Category: English

1 The day I was found by my birth parents, I was four years old. A bodyguard in a black suit drove me to a palatial estate nestled in the hills, a place that looked more like a palace than a home. That’s where I first met her. The false daughter, Claire, wearing an exquisite chiffon dress and a hair clip that probably cost thousands. She tilted her head, all innocence and purity. “Are you the new cleaner’s daughter?” Given the personality my “adoptive” parents had beaten into me, I should have been terrified by the opulence, completely frozen and at a loss for words. But… apologies. This time, I’m the one who’s been reborn. I opened my eyes. Outside the tinted window of the luxury sedan, the world blurred past. Inside, it was just me, a tiny body huddled in the plush leather seat, and the bodyguard up front, all black suit and sunglasses. My eyes were lifeless, staring out the window. There was no childish wonder, just a deep, profound boredom. I really don’t get it. Why give a second chance at life to someone who has absolutely no desire to live? Hmm… I tried to remember. My last life ended in… suicide? Yeah, I think that was it. The car moved fast, tracing the exact same path from my previous life, heading straight for the gilded cage that would trap me for a lifetime. That villa. A monument to extravagant wealth, a place only the true upper echelon had the right to inhabit. Inside lived the perfect family of four. The father, a CEO with terrifying power and influence. The mother, a beautiful and elegant socialite. The brother, a handsome and gentle protector of his little sister. And the sister, the innocent, doted-on family pet. They adored their youngest daughter. They spoiled her so much they couldn’t even bear to send her to kindergarten until she was four. And then, the drama. The routine kindergarten physical revealed the shocking truth: the precious angel they had cherished for four years, the girl who was their entire world, wasn’t biologically theirs. Their real daughter—me—had been swapped at birth. For four years, I’d been living in a run-down, remote fishing village. Though it was hard to accept, the wealthy parents immediately arranged to have their biological daughter brought back. But they could never have predicted that one day, they would scream at this same daughter, all to protect the fake one: “You’re so venomous! I’d rather you had died out there!” That brother, always so warm and gentle to the world, would one day stand in front of Claire, shielding her from me. His voice, a cold warning: “Know when to back off. Don’t push it.” My fiancé, a man I barely knew, part of an arranged marriage alliance, would look at me with undisguised contempt. From the moment I was brought “home,” everyone thought Claire was better, sweeter, more pitiful. I was the “real” daughter, supposedly returned to a life of luxury, but I was forever trapped in a life of comparisons, disgust, and false accusations. All I wanted was to be loved. And I was destroyed by that very desire. I felt something wet on my cheek. A tear. But I don’t feel sad. Not at all. I prodded my sluggish, numb brain. After a moment, I could only curse. This new body is so damn sentimental. I remembered something else. Right before the darkness consumed me in my last life, a voice whispered in my ear: “You can’t fight the protagonist’s aura…” Can’t fight it? If I can’t fight it, why let me be reborn? Were you not entertained enough by my first life, watching me pace my cage like a pathetic animal? Or was my last life just not pathetic enough for you? The car was silent. No one answered my questions. 2 I was brought into the villa. Warren and Helen Ashford were already waiting on the sofa, beside them, my nine-year-old brother, Evan. They hadn’t expected, I suppose, that no one would bother to change my clothes. I was still wearing my adoptive cousin’s hand-me-downs—a filthy, worn-out shirt. On my feet were a pair of equally filthy sandals, the soles peeling off. My straw-colored hair was matted in clumps. I didn’t miss the flicker of shock and… something complex… in their eyes. I didn’t know if they were disgusted by my clothes, or just by me. “Mommy~” A girl in a poufy pink dress, her hair in perfect ringlets held back by a sparkling clip, descended the spiral staircase. A nanny followed dutifully behind her. Her dress was beautiful. The vibrant color, the delicate embroidery of little bunnies and flowers. Look at that. In an instant, she had captured everyone’s attention. I have to admit, in my last life, I envied Claire. Even when I was pathetically trying to pull rank as the “real” daughter, I envied her. Her biological parents loved her—so much they’d swapped me for her, ensuring she’d have a good life. My biological parents loved her—before I died, hardly anyone even knew she was the fake. My brother loved her, protecting her at every turn. Everything that was supposed to be mine, loved her. Only I hated her. 3 My name is Audrey. Before my “real” parents found me, I was called Marina. Living in a fishing village, the name “Marina” was predictable, a choice I never got to make. Later, Warren Ashford changed “Marina” to “Audrey,” meaning “noble strength.” I was so happy then. I felt like a pearl, finally wiped clean of the mud, rescued from the filth. Only later did I realize the meaning didn’t matter. What mattered was the sound. “Audrey.” It sounds a lot like “Oddity.” I was, and always would be, the odd one out. My lifelong nemesis is Claire. A name that means “clear, bright.” A name Warren and Helen chose together, filled with their hopes and dreams. Everything she had, everything she would ever have, was supposed to be mine. She had a cunning that she masked with a clumsy, innocent facade, but I could never beat her. In the end, I lost. I didn’t want to fight anymore. I was just so tired. I could no longer feel even a sliver of joy from the scraps of affection they threw my way. “Claire!” Helen instinctively shot up from the sofa and started towards her, then remembered. She stopped, turning to give the nanny behind Claire a complicated look. The nanny just lowered her head, looking distressed. Claire walked right up to me. Like we were born to be enemies, she noticed me immediately. Or maybe it was just that, in this palace of wealth, I was impossible to miss. A little beggar. Even her nanny was dressed better than me. She rubbed her eyes, still red from crying, and her voice was perfectly, childishly innocent. “Who are you? Are you the new cleaner’s daughter?” The exact same words as last time. Warren, Helen, and Evan hadn’t reacted yet. Everyone in the room was just watching us, like an audience. What did I do last time? Oh, right. Last time, I was so scared I plopped right onto the floor. Overwhelmed, my only clear thought was how soft the floor was. It was covered in a beautiful, plush rug, softer than the sand after the tide goes out. First impressions are everything. Claire had the ultimate advantage. From our very first meeting, I had already lost. She was pale, delicate, and lovable. I was sallow, skinny, and pathetic. This time, tears streamed down my face. My voice was small and timid. “Did… did my mommy sell me here? She said if I wasn’t good, she would sell me.” “Marina was good. I was good.” I choked back my sobs, putting on the best performance I could for the audience—a child terrified, but trying desperately to be brave. This was Claire’s signature move. It always triggered everyone’s pity, making them feel like she was the most pitiful creature on earth. I scorned it in my last life, but now? It’s actually kind of fun to try. She was never that smart. Her tactics were clumsy, relying entirely on that so-called… protagonist aura… to win the sympathy of idiots. I’d suffered so much because of it. Now, I wanted her to have a taste of her own medicine. An eye for an eye, isn’t it? From the sofa, I heard Helen’s heartbroken sob. I felt a wave of self-loathing. Is she really that sad? Does she have any idea she’ll be one of the people who pushes me to my death? That she’ll stand by and watch as Claire steals every single thing that belongs to me? I looked at Claire. Her focus was entirely on me. A small smile flickered at the corner of her mouth. My pitiful state clearly pleased her. Like a princess, she looked down on me, so much smaller and thinner than her. She spoke, as if granting me a great favor. “You’re so pathetic. I’ll talk to my mommy. You can be my personal maid.” I had to hide my laughter at her clownish performance. I was just waiting for the real boss to arrive. 4 “Insolence!” A woman in her sixties, radiating an aura of old-money elegance, swept in through the front door. An assistant holding a briefcase followed her. The moment she spoke, the grand hall fell silent. Even Helen stopped crying. “Grandma~” A sweet, sugary voice. Claire lifted the hem of her dress and trotted over. It was obvious she was a favorite. But, to her dismay, the matriarch she adored walked right past her and knelt in front of the little beggar. Grandma stroked my matted hair, her smile surprisingly gentle. “What’s your name?” I dropped the act. My voice was calm. “My name is Marina.” I pointed at Claire, who was standing a few feet away, frozen. “Are you hiring me to be her personal maid?” My voice cracked, and I started crying again, as if I’d been deeply wronged. “Can I say no? I don’t want to be anyone’s maid.” “The money my mommy took for selling me… I’ll pay you back. I’ll pay you back double when I grow up.” I choked on the words. In my last life, Grandma was the only one immune to Claire’s protagonist aura. She was the only one who watched me grow, saw my efforts, and actually praised me. Of course. I’m not delusional enough to think I can beat Claire’s aura. But Grandma is a woman who values two things above all: bloodline and the family’s interests. She’ll dote on you if you have Ashford blood, and she’ll discard you if you don’t. To hold onto that one sliver of support, I worked myself to the bone. I became the perfect granddaughter she wanted. But even then, I could never outweigh Claire in everyone else’s hearts. I still fell for every one of Claire’s flimsy traps. In the end, I must have disappointed her, too. “Good girl,” she said, her voice firm. “Of course you won’t be a maid. Do you know who you are? You are my real granddaughter. You are the princess of the Ashford family.” She said it for me. But she also said it for everyone else in that room. “Grandma! No! I’m your granddaughter!” Claire ran over and threw her arms around her. The assistant at her side instinctively pulled Claire off. Claire just struggled and wailed, her cries becoming hysterical. Helen, too, was covering her mouth, tears streaming. Grandma stood up, took my hand, and led me to the sofa. “Marina is an Ashford. The DNA results are back. A 99.9% match.” The assistant, free of Claire, opened his briefcase and took out the paternity test. Claire seized the opportunity and ran to Helen, who hugged her tightly, both of them crying. I felt nothing. In my last life, this scene played out constantly. It always ended with them blaming me. Be more tolerant, Audrey. Claire has been through so much, why can’t you just be the bigger person? What they really meant was: Why did you have to be the real one? You’re ruining my perfect mother-daughter relationship with Claire. “An Ashford, lost for four years,” Grandma said, her voice like steel. “I suspect this ‘swap’ wasn’t an accident. If it was a simple mistake, there’s nothing to be done. But if it was deliberate… this family will not be made fools of.” She shot a cold glance at the sobbing Claire. “Furthermore, this child, Marina, has suffered for four years in Claire’s place. I don’t care about scandals or gossip. Find a good day, make the announcement, and restore Marina’s proper identity.” “Warren. You’re the father. You decide.” The man who had been silent on the sofa finally nodded, his expression severe. He glanced at his wife. “Fine. I’ll have my team handle it this week. In the meantime, let… Marina… rest and recover here.” “As for Claire…” Grandma cut him off. “It’s not that this family can’t afford to raise another child. But Audrey and Claire… their identities are awkward. Claire has occupied Audrey’s place for four years, enjoyed everything that was Audrey’s. It’s time for her to go back where she belongs.” “We don’t know what dirty tricks those Baxter people pulled, but even if the child is innocent, the Ashfords are not unfeeling. We can set up a trust for Claire. It will be enough for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life.” She looked at me, then back at them, decisive. “The children are still young. It’s best to correct this now.” In Helen’s arms, Claire didn’t seem to understand everything, but she knew she was being sent away. She started screaming, begging “Mommy” and “Daddy” not to abandon her, promising she’d be good and eat all her vegetables. Evan just stood by her, rubbing her back to calm her down. I stared at my dirty sandals, feeling absolutely no hope. I already knew how this farce would end. Helen couldn’t stand Claire’s heart-wrenching cries. And Warren, deep down, was a romantic who always indulged his wife. In the end, Claire stayed. It wasn’t even difficult. They decided we would live as “fraternal twins.” She would be the eldest daughter, I would be the second. Helen gave me a guilty look, then immediately looked back down at Claire in her arms, her eyes full of love. “Mom… what if… what if we let Claire stay? I’ve raised her for four years. She’s my daughter, too.” “Four years… that’s over a thousand days of being her mother. I didn’t know… I always thought she was mine. I gave her the best of everything…” “This was all a terrible mistake, it must mean Claire and our family are destined to be together. It’s not like we can’t afford one more child.” “And Marina… Audrey… she needs time to adjust. Wouldn’t it be better for her to have a sister?” I blinked, fighting the urge to laugh. She’s the daughter you raised for four years. But me? Your actual daughter? I didn’t get your love. I suffered for four years in her place. And now, I’m expected to “understand” your feelings and graciously accept the girl who stole my life? Not a chance in hell. I tugged on Grandma’s skirt. She looked down at me, pausing before she could reply to Helen. “I’m hot,” I said. Everyone looked at me. It was August, sweltering. The villa’s central air was humming, but I was wearing a threadbare, fleece-lined shirt that was meant for late autumn, the sleeves hanging past my hands. It’s safe to say Claire’s biological parents, the Baxters, never bought me a single item of clothing after they swapped us. I wore whatever their relatives’ kids grew out of. Didn’t matter if it was for a boy or a girl, too big or too small. As long as I wasn’t naked. The assistant heard me and asked Grandma if he should take me to change. Grandma nodded, but I immediately thrashed and refused. She looked puzzled, but there was a more pressing issue at hand. She just told the assistant to roll up my sleeves to help me cool down. In front of everyone, the assistant pushed up the long, filthy sleeve. And revealed my arm. Covered in bruises. Big ones, small ones, yellow, purple, and black. Someone in the room gasped. Helen pushed Claire away and lunged at me, but Grandma was faster. She blocked Helen, gripping my arm gently, her voice shaking with rage. “What is this? Marina, you tell Grandma. Who did this to you?” Helen stood just behind her, sobbing, covering her mouth, wanting to get closer but unable to.

