, he also fast step follow Julian, protect them left. “Look, sure enough no one want her.” Previous that fan squat down, reach hand pat my red swollen cheek. “Just now not quite arrogant ma? Have ability kill me ah, murderer!” Another girl also squat down, force tear open that military coat on me. “You also worthy wear so good clothes?” “Strip her clothes, bitch not worthy wear clothes!” Someone sharp voice propose, immediately attract few excited echo. I whole body severe pain, almost move not, can only eye watch few hands rough tear my already ragged patient gown. I try struggle, voice hoarse weak, but fiercely slapped a slap. That fan pinch up my face, “Scarlett kind, not calculate with you, we but not so good talk!” “From now on, you say a sentence, I slap you once!” They dragged me to a relative hidden corner aside, then from bag took out a bottle super glue. “Since like seduce people, just let her that mouth never open again!” “Also that pair seductive eyes!” I desperate struggle, exchange is merciless beating. Aside guard really not bear, pick up phone call Sebastian: “General Sterling, Miss Serena now besieged by Miss Scarlett fans, you see…” “This bit small matter also want report?” Sebastian impatient interrupt him. “I not said, don’t let messy people close Scarlett car just fine ma? Others with me what concern?” This time, phone that end came Julian nervous voice: “Waste what words with unrelated people? Scarlett heart rate bit fast, quick find doctor come!” Then over there came a burst rustling sound, immediately is Julian clear voice: “Watch scene well, don’t make too big noise, more don’t let people film things unfavorable to Scarlett.” “As for others, not die just fine.” Phone was crisp neat hung up. Few fans heard dialogue, loud laughed: “Hahaha! Heard not? Not die just fine!” “Sisters still fear what? Have General Vance support us, how happy how come!” They exchanged a look, coaxing laugh more piercing ear. Crowd gradually scatter. No one call ambulance for me, no one help me up, I like trash thrown here. I support ground, bite teeth, bit by bit sat up. I took out phone hidden on body, send text to a string cooked by heart number: [Cooperation I agree, price whatever you open, I only want them die!] I nervous wait other side reply. This number first time contact me, was fourth year I locked in mental hospital. But that time I dare not bet, I promised parents, no matter what will good live on. I afraid this again is a trap, once I die, just really nothing have. Until other side sent a photo. In photo I unconscious, and Scarlett et al right put Gabriel beside me. [Evidence already prepared, tonight eight o’clock, see at military celebration banquet.] My heart finally settle down. I want tell parents this good news, after all they before die, most worry is me. Just get up, my arm by two iron clamp like hands dead grab. Is Sebastian’s guards. They tie me back to military compound villa, press down on cold rough stone floor. Knee heavy knock on ground, a burst drilling heart pain come. “Second Miss, General Sterling said Miss Scarlett fetus image unstable, need you kneel here pray for her, this is punishment to you.” “Fetus image unstable? With me have what relation?” Behind hemp rope but follow my struggle more and more tight. Night more and more deep, cold wind piercing bone, knee from start raw pain, gradually become numb. Sky almost bright time, Julian and Sebastian finally came back. I subconscious shrink myself behind garden bush. “Julian Vance, you exactly hesitating what?” “This time we can let Serena Sterling disguise as Scarlett, give Gabriel his mom an account, but later ne?” “His mom just a madman!” “As long as hand Serena Sterling out, everything not solved?” “Anyway they look so like, his mom spirit have problem again, simply can’t see out!” Julian irritable pull tie, “Enough.” “I will handle, necessary time…” Julian words not finish, I but control not back a step. “Who?” Sebastian fierce turn body. Three people gaze meet, air instant dead silence. I turn want run, but by back tied hands and almost lost feeling legs let me a stumble. Julian a buckle my shoulder, dead fix me in place: “Since you heard, then no way. Tonight Scarlett banquet vital important, cannot have any mishap.” “So, first wrong you.” “Rest assured, I will send people follow you, won’t let you suffer heavy injury.” But Gabriel’s mom is a madman. Back then see Gabriel die in my bed time, if not surrounding people pull her, she early killed me. “No, Julian Vance, you can’t send me go, she will kill me, she really will kill me!” I despair struggle. Julian just frowned: “Don’t noise, Serena. This is for big picture.” He casually dislocate my jaw, “Just being humiliated that’s all, you should early used to.” “This time matter end after, I promise divorce with Scarlett, re-be together with you.” He waved hand. Two guards step forward, one left one right hold me up, drive towards Lin Family (Gabriel’s family). In Lin villa, Mrs. Lin sat on sofa, holding Gabriel portrait, softly humming: “Gabriel, Mom’s baby, don’t fear, people killed you, Mom one won’t let go.” Living room TV right playing Scarlett holding Julian grand attend military celebration red carpet picture. Mrs. Lin whisper to portrait voice abrupt stop. She slowly stare TV screen, then loud scream: “Based on what? Based on what this person harmed dead you can smile so happy, my son but want lie in cold underground!” Guards look each other, one person step forward, reach hand push me forward. See me, Mrs. Lin action instant stop. She fierce pounce over, withered thin like wood fingers dead choke my neck, nails deep sink into flesh: “Is you! Is you killed my son!” Then, she grab beside fruit knife, aim my heart: “Go die! You all go die!” City other end, lights brilliant military banquet hall inside. Scarlett right holding Julian arm. Sebastian stand her other side, applause, flash light, praise sound one after another. Suddenly, big screen behind her fierce dark. “What happen?” “Technical glitch?” Scene a burst slight commotion. Julian frown, look backstage direction. Sebastian also vigilant move half step, protect beside Scarlett. Next second, screen re-light. In picture, Scarlett back to camera, a grab bed side metal ornament fierce smash towards Gabriel. Gabriel body slowly slide along wall, finally paralyze on ground, twitch few times then no move. Whole process, just short short tens seconds. Scene instant dead silence. Then explode huge uproar. “That is Scarlett?” “Is she killed Staff Officer Gabriel?” “Then Serena Sterling was wronged?” “Quick shoot! Headline! Absolutely headline!” Reporters instant crazy, long gun short cannon regardless everything break security line, aim on stage face pale Scarlett. “Miss Scarlett, how you explain content in picture?” “Back then matter whether have other hidden story?” “Could it be murderer is you, you framed Serena Sterling?” Julian first react, he a hug almost paralyze Scarlett behind: “Please everyone calm, person in picture actually is Serena Sterling.” Sebastian also immediately step forward, block in front Scarlett: “Correct, this video is forged! Our Scarlett heart kind, absolutely won’t do this kind thing!” “Must be Serena Sterling, she small deep scheme, jealous Scarlett want destroy her!” However reporters simply not believe, after all video picture clear, person on top clearly is Scarlett. See situation, Sebastian direct take out phone: “Bring Serena Sterling over! Now! Immediately!” “Gen… General Sterling, Miss Serena she… afraid can’t come.” “What call can’t come?” Sebastian roar, “Let her answer phone!” “General Sterling, Miss Serena by Mrs. Lin a knife stab into heart, already no breath.” Sebastian face blood color instant fade clean: “No… impossible…” “I not believe!” He fierce look up at Julian. Julian also heard this sentence, his always calm self-control expression appeared crack: “How can…” Chapter 3 Reporters fight first fear last squeeze forward, microphone almost shove to Scarlett face. “Julian, my stomach so pain…” Scarlett body soft slide down. If usual, Julian early heart ache protect her in arms. But this moment, Julian brain all is guard words. Until Scarlett painful groan out sound, he then fierce return mind: “Don’t fear, okay, maybe suffered scare, I immediately send you hospital.” Then he hand Scarlett to Sebastian, “You send Scarlett hospital, I go Lin family look.” Result Sebastian actually head not back turn just go. “Stand! You go where?” Julian a grab his arm. “Now go, Scarlett what do? So many reporters, you let her alone how deal?” Sebastian fierce throw away his hand: “You say I can go where!” “Sebastian Sterling!” Julian turn back, eyes sharp sweep surrounding tiger watch reporters, “Pay