Category: English

After my daughter died, I dragged my half-dead soul away from New York. Until I returned for the Class Reunion, a strange boy bumped into my arms. His brows and eyes were painfully similar to Gavin’s. The homeroom teacher smiled and said: “Is this yours and Gavin’s child? I knew you two had a spark back then.” “I even joked with others. Even though you were always at the bottom of the class, you found a best friend who was second, and a boyfriend who was first!” Just as I was about to explain, my former best friend, Wendy, rushed over and hugged the boy: “Why did you run off by yourself? You scared Mommy to death!” Gavin followed closely behind. He froze when he saw my face clearly. “Sunny, you’re still alive?” Chapter 1 Hearing this, Wendy looked up at me sharply, shock written all over her face. After all, to them, I had been buried at the bottom of the sea five years ago. I smiled faintly and said: “I have a tough life. Just drank a bellyful of water.” Wendy’s reaction was as fast as ever. Her expression returned to normal quickly. She rocked the boy in her arms and said to him: “Leo, this is Auntie Sunny. You should call her Godmother.” We promised back then. If we get married, we catch each other’s bouquet. If we have kids, we be each other’s godmother. The boy timidly called out “Godmother.” I didn’t respond. I turned to the teacher, said I had something to do, and prepared to leave. The teacher had long sensed the turbulence between the three of us and wished to send me away early. But Gavin followed me tactlessly. “Sunny, where are you going? I’ll drive you.” Wendy frowned imperceptibly but said: “Yeah, you can’t drive. It’s inconvenient alone.” I laughed inwardly. After so many years, she still treated me like a useless idiot. But if someone insisted on being my driver, why not? On the way, Gavin kept asking about my recent life. I only answered a few main questions simply. I was saved back then and survived. I lived by selling paintings abroad these years. I came back because a buyer who frequently bought my paintings wanted to meet me. Hearing this, Gavin’s voice suddenly rose: “Male or female? Are you sure he’s reliable? Keep your eyes open.” I mocked mercilessly: “Friends known for years are unreliable. Husbands sleeping in the same bed are unreliable. How can I judge a stranger?” Gavin shut up immediately. Wendy’s face turned iron green. Arriving at my place, I took my things and got out. But suddenly turned back to the boy beside Wendy. The boy named Leo. Upper face like Gavin, lower face like Wendy. Just as I reached out a hand, Wendy hugged the child in terror. “What are you doing? Want my child to pay with his life? He is innocent!” Gavin also called my name warningly. I just picked a fruit pit out of his mouth. “I was afraid he would be like my child. Choking to death while adults were right there.” Their faces turned white. Silence. Back home, I received a message from Mr. Jarvis. He appreciated my work very much. Whenever I had a new piece these years, he would view it even if he didn’t buy it. I came back this time to meet him, and also to settle a matter of the heart. In a quiet cafe, I met Mr. Jarvis. He looked fifty or sixty, with a lean face. “Miss Sunny, I can see many stories in your paintings. I am very curious.” “Do I have the honor to know a thing or two?” After looking around, I nodded. Chapter 2 In high school, I was a carefree rich girl. When classmates were studying hard, I only knew painting and having fun. Gavin was my opposite. Unshakable number one in the grade. Excellent grades, slick social skills. At first, I despised him, thinking he was a poser. Then Wendy came. Her family was poor, but she studied hard. After school, she had to work to subsidize her family. I admired her very much. I asked my dad to set up a scholarship specifically for students like her. I didn’t want to make a noise. But the teacher pointed out the origin of the scholarship in class and asked her to bow and thank me. Thinking back now, Wendy must have held a grudge against me since then. But I foolishly poured my heart out to Wendy, treating her as my best friend. Wendy’s biggest wish was to be first in the grade. However, Gavin was like an insurmountable mountain. Wendy was always second. After failing to take the throne again, Wendy cried loudly. To comfort her, I tried everything: “How about I chase Gavin? Date him and affect his studies!” Gavin, passing by, sneered: “Sunny, you are so dumb. Do you know how to chase me? Want me to teach you?” Later, we really got together. In my senior year, I met the biggest change in my life: My dad went bankrupt and committed suicide. When I was most desperate, Gavin and Wendy stayed by my side. Gavin promised he would take my dad’s baton and be the person who loved me most in the world. Wendy let me live in her house and racked her brains to tutor me. I cheered up and started studying hard. Before the SATs, I was stable enough to get into a good college. But an accident happened. Although I checked repeatedly, I couldn’t find my No. 2 pencils. Leaving the exam hall, I cried and slapped myself, feeling no one was more useless than me. It was still Gavin and Wendy who encouraged me constantly, helping me walk out of the shadow. They both got into NYU, the best university. Convinced I wasn’t cut out for studying, I worked as a waitress near NYU. Gavin came to help as soon as class ended. Over time, customers thought he was the employee. Gavin often told me his plans for our future. He said as soon as he graduated, we would marry. He would work hard to support me, buy me the best brushes, and let me continue to be a carefree rich wife. But I still felt a crisis. I begged Wendy to help me watch Gavin. Wendy looked at me with deep eyes and revealed a stiff smile. I only thought she was jealous of my display of affection, so I urged her to date too. Wendy said: “No need. I have someone I like.” Long later, I understood that smile, and who she liked. It was too late. Chapter 3 After Gavin graduated, we married as promised. Life was not as easy as he imagined. He worked desperately to make money, coming home exhausted every day, falling asleep immediately. To lighten his burden, I learned to cook and clean. I never knew before that there were so many chores. Endless cooking, endless sweeping… Each seemed trivial, but piling up, they drowned me. When the financial pressure eased, our daughter was born. I named her Joy, hoping she would be quiet like Wendy. But she was energetic from childhood, crying and making noise. Every night, I had to walk her around the living room to get her to sleep. When I got into bed, Gavin’s hand touched me. “Wife, we haven’t…” Despite physical and mental exhaustion, I obediently let him do what he wanted. But at the critical moment, the daughter’s cry came. I pushed Gavin away abruptly, jumped out of bed naked to hold my daughter. I didn’t see Gavin’s disgusted face behind me. Life finally ground me from an innocent princess into a disappointing housewife. That birthday, Gavin bought me the most expensive brushes. But I looked at the house and said: “We’re out of diapers. You should have bought diapers.” At that time, Wendy was killing it in the business world. She and Gavin joined the same company. Original intention unchanged, she still liked to compete with Gavin. And still couldn’t beat Gavin. Once she prepared fully, polishing the plan repeatedly, but the leader still chose Gavin’s. Wendy called, crying loudly: “Why can’t I beat Gavin!” “After so many years, can’t I win just once?!” I glared at Gavin, preparing to go out to comfort Wendy. But Joy hugged my leg and wouldn’t let me go. I had to send Gavin: “It’s unsafe for a girl to drink alone in a bar.” “You caused the trouble, you go solve it.” Gavin paused, looking at me intently: “You really want me to go?” “Of course.” Gavin seemed to make a big decision and said “Okay.” Before leaving that day, he looked back at me several times. I felt no premonition, just holding my daughter, telling jokes to coax her. Disaster brewed from there. That day, Gavin didn’t return all night. When he came back the next day, I just got up to cook. He explained a few sentences, saying Wendy was terribly difficult when drunk. He finally got Wendy home and fell asleep on the floor from exhaustion. His tone was natural. Wendy was my best friend. So I believed him easily. In the following days, Gavin worked overtime and traveled more and more. At first, I just thought the company was particularly busy recently. But slowly, I found something wrong. Hair on clothes. Strange perfume smell. Finally, when I found an opened condom wrapper in his pocket, I was sure he cheated. Heartbroken, I ran to Gavin’s company and made a big scene. I cried, screamed, rolled on the floor, demanding he hand over that woman. Gavin looked disgusted. “Sunny, I feed you and clothe you, letting you be a housewife who worries about nothing. Your repayment is framing me with baseless things!” He took out his phone, opened the camera, and aimed at my face: “Look at yourself now! An unreasonable shrew!” Chapter 4 In the phone screen, I saw my messy hair and sallow face. On the outdated clothes, there were many oil stains that couldn’t be washed off. Behind me, a group of female employees with exquisite makeup and decent clothes exuded the aura of career women. They looked at me with pity and contempt. Wendy walked out from among them. “Sunny, stop making a scene. It’s too ugly.” Gavin said sternly: “Let her make a scene! She wants to make me lose my job and let the whole family starve! Fine, go ahead, start a livestream, let everyone know!” Only then did I realize I had no capital to fight Gavin. After marriage, I had been detached from society, staying at home. And I only had a high school diploma. Once divorced, I had no competitiveness in the job market. My daughter would also be snatched by Gavin. I suddenly woke up, climbed up from the ground, and said: “I won’t make a scene. I’m going home.” After that day, I humbled myself, afraid of making Gavin angry. He became more and more brazen, lipstick marks on his shirt. But I was only afraid he would abandon me. What I could do was try to use our daughter to awaken Gavin’s feelings for this family. Fortunately, Gavin did love our daughter. When not busy, he even took her to the company to play. One day, he took our daughter away again. I finished housework and started scrolling on my phone. Accidentally, I stumbled upon a post. Title: “The Hate-Love Saga of the Eternal Second and the First Place.” I clicked in and saw the first sentence: “No one knows, what the eternal second wants most isn’t first place, but the attention of the first place.” My heart skipped a beat, something flashed in my mind, quickly scrolling to the back. “After losing to him at work again, I went to a bar to get drunk. He came to comfort me.” “He asked what I needed him to do. I asked him to kiss me. So he kissed me.” “From high school to now, he rejected my confessions ten thousand times. But the ten thousand and first time, he accepted. I took him home, and we did it until darkness fell.” “The first place I couldn’t reach finally became a subject under my skirt.” I felt like I fell into an ice cellar. So the person Wendy liked was Gavin. So the person Gavin cheated with was Wendy! I lost my reason instantly, ran to Gavin’s company, and barged into his office. Uninhibited moans came immediately from the lounge. I kicked the door open and saw Wendy sitting on Gavin disheveled. Rage attacked my heart. I threw everything I could touch at them. A heavy crystal award hit Wendy’s head. She bled. I burst into tears too. If Gavin’s betrayal chilled my heart, Wendy’s betrayal made me despair. “We are best friends. Why did you do this to me?” Wendy wiped the blood from her forehead and said coldly: “I never considered you a friend.” “A pampered waste. What you are best at is giving charity from high above.” “I hate you. Hated you since the first meeting.” I tried hard to find evidence to deny. “If you hate me, why did you take me in and tutor me back then?” Wendy sneered. “Because I like to fatten the rabbit before killing it. Why do you think you still forgot your pencils after checking so many times? Because I stole them outside the exam hall!” “What?” I was thunderstruck. Wendy shook Gavin smilingly. “There’s a witness here. Gavin, you saw me take the pencils back then, right?” Gavin’s face stiffened, turning his head away. “Don’t be shy. You didn’t tell Sunny then, so I knew you must love me.” In an instant, I felt my blood flowing backward, limbs weak, almost falling directly. “I’m going to re… report you…” Gavin’s face was gloomy, scolding: “Sunny! Enough!” “Think about our daughter!” After speaking, his face changed, looking around. Right, where is Joy? She should be here. Finally, we found our daughter’s body under the table by checking surveillance. Turns out Gavin and Wendy were messing around in the room, leaving Joy alone outside eating dried fruit. Joy choked on a pit, banged on the door for help, but was covered by their voices. She wanted to get the water on the table, but she was too small and couldn’t reach. She died silently, separated from her father by a door.

