Category: English

Everyone in Manhattan knew, I was sick of Julian Vance, that psychopath. He fell in love with me at first sight, I avoided him like flood and beasts. First time, he tackily presented a whole villa of red roses, I didn’t even look and burned them all for fertilizer. Second time, he snatched Scarlett family’s contract, brought apology gift to door threatening marriage proposal, I sneered and closed door release dogs watch him embarrassed. Third time, he kidnapped my fiancé, recorded torture video, to warn others scare away all my suitors, I directly rushed into Vance Enterprises, smashed his office, kicked broken his leg. … I thought we would fight forever. Until father accidentally died, Scarlett family bankrupt, that night I was sold into Underground Fight Club. Tree fell monkeys scatter. Only this madman, brought people straight destroy the den, protected me kill out a living road. Warm blood splashed on face, I looked at man’s familiar paranoia between brows, love grew crazy. Everyone including me was certain, no one loves Scarlett more than Julian. So when Tiffany came to door provoke, my first reaction was she had hysteria, overestimating herself. Until, she took out a Prenatal Checkup Report and Paternity Test result. Chapter 1 “Miss Scarlett, seeing these, do you still want to deceive yourself?” Opposite woman raised chin high, eyes full of pride. My breath stifled, face slightly sank. Documents can be fake, but she dares to come to door fearlessly, then there must be some truth. But… Julian, betrayed me? In an instant, countless scenes flashed in my mind. That figure taking me break out from blood and storm, 999 times passionate courtship everyone in city saw, careful protection, tears of joy at wedding… New York knew, Julian spoiled Scarlett to extreme. I am wife Julian begged hard for, I am his life. Such Julian, would betray me? Tiffany sharply caught my moment of lost mind. Smile on her lips more prosperous, like showing great mercy, showed me photos of her and Julian one by one. “This one, is memory Julian presented me 999 red roses after celebrating our small home renovation finished.” “This one, is I aggrieved Julian accompany you to Turkey, he then pushed full week work, accompanied me from Australia to North Pole played all over.” “This one, heard you that day period pain uncomfortable? Julian went out buy medicine for you, didn’t forget go from Downtown to Uptown circle a big round, send me that pineapple cake I acted spoiled said want eat first.” … Air sticky and heavy. I looked at photos, expressionless, stomach however a burst churning. I then remembered, Julian who used to wish stick with me every moment, these two years reported how many times business trip to me. Among these, which are pure work? Or, all are lies. Tiffany smiled maliciously: “That day of your birthday, I ‘accidentally’ fell down stairs, Julian then pushed your birthday party, took care of me all night.” “Night before your wedding anniversary, I drank myself drunk, cried to Julian say how much I love him, that night, he like a crazy horse dead hooped me in arms did again and again, also refunded flight ticket to Maldives with you next day.” “Last year your dad death anniversary I also went oh, you definitely can’t imagine, after that day ended you went home alone, how Julian couldn’t wait press me in car fiercely love.” … I carefully looked every inch of picture. Man in photo expression from cold to drunk doting, that familiar face more look more strange, split. Tiffany’s showing off voice still continued, but I completely couldn’t hear clearly, dead staring photos. Julian in photo as usual carried absent-minded shallow smile, but like a silent slap, fiercely fan on my face. I pulled mouth corner. “Tiffany, right?” “I guess, Julian must have warned you repeatedly don’t do small actions, right?” I raised eyes, lightly swept Tiffany slightly changed face. “You did homework not bad, know I can’t tolerate a grain of sand in eyes.” “Julian tired dead alive hide from me, you however pains taking hook him, took these photos, find me showdown…” “What? Want watch me and Julian big tear a round, completely break, so let you take chance rise?” Tiffany proud expression instantly broken. Her eyes emerged jealousy hate, but soon hooked lip sneer. “Yes so what? Scarlett, I love Julian, see him first glance I loved him, I willing pay everything for him! Now I succeeded, he also loves me!” “Julian loves you love hard, but he can get unprecedented relax here with me.” “I understand his love, I love his paranoia crazy——we are natural pair!” Tiffany slowly pushed out a private room key card again, eyes flashing can’t wait excited smile. “Tonight 10:30, Christie’s Auction Room A1, Julian long put words, every piece I fancy will belong to me.” “I let you see with own eyes, who his true love exactly is!” “You wouldn’t dare come right Scarlett? Heh, don’t let me look down on… Ah!” Woman’s exquisite hairstyle makeup poured through by hot coffee, like an embarrassed dog. Tiffany simply didn’t expect I would directly move hand, instantly lost voice scream. Surrounding people attracted by scream, one after another looked at us, pointing fingers. I didn’t care surrounding sight, slow orderly put down cup. “You think who you are, also worthy interfere my action?” “Good calculation, Tiffany, your jumping up down look also enough be a fun.” I turned leave. Tiffany hands busy feet messy wiping coffee liquid on body, look twisted resentment: “Scarlett what you proud of?! You think you still that say one not two Scarlett family big miss? You are that biggest joke!” “Tonight you love come not come! But even you deceive yourself also can’t change fact Julian not love you! You are just a pitiful worm kept in drum…” Behind cursing voice gradually far, weaken. I stepped out gate. Sun warm, only whole body chill piercing bone. I admit, Tiffany bet right. Before she pay price for dirty things done, I always should with my that deep affection twenty-four filial good husband, Julian—— Touch a touch. Chapter 2 Room A1 door according my order, left a hidden gap. When I rushed to door, Julian was throwing thousand gold for Tiffany. Natural full green Jadeite bangle, royal Ruby necklace, world master painting orphan… all income bag. Tiffany surprised continuously low cry, excitedly kissed man beside a mouthful, cheeks slightly red. Julian however eyes doting look her, hand that Sky Lantern paddle symbolizing wealth and power never fell down. Standing around two, all Julian’s brothers. Every piece treasure auction down, they all coincidently tease booing. “Brother Julian action is generous! Tonight this scene, estimate not less than $1 Billion? Really ten thousand gold for beauty a smile ah!” “Our Brother Julian to Tiffany is really nothing to say, before also because Tiffany a sentence, then sent Aegean Sea island, asteroid naming right… really top romance!” “Also our Tiffany charm big, now who in New York don’t know Tiffany is Julian’s heart tip pet wa!” … A piece happy harmonious. I slowly scanned those few people spoke. No exception, all familiar faces. Daytime still respectfully call me Sister-in-law people, now all surrounding Tiffany side, try best fawn. Look their appearance, seem practiced this set extreme. I felt a heart sank and sank, nails dead embedded palm, then barely endured impulse push door in. Turns out, everyone knows. Whole world knows Julian has new love, whole world keep mouth shut. Only me, always kept in drum. I dead glared Julian mouth corner hooked smile. Every day before today, he smiled like this, said love me. He hugged me in arms, spoil me like treasure like pearl, promise me this life not fail. Heart mouth pan up dense pain, accompanying something broken sound. I expressionless looked man not far, but more look more strange. In crowd unknown who subconsciously blurted out—— “Yes ah, I remember, Julian pursuit that one posture also just so so right…” Scene atmosphere instantly solidified. Julian sank face, warning eyes one by one swept people beside. “I said, what can mention, what can’t mention, mouth want have a door.” “Can’t control mouth, I don’t mind help you sew up!” “Play return play, if anyone dare play to Scarlett face… you know my means!” Julian expression deep dark terrifying. Brothers one after another claimed yes, fear bowed head, dare not talk much. Me outside door, look this scene, only felt ironic. On phone screen, still displayed message Julian sent an hour ago—— “Kiss kiss wife, recently company took a big order, tonight have to overtime again.” “Baby no need wait me, sleep early, don’t boil bad body, love you (heart)” I almost vomited sound—— Turns out miss in his mouth, is while coaxing me sleep, while throw huge money accompany others honey mix oil. And his love me, is cover sky cover sun deception, is turn me this official lover into puppet, under totally unaware circumstance reduced to everyone laughing stock! Inside door sounded Tiffany delicate persuade peace voice. “Brother Julian don’t be so serious, brothers followed you so long, all clear your bottom line, won’t mess around.” “You don’t know how scary your cold face is! Quick smile a smile~ return my handsome Brother Julian…” Julian cold face instantly broke merit. Just a moment, room ice snow melt. With Julian once again light card light lantern, atmosphere directly reached climax. Brothers one after another booing “Kiss one”. Julian also mood very good, a hold buckled woman shy in arms, head down, deep kiss… Room again burst a burst cheers. I looked lively in front, trance, as if returned seven years ago. Second day Julian love at first sight to me, then presented a whole villa red roses. He bought my friends, brought me to that flower sea, presented deep affection confession. I disgusted man frivolous feeling and childish trick, contemptuous smile after, a fire burned all roses as fertilizer. Since then, our “you chase I flee” then became play act New Yorkers talked with relish. Julian every attack vigorous. But until now, I then know, turns out this heat equally can give others. I dialed Julian phone. Chapter 3 Phone rang, room a quiet. I cold eye watch Julian expression slightly congeal, signal people around quiet. “Wifey? Why so late not sleep yet, suddenly call…” “Julian Vance, I want you now immediately right now come back.” Man voice other end phone paused, still is as usual doting tone. “What? Baby can’t sleep?” “But I here still have things…” I directly interrupt him—— “Julian, come back.” I watched not far, Julian hugging Tiffany, no move at all. I hoarse voice, continue said: “Julian, I last…” “Brother Julian~” A delicate嗲 (coquettish) call interrupted me. I suddenly paused. Julian expression instantly froze. Phone came rustling muffled sound. Outside phone, I cold eye watch Julian hurriedly let go Tiffany, cover tight microphone. “…Scarlett I here signal not too good… company things too many, I go back later…” Julian hung up phone. This is still his first time actively hang up my call. Everyone says Julian loved Scarlett miserably, but only myself clear how deep he loved. After marriage Julian wished not separate with me a moment. Even go company work, phone also often hang, one hang is whole day. I trance remembered, Julian seems long time didn’t long talk with me. People drowning in love often easy ignore details of love. Until cruel truth exposed, past wrong details like bubbles one by one emerge, one by one broke. If I didn’t come personally uncover his mask today, future similar coldness today only will more and more. I will be like kind of woman once most pitied, wild thoughts for Julian, self doubt, lost soul. I force closed eyes. Inside room, Julian gloomy face question Tiffany. “Why suddenly speak? Scarlett almost heard!” Tiffany curled lip, pique turned head. “I also not intentional ah… not all because Brother Julian you said can’t expose, I don’t want cause trouble for you, also followed fear tremble, always nerves tense…” Tiffany eyes contain tears, aggrieved and helpless. “You know, I only want stay by your side, want nothing.” “See you all day nervous, I also thought leave, return you quiet, but I can’t twist my heart, what more now still have baby…” Met Tiffany charming teary eyes, again heard baby, Julian anger instantly dissipated. He helplessly softened tone. “I didn’t really blame you… don’t cry, still pregnant child, pay attention body.” “Big deal I go back spend more mind, explain with Scarlett.” “She not that suspicious heavy, won’t think much.” Julian again warned crowd tonight matter absolute confidential. I couldn’t listen anymore, directly pushed door enter—— “So you just rely on my trust unscrupulous? Julian Vance?” Chapter 4 Full room dead silence. Julian froze in place. Tiffany leaned in his arms, innocent look at me, only eyes leaked a trace provocation. A brother voice break deadlock—— “Ai sister, sister-in-law, is like this, time ago company busy, Brother Julian see us work hard, tonight specially bring us relax…” “You treat me fool?!” I smoothly grabbed a glass cup on table smashed over. “Crash” sound, glass on ground fried four split five cracks. No one dare open mouth speak again. “Scarlett, listen me explain…” Julian instantly recover spirit, crisp clean let go person in arms, fast step walk towards me. I watched pushed away Tiffany, expression unbearable, eyes flashed insidious jealousy. Until Julian stood in front me, as usual hooked intimate fawning smile, try pull my hand. I think not think directly threw off him, conveniently returned a slap—— “Slap!” Julian head biased to one side, expression unpredictable. Immediately have brother indignant prepare step forward, but by Julian cold voice stop—— “Retreat!” Brother swept by Julian eyes, stammered retreated back. He turned again gently held my hand. “Didn’t hit pain right?” Julian mouth corner still carried a trace tease, wind light cloud pale look as if nothing happened, no betrayal, no deception, still love me like crazy. I suddenly born a burst fire, fiercely pushed him away, same time from side drew out a dagger. This is a dagger appearance exquisite, blade arc design make it more easy stab into human body. Julian this madman not follow common logic, others marry exchange rings, he however gave me a knife. I now still remember, on wedding, he unprecedented serious gaze and word by word solemn vow—— “Today I finally as wish married this life most loved woman, Scarlett, I give this heart to you, this life must not fail you.” “If betray, you just use this dagger directly gouge my heart!” These years I carefully maintained this unique love token, but never thought one day really will use it. Heart weeping blood, I face however more calm. “Julian, you know my character, dirty things, I don’t want.” “Nothing need say, divorce.” Julian figure stiff a moment, eye bottom rare emerged rage color. “Scarlett, do you know what yourself saying?” Julian face gloomy like water. “Don’t make trouble Scarlett.” “I admit I made a small mistake, I can send her away, I can guarantee let her never appear in front of you again, but you can’t…” I suddenly force push dagger forward a hand. Julian extinguished voice. He stunned looking my red eye sockets, lips mumbling, but finally dumb speechless. I strong suppressed fingertip tremble. Blade tip almost stabbed Julian chest. “Julian, you so understand me, feelings gone can divorce, you know I absolutely won’t continue pester.” “But you insist choose use this way… let me Scarlett become joke in everyone eyes!” “Julian Vance, you really deserve die!” Looking that face accompanied day and night sleep, my stomach churned terrible, expression more cold stern. Suddenly, Tiffany screamed, caught off guard pounced here. “Not allow you hurt Brother Julian!” “Stab——” Blade instantly dyed red.