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I lost a game of Truth or Dare, and my penalty was to text Julian Thorne. I typed out the dare: [You’re the one who forced me into this twisted relationship—not quite an adopted son, not quite a lover.] The second it sent, I panicked and hit “unsend.” [Sorry, wrong person.] One second later, my phone rang. It was Julian. Beside me, my roommate yelled, “Hey Sawyer, where are the condoms?” Over the phone, Julian’s voice dropped to sub-zero temperatures. “What are you doing?” I looked around the room. My roommates had cleared the mahjong table and replaced it with enough snacks and drinks to fuel a small army. They were clearly pulling an all-nighter. I smirked into the receiver. “Getting a room.” A few hours later, I found Julian standing outside my dorm building. 1 I lost at mahjong. The punishment was a dare. The dare was to send a line of dialogue from a soap opera to the person pinned at the top of my chat list. [You’re the one who forced me into this twisted relationship—not quite an adopted son, not quite a lover.] I stared at the pinned contact: Julian Thorne. My throat went dry. Can I really send this? This is playing with fire. My roommates were jeering, making sure I didn’t chicken out. I took a deep breath, steeled my nerves, and hit send. Three seconds later, I unsent it. But I watched as the little “Typing…” bubble appeared. Then it vanished. Then my screen lit up with an incoming call. My hand shook so hard I almost threw my phone across the room. My roommate, Leo, winked at me. “Who’d you text? They called back fast.” I ignored his teasing and bolted for the balcony. When I pressed answer, my heart was pounding like a drum solo. This was our first conversation since we parted on bad terms three months ago. “Julian,” I said, my voice dry. There was a pause on the other end. “I’m your elder. You should call me Uncle Julian.” He’s not my uncle. He’s barely older than me—definitely younger than my dad would have been. He just insists on the title because he and my late father were “brothers.” Julian was clearly hung up on the text. “Just now, you…” Before he could finish, my dorm president, Greg, yelled from inside the room: “Sawyer! Where are the condoms?” Greg had just lost a round of Truth or Dare and had to make everyone’s bed. He was asking for the duvet covers, but in his slang, it sounded… suggestive. Greg has a voice that carries. I guarantee Julian heard it. Because the line went dead silent. I couldn’t even hear him breathing. After a long pause, his voice came through, colder than liquid nitrogen. “Sawyer. What are you doing?” I looked back at the mahjong table, the scattered chip bags, the beer cans, and my roommates’ excited faces ready for a night of debauchery. I let the devil take the wheel. I chuckled. “Getting a room. What else?” Julian laughed. It was a dry, angry sound. “Stop messing around.” Damn man. When I confessed to you, you said I was too young and didn’t understand my feelings. Now you care? I hung up on him. Click. The phone rang again. And again. I put it on silent. I went back inside and told everyone to keep playing. Julian sent one last text. [Sawyer, don’t make me come get you.] I scoffed. Like he’d drive all the way to campus in the middle of the night just to catch me. 2 Turns out, you shouldn’t tempt fate. We played for another two hours. It was only 11 PM. We ran out of snacks and beer. I volunteered to go on a run. I needed a breather anyway. Walking downstairs, I checked my phone. Julian had blown it up with messages. I couldn’t deny the twisted satisfaction I felt. He cares so much, yet he keeps pushing me away. The thought made me frustrated. I ran a hand through my hair and fished a cigarette out of my pocket. Just as I lit it, I saw a figure standing under the streetlamp outside the dorm. The light was dim, but I knew that silhouette. Julian. He saw me, too. He started walking toward me. My stomach dropped. Instinctively, I hid the cigarette in my palm. Julian hates smoking. He doesn’t even know I smoke. I stammered, “W-what are you doing here?” “You know why.” Julian grabbed my wrist and pried my fingers open, taking the cigarette. Only then did I feel the sting. In my panic, I’d burned my palm. “Since when do you smoke?” I opened my mouth and lied. “Just started a few days ago.” Actually, I’ve smoked for years. I just played the good boy whenever he was around. Julian hummed but didn’t press it. He walked to his car and gestured. “Get in.” Sitting in the passenger seat, I noticed his hair was a little messy. There were shadows under his eyes. Guilt washed over me. His company has been swamped lately. And he drove all this way, late at night, just for me. I wanted to explain the text, but I wanted something else more. I wanted to know why he was so panicked. I wanted him to admit he cared. That he liked me. “Julian, you care about me, don’t you? You’re afraid I’ll hook up with someone else, right?” Julian rubbed his temples, looking exhausted. He took off his coat and tossed it aside, his movements agitated. “Sawyer, this is an elder worrying about a junior. If your parents were here, they’d be worried too.” My chest tightened. That excuse again. I lowered my head, not wanting to look at him, but I explained anyway. “I wasn’t messing around. I lost a game of Truth or Dare. I sent it randomly.” Julian sighed at my silence. He reached over and ruffled my hair. “You’ll understand the difference eventually. Stop throwing tantrums, okay?” We hadn’t had a real conversation in three months. Ever since I impulsively confessed after high school graduation, he’d put up a wall. He started sleeping at the office, avoiding coming home. I’d never been treated like that by him. So I gave him the cold shoulder right back. I missed him. I didn’t want to fight anymore. “It’s late. Stay here tonight. Drive back tomorrow.” Julian nodded. “You go back to the dorm. I’ll get a hotel.” “Curfew’s passed.” A lie. But I wanted to be with him. Julian looked at me. Finally, he said nothing and drove us to a hotel. 3 Back at the hotel, Julian went out again. When he came back, he was holding a pharmacy bag. He beckoned. “Come here.” I sat next to him obediently. He took out a tube of burn ointment and gestured for my hand. I gave him my right hand. He applied the ointment carefully. His fingertips brushed against my palm, sending shivers up my arm. I watched his lowered eyelashes. Like I was possessed, I leaned in. My lips barely grazed his eyelid before he dodged. He pushed me away. Just like that night three months ago. After my graduation party, I was riding a high. Julian took the day off just to be with me. That night, I got a little tipsy. Julian asked what I wanted for a graduation gift. I stared into his eyes, unable to stop myself from hugging him. “Uncle Julian, will you give me anything I want?” Julian hugged me back, laughing. “Of course. Whatever you want, Uncle will get it for you.” The feelings I’d buried for years exploded. I cupped his face. And I kissed him. The moment our lips touched, he shoved me away. I fell back onto the sofa. “Uncle, I like you. Can I have you?” Julian stood up abruptly. His face was tight. His fists were clenched and shaking. “Sawyer, you’re drunk.” I shook my head frantically. “No, I’m not! I like you. I like you in the way that I want to be with you…” I tried to take his hand, but he avoided me. My heart ached. Julian wasn’t comforting me like he used to. He stood there, cold and distant, telling me my feelings were an illusion. That I couldn’t tell the difference between dependence and love. I was hearing the same lecture for the second time. The pain in my hand traveled to my chest. “I know the difference, Julian. I’m not a kid. I know what love is.” But Julian is stubborn. Especially with me. He set the ointment down and stood up to leave. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I forced an ugly smile. “Julian, I don’t get hard for people I don’t like.” Julian paused. Then he walked out without looking back. I barely slept. The next morning, I met him with dark circles under my eyes. He didn’t ask. He drove me back to campus. When the car stopped, I realized we were parting ways again. I didn’t move. I just wanted a few more minutes. Julian didn’t rush me. He leaned back in his seat. “Sawyer, your parents are gone. They entrusted me to raise you. You call me Uncle, so I am your elder.” “I don’t want you wasting your time on me. I’m ten years older than you. You have youth and potential. Go look at other people.” I stayed silent, protesting without words. Finally, Julian said: “Go. I have to leave too.” 4 After that, we entered a weird “Cold War.” He’d show appropriate concern, like an elder. But he stopped replying to my endless texts about my day. Like he was constantly reminding me: We are impossible. I knew how decisive Julian could be. But I was stubborn too. I threw myself into my studies, trying to numb the pain. My roommates thought I’d lost my mind. College freshman, grinding like a Ph.D. candidate. This went on for a month until Fall Break approached. Greg asked, “Sawyer, did you buy your ticket home?” I paused. Shook my head. “No. I’m not going back.” There was a competition coming up. I planned to stay and prep. But mostly, I didn’t know how to face Julian. I knew this drift was my fault. I pushed too hard. I was greedy. If I could do it over, maybe I wouldn’t have been so impulsive. Then, even if Julian stayed my “Uncle” forever, he wouldn’t push me away. I could still hug him, be his closest family. Greg patted my shoulder. “Alright. I’ll bring you some local specialties when I get back.” “Thanks,” I smiled. I opened Julian’s chat. Just a few sporadic messages over the last month. I stared at the screen. Maybe he heard me thinking about him, because the phone rang. It was Julian. I answered instantly. “Hello?” “Sawyer.” His voice made my heart tremble. “Did you buy a ticket? If not, I’ll have the driver pick you up…” For the first time in my life, I interrupted him. “Julian, I’m not coming back.” Silence. He hadn’t expected that. He paused for a few seconds, said a few polite words of concern, and hung up. I stared at the two-minute call log, feeling incredibly wronged. I say I’m not coming back, and you just let it go? For the next few days, I don’t know if I was mad at Julian or myself. I focused entirely on the competition. Zero communication with him. Once, I even missed his call. Finally, on a break, I got a call from Driver Wang. “Hello, Uncle Wang?” His voice was frantic. “Sawyer! Mr. Thorne… he’s been drinking all night. His stomach is acting up, but he won’t go to the hospital, and he won’t let anyone help him. I can’t talk sense into him. I had to call you.” Uncle Wang used to drive me to school. We were close. He knew to call me if anything happened to Julian. I frowned immediately. “Where is he?” “At home.” I hung up and dialed Julian. It rang and rang. No answer. My anxiety spiked. I told Uncle Wang to watch him and call an ambulance if it got bad. Then I bought the next ticket home. 5 I got home after 10 PM. Uncle Wang had checked on him a few times. Stubborn as a mule. I don’t know what got into him. No one forces Julian Thorne to drink these days. The house was dark. I fumbled for the light switch and saw Julian lying on the sofa. He eyes were closed. Asleep or passed out from pain? I walked over and squatted down, whispering. “Julian?” I touched his face. Hot. Worried he had a fever, I shook him. “Hey, don’t sleep yet. Let me take your temperature. Take some medicine first.” Julian opened his eyes and stared at me blankly. He looked pale. I’d never seen him this fragile. It broke my heart. I helped him sit up, grumbling, “Who pissed you off? Why drink so much? Don’t you know your stomach is bad?” Julian leaned into me, taking the thermometer. “Why are you back?” I draped a blanket over him. “If I didn’t come back, you’d die of pain.” He didn’t speak. I assumed he was still hurting. I stood up to make him honey water. Julian grabbed my wrist. “What?” He opened his mouth, then whispered, “Stomach hurts.” I frowned and sat back down, gently rubbing his stomach. I used to do this when he came home drunk from business dinners. Maybe because of the alcohol, he didn’t push me away. When he looked a bit better, I said, “Rest a bit, don’t sleep. I’ll make the water, then take the meds.” Julian nodded. “Okay.” By the time everything was done, it was late. I herded him to his bedroom and tucked him in. “Rest properly. You really don’t care about your body.” I was sleepy too. I turned to go to my room. “Sawyer,” Julian called out. “When… are you going back to school?” My drowsiness vanished. I turned around, looking at him in disbelief. I run all the way back here, nurse him back to health, and all he cares about is when I leave? Am I an eyesore now? But seeing him sick and pale, I couldn’t get angry. I glared at him, suffocating on my own frustration. “I’m leaving tomorrow.” I slammed the door and left.

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1 Five years after our breakup, Harrison Chase was worth billions and had a beautiful fiancée. At a reunion, someone brought me up. “Elara never comes to these things. What’s she so busy with?” “Hah. She’s busy hitting on rich guys at 30,000 feet.” “…On a plane?” “Yep. She’s a flight attendant for Crestview. I saw her on a flight. You should have seen the way she smiled at the business-class guys. So fake.” “Seriously? A flight attendant? Figures. She always loved money.” At the head of the table, Harrison, who hadn’t spoken, squinted. His hand clenched into a fist. “A flight attendant?” “Yeah, Harrison. After all these years, you’re not still hung up on her, are you?” He reached over and took his fiancée’s hand. The massive diamond on her finger blinded everyone in the room. “Forgot her ages ago. My wedding is next month. You’re all invited.” The table erupted in congratulations. Only I, floating in the corner, looked down. 2 It’s been a year since I died. The old class group chat organized a reunion. The moment they heard Harrison Chase—the tech billionaire—was attending, the chat exploded. Thirty different profile pictures, all active. Only mine was grayed out, silent at the bottom of the list. I’m dead, after all. I can’t use a phone anymore. The empty apartment was just as I’d left it. On my desk, my old anti-cancer meds were still sitting there. On the day of the reunion, I drifted over. It was a huge private room at a seven-star hotel. I floated around, looking at everyone. Finally, the last person arrived. I held my breath. That tall frame, the long legs… it was Harrison. He was wearing a bespoke European suit—understated, but impeccably tailored. I stared, mesmerized. A second later, a beautiful woman appeared at the door and took his arm. “Harrison, are these all your old classmates?” My breath hitched. At the party, everyone was drinking, laughing, and networking, but mostly, they were all trying to get close to Harrison. Suddenly, someone scanned the room. “Is Elara the only one who didn’t show?” “Please. She vanished after graduation. Who knows what she’s up to.” “Even Harrison, a literal tech god, shows up on TV now and then. She’s the real mystery. Probably married some rich guy and became a trophy wife.” The gossip flew. Finally, the class social chair, Liv, who hadn’t said a word, took a sip of her wine. “Trophy wife? More like serving trophy wives. She’s a flight attendant for Crestview Air. Busy as hell.” Liv was beautiful, married to some minor tech exec. I’d served her and her husband on a flight about a year ago. “You’ve seen her?” Everyone was curious now. “A flight attendant? That’s one way to meet rich guys. She’s a quick thinker, I’ll give her that.” “Crestview? How come I’ve never seen her?” “Crestview is famous for having the most gorgeous crews.” “I’ll have to book a flight with them sometime…” As they talked, I looked over at Harrison. He was silent, his expression dark. The hand resting on the arm of his chair was clenched so tight the veins were popping. The class president, sitting next to him, saw his fist and quickly signaled for everyone to shut up. He raised his glass to Harrison. “To Harrison. Some people just aren’t worth remembering.” Harrison didn’t move. He just sat there, frozen. The whole room held its breath. Beside him, his beautiful fiancée looked uncomfortable. She gently placed her hand on his. A few seconds later, he snapped out of it. He picked up his glass and touched it to the president’s. “Forgot her ages ago.” He took a sip of wine, then covered her hand with his. “I have good news. My wedding is next month. I hope you all can come.” 3 That night, I drifted aimlessly through the city. I was exhausted. I floated back to my apartment. A light was on. Strange. It was Sarah. My best friend. She had a bucket of water and was cleaning my apartment. My old phone was on the table, plugged in. She worked in silence. My eyes burned. Suddenly, my phone buzAzed. She put down the mop and picked it up. It was the class group chat. “Mr. Chase, what’s the exact date for the wedding? And where’s the venue?” Someone else posted a photo from the party. Harrison and his fiancée, Tessa, sitting together. “Look at them! A perfect match. So beautiful.” “A thousand times better than someone we know. All looks, no substance.” Thud. Sarah’s hand trembled, and the phone fell to the floor. She slowly sank to her knees, covered her face, and started to sob. She opened my photo album, her fingers tracing my smiling face. “You idiot,” she whispered. “He’s getting married. Did you know? And you… you were whispering his name right up until the end.” Sarah turned off the phone and went back to cleaning. When she left, she took my phone with her. I didn’t understand. I followed her back to her apartment. Being alone in that empty place was unbearable. The only thing I looked forward to was Sarah visiting once a month, charging my phone. When it lit up with notifications, I could read them. It was my only connection. My only entertainment, now that I was dead. 4 Sarah was poor, even more so than I was. She was a single mom. Her daughter had a congenital heart defect. She put the phone down and went to put her daughter to bed. I couldn’t sleep. I floated around her apartment. Finally, a screen lit up. It was my phone. A news alert. I froze at the headline. #Aura Dynamics CEO in Late-Night Accident on I-5, Vehicle Strikes Guardrail# Harrison was the CEO of Aura Dynamics. The accident was on the freeway, near the bridge. Was he hurt? I didn’t wait. I flew, as fast as my spirit could move, toward the bridge. The section of the freeway was blocked off. A mangled Maybach was crumpled against the guardrail. My heart (or what was left of it) pounded. I phased through the crowd, looking for him. He wasn’t there. I was frantic. “Mr. Harrison, your arm is bleeding. I’m taking you to the hospital.” I spun around. He was sitting on the pavement, away from the wreck. His arm was hanging at his side, blood dripping from his knuckles. It hurt to see. He didn’t say a word. He just got into the car that had arrived for him.

