Category: English

In the third year of my imprisonment, I stumbled upon a post on an online forum. The topic was: [Can young love ever last?] The original poster wrote about her deskmate, how he got into fights for her, how he brought her breakfast every morning. How he’d plastered a love letter with her name on it all over the school’s public notice board. Between the lines, her own budding affection was impossible to miss. But then I saw the date of the post and the username, and I froze. It was from me, ten years ago. Ten years later, the boy who wrote that letter was my husband. And he had chained my ankles to the bed, the floor around me littered with graphic photos of him and a buzzy new actress. I swallowed the sleeping pills I had been hoarding for months and replied with a self-deprecating laugh. [Don’t say yes. In the end, all love turns into this.] … The bitter taste of the pills hadn’t even faded from my tongue when the door slammed open with a deafening crash. Damien Blackwood slapped the bottle from my hand, his voice a furious growl. “Are you insane?!” Before I could answer, he swept me into his arms and sprinted to the car. He ran who knows how many red lights on the way, a symphony of blaring horns and screaming drivers trailing behind us. It wasn’t until the cold feeding tube was pulled from my stomach that he grabbed me by the collar. “What the hell are you trying to pull now?” “You knew Stella was accepting her award tonight. Did you have to arrange for someone to humiliate her during her press interviews?” My face was pale, but I smiled. “She sent me those photos of you two, didn’t she? She wanted to see me lose my mind.” “You love her so much. Why not just let me die and give her my spot?” He took several deep breaths. “You know I would never let anyone come before you. Even with her baby, if you wanted…” “I don’t want it!” I screamed, cutting him off. “Damien, don’t you dare talk to me about a baby!” It was like I was back in that hopeless night, the air thick and suffocating. In an instant, I lost all energy to fight him. My hand trembled as I touched my lower abdomen. “Damien, just let me go. Stella will give you so many children. But we… we’ll never have another one.” His cool fingertips brushed my cheek as he regained the cold composure of a man long accustomed to being in charge. “You know I love you the most.” Most, but not only. I laughed so hard tears started to form. He leaned down, as if to place a kiss on the corner of my eye. I turned my head away, and his movement froze in mid-air. After a long moment, he sighed softly. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid again, okay? Otherwise, your journalist friend might get very worried about you.” I understood his threat perfectly. Stop trying to die. I have your friend. The moment he stepped out of the hospital room, I collapsed onto the bed, all strength gone. I was so tired of this life of mutual torture. The phone in my palm suddenly vibrated. [All love turns into this? Why do you say that?] My numb heart gave a violent jolt. I stared at the words on the screen, finally realizing that the post I’d replied to wasn’t a hallucination. A new reply popped up. [Do you… know Damien Blackwood?] It felt like a lifeline, a chance to escape. Fat tears splattered onto the screen as my trembling fingers flew across the keyboard. [He’s your future husband. And I am you, ten years from now.] [Stay away from him! Run!] There was a short silence, then two simple words appeared. [Prove it.] I stared at the phone, completely blank. For a moment, I couldn’t think of a single thing that could prove I was the woman who had spent a decade as Damien’s wife. The five hundred love letters he wrote me? The night he slept with Stella, I’d set them all on fire and thrown the ashes at them. Our marriage certificate? I’d stuffed it into the bouquet of flowers Stella received at her wrap party, subjecting her to three months of negative press. The torn pieces of that certificate had come back to me, wrapped in the sting of Damien’s palm across my face. They say love gives you armor. But for me, all the proof of our past love had become a blade I tried to use against him. The problem was, he had new armor now. My dull, old blade was useless against him. I was the only one left bleeding. Finally, I lifted my shirt and sent a photo of a faded tattoo. It was on my left side, over the fifth rib, the one closest to the heart. Damien had a matching one. Ten years ago, I was harassed by some street thugs. Damien, all by himself, fought them until his shirt was soaked through with blood. The worst of his wounds was a long gash that ran diagonally across his chest. An inch deeper, and he would have been dead. Later, that deep scar was covered by a tattoo of a vibrant red koi fish. The teenage boy had grinned at me in the setting sun, his smile wild and free. “Cora, I want you on my heart forever.” I’d cried until I couldn’t breathe, overwhelmed by the intensity of his love, and by the hopeless, head-over-heels way I felt for him. The day I made that forum post, I accepted Damien’s confession of love. And I had the same tattoo etched onto my own skin. When my family found out, my strict, disciplinarian parents were furious and demanded I break up with him. For the first time in my life, I, the ever-obedient daughter, defied them. I ran away from our gated community and went with Damien to the city where we planned to attend university. My family, perhaps giving up on me, never came looking for me after that. I was sad, but with Damien by my side, it all felt worth it. Damien’s grades weren’t great, so he gave up on college and dedicated himself to supporting my education. We curled up in a tiny, cramped apartment, sharing a single bowl of instant ramen. Through winters so cold the water froze in the pipes, we kept each other warm. Under the dim glow of a tungsten lamp, I made a wish over a small birthday cake that one day I would become a famous screenwriter. Damien just watched me, his chin resting on his hand, a smile playing on his lips. “Your wish is my command. Your personal genie has received your request.” He traded his work coveralls for a suit and became a bodyguard for a powerful figure. After five years of living on the edge, his suits got more expensive, and the places we lived in got bigger and bigger. Finally, he handed me a project proposal for a film. “Honey,” he said, “go cast the actors for the story you wrote.” And Stella was the leading lady I chose. Back then, she had just come from a poor, rural town, and she carried a kind of gray, faded quality about her. But her eyes… her eyes burned with a stunning light, filled with a stubborn refusal to let go of any opportunity that came her way. She told me, “Mrs. Blackwood, I won’t let you down.” Her spirit was a perfect match for the protagonist in my script. We were the same age and shared similar passions, and we quickly became inseparable. We spent countless nights revising the script, often too busy to even go home. Damien would bring us hot meals, watching with a fond indulgence as we devoured them. The warmth in his gaze was like the sun to me. But that same sun also shone its way into Stella’s heart. A month before filming wrapped, I found out I was pregnant. Suffering from morning sickness, I went home early one day, only to find a mess of clothes scattered in front of our familiar bed. The two people tangled together under the sheets were also painfully familiar. When my hand struck Stella’s face, Damien just grabbed my wrist, his brow furrowed as he asked if I was hurt. I slapped him across the face with my other hand. He just worked his jaw and smiled, trying to pull me into a hug. “Don’t stress the baby. It was just for fun, to blow off some steam.” But the man who said it was “just for fun” ran after Stella the moment her face went pale and she fled the room. The next day, every entertainment headline was screaming about how the CEO of Blackwood Corporation had dispatched dozens of cars to search every street in the city, all for the love of an actress. And me, sick with stress and fear for my baby, I couldn’t find a single car that night. Alone in our villa in the hills, I could only lie there in despair as my child slipped away from me. After that, I cried. I raged. I leaked the story of Damien’s affair to a rival media company. I added scenes for Stella that required her to be submerged in freezing water in the middle of winter. Damien didn’t even look up from feeding me chicken soup, meant to help me recover. He just had the people who came to complain thrown out. “The stock price will go back up. Stella’s cold will get better. As long as you’re happy, anything is fine.” It wasn’t until the wrap party, with reporters everywhere, that I exposed Stella as the other woman. By then, some on-set photos had already given her a bit of fame. Overnight, the internet was flooded with venomous attacks against her, nearly destroying her career before it had even begun. I thought I had won. But I couldn’t see it then. I thought losing was when someone stopped loving you completely. It wasn’t until Stella jumped into a river because of the public backlash that I realized I had already lost everything. The sting of Damien’s hand across my face hurt more than any blade. He carried a dripping wet Stella away. “Cora, I saved you all those years ago so you could have a life, not so you could become this… this malicious woman.” For Damien Blackwood, who by then held the city in the palm of his hand, protecting someone was easy. Destroying someone was even easier. He released stories about how I had changed the script to torment Stella, and then he told the world about how he had dropped out of school to put me through college. Unsurprisingly, I became the vampiric, shrewish wife in the public eye, sucking him dry. Damien’s affair was reframed as a justifiable release after years of sacrifice. And Stella… Stella became his redemption.