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During a business trip, because I couldn’t stand the $50 per night Motel booked by the company, I chose to pay out of pocket to stay in a $1,000 per night luxury hotel. Next morning meeting, my female supervisor rolled her eyes at me. “Staying in a $1,000 hotel for a business trip, why don’t you die of luxury?” I was too lazy to argue with her, explained. “Helen, I’m prone to allergies, that’s why I paid for a better hotel myself. Besides, this trip I negotiated a $10 Million business order for the company, didn’t delay work.” Unexpectedly, she immediately slammed the table and stood up excitedly. “Is it easy for your parents to raise you? Earn a little salary and don’t know your own weight! With this money, wouldn’t it be better to buy everyone Starbucks to improve everyone’s work enthusiasm?” “You tell the truth in front of everyone, that five-star hotel night, did you go to be an Escort? Young age not learning good, if continue like this, company sooner or later bankrupt by your bad luck!” I couldn’t bear it anymore. “Keep your mouth clean! I have money, willing to treat myself better, what’s wrong? Meddling too much right, big sister?” Leader was angry enough to hit me, stopped by colleagues, I was too lazy to pay attention to her, completed my own work as usual. Unexpectedly, next day off work, my Porsche 911 parked in the garage was smashed to pieces. Car body was written full of “Slut”, “Unfilial” and other big words with white paint. I checked surveillance, found it was leader Helen did it. I questioned her, she raised her eyebrows. “This is the end of a Gold Digger! Your parents can’t teach you, I teach for them! Not afraid of losing face you call the police ah?” I smiled and shook my head at her. Turned around and submitted resignation letter. Now, the whole company panicked. Chapter 1 Business trip to other state to discuss business, I looked at the $50 per night Motel in front of me, puzzled in heart. Company reimbursement standard was previously $200 per night, when did it become so stingy? The room in front of eyes was dirty and messy, really couldn’t stay. Just happened to be my birthday a few days ago, parents transferred me a $50,000 red packet, I directly booked the Executive Suite of the Ritz-Carlton next door. Back to company next day morning meeting. Department leader Helen stared at me tightly as soon as she entered door. I threw a doubtful look at her. Next second, Helen face gloomy. “Grace, take out your invoice for this business trip.” Although just started working less than three months, I am very clear about company reimbursement process, reimbursement doesn’t pass through leader hands. What’s more, I dislike trouble, never ask for invoice when staying in hotels. Meeting her scrutinizing gaze, I shook head. “Helen, I paid for other hotel myself, not going through reimbursement.” Helen looked at me with complex eyes and sighed, earnestly said. “Little Grace ah, you are young, must hold your bottom line, business trip just stay one night, where is not staying?” “Company has booked hotel, why you spend extra unjust money? With that money better honor parents.” I suppressed irritation, good temper replied her. “Helen, don’t need you worry, my parents still afraid my salary not enough to spend. Moreover, my skin sensitive, also have mysophobia, can’t stay in too bad hotels.” “Rested well, work efficiency also high. You rest assured, I don’t spend company money, I pay myself.” Who knew Helen suddenly anxious. “Self-pay? Ouch, just earned a little salary then amazing, if I were your mom, would be angered to death by you!” I laughed in anger, seen daddy-flavor leaders, this is first time seeing mommy-flavor leader. “$1,000 per night Executive Suite, I see your skin itchy, wings hard only care own happiness!” Hearing her report accurate amount and room type, colleagues in conference room all looked over to me. That day was my solo business trip, what channel did she use to know? Anger rushing out. I couldn’t bear it anymore, heavily slammed the folder in hand on the table in front. “Who do you think you are! I spend my own money what relation with you? Except work matters, less pointing fingers at me!” Helen didn’t expect I would contradict her in public, face green and red. “I am also for your good, don’t be ungrateful.” Seeing me not retreating, she couldn’t pull down face, waved hand. “Alright alright, talk about this later, you continue report.” I took a few deep breaths, barely controlled emotions. Work still can’t be delayed. Later report completed smoothly, and I also relied on this $10 Million order, became company’s sales king this month. But not long after, I was immersed in work. Helen rushed over, slammed shut the laptop in front of me fiercely. “I thought about it, still feel something wrong.” Chapter 2 Again? I folded arms, looked at her coldly. “You surface say self-pay, but actually? Your salary, performance, subsidy, aren’t they issued by company? And your project bonus this time, isn’t it from company?” “Wool comes from sheep, secretly taking advantage of company, Grace, you are really smart ah!” Helen crossed arms leaning on my cubicle. “Still self-pay? Creating rich beautiful girl persona here?” “Your parents let you go college, is to let you learn these things?” I reminded her angrily. “Helen, speak with respect. I won project for company, company paying me salary is should be.” Helen gritted teeth in anger. “I asked around, your salary this month plus commission, is nearly $12,000!” “My car loan mortgage haven’t paid off, even Netflix subscription reluctant to open, you a 20 something little girl, come company two months take so much salary, who knows used what means?” Colleagues originally lowered heads working, hearing my salary at this moment, eyes looking at me varied, soon discussed in low voice. I was indignant, a nameless fire born in chest. Kicked away chair, stood in front of Helen. “Helen, are you sick? Salary is personal privacy, not allowed employees discuss privately. You good, told my salary to whole office people listen!” “Initially you guys disliked client hard to handle, I then took over this project. I didn’t steal didn’t rob, these are all I deserve!” “Jealous ah? Have ability earn yourself! Don’t rely on being older to be unreasonable!” Last sentence, I almost roared out. Thought seeing me so angry, Helen would stop here. Unexpectedly, she pushed luck. “You can stay in $1,000 a night hotel, definitely not short of money, this $10,000 bonus, you split equally with department colleagues, also count as repaying everyone’s help to you in two months.” Holy shit! Who recruited such a stupid person? And let her become leader. I took out phone want call Julian Frost. Is this man playing me? Didn’t agree to go work in a department with less trouble? Initially I just graduated, originally wanted play two years, was Julian coaxed me begged me, saying panic uncomfortable not seeing me every day. I couldn’t twist him, could only come his company work a idle job. Of course, I afraid trouble, so our relationship always a secret. But now, I really can’t bear it, continue like this, I will be angered out nodules by Helen! Phone just connected, a hand snatched my phone. Helen glanced at interface on my phone, hung up with sarcasm. “Still remark Husband? Play quite flower Little Grace, to earn some money, no need so unscrupulous right?” She leaned close to me, pretend to lower voice, actually volume not small. “That $10,000 commission you better be sensible, otherwise I will report your sleeping around matter to company.” I coldly looked her once, only said two words. “Psycho.” Then turned and left company. Left only Helen cursing behind, angry she stomped feet. Home at night, more I thought more angry, if not Julian business trip, I must ask him well, is it intentional! Suddenly, phone came message. Before I unlock, more than hundred verification messages appeared on screen. Chapter 3 Seeing content, I shocked endless. [Miss, I pick you up off work tomorrow 5 PM ah?] [Hello beauty, I can get certificate fastest this week.] [Miss Grace, although I poor, but after marriage I can let you peace mind be full-time wife, you consider.] Not wait me recover spirit, found myself pulled into a 500 people dating group. Group chat full of my personal info, group owner even marked price clearly, selling my photos as blind box. One half body photo $9.9, full body photo $29.9, no makeup photo $59.9… Looking those obscene speech in group, I struck by thunder. Deep breath. I clicked a profile picture looked quite human, replied back. “I already married, how did you have my contact info?” Didn’t expect opposite instantly angry. “Married? Then your mom sign you up what dating? Family of psychos! Idiot!” Scolded inexplicably, I angry hand shaking. My mom? How possible? My wedding with Julian she not didn’t come. Looking group owner speaking tone, I had faint guess in heart. Next morning early, Helen indeed sat on my cubicle waiting me. “Little Grace ah, dating object satisfied not?” “Sister as experienced person tell you, you now young, easy go astray very normal, married then honest.” I just prepared start scolding, Julian’s secretary called me out a trip. Front foot just left, some colleague couldn’t sit still. “President Frost secretary call her do what? She just won big order, wouldn’t give her promotion right?” Helen cold snort. “With me here she still want promotion? Must be President Frost knew her ugly matter, want fire her!” These words not I didn’t hear, but lazy waste tongue with them. Secretary William took me to garage, handed car key to me, with fawning smile. “Madam, last night President Frost too many social events, this is his apology to you.” Looking at beautiful Porsche in front, my anger finally dissipated big half. “You tell Julian Frost, I want resign.” William hurried agreed. I originally wanted let him check company travel expense reimbursement matter, thought forget it. I suddenly resign, he definitely will check reason, that time naturally will have truth, company matters, I also lazy intervene. Beautiful car body shining under light. My mood instantly great, hurry go upstairs pack things. This broken place, I can’t stay one second more! Just walked to cubicle, I stunned. Originally tidy desk piled files like mountain. Not wait me open mouth ask, colleague Zack weird tone. “Able person do more labor, take so much salary not work not okay.” Weird who? I don’t take this coward anger, picked up files on table, one by one threw back. Wait files on table all thrown back, I then realized wrong. My tablet, laptop, mouse placed on table, even humidifier on table all disappeared. I hurriedly pulled open chair, found Hermes bag placed on chair also gone. “My bag and my computer? How nothing left?” Colleagues in office all silent not speak. Suddenly, Helen holding a stack cash in hand, appeared in my sight. “Sold second hand, help company and your family recover blood.” Chapter 4 I dare not believe my ears, but empty desk reminded me: Helen indeed dare do this. “I said, your parents can’t teach you, I teach you.” Helen proudly looking at me. “Now whole department knows, your this $10,000 reward origin incorrect. Since took advantage of company, then return to company.” “Your those waste products I totally sold $12,000, except should return company, remaining I help you mail back, honor parents.” Want scold people heart this moment no longer can endure, I blurted out. “Helen, you psycho right? Do you know my one bag six figures, based on what you steal sell others things?” Helen rolled a big big eye. “Seems your parents really didn’t teach you how respect elders!” “You a little girl just out society, I originally left face for you, but didn’t expect your face skin so thick. Is that bought with proper money? You have face say I no face listen.” Now spreading rumors open mouth just come? This moment my brain only left scolding words. Suddenly, a white haired old person appeared in my sight. Anxious and lost standing at door. Isn’t this grandma living in countryside? I hurry step forward, support grandma. Haven’t wait me open mouth ask, Helen slight smile. “I checked your home address, found you still have an eighty years old grandma living alone in countryside.” “So I helped you pick old person over, you have to good filial her ah! Don’t have bit money just spend randomly, think more about family grew up suffering!” Finished, she took out cash from chest, pulled out few sheets stuffed to grandma. “Remaining is company money, keep for everyone give bonus, do team building!” “Thank you Helen Sister!” “Helen Sister wise!” Colleagues clapped applaud. Grandma holding few bills, stunned on spot, obviously was scared, I heartache endless, this moment care nothing, just want hurry take old person home. So I turned leave. Just turned, a voice called me. Is company security. “Whose Porsche is that in garage?” Porsche? I remember garage only that one Porsche. Security directly held up photo let everyone identify. Car paint on photo scratched rotten, glass shattered, car body also viciously used white paint wrote “Slut”, “Mistress” etc big words. Isn’t that one Julian just gave me? My brain boom a sound, this who did again! Under urgency, I scolded out sound. “That is new car, I haven’t driven once yet!” Colleagues pfft sound laughed out. “Real fake? You an ordinary person how possible afford drive so good car?” “Still pretending rich beauty? Have ability take car key prove ah!” I furiously rushed to garage. Grandma worried me, tightly followed me all way. See with own eyes new bought Porsche smashed rare rotten, I angry heart about thump out. Seeing proud smile on Helen face, I heart clear, just now selling my bag and computer, now smashing car matter eighty percent also she did! I rushed to Helen front, raise hand just a slap. “Helen! I gave you face right!” Helen covered face, disbelief screamed once. “You little bitch, you dare hit me! You don’t slander people here! Clearly yourself did too many guilty things, then got karma, what relation with me!” “I see whose wife came catch mistress right!” Saying, she waved arms, scolding kicking pounced towards me. Grandma anxious straight wave hand, blocked in front of me. “Good child, don’t angry, have words speak well!” Helen disregard everything, a palm pushed grandma down on ground, sharp nail scratched grandma face, blood flow straight. I angry tears straight shoot, hurry cover grandma wound. “Fine, then check surveillance. Wait surveillance result out, we calculate new account old account together!” Hearing I said want check surveillance, Helen panicked.

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The ninety-ninth time my husband, Brad, publicly shamed me—for not having King Crab on the New Year’s Eve table, of course—while clutching his wallet like a pearl, I did the only thing a woman in my position could: I found a “Sugar Daddy.” A real one. This new benefactor was lavish. Five thousand dollars just to go shopping, ten thousand to catch a movie. When we hit the department store, the black card was limitless. He bought me a gold bangle worth fifty grand without a second thought, and he immediately paid for the expensive interest class my daughter had been dreaming of. This year, I bought my daughter a full set of designer New Year’s clothes early. Fresh oyster, lobster, and King Crab packed our refrigerator until it groaned. Brad finally lost it, his voice shrill and hysterical. “I only give you this paltry little allowance! Where the hell did you get all this stuff?” I fought the cold, internal laugh threatening to spill out. So, he does know it’s just “a paltry little allowance.” 1. “It was all on sale at the market,” I answered vaguely, turning to take the new outfits I’d bought for our daughter into the bedroom. When I came back out, Brad’s face was ashen. He was holding a crumpled shopping receipt for eighteen hundred and eighty dollars—a smoking gun—and he threw it at my face. The sharp edge of the paper nearly drew blood. “Sophia! You spent almost two grand on seafood! That pathetic King Crab alone was over three hundred bucks!” “You’re a stay-at-home mom, someone nobody would even hire to pick up trash! Where did you get this kind of money?” I stared at Brad and innocently blinked twice. “I saved it. I saved it from the allowance you gave me.” “Didn’t you give me eight hundred dollars every month?” “Other than groceries, cooking, and paying the utilities, I don’t have many expenses.” “I saved up quite a bit over the year!” “That’s bulls—!” Brad yanked at his own hair in a fit of rage. “I gave you eight hundred, not eighty thousand! Do you think everyone is as stupid as you are?” Watching the spectacle, I almost felt a strange urge to smile. Brad, who earns two thousand a month, was terrified that my years as a stay-at-home mom would instill bad habits, so he limited my monthly allowance to $800. This money had to cover all of my and our daughter’s expenses, plus the utility bills. I had to sneak out every day to work side jobs at the farmers market just to keep the household barely afloat. Last New Year’s Eve, I worked for half a month straight at the butcher’s stall just to save enough for a halfway decent dinner. But when Brad saw the table, his face instantly darkened. “Honey, in this day and age, what family doesn’t have a King Crab on the New Year’s table?” he’d said. “I give you such a generous allowance; can’t you be a little more frugal?” “My parents don’t live with us; this one meal is your only chance to show filial piety. Shouldn’t you try harder?” I’d cried on the spot, grabbing my hair hysterically. “You gave me eight hundred dollars, not eighty thousand! You know damn well if I can afford a King Crab!” I never thought that in just one short year, that exact line would be coming out of his mouth. 2. Brad clearly didn’t believe my explanation. While I was in the kitchen washing cherries for our daughter, he pulled out every single savings book and bank card he owned, calling the banks one by one. “Hello, yes! I need to check all the transactions on this account for the past six months!” “Are you sure all deposits and withdrawals were made by me alone?” “There’s no chance my wife took our marriage certificate and withdrew any money, is there?” Brad was spitting mad as he spoke into the phone, determined to find evidence that I had stolen from his accounts. I remember when we first married, Brad handed over his salary every month. At the time, I earned five times what he did, and I managed all the household finances. But when I was forced to quit my job and stay home because of our daughter’s congenital respiratory condition, Brad, under the guise of paying for medical expenses, took all the money I had. From that day on, my savings became his savings. His accounts were walled off from me; I couldn’t spend a cent without his permission. When I was the breadwinner, Brad would hand over a small part of his salary while demanding I buy him five-hundred-dollar leather shoes. When the tables turned, he claimed I was too extravagant, arguing that a monthly $800 allowance was necessary to keep me in check. Brad spent over an hour on the phone. After confirming that not a single penny was missing from his accounts, he took a deep breath, his face cold, and stood before me. “Sophia, tell me the truth. Are you cheating on me?” Just as Brad asked this, I got a message from my “Sugar Daddy.” He told me to rest well over the holiday and that he’d spend time with me after he got back from Miami. I immediately sent back a perfectly sweet emoji. Instantly, another five thousand dollars transferred into my account. My “Sugar Daddy” truly was the best; he just throws money at me without asking. “Sophia! I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?” I was in a great mood thanks to the five grand. I kept the smile on my face when responding to Brad’s interrogation. “Honey, don’t be ridiculous. I’m a useless old housewife. Who would look twice at me?” “Why would a rich CEO ignore all the young, beautiful girls and throw money at me?” Brad suddenly thought of something. He rushed into the bedroom and grabbed the entire set of luxury cosmetics from my vanity. “No! This is all wrong! You never used to wear makeup, Sophia!” “Look at you now, painted up like a ghost! Do you look like a decent wife or mother at all?” I tilted my head, checking my reflection in the TV’s dark screen. Full lips, bright eyes, every strand of hair perfectly styled. I didn’t know if I looked like a decent wife, but I was certainly prettier than I was two years ago, sitting alone and disheveled in the children’s ER while our daughter was on an IV. “Honey, didn’t you say that even as a stay-at-home mom, I should keep myself up to please you?” “If you don’t like it, I won’t wear it anymore.” My consistent, lukewarm attitude finally broke Brad. He slammed the pile of expensive cosmetics he’d just retrieved onto the floor. “Sophia! You tell me the truth! If you don’t explain yourself, I’m divorcing you immediately!” 3. Divorce. That’s wonderful. I’d endured months of this, and I’d finally gotten Brad to propose divorce. Honestly, I wanted to divorce Brad the very first day I met my “Sugar Daddy.” But he advised me that it was best if Brad initiated the divorce. That way, he would have no leverage over me regarding the dissolution of the marriage. I hadn’t even gotten the chance to say “yes” when my mother-in-law’s call came through. I had no interest in hearing Brad’s conversation with his mother, so I turned and went into the room to comfort our daughter. Brad’s tantrum was loud, and I was worried about scaring her, as she’d just fallen asleep. A few moments later, Brad hung up and came in. His face was still sour, but his tone had softened slightly. “Mom said my Aunt and Uncle are coming back from Florida this year, and they’re all coming here for New Year’s.” “You need to prepare properly these next few days. Don’t let the New Year’s dinner be so pathetic.” After years of marriage, I instantly understood the subtext. He meant he’d overlook where I got the lobster and King Crab from, as long as I helped his “filial son” self save face in front of his relatives. But I had no intention of letting him get his way. The next day, I hired a professional chef to come over and prepare a luxurious seafood feast just for my daughter and me. After we ate our fill, we gave the leftover crab legs and shrimp to the stray cats in the neighborhood. Not a single shell was left behind. On New Year’s Eve morning, Brad was still on the phone, boasting to his mother. He told her I’d bought a giant King Crab, a pair of eight-pound Australian lobsters, and fist-sized premium oyster, all waiting to treat his aunt and uncle’s family. When Brad and the whole crowd stomped through the door that evening, they found an empty dining table set with only two plates of frozen dumplings and two plates of burnt peanuts. Brad’s smile froze on his face. “Is this the dinner you prepared?” he asked, his voice strained. I stood there, bare-faced, holding my daughter’s hand. She was wearing old, slightly dingy clothes. I smiled with complete sincerity. “It is, honey.” “That day, you were so angry and asked where the money for the seafood came from.” “Well, actually, I’d borrowed it from a bunch of sketchy payday loans and credit cards. I borrowed over ten thousand dollars!” “I knew I was wrong, so I returned all the seafood and the new clothes! I paid the money back!” “I still owe about a thousand dollars in interest, but with the eight hundred dollars you give me every month, I should be able to pay it off in two years!” Brad and his mother’s faces cycled from crimson to white. They were speechless for a long time. From the back of the crowd, Aunt Lydia (Uncle Victor’s wife) remarked icily: “Sister-in-law, your Brad is so successful. He has to take out loans to host us for dinner on New Year’s.” Uncle Victor’s daughter, Cousin Madison, who had just returned from overseas, glanced at the table with blatant disdain. “Cousin Brad, you only give your wife eight hundred dollars a month? Tsk, tsk, no wonder foreign women look down on men from around here.” Brad clenched his fists, veins throbbing on his forehead. He looked ready to punch me. His mother stepped in and stopped him, rolling her eyes fiercely at me before trying to smooth things over. “Oh, hush, these two are having a little fight again!” “Women these days, they’re not as sensible as we were back then!” “They get a little upset and throw a fit just to humiliate their husband!” “Tonight, my treat! We’re going out for dinner! Let the person who caused all this trouble reflect on herself at home!” 4. Brad stumbled back in right as the New Year’s fireworks were cracking at midnight. Drunk and bleary-eyed, he shoved a divorce agreement into my hand. “Sophia! I know you did that on purpose today!” “We don’t have to torment each other anymore. Let’s get divorced after the holiday!” I quickly scanned the terms. The child went to me, the house split fifty-fifty, all savings to him, and he wouldn’t pay any child support. I thought about it. It seemed fair enough. I had no intention of splitting the savings my “Sugar Daddy” had given me anyway. So, with a flourish, I signed the divorce agreement. That night, I moved into my daughter’s room. The next morning, Brad held up the signed agreement and immediately started grilling me. “Sophia! I was only suspicious before, but now I know for a fact you have someone else!” “Otherwise, where would an orphan who doesn’t even have her parents around get the nerve to divorce me?” “Sophia! Tell me clearly! When did this start? Who is he? If you don’t explain, neither of us is going to have a peaceful holiday!” Brad was hysterical, grasping at straws. He was a mirror image of how I had been one year ago, desperately asking him whose long hair was on his pillow and whose lipstick stained his collar. Back then, Brad just played on his phone, not even sparing me a glance. I turned off the flame under the millet porridge I was making for my daughter, sighed slowly, and imitated his former nonchalance. “Honestly, living with you is exhausting. Believe whatever you want.” From that day on, Brad went crazy. He contacted all my old friends and former colleagues, trying to dig up any shred of evidence. Unfortunately, my “Sugar Daddy” and I had been careful from the start. He was old-school; he paid me mostly in cash. The few times he’d wired money, I’d handled the paper trail meticulously, leaving no trace. Brad spent days searching, but found nothing. Then, one afternoon, right after Presidents’ Day, my “Sugar Daddy” finally returned from Miami. As soon as I got the message, I rushed to put on my best makeup. I took my daughter’s small hand, and we walked to the fancy café where we often met. My “Sugar Daddy” pulled out two gold bangles, a large one and a small one, and put them on my and my daughter’s wrists. Before I could even say how lovely they were, Brad, his mother, and his entire extended family suddenly appeared from nowhere. My mother-in-law immediately threw a cup of coffee at my face. “You little tramp! I knew you were cheating on my son!” My “Sugar Daddy” instantly pulled me behind him, tenderly wiping my face with a handkerchief. “Who are you? What do you want?” Brad, like a blind cat who finally caught a rat, stuck out his chest triumphantly. “Who am I? I’m her husband! Look at you, all dressed up! You seduced my wife!” “You’re paying! Don’t even think about getting away with less than five hundred thousand dollars!” Uncle Victor scrutinized my “Sugar Daddy” from head to toe, his eyes lighting up with recognition. “You’re Robert Sinclair, aren’t you? The CEO of Sinclair Industries! Yes, it’s you!” He pulled out his phone and snapped several pictures of my “Sugar Daddy.” “I can’t believe a big shot like you plays such dirty games!” “Listen, you have to pay our family ten million dollars for this! And our company needs to get the exclusive agency contract for your Sinclair Group!” “Otherwise, I’ll release these photos to the public! I’ll ruin your company and you right along with it!” My “Sugar Daddy’s” face was calm as water. He surveyed the greedy faces before him, his voice commanding and quietly powerful. “Yes, that’s right.” “I am Robert Sinclair of Sinclair Industries, and I am Sophia’s biological father.”