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Five years after I’d successfully completed the conquest, the System suddenly pinged. [The other player, Seraphina, is dead.] The teacup in my hand slipped, shattering on the floor. Seraphina was my best friend. To pull me out of this medieval world, she had voluntarily bound herself to the System, agreeing to help me conquer the two main targets: the Archmage and the Crown Prince. When we won, I chose to go home. She, however, had fallen in love with the Archmage. She chose to stay. That was five years ago. How… how was she dead? I finally heard my own voice, shaking. “Send me back.” “I’m going to drag that useless woman back home.” 1 The world spun. When I opened my eyes, I was back on the familiar, foreign streets of Avaloria. But in the bustling crowd, there was no one to grab my hand and say, “Don’t be afraid, Luna. I’m right here with you.” I found a horse and galloped toward the High Temple. The System said her body was still there. In the temple’s back hills, I found it: a single coffin, covered in fresh snow. I stumbled from my horse, running toward it. When I brushed the snow off the lid, I saw the dark, spattered stains. Blood. My chest tightened. My hands were shaking. “Frost… what did they do to you…” I pushed the lid. It grated open. The stench of rot hit me. I held my breath and looked inside. She was just… lying there. Her face was paper-white. Her beautiful hair had been hacked off, left in ragged clumps. Her body was a roadmap of injuries, and her right sleeve… her right sleeve was empty, the stump at her shoulder horribly clean. They had cut off her arm. I saw it, and my legs gave out. I collapsed. A thought, cold and sharp, cut through the grief. Where was Kaelen? The Archmage? When I left, they were disgustingly in love. She was pregnant. How could she be here, and he… he hadn’t even come to claim her body? I forced myself up and rode for the Archmage’s Tower. The wind was a blade against my skin, but it was nothing compared to the ice in my heart. The tower was… decorated. Red banners and lanterns. It was a celebration. It was so wrong. I stood there, frozen, thinking I’d gone to the wrong place. “What is this?” I grabbed a passing servant. He yelped. “The… the Archmage is getting married! It’s his wedding day!” Married? All the blood rushed to my head. Seraphina’s body wasn’t even cold, and he was getting married? I shoved the servant aside and kicked the doors open. Kaelen was there, in ceremonial robes, standing before a strange woman. He was smiling. I saw his smile, and all I could see was Frost’s empty sleeve. I lost it. I stormed the altar and slapped him. Hard. The woman in red screamed, “Who are you? How dare you strike the Archmage!” I backhanded her, too. “Don’t worry. There’s plenty for you.” She stared, her eyes filling with tears. She grabbed Kaelen’s sleeve. “Kaelen…” He shielded her, his expression a complex mess. “Luna? How… why are you back?” “Did she send you?” he snarled. “Did Seraphina send you to ruin my wedding to Lyra?” You son of a bitch. He moves on, and he dares to slander her name? I hit him again. “You don’t get to say her name, you bastard!” “She’s dead! She’s lying in a box on the mountain, and you’re here getting married!” Kaelen froze, his face draining of color. “What… what did you say? Frost… she’s dead?” 2 My hand stopped, hovering. He… he didn’t even know? Before I could speak, the new bride, Lyra, whispered, “Kaelen, don’t listen to her. You know how Seraphina lies.” “She… she cut up her own dresses last month, just to blame me.” Kaelen’s eyes sparked. He believed her. “That… that woman,” he seethed. “I never knew how manipulative she was. She’s faking her own death just to stop me from marrying Lyra?” I was shaking with rage. When Kaelen had overused his magic, shattering his own life-force, it was Frost who saved him. She’d traded her own life-source, her system points, for his. She had been wasting away ever since. She made me promise not to tell him. She didn’t want him to feel “burdened.” And this… this was his gratitude. I hit him again. “Say her name one more time, and I’ll rip your tongue out.” Lyra shrieked and lunged at me. “You witch! You’re just doing her dirty work!” I dodged, grabbed her wrist, and twisted. She screamed. A small body shot past me like a cannonball, tackling me at the knees. “You hurt my mommy! Get out, you bad woman!” A little boy. Five, maybe six years old. He was beautiful. And he looked… he looked just like Seraphina. Her son. Kaelen’s son. And he was protecting this other woman. “Frost… what kind of hell were you living in?” My heart shattered. I looked at the boy. “You’re Frost’s son. Why are you calling her ‘Mommy’?” The boy’s face twisted with a hatred far too old for him. “Don’t say that! She’s not my mother! Lyra is my mother! You can’t hurt her!” Oh, Frost. Do you see this? I laughed. A horrible, broken sound. I grabbed the kid, my whip lashing out, and tied him to my side. “Frost was too soft to teach you. I’ll do it for her.” If he were my kid, I’d have abandoned him. But this was Frost’s. I had to at least try to save him. Lyra was hysterical. “Kaelen, she’s taking Ash! Stop her!” Kaelen was furious. “Let him go, Luna! This is between us! He’s just a child!” I pulled the rope tighter. “He became ‘between us’ the moment you let him call another woman his mother. Do you even remember what Frost went through to give you this child?” We weren’t supposed to be able to get pregnant here. She had to trade more of her life, endure a blood-magic ritual… just to have his baby. She was so happy. “I’m not just saving you, Moon,” she’d said, “I’m finding my true love.” Now she was a corpse with one arm. Kaelen flinched, but his voice was hard. “She’s a thief. I will not let my son be raised by a thief.” “She stole what?” “She stole Lyra’s title! She stole her power, her credit, everything!” 3 I stared. This world never had a “Goddess.” Frost and I, we used the System to predict disasters, to stop famines, to change the weather. We created the “Goddess” myth. If Lyra was the Goddess, it was a lie they had built. “Proof. Now.” The boy, Ash, spat at me. “That bitch stole it! I saw Mommy Lyra bleed for the rain spell! And that bad woman took the credit!” “He’s a child,” Kaelen said. “He wouldn’t lie.” The two people who should have been her world were speaking of her like she was poison. A snowflake landed on my cheek. It was snowing. Hard. I remembered Frost, alone in her coffin. I left the tower. I had to bury her. The cold had preserved her, but… not perfectly. Her face, at least. Her face was still beautiful. I brushed her mangled hair back. My hand was shaking. “I’m sorry, Frost. I shouldn’t have let you stay. If it wasn’t for me, you never would have met this bastard…” The first scoop of dirt hit the wood. The sound was so final. My throat closed. I tried to scream, but only a choked sob came out. I was about to jump into the grave with her when a golden light threw me back. A familiar, mechanical voice. [Player Luna, do not self-terminate. Seraphina left a file for you.] “What? What is it?” A letter appeared in my hand. [Moon, I have no one left here. Take me home. Just me. Don’t let anyone else come. They’ll just dirty the path. -Frost] She must have been so broken. “I’ll get you justice, Frost. I promise. And then we’ll go home.” I asked the System to show me her final moments. [ACCESS DENIED. INSUFFICIENT PERMISSIONS.] 4 I put the burial on hold. I used the System to freeze her body. The snow fell for five days. The city was panicking. On the sixth day, Lyra arrived at the High Temple in a wave of incense and bells, dressed in white, looking every bit the divine. She lit the incense. “In three days,” she announced, “the snow will stop.” The people cheered. She walked into the back room, her face pale. “Seraphina. In three days, you have to…” She saw me. “Who are you? Where is Seraphina?” “You’re the Goddess,” I sneered. “Why are you asking me?” She looked panicked. “Just… just tell that bitch to get out here!” I slapped her. “The bitch? You’re talking about yourself.” “Frost is dead. Your little show is over.” “Dead?” she shrieked, panicked. “She can’t be dead! You’re lying, get her out here!” The door crashed open. Kaelen and Ash. Lyra immediately crumpled, running to him. “Kaelen! This woman… she hit me! And she’s saying… saying awful lies about Seraphina…” “Luna, that’s enough!” he yelled. “Where is she? Tell her to stop this ridiculous game!” “Are you deaf? She’s DEAD.” “Liar! The High Priest saw her just yesterday! You’re just jealous I married Lyra, so you cooked up this ‘fake death’ plot! I’m not falling for it!” I laughed. I grabbed him, my magic flaring, and teleported us to the back hills. I threw him at the frozen casket. “Open it. See for yourself.” He kicked the lid off. “This is pathetic. If she was really… really…” His voice died. The coffin was open. Frost’s pale, mutilated body was lying there. He just stared. The anger, the denial… it all shattered. 5 Kaelen fell to his knees. He reached out a trembling hand, then snatched it back, like her skin was fire. “No… no, it was just… I just sent her here to reflect… I was just teaching her a lesson…” Lyra and Ash ran up. She saw the body and her face went white. Ash ran up and started hitting the corpse. “Bad woman! You made Daddy leave Mommy!” Kaelen turned and struck his son. “She… she is your mother!” Ash wailed. I threw Frost’s last letter at Kaelen. He read the six words. I have no one left here. He howled. A raw, animal sound of grief. Lyra saw him breaking. She tried to touch him. “Kaelen, she’s gone, but…” He lunged, his hands wrapping around her throat. “YOU! This is your fault! You did this!” She choked, clawing at him. “Kaelen… no… I’m the… the Emperor’s Goddess… I saved… I saved your life…” The Emperor? My blood went cold. Rhys. My target. The only other person who knew we were Players. Did Rhys do this? Kaelen’s grip loosened. “If you hadn’t saved me… I’d kill you right now.” He threw her to the ground. He turned back to the coffin… and he saw the empty sleeve. His breath hitched. “Luna… her… her arm…” “Now you believe me.” His voice was a broken whisper. “It’s my fault… I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have…” “Moon.” A new voice. I turned. Rhys. The Emperor. In his full golden armor.

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Three years. Three years of trying to win over Evelyn Reed. And I was still listening to the system drone, “Affinity: one percent.” I wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. “There are so many amazing women around me. Why am I stuck on Evelyn?” I grumbled to the void. “It’s like staring at a feast I’m not allowed to touch.” To my surprise, the system sounded even more shocked than I was. “You can scroll through the target list, you know.” “You… didn’t know that?” 1 I stared blankly at the system interface. “Are you kidding me? Why didn’t you say so sooner?” “You never asked. I just figured Evelyn was your type.” A bitter taste filled my mouth. Evelyn Reed was the youngest attending physician at the hospital. Stunningly beautiful, with an aura as cold and distant as a winter morning. She was a glacier, gorgeous and unthawable. In the three years we’d been “dating,” I doubt she’d said more than fifty words to me in total. My fingers scrambled to swipe on the target list. It scrolled. And scrolled. There were over twenty more pages. For three years, I had turned what was supposed to be a harem-building game into a painfully slow-burn, one-sided romance. Anyone watching would have thought I was her number one, die-hard fan. It all started when I was on my deathbed. The system bonded with me, giving me a new lease on life, but I started with only a hundred dollars to my name. “Every affinity point translates directly to cash in your account,” the system had explained. “One point is a thousand dollars.” The cap was ten thousand points. Three years! My bank account had never broken a thousand bucks. God only knows how I survived. My phone buzzed, the screen flashing “Evelyn.” Her voice, cool and clipped, came through the speaker. “Working late.” My response was pure reflex. “Should I bring you dinner?” The moment the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. Old habits die hard. I expected a swift rejection, but after a pause, she replied, “If you want.” So, of course, I went. I bought her favorite meal and headed to the hospital. I had held onto hope for Evelyn so many times, just like this. And every time, I told myself this would be the last chance I gave her. I could find Evelyn’s office with my eyes closed. As a senior physician, she had her own. But when I got there, the room was empty. I spotted one of the nurses at the duty station. “Excuse me, is Dr. Reed in surgery?” I was a familiar face on this floor, a regular delivery boy for Evelyn. But today, the nurse’s expression was… awkward. She tried to hide it, but I could see the pity in her eyes. “N-no, she’s not.” She subtly pointed down the adjacent hallway. “Dr. Reed might be on her rounds. Maybe you could check there?” I did a full circuit of the floor, meal container in hand, but Evelyn was nowhere to be found. Just as I was about to call her, a clear voice drifted from the nearby stairwell. “Dr. Reed, when can I finally call you my boyfriend?” The name froze me in my tracks. Evelyn’s reply was muffled by the door. “That depends on your performance.” The stairwell door was cracked open just enough for me to see. Evelyn was leaning lazily against the wall, a picture of casual indifference. Standing before her was a young male nurse, his head bowed as he leaned in to kiss her. One of Evelyn’s hands was tucked into the pocket of her white coat; the other rested lightly on the nurse’s waist. She watched him, neither responding nor pulling away. “Dr. Reed,” the nurse murmured against her lips, “won’t your boyfriend be angry?” Evelyn’s gaze drifted up, and her eyes met mine through the crack in the door. Her reply was meant for him, but her words were aimed squarely at me. “Would he dare?” My knuckles whitened around the bag’s handle. I pushed the door open. The nurse jumped back, startled, and tried to hide behind Evelyn. I ignored him, my eyes locked on her. Evelyn met my gaze without a flicker of emotion. “Evelyn,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “Is this why you called me here? For a show?” She pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the tip glowing in the dim light. She took a long drag, then flicked the ash to the floor before letting the cigarette dangle from her lips. The ash drifted down, and my heart sank with it. It finally hit me. Not with the cold, digital finality of a system notification, but with a raw, gut-wrenching certainty. She didn’t love me. It had all been in my head. “This is boring.” She exhaled a cloud of smoke in my face, her voice flat. “Leo, you’re just so incredibly boring.” She finished the cigarette, stubbed it out in a nearby bin, and slung an arm around the nurse’s shoulders, moving to brush past me. “Evelyn,” I called out, stopping her. “This is the last meal I’ll ever bring you.” I added, with a bitter laugh, “Not that you’d ever eat it, anyway.” I dropped the food container into the trash can, right next to her dead cigarette. A fitting goodbye. This time, I didn’t watch her leave. I turned my back first. Evelyn’s brow furrowed. She stepped in front of me, blocking the door. “Where are you going?” I pushed her hand away. “We’re done. It’s none of your business.” She let out a short, sharp scoff. As I walked away, I heard the nurse ask her, “Aren’t you going to go after him, Dr. Reed?” And Evelyn’s voice, draped in its usual icy calm: “He’ll come crawling back when he’s done with his tantrum.” Like hell, I thought. I never go back. Just then, a message popped up on my phone. [Hey, Leo! Are you free tonight? There’s some lab data I could really use your help with.] It was from Lily, a junior in my department. I typed back: [Give me half an hour. I’m on my way.] Half an hour later, I was in the lab. Lily peeked out from behind a computer monitor. “Leo! You made it!” She had an innocent, puppy-dog face, framed by wavy chestnut hair. Every word she spoke seemed to end with a cheerful lilt. I walked over. “What’s the problem?” She pointed at a string of figures on the screen, looking utterly defeated. “I’ve run the calculations a dozen times, and it’s still not working.” I scanned the data. “You’re using the wrong constant here. You can’t just plug that one in directly.” Lily’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh! That explains everything! You’re amazing, Leo. You saw it right away.” I chuckled. “I’ve just worked with this experiment a lot.” She blinked her big, doe-like eyes at me. “Still, you saved me! As a thank you, let me buy you dinner?” I hesitated for a second, but then the system’s voice chimed in. 【New Target: Lily.】 【Affinity: 100.】 【First-time 100 Affinity achievement unlocked. System Reward: Five Million Dollars.】 Simultaneously, my phone pinged with a bank alert: [Deposit: $5,100,000.00. Current Balance: $5,100,012.50.] My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Three years. The floodgates had finally opened. To hesitate now would be a profound disrespect to money itself. “Sure,” I said, my voice smoother than I felt. “Let’s go. I haven’t eaten yet.” Lily’s face lit up, surprised by my quick agreement. “There’s a new Sichuan place that just opened near campus. How about we try that?” “Sounds good.” As I turned to leave, I didn’t see her flip over the lab report she’d had sitting face-down on the desk. The data on it was identical to the corrected version I had just given her. Fueled by a newfound sense of civic duty—taking from the rich (the system) and giving to the people (local restaurants)—I had fully intended to pay. But Lily had sneakily settled the bill while I wasn’t looking. During the meal, I noticed she had a dimple that appeared whenever she smiled at me. It was ridiculously sweet. The food was great, and by the end of it, my affinity with her had netted me a few hundred thousand more. I’d almost forgotten what it felt to have money. The last three years with Evelyn had been a miserable, penny-pinching existence. “Oh, this table is free! Dr. Reed, let’s sit here.” Speak of the devil. A few feet away, the same male nurse was holding Evelyn’s hand, guiding her to a table. Her gaze was locked on me, heavy and dark. “What’s wrong, Leo?” Lily asked, looking up from her bowl like a curious hamster. I tore my eyes away from Evelyn, shrugging nonchalantly. “Nothing. Just some nobody.” I tried to ignore them, but Evelyn couldn’t stand it. She stalked over to our table, her usual calm facade cracking to reveal a simmering anger beneath. She stood beside me, her voice sharp. “Leo, is this what your ‘love’ for me looks like? One thing to my face, another behind my back? Don’t tell me you were secretly seeing other women the entire time we were together.”