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I had breast cancer. My father, the hospital head, performed the double mastectomy. As the anesthesia faded, I overheard the assistant surgeon: “Dr. Sterling actually did it. Lying to his daughter to appease his ward… Her husband suggested it. Now she just has these bowl-sized scars.” My body shook. Once conscious, I scrambled up to confront them. My husband Damon wrapped an arm around Celeste and smirked. “What’s wrong? You always mocked Celeste for being frail. I guess you’ve learned your lesson.” I staggered forward, but my father shoved me back. “Stop making a scene. Celeste has had a hard life. Losing a bit of flesh is nothing.” Even my son Asher agreed: “He’s right, Mom. The way you look now… step aside for Aunt Celeste.” Then a dormant system woke in my mind: 【Host, your mission was completed long ago! Initiate immediate death and return?】 A relieved smile touched my lips. So this whole “journey of salvation” was a lie. A sick joke. Why should I care if they lived or died? I confirmed instantly. 【Upon death, all characters here will be erased three days after. Returning now. Reward: $700 million and a fully restored, healthy body in your world.】 … The thought of the reward was eclipsed by the sheer, ecstatic joy of finally going home. I stumbled to my feet, awkwardly climbing onto the windowsill. Every movement sent waves of agony through my fresh sutures. I looked out at the glittering skyline of the city, at the thousands of lights twinkling in the night. Not a single one of them was shining for me. The thought spurred me on. A sudden sneer from behind made me turn. It was my son, Asher. “Mom, what are you doing? You should be in bed resting.” He sounded bored. “You’re not some actress in a tragedy. Who are you putting on this ‘to be or not to be’ melodrama for?” “A melodrama? Who’s the one who’s been acting this whole time, lying to my face?” I stared into his eyes, searching for a flicker of remorse. But all I got was cold logic. “It wasn’t a lie. At most, it was a misdiagnosis from Grandpa. You don’t have cancer. You’re not going to die. You can stay with us. Isn’t that a good thing?” Oh. So I was supposed to be grateful that their cruel deception had been exposed? I turned back to the window. The wind whipped my hair around my face. I had climbed onto that operating table to live. Now, I was climbing onto this ledge to die, and in doing so, live again. Without another thought, I leaned forward, ready for the fall. But the exhilarating rush of descent never came. My son had slammed the emergency call button and was now desperately holding onto me. “Mom! What are you doing?! Grab my hand!” “Let go,” I rasped. Veins bulged on Asher’s arms as he gritted his teeth. “No!” “Mom, so you lost a part of yourself? It’s not a big deal! Dad said he’ll never be disgusted by you, no matter what you look like.” I was so tired of hearing those empty words. I thrashed my arms, trying to shake him loose. His eyes reddened, and his voice cracked with tears. “Can you really just leave me and die?” I looked up at the boy I had raised. The terror in his eyes looked so real, as if he truly couldn’t live without me. I gave him a sharp tug, my gaze turning to ice. “If you can’t bear to let me go, then come with me.” I pulled harder, twisting my body so he was dragged off balance. The color drained from his face, and his grip slackened in pure fear. I knew he was terrified. I felt my body begin to slip downwards. Just as I thought I was finally free, a powerful force yanked me back. Security guards and nurses had arrived, swarming around me. Damn it. I was so close. Hauled back from the brink, I lay limply on the bed. Asher was sobbing, completely terrified. Before I could process anything, Damon burst into the room. He pushed through the crowd and stormed over to me. SMACK! The force of the slap snapped my head to the side. The violent movement tore at my wounds, and I felt fresh blood seep through the bandages. “Are you fucking insane?” he roared, his eyes bloodshot. He grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him. “Asher is our son! Our own flesh and blood! And you were going to drag him down with you just to make a point?” “Aria, when is this going to end? Do you even have a heart?” The words caught in my throat, but a cold laugh escaped my lips. Was I the heartless one? Who lied to me about having cancer? Who put me through chemotherapy when I wasn’t sick? Who used the pretense of treatment to mutilate my body, all to get a smile from Celeste? But I was done explaining. Seeing my silence, Damon’s patience snapped. He grabbed my arm and started dragging me out of the room. “If you don’t want to be in the hospital, then you can come home with me!” I let him drag me to the car like a doll, my mind fixated on a single thought. I had to find another chance to escape this world. The city lights blurred past the car window. The world was so full of life, yet none of it felt like it was for me. The car turned onto a deserted mountain road. This was my chance. I lunged for the door handle. “You’re asking to die!” Damon snarled, yanking the wheel hard to the right. The car screeched, carving a dangerous arc across the road. I threw all my weight against the door, and it flew open, letting in a blast of icy wind. With what little strength I had left, I threw myself out. Just as I was about to tumble out, Damon unbuckled his seatbelt, abandoning the wheel to slam his body against mine, pinning me inside. The car was completely out of control. It smashed into the mountainside guardrail with a deafening crash. The impact threw us violently against the car’s interior. Damon’s forehead was split open, and blood streamed down his handsome face. He was breathing heavily, his eyes dark and menacing as he stared at me. “You want to die that badly?” I met his gaze, my answer firm. “Yes.” He was about to explode with rage when the sharp, acrid smell of gasoline filled the air. Damon’s face changed. “Damn it!” he cursed. Ignoring the blood pouring from his head, he fought to pull me from the twisted wreckage of my seat. I had no will to live left. In fact, I hoped the fire would come faster. “Just go,” I told him. “Leave me.” He acted as if he hadn’t heard me. He brutally bent the metal trapping me, then scooped me into his arms, holding me tight. The moment we were clear, a deafening explosion ripped through the night. A roaring inferno instantly consumed the expensive sports car. The heat washed over us, and he shielded me with his body, his eyes red-rimmed and furious. “Aria, I’ll say this one more time,” he growled, his voice a low threat. “I decide when you die. Not you.” The scene was eerily familiar. Years ago, we were trapped in a warehouse during a shootout with a rival gang. He had protected me just like this, whispering, “Don’t be afraid, Aria. As long as I’m here, you won’t lose a single hair on your head.” For those words, I had stood by him through everything. I fought beside him through blood and fire, even using my family’s influence—the Sterling family’s power—to secure his position as the undisputed king of the city’s underworld. But now, the same protective gesture felt like nothing but a bitter mockery. I don’t remember how I got back to the villa. As soon as we walked in, a wave of cozy, domestic warmth hit me, making me feel like an intruder. Celeste was carefully blowing on a bowl of soup. My father, Arthur Sterling, hovered behind her, his eyes full of doting concern. “Careful now, Celeste. Don’t burn yourself.” When they saw us, and especially the gash on Damon’s forehead, Celeste gasped and rushed over. “Damon, you’re hurt! What happened?” Her eyes flickered to me, to the flat expanse of my chest, and her look of concern shifted to one of pity. “Was it because of Aria? Don’t blame her. She’s probably just having a hard time accepting her… condition. We should be more supportive.” I snapped. I strode forward and slapped her across the face. “Shut up! What right do you have to stand there and play the saint?” Celeste clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. In the same instant, Arthur lunged forward, pushing me to the ground as he shielded her. “That’s enough!” he roared. “Look at you! You have none of the grace of a Sterling. We spoiled you, let you run wild and bully Celeste! This surgery was meant to teach you a lesson, and here you are, threatening to kill yourself over it!” I looked up at the man who had once adored me, my voice shaking with rage. “Is that why? Is that why you lied to me, told me I had a terminal illness, and let them turn me into this?” He didn’t answer. I couldn’t tell if it was out of guilt or because he felt utterly justified. When I first entered this world, Arthur Sterling had just lost his wife. As a man who had married into the powerful Sterling family, he was being crushed by internal politics. The system, driven by the original Aria’s desperate wish, had sent me to save him. For a long time, we saved each other. I had even decided to abandon my mission and stay. But ever since Celeste, a poor student I was sponsoring, appeared, everyone around me began to turn. A simple word of concern for her was twisted into an act of mockery. They were willing to tear me to pieces just to defend her honor. A bitter laugh escaped me. I grabbed a fruit knife from the coffee table… but I failed again. Damon was too fast. He kicked the knife out of my hand. “Aria, you’re getting addicted to this, aren’t you? Threatening to die every chance you get?” His voice was ice. “I, Damon, swear this to you: as long as you behave and leave Celeste alone, you will always be Mrs. Blackwood, no matter how much of a monster you look like.” I collapsed onto the floor, my voice flat and empty. “But I don’t want to be.”

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On the first of every month, my mother, Carol Evans, would review my performance from the previous four weeks before transferring my allowance. It wasn’t money; it was a contract. “A mandatory good-morning or good-night text to your father and me earns you twenty dollars,” her voice, sharp and precise, cut through the phone line. “But you only managed ten days last month, which means two hundred dollars.” I gripped the phone, standing in the cramped kitchen of my off-campus apartment in Seattle. “And the three-hundred-dollar ‘Excellence’ bonus is completely gone, of course. Full attendance, full communication, full grades. You know the rules.” My jaw was tight. “Add that to your ‘base stipend’ of one hundred and fifty, and this month’s grand total is three hundred and fifty dollars.” Three hundred and fifty. The number felt like a physical slap. “You’ll email me a written explanation for your poor performance. A signed, five-hundred-word apology and plan. When I deem it acceptable, I’ll transfer the funds.” My voice, when I finally spoke, was thin with panic. “Mom, I was taking my finals. I had to be at the library by five every morning just to grab a decent study spot. That’s why I missed those evening calls.” Tears were already stinging my eyes, a deep, hot shame mixing with despair. “The Greyhound ticket home to Pine Grove, Idaho, for Spring Break is nearly six hundred dollars. Three hundred and fifty isn’t enough. Mom, please, couldn’t we just—” She cut me off, her tone chillingly decisive. “The allowance contract, Lara, was designed specifically for you. It’s to help you break this entitlement and this deeply ingrained habit of expecting something for nothing. When will you understand my intentions?” The line went dead with a clipped snap. Just as the wall of helplessness was about to crush me, a flash of bright, coppery-blond hair appeared in the common area of the student union. He looked entirely wrong, like a cheap caricature of a bad boy. A guy named Mitch. He offered to buy my bus ticket. If I would just go with him. 1 I lowered my gaze, shame burning my cheeks. “I… I can’t pay you back.” Mitch and the two guys flanking him exchanged a look, the kind of dismissive, condescending glance people give a lost kid. “No repayment needed, sweetheart,” Mitch drawled, a cheap smile splitting his face. “Just have dinner with us. Do a little celebrating. I’ll give you the cash for the ticket right away.” A meal. That’s all it took to get the money to go home. The thought was intoxicating. I had to get home. Just last week, Grandma Betty had called me from the corner store in Pine Grove, using Mrs. Henderson’s landline. She’d made a point of saying she’d fluffed up my quilt with the softest, newest cotton. She’d also spent an entire afternoon sun-drying my favorite pecan brittle in the yard. Take it all back to Seattle, she’d said. Share it with your professors and classmates, ask them to keep an eye on you. Grandma Betty raised me. She was seventy-eight. And last year, she’d been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Every visit now was a gift—a precious, finite moment we wouldn’t get back. A thousand miles away, she was waiting. Home was waiting. I squeezed the pitiful $350 in my pocket, the crumpled bills slick with the sweat of my anxiety. I took a deep, shaky breath, and then, I nodded at Mitch. They took me to a dingy, off-the-grid rental house a few blocks from the bus station. Mitch gestured to a worn kitchen table where six bottles of cheap American beer were lined up. He slapped six hundred-dollar bills down next to them. “One hundred bucks a bottle, little girl. Finish all six, and your bus ticket is yours.” I stared at the cash. My grandmother’s face—wreathed in wrinkles, her eyes full of nothing but unconditional love—floated in my vision. You’re too thin, sweetie, she’d say, her hand stroking my cheek. Didn’t you eat at school? Grandma’s gonna cook you something good. The tears came again, blurring the harsh lines of the room. I quickly wiped them away, giving myself a silent, desperate pep talk. You can do this, Lara. Mom always taught me that if you’re a small-town kid, you have to work twice as hard and pay twice the price for what you want. This was just the price. Six bottles of beer, and I’d be home. It was nothing. I grabbed the nearest bottle, twisted the cap off, and began to chug. I had never had alcohol before. It hit me like a physical blow, choking me, sending me into a fit of violent coughing. The men around me cheered and whistled, their eyes predatory, sweeping over my body with a sickening, vulgar familiarity. The air suddenly turned cold, and a terrifying, primal alarm screamed in my head. I muttered something about needing the bathroom, scrambling to lock the flimsy door behind me. I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed my mother’s number. She has to pick up. She has to. It rang. Once. Twice. Then, a click. “Mom, help—” Her voice, loud and furious, cut me off before I could finish the word. “Lara Evans, I am so utterly disappointed in you!” “You always try to find a loophole. Always trying to break the system and cheat the rules. This need to get ahead without putting in the work is a moral failing!” Her breath hitched with manufactured outrage. “I am going to beat this disgusting entitlement out of you once and for all!” She slammed the phone down. I frantically tried to call her back, but the line went straight to voicemail. The flimsy bathroom door exploded inward. Mitch’s face was a mask of cold fury, and his hand clamped around my arm, yanking me out into the center of the room. 2 He was too strong. I couldn’t break free. Fear paralyzed me, a cold shock that told me it was already too late to run. I struggled, screaming and begging, but my pleas vanished into the indifferent air. They were like hunters with their prey, forcing the beer down my throat, bottle after bottle. My vision swam, and the world dissolved into an endless, terrifying dark. I slipped into a nightmare where I was a blood-soaked lamb, cornered by a pack of wolves, helpless and waiting for the inevitable slaughter. The next time I woke, I was on a bus heading home. I blinked, dazed, then a wave of pure, thrilling excitement washed over me. I was on my way. I would see Grandma Betty soon. But something was wrong. When the ticket attendant walked down the aisle, verifying each passenger, she passed right through me, as if I were thin air. Once off the bus, I ran, my feet barely touching the ground. I had to get to her. When I reached the edge of the village, I saw her immediately. Grandma Betty, frail and small, leaning on her old wooden cane, standing alone by the granite millstone at the town square. She was staring fixedly down the road where my bus should have come from. A neighbor, Mrs. Henderson, walked by and gently touched her shoulder. “Betty, it’s freezing out here. You really should go inside.” Grandma Betty shook her head stubbornly, a hopeful, heartbreaking smile on her face. She kept muttering, “Just a little longer. She’ll be here any minute.” I sprinted toward her, shouting, “Grandma! I’m home! I’m right here!” I threw my arms out, ready to fold myself into her familiar embrace. My hands passed right through her body. No resistance. Nothing. I stopped dead. I’m dead. I had died in that rotten rental house, murdered for a six-hundred-dollar bus ticket. I died during the first Spring Break of my freshman year of college. Grandma Betty waited until the sun had completely vanished below the horizon, and the light in her eyes faded, inch by painful inch. Shoulders slumped in disappointment, she slowly began the walk back home, her figure deeply bowed. The old yellow Labrador, Max, who followed her everywhere, bounded up to me, whining excitedly, nudging my leg with his head. He could see me. I followed Grandma Betty back to the house. A brand-new, sleek SUV was parked in the yard. My parents, Carol and Robert, were cheerfully unloading bags and boxes of expensive Christmas treats and gifts, their faces flushed with good cheer. Since when could we afford a car like that? Mom had