attention occasion! Don’t affect Scarlett!” Sebastian like heard heaven big joke: “Julian Vance, that is my biological niece! Now she life death unknown, you let me pay attention occasion? Go f*cking occasion!” Finished, he big step meteor rush out. “Julian…” Scarlett hand just touch Julian, but by him fierce pull back arm. “You rest assured, I just go catch her back, can’t let her again nonsense, destroy you.” Julian last sentence defense, don’t know say to Scarlett listen, or say to self listen. Then, he no longer hesitate, turn chase Sebastian. Two people almost one front one back rush to Lin villa, enter eyes is full ground fresh blood. “Bang!” Julian swing fist, use all body strength fierce smash on Sebastian face: “Sebastian Sterling!” “Didn’t you say have guard follow? Absolutely won’t have matter ma? Person ne! You tell me person ne! Guards you arranged do what eat? Ah?” He point ground that patch blinding blood pool, fingers all trembling. “So much blood, even a strong soldier flow so much blood also fierce more lucky less.” “Let alone she just came out from that ghost place, how she hold? You tell me how she hold?” Sebastian face burning pain. He lick blood at mouth corner, look again front eyes double red Julian, suddenly sneer once: “Julian Vance, you pretend what.” “Back then for Scarlett, you sent her into that mental hospital, also order director electric shock her into fool, just for let her become forever won’t flip confession scapegoat!” “That time, why you not ask she hold not hold?” Julian nailed in place by his words, open mouth, but find self no way refute. Sebastian no longer look him, turn face again face that patch blood pool: “I not believe she will die.” He voice hoarse, but carry a kind near paranoid certainty. “Serena Sterling this woman, I most understand. She small most can lie, also most cherish life!” “Back then fall cliff, she can for self live, steal my all supplies and warm clothes, head not back throw me at cliff bottom wait die, such person, how possible easy let people stab through heart?” “She definitely hide in some place, watch us anxious, crazy.” “Then wait at most key time jump out, thorough destroy Scarlett, destroy today everything!” Sebastian roar at aside head drop stand few guards, forehead veins burst: “Person ne? Are you guys trash? Exactly happened what!” “Didn’t I let you guys good protect her ma!” Lead that guard face pale: “General Sterling, we really tried best! Mrs. Lin move too fast, wait we react time, already too late.” “Lie!” Julian step by step walk to guard front, eyes sharp like knife. Guard whole body tremble. “You guys are Sterling Group high salary hire, pass professional combat and emergency response training guards.” “Six people, can’t watch a spirit collapse, physical strength far not you middle age woman? Let her have chance get knife, still can accurate one knife stab into heart? This ghost talk, you feel I will believe?” “Say! Exactly happened what?!” Sebastian hear words, fierce gave guard a slap: “Person where!” “General Vance, General Sterling spare life!” “Is Miss Scarlett, she let us deliberate stimulate Mrs. Lin, then let Mrs. Lin kill Miss Serena.” “Mrs. Lin move hand after, we report to Miss Scarlett, again come back time, scene just became like this.” “Scarlett.” Sebastian like strike by thunder. He always protect behind, pure flawless girl, actually is all this behind scene director? Just then, a burst rush high heels sound from far to near. “Julian! Uncle! I so afraid, my stomach so pain…” Scarlett supported by assistant, pale small face, eye rims red ran in. She one eye see Julian and Sebastian, immediately like usual pounce towards Julian embrace. However this time, she was fierce pushed away by Julian. Scarlett pounce empty, astonish lift head, meet Julian ice cold double eyes, heart thud once: “Julian? Uncle? You guys what wrong?” She force press down panic, try maintain weak pitiful expression. “Just now you guys throw me just go, I really so sad, those reporters almost ate me.” Saying, she habit like want pull Julian hand act spoiled. But by Julian a grab neck: “Who give you guts hurt Serena?” Scarlett feet off ground, desperate go break his fingers: “Julian Vance, you… dare!” “Why I dare not?” Julian voice cold drop dregs, “If not you still have bit use, I now just can kill you!” Scarlett face more and more red: “Kill me, your those secrets just no longer can hide.” Sebastian fierce wake up, step forward force break Julian arm: “Julian Vance loose hand, she can’t die!” Scarlett get a trace breath, violent cough. Then dead stare Julian: “Have ability you just kill me, I die, you guys also live not long.” “My hand not only have Gabriel that bit matter backup.” “You guys transfer military asset, use position convenience money laundering, also back then handle those few disobedient shareholders, all video, recording and record I have.” “I if accident, those things, will auto send to discipline department and major media.” “That time, everyone die together!” Julian fierce stiff. Sebastian also face drastic change, stern voice: “Scarlett! You shut up!” Scarlett however not care: “Uncle, Julian Vance, we are one boat people.” “Serena Sterling that idiot, beside drag you guys, have what use?” “Without my connection net, you guys those see not light deals, can do so smooth?” “Want move me, also want see you guys have this ability not!” Living room death like silence. Finally, Sebastian dejectedly back a step, dumb voice: “Julian, she said right. Now not internal strife time.” Julian close eyes, deep breath: “Handle scene clean. Today red carpet matter, must thorough press down. As for Serena…” “Cost everything find her.”

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I was Julian Thorne’s canary for three years. But lately, he’s been acting weird. At a high school reunion, people started teasing us: “I heard you guys live in the same gated community. Are you secretly dating?” I quickly explained, pulling out a photo of a random guy from Instagram as proof. “No way! I already have a boyfriend!” Across the table, Julian gritted his teeth, nearly crushing his wine glass. My phone buzzed with his texts. [Am I not your boyfriend?!] [Am I that embarrassing?] [What did you take me for these past three years?!] [A free gigolo?!] Me: “?” 1 “Snow! Over here—” As soon as I entered the private dining room, my best friend Chloe pulled me aside. She linked her arm with mine, muttering, “Why are you so late?” I pressed my palms together in apology. “It’s raining, traffic was terrible.” Looking around, our old high school classmates were all there. I secretly rubbed my sore waist and sat down next to Chloe. It had been seven years since graduation. I didn’t want to come to this reunion, but Chloe begged me. People greeted me warmly. “Snow White, I didn’t even recognize you!” “You’ve changed so much, you’re gorgeous now.” I smiled and made small talk, but they soon moved on to other topics. In high school, I was invisible. I wasn’t close to them then, so there wasn’t much to say now. The class president, holding the menu, asked, “Is everyone here? Should I tell the waiter to serve?” “We’re missing Julian.” “And Bella hasn’t arrived yet. She just flew in from Tokyo.” “What a coincidence!” someone teased. “I saw Julian posted from Tokyo just a few days ago.” Everyone winked and laughed, the implication clear. Even after all these years, the rumors about those two hadn’t faded. I sipped my tea, saying nothing. Just then, the door opened. A man walked in, raindrops clinging to his dark hair, making his eyes look even blacker. The room was warm, so he casually undid the top button of his dress shirt. My gaze traveled up his long, veiny hands to his pale wrists. For some reason, my waist started aching again. “What are you guys talking about?” Julian asked, glancing up. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a sharp jawline. His eyes still held that arrogant laziness from our school days. “Prince Julian, what took you so long? We were waiting for you to start,” Max joked. “We were guessing if you went to pick up Bella.” “Bella?” Julian frowned, annoyed. “I was outside—” He paused, catching my eye. He cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. “…smoking.” He was the last to arrive. Only two seats were left: one in the girls’ section, one in the boys’. Max pulled out the chair next to him. But Julian walked right past him and sat down next to me. Max: “Why are you sitting with the girls?” Julian didn’t look at him, sipping his tea. “The ventilation is better here.” In high school, his temper was legendary. No one dared to question him. I kept my head down, but under the tablecloth, a hand hooked my finger and slowly caressed it. His fingertips were cool, the touch teasing and careless. I continued chatting with Chloe while my left hand ruthlessly shook him off under the table. I hate the smell of smoke. Julian froze. A moment later, I heard him grind his teeth and let out a cold snort. Chloe didn’t notice our silent war. She whispered, “Snow, how about that guy your aunt set you up with? Any updates?” I choked. I felt the hand under the table pinch my palm hard in punishment. On the surface, Julian looked bored. I quickly said, “I have a boyfriend now.” Satisfied, Julian took another sip of tea. Outside, loud voices announced, “Bella is here—” 2 Everyone looked up. A woman walked in. Years had shed her high school awkwardness; she was poised and elegant. Bella was the school beauty back then. The line of boys bringing her boba tea could wrap around the hallway. Even the girls had to admit she was stunning. Bella smiled at me when our eyes met. But when she saw Julian next to me, she paused, feigning resignation. “Looks like I’m late to the party.” Classmates urged Julian to move. “Julian, why are you crowding the girls?” “Come over here and drink!” Julian didn’t move. I nudged him gently. He stood up with an impatient tsk and moved to the empty seat in the boys’ section. As he passed Bella, she called out to him. “Julian, I haven’t paid you back for that watch you bought for me in Tokyo.” She held out her phone, smiling. “Add me back on WeChat/Venmo.” “Add back.” Those words carried weight. The room watched with interest. Everyone remembered how Julian gave up going abroad for college because Bella stayed in the country. They never officially dated, but everyone knew Julian liked her. Later, something happened, and they drifted apart. “No need,” Julian said indifferently. “Too much trouble.” Bella smiled brighter. “Fine, then consider it a birthday gift from you.” The crowd cheered. “Whoa! Birthday gift!” They shoved drinks into their hands, insisting they toast to bury the hatchet. Reunions are breeding grounds for rekindled flames. Chloe whispered, “This feels like a ‘get back together’ scene.” I smiled and said nothing. I could tell Julian was annoyed. He hadn’t even taken the glass. But the others were too drunk on nostalgia to notice. Only I sensed the storm brewing. With his temper, he might flip the table and leave. I sighed internally and spoke up with a smile. “Let’s eat first. The food is getting cold. Don’t waste the class president’s order.” Everyone finally sat down. Bella sat next to me. Seeing me pick up food, she suddenly spoke. “Snow, you bought that watch too?” I followed her gaze to my wrist. I didn’t usually wear jewelry, but Julian loved buying me random accessories and insisted I wear them. Today was no exception. Bella’s comment made me realize my watch was the same model she had mentioned to Julian. “No,” I smiled softly. “It was a gift.” Bella looked enlightened. “Are you married, Snow?” Honestly, Bella and I weren’t close in high school. I wasn’t close to anyone except Chloe. I was the introvert, the wallflower. I didn’t know why Bella was so interested in chatting with me today. “Not married,” I replied politely. “Dating?” she pressed. As she asked, I felt a gaze burning into me. I didn’t need to look up to know it was Julian. I opened my phone gallery. “Yes, I’m dating.” I showed her a photo. “This is my boyfriend.” The man in the photo had a bright, sunny smile. It was a random picture I found on Instagram to fend off nosy relatives. Clang— A glass smashed on the floor. Julian kept a straight face, smiling coldly. “Sorry. Slipped.” 3 Dinner ended. People were calling Ubers and designated drivers. Those with cars offered rides. Chloe waved at me. “Snow, I got a ride! Since we live close, let’s go together!” “I’m not going back to my mom’s place tonight,” I explained quickly. “Oh right,” Chloe paused. “You said you moved. Where do you live now?” “Um… pretty far out.” I couldn’t exactly say I lived in Julian’s villa in the suburbs. Just then, Max walked over, smiling. “Snow White, where do you live? I can drop you off if it’s on the way.” Max was Julian’s best friend. But even he and Chloe didn’t know about my relationship with Julian. I mumbled a vague area. “Oh, that’s on Julian’s way,” Max said. “Yeah, what a coincidence.” Julian walked over, glancing at me. “Let’s go. I’ll drop you.” He turned to Bella lazily. “Sorry, not going your way. Catch a ride with Max.” Bella pressed her lips together, glancing at me again. We walked to the parking lot. I stayed a meter away from Julian. At his car, I habitually went for the passenger side, then froze and reached for the back door handle. Julian stopped me. He pressed his hand over mine, smiling without warmth. “Sitting in the back? Treating me like a chauffeur?” Well, aren’t you driving me home? I lowered my eyes, too tired to argue. But my silence looked like I was being bullied. “Julian, don’t be so mean to Snow,” Chloe chided. She knew Julian and I had zero interaction in high school and knew his temper. Julian pursed his lips, silent. Max took the opportunity to hand me his phone. “Snow, let’s exchange contacts. We’re old classmates, might need to network later.” Julian looked down at me. I could feel his gaze darken. But I couldn’t refuse an old classmate, so I added Max. Max added fuel to the fire. “Don’t be scared. If he dumps you on the side of the road, call us.” I smiled gently. “We’re just classmates. Julian wouldn’t be that heartless.” Once everyone else drove off, I got into the car. Julian grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms. The alcohol buzz vanished instantly. I pushed him away, whispering, “Julian! Let go!” We were in a parking lot. Anyone could see. Julian held the back of my head, preventing me from struggling. In the cramped space, he leaned close to my ear. His warm breath tickled my skin. His voice was dangerously casual. “Snow White, say that again.” “What is our relationship?” 4 How do I explain my relationship with Julian? We met at a business mixer after college. He helped me out of a tight spot for old times’ sake. He was a major client for my company. He knew I needed money—lots of it. He liked my obedience. I was his canary in a gilded cage. This went on for three years. We weren’t lovers. We were a transaction. So in public, he maintained my dignity, and I stayed silent to protect his reputation. That night, Julian went crazy. I was disheveled, voiceless, reduced to soft whimpers. But he wouldn’t let me go. He kept asking in a hoarse voice. “Snow, am I that embarrassing?” “Why didn’t you reject them when they asked for your number right in front of me?” “What do you take me for?” … I woke up at noon the next day. My body ached. The house was empty. Julian had fallen asleep at dawn and left for the office after only a few hours. I didn’t understand his anger last night. I chalked it up to weird possessiveness. On the surface, Julian was a playboy heir. But his father had handed him the reins of the group. Recently, there was internal strife, and Julian was stressed balancing the board members. He often came home exhausted. I never asked questions. I just poured tea and massaged his shoulders. As long as he deposited the money every month, I didn’t care. My phone vibrated. I ignored it. The caller persisted. I frowned and picked up. “What?” “Why didn’t you answer?” My mom complained. “Too busy to talk to your own mother?” “Did you find a job for your brother?” I was silent. “Sorry, I don’t have that kind of pull.” “It’s just a few words for you. That Chairman Thorne is your classmate’s dad, right?” “You went to school with his son. Can’t you ask for a favor?” The “brother” she mentioned was her son with my stepdad. Spoiled and arrogant. He tried business and failed. Now he wanted a cushy job at the Thorne Group. “I saw you come home in his son’s car the other day. Are you dating?” My mom suddenly sounded alert. “If you’re together, we’re practically in-laws!” “Mom!” I cut her off. “It’s not like that. Stop imagining things.” She went silent. After a long pause, she said slowly: “Your brother said you changed. I didn’t believe him.” “But for Grandma’s birthday, you carried a bag worth thousands.” “Your brother saw you enter a villa complex. An old man picked you up.” “Snow, don’t forget your roots. We are your family. You can’t abandon us just because you have money.” My voice turned cold. “Caleb stalked me?” She ignored my question. “Anyway, I’ll say this.” “We know where your money comes from.” Her tone turned threatening. “Your brother knows where you live now.” “If you don’t want to be exposed and shamed, don’t forget to send money home.” “We are your family. We won’t hurt you. You understand, right?”