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The moment my fiancée, Isabella, returned from Vegas with her assistant, she announced a 30% raise for the entire tech department—the one I managed. My team went wild. The office was buzzing. “Bella must’ve hit a massive jackpot in Vegas! Why else would she suddenly approve a department-wide raise like this?” “Every other department is green with envy.” “Let them be. Our chief is her fiancé, after all. Of course, she’s going to look after us first!” “Hey, chief,” one of my guys asked, leaning over my desk, “how much did she actually win?” I just frowned. Something felt off. Just then, Isabella swept into our department, her assistant trailing behind her, a thick stack of documents in his arms. She tossed them onto my desk with an air of casual authority. “These need signing by your department. You’re the manager, Gordon. Lead by example.” I flipped open the top document. My eyes widened. Personal Loan Agreement? 1 What the hell was this? Were we supposed to take out loans just to get paid? My confusion was mirrored on the faces of my entire team. “Personal Loan Agreements? What’s going on?” one of them blurted out. “We take out loans from a bank, and the company uses that money to pay our salaries?” “This has to be a mistake, right?” “Loan-to-work? I’ve been in this industry for a decade and never heard of anything so insane!” “So the 30% raise was just a lie to get us to take on debt for the company? Do they think we’re idiots?” As the murmurs of discontent grew into a wave of outrage, Isabella shot a look at her assistant, Vincent. He slapped a hand on the table, his face a mask of stern disapproval. “Everybody, quiet down. Don’t run your mouths off about things you don’t understand. You’ll damage the company’s reputation.” He pasted on a slick, reassuring smile. “This is a special perk for the tech department. Other teams would kill for this opportunity.” One of my senior engineers snorted. “A perk? First I’ve ever heard of debt being a benefit.” Vincent ignored him, his voice dripping with false sincerity. “While the loans are in your names, you won’t be responsible for repayment. The company will handle everything.” He spread his hands wide. “Stratton Industries is expanding rapidly, and our capital is tied up in new ventures. We’re just facing a temporary cash-flow issue.” “Rest assured,” he continued, his eyes sweeping over the skeptical faces, “as soon as you sign, the company guarantees to pay off the bank loans within a year, max. After that, your salaries will see another boost. Stratton is doing this because you’re a vital department, and also because your manager, Gordon, is Ms. Stratton’s fiancé. You’re getting special treatment. An opportunity like this doesn’t just fall into anyone’s lap.” His words were smooth, but it was just empty promises wrapped in corporate jargon. The team wasn’t buying it; their expressions were still a mixture of anger and disbelief. Vincent turned his phony smile on me. “Gordon, you’re a reasonable man. They might not understand the company’s vision, but surely you do. Bella is working herself to the bone for this company’s future. If her own tech department can’t handle a small request like this, how can she lead us forward? Come on, be a leader. Sign the papers.” Sign it? I’d sooner break my own damn leg. I didn’t have to guess who cooked up this ridiculous, insulting scheme. It had Vincent’s fingerprints all over it. Ever since he’d joined as Isabella’s assistant, she’d become completely dependent on his advice, taking him to every important meeting. Whispers had already started, people wondering if he was the real fiancé, if I was just the guy she was stringing along. We’d fought about him, about his influence, more times than I could count. Each argument ended in a bitter stalemate, chipping away at whatever was left between us. Our love, our partnership… it had been worn thin by these constant battles. I took a deep breath, ignoring Vincent completely, and looked directly at Isabella. “Making employees sign loan agreements is unheard of,” I said, my voice low and steady. “This will crush morale. It’s poison for the company culture. Whoever suggested this does not have your best interests at heart.” As I said it, I shot a cold glare at Vincent. The smile on his face tightened, and a flicker of malice flashed in his eyes. Isabella’s expression hardened. “Gordon, enough with the drama,” she snapped, her patience gone. “Just sign the damn papers. I have other things to do.” It was like she hadn’t heard a word I said. Vincent, now looking smug, leaned in with a hint of a sneer. “Don’t hesitate, Gordon. I have to escort Bella to a banquet tonight. We don’t have all day.” My team looked crushed, their anger turning to a quiet desperation. They all looked at me. I’d built this department from the ground up, hired every single person in the room. They trusted me. I was their anchor. I looked back at Isabella, and all I felt was a profound sense of disappointment. This wasn’t the woman I’d fallen in love with, the partner I’d planned a future with. In just one year, she’d become a stranger. And in her eyes, I was no longer a partner, but just another disposable piece on her chessboard. A deep weariness washed over me. For years, I had poured my heart and soul into helping her build Stratton Industries, asking for nothing but her trust in return. Now I saw it all for what it was: a one-sided fantasy. I let the loan agreement slip from my fingers and onto the desk. “Anyone who signs this,” I said, my voice clear and final, “is a fool.” 2 Isabella’s face flushed with fury. She clearly hadn’t expected me to defy her so publicly. “Gordon,” she seethed, her eyes blazing, “say that again. I dare you.” I met her gaze without flinching. “I will not sign this loan agreement. Period.” My declaration was like a signal. The rest of the tech team erupted. “He’s right! They’re playing us for fools!” “All that hype about a 30% raise… what a joke. We got excited for nothing.” “The chief’s right! Whoever signs this is an idiot.” “We’re tech guys. We might not be the smoothest talkers, but we’re not stupid.” “The company will pay it back? Yeah, right. Even a five-year-old wouldn’t fall for that lie.” “They want to sell us down the river and expect us to thank them for it? This is disgusting.” The room was filled with the righteous anger of my team. Vincent, trying to reassert control, puffed out his chest. “What’s all this noise? I told you, it’s a company perk! Don’t be so ungrateful!” he yelled over the din. “Let me make this clear: anyone who doesn’t sign today can clear out their desk tomorrow. You think this company can’t function without you? You’re all spoiled. Don’t forget who signs your paychecks. This company is named Stratton, and it belongs to her.” He shot me a pointed, triumphant look. The jab was meant for me. Isabella glared at me, her face a thundercloud. “Gordon, my office. Now.” Without waiting for a reply, she spun on her heel and stormed off. I followed her into her office. The moment I was inside, she slammed the door shut, the sound echoing the violence of her anger. “Are you out of your mind, Gordon?” she screamed, whirling on me. “I asked your department to sign a simple loan agreement, and you undermined me in front of everyone! Do you even see me as your fiancée anymore? Do you have any idea how bad you just made me look?” I sighed, the fight draining out of me. “This was Vincent’s idea, wasn’t it?” I asked quietly. “Have you thought about what happens when word of this gets out? What people will think of Stratton Industries? That guy…” “Vincent is looking out for me! For the company!” she cut me off, her voice shrill. “Our cash flow is tight. It’s just a one-year loan, I’m not asking them to sell their souls! Once our capital frees up, I’ll compensate them handsomely…” I held up a hand to stop her. “The company is short on cash?” My brows knitted together. “How is that possible? We just had two major project payments come in last month. The company has been profitable every single quarter. There’s no reason for us to be in a financial crunch.” A flicker of panic crossed Isabella’s face. She avoided my eyes, her answer vague and evasive. A cold dread began to creep up my spine. “Isabella,” I said, my voice dropping, “how much did you lose in Vegas?” If I hadn’t figured it out by now, I really would be an idiot. My question seemed to push her over the edge from defensive to furious. “How much I lost is none of your business!” she shot back. “Even when we’re married, you don’t get to control my private life. Stratton Industries is my family’s company. If I want to run it into the ground, that’s my decision, and it has nothing to do with you!” I let out another heavy sigh. “How much could you even get from the team’s loans? It wouldn’t be nearly enough to solve a serious cash-flow problem,” I reasoned, trying one last time. “If things are really that bad, we can use the money from our savings account to tide the company over.” When we first got together, we’d opened a joint account. It was for our future—our wedding, our first home, our kids. Over the years, I’d deposited most of my salary, bonuses, and dividends into it. My contributions alone totaled over a million dollars. It should have been more than enough to cover a temporary shortfall. But as I said it, Isabella went silent, a guilty expression washing over her face. I stared at her in disbelief. “Don’t tell me,” I whispered, the words catching in my throat. “You didn’t… you didn’t touch that account, did you? You blew through that, too?” She had always called that account our safety net, our last resort. If the company ever failed, that money was supposed to be the foundation we would rebuild our lives on. And now, she had torched it. Faced with my shocked expression, her guilt morphed back into anger. “My luck was just bad, okay!” she yelled. “Once the company is stable, I swear I’ll win it all back! Stop fixating on this. The priority right now is to keep the company afloat.” She took a breath, her eyes regaining a manic intensity. “Vincent and I have already worked it out. If we get your entire tech team to sign the loan agreements, we can leverage them with a private finance company. We’ll get way more than we would from a bank. It will solve everything!” I almost laughed. It was such a brazenly monstrous plan. She and Vincent weren’t just asking for a loan. They were leading my entire team to the slaughterhouse. 3 I don’t know what kind of poison Vincent had been feeding Isabella, but she was completely under his spell. She hadn’t just gambled away company funds; she’d drained our shared future, and now she was coming for the livelihoods of my entire team. Had she given any thought to the consequences? She had become utterly unreasonable. I stopped trying to reason with her. It was pointless. “No matter what you say, I won’t sign that contract,” I stated flatly. “And the people in my department aren’t stupid. They won’t let you sell them off like cattle.” “If the company needs money, there are other ways. We can apply for a corporate loan. We can ask our business partners for a short-term bridge loan…” “No!” she snapped, her eyes wide with panic. “No one outside this company can know we’re in trouble. I would be humiliated.” Her gaze hardened into an ultimatum. “Gordon, I’m saying this for the last time. You will lead your team in signing those agreements, or else…” Before she could finish her threat, a commotion erupted from outside the office—angry shouts mixed with Vincent’s pained, pathetic yelps. Isabella’s face went pale. She wrenched the door open. In the main office area, Vincent was on the floor, being swarmed by the tech team. They were kicking and hitting him, even the normally mild-mannered women on my team landing a few furious kicks. It was a testament to just how much he was hated. “Stop it!” Isabella shrieked, rushing forward to shield him with her own body. She glared at the team, a lioness protecting her cub. “How dare you! Assaulting someone in my company!” The team fell back, breathing heavily. Before they could explain, Vincent, clutching his side, put on a masterful show of victimhood. “Bella, they’re insane!” he whimpered. “I was just trying to reason with them, to get them to think about the company, and they attacked me! I’m your assistant! By attacking me, they’re attacking you!” He pointed a shaking finger at the team. “They’re arrogant. In their eyes, Gordon is their only boss. You mean nothing to them compared to him.” Hearing Vincent’s twisted version of events, the team’s anger flared again, and a few of them looked ready to lunge at him once more. I knew my people. They wouldn’t have laid a hand on him without extreme provocation. He must have said something truly vile. But Isabella, blinded by her trust in him, didn’t give them a chance to speak. “This is my company, not Gordon’s!” she yelled, her voice cracking with rage. “You dare attack my assistant? Is this a rebellion? You think because you have a few technical skills you can disrespect everyone? Fine! Half of your salaries this month are gone! And you can forget about your quarterly and annual bonuses! That’s your punishment. Anyone who doesn’t like it can quit right now. I’ll approve your resignation on the spot!” My team’s faces were flushed with indignation. They were professionals, here to do a job, not indentured servants. Isabella was acting like a feudal lord punishing her serfs. Did she really think they couldn’t find work elsewhere? Before anyone could respond, she turned her fury back on me. “And you,” she spat, her voice dripping with contempt, “if you don’t sign that contract, you can get the hell out too!” I looked at her, the last embers of our shared history dying in that moment. “Fine,” I said calmly. “I’m gone.” 4 The news that Stratton Industries had fired its entire tech department sent shockwaves through the company and even made a few ripples online. Internet forums were buzzing with confusion. “What’s Stratton doing? Firing their whole tech team right before the holidays? That’s corporate suicide.” “Gordon wasn’t just their Head of Tech, he was Isabella Stratton’s fiancé! Now she’s kicked him out too? What happened?” “I heard she publicly tore into him and called off the wedding.” “But they seemed so solid. Stratton Industries wouldn’t be where it is today without him. How did it all fall apart so fast?” As speculation mounted, a flood of negative stories suddenly appeared online. They were hit pieces, filled with slander and fabricated rumors designed to ruin the reputations of everyone on my former team. The articles about me were particularly vicious, quickly pushed to the top of trending topics. My team and I ignored the noise. The moment word got out that Isabella and I were done, my phone started ringing off the hook. Headhunters from major corporations were calling, and several prominent business leaders reached out directly with offers. Now, we were all gathered in a high-end restaurant, dining with one of those leaders. Mr. Wallace was a man of action. He was so impressed with our team that he’d set up an entirely new subsidiary just to partner with us. Everyone on my team got their salary doubled, with bonuses and benefits that blew Stratton Industries out of the water. I raised my glass to him. “Mr. Wallace, I don’t know how to thank you for this opportunity. We won’t let you down.” Wallace waved a dismissive hand. “This is a partnership, Gordon, mutually beneficial. No need for thanks. I’ve had my eye on you for a while. If it weren’t for your engagement to Isabella Stratton, I would have poached you years ago.” He chuckled. “Frankly, I have no idea what got into her, firing a team like yours right before year-end. The next time I see her, I ought to thank her. If she hadn’t made such a colossal blunder, I never would have gotten the chance to work with you.” I didn’t want to talk about Isabella, but Wallace suddenly leaned forward, his expression turning serious. “Gordon, after you left, she did something incredibly foolish. I don’t think Stratton Industries is going to last much longer.” “What did she do?” I asked, curious despite myself. With a mysterious smile, Wallace took out his phone and sent me a video.