been complaining all year that money was tight, that I needed to scrimp and save and stop asking for transfers. My little brother, Toby, now seven, skipped out of the car and ran to Grandma Betty. “Grandma, where’s Lara? Why isn’t she home yet?” he asked. “I wanted her to read me that storybook.” Grandma Betty gently touched his head. “The bus tickets must have been hard to get, honey. She probably had to book for tomorrow.” At that, Mom—Carol—slammed the heavy suitcase she was holding onto the gravel drive. “That spiteful little brat!” she shrieked. “She’s trying to punish me! Just because I docked her pathetic allowance, she refuses to come home!” “She can stay gone for all I care! I’ll pretend I never had a daughter!” Her face was mottled with rage. “She spends her father’s and my hard-earned money and can’t even manage a polite phone call every day. An ungrateful little wretch!” I stood right in front of her, waving my hands, frantic. “Mom, no! I’m not spiteful! I didn’t refuse to come home! I’m here! You just can’t see me!” “I’m not ungrateful! I tried so hard! I got the highest GPA in my entire major last semester!” But no matter how loudly I screamed or how wildly I waved, they couldn’t hear me. They couldn’t see me. 3 Grandma Betty went inside, and I followed, leaning gently against her back, just as I used to when I was little. I inhaled the familiar, comforting scent of old cotton and lavender, wishing the moment would never end. She put on her reading glasses and pulled a battered wooden box from under her bed. She opened it carefully, revealing three small bundles wrapped in faded floral cloth. She opened the first one. Inside was a passbook. “This is my life savings,” she murmured, a gentle smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “Fifty thousand dollars. I’m saving it for my Lara. For her wedding. A girl needs money of her own so she can stand tall and never be looked down on by her in-laws.” She had terminal cancer and wouldn’t even buy her own medicine, but she was hoarding every penny for me. My eyes were wet. So ghosts can cry. She unwrapped the second cloth. Two heavy, golden bracelets glittered inside. She’d never worn them, but they were polished until they shone. Grandma Betty fell silent, lost in a memory. “These were my mother’s, given to me on my wedding day. They are the most precious things I own.” She sighed, a deep, weary sound. “Oh, I just wish I could hold on a little longer. Wait for my little girl’s wedding day so I can put them on her myself.” I was sobbing now, a tearing, ragged sound no one could hear. “Grandma, I’m so sorry! I can’t do that! I can’t wait!” Finally, she opened the third bundle. Inside was a neatly folded piece of paper—the deed to the old property. A thread of guilt entered her voice. “Your parents already bought Toby a big house in the city, and he’s only five.” (She didn’t know he was seven). “I’m just a foolish old woman, I can’t buy you a mansion. But this old farmhouse… it will always be here to shelter you.” “If you ever get hurt out there, you come home to your own place. And if you miss me, you go to my grave on the east side of the cemetery and tell me about it. I promise you, I will hear you.” I flung myself at her, screaming the truth. I’m dead! Use this money for your treatment! Forget me! Don’t worry about me! Live! But my cries were silenced by the veil between worlds. I could only watch, paralyzed, as she lovingly tucked the wooden box back under the bed, her eyes full of bright, impossible hope. At dinner, Carol prepared a massive feast. Grandma Betty sat at the table, taking only a few small bites. She kept glancing at the door, her face a heartbreaking mixture of hope and anxiety. Robert, my father, finally broke the strained silence. “Maybe we should just call her, Carol.” My mother instantly slammed her chopsticks down. Her face darkened. “Call her what? You’re both spoiling her rotten! Do you think I don’t know how to raise my own daughter?” “I’m telling you now, no one is calling her today. She needs to reflect. We can’t enable her selfish, ungrateful behavior!” Grandma Betty, already frail, was so startled by the sudden violence that she began to cough uncontrollably. Robert rushed to pat her back. Carol spoke to Grandma Betty with a brittle, forced firmness. “Mom, I have to say this. Lara is undisciplined because of how you’ve raised her. My allowance system is good for her.” “It’s teaching her the rules of the working world before she enters it. She needs to understand that you pay the price before you get the reward! No handouts!” “As her grandmother, your indulgence isn’t love, it’s a handicap. She’ll be eaten alive by the real world if she doesn’t learn boundaries!” Grandma Betty was a meek, gentle soul who had never raised her voice in her life, much less argued with her son and daughter-in-law. Her lips trembled as she tried to argue, but the words wouldn’t come. She just sat there, her eyes welling up with tears, looking like a helpless child. 4 After a long, painful silence, Grandma Betty finally found her resolve. “If you two won’t call my girl, I will.” “If you won’t let her come home, I will!” She struggled to her feet, leaning heavily on her cane. My mother was instantly livid. She pointed a trembling finger at Grandma Betty’s back. “See! This is exactly how you’ve spoiled Lara! She’ll never be able to adapt to a tough environment! She’ll never be successful!” Driven by a blinding, self-righteous fury, Carol stormed toward my old bedroom—the room Grandma Betty had carefully prepared for my return. A knot of dread tightened in my ethereal chest, and I followed her in. I watched as Mom violently yanked my brand-new, fresh-smelling quilt off the bed and threw it onto the dusty floor. She stomped on it twice, her mouth twisted in a snarl. “She wants to cross me? Fine! She won’t sleep under this! She can stay out in the cold!” Then, she turned her attention to the wall. It was covered in ribbons, plaques, and awards—my achievements from elementary school all the way through high school. They were my pride, and Grandma Betty’s joy. Carol began to rip them off the wall, tearing them into small, vicious shreds. “What good are these stupid papers? Can they buy her food? Can they teach her respect?” she screamed. “Ungrateful, entitled! All the awards in the world don’t change the fact that she’s a deadbeat! A nothing!” I looked at the fragments of my hard-won honors scattered on the floor and screamed at her, a silent, raging plea. “Mom, I’m not spoiled! I worked so hard!” “I was hauling buckets of water to help Grandma water the garden when I was five!” “I cooked, I did the laundry, I took care of Grandma when she was sick. I knew you struggled for money; I never complained.” “Grandma and I lived on welfare and food stamps. I was careful with every single penny. I never wasted a thing!” I pointed to the closet, begging her to open it. Every garment inside was old, mended, patched. If she wouldn’t believe me, she could ask the neighbors, the teachers. Everyone knew I was kind, devoted, and a hard worker. Grandma Betty always told me that my parents loved me, but they were just too busy building their lives. I worked myself to exhaustion, studied until I was numb, and tried to be the perfect, dutiful daughter so I wouldn’t be a burden, so they would finally like me. Just then, a hurried commotion and the sound of heavy boots came from the doorway. A relaxed smile spread across Robert’s face. “See, Carol? I told you. She came back. The kid caved.” Mom instantly straightened, her spine rigid with smug vindication. The door burst open, and Mayor Thompson, the head of our village council, stumbled in, his face ghostly. Carol saw him and assumed I’d sent him to mediate. She crossed her arms, a cold, unyielding mask settling on her face. “Uncle Thompson, did Lara send you to talk us down? Well, you can tell her no. She made a mistake, and she needs to face the consequences.” “You tell her to write that five-thousand-word letter of apology and read it out loud in the town square. Otherwise, she is not setting foot in this house!” The Mayor’s jaw dropped. He was frantic, shaking his head and waving his arms. Grandma Betty was looking past him, desperate. “Where is my girl, Thompson? Tell me, where is she?” The Mayor looked at Carol’s self-satisfied face, and his own face crumpled. He stomped his foot and let out a tortured cry. “There’s been a tragedy! You blind, foolish parents! How could you push your child to this point?”

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The company’s Annual Gala was coming up, and every employee was required to perform. I’ve been a corporate slave for a whole year, and I really didn’t want to continue being treated like a circus monkey by the leadership. VP Johnson scolded me: “You ungrateful brat. This is a great opportunity to be seen by the C-suite. Since you don’t want to advance, enjoy being a grunt for the rest of your life!” So, he assigned me to cover shifts for other departments while everyone else rehearsed for the Gala. When a client came to sign a contract, I sent them away: “The company is busy rehearsing for the Gala. No contracts today!” When the IRS came to audit, I blocked them at the door: “The company is busy rehearsing for the Gala. We can’t host you!” Chapter 1 The Group executives were attending our Annual Gala. VP Johnson issued a command: “Everyone’s priority for the end of the year is the Gala rehearsal. Everything else can wait.” Besides that, everyone had to participate in a performance to ensure the executives saw a “united and energetic” team. When they were collecting program ideas, I said I had no talent. VP Johnson came to persuade me personally: “Ben, this is a golden opportunity to be seen by the higher-ups. The Group leaders are coming. This is one of the few chances you’ll have to perform directly in front of them.” “VP Johnson, I don’t want to be seen by the higher-ups, nor do I want to perform. I’m just an ordinary employee. It’s useless even if they see me.” VP Johnson probably didn’t expect me to be so unambitious. His “carrot on a stick” tactic failed, and he paused for a moment. “No, your mindset is dangerous! You’re young, don’t you want to climb the ladder?” “No!” I answered decisively. Out of ten people in our department, eight were nepo babies or friends of the boss. Even if I stripped on stage, the promotion and raise wouldn’t be mine. VP Johnson shook his head in anger: “You’re hopeless! You don’t cherish such a good opportunity. You deserve to be a worker for life!” With that, he stormed off. Psycho. I’m here to work, not to sell my dignity. Department Manager Jessica saw that I pissed off VP Johnson and came to talk to me: “Ben, there’s no need to offend VP Johnson. He’s counting on this Gala to go well so the Group leaders will be happy and promote him to HQ.” “So we have to act like monkeys to pave his way?” Jessica was choked by my retort. She paused and continued: “I… I’m doing this for your own good. After all, you still have to work here. There’s no need to offend him.” Psycho. When my mom says “it’s for your own good,” I suspect she’s gaslighting me. Let alone you, a corporate lackey? Hilarious! “If you really want what’s best for me, don’t make me participate in this bullshit Gala.” “Watch your language! I really mean well. Why are you so ungrateful?” Jessica’s tone hardened, which directly caused the anger I had suppressed for a year to explode. “You want me to be blunt? Ten people in our department, eight are useless connections. All the work is dumped on me. I’ve worked my ass off for a year, just wanting a break, and you want me to work overtime for a rehearsal? For what?” Jessica was shocked by my directness, looking at me like I was a madman. “Connections? What nonsense. Our company speaks with results. I became a manager based on ability. Factors outside of ability are zero!” “Yeah, your brother-in-law said the same thing in the meeting!” Her brother-in-law is VP Johnson. Jessica’s face turned purple instantly. Chapter 2 The next morning, I saw Jessica leading the whole department singing “We Are the World,” complete with choreography. I wasn’t sure what they were thankful for. Thankful that the company fed this group of parasites? Logically, that makes sense. I’m just a regular guy. I just want to work quietly and get paid what I deserve. Why do they keep forcing these “values” on me? Those executives should be the ones singing and dancing. After all, their million-dollar salaries are earned by the blood and sweat of us grunts. They should be more grateful. Besides, if you’re going to paint a picture, make it realistic. Don’t just draw a pile of shit and feed it to us: Singing and dancing for leaders, amusing them, and we’ll have a future? Then just hire a professional troupe. If that worked, Enron wouldn’t have collapsed. If they like thanking the leaders, let them. Whether they thank me or not, I do all the work anyway. Sometimes I really feel they are thanking the wrong gods. I used to think about keeping my head down and enduring it. But they crossed the line more and more: The nepo babies slacked off, I worked like a dog; year-end awards went to them; raises, I was always at the bottom. No fame, no fortune. Why should I swallow this anger? I’ve made up my mind. I won’t spoil anyone anymore. If anyone dares to gaslight me, I’ll diss them to their face. Zero tolerance! Since you don’t want dignity, I’ll help you lose it. I’ve had enough of this life. Give me a severance package and let me go. I’m a slave during the year, a monkey during holidays, and a pig to be slaughtered when profits are down. But Jessica didn’t want to let me off that easily. As soon as I got to my desk, I saw the Year-End Performance Review was out. I clicked it. My rating was a C. According to company policy, a C rating means no year-end bonus and immediate probation. Which means I’m on the chopping block, ready to be fired at any time. These bastards. Not only are they ungrateful, they bite the hand that feeds them. I was furious. I couldn’t take it anymore and kicked open the conference room door. Just as they were singing “We make a brighter day,” eyes misty with emotion, I appeared before them like a vengeful spirit. Right. After doing their work for years, I deserve that lyric too. Chapter 3 Jessica saw I was hostile and tried to strike first: “What are you doing? Can’t you see we’re rehearsing?” Rehearse my ass. My bonus is gone, do I care about your bullshit Gala? “Screw the rehearsal! I’m here to ask Manager Jessica why my rating is a C?” Jessica seemed to have expected me. She walked up to me: “I thought something huge happened. It’s just this? Go out and wait, I’ll explain after rehearsal.” I don’t know what’s in her brain. A corporate slave losing his bonus is “not a big deal”? For a worker, this is the sky falling! No, it’s more urgent than the sky falling! “I can’t wait a second. I worked hard all year, why is my bonus gone? If you can’t explain it, stop your gratitude act!” Even at this point, Jessica didn’t seem to realize I was out for blood. “Ben, have some perspective, okay? Do you know how important the Gala is to the company? I’ll explain your little issue later. Why the rush? Honestly!” I learned in my first year: when a company tells you to have “perspective,” the subtext is: Attention, I’m about to gaslight you! “Perspective? Are you brain-dead? My bonus is gone and you tell me to have perspective?” Seeing the tension rising, everyone gathered to watch. Jessica didn’t care and continued her sarcasm: “Don’t you know your own performance? The C rating went through the review process and was approved by company leadership!” “Come on. Everyone in our department is here today. Who did more work than me? Who had better numbers? I did most of the work for ten people. I’d love to know how your review process works!” “Go check the HR file yourself! It’s very clear!” “I can’t understand it. You tell me right now, in front of everyone, where did I fail?” “Do you even need to ask? It’s so obvious.” Seeing her so confident, I was a bit confused until she opened my review form on her phone. Reading it, I was trembling with rage, while she looked triumphant. Chapter 4 “Our assessment mechanism changed this year. Both quantitative KPIs and qualitative competencies are evaluated. The final result is the lower of the two scores.” I looked at the big C under “Core Competencies” and exploded. KPIs are quantitative, objective data. She couldn’t fudge that, so my KPI score was an A. But this so-called “Competency” is entirely subjective, depending on the manager’s mood. Even if subjective, I didn’t expect such a ridiculous result. In all my years here, I’ve never seen a C rating. “Jessica, tell me now. What is wrong with my competency? Am I incompetent? Why is my KPI an A but competency a C? Isn’t that contradictory?” Seeing I was serious, Jessica said slowly: “Other competencies are fine, but your team spirit is lacking…” “Team spirit lacking? What do you mean?” “What do I mean? You have the nerve to ask? Why aren’t you participating in the Annual Gala? This one thing proves you lack the big picture and team spirit!” My head buzzed. So I lost my bonus because I didn’t dance at the party? I felt my blood pressure spiking: “Jessica, hand on your heart, did I achieve most of the department’s results this year? Did I do the most overtime? You give me a C for not going to a party?” “I know, but attitude matters. No collaboration spirit, disobeying company arrangements, not participating in team efforts. Even with good results, that’s not competence, right?” I laughed in anger: “Just because I skipped the Gala, you deny my bonus? So you didn’t see my hard work all year?” “Why haven’t you realized your problem? VP Johnson emphasized the importance of the Gala. The whole company is focused on this. You dropped the ball on such a major event, and you’re not convinced by a C?” “I am not convinced. Why?!”