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I tossed my bridal bouquet into the arms of my best friend, Daphne Max, wishing her the kind of happiness I thought I had just found. Daphne’s smile stuttered for a moment before she playfully scolded me. “Don’t you dare curse me, Cass. I’ve dedicated my life to my art. Men are irrelevant.” Less than a year later, I found her, naked, in my husband’s office. The fallout was a catastrophe. I made sure of it. I hired a dozen people to string up posters outside Nolan Bell’s company headquarters, exposing their sordid affair. I printed thousands of flyers with pictures of them tangled up in my marital bed, then handed them out personally. I reported Daphne to her art school, and during her graduation ceremony, I had a loop of the office footage projected onto a jumbo screen. Yet, Nolan protected her. He pulled every string imaginable, ensuring she graduated with honors from the country’s top art academy. I was seeing red. I went for the one thing he couldn’t buy back: Daphne’s soul. I destroyed the entire gallery Nolan had bankrolled for her first solo exhibition. The price for my final act of rage: three years in a federal prison and a final, disgusted dismissal from Nolan. “You forgave my mother for sleeping with your father,” he sneered, his face a mask of contempt. “Why can’t you forgive me?” Five years after our divorce, I ran into Nolan Bell at the Saks Fifth Avenue jewelry counter. 1 The sales associate was wrapping up a tie I’d just chosen for my husband. Seeing Nolan approach, her professional demeanor ratcheted up a notch. “Mr. Bell, welcome. Your wife’s gown is prepped and waiting for you.” Nolan gave a slight nod, his gaze lingering on the tie in my hands. “Pay for hers as well,” he murmured. I politely refused, placing a stack of crisp bills on the counter. He sighed, a dramatic flutter of breath. “Cassidy, after all this time, you still hate me.” I simply smiled. I didn’t have the time to hate him. I had moved on. I took the small designer bag and tucked it casually into the canvas tote bag filled with fresh groceries slung over my shoulder, then walked out. The early autumn wind howled around me. As I walked the familiar route toward the transit stop, my hair whipped into my eyes. I blinked hard, trying to clear my vision, and when I finally pushed the strands away, Nolan’s sleek black sedan was idling right in front of me. He frowned, noticing the redness in my eyes caused by the wind. “Get in. I’ll drive you.” “I’m fine, thank you. I’m taking the subway.” He studied me, head to toe, before his gaze settled on the canvas bag. He asked the question cautiously, as if approaching a skittish animal. “Have you been… okay these past few years?” “I’ve been great.” Nolan clearly didn’t believe me. “Just get in the car. Let me take you home.” The city bus behind us honked impatiently, but Nolan didn’t move. Under the scrutiny of onlookers, I reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat. “The Briarwood Estates,” I stated flatly. The air went dead silent. His voice was a rasp when he finally spoke. “Why are you living there? That development has been practically condemned. And for a woman alone, especially with…” He trailed off, unable to finish. But I knew exactly what he was going to say. It was the place where my mother died. Ten years ago, on the day of my wedding to Nolan, she refused to attend. She jumped from the tenth-floor rooftop. The backseat was spacious, but the heating was too high. I cranked the window down a bit. “You get sick the minute the wind touches you. Roll it up. If you’re hot, I’ll just lower the temperature.” I shook my head, offering a placid smile. “That doesn’t happen anymore. Suit yourself.” He fell silent. A moment later, his phone rang. “Hey, honey. Did you get the gown? Where are you now?” Daphne’s voice, familiar yet laced with an unfamiliar, syrupy enthusiasm, filled the car. “I did. I just ran into Cassidy and I’m dropping her off.” A pause hung on the line. “Cass? She’s back? Why didn’t you say something? We should all get together, why leave me out?” I had known Daphne for over a decade, but I had never heard that tone before. She used to be reserved and quiet, focused only on her painting. If someone stole her contest spot, she would just hide and cry. I was the one who grabbed a baseball bat and publicly smashed the usurper’s entry, wrote a letter exposing the corruption, and spent three days in juvenile hall to get her justice. The right kind of love could, apparently, turn glass into steel. “It was just a chance encounter, Daphne. She has things to do. I’m coming right back.” “A chance encounter means we’re fated to connect! Why can’t we just treat an old friend to one meal?” “Daphne, stop.” Another strained silence followed. Nolan’s coaxing had always been gentle, but when he decided something, no one could stop him. Daphne should have known that better than anyone. She hung up abruptly as the car pulled up to the curb outside the decaying apartment building. “We’re here.” I offered a quick, polite thank you and got out. Nolan slowly turned his head away from the surrounding buildings and called out. 2 “Cassidy, can I ask you one thing? Who was that tie for?” “My husband.” Nolan ran a hand over his face, a gesture of weary disbelief. He clearly thought I was still trying to wound him. “Same brand, same silk, same pattern you used to buy for me for five years.” “And?” I met his eyes, my gaze utterly calm. “You don’t have to keep this pretense up in front of me. After all this time, I just want to see you doing well, not… like this.” Like this. The glass of the main door reflected my image. Casual leggings, plain flat shoes, the grocery-filled tote bag. I looked like a thousand other exhausted women running errands for their families. For a woman who had once only worn couture and diamonds, this look felt perfectly fine. I smiled, not taking the bait. “I think I look great.” A flicker of genuine surprise crossed his face. “Cassidy, you really are different from before.” “That’s what everyone says.” I turned and walked away, not once looking back. I climbed five flights of worn stairs and unlocked the door. The interior was arranged exactly as it had been last year. A photo of my mother sat next to the old television. The candle in front of it had long since burned out. I lit a new one, tied on an apron, and went into the kitchen. I quickly prepared three dishes and a soup. A bowl of untouched rice sat opposite me at the table, and I ate slowly. “Mom, I ran into Nolan today.” “Don’t worry. He can’t hurt your daughter anymore. Besides, I’m not as stupid as I used to be.” The only reply was the vast, silent peace of the room. My appetite was gone. I put down my chopsticks and walked into the bedroom, pulling out an old photo album. “Let’s look at your stunning beauty, Mom. That black and white picture is depressing.” Before I could open it, a single photo slipped out and fluttered to the floor. I picked it up. Nolan, Daphne, and me. Three exuberant, youthful faces laughing for the camera. I was in the middle, my arms linked with theirs, smiling the widest—a gap where my right canine tooth should have been, making me look a little goofy. It was the summer I turned thirteen. Debt collectors had shown up at Nolan’s house, screaming threats. None of the neighbors, not even my parents, dared to intervene. But I charged in. The fist meant for Nolan’s face landed squarely on mine instead. My tooth was shattered instantly, and my face was swollen for weeks. My mother, heartbroken, told me to stay away from the Bell family. But Nolan’s mother, dragging her injured legs, crawled and knocked her head on our doorstep, thanking my parents until her forehead bled. My mother finally relented. For the next ten years, there was always an extra place set for Nolan at our dinner table, and an extra new outfit at Christmas. When my mother wasn’t busy, she helped Nolan’s mother run her stall, and if anyone tried to bully her, my mother would unleash hell. They called each other sisters. No one, however, could have predicted that the timid, stuttering younger sister, Loretta Max (Daphne’s mother), would end up in the bed of the elder sister’s husband. When I finally came home that day, everything had been smashed. My mother stood in the middle of the living room, weeping hysterically, the five-finger marks on her cheeks a terrifying sight. My father was shielding Loretta in his arms. “I’m divorcing you. You can have everything. I only want Loretta.” Nolan, standing beside me, panicked and tried to grab Loretta’s hand. My mother turned and slapped him. Twice. I pushed her away. She stumbled, falling to the floor, staring up at me in stunned disbelief. 3 I was crying, too. But the words I spoke were cruel and cutting. “Mom, how dare you hit Nolan.” The memories scattered. I looked down at the small photo in my hand. After the divorce, I had burned every single thing related to Nolan. This was a stray survivor. I was about to toss it in the trash when a knock sounded at the door. I assumed it was Mrs. Jones, who usually stopped by this time every year. I opened it without checking. Standing there were Daphne, arm-in-arm with Nolan. Her smile was radiant. “Cassidy! Long time no see! You haven’t changed a bit after all these years.” “Nolan couldn’t say no to me. We hope we’re not intruding?” I stared at them calmly. “I won’t invite you in. Do you need something?” Daphne faltered, shooting a wounded look at Nolan. “Daphne just wanted to see you,” he said, placing a luxury shopping bag on the foyer table. “She brought you a gift. No hidden agenda.” Daphne immediately jumped in to explain. “It’s a skincare set I’ve been loving lately. I had an extra one, and since we used to share everything, I thought I’d bring it over.” I glanced at the bag. It was the same brand my housekeeper, Marie, used. “And that photo…” Daphne’s eyes suddenly welled up. “Cassidy, after all this time, you still haven’t let go.” I crumpled the photo into a ball and dropped it into the wastebasket. “Hardly.” She started to reach for my hand, then hesitated, her fingers stopping mid-air. “I know you’re still hurting. Today would have been your wedding anniversary with Nolan.” “What happened back then wasn’t completely our fault. If you’re really over it, let us take you out to dinner. And please, tell us if there’s anything we can do to help you. We’re old friends.” My instinct was an immediate, firm rejection. Then the candle in front of my mother’s photo crackled loudly. I offered a small, quiet smile, suddenly changing my mind. “Sounds lovely.” Daphne talked far more than she used to. Her small, intimate gestures were also frequent. She recounted a romantic trip to Turkey the previous month, and while waiting at a red light, she leaned over and applied her lip balm