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On the night of the annual family dinner, my husband, who openly disliked children, casually mentioned how “cute” a cousin’s toddler was. I took it as a sign. A signal. I immediately ordered ten packets of expensive, complex fertility herbs to regulate my body. I spent three grueling months dragging him through a high-intensity baby-making routine. My abdomen remained stubbornly, cruelly empty. The truth dropped like a bomb: I found his vasectomy report tucked away in his bedside drawer. Right next to it, I found photographs of his secret twins. A boy and a girl. Four years old. The resulting fight was cataclysmic. 1 The older generation and our friends rallied around me, urging caution. “Carlisle finally agrees to an heir, why make a scene? The Carlisle Group needs a successor.” “The children must have been an accident. Damon probably felt obligated. Why not just raise them as your own, Anna?” I looked at Damon Carlisle, my husband of three years, who stood before me—aristocratic, cold, and emanating the severe authority of a man used to getting his way. “I will agree not to divorce you, on one condition: you never see them again. That is my maximum concession.” Damon stood up, slowly removed his wedding ring, and placed it gently on the glass coffee table. “Vera suffered the ten months of carrying my children. I am their father. It is my responsibility to care for them.” “She won’t challenge your position as Mrs. Carlisle. Why are you being so relentlessly aggressive?” Hearing his cold logic ripped the last remnants of hope from my chest. I finally abandoned the fantasy of things ever returning to normal. “If that is the case, then we are getting a divorce.” BAM! A teacup smashed near my feet. My father, Mr. Welles, his face mottled purple with rage, pointed a trembling finger at me. “Dare to divorce him, and I will break your legs!” “Since when is a small scandal not commonplace in the upper echelons of society? Why must you be so dramatic?” My mother-in-law rose to pull my father back, but her eyes held a distinct look of displeasure when they met mine. “Anna, you are a Welles, a daughter of a respectable family. How can you stoop to the level of those lower-class women who fight over men?” “Look at the chaos you’re causing. If this gets out, it will damage the Carlisle reputation.” The voices of everyone in the room became a chorus of disapproval. My tears finally streamed down my face and landed on my hands as I asked the question that still burned worst of all: “Damon, why did you have a vasectomy behind my back?” Years ago, we had agreed that if I accidentally became pregnant, and he still didn’t want a child, I would respect his decision. I had thought, naively, that a surprise might trigger his paternal instinct, that his preferences might change. But for three years, there was never a single accident. I spent two years believing it was my body, enduring endless appointments and drinking bitter herbs. I was trying to fix myself, when he had already made me redundant. A flicker of guilt crossed Damon’s face. He let out a heavy sigh. “Anna, I had no choice.” He walked over and gently put his arm around my shoulder, his voice now a low, earnest murmur. “Vera grew up poor. She suffered so much abuse and hardship. How could she compete with a Welles heiress? And how could her children ever compete with one of yours?” “I didn’t want them to suffer the same way she did, to be pointed at and humiliated.” “We’ve been in each other’s lives since we were kids, Anna. Surely you can understand my position.” He spoke of the unfortunate necessities of the world, asking me to accept his arrangement. In my heart, all I heard was a tidal wave of shock and revulsion. He loved her deeply enough to plan their entire future—a future that required him to betray me. I was nothing more than a sacrifice for his true love. I shoved his arm away, taking three shaky steps back. I looked at him with utter desolation. “Damon Carlisle, you are truly disgusting.” “We are done. I refuse to share a life with a liar.” Damon’s face hardened, the shame immediately masked by anger. “Anna Welles, as children of elite families, we all have obligations. Why can’t you be gracious and accommodating?” “You were born with the wealth and privilege Vera will never have. I have given you the status and respect of being Mrs. Carlisle. She just wants to be a simple, ordinary woman. Do you really need to force me to abandon her?” 2 He looked past me to my father. “Dad, I don’t want this affecting the merger. Take Anna home and talk some sense into her.” He then grabbed his car keys and strode out, calling his mother and the other guests with him. He was even kind enough to close the door behind him. Instantly, my father’s roar was deafening. “You ungrateful girl! Haven’t you embarrassed me enough? Now I have to take you home for a ‘talking to.’ How did the Welles family raise such a coarse, disrespectful person?” I scoffed. “Poor genetics, I suppose. I’m not just coarse, I’m selfish and cold-blooded, too.” He married into my family and then kept a mistress and had secret children, driving his wife to suicide. I was only asking for a divorce. My father was clearly worse than me. My father flew into a rage. “Anna Welles, you are just as narrow-minded and foolish as your mother! Why can’t you just live a good life? Do you have to cause chaos just to feel satisfied?” He glared at me, his voice icy and menacing. “If you won’t think of yourself, think of Franklin. He’s in his senior year. He’s always been an honor student. You don’t want to force him to drop out of high school, do you?” My shoulders slumped. I collapsed onto the sofa. I couldn’t gamble my younger brother’s future against them. When our mother jumped, he was barely one year old. He was so tiny, just holding my hand and laughing with those clear eyes, having no idea he would never see her again. Since he turned one, he’d been poisoned three times, bitten by a snake, had his ribs broken in a car accident, and almost suffocated from a severe allergic reaction. I had protected him through hell and back. How could I destroy his one chance at a future? My father ultimately slammed the door shut and left. When Damon returned late that night, he found me sitting on the floor, weeping and blurry-eyed from too much liquor. He said nothing, simply picking me up and moving me to the sofa, then taking a cloth to gently wipe my face. He brought me a glass of lemon water and held me, feeding it to me, sip by sip. For a brief, sharp moment, I was transported eighteen years back, to when our affection was true. My mother had just died, and my father immediately moved his mistress in. They forced me to kneel and call her ‘Mother.’ I hid in the attic and cried until my throat was raw. Damon was the one who held me, wiping my face and feeding me water, just like this. He held me and told me he had me, that everything would be okay, and to trust him. The thirteen-year-old boy then knelt before his own father and begged for a shred of protection for me, strategically using the Welles family cooperation to prove my worth. How could I not have loved that boy? The brief, artificial warmth was shattered by a long, heavy sigh. “Anna, I’m not leaving you. The twins were truly just an accident.” I clung to his neck, my voice breaking. “Damon, you know I can’t accept this. I won’t end up like my mother, struggling and suffering until I break.” “Please, send them overseas. We can support them financially forever.” “Why didn’t you make her get an abortion? Why didn’t you talk to me when you suddenly wanted a child?” After a long, cold silence, Damon finally spoke, his tone utterly indifferent. “The Carlisle-Welles merger grand opening is tomorrow. Prepare yourself. You must not be absent. It will only cause speculation.” Watching his tall, unyielding frame walk away, my heart sank to the bottom of the ocean. The next day, Damon sent over a gorgeous gown and the expensive Queen’s Chandelier necklace he had bought at auction. His secretary nervously watched me. I changed and applied a perfect, polished coat of makeup. Damon was right. The business cooperation could not be destroyed. Franklin wasn’t grown up yet. I still had a responsibility to reclaim everything my maternal grandfather left behind. 3 The grand opening ceremony was grand. All the Oakwood Hills elite were present. Stepping onto the grounds of the exclusive estate, my eyes landed immediately on Vera Jenkins. She was wearing a pearl-white silk dress, looking demure and graceful, exuding an air of gentle, maternal warmth. Damon had his arm around her waist, navigating the room and greeting guests. Vera smiled politely, perfectly composed. My mother-in-law was holding the little boy, chatting happily with a group of society matrons. Everyone complimented the child, calling him “a blessing,” “a future titan of industry.” The moment I stepped into the ballroom, the noise instantly died. Every single eye swiveled to me. Damon released Vera, walked over to me with an unnerving ease, and took my hand. “Anna, come see the baby. He really is adorable.” He led me to his mother and gently placed the child in my arms. Looking at the healthy, plump baby, a wave of bitter longing washed over me. I gently touched his soft cheek. If only he were mine. I knew I could have given Damon a child, too. The surrounding looks were a dizzying mix: pity, thinly veiled ridicule, and cold detachment. Vera quickly rushed forward, her hands outstretched, a hint of urgency in her expression. “Sister, Astra is heavy. Please let me hold him.” I froze, looking at her in disbelief. “You… you named him Astra?” “Astra Carlisle. Damon said it symbolizes the way our hearts are forever linked.” A piercing cry erupted. My hands suddenly dropped. I was falling into an endless abyss, consumed by a paralyzing cold. He gave our name to them. He wanted their hearts to be forever linked. Astra. I was eighteen, celebrating my birthday, the first night I gave myself to him. He had held me tight and vowed that our first child would be called Astra—a testament to our souls being eternally bound. Before I could voice the furious question that was choking me, a sharp smack echoed through the vast room. I blinked, realizing I had dropped the baby. He was on the floor, a trickle of blood seeping from his forehead. Damon was instantly kneeling, clutching the child, his eyes blazing with pure hatred directed at me. Beside him, Vera was sobbing hysterically. “Sister, even if you hate my children, you can’t drop him in public like this! He is Damon’s son, too. How could you be so cruel?” She struggled to pull the baby from Damon’s grasp. “Damon, please, just let me go! I love you, and I was willing to be a secret, but I cannot risk my children’s lives! How can she do this? Is it just because I have no one to protect me? Can she just try to kill Star right here, in front of everyone?” Her cries were heartbreaking. Damon was frantic, holding both her and the screaming child tightly. “Vera, look at me. Astra is our baby. I will never let anyone hurt him. I love you both, and I will protect you with my life.” “Don’t worry. I will give you justice. I will make her kneel and apologize to you. I will give you whatever guarantee you need.” Every word Damon spoke was a stab to my heart. He was demanding that I, his wife, bow and apologize to his mistress, and give her a guarantee. What about my guarantee? Was it all just a sick joke? The image of a brilliant, hopeful young man flashed in my memory: “Anna, I love you. I will protect you forever. Anyone who tries to hurt you, I will fight to the death.” Damon grabbed the collar of my gown and with a sudden jerk, flung me toward Vera. “Kneel! Apologize to Vera and Astra.” “And swear on your late mother’s memory that if you ever try to cause trouble or harm Vera and her children again, your mother’s soul will suffer the eternal torment of fire and agony in the afterlife!” I stared at Damon in horror. My mother had treated him like her own son. He had once knelt at her grave, calling her ‘Mom.’ Now, for his mistress, he was willing to curse her so viciously. 4 I wiped the tears from my face and straightened my spine. “Damon Carlisle, I will never kneel and apologize to your mistress. You will have to kill me first.” Damon’s eyes narrowed. He motioned with his hand. Two bodyguards rushed forward, seizing my shoulders. One delivered a powerful kick to the back of my knees, sending me crashing to the floor in front of Vera. I didn’t get a chance to even lower my head before the noise of the crowd surged. “Oh my God, the Welles heiress is kneeling to the mistress. That’s a new low for women.” “She might as well die. Live any longer, and it’s just public disgrace. Her late father must be rolling in his grave.” I raised my chin stubbornly, my eyes bloodshot as I looked at Damon. “Damon, how could you forget the promise we made under the Sycamore tree?” Damon’s gaze was hard and unrelenting. He squeezed my jaw with brutal force. “Anna Welles, I have never forgotten. You are the one who is aggressive, insisting on driving Vera and the twins away. Today, you deserve this lesson.” He forced my head down, slamming my forehead hard against the marble floor. Warm blood immediately trickled down my face and into my eyes, blurring my vision. As Damon prepared to smash my head down a second time, a small, thin figure surged forward. He punched Damon squarely in the face. “Don’t you dare hurt my sister!” Through the haze of my own blood, I saw my brother, Franklin Alexander, standing between us, his body trembling, his arms wide open in fierce protection. Damon recovered his stance, wiped the blood from his lip, and looked at Franklin with cold contempt. “Move.” “No.” “Damon, you can’t do this to my sister! You promised you would protect her forever! Why are you making her kneel to this… this vixen?” Damon’s eyes narrowed further. He spoke in a chillingly low voice. “Franklin, you’re too young to understand. I’m doing this for your sister’s own good, to stop her from harming innocent people.” “That’s a lie! My sister would never hurt anyone! You’re framing her!” “I’m eighteen now, Damon. I’m not a child. If you won’t protect my sister, I will.” The boy’s young face was contorted with grief and outrage. He grabbed my arm, trying to pull me to my feet and away. Damon waved his hand. The bodyguards blocked our path. “Anna, you must face the consequences of your actions. You haven’t apologized to Vera.” Franklin furiously pushed at the bodyguards, but they seized him and pinned his arms behind his back. Seeing them grab my arm, the boy screamed. “Don’t touch her! I’ll apologize! I’ll take the beating, whatever you want!” With that, Franklin collapsed to the ground, facing Vera, and began to slam his head against the floor in a desperate kowtow. “I’m sorry! I’ll pay for my sister’s mistake! Don’t do this to her! She’s a woman! Don’t humiliate her!” Tears sprang from my eyes. I kicked out violently at the bodyguard’s leg, scrambling forward to pull Franklin into my arms. “Franklin, I’m so sorry. I failed you. I’m useless. I’m so sorry…” Franklin’s tears soaked my neck. His voice was hoarse and broken by sobs. “Sis, I’m the one dragging you down. I’m quitting school. Let’s just leave.” The guests watched with complicated expressions. In the upper class, everyone was an expert strategist; they all knew the truth about the Welles family history. But no one dared to speak up and risk offending a powerful business partner. Seeing the tension mount, my father finally stepped forward, his voice cold and commanding. “You embarrassing trash! Fighting over a man and ruining a great day for the merger!” He raised his hand and slapped Franklin hard across the head. “You’re supposed to be a man! Instead of advising your sister, you join her foolish chaos! How can I ever hand the Welles Group over to you looking like this?”