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When Colin lost his memory, he thought I was a grifter. He tossed a black card at me and told me to get lost. Clutching the card and staring at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test I’d just taken, I happily ran for it. I had money, a baby on the way, and I didn’t have to deal with that perpetually stone-faced man. Life was looking pretty sweet. But my joy was short-lived. A few days later, I was at the supermarket picking up prenatal formula when I bumped right into Colin. Once, twice, three times… The more we ran into each other, the stranger his gaze became, like he was looking at some kind of exotic creature. I was terrified he’d remember everything, so I started thinking about moving to the next city to hide. But then I looked up and saw him take a deep breath and march right toward me. It was the first time he’d spoken to me since losing his memory: “Why does your husband always make you shop alone?” “Raising a child is hard work. You can’t be doing it without support.” “What I’m trying to say is… I have feelings for you.” “If you don’t mind, what if I helped you raise the baby?” 1 I was the woman Colin kept by his side. I was decent-looking, had a mild temper, and we were compatible in bed. So, despite his reputation for being immune to women, he did something that shocked everyone—he kept me around for two years. People whispered that he must have developed real feelings for me. Then he had an accident. And the only thing he forgot was me. That bastard, Colin. Was he faking amnesia just to get out of giving me a severance package? I was muttering to myself when his assistant, Davis, called to explain Colin’s new arrangements for me. He was trying so hard to be diplomatic. “Ms. Audrey, since his memory loss, Mr. Colin feels that his previous arrangement with you was… inappropriate. He says he has no memory of you and has no desire to see you again. So, I’m very sorry, but you’ll need to move out of the Cloudcrest Manor property in the next couple of days.” Cloudcrest Manor was where Colin had set me up. It was where we had slept together for two years. After all that time, it had started to feel like my home. I had filled it with all my favorite stuffed animals, and the balcony was covered in pots of cherry tomatoes I loved to eat. Hearing I had to move out stung a little. But it was his house, his money. I nodded glumly, already bracing myself to leave with nothing. But then Davis’s tone shifted. “Mr. Colin isn’t unreasonable,” he continued. “He was told you were with him for two years, and he believes that even if there was no great merit, you certainly put in the time. So, he’s wired you a sum of money and is gifting you an apartment in the city center. The only condition is that you never bother him again…” Just as he finished, a notification lit up my phone. A bank transfer. The string of zeros made my head spin. That little sting of sadness vanished instantly. My mind exploded with fireworks. A grin spread across my face as I rushed to assure Davis, “Don’t you worry, I’ll be out in two days. No, I’ll be out today! I will never, ever get near your boss again.” This was a jackpot. I had money and a baby with some top-tier genes cooking in my belly. Best of all, I no longer had to service a man with the nocturnal stamina of a marathon runner. Heh, this was better than winning the lottery. 2 That’s right, I was pregnant. I had always wanted a child. When I first found out, I tried to subtly bring it up with Colin. “Do you like kids?” Without a second’s thought, he said, “No. They’re a hassle.” He glanced at me, his brow furrowed. “Are you thinking you want one?” His expression was so severe, it felt like if I dared to say yes, he’d throw me out on the spot. How could I possibly tell him I was already pregnant? I shook my head frantically, my voice firm. “No, no, I hate kids! Besides, given our… arrangement, a baby is out of the question.” We had no official status. I thought my statement was perfectly reasonable. But for some reason, Colin completely lost it. “What kind of ‘arrangement’ are we talking about?” he snarled. “Is the idea of having my child that repulsive to you?” His reading comprehension skills were truly something else. I could only roll my eyes behind his back. And of course, the damn man settled the argument by throwing me back into bed. Luckily, the baby was a fighter. It survived a whole night of its father going at it like a man with inexhaustible energy. That only strengthened my resolve to keep it. So, when the amnesiac Colin told me to get lost, you can bet I was more than happy to take the money and run. 3 I contacted Davis that same day to handle the deed transfer and moved into my new apartment that very night. My blissful life of prenatal nesting began. My days were filled with leisurely walks, cooking, and taking on a few freelance design projects. My evenings were for watching dramas, listening to music, and shamelessly liking and commenting on photos of handsome men online. I never had this kind of freedom when I was Colin’s kept woman. He’d once warned me that if I ever dared to like another man’s photo, I’d have to “work” double time to make it up to him. As handsome and skilled as he was, and as much as I enjoyed it, my back just couldn’t handle that frequency. Back then, I had to scroll through my feed in secret, and liking a post was unthinkable. But now? Now I could scroll through hundreds of handsome faces a day, my thumb aching from all the liking. Financially secure and mentally liberated, life was good. The happy days flew by, and soon, it was time for my first prenatal check-up. The thought of finally seeing my little one filled my heart with a sweet warmth. I was so caught up in the excitement that I completely missed the faint whisper of unease in the back of my mind. 4 I never dreamed I’d run into Colin at the city hospital. The lobby was bustling, but I spotted him instantly. His head was wrapped in gauze, and he was wearing a standard blue-and-white striped hospital gown. The injury had forced them to shave his normally sharp haircut into a buzz cut. It didn’t detract from his looks at all; in fact, it made his features look even more striking and defined. When his gaze swept in my direction, I quickly ducked my head. I could feel his stare burning the top of my scalp and started cursing internally. He was a rich and powerful man. After an accident, he should have been in a private luxury clinic, or at the very least a top-tier public hospital. What was he doing in this perfectly average city hospital? As I was silently fuming, the intense gaze finally moved away. I cautiously looked up, but Colin’s back had already disappeared into the crowd. I patted my chest and let out a long sigh of relief. It’s fine, it’s fine. He has amnesia. He’s completely forgotten me. Even if he saw me, he wouldn’t recognize me. To him, I’m just a stranger. Reassuring myself, I made my way to the obstetrics department. 5 It was 2025, and the obstetrics waiting room wasn’t overly crowded. Getting a number and waiting to be called was a smooth process. The check-up went well, too. When the doctor handed me the ultrasound photo and told me the baby was perfectly healthy, a wave of nervous excitement washed over me. Ever since my family passed away, this was the first time I had a true blood connection. This was my anchor in the world, a little life I had created. Even though it wasn’t born yet, I couldn’t help but love it, couldn’t imagine not keeping it. I held the ultrasound print, wondering how to best preserve it. This was the baby’s very first picture. I had to get it laminated, maybe pick out a nice frame… “Oof!” Someone rushing past me didn’t see me, and we collided. I stumbled, nearly losing my balance, when a strong arm suddenly wrapped around my waist, steadying me before releasing just as quickly. Once I was stable, I saw the ultrasound photo had fallen to the floor. I instinctively touched my belly. The person who bumped into me tossed a careless “sorry” over their shoulder and kept running. I muttered a curse under my breath, bent down to pick up the photo, and blew the dust off. I looked up, wanting to thank the person who had helped me. But he was staring down at the ultrasound in my hand. When I saw that familiar face, the words caught in my throat. Strong brows, sharp eyes, a high-bridged nose… The man who had just steadied me, who had saved my baby from a potential fall, was Colin? My jaw dropped. The “thank you” was stuck, refusing to come out. Colin studied me for a few seconds, his eyes flickering from my face to the ultrasound photo. His normally icy expression had become as cold as a polar glacier. It sent a shiver down my spine. I was terrified he’d suddenly remember something, drag me off to terminate the pregnancy, or worse, pull some stunt where he’d keep the baby and I’d never see it again. The more I thought, the more I panicked. My brain short-circuited, and I blurted out, “The baby isn’t yours.” The second the words left my mouth, I wanted to die. Colin had amnesia! This was practically a confession! I forced a strained smile and quickly tried to backtrack. “Haha, just kidding. Hey, handsome, thank you so much. My husband wasn’t around, and you really helped me out. I don’t know how I would’ve explained it to him. Our family’s been waiting for this baby for so long…” The more I babbled, the darker Colin’s face became. Finally, he must have gotten sick of hearing about my fictional family, because without another word, he turned and stalked away. God, that was terrifying. I absolutely had to switch hospitals for the next check-up. Watching his retreating back, my mind was made up. 6 After that day, I spent a few anxious days at home. But aside from a call from Davis asking if I still wanted the giant stuffed rabbit from my old bedroom, there was no word from Colin. I finally relaxed and slowly fell back into my peaceful, baby-nurturing routine. Soon, it was time for my second check-up. This time, I chose the most famous top-tier hospital in the city. As I casually walked toward the entrance, I thought to myself: there’s no way he could be this unlucky. Colin couldn’t have transferred from the city hospital to this one too, right? As it turned out, my luck was exactly that bad. 7 Seeing Colin in the hospital lobby, not far from me, I completely froze. Colin had an uncanny sense of awareness. He immediately looked in my direction, a slight frown creasing his brow. He was probably wondering why I had suddenly shown up at this hospital. After all, pregnant women don’t usually switch doctors mid-term. What kind of rotten coincidence was this? If I had known he was here, I never would have come. He stared for so long that I couldn’t pretend I didn’t see him. I raised a hand in a small wave. “Hey, handsome. Fancy seeing you here. Back for a follow-up?” The amnesiac Colin was incredibly rude. He shot me a cold glare, turned, and walked away as if I were a complete stranger. When I was his woman, if we ran into each other in public, he’d always come over, stroke my hair, give me a kiss. Now… tsk. I made a face at his back and quickly slipped away to the obstetrics department. The check-up went smoothly again, and I got the baby’s second picture. In my eyes, my baby was the cutest thing in the world. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I found a chair and sat down, completely absorbed, when suddenly, with a soft thud, someone collapsed right in front of me as if they were trying to scam me. I jumped to my feet in fright. “Sir, are you okay?” I knelt down and struggled to turn him over so he wouldn’t suffocate. And then, I found myself face-to-face with Colin. I was speechless. How could I run into him everywhere? But seeing the fresh bruise on his temple, I couldn’t just leave him there. I took a deep breath, called for help, and with the help of a nurse, we got him to the emergency room. After slipping out of the ER, I made a firm decision: next time, I was switching hospitals again. If I ran into him another time, I would seriously start to question my sanity. I hadn’t even reached the main entrance when I saw someone I shouldn’t have. In the middle of the lobby, my eyes met Davis’s. Remembering my promise, I quickly held up two fingers and swore, “I swear, I have no intention of pursuing your boss. I just came in for a cold. I’m absolutely not here to stalk him.” Davis was silent for a long moment before saying, a little mournfully, “Mr. Colin’s visit to the hospital today was a last-minute arrangement. I know you’re not that kind of person.” He paused, his expression complicated. “But… thank you for helping Mr. Colin just now.” I breathed a sigh of relief and waved it off. “It was nothing. This is a hospital. If it wasn’t me, someone else would have helped.” I was terrible at small talk and said my goodbyes, ready to leave. But Davis suddenly called out from behind me, his voice hesitant. “Ms. Audrey, maybe you should go see Mr. Colin? He doesn’t remember you, maybe it’s because he hasn’t seen you in person enough. Perhaps if he sees you again, he’ll remember.” Uh, no thanks. We’d already run into each other several times. It was useless. He had truly forgotten me. Besides, I was pregnant. I didn’t dare hang around him. What if his memory returned and he decided he didn’t want the baby? I wouldn’t even have time to cry. I quickly refused. “No.” I gathered my thoughts and tried to advise him earnestly. “Davis, your boss specifically said he doesn’t want me around. How can you, for the sake of our minor acquaintance, go against his wishes?” So, whatever you do, don’t mention me to Colin.

