Category: English

Six years after Alpha James rejected me, we met again at the Full Moon Feast. The moment our eyes met, shock and anger flashed in James’s eyes. “Emma? What are you doing here? You are no longer the Luna of the Silvermoon Pack. You have no right to attend the Full Moon Feast.” I didn’t want to waste my breath on him. I turned to leave, but he reached out to grab my arm. “Fine. For the sake of the son you gave me, just stand behind me. No one will give you a hard time.” I sidestepped, dodging his hand, and refused coldly, “No, thank you.” Instead of letting it go, he pointed at the child beside me, his voice trembling with shock. “Is this filthy little brat your daughter? Emma, since you were once my fated mate, if you kill her, I’ll allow you to come back to me.” I almost laughed out loud. Had he lost his mind? My daughter’s status was far more honorable than his petty Alpha title! *** I pulled Lily behind me, my voice freezing cold. “Alpha James, this is my daughter. She has nothing to do with you!” With that, I took Lily’s hand to leave, but James blocked our path. He frowned, scanning me up and down. “Emma Vance, sneaking in here with a kid just to get free food? You must have suffered a lot out there these past few years, huh?” He sneered, his eyes falling on Lily with pure disgust. “Little beggar, how old are you?” Lily put her hands on her hips and glared back at him. “I’m three and a half, and I am not a beggar!” A beggar? I looked down at Lily’s clothes and mine. We had been ambushed on our way here. I had to treat some injured warriors on the spot, and our clothes got stained with mud and herbal juices before we could change. We did look a bit disheveled. Hearing her reply, James’s face darkened. “Bullshit! Just like your mother, you’re a liar! Look at your height. How can a three-year-old be this tall?” I looked down at Lily. She was indeed much taller and stronger than other pups her age. It was all her father’s fault, and the pack warriors. They spoiled her to no end. I shielded Lily behind me, my brow furrowing with frost. “Alpha James, let me say this one more time. Lily is not your child!” James let out a mocking laugh, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. “Emma, stop lying. If she’s not mine, then whose could she be? Who else would want a rejected woman besides me?” “Stop acting. You sneaked into this feast today just to see me, didn’t you?” I rolled my eyes. Six years, and he was still as arrogant and delusional as ever. “Move!” James didn’t budge. Instead, he spoke in a patronizing, charitable tone. “Emma, you were once my fated mate. I can overlook the fact that you had this pup with another man. Just let me wipe away that foreign mark on your neck and return to me. You can still be the Luna of the Silvermoon Pack.” He waved his hand toward the teenager behind him. “Ethan, take your sister to a lounge. Don’t let her embarrass us here and offend the esteemed guests of the other packs!” Only then did I notice the boy standing behind him—Ethan Sterling. He was the son I carried for ten months, the one I almost died giving birth to. Six years had passed, and he had grown into a handsome young man. But his eyes were filled with a coldness that did not match his age. Ethan had a stern expression, his brow tightly knit. “I don’t want a little beggar as my sister! Sophia is my only sister!” My grip on Lily’s hand tightened. The Sophia he referred to must be Olivia Thorne’s daughter. Years ago, the moment James found out I wasn’t the biological daughter of the former Silvermoon Alpha, he rejected me without hesitation. He said I wasn’t worthy of being the Luna of the Silvermoon Pack, calling me an imposter. Olivia took that opportunity to fan the flames, and even my own son, Ethan, chose to stand by their side. Heartbroken, I accepted the rejection and left the Silvermoon Pack. On the day I left, Olivia caressed her stomach and told me she was already pregnant with James’s pup. It was all her carefully designed trap. The memories of past humiliation and betrayal rushed to my mind, and my fingernails dug into my palms. Lily pulled at the corner of my shirt and retorted angrily, “Mom, I don’t want this ugly jerk as my brother either! He is way worse than Michael!” Ethan’s face darkened even more. He sneered, “A common werewolf dares to compare himself to me?” Looking at the father and son who shared the exact same arrogant face, my heart went completely cold. Fine. I would just pretend I never gave birth to this son. I held Lily’s hand and tried to walk past them, but a sweet, mock-surprised voice suddenly came from behind. “Emma?” ***

Olivia walked over, holding the hand of a little girl dressed in an elegant gown. Her gaze swept over me, and she immediately covered her mouth, gasping loudly. “Emma, it really is you! Why are you dressed like this?” Her deliberate gasp drew countless eyes from the crowd. A few women from other packs, who used to hate me, recognized me immediately and began to jeer. “Oh, isn’t this Luna Emma? It’s been years. Why are you dressed so poorly? Oh, my bad memory. Alpha James broke his bond with you a long time ago. No wonder you’re living like a stray.” Olivia sighed, pretending to be kind-hearted. “Emma, I can ask a maid to bring you some clothes. Even though they’re maid uniforms, they’re a hundred times better than what you’re wearing now.” James wrapped his arm around her waist, his voice softening. “Olivia, you are always so kind.” Watching them put on this show, I couldn’t help but sneer. Six years later, Olivia was still as hypocritical as ever. I looked up, my voice hard. “No need. I don’t take leftovers from you.” Seeing my attitude, one of the women who had mocked me earlier called the guards over. “How did people like this even get in? Guards, throw these two beggars out! They’re ruining our view!” Several guards rushed forward, ready to escort Lily and me out. My eyes turned sharp as I pulled an invitation card from my purse. “I was invited to the Full Moon Feast.” The guard took the card, and seeing the pack crest on it, he froze, unsure of what to do. Olivia took a step forward, pretending to be shocked. “Emma, did you steal that invitation? After all, you were kicked out of the Silvermoon Pack six years ago for stealing our sacred treasure. I didn’t expect you to still be a thief, daring to steal an invitation to the Full Moon Feast.” A wave of fury washed over me. I finally understood. After I left, they had framed me with the crime of stealing their pack’s treasure. I stared dead at Olivia and said coldly, “Me? A thief? Why don’t you tell everyone how you stole another woman’s husband?” Olivia’s face turned instantly dark, her eyes filled with venom. Whispers broke out in the crowd, and the looks directed at Olivia began to change. Just then, a harsh shout cut through the murmurs. “You brat! Why are you back?” The crowd parted, and two people squeezed through. It was my adoptive parents. My adoptive father’s face was livid. He raised his hand and slapped me across the face, roaring, “You ungrateful brat! Shut your mouth and stop ruining Olivia’s reputation!” The sudden blow caught me off guard. My head whipped to the side, and my ears rang. “Mom!” Lily cried out, clinging to my leg. I forced a smile and comforted her softly, “I’m fine, sweetie.” My adoptive mother rushed up, pointing a finger at my face. “Emma Vance, you ungrateful wretch! The position of Silvermoon’s Luna belonged to Olivia in the first place! You were just an imposter who took her place. What right do you have to slander her? If we hadn’t adopted you, you would have died in the wild! How dare you frame our precious daughter!” Adopted? I sneered in my heart. Years ago, when I was traveling with my biological parents, I accidentally got separated from them. I happened to run into my adoptive mother, who had just lost her own pup. Seeing no one around, she took me and ran, raising me as a replacement for her dead daughter. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have been separated from my real parents for so many years. Fortunately, after being rejected, I managed to find my biological parents and finally learned the truth about my identity. I held Lily tightly, snatched the invitation back from the guard, and said coldly, “Get out of my way!” Olivia caught a glimpse of the crest on the back of the card and sneered. “Emma, you really are bold. You even dared to steal from Alpha William.” A bystander leaned in to look, and cried out in an exaggerated tone, “Everyone knows Alpha William is the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, one of the four oldest packs! He has a terrible temper and is ruthlessly brutal. You dared to steal from him? You’re dead!” The mocking laughter echoed around me, but I remained calm. I met everyone’s gaze and said, word by word, “He is my mate.” ***

The hall went dead silent for a second, followed by an explosion of laughter. “This is hilarious! Everyone knows Alpha William’s Luna is of the royal Alpha bloodline of the Blazeclaw Pack, and she’s a renowned doctor of medicine! A common wolf like you dares to claim to be the Luna of the Shadowfang Pack? How delusional!” “Exactly! Look at yourself in the mirror. You’re dragging a bastard child around, and you think you’re worthy of Alpha William?” Lily’s face turned red with anger at their mockery. She put her hands on her hips and yelled, “Don’t talk about my mom like that! My mom is a doctor of medicine!” The crowd laughed even harder. “Like mother, like daughter. Look how she raised the child.” “Just like her mother, a little liar! How shameless!” Olivia grabbed James’s sleeve, pretending to be terrified. “James, is Emma trying to ruin the Silvermoon Pack? Pretending to be the Luna of the Shadowfang Pack… If this gets out, our entire pack will be doomed!” Instigated by her words, James glared at me and ordered his men, “Guards, teach this arrogant woman a lesson!” Several thuggish wolves rushed forward, grabbing at me roughly. To protect Lily, I held her tightly in my arms. Sharp claws slashed across my skin, and the metallic taste of blood rose in my throat. “Mom!” Lily sobbed, her little hands gripping my shirt. Sophia Sterling, who had been standing next to Olivia, suddenly pointed at Lily and shrieked, “My brooch is gone! It was her! That little beggar stole my brooch!” My gaze turned icy. I clearly saw the flash of jealousy in Sophia’s eyes. Ethan stepped forward immediately. He grabbed the necklace around Lily’s neck and yanked it off with brute force, pushing her to the ground in the process. “You little thief! How dare you steal my sister’s necklace? Shameless!” Lily fell onto the floor, her eyes red as she cried out, “I didn’t steal it! My dad gave it to me! You bad guy! Give it back!” My heart clenched. I scrambled over to pull Lily up. A bright red, swollen mark was visible on her delicate neck where the necklace had been ripped away. Trembling with rage, I glared at Ethan. “Give the necklace back to her!” Ethan ignored me completely and handed the necklace to Sophia. Sophia happily put the necklace around her own neck, tilting her chin up triumphantly at Lily. James looked at me with deep disgust. “Still unrepentant. You’ve taught this child to be a thief just like you! No, I cannot let the bloodline of the Silvermoon Pack be ruined by you! You must come back with me!” A wicked gleam flashed in Olivia’s eyes. She stepped forward and said gently, “James, I think it’s better to just get rid of this bastard pup. Otherwise, when she grows up, she might go around claiming she’s of Silvermoon blood, ruining our pack’s reputation.” James nodded, his voice cold. “Guards, bring that pup to me!” Several fierce warriors lunged forward to grab Lily. One of them unsheathed his sharp claws. I held Lily tight, backing away, and screamed, “Get back! I’m telling you, she has nothing to do with the Silvermoon Pack! She is a pup of the Shadowfang Pack!” But those warriors only took orders from James. Ignoring my cries, they closed in. In the chaos, a set of sharp claws slashed toward Lily. I instinctively threw my arm out to block it. The sharp claws ripped into my arm, and blood gushed out, staining my sleeve red. “Mom!” Lily cried out in terror, her little body shaking violently. Despite the excruciating pain, I kept Lily shielded in my arms. James ordered impatiently, “Pull her away!” Several guards grabbed my arms, twisting them behind my back so hard I thought they would snap. Just as the warrior’s claws were about to strike Lily again, a figure suddenly broke through the crowd. He grabbed the warrior’s wrist and twisted it with a sickening crack. A blood-curdling scream echoed through the hall. The next second, a cold, furious voice boomed, silencing the entire room. “You dare touch my daughter? Who gave you the permission?”

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“I’m sorry, but we received orders from above. You’ve been denied entry.” Brenda Sharpe, the border guard captain, gripped my suitcase with a death-grip. I stared at her coldly, then shifted my gaze to the man who had just been escorted onto the private VIP lane next to us. “On what grounds does he get to skip the line while I, with a valid permit, am being kicked out?” Brenda let out a mocking laugh. “On the grounds that he is Julian Sterling, the Alpha heir of the Moon Shadow Pack! He said an Omega like you doesn’t deserve to set foot on Moon Shadow territory. If he tells you to beat it, you beat it!” Before I could say another word, several werewolf guards grabbed me and dragged me out of the security lane. I watched as the heavy iron gates slammed shut. I almost laughed out loud at the absurdity. That arrogant heir was dying of Wolfsbane poisoning. And I was the top healer his family had spent the last three months begging on their knees to help. Today, I had finally agreed to come and save his life. Since they wanted me gone, fine. I wasn’t saving him anymore.

I dragged my suitcase out of the checkpoint lobby, one heavy step at a time. Behind me, Julian’s lazy, mocking voice echoed. “A filthy Omega thinks she belongs in my territory? What a joke.” I didn’t look back, but his words stung like a whip. I walked to the curb, pulled out my phone, and dialed the Moon Shadow Pack’s headquarters. The moment the call connected, a barrage of angry questions blasted through the speaker. “What is taking you so long?!” “The entry window closed ages ago! I checked the arrivals list, and your name isn’t even on it!” It was Beta Finch. His voice was dripping with arrogance and irritation. “The Moon Shadow Pack went through hell to hire you. We even wired you a massive deposit, and now you’re playing hard to get? Who do you think you are, keeping us waiting?” “If you weren’t somewhat decent with herbs, do you honestly think an Omega like you would ever have the privilege of meeting Julian?” I replied calmly, “If you want to know why I didn’t cross the border, go ask your precious heir, Julian. He personally ordered the guards to throw me out.” There was a dead silence on the other end of the line for two seconds. Then, Beta Finch’s voice grew even more hostile. “Listen to me, Evelyn. Julian’s poisoning is critical. If you don’t show up at the pack’s healing pool before sunset, you will face the full wrath of the Moon Shadow Pack!” “You took our money. If you try to back out now, I’ll make sure you’re blacklisted from every pack in North America!” *Click.* He hung up, leaving the dial tone buzzing in my ear.