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For five years, the woman who hijacked my body played house. In the fifth year, she finally got bored. She and her “System” bailed, leaving this world without a backward glance. What they left me was a son spoiled into a tyrant and a husband who was a stranger in his own home. Before I could even begin to process the temporal whiplash, a stream of text, like a live comment feed, scrolled across my vision. 【What a dumpster fire of a starting point. I’ve never seen a dumber transmigrator. She gets a five-year head start and just makes a bigger mess for the original to clean up.】 【Seriously. Her mission was to straighten out the mini-villain and warm up the big villain so the family wouldn’t bother the main characters. Instead, besides dodging her own death plot point, she just spent five years maxing out a credit card.】 【The kid’s a nightmare, the husband’s been pushed away. I’m so sick of this family. Honestly, they should all just die.】 So. It turned out I was the disposable side character, the one who dies early in the novel. And my husband and my son? They were the villains. 1 The ghostly commentary continued to scroll, listing the sins of my son, the “mini-villain.” No manners, bad temper, selfish, a bully. Before I could organize the chaos in my mind, a thudding sound echoed from the grand staircase. A little boy, round as a beach ball, was thundering his way down. A strange, primal instinct flared to life. I knew, instantly, that this was my child. He saw me sitting in the living room but looked right through me, making a beeline for the kitchen, for the stainless-steel refrigerator. The nanny hurried after him. “Oh, Leo, my sweet boy, you’ve already had three ice cream bars today! If you get a tummy ache, your father will have my head when he gets back.” The little boy—Leo—paid her no mind. The nanny shot a helpless, pleading look in my direction. 【What’s the point of looking at her? She’s the biological mom, sure, but she’s been gone for five years. She’ll just spoil him more out of guilt.】 【Honestly, did anyone else think the transmigrator was a total phony? Her idea of ‘motherly love’ was just endless indulgence. The kid is worse off now than he was in the original story. He’s so overweight he’s lost the one thing he had going for him—his looks.】 【You can see his whole future from here. He’ll grow up to be a degenerate who gambles and blows his inheritance, probably curses out his parents too.】 【If that little butterball dropped dead, I wouldn’t shed a tear.】 That was it. I couldn’t take any more. “Leo Harrison. Put the ice cream down.” I remembered settling on that name with Cole when I was eight months pregnant. Leo. For a boy or a girl. A name full of light and strength. Leo shot me a look of pure disdain. “You’re so annoying. You can’t tell me what to do!” Then, as if to challenge me, he shoved a huge bite of vanilla ice cream into his mouth. The white cream smeared around his lips, and his eyes, already narrowed by his chubby cheeks, squeezed into happy little slits. He saw me still staring, and with a defiant glare, he raised a small, pudgy hand and flipped me two middle fingers. In that instant, a switch flipped inside me. A cold, quiet rage. Spoil him? Not on my watch. I shot up from the sofa and clamped a hand down on his shoulder. My little wild boar. “Who taught you to do that? Hmm? Where did you learn it?” “Let go of me! Let go! If you don’t let go, you’ll be sorry when my dad gets home.” Hah. After letting our son turn into this, Cole would be lucky if he didn’t get a piece of my mind himself when he got home. 2 I directed the stunned-looking nanny to fetch me a roll of packing tape. Then I took Leo’s hand, singled out his middle finger, and began to wrap the tape around his fist, leaving only that one digit standing at attention. He liked giving the finger so much? Fine. He could hold the pose for a while. To his credit, he didn’t cry. He just stood there, his two taped-up fists held out like a tiny crab, glaring daggers at me. “When Dad gets back, I’m gonna tell him you bullied me! You won’t get your allowance this month! You won’t be able to buy any more of your tacky jewelry.” “When is your father coming home?” Leo jutted out his lower lip, refusing to answer. I glanced at the nanny. “Mr. Harrison is on a business trip in Chicago. He should be back in about a week.” “Is he always like this?” I asked quietly. The nanny looked uncomfortable. “He’s… a little better when his father is around.” I nodded. I told her not to remove the tape for any reason, then turned and walked upstairs. I was surprised to find that, after all these years, the decor of the house hadn’t changed at all. Even the little ceramic horse statue, the one I’d chipped an ear off of during a clumsy moment, was still in its place on the console table. 3 Five years ago, I’d lost consciousness right after giving birth. What followed was the sensation of being trapped in a dream I couldn’t wake from. I could feel my body moving, speaking, living a life, but it was all through a hazy, third-person fog. I thought I’d just been asleep for a long, long time. It wasn’t until I saw the spectral commentary that I realized five years had passed. I walked from memory toward the master bedroom. A sleek, digital keypad lock I’d never seen before blocked the door. 【LOL, the OG has no idea. That lock was installed specifically to keep her—well, the transmigrator—out.】 【Hey, has anyone figured out the password? The transmigrator tried to sneak in once for a surprise attack, but she failed every time.】 【Nope. She tried the kid’s birthday, her birthday, Cole’s birthday. She tried so many wrong codes she triggered the entire house alarm system. The look on her face was priceless, I almost died laughing.】 【Forget the transmigrator, even we’ve never seen inside Cole’s room.】 Reading this, I raised an eyebrow. My fingers moved automatically, typing in a sequence of numbers I knew as well as my own name. Ignoring the flood of shocked comments scrolling past my eyes, I pushed the handle down. The door clicked open. Sure enough, the bedroom was unchanged. Even the color of the duvet cover was the same slate gray it had been the day I left for the hospital. The only difference was a small stack of locked journals on the nightstand. It seemed that in the last few years, Cole had gotten into the habit of locking away anything important. I picked one up. The pages of a few of the journals were warped and wrinkled, as if they’d been soaked through with water and then left to dry. The comment-feed was buzzing, begging me to pick the locks, to uncover Cole’s secrets. I ignored it. I placed the journal back exactly where I found it. 4 At dinner, the nanny was about to prepare a meal based on Leo’s usual demands when I stopped her. “Don’t go to the trouble. Starting today, he’s on a diet.” I glanced at his still-taped fists. “Let’s start with a veggie sandwich for tonight.” “Why! Just because I flipped you off, you’re going to abuse me?” Leo protested loudly. I shook my head and met his angry gaze. “See? Even you know that flipping someone off is a bad thing to do, especially to your own mother. But you haven’t apologized to me. And the diet isn’t a punishment. It’s for your health.” Leo’s cheeks puffed out. He didn’t argue for a long moment, then just mumbled something under his breath. “You’re not my…” The rest was too quiet to hear, but I could guess it wasn’t a compliment. When it was time to eat, Leo gestured for me to take the tape off. “Are you going to do it again?” He wouldn’t look at me, his little lip pushed out. “No.” He was quiet for another moment. “I’m sorry…” 【Okay, I have to admit, the original knows how to handle a brat.】 【This is killing me. If the mini-villain didn’t apologize, his fingers would’ve gone numb. LMAO.】 【More of this, please. I love it.】 【Wait, is she not thinking about the consequences? This isn’t five years ago. The transmigrator completely eroded Cole’s feelings for her. He could genuinely flip out when he gets back… If my favorite tragic romance turns into a bitter divorce, I swear I’m gonna riot.】 Cole, flipping out at me? I had to admit, a small part of me was looking forward to it. 5 Whether Cole would lose his temper remained to be seen. Leo, however, was the first to lose it at the dinner table. His eyes went red as he pointed at the sandwich, which contained only lettuce and a fried egg. “This is all I get to eat?” I nodded. I’d even allowed the egg to be fried instead of boiled, as a small concession. “I’m not eating this! I want sweet and sour ribs!” “Then don’t eat.” Leo’s eyes darted around. With a huff, he hopped off his chair and ran out of the room. I sighed. I hadn’t wanted to go scorched-earth, but the kid was pushing his luck. I put down my fork, called the nanny, and grabbed a trash bag. It was time to raid Leo’s hidden snack stashes. We caught him red-handed, crouched by his bed, butt in the air, happily munching on a bag of potato chips. As he watched his precious snacks disappear one by one into the black trash bag, his little hands trembled. “You’re fighting dirty!” I ignored him. Seeing that resistance was futile, Leo frantically shoved the last of the chips in his hand into his mouth, chewing for dear life. He breathed a sigh of relief when I left his room. He didn’t expect me to head straight for the media room and his small study. The kid was clever, I’ll give him that. He knew not to keep all his eggs in one basket. But I’d pulled the same tricks when I was his age. This time, Leo completely fell apart. “Waaaah, spare my snacks, I’m begging you!” “My limited-edition snack box! I saved my allowance for so long to buy it, I hadn’t even opened it yet!” “Take my life, but don’t take my snacks!” “My snacks! How will I live without you, my snacks!” The tears were real now. He wiped his eyes, his cries turning into small, hitching sobs. 【Hahahaha, watching the little fatty cry is kind of fun. He’s actually cute.】 【I usually hate it when kids cry, but Leo’s sobs are quiet, not like those ear-splitting shrieks other kids do. I would have bailed by now otherwise.】 【Replying to the above: Kids wail like that to get sympathy from adults. Is it possible that Leo subconsciously knows the transmigrator wasn’t his real mom…】 【Whoa, upstairs. That’s dark when you think about it.】 I knelt and pulled him into a hug, patting his back gently. I explained that I was just confiscating the snacks for safekeeping, not throwing them away. If he ate his meals properly, he could have them back eventually. He instantly stopped crying. He leaned his head against my shoulder, his little hand clutching the hem of my shirt. In a tiny voice, he whispered, “Mommy?” I felt my heart squeeze. I answered him softly. “Yes. I’m here, baby.” 6 After the Great Snack Confiscation, Leo became surprisingly obedient. But he couldn’t seem to kick the habit of trying to sneak treats. In just two days, we engaged in a silent war of wits that felt like it had three hundred rounds. Finally, I brought out my secret weapon. I proposed a new deal to Leo. If he really wanted to eat a snack, he could. But for every calorie he consumed, he had to burn it off. At first, Leo was unfazed and readily agreed. That evening, during our walk, I wheeled out a wiggle car. Leo thought I’d bought it for him and excitedly thanked me. His face fell when he saw me sit on it myself. Then he magnanimously declared that it was okay, Mommy could play with it first. I just smiled, taking a belt and a length of rope and fastening a makeshift harness around his little body. Leo looked at me, confused. “Today,” I said sweetly, “you ate two bags of chips, one ice cream bar, a bag of Takis, two pieces of chocolate, and a cupcake. I did the math, and a simple walk isn’t going to burn all that off. So, how about we engage in a fun and loving parent-child activity?” That’s right. The parent-child activity was me, sitting on the wiggle car, while Leo pulled me from the front. “But I’m just a kid!” “Hmm. Well, it’s either the fun activity or the snacks. Your choice.” Leo said nothing. Leo put his head down and started pulling. Leo’s face became a living emoji of exhaustion. 7 After the weekend, the nanny took Leo to kindergarten. With some time to myself, I logged on to check the company’s financial status. It was a tech firm Cole and I had started together. He was the genius behind the code; I handled public relations and marketing. Cole was a classic introvert, never comfortable with networking or schmoozing. I was surprised to see that in the past five years, he had managed to grow the company exponentially. Even the dividends from my own shares had multiplied several times over. A wave of relief washed over me. It meant that even if things between us went to the worst-case scenario, I had the capital to start over on my own terms. I spent the morning catching up on five years of market changes, researching potential investment opportunities. Just then, my phone rang. “Leo Harrison’s parent?” “Leo assaulted another child at school. The other parent is already here. Please come to the school immediately.” The comments flared to life. 【Here we go, here we go! The classic face-slapping plot point, part one.】 【Could it be a misunderstanding? After all the work she’s put in, would Leo really act out like that again?】 【No misunderstanding. I saw the whole thing. Leo did it on purpose. He’s just a bad seed.】 【When is this whole family going to be written out of the story? They’re so annoying. But I guess having him bully the female lead’s daughter is one way to get him into real trouble.】 【That fat little punk thinks his family’s money makes him hot stuff. He has no idea the male lead is an heir to a New York fortune. The second he comes looking for his girl, he’ll bankrupt their little company in a heartbeat.】 My eyebrows shot up. I quietly filed that last piece of information away. 8 When I arrived, Leo was standing in a corner, head bowed. Across the room, a graceful woman was holding a little girl, comforting her in a soft voice. To prevent any arguments, the teacher immediately played the security footage. “Assault” was a strong word, but Leo had definitely pushed the girl. I crouched down in front of my son. “Did this little girl say something mean to you?” Leo looked at me and shook his head. “Did she do something to hurt you where the teachers couldn’t see?” He thought for a moment, then shook his head again. 【Don’t bother asking, lady. The female lead’s daughter was just playing with her toys. Your fat kid went over to talk to her, she ignored him, so he pushed her. That kind of kid is just… ugh.】 【Does anyone else feel that helpless frustration of wanting to slap someone through the screen?】 【Kid’s got a father but no mother to raise him right. If he were my kid, I’d give him a couple of smacks right here to let off some steam.】 Even though the ghostly commentators were laying out the entire story for me, I insisted on asking him myself. “Why did you push her?” Leo turned his head away, refusing to look at me. I gently stroked his hair and didn’t press him further. Instead, I walked over to the other mother. I apologized sincerely and said that we would cover all the medical expenses, any related costs, and compensate her for her missed work. The woman, who had seemed ready for a fight, visibly relaxed. She probably assumed that a child with his reputation would have an equally difficult parent. My earnest apology seemed to disarm her. 9 I signed Leo out of school for the afternoon. Before we left, the teacher pulled me aside. “Mrs. Harrison, I’m not trying to be a tattletale, but this isn’t the first time Leo has been aggressive with other children. In the past, it was always with other boys, and you know how they can be. A few bumps and bruises are normal. You’d send the nanny, and I’d let it go. But this time he’s moved on to bullying a little girl. And as you saw, the poor thing didn’t do anything to provoke him.” She sighed, her expression a mix of frustration and pity. “I know you parents are busy, but once you have a child, you have to be responsible for them.” … When I came out of the office, Leo was waiting for me, his lower lip caught between his teeth. He probably expected me to yell at him, but I said nothing. Even when we got home, I acted as if nothing had happened. It was Leo who was a wreck, full of nervous energy. Every few minutes, he would run over to where I was sitting just to look at me. At dinner, there was no more fighting. He dutifully ate his food in the proper order: vegetables, protein, then carbs. During our evening walk, he offered meekly to pull the wiggle car again. I refused. I told him his calorie intake for the day wasn’t over the limit, so no strenuous exercise was needed. He just hung his head and mumbled, “Oh.” Seeing him like this, I felt a sense of relief. It proved that my son was not a lost cause. 10 Sure enough, a little while later, he came over and tugged on my sleeve. “You… you’re not going to yell at me? About today.” I looked at him and spoke softly. “I believe in my son. I don’t want to wrongly accuse you before I know the reason. Even if everyone else says it was your fault, I still want to hear your side of the story. With me, at least, you will always have the first right to explain.” The moment the words left my mouth, Leo burst into tears. He threw himself into my arms, sobbing apologies. He told me he really didn’t mean to do it, that he just wanted the little girl, Lily, to notice him and play with him. He confessed that the other kids at school all called him names. They said he was fat and mean, like Dudley Dursley from Harry Potter. Only Lily never called him that. Through his tears, Leo choked out the story. “I’m not Dudley. I didn’t hit anyone. They started it by calling me names. I just wanted them to stop, so I tried to act tough. I just wanted to play with Lily, I didn’t know she would fall… I was wrong. I’m sorry, I’m sorry to Lily.” The comments reappeared. 【Just like the heroine’s daughter! So sweet and kind! A true little angel!】 【Hahahaha, Dudley! That’s perfect. His classmates are brutal.】 【You think that’s funny?… Calling names is bullying. People who haven’t been through it just don’t get that feeling of powerlessness, where the more you tell them to stop, the more they do it.】 