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Five years after our breakup, Julian Vance’s sister exposed me on a reality show. “My brother used to date this girl. total gold digger.” “After they broke up, she sent him hundreds of texts begging to get back together.” “But, you know, I deleted all of them.” Netizens locked onto me, a washed-up actress, as the suspect. To grab the headline, a paparazzo dug me out from a pile of “dead bodies” on set. I wiped the dirt off my face and smiled at the camera. “We really aren’t close. Otherwise, would I be playing a corpse here?” The interview went viral. Julian flew back from abroad. That night, I saw him at my apartment door. “Not close? So who was I sleeping with all those years? A ghost?” Chapter 1 After Chloe’s explosive clip aired, it fermented overnight and trended #1 on Twitter. On screen, she smiled nonchalantly, acting like the judge, jury, and executioner of gold diggers. “Anyone with eyes could see she was after our money. My brother thought she was so innocent.” “You know, that ‘innocent’ act is the scariest. None of our friends liked her.” “But my brother was bewitched. He almost cut ties with the family for her.” “My mom wanted to force them apart, but I told her not to lose her son over a gold digger.” “Eventually, I went undercover and used some tricks to reveal her true colors.” “I saved my brother’s life. Families like ours need a match of equal status for everyone to be happy.” Chloe entered showbiz as a “Chaebol heiress.” Publicly, she was the daughter of Vance Real Estate. People naturally assumed the brother she mentioned was the heir to Vance Real Estate. But in reality, Vance Real Estate was just a small asset of the Vance Empire. Anyway, you can’t check your phone while playing a corpse. The guy next to me filled me in on what Chloe said. Somehow, the clues linked back to me, the has-been actress. “Is it really not you?” The director yelled “Cut!”, and the paparazzo and I crawled up together. This guy was dedicated. He snuck in to play a dead body just to get a scoop. I dusted off my gray robe and grinned. “Really not me. If I could hook up with a billionaire heir, would I be playing a corpse here?” He spat out a blade of grass. “Don’t act. I’ve tracked you since your debut. I could never get a pic of your ex-boyfriend. Now this leak matches perfectly.” I ignored him, digging a crumpled business card out of my jeans pocket under the robe. I shoved it into his hand with a flattering smile. “Boss, call me if you have work. Dead bodies, corpses, background trees… I can do it all. My skills are top-notch.” This paparazzo, Mike, bought stock in “Scarlett” when I debuted. In my prime, he bought a house in LA by selling my scandals. Now that I was a flop, only he hadn’t given up, hoping for my comeback tour. He cursed and grabbed the card. “I swear, if you were a stock, I’d have lost my underwear by now.” “Scarlett, you used to be so glorious. How did you end up like this?” I sighed and rubbed my hands. “Heroes don’t brag about the past. Just throw some work my way, Mike, and I’ll be grateful.” I stretched my neck and shouted at his back, “Bro, I’ll play anything! Just give me a role!” The autumn wind was cold. I wrapped my robe tighter. If he hadn’t mentioned the past, I might have forgotten. Glorious? Yeah, it was glorious once. Chapter 2 I debuted at eighteen, scouted from film school. By nineteen, I was a superstar. Magazines criticized me daily but couldn’t deny my fame. Variety called me the brightest star in the galaxy. I lived up to the hype, rocketing to the top. Chloe always said I was after her brother’s money. Others didn’t know, but Julian Vance knew best. I met him when I was nineteen. My future was limitless, and I was arrogant. He didn’t know how to woo a girl, only how to throw money. “Be with me, I’ll fund your movie.” I threw the money in his face. “I need your funding? Directors are lining up to give me scripts.” He smiled, not angry, and stopped his bodyguards from attacking me. After that, he changed tactics. He lowered his noble head. He rode the bus with me to remote sets. He stayed in my rental, cooking soup for me. I took it for granted, patting his shoulder. “I’m a superstar. People line up to cook for me!” “When I win the Oscar, when I’m famous worldwide, you’ll have bragging rights. Out of everyone, you picked me, a treasure.” Julian ran his fingers through my hair, agreeing with my nonsense unconditionally. “That’s why I have good taste. I knew you’d make it since day one.” Back then, Julian seemed like any other rich kid, except for his devastatingly good looks. He really loved me then. The patience cultivated from a privileged upbringing was all spent on me. I got famous early. Young, aggressive, proud. I didn’t know how to bow. No one restrained me. I offended many people along the way. I did whatever I wanted in that circle at such a young age. Not because I was powerful, but because Julian was always cleaning up my mess. Those years, if he handed me a sword, I dared to draw it. Actress marrying a billionaire. A classic trope. I thought, I’m a star. Marrying Julian wouldn’t bring him much glory, but he wouldn’t lose out. So I naively thought it was just a matter of me saying “yes.” Chapter 3 Later, I learned what a true gap in status meant. Julian’s mother didn’t like me. His friends looked down on me. With my pride, I should have broken up with him. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave him. I couldn’t stop loving him. I bowed my head. I compromised. I refused to retreat. Chloe entered the picture then. She was Julian’s adopted sister. Her father was the Vance family driver. He died saving Julian when she was five, so the Vances adopted her. Maybe out of gratitude, maybe childhood friendship. Chloe had a lot of influence in that circle. When she first met me, she was incredibly enthusiastic. “Brother, is this the sister-in-law you found? She’s beautiful.” She linked arms with me, pointing at the circle of snobs. “Be nice to my sister-in-law. With me here, no one bullies her.” In my confusion, I treated her as an ally. I asked her what Julian’s mom thought of me. How to please her. Chloe comforted me. “Don’t worry, Auntie is all bark and no bite. You and my brother just need to hold out. Maybe get pregnant first, give her a grandson, she’ll be happy.” “Or just wait. When my brother gets older, she’ll compromise.” I wasn’t stupid enough to use a baby as a bargaining chip. But Chloe’s words gave me confidence. I thought Julian’s mom was like any mother. She couldn’t beat her child’s will. So when Chloe said Julian’s mom wanted to see me, I believed her. I did my best makeup, wore my most appropriate dress, and went nervously. It was the first time I met Julian’s mother face to face. In a setting clearly not meant for me, I intruded rudely. That moment, I saw deep disgust in her eyes. I looked at Chloe, hoping she would speak up. She smiled and said ambiguously, “Auntie, don’t blame her. She just wanted to please you so much, she lost her sense of propriety.” My pupils shrank. I felt cold all over. The incident blew up. Julian flew back overnight. Seeing me, his eyes were tired. “Scarlett, I said I was planning. I was finding a way. Why the rush? Do you know what occasion that was? How many VIPs were there? You barging in like that, what does my mom think of you?” I knew he was fighting his family for us. Many sleepless nights, he hugged me, whispering to hold on a little longer. So I knew I was wrong. Red-eyed, I said, “I’m sorry. I was too anxious. It was Chloe. She told me…” Long confrontation with his family drained his patience. “Why blame her? Even if she tried to help, you’re an adult. Can’t you read the room?” He didn’t believe me. He thought I was a gold digger in a hurry. Chapter 4 After that, endless fights and cold wars began. Chloe still pretended to be my friend in public. But behind my back, she despised me like the rest. I decided to leave Julian because the messy relationship stalled my career. Before the breakup, Chloe sent me a video. In it, Julian sat on the sofa, surrounded by familiar faces. His mother said sternly, “How long will you be with that girl?” Julian didn’t look up. Lazy tone. “Just playing. Why the rush?” Along with the video came a text from Chloe. “Sister-in-law, don’t misunderstand. My brother is like this. Bad mouth. He said he was ‘playing’ with all his exes, but he gave them money and resources. Dating him for a few days sets you up for life.” I didn’t confront Julian with the video. I broke up directly. But Julian thought I was throwing a tantrum. He humored me patiently. To disgust him, I said cruel things. “Yes, I found a better sponsor. Whatever you can give, others can too!” “You think your family is royalty? I don’t care!” Arguments exploded. Entanglement. Often, I wonder. If Julian had let go then. If I hadn’t had that lingering affection. Maybe I wouldn’t have walked into Chloe’s trap. I wouldn’t have been framed as a mistress sleeping with a director at my peak. Explicit photos everywhere. I wouldn’t have lost every penny to breach of contract fees. I wouldn’t be playing dead bodies now. But there are no “ifs.” Love tripped my early life and threw me into prison. Chapter 5 I looked down and lit a cigarette, swiping the screen. The clip’s heat was still rising. I read the comments. “Wait, this sister feels like a ‘Pick-me girl’. Vance Real Estate owner is named Vance. Is she biological? Does she like her brother? It sounds like she broke them up. The girl didn’t even take any money.” My finger paused on this comment for a few seconds, then scrolled past. My interview video was also trending. Looking at the free publicity, I felt regret. If I had a PR team now, I could push clips of my old roles. Find some marketing accounts to praise my acting and past achievements. Maybe a director would see it and give me a villainess role. I stomped out the cigarette and turned to go upstairs. Headlights flashed. A black car stopped a few steps away. I looked over curiously. The back door opened. A long leg stepped out. I looked up. The man wore a crisp coat, black turtleneck framing a slender neck. Years later, Julian hadn’t changed. High above, noble. Pale skin, sharp brows, narrowed eyes. Looking extremely unapproachable. I scoffed, put my hands in my pockets, and turned away. “Take another step—” Julian called out, voice cold and unfamiliar. I stopped and turned. “Here for the hundred texts? I sent them. But shouldn’t you blame Chloe? Why pick on me? She deleted them.” Julian smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You should thank her for deleting that trash. If I saw them back then, I might not have let you off so easily.” Hate me? Easy. I leaned against a tree, lit another cigarette. Facing Julian’s ugly expression, I smiled brightly. “Boss, if I sleep with you, can you get me a supporting role?” Julian’s face stiffened. He looked me up and down, then asked indifferently. “Scarlett, where is your shame?” I smiled indifferently. “In my line of work, dignity and shame don’t put food on the table, right?” I had shame. No one cared about face more than me back then. But I’m human, not a god. Even thick shame… Was ground to dust over these years. Chapter 6 That night, Julian left with a dark face. His car blew exhaust in my face. The next day, his assistant knocked on my door. Just in time. I almost considered the creepy director who touched my butt a few days ago. Julian’s assistant was an old face. Seeing me sign the contract without hesitation, he reminded me sternly. “Mr. Vance said, as long as you behave, he won’t treat you badly.” I replied perfunctorily, “I get it. From now on, if Boss Vance says go East, I won’t go West.” “Bro, when can you give me a script? Give me a hint?” “You! How did you become…” He stopped, packing the contract noisily. I knew what he wanted to say. Scarlett, how did you become so mercenary? So thick-skinned? The old Scarlett wouldn’t even look at resources Julian offered. I called out to him. “Hey, old friend. Let me know when Julian is getting married. Give me a heads up.” Assistant Xu didn’t reply and left. Julian and I “reconciled” just like that. Calmly, as if nothing happened. I moved into the Malibu beach house. I brought nothing from my rental. That night, I dressed up carefully. Midnight passed. Julian didn’t come back. I leaned on the sofa, figured it out, and smirked. I dumped the food and changed into comfortable pajamas. At 3 or 4 AM, half-asleep, a coldness covered my waist. I woke up and saw Julian in the night light. His features were blurred in the dim light. I didn’t know what year it was. “How did you get this scar?” He pressed the huge scar on my waist slightly. Old wound. No pain anymore. But I frowned dramatically. “Scratched it on set.” Julian smiled thinly. “With such a big scandal, you still had roles?” I sighed. “Someone has to be a body double. I have a good figure. Using me is a bargain.” His face darkened. He pulled the quilt over my head. Out of sight, out of mind. The next day, people came in waves. Scripts for me to pick, luxury endorsements without probation, my first comeback event… Staring at the papers on the table, I suddenly laughed. Why was I so high-and-mighty before? WeChat voice messages popped up. I clicked. Mike’s voice. “Scarlett, why is everyone saying you’re making a comeback?” “Be fair. What’s going on? Which role are you taking?” “Let me be the source this time, please! If the info is real, I promise to hype you up big time.” In this circle, if there’s profit, we are friends. I took a photo of the script I chose and sent it to him.