My blood boiled. I dialed his number right back. The second he picked up, Finch roared, “What now? Get your ass over here!” “Don’t bother,” I said, my voice ice-cold. “I told you, Julian threw me out. Since he looks down on a ‘filthy Omega,’ I won’t waste my time saving his life. Let him die.” With that, I hung up. I opened my PayPal account, found the three-million-dollar deposit the Moon Shadow Pack had sent me, and refunded it instantly. I attached a four-word note: *Find someone else.* Three million dollars might be a fortune to others, but to me, it wasn’t worth my dignity. I then blocked every single contact number associated with the Moon Shadow Pack. I let out a cold sneer. *Julian, your life is officially over.* I hailed a cab and headed straight back to my clinic. This clinic wasn’t affiliated with any pack; it belonged directly to the Werewolf Elders Council. After graduating from the Academy, I had landed a position here thanks to my rare talent in herbal medicine. The moment I sat down at my desk, my phone started vibrating like crazy. I answered, and Director Harold Vance’s voice erupted like a volcano. “Evelyn Reed! What the hell did you do?!” “The Moon Shadow Pack just called me! They claim you caused a public disturbance at the checkpoint and even tried to assault Julian!” “The guard captain had to forcibly eject you to protect him! Instead of apologizing, you actually refunded their deposit?!” I froze, then burst into a bitter laugh. Brenda’s ability to twist the truth was truly a work of art. Julian was the one who kicked me out, yet in her report, I was the violent instigator. And the Moon Shadow Pack was stupid enough to believe her without even checking the security cameras. “Alpha Sterling himself called,” Harold yelled. “You are to go to their territory immediately, get on your knees, beg Julian for forgiveness, and start the treatment!” “If you refuse, you’re fired!” I didn’t even bother arguing. I pulled out a blank sheet of paper, quickly scribbled a resignation letter, and walked straight upstairs to the director’s office. I pushed the door open. Harold was still clutching his phone, looking flustered. *Smack!* I slammed the resignation letter right onto his mahogany desk. “You don’t have to fire me. I quit.” Harold stared at the paper, his eyes wide. “Are you insane? You think quitting will protect you from them?” I leaned over his desk, looking down at him. “Director Vance, I’m exhausted. I’m going to take a nice, long vacation.” “And if they want to blacklist me? Let them try.” I turned on my heel and walked out. “Stop right there! Evelyn! Get back here!” Harold’s useless, angry screams faded behind me as I left the building. By my calculations, the timing was perfect. Julian’s poisoning was being kept at bay solely by my specialized suppressants. Now that the medicine was gone, and he was out traveling in the wild borderlands… The poison should be kicking in right about now.

Back at my apartment, I turned off my phone, drew the curtains, and slept like a baby. The next morning, the moment I powered my phone on, it was flooded with missed calls from the Moon Shadow Pack. Suddenly, a local, unknown number called. I picked up, and the frantic voice of Brenda, the guard captain, came through. Her arrogant tone from yesterday was completely gone. “Evelyn Reed! Please, you have to come back! Julian collapsed at the border! He’s spitting up black blood!” “The border patrol has approved a VIP express pass for you! We have a private car waiting!” I scoffed. “A VIP pass? Didn’t Julian personally kick me out yesterday? What’s the matter? Now you’re begging me?” “Cut the crap!” she shrieked, still trying to boss me around. “The Moon Shadow Pack is threatening my job! If I get fired because of you, I’ll destroy you! Get over here right now!” I hung up and blocked her number. But less than thirty minutes later, a violent pounding shook my front door. *Thud! Thud! Thud!* Along with the banging came a sharp, toxic smell. “Evelyn Reed! You fraud! Get your ass out here!” I threw the door open. A bucket of thick, wet red paint was splashed all over my wooden door, dripping down the frame. Brenda stood there, flanked by several burly werewolf guards in border patrol uniforms, looking furious. The hallway was already crowded with nosy neighbors, whispering and pointing at me. “Oh my god, she looked like such a nice girl. Who knew she was a killer doctor?” “Exactly! They threw red paint at her door. She must have done something horrible!” Hearing the gossip, Brenda smirked, feeling empowered. “Look at her, everyone! This is the Omega!” “She took a patient’s money and then refused to treat him, leaving him to die!” “Now she’s hiding in her apartment like a coward! This criminal needs to be locked up!” She looked wild, pushed to the brink by the Moon Shadow Pack. She was clearly trying to make me the scapegoat to save her own skin. “You think you can hide? Even if I have to drag your corpse, you’re coming with us!” I stared at the red paint, ready to dial 911, when heavy footsteps echoed from the stairwell. Several large, black-suited werewolf bodyguards pushed the gossiping neighbors aside. Beta Finch walked up, looking down his nose at me. Brenda rushed to him like a loyal dog. “Beta Finch! Look, I found her! She won’t delay Julian’s treatment anymore!” Finch didn’t even spare her a glance. He walked straight up to me. “Evelyn Reed, I assume you’ve thrown your little tantrum?” He pulled out a black credit card, sliding it between his fingers. “Six million dollars. Double the original price.” “Pack your bags and come with me. The Moon Shadow Pack is willing to overlook your little stunt.” I didn’t even look at the card. Two words slipped past my lips. “Not interested.” “Don’t push your luck!” Finch’s face darkened instantly, his polite mask slipping off. “Do you really think you can mess with the Moon Shadow Pack?” He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “If you won’t come willingly, I will have you bound and dragged to the healing pool. We have plenty of ways to make you cooperate.” “For instance… I believe your mother, Margaret, is currently staying at the Grey Oak Sanatorium?” I froze. My blood ran cold. Those bastards actually tracked down my mother! “If you touch a single hair on her head, I will kill you,” I hissed, my eyes glaring with pure rage. “We will do whatever it takes to save our heir,” Finch sneered, completely smug. “Be smart, Evelyn. Pack your things.” “Otherwise, I guarantee your mother will be thrown out of that sanatorium and onto the freezing streets by noon!” The bodyguards stepped forward, grabbing my arms. Brenda giggled maliciously from the side. “Hear that? You thought you were so special. You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” Looking at their ugly faces, I suddenly laughed. Finch frowned, irritated. “What the hell are you laughing at?” “I’m laughing at how incredibly stupid you all are.” I stopped laughing and looked directly at Brenda. “You think I’m just refusing to save Julian?” “Even if I go right now, he’s a dead man.” Finch’s face went pale. He grabbed me by my collar. “What do you mean?!”

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Seven years into our relationship, Lucian always told me he was working so hard for our future—that was why he was constantly busy expanding the family’s reach. He was so busy he forgot my birthday. Forgot the trip we’d planned. Forgot to bring me medicine when I was burning with a hundred-and-four fever. But the moment his adopted sister, Nora, showed up, suddenly he wasn’t busy anymore. He always managed to carve out time to take her to the movies, shopping, on trips. And today, when my grandmother wanted to see him one last time before she died, Lucian turned me down, citing “urgent family business.” Then I saw the latest post on Nora’s Instagram. Successfully dragged Don Moretti to the movies today! That was when it finally dawned on me. It wasn’t that Lucian was busy. It was that his time was never set aside for me. … The heart monitor stretched into one long, unbroken tone. I drew in a slow breath and gently closed my grandmother’s eyes—the eyes she couldn’t bear to close even in death. When I went to sign the death certificate, my hand shook so badly I couldn’t hold the pen steady. The nurse, her face full of concern, asked if she should call another family member to help. I forced a small smile and shook my head. My parents had died in a car crash years ago. My grandmother had raised me on her own. The villagers had all called me a burden, a little runt, good for nothing, and pushed her to marry me off as soon as she could. But she leaned on her cane and chased every one of them away, stubbornly scraping together every penny to put me through school. Even at the very end, the only thing on her mind was me—she just wanted to see whether my boyfriend would take care of me the way she had. Lucian never gave her that chance. In the end, I took three days off work and had my grandmother cremated. The moment I held that small urn in my hands, the loss finally became real, and I broke down sobbing. That was when Lucian’s call came through. “Why did you request leave? What’s the reason?” His tone was hard. I choked the tears back, but my voice still came out hoarse. “I’m just tired. I wanted to rest for a couple of days.” He paused, then spoke hesitantly. “Mia… were you crying?” There was a lump in my throat. I was about to explain when a surprised female voice cut in on his end. “Mia, what’s wrong? You’re not upset because Lucian’s with me, are you?” “Don’t worry, I only think of Lucian as an older brother, that’s all!” It was Nora. She was a child the Moretti family had adopted, and she was very close to Lucian. The old me would have demanded to know why Nora was with him and torn into him over it. But now, I didn’t even have the strength to fight. Sensing my unusual silence, Lucian cut off Nora’s teasing in an offhand, almost breezy tone. “Nora. Don’t talk nonsense.” Half scolding, half indulgent. Then he turned back to me. “Mia, Nora’s young, she doesn’t know any better. Don’t hold it against her.” “So did something happen? I’m free now. If there’s something on your mind, just tell me.” His voice was still soft. But I felt no warmth from it. I mumbled a few empty words and hung up. Once I’d made temporary arrangements for my grandmother, I dragged my exhausted body—three days without proper sleep—back home. The moment I opened the door, I saw Nora curled up in Lucian’s lap. The two of them were tucked into the sofa, watching a movie. My feet stopped dead. For a second I actually thought I’d walked into the wrong house. I had once begged Lucian to watch a movie with me too. He would just pat my head and turn me down in that gentle voice of his. “I’ve still got a project to finish. Next time, okay? Good girl.” Lucian Moretti was the Mafia godfather every man in the Italian underworld feared, presiding over a sprawling business empire with no shortage of things to attend to. So whenever he brushed me off, I understood. I told myself the weight of the entire Moretti family rested on his shoulders, and I shouldn’t be another problem for him. Yet here he was, watching a movie with another woman… Nora heard me come in and looked up first. She was wearing Lucian’s shirt, the hem barely covering the tops of her thighs. She came pattering over and handed me a pair of shoe covers. “Oh, Mia, you’re home. Come sit down.” I looked down. She was also wearing my slippers. As though she were the woman of the house. Lucian draped a throw blanket over Nora and warned her not to catch a chill. Only then did he spare me a glance. “Mia, Nora’s going to be interning at my company for a while. She’ll be staying here in the meantime—it’ll be easier for me to drive her to and from work.” “You’ve always been sensible. I know you won’t mind.” Sensible. I’d heard that word too many times. I lifted my swollen, red-rimmed eyes and looked at him. “And what if I do mind?” He froze. I said quietly, “Lucian, let’s break up.”

The air went still for a beat. Lucian’s expression stiffened. It took a moment before he knit his brows together. “What are you talking about?” “Exactly what I said,” I answered softly. “If the two of you want to live together, feel free to get a room at the hotel across the street.” Nora’s eyes reddened instantly. “Mia, you’ve got the wrong idea. Lucian and I aren’t like that. I—I only came to stay here because it was more convenient for work.” “If it upsets you, I’ll leave right now…” She dabbed at the corner of her eye and turned to go, but Lucian caught her wrist and pulled her behind him, shielding her. His face went cold, his eyes dark. “Mia. Watch your mouth.” “If you’ve got something to say, say it to me. What’s the point of going after a young girl?” “How many times have I told you? Nora was adopted by the Morettis. She’s the little sister I grew up with. If I don’t take care of her, who will?” Right. Ditching me to see a movie with Nora. Bringing her home. Fighting with me over her, again and again. That was what he called taking care of her. I let out a bitter laugh. “Fine. Keep taking care of her, then.” “I’ll go stay somewhere else.” I walked straight into the bedroom, dragged out my suitcase, and started packing. Lucian first coaxed the shaken Nora into the bathroom for a hot shower, then, in no particular hurry, drifted over to the bedroom doorway and watched me. “Mia, that’s enough.” “What kind of scene are you making at this hour? Where is a girl like you supposed to stay this late? And you’ve got work tomorrow. Don’t make trouble for yourself, all right?” “I promise you, there’s nothing between me and Nora.” My hands stilled. I looked up and met his eyes. “Lucian. Do you remember the phone call I made to you three days ago?” He blanked for a second. “I got caught up in things and forgot. That’s why I didn’t call you back.” “Caught up in what?” “Work.” He answered quickly—but his eyes couldn’t quite meet mine. I knew it hadn’t been work. He’d been with Nora. Which meant, on that day, he had let my grandmother die with a regret in her heart. I didn’t call him out on it. I just lowered my eyes and kept packing. Seven years, and I didn’t have much—clothes, documents, odds and ends all together didn’t even fill a single twenty-four-inch suitcase. Lucian’s frown deepened. When I finally clicked the case shut and pulled up the handle, he stepped into the doorway to block my way. “Is all this really necessary?” “Just because I didn’t call you back?” “You’re not a child. Running away from home—it’s a bit much. I don’t have the energy to coax you tonight.” I didn’t need coaxing. I moved around him. My eyes drifted to the keys hanging by the door, and for a moment I got lost in the sight of them. When we’d first become official, Lucian had brought me here to show me around, pressed those keys into my palm, and leaned against the doorframe with a smile. “Welcome home, lady of the house.” “Mia, from now on, this villa is our shelter from the world.” I pulled the keys off the hook, meaning to make things clear with him once and for all. But Lucian mistook my daze for reluctance, and let out a soft laugh. “What, having second thoughts?” My face went cold. I tossed the keys straight at his chest, turned, and yanked the door open. Something shifted in Lucian’s face. He took two quick steps forward—only to be stopped by Nora’s voice from the bathroom. Small and pitiful. “Lucian, I forgot my towel. Could you bring me one?” Without a second’s hesitation, Lucian turned on his heel and hurried off, unable to hide the worry on his face. Behind him, Nora didn’t bother lowering her voice. “Lucian, maybe I should just leave. Mia’s already so upset, I don’t want to come between—” Lucian’s tone was dismissive. “Don’t worry about it. She’s not going anywhere.” “Mia just throws these little tantrums now and then. She loves me—she’s putting on a show. She’ll be back in a day or two.” “Stay as long as you want. I’ve got you.” I smiled bitterly. So he knew I loved him. But Lucian, even love gets tired. I dragged my suitcase out and shut the door, sealing every emotion behind it. When I got to the hotel, I opened my laptop and began drafting my resignation letter.