to Nolan’s mouth with her finger. “Every fall and winter, I have to remind you. You kissed me so hard last time you made my lip bleed. Don’t you ever learn?” Nolan caught her hand, a hint of irritation in his voice. “Stop, Daphne.” “Oh, sorry! I forgot Cassidy was here. You don’t mind, do you, Cass? Nolan and I are just so used to this…” I cut her off, my tone utterly indulgent. “Of course not.” “I’ve seen the two of you tangle up on a king-sized bed, why would I mind a little lip balm?” The car fell into a profound silence. We were quiet the rest of the way. I watched the passing scenery, thinking that if my mother were still alive, she would be amazed by the changes. My father’s insistence on divorcing her for Loretta nearly drove my mother mad. And my secret marriage to the son of the woman who stole her husband was the final blow that killed her. At first, I only hated my father and Loretta. They had betrayed my mother, forcing her transformation from an unbreakable woman into a nervous, whiny wreck who aged before my eyes. 4 Later, I hated myself. After numbly arranging my mother’s funeral, I went south alone during what should have been my honeymoon, staying for a month. During that time, Nolan was the one person I couldn’t bring myself to hate. I saw him as a pearl covered in dust, a poor boy trapped by his circumstances. When I left, I entrusted Daphne to look after him. She took excellent care of him. In the new house Nolan and I had bought, she cooked with practiced efficiency; five dishes and a soup, all beautifully presented. I genuinely thanked her. For that year, the three of us became closer than ever. Nolan became even more devoted to me. He used the first big payout from his company to buy the sapphire bracelet I loved. He set off city-wide fireworks for my birthday. Every month, during my cycle, he canceled all in-person meetings and worked from home with me. I never once doubted it. He loved me completely. Until the day I went to his office unannounced. Behind a discreet, unmarked door in his inner office, I heard a low, breathless moan. I flung the door open. Two pale, naked bodies, white as bone, stabbed straight into my eyes. I shrieked, a sound ripped from my core. Nolan’s movement was swift and decisive, shielding the woman beneath him. “Who let you in here?!” “Get out!” I seized every object I could reach, hurling it at them. Blood streamed from a cut on Nolan’s forehead, but he remained rigid, desperately covering the woman in his arms. I smashed everything in the room, but I couldn’t bring myself to go near them—the two people I had loved most in my entire life. Terror was bone-deep. I tried to speak, my jaw trembling. “Daphne, look at me.” Tears streamed down her face. She pulled the covers up to her neck and knelt on the bed, looking at me. “Cassidy, I’m so sorry.” “Nolan and I know this is wrong, but we have fallen uncontrollably in love.” “Please, can you give us your blessing?” Her abject, pleading posture reminded me exactly of the day I first met her, cornered in an alley by a gang of girls. To protect her that year, I, the straight-A student, earned the lifelong enmity of that group and couldn’t walk home alone for months. I had personally handed her my wedding bouquet, wishing her all the happiness in the world. And now she was lying in my husband’s arms, begging me for permission. Tears poured down my face. My voice was a whisper. “When did this start?” She stammered, unable to answer. But Nolan answered for her. “Does it matter? Are you done making a scene? This is a corporate office, not our bedroom.” “Does it matter?! Nolan! Does it not matter to you?!” I screamed at him hysterically. He stood there, naked, his gaze shockingly frank. “Fine! I’ll tell you! Last March, when you ran off to the South and left me here alone—that’s when we started.” “I wasn’t trying to hide it forever. You had just lost your mother, and I couldn’t bear to hurt you again, so I let you maintain this marriage facade. Daphne has suffered enough, and I won’t let her worry anymore. I was planning to ask for a divorce after your mother’s death anniversary passed.” “Since you’ve discovered it now, let’s be honest. Divorce me. You can have anything, but I only want Daphne.” It was in that moment I understood the devastating force of the hand I had once pushed into my mother’s back, all those years ago when I chose Nolan. But before the divorce, I was determined to have my breakdown. 5 I used my phone to snap photos of them looking wrecked on the bed, printing hundreds of flyers and distributing them to every single one of his employees. I hung increasingly larger posters outside his company building, detailing their disgusting relationship. I reported Daphne to her university for professional misconduct. The art school forums were awash with vicious rumors about her. I even hired a projectionist to loop our happy pre-affair videos on a giant screen during her commencement ceremony. The memories I once cherished became the weapons I used to destroy them. But Nolan still protected her. She graduated from the nation’s top art academy and was set to open her own gallery show. To safeguard Daphne, Nolan finally deigned to look at me. “Daphne’s dream is about to come true. It has nothing to do with our grievances. Don’t you dare ruin it.” I was far beyond listening. “Ruin it? Hardly. I’ve already prepared something. I think the attendees will be very interested in seeing those masterpieces.” He slammed a document down in front of me. “If you want to keep your mother’s final resting place undisturbed, you’ll behave yourself. Sign the divorce papers and stay away from Daphne and me forever.” When my mother was buried, I was too overcome by grief to function. Nolan, as my then-fiancé, handled everything, including the selection and purchase of the plot. Given the land shortage, even final resting places had become commodities. If Nolan signed the paperwork, my mother’s eternal peace would be revoked. I hurled the cup of coffee I was holding right into his face. That night, I cried myself to sleep on my mother’s cold tombstone. The next morning, I went to the courthouse. The reality was different from what I’d imagined. Nolan only offered me the deed to his family’s dilapidated old apartment. “You reported the company’s tax issues, and a large portion of our funds is now frozen. This is all I can give you.” “If Daphne hadn’t pleaded for you, you wouldn’t get a penny.” I was no match for Nolan. Never had been. He was calm, serious, and achieved his goals through strategy and power. I was the one who rushed in without thinking, winning battles only to lose the war. I quieted down as he wished. I sold the apartment. But before I left for the South, I went to Daphne’s art exhibition. It was an impulsive decision. A massive digital billboard in the city center displayed her beautiful face. The exhibition was titled The Soul’s Latch. It was a phrase we used often in our letters during our teenage years—a naive hope, a pure wish for genuine friendship. Clinging to a final, masochistic sense of nostalgia, I fully disguised myself and stepped into the venue. I felt like a rat creeping into someone else’s happiness. Then I saw the painting titled The Soul’s Latch. It was two naked bodies. I had traced the small mole on the man’s shoulder blade a thousand times. The woman was clutching a crumpled pillow. The background was a bed covered in light lilac sheets. Outside the window, pink magnolias I’d personally chosen at the flower market were blooming, silent and beautiful. That was our house. It was also the place where Nolan and Daphne had first made love. The soul was hers, and Nolan was the latch. A violent, uncontrollable wave of nausea hit me. I vomited right there on the floor. The sound alerted the two of them, who were entertaining guests nearby. Daphne’s soft, velvety voice cut through the commotion. 6 “Are you alright, ma’am?” The heart-shaped brooch pinned to her chest was blinding, perfectly matching the key-shaped cufflink on Nolan’s sleeve. I went insane. I grabbed the brooch and scratched it violently across the massive canvas. SSSSCHLUCK! The sound of the canvas tearing echoed through the vast hall. Everyone gasped. The scene erupted in chaos. Security guards wrestled me to the ground. My face pressed against the cold marble, I looked up. Nolan was holding the crying Daphne, staring at me as if I were a sewer rat. “Call the police,” he said. I started laughing. A huge, maniacal laugh that shocked everyone, causing them to step back. Because the damages exceeded ten thousand dollars, I was sentenced to three years in prison, plus massive compensation for property and emotional damages. I made several attempts to end my life inside, but was miraculously saved each time. A year later, I was released early for good behavior, penniless, but radically changed. The car arrived at the restaurant. Daphne excused herself to refresh her makeup. Nolan stood beside me, his voice low and solemn. “I’m sorry.” “What we did was absolutely wrong. I’ll tell Daphne to watch her boundaries next time.” I raised an eyebrow. The old Nolan would never have bowed his head to me. Now, he was offering an immediate apology. I looked at him, confused. “Don’t bother. You’re married. I was just having a flashback to that time. It meant nothing.” A flash of genuine sadness crossed his eyes. I couldn’t decipher it, nor did I care to try. Fortunately, Daphne returned, acting as if the tense scene in the car had never happened. “We three used to love pooling our money for fancy steak. Let’s feast tonight!” Nolan quickly objected. “Cassidy only ate fancy steak for our sakes. Her stomach is too sensitive for anything too oily. How could you forget that?” “It’s fine. My stomach is much better now.” Years of dedicated recovery and a completely new lifestyle had brought my mind and body back to their best state. My phone suddenly rang. The name ‘Husband’ popped up on the screen. I answered. Lucian’s deep, clear voice was laced with a hint of playful complaint. “Wifey, taking Finn to that TV segment was more exhausting than ten days of work. I bet you’ll say I’ve lost weight when you get home.” In the background, my little boy’s voice squeaked a protest. “No way! Mama, Papa was talking to a pretty lady host, and they were laughing a lot!” “This little menace is digging a hole for his old man. That was the host, Cass!” I couldn’t help but smile at the noisy exchange. I looked up. The mall’s giant screen was playing Lucian’s handsome face, where he was formally giving an interview. Next to him, a perfectly adorable little boy with huge, round eyes watched the proceedings. I hung up after a couple more words and snapped a photo of the screen. When I looked down to send it, I realized that both Nolan and Daphne were frozen stiff. “Cassidy, you’re married?”