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I asked my best friend to try on her bridesmaid dress. Instead, she walked out wearing my bridal gown. That should have been the first red flag. On the morning of the wedding, the final flag was waved. Sienna and my fiancé, Preston, stumbled out of the same hotel room together, clothes disheveled, hair a mess. The hotel staff froze in shock. My parents were screaming, on the verge of hysterics. Preston walked over to me, guilt written all over his face, and pulled me into a hug. I didn’t scream. I didn’t fight. Instead, I smiled calmly and told them, right then and there, that they could have the wedding. “Take the ceremony,” I said. “It’s yours.” Sienna smirked, triumphant. She thought she had won. She had no idea. Because the moment Preston wrapped his arms around me, the antique silver cross my grandmother left me shattered against my chest. Nana had warned me once: If the cross breaks, it has taken a death blow for you. It blocks a disaster. An Absolute Calamity. 1 “Meredith, listen, last night was a mistake. I grabbed the wrong dress in the dark, and Preston… well, he’d had too much whiskey. He didn’t realize it wasn’t you.” Sienna, my maid of honor and supposed best friend, was saying the words, but the smirk playing on her lips told a different story. It was a look of triumph, sharp and unmistakable. I knew exactly what that look meant. Preston came from old money. He had that effortless, Ivy League charm and the kind of inheritance that meant he’d never have to work a day in his life. In the six months he’d spent courting me, the gifts had piled up—Diamond tennis bracelets, vintage handbags—totaling more than most people earn in a decade. I had finally said yes. And this was how the morning of my wedding began. The scene in the hotel suite was grotesque, almost comical. Sienna was standing there in my custom Vera Wang gown—now shredded at the hem and ripped at the shoulder—her exposed skin a roadmap of what had happened the night before. Preston, my fiancé, stood with his head hanging low, unable to meet my eyes. My father, usually a man of quiet dignity, lost it. He lunged past the hotel staff, landing a clumsy kick on Preston’s thigh, screaming obscenities that echoed down the corridor. The staff held him back, but the fury in the room was suffocating. Preston stumbled, straightened his tuxedo shirt, and finally walked over to me. He pulled me into a tentative, apologetic hug. “Meredith, I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his breath stale with last night’s alcohol. “But what’s done is done. Maybe… maybe it’s best if you just let us be happy.” The audacity took my breath away. I wasn’t blind. I had seen the way he looked at her over dinners. Sienna was curvier than me, louder, more willing to play the games men like Preston enjoyed. During our engagement, he had dropped hints about what he wanted in the bedroom, hints I had deflected, saving that intimacy for marriage. Everyone in the room—the staff, my parents, Sienna—braced themselves. They expected a slap. They expected me to scream. Instead, I smiled. It was a calm, hollow thing. “Okay,” I said. The room went silent. “The venue is paid for,” I continued, my voice steady. “The guests are arriving. You two should just get married. Right here. Today.” Preston let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for hours. “Meredith… I knew you were classy. Thank you.” My parents looked like they were going to have strokes. My mother looked ready to grab a broom from the housekeeper and beat me with it. “Meredith!” my dad roared. “You’re letting these—these animals get away with it? Where is your pride?” I didn’t answer. I grabbed their arms and dragged them toward the elevator, away from the wreckage of my wedding. Around the corner, out of sight, I reached into my blouse and pulled out the silver chain I’d worn every day since I was a child. “Mom, Dad,” I said quietly, opening my hand. “Nana’s cross.” The antique silver crucifix, once smooth and solid, lay in my palm in two jagged pieces. The anger instantly drained from my parents’ faces, replaced by a pale, trembling fear. My mother hit the elevator button repeatedly, her eyes darting to the security cameras. “Did that… did that just happen?” she whispered. My father’s face went from flushed to chalk-white. His hands shook. “No. It can’t be.” I nodded. “It shattered the second Preston hugged me.” My parents exchanged a look of pure terror. The elevator doors Dinged open. “We’re moving,” Dad announced, his voice tight. “Now.” As we stormed out of the hotel lobby, we passed the life-sized cutouts of the bride and groom. My father kicked Preston’s cardboard standee across the marble floor, then grabbed the one of me. My mother was already on the phone with the wedding planner, her voice low and frantic. “Take everything down. Every photo of Meredith. Every banner with her name. Burn it if you have to. There can be no trace of her left in that ballroom.” Seeing the genuine panic in their eyes, the numbness in my chest cracked. I pulled out my phone and deleted every photo of Preston, every contact, every digital footprint. We fled the hotel like criminals. By nightfall, we had packed our lives into boxes and were driving out of the state. 2 To understand the panic, you have to understand Nana. My grandmother wasn’t just a superstitious old woman. In the rural county where she grew up, she was known as a Seer. The locals whispered that she wasn’t entirely human, that she had the blood of the mountain spirits in her veins. She never missed a prediction. Not once. She lived to be ninety-nine. She died on a crisp, bright winter afternoon, sitting in her rocking chair on the porch. She had petted the old golden retriever twice, then called my name. “Meredith.” I was eight years old. When I ran to her, she took off the heavy silver cross she had worn her entire life and fastened it around my neck. “Merry, you keep this on. Never take it off,” she had rasped, her voice like dry leaves. “If this cross ever breaks, it means it has taken a death blow for you.” She gripped my small hand with surprising strength. “If it breaks, you run. You run from whoever is closest to you at that moment. Because when the cross breaks, it means a Calamity is coming. An absolute Calamity.” “What kind of calamity, Nana?” I had asked, innocent and confused. She looked at me, her eyes milky with age, and whispered two words. “Hollow Creek.” Then she closed her eyes and was gone. Her funeral was an event. People came from three counties over—mayors, sheriffs, heavy hitters. I told my parents about the cross and the words “Hollow Creek.” They turned pale, refused to explain, and immediately moved us to the city. Now, years later, the memory felt cold against my skin. The scandal of Preston and Sienna was tearing through our social circle. At first, people were disgusted. Sienna was the villain, the treacherous best friend. But when word got out that I had handed over the wedding—gift-wrapped the groom and the venue—the narrative shifted. People called me weak. A doormat. A coward who let them walk all over me. I didn’t care. Let them talk. Sienna, meanwhile, was basking in her victory. She was Mrs. Preston distinct now. Her Instagram stories were a relentless parade of the life that was supposed to be mine. The ten-carat solitaire diamond. The two-million-dollar check from his parents. The video of Preston kneeling to put a crystal shoe on her foot. Thank you, Meredith, she captioned one photo. And thank you to the brave girl I was, for following her heart. I chose love AND money. Life is short. Seize it. Preston played the part of the doting husband, posting photos of them kissing on yachts and in penthouses. Our mutual “friends” flocked to her comments section, eager to stay close to the money. Some people just aren’t meant for the high life, one commented, digging at me. Sienna replied with a winking emoji. I scrolled through her feed in our new, temporary apartment, and for the first time in days, I laughed aloud. She had no idea what she had actually stolen. Sienna wasn’t just enjoying the money; she was monetizing the scandal. She spun the narrative of “The Great Love Story,” gaining 50,000 followers overnight. Her comments were filled with girls calling her a “Queen” and saying “The unloved one is the mistress.” When the internet found out my family had fled the city, the mockery intensified. Cowards, they typed. Running away with their tails between their legs. I could handle the insults aimed at me. But when they started attacking my parents, calling them pathetic, I snapped. I logged into a burner account and typed under Sienna’s latest post: Insult me all you want, but leave my parents out of it. And Sienna, stop using my name for clout. 3 I regretted the comment the second I hit send. I blocked her immediately afterwards. Sienna didn’t reply, but I saw she liked every nasty comment directed at me. I shook my head. Karma is a patient hunter, I thought. We had moved hundreds of miles away, settling in a quiet, nondescript town halfway across the country. It was isolated, the kind of place where neighbors mind their own business. My mother wanted a city nearby, but my father insisted on distance. That night, over a dinner of takeout noodles, I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Mom, Dad,” I asked, putting down my chopsticks. “What did Nana mean? What is the ‘Absolute Calamity’? And what is Hollow Creek?” The room went still. My mother put a piece of braised pork into my father’s bowl, her hand trembling slightly. “She’s an adult now,” Mom said softly. “We should tell her.” Dad hesitated, looking aged and weary, before nodding. “Hollow Creek,” Mom said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Do you remember the name?” “Nana told me before she died.” “Hollow Creek was a village about ten miles from where we grew up,” Mom said. “About three hundred people lived there. Then, one night, every single one of them died.” The air in the kitchen seemed to drop ten degrees. “Died?” I asked. “Like… a plague? A landslide?” “No,” Dad said, staring at the table. “They hung themselves.” I felt the blood drain from my face. “All of them?” “Every man, woman, and child,” Mom whispered. “Mass suicide. Or… mass execution. But there was no one else there.” “Why?” I managed to ask. My parents looked at each other, their eyes dark with a fear that hadn’t faded in decades. “They said,” Dad choked out, “that the village was haunted.” I sat there, the silence ringing in my ears. Nana hadn’t just given me a piece of jewelry; she had given me a shield against something ancient and evil. The cross shattering meant the shield was broken. The target had shifted. Preston wasn’t just a cheater. He was a lightning rod for something terrible. Why now? Why did the cross break when he touched me after sleeping with Sienna? Had Nana foreseen the betrayal too? My phone buzzed on the table. A strange number. I picked it up cautiously. “Hello?” “Meredith? Is that you? Are you okay?” It was Preston. His voice was smooth, concerned, oblivious. I hung up immediately and blocked the number. From that night on, I stopped answering calls. I was terrified. Meanwhile, Sienna’s life of luxury continued online. But she was getting bored. Late one night, I saw a notification. She was live. 4 Sienna was sitting on a velvet sofa that cost more than my car, draped in a white fur coat. She looked impeccable, but there was a manic energy in her eyes. “So bored tonight,” she told the camera, swirling a glass of wine. “Just wanted to chat with my fans.” She showed off a few Birkin bags, preening for the compliments rolling in. Then, inevitably, she brought me up. “Her? Oh, please. Some people just don’t have the destiny for wealth. The universe literally handed her a meal and she couldn’t swallow it.” She giggled. “Best friend? I mean… did she ever really act like one? She hid Preston from me for months. Insecurity is so ugly, isn’t it?” She took a sip of wine. “Where is she now? Probably hiding in some motel with her weird parents. They ran off like fugitives the day of the wedding. Maybe they’re scared I’ll sue them for emotional distress.” I watched, feeling a mix of pity and disgust. How had I ever let this person into my life? But then, the comments shifted. Sienna, the closet door behind you just moved. Is someone in there? I saw a shadow. Hey, stop joking, check the wardrobe. Sienna didn’t see them at first. But the comments flooded in, a wall of warnings. I squinted at the screen. The massive walk-in closet behind her was slightly ajar. And in the darkness near the floor… there was something. It looked like an eye. But it was too low. It was at ankle level. Sienna finally noticed the chat. She clicked her tongue. “You guys are trying to scare me. Preston is out, and the staff is in the guest house. Don’t be weird.” But the comments didn’t stop. To prove them wrong, she stood up, her heels clicking on the hardwood. “Fine. Look.” She marched over and yanked the closet door open. CRASH. A man tumbled out. He was dressed in black, wearing a ski mask, clutching a pillowcase full of jewelry. A burglar. But instead of running, or attacking her, the man scrambled backward on the floor, hyperventilating. He ripped his mask off, revealing a face drained of blood, eyes wide with pure madness. “Ghost… ghost… there’s a ghost…” he gibbered, pointing into the depths of the closet. He looked at Sienna, saw her pale neck, and let out a shriek. He threw himself into a kowtow, slamming his forehead against the floorboards. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Don’t kill me! I didn’t mean to look! Spare me!” He slammed his head down again and again, blood smearing on the expensive wood. Sienna froze for a second, then screamed. “Help! Help! Thief!” The phone was knocked over in the chaos. The screen went black, but the audio kept running—Sienna’s screams and the burglar’s sobbing pleas for mercy from something we couldn’t see. I stared at my phone, my heart hammering against my ribs. What had that thief seen in the closet that terrified him more than getting caught? I thought of Hollow Creek. The hanging village. It was starting.