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My brother’s esports Captain hated the cutesy aesthetic. The first time he ever spoke to me, the guy glared at my strawberry-pink satin chemise. “Just speak normally,” he growled. “Stop with the baby voice.” That was until the day I walked in on him, voice deliberately pitched high, frantically cooing “Baby” and begging for “kissy-face” with his online girlfriend. 1 After a massive blow-up with my parents, I packed a bag and fled to my older brother’s esports training house. Jake Carl, my brother, looked thoroughly defeated as he led me into the team’s massive base. A few of the guys who’d been mid-game immediately stopped and crowded around. “Jake, man, seriously?” one whistled. “Pulling girls this young? That’s cold.” Jake kicked the guy in the shin. “Get your head out of the gutter. This is my little sister, Daisy. Say hi, Dee.” My brother gently ruffled my hair. “Hello, everyone,” I said softly, instinctively straightening the bangs Jake had messed up. I didn’t let my voice go too high, but I couldn’t help the naturally gentle tone. The boys instantly devolved into Neanderthals, jumping around, clutching their chests dramatically. “Oh my God,” one exaggeratedly gasped, “her voice is too sweet! I’m melting.” Jake pushed them away with an expression of sheer disgust, shielding me like a protective hen. “Go melt somewhere else. Her voice is natural, okay? Don’t flatter yourselves.” The training room door slid open. Someone muttered, “Captain’s here.” The joking, clamoring boys instantly snapped back to their stations, headphones on, silence returning with terrifying speed. Jake’s face tightened when he saw the man. Aaron Stone scanned the room, his gaze snagging on my pink outfit for a few tense seconds. His voice, like his impossibly handsome face, was entirely devoid of warmth. “Everyone’s adding three hours of drill time.” No one dared to move. The air thickened into a concrete slab. Aaron Stone. Captain of the FLY team. A superstar, a reigning esports legend whose skill was only rivaled by his supermodel looks. And yet, his personality was notoriously cold, arrogant, and terrifying. Sensing his gaze still on me, I took a small breath and stepped forward, offering a perfectly polite greeting. “Hello, Captain.” Aaron lowered his eyes. His voice was flat. “Just speak normally. Don’t use that fake high-pitched voice.” I froze, stunned, my cheeks burning. When Aaron had gone, Jake gave my shoulder a consoling pat, his voice lowered. “Dee, don’t take it personally. Aaron isn’t a bad guy, he just… naturally dislikes girls who lean into the cutesy, saccharine aesthetic.” The other guys chimed in. “Don’t worry, Daisy. He hates baby voices and frilly skirts, but we love it, haha.” Jake immediately reverted to defensive mode. “Last warning. My sister just started college, she’s pure as snow. Don’t even think about it.” He turned back to me, adopting a weary, older-brother voice. “Don’t bother with these creeps. Anyone who hangs out with me can’t be good people.” Miles, the loudest one, rolled his eyes. “Chill, Jake. She probably has a boyfriend already. Just hasn’t told you.” My heart stuttered. I clenched the phone in my hand, hiding the constant stream of messages popping up from my internet boyfriend. Jake scoffed with immediate confidence. “Impossible. My sister is the best-behaved kid I know.” 2 That night, stubbornly refusing to go home, I finally convinced Jake to let me stay. Worried about me checking into a hotel alone, he found a spare bedroom at the base and threw a few necessities in. “I’m right next door, Dee. Shout if you need anything.” “I will. Thanks, big brother.” Only after closing the door did I feel safe enough to open my phone. The unread messages from my pinned contact hit 99+. “Baby~ We haven’t duo-queued yet today.” “Baby, did you go out for dinner? It’s okay, I’ll wait for you.” “Baby, it’s been two hours… I, I kinda miss you.” “HAHAHA, Baby, someone on the forums just said if your girlfriend doesn’t text back for three hours, she’s cheating. How ridiculous! I don’t believe that at all.” I was just about to feel relieved, when I tapped the next message—a voice note. It was a deliberately husky, low whisper. “Baby, is that guy better than me? Will he buy you every single skin? Will he remember your cycle? Does he have an eight-pack?” “Transfer: $131.40.” “Transfer: $520.00.” “…Baby, do you… do you still want me?” I quickly typed an explanation to soothe his anxiety: Don’t worry. I’m visiting my brother and haven’t had a Carlce to look at my phone. He texted back, too excited to spell correctly. “Hehe, I knew my Baby still loved me. Baby, you sound a little sad, though.” I had no idea how he gathered my mood from a seven-word text, but I told him the truth anyway. I had a fight with my parents. And my brother’s friend seems to really dislike me. His response was immediate and righteous indignation. Dislike you? Who does he think he is? How can anyone have such terrible taste. He needs to go look in a mirror. If he ever says anything to you again, I’ll roast him alive. My online boyfriend’s trash-talking skills were genuinely the best I had ever seen. The summer after graduation, I’d been hiding away, binge-playing games. After a fifteen-game winning streak, I was matched with a group who were chatting loudly but playing terribly. We lost. The group immediately ganged up on me and one other guy, blaming us for the loss. I was never good at arguing, and every attempt at an explanation was brutally interrupted. Just as I was about to give up, the previously silent guy spoke in a low, flat voice. “I’ve seen toilets in bathrooms, but never in someone’s mouth.” The group got defensive. “Hey! Don’t curse!” He chuckled softly. “I didn’t curse.” When the group caught the implication, they turned snarky. “Why are you defending her? You simping?” “You’re so good at passing the blame—are you all chefs?” The guy took on three people and didn’t falter, spraying them with verbal fire until they were beaten, apologetic, and gone. I realized then that despite his sharp tongue, the man was actually a very sweet ‘online puppy’ who knew how to cheer people up… Sensing my distraction, he suddenly got clingy. Baby, I want to see you. I tried to divert the topic. On a strange impulse, I typed: You said you have an eight-pack. Is that true? He sent a shy emoji. If I do, can we meet? I hesitated. What if you meet me and don’t like me? How could that happen? Am I crazy? He quickly added, a little anxiously. Baby, no matter what you look like, I will instantly fall in love with you. I realized he was worried I was avoiding meeting him because of my appearance. I couldn’t blame him. He’d asked to meet at least a dozen times, and I’d deflected every single one. Undecided on what to reply, and noticing my battery was low, I prepared to go borrow a charger from Jake. The moment I opened the door, I walked straight into a human wall. I looked up and met Aaron Stone’s cold gaze. The close proximity was jarring. His face was stunningly chiseled—thin eyelids, dense, dark lashes, a high nose, and a small, striking mole on the bridge. Bold and provocative. “J-Jake… Captain Stone, hi.” I quickly corrected myself, feeling intensely awkward as I realized I was in a strawberry-pink satin chemise with a matching bow clip in my hair. His most hated, textbook ‘cutesy girl’ ensemble. 3 Aaron Stone’s brow furrowed, a nearly imperceptible tic. “Daisy Carl?” I blinked, surprised he even knew my full name. “You can stay here,” he said, his voice flat. “But we need ground rules.” “Okay.” “First, don’t try to buddy-up. I have zero interest in befriending college kids.” I nodded. “Second, minimal interaction. Try to avoid crossing paths if you can.” “Got it.” “Third, no cooing or batting your lashes. Keep the syrupy act out of my sight.” “Right.” I watched Aaron walk away toward the bathroom. Jake, who had heard the door, poked his head out and handed me the charging cable. “Did Aaron yell at you again?” I shook my head. Jake yawned. “ Aaron just doesn’t know how to speak kindly. Tons of girls who confessed to him ended up crying. Be a good girl, ignore him, and go to bed.” Back in my room, my online boyfriend sent a picture. Long, lean fingers lifting the hem of a t-shirt, knuckles pale. Under dim light, the eight-pack abs looked sculpted and defined. The shot moved lower, where the light faded, hinting at a powerful, impressive shape. Having been raised by my very traditional grandparents in the village, I was a sheltered good girl who barely spoke to boys. I’d certainly never seen this kind of visual provocation. My face felt like it was on fire. I buried my head in a pillow. After a long pause, I managed to type a compliment. That’s big. Jake had been obsessed with bodybuilding lately, constantly asking me to feel his bicep. Praising a guy’s muscle size couldn’t be wrong, right? It’s decent. Only about 18. I was baffled. Wait, I thought you were 21? Had he lied about his age? The Typing… bubble flashed endlessly. Baby, you really care about that number? Actually, I was talking about the dormant state. 21 isn’t impossible if I put in the work, though~ You can inspect the merchandise when we meet up. I’d never be able to show my face if I lied… not the one up top… Staring at the completely disjointed conversation, my face flushed again. I was belatedly processing the implication. You dirty old man, I thought. I typed a frantic: Good night. I didn’t sleep well that night. In my dream, after weeks of persuasion, I finally agreed to meet my online boyfriend at a private movie theater. But he wasn’t there. As my anxiety grew, someone tapped my shoulder. I spun around, excited. Instead of my clingy online puppy, I was met with Aaron Stone’s stern, handsome face. I tried to run, but he pulled me back, caging me between his arms. He slowly leaned down, his intimidating presence fully eclipsing me. “Daisy Carl,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “Ready for that inspection?” I woke up with a gasp. Later, while washing up, I couldn’t shake the feeling—whether it was the nightmare or not—that the base’s bathroom tiles looked exactly like the background in the ab picture my internet boyfriend had sent. 4 During my Calculus class, my phone buzzed. Jake’s voice note came through: My battery’s dying. Stay put at the gate, I’ll be there in two secs. I had to rush to the campus entrance. Moments later, a white Ferrari pulled up, drawing envious stares from every student walking by. I wasn’t interested in the car, searching instead for Jake’s beat-up scooter. The driver rolled down the window. “Daisy Carl. Your brother got pulled over for not wearing a helmet.” Even with the dark sunglasses, Aaron was instantly recognized. A few students nearby screamed his name and rushed over. “Captain Stone! It’s Aaron! I’m your biggest fan!” “Get in,” Aaron commanded curtly. I reached for the passenger door, but he stopped me. “The back.” Once I was settled, Aaron tapped the gas, giving the frantic crowd an apologetic wave. “The passenger seat is reserved for my wife.” It sounded like an explanation, but also like a boast. “Oh,” I squeezed the ribbon on my skirt, desperately trying to keep the conversation going. “She must be very beautiful.” Aaron was silent for a moment. His voice was husky. “She’s pretty shy. We haven’t met in person yet. But no matter what she looks like, she’s the most beautiful woman in the world to me.” Jake had mentioned that Aaron came from an immensely wealthy family; he did esports purely for fun. A guy like this being in an online-only relationship must mean it was an arranged, commercial marriage, right? There was no way he was online dating like me… Noticing his slightly downcast expression, I clumsily offered comfort. “Maybe you’ve met, but just didn’t recognize each other.” “Impossible. People who are in love have a connection. I would know her instantly.” Talking about his girlfriend, Aaron’s lips quirked into a rare, faint smile. It was stunning. But when his gaze fell back on me, it chilled instantly. “Jake said you were my fan?” Why did my brother have to run his mouth about everything! “Find a new gamer to crush on,” Aaron said dismissively. “Hope you understand—my girlfriend wouldn’t want a female fan staring at me for more than ten seconds, every time.” “My apologies.” I quickly looked out the window, embarrassed. The drive to the restaurant was silent. Once we were inside, the other boys swarmed me. Without Jake to fend them off, their attention felt overwhelming. I recognized Miles, the one who’d been the most welcoming. The others laughed knowingly. “Captain, report: we have a toad trying to flirt with the sister.” I instinctively looked to Aaron for help. “We don’t forbid dating in the team,” Aaron said, not even looking up. His clear, sculpted fingers were tapping away on his phone. “Baby, you forgot your morning kiss today.” [Kiss emoji] [By the way, Baby, I ran into a girl recently whose voice was a little like yours. But don’t worry, I never even gave her the time of day. She was clearly faking the whole sweet thing. Yours is the real deal.] [Baby, aren’t I the best? Can your loyal puppy get a hug for a reward? Still dreaming of the day we meet…] 5 During the lull before the food arrived, Miles suggested a game and invited me to join. I couldn’t decline, so I quickly paused my chat with my online boyfriend. I’m out with friends right now. I’ll message you later. He instantly transformed into a worried wreck. Baby, honey, how many friends? Boys or girls? It’s fine, I’m not jealous. Just asking. Five or six. All guys… The next second, Aaron Stone shot up from his seat, startling me. One of the teammates asked, “Aaron, want to add the sister and play a fun round?” I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation. As a secret fan of his skills, I wanted the Carlce to play with my idol. Aaron replied flatly. “I don’t play casual games.” I showed him my game screen, trying to prove myself. “Actually, my skill level is pretty decent. I won’t drag you down. See?” “Sorry. I don’t add girls. And don’t forget the ground rules.” Aaron didn’t spare my phone a glance. He stood up and walked out, clearly demonstrating his personal boundaries and fidelity. The teammates took the rejection in stride. “Don’t be sad, Daisy. We can still carry you, even without the Captain.” Miles, seeing my disappointment, leaned in and murmured a consolation into my ear. I instinctively pulled away. I didn’t like physical closeness with strangers. “Sister, Jake said you never play games, so let’s start with something easy…” Miles cut himself off abruptly, staring at my screen in disbelief. “Wait, Daisy, your online time is higher than mine!” “I play secretly,” I whispered, “Don’t tell my brother.” Miles’ mouth twitched. He let out a strained chuckle. “You’re a pretty unique kind of good girl, aren’t you?” After the round finished, the boys looked at me with stunned excitement. “Whoa, the real-life version of the velvet glove wielding a claymore! Sister, with that innocent face, how is your gameplay so brutal? You’ve got a little of Captain Stone’s style.” “Too bad the Captain didn’t join. He would have Carlged his mind about you.” Jake finally arrived, holding a traffic ticket and a brand-new green helmet. The guys, being good sports, quickly Carlged the subject, not mentioning my secret gaming habit. Full and slightly tipsy, we headed back to the base. Everyone was laughing and chatting, except for Aaron, whose personal weather system was oppressive. He was glaring at his phone, looking ready to burn a hole through the screen. Jake was confused. “Who pissed off our boss?” Miles shrugged. “No idea. But whoever can make Aaron Stone look this miserable is a serious threat. I bow to her!” “Let’s all be careful not to poke the bear,” Jake warned. “Especially you, Dee. Stay clear of the Captain.” “I will.” “By the way, Dee, you’ve been out for a few days. When are you planning on making up with Mom and Dad and going home?” I dropped my head, silent. Jake sighed. “You’ve always been the most obedient one, Dee. Why are you so stubborn about this?” “I’m tired, big brother.” I forced a sweet smile for Jake and walked straight to my bedroom. In the time it took to eat dinner, my online boyfriend had sent over a dozen messages. I started patiently replying to each one. He sent a crying emoji. [Baby, Wife, I lied. I’m jealous. I really care, and I’m super duper spiral-level unhappy.] [Those wild boys out there are all bad news. Don’t give them your contact info.] My internet boyfriend was so agitated he was making typos. [Why didn’t anyone step in to stop the harassment!!! If I were there, I wouldn’t let them get away with it!]