HR didn’t approve my resignation. She called and told me to come to the office the next day to talk it through in person. The next morning, a downpour hit just as I came up from the subway. I didn’t have an umbrella, and I was going to be late. So I just put my head down and ran through the rain. By the time I reached the office, I was soaked through. I was still wringing water out of my clothes when a Bentley pulled up behind me. The door opened. A bodyguard held an umbrella over Lucian, who walked in with Nora cradled in his arms. When he saw me, he paused. His eyes lingered on the water dripping from the ends of my hair, and his brow creased. “Why didn’t you ask me to drive you?” Beside him, Nora covered her mouth in exaggerated surprise. “Mia, looking like that really doesn’t reflect well on the company.” Lucian was still watching me, as though he expected an answer. The truth was, I had asked him. Plenty of times. On more rainy days than I could count, I’d stared helplessly at my Uber app, watching hundreds of people ahead of you on the screen, and asked Lucian if he could pick me up. Lucian would only answer, coldly, “I’ve got a meeting. No time.” “Besides, if I drove you in, people at the company would say I was playing favorites. Figure it out yourself.” After a while, I stopped asking. I lifted my eyes and met his. “Lucian, we’ve already broken up. You never drove me to work before. I’m not going to let you drive me now.” Nora’s face lit with quiet triumph. Lucian’s eyes turned to ice. “Fine.” “Let’s see how long you keep this up.” “Nora, ignore her.” He turned, Nora still in his arms, ignoring every curious look from his subordinates. I looked away and headed back to my desk. Soon after, Ms. Smith, the HR manager, called me into her office. She kept her eyes down, flipping through my paperwork. “The resignation forms are all in order. But, Mia—are you sure about this?” “Back then, you turned down other offers just to come here for Lucian. I always thought that was a shame. You’ve finally worked your way up to team lead. If you’re leaving in a fit of anger over a fight with him, it isn’t worth it.” Ms. Smith had been my senior in college, and was one of the few people who knew about Lucian and me. I gave her a small, helpless smile. “It’s not a fit of anger. We broke up.” “My grandmother passed away. I want to take her back to our hometown. Thank you, though.” She looked genuinely startled, then sighed and told me she was sorry. “All right. I respect your decision.” “But at least see the current project through. It’s years of your work, it’s substantial, and it’ll look good on your résumé.” She was already thinking about my next job for me. I nodded gratefully and agreed. My flight out was booked for the following Wednesday. Wrapping up the project in the days I had left would work out just right. To finish sooner, I stayed at the office late. I didn’t hear Lucian approach until his knuckles rapped against my desk. The assistant behind him held out a cup of coffee. The cup was stamped with a small gold logo—the mark of the Moretti family’s private beverage line. Only five of those shops existed in the world. It didn’t come cheap. “Why aren’t you answering my messages?” he asked. I frowned and finally looked at my phone. Two hours ago. Do you take sugar in your coffee? At that very moment, a new post from Nora popped up on Instagram. I tapped into the photo. There were more than ten drinks lined up on a table—milk tea, whiskey, coffee, everything imaginable. The caption had a coy little pout to it. Lucian is such an idiot. Who orders this many different drinks because he doesn’t know what I like? He’s going to turn me into a piggy! Also spilled one of the coffees. I don’t really drink coffee anyway, but it still made me sad. I stared, silently, at the coffee the assistant had just set in front of me. Up close, there was a smear along the rim. Maybe it was the one that had been knocked over. Expressionless, I pushed the cup into the trash. “Sorry. I’m allergic to caffeine.” Lucian froze. His brow drew tight. “Since when?” “Always.” “Sorry. I’ve been busy. It slipped my mind.” Silence hung between us. I had no intention of continuing the conversation, but Lucian spoke again. “Mia. That project you’ve been leading—let Nora have it, to cut her teeth on.”

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My pup’s head is already crowning, but my Alpha mate pushes it back inside. Because his dead brother’s widow is having a son next door, and only a male pup inherits in the Blood-Moon Pack. Silas doesn’t even flinch. His hand is soft on mine. His eyes are softer. Nine months of soft. “Hold on, Sera. Just a little longer.” His voice is calm. Sweat runs into my eyes. Blood soaks the bed. Something is wrong. I’ve known since the second contraction hit thirty seconds after the first. The pain is too sharp. Too fast. A nurse walks in with a syringe. I think it’s the numbing shot. Then Silas lets go of my hand. Steps back from the bed. The needle goes in. He checks his watch. “Adjust the dose,” he says. Calm. Like he’s ordering coffee. “She has to wait until Elena births her pup.” The room tilts. “Elena’s crowning any minute,” he tells the nurse. “Buy me two hours.” I open my mouth. Nothing comes out. Whatever is in that syringe is already in my blood. My contractions stop mid-clench. Like a hand closed around my womb from the inside. The pain stays. The labor stops. My pup is stuck. I look at him. My mate. The Alpha who put his palm on my belly every night and talked to her through my skin. His face is blank. I don’t cry. I don’t beg. I memorize his face. Exactly like this. And I start counting everything I’m going to take from him. — They wheel me down. Down past the pack infirmary. Down past the healing suites. Down into the basement of the Blood-Moon’s private clinic. Maya is waiting at the door. Silas’s little sister. Twenty-three. Nails freshly done. A scalpel between two fingers like a cigarette. “Don’t blame my brother, sis,” she says, smiling. “Elena’s carrying our dead brother’s son. First male Blood-Moon pup of this generation. You get it.” I get it. I’ve known since the needle went in. But I let my face do what they want. Wet. Weak. Scared. “Even if you popped her out first,” Maya goes on, “she’d still just be a girl. Only male pups inherit the Alpha ring. That’s pack law.” She crouches. Taps my cheek with the flat of the blade. “Get the healer,” I rasp. “Please. She’s coming.” “She’s not coming for three more hours, sweetheart. The drug holds that long. Elena’s already in the birthing suite.” She stands. Brushes off her knees. “Be a good girl. When her son is breathing, you get yours.” To the enforcer at the door: “If she howls, gag her.” The door shuts. One bare bulb. Concrete floor. My dress is already soaked through. They took my phone at the gate. Radiation, Silas said. Bad for the pup. I curl onto my side. In. Out. Counting. Three months ago, Silas’s older brother Damon ran his bike into a rogue ambush on the north border. Left a mate three months pregnant. At the funeral, the Old Alpha gripped Elena’s wrist with both hands and wept into her sleeve. The Blood-Moon bloodline cannot die. Give us this boy. I stood there in black. Twenty-six weeks along. Put my hand on the old wolf’s shoulder. “Alpha, our pup will love you too.” He didn’t look at me. I should have known then. I did know then. I just didn’t want to. Another contraction rips through me. The drug is fighting it. My body is fighting back. I drag myself to the door. Pound on it. “Help me — please — the pup is coming —” A bored voice on the other side. “Shut up. Miss Maya said wait.” “My baby —” “If she dies, she dies. Shouldn’t have been a girl.” I slide down the door. I am not crying. I am making a list.

I don’t know how long I’m down there. Long enough that the blood under me goes warm. Then cold. Then warm again. Long enough that I almost stop fighting the drug. Then the door opens. Not Maya. Not the enforcer. Dr. Reed. The pack healer. He’s been my healer since the first month. He sees me on the floor and goes the color of paper. “Luna? Goddess — the Alpha said you were in the VIP suite —” I can’t speak. I point at my belly. He drops to his knees. His hand goes between my legs. He sucks in a breath through his teeth. “You’re fully dilated. Your water broke Goddess knows when. We need to move. Now.” He tries to lift me. The second I move, blood pours out of me in a hot rush. He almost drops me. “Help!” he shouts down the hall. “She’s bleeding out —” Nothing. This whole infirmary belongs to the Blood-Moon. Tonight they cleared it for Elena. Every nurse. Every healer. Every apprentice. All on the third floor. Holding her hand while she pushes out the future of the pack. His phone has no signal down here. He hauls me up. “Stay with me, Luna. Stay with me.” The stairwell is endless. Every step jolts the pup further down. And not out. The drug is still in me. Contractions come and go like a stutter. The worst way to have a pup. I can feel her wedged. “Doctor —” My voice is air. “Save the pup. Promise me.” “You’re both walking out of here. Don’t talk.” He kicks open the first-floor birthing suite. We both freeze. The room is empty. Not unstaffed. Empty. The birthing table is gone. The transfusion kits are gone. The herb cart, the emergency kits, the monitors — gone. Bare outlets where the machines used to be. Reed makes a sound like he’s been punched. “I checked this room six hours ago —” Heels on tile. Maya rounds the corner. Two nurses trailing her. “Doctor. What are you doing down here? Elena’s on three.” He points at the empty room. His hand is shaking. “Where is the equipment.” Maya’s face is beautifully innocent. She’s practiced this look. “Moved it up. Elena’s having a hard labor — the pup carries the Alpha bloodline, we need every tool on her. What if something goes wrong? You can’t birth an heir in a regular suite.” Her eyes drift to me. She smiles. “Oh. Is she in labor? She’ll have to wait. Elena isn’t done.” I look up at her. This girl I bought a fifteen-thousand-dollar Chanel bag for last spring. This girl who linked her arm through mine at every pack dinner and called me the best Luna the Blood-Moon ever had. I file her face away with Silas’s. The list is getting longer. — Reed sprints to the healer’s station. Rips open cabinets. Empty. Empty. Empty. “Silver-clamps — anything — gauze —” A nurse whispers, “It’s all upstairs. Alpha’s orders. Everything goes to Miss Elena.” He punches the cabinet. His knuckles split. He turns to me. Crying. “Luna. I’m sorry. I have nothing —” Maya pats his shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up, doc. She hasn’t delivered yet. When Elena’s done, the tools come back down.” She glances at my belly. “And honestly? Even if the pup doesn’t make it — it’s a girl. The pack loses nothing.” I lift my head off the floor. I look her in the eye. I use the breath I’ve been saving. “You animal.” Her smile drops. She crouches down. Puts her mouth right next to my ear. Lowers her voice so only I hear. “Howl all you want, sis. After tonight you’ll be too weak to lift a glass. Elena’s taking your seat as Luna. My brother keeps you alive as a slave because he’s sentimental. Be grateful.” She straightens up. Beautiful again. Reed can’t take it. “Miss Maya, this is murder —” “Murder?” She laughs. “Doctor. She-wolves die in labor all the time. It’s tragic.” She turns to the enforcers behind her. “Take Dr. Reed somewhere quiet. I’ll watch my sister myself.” They drag him out. He fights them. Twists back to me. Shouting — “Luna — pinch here — hard — above the ankle — it can bring the contractions back — don’t give up —” The door slams. Maya locks it.

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My husband Derek has been sleeping with my best friend Jade. This time, I called her husband, Shane. Shane almost killed a man over her once. Did eighteen months for it. Later he carries a blade everywhere he goes. And right now, he’s on his way here. Ten minutes ago, I was standing outside Venom Lounge, shaking, listening to a room full of people place bets on whether I’d file for divorce. “Avery would never leave him. Derek makes too much money.” “Honestly, it’s her own fault. If she weren’t so pathetic, Derek wouldn’t have cheated.” “Hey, Derek, tell us. Is your wife gonna make a scene about this or what?” Through the crack in the door, I watch Jade sitting on my husband’s lap. She kisses him, slow and deliberate, like she’s performing. “Avery won’t leave him.” She pulls back with a grin. “She’s a parasite. She wouldn’t dare.” Derek stubs out his cigarette, grabs the back of her neck, and pulls her into a deep kiss. The whole room cheers. They told me to come here on purpose. They want to watch me break. And I’m even more pathetic than they think. I can’t even walk in. That’s when I pulled out my phone. Not to call my mom. Not to call a lawyer. I called Jade’s husband. “Jade’s been drinking too much. She’s at Venom Lounge. You should come get her.” “Who’s she drinking with?” Shane’s voice was already cold. “A bunch of guys. They’re getting handsy. You should hurry.” “On my way.” I hung up and walked away from the door. Now, I’m standing at the front entrance when my phone buzzes. Derek. His voice is lazy, almost amused. “Ave, you’re already here, right?” I don’t answer. “The waitress said you were standing outside for a while. You heard everything?” His voice is soft. Gentle, even. Which makes it so much worse. I manage a quiet “Mm.” Derek laughs. “Pathetic.” Yeah. Everyone knows that’s what I am. I’ve been following Derek around since high school. If he hadn’t protected me back then, I probably wouldn’t have made it to college. “Wait, you didn’t even come inside? You just stood there?” He sounds entertained. “Burying your head in the sand is boring, babe.” I hear people laughing in the background. Loud. Shameless. Then Jade grabs the phone. I can hear the smile in her voice. “If I knew you were this scared of losing him, we wouldn’t have bothered hiding it. But honestly? Sneaking around behind your back was half the fun.” She pauses. Then says again, “Your husband is great in bed, by the way. I’ve been test-driving him for you. Every department checks out. So thanks. I’ll be keeping him.” Someone in the background whistles. “Careful, Jade. She’s gonna cry.” “Yeah Derek, you gonna go comfort her or what?” Derek’s voice cuts through the noise. Serious for once. “Enough. If she starts crying again, I’ll have to deal with it.” A pause. “Ave’s not like you. She’s way easier to handle. Don’t mess with her.” Then he takes the phone back. His voice is clear now, close. “Where are you? I’ll come find you. This place is a nightmare for cabs.” I look down the hallway and see him step out, phone still pressed to his ear. He spots me and hangs up. The look on his face makes my stomach turn. He’s satisfied. Almost entertained, like this whole thing is a game and he just won a round. He walks over and ruffles my hair like I’m a kid. “She’s not you. You’re Mrs. Mercer. The real deal. So why are you crying?” He tilts my chin up. “Relax. I’m not gonna divorce you.” He says it like he’s tossing me a treat. Like I should be grateful. Then Jade stumbles out of the room, clutching her head. She staggers forward and crashes right into Derek. Right in front of me. His hands go straight to her waist. His palms press against the bare skin where her top rides up. She tilts her head onto his chest and peeks at me through half-closed eyes. “Baby, my head is killing me. They kept forcing drinks on me.” She pouts up at him. “Take me home? Avery already knows now anyway. No point hiding it.” She turns to me. “She won’t mind… right, Ave?” Her eyes are pure challenge. My phone buzzes. Shane. [Where’s the bar?] I send him the location.

I look up at Derek after I send the location. “What if I do mind?” Something flickers across Derek’s face. Guilt, maybe. He tries to push Jade off, but she melts into him like she’s boneless. “Oh, come on,” Jade laughs, slapping his chest. “You’ve been sleeping with me how many times now? Don’t play the good husband.” She turns to look at me. “Didn’t you tell me yourself? That Avery just lies there in bed like a dead fish? Zero effort, zero fun?” She’s talking to Derek. But she’s looking straight at me. Derek glances at me nervously. “That was just a joke. I was messing around with her.” My nails dig into my palms. I keep my voice flat. “Oh.” Then I say, “I’ll go with you to drop her off.” “What?” Jade stares at me. I look at both of them. “You said your head hurts, right? Derek and I will take you home together.” I grab Jade’s arm and pull her off him. She has no choice but to lean on me. Derek blinks, then lets out a surprised laugh. He reaches over and taps the tip of my nose. “Well. Finally jealous, huh? Look at you, showing some teeth. I like it.” His voice is warm. Playful. Like nothing happened. My stomach turns. But my face gives away nothing. I’ve had practice. In high school, the school bully’s girlfriend cornered me in the bathroom and shredded my clothes with scissors. I had the same face then. Blank. Calm. Nothing. Derek was the one who found me. He stared at me for a long time, then pulled off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “You should have some fight in you,” he said. That girl never came back to school. Derek thought it was because of him. Because he’d warned her. He didn’t know it was because her dad caught her making out with her boyfriend behind the bleachers. And I’m the one who made sure her dad was there to see it. She got pulled out of school. She never bothered me again. I was happy to let Derek play the hero. So I never told him the truth. “But I booked a hotel room,” Jade’s voice breaks through my thoughts. She bats her eyes, looking smug. “Who said anything about going home?” She looks at Derek. “You want to come, right, baby? But bringing Avery along would be a little awkward.” Derek’s eyes bounce between us. Before he can answer, I speak first. “Derek. Come home with me.” I stare at him and let my voice go soft. Jade wraps her leg around his right there in front of me. Her eyes lock onto him. “That outfit you wanted me to wear? I already sent it to the hotel. If you skip tonight, I’m never putting it on.” Something shifts in his eyes. His jaw tightens, and I can see it. He wants to go. “Ave, go home first.” That’s what he says to me. I stare at him, eyes burning. “You sure?” He nods. Then frowns. “Be good. Unless you want a divorce.” I take a breath. The air feels like a blade going down. Jade scoffs. “What, you want to stay and watch? That’s a little cruel, even for you.”