【I actually get it. This is like that ‘broken plate’ test. The moment Leo got provoked, he confirmed their narrative that he was just a fat bully. Sometimes, little kids are the cruelest people of all.】 11 A dull ache spread through my chest. I waited until Leo’s sobs subsided before I started to reason with him. I explained that whether Lily wanted to play with him or not was her choice, her freedom. He shouldn’t have tried to get her attention by pushing her after she ignored him. Seeing his confused expression, I tried a different approach. “It’s like when the other kids call you Dudley. You told them you don’t like it, but they didn’t listen. They even turned it into a joke and tried to force you to accept it. That made you unhappy. It made you feel like they were being mean, right?” I continued, “That’s the feeling of not being respected.” “Did you, without meaning to, do the same thing to Lily today that those kids did to you?” Leo was quiet for a long time, thinking. A sad, guilty look crossed his face as he nodded. He promised he wouldn’t do it again. I gently pushed on. “So, what should you do tomorrow?” “I’ll go apologize to Lily.” “And what if she doesn’t accept your apology?” He looked up at me, his expression certain. “It’s her choice not to accept my apology. I won’t bother her anymore. I’ll just try my best to be better, and wait for her to forgive me.” As I stroked his head, he bit his lip and added in a small voice, “Mommy, I feel really bad about what I did to Lily. I want to make it up to her. Can I?” 12 The next day, for the first time ever, I agreed to let Leo take his limited-edition snack box to kindergarten. Just as he was about to leave, I called him back. I told him that if anyone called him Dudley again, he needed to tell them, clearly and seriously, that he didn’t like it. And then he needed to tell the teacher that their words were hurting his feelings. He looked down at his shoes. “What if they don’t listen to me?” “You will have done everything you needed to do. The rest is their problem. Their parents’ problem. Don’t ever look for fault in yourself because of someone else’s bad behavior. That’s a fool’s game.” The commentary feed approved. 【YES! That’s exactly it. You call me a name, I tell you I don’t like it, you do it again? That means you’re the one who’s stupid and has no manners. It has nothing to do with me.】 【What a great way to separate the issues. No internalizing. I love it.】 【I’m kind of jealous of the mini-villain. The original is such a gentle mom…】 【Am I the only one who thinks Leo is just scamming her for snacks?】 ……… As Leo walked into his classroom, he kept looking back at me over his shoulder. I gave him an encouraging smile. I watched him hand the snack box to Lily, then take two steps back and offer a formal, little bow of apology. Then, I turned and walked toward the administrative office. My son had done his part. The rest was up to his mother. ……… In the weeks that followed, the smiles on Leo’s face became much more frequent. Even his temper seemed to have mellowed. He told me the teacher had spoken sternly to the children who were calling names. Now, no one in the class did it anymore. Lily had forgiven him. She even gave him a small bag of homemade cookies as a thank-you gift. 13 Before I knew it, the day of Cole’s return arrived. That night, I was asleep in my room—our room. In the deep darkness, a pair of hands suddenly clamped around my throat. A low, furious voice hissed in my ear. “How did you get in here? Did your System crack the code? Didn’t I tell you never to come near my room?” I recognized Cole’s voice instantly. Without thinking, my hand flew up and I slapped him across the face. The sharp crack echoed in the silent room.

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1 The Covington line is thin—for generations, we’ve had only one heir. To secure the future, my father adopted three girls, decreeing: whichever bore my son would see that child inherit the entire Covington fortune. Everyone whispered the true heir would come from these three, but they only looked at me with contempt. I loved Selena for years, yet got nothing but scorn. I thought she was just cold—until I saw her in Leo, our driver’s son’s arms, vowing: “I’m only marrying him to repay the Covingtons. Once I bear the heir, I’ll divorce him and marry you. I’ll even give Ethan millions to vanish abroad if he doesn’t hurt you. You’re my only true husband.” On the eve of the annual shareholders’ meeting, my father asked for my choice. Thinking of their evasive, resentful eyes, a cold smile crossed my lips. “I’m the Covington heir—my marriage should be a highest-return transaction. I choose Felicity Thorne from the capital.” My father frowned. “Felicity Thorne? She was paralyzed in a car crash five years ago, confined to a wheelchair and unable to have children. Are you certain?” … My voice was soft, but my resolve was steel. “In our world, true love is a currency we can’t afford. Since it’s all about maximizing profit, aligning with the Thorne dynasty is the most logical choice.” My father’s expression was grave. “That may be true, but what about the three girls I chose for you? Did none of them catch your eye?” My father had loved my mother deeply, but she died of a sudden brain hemorrhage the year I was born. He couldn’t bear the thought of remarrying, but he knew I had little interest in romance and feared I would be the one to end the Covington line. On a friend’s advice, he’d adopted three orphans, all without family to their name. He’d drafted his will early: whichever one I chose would co-manage the company with me, a united front against the other board members. I looked my father in the eye. “Felicity may be in a wheelchair and unable to conceive naturally, but we can have a child through IVF and a surrogate. She is the sole heiress to the Thorne fortune. Rather than propping up an orphan to support our family, it’s far wiser to ally with a powerhouse.” He nodded slowly. “If those three couldn’t capture your heart, then there’s no reason for them to remain at Covington Corp.” If I had told him the simple truth—that I wouldn’t force myself on Selena because she didn’t love me—he would have dragged her before me, made her kneel, and demanded to know what right an adopted charity case had to refuse his son. I didn’t want him to weaponize his years of kindness against her, nor did I want to chain myself to a woman who despised me. Besides, the words I’d overheard her speak to Leo had frozen my heart solid. Letting her go peacefully was the greatest mercy I could offer. As my father left his office, he shot a sharp, appraising glance at Selena, who was waiting outside. After seeing him off with practiced deference, she turned to me, her brow creased in annoyance. “What did you tattle to him about this time?” Her eyes were filled with a familiar disgust, as if I were something vile she’d stepped in. Before I could answer, Clara, standing beside her, let out a derisive snort. “What else? The usual complaints, I’m sure. That we’re not falling all over ourselves to worship him.” Lara, the third, chimed in with a sneer. “Listen, your highness, the monarchy fell a long time ago. Do you really think your money makes you a king that everyone has to revolve around?” The three of them stood united, their words like sharpened daggers aimed at my heart. I was genuinely confused. “None of you want to marry me. Why has not one of you ever said so to my father?” While he’d hoped a relationship would blossom, he was a pragmatist, not a tyrant. The moment any of them had said no, he would have cut them a generous check and sent them on their way to a life of freedom abroad. But that would mean giving up the Covington fortune, wouldn’t it? Lara, ever the hothead, clicked her tongue impatiently. “Don’t make it sound so noble. We know what we are. We’re charity cases, the dogs you Covingtons decided to keep. What right do we have to refuse?” Selena’s face was pale with anger as she stared at me. “Fine. Choose me. Just promise you won’t make things difficult for the other two.” Lara and Clara looked at her, their expressions softening with gratitude. Seeing Selena stand there, a reluctant martyr, filled my chest with a bitter ache. Before I could speak, Leo appeared, materializing as if from thin air. The moment he saw me, he flinched and scurried behind Selena for protection. A grown man, hiding behind a woman. “He hasn’t done anything,” Selena said immediately, shielding him. “Just leave him alone today.” I looked from one to the other, bewildered. All three of them, the women who were supposed to be on my side, now formed a protective wall in front of Leo, glaring at me as if I were the villain. They saw themselves as strong, independent women and disliked my confidence, my assertiveness. Instead, they doted on Leo, a man who was my inferior in every conceivable way. I remembered when Leo first arrived at our estate five years ago. He’d given me a cheap wristwatch as a gift. I, in turn, presented him with a ten-thousand-dollar tailored suit as a welcoming present. The moment I put on the watch, Selena snatched it from my wrist. “This was a memento from Leo’s mother!” she’d snarled. “You’d even steal that from him?” I’d looked at Leo, waiting for him to explain that it was a gift, freely given. Instead, his face crumpled, and he dropped to his knees. “Mr. Covington didn’t steal it! I gave it to him willingly!” he cried, his voice thick with false tears. “He’s been so kind to me, he even gave me this suit. I’m not upset, really.” He started banging his head on the marble floor. The sight made the three girls’ eyes turn red, reminding them of their own dependent status. They rounded on me, filled with righteous fury. “Just because you’re Ethan Covington doesn’t give you the right to force someone to give you their mother’s last gift!” “That watch may not be expensive, but its sentimental value is worth more than any suit! Give it back to him, now!” “You’re always the same. So selfish. You only care about what you want.” My face hardened, but I told myself it was a misunderstanding, something we could clear up later. Swallowing my anger, I held the watch out to Leo. As he reached for it, his hand “slipped.” The watch fell to the floor, shattering. He stared at the broken pieces, then looked up at me, his eyes blazing with manufactured rage. “If you were just going to destroy it, why pretend to give it back?” Selena, ever the champion of the oppressed, turned on me with an icy threat. “Apologize to Leo. Right now. Or don’t expect me to ever marry you.” I had confessed my feelings to her by then, told her she was the only one I could ever imagine marrying. She used that confession as a weapon, forcing me to bow to Leo. I was younger then, terrified of losing her, too afraid to risk defending myself. So I lowered my head, my eyes burning with shame, and apologized. That single apology became a five-year sentence. From that day on, whenever Leo saw me, he’d react like a mouse seeing a cat, either collapsing to his knees or bursting into tears. And I hadn’t done a single thing. My face was a cold mask as I looked at Selena now. “If you’re that worried about me ‘bullying’ Leo, perhaps you should keep him on a leash.” My words were dripping with sarcasm, but she took them literally. “Is that a threat? What are you planning to do to him?” Lara clapped her hands together. “I know what this is about! It’s because we gave the Celestial Deep to Leo, isn’t it? You’re going to use that as an excuse to hurt him!” Clara’s gaze was glacial. “You have everything. Leo’s never even had a proper birthday celebration. It’s just an aquarium. Is it really worth making such a scene over?” My blood ran cold. “The Celestial Deep?” The Celestial Deep was a state-of-the-art private underground aquarium, a project started the year I was born. Its main feature was a wall of flawless imperial jade, which, when viewed through the shimmering water, created the illusion of a vast, cosmic nebula. It was finally completed six months ago, and my father had entrusted Selena with the finishing touches. It was meant to be my gift, presented to me at my birthday gala in a month. And now, my gift belonged to Leo. My eyes locked onto Selena. She was in charge of the project. No one could have gotten inside without her approval. She flinched under my gaze, turning her head away with a flash of guilt and anger. “Leo grew up poor, working just to survive. He’s never really seen a starry sky. I just wanted to grant him one small wish. Besides,” she added defensively, “the ownership is still in your name, isn’t it?” “Stop being so difficult. Fine. At your birthday party, I’ll announce our engagement. Will that make you happy?” She looked at me as if she were bestowing a great charity, and for a moment, I felt like I was the orphan in this house. But no one else seemed to find her attitude strange. In fact, they all looked at her with pity, as if she were the one making a great sacrifice. “Why do you have to do that for him? Marrying Ethan, with his cruel, arrogant nature? You’d be better off becoming a nun.” “I bet he’s thrilled. He’s finally getting what he’s wanted for years.” “Selena, please don’t throw your life away for my sake!” Leo wailed, ever the performer. “I’ll kneel, I’ll beg him, I’ll be his slave, whatever it takes…” My throat was dry. “I’m not going to marry you,” I said, the words tasting like ash. Selena’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Lara and Clara exchanged nervous glances, suddenly terrified I might choose one of them instead. Being so thoroughly rejected by the three people I’d grown up with… if I didn’t leave right then, I was afraid of what I might do. I turned to go, but Leo grabbed my wrist. His eyes were red, his expression one of profound humiliation as he, once again, dropped to his knees. “Please, don’t take this out on Selena. They’re all adopted by your family, they’re already seen as lesser. If you’re angry that they gave me the Celestial Deep and you’re going to tell your father, I’m the one you should punish. I’ll apologize.” He started banging his head on the floor again, harder this time, until a raw, red mark appeared on his forehead. Selena rushed to help him up, her heart aching for him. She turned to me, her eyes blazing with fury. “You say you won’t marry me, but let’s see you stick to that! Using these cheap tricks to torment Leo, what does that prove?! You’re just trying to find an excuse to run to your father and get him thrown out!” I looked at her, my expression unreadable. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. But rest assured, I will not choose you as my wife.” I thought that would be the end of it, but she grabbed my arm. “If not me, then who? Clara? Or Lara?” “Lara is passionate about art; she wants to study abroad. Clara craves freedom. Isn’t it enough that you’ve ruined my life? Do you have to ruin theirs, too?” She took a deep breath, her voice softening into a weary plea. “If you promise to leave Leo alone from now on, I’ll marry you. Just stop this, please?” Her eyes were filled with exhaustion, as if I had been torturing her for years. I looked at her, really looked at her, for a long moment. “Everything,” I said softly, “will be exactly as you wish.” She was so afraid I would hurt Leo, and she so desperately didn’t want to be my wife. When I married Felicity Thorne, all her problems would be solved. I didn’t see her again until the night of my birthday gala. She appeared with Clara and Lara in tow, her face a thundercloud. I frowned at my assistant. I had specifically told him not to invite them, that the announcement had nothing to do with them. He just shook his head frantically, mouthing, I don’t know, they just showed up! I sighed and decided to ignore them. The other guests, however, were not so circumspect. “Miss Selena, you’re a true prodigy! That deal you closed last month must have brought in millions. No wonder Mr. Covington is so devoted to you.” I closed that deal. Selena just signed the papers. “Miss Lara, you may have a temper, but you have a strong sense of justice. Mr. Covington would be lucky to have you.” I scoffed internally. Lara was the one who bullied me the most, treating me like a venomous snake she wanted to crush. “And Miss Clara, so elegant and capable. Mr. Covington couldn’t go wrong choosing you.” The three of them moved through my party as if they were the hosts. I was about to put a stop to the charade when all three of them simultaneously looked down at their phones. Before I could react, Lara’s face contorted with rage. She stormed towards me and slapped me hard across the face. The blow sent my head spinning, and I nearly stumbled. A shocked silence fell over the room as guests scrambled to get out of the way. Selena clenched her fists, stopping Lara from hitting me again. She turned to me, her teeth gritted. “We’re already here, on display like items in a shop for you to choose from. What more do you want? Do you have to drive Leo to his death?” I had no idea what she was talking about. Seeing my confusion, Clara’s lip curled in disgust. “You waited until none of us were around and had him kidnapped. Let me tell you, you won’t get what you want!” Her words hit me like a physical blow. Leo had played another one of his games. The guests were all my father’s friends and business partners, yet not a single one of them moved to intervene as I stood there, humiliated. In that moment, I understood. They didn’t believe the Covington fortune would ever truly be mine. They didn’t dare cross the three women they saw as the future matriarchs. I cradled my stinging cheek, my eyes cold as ice. “Apologize.” Lara glanced at my reddened eyes and sneered. “Leo was nearly beaten to death. You got one little slap. What’s there to cry about?” “I’m… I’m okay…” A new voice cut through the tension. Leo limped into the room, his clothes torn, his face a mess of bruises. He looked like he’d been through hell. Selena rushed to his side, draping her own jacket over his shoulders. She looked back at me with utter revulsion. “You truly are the most manipulative person I have ever met. I would never, ever marry a man like you.” Clara, usually so quiet, stepped in front of Leo. “Your family line is so weak you need to use women as broodmares. You brought the three of us here to be your tools. We accepted our fate, but even that wasn’t enough for you. Fine. There’s no need to keep up this pretense of peace.” She turned and walked away without a backward glance, showing zero regard for the Covington family’s reputation. As she left, Selena threw one last, arrogant remark over her shoulder. “I will marry you. But after the child is born, you will be nothing more than a figurehead. If you want my son to protect this family’s empire, you will learn to stay in your place.” I laughed. Had they forgotten? Without me, they would still be in an orphanage. As they made for the exit, a few guests finally moved to stop them. But I roared, my voice cracking like a whip, “Let them go!” Leo shot me a triumphant, mocking glance over his shoulder, as if he’d just conquered the world. I stood there, silent, until my assistant whispered frantically, “Sir, what do we do now? They’re all gone. Who will you choose?” The guests were murmuring amongst themselves. “The Covingtons need an heir. If the three women who know him best want nothing to do with him, who could he possibly marry?” I almost laughed out loud. As if they were the only three women in the world. Smiling, I raised my glass of wine. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. As you know, tonight is not just my birthday celebration. It is also my engagement party.” On the massive screen behind me, a face appeared—cold, stunningly beautiful, and utterly imperious. A collective gasp went through the crowd. “Isn’t that… Felicity Thorne of the capital?!”