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Accidentally scrolled to a Reddit thread about regrets of youth. But didn’t expect the first comment opened, was posted by my husband Julian Cole. He tagged his high school classmate Hailey’s handle, attached two photos of them together back then: “Have a secret, sophomore year I liked you.” Hailey’s reply was upvoted to top: “Same year, I also liked you.” Netizens were moved and matchmaking, hoping they pursue true love, don’t leave regrets. That night Julian posted a photo of them in a cafe, caption: “Long time no see, always have to be brave once.” Everyone excitedly blessed, I also liked it. By the way, booked tomorrow’s Abortion appointment. Chapter 1 After appointment success, I opened that thread again. Confirmed Julian’s first comment, was posted at midnight three days ago. That time I was blowing out twenty-six birthday candles, saying my wish: “Hope me and Julian love each other for life, never separate.” Julian put down phone, don’t know if heard clearly, casually responded: “Happy birthday, wish you get what you want.” Actually before this, I dared not express my feelings so directly. Seven years ago, Julian’s mother was critically ill, only wish was to see son start a family. But that time Julian was so poor he couldn’t even pay off Student Loans, plus dying mom and alcoholic dad, others avoided him like plague. Just when his mother was about to die with regret, I, this college classmate jumped out: “I don’t need anything, can marry you tomorrow.” Julian didn’t understand, I casually found a reason: “Just for your handsome face.” After marriage, no house no car no wedding, only thing had, was two credits added by school. Others secretly scolded my brain kicked by donkey, I only touched the ring on ring finger smiling silly. After graduation Julian’s startup was difficult, every night after social events, stood on shabby balcony of rental apartment smoking a cigarette. Back view melancholy lonely. I walked over, through smoke looking at his tough side face, let tone sound relaxed: “Dinner ready, today King Crab on sale, I bought two legs, very fat.” He blew a smoke ring, deep voice said: “Leslie, is it worth it with someone like me?” “Worth it.” I answered without hesitation. He turned head deeply looked at me, “If you regret want divorce, just tell me, I won’t force stay, give you freedom anytime.” “But also rest assured, in marriage, I will fulfill husband duty well, absolutely won’t have mistress.” Julian’s words drifted into my ears with evening wind. “This marriage of ours, led by you.” Thoughts pulled back, in downtown luxury villa, I looked at whole plate of King Crab before table, couldn’t help sighing. Just finished food steaming hot, person waiting probably still in gentle land, I took off apron eating alone. “Mr. Cole”, downstairs several maids’ voices rang simultaneously. Not a while, Julian walked up. He arm resting suit jacket, white shirt showed broad back narrow waist figure more. Beautiful face hung shallow smile, seemed mood very good. He walked to table, put down a small piece of cake. “Eat some sweets, mom mood good, baby in belly also happy.” Last month after confirming pregnancy, between me and Julian, added few points sweetness never had before. He would actively say want eat food I make, would bring me delicious food after work, would stick ear on my belly, listen to baby sound… Before this, except in bed, he treated me always polite distant. I thought we finally about to start dating, so that birthday day, said wish of never separate with him. Didn’t expect, he still didn’t forget Hailey. I fixedly looked at cake. Recognized at glance, bought from that cafe he reunited with Hailey. On it still had nuts I’m allergic to. Throat somewhat difficult, I softly asked: “Do you have anything to say?” Say it openly, say you can’t forget first love, say you really want be with her. This way you still count as brave, not sneakily stepping on two boats. I also won’t pester, we frankly separate. “No, I go shower first.” My heart sank. Julian turned to leave, I reached out pulled his suit jacket resting on arm, wanted stop him. “Why not…” Next second, glass jar of Origami Stars hidden in jacket fell out. Clang sound, glass splashed. Red paper stars fell all over floor. Chapter 2 Maid let out a cry. Julian turned head hard voice questioned: “Pull me for what? Want die?” His brows tight frowned, this is first time I saw steady him so furious. I stunned at once. Maid hurried forward, wanted help pick up. Shouted back: “Get out, all fucking not allowed touch.” Julian disregarded image squatting on floor, carefully picking paper stars look, like picking up rare treasure. This paper stars, is reunion gift Hailey brought him. In their cafe photo, can find trace. Splashed glass cut my foot, slowly flowing blood trace. Blood dripped on tile, didn’t stir half ripple in Julian’s heart. Finally, he held paper stars in palm, lightly glanced me once, walked straight downstairs. No one sentence explanation. “Let’s divorce.” I softly shouted. His steps paused half second, don’t know if heard clearly, continued walk down. Night, I lay alone on bed, staring at white ceiling. Julian in next door study, one by one counting paper stars if missing, if still 520. Man vigorous and resolute in business, this moment like a boy first awakening of love. This gift, carried his responded love. Actually, his secret crush was not unknown to anyone. I clearer than anyone, sophomore year, how much Julian liked Hailey. Pillow wet by tears, made dream also become humid. In dream, I returned to that sour youth… Summer vacation before high school start, I wearing heavy mascot suit, distributing flyers under 100 degrees sun. Group of kids surrounded me punching kicking, sweat mixed helpless tears flowing down. “Dead kids, not allowed bully people!” Boy took stick chased them away, patted dust on my body, also helped pick up scattered flyers. “Are you okay? Little Bear.” “Don’t fear, I accompany you finish, they dare not come again.” I followed gentle voice look up, through mascot suit small hole, sight from mole on his nose tip to a pair beautiful eyes. This is first time I saw Julian, also my first time moved heart. High school I was in class next to Julian, always subconsciously looking for his figure. But slowly, I found his gaze often stopped on his deskmate Hailey. That bright smiling girl, everyone said she was Prom Queen little sun. Julian attracted by her, human nature. And I wearing thick black frame glasses, grades ordinary looks ordinary, completely transparent person, not cared is also normal. I only hate myself not beautiful enough. Boy nature Julian, thought his love hidden hidden enough. But what I most familiar, is that silent like dare not look eyes same as him. I watched him such cold boy, sitting beside Hailey, face is shy embarrassment. Watched sports meeting he tried best run first place, secretly put medal into Hailey school bag. Watched him stuff umbrella into Hailey drawer, self rained heavy rain home. Whole high school my only intersection with Julian, was on graduation day, he knocked my shoulder. “Classmate, can help us take a photo?” So I put away camera borrowed want take photo with him, pressed freeze button for him and Hailey. Hailey eyes round, gentle smiling. Julian side head look her, eyes is unspoken love. These two photos, now appear in Julian confession comment section. Chapter 3 Julian didn’t return to bedroom all night. Before no matter how polite distant he treated me, never slept separate room with me. Morning, I pushed open guest room door, Julian already got up, standing before window slowly tying shirt cuff buttons. “Comments in your post, I saw.” I straight to point, voice extremely light. He didn’t have panic of being discovered, action of tying buttons still calm, “So this is reason you propose divorce?” “This reason not enough?” “Enough.” He said again: “But no need.” Julian walked closer to me, handed tie over, meaning couldn’t be more obvious. Every morning tying tie for him, is rare intimate ritual between us. I also very enjoyed this moment sweetness. But now, I didn’t take, only silent. He also didn’t angry, calm open mouth: “Thought about after divorce, what your life will be?” “No villa, no dozen maids serve, those fawning people outside, also won’t give you good face again, can you still accept such days?” He used material and power remind me, let me recognize reality. But person really can’t accept losing everything in front, actually is himself. He thought I same as him, but I married penniless him back then, wanted, only Julian this person. “Leslie, people all like this, heart all have unforgettable first love.” “But you rest assured, me and her, also just dating.” “I won’t let her trouble to you, won’t make illegitimate child, more won’t affect your Mrs. Cole position.” Julian deeply looked at me. Back then on balcony when he said “absolutely won’t have mistress” promise, tone also this certain. I naturally not believe, only inexplicably want laugh. He touched my belly, “Your only task now, is rest assured raise fetus.” I remembered abortion surgery booked yesterday, just wanted open mouth. His phone rang, Hailey voice faintly came from other end: “All blame you, boiled phone porridge with me all night, I have dark circles now.” “Later date, I not beautiful anymore, what to do ah.” Julian hooked mouth corner laugh, “Silly, in my heart, you look good anyway.” He pulled away me standing at door, walked out while chatting. Turns out he didn’t return bedroom sleep last night, was saying love words with Hailey. After Julian went out, I drove alone to hospital. From lying on operating table to down, less than fifteen minutes. Found lawyer simply drafted a divorce agreement, property I only asked for a small apartment. I just want pull out ASAP, don’t want tangle with Julian too long. Holding agreement walking on street, after handling things, dusk already sprinkled city. Called Julian few calls, all mechanical busy tone. Forgot, he said won’t answer my call during work time. Self-made Julian, fight for seconds on work, afraid slow a bit eliminated by society. After phone hung up, big data pushed me nearby amusement park live stream. In lens, wearing cartoon headband Julian and Hailey, sitting on pirate ship ten fingers interlocked. Happiness feeling through screen choked my neck, let my breathing stop. I mentioned request go amusement park together many times before, wanted sit carousel Ferris wheel with him, but he always said busy, said many social events, said that place too noisy too childish. But now him in phone, laughed so wantonly. Turns out he such busy person, also can spare time date. Turns out not didn’t want go, but person want go with isn’t me. Heart calmly numb, after back home, phone rang. Hailey voice pressed low came: “Old classmate, long time no see.” “Speaking of which, back then I should let them beat you to death at North Gate, save you now eyesore.” Chapter 4 Few people believe, Hailey who is sunny and kind in their eyes, would grab hair drag people into alley beat. Graduation day, Julian asked her meet at school gate. Julian waited at West Gate, I saw Hailey chatting with friends at North Gate. “That poor boy really wants ask me out, funny coming.” “But say one thing say one thing, he looks also school grass level, you not count too loss, try first ba.” “Roll ah, face can eat as rice? Usually bored play play okay, really dating will dye me poor sour smell too, disgusting.” My clenched fist waved to Hailey face, trembling voice cursed: “You guys then fucking disgusting!” Finally, I was dragged into alley by them, tore off clothes. Forced kneel in front of them, turn slapping my face. After they left, I limped to West Gate, wanted tell Julian don’t wait. But saw him nervously rehearsing confession, I dared not step forward. Leaned on other side corner wall, secretly substitute female lead, fantasy happiness. “Leslie, Julian just bought me ring worth million, said to you is kinship is responsibility, person loved always me. That stall goods on your hand still embarrassed wear?” Turns out my seven years youth, only exchanged his sentence “kinship only”. I looked down, at somewhat worn plain band on ring finger. Back then Julian spent 200 dollars bought, said later have money then change diamond ring for me. Promise in his mouth, always so light and fragile. “Hailey, you said right.” I took off ring threw into trash can, “So you better help me persuade him, briskly sign, I waiting him come find me divorce.” “Also, those few slaps back then I didn’t forget, next time meet I will count return to you.” “You dare? Do you know…” Her voice sharp rang, I lazy listen again, directly hung up phone. Then sent call record, amusement park live screenshot and thread comments etc cheating evidence together to lawyer, request redraft a divorce agreement. I want take back everything I should take back, even if lengthen time tangling with Julian. But out of my expectation is, Julian who didn’t return all night, next day I haven’t found him, he actively contacted me. Followed address he sent arrived private room. Once open door, a glass red wine splashed over face on. Sticky wine flowed from face into clothes, Hailey aggrieved complain, open mouth just come: “Back then was you, clearly knew Julian waited me at West Gate, but told me North Gate.” “Harmed us missed so many years.” “You love him but can’t get, then intervene break us up, also take advantage emptiness let him marry you, you really so cruel heart!” She tears and voice together, painful extreme. I looked at Julian sitting aside, staring at me indifferently, faintly suppressing anger, tone cold hard like iron: “Hailey already told me truth, you have anything want say?” I light sneered. Want say no, want do thing actually have one. Next second, I fiercely grabbed Hailey carefully styled hair, forcefully pulling, force her look up at me. “Count well.” Slap! One slap. Slap! Two slaps. Slap! … More fan more lost reason, all grievance, anger, insult of being gang slapped that year and pain of losing child, at this moment completely exploded. Chapter 5 “Leslie, you crazy!?” Julian stood up fiercely, shocked rushed. I smoothly also waved a slap over. Julian dead grabbed my wrist, roughly threw me away. Hailey immediately crying hid into his arms. “Julian, my face so painful…” He touched her red swollen face, eyes full of heartache, turn to me again, was full eyes rage and disgust. I didn’t explain, only took out prepared divorce agreement from bag put on table, “Sign.” He picked up agreement flipped few pages, frowned. Before he questioned, I spoke first: “These all clauses I drafted after consulting lawyer, if you have doubt, I don’t mind taking your cheating evidence go court sue.” Julian’s company is at key period of IPO. Once sue, court will prioritize freeze joint property, including his company. Julian fierce pinched my jaw, “Good, I can sign. Then debt you hit people I also calculate well with you.” “What you want do?” Julian didn’t answer, instead called restaurant manager, whispered in his ear. Immediately, manager forcibly tied my hands tight, then took out hood put on my head. Julian indifferent spoke: “All waiters in shop, line up come in, to this woman, punch one punch one thousand dollars, settle on spot.” Finally, he added: “Attention, can’t touch belly.” Turns out hood is for not let people recognize, leave handle of domestic violence. I screamed curse: “Julian Cole, you fucking bastard!” Words fell, my mouth blocked, heavy fists fell on body, back, legs… “Julian, my face ruined then ruined, you spare sister ba.” Hailey嬌声 (coquettish voice) persuade, Julian ruthless said: “So many years, I then saw her clear, this all she asked for.” “You watch just fine, don’t dirty your hands.” In endless beating and humiliation, I through hood small hole, looking Julian cold hard face. Trance, seemed saw that summer many years ago. That teenager stood out, drove away bad people for me, and man commanding others violence me now, actually is same person. Tears silently slid, I closed eyes, completely lost consciousness. Wake up again, was in cold back alley. Whole body severe pain, bones like fell apart, signed divorce agreement thrown in my arms. Passersby quickened steps, disdained look me. I held back urge to cry, determined won’t shed a drop tear for Julian again. Brain only one thought: I miss grandma, I want go home. Morning plane landed, hometown sun just bright, swept some haze on body for me. Passengers landed together beside, suddenly all looking phone whispering something. Eyes time to time glance at me. I opened phone, a video about Julian and Hailey rushed on trending. Seeing video content, my heart tight, missed half beat.