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The words slipped out of Declan Shaw’s mouth, casual and almost bored, as he adjusted the lace on my mermaid gown. “That fishnet skirt—Tiffany the secretary, she looked quite good in it.” He smoothed the exquisite French lace I’d flown to Paris to have fitted, the same lace he was now admitting had been tailored to another woman. “The girl doesn’t have a single fine line around her eyes yet, and her body is still elastic, you know?” he continued, his tone matter-of-fact. “She’s cute when she pouts, so I let her try it on.” The delicate fabric of the wedding dress, still warm from the steamer, suddenly felt cold and foreign against my skin. I stared at him, my breath catching in my throat. “What are you talking about?” He glanced dismissively at the corner of my eye. “Nothing, really. I just suddenly realized a younger woman wore this cut better than you do.” He paused, his eyes holding mine for a beat too long. “If you object to wearing a used dress, you can skip the wedding. And if you object to a man who’s been used by others…” His shoulders lifted in a shrug that spoke volumes. “You can walk away. Whatever makes you happy, Stella.” I stood paralyzed. The impossibly light, floating bridal gown suddenly weighed a ton, suffocating me. Declan’s kiss landed lightly on my shoulder. “The time you had that high fever… I’m actually kind of sorry about that.” His voice was low, discussing a devastating injury as if it were a misplaced accessory. “The night it poured rain and I had you deliver those documents? That was just Tiffany wanting to play a little game. She made up the excuse to send you out.” All the blood in my body turned to ice. A month ago, during a massive Nor’easter, he’d claimed a client was urgently waiting. I, desperate not to delay his business, had sprinted into the torrential rain without securing my umbrella. I was drenched to the bone, and by that evening, I was burning up. If his assistant hadn’t called, concerned, I might have suffered permanent damage. Delirious with fever, I’d still managed to grip the poor assistant’s hand, pleading with him not to bother Declan, because my fiancé was so busy and I didn’t want to burden him with such a small thing. A low, humorless chuckle escaped Declan’s lips. “The assistant did call me, actually. But Tiffany had a new trick she wanted to try out, and honestly, I was right in the middle of it.” The foundation of my world shattered. A deep, penetrating chill crept from my bones to my skin. “Why? Did you fall in love with someone else?” He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the sharp smell cutting through the floral air of the salon. “One morning, when you told me ‘Good morning,’ I noticed a new fine line at the corner of your eye. It was weird. After that, I couldn’t get excited about you anymore. Didn’t you notice? We haven’t slept together in months.” He took a sharp drag. “‘Love’ is too strong a word. But when that many young, soft girls are throwing themselves at me—I’m a man, Stella, not a saint. Honestly, I enjoyed the freedom.” He exhaled a plume of smoke, watching it curl toward the ceiling. “I probably could have kept this from you forever.” He took another puff. “But watching you try on this dress, seeing the waist was a little tight… I just blurted it out.” Tears, huge and hot, began to splash onto the hardwood floor. Declan reached out to brush one away. “Stella, when you buy a dozen roses, don’t you always pick the freshest, newest bloom?” I began to shake uncontrollably. It didn’t make sense. Thirty minutes ago, wearing the million-dollar dress he’d commissioned, I was looking in the mirror, certain I held the entire world’s happiness in my hands. Just as I felt I was choking, his phone vibrated. Tiffany Lowe flashed across the screen. He ignored it, looking at me, unhurried. “Have you decided? The kid is young; she’s hard to mollify if she has to wait too long.” I slapped his hand away, a guttural sound escaping my throat, and grabbed the nearest heavy water pitcher, hurling it at the wall just inches from his head. “Get out! Get out, both of you!” He didn’t flinch. A shard of the ceramic caught his temple, and blood began to seep out. He pressed his jaw tight, his expression hardening. “Fine. I’m leaving first. Whether you want to end this or go through with it is up to you. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of financially.” The slam of the door vibrated in my eardrums. I was alone in the fitting room. I tore the dress from my body, pulling and ripping at the exquisite lace until it lay in shredded pieces on the floor. Fifteen years of shared history, undone by a few naturally formed wrinkles? I looked at my reflection and, in a blind rage, grabbed the nearest object and smashed the mirror. In the sheer, agonizing pain, I saw the past flash before my eyes. The two of us, kids, kidnapped by that horrible couple. Not knowing where we came from. I couldn’t steal and I wasn’t a good beggar. “Dad” decided to break my legs so I’d be more effective. Ten-year-old Declan had rushed in, a rusty fruit knife in his hand, ready to fight. As the police took him away, he smiled at me. “Don’t be scared, Stella. I promised I’d protect you.” When he got out of juvie, he had no education and a record. To ensure I had a good life, he took any job—the dirty, the dangerous, the ones no one wanted. He threw his face and his dignity onto the ground for me. The worst time, he was hauling contraband and got two ribs shattered. Lying in the hospital, barely breathing, I cried and asked: “Was it worth it? Doing this for me?” He squeezed my hand, sweat dripping from his forehead. “How could it not be worth it? You are the best thing in the world, Stella.” The cold was absolute. A kind boutique assistant, seeing my breakdown, quietly offered me a room at a nearby hotel. I wrapped myself in the duvet and swallowed a handful of pills. If this is a nightmare, I’ll sleep it off. But when I woke up, my phone was ringing incessantly. Reporters were calling, bidding for my story. The scandalous photos of Declan and his secretary—Tiffany—getting intimate in his SUV had gone viral. Declan’s call came next, his voice lazily dismissive. “Stella, go talk to the media, hash out a price. My face can’t be shown. If you don’t know how to negotiate, ask Mrs. Cole for advice, she’s been through it. This kind of thing will happen again, anyway.” “You know how much I hate the media circus.” I gripped the phone until my knuckles turned white. I did know he hated interviews. The one and only time he’d ever agreed to a press conference was three years ago, when the media had photographed me and published stories calling me unworthy of him. Declan had gathered dozens of news outlets, looked straight into the camera, and smiled so gently. “My partner is the best person in the world. Being worthy of even a fraction of her is my life’s greatest honor.” He had even, completely losing his temper, physically attacked a reporter who insulted me. From that day on, everyone knew I was the one person in Manhattan you didn’t cross. Just three years later, the same reporters were waiting to watch me burn. I couldn’t take it anymore. But when I got back to our apartment, a trail of scattered silk tops and dress shirts led from the foyer, across the living room carpet, and into the master suite. The sound of laughter and intimacy came from the marriage bed I had personally selected. The door was ajar. The girl—Tiffany—threw her head back in ecstasy, and her eyes suddenly locked with mine. A violent, crushing emotion tore through my mind. I had to brace myself against the wall to keep from collapsing. Declan’s voice came from behind her. “Go home now.” She didn’t move, looking at me with undisguised curiosity. “Is that your wife? She does look kind of old. No wonder you’re bored.” Declan gave her a cold, level stare. “I said, get out first.” She didn’t dare argue, pouting dramatically. “Fine. But I’ll be waiting tonight.” She stood up, bouncing, and intimately stroked his chest. “But you have to promise me you won’t touch this old woman! I want you all to myself.” Declan gave her a quick pat on the backside. “Okay. You get everything.” Declan watched her retreating figure and actually chuckled. “She’s cute, isn’t she?” My nails dug into my palms. Maybe it was sheer stubbornness. Maybe it was because I had no family, no friends—Declan had been my entire universe. I wanted to hold onto something. Anything. “Declan Shaw, you want a divorce? Dream on.” I stormed into the company, using my founder’s equity to easily blacklist Tiffany Lowe, ensuring she’d never work in this sector again. But I never expected to return from a business trip only to find my personal assistant was the same girl I’d rescued from traffickers seven years ago—the girl I’d put through school and treated like a younger sister. She’d once knelt before me, crying and promising to pay me back for life. Yet, when I cornered her in Declan’s office, her expression was pure provocation. “Stella, we couldn’t help ourselves. It was electric.” I flipped Declan’s desk, screaming at him like a lunatic. “Why are you doing this to me?!” Declan only watched me, unbothered. “So many people want to climb into my bed. As long as it’s a young, desirable body, I’ll accept.” I couldn’t tolerate it. I used every resource I had to oppose him, caused scenes at the girl’s university, and employed every trick to make his life hell. Declan just smiled, watching my desperate struggle, even with a hint of indulgence. “Stella’s little temper tantrum is actually kind of endearing.” But his counter-attack was swift. He donated an entire wing to an international university and sent the girl—Lila Cross—abroad. He then banded together with the other partners to vote me off the board. The day I was evicted from my own company, looking like a stray dog as reporters swarmed me, Declan was ostentatiously seen escorting Lila through the airport. He made sure everyone knew his attention had shifted. The passionate, intimate photos of them abroad flooded my phone. I became the laughingstock of the Tri-State Area. In those pictures, I spotted a necklace. Declan had given his first gift to me—a few thousand dollar silver chain—to her. It wasn’t expensive. But back when we were living in a leaky basement, sharing a single bagel for dinner, he had been broke. On my eighteenth birthday, he had exhausted himself working extra shifts just to buy me that gift. “Other people’s girls get gifts, and so should mine, Stella.” “Trust me, Stella. I will always love you, and I promise to give you a good life.” I called him, begging through tears, demanding he give me back the necklace. This time, he finally answered. In the receiver, he sighed, sounding mildly annoyed. “Stella, it’s just a cheap piece of junk. My new flame liked it, so I used it to placate her. You didn’t want to be pliable, so there you go.” He was doing this on purpose. He knew exactly how to inflict the deepest pain. The final wire in my brain snapped. I grabbed a utility knife and dragged the blade across my forearm. Declan had no choice but to fly home. “Stella, you have options. Why are you making such a scene?” “If you’re this miserable, let’s just separate.” I lay on the hospital bed, lost in a fog, remembering the time I was misdiagnosed with cancer. Declan had walked on his knees up three thousand steps, three steps per prayer, to beg for my life. His shins had been raw and bruised, nearly crippled. But when he found out it was a misdiagnosis, that’s when he cried. “I thought I was going to lose you. I don’t know how I’d keep going without you.” My mental state was fragile, and Declan stayed by my side for a while. But he couldn’t resist the fatal pull of youth and novelty. He started up again: influencers, minor celebrities—each new flame younger and more vibrant than the last. But the final woman photographed with him was different. Her name was Camille Foster. Average build, unremarkable features, and yes, fine lines around her eyes, perhaps even a little older than me, mid-thirties. I flung the photo onto his chest. “I thought you only liked young girls! Explain this!” He picked up the picture and gently brushed a smudge of dust from her face. “She’s different. She gives me peace.” He said Camille was gentle. She made him congee when his stomach hurt. She gave him massages when he was stressed. My head spun. I asked, incredulous: “Did I not do those things for you?!” In the past, I’d prepared his hangover remedy every morning and night. I’d spent two years learning massage techniques because he often had stress headaches. I broke down, screaming, but Declan only looked at me, cold and indifferent. “She’s a very gentle woman. Don’t use your typical methods on her, Stella. Or else…” He treated Camille differently than the others. Declan, who barely finished high school, began reading obscure philosophy books for her. The man who got sick from spicy food hired a famous Southern chef. Slowly, Declan stopped coming home entirely. I know how pathetic this sounds. I started waiting outside his known haunts, just hoping he would come home. But Declan, fearing I would hurt Camille, applied for a restraining order against me. He had me barred from coming near them. He then spent a fortune, securing an absurdly expensive diamond ring for Camille. I threw the television across the room, my heart wrapped in a tight tar knot, suffocating me with pain. He had proposed to me the moment I turned eighteen. But we were drowning in debt, living in an apartment where rats scurried across the floor in the middle of the night. I’d picked out a plain silver band—three hundred dollars—and happily let him put it on my finger. He clutched that cheap ring, his eyes red for a long time. He promised that once we were comfortable, he would buy me the best things in the world. Now he was comfortable, able to buy the finest diamonds. And he put it on another woman’s hand. What finally crushed me was the news that Declan, the man who “enjoyed freedom,” had cut off all his other women. He proposed to Camille with that diamond ring. “She’s older. She wants stability. Enjoying freedom isn’t that important anymore.” I was utterly annihilated. I breached the restraining order, running toward them. Police officers grabbed me, but I screamed hysterically at Declan. “Tell me, Declan! Why does she get to have it?!” Declan shielded Camille, glancing at me with utter contempt. “What are the cops doing? Get her out of here.” The last dregs of my pride ignited. I pulled out my utility knife and pressed it to my throat, threatening to kill myself if he didn’t come with me. Declan actually laughed. “You didn’t die last time, did you? Still using that same cheap knife?” My fragile peace shattered again. I broke free from the officers. Declan shoved me away, annoyed. “Stop making a scene. If you’re going to be dramatic, go home to do it.” I lost my footing and tumbled down the mansion’s sweeping spiral staircase. Before I even knew I was pregnant, the child was gone. Declan sat by my hospital bed, reaching for a cigarette, then stopping himself. “No one wanted to lose the baby, but you shouldn’t have been so hysterical…” I lay there, white as a sheet, unable to speak or think, a mere puppet. Declan was likely wracked with guilt and stayed by my side for a while. Until the day Camille came. I glanced at her, then blankly pulled my eyes away. Camille asked me a question. “Do you remember how you lost your first child?” I froze. A year ago, I had lost a baby. At the time, Declan’s funds were running dry, and he was working himself to the bone. I hadn’t known I was pregnant. To secure an investor for him, I’d endured the client’s cruel demands—drinking an entire bottle of ice-cold, high-proof vodka in the dead of winter. That’s how I lost the first one. Both Declan and I were orphans; we had always desperately wanted a child. Back then, Declan’s eyes were bloodshot as he apologized, swearing he’d spend the rest of his life making it up to me. Camille smiled gently. “Declan had already secured the funding. He just wanted to celebrate with a mistress at home and deliberately had his clients stall you.” My numb sanity finally snapped. Declan rushed into the room just as I slapped Camille across the face. He gripped my wrist with crushing force. “The baby’s gone, it’s gone, and frankly, the timing wasn’t right anyway. Why are you hurting other people?” I hysterically demanded if he remembered the first baby. His face darkened. “Why are you bringing up old dirt? Don’t act like a psycho. It’s exhausting for everyone.” A psycho? I started crying, a desperate, gasping, wretched sound. Declan watched me, calm as a stone. When I was finally too breathless to continue, he spoke, his voice chillingly composed. “Done crying? We have things to do, so we’re leaving now.” I was trembling, watching his back as he nearly disappeared through the doorway. I finally spoke. “I agree to the separation.” He stopped, stunned. “You’ve made your choice?” I nodded mechanically. Declan grabbed my arm, his brow furrowed. “You won’t regret this?” I jerked my hand away as if burned. “No. I won’t.” Declan stared at me, then slowly released me. “Fine. Just don’t regret it.” I checked out of the hospital and moved out with frantic speed, terrified that any delay would make me change my mind. When I was with Declan, I had nothing. Leaving him, I was empty again. He wasn’t there the day I left. I didn’t try to say goodbye. The car sped away, the massive villa shrinking in the rearview mirror. Declan, hiding behind a marble column, watched the car disappear. It was a long time before he moved. He and Camille bought a new villa and started their domestic life. But within months, the young women were back, flocking to him. Declan resisted for a while, but soon started accepting their advances again. The novelty wore off quickly. After seeing so much youth, it all felt the same. Camille started fighting with him constantly. Annoyed by her nagging, he instinctively snapped back. “Who do you think you are, Stella Hawthorne? I was going to marry her.” They both froze.