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Upon learning that the aloof senior I had a crush on was raising a zebra finch, I seized the opportunity to DM him. “Hey. Let me see your bird.” “Heard zebra finches are loud, is that true?” It took a long time for him to reply with a cold “Mm.” Just when I thought he didn’t like me and planned to give up, bullet screen comments (danmu) appeared before my eyes: [LMAO, the senior thought our girl wanted to see THAT bird. He finally convinced himself to take a mirror selfie, only to realize she meant the zebra finch. Sky falling moment.] [The senior is silent, only taking pictures of the bird. As for which bird, don’t worry about it for now.] 1 I had a crush on the campus heartthrob, Julian Thorne. But he was cold and unapproachable. I chased him relentlessly for over a year, outlasting wave after wave of competitors, and finally won! The title of “Simp King.” So what? My best friend Kenzie couldn’t stand it anymore and advised me: “If it really doesn’t work, let’s just switch to another handsome guy. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere!” That being said, Julian was truly handsome. Nearly 6’3″, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and a face that was flawlessly crafted. His brow bone was high, making his eyes look exceptionally deep. Even when he stared at you emotionlessly, you could somehow read a hint of affection in them. The first time I saw him at a competition, I made up my mind to catch him. But a year and a half later, I started to waver. Maybe we were just not meant to be. But before giving up, I wanted to try one last time, unwillingly. Coincidentally, I heard someone gave Julian a zebra finch, so I used it as an excuse to DM him. [Hey. Let me see your bird.] [Heard zebra finches are loud, is that true?] I swear! If he doesn’t reply in one minute! I’ll stop chasing him! Forget it, three minutes. Five minutes is my bottom line. Actually, ten minutes is also— Buzz. My phone vibrated suddenly. Julian finally replied! There’s still hope for us! “Hehe.” I opened my phone with a silly smile, but froze when I saw the content. [Mm.] Yes. Just this one word. Haha. Turns out I’m the clown in the circus. Maybe it really, really is time to say goodbye. I sighed deeply, planning to block Julian and say goodbye to this simp era. Suddenly, a bunch of comments appeared in mid-air. [LMAO, the senior thought our girl wanted to see THAT bird. He finally convinced himself to take a mirror selfie, only to realize she meant the zebra finch. Sky falling moment.] [The senior is silent, only taking pictures of the bird. As for which bird, don’t worry about it for now.] [Our girl missed the pink one just like that, hehe…] … I was dumbfounded. What are these comments? Is this my final fantasy as a simp? But thanks to the comments’ reminder, I belatedly realized how roguish my message to Julian was. But… Julian really took a photo? Tsk. This is getting interesting, folks. Blocking is postponed. I’ll chase a little longer. So, the me who was sad a second ago, happily sent another message to Julian the next second. [Senior, hurry up and send me the bird~] I meant the zebra finch, okay. After a long silence, he sent a bunch of pictures of the zebra finch. From all angles. Except there was a very abrupt photo sandwiched in the middle. It was a man’s mirror selfie. Must be the one the comments mentioned. I turned to look at the pink curtains. Mm. Same color. Strong visual impact. I was completely stunned, but didn’t forget to take a screenshot immediately. We American women have fast hands! Sure enough, the photo was recalled by Julian the next second. The man who was just cold and only sent monosyllables panicked completely. [I sent it by mistake!] [I’m not a pervert!] [Student Mia Wells, you shouldn’t have seen it, right?] I answered honestly: [Sorry, not only did I see it, I saved it too~] Julian went silent. Comments: [The male lead seems to be still there, but actually has been gone for a while.] [Hahaha, laughing so hard the little prince chopped himself into a little princess.] [Sigh, forget it, male lead just give in. You can’t beat her! After all, you two are the main characters of this book, destined to reach the bang-bang-bang stage sooner or later.] [Can we fast forward to the heroine helping the male lead raise the zebra finch, only to find out the finch is the male lead’s avatar, and then pulling feathers in the North Pole?] … Only then did I know that Julian and I were the main characters in a sweet romance novel with a touch of fantasy. Of course, according to international conventions, this is a spicy romance. No need to elaborate on how developed the “traffic” is in there, right? I opened my photo album and watched the saved picture repeatedly. Thinking that I could actually eat a man of Julian’s caliber in the future, the corners of my mouth went up uncontrollably. After admiring, I sent a message to Julian, still wanting more. [Help! I’m known as the pure jade girl in our village, they even built a chastity arch for me. Now every time I open my phone I see this kind of picture, how can I face people in the future! You must marry me.] Honestly, I was just joking, but the man who was just quiet and overwhelmed replied instantly. [Okay.] Me: ? No way, bro, this progress is a bit fast, isn’t it? Comments: [This is different from my first read?] [Male Lead: Been waiting for you to say that.] [No way, I still want to see the plot where our girl doesn’t know the finch is the male lead’s avatar and keeps petting it until the male lead can’t handle it! Author, don’t change the script!] … I swear. I absolutely didn’t do it because I wanted to experience that plot! I did it for the sake of these readers posting comments. So I decided— [Sorry, I was joking.] Julian froze. After a long time, he sent one word. [Oh.] Great, back to being cold. But I’ve already thought of a way to handle him. [As for this photo, how about you treat me to dinner and we chat about its destination in detail?] Yes. I’m threatening Julian. The boy panicked again, as expected. [Okay, what do you want to eat? I’ll make a reservation.] I happily mentioned a BBQ place I’d wanted to try for a long time, missing a comment floating by: [The male lead has wanted to ask our girl out for a long time, finally got his wish.] 2 In the BBQ restaurant, the already aloof Julian became even more silent because of the accidental photo sending. And I, who was wild online, became a bit timid in person, not knowing what to say, only staring blankly at the small red mole at the base of Julian’s middle finger. Mm. His fingers are so long. Comments: [Mia, you’re still looking!!! Wait until the senior holds you, taps that small mole on his finger base and asks if you can eat up to here, then you’ll behave.] [Finger play, huh? Good, good, good, I like to watch!] [Hard to imagine our girl who is so full of memes online having social anxiety in front of her crush.] … Huh? This little red mole has this function?! Worthy of a spicy HE (Happy Ending) sweet romance novel. Making people all shy. I covered my hot face, forcing myself not to imagine that scene. Julian suddenly spoke: “Student Mia, can I trouble you to delete that photo?” His voice was nice, like a clear stream in the mountains, lingering in the ears, tingly and numb, taking away some of the heat. But I wouldn’t agree to him so easily. After all— “If I delete it, what will I watch when I entertain myself at night?” I swear, I originally intended to say this in my heart. But looking up at Julian’s waveless iceberg face, I got a burst of fire. Yes. In the lower abdomen. I wanted to make him blush so badly, and in my excitement, my mouth was faster than my brain. Julian froze, as if he didn’t understand what I meant, his narrow eyes staring straight at me. I didn’t dodge. After a while, pink crept up his ears. He unnaturally avoided my gaze, coughing lightly with one hand clenched into a fist against his lips. “Mia.” Julian called me softly, without the coldness on the phone. I raised my eyebrows, signaling him to speak. He pursed his lips before whispering four words. “That’s not good.” Comments: [You have such a cute male lead entering America.] [Still saying “that’s~ not~ good~”, actually blossoming with joy inside, what a poser.] [Hahaha, our girl is too bold, laughing so hard the little princess sprouted into a little prince!] … I blinked, suppressing the smile amused by the comments, and lowered my head pretending to be disappointed: “Oh… if you don’t like it, I won’t say it in the future…” “I don’t dislike it!” Julian hurriedly denied. Realizing what he said, he paused, put away his emotions, returned to his usual indifferent appearance, and inexplicably changed his words: “It’s fine if you think I don’t like it, as long as… you don’t say it again in the future.” Hearing the sudden loneliness and melancholy in his words, I scratched my head in confusion. Why did we suddenly switch to the “If Melancholy is a Talent” channel? Wasn’t I flirting with him? Fortunately, the comments answered my doubts. [The senior is insecure again, afraid our girl will treat him as a monster after knowing the zebra finch is his avatar, so he dares not respond to her love.] So that’s it. Tsk. Julian really overthought it. I don’t care at all. Especially after seeing that picture, I find it even more interesting. But I didn’t show it. After all, insecurity is the best cosmetic for a handsome guy! 3 I didn’t respond to Julian’s words, just pretended to be sad and kept eating BBQ with my head down. Julian stayed silent at first, but as time passed