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At thirty-seven, my husband cheated. I married him right after graduating college, full fifteen years until now. Everyone says my life now is happy enough, Husband is a glorious corporate executive outside, covers all daily expenses inside, better than many men. This breath of resentment, I seem should swallow it down. Chapter 1 At first, I indeed planned to endure. That girl looked no more than early twenties, while my husband Lucas Griffin just turned thirty-eight this year, our son Leo is already in high school. Until the girl found me with tears like pear blossoms bathed in rain, clutching her clothes begging me to quit. Her eyes were wet, looking extremely like me crazy for love back then, while myself in mirror, nasolabial folds quietly deepened, dark circles left by staying up late with child always can’t fade. “Sister, I really love him, beg you fulfill us.” I casually perfunctory: “If divorced, what do you plan to do?” Sunny’s eyes lit up, cheeks flushed: “We want go Iceland see Aurora, then give birth to a daughter. Brother said, he always wanted a soft little cotton jacket…” Lucas wants a daughter? Back then clearly was him said, as long as have me and son satisfied enough, also said never let me experience pain of childbirth again. Turns out vows in time, long molded. I lost interest in teasing, lightly opened mouth: “Teasing you. Me and Lucas married fifteen years, career family all interwoven together, can’t leave. You rather than fantasize future, better plan more for yourself.” Back home, Lucas leaned on sofa processing work. Time seems especially favor him, suit leather shoes look more mature charm. Hearing door opening sound, he didn’t lift head, continued typing keyboard. This is our tacit understanding for many years, as long as I don’t actively speak, he then treats as nothing happened. I tied apron, soon prepared three dishes one soup. Lucas closed laptop, sat at dining table. “Son said sports meeting next week, let you go cheer for him.” “Okay.” “Dad blood pressure unstable recently, want take hospital recheck.” “You arrange time.” “Living room chandelier should change, I find someone repair?” “All fine.” “Sunny came find me.” He finally raised head, brows slightly frowned, eyes full of impatience. “So?” His lover found door, he actually so understated? Even I always endured, this moment also clenched chopsticks. “Lucas Griffin, we are couple, you are cheating now.” He suddenly slapped chopsticks heavily on table, deep voice said: “Luna, don’t speak so ugly. Sunny age small not sensible, we nothing, you don’t blind guess.” Small? Twenties still count not sensible? I really laughably overestimated his bottom line. This meal, ate taste unknown. Thought would stalemate for a period. Didn’t expect next day, I business trip early home, once open door saw Sunny curled on sofa. She wore my newly bought silk nightdress, looking up at Lucas feeding her strawberry. “Lucas brother, strawberry you feed so sweet!” “Just you can act spoiled, eat more.” Looking at that bright red strawberry, my throat tight. Once I loved eat strawberry, he also like this feed me one by one. Now this gentleness, became other’s exclusive. Sunny giggled, two snow white legs swinging back forth. I clearly saw Lucas eyes darkened, pulled her into arms. Before two about kiss, I pushed door enter. Sunny not only didn’t dodge, instead provocatively hooked lips: “Sister, meet again? Just now my stomach hurt, Lucas brother coaxing me, you won’t angry right?” Saying still rubbed into Lucas arms, his Adam’s apple rolled, bottom of eyes flashed a trace warning. I always dignified decent, this moment actually don’t know how respond. Fight like a mad woman? Or tear his hypocritical mask? Seem all useless. Maybe divorce is relief, joint property these years, enough me and son restart. Divorced, I can also find back lost self, maybe can also like him glow second spring… Thinking here, I put down luggage, looked at Lucas softly but firmly said: “Let’s divorce.” Chapter 2 Lucas disagreed, reason is he didn’t commit principle mistake. He also mobilized relatives friends persuade me. In-laws I took care twenty years said, he also didn’t physically cheat, better endure, that time they come out, let him transfer five percent company shares to me. Me and Lucas mutual friends said, that girl just for money, I left not just right fulfilled her wish? Lucas business thriving, worth also higher and higher, this time only fool would hand wealth to others. Best friend recently also making noise divorce, her husband also cheated, only difference with me is, her husband no money, person also ugly. She sighed, advised me better forget it, as long as is a breathing man all will cheat, Lucas at least rich. Look, seems money became death exemption gold medal, can pardon all sins in marriage. I didn’t utter sound, still preparing divorce related materials. My dad heard news also came, once enter door face full劈头盖脸 (scolding harshly) gave me a slap. He angry face red: “Which man not socialize? Have one two women what happened? He treated you good fifteen years not enough? Must make divorce miserable ending? You now almost forty, divorced who still dare want you?” He red face full light, looks like stepmother took care him very good, new added brother also obedient, naturally can’t care I aggrieved or not. Last one came persuade, is my middle school son. When he back, I subconsciously wanted hug him. Result pushed away: “Why you must divorce with dad?” Me who had confidence in front of everyone, suddenly shrank a bit. “Your dad has other woman, mom doesn’t want continue live with him.” “Just that Sunny? Dad said all, she just a friend.” Son impatiently looked at me, expression exactly same as Lucas. “Mom, you lived like princess half life, divorced really can stand it? That time if not used to, I won’t care you.” Honestly speak, before he came back, I always thought, at least this child I raised single handedly would give me a hug. He would angrily beat his dad, question his dad why bully mom, then stand on same line with me, firmly draw line with cheating man. Didn’t expect, once he back, just fired a big temper at me, then angrily went upstairs. Bang! Door closed shaking sky sound, along with my soul also trembled. Luna, how you just mixed like this? Night shower time, Lucas long lost entered bathroom. Distance last intimacy already one year ago. When he entered, look me eyes very cold. But hand still didn’t stop, familiarly moved on my body. “Don’t angry, hmm?” “Tomorrow I send her away, later won’t appear in front of you again.” Body gradually hot up, heart indeed more and more cold. I closed eyes, let tears mix with water drops slide. “Lucas.” “Mm?” “Did you sleep?” “…” Answer self-evident, anger straight rushed up. “You really… make me sick.” Lucas annoyed, fiercely pushed me away. Chapter 3 Ankle a burst severe pain, no time look, pinched chin by him dragged to mirror. “I sick? You? You not sick?” “You look at your head dog chewed hair, where a bit woman flavor? Look your chest, already sagged to belly! You look your face again, patches spots let people can’t mouth!” “Luna, do you still have a bit woman look now?” He badly pinched my chest, bottom eyes cold ice a piece. “We just live like this, I guarantee you lifetime food clothing worry free, if divorce, you definitely will live worse than death.” Until Lucas left long time, I still whole body trembling. Dare not believe loved twenty years person actually can say such words, or… he long changed, is me one leaf barrier see not clear? I dead pinched hand, let fresh blood slide palm. Severe pain came, brain more clear. Lucas, do you think I have no way with you? You can do whatever you want? You wait, this marriage, I definitely divorce. Next day downstairs, Lucas rarely cooked meal, son eating, seeing me lowered head again, a look unwilling talk to me. He instead acted good person, soft voice coax child: “We yesterday agreed, want forgive mom.” Son then unwillingly shouted: “Mom.” “Child yesterday car tired, you come eat quick, I made sandwich you like eat.” He and I four eyes opposite, bottom eyes unabashed pride. I didn’t speak, a while doorbell rang, servant brought Sunny in. “Mrs. Griffin, good morning, I come send file to Mr. Griffin.” They boldly shook hand, son didn’t feel anything, instead greeted Sunny eat. Sunny twisted a bit, turned sat on my seat. Like to angry with me, Leo put my breakfast in front of her. Also poured her a cup orange juice I usually like drink most. Sunny also used full strength, want please Leo, “Aiya, Leo, your character so good oh~ I still thought you would dislike me like Mrs. Griffin…” “My mom recently menopause, suspicious, she insist say you and my dad have affair, you ignore her.” A meal down, two people actually became good friends. I from Leo said I suspicious started didn’t listen again, walked out home. I want find a person, an old classmate haven’t seen for ten more years. My first love, top lawyer Ethan. Chapter 4 In cafe, I and Ethan said want divorce matter. He sneered: “You willing?” A handful age person, temper still so smelly. If gentle a bit, how I back then break up with him? Lazy say more with this stubborn donkey, I took out a card from bag. “I inquired, your market price now is one million, here has five hundred thousand, after divorce I will pay other half. Business is business, don’t talk feelings.” Ethan played with that card, then put into bag. “Okay, Gold Master adult.” Way back, he said want send me. These years compare my family reunion, he much harder, heard his wife early years sick died, two people also no child. He simply put all mind on work, business thriving, became top lawyer in Shenzhen. Ethan car is a flashy Maserati, drive up boom boom sound. I couldn’t help frown: “Handful age, how still like such flashy things.” Also don’t know his wife back then how fancied him. Ethan raised brow: “You before also liked ah, forgot?” Choked me instead. Twenties indeed liked this kind fancy things, but whose good person almost forty still can play move ah, energy really good. Lazy say more with him, after get off, I transferred three hundred to him again. E: “?” L: “Car fee.” E: “Okay, Gold Master adult.” Although car flashy, but Ethan taught me many preparation items before divorce, according he guided, I thought way checked clear Lucas bank account situation, also found private detective, took photo of his golden house hiding beauty address. That is a house I bought before marriage, dating and married early years we always lived there. Later because had Leo, family hired nanny couldn’t live, then changed current villa. I already few years didn’t go look, Lucas actually hid her there? Found key, found a day they not in opened apartment door. Inside everything didn’t change, just added some sundries. Can see, Sunny is really want marry Lucas. Behind sofa, hung their group photo. Beside dining table, has knitted doll she hand hooked. In kitchen, still has rich soup keeping warm. If photo pose not overlap with me back then. If doll she hooked not orange doll I like most. If soup she boiled not exclusive recipe I developed for Lucas stomach illness. Then I probably would applaud for this pair loving wild mandarin ducks. But soup recipe, I back then only wrote to my mother-in-law. Meaning, in this world besides me, only she knows. Now actually appeared in place Sunny lives. Continuous betrayal let me can’t help start suspect is it I really too failure, only let people around all without hesitation choose hurt me? Just emotion surging, door suddenly opened. Sunny happy walked in. Turned pounced into Lucas arms. “Great! Lucas brother, I finally going to give you daughter!” Lucas dotingly touched her face, looked up, met my four eyes.

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One car accident later, I swapped bodies with my husband’s mistress. She ignored my desperate warnings, dusted herself off, and immediately accused me of being the mistress. She beat me black and blue on a TikTok livestream. She leaked intimate photos of her and my husband from her phone, forcing my face to the screen so everyone could see. Looking at me, dying on the ground, she laughed maniacally. “From now on, your husband, your wealth, and your son are all mine.” What she didn’t know was this: My family is on the verge of bankruptcy. My son is a violent sociopath. And my husband has a terminal illness, counting on me for a kidney transplant. Chapter 1 Crash. The violent impact knocked me out cold. When I groggily opened my eyes, a crowd had gathered around the car. I struggled to speak. “Call 911…” The voice that came out wasn’t mine. It was young, high-pitched, unfamiliar. I turned my head and saw a woman slumped in the passenger seat. That woman… was me. I looked down at myself. I was wearing a pink Chanel-style suit. It was the outfit Chloe, my intern, wore today. Before I could process the horror, “Chloe” woke up in the passenger seat. She realized what happened instantly. Panic flashed in her eyes, then transformed into something sinister. She scrambled out of the car, falling dramatically onto the pavement. She smeared blood from her forehead all over her face and wailed: “This is my husband’s mistress! I tried to talk sense into her, but she tried to kill me!” The crowd gasped. Disgusted whispers filled the air. Chloe looked at me, a gleam of malicious triumph in her eyes. I was stunned. I rubbed my dizzy head and looked in the rearview mirror. It was true. I was now Chloe. Chloe seemed prepared for this. She was an intern at my company, ten years younger than me, fresh out of college. We were returning from a business dinner. I had wine, so I let her drive. On the way, she kept spouting nonsense. Asking about my marriage. Showing off a ring her “boyfriend” bought her. I ignored her. Then she took a call. “Hey, Hubby,” she cooed. When she put the phone down, I saw her lock screen. It was a photo of her and my husband, Richard. Intertwined fingers. Her head on his chest. Half-naked. My left eye twitched. I spoke directly. “Don’t be fooled by my husband. He’s not a good man.” Chloe’s hands shook on the steering wheel. She gave a fake smile. “Elena, what are you talking about?” I tried to warn her. I didn’t want to see a young girl ruin her life. “If you don’t want the office and your parents to know you’re a homewrecker, break up with him now!” “Don’t throw your future away for a man who doesn’t belong to you.” She started crying. “Elena, please! Don’t fire me! I just got perm…” “I made a mistake! I didn’t mean to wreck your home! Forgive me!” Then, horror struck. She let go of the steering wheel and grabbed my arm, begging. Bang! The car slammed into the guardrail, teetering over the river. Chapter 2 Now, she was playing the role of the righteous wife perfectly. She dragged me out of the driver’s seat and slapped me to the ground. She grabbed my hair (her own hair, really) and announced to the crowd: “My husband is Richard Sterling! He was on the cover of Forbes! You all know him!” The crowd nodded. Everyone in Chicago knew Richard Sterling. The magazine had a photo of us, the “power couple,” envied by millions. Hearing people whisper “Mrs. Sterling,” Chloe couldn’t hide her smirk. “This slut tried to steal my husband! I treated her like a sister at work, and this is how she repays me!” She started sobbing fake tears. I was known for being tough and professional. Seeing her make those pathetic, girlish expressions with my face made me nauseous. Incited by her, the crowd turned on me. Someone kicked me. My face hit the asphalt. “I am Elena…” I tried to say. Before I could finish, a heavy boot stomped on my mouth. Blood filled my throat. My teeth felt loose. Chloe watched with glee, adding fuel to the fire. “Look at this fox! She’s crazy for my status!” Chapter 3 My vision blurred. Chloe squatted down and whispered in my ear. “Seeing my beautiful face beaten like this… I almost feel bad.” “My skincare costs thousands a bottle. Richard bought it all. You old hag, you’ve never been loved like this, have you?” “I’ll tell you later just how much he loves me.” I stared at her. My crushed vocal cords could only wheeze. She grabbed the car keys, adapting to my identity with terrifying speed. I suddenly remembered the “hangover drink” she gave me after dinner. It tasted weird. She said it was a new flavor. It wasn’t an accident. It was a setup. She always came into my office when Richard picked me up, flirting with him. She stared at my family photo with envy. My handsome son. My dashing husband. My company. I told her, “I’m not as happy as you think.” She thought I was mocking her. Especially when I told her to rely on hard work. Seeing Richard’s wealth made her jealousy burn out of control. After that, she started wearing designer bags to work. “Elena, is this style too old? My boyfriend bought it for his… mom, but gave it to me.” It was a German luxury brand. Richard had just returned from a business trip to Germany. I wanted to give her a chance to leave with dignity. Instead, she took out my phone and called HR. “This is Elena. Fire Chloe immediately. Effective today.” She hung up and smiled, stepping on my fingers. “Elena, your company is mine now. Giving orders feels so good.” I spat blood onto her face. Enraged, she grabbed my collar and slapped me a dozen times. A TikTok streamer walked up. “Guys! It’s the billionaire’s wife beating a mistress! Chicago drama!” “Send a Rocket and I’ll kick her! Send a Yacht and I’ll strip her! The wife gave me permission!” The chat went wild. I clutched my torn clothes. Chloe kicked me in the chest. “Slut! You wanted fame? You took photos with my husband? Now you’ll be famous!” She unlocked her phone (my old phone) and uploaded her secret album. Nude photos. Intimate videos. All over the internet. Yachts flew across the screen. The streamer laughed and tore my jacket open. Stripped down to my underwear, I hugged Chloe’s leg, crying. “I don’t know what magic you used, but won’t we swap back? You’ll be ruined!” She grabbed my hair, forcing my face toward the camera. She whispered, “Don’t worry. We won’t swap back.” I shook my head. “It was a Voodoo potion. I burned our birth dates. It cost me 2 million dollars. No refunds.” “And don’t worry, Richard gave me the money. So he helped put you here.” My heart went cold. Since I took over this failing company, Richard never gave me a dime. I almost went bankrupt last month. I needed $100k to survive. He refused. But he gave his mistress 2 million for black magic? I sniffled. I had given up on that man long ago. If Chloe was telling the truth… If we really can’t swap back… Maybe this isn’t a disaster. Maybe it’s a fresh start. Chapter 4 Seeing my despair, Chloe feigned surprise. “Elena, didn’t you know your husband loved me this much?” She grabbed my chin, digging her nails into my skin. She ripped the earring from my ear. Blood dripped down my neck. She dangled the sapphire earring in front of me. “He went to Tanzania to pick this gem for me personally. I can’t let a slut like you keep it.” I remembered our anniversary. Richard gave me a generic necklace from the mall. It looked cheap. He forced me to wear it, and socialites laughed at me. I laughed through the blood and tears. “If he loves you so much, why won’t he divorce me?” She slammed my head into the ground. “Old hag! It’s because you won’t sign! He drafted the papers, but he said he couldn’t just abandon his ‘starter wife’!” “He’s so loyal. I can’t make it hard for him. Now that I’m his wife, we can finally be together legally.” Her eyes were full of delusional romance. “Now, enjoy your new life in this old, ugly body. I’m confident he’ll love me in yours.” “As for you… I’ll ruin your face so I never have to look at you again.” I paused. For nine years, I wanted to leave Richard. I drafted divorce papers a hundred times. Every time, he tore them up and choked me, warning me I could never leave. He lied to Chloe. Just like he lied to me and my family. My parents forced me to marry him for investment money. After the wedding, I found out he had a child. A debt from his wild youth. I wanted a divorce. He locked me up. I lived a life of glamour on the outside, hell on the inside. I had to play the loving wife for PR. I tried to have hope. But the endless stream of women killed it. Now, someone was volunteering to jump into the fire pit for me? Please, take my place.