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The ninety-ninth time I found a pair of still-damp panties in my husband Adrian’s laundry, I printed out all the evidence of his affairs. Then I took all ninety-nine pairs of panties and marched into his corporate office. In front of everyone, I threw them in his face. Adrian, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, frowned from his wheelchair, his eyes cold as he watched my meltdown. Then he simply picked up his phone, called a doctor, and had me committed to a psychiatric hospital. I spent two weeks in that sunless hell. The next time I saw Adrian, he handed me a set of divorce papers. I wanted to scream, to cry, to tear everything apart. But then my ten-year-old son ran out from behind him and dropped to his knees in front of me. “Mom, please, stop being crazy!” he begged, his voice cracking. “Are you going to be happy only when you’ve driven Dad and me to our graves?” The raw hatred in his eyes drained all the fight out of me. I collapsed onto the floor. As the orderlies dragged me away like a dead dog for another round of electroshock therapy, I wiped the tears from my face and choked out the words, “Fine. Let’s get a divorce.” 1 At my answer, a flicker of warmth returned to Adrian’s icy expression. He leaned back in his wheelchair, his fingers drumming a slow, deliberate rhythm on the armrest. “Ava,” he said, his voice smooth as silk, “just sign the papers, and I’ll give you anything you want.” My hysteria was gone. I looked at him, my heart a placid lake. I didn’t even want him anymore. What else could I possibly care about? “Just a standard settlement is fine,” I said. “I don’t want anything that wasn’t mine to begin with.” Adrian raised an eyebrow, finally deigning to meet my gaze. “Not even your son?” Before I could answer, our son, Noah, ran to Adrian’s mistress and threw his arms around her waist. “No! I’ll die before I go with her!” he cried, clinging to the woman, Brenda. “I want to stay with Dad and Aunt Brenda! Aunt Brenda said we’re the real family!” I took a deep breath and unclenched my fists, my knuckles white from the strain. “No, I don’t want him.” “When he was born, I couldn’t give him a choice of mothers. This time, I’ll let him have what he wants.” A flash of surprise crossed Adrian’s face. He had expected me to fight tooth and nail for custody, to drag out the divorce until he gave up. He never imagined I would let go so easily. I saw the relief on my son’s face, the happy smile that bloomed as he realized he was free of me. A thousand tiny needles pricked at my heart. “Ava, take some extra shares in the company,” Adrian said, his tone magnanimous. “Consider it payment for taking care of me all these years and for giving me a son.” A bitter, desolate look crossed my face, but I quickly hid it. I took the divorce agreement from his outstretched hand and, without a moment’s hesitation, signed my name. Twenty years. Twenty years of love, of hate, of sacrifice… all of it vanished in that single, swift stroke of the pen. “Ava, don’t disappoint me again,” Adrian said. Then he turned, and with Noah and Brenda in tow, he left the room. I watched them go, my lips moving in a silent whisper. “I won’t… I won’t disappoint you again.” The day I was discharged, a heavy rain was falling. I wandered through it like a ghost. I… I didn’t have a home anymore. Then, an umbrella appeared over my head, shielding me from the storm. I looked up and collapsed into my father’s arms, sobbing. “Dad…” It was the first time I had let him near me since my mother died. When I was eight, she was paralyzed, and he signed the papers to stop her treatment. I watched her jump from a hospital window, and in that moment, I hated him. Hated him for giving up on the woman he loved. That was why, when Adrian had his car accident and was told he would never walk again, when his own family had abandoned him, I never once considered leaving. I found the best traditional therapists and learned how to massage his lifeless legs. I gave up my dream college and worked nine jobs a day to pay for his rehabilitation. I swallowed my tears and plastered a bright smile on my face, constantly telling him he would get better. In our tiny, dark apartment, I remember his warm breath on my ear as he whispered, “Ava, having you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I will never let you down. I may be disabled, but I won’t be trapped like this forever.” And he was right. Adrian became a celebrated representative for disabled entrepreneurs, a rising star in the business world. And I became the wife hidden away in the shadows, a relic he was ashamed to show the world. The first time I found lipstick on his collar, it was like a lightning bolt had struck me down. Adrian fell to his knees, begging me not to leave. I pushed him away and was halfway to the lawyer’s office before the thought of our infant son made me turn back. I was soft-hearted. I didn’t know then that with infidelity, there is no “just once.” It’s either never, or it’s countless times. As Adrian’s transgressions became more frequent, the guilt in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sense of entitlement. He asked for a divorce again and again, each time ending with me in a rage, smashing everything in sight. But this time, faced with his cold indifference and my son’s hatred, I was just… tired. I was ready to let go. “Dad,” I said, my voice muffled against his coat, “as soon as the divorce is final, I’ll go to Australia with you.” 2 I went back to the house to pack my things, only to find the locks had been changed. Just as I was about to call Adrian, the door opened. Brenda stood there, wearing my pajamas, a smirk on her face. “Well, if it isn’t Mrs. Ryder,” she purred. “After the scene you made at the office, I’m surprised you have the nerve to show your face here.” I looked at her, my expression blank. “Do I need your permission to come to my own home?” I brushed past her and walked inside. A sharp gasp followed me. Brenda was on the floor, weeping, her clothes mysteriously torn. She clutched the shredded fabric to her chest, but large patches of her pale skin were still visible. Adrian wheeled himself out, quickly shrugging off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. His face was dark with anger as he turned on me. “Ava, don’t push it,” he snarled. “If the asylum didn’t cure your insanity, don’t blame me for locking you up until you’re normal.” That’s right. Ever since Brenda appeared, I had become a raving lunatic. Her perfume on his clothes made me crazy. Her lipstick in his car made me crazy. Her wet panties in his pocket made me absolutely insane. But he didn’t know. When the love is gone, the crazy goes with it. This time, I just looked at him calmly. “I didn’t do it.” Adrian, seeing that my expression was indeed different from my usual frenzied state, turned to Brenda with a flicker of doubt. “Adrian, she didn’t mean to tear my clothes,” Brenda sobbed pitifully. “It was… it was an accident. I was wearing her things. I’m so sorry…” The anger that had momentarily subsided in Adrian’s eyes flared up again. “Ava! She wore one of your old nightgowns by mistake, and you attack her in broad daylight? Where are your manners? Didn’t your mother teach you to respect others?” Just when I thought my heart couldn’t hurt anymore, Adrian always found a way to deliver another crushing blow. My mother was a wound that never healed. When he first heard her story, he had held me tight and sworn, “You silly girl. Don’t worry. I’ll be with you until the very end. Even if you don’t want me, I’ll never leave.” The words still echoed in my ears. But now… “That’s right,” I said, my eyes welling up. “I didn’t have a mother to teach me. Are you satisfied?” I walked past him into the living room. Adrian paused, a flicker of memory in his eyes. He started to follow me, but Brenda grabbed his pant leg, stopping him. As I entered the room, I saw my son happily scooping ice cream from a large, half-empty tub. My heart clenched. Because of the stress during my breastfeeding period, my milk had been poor. As a result, Noah had a very weak stomach and couldn’t handle anything too rich or cold. He’d had several bouts of vomiting and diarrhea as a baby, and each time, I was the one who sat alone and helpless by his hospital bed. I started to go to him, to stop him. But he saw me and dropped his spoon in terror. “Why are you back?” he shrieked. “I’m not going with you! I want Aunt Brenda!” “Aunt Brenda told me everything! Dad even named me after her! The three of us are the real family!” He scrambled away from me, screaming, and ran out of the room. I froze, my feet rooted to the spot. I had always thought Adrian named our son Noah because it sounded like “know I love you.” But it was for Brenda, not for Ava. “Ava, since you’ve decided to come back, I’ll overlook what happened today, as long as you swear you won’t have another episode and you won’t bother Brenda.” Adrian said as he wheeled back in, holding Noah. His tone was that of a king bestowing a great mercy. “Also, you scared Noah. He can’t sleep without Brenda, so she’ll be staying here for a while.” I didn’t turn around. “Fine,” I said calmly, and then went upstairs to move my things from the master bedroom to the guest room. Adrian frowned but said nothing. That night, I tossed and turned in the guest room, unable to sleep. Suddenly, I heard a commotion outside, punctuated by Noah’s weak cries. Then, a frantic knocking on my door. “Ava, something’s wrong with Noah!” Adrian’s voice was urgent. “He’s vomiting and has diarrhea, and he’s crying for his mom. Come and see what’s wrong!” I rolled over in bed, my heart a block of ice. “I’m not his mother, and I’m not a doctor. Take him to the emergency room before it’s too late.” 3. The knocking stopped. “You’re a cruel woman, Ava,” Adrian’s voice was low and menacing. The footsteps faded, and the house fell silent again. But my heart was in turmoil. He was my flesh and blood. How could I not ache for him? But then my eyes fell on the voodoo doll in my hand, riddled with steel pins. On the front was my name. On the back, in my son’s childish scrawl, were the words: I don’t want a crazy mom. The evidence was undeniable. My heart felt like it had been squeezed by a giant hand, leaving nothing but a bloody, mangled mess. If I hadn’t moved into the guest room, I might never have found the doll, wedged between the mattress and the headboard. The little boy I had cherished more than my own life had become the knife in my back. I wiped a tear from my eye and became that cold, heartless woman once more. I started packing up everything in the house that belonged to me. The soda can tab ring Adrian gave me when he proposed, the stub from our first movie ticket, the ultrasound picture of Noah’s heartbeat, his first pair of baby shoes… As I packed, I stumbled upon a box of receipts. Hundreds of thousands of dollars for high heels, millions for diamond rings, and even the deed to an island, gifted to Brenda, no strings attached. Compared to that, the things I had treasured were worthless. All those days I had spent in agony, unable to reach Adrian on the phone… he had been with her. After I threw everything in the trash, I felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders. When Adrian was first starting his business, I had overcome my social anxiety, drinking myself sick at networking events, pulling strings to get his company off the ground. Then, I got pregnant with Noah. Adrian held me, his voice thick with emotion. “Ava, if you work yourself to death, how will I live?” The warmth of his tears on my neck brought a lump to my throat. After that day, I handed the company back to him and watched him shine, while I faded into the background, a housewife who flew into a rage over the smallest things. 4. The days passed quietly. Adrian and Noah didn’t come back for weeks. At first, I worried something had really happened to Noah, until I saw Brenda’s Instagram. They were in the Maldives, looking blissful. They looked like a real family. They finally returned on the morning we were scheduled to finalize the divorce. “Ava, you’ve become a monster! You’ll do anything to avoid this divorce, won’t you?!” Before Adrian could finish, his bodyguards grabbed me and dragged me in front of him. “Adrian, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said calmly. His eyes were red with fury, the veins on his hands popping as he gripped his wheelchair. “The whole internet is calling Brenda a homewrecker! Are you telling me you had nothing to do with that?” “It wasn’t me!” I said, my gaze unwavering. “You’re so cruel you don’t even care if your own son lives or dies. Who else could it be but you?” His voice was low, but he was slowly regaining his composure. A flash of resentment crossed Brenda’s face before she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me. “Ma’am, I never meant to come between you and Mr. Ryder. I just love Noah so much. Please, don’t misunderstand. If you’re upset, I… I’ll leave right now.” She started sobbing and turned to go. “Brenda! Don’t go! Daddy! I don’t want my crazy mom!” Noah ran and threw his arms around her waist, and the two of them wept together. “Enough!” Adrian’s face was a thundercloud. “Ava, you made this mess, you will fix it. You will go online, and you will clarify that you were the third party, not Brenda.” I knew he wouldn’t believe me, but a tiny, foolish part of me still hoped. “I didn’t do it,” I said coldly. “And I won’t apologize.” “You’re choosing the hard way, then. Fine. Men, break her legs.” At his command, a man with a wooden bat approached me. I remember a time when a group of thugs tried to harass me, and he had protected me just as fiercely. Now, he was doing this to protect another woman? “Adrian! Don’t make me hate you!” “Do it! Don’t stop until she agrees!” His cruelty extinguished the last flicker of affection I had for him. Nothing mattered anymore. “I’ll do it,” I said. “On one condition.” “I’ll agree to anything, just—” “Let’s go sign the divorce papers. Now.” My interruption left him stunned. Then, he gritted his teeth. “Fine. Let’s go. Now.” At the courthouse, he signed the papers. As I was about to sign, he stopped me. “Before we divorce, sign this. It terminates your parental rights. Noah will have nothing to do with you from now on.” “Your mental state has improved recently. If you help Brenda now, I’ll be merciful and let you remain Mrs. Ryder. Noah will always be your son.” I pushed his hand away and signed both the termination of parental rights and the divorce agreement without a second thought. Outside the courthouse, I posted a single tweet: If the one who is not loved is the third party, then I admit, I am. I attached a picture of the divorce certificate. Then, right in front of Adrian, I took out my SIM card, snapped it in half, and threw it in the trash. I turned, got in a waiting car, and drove away without a backward glance. Adrian stared at the divorce certificate in his hand. Suddenly, his heart felt empty, as if something vital was being slowly stripped away from him. He opened his mouth to say something, but she was already gone. He realized then that something that had been holding him up for a very long time had just… broken.