bit by bit, the atmosphere at the table became more and more oppressive. Finally, after I deliberately sniffled, he spoke. With careful probing. “Do you still want to see the zebra finch?” I looked up at him, my eyes teary because I deliberately hadn’t blinked for a long time: “Did you bring it?” “No, but I’ll be quite busy starting tomorrow and won’t have time to take care of it. Could I trouble you to come over and help me take care of it?” Julian said seriously. But the comments went crazy. [Excuse!!! Obviously he likes our girl too much but is insecure and afraid to approach, so he can only retreat to using the zebra finch avatar to make contact!] [The senior pretends to be busy to cover his lie, making room for our girl and the zebra finch, while he can only stay in the stairwell every day hahaha.] [The senior looks calm, but his hand under the table is shaking the whole time.] … I looked up. Julian was looking at me calmly, waiting for my answer. But if you looked closely, you could see the uncontrollable nervousness in his eyes. “I refuse—” The nervousness in the handsome guy’s eyes turned into sadness. “—Not.” Sadness turned into joy. Julian smiled subconsciously, revealing a very cute little canine tooth. A stark contrast to his usual aloof appearance. I was slightly stunned seeing it. He seemed to realize it too, restraining his smile, and said faintly: “Thank you.” 4 Back in the dorm after dinner, Kenzie leaned in with a gossip face. “How was it? Did you guys kiss?” Me: ? “Not that fast!” Kenzie pouted regretfully. Just as she was about to say something, another roommate, Sarah, spoke first: “Kiss? With whom? Not Julian Thorne, right?” She paused, looked me up and down mockingly, and said rudely: “Keep dreaming, you’re not worthy.” Sarah had also chased Julian, but gave up not long after because she couldn’t stand his coldness, choosing another boy in the same major instead. But she still held inexplicable hostility towards me, always interrupting when Kenzie and I chatted to belittle me. Luckily. Kenzie had strong combat power. “Damn, if you’re blind, go get treated, okay? Our Mia has the face and the body. Not worthy of that dead iceberg Julian? She’s worthy of him eight hundred times over and around the corner! Not worthy? She’s too good for him!” Actually, I wasn’t as good as Kenzie said. Even though I’m the heroine in this novel, the author, like many other creators of female-oriented novels, put a lot of effort into shaping the male lead Julian. I am ordinary, average, so I also felt inferior on the road to pursuing Julian. But whenever I felt inferior, Kenzie would encourage me without hesitation. Not encouraging me to continue chasing love, but encouraging me to be confident. “Everyone has their own shining points. Julian just has an advantage in looks. You have over twenty thousand fans with your drawings, you’re not bad either! Why feel inferior?”

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My family went bankrupt, so the “fake heiress,” Chloe, and I were sent to the wealthy Sterling brothers to pay off the debt. I ended up with the older brother, Julian. She ended up with the younger brother, Caleb. We were living the life of kept women. Even a quick trip for boba tea was enough time to complain about our sugar daddies’ endless energy at night. Later, Caleb’s “white moonlight” first love was returning to the States. Chloe asked, “Are you running?” Me: “I’m down for whatever. It’s up to you.” Chloe: “You go first or me?” Me: “Let’s go together.” As a result, we were caught red-handed that very night because we were too conspicuous. The older billionaire brother sneered, “He has a first love returning. I don’t. Why are you running?” 1 My family went bankrupt, and Chloe and I were sent to the powerful Sterling family in New York to pay off the debt. I was with Julian, the older brother. She was with Caleb, the younger brother. Life at the Sterling estate was pretty good. The brothers treated us surprisingly similarly. The monthly allowance was generous, but they barely looked at us. We were happy with the arrangement. Even a quick trip for boba tea was enough time to complain about our sugar daddies’ endless energy at night. But recently, Chloe seemed distracted during our venting sessions. I poked her arm. “What’s wrong? Did Caleb keep you up all night again?” She snapped back to reality and sighed. “Caleb’s ‘white moonlight’ is coming back.” I let out an “Ah.” I couldn’t really complain about this topic. Because on this point, the brothers were different. Julian had always been the ascetic type. Rumor had it that before me, there wasn’t even a female mosquito around him. Caleb was similar. But rumor had it there was always a first love he couldn’t forget. Chloe continued to sigh. “I think I should leave, to avoid running into her.” I took a sip of my milk tea. “Where to? I’ll go with you.” Chloe seemed to make up her mind suddenly. “I’m planning to run away. Are you in?” I didn’t hesitate. “If you run, I run.” Actually, Julian treated me pretty well. But sisters before misters. Who cares if he’s good or not? Chloe looked relieved. “So, you go first or me?” I thought about it. “Let’s go together.” Although Julian didn’t have a “white moonlight,” who knows if an arranged marriage partner would pop up someday? I should indeed plan ahead and take this opportunity to run away together. Chloe immediately agreed. “Okay! Let’s run together!” Next, she roughly outlined the escape plan: “I’ll be responsible for buying tickets and preparing supplies for the escape. You’re responsible for making the plan.” She paused. “If you slack off on the planning like before, don’t even think about coming with me!” Saying this, she clenched her fist, the threat obvious. I nodded frantically. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ll do it tonight. I’ll make a PowerPoint and a text version!” After all, this wasn’t a normal trip. I had to be serious. Getting my assurance, Chloe nodded in satisfaction. 2 That night, back at the estate, we tacitly rejected our sugar daddies’ invitations for intimacy. She said she had a stomachache; I said I was dizzy. Watching the two men leave, I scrambled out of bed, opened my laptop, and started typing out the escape plan furiously. Halfway through, Julian came back with medicine, and I quickly jumped back into bed to play dead. He reached out and touched my forehead, murmuring, “Why are you sweating?” He tried to pull down the covers for me. I pulled them tighter, pretending to be cold. Julian checked my temperature again and found it had gone down a bit. Only then did he leave with relief. As soon as he closed the door, I took out the overheating laptop from under the covers. I was sweating buckets, but I didn’t care. I opened the laptop and continued writing. Throughout the night, Julian came to check on me every so often. As soon as he entered, I closed the laptop and pretended to sleep. Repeating this until dawn, I finally finished. I hit save, tossed the laptop aside, and fell into a deep sleep. 3 When I woke up again, Chloe was sitting by my bed. She looked even more haggard than me. Seeing me awake, she immediately reached out for the escape plan. I opened the laptop to show her. And asked, “Why do you look so bad?” Chloe scrolled through the screen and sighed faintly. “That idiot Caleb saw through my act, so he dragged me to do that all night.” Saying this, her suppressed anger flared up again. “Damn it, if I don’t run, I’ll die sooner or later.” I was drowsy. She finally finished reading and sent the plan to her own laptop. I yawned and asked, “Are you ready on your end? When do we run?” Chloe’s eyes were cold. “I heard that ‘white moonlight’ is coming back in three days. The Sterling brothers will both attend the welcome party.” “Running away that night is perfect.” I nodded. “Okay, whatever you say.” Whatever she said went. Chloe returned the laptop to me. “We’ll finalize the remaining details when they’re not around. I’m going back to sleep.” As soon as she closed the door, I covered myself with the quilt and continued sleeping. I slept until Julian came back. He took off his watch and touched my forehead again. “How are you today? The maid said you slept all day.” His hand was a bit cold, and I flinched. “I’m better.” With Chloe’s lesson in mind, I was afraid he would see through my act. Julian started unbuttoning his shirt. “Then sleep early.” I had PTSD from his unbuttoning action. I was so scared I stuttered, “Um, actually I’m not fully recovered yet. Let’s just sleep properly.” Julian reacted for two seconds, raising an eyebrow. “If we don’t sleep properly, what else are you planning to do?” What else could we do? He knew perfectly well. I blushed and covered my head with the quilt again. “Nothing, just sleep, sleep.” Julian didn’t say anything more. He reached out and pulled me into his arms, falling asleep quickly. Having slept all day, I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. My mind was full of the escape plan and where it needed improvement. Staring until dawn, I finally felt sleepy. I could only hear Julian getting up; my eyes wouldn’t open at all. I don’t know how long passed, but he leaned over and kissed my forehead, and then there was no movement in the room. To lower the brothers’ vigilance, Chloe and I canceled our afternoon tea vent sessions. We stayed in our rooms every day to perfect the plan. Finally, the day the “white moonlight” returned arrived. 