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My husband’s death was ruled an accidental drowning. As I was sorting through his belongings, a copy of a property deed fell out from between the pages of a journal. When I pushed open the door to that house, I froze. The interior was cozy and romantic. The expensive furniture, plush carpets, and crystal chandelier glittered even under a layer of dust, unable to hide their opulence. Compared to our cramped, rundown apartment, it was another world. Hanging on the wall was a happy family portrait: him, his first love, and a pair of twin children. On the desk lay a suicide note in a messy scrawl: [Julianna, after you left, every day has been a living hell, an agony I can’t bear. Now that Mom is gone and the children are grown, I have nothing left to tie me to this world. I’m coming to find you, to continue our love story on the other side!] My legs gave out from under me. I practically had to crawl my way out of that room. In that moment, all I wanted to do was dig up his grave. But the rage and grief overwhelmed me. A sweet, metallic taste filled my throat, and after spitting out a mouthful of blood, my world went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the tenth year of our marriage. 1 When the police called to inform me that my husband Eddy’s body had been found in the West Hill Reservoir, I was still at the office, burning the midnight oil to deal with a client’s last-minute design changes. Over forty, hormones a mess, and still slaving away like a workhorse after 10 p.m. My resentment was already at an all-time high. So when I heard the news, my first thought was that it was a scam. “Go to hell,” I snarled into the phone. “I hope all you scammers die.” The officer on the other end didn’t get angry. In a calm, professional voice, he rattled off his badge number and the station’s address. He explained that some night fishermen had found my husband’s body and that his ID was in his wallet. He asked me to come to the scene as soon as possible. Half-believing, I hung up. On the drive to the reservoir, I tried calling Eddy over and over, but his phone went straight to voicemail. Forty minutes later, I arrived at the location the police had given me. The night was pitch black. The sound of the reservoir’s current and the cries of unseen animals were bone-chilling. I stumbled through the uneven terrain, my feet sinking into the soft earth, running towards the only cluster of light in the darkness. And there, I saw him. A man, lying stiff and straight on the riverbank. He was wearing the white shirt and black trousers he always wore, now stained with mud and grime. His shoes were gone, his bare feet crisscrossed with cuts. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth. When I saw his face, I froze, as if struck by lightning. It really was him. My husband, Eddy. 2 After a thorough investigation, an autopsy, and a review of the security footage from near the reservoir, the police ruled out foul play. The medical examiner found alcohol in his system, and the official cause of death was accidental drowning while intoxicated. Our children flew back from overseas as soon as they heard the news. I was so consumed by grief that my blood pressure spiked, causing me to faint several times. I ended up in the ICU. My son and daughter handled all of their father’s funeral arrangements. By the time I was discharged, Eddy had already been buried. It wasn’t until the children took me to his gravesite that I realized, to my horror, that they had buried him in a joint plot with their biological mother, Julianna. But they had been divorced for over twenty years… I stared blankly at my children standing beside me. My daughter, Lily, spoke in a flat voice. “It’s what Dad wanted.” She pulled a document from her bag and handed it to me. “This is the will Dad wrote. The lawyer gave it to me and my brother when we got back. You should read it too.” My hands trembled as I took it. Just as Lily had said, the will stipulated that he was to be buried with Julianna. Lily continued, her voice devoid of emotion. “The last page is about the assets. The death beneficiaries for all of Dad’s insurance policies are me and Leo. His mutual funds and stocks were purchased before he married you, so they’re considered his personal assets. He left those to us as well.” “As for the old apartment…” Lily paused. “Dad left you your 50% share, but you’ll have to pay us the market value for his half. Of course, you could also sell the place and give me and Leo half the money.” Leo, who had been silent the whole time, finally looked at me. His expression held a flicker of guilt, and his lips trembled slightly. “Mom, Lily and I got our green cards. After we settle things here, we won’t be coming back. You need to take care of yourself.” I looked at the two children I had raised for twenty years, a wave of disbelief washing over me. I didn’t even realize when the tears had started to fall. A lump of pain formed in my throat, my voice so hoarse it was almost a whisper. “How… how could you do this to me?” I had been married to Eddy for twenty years. I had been a stepmother to Leo and Lily since they were barely five years old. I loved my husband, stood by him through thick and thin. I cared for his children with all my heart. I respected his parents, did everything a daughter-in-law should. And in the end… They had schemed against me until I had nothing left. 3 I stumbled back to our apartment, my body feeling heavy and weak. Everything inside was just as Eddy had left it. We had lived in this apartment for nearly twenty years. I had bought this second-hand place the year after we got married, using the dowry my parents had given me. The building was over thirty years old, rundown and shabby. It was less than eight hundred square feet. At one point, five of us, including my mother-in-law, had been crammed into this tiny space. For years, I had scrimped and saved. To send Leo and Lily to study abroad, to pay for my mother-in-law’s dialysis treatments for her chronic kidney failure. I always told myself, things will get better. It will all be okay. But now I realized I was nothing more than a tool for their family. My eyes were vacant, lifeless pools as I moved like an automaton, gathering Eddy’s belongings, intending to throw them all out. As I cleared out his closet, I found a journal tucked away at the very bottom, beneath a pile of old clothes. Inside, I found a yellowed piece of paper. It was a copy of a property deed. The owner was Eddy Scott. I went to the address on the deed. After verifying my ID, a locksmith opened the door for me. The moment I stepped inside, I was utterly stunned. This was clearly Eddy and Julianna’s love nest. The walls were covered with photos of them with their children. The decor was warm and romantic. The expensive furniture, the luxurious carpets, the crystal chandelier that sparkled even under a layer of dust. Compared to our cramped, rundown apartment, it was another world entirely. I moved with heavy steps toward the master bedroom. The room was enormous, with a walk-in closet, a vanity, a king-sized bed, and a spacious, sunlit bay window. The clothes in the closet were all designer, neatly organized. Next door was Eddy’s study. The sight that greeted me there was a dagger to the heart. The walls were a chronicle of their family’s happy memories—from the children’s elementary school days to their college years, they had traveled the world together. All the places I had dreamed of going but never dared to spend the money on. I collapsed into the chair at the desk. On the desk lay a single sheet of paper with a line of writing: [Julianna, in the two years since you passed away from your illness, I have been living in torment, every day an agony. My duty to my mother is now done, and the children are grown. I have nothing left to tie me to this world. I pray we can be reunited in the afterlife, to continue our love story.] … It wasn’t an accidental drowning while drunk. It was a suicide, to be with her. I tore the note to shreds, a primal scream of rage building in my chest. 4 I don’t know how long I sat there. Finally, I pushed myself up, my knees aching. I staggered out of the room. All I wanted in that moment was to find Eddy’s grave and dig it up with my bare hands. But the overwhelming grief and rage crashed through my body. A mouthful of blood surged up my throat. My vision went black, and I fell backward, into the darkness. 5 When I opened my eyes again, I was sitting at a table laden with food, surrounded by a cacophony of noise. The clatter of dishes, the murmur of conversation—it all washed over me like a tidal wave. It took me a moment to remember where I was. This was the celebration dinner after Leo and Lily had finished their end-of-middle-school exams. Both of them had been accepted into the city’s top high school. They had received full scholarships for all three years, plus a six-thousand-dollar academic prize each. At this moment, Eddy was leading the children from table to table, accepting congratulations from friends and family. Everyone was praising him, the university professor, for raising such brilliant children. Julianna, sitting next to my mother-in-law, was beaming, her face glowing with pride as if she were the guest of honor. I picked up the glass of red wine in front of me and downed it in one gulp. The cool, slightly tart liquid slid down my throat, a sharp reminder that this was not a dream. As I was trying to get my bearings, a sharp, whiny voice cut through the noise. “Nora, you really are the lucky one. After a scandal like yours, you still managed to land a great husband like Eddy. No uterus, so you didn’t have to go through the pain of childbirth, and you got a pair of perfect kids for free. Some people have all the luck.” I looked up. The speaker was Kate, a former classmate of Eddy’s from university, two years his junior. She now worked at the same university as him, also a philosophy professor. Her voice was loud. Many people had heard her. Julianna raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips as she looked over, clearly anticipating a show. Kate clucked her tongue. “How did you get so lucky? I heard ten years ago your father was practically trying to pay someone to marry you, offering a whole apartment as a dowry. Who would have thought Eddy would have such bad taste? So many women were after him, and he chose you. There’s just no justice in the world.” I looked at her face, slightly twisted with jealousy, and felt a strange mix of amusement and pity. I knew she had harbored a crush on Eddy for years, only to be beaten to the punch by her supposed best friend, Julianna. By the time she found out, Julianna was already two months pregnant. Their friendship ended on the spot. Later, a heartbroken Kate had married someone else. Not long after her wedding, Julianna had abruptly divorced Eddy, abandoned her children, and moved abroad. 6 Kate had never quite gotten over not marrying Eddy. So she always targeted me, constantly picking at my old wounds. In the past, I had been ashamed of what had happened to me, so I would always just lower my head and endure it. She had said these exact same words in my past life, and I had let them slide. It was my children’s celebration, their teachers and friends were here, along with Eddy’s colleagues. I didn’t want to make a scene. But now, none of that mattered. Slam. I slapped my chopsticks down on the table. “You’re right, I am lucky!” I shot back, my voice loud and clear. “You’re jealous I married Eddy, aren’t you? How about I give you this ‘luck’? Fulfill that little decade-long crush of yours. Then maybe you’ll stop buzzing around me every five minutes, whispering about how I don’t deserve him.” Kate’s face went white. She shot a panicked look toward her husband. “Nora, are you insane? What are you talking about?” I sneered. “Am I? What about all those flirty texts you send him? The way you hang all over him, batting your eyelashes? Do you think I’m blind? Every time, you just have to bring up my assault, don’t you? Just to humiliate me.” “Yes, I was assaulted! I was beaten so badly they had to remove my uterus! But even then, it was your precious Eddy who came chasing after me. If you have a problem with it, take it up with him!” Heads turned in our direction. Kate’s husband was staring at her, his eyes dark. Eddy rushed over, his face a mask of fury. He shot a glare at Kate, then grabbed my arm, hissing, “What are you doing? This is a special occasion! Why are you bringing up all this old baggage in front of everyone?” I yanked my arm away, my face cold. “What did I say? She’s the one who starts it every single time. Are you blind?” Kate’s husband walked over, his face grim. He pulled his wife up from her chair and forced a tense smile at us. “Nora, Professor Scott, I’m so sorry. I just got an urgent call from work. We have to go. We’ll come by and visit properly some other time.” Without another word, he dragged a protesting Kate out of the hall. 7 The noisy banquet hall fell into an awkward silence. The looks on people’s faces were a complex mixture of pity, curiosity, and judgment. Julianna, who had been enjoying the show, now stood up. She moved to stand beside Eddy, a faint, mocking smile on her face as she looked at me. But when she spoke, her voice was soft and gentle, a sweet, chiding tone. “Nora, nobody is judging you for what happened in your past, but you don’t have to broadcast it for everyone to hear, do you? You’re Eddy’s wife now. When you say those things, think about how it makes him look.” “And even if you don’t care about Eddy, Leo and Lily still call you ‘Mom.’ How do you expect them to face their classmates after this?” I followed her gaze to where Leo and Lily were standing a short distance away. Leo’s hands were clenched into fists, his eyes red with fury. Lily’s eyes were filled with tears, her expression a mixture of hatred and disgust. I remembered them at the gravesite, waving Eddy’s will in my face, urging me to sell the apartment and give them their share. I let out a cold snort. “Their biological mother isn’t dead. What right do I have to be their mother?” “When their real mother finally kicks the bucket, then we’ll talk.” “You—” Julianna was speechless, her face flushing a deep red. Her watery eyes pleaded for help from Eddy. A flicker of cold fury passed through Eddy’s eyes. He grabbed my arm again, his grip so tight I thought my bones would snap. He hissed, his voice low and dangerous, “Nora, that’s enough. Don’t make this any more embarrassing for everyone. If you want to throw a fit, do it at home.” 8 I looked up, straight into his eyes, and a wave of pure, unadulterated hatred washed over me. Sensing the tension, a few friends came over to play peacemaker. “Professor Scott, come on, we were just about to ask you for some parenting tips. My kid is failing half his classes. You have to tell us your secret…” Soon, the hall was filled with noise again. I sat back down, my expression like ice. A dull ache spread through my chest. I poured myself another glass of wine and drank it down. I knew the smartest thing to do was to divorce Eddy, escape this family of parasites, and start a new life. But they had deceived me for my entire adult life. How could I just let go of all this hatred? 