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Ethan’s younger brother was going to film a dating reality show at the Sterling family estate. And Ethan and I accidentally became the foil couple in this entertainment circle romance. At first, netizens mocked me, the matriarch, as just a decoration. Husband doesn’t love her, mother-in-law makes things difficult. Later. Netizens tagged the show’s official account en masse: [I love watching the Big Brother and Sister-in-law show off their love. Ten thousand blood signatures asking for more screen time for them!] [Just love scavenging for crumbs of sweetness from the Big Brother and Sister-in-law in the corner of the screen!] [My blood sugar is low; I urgently need the Big Brother and Sister-in-law to sprinkle some sugar to replenish!] 1 Ethan Sterling’s younger brother, Liam, had a whirlwind romance. Trending on social media every other day. His romance was with the famous movie queen of the entertainment circle—Bella Davis. The playboy settled down. He pestered Ethan for a month and finally got him to agree to film a dating reality show at the old family estate. Ethan only told me the news a week before the recording. “Just cooperating to record a few episodes. If you don’t want to be on camera, we can move out for a while.” I lay lazily on the bed, my smooth neck and shoulders looming under the cover of black hair. “Forget it, too lazy to move.” I’ve been married to Ethan for three years. Always lived in the old estate. Used to living here, too lazy to move back and forth. 2 On the day of the recording. I opened my sleepy eyes and slowly went downstairs. Ethan had explained to the program team in advance not to film anything related to me casually. Downstairs was already bustling. Bella was surrounded by a group of people, looking every bit the hostess. Seeing me come downstairs out of the corner of her eye, she enthusiastically instructed Nanny Wang. “Nanny Wang, please prepare a breakfast for Sister-in-law too.” Nanny Wang looked at me hesitantly. I yawned and nodded lightly. Seeing me nod, Nanny Wang then asked the kitchen to serve the food. Liam, eating breakfast, greeted me, “Sister-in-law, good morning.” I responded with sleepy eyes: “Morning.” “Big Brother went to the company?” Liam asked. “Hmm? Probably?” My tone was uncertain. After all, he gets up earlier than the chickens. Even after a fierce battle at night, it doesn’t affect his early rising habit of decades. Moreover, Ethan, this man. As the successor of the Sterling family. The self-discipline and restraint cultivated since childhood would not let him be in an out-of-control state. Even marital life is strictly controlled to once every few days. While waiting for the food to be served. Bella suddenly came over and sat next to me, smilingly wrapped her arm around mine, and greeted the camera. “It’s Sister-in-law’s first time facing the camera, so stage fright is inevitable. I hope my fans will bear with her.” Then she turned her head and looked at me with a smile, “Sister-in-law, you don’t need to be afraid. My fans are very friendly.” So I just appeared on camera with a bare face and a confused expression. Bella focused on the live comments, answering netizens’ questions slowly with a sweet smile on her face. “Everyone thinks Sister-in-law looks familiar? That might be because Sister-in-law has a very common face.” “Asking how old Sister-in-law is? Shh! A woman’s age cannot be told casually~” Bella picked a few questions to answer, then realizing everyone’s attention was still on me. She sat back down, attempting to pull the topic back to herself. At this moment, the live comments were still very lively. [Is she Liam Sterling’s sister-in-law? The wife of the president of Sterling Group?] [Sister-in-law really looks familiar, not the common-face kind of familiar. I should have seen her on TV before!] [Is Sister-in-law preparing to ride on Bella’s coattails to debut?] [Bella is too kind, letting Sister-in-law leech off her screen time for free.] [I came specifically to see Bella. Bella is so beautiful!!!] [Bella is too happy. Her fiancé is so handsome and rich, and spoils her so much!] And me. Always wandering in outer space. Sleepy. Really sleepy. Ethan just came back from a week-long business trip. The rigorous man went crazy last night and made up for all the missed marital life this week. I couldn’t quite handle it. 3 After the meal. Liam went to the study to handle matters. So I was dragged by the enthusiastic Bella to choose a wedding dress for her on the sofa. She and Liam were already engaged and preparing to get married soon. “Sister Sarah, do you think this one looks good?” I glanced at her, then at the exquisite wedding dress catalog in her hand, and responded: “Good looking.” “What about this one?” I glanced again, “Also good looking.” “Sister Sarah, I heard you and Big Brother didn’t have a wedding?” Bella flipped through the catalog and asked seemingly inadvertently. I was gnawing on an apple. Crunch, answering a beat slow: “No.” Bella covered her lips in surprise, “Big Brother didn’t even give you a wedding?” I shook my head and explained, “I didn’t want to have one.” Ethan and I belong to a family alliance marriage. No emotional foundation. Before getting the certificate, he asked me: “When do you want to hold the wedding? Church or beach?” At that time, I didn’t have high expectations for this marriage. After all, before the alliance, the two only heard of each other’s names but never met. No feelings, completely strangers. Thinking of exchanging rings and kissing a stranger in front of the officiant. I said almost without thinking: “Let’s not do it, boring.” Remember he stared at me calmly at that time. After a long silence, he agreed. When someone asked, he only said he didn’t want to do it. Taking all the criticism on himself. Bella didn’t seem to hear, still talking to herself: “Every woman dreams of having a perfect wedding of her own.” “How could Big Brother not hold a wedding?” Her face faintly carried sympathy for me. Seeing this, I didn’t speak anymore, too lazy to explain too much. “Liam said he would give me a wedding of the century. I told him not to spend so much, but he insisted, saying he would never let me regret marrying him.” “But every one of these wedding dresses is so beautiful; I’m having difficulty choosing.” Bella’s tone was娇憨 (spoiled/naive), seemingly angry but actually acting coquettish. The happiness on her face could be felt by fans even outside the screen. [Liam Sterling spoils Bella too much. Bella is so happy.] [I still love watching Bella and Liam getting along, so sweet so sweet.] [No harm without comparison. Look, Sister-in-law’s face is dark.] [Can her face not be dark? She and Liam’s brother are just a wealthy alliance marriage, with no emotional foundation at all, right? I think maybe Ethan Sterling wasn’t willing to hold a wedding.] “Sister Sarah, I’m really dazzled. How about you choose one for me?” Bella moved the catalog over. I flipped through a few pages casually, finally pointing at one of them, “This one is very beautiful.” Bella glanced casually, “This waist design isn’t outstanding.” Then she closed the catalog, “Forget it, I’ll let Liam choose with me next time. His taste is never wrong.” 4 After looking at wedding dresses. She continued to drag me to look at rings. “Sister Sarah, didn’t Big Brother buy you a wedding ring?” Bella’s gaze turned to my hand. Only a plain band was worn on the ring finger. The totem pattern was weird, like goods from a dollar store. “Yes.” I glanced at the ring on my hand. On the day we got the certificate, I found two rings on the bedside table. One was a very large and bright diamond ring. The other was this one on my hand. Ethan asked me which one I wanted to wear. Although I disliked this one for being ugly, the other diamond ring was too big and inconvenient for activities. Without thinking much, I chose this one. “Just this one? Big Brother didn’t buy it at a dollar store, did he? Haha, Sister-in-law, I like to joke usually, don’t mind me.” Bella stuck out her tongue at the camera. Then she extended her slender hand, only to see a huge diamond ring on her middle finger. It was the engagement ring Liam gave her. She waved her hand, “I told Liam not to spend so much. I disliked such a big diamond ring for being heavy and inconvenient for activities, but he insisted on buying it. I couldn’t stop him.” “A few days ago, he insisted that I must choose a style bigger than the engagement ring.” “Sister Sarah, help me choose one.” “Sure.” I happened to have nothing to do, so I flipped through the catalog slowly. Liam just finished his work and came out of the study. He wrapped his arm around Bella’s shoulder, kissed her, and asked her, “Bella, how is the ring selection going?” Bella smiled shyly, “I’m choosing with Sister-in-law.” Then she changed the subject, “Liam, Big Brother is really something, not even buying a decent ring for Sister-in-law.” “Why don’t we buy one for Sister-in-law too? It counts as making up for a regret for Big Brother.” Bella thought she was thoughtful enough, and Liam would definitely nod in agreement. Unexpectedly, Liam’s gaze swept over my hand. He said disapprovingly: “Bella, don’t underestimate the ring Sister-in-law is wearing.” “The ring on Sister-in-law’s hand is an heirloom of the Sterling family, representing the status of the matriarch.” “Only she can wear this ring. Seeing her is like seeing Big Brother. She can walk sideways in the Capital.” Words fell. The smile on Bella’s face disappeared. She was rarely stunned. The look in her eyes at the ring changed. With inquiry, and a trace of desire. Me: ? This ugly ring has this meaning? Why didn’t Ethan tell me. I thought it was just an ordinary ring and kept wearing it because it was light. [Wow, I said this ring looked like a fake at first glance, but looking closely, the totem on the ring is indeed the Sterling family crest!] [Thought Sister-in-law wasn’t valued by Big Brother, didn’t expect Big Brother gave everything he should!] [Bella don’t be sad, you’ll have it too when you marry in.] [Probably not. There is only one matriarch position, unless something happens to Big Brother and Liam inherits the family business.] [Why doesn’t Bella have it! Just because Liam ranks second, she can’t be the matriarch, can’t wear this ring?!] [Didn’t they say Big Brother doesn’t like Sister-in-law? Why give her the ring to wear?] [Sister-in-law is Big Brother’s wife, Big Brother is the Sterling family heir. If not for Sister-in-law, for whom?] The comments argued into a pot of porridge because of this ring. Jealousy rose in Bella’s heart. Her gaze kept circling on the ring I was wearing. Until Liam asked her: “Bella, what’s wrong?” Only then did she move her gaze away with difficulty. Beckoning Liam to run to the other side of the sofa to choose rings.