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My boyfriend suddenly regained his memories. He remembered his childhood sweetheart, the one he had loved for years. He couldn’t wait to break up with me. Our two-year relationship was voided. He warned me: “Forget this relationship. Pretend we never knew each other.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Just yesterday, the System notified me: [Host, your mission is complete.] [Erasing memories from the mission period…] 1 On our two-year anniversary, Liam got into a car accident and fell into a coma. I sat by his side for eight hours, only to hear him say: “Anything I did while I had amnesia wasn’t my will. Naturally, the relationship we had these past two years doesn’t count.” After recovering his memories, he wanted to break up with me immediately. I wasn’t surprised by this ending. After all, from the beginning, we weren’t honest with each other. Back then, He was an amnesiac with broken legs, hurt by love. I was a redeemer with a mission, here for him. The System told me: [The mission goal is to make him stand up again.] Not just physically, but mentally. His state was too passive, and he wasn’t cooperating with treatment. A person who doesn’t remember the past and can’t see the future is lonely and lifeless. To visualize the mission progress, the System showed me his Love Value for me. It said love can give a person the courage to live again. With love, one can overcome anything. Using the value as a reference, my mission would be complete when his Love Value for me reached 100. I spent two years pulling him out of the abyss, helping him stand again. The Love Value climbed slowly at first, then soared. Finally, it stopped at 99. It wouldn’t go up anymore. I was anxious but couldn’t find the reason. Finally, the System reminded me: [Love requires sincerity. Only a true heart can exchange for a true heart.] So, I sat on the balcony all night and decided to let go of the mission goal and gamble with my true heart once. Finally, on our two-year anniversary, on the way to our date, Liam swerved to avoid a truck running a red light. In the moment of life and death, he desperately turned the steering wheel towards his side, leaving the chance of survival to me. In that instant, the System broadcasted: [Love Value Progress: 100%] [Host, your mission is complete.] Luckily, the two cars brushed past each other, resulting only in a minor collision and no casualties. But Liam fainted due to the deployed airbag. I sat in the hospital room from night till dawn, watching his Love Value for me drop from 100 to zero. Then it fluctuated, rising and falling, until the progress bar finally disappeared. When dawn broke, he opened his eyes and said to me: “Eva, let’s break up.” From the beginning until now, all redeemers face two endings after completing the mission. One: stay with the mission target forever. Two: forget each other and disappear into the crowd. Liam frowned slightly, saying word by word: “Forget this relationship. Pretend we never knew each other.” This was the ending he chose for us. I looked at him quietly and summoned the System: “Will Liam’s Love Value for me change now?” The System was silent for a few seconds before telling me: [Mission complete. The ending is set.] [From now on, Love Value will not be displayed.] Right. Without the System, love and hate between people don’t have visual data. Moreover, every look and action from Liam right now told me clearly without a progress bar. The person he loves now isn’t me. It’s his “White Moonlight”— Sophie. 2 They were childhood sweethearts. Before I met Liam, the System told me about his past with Sophie. It was a cliché story of unrequited love. Sophie fell for someone else and wanted to go abroad with him. Liam raced to chase her on a rainy night and got into a car accident. He lost his memory and broke his legs, becoming depressed ever since. Mutual friends couldn’t stand it and called Sophie. From across the ocean, she only said three sentences: “It’s good that he forgot me. Saves him from pestering me.” “We just grew up together. Helping him recover should be your duty.” “Please don’t disturb me anymore. My boyfriend will be unhappy.” Liam felt nothing about this, even annoyed that his friends kept bringing up Sophie and emphasizing his love for her. Their reminders told Liam that he, who should have shared memories with everyone, remembered nothing. Every gathering after that, everyone he met was an acquaintance, yet a stranger. He was an insider, yet felt like an outsider. Surrounded by noise, but empty inside. This was probably why I could approach him smoothly. We had no shared past. In a sense, it was equal. I smiled and told him: “Our memories start from now.” Countless gazes and touches condensed into a Liam who loved me. Unfortunately, when his past memories surfaced… Our two years couldn’t compare to their twenty years. Worse, Sophie came back. Just a few days ago, she fought with her boyfriend and broke up. She secretly returned, appearing before Liam in the rain, crying: “I have nowhere to go, Liam.” Facing the uninvited guest, Liam was annoyed. He exposed her mercilessly: “Go home, stay in a hotel, or under a bridge. Even if you have nowhere to go, my place isn’t for you.” Sophie crumbled, looking at him in disbelief: “You never spoke to me like this before.” “Sorry about that,” Liam sneered. “I forgot how I used to speak to you.” I couldn’t bear to see her in the rain, so I handed her an umbrella. She slapped it away, looking at Liam with hurt eyes. “Even if you don’t remember, Liam, someone must have told you about our twenty years. Treating me like this, aren’t you afraid you’ll regret it when your memory returns?” “Or are you doing this on purpose to revenge me because I went abroad? So you found a random girlfriend now, an eye for an eye?” She looked at me and sneered: “Do you know what this behavior is called?” “Taking advantage of a weakness.” I didn’t know if I counted as taking advantage, capturing Liam bit by bit when he forgot his love for her. But Sophie was right about one thing. Liam, with his memory restored, regretted it. Unexpectedly, when Sophie learned he was in the hospital, she came to visit. Facing Liam’s soft question: “Are you not mad at me anymore?” She huffed coquettishly: “I’ll settle the score after you’re discharged.” “You got into a car accident; how could I ignore you?” 3 The hospital room was soon crowded. I became the extra one. They chatted enthusiastically about the past, a life I never participated in. The topic always revolved around Liam and Sophie. Going to school together, skipping class, Liam fighting for her, taking punishment for her. I suddenly felt bored and turned to leave. Sophie called out to me, inviting warmly: “Miss Yu, we’re going to celebrate Liam’s new life. You should come too.” I was about to refuse when Liam spoke before me: “No need. I’ve broken up with her. I’ll explain later. Don’t mention it again.” The room fell silent for a few seconds. Sophie looked surprised: “Is that so? Okay then.” “But I still want to remind you, Miss Yu, don’t do this kind of thing in the future. Or you’ll be the only one hurt.” She looked at Liam flirtatiously and said to me: “Especially…” “When you meet a bad guy like Liam, stay far away.” I nodded and smiled gently: “I will.” Liam frowned, but smiled and teased: “Tsk tsk, if Liam is a bad guy, then how did you survive growing up with him, Sophie?” She looked radiant, her voice crisp: “I’m not afraid of him. I’m the kryptonite for bad guys like this.” Everyone laughed together. I walked out of the hospital and finally felt I could breathe. Bending over and pressing my chest, I asked the System: “How long left?” Yesterday, when the System announced I completed the mission, it also notified me: [About to erase memories from the mission period.] This procedure starts by default upon mission completion, but can be terminated at any time under Ending One. It’s a protection mechanism for the redeemer. After all, a mission is like an immersive life dungeon. Many redeemers are traumatized by the second ending and cannot continue their original lives. Giving a true heart is giving the other person a knife to hurt you. Now, this knife was stabbed straight into my heart. It really hurts. The System replied quickly: [Organizing mission data. Please wait.] I couldn’t wait. The uncontrollable pain almost made me lose control. I needed to do something to distract myself. My phone rang. The person on the other end named a restaurant, saying I left something there. Without thinking, I rushed over. Upon arrival, the restaurant manager said it was Liam’s item and my number was left as an emergency contact. Just as I wanted to say I’m not that person anymore, the elevator doors opened, and I froze. Fields of tulips filled my vision, gentle lights twinkling among them, spreading all the way to the hall at the end of the corridor. Like stumbling into a romantic sea of flowers. The manager handed me an exquisite velvet box from a cart, smiling kindly: “Mr. Liam booked the whole restaurant floor yesterday, but he never came, and we couldn’t contact him. This is what he left here.” The scene before me stung my eyes. I knew what was in the velvet box without looking. The setting, the atmosphere, and yesterday being our two-year anniversary. It was hard not to guess. This was a proposal scene. 4 Liam originally planned to propose yesterday. I remembered his nervous look in the car and his expectant tone when I asked about the restaurant: “Secret. It won’t be a surprise if I tell you.” So this was the secret he couldn’t wait to hide. I didn’t expect it to be revealed this way. I stood there in a daze, suddenly hearing footsteps around the corner and people talking excitedly. I recognized Liam’s friends immediately. “Is this a double blessing?” “Memory restored! Single again!” “What do you mean single again?” Sophie sounded slightly displeased. “He had amnesia. That relationship doesn’t count. Just playing around.” “You guys too. I wasn’t here, and you didn’t watch him.” “Letting any woman get close to Liam.” Liam’s friends indeed didn’t like me much. They always felt I was an intruder in their circle. They only held back because Liam liked me enough and saw me making him better bit by bit. The relationship maintained a delicate balance. Sophie’s return caused a fluctuation in that balance. Liam didn’t take her in on that rainy day. That night, he received a call from a friend, voice angry: “It was raining so hard, and you didn’t even let her in? Liam, you grew up together. You just have amnesia; you don’t remember how much you liked her before.” “Aren’t you afraid you’ll regret this later?” Everyone was sure he would regret it. Liam sneered into the phone: “How many times do I have to say the only person I like is Eva? Bringing up Sophie repeatedly… is it me who likes her, or you guys like her but dare not say it, using me as a cover?” Silence on the other end. Liam threw the phone and hugged me, voice softening: “So annoying. Why does everyone say I like her?” “Is liking someone hidden in memory?” I smiled and hugged him back, thinking for a moment: “Liking someone is hidden in the heart.” But now, the liking in his heart was obviously not for me anymore. Around the corner, Sophie’s voice continued. She pretended to be angry and said to Liam: “Better think about how to compensate me.” “I’m still angry.” Liam seemed weak because he just woke up and left the hospital: “What compensation do you want? I—” He stopped abruptly because he saw me, and the romantic proposal scene behind me. The manager reacted first and stepped forward to explain, thinking Liam brought friends for the proposal. He congratulated with a big smile until he saw everyone’s faces weren’t looking good. He slowly stopped talking. Someone asked: “Playing around… and proposing?” Liam’s face was cold. He watched me walk closer step by step, shoving the velvet box into his hand, and saying gently: “Since you’re here, I’ll go. Returning this to you.” “Wait.” He suddenly spoke, looking down at me: “If we meet again, pretend we’re strangers.” I didn’t look back: “Okay.” The elevator doors opened and closed slowly. The last scene was Sophie taking the ring from his hand to play with, saying displeasedly to the manager: “Why haven’t you disposed of these flowers yet?” The elevator went down with a “ding.” System notification: [Data organization complete.] [Start erasing Host’s memories of the mission period and all traces of existence.] [Start unsealing Host’s emotional module from before the mission.] [Mission reward—Recovery Card, issued.] [Your fiancé is about to wake up.]

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