I don’t respond. But Jade steps closer and whispers in my ear. “You want to know when it started? The first time?” Her breath is warm against my skin. “It was when you had your miscarriage. When you were stuck in the hospital. We did it right there. In your bed.” My whole body goes cold. That was my first baby. Derek’s and mine. I wanted that baby so badly. I was so careful. Did everything right. And I still lost it. When I was in the hospital, Derek said he was swamped with a project. Said he couldn’t be there. I went through the whole thing alone. The bleeding. The silence after. The empty room. And the whole time, he was with her. In my bed. I stare at Jade. “Why? Why would you do that?” She doesn’t even blink. “Derek’s rich, hot, and he knows what he’s doing. Men like him don’t come around twice. You were gonna lose him eventually. I just got there first.” She shrugs. “Besides, Shane? I’ve been wanting to dump him for years.” I check the time. Shane should be about ten minutes out. “You think he’ll just let you leave?” I ask. “You told me yourself he’s got a temper. That he almost killed someone. Doesn’t that scare you?” She waves her hand. “Shane is a dumbass with muscles and no brain. All I have to do is snap my fingers and he’ll do whatever I want. When the time comes, I’ll just trick him into signing the papers. He’s as easy to fool as you are.” She doesn’t care about Shane at all. Not even a little. “What if he finds out you’re cheating?” Fear flashes across her face. Just for a second. Then it’s gone. “He won’t. He’s probably out doing deliveries right now.” She smirks. “I’ve got him trained like a dog. You wouldn’t understand.” I laugh inside. Cold. Quiet. I glance at my phone. Shane’s text: Almost there. Something clicks in my head. I don’t want to let them off easy. I want to watch what happens when the dog slips its leash. So I look up at Derek with the saddest eyes I can manage. “I’ll wait for you in the hotel lobby. When you’re done, come home with me. Okay?” I make myself as small and desperate as I can. Derek stares at me, surprised. “You’re really that… you just can’t live without me?” Jade jumps in right away. “God, Avery. How are you this pathetic? After everything, you’re still begging for scraps. What the hell is wrong with you?” I don’t react. I look at her like she just doesn’t get it. “Derek paid for everything when I was in college. Every single bill. All four years. And after we got married, he’s the one who kept me afloat.” I pause. “Jade, I can’t survive without him. I never could.” And that’s the truth, at least on the surface. Derek is insanely good at making money. He had six figures by twenty. By the time he graduated, he was pulling in millions. Because of him, I never had to worry about rent, tuition, or anything else. I got my master’s. Then my Ph.D. All because I never had to work a day. Jade opens her mouth and nothing comes out. Her face goes dark. Derek shoots Jade a look, irritated. “Don’t talk to her like that.” “I told you from the start. What we have stays between us. It doesn’t touch Avery. And I’m never going to divorce her to marry you.” His eyes narrow. “Unless that’s what you’ve been counting on?” Jade’s expression shifts instantly. She softens her voice, reaches for his arm. “That’s not what I meant, baby. I just didn’t want her to ruin the mood.” I glance at my phone one more time. Shane is two minutes away.

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In three years of marriage, Ethan never once sat down and shared a meal with me. I couldn’t go a single meal without fish, but he’d curse at the mere whiff of it—said it reeked. So every time he sat at the dining table, I’d carry my plate to the living room and eat alone. When I was done, I’d rinse my mouth three times before daring to kiss him, and even then he’d grimace and pull away. I told myself it was his boundary, and I needed to respect it. Three years. Every single day. Until my birthday, when I went to the fish market to buy something for soup. I was passing a stall when my feet stopped dead. There was Ethan, standing behind the counter in an apron streaked with dried blood, bringing a cleaver down on a fish for a customer with practiced ease. Beside him stood a young woman, holding a plate of sashimi. She dipped a slice in soy sauce and lifted it to his mouth. He opened up without hesitation, barely chewed before swallowing it down. The girl flashed him a smile. He set the knife down, tilted his head, and kissed her on the lips. The fish market was deafening, but standing there, I couldn’t hear a thing. In that moment, it hit me all at once— I didn’t love him anymore. … A sharp ache tore through my chest. Not because I’d caught him with another woman. But because I pitied myself—three years of bending over backward, and for what? What a joke. For three years, just to eat fish, I’d hidden outside with my plate like some stray. Every time I walked through the front door, he’d make me gargle five times before he’d let me so much as touch him. And yet just now—both their mouths fresh with raw fish, no rinsing at all. Right there in that reeking market, he’d kissed her deeply. My stomach lurched. Disgusted. Nauseated. I lifted my foot gently and walked forward. My heels clicked against the stone path. They heard someone approaching and pulled apart instantly. “Welcome, ma’am… Can I—” Ethan’s face was all smiles as he greeted me, but the moment he saw who it was, the color drained from his face. I didn’t look at him. Didn’t care what his reaction was. I pulled out my wallet, took out some bills, and turned to the girl selling fish: “I’d like a fish. The bigger, the better.” She clearly had no idea who I was. She glanced back at the tanks and gave me an apologetic look: “Sorry, gorgeous—you got here a little late. We’re all sold out. Would you like to reserve one for tomorrow?” I shook my head. My voice was calm: “I’m not late. I got here the moment the market opened.” Ethan, standing off to the side, went visibly rigid again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his fingers trembling. “Oh—then how come you’re only buying now?” I smiled at her: “Now seems like perfect timing, doesn’t it? There’s still one fish left.” She didn’t quite follow. Instinctively, she turned to look. There was one fish left in the tank—dead, no telling how long. She waved her hands frantically: “Oh no, miss—that one’s dead. It’s not fresh. We can’t sell it to you.” I kept smiling: “It’s fine. It’s just dead—it’s not dirty. Give me a little discount and I’ll take it. After all, it is my birthday.” Ethan’s head snapped up. His expression darkened. “Oh no, miss—that one’s dead. It’s not fresh. We can’t sell it to you.” I kept smiling: “It’s fine. It’s just dead—it’s not dirty. Give me a little discount and I’ll take it. After all, it is my birthday.” Ethan’s head snapped up. His expression darkened further. A flicker of barely concealed delight passed through the girl’s eyes. She put on a show of reluctance and nodded: “Oh… well, alright then. But my boyfriend can’t help you clean it—he’s been at it all morning, he’s exhausted. You understand…” Before I could say a word, Ethan had already scooped the fish out, pulling on his gloves with practiced efficiency: “It’s fine, Mia. I’ve got it. Just one more.” The girl—Mia—gave me an apologetic smile, then rose on her tiptoes and planted a light kiss on his cheek: “Thanks, babe.” Something lodged itself in my chest, pressing down until I could barely breathe. Ethan stunned the fish and asked me: “How do you want it?” “Sashimi.” My answer made his hand freeze again. He pressed his lips together, silent for a long time before finally speaking: “This one isn’t fresh enough for sashimi. You’ll get sick.” I looked at him. The hurt crept up before I could stop it: “Is this fish the one that’s not fresh—or was it never fresh to begin with?” Ethan stiffened. He set down his tools and tossed the fish back into the tank: “Sorry. This one’s not for sale.” “I want to eat fish on my birthday.” He stood there, frozen, utterly lost. Mia finally picked up on the tension between us. She asked cautiously: “Ethan… do you two… know each other?” Ethan shot me a desperate look. He wanted me to say no. In three years of marriage, this was the first time he’d ever asked me for anything. And it was for another woman. Whatever warmth was left in my heart cooled, degree by degree. I closed my eyes. Gave him what he wanted. Let a single line fall: “No. I don’t know him.” Eyes burning red, I turned and walked away. What he didn’t know was this: It wasn’t just the fish I was giving up. It was him.

Back home, Ethan’s texts came flooding in. “Wait for me at home. I’ll explain everything.” “I remembered your birthday. I got you a present. I’m already on my way back…” Message after message, all the same hollow promises. I didn’t reply to a single one. I just sat in front of my computer screen, staring at the overseas job offer, my cursor hovering over the “Accept” button for the longest time. My mind drifted through our three years of dating, our three years of marriage. There had been so much good. But now I couldn’t tell which parts were real and which were lies. He’d told me he hated fish, couldn’t stand the smell. Yet there he’d stood in the fishiest place in the city, kissing a girl who sold fish for a living. He was supposed to be the youngest, most promising professor at the university. The upstanding educator. The gentle husband who treated me with courtesy and respect. And in the blink of an eye, he was gutting fish for some market girl—willingly, eagerly… Tears pooled at the rims of my eyes. The sun sank behind the western hills. The house went dark. Night fell. Ethan didn’t come home. No explanation. No messages. I pressed my hand over my mouth and finally let myself cry. That job offer—the one that had been sitting in my inbox for a week—I quietly clicked Accept. So be it. It was time for this to end. When I was done, I contacted a lawyer. Drafted a divorce agreement. Calculated the division of marital assets. Ethan pushed through the door late that night. I was sitting in the living room, the divorce papers on the coffee table in front of me. He stood in the doorway, staring at the back of my head in surprise. His first words weren’t an explanation. They were a confession: “My relationship with Mia isn’t what you think.” “Four years ago, I was out at sea on a research expedition. There was an accident. She saved my life.” “Everything I’ve done—it’s to repay that debt.” “She has no one. I’m all she has in this world. Without me, she wouldn’t survive.” “But you’re different. You have family. You have friends. She has nothing but me.” The ache in my chest returned, sharp and raw. My nose stung. I asked him: “There are a thousand ways to repay a debt. Did it have to be by cheating?” He exploded. Hurled his jacket to the floor, jabbed a finger at me, and shouted: “Clara! Who said anything about cheating? Mia and I—it’s been nothing more than a kiss! Nothing else has happened between us!” This was the first time Ethan had ever raised his voice at me. The first time in three years of marriage. I swallowed the bitterness rising inside me and asked: “Fine. I understand. I accept. But if you can eat her fish, why the hell couldn’t you let me eat mine at home?” He faltered. The fury on his face slowly retreated. He stepped forward and pulled me gently into his arms. The stench of fish clung to him, thick and nauseating. I wanted to retch. I struggled, but I was no match for his strength. He spoke: “Clara, you and she are different.” “You come from a good family. You’re beautiful. You have parents who adore you.” “But her?” “She doesn’t know who I really am. Doesn’t know where her own parents are.” “All she wants is for me to be there for her. She doesn’t care about anything else. I have to give her something.” Give her something? I laughed—furious, incredulous—and looked him dead in the eye: “So you gave me the lie that you hate fish, and then went and ate with her?” “No!” “Then what?” “I promised her I’d only ever share meals with her. For the rest of my life.” The air around us went still. I stared at him, red-eyed, brimming with disappointment. The last trembling flame inside me—the one still hoping we had a chance—flickered out. He opened his mouth, then stopped: “Don’t look at me like that…” I praised him. Lavished him with praise: “Ethan, you are so noble! So selfless! You’ve managed to draw such a clean line—even over something as simple as eating fish—keeping her and me in our tidy separate boxes!” “Clara, don’t do this. I haven’t betrayed our vows. I haven’t betrayed our marriage. I just—” “Ethan!” I said his name deliberately, cutting off whatever excuse was coming next. His gaze trembled. I said it softly: “Let’s get a divorce.” The tears and the words came at the same time. Because I’d never imagined there would be a day when Ethan and I would divorce. His pupils shook. He stammered: “Clara, this isn’t what I want—I never wanted to lose you! I—!” His phone rang in his pocket. He glanced at the screen, and every word of his plea died in his throat. I said quietly: “Answer it. Someone’s calling this late—she’s probably in trouble.” Ethan tried to soothe me with one hand while rushing to the window to take the call. As if to prove to me that there was truly nothing between them, he left it on speaker: “Ethan, the harbor flooded! All those fish you caught for me today—they’re gone, every last one!” “Please, can you come help me!” Ethan looked back at me. His eyes were full of pleading. I lowered my gaze and said softly: “Go, Ethan. Those fish are her livelihood.” Relief washed over him. He didn’t even manage a goodbye before bolting out the door. The moment it slammed shut— the clock on the wall pointed to midnight. The house was silent. As if no one had come home at all. I whispered to myself: “Happy thirtieth birthday, Clara.” “From now on, you’ll be celebrating alone.”