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On the sixth day of freshman orientation, the heat was brutal. Liam handed his “best friend” Chloe a cold bottle of water while I stood right there, sweating in the sun. This time, I didn’t cry. I just calmly told him it was over. “All this over a bottle of water?” Liam scoffed. “Yes.” He let out a dry laugh. “Fine. Try to stay mad for more than three days this time, Maya. I could use the peace and quiet.” His friends started jeering. “Go easy on her, man. Your girl is a ten. If you don’t watch out, some frat guy is gonna swoop in.” Liam just shook his head. “She’s too high-maintenance. She starts a fight over every little thing.” “Her parents had a full-ride set up for her in London, but she chose a local state school and a major she hates just to be with me.” “Trust me,” he added, “three days of the silent treatment is her absolute limit.” I stayed silent. I had loved him for seven years. I followed him to this university, making him the center of my entire youth. But what he didn’t know was this: When something doesn’t fit, you drop it. When a person isn’t right, you start over. I’d already processed the withdrawal papers. I applied to a school abroad, and as soon as my visa clears, I’m gone. Liam, I’m done chasing you. Chapter 1 After the breakup, Liam was the first one to block me. Then his “sister,” Chloe, called me. I was in the middle of deleting photos and my thumb slipped—I accidentally hit “Accept.” The video feed popped up. A group of them were at a rowdy sports bar, the atmosphere loud and thick with the smell of wings and beer. “So, you really blocked her?” one of them asked. “You think she’s actually going to come crawling back?” “Aren’t you worried she might actually be done for real?” Hearing his friends, Liam just shook his head and took a long swig of his beer. “You guys don’t get it. Maya can’t live without me.” “She’s a bit slow,” he continued. “Her parents had a whole life planned for her in the UK, but she threw it away to follow me here. She even took a spot in a major she doesn’t like just to stay close.” He said it with total conviction. “She’ll last three days tops. Then she’ll be right back here, following me around like a puppy.” Chloe, wearing a tiny crop top, leaned in and draped an arm over his shoulder. “Wow, look at our Liam. Such a heartbreaker.” The guys laughed. “Seriously, take it easy. She’s cute, and it’s only freshman year. Some senior is gonna snatch her up.” Liam smirked, completely unfazed. “Let them. I could use the break. Once she realizes nobody treats her as well as I do, maybe she’ll actually learn how to behave.” Another guy chimed in. “Man, you’re cold. If I had a girl that looked like a literal doll, I’d be worshiping her. I definitely wouldn’t block her.” Liam sighed, looking genuinely annoyed. “It’s just… she’s exhausting. We’ve been at orientation for six days and she’s cried four times, always about Chloe.” “Chloe was having a rough day, so I brought her a drink. Maya wouldn’t even listen to me. She just started a scene. I don’t know how she got this spoiled.” Chloe shrugged, playing the “cool girl” perfectly. “It’s fine. If she hates me that much, I’ll just stay away from you. I don’t want to be the reason you guys fight. I’m not trying to make things hard for you, bro.” The guys immediately took her side. “Maya’s definitely being dramatic.” “Is it just girl jealousy? Chloe’s basically one of the bros, but let’s be real—she’s got the body and the face. Maya’s ‘cute,’ but cute doesn’t win against sexy.” Before Chloe could reply, Liam frowned. “Cut it out.” “Maya is my girlfriend, and Chloe is my best friend. They’re both important to me. I’m not actually trying to break up with Maya; I’m just trying to break her habit of being so sensitive. She’s such a crybaby; she’d drive a saint crazy.” I couldn’t listen anymore. I hung up. Chapter 2 My mood hit rock bottom. Just then, my DoorDash arrived—a small chocolate cake. I sat there on my dorm bed, shoveling cake into my mouth while tears streamed down my face. It tasted bitter and sweet at the same time. I grew up with Liam. We were those “childhood sweethearts” everyone talked about. Over a decade of history. Following him around had become a reflex. But this time, I meant it. I wanted out. It wasn’t like all the other times he described. I wasn’t going back. My phone rang. It was my mom. “Maya, honey… about wanting to withdraw and go abroad. Are you sure?” “Yes, Mom. I’m sure.” She paused. “What about Liam? I thought the whole point of that school was to be with him. Long distance is hard, honey. You need to think.” The mention of his name made my throat tighten. I forced myself to explain that we had broken up. “I’m sorry, Mom,” I whispered. “But I realized I can’t stay at a school I hate, studying something I don’t care about, just for a guy. I want to find my own path. Not just follow his.” My mom sounded surprised, but then relieved. “You’ve grown up, Maya,” she said. “I just wanted you to be happy. It sounds like Liam is the one losing out here. Classes abroad don’t start until next month, and your offer is still valid. I’ll handle the visa. Love you, sweetie.” I wiped my eyes. “Love you too.” Chapter 3 I packed up everything Liam had ever given me and hauled the box down to the dorm dumpsters. As I walked out, I saw Liam pulling up to the curb, dropping Chloe off. She was practically hanging off him, laughing loudly. “It was just a six-pack, Liam! I can totally out-drink you. Admit it, you lost the bet!” Liam was laughing too, until he saw me. He awkwardly pushed Chloe back a bit. He probably expected me to blow up, to start crying and screaming about Chloe again. But I just walked past them toward the trash. I didn’t even look at them. Liam smirked and stepped in my way. “Alright, Princess. Throw the rest away if you want, but keep that wooden carving. It took me a month to make that. My hands would fall off if I had to make another one.” I looked at him, expressionless. “You’re overthinking it. I don’t keep trash from my exes.” Liam’s smile twitched, but he nodded. “Fine. Just don’t regret it later.” As I turned to leave, Chloe grabbed my arm. “Maya, don’t be like that. Don’t get the wrong idea. I had a bit too much to drink tonight, so I asked Liam to drive me back. We’re literally just bros. Can’t you just think of me as one of the guys?” “One of the guys?” My temper finally flared. “Does a ‘guy’ ask him to buy her tampons? Does a ‘guy’ make him play duo-queue in games with matching skins every night? Do you have a gender identity crisis or are you just a pick-me? If you’re sick, get therapy. Stop trying to gross me out.” Chloe froze. She let out a fake, nervous laugh, looking both humiliated and “wronged.” “I didn’t realize you were so insecure about small things. Fine, I’ll apologize if it makes you—” Liam cut her off, pulling her back. “Don’t apologize to her. She thinks she’s a queen just because we’re in college now. She’s spoiled. Throw it away then. See if I care. I’m not replacing any of it.” I didn’t waste a second. I walked to the bin and slammed the box inside. Chapter 4 Back in my room, I crashed. I fell into a restless sleep filled with memories of Liam. Five years old, at a family dinner. Someone called me “chubby.” I started bawling. Liam jumped off his chair, ran over, and hugged me. “It’s okay! Maya is the cutest! I love Maya the most!” He planted a messy kiss on my cheek while the adults laughed. I stopped crying. From childhood playmates to high school sweethearts. Over a decade. He used to say, “Crybaby. Who else is going to put up with you besides me?” I thought he was my “forever.” Until Chloe showed up junior year. She was everything I wasn’t. The “bad girl.” Rebellious, edgy, always with a lollipop in her mouth, claiming she was trying to quit vaping. I lost count of how many times Liam broke our plans for her. “You don’t get it, Maya,” he’d say. “Chloe acts tough, but she’s actually really fragile. Her dad is an alcoholic. I feel like she and I are the same… we both just want to be free.” They became inseparable. Dirt bikes, skateboarding, adrenaline stuff. Liam would “help” her study, which just meant I was ignored while he tutored her. Every time we had a date, she’d call with some emergency. I finally snapped. “Can you stop hanging out with her? I don’t like her.” Liam just looked at me like I was crazy. “You can’t do the stuff we do! I don’t take you because I don’t want you to get hurt. Don’t be like that.” Eventually, my crying just gave him a headache. He’d go hang out with Chloe until he was bored, then bring me a cupcake like I was a toddler. “Hey, crybaby. You done leaking yet?” Nobody knew the bottle of water wasn’t the real reason I left. It was the second night of orientation. Everyone was exhausted. Liam snuck out with Chloe to go street racing and didn’t come back all night. We had just fought, so he ignored all my calls. Then I saw a social media post of a bike accident nearby. I panicked. I rushed out in my pajamas to find him. I was so frantic that I jumped out of my Uber before it fully stopped and tumbled onto the asphalt. My leggings tore, and my leg was a bloody mess. But then I looked up. Across the street, Liam was perfectly fine. He was holding a “shaken” Chloe in his arms, whispering to her and stroking her hair. At that moment, I was just… tired. I realized that nothing is “forever.”

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My brother, Cam, and I were halfway to Grandma Elsie’s house for New Year’s Eve when we had the fight. He’d barely said a word since we left Northport, the cold anger radiating off him like a personal blizzard. He left me at a rest stop off the I-95 and drove straight back. By the time I finally reached Grandma Elsie’s house in Blackwood, it was New Year’s Day. Seeing me alone, my grandmother’s face went slack with shock. “You walked all the way back? Where is your brother?” I froze. I realized I couldn’t remember why Cam and I had fought. Grandma Elsie’s face hardened. She took one look at my broken, blistered feet, and then took me to the town clinic. When the results came back, she collapsed into tears and called Cam. “You bastard! Don’t you know your sister has a brain tumor?” “How could you leave her on the highway? She walked for over twelve hours! Her feet are ruined!” Cam’s voice, cold and dismissive, was loud enough to hear. “You two are working together to manipulate me. I told you, Joss’s birthday is tonight. I’m not going back for any of your melodrama.” He hung up. Grandma Elsie’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted. In the ensuing chaos, I heard the doctor call my name. “Charlotte Elton, the surgery window is closed.” “Notify the family. You need to start making funeral arrangements.” My breathing stalled for a few seconds. I looked at the doctor, the words echoing in my mind. I felt a ghost of a memory, a chilling sense of déjà vu, that I had heard this exact phrase before. But the memory was slippery, gone as soon as I tried to grasp it. The doctor sighed. “The tumor is pressing on a nerve. It’s normal for your memory to be poor.” “Don’t you have a brother? You need to call him. From now on, you can’t be alone.” My heart plummeted into darkness. My body felt ice cold. Grandma Elsie stirred slightly on the examination table, as if sensing my terror. I gripped her hand and asked the doctor, “Is Grandma really okay?” The doctor patted my shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Your grandmother is just emotionally overwhelmed. She’ll wake up soon.” “Young woman, your situation is more urgent.” I nodded numbly, watching the doctor leave. I pulled my phone from my pocket. It was dead. After charging it, a torrent of notifications flooded in. Missed calls. All from Grandma Elsie. She had called me nearly a hundred times during those twelve hours I’d walked alone. Tears sprang to my eyes. I searched through the texts. I found only one from Cam. Didn’t pick up Grandma’s calls. Let me know when you get home. I called him. The phone rang for an agonizing length of time before he picked up, his voice clipped. “What do you want?” I couldn’t stop myself from shouting, “You’ve put Grandma in the hospital! Is Jocelyn more important than her? You need to get—” Beep… Beep… Beep… He hung up before I could finish. I stared at the screen in disbelief. Another text popped up instantly. I don’t have time for your drama on New Year’s. I’ll pick you up on the sixth. My heart hammered against my ribs. I called him again. It went straight to voicemail. I kept hitting redial, my rage burning. After a few minutes, the finality set in: I had been blocked. A ball of anger was lodged in my chest, making me shake. Furious, I snatched Grandma’s phone and dialed. The phone rang. He didn’t pick up. I tried a second time. Grandma’s number was now blocked, too. “Cameron Elton, you self-centered bastard!” I screamed the words, the sound tearing from my throat. I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. The hospital room door swung open. A nurse frowned. “This is a hospital, ma’am. Please be quiet.” I scrubbed at my face, tears mixing with snot, and pulled up Jocelyn Day’s Instagram. That night, she’d posted three times. Thanks to my sweet brother for coming back to celebrate with me. Everyone else is doing New Year’s, I get a birthday first! A diamond necklace Cam won for me at a high-end auction—only two in the world. I love it! Have you ever seen a ten-tier birthday cake? I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. My heart felt like it was being flayed alive. Tears hit the phone, blurring the obnoxious sparkle of the diamonds. Suddenly, Cam’s angry voice flashed into my mind: “Charlie, if you can’t be more accepting, you can walk back to Grandma’s yourself!” The intense burst of emotion jolted my memory. I finally remembered the fight. Days ago, Joss had started a dramatic plea, crying that Cam had to stay in Northport for her birthday. Joss was a long-term scholarship recipient—a family mentee Cam felt overly responsible for—and her birthday fell on New Year’s Eve, which she always lamented missing due to family events. Cam was torn. Grandma Elsie was elderly, and the holidays were the only time she saw us. I had tried to be helpful, suggesting we bring Joss along. She recoiled. “That’s your family home. I’d be in the way.” “Besides, you and Grandma don’t like me… I can tell.