9 After the party, when everyone had left, it was just me and Eddy’s perfect little family of four. My mother-in-law’s raspy voice cut through the silence. “Nora, if you have no shame, we do. Are you trying to make sure everyone in the world knows about your sordid past?” “Do you think that’s something to be proud of? With your reputation, and the fact that you can’t even have children, I wouldn’t have approved of you even if it was your first marriage.” “Someone like you, damaged goods, you’re not worthy of my son.” “Mom!” Eddy cut her off sharply. “I told you not to bring up the past again. Why are you starting?” I looked at my mother-in-law. She was healthy, full of vigor. At this point in time, she hadn’t yet been diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. She didn’t need to suck up to me, to sweet-talk me into paying for her dialysis and driving her to the hospital every week. In my past life, after her diagnosis, I had taken care of her for nearly eight years. Every Saturday, without fail, I would take her for her treatment. I cooked her special low-protein, low-sodium meals. She had died peacefully in the hospital two months before Eddy’s suicide. The line in his note, “My duty to my mother is now done,” was a duty I had fulfilled for him. I let out a cold laugh. “If I hadn’t been injured and had my uterus removed, do you think I would have even looked twice at Eddy?” “Do you think your son is such a great catch? His professorship was a sham. If my father hadn’t pulled every string he had to get him a recommendation, he’d still be struggling as a lecturer.” “Don’t you dare act like you’re saints when you’re nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.” My words hung in the air, creating a sudden, tense silence. My mother-in-law, clearly not expecting me to fight back so directly, turned a shade of purple, her body trembling with rage. 10 Standing beside her, Eddy, having been hit where it hurt, roared, “What is wrong with you today? Just because Kate said a few words, you have to go crazy?” Lily shrieked, “This was supposed to be my and my brother’s celebration! Why did you have to talk about being assaulted? How am I supposed to face my classmates now? Why do you always have to ruin everything?” I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the volcano of rage about to erupt inside me. “You’re right! I am crazy! What are you going to do about it?” I turned to Lily. “And who cares if you can face your classmates or not? I haven’t complained about how ugly and short you are, with your upturned nostrils, embarrassing me in front of my colleagues!” Lily was, admittedly, not conventionally attractive. Though she and Leo were twins, Leo resembled their beautiful mother, while Lily was the spitting image of their grandmother. Lily froze for a second, then completely broke down. She let out a loud wail and ran out of the banquet hall, crying. I had no desire to waste any more words on them. I grabbed my bag and walked out. 11 Outside the hotel, the sky was completely dark. The summer night air, though cool, still felt sticky against my skin. I kicked a loose stone on the sidewalk, my mind a chaotic mess. Memories of what had happened to me resurfaced, and the feeling of drowning returned. I had been assaulted. It was during my senior year of college, during my internship. I was walking home from a late shift when someone dragged me into a dark alley. Security wasn’t as good back then. There were no cameras in those narrow backstreets. He clamped a hand over my mouth. I fought back with everything I had. In the struggle, I managed to land a hard kick to his groin. That only enraged him. He threw me to the ground, but when he tried to assault me, he found he was unable to. Frustrated and angry, he pulled up his pants and began kicking my abdomen, over and over. Then he left me, like a discarded rag, by a dumpster. My parents searched for me all night. When the doctor told them my uterus had ruptured and my bladder was damaged, that they had to perform a hysterectomy to save my life, my mother fainted on the spot. My father’s hair seemed to turn white overnight. The man was sentenced to ten years in prison, but the damage he did to me was permanent. I had to use a catheter for three months. I underwent a full year of therapy before I could even begin to function again. After that, I was filled with self-loathing, insecurity, and shame. I didn’t dare to date, convinced I wasn’t worthy of anyone. Until I met Eddy. He was like a light in my dark, empty life. I thought he was my savior, my beacon. That’s why I poured everything I had into our marriage. Even when his mother was cruel, even when my stepchildren, influenced by their grandmother and their mother, were hostile and resentful, I cherished our marriage. I never imagined that he was Satan, hiding behind a mask of light. Another hand, pulling me down into the abyss. He had utterly destroyed me, turning all our beautiful memories into daggers that he used to stab me, over and over. 12 It was almost midnight by the time I got home. The apartment was dark. They were probably all asleep. I heard a rustling sound from the balcony, an eerie noise in the dead of night. I turned on the light and went to investigate. There, I saw a narrow-mouthed bamboo basket, covered with a fine-mesh bag. The rustling was coming from inside. The scene was chillingly familiar. The hairs on my arms stood on end. It was full of venomous snakes. In my past life, after Leo and Lily’s exam results came out, my mother-in-law insisted it was because her prayers had been answered. She had somehow acquired over a dozen venomous snakes, planning to take the children to the mountains to release them for good karma. When I found out, I tried to stop her, telling her to release some fish instead if she was so determined. She told me that you couldn’t eat an animal you had released for karma. She still wanted to eat fish, but she certainly wasn’t going to eat venomous snakes. Seeing that it was useless to argue with her, I waited until she had gone for her morning walk in the park, then took the basket of snakes to a wildlife rescue center. The staff there were horrified when they opened the bag. They were all highly venomous silver-banded kraits. Because kraits are a protected species, the staff immediately called the police. I was subjected to an hour-long lecture and had to sign a statement promising never to illegally buy or sell wildlife again. My mother-in-law threw a massive tantrum, accusing me of ruining her spiritual cultivation. I turned and walked back into the living room. This time, I had no intention of interfering. 13 The next morning, my mother-in-law returned with breakfast and immediately started giving orders. “Eddy, go wake up Leo and Lily. We have to go to the mountains to release the animals after we eat.” Eddy rubbed his temples, annoyed. “Mom, can you please not involve the kids in your superstitious nonsense?” She shot him a glare. “What do you know? If I hadn’t prayed for you back then, do you think you would have gotten into university? And the kids’ good exam results? That was all my doing.” Seeing that it was pointless to argue, Eddy just frowned and went to wake the children. When the kids were at the table, my mother-in-law started handing out breakfast. There was nothing for me. I didn’t care. I went to my room, grabbed my ID, our marriage certificate, and the household registration book, and slammed the door on my way out. I took a taxi straight to the property registration office. Just as I suspected. A 2,500-square-foot property was registered under Eddy’s name. The registration date was three years ago, the same year Julianna had returned to the country. The mortgage had been cleared just two months ago. He must have paid it off early. I had the staff stamp the inquiry form. On my way to the office, I couldn’t stop thinking. A man as meticulous as Eddy, how could he have been so careless as to leave a property registered in his name? In my past life, all I had seen was a photocopy of the deed. This was a man who had only named his own children as beneficiaries on his insurance policies, who had schemed to take my half of the apartment I had paid for. How could he have willingly let me get half of this house, which was already worth millions? 14 Just after our weekly meeting, the phone in my office rang. I put it on speaker. Leo’s panicked, crying voice came through the line. “Mom! Mom, you have to come quick! Grandma got bit by a snake when we were releasing them. She passed out from the pain, and I can’t move her! We’re on the south side of the mountain, halfway up. You know the place, we had a picnic there last time we went hiking. By the big rock.” “Dad’s not answering his phone. Mom, I’m so scared, the snakes are crawling everywhere… Please, come save me!” “Ah! Get away from me! Don’t come over here!” Leo’s terrified screams echoed in my office. “Mom, did you hear me? Can you please hurry?” his cries started again. My hand instinctively reached for my phone to call 911. But just as my finger was about to press the button, I paused. I slowly put the phone down. If my mother-in-law’s gods could grant her grandchildren good grades, surely they could keep them safe. I spoke into the phone. “Leo, honey, I’m out of town on a business trip. You need to call your dad or 911.” There was a three-second silence on the other end. “Mom, I’m calling your office landline.” Oops. “I mean, I’m about to leave for my trip. The taxi is waiting downstairs. I have to go, I’ll talk to you later.” I hung up. Then, I turned off my cell phone.

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Orientation week, day one. Ryder, the guy who’d been holding court since the moment he stepped into the dorm, proposed a trip to the new luxury retail complex downtown. An all-you-can-carry shopping spree, on him. La Mer sunscreen that cost more than a month’s rent, Dior bags, imported snacks from a gourmet market—all of it, his treat. The room erupted in cheers. I, however, quietly slipped my own black card into the military-grade safe under my bunk. I’d learned my lesson. In another life, Ryder’s phone had brushed against my card for a split second. In that instant, five million dollars vanished from my account. The exact amount our classmates had just spent. 1 When I confronted him, he filmed my desperate confusion and posted it online. “I don’t have your face ID, man. I don’t have your fingerprint. How could I spend your money?” he’d said to his phone’s camera, feigning innocence. Then, turning on the crocodile tears, “I just wanted to do something nice for everyone, a welcome gift, and this is how I’m repaid?” The clip went viral. The internet turned on me, a vicious, anonymous mob. I was cornered, with nowhere to go. The day I was finally going to the police, I took a sip of water. It was laced with something sharp, chemical. A seizure tore through me, and then, nothing. When I opened my eyes again, I was back here. Back on the day it all began, with Ryder proclaiming his magnificent generosity. “Alright everyone, listen up! Orientation is a grind, I get it. So I decided we all deserve a little something,” Ryder announced, his voice booming across the common room, no microphone needed. “We’re heading to the mall for some welcome gifts. My treat. Who’s in?” Looking at that same triumphant smirk, the full, gut-wrenching realization hit me. I was back. Reborn. The familiar words ignited a cold fire of hatred in my chest. At first, most of the other freshmen ignored him, skeptical of his vague promise of a “little something.” Then he cleared his throat and brandished a sleek, black credit card. “Think Louis Vuitton, everyone. Top-shelf sunscreen. And when we’re tired, I’ll treat you all to a day at the Aethelgard Wellness Retreat. How does that sound?” The Aethelgard was the most exclusive, most ridiculously expensive spa in the entire state. A single day pass cost $12,888. The room exploded. The change in tone was instant. People were practically fawning over him. “Holy shit, Ryder! You’re loaded. Dude, I’ll be your personal assistant for a day like that.” “A treat from the king himself? You couldn’t drag me away.” I watched the scene unfold, a bitter, knowing sneer playing on my lips. In my last life, I’d gone with them. They’d shopped like wild animals, each one racking up a bill of over a hundred thousand dollars. When it came time to pay, Ryder had made a show of patting his pockets, a look of panic on his face. He’d claimed his card was gone, and then his eyes landed on me. Every card has a unique number. To clear my name, I showed him mine. He just needed to see it wasn’t his. He’d glanced at it, then given it back, his face a mask of apology. “My bad, man. Guess I was mistaken.” Then, miraculously, he found his own card in another pocket and paid for everything. The moment the transaction went through, my phone buzzed. Five million dollars, gone. The exact total of everyone’s purchases. With no itemized receipt in my name, only a transaction record, there was nothing I could do. I was screwed. Still, I confronted him. He secretly recorded the entire thing, turning my frantic accusations into a viral video that painted me as an ungrateful lunatic. “I literally just glanced at your card, and you’re saying I stole from you?” he’d pleaded to his online audience. “Family, you be the judge. I buy this guy a hundred grand worth of stuff, and he turns around and accuses me of being a thief! Can you believe the nerve?” The others, bought and paid for, all backed his story. A guy who drops a hundred grand on each of his new classmates? The internet ate it up. They were drowning in jealousy. Ryder became a minor influencer overnight, a rich-kid icon, raking in donations and sponsorships. And me? Just as I was about to file a police report, I drank that bottle of water and my world went black. Ryder had then forged a purchase history for poison under my name, sealing the narrative that I’d killed myself out of shame. “Man, I was just telling the truth,” he’d said in a somber livestream, shaking his head. “I can’t believe he took it so hard. It’s all my fault. I never should have posted that video.” My soul, or whatever was left of it, had hovered there, watching his sickeningly fake performance. It was enough to make me gag. And Ashley, the girl I’d had a crush on for three years in high school, had thrown herself right into his arms. “It’s not your fault, Ryder,” she’d cooed. “Ethan was always so uptight and cheap. He got what he deserved.” Watching them together, my spectral teeth had ground to dust. Lost in the memory, I didn’t hear Ryder calling my name until a sharp slap on my back jolted me back to the present. “Ethan, you’re coming, right?” “Yeah, everyone’s going. If you don’t come, it’s like you’re dissing me, man,” Ashley chimed in, grabbing my arm. “Ethan, you were such a loner in high school. This is college now. Ryder is being genuinely nice to us. Just come!” I subtly pulled my arm away from her touch, a slow smile spreading across my face. “Of course, I’m coming.” How else was I going to watch him crash and burn? The debt from my last life? This time, he was going to pay it back. In blood. 2 That afternoon, I took a ride home. I placed the black card my parents had given me into a military-grade, biometric safe. The kind of thing that could take a stray bullet and not even dent. My iris was the only key. Cracking it would be harder than breaking into Fort Knox. Once the real card was secure, I took out the replica I’d had made. It was a perfect copy, visually indistinguishable from the real thing. But it was just a piece of plastic. It couldn’t withdraw a dime, couldn’t even accept a deposit. It was a dud. Just as I finished, my phone buzzed. It was Ryder, for the third time. “Ethan, where are you, man? Everyone’s waiting for you!” Then his voice dropped. “Ashley says if you don’t show, she’s done with you.” Hearing him use her first name so casually didn’t stir a single thing in me. Not anymore. In high school, I really had been hung up on Ashley for three years. I’d even applied to the same universities as her. But she’d never said yes, and never said no. A classic string-along. That’s why seeing her leap into Ryder’s arms in my past life was a sickening kind of clarity. She wasn’t unavailable; she was just fishing for the highest bidder. It was Ashley who had insisted I go on that shopping trip last time. I’d caved, wanting to be near her, and Ryder had used it to set his trap. That poisoned water? I later learned she had been the one to mix it, a twisted gesture to prove her loyalty to Ryder. A woman that hollow didn’t deserve a second thought. The frantic voice on the phone was still buzzing. I mumbled an affirmation and had my driver drop me at the mall. When Ryder saw the car, a sleek, custom Maybach, his eyes widened, a flash of pure greed in them. But he quickly masked it, throwing an arm over my shoulder like we were best buds. “There he is! We were about to send out a search party. Come on.” The other students, seeing me finally arrive, didn’t bother hiding their annoyance. “What took you so long, Ethan? Did you really have to make every single one of us wait?” “Who do you think you are, making us waste our time?” I scanned their faces impassively, my gaze finally landing on Ashley. Her pretty features were twisted into a look of impatience. “And you showed up in that? It looks like you got it from a thrift store. You could have at least tried.” I glanced down at my outfit, a simple athletic set. The t-shirt alone, a private commission from a top designer, was worth fifty thousand dollars. The fabric was a proprietary blend, cool and comfortable even in the sweltering late-summer heat. A contemptuous laugh escaped my lips. “You wouldn’t recognize quality if it slapped you in the face. This shirt alone could buy your life.” My words were sharp, and they hit their mark. Ashley’s eyes instantly welled with tears. Ryder stepped in, playing the peacemaker. “Hey, hey, come on. We’re all classmates here. No need for things to get ugly.” He clapped his hands together. “Let’s go pick out some gifts! Anything under a hundred grand is fair game!” A chorus of cheers erupted. “Ryder, you’re the man!” “Yeah, not like some people who pretend to be rich but are just faking it. So pathetic.” I knew they were talking about me, but I just smiled as I watched them stampede into the designer stores. The show was just beginning. I was dying to see how Ryder would handle the final act without my money. 