I barely slept that night. My dreams were restless. I dreamed of being little—Mom and Dad gathered around me, a birthday cake glowing with candles, telling me to make a wish. I said I wanted fish on every birthday. I dreamed of our wedding day. My father walking me down the aisle, handing me off to Ethan with tears in his eyes, pleading: “My daughter has one simple love—fish. Promise me you’ll never make her suffer for it.” Ethan promised without hesitation. But when I woke up in the morning, the pillow was soaked with tears. The other side of the bed was cold and empty. Only a message on my computer confirmed that my flight for tomorrow’s onboarding had been booked—reporting instructions attached. I pulled myself together, drafted a resignation letter, and headed to the university where Ethan worked. I’d had better job prospects once. But Ethan said he wanted us to see each other all the time. I couldn’t bear to be apart from him either, so I’d ignored my father’s objections, given it all up. Applied through the university’s spousal employment program, went through the whole hiring process, and settled for an administrative position at the same school. And now look at the wreckage. On the way to the office building, a colleague spotted me and smiled: “Clara! Here so early to see Professor Ethan?” “Didn’t he tell you? Three months ago, he moved all his morning classes to the afternoon.” I froze. Then nodded: “He told me.” He hadn’t told me. Every morning, same as always, he’d said he was going to teach. When really, he’d been getting up at dawn to help Mia gut fish. A man who once refused to drag himself out of bed to pick up a package for me—getting up every single morning to butcher fish for another woman. Laughable. Truly laughable. Not laughing at him. At myself. I walked into the office of the administrator who handled resignations. Placed my letter on his desk. He looked visibly startled: “Clara? You’re leaving?” “Why? Does Professor Ethan know about this?” I nodded, smiling: “He’s well aware.” Despite his suspicion, he stamped the papers. Back at home, someone was cooking in the kitchen. A girl with red-rimmed eyes sat on the living room sofa. Mia. She saw me and jumped to her feet: “Clara—hi, I’m—” I raised my hand. Told her she didn’t need to say any more. I didn’t even want to ask why Ethan had brought her here. I headed for the bedroom to pack. But Ethan, wearing an apron, called after me: “Clara, wait.” I turned and looked at him—every inch the domestic husband. Looked at the pot on the stove, fragrant with fish soup. Three years, and he’d never once cooked for me. I laughed. Shook my head and reached for the bedroom door. He grabbed my arm, frowning: “I told Mia about us.” That surprised me. I stopped and looked at him: “Shouldn’t you have done that a long time ago?” Ethan’s face twisted with shame. Mia walked over, head bowed, tears streaming: “I’m so sorry, Clara. This is all my fault. I had no idea about you two.” “I’ve caused Ethan so much trouble. I’ve… I’ve already broken up with him.” “I won’t bother you again.” I felt nothing. Not a ripple. I turned to Ethan: “The breakup—did you agree to it?” Ethan choked, clearly not expecting me to remain unmoved. He cleared his throat, sidestepped the question, and pulled both me and Mia to the dining table: “Your birthday present.” “Fish soup. I made it myself.” I stared at the pot he set before me for a long time. Ladled out a bowl. Tasted it. It was delicious. Truly delicious. But it was too late. “Well? Is it good, Clara? Let me tell you—” “Ethan, I’ve already signed the divorce papers. They’re right there on the table. Sign whenever you get a chance.” “This home—I’m leaving it to the two of you.” I cut him off bluntly. His face went rigid. I sighed, stood, and stepped away from the table. Mia’s face turned white. She kept gesturing frantically at Ethan. Ethan’s expression blackened. He slammed his palm on the table. “Clara! Don’t push your luck! Don’t act like you’re the victim here—Mia has it worse than you!” “Ethan, stop—” “No! She needs to hear this. She needs to know she has no idea how to be understanding!” I stood still. Turned to face him: “Go ahead, Ethan. What is it this time?” His expression turned vicious. He hurled the words at me: “Mia is carrying my child!” My mouth opened, but nothing came out. All that was left inside me was a cold so sharp it burned. His fury didn’t stop: “And yet she chose to break up with me—for the sake of our marriage!” “She’s going to raise this baby alone! She’s going to be a single mother—can you even imagine how hard that will be?” “Clara, even if I’ve done something wrong, I am your husband and you are my wife. Can’t you show a little understanding? Does it have to come to this?” I looked at Mia’s belly. Paused for a moment. Well. I should have seen this coming. My eyes dimmed. I said quietly: “Then as of right now, I am no longer your wife.” I turned and walked out the door, ignoring the raging shouts behind me. All I took were my documents. Everything else—I didn’t need anymore.

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I became a full-time gilded bird at eighteen. By twenty-eight, my keeper was getting married, but he still hadn’t grown tired of me. At his bachelor party just before the wedding, I went to pick him up. Standing outside the VIP suite, I overheard one of his friends ask, “You’re getting married next week. Has your little pet on the side been throwing a tantrum?” Chris sat with his legs crossed, entirely unbothered. “She did. Made a demand.” “Money or a title?” The friend assumed those were the only two options. Chris let out a soft, dismissive chuckle. “She said she wants to go to Cambridge.” The room erupted into laughter. “A high school dropout wanting to go to Cambridge? She’s dreaming!” Chris smiled with lazy indulgence, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “She’s my bird. If I don’t spoil her, who will?” Armed with those words, I chose to ignore the mockery of his friends and let myself believe him. Three months later, Chris kept his promise and drove me to a school. “Camden Bridge Technical Institute.” Hands shoved in his pockets, he gestured toward the drab, run-down building with his chin. “Go on, get your education. With your level, you wouldn’t survive a day in England anyway. Better to stick to the bootleg version close to home.” When I didn’t move, he chuckled. Tilting my chin up with his fingers, he murmured, “What? Not satisfied? You set a bar higher than the stars just because you wanted to become Mrs. Lancaster, didn’t you?” I jerked my head away, pulled my perfect French scorecard from my bag, and slapped it against his chest. “Chris, I was ready. I just didn’t expect you to be this useless.” … Chris looked down at the certificate in his hand. He froze for a second, then flipped through it carelessly, letting out a sharp laugh. “Fiona, we really are a match made in heaven. I find you a knockoff college, and you hand me a fake certificate?” “It’s a bit of a shame you can never be Mrs. Lancaster…” He seemed to think of something and laughed even more mockingly. “You didn’t actually think a Cambridge degree would get you past my family’s door, did you?” I looked at him, my own smile laced with sarcasm. “I have self-awareness, Mr. Lancaster.” In his wealthy, elite circle, women like me were nothing more than playthings. Even after ten years of devotion, that was still all I was to him. “But still, I gave you ten years of my life. When it’s all over, you can’t even manage to get me a proper education?” Chris looked down at me, his expression dripping with arrogance. “Darling, I’d love to help, but you haven’t touched a textbook in a decade. You simply can’t get into a university like that.” “Besides, the UK isn’t my family’s playground. Did you really think you could fool me with a forged test score?” I looked him dead in the eye, my voice steady and deadly serious. “It’s not fake. While you were busy planning your wedding, I was studying.” Chris chuckled, his hand sliding up to cup my cheek. “Are you jealous?” “Your acting is incredible; you almost had me fooled. Maybe I should put you in the movies. You’d make a stunning star.” I tilted my head to avoid his touch, letting out a bitter laugh. “Chris, do you even know who I am?” The year I moved into his penthouse, I was the valedictorian who had walked away from a near-perfect SAT score and an Ivy League offer. Back then, I had the intellect, but I didn’t have the means to pay off my family’s million-dollar debt. Today, I still have the mind, but he has bought my freedom. The midday sun was scorching, eating away at Chris’s patience. His tone grew cold. “Of course I know you. You’re putting on this whole show just to remind me not to ignore you, aren’t you?” At that, I fell completely silent. This conversation was a dead end. As my keeper, Chris had given his bird the finest cage, the best food, and the most luxurious life. He expected nothing but endless gratitude. How could he ever understand that what a bird wants most is the open sky? “Are you going to study here or not?” he demanded. “No.” “Fine. I’ll give you one last chance to ask for something else.” “Send me to Cambridge.” Chris’s eyes darkened completely. He let out a cold sneer. “I’ve spoiled you too much.” With that, he got into his car and slammed on the gas, abandoning me there in the middle of nowhere, where even getting an Uber was impossible. My face grew pale under the blistering sun. I pulled out my phone and dialed the study-abroad agency. The counselor’s voice was professional: “The fastest route now is to sit for the A-Level exams. You need straight A’s to even have a shot at an offer.” “Then there’s the visa process. You’ll need proof of funds—at least seventy-thousand dollars up front in an account, and we conservatively estimate subsequent expenses to be around another hundred and fifty thousand.” I swayed slightly. I didn’t have that kind of money. Chris rarely gave me cash; if I wanted something, he had his assistant buy it. I knew why. He was terrified I would run with the money—a story as old as time in his wealthy circle. Lowering my eyes, I whispered into the receiver, “Let’s start with the exams. I’ll figure out the money.” I had been a kept woman for so long. If I wasn’t in it for the money, was I supposed to be in it for love? Since everyone assumed my greed was the only thing keeping me here, I might as well take the money and run. I ended up taking a bumpy local bus back to the city. The motion sickness made my stomach cramp violently. Mustering every ounce of strength, I caught a train back. By the time I unlocked the front door of the penthouse, I felt half-dead. The house was pitch black. Too exhausted to even flip the light switch, I stumbled through the dark toward the bedroom. “Have you learned your lesson?” Chris’s voice sliced through the silence. He was sitting in the shadows, making me jump. I froze, taking a moment to catch my breath before replying quietly, “Yes.” I paused. “Chris, I don’t want to go to school anymore. Just give me the money instead. Not much—just two hundred thousand dollars.” To men like him, two hundred thousand was pocket change, the cost of a few lavish dinners. But Chris just let out a soft laugh, leaning back against the sofa. “Suddenly, I don’t feel like giving it to you.” “Why?” My voice sounded like dying embers. “No reason.” He spoke with the casual indifference of a man who answered to no one. That was Chris. Intractable, unpredictable. He had paid off my family’s half-million-dollar debt without blinking, yet he begrudged me a fraction of that now. He felt nothing for me, yet he refused to let me go. A sudden spark of anger flared in my chest. I spat out, “Is Lancaster Enterprises going bankrupt? Or are you turning into one of those cheap, married old men who counts every penny they spend on their mistresses?” Chris stood up and closed the distance between us, the scent of expensive tobacco invading my senses. “Fiona, sometimes I really want to pull every single thorn out of you.” His fingers trailed along my bare arm, sending a cold shiver down my spine. Then he withdrew his hand, sighing with mock regret. “But then again, you wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without them.” He tossed a couple of designer shopping bags from the sofa toward me. “My wife keeps a tight leash on the finances, so I can’t give you cash. But gifts are fine.” He offered a mocking smile. “And she keeps a tight leash on me, too. I have to go back and keep her company.” “If she’s that strict, shouldn’t you be a devoted husband, Mr. Lancaster?” I sneered. Chris paused at the entryway and chuckled. “You’re a bird, Fiona. She’s a human. There’s no conflict.” The front door clicked shut. I threw the luxury shopping bags onto the floor in a fit of rage, but immediately thought of their resale value and humiliatingly picked them up, smoothing out the creases. Staring at those glossy bags, a profound wave of grief washed over me. Years ago, I had tried to run. Chris had dragged me back within forty-eight hours. After that, I stopped trying, mostly because he wasn’t married yet. My one remaining boundary was that I would never be the other woman. My mother had been a mistress. The legal wife had set a trap for her, leaving her penniless, humiliated, and buried under a mountain of debt. I was the one who had to pay for her sins. Now, I was sliding down the exact same slope. I didn’t know if I could survive the fallout this time. The next morning, I picked up the study materials from the agency before heading straight to a luxury consignment shop to sell the clothes and bags Chris had given me. But the moment I laid the handbag on the counter, a beautifully dressed woman storming into the shop slapped me hard across the face. “You shameless thief! You stole my clothes and bags yesterday, and you’re already trying to pawn them today?” The woman was Isabella Croft, Chris’s new wife. She had been waiting for me. Panic seized my chest. I had no shield, no defense. I could only stand there silently as she produced the receipts and called the police. The total value of the items was high enough to qualify as grand larceny. She wanted me behind bars. Sitting in the interrogation room, the detectives asked me, “Did you steal these items?” I wanted to deny it. But explaining the truth meant admitting I was a mistress, that Isabella’s husband had gifted them to me. In the eyes of the law and public opinion, that would just drag me into a different kind of ruin. Just as the pressure was mounting and I was about to speak, Chris walked in. He didn’t even look at me. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Isabella, his voice dripping with gentle concern. “Who upset you, sweetheart? Why didn’t you call me first?” Isabella glared at him, pouting. “Oh, stop pretending, Chris.” Chris shrugged, his gaze finally shifting to me. I was already looking at him, my eyes filled with raw, helpless pleading—just like the day I had begged him to save me ten years ago. But this time, Chris didn’t help. He just smiled. “A formal trial is such a hassle. Why don’t we just hold her for ten days? Let my wife get a little peace of mind.” He leaned down, whispering in Isabella’s ear, his tone deliberately sweet. “What do you say, darling?” Isabella’s cheeks flushed. “Fine. We’ll let her off easy this once.” From beginning to end, Chris never offered a single word of explanation. He had happily joined his wife in treating me like a plaything. In that moment, I knew that if I didn’t escape, they would eventually destroy me. Ten days later, I was released. My clothes hung loosely on my thin frame, hiding the bruises that covered my body. I had been beaten inside. Every pack has an alpha, even in a holding cell. From day one, the dominant woman took a dislike to me. She and her cronies spent ten days making my life a living hell. The excuses changed daily: because I was too pretty, because I stayed silent, because I spoke up, because I refused to grovel at their feet. They built a miniature hell and kept me in it for ten days. Back at the penthouse, I stood under the shower for a long, long time, desperately trying to wash away the grime and the shame. Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open. Chris leaned against the frame, letting out a soft sigh. “My poor little bird.” Despite his words, there wasn’t a shred of pity in his eyes. I turned away, swallowing my humiliation. “Do you know what you did wrong this time, little bird?” he asked. “Those animals in there… you paid them, didn’t you?” I asked, my voice flat. Chris raised his hands in mock innocence. “Now, how could you say that? I could never bear to hurt you. But my wife was still furious, and she insisted on pulling a few strings. I couldn’t exactly tell her no.” I let out a dry, humorless laugh. His silent permission was no different from pulling the trigger himself. I shut off the water and began to dry myself. Chris stepped onto the wet floor, taking the ointment to apply it to my bruises. “No more selling the things I buy you, little bird. Understand?” His voice was thick. I took a step back, cutting through the heavy air. “Then give me cash.” “What do you need cash for? Have I ever let you go hungry or cold?” “I want to go to school.” At that, Chris deliberately pressed down on a fresh bruise. I gasped from the sharp pain. His voice turned ice-cold. “What’s the point of school? When you’re done, you’ll still end up right back in my bed. Do they teach you how to please me in college?” I wanted to tell him that I was going to university so I could go far away—somewhere so distant that he would forget my name, and I could finally bury the past. I wanted to live the life I had planned ten years ago, full of color and purpose. But I kept my mouth shut. I couldn’t say those things to him. We ended the night in cold silence. Sensing my defiance, Chris locked me inside the penthouse the next day and stationed guards outside the door. I didn’t care. My only goal was to get those straight A’s. Being locked inside just gave me the perfect, uninterrupted environment to study. After a few days of online classes, my tutor suddenly changed. Looking at the handsome young man on my screen, memories flooded back. It was my high school rival and desk partner, Wyatt Hawthorne. “My sister had an emergency, so I’m covering for her today,” he explained, looking just as shocked to see me. He kept his composure, keeping the explanation brief so we could get through the lesson. After class, we talked. He asked why I had vanished off the face of the earth after graduation, but I skirted around the question. Wyatt didn’t press. Instead, he caught me up on his own life. His family’s business was headquartered in London, and he had taken over the reins after finishing his degree. As he spoke, an idea began to take root in my mind. After a long pause, I asked, “Wyatt, are you interested in making an investment?” He paused, his bright eyes searching mine through the screen. Then he smiled. “I’m listening.” Chris kept me locked up for a full month. In the past, I would have gone mad. But now, my mind was entirely consumed by my studies. I worked day and night, barely sleeping four hours a day. When Chris finally came back, he was greeted by my pale, ghostly face. He frowned in disgust. “What happened to my little bird? You look like a ghost.” I rolled my eyes. “And whose fault is that?” Chris seemed to be in a good mood; he merely laughed. “My mistake. I’ll take my little bird out for a walk tonight.” True to his word, he took me to a high-society gala that evening. The moment we arrived, the whispers started. “I thought Chris and Isabella just got back from a month-long honeymoon. They seemed so happy. I figured he’d finally dumped this one.” Another voice sneered, “Men get bored. You can’t look at the same face forever.” Only then did I realize Chris had spent the past month traveling with Isabella. I lowered my eyes, taking a silent sip of champagne. Chris looked down at me, his tone teasing. “Jealous? I’ll take you on a trip next time, okay?” I looked up sharply, my eyes bright with sudden hope. “Could you take me to London?” Chris’s brow furrowed. “Are you still obsessed with Cambridge?” I shook my head quickly. “No. I just want to see the world with you.” His expression softened, and he agreed. “Alright. I promise.” A quiet wave of relief washed over me. In my mind, I checked off another box on my timeline. Halfway through the gala, Chris left to mingle. I slipped out to the quiet back garden to get some fresh air. I had barely stepped onto the stone path when a hand clamped onto my arm. “You little bitch! I finally found you!” I spun around, staring in disbelief at the haggard face. It was my mother, who was supposed to be behind bars. “When did you get out?!” Years ago, desperate to settle her debts, she had colluded with a loan shark ring to sell me off. I had found out in time and called the police, landing her and the entire gang in prison. I had no idea she had been released. “You heartless brat, you didn’t even come look for me when I got paroled,” she spat, her breath smelling of cheap liquor. “Give me money. I’m completely broke.” I eyed her warily, my voice cold. “I don’t have any money.” “You’re sleeping with a billionaire and you have no money?” Her voice shrieked, slicing through the quiet night. “I don’t. You need to leave right now before he sees you. He won’t let you off easy.” Her face twisted into a vicious sneer. “I gave you a chance, Fiona. Don’t blame me for being cruel.” Before I could react, she pressed a chemically treated cloth over my nose and mouth. Within seconds, my limbs went limp, all the strength draining from my body. A short distance away, a heavy-set, greasy-looking man stepped out from the shadows, rubbing his hands together. “I hear plenty of rich bastards in this town would pay top dollar for you,” my mother whispered, her voice laced with greed. “I’ll auction you off to the highest bidder.” Her voice was thick with excitement. A cold dread settled in my chest, but as my vision began to blur, I spotted a figure standing near the glass doors of the terrace. It was Chris. Hands tucked casually in his pockets, he stood there, watching the scene unfold with a faint, amused smile. It was an invitation—a test of my loyalty. I swallowed the panic and screamed with the last of my strength, “Chris! Help me!” A look of profound satisfaction washed over his face, and he stepped briskly toward us. Terrified, my mother dropped me and bolted into the shadows. Chris caught me just before I hit the ground. Shivering violently in his arms, I gritted my teeth. “If I hadn’t called your name, would you have just stood there and watched?” He smiled, his voice oozing faux innocence. “You’re my bird, darling. Why would I ever give you away?” He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear. “I just wanted you to see that in this world, I am your only salvation. Your mother won’t protect you, and you certainly can’t protect yourself.” I stared at him, the horrifying truth clicking into place. He had tipped off my mother. From the very beginning, this was his design to make me realize that my only lifeline was Chris Lancaster himself. But he didn’t realize that every living creature will fight to the death for survival. I still had one card left to play. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I let my voice soften into a fragile whisper. “You’re right… I only have you.” My submission worked. Chris finally lifted the restrictions on my freedom, and two months later, I sat for my A-Level exams. When the results were posted, I had achieved straight A’s. Even my tutor was stunned. “You’re a brilliant mind, Fiona. It makes no sense that you never went to college.” I kept my head down, offering a small smile. “Even brilliant minds have bills to pay.” With my scores in hand, I slowly coaxed Chris into taking me to the UK. The night he booked the tickets, he held me close, his voice low and testing. “How did that little exam of yours go?” My fingers trembled slightly, but my voice remained steady. “Oh, it was fine. Just wanted to see what it felt like to study again.” He traced a finger down my spine, his eyes glinting with a soft threat. “It’s fine to play around.” “But if you try to enroll anywhere here, I can always have you pulled out. And as for schools abroad… without my money, you’d be thrown out before the first semester ends anyway.” I leaned against his chest, adopting my most compliant tone. “I know. I’m staying right here by your side.” Chris smiled, satisfied. Three days later, we boarded our first-class flight to London. I spent the entire journey staring out the window, my mind racing. Chris noticed. “Why so tense?” I took his hand, letting it tremble. “It’s my first time flying. I’m just a little scared.” He gave a soft, dismissive snort. “Pathetic.” But he signaled the flight attendant to bring over two glasses of wine, handing one to me. “Drink up. You’ll sleep through the rest of the flight.” I took the glass, leaning my head against his shoulder as the shadows in my eyes deepened. “Okay.” An hour later, the cabin lights dimmed, and we both drifted into a deep sleep. … When the plane touched down in Turkey for our layover, Chris was awakened by the flight attendant. He instinctively turned his head, and when his eyes met the empty seat beside him, his chest tightened. “Where is the woman who was sitting next to me?” Startled by his sharp tone, the flight attendant struggled to maintain her professional smile. “Sir, the lady got off the plane first.” “She even told me to let you sleep a bit longer. Weren’t you parting ways here?”