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Cam had glared at me, his eyes full of displeasure. That day, he announced he was staying. I pleaded with him, using every good and bad argument I had. He wouldn’t budge. It took Grandma Elsie throwing a rare fit for him to reluctantly agree to drive us. But the whole way, his face was set in stone. I saw his resentment and tried carefully to lighten the mood. He snapped. “Just stop, Charlie. I promised Grandma I’d go, and I’ll go. Stop worrying that I’ll leave.” I obediently shut up. Until Joss called, sobbing that she was sick and needed him to come home to check on her. I couldn’t take it. I snatched the phone and screamed at her, “How dare you ask him to abandon Grandma for you?” The call ended. Cam violently slapped me across the face. “What has Joss ever done to you, that you can’t stand her so much?” I was stunned, my mind blank with the shock of the hit. He didn’t even look at me. He slammed the accelerator to the floor, screeching into the nearest rest stop. His voice was cold, leaving no room for argument. “There are regional buses here. Get out.” I stood there, crying, stubbornly refusing to move. I thought he was just angry, that he wouldn’t actually leave me. But when I didn’t move, he got out, marched around to the passenger side, and yanked the door open. He pulled me out onto the cold asphalt. “Call Grandma and tell her I’m not coming back. Don’t let her worry.” He let go, got back in the car, and sped away, leaving me standing alone. I stood there for a long, long time, tears streaming down my face. Then, the memory of the fight evaporated. I wiped my face and started walking. I walked all the way home. If the stress hadn’t returned me to the clinic, I might never have recalled the fight. My brain was only holding onto the good things: Cam running all over the city just to find my favorite ice cream flavor. Cam holding me tight after our parents died, swearing he’d protect me, that I’d never be hurt. I didn’t understand how we had fallen this far apart. “Charlie…” Grandma Elsie’s frail voice pulled me back. She was awake, her cloudy eyes flickering with hope. “Is your brother here? Did he come?” I lowered my gaze. “He didn’t answer his phone, Grandma. He must be busy.” Her face grew paler. After a long silence, she asked, “When did you get sick? Why didn’t you tell me?” I squeezed her hand, forcing a gentle smile. “I forgot, too. It’s okay, Grandma. I’ll be fine.” She closed her eyes, seeming to age ten years in a second. She didn’t mention Cam or my illness again that night. The next morning, she cooked us some dumplings, then packed our bags. We were going to find Cam. I didn’t want to go back to Northport. I begged her to stay. Grandma Elsie was firm. “I have to ask Cam what he’s thinking.” “And your illness. We have to treat it in Northport. The clinic here is useless!” And so, we headed back. We pushed open the door of Cam’s upscale condo. He wasn’t there. Joss was standing in front of a mirror, admiring the diamond necklace. The moment she saw us, she crossed her arms. “What, you can’t survive a single holiday without Cam? You came all this way to track him down?” I frowned. “Joss, show my grandmother some respect!” “Respect? Why? If that old woman hadn’t insisted on him driving her back, I wouldn’t have had to fake an illness to get my brother home.” Joss smirked. “Are you here for a confrontation? Too bad.” “Cam is out buying me a new purse. You’ll have to come back later.” Her possessive, queen-of-the-castle attitude made Grandma Elsie’s temper explode. She pointed a trembling finger at Joss. “This is Cam and Charlie’s home! Get out!” “You get out, old woman!” Joss’s eyes narrowed, cold and cruel. “You chose to live in that backward town. Now you come crawling back because you can’t handle the hard life?” “Cam works so hard to make money. He sends you money every year. For what?” My pupils constricted. I clenched my fists in disbelief. Grandma Elsie’s chest was heaving; her breathing was shallow. None of us expected Joss to be so utterly shameless. Seeing Grandma Elsie’s distress, I quickly helped her sit down. Then, in three strides, I was in front of Joss. I raised my hand and slapped her, hard. Slap! Joss staggered back, stunned. “This is my home! You’re just a low-income student Cam sponsored. Did calling him ‘brother’ for years make you think you’re a Elton?” I finished with a cold roar, ready to hit her again. She wasn’t going to just stand there. She grabbed my wrist, twisting it. “You bitch! Don’t think being blood means anything. He loves me more!” Joss screamed, pulling my hair. I kicked her in the hip. She grabbed the glass vase from a side table and swung it violently at my head. CRASH! “CHARLIE!” The sound of shattering glass and Grandma Elsie’s scream came at the same moment. Dazed, a warm liquid streamed down my forehead, blurring my vision. My knees buckled and I slumped onto the floor. Glass shards dug into my palm. The strange thing was, my hand didn’t hurt at all. Only my head felt like it was being pierced with steel needles. “Let go of me, old woman!” Through my hazy vision, I saw Grandma Elsie and Joss wrestling. Joss had been slapped repeatedly by Grandma Elsie. She finally snapped, pushing Grandma Elsie with all her might. THUD! A deafening impact. Grandma Elsie’s body hit the ground hard. She twitched once, then fell still. My body was numb. I wiped the blood from my eyes with my sleeve and struggled to look. A slow, crimson pool spread beneath Grandma Elsie’s white hair. A sharp shard of glass was deeply embedded in the back of her skull. It had also cut my fingers. I was breathing in panicked gasps, lost and terrified. It took a long moment before I could let out a wretched, desperate cry: “Grandma—” The condo door opened. Cam, carrying a pile of designer shopping bags, saw the scene. His smile vanished. “Grandma!” He yelled, dropping his shopping bags and stumbling to her side. He saw the glass shard in her head. His eyes contracted in shock. He grabbed my wrist, shouting at me. “What happened here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” My vision tunneled. The familiar emptiness swept over my mind, and more blood dripped from my temple. Cam’s face went white. He blinked rapidly. “Charlie, what’s wrong with you?” He let go of my wrist and reached for my head, trying to check the wound. Joss, shedding perfect tears, started her story. “Brother, Charlie’s gone crazy! I was just trying to hand her a glass of water, and she smashed the vase on her own head and attacked me!” “Grandma tried to stop us, but she slipped on the glass and fell…” Cam’s hand froze. His expression turned dark. “Charlie, is that true?” “I don’t remember…” My voice was a choked sob. I was hyperventilating from the anxiety. I couldn’t remember. I didn’t know what happened. Why is this happening? Why? “What the hell are you doing on New Year’s Day, causing trouble!” Cam’s face was a mask of fury. He roared at me. “If anything happens to Grandma, I will never forgive you!” Without waiting for my reaction, he shoved me hard. He scooped up Grandma Elsie and ran for the hospital. Joss stood over me, looking down. “See? He believes me no matter what I say.” “Charlie, I think your grandmother is already gone.” “You killed her.” I jerked my head up. A creeping dread, an awful chill, crawled up my spine. “No! I didn’t! I would never hurt Grandma…” I mumbled the words, shaking my head robotically. Joss scoffed and walked out the door. After she left, the silence in the house was deafening. My heart was a hollow void, holding onto a single thought— I did not kill Grandma Elsie. I don’t know how long I sat there. Then, a sudden flicker of memory. I scrambled off the floor. I dragged a chair under the light fixture. Standing on it, I reached up, slowly feeling around the top of the pendant light. My breath hitched. A small pinhole camera was in my hand. I had installed it two months ago. My brain tumor had been diagnosed two months ago. The doctor warned me about the severe memory loss in the later stages and suggested a surveillance camera. I’d followed his advice and then immediately forgotten about it. It had finally served its purpose. I clutched the camera and went to the hospital. In the hallway, I found Cam hunched over, sobbing uncontrollably. Joss was beside him, speaking in a low, soothing voice. “Brother, don’t cry. Grandma is gone, but you still have me…” CRASH— My mind went blank again. The familiar, terrifying void washed over me. My legs gave out. I collapsed onto the floor. Cam heard the noise. He looked up, his eyes bloodshot, blazing with pure hatred. He rose and strode over to me in three steps. He didn’t hesitate, slamming his palm across my face. “It’s all your fault! Why did you bring Grandma back? Why did you fight with Joss?” “It was just a few days of the holiday! Why are you so immature!” “Grandma is dead! Are you happy now?” My cheek was on fire. Blood welled up in the corner of my mouth. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Why am I here? How did Grandma die? My tears started again, desperate and confused. The harder I tried to remember, the more my head ached. “You have the nerve to cry?” Cam’s voice shook with rage. He threw a velvet gift box onto my body. “I was actually thinking of you. When I bought Joss her birthday gift, I bought you one, too.” “Charlie, you truly don’t deserve my kindness.” The box hit the floor and shattered, revealing an exquisite diamond necklace. It was identical to Joss’s. As I reached for it, Cam slammed his foot down on the pendant. “You are not allowed at Grandma’s funeral!” “Charlie, from this day forward, you are no longer my sister!” I looked up, stunned, but he was already turning away. Joss gave me a cruel, chilling smile. “You deserve this.” She bent down, picked up the diamond necklace from the floor, pocketed it, and followed Cam. A sudden sharp pain shot through my palm. I looked down. A corner of the camera was crushed in my grip. The terrible truth hit me: I had forgotten my mission again. People shuffled past in the hallway, their eyes landing on me. I covered my face, weeping a desolate, hopeless cry. Why did this disease happen to me? Why did it steal my memories, leaving me without a chance to explain? A voice deep inside me whispered. You cannot wait. The funeral could wait. The truth couldn’t. To prevent another devastating memory loss, I prepared two ways. First, I pulled out my phone and emailed the surveillance footage of Joss pushing Grandma Elsie to the Northport Police Department. Then, I slowly got up and left the hospital, intending to walk to the police station. The memory lapse was faster than I expected. I didn’t go to the police station. Instead, I boarded a regional bus going back to Blackwood. I was convinced Grandma Elsie was waiting for me at the house. If I went back, I would find her. The bus rolled away from Northport. When I opened the door to the old house, it was already night. The house was empty and silent. A plate of cold dumplings sat on the dining room table. I faintly remembered Grandma Elsie saying they were for Cam. My soul felt sucked out of me. The world went black. As I fell, my phone rang—Cam’s special ringtone. The warm melody sounded frantic and sharp now. I didn’t have the power to answer.