3 Ashley trailed behind Ryder, her voice syrupy sweet. “Is there anything you want, Ryder?” He feigned surprise, then gave her a lecherous grin. “Just having you here with me is the best gift I could ask for.” He took her hand, basking in the fawning attention of our classmates, his face flushed with triumph. Noticing I hadn’t moved, Ryder called out, “Ethan, get in there! Go pick something out. Don’t be shy.” His magnanimity, contrasted with my cold silence, was stark. Immediately, someone jumped to his defense. “Ethan! If you don’t want a gift, you didn’t have to come!” “Ryder’s being so generous, and you’re giving him this attitude? What an ungrateful jerk.” “Don’t think renting a fancy car makes you a somebody. You might have the attitude of a rich kid, but you sure don’t have the bank account.” As the insults grew louder, I paused, making a show of turning to leave. Ryder panicked. He grabbed my arm, his grip surprisingly tight. “Guys, don’t talk to Ethan like that! He’s my friend.” His voice trembled slightly. He was clearly terrified. Terrified that his golden goose was about to walk away. But I wasn’t really leaving. If I left, I’d miss the grand finale. “Alright, Ryder. I’ll go pick something out then.” He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Yeah, man, go for it. Get whatever you want, seriously. Don’t hold back on my account.” I followed his suggestion and picked out a simple men’s backpack. A basic model I would never have considered in my real life. Most of the others had already made their selections. At Ryder’s urging, Ashley had chosen an entire set of diamond jewelry. The brilliant stones glittered under the showroom lights. I recognized it as the latest collection from Cartier. The whole set had to be at least a million dollars. Ryder didn’t even blink. “Get it,” he said, puffing out his chest. “If Ashley likes it, I’d buy her ten sets.” She rewarded him with a grateful kiss on the corner of his mouth. The surrounding students hooted and cheered. Even the sales associate was laying it on thick. “Mr. Ryder, you are truly generous. A million-dollar gift, just like that.” Someone from the crowd immediately piled on. “Yeah, I heard some guys chased Ashley for three years and never even bought her a ten-thousand-dollar gift. So cheap.” “Seriously. Broke guys should stay away from gorgeous women. He’s not even worthy of shining Ryder’s shoes.” Ashley shot me a look of pure, condescending victory. I just shrugged, completely unfazed. Finally, the shopping spree was over. When the sales associate brought over the card reader, Ryder’s face suddenly went pale. “My black card… it’s gone!” Everyone froze. Then, a frantic search began, with people dropping to the floor to look for the missing card. After several minutes of searching, they found nothing. Ashley looked worried. “Ryder, you don’t think someone… stole it, do you?” The moment she said the word “stole,” all eyes turned to me. Ryder put on a show of frustration, then looked at me with an expression of deep regret. “Ethan… you were the only one who bumped into me today. You didn’t… take my card, did you?” He pointed at my pocket. “I thought I saw a card in your pocket. Can I just see it?” I looked at him, a half-smile on my face. “Are you saying I stole your card?” I let out a short, incredulous laugh. “Seriously? Do I look like I need the money?” He rubbed the back of his neck, feigning embarrassment. “I’m not saying you stole it. I just want to see it. Look, everyone’s gifts are already boxed up. We shouldn’t keep the staff waiting.” Seeing Ryder in a tight spot, a few of his new cronies stepped forward. “Just let us see the card, Ethan.” “It’s just a look, man. It’s not going to kill you. What, you think we’re going to scan your card and steal your money?” At the mention of scanning and stealing, Ryder’s expression flickered. “Yeah, Ethan, come on,” he urged, his voice tight. “Just let me see it for a second.” The moment had arrived. I slowly pulled the card from my pocket, pretending to be furious. “Fine! Look! See if this is your damn card.” I thrust it at him. He glanced at it for a fraction of a second before handing it back. His eyes were filled with apology, but a triumphant smirk was already forming at the corner of his mouth. “Sorry, man. That’s definitely your card.” Then he patted his pants pocket and his eyes widened in mock surprise. “Oh! Here it is. It was in my other pocket the whole time.” I watched the whole charade with cold detachment. The people who had been defending him looked embarrassed and started muttering under their breath. “What a drama queen. If he hadn’t been so high and mighty from the start, no one would have suspected him.” “Yeah, if he’s so rich, why’s he even taking a gift from Ryder? So gross.” “Honestly, who knows if that black card is even real? It’s probably a fake.” Hearing that, I had to suppress a smile. Oh, it’s definitely fake. The grand finale was about to begin. I felt a grin spread across my face. Ryder, annoyed by the chatter, shushed them, and they reluctantly fell silent. Everyone’s purchases were bagged and ready, a mountain of luxury shopping bags. The sales associate approached with a sycophantic smile. “Mr. Ryder, the grand total comes to six million and fifty thousand dollars. But given your significant purchase, we’ve waived the fifty thousand and upgraded you to our VIP status.” She beamed. “You only need to pay six million.” The butterfly effect of my rebirth, I guess. He’d spent a million more than last time. Without a second thought, he handed over his black card to pay. I frowned slightly. I hadn’t expected him to actually have that kind of money. The moment the transaction approved, I glanced at my phone. No notification. No alert. My account balance still had a very comfortable number of zeros. I felt a wave of relief. Just as everyone was thanking Ryder for his generosity, a sound like a dying pig echoed through the store. Ryder was staring at his phone, his voice a horrified shriek. “How do I only have two dollars left in my account?!” The words were out before he could stop them. Realizing he’d just shattered the rich-kid persona he’d worked so hard to build, he quickly tried to backtrack. “No, wait, that’s not what I meant.” His new friends looked over. “Ryder couldn’t possibly care about that amount of money. Did the card not have enough? Maybe we should wait while Ryder calls his parents for more cash.” “Yeah, we got the gifts, we can’t let Ryder be stressed out over it.” That last line made me snort with laughter. My laugh drew everyone’s attention. “What’s so funny? You took a gift from him too, you know.” “Don’t be an ungrateful leech. One word from Ryder and your family could be ruined.” My family, ruined? It would probably take a hundred of Ryder’s families to equal a tenth of my family’s assets. In my last life, I had only blamed him for the missing five million. If he had just explained, maybe I would have given him time to pay it back. It wasn’t worth ruining a friendship over money. But he didn’t just want my money. He wanted my life. I looked at the bag in my hand, the one containing a hundred-thousand-dollar backpack, and my mood suddenly lifted. “I wouldn’t dare,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Going against our dear Ryder is like going against the entire class. Whoever messes with him will have to answer to me.” My words only made Ryder’s face darken further. “Everybody just shut up!” he roared.

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Chapter 1 My mercenary husband saved his poisoned teammate by sleeping with her in the jungle. All night. When he returned, he was carrying her—clothes torn, body covered in marks—and he knelt in front of me. “Nina, Chloe took the hit for me. It was a narco-toxin. I couldn’t just watch her die.” He knew I’d be hurt. As penance, he’d already taken a knife and carved seven deep, bloody lines into his own chest. But the toxin was still in Chloe’s system. Every time it flared up, my husband, Marcus, would go to “save” her. And afterward, he would carve another tally mark into his skin. Six months later, he showed me the ninety-nine scars that covered his torso. The man who was always so cold and hard begged me, his voice broken. “Nina, I’ve paid for my sin with my own body. Chloe… she can’t bring herself to terminate the pregnancy. Please, I’m begging you, let the child live.” “You can’t have children,” he continued, his voice desperate. “As soon as it’s born, I’ll bring it to you. It will be our child. It will call you ‘Mom’ and take care of you when we’re old.” My heart felt like it was being crushed. I forced back the tears and said, calmly, “Okay.” In my pocket, I crushed the sonogram photo I’d been hiding. Later, I tossed the crumpled ball into the fireplace. The flames leaped, and the smoke made Chloe cough. Marcus immediately pulled her into his arms, shooting me a frustrated look. “Nina, she already promised. The baby will be raised by you. You don’t need to threaten her. She’s not going to ruin our marriage.” I poked the embers. The smoke burned my eyes, making them red. “Marcus,” I said, my voice flat. “I want a divorce.” He scrambled forward, reaching for me. “Nina, don’t do this, please! Chloe’s taken a bullet for me. She took that toxin for me. I owe her two lives! One child isn’t too much to ask!” His tone was pleading, but his words were all for her. Seeing my expression, his team, who had been standing silently in the living room, suddenly moved. One by one, the grizzled operators all knelt before me. “Ma’am,” one of them said, “we have to speak up for Chloe today, even if it pisses you off.” “She was a clean kid. She gave up her innocence for the boss. It wouldn’t be wrong for him to marry her, honestly.” “You’re a housewife, ma’am. You don’t understand what it’s like. You didn’t see her shield him. We saw what she sacrificed.” “If you ask me, the boss should give her a proper title, not let her and the kid be shamed!” “Shut up!” Marcus roared, cutting them off. “Nina is, and always will be, my only wife! As for Chloe, I will spend the rest of my life making this up to her.” He looked down at the pregnant woman in his arms, his face softening with a tenderness I hadn’t seen in months. Bile rose in my throat. They didn’t know. But Marcus knew. I used to be on the line with him. I took a bullet for him, right here. It’s why I have a heart condition. I was in a coma for three months. When I woke up, he was the one kneeling by my hospital bed, his eyes red, begging me to resign my commission. He said he would protect me for the rest of my life. Now, here he was, kneeling again. But this time, it was to protect another woman from me. I turned and walked away. Marcus caught me on the porch. He gently draped his jacket over my shoulders and tucked my hair behind my ear. “It’s cold out. You never learn how to take care of yourself.” His familiar, warm scent enveloped me. I put a hand on my stomach. For a split second, I almost told him that I was pregnant, too. But then he spoke again. “Nina, Chloe is… sensitive to the cold now. Let her have the climate-controlled house in the suburbs. You should go to the beach house for a while. Get some rest.” The words died in my throat. He’d built that climate-controlled house for me, because my heart condition made me weak and perpetually cold. The beach house was damp and battered by the sea wind. It was where we’d honeymooned, but we hadn’t been back since. It was practically derelict. He used to give me the best of everything. Now, he was asking me to give it all to her. His heart wasn’t mine anymore. I dropped my gaze. “Okay.” He was so relieved he kissed my forehead. “Nina. You’re always the most understanding.” He turned and went back inside, taking Chloe’s hand and blowing on her fingers to warm them, his eyes full of adoration. I just stood there, my own hands trembling in the cold. Chapter 2 2 I was alone on the operating table. The doctor held my hand. “Mrs. Thorne, I’m glad you came to your senses. With your severe heart condition, a pregnancy is just too dangerous.” The first time I saw that tiny flicker on the ultrasound, my whole world had softened. I’d ignored the doctor’s warnings. This was my baby with Marcus. I would have traded my life for this child. But now… there was no point. The cold instruments moved inside me. I gripped the sheets, pain tearing through me as silent tears streamed down my face. My phone rang. The nurse answered it and held it to my ear. It was Marcus, screaming. “Shen Anning! I am so disappointed in you! How could you do this to Chloe?” I was confused, my voice hoarse from pain. “What… what are you talking about?” “Chloe’s been kidnapped! The kidnappers sent a drop-off location. It’s the beach house, Nina! Our beach house!” He was hysterical. “Only you and I know that location! Who else could it be?” I was in too much agony to speak. I just shook my head, forgetting he couldn’t see me. My silence enraged him. “If anything happens to her or my child, I will make you pay a thousand times over!” The line went dead. I closed my eyes, a cold desolation washing over me. After the surgery, as I was being wheeled out of the OR, Marcus’s team was there. They dragged me off the gurney. Cold iron chains were locked around my wrists and ankles. “The boss’s orders,” one of them snarled. “We’re taking you to the island. If they don’t free Chloe, we trade you.” “Are you insane?” my doctor shouted, running over. “Stop! She just had surgery! She’s bleeding!” One of the men shoved him to the floor. They threw me in the back of an SUV. The rough movement sent a fresh wave of blinding pain through my abdomen. I passed out. I don’t know how long it was before I woke to a splash of icy water. I was on a boat. Marcus was standing over me. He threw the bucket onto the deck and grabbed my throat. “Nina, have I been too good to you? Is that why you’ve become this cruel? You couldn’t even spare an unborn child?” I was freezing, shaking so hard I couldn’t form words. “It… it wasn’t… me…” He didn’t believe me. He dragged me off the boat and onto the sand. Chloe was tied to the old lighthouse, her belly large, sobbing. “Marcus, no! It’s a trap! Don’t come any closer!” When she saw me, her tears redoubled. “Nina! If you hate me, I can leave! Why did you have to hurt my baby?” I just shook my head, helpless. “I didn’t do anything! I didn’t!” “Boss! Clear! Whoever it was, they’re gone.” His team fanned out, cut Chloe loose, and Marcus rushed to pull her into a protective embrace. Chapter 3 3 One of Marcus’s men, Vic, spat at my feet. “Ugh. And we called you ‘ma’am.’ You make me sick.” “Poisonous bitch. You’re not worth one strand of Chloe’s hair.” “Enough,” Marcus said coldly. He looked down at me. “Nina, you’ve gone too far. You’ll stay here and reflect on what you’ve done.” He turned and walked away, carrying Chloe. I collapsed onto the cold sand. Just before they disappeared, I saw Chloe look back over his shoulder. She was smiling. Three days later, I was numb. My lips were cracked and bleeding. I thought I was going to die here. Then, a blurry figure walked toward me. “Help… me…” I whispered. Before I lost consciousness, I heard a familiar sigh. “Nina… what am I supposed to do with you?” I woke up on the floor of a basement. Marcus was staring at me, his expression unreadable. “You’re awake.” He offered me a glass of water. I instinctively turned my head away. He slammed the glass down. “Are you done with your tantrum?” His eyes were full of disgust. “I’m not even holding the kidnapping against you, and you’re still pulling this shit? Can you stop being so goddamn petty?” I let out a dry laugh. He hadn’t even investigated. He just knew it was me. “Marcus,” a soft voice called from the doorway. Chloe. “What are you doing here?” Marcus rushed to her, his hands hovering protectively around her stomach. “I was worried about Nina. Is she okay?” Chloe asked, her eyes wide with fake fear. “She’s fine. She won’t die,” Marcus spat, not even looking at me. “You’ll stay down here until Chloe delivers the baby safely.” The heavy door boomed shut, locking me in darkness. I crawled to the table and drank the water. Then, I went to a loose panel in the corner and pulled out a small, encrypted satellite phone. I dialed a number I knew by heart. “What you asked for… I’ll do it.” The voice on the other end was frantic. “Really? You’re not lying? Nina! Where are you? I’m coming to get you.” “Not yet. I have one last thing to do. Wait for me.” “Okay. However long it takes. I’ll be waiting.”

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