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Before the storm surge hit the coast, I secured a placement at the Sector 4 Emergency Refuge. When I arrived, I didn’t expect to run into my ex. Taylor looked at me with that familiar, cutting sneer. “Naomi, even if you’re still obsessed with me, did you really have to follow me here?” “Don’t think I don’t see right through you. You’re just trying to piggyback on my shelter pass.” “How shameless can you get just to save your own skin?” I looked down at the priority executive clearance in my hand, completely baffled. Passes for these high-security bunkers were strictly capped. They didn’t just hand them out to any random civilian. Besides, Taylor had been unemployed for the last year of our relationship, entirely dependent on my paycheck. How could he possibly have secured a spot? … By the time I reached the registration gate, the police were already stringing up the yellow barricade tape. The PA system blared on a relentless loop: “Category 5 storm warning confirmed. Immediate evacuation ordered for all low-lying coastal sectors.” The crowd was a sea of panic, and the security lines were dissolving into chaos. I fought my way through the press of bodies, shoving my ID toward the registrar at the very last second. That was when a familiar voice cut through the noise behind me. “Well, look who it is.” I turned around. My ex, Taylor, was standing right there, blocking the entryway. He had his parents in tow, along with Chloe. The moment Taylor saw me, his face darkened. “Naomi, I swear, I’ve never met anyone as shameless as you,” he said, his voice loud enough to draw looks. “We broke up. How many times do I have to tell you? You’re like a piece of cheap gum stuck to my shoe.” “Can’t you see I’ve moved on? Even if you stripped naked right here, I wouldn’t give you a second glance.” His mother let out a sharp, mocking scoff. She looked at me like I was something she’d swept off her porch. “She’s just here to leech off our family pass,” she muttered. “I thought you had some pride, girl. Turns out you’ll throw away your dignity the second your life is on the line.” Taylor’s father was a retired university lecturer. For the three years I’d known him, he had always played the part of the mild-mannered academic. Now, with the rising water practically at our heels, his civilized veneer cracked. He let out a cold laugh. “I told you she was transactional, Taylor. Always acting so high and mighty, but the moment a real crisis hits, she’s the first one crawling back.” People in line started whispering, turning their heads to watch the drama unfold. I didn’t let myself get angry. I simply laid my executive pass flat on the registration desk. “You’ve got it backwards,” I said, keeping my voice level. “This pass is mine.” I paused, letting my eyes drift over Taylor’s smug face. “And just so we’re clear—I was the one who dumped you. Remember?” The air between us seemed to freeze for a second. Then Taylor burst out laughing, a harsh, ugly sound that shook his shoulders. “Yours? You’re a mid-level corporate drone, Naomi. You think they put average desk workers on the priority manifest? You’re delusional.” He waved a dismissive hand. “Stop embarrassing yourself. I suggest you turn around and run while you still can. When the storm surge breaks the seawall, you won’t make it out of this basin.” Chloe snuggled closer to him, her smile dripping with triumph. “Sweetie, have you still not accepted reality?” she asked, her voice syrupy sweet. “It’s over. Why keep dragging this out? Taylor is different now. He actually has a ticket into the harbor bunker. Do you even understand what that means?” She paused, adding a venomous little postscript. “Oh, and didn’t you throw a fit because he couldn’t afford a ten-thousand-dollar engagement ring? Regretting that now, aren’t you?” I knew Chloe. Rumor had it she had practically auctioned herself off to the highest bidder just to secure a spot in a private shelter. It was just Taylor’s luck—and lack of brains—to think he’d won some prize. Looking at her petty, gloating face, I couldn’t help but smile. “Are you really here because you love Taylor?” I asked softly. “Or did you just climb into bed with him for the reservation list?” Her smile vanished. “What the hell did you just say?” Her voice pitched up an octave, a textbook sign of guilt. Taylor stepped in front of her, his chest puffing out. “Naomi, shut your mouth. You’re just pissed because you’ve always been a gold-gigger.” I rolled my eyes, completely done with him. “Yes, I broke it off,” I said, loud enough for the people nearby to hear. “But it wasn’t because you were broke. It was because you cheated, you emotionally iced me out, and you lived off my credit cards. Oh, and let’s not forget—you were pathetic in bed.” Taylor’s face went instantly crimson. Before I could register his movement, he lunged forward. “Crack.” His palm connected with my cheek. The blow was sharp and stinging. My ears rang, and my skin flared with instant, burning heat. The crowd let out a collective gasp. The PA system crackled to life again, its electronic voice cold and indifferent: “Warning: Storm surge expected to breach the coastal barrier within forty-five minutes. All unregistered personnel must evacuate the harbor district immediately.” I pressed my tongue against the inside of my bruised cheek. I actually wanted to laugh. This coward—this man who had spent three years whining about how the world owed him everything—had actually found the nerve to lay a hand on me. I didn’t hesitate. I threw my arm back and slapped him right back, hard enough to rattle his teeth. For a second, the entire registration lobby fell dead silent. Taylor stumbled back, clutching his cheek, staring at me with wide, unblinking eyes. “You hit me?” he whispered. “You bitch… you actually hit me?” I met his gaze, my voice steady. “You hit me. Why wouldn’t I hit you back? Action, reaction. It’s basic physics.” No one in line spoke, but every eye was locked on us. As the shock wore off, Taylor’s face darkened with rage. He took a step toward me, but his mother beat him to it. “How dare you touch my son!” she shrieked. Her eyes were wild, filled with animal fury. She lunged, clawing at my face. I tried to duck, but her fingernails caught my cheek, leaving a stinging trail of heat. Before I could find my footing, his father joined the fray, shoving me hard. I stumbled backward, my back slamming into the cold iron of the security barricade. A dull, heavy ache shot through my shoulder blades. They pinned me down against the metal rail. “Who do you think you are?” his father hissed, his academic dignity entirely gone. “Apologize. Beg my son for forgiveness, and maybe we’ll show some mercy.” “You don’t want to die out there in the dark, do you?” his mother sneered. I clamped my teeth together, refusing to give them the satisfaction of a sound. Taylor stood over me, looking down with a twisted, triumphant grin. “Still got something smart to say, Naomi?” His mother leaned in close, her breath hot and sour against my face. “Sweetheart, look at where you are,” she whispered, and the sheer malice in her voice made my stomach turn. “What makes you think you’re in any position to negotiate? You want on my son’s ticket? You better start pleasing us.” His father spat on the concrete beside my shoe. “Exactly. Ungrateful girl. Pass holders are allowed to register immediate dependents. We could get you in with a single word. What does pride buy you when the water is ten feet deep?” The siren blared again. “Forty minutes until impact. Unregistered civilians, evacuate the lowlands immediately.” Taylor took a deep breath and knelt down in front of me. His tone softened, taking on the patronizing cadence he used whenever he wanted to play the magnanimous savior. “Naomi, listen to me. I know you still love me. You wouldn’t have come here if you didn’t. You just want a spot on the boat, right? I see right through you.” I took a slow, steady breath. “I have my own spot, Taylor. I don’t need yours. And like I said, this shelter is for critical personnel. They don’t let just any civilian through that door.” Just then, I heard a frantic cry. “Naomi!” My parents burst through the security barrier. They had just arrived, and when they saw me pinned against the railing, bruised and bleeding, my mother’s eyes filled with instant tears. “Oh my god, what happened? Who did this to you?” She threw herself forward, grabbing my arm, her hands shaking as she touched my face. My father didn’t say a word at first. He walked up beside us, his eyes scanning my bruises, before locking onto Taylor. When my father spoke, his voice possessed a quiet, terrifying authority I had rarely heard. “Did you lay a hand on my daughter?” Taylor hadn’t expected my parents to show up. He blinked, startled, but quickly recovered his arrogant sneer. “Old man, who do you think you’re talking to? Your whole family has looked down on me from day one. Don’t think I didn’t notice.” He spat a laugh. “You thought I was nothing because I didn’t have your fancy degrees or your corporate money. Now look at you. Crawling to me for a pass. Still trying to act like you’re above me.” My father stared at him. “Wait. You think my daughter came here to beg for your spot?” Taylor scoffed. “Why else would she be here? Don’t tell me she actually got a pass herself.” My father placed a heavy hand on Taylor’s shoulder. With each word my father spoke, his hand pressed harder, forcing Taylor to sink slightly under the weight. “You’re mistaken, son. My daughter has her own clearance. In fact, she secured passes for both her mother and me.” Taylor flinched, casting a defensive glance at me. “That’s impossible. She’s lying.” “It’s entirely possible,” my mother said, wiping her tears as she straightened her spine. “My daughter is the Chief Executive of a listed defense logistics firm. This shelter is reserved for top-tier operational assets. Did you really think they’d let a parasite like you in before her?” Taylor’s mother lost her mind. She lunged forward, her voice screeching like rusted metal. “Who do you think you are? So what if we hit her? She started it! She insulted my son! Why aren’t you blaming her?” She reached out, shoving my father hard. My father stumbled back a step, keeping his balance. But Taylor’s father was already moving, grabbing my father by the collar of his coat, shouting curses about how we were elitist snobs and how his son was an educated professional who deserved to be saved. I tried to push past them to separate them. Taylor’s mother blocked me, her fingers digging viciously into my forearms. “You stay right there! You don’t move!” “Let him go!” I screamed. “Not until your daughter gets my son inside!” she yelled back. Suddenly, the PA system’s volume spiked, drowning out our voices with an earsplitting siren. “Emergency broadcast: Storm surge arrival has accelerated. Impact in ten minutes. All non-manifested personnel must evacuate immediately.” Ten minutes. We had ten minutes. I stared at Taylor, at his parents, and at Chloe. “Do you hear that?” I said, my voice cold and hollow. “Ten minutes. If you leave right now, you can still climb to the upper levels of the parking deck. You might live.” Taylor’s father slowly let go of my father’s collar. He didn’t move, but the rage in his eyes began to curdle into something else. Taylor looked at me, his voice dropping into a low, uneasy register. “Naomi… you’re lying to me, aren’t you?” “Lying?” I looked at him, forcing down the bile in my throat. I had no time left for his games. “Look at the monitors yourself, Taylor.” I pointed to the massive LED screen hovering over the security checkpoint. “That’s the official port authority manifest. I don’t run the system. Check if your name is on it.” Taylor’s face went pale. His mother started to mouth off again, but her voice died in her throat. She, too, was looking at the screen. The letters “TAYLOR” were nowhere to be found. Chloe’s eyes scanned the scrolling green text over and over. When she spoke, her voice sounded thin, like paper. “Is that… is that the real list?” Terrified that I was pulling a fast one, she grabbed the sleeve of the nearest security officer. The officer, wearing heavy tactical gear, pushed his glasses up his nose, his expression grim. “It’s the live federal database, ma’am. Fully encrypted. It cannot be altered manually.” “Cannot be altered?” Chloe whispered. The silence that followed was deafening. She turned slowly, her gaze locking onto Taylor with a look of pure horror. “You lied to me,” she breathed. “What?” Taylor swallowed hard, looking wildly around the room. He didn’t know what to say, but he knew he couldn’t let his lie unravel here. “It’s a glitch. There’s been a mistake. I have a spot, Chloe, I swear. I confirmed it.” The PA blared again, the alarm pulsing in rapid, frantic bursts. “Eight minutes until impact. Unregistered personnel, evacuate immediately. Evacuate immediately.” I turned back to Taylor. Despite everything, a small, stubborn part of my humanity didn’t want to watch them drown. “The list is right there,” I said. “Your name isn’t on it. I’m not lying to you. You still have eight minutes. Run. Find a high-rise. You can make it if you go now.” Taylor stood frozen, the confident mask finally sliding off his face, revealing the hollow, terrified boy underneath. But his mother couldn’t accept it. “Liars! It’s a fake list!” she screamed, her face contorting. “You’re doing this on purpose! Why does she get to go in and we don’t?” I didn’t look back. I took my parents’ hands and walked straight toward the security terminal. Behind us, the PA issued its final warning: “Five minutes until gate closure. All manifested personnel, proceed to the secure pods immediately.” The heavy steel-reinforced doors began their slow, grinding descent. That was when Taylor went completely wild. “Wait! No! You made a mistake!” He lunged forward, throwing his weight against the thick acrylic security partition, his eyes bloodshot. “Her pass is fake! She’s lying to you!” he screamed at the guards. “That spot belongs to us! It’s mine!” His mother joined him, hammering her fists against the glass. “She’s trying to murder us! Don’t let her in!” Chloe, grasping at her last hope, shrieked, “She was lying! You can’t trust her!” It was absolute madness outside. But the security officers didn’t even blink. One of them pressed the authorization key on the console, then spoke calmly into his lapel mic. “Tier-1 assets secured. Initiate external clearance.”