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Sunny and I are twins. Mom always says she wants to be fair, so she buys two identical copies of everything. But during New Year’s Eve, my sparklers were damp and wouldn’t light no matter what. I secretly swapped two of Sunny’s. The moment I lit them, sparks illuminated the joy in my eyes. And also printed Mom’s ugly face. “Who told you to steal from your sister? I gave you yours and you’re still not satisfied?” “You like fireworks, right? Go then—” She roughly pushed me out the door, forcing little me to go to the field to light the big fireworks. The firework exploded with a bang. When the crackling fire jumped onto the stunned me. I suddenly remembered the so-called fairness over these years. Identical apples, Sunny’s was crisp and sweet, but mine was rotten and yellow at the core. Identical clothes, mine were always mocked by classmates as fakes, tearing after a month. Severe pain invaded my whole body, and I closed my eyes. Mom, I’m dying now. No need to buy two copies of things in the future. Chapter 1 The moment the fuse was lit, the firework tube tipped over towards me due to poor placement. The huge impact knocked me to the ground. At the same time, the firework exploded in the ink-black sky with a bang. Brilliant streamers spread out overwhelmingly, scattering into my eyes. Like bigger, prettier sparklers. The ones stolen from Sunny didn’t burn for long before Mom snatched them away. Sunny cried with red eyes, accusing me of robbing hers. I clutched my handful of damp, soft sparklers. Accumulated grievances surged. I finally looked up, asking the confusion of many years: “Mom, didn’t you say everything is the same? Then why can’t mine light up? Why can Sunny’s?” “Since they are the same, why can’t we swap?” Responding to me was Mom’s slap. Embarrassment and awkwardness of being exposed flashed across her face, raising her voice to scold: “You are so young, why so greedy?” “I’m already so fair, it’s your own bad luck, and you blame me and your sister?” Glancing at the crying Sunny, her anger grew. Pulling the corner of her mouth, she sneered at me: “Don’t you like setting off fireworks? Go light them then, don’t come back if you don’t light them.” Am I really too greedy? I thought. Sky full of fireworks illuminated a twisted, blackened body on the ground. Only then did I realize, that was me. I am already dead. Soul drifting, I went back home again. On the second-floor balcony, Sunny clapped her hands laughing: “Mommy Mommy, look quickly!” Sunny and I grew up in the city, rarely seeing such clear and beautiful big fireworks without obstruction. “Alright, go to sleep after watching, it’s late.” “I’ll go warm up milk for you.” Mom smiled dotingly at Sunny, turning into the kitchen. She habitually took two cups. One poured with imported fresh milk. The other, poured with the cheapest bagged milk from the supermarket, marked ‘near expiry’. Mom frowned, as if smoked by the cheap milk smell. “Sunny, come.” I watched Mom hurriedly make Sunny drink the milk. I’m already dead. Mom, you don’t need to prepare two portions anymore. “Luna, where is Luna?” Grandma Rose in the bedroom called my name. Recently her health got worse, sometimes couldn’t get out of bed. When we came back, Grandma gave me a red envelope, thicker than Sunny’s. Mom questioned dissatisfiedly: “Mom, what do you mean? I give children red envelopes of identical thickness, you are biased right?” The little old lady hummed, touching my head: “I just gave Luna a bit more.” “Should I learn from you? Ten one-dollar bills and ten hundred-dollar bills, that’s not biased?” Grandma gave me a big hug. Unlike Mom, every time I stretched out my arms, she would frown and retreat. “No Luna, Mom’s hug must be double, one for you one for sister.” “If sister isn’t here, giving only you, that’s unfair.” I didn’t understand then. Why when Sunny demanded kisses and hugs from Mom. There was no talk of fairness. “Where is Luna? Luna was muttering about watching fireworks, why isn’t she here?” Grandma sat up anxiously. “She went back to her room long ago, Mom, no need to worry, she’s shrewd.” Mom sneered, eyebrows mixed with deep disgust. “Just stole Sunny’s sparklers just now. I treat her so fairly, she’s still not satisfied?” “Indeed just like her dad, a greedy and cheap ungrateful wolf.” Chapter 2 Pain flashed in Grandma’s eyes. She clutched her chest, throat hoarse: “You can’t just blame the child for everything because Luna looks like him.” Floating in the air, my heart skipped a beat. Remembering these years, Mom took us out. There would be grandmas looking at us in identical princess dresses, praising with a smile: “You really balance the bowl of water well, raising both children so beautifully.” “Sister is like you, then this older one is like dad, right?” Mom’s smile from the second before vanished instantly. The look she gave me was like poison. Later because of my grades, Mom was called to the office. Homeroom teacher saw Mom, mouth corner hooked up an ambiguous smile: “I guessed she was your daughter, this face is exactly the same as her dad.” “Academic performance is also bad.” “But indeed has a pretty face, no wonder you dropped out of school to run away with a man back then, beauty misleads people.” Her teasing gaze fell on Mom. Mom squeezed out a smile, veins on forehead throbbing. She roughly pulled me out of the school gate. A slap made my ears buzz. “I always treated you and your sister fairly, what did I lack you?” “You show me these grades?” She pinched my shoulder, nails almost embedding into flesh. I bit my lower lip daring not speak. Compared to the smart, generous, sweet-talking Sunny. I had nothing to show off except being praised for being prettier, cowardly and cramped in doing everything. “Dirty blood flowing in bones, no wonder I can’t raise well.” Mom left a cold sentence that day. Young me vaguely sensed something wrong with the role of “Dad”. And gradually understood, Mom’s occasional vague targeting and disgust were not my illusion. “Scarlett, your dad and I stopped you back then.” “You said you were willing, willing to not study and go work, willing to give birth to two children.” I looked at Mom ignorantly. She clenched her fists, face iron green. Just like when we just returned to the countryside, Mom took boxes of gifts out of the car. Auntie at the village entrance rolled eyes, smile hidden thorns: “Old Chen’s girl is quite capable, cheated of body and money by a man, now still magnificent.” Mom’s back she tried to keep straight still bent down. She fled awkwardly under their teasing gazes. “I know you regret it, you hate him, but the child is innocent.” Grandma coughed twice violently, eyes full of heavy grief. “If you don’t like Luna, then leave her with me, no need to torture the child.” “How do I not like her!” My mom couldn’t suppress emotions anymore, eyes staring round. Screamed, “What Sunny has, what does she not have?” “What does she have to be aggrieved about, even learned to steal sister’s things.” “I found out before, every time distributing things, her eyes always stare at sister’s, greedy enough.” Mom seemed to grab my braid, scolding mercilessly. “Really an ungrateful wolf, same disgusting look as her dad.” “She is still a child!” Grandma slapped the bedside table hard. “Don’t think I don’t know, you buy Sunny brand name goods worth thousands, buy Luna broken clothes worth dozens.” “The inside of her padded jacket had a big hole, pasted with transparent tape.” Grandma’s voice choked, as if couldn’t bear it. “I wanted to mend it for the child, result cotton taken out inside, all smelly black broken feather pieces.” I froze. So clothes always breaking, not because I was careless, not cherishing. Clothes itchy, smelly, not because I was unhygienic. I secretly touched Sunny’s down jacket. Light and soft, like clouds. Identical appearance things, turned out to be really different. Not my illusion, not my bad luck. Even less Mom being careless. Chapter 3 Mom didn’t want to talk more with Grandma, turned and left directly. She went downstairs to lock the door, as if finally remembering I was still outside not back. Called impatiently towards the yard: “Gu Niannian, not rolling back yet?” Sunny leaned over curiously, pouting: “Is sister angry? Didn’t let her light fireworks, even bigger fireworks.” “Let her make a scene, don’t come back.” Mom mocked lightly, locked the door neatly. “Isn’t there a doghouse in the yard, she is deadly shrewd, can’t die outside.” “Let’s go Sunny, we go up to sleep, ignore her.” She hugged Sunny to bed. I also secretly floated to Mom’s side. Mom flipping fairy tale book, telling story to Sunny. Warm dim light at bedside plated on her face, making her eyebrows and eyes soft as water. I felt a bit unfair. Why can Sunny lie on Mom’s chest listening to stories. And I can only nest in the utility room, sleeping on a small bed made of iron frames. In winter, have to rely on hugging dolls, curling into a ball to keep warm to fall asleep. Now I understand. Mom just doesn’t like me. Fairness, just for show, for me to see, for others to see. Facing Sunny, she has her own standards and privileges for Sunny. But I still stuck to Mom’s back. Almost greedily feeling Mom’s temperature. Mom’s bed so soft, Mom smells so good… Clearly I am already a soul. Why still tears flowing out of eyes. Next morning, Mom prepared breakfast calling Sunny to eat. “Where is Luna? Not up yet?” Grandma propped herself up walking out of room, tone a bit anxious. “Mom you don’t lie down well, get out of bed for what?” Mom seemed to just remember my existence. Froze, brows dyed with familiar impatience again. “Where can she go, hiding in corner sulking.” “She steals things and still reasonable, seems I was too good to her usually.” Grandma’s figure trembled: “Early morning, where can Luna go…” “Not in room either, the bed I made for her is still clean.” Grandma muttered to herself. Raising eyes suddenly sensed a trace of unnaturalness in Mom. She tapped cane, face extremely ugly: “Scarlett, tell truth, where is the child? “Did she… come back last night…” Grandma asked the second half carefully. Mom looked away guiltily, saying rather carelessly: “How do I know, she’s in elementary school, not a small child anymore.” Chapter 4 Grandma was choked with anger. Breathing rapidly, clutching chest panting violently. Mom just said two words to make up, Sunny’s cry cut in. “No! This doll is not mine!” Sunny rummaging through her suitcase. Holding a Disney rabbit crying. “Look its face is crooked, fur messy too, simply a fake.” “Must be sister swapped it.” She red-eyed, crying to Mom. Doll in hand fabric greyish, face crooked mouth slanted, threads opening. Sunny threw on ground with disgust. I waved hand wanting to say no, it was Sunny took wrong when packing. But Mom kicked away the doll, hurriedly squatting to wipe Sunny’s tears. Look, they can totally distinguish, my things and Sunny’s. That doll, was when we went to Disney, Sunny clamored to buy. Price tag 499. When Mom paid, didn’t blink an eye. Until seeing me holding the corner of her clothes. Mom smiled weirdly, said to me: “Sorry Luna, Mom didn’t bring enough money today, buy you same online in a few days okay?” My eyes burst with light immediately. Crisply shouting “Okay”. For many years, I foolishly guarded Mom’s so-called “Fairness” smiling satisfied. “Mom you saw, Gu Niannian same disgusting look as her dad.” “Did I wrong her saying she steals?” Mom gritted teeth cursing, looking at other dirty dolls in suitcase, face darker: “How come these all dirty, is it Gu Niannian doing it too.” Sunny froze, nodded immediately. Actually dolls were dirtied by Sunny. Not first time she framed me, whenever she made mistake, would shout it was me. Mom wouldn’t care about my explanation. She only saw Sunny’s tears. “Cheap thing, she is just jealous of Sunny, I treat her so well, still not satisfied?” “Why gave birth to one more back then, giving birth to this disaster thing too.” Mom scolded harshly. Grandma heard pupils dilated, chest heaving violently. As if unbelievable, such ugly words came from a mother’s mouth. “Good good good, you don’t want Luna, I want.” Grandma walked towards door trembling with cane. Mom frowned wanting to stop, but Sunny cried “Wah”, tripping Mom’s steps again. “Alright alright, Mom buy you a few more okay.” “Anyway your sister isn’t here, buy as many as you want.” Mom comforted Sunny gently. This warm scene, I didn’t want to watch anymore. I followed Grandma to the yard. Wind big outside, blowing Grandma’s thin body swaying more. “Luna, my good Luna—” She shouted my name, but except dog barking in yard, no other response. She stood blankly in yard, old eyes surfacing water light. “Mom, stop looking, let her make trouble, die outside if not wanting back—” Mom’s scolding came from inside. Before I was locked in storage room by sister several times, Mom only thought I was throwing tantrum. “Must have done bad thing dare not come out.” Mom always speculated me with greatest malice. But now Grandma, was sad for me: “This child, must have suffered how much grievance…” Ignoring Mom’s obstruction, insisted walking out of yard alone. Ground frosted, Grandma stumbled every step, but dared not slow down. “Luna, Luna where are you, come to Grandma quick—” She shouted tirelessly, voice choking, “Don’t be afraid child, Grandma protects you.” I floated in air, anxious and panicked. Watching helplessly as Grandma walked towards the empty ground where I set off fireworks. Suddenly, she screamed, collapsed on ground. In front, clearly my unrecognizable corpse.

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Eight years ago, Mom and River were diagnosed with leukemia at the same time. As the only one in the family with a matching blood type, I became their only hope. At first, my blood was enough. But eight years is too long. By the third year, the doctor told me I needed to find other ways. Sometimes, money can’t solve everything… I was humiliated by men lurking outside the hospital, taken advantage of by those matching my blood type. Even taken to an underground bar in the suburbs to perform “vulgar” shows. But every time I thought about bags of fresh blood flowing into Mom and River’s bodies, making them feel a bit better, I felt everything was worth it. Until I went to the Director’s office, begging him to let me pay the medical bills two days late. I saw Mom and River chatting and laughing inside… Dr. Young’s familiar voice came out: “That’s enough! It’s been eight years. How long do you want to fake this illness? Just because of that small incident eight years ago, torturing Luna like this is too much!” “How can it be a small incident!” River’s voice came out. “Stella has severe anemia, and Luna was so careless to scratch her hand! That was life-threatening!” “A scratch?! Not even the size of a fingernail!” “Alright, Dr. Young, I know what I’m doing. After all, it has been eight years. I see Stella’s mood has improved a lot recently. I will end this soon…” “In the days to come, as her brother, I will spoil Luna desperately to make it up to her…” I stuffed my bony fist into my mouth, forcing myself not to make a sound. Make it up? I’m afraid there’s no chance… Chapter 1 “Make it up?!” Dr. Young suddenly raised his voice. “Do you know what Luna has gone through in these eight years?!” “Her small body has to support two adults like you. At first, you still had some humanity, asking for surgery once a month. She at least had time to recover. But later, you demanded it once a week! Didn’t you think she couldn’t take it?!” “Dr. Young, your words are too harsh…” Mom, who had been silent, finally couldn’t stand it. “We did our homework. Human blood can regenerate. It’s just Luna suffering a few needle pricks. But eight years ago, Stella faced life-threatening danger. This punishment is already very light…” “Enough, Dr. Young.” Mom’s lips curled into a smile. “I know you medical people are rigorous and like to exaggerate things. But I know my child. I raised Luna with love. She is very healthy. Unlike Stella, who grew up in foster care, her body is extremely weak and can’t stand any harm…” “Healthy?! In the third year, Luna didn’t have enough blood. Do you know what those men squatting outside the hospital do?!” “How many times, when Luna was pushed into the operating room, her chest, her abdomen, were covered with marks of being… abused! She is a beautiful girl, didn’t you ever think…” “Dr. Young.” River interrupted Dr. Young. Handed him a cigarette. “Of course I know what those people do. But eight years ago, I instructed the family’s subordinates to protect Luna. They report to me every day. Those lowlifes outside won’t do anything to her.” I pulled my cap lower, curling up into a ball outside the office. The scars from being bitten last night began to throb with pain. Eight years. Can’t remember how many times I was tied up and thrown into a room. But I never saw any of the people River said were protecting me… In those nauseating moments, I screamed desperately for help. Except for suffering more excessive treatment, only boundless despair remained… “Dr. Young, what’s wrong with you today? Why so emotional?” River’s words pulled me out of the memories filled with humiliation and fear. Dr. Young suddenly lost his temper. Extinguished the cigarette in his hand, slamming his fist on the desk. “Of course I’m emotional! Because if this game happens again, Luna’s body…” “Whose body?!” Dr. Young was only halfway through when a figure with a strong perfume scent ran past me. Pushed the door open and rushed into Dr. Young’s office. Stella held River’s arm, looking at the heaving Dr. Young, speaking coquettishly. “Uncle Young, what made you so angry? I heard you talking about Sister? What’s wrong with Sister’s body?” “Yes, I’m talking about your sister. Her body…” “Dr. Young!” River stood up abruptly, interrupting Dr. Young sternly. “Don’t mention that bad luck charm in front of Stella!” Then turned around, hugging Stella, comforting her gently. “Didn’t mention her. We were talking about you. Dr. Young said your health is much better…” In their mouths, I am a bad luck charm… I, who endure severe pain and humiliation every day to extend their lives, am a bad luck charm… Dr. Young slammed the door and left in anger. The huge sound of the door closing made my head dizzy. Couldn’t hold it back, bleugh, vomited all over the floor… Chapter 2 To ensure the health of my blood, I swallow a handful of pills and high-protein food every day. These things make the smell of my vomit exceptionally pungent. Waves of sour rot spread out, and I vomited uncontrollably again. “Oh my god, what smells so disgusting!” The pungent smell made Stella scream inside the office. She rushed out. Seeing me curled up on the floor wearing a baseball cap, she instantly raised her voice. “Hey! Who are you! Why vomit outside the Director’s office! So disgusting, clean it up quickly!” Stella’s screeching attracted passersby. “Hey! Isn’t that the girl who hangs out with those lowlife men at the hospital gate all day?” “Yes! That’s her! I just saw her get off that man’s van with my own eyes. Before getting off, that man even grabbed her ass. How did such a little slut come to the Director’s office?” “Let’s go, let’s go. Looking at such a shameless bitch makes me sick…” Hearing their discussion, Stella immediately pinched her nose. Shouting towards the office. “Brother, come look! How does Uncle Young manage the hospital? Letting any dirty thing in? Look at her, she vomited in front of me, so disgusting!” “Clean it up!” River’s suppressed roar came from above. I was about to look up, get up… Stella stepped forward and pressed my head, pushing me directly onto that pile of vomit. “What are you looking at!” “Clean up this filth! Are you deaf?!” I was pressed firmly onto the filth. In the narrow space, every deep breath I took sucked the filth back into my nose and mouth. “You’re eating it?! Disgusting to death! If you like it, eat it all!” Stella pressed my head harder. While pressing me, she looked up at River, making retching sounds. Seeing this, River quickly pulled Stella into his arms. Then stepped on my head, his tone losing all patience. “Hurry up!” I had no strength to lift my head anymore… Yeah, what was I thinking just now? Deluding myself that they would feel guilty seeing me and love me as before? But eight years. If they had any regret, today wouldn’t have happened, right? Tears mixed with filth were swallowed into my mouth. So bitter… That large pile of filth was “cleaned up” by me. Above my head came Stella’s crying voice. “Brother, so annoying. I was in a good mood today, but met such a dirty thing. Her stubborn look really resembles my annoying sister…” Before Stella finished, I felt a scrutinizing gaze on me. River, who had intended to walk away. Suddenly stopped and looked back at me. He seemed to want to turn back and look carefully. But Stella cried out. “Brother, why did Sister refuse to apologize to me eight years ago? Clearly she hurt me. Does she dislike me? Was I always superfluous? Brother, every time I think of this, I feel so sad…” The head that just turned back turned away again. Stopped steps moved forward again. “Don’t talk nonsense. You are Mom and Brother’s most beloved treasure. How could you be superfluous? If anyone is superfluous, it’s her!” “Stella don’t be angry, Brother will teach her a lesson right now!” With that, River took out his phone to call me. Mom, who hadn’t spoken, blocked him. “River, maybe don’t call? I just heard Dr. Young imply Luna suffered a lot these years…” “Mom! Why are you becoming as nagging as Dr. Young? Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing!” River interrupted Mom. Dialed my number. They had already turned downstairs, not hearing the ringtone in my pocket as I lay on the filth… I answered with trembling hands. River’s usual weak voice sounded on the other end. “Luna, come to the hospital quickly, save… save Brother…” Chapter 3 When the flustered nurses brought me to the operating room after I cleaned myself up in the bathroom. I saw Dr. Young who had slammed the door and left… “Luna, blood donation is voluntary. You can refuse. If you…” “Dr. Young, your wife just called. Said your group of friends went to your house again.” The nurse’s words froze Dr. Young in place. For eight years, every time before my surgery. Dr. Young’s house would be visited by such a group of “guests.” I grew up in the Gu family, I understood too well what these “guests” do. “Luna…” Guilt and heartache flowed in the eyes of this elderly man. I forced a smile and lay on the operating bed myself. “It’s okay, Dr. Young. Let’s start.” “Luna, your body really can’t take it anymore. One more time, I’m afraid…” “Dr. Young, hurry up. Auntie is waiting for you for dinner at home.” How could I not know the state of my own body? Really don’t want innocent people involved anymore. Let me bear this sin alone… Minutes later, I saw the extremely weak River inside the operating room. River, pale-faced, tremblingly stepped forward and held my hand. “Sorry, Luna. Blame Brother’s useless body. Sometimes Brother really wants to smash his head and die here…” Scalding tears fell from River’s eyes. But when they hit the back of my hand, I could only feel coldness… I broke free from the wrist held by those withered hands. Looking at this brother who was chatting and laughing just now but looks haggard at this moment. Must be that punishing me, the bad luck charm, cost him a lot of effort these years too. Clearly such a robust person. At this moment, thin as a skeleton… “Luna, ultimately Mom and Brother failed you…” Mom’s trembling cry brought back my thoughts. She rushed in disheveled, wearing a large hospital gown. Seeing me, she hugged me tightly. Mom used too much force, pressing on the wounds from being tortured last night, causing piercing pain. “Mrs. Gu, is your health bad again?! Both of you again?!” Dr. Young looked at Mom with bloodshot eyes, questioning in disbelief. Through the mirror, I clearly saw Mom winking at Dr. Young non-stop. Sure enough, Dr. Young stopped talking the next second. Perhaps to cover up Dr. Young’s emotion just now. Mom cried even harder. “Luna, why don’t you go live your own life? Mom really doesn’t want to delay you anymore…” I broke free from her embrace, staring into her red eyes, rasping. “Is that really okay?” Instantly, the huge operating room became deathly silent… Mom’s expression changed awkwardly and quickly like a clown. Finally, River broke the terrible silence. “Mom, look at you, why say this! Eight years, if Luna wanted to leave, she would have left long ago. She is my flesh and blood, meat from your belly. Can she watch us die?” “Yes, Mom, Brother is right. I am meat from your belly, his flesh and blood. Even if I exchange my life for yours, I am willing…” An unknown emotion flashed in River’s eyes. Looked like guilt, or maybe heartache. But it has nothing to do with me anymore… Urged by the nurse, the three of us lay back on the operating beds… Chapter 4 Eight years. This surgery took an exceptionally long time. I even saw Grandma, who passed away long ago, in my dream. She called my name over and over in the dream. She said if I felt no one loved me, go find her… I want to find her so much. I almost touched Grandma’s warm rough hands… “Luna? Wake up!” Woke up in a daze, finding myself in a ward. The person calling me was Dr. Young. “You’ve been asleep for three days…” Dr. Young tucked me in. “Luna, after eight years of treatment, your brother and mom’s condition has improved a lot. You won’t need to enter the operating room with them anymore. Your body has been ruined in these eight years. Rest well for the remaining days…” Finished, before I could reply. Dr. Young shook his head sighing and left. Clearly good news. But why did Dr. Young look so bad… I looked around and saw tubes all over my body. Turns out this isn’t a ward, this is the ICU. Looks like that day is really coming… I wanted to sleep a bit more, talk to Grandma in my dream. But just closed my eyes, the ward door was kicked open from outside. Stella rushed in and slapped my face. “Gu Nanyue (Luna), what are you pretending for?! Think lying here will make Mom and Brother care about you?! Dream on!” “Gu Nanxing (Stella), some things, even if you snatch them, aren’t yours…” I summoned my last strength, enduring the stinging pain all over my body to say this. Before I finished, I was interrupted by Stella gritting her teeth. “Who says so! I’ll show you today, what I snatch is mine forever!” Voice just fell, Stella took out a dagger from her pocket, slicing straight at her own forearm. Then screamed towards outside. “Brother, Mom, help! Sister wants to kill me…” Before voice fell, River kicked open the door and rushed in. Seeing blood flowing from Stella’s forearm, River hugged her. Looking at me with eyes full of hatred. “Luna! What are you doing! Just now Dr. Young told us you were sick, we were worried! Didn’t expect you were faking it!” “Never seen a patient who can get up and hurt people with a knife! Who are you putting on this act for!” Mom bandaged Stella’s wound in panic while glaring at me. “You evil creature, shouldn’t have pitied you! Don’t think just because you gave blood for eight years, you can do whatever you want in this house. Dream on!” “Mom, Brother, I’m scared. Why did Sister fake illness to harm me? Maybe I should leave our home, go back to foster care…” Stella’s words completely ignited the anger in River’s eyes. He lunged at me. “Let you pretend!” “Let you harm Stella with evil intentions!” He cursed while tearing off all the tubes on my body. Then dragged Mom and Stella away without looking back. Ignoring the red lights lighting up everywhere and the ear-piercing beeping of those devices… Don’t remember how long passed. Dr. Young rushed in with a group of people. He frantically plugged those tubes back into me. But I knew, it was useless… “Dr… Young, stop busy…” “Child, tell Uncle Young any request, Uncle fulfills it…” “Call Brother and Mom, let them come back…” Consciousness fading, I seemed to really see Grandma. White cloth slowly covered me. Just as it covered my head. I saw River and Mom rushing in recklessly…

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The first time our parents met. We were all seated at a long restaurant table, and I was making polite small talk with my boyfriend’s parents when his sister-in-law had a moment of what looked like sudden realization. “Beth, you look so familiar! Oh my god, I know where from,” she exclaimed, her voice a little too loud. “I was the doctor for your abortion procedure!” She clapped a hand over her mouth in mock horror, but the words were already out, hanging in the air like poison. The table erupted. Just moments ago, Mark’s parents had been showering me with warmth. Now, their eyes were filled with judgment. “Well, young people these days certainly know how to live, don’t they…” “No wonder she was in such a hurry to meet the family. Now it all makes sense…” A tide of crimson shame washed over my parents’ faces. Beside me, Mark stared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. As for me, I slowly set down my fork, my movements calm and deliberate. “It’s perfectly normal that you’d find me familiar, Sophia,” I said, my voice even. “After all, I manage the security system at The Azure Heights. I see you coming and going from Building 6 every day.” 1 It was the first time our parents were meeting. To make sure the occasion felt significant and to avoid any awkward silences, my parents had invited my talkative aunt and my godmother to join us. Mark’s family, however, had shown up in force. Besides his parents, his grandparents and his older brother, Henry, with his wife, Sophia, were there. They’d also brought a whole clan of relatives who spilled into the private dining room, forcing the staff to squeeze in four extra chairs just to fit everyone. The food arrived, and the first round of wine was poured. I did my best to keep the conversation flowing, chatting with Mark’s parents. Mark sat beside me, occasionally placing a piece of food on my plate. The atmosphere was a bit strained, but stable. Then, Mark’s aunt turned the spotlight on me. “Beth, you’re just stunning. And so stylish! You have to teach my daughter your ways. She’s so plain, she can’t find a date to save her life!” My own aunt jumped in smoothly. “And Mark is so handsome! With such a great job, too. They make a perfect couple.” The relatives exchanged pleasantries, a volley of polite, meaningless words. I was about to offer a modest reply when Sophia, sitting across from me, fixed me with an intense stare. “Beth, even though this is our first time meeting, I just can’t shake the feeling that I know you from somewhere.” I gave her a polite smile. “I guess I just have one of those faces.” But Sophia shook her head, her eyes scanning my features. Suddenly, she gasped, her voice piercing the low hum of conversation. “I remember now! I was the doctor on your abortion procedure, wasn’t I!” The words landed, and the air in the room instantly turned to ice. Sophia feigned a sudden grasp of her mistake. “Oh, this mouth of mine… I really shouldn’t have said that in front of everyone…” She pressed her hand to her lips, her face a perfect mask of someone who had just let a terrible secret slip. My mind went blank. I couldn’t believe she would fabricate such a lie on the spot. “What are you talking about?” I said, my voice barely a whisper. She immediately adopted a wounded, apologetic expression. “Oh, Beth, I’m so sorry. I’m just too blunt for my own good! I didn’t think… I really didn’t mean to!” But the damage was done. The smile vanished from Mark’s mother’s face. His father’s brow furrowed. The aunt who had just complimented me now looked away, her expression curdled. A chorus of whispers started to ripple across the table. “These young women, a pretty face is all it takes for them to run wild…” “So that’s why she was rushing to meet the parents. There was a reason, after all.” “Tsk, tsk. She looks so quiet and innocent, who would have thought…” My parents’ faces were beet-red, but they stammered, unable to form a single sentence to defend their daughter’s honor. Mark’s aunt didn’t hold back. “You can forget what I said earlier. I don’t want my daughter associating with that kind of person!” My own aunt and godmother, however, were furious, slapping their hands on the table. “Beth would never do something like that! You watch what you say, or you’ll have to deal with us!” And Mark… he whipped his head towards me, his eyes a storm of shock and rising rage. “Beth, is what my sister-in-law said true? Did you go behind my back and…” “No!” I cut him off, my voice sharp and certain. “I have never had that kind of procedure.” But a seed of doubt, once planted, grows with venomous speed. Mark’s mother spoke, her voice cold as steel. “People don’t just make these things up, do they.” 2 I stared at the woman who had just assassinated my character, a knot of fury tightening in my chest. This was the first time we’d ever met. I had done nothing to her, yet she had manufactured this lie out of thin air. I fought to keep my voice steady. “Sophia, you can’t just say things like that. Slander is illegal, you know.” My sharp tone seemed to wound her. Her eyes welled up. “Beth, I really didn’t mean any harm… I’m just a straightforward person, I say what I think without any filters.” Her words were a masterclass in manipulation—vague, defensive, and full of insinuation. She could have cleared it all up with a simple sentence, but she chose to dance around the truth, leaving a trail of suspicion. I had no idea what I’d done to earn her malice. But for Mark’s sake, I tried to keep my cool. “Sophia, you must be mistaken. It wasn’t me. It couldn’t have been.” I was offering her an easy way out, a chance to gracefully retract her statement. But she took it as an attack. Her voice broke into a sob. “Beth, don’t be so harsh… I just said you looked familiar, it was just a thought. How can you accuse me of slander?” She kept repeating the same lines, each one subtly reinforcing the idea that I was hiding a shameful secret. I finally lost my patience. “Sophia,” I snarled, “I have no quarrel with you. Why are you targeting me like this?” My outburst brought on a flood of tears. She shrank back, hiding behind Mark’s brother, Henry, as if I were a monster. Even then, she didn’t stop her performance. “Please, don’t misunderstand, I’m not targeting Beth… Mark, please don’t let this come between you.” Henry immediately wrapped an arm around her, his tone disapproving as he looked at me. “Sophia made an honest mistake. Beth, don’t you think your reaction is a little extreme?” Mark was even worse. He turned on me completely. “Beth Finch! Do you have to be so damn aggressive? If you had a clear conscience, why would she make something like this up out of nowhere? Don’t you know what you’ve done?!” The questions hit me like a barrage of stones, with no regard for my feelings. Three years together, and our relationship was so fragile it could be shattered by a few ambiguous words from a stranger. He didn’t even bother to seek the truth; he just immediately took their side against me. Mark’s relatives chimed in, eager to pile on. “Well, the truth always comes out!” “Sophia is such a sensible person, and she’s a doctor. She has professional ethics. She wouldn’t just say something like that for no reason!” “Exactly, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. No one would target you without a reason!” Mark slammed his hand on the table, pointing a finger at my face. “Beth, I want a straight answer! Did you or did you not do something disgraceful behind my back?” I took a deep breath and repeated myself. “I did not.” Then I turned to Sophia, my voice low and dangerous. “You said you performed my surgery. Fine. Tell me which hospital, and on what date. Because making false accusations has serious legal consequences.” A flicker of panic crossed Sophia’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a look of profound hurt. “Beth, why are you pushing me like this… I didn’t want to say anything.” Her voice was thick with false sorrow. “I was trying to protect you, trying to keep it from Mark. But when you accuse me like this, it just… it breaks my heart.” “To prove I’m not lying,” she declared, her voice ringing with phony righteousness, “I’ll get the procedure records from the nurse in my department right now!” She pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen, pulling up a chat history she had clearly prepared. She paraded the phone around the table for everyone to see, finally shoving it in my face. The triumph in her voice was unmistakable. “See for yourself, Beth. I’m not making it up. The name on the patient form is yours!” 3 I would never admit to something I didn’t do. Not in a million years. The way Sophia had so quickly produced the “evidence” on her phone already felt staged. “A picture of a screen proves nothing,” I said, my voice cold. “With modern AI, you can fake anything.” I saw a flash of panic in her eyes, but she held her ground. She put on her pitiful act again, her voice choked with emotion. “Beth, you can’t just tarnish my name to save your own! You’re supposed to be my future sister-in-law! Why would I make this up? I wish I’d never come today! None of this would have happened if it weren’t for me!” Her performance was so convincing that the room turned against me again. For Mark, it was the final nail in the coffin. A vein throbbed on his temple, and his eyes burned with disgust. “Beth Finch, what more do you have to say for yourself? No wonder you were always claiming to ‘work late’ on weekends… So this is the kind of filth you were dealing with!” Filth? After three years together, this was how he saw me. His mother’s voice, sharp and shrill, cut through the air. “If a woman like that marries into our family, what will happen to our reputation? We’ll be a laughingstock!” The others joined the chorus, their words growing uglier by the second. “Shameless! All that education wasted!” “If she were my daughter, I’d have slapped the life out of her by now!” “What a disgrace to her family, raising such a degenerate!” My own mother, after seeing the so-called evidence, felt her last shred of hope collapse. She pointed a trembling finger at me, her face contorted with rage. “Beth! Did you do it or not?! If you did something this disgraceful, I’ll pretend I never gave birth to you!” “I didn’t!” I shouted back, my body shaking uncontrollably. My aunt and godmother opened their mouths to speak, but faced with “proof,” they fell silent. Every eye in the room was a needle, pricking my skin. Contempt, mockery, morbid curiosity… And the people who were supposed to be closest to me—my family, my partner—not a single one believed me. Just then, Sophia spoke again, her tone now condescendingly gentle, urging me to confess and repent. “Beth, it’s okay to admit your mistakes. What matters is that you learn from them. A sullied body doesn’t mean a sullied soul. Don’t worry, we’ll keep this between us.” Her words were so absurd, so sanctimonious, that a laugh escaped my lips. It was a cold, bitter sound. “Sophia, you and I both know whose name is really on that form,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “And as for being sullied… you’re the filthiest person in this room.” I locked my eyes on hers, wanting to see just how deep her depravity went. The venom in my gaze startled her. She flinched, her voice trembling. “You… you’re lying! How dare you! You’re the one who had the abortion, not me!” Mark looked like he was about to explode. He lunged forward, his face inches from mine, spitting words laced with pure hatred. “My sister-in-law exposed you for what you are, and you have the audacity to attack her? I don’t have a shameless tramp for a girlfriend. We’re done. You disgust me!” Looking at his twisted face, the whole situation felt utterly surreal. And in that moment, I saw everything with perfect clarity. “We’re not even engaged yet,” I sneered. “Only an idiot like you would be so easily manipulated by her. You trust her over the woman you’ve been with for three years.” My words hit their mark. He completely lost control. With a roar of fury, he grabbed a ceramic bowl from the table and hurled it at my head. “Shut your mouth!” he screamed. “It’s not your place to lecture me, you cheap tramp! Go crawl back to whatever gutter you came from!” I didn’t have time to react. The bowl crashed against my temple, and a warm trickle of blood immediately ran down my face. The room fell silent. Everyone just stared. I raised a hand to my head and brought it away, slick with red. I looked at Mark, then let my gaze sweep slowly across the stunned faces of his family, and finally, to my own parents, who were frozen in shock but had made no move to help me. Suddenly, the whole thing seemed like a sick joke. “Well done, Mark,” I said softly. A flicker of panic crossed his face, quickly swallowed by a wave of defensive anger. “You brought this on yourself!” he spat. Sophia, ever the actress, rushed to his side, gently pulling on his arm. “Don’t be angry, Mark. It’s all my fault. I never should have brought it up.” She bit her lip, looking every bit the noble peacemaker. “This is our first time meeting, and I’ve caused such a scene… I… I should just go. Please don’t let me ruin things between you.” With that, she made a show of grabbing her purse to leave. Henry quickly stopped her, cooing gentle reassurances. The others, snapping out of their stupor, begged her to stay. Then, as one, they all turned to me, their expressions demanding. They wanted me to apologize to Sophia. Mark raised his chin, his voice dripping with venom. “Beth Finch! Look what you’ve done to Sophia! And she’s still trying to defend you! You will apologize to her. Right now. You won’t get up until she forgives you!” My parents, seeing this as their chance to salvage the situation, eagerly chimed in. “Beth! Just do it! Listen to Mark! It was your fault to begin with, what’s so hard about saying sorry? Do you want to ruin this engagement and humiliate us all?!” I stared at them in disbelief. My parents. My partner. My heart felt like it had been plunged into a bucket of ice. “She slanders me, and you want me to apologize to her?” “You’re still being stubborn!” my father’s face was flush with anger. “The proof is right there! The doctor and nurses can prove it! If it weren’t for your kind sister-in-law exposing you, we would have all been deceived! How could we show our faces in public? You should be grateful to her for saving you, not arguing! Apologize!” The relatives all agreed, chanting that I owed Sophia an apology. They spoke with such conviction, as if I were the villain in a play they were all watching. And I was. A dark, twisted comedy. “Me, apologize to her? Not in this lifetime.” Seeing my defiance, my parents became enraged. My father picked up a pair of chopsticks and threw them at me, screaming about how he had raised such a shameless creature. Sophia, now the cherished victim at the center of everyone’s concern, glanced at me over their shoulders. Deep in her eyes, I saw it: pure, unadulterated triumph and provocation. But her words were soft as silk. “Beth, please don’t be like this. I’m your elder, I would never truly demand an apology like that. As long as you admit you were wrong and promise to be a better person, I’ll forgive you. The most important thing is that you can change for the better, isn’t it?” Hearing this, everyone praised her for being so “magnanimous” and “understanding.” Their contempt for me only deepened, and the pressure to confess intensified. I, however, slowly set down my own chopsticks. I looked at Sophia’s hypocritical face and smiled. “It’s perfectly normal that you’d find me familiar, Sophia. After all, I manage the security system at The Azure Heights residential complex. I see you coming and going from Building 6 all the time.” “And if I remember correctly,” I added, my voice cutting through the stunned silence, “the name on the title for that apartment isn’t your husband, Henry, is it?”

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