4 Early in the morning, Chloe picked a fight with Caleb over some excuse. Then she locked herself in her room, refusing to open the door even when I called. Caleb was convinced she was throwing a tantrum and stormed out in anger. My gaze fell on Julian, who was leisurely drinking tea on the sofa, and I was secretly anxious. Didn’t he say he was going to the welcome party? Why wasn’t he leaving yet? If he didn’t leave, we would miss our flight. I was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Finally, Julian stood up. I was delighted and prepared to tell him to be careful on the road. Unexpectedly, Julian glanced at me and frowned. “Why haven’t you changed yet?” I froze. “Huh?” He looked at his watch. “Aren’t you going to the welcome party tonight?” Of course not! Feeling his gaze, I had a flash of inspiration and squeezed out two tears. “I’m feeling a bit unwell again today, so I won’t go.” I thought saying this would be enough. But Julian paused putting on his jacket. “Then change your clothes. I’ll take you to the hospital.” I was so anxious I almost caught fire. I waved my hands repeatedly. “No, no, no, I don’t need to go to the hospital. Just sleeping a bit will do.” Julian’s tone brooked no refusal. “No, you’ve been feeling bad for so many days. You must get checked.” I shook my head. “The welcome party is important. You go ahead, we can go to the hospital when you come back.” By the time he came back, Chloe and I would have successfully escaped. Julian didn’t buy it at all. “It’s just an irrelevant person. Go get checked first. Be good.” Seeing that he was really going to drag me out, I quickly grabbed the sofa armrest. “Actually… actually I lied to you. I’m not sick.” Julian clearly didn’t believe it. He loosened his grip a little but looked displeased. “No matter what you say, you must go for a checkup today.” I broke out in a cold sweat. Thinking for a moment, I grabbed his sleeve. “I really am not sick. I just want to stay home with Chloe. She’s very sad today, and I’m worried about her.” Julian looked at me suspiciously. I continued, “You know, she’s one of the most important people to me in this world. I don’t want to leave her alone.” Julian probably remembered the romantic entanglement between the “white moonlight” and Caleb. He let go of my hand and nodded. “Alright then, keep her company.” I was overjoyed. I threw myself at him and kissed his lips. “You’re so good. Drink less tonight. Bye!” Julian held my waist and looked down. “She’s one of the most important people. Who are the others?” Actually, there were no others. Chloe was the closest person to me. But I didn’t mind coaxing him to make him relax his vigilance. “Of course, it’s you! Just the two of you, no one else.” The corners of Julian’s mouth turned up. “Smooth talker.” He lowered his head and kissed me. My legs went so weak I could barely stand. Afraid he would lose control, I quickly pushed him. “You’re going to be late. Go quickly.” Only then did Julian let me go. “Don’t sleep tonight.” To send him away, I dared to agree to anything. Watching his car disappear from the courtyard, I breathed a sigh of relief. Taking steps two at a time, I went upstairs to find Chloe. 5 Just as I knocked on the door, Chloe quickly opened it a crack and pulled me inside. I looked at the four huge suitcases in front of me and fell into contemplation. “You… are running away with this?” With such cumbersome luggage, we’d be caught as thieves before even leaving the Sterling house, right? Chloe clapped her hands, not thinking anything was wrong. “Yeah. Taking these things saves us money later.” “Once we’re out, we can’t use their cards. We have to save where we can, right?” I was silent. “…” Whatever, as long as she was happy. We dragged the suitcases downstairs while the servants were eating dinner. But because the boxes were too heavy, they made quite a bit of noise. I had a flash of inspiration and pretended to be angry. “Buying all this junk every day! I’m going to throw it out for you!” Meeting my eyes, Chloe instantly understood what I meant. She dragged the suitcase and walked quickly towards the outside. “Don’t act like the lady of the house with me!” “Fine! Throw it!” “I’ll help you throw it!” The servants stared dumbfounded at our sisterly feud, unable to react for a long time. Seizing the opportunity, I also walked outside. “Fine, I’ll throw it all away for you!” We pretended to argue all the way out of the villa. I put the two suitcases in my hand next to the trash can and pulled Chloe into the car we had booked in advance. Chloe looked back every three steps. “Wait, my stuff!” I yanked her. “What stuff! Leaving it there makes them believe we were really fighting!” Only in this way could we buy time to escape. Otherwise, they would see through it before we even left the villa area. Chloe adjusted instantly. “Right! Trash should be thrown away with trash men!” We didn’t dare delay at all. Once inside the airport, we dug out clothes from the suitcases and changed. While changing, I urged her, “Hurry up! Before they come back from the party, we have to transfer a few times!” Chloe in the stall didn’t respond for a long time. I thought she was waiting for me outside, so I tidied my clothes and walked out. But as soon as I left the restroom, I saw Julian standing not far away, his expression cold. My brain crashed on the spot. Before Julian came over, I put on my hoodie hood and tried to slip away with my head down. Just a few steps along the wall, someone grabbed my hood. I shivered and buried my head lower. Wait, how did he catch up so fast? Shouldn’t he still be drinking at the party right now? I looked down. Julian reached out and pinched my chin, forcing me to look up. He spoke with a half-smile, “Faking illness, acting coquettish, refusing to go out with me… was this your plan all along?” I dared not answer, nor look at him. Determined to play dead. Julian took a deep breath, his tone softening slightly. “Tell me, why run?” “What made you unhappy?” I whispered, “I don’t know.” Running with my sister, did I need a reason? Julian repeated, “Don’t know?” I felt guilty. “She ran, so I ran…” Anyway, I couldn’t leave Chloe. Julian laughed in anger. “She ran because my brother has a ‘white moonlight.’ I don’t. Why are you running with her?” I didn’t dare make a sound. Julian’s tone grew heavier. “Speak!” I shivered, about to cry. “I can’t betray my sister. She’s running, what would I stay for?” Julian didn’t expect this answer. He was so angry his breathing became heavy. After a long time, he adjusted his mood. “Go home.” I spoke cautiously, “Can I have my phone back first?” Since coming out of the restroom, I hadn’t seen Chloe. Nor Caleb. So she should still have a chance to escape. I wanted to text her, remind her to change her route. Julian glanced at me. “Want to tip her off?” I shook my head decisively. “No! I just want to check the time.” Julian extended his wrist in front of me, letting me look at his watch. “Look.” I choked on old blood. I grabbed his hand and put it down. “Just let me use the phone for a second, please.” Julian wrapped his arm around my waist, his tone cold. “No need. She was caught too.” He paused, staring at me with a sneer. “Her fate tonight shouldn’t be better than yours.” I panicked instantly. “What are you going to do?” “It’s clearly your brother being ambiguous with someone else. What’s wrong with Chloe running?” “Neither of you brothers is any good!” The more I spoke, the more agitated I got, watching Julian’s face darken. But since things had come to this, I might as well let my mouth be happy before I die. I was full of imposing manner. “What are you staring at? Let us go if you have the guts!” Julian tightened his grip, leaning close to my ear. He sneered in a voice only we could hear, “I don’t have the guts to let you go. But I have the guts to kill you in bed tonight.” My face instantly turned pale. Trembling, I said, “I withdraw. I didn’t say anything.” I got too carried away just now and forgot Julian wasn’t a good person either! Julian’s expression didn’t change. “Too late.” 6 Tormented by Julian all night, I woke up with a voice so hoarse I couldn’t speak. Supporting myself on the wall with trembling legs, I walked shakily to Chloe’s room. She looked bad, her eyes swollen. I took out the bank cards hidden in the lining of my pajamas. “These were all given to me by Julian. Transfer them to your account. You run first this time, don’t worry about me.” Last night I tentatively asked Julian why he found us so quickly. He said it was because two people together were too conspicuous. Plus, two inseparable people suddenly quarreling and dragging suitcases away from home was even more conspicuous. Almost the moment the servants called to report, he figured out why. Thinking about how I lied to him yesterday made him even angrier. I shook my head, shaking out the useless thoughts. I looked at Chloe seriously. “You run yours. When you settle down, I’ll find a way to meet you.” Originally I ran away just because I didn’t want to be separated from Chloe. So if she ran, I ran. But after last night, I made up my mind completely. I can’t stay by Julian’s side for long! Chloe’s eyes reddened. She shook her head. “Can’t run. Caleb took all my documents.” I hurriedly pulled tissues to wipe her tears and asked what happened. Chloe sniffled. “He said I had no right to be jealous of a ‘white moonlight’ and could only stay by his side for the rest of my life.” I clenched my fists. Damn scumbag. Thinking for a moment, I looked into Chloe’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll get the documents for you.” Chloe couldn’t hold it back anymore, hugged me and cried loudly. I sighed and patted her back.

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