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After starting at my new company, I bought lunch for the office cleaning lady every single day. My coworkers laughed at me. They whispered behind my back, mocking me for kissing up to a woman who made minimum wage. My boyfriend broke up with me over it, claiming I was playing the big-shot philanthropist when I had no money to my name, warning me that I’d never amount to anything. Even the CEO eventually fired me, citing “misaligned values” and a “lack of professional focus.” I just smiled, packed my things into a cardboard box, and walked out. But by noon the very next day, my phone was ringing off the hook. The CEO, my ex-boyfriend, and every single one of my former coworkers were calling me in a panic, begging me in tears to buy that cleaning lady just one more lunch… … On my first day at Vertex Digital, Rachel from HR gave me a brief tour of the office. After showing me the standard open-plan desks and the communal kitchen, she stopped at the very end of a narrow, dimly lit hallway, right outside a cramped utility closet. She pointed inside at a middle-aged woman and said offhandedly, “That’s Helen. She handles the cleaning for the whole floor.” I looked into the small, shadow-draped space. Helen was wearing a faded gray uniform, sitting on a low plastic stool and quietly eating her lunch. It was a heartbreakingly simple meal: a plastic container of plain white bread and a paper cup of tap water. Sensing our presence, Helen instantly grew self-conscious. As if embarrassed by how meager her lunch was, she instinctively tried to shield the container behind her back. Then she looked up, offering a timid, polite smile. “Hello. You must be the new hire.” I nodded, stepping forward and extending my hand. “Hi, Helen. I’m Diana. Diana Monroe.” Helen stared at my outstretched hand, frozen. It was obvious she hadn’t expected a new corporate hire to offer a handshake to a janitor. After a long pause, she hurriedly set her container down. She wiped her palms repeatedly against her apron to clean off any dust, then carefully shook my hand. A warm, humble smile creased her face. “Nice to meet you, Diana. If you ever need anything cleaned or taken care of at your desk, just let me know.” I held her hand for a brief moment, nodding warmly. “Thank you. I appreciate that.” Beside me, Rachel frowned, a flicker of distaste passing through her eyes. When she turned back to me, her tone had cooled significantly. “Right, well, that’s everyone. Get yourself settled at your desk and you can start on the onboarding materials.” She turned and walked away without looking back, clearly eager to leave the damp hallway. I didn’t follow her immediately. Instead, I looked at the container on Helen’s small folding table and asked softly, “Do you only eat plain bread for lunch, Helen?” Helen pulled her hand back, looking a bit embarrassed. “Oh, yes. I’m just used to it.” I looked at her tired eyes, chose not to pry, and quietly headed back to my workstation to begin my onboarding. At the end of the day, my boyfriend, Brandon, walked over to my desk. He was a senior account executive in Sales, while I had just been hired as the Lead Operations Strategist. He had spent the last two weeks begging me to apply here. At the time, he told me Vertex Digital was on life support, teetering on the edge of a cliff. The operations department was a mess, and they desperately needed someone with a proven track record to turn things around. I had seven years of experience in high-stakes operational restructuring and was currently between contracts, so I eventually agreed to join. Brandon leaned against my partition, keeping his voice low. “So? How was day one? Getting adjusted?” I packed my laptop into my bag. “It’s fine. The core systems are messy, but nothing I can’t handle.” Brandon nodded, though his expression remained incredibly tense. “Diana, you have to understand, the market is brutal right now. Vertex is in a very precarious position. One wrong move and we go under. The pressure is immense.” He leaned in closer. “I know you have a lot of experience, but in corporate America, you’re only as good as your last win. You need to make a splash fast. Show them your unique commercial value. If you can pull Vertex back from the brink, you’ll be the golden girl here. Do you get what I’m saying?” “I understand,” I replied quietly. I was fully aware of the company’s fragile state. In this industry, the competition was predatory; smaller firms were swallowed overnight. Brandon had brought me in because he knew I had saved several struggling startups in the past. He wanted me to save his job security, too. But when he spoke about saving the company, my mind kept drifting back to Helen sitting in that dark closet. Looking at Brandon’s anxious, ambitious face, I offered a small, knowing smile. “Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Brandon looked satisfied. “Good. I knew I could count on you.” The next day at noon, the office emptied out as people headed to local cafes or ordered expensive salads. I quietly ordered a double portion of a hearty chicken-and-vegetable lunch special from a nearby diner. When the delivery arrived, I grabbed the two warm containers and walked down the quiet hallway to the utility closet. Helen was sitting on her stool, about to swallow a spoonful of cold, dry bread. She paused, looking up in confusion as I walked in. Before she could say a word, I held out one of the steaming containers. “Helen, I accidentally ordered way too much food today. Would you mind helping me finish it?” Helen stared at the food, then at me, as if convinced she was dreaming. When she saw me pull up a plastic crate and sit down next to her, she finally realized I was serious. She waved her hands in refusal. “Oh, no, Diana. I couldn’t possibly. I brought my own bread from home. Please, eat your lunch while it’s hot. Don’t waste it on me.” She tried to push the container back, terrified of taking advantage of me. I gently caught her wrist, keeping my voice soft and sincere. “Helen, please. I honestly can’t eat all of this. If you don’t help me, a perfectly good meal is going to end up in the trash.” I kept my tone humble, making sure I didn’t bruise her dignity. Helen looked at the tender chicken and fresh vegetables, then met my eyes. Seeing only genuine warmth there, her eyes welled with a sudden, quiet gratitude. “Thank you, Diana,” she whispered. “You are incredibly kind.” I smiled, and we ate our lunch together in the quiet of the hallway. From that day on, I made it a rule to order a double lunch every single afternoon, sitting with Helen in her little closet to eat. At first, Helen repeatedly tried to hand me cash, insisting she pay for her share. But I steadfastly refused, always claiming I just wanted the company or that I had coupons I needed to use. Over time, she realized how stubborn I was and stopped fighting me. Instead, she began showing her gratitude in quiet ways. My desk was always immaculately dusted, my documents were neatly organized, and occasionally, a small container of fresh berries or a home-baked pastry would mysteriously appear next to my keyboard. Naturally, it didn’t take long for the rest of the office to notice. One morning, as I walked in, I noticed several coworkers whispering and casting judgmental looks in my direction. As I sat down, Chelsea, who sat at the desk next to mine, finally couldn’t help herself. “Diana, I’ve noticed you’ve been ordering extra takeout every day just to eat with the cleaning lady. Is she a relative of yours?” I shook my head. “No.” Chelsea looked baffled. “Then why are you buying her lunch every single day?” I didn’t feel like explaining the depth of it, so I kept it simple. “She only eats plain bread. That’s not healthy for someone her age.” Chelsea scoffed, her brow furrowing. “And why is that your problem? You don’t owe her anything. Why throw your money down the drain?” “It’s not a waste of money,” I said calmly. From across the aisle, Ashley let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Oh, please. And here I thought the ‘savior of operations’ actually had some strategic vision. Turns out she’s just a bleeding-heart with a savior complex.” The surrounding operations team erupted into snickers, eager to join in. “Seriously,” one analyst chimed in. “The ship is sinking, everyone is grinding to hit targets, and she’s spending her energy playing social worker to the janitor.” “Maybe she’s not as smart as her resume says,” another whispered loudly. “She’s been here a month, done nothing major, and spends her time sucking up to a minimum-wage worker. How is that normal behavior?” “Exactly. A cleaning lady can’t get her a promotion, and she certainly can’t save this company. Buying her food is like throwing cash into a paper shredder.” “With that kind of vision, she won’t even survive her probation period.” They threw their insults back and forth, making no effort to hide their contempt. I ignored them entirely, pulling up my phone to decide what Helen and I should have for lunch. After all, keeping Helen fed was the most important strategy I had. That afternoon, I ordered a warm chicken soup and some steamed vegetables for Helen, as she had been nursing a slight cough. I even stopped by the pharmacy on my way back to buy her some cold medicine. Helen was so moved she could barely find the words to thank me. But as we were eating, Brandon suddenly appeared at the door of the utility closet. His face was flushed with anger. He grabbed my arm, pulling me out into the hallway and down toward the fire exit. “Diana, what the hell are you doing?” he hissed, his voice trembling with rage. “The entire office is working eighty-hour weeks to save this firm, and you’re doing… this?” I looked at him calmly. “I’m doing exactly what I need to do.” Brandon’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. “What you need to do? You think your job is to spend your own money feeding a minimum-wage janitor?” He paced back and forth, running a hand through his hair. “I brought you here because I thought you were a genius. I thought you were going to pull a rabbit out of a hat and save Vertex. I thought you were going to make us both look like stars so we could finally climb the ladder together. And instead, you’ve spent a month playing nursemaid to a cleaning lady!” He stopped, looking at me with pure disgust. “I must have been blind. You have absolutely no professional instinct.” I felt a cold sensation settle in my chest. “So, you only pursued me and brought me here because of what my career could do for yours?” A flash of guilt crossed his face, but he quickly hardened his posture. “Yes, Diana. Welcome to the real world.” “I heard the rumors about you—the brilliant strategist who resurrected failing companies. I spent months planning ‘accidental’ run-ins, courting you, making you think I was the perfect boyfriend, all so I could bring you in to secure my own future here. I thought you were a ticket to the top. But you’re just a fraud with a soft heart and no brain.” He took a step back. “We’re done. I’m not letting a naive idiot ruin my reputation. I don’t have time to waste on a loser who belongs at the bottom.” Listening to his harsh, transactional words, the illusion of our three-year relationship shattered completely. I realized he had never loved me. I was just an asset he had failed to cash in on. I took a slow, deep breath, my voice remarkably steady. “Okay.” Brandon blinked, clearly caught off guard by how easily I accepted it. But his arrogance quickly returned. “Good. At least you have enough dignity to realize you’re not on my level. Go back to your cleaning lady. You two deserve each other.” He turned on his heel and strode back to the sales floor. In the hallway, several coworkers who had been eavesdropping watched me with smirk-filled satisfaction. “Well, that’s what happens when you prioritize the janitor over your own boyfriend,” Chelsea murmured as I walked past. “She’s a liability,” Ashley agreed. “Imagine having all that experience and still not understanding basic career politics.” I didn’t say a word. I just smiled. They didn’t understand. Securing a hundred new clients wouldn’t save this company half as quickly as sharing a lunchbox with Helen. After the breakup, the isolation at the office became total. Before, they had merely whispered; now, they actively frozen me out. I was excluded from team lunches, ignored in group chats, and left off the invite list for company happy hours. My manager began dumping the most tedious, mind-numbing administrative tasks on my desk, hoping I’d quit. But I didn’t care. In fact, I used my free time to take even better care of Helen. Aside from lunch, I began bringing her fresh fruit baskets and high-quality supplements to help with her cough. When I noticed her shoes were worn down, I bought her a pair of comfortable, supportive sneakers. Sometimes, when she looked too exhausted to carry her mop bucket, I’d take the handle from her hand and help her clean the floors myself. The office thought I was pathetic. They called me “the volunteer janitor” behind my back. A few days later, our CEO, Richard Christine, called an emergency all-hands meeting. We gathered in the main conference room, a space designed for two hundred people that now felt incredibly suffocating. Christine stood at the head of the long glass table, his expression dark and severe. “I called this meeting to address a serious issue regarding productivity and alignment,” Christine began, his voice echoing off the glass walls. The room fell dead silent. “We all know the state of Vertex Digital. We are facing a cash-flow crisis, client retention is down, and our competitors are closing in. In times like these, every single person in this room needs to be running at one hundred percent.” He slammed his hand on the table, making the glasses rattle. His eyes locked onto me. “But it seems some people think they are exempt from this. Diana Monroe, stand up.” Under the smug, expectant stares of my colleagues, I stood up calmly. Christine glared at me. “When I reviewed your resume, I was impressed. Seven successful turnarounds. I hired you expecting a leader who could steer this ship through the storm. And what have you done instead?” “You spend your days buying lunch for the cleaning staff, fetching her medicine, and doing her chores. My managers tell me you are completely distracted, neglecting your strategic duties to play savior to a janitor.” He sneered. “What exactly is your game here, Diana?” I looked him dead in the eye. “I am saving this company.” Christine let out a dry, bitter laugh. “By buying lunch for a janitor? Do you take me for an idiot?” “You’re using company hours to parade your supposed moral superiority, probably because you don’t actually have the skills to solve our operational problems. You are a parasite on this team, Diana. A distraction we cannot afford.” He pointed a finger at the door. “You’re fired. Pack your things and get out of my building.” I kept my voice even. “Are you absolutely certain about this, Mr. Christine?” “I have never been more certain of anything in my life,” he snapped. “We have no room for useless dead weight. Leave. Now.” I nodded. “Understood.” I turned and walked out of the room. As I packed my desk into a single cardboard box, my colleagues filed out of the conference room, whispering and laughing. “About time,” Chelsea smirked. “Maybe she can get a job at a soup kitchen.” “Such a waste of a salary,” Ashley added. “She really thought she was doing something.” Brandon walked by, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “I hope this is a wake-up call, Diana. Stop wasting your life on people who don’t matter. It just makes you look weak.” I smiled, taped up my box, and walked out of the glass tower without looking back. That night, I turned off my phone, crawled into bed, and slept for a solid fourteen hours. I woke up the next afternoon feeling lighter than I had in months. When I finally switched my phone back on, it vibrated so violently it nearly slid off the nightstand. There were dozens of missed calls from Brandon, hundreds of urgent notifications in the company group chat, and fifteen missed calls from Richard Christine. Before I could even process the screen, Christine’s name popped up again. I swiped to answer. “Diana! Oh thank god, you finally picked up!” Christine’s voice was frantic, his breathing ragged, completely stripped of his usual corporate authority. “Diana, please—I need you to come back to the office right now. Please, you have to buy Helen lunch!” “There’s been a disaster!”