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I was preparing a birthday surprise for Liam when I suddenly came across a post on Reddit. Title: I fell for a guy who has a girlfriend. Can I confess to him on his birthday? The comments were full of question marks. To gain support, the OP, u/MedSchoolBabe98, continued to update the thread: Just a humble medical resident here. I’m currently training at a top-tier hospital. Honestly, whether it’s my current education or my future social status, I think I’m far superior to his current girlfriend. His girlfriend got in via some ‘outstanding student’ recommendation program. You know how much water is in those degrees. We’ve known this group of friends for almost a year, and nobody has ever seen a photo of this girl. She’s either ugly or he just doesn’t like her that much. She seems like a total simp. Just posts sappy quotes every day, while I use actual actions to show my feelings for him. We’ve known each other for 332 days, and our Snapchat streak has been going for 300 days. I’d rate myself an 8 in looks and body, with a great personality. I have high EQ. Whether in work or life, I can be his best partner. I clicked on her attached photo. My gaze landed on the man’s watch. Even without seeing his face, I immediately recognized him. It was Liam. The day we broke up, everyone told me, “It’s just casual sharing. It doesn’t even count as emotional cheating.” I shook my head. “Sharing meaningless things is essentially a desire to be involved in each other’s lives.” And endless sharing is the connection of love. 1 I didn’t tell Liam I was coming back this time. I wanted to give him a birthday surprise. Half an hour ago, Liam sent me his location. A new hotpot place. He and a few colleagues were going to try it after work. [If it’s good, I’ll definitely bring you next time!] He was still the same as always, reporting everything to me the moment he had time. I turned off my phone screen and changed my destination. When I arrived at the hotpot restaurant, they had just been seated. Wearing a cap, I chose a table behind them. Liam came back from washing his hands. A girl not far away walked up to him with a dipping sauce bowl. “They have a secret sauce, plus I added the stuff you usually eat. I mixed one for you.” Liam took the bowl from her naturally and tasted it. “The secret sauce is actually pretty spicy. You shouldn’t eat it.” The girl smiled happily. “Thanks for the warning.” Two people sitting closest to me lowered their voices to gossip. “Are they seriously not together yet? I wouldn’t believe it if you told me.” “Liam kept his distance from so many girls who liked him in school. Who knew his soulmate was waiting here?” “You can’t deny it. Liam is busy as a dog, but he still helps Bella check her night shift logs. They are definitely a power couple in the future.” “And Bella is so sweet to Liam. Not even a year, and she’s already washing his clothes at his place.” … Soulmate. Power couple. Personally washing Liam’s clothes. My phone vibrated. That Reddit thread was updating again. Out for hotpot with my crush! He’s so meticulous; he even tasted the dipping sauce first to warn me it was spicy. Who wouldn’t love a man like this? Someone immediately commented: [No matter how good he is, he’s someone else’s boyfriend right now. Suggest OP figures out the relationship status before growing a love brain.] That comment was quickly deleted. I put down my phone. Liam’s group had started eating and complaining. From the regret of choosing their major during college applications to the bitterness of yesterday’s night shift. Someone suddenly changed the topic. “Isn’t it Liam’s birthday in two days? Should we go out and celebrate?” Liam declined as usual. “I have plans that day. It’s just a birthday, no need to make a big deal.” “Is it because Bella isn’t on shift that day so you won’t come? Bella, say something.” Bella put down her chopsticks, sounding a bit petulant. “His girlfriend wants to celebrate with him alone. Who am I to interfere?” “Girlfriend? Oh right, I heard rumors, but… so you really have a girlfriend.” I slowly lowered my eyes. This was my eighth year with Liam. We smoothly passed the seven-year itch and met each other’s parents. So whether or not he had my photos on his social media had long been irrelevant to me. He never posted on social media anyway. But at this moment, I was actually worried about his answer. I subconsciously took a gulp of water, choking until my chest hurt. “I do. But we’re in a long-distance relationship.” It was Liam’s voice. Deep and calm. I still remember when we first started college. The first time I visited him at his school. He insisted on dragging me to class, wishing every professor knew I was his girlfriend. A classmate in the front row just wanted to ask if it was raining outside. Liam answered irrelevantly, holding my hand with shining eyes: “How did you know my girlfriend is here?” Unlike now. His sentence had an answer, a transition, and a hidden meaning. The girl named Bella couldn’t help but speak up. “Is there no better choice around? Aren’t you tired enough? Why maintain a relationship that gives you zero return?” Liam was silent for a moment. “Feelings… aren’t about profit.” “Then let’s talk about liking. Does she know how tired you are? Does she know your pressure? Do you really have no regrets in your heart?” Bella’s voice was obviously choked up, full of grievance and unwillingness. The people at the table suddenly fell silent. I don’t know how long passed before I finally heard Liam’s voice. He said: “There are regrets, but I will force myself to make peace with them.” “Besides, my current situation doesn’t allow me to think about anything else.” … I closed my eyes abruptly. My fault. I made him have regrets for no reason. I made him helpless, forcing himself to make peace. I put him in a situation where he couldn’t think about anything else. But he seemed to have forgotten, we started together for the sake of each other’s completeness. “Okay, okay, these things can’t be cleared up in a hotpot restaurant. What gift does Liam want for his birthday?” Someone saw the awkwardness and started smoothing things over. Bella said angrily: “I don’t know what you guys are giving, but I know what his precious girlfriend gave. Last year for his birthday, she wrote him a letter. Just two sentences. Not even complete sentences.” “Couldn’t even write two sentences? Liam’s girlfriend shouldn’t be uneducated, right?” Bella glanced at Liam and continued to roast: “That’s not necessarily true. I remember she wrote something like ‘Safe and sound’ and ‘Always by my side’. I mean, she’s really a simp. Even if she can’t write love words, she could copy some online.” I held my chopsticks in a daze, not even noticing the boiling water from the pot splashing on my hand. Last year on Liam’s birthday, I was required by my advisor to run data. That was the first time I didn’t celebrate with him since we got together. I originally wanted to write a very long paragraph to prove how important he was to me. But I wrote and rewrote, edited and re-edited. I found that all I wanted to say to him were two sentences. Safe and sound. Always by my side. But the words I wrote with full devotion were treated as a joke after dinner. At this moment, Liam was unworthy of forgiveness for the rest of his life. 3 I stood up and dragged my suitcase out of the hotpot restaurant. A autumn rain in Boston brought winter instantly. I wrapped myself in my hoodie and walked aimlessly on the street. There was a long line at a shop not far away. It was the bakery I loved most. I remembered senior year of high school. I huddled in my seat in a down jacket and casually told my desk mate I wanted a mooncake. “The savory pork ones from September Life are the best, but they get cold by the time delivery arrives.” My desk mate stuffed a cookie in my mouth. “Just eat this. I’ll buy you one next mid-autumn festival.” But Liam, sitting behind me, remembered. Before evening self-study, a bag was on my desk, steaming hot. Liam didn’t even look up, his voice steady as usual. “Just happened to leave school. Eat it while it’s hot.” That night’s ranking results came out. I was still one place ahead of him. My desk mate teased: “Liam, you get crushed by Sophia every day. If I were you, I’d poison her mooncake.” He laughed, looking at me with serious and focused eyes. “I’m not competing with her for rank.” Later, we agreed to go to New York together. I got a guaranteed admission offer. He had to fight in the SATs. But fate had its own arrangement. A few points difference left him in Boston. The day he sent me off to school, my parents didn’t cry, but his eyes were red. “Will you meet a better guy and not want me? I will work hard.” I hugged him. “I won’t.” From the day I agreed to be with him, I was determined to hold his hand through every season. That Christmas, I rushed back from New York overnight to his campus. I had his best friends trick him to the square. When Liam saw me jump out of the huge gift box, he stood there looking at me for a long time. Long enough that I thought he wouldn’t speak again. “What’s wrong? Not happy to see me?” He hugged me fiercely. “Sophia, we will get married, right? I really, really want to have a home with you.” “That way I can see you every day. I will love you forever.” … Countless beautiful scenes played in my mind like a revolving lantern. Until yesterday, I still rejected my advisor’s suggestion for me to stay in New York. Because I couldn’t bear to let Liam be alone anymore. But the me back then didn’t know, “forever” is just a hype word for love’s existence. Nor did I know that Liam was no longer that person. Every day I wasn’t by his side, every holiday I missed. He had found someone to replace me. 4 I went to Liam’s apartment. There were still some things to deal with. The computer in the study wasn’t turned off. The screen was still on the Snapchat chat interface. The girl was the resident who entered the hospital at the same time as him. The streak was exactly 300 days. A little flame icon waved at me from the interface. As if mocking my stupidity. I scrolled up one by one. [This sticker is so cute, looks like you. Did the head nurse yell at you today?] [No, she just has a loud voice.] [Liam, you are really so good.] [You are good too.] … [Liam, look at this resident’s miserable life, LMAO.] [Hahaha, that’s our reality.] [I saw you didn’t go to the cafeteria for breakfast. No time?] [Didn’t make it.] [You are lucky you met me. I’ll bring you some!] … [Liam, are you married?] [What are you saying, definitely not.] [Oh, I heard you have a girlfriend, but it’s fine if you’re not married.] […Don’t overthink it. Night shift tomorrow?] [If I survive tomorrow’s night shift safely, I’ll treat you to dinner!] [Good luck then.] … [Let’s eat together tomorrow night. If it’s too late to go back, I’ll crash at your place. Old rules, you sleep on the couch.] [Good boy.jpg] [In return, I left fruit on your desk. Washed.] [Grateful heart.] [Easy easy. See you tomorrow night.] [Okay.] … From sharing videos roasting the medical profession to making funny AI photos of each other. To talking about everything now. The dense chat history made me feel increasingly ridiculous. They talked from high school to university. From the new coffee shop on the corner to the sunset after work. When Liam was busy following his mentor into the operating room, too busy to reply to my messages, he could still find time to comfort her grievance of being yelled at by a patient. For a year, I felt sorry for his endless night shifts with no time to sleep, never disturbing him unless absolutely necessary. But Bella could blame him anytime, anywhere for almost losing the streak, as if it was nothing. When I worried about his health, buying him convenient breakfasts he liked, reminding him to exercise. He could accompany her to eat street food to celebrate her surviving a night shift. And the day I broke down most during my Ph.D. I found impurities in the lab petri dish that ruined two months of my effort. My emotions collapsed instantly. I couldn’t help calling Liam. He hung up. Didn’t even reply with a message. I thought he was busy. But actually that day, he was with Bella at her first concert. No disturbances allowed. Now I finally know, the impurities in the petri dish only ruined two months of my effort. But the impurities in my relationship with Liam ruined my eight years. Tears fell almost uncontrollably. New messages from two people suddenly synced on the computer screen. [Are you sure we won’t celebrate together on your birthday?] [Next time.] […] [Pat head.jpg] [Promise, we’ll celebrate together next year.] [Yes sir, your wish is my command.] … That thread started updating again. He sent me home after dinner~ Today we almost broke that layer of paper. I’m actually a guiding type of lover. I can make him realize his own heart, but it’s not time yet… I still hope he can discover his feelings himself. Attached was a photo she took from the rearview mirror. Liam’s hand was rubbing her head, the corner of his mouth slightly raised. [Read this three times, I can’t stand you anymore! You have to chase! You’re so excellent, why wait for a scumbag to realize his feelings? Isn’t that letting him harm others? Promise me, chase him immediately!] [Exactly! OP is beautiful, educated, and successful. Why spoil his girlfriend? Must chase! No negotiation! If you don’t chase, you’re a dog!] [Start with emotion, stop at propriety. I advise OP to stop. Feelings are one thing, but humans have morals and shame lol.] [Keep it down. Is this something glorious? Some people are just cheap in private.] … I sent Liam a message extremely calmly. [Can’t come back.] [My birthday? Why didn’t you accompany me last year and not this year either? Our Sophia is busy.] I turned off the phone, no more replies. Liam. From now on, every one of your birthdays will be without me. Busy or not, I won’t be there.