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I have to admit, I’ve always been a girl with a big appetite—and not just for food. Last night, I finally got a taste of the good stuff. When I opened my eyes this morning, there was a man in my bed. A soft, chubby one. Other girls have alcohol-induced one-night stands with chiseled, dark-and-handsome CEOs. I woke up next to a guy who looked like a teddy bear version of a corporate manager. If I looked at him from a certain angle, he was practically the archetype of a sketchy middle manager. Except he actually had very nice features under all that extra weight, and he was easily six-foot-one. My brain slowly pieced together the chaotic events of last night. To my absolute horror, I realized I was the one who made the first move. Just as I was spiraling, trying to figure out how to escape without waking him, a translucent, glowing text box drifted across my field of vision. It looked exactly like a live chat feed from a streaming app, hovering right in the air. “Oh no, the Male Lead is no longer pure! He’s so insecure about his weight, and the Heroine was supposed to save him with her unconditional love. How did this random side character steal him away?” “Wait, what? Did this home-wrecking side character seriously take advantage of his drunk state and…?” “Don’t underestimate him just because he’s chubby. He has incredible stamina.” “Totally. He only gained weight because of the medication he had to take after that accident. He used to be a gorgeous, wealthy heir.” “Actually, he went looking for the Heroine yesterday and overheard her complaining about how fat he is. He went to the club to drown his sorrows and ran into the side character instead.” “But who could resist her? She has a killer body and looks just as gorgeous as the Heroine.” “If I had her face and figure, I’d use him to climb my way to the top.” I was flattered by the compliments about my looks, but as someone struggling at the very bottom of the social ladder, beauty had always felt more like a curse than a blessing. I tried to slide out of bed silently, but my muscles screamed in protest. My foot caught in the heavy duvet, and I tumbled back onto the mattress. Before I could hit the floor, a pair of large, warm hands caught my waist, pulling me securely against a broad chest. I felt him stir, his body reacting with a sudden, unmistakable rush of morning energy. 1 A shiver ran down my spine. The chat feed flared up with renewed excitement. “This is definitely R-rated territory! Her body is insane.” “Wait, why did my screen go black? Let me watch!” The sheer embarrassment made my face burn a furious red. According to the chat, he was the “male lead” and I was just the “disposable side character.” Was I actually trapped inside some twisted romance novel? “Who sent you?” his voice cut through the silence, cold and sharp. “I’m this fat, and you still laid a hand on me?” I pulled the blanket tight around my chest, scurrying to the far edge of the bed. Looking into his icy, defensive eyes, a wave of sheer vulnerability washed over me, and my eyes welled with tears. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I offended a major client at work. My boss brought me to the club last night to apologize. They tried to force me to drink, to get me wasted. I only remember escaping the VIP room. After that, everything is a blur.” My boss had wanted that contract at any cost. He promised me a twenty percent raise if I just complied and kept the client happy. I desperately needed the job, so I thought I could just out-drink the man. I didn’t realize they had slipped something into my glass. Determined not to let them have their way, I had fought through the haze in my veins and stumbled out of the room. I grabbed the first man I saw in the corridor. I didn’t remember much of what followed… only that I was the aggressor, and that I had passed out more than once. A flash of guilt flickered across his eyes. He sat up, his back to me as he began pulling on his clothes. “I… I misjudged you,” he said quietly. “I’ll look into it. If what you’re saying is true, I will take responsibility.” Once he was dressed, he turned back to look at me. Seeing my small, shivering form huddled under the sheets, his gaze softened, his mind clearly drifting back to the intimacy of the night. I looked at my clothes scattered on the floor. They were torn to shreds. “Can you… help me buy some clothes?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “What size?” “Medium.” He rubbed his nose, clearing his throat as he pulled out his phone to text his assistant. The silence in the room became suffocating. I buried myself under the covers, avoiding his gaze entirely. Within twenty minutes, a bag of clothes arrived. He laid his business card, a package of pills, and a black credit card on the nightstand. “These are the emergency contraceptives, my card, and the clothes. There’s thirty thousand dollars on this card. The pin is six zeros. Call me if you need anything.” “Pills?” I poked my head out from under the blanket, panic rising in my chest. “What pills? Are you… sick? Do you have something?” His face flushed with annoyance. “It’s a morning-after pill. You were drugged. If you get pregnant, we don’t know how those chemicals might affect your body or a fetus.” I let out a long breath, relief washing over me. “You don’t need to take responsibility,” I mumbled. “I’ll take the medicine.” The chat feed popped up again. “She’s so naive, it’s almost painful.” “If I were her, I’d make him take responsibility. She just got fired, and she’s got nothing.” “I feel so bad for her. She’s beautiful but so helpless. She’s just a clumsy sweetheart.” “Honestly, it’s kind of sweet that they were each other’s first.” My cheeks burned even hotter. These comments were entirely too honest. He stared at me for a long moment before speaking. “Put your clothes on. I’m taking you to the hospital.” “Why?” I asked, genuinely confused. “I need to make sure you’re healthy, and we need a toxicology report. Don’t you want justice?” I looked down, a familiar sense of defeat settling over me. “If I go to the police, I’ll lose my job for sure.” I was pretty, yes, but I only had an associate degree from a community college. It had taken me months to find a job that paid enough to cover my rent. I couldn’t afford to lose it. God had given me a beautiful face, but He hadn’t given me the courage or the resources to protect it. I just wanted to survive. “I’ll handle the job situation,” he said firmly. “Just tell me: do you want justice?” I hesitated, then slowly nodded. After a quick shower, I pulled on the fresh clothes. Looking at my bare face in the mirror, my lips were slightly swollen, but my skin was glowing. “The side character is literally prettier than the Heroine. This is wild.” The comments really had no filter. When I stepped out of the bathroom, I looked at his tall, imposing figure. Under all that bulk, he carried himself with an innate authority, though I still couldn’t quite see him as the typical romance novel billionaire. He cleared his throat. “My name is Beckett Harrington. Let’s go.” I picked up the glass of water he had poured and swallowed the pill, then followed him out. But as we reached the elevator, my knees buckled. My legs were trembling so badly I had to lean against the wall. Beckett noticed immediately. His cheeks turned a light pink as he reached out, steadying me by my waist. “I’ll have my assistant buy you some flat shoes,” he murmured. I kept my head down, my face burning, as he guided me into the elevator. Up close, he smelled incredible—a rich, comforting blend of sandalwood and subtle amber that felt entirely custom-made. 2 After leaving the hotel, we drove straight to the hospital. He arranged for a blood draw and had the doctor check if the drugs had left any lingering damage. I was already exhausted, and losing blood made me feel utterly drained. Throughout the process, Beckett was quiet, occasionally looking at his phone to coordinate work. He really was attentive, despite his intimidating size. Once we left the clinic, he turned to me. “I’ve secured the security footage from the club. The manager is willing to testify, and a staff member confirmed they saw your drink being spiked.” A sudden warmth bloomed in my chest. A complete stranger was fighting for me. “The blood test will serve as concrete evidence. I’m taking you to the police station now to file a report. I’ve already contacted my lawyer to handle your company.” I nodded, my voice small. “Thank you.” “Don’t worry about it. Technically, I was a victim too.” I bit my lip, too embarrassed to respond. “For the report,” he added, “we’ll tell them I’m your boyfriend.” With Beckett’s help, the police report was filed smoothly. As we walked out of the station, my phone buzzed. It was a text from my manager: Don’t bother coming in today. You’re fired. A wave of bitter injustice washed over me. Beckett looked down at my phone, then at me. “To prevent them from trying to harass or threaten you, you should stay at my place for now. I’ll resolve your company’s contract issues this afternoon, and once that’s done, we can have a proper talk.” I opened my mouth to decline. I didn’t want to be a burden. But the chat feed flared up instantly. “Maisie, do not go back to your apartment! It’s dangerous!” “The big boss of her company was the one who set the whole thing up. He wanted her as his mistress.” “If they find her alone, she’s finished. Those corporate sharks won’t let her go easily.” “They probably have people waiting at her apartment right now.” The rejection died in my throat. We had already crossed the ultimate line anyway. Staying at his place for a couple of days couldn’t hurt. And if things went south, sleeping with him again was a far better alternative than being cornered by those predators. “Okay. Thank you.” He wasn’t the arrogant billionaire I expected; he was actually incredibly decent. Beckett drove me to a massive estate nestled in a highly secured, gated community. The driveway wrapped around a beautiful stone fountain. “Marie,” Beckett called out as we entered, before turning to me with an embarrassed look. He realized he still didn’t know my name. “Hi, Marie. I’m Maisie. Maisie Albright.” “Miss Albright will be staying with us for a while,” Beckett told the housekeeper. “Please get her settled.” “Of course, sir.” Beckett turned to me. “I have to handle some urgent matters. Let Marie know if you need anything.” I watched him leave, then followed Marie to a beautifully appointed guest room. After a warm bath, I muted my phone and sank into the mattress. The bed was incredibly comfortable. Exhausted from the night before, I closed my eyes and was instantly pulled into sleep, though memories of his heavy breathing and strong arms kept drifting through my mind. “For a big guy, he sure had stamina…” I mumbled into the pillow, my face burning in the dark. 3 When I woke up, the first thing I saw on my phone was a bank notification: $15,000 had been deposited into my account. Then came an apologetic text from the HR director at my old company. She claimed she hadn’t managed her staff properly. The supervisor who had set me up had been arrested, and the company was offering me a $12,000 emotional distress settlement, plus three months of severance pay. Over twenty-seven thousand dollars. I sat up, staring at the screen. I had never seen this much money in my life. I had graduated college a year ago. My first job ended abruptly when the creepy owner tried to touch me; I slapped him, and he refused to pay my final salary. It took me months to find this second job, only to be set up after three short months. I grew up in a small town. Because I developed faster than the other girls, I was constantly whispered about. By middle school, there were rumors that I was a provocateur. To protect myself, I wore oversized clothes, never touched skirts, and kept myself completely covered. Yet, I still ended up here. A soft knock sounded at the door. I opened it to find Beckett standing there. “Have you been crying?” he asked gently. I quickly wiped my cheeks. “I just received the settlement from the company. Thank you.” “It’s only what you deserve.” An awkward silence settled between us. “Marie said you haven’t eaten all day. Are you feeling unwell?” The sudden warmth in his voice made my heart race. I stole a quick glance at him. “Just… a little sore. I’ve been sleeping.” The chat feed immediately started teasing. “Haha… they didn’t sleep until 5 AM, of course she’s sore.” “People always say weight affects performance, but clearly, the Male Lead has no issues.” I wished I could shut these comments off. Looking at Beckett, I felt dizzy. “Come down for dinner,” he said, his expression slightly strained. The dining table was covered in my favorite comfort foods: garlic butter shrimp, stone crab, steamed fish, and a warm, savory soup. I was so hungry I forgot my manners, digging in happily. But then I noticed he was barely eating, just watching me. I froze, slowly putting down a strawberry. “I… I was just really hungry. I don’t normally eat this much.” Growing up, I never had luxury meals. After my parents passed away when I was fourteen, my aunt took custody of me. She controlled my parents’ life insurance, giving me a meager allowance while her own children lived comfortably. I had worked double shifts at a boba shop just to buy textbooks. “Did you not get enough to eat?” Beckett asked, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “No, I’m full,” I whispered, embarrassed. He smiled, a genuine, warm expression that entirely transformed his face. “He is so whipped already.” “Honestly, she’s so beautiful, she deserves to be the main character.” “Maisie,” Beckett said, leaning back. “We need to talk about last night.” I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. “I need you to take responsibility,” he said. “What?” I stared at him, utterly bewildered. He looked slightly defensive. “Well, you don’t lose out in this deal either.” I couldn’t help but stare at his worried face. He had helped me so much today. “How do you want me to take responsibility?” Beckett cleared his throat, trying to look businesslike. “Marry me.”

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