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“What are you up to?” “Busy stuffing meat. Don’t have time for you.” The guy on the other end suddenly exploded: “Who are you with?! You are not allowed to stuff anything! Aaaah!” “Heh, once I’m done stuffing, we wait to eat. It’s gonna be so satisfying.” I didn’t expect the young master to hang up the phone. And drive two hundred miles to show up at my front door. He was panting. His eyes were dark and gloomy. Looking like he wanted to eat someone alive. At that moment, my Pops was patting my shoulder: “Careful now. In the past, I had to stuff all this myself. Having you help saves me so much energy.” “Hey? Isn’t this Hunter’s classmate? You here to join in?” The young master shattered on the spot. His voice trembled: “Your family… has this kind of custom?” I tried to close the door. “If you’re disgusted, you can leave.” He blocked it. “I didn’t say no!!!” 1. I went home for Thanksgiving break. It was sausage-making season again. Pops had just butchered the hog we raised out back. We planned to make extra this year, maybe sell some at the farmer’s market. When I picked up Sterling’s call, I was in the middle of tying off a casing. “What are you up to?” It was break. Why wouldn’t this rich boy leave me alone? I was a little annoyed, holding the phone between my shoulder and ear at an awkward angle. “Busy stuffing meat, don’t have time for you. Ouch—” The casing burst. I turned to Pops. “Don’t pack it so tight, it’s overflowing.” The person on the phone went silent for a few seconds. Then, he detonated: “Who are you with?! You are not allowed to stuff anything! Aaaaaah!” Sterling was always moody like this back at the dorms. We were all back at our own homes now; why did he care if other people were making sausages for the holidays? I took off my gloves. “Heh, once I’m done stuffing, we wait to eat. It’s gonna be so satisfying.” Sterling’s voice cracked, turning into a screech: “Hunter Doe!!! You are done!!” “You just wait!! You are absolutely done—” Then came a crash from his end. Like something expensive getting knocked over. Followed by a clutter of noise. “I want to see exactly how you’re stuffing—” Beep— Too loud. I hung up decisively. 2. I didn’t really like hanging out with Sterling. Mostly because he always bullied me at school. Maybe because I was from the sticks, and I was honest. These rich city boys with old money just loved to make fun of honest folks. Right when school started, I was in the cafeteria seriously slurping down some spicy venison chili. Yummy. Sterling frowned, dry heaving as he leaned in. “Are you eating literal garbage? Is that… what is that?” That look of disgust wasn’t fake. My heart sank. It’s over. Is he going to bully me? Yep. I guessed right. He snatched my lunch away and slammed his own bento box in front of me. “Let’s trade.” “My family’s private chef made this.” I didn’t dare resist. Adhering to the principle of ‘less trouble is better,’ I tremblingly opened the box. Inside was cold rice topped with raw, thinly sliced beef. He… he was humiliating me for being primitive! We country folks know how to use fire to cook food, okay?! I was weak. Tears circled in my eyes as I sullenly chewed the food. So raw. So slimy. So cold. I really couldn’t get used to it. Sterling looked satisfied, lifting his chin. “So good it made you cry, huh?” I sniffled, my eyes drifting back to my chili. I wanted it back. “I’ll help you finish this,” Sterling smiled, picking up a spoon of chili. “You usually… gag… eat this… gag… stuff?” He looked like he was making a life-or-death decision. Finally— Bleugh. He threw it all up into the bowl. I didn’t fare much better. I had diarrhea for two days from the raw meat. 3. I cried a lot back then. Because Sterling got worse and his mood swings were insane. Sometimes, he would lock me in his arms in front of our other roommates. Poking the dimples on my face. Pinching my cheeks. Making me look like some sort of pet. But then, if I bumped into him in the communal showers, he’d turn and walk away instantly. Like looking at me was bad luck. Even worse, despite having his own bed, he liked to squeeze into mine. I dared to be angry but not to speak. I always turned my back to him. Sulking quietly. It wasn’t easy getting to winter break. I couldn’t wait to cut off all contact with school. Then Sterling called and triggered my PTSD. After finishing the work at hand, I collapsed onto the sofa. The sun was warm. My eyelids grew heavy. Perfect time for a nap. Zzzzzz. 4. I don’t know how much time passed. A piercing screech of brakes came from outside the yard. Guests? I woke up in a daze. A black sports car, completely out of place on our muddy country road, was parked at my gate. The wheels were splattered with mud. The door was shoved open violently. Sterling stepped out, his hair messed up by the wind. He looked travel-worn. He was panting, eyes dark and gloomy. Looking like he wanted to murder someone. His gaze locked dead on me: “Hun-ter…” “I’ll show you satisfying—” He crossed the threshold in a few strides. Bringing a chill with him, he walked right up to me. He craned his neck, trying to look inside the house: “Where is the other guy?” Other guy? Mrs. Higgins from next door helped for a bit earlier. But— “The guest left a while ago.” What does that have to do with you? Just then, Pops slapped me on the shoulder, chuckling happily: “Finally done.” “Careful now. In the past, I had to stuff all this myself. Having you help saves me so much energy.” Pops finally noticed the extra person next to me. “Hey? Isn’t this Hunter’s classmate?” “You came at the perfect time. Want to join us?” Sterling froze. He seemed to shatter. His voice trembled: “Join… in?” “Your family… has this kind of custom?” I glanced at the rows of sausages hanging in the corner of the yard. What about the custom? It’s delicious! I tried to close the door. “If you’re disgusted, you can leave.” He turned sideways to block the door. “I didn’t say no!!!” Then, inexplicably, he blushed. Stammering: “I just… need a little time to accept it.” “You don’t need to trouble anyone else. I… I’m willing to help you.”

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On our wedding anniversary, the gift Rhodes sent me was a pregnant test result from a woman I’d never met. “My little bird is nesting, and she’s been clingy lately. I’m leaving early tonight.” I gripped the edge of the dining table, my fingertips going numb. “You cheated? And got someone pregnant?” He shook his head, correcting me with chilling composure. “You’ve got the timeline backwards. I cheated so that I could have a child.” “I respect your body, Aubrey, but the family legacy needs an heir.” “Don’t worry, this will be our child. I won’t let anyone bring drama to your door.” I crumpled the test result in my hand. “And what if I don’t want this child?” He chuckled, as if he’d anticipated the question. “Then I’ll simply have to find the child a new mother. Don’t be foolish, Aubrey.” Tears streamed down my face, splashing onto the meticulously prepared anniversary dinner. I looked at the feast and felt like the punchline of a very cruel joke. 1 Rhodes walked over and embraced me, his head close to my ear. His voice was a whisper, the kind a lover uses for sweet nothings. “You’ve always wanted to know why I was two hours late to our wedding, right?” My body went instantly rigid, and I started shaking uncontrollably. That day, I’d stood in the chapel in my gown for two long hours. Everyone said Rhodes had bolted. But I, foolishly, believed he would come. I made over twenty calls. He only texted back two words: Wait for me. Two hours later, after the guests had trickled away, he finally rushed in. The ceremony was just the two of us. I cried then, too, but those were tears of pure joy, believing I was marrying the love of my life. “The night before,” he continued, his breath a foul caress against my skin, “my little bird was crying, insisting on giving me her first time. She was so delicate, in so much pain, I spent all night comforting her. I simply lost track of time.” “Now you know why I didn’t touch you on our wedding night, don’t you? She’d completely drained me. I was exhausted.” A searing pain pierced my heart, leaving me breathless. He frowned, a familiar flicker of impatience in his eyes, yet his tone was falsely affectionate as he scolded me. “Stop crying, Aubrey. You know your tears break my heart. You’ve been my wife for two years. Can’t you be happy for me? I slept with her for two years to get this baby. It’s all to realize your dream of being a mother. Shouldn’t you understand?” “If you truly can’t accept it, we can divorce. But the position of Mrs. Rhodes will always be waiting for you, until you’re ready to come back.” My mind was a blank slate. Today should have been a celebration—seven years since we met, two since we married. I should have been blissfully happy. Instead, I could only stare at the man I loved most and choke out: “Why? Why would you do this to me? Why only tell me now?” Rhodes’s eyes were filled with a thick, suffocating love. “Because I love you, Aubrey.” “Every day I hid it, every morning I woke up and you weren’t the one next to me, I felt a stab of guilt. I wanted to cut myself. But we need a child. That’s what makes a complete family. Just bear with me, okay?” His lips moved closer, as if he intended to kiss me. I shoved him away with all my strength and screamed. “Get out! Don’t touch me! You disgust me!” Rhodes raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and smiled a defeated, almost charming smile. “Aubrey, I won’t touch you. Don’t be angry.” “Think about it some more. I have to go now. I’m taking her for a prenatal check-up tomorrow.” He turned and left, clean and decisive. The moment the door shut, I flew into a rage, flipping the entire table. Amidst the chaos of the ruined room, I collapsed and wept uncontrollably. That night, I smashed everything I could reach. The only thing I couldn’t bring myself to touch was the wedding photo on the wall. I held it, crying until I passed out. In my dream, time rewound. I was back at the beginning. Rhodes gripped my hand, standing firm against his father. “No one is going to separate me and Aubrey Victor!” His father erupted in fury, ordering his men to hold Rhodes down and give him thirty lashes. I knelt, begging him to break up with me. Rhodes, barely conscious, his face covered in blood, glared at me and threatened, “Aubrey, if you dare say ‘break up’ one more time, I will die right here in front of you.” He was disowned. The pampered, silver-spoon heir moved with me into a sunless basement. He was covered in heat rash in the summer, and in winter, his fingers were frostbitten. To earn money, he went to illegal fighting rings. He broke two ribs but refused a doctor. Instead, he took the money and bought us a small, one-bedroom apartment with windows. He held me, his voice rough and broken. “Don’t be ashamed, Aubrey. I promise I’ll get you a bigger, better house one day.” That love felt so real, I wanted to drown in the dream and never wake up. But my phone kept ringing. It was Rhodes’s secretary. Her voice was cautious and deferential. “Mrs. Victor, please take care of yourself. We’re handling the trending topic.” 2 I numbly opened Twitter. The top trending story was a photo of Rhodes and a visibly pregnant young woman at the hospital, taken by a passerby. Despite heavy pixelation, the woman’s swollen stomach and Rhodes’s look of raw desire were unmistakably clear. Shaking, I called him. It took a long time for him to answer, and his voice was thick with exhaustion. “Aubrey, you saw it? I didn’t think that little succubus would dare lure me in while pregnant. I just lost control for a minute.” “Why don’t you post on Twitter that it’s AI? A statement from Mrs. Rhodes will crush this faster than my PR team can pay to suppress it.” On the drive to see Rhodes, I was in a daze. Years ago, he was on every front page when he was kicked out of his family. The media camped out for a week, betting on how long the high-and-mighty heir would keep the ‘Cinderella’ wife. Rhodes ignored them all. He waited until his studio was finally taking off. Then, he called a press conference, knelt down in front of all the reporters, and proposed. “I, Rhodes Victor, will love Aubrey Victor for the rest of my life!” He laid his love bare for the world to see, leaving himself no retreat. So, when the cheating scandal broke, everyone went wild. When I arrived, his secretary greeted me, her eyes filled with pity and a desire to speak. My hands and feet were ice cold. I pushed the door open, stiffly. A cloyingly sweet, yet distinctly musky odor hit me. The woman—Sylvia, I’d later learn—was draped on the sofa, her pregnant belly fully exposed. Rhodes saw me and kissed her stomach gently. His voice was tender. “My wife is here to pick me up.” The woman stroked her belly and smiled a challenging, knowing smile at me. “Mrs. Victor, want to feel?” She actually stood up, turning her belly toward me as she approached. An intense, choking feeling strangled my throat. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor. Rhodes’s face contorted. He scrambled to my side. “Aubrey! What is it? You look terrible!” I struggled to get out of his embrace. Rhodes seemed to realize what was happening and waved at the woman. “Can’t you see my wife isn’t well? Get away from her!” The woman instantly clutched her stomach, her eyes welling up. Rhodes clicked his tongue in annoyance but forced himself to get up and pinch her cheek. “Be good. Once my wife calms down, I’ll be back with you and the baby, okay?” Only then did she smile through her tears, shooting me a smug glance before leaving. Rhodes watched her go, then turned, anxiously pulling me up. “Aubrey, are you better? Should I take you to the hospital?” “I know you can’t accept another woman’s child, so if you insist on a divorce, I understand, and I’ll respect it.” My dizzying mind suddenly went crystal clear. I looked up and met his gaze. “Rhodes, I will never divorce you.” I was perfectly lucid. I was disgusted by his betrayal and hated that woman’s provocation. But more than anything, I was unwilling to let go. I loved Rhodes. Even if being together meant tearing each other apart, I would not release him. I ran to the rooftop, sobbing, forcing him to choose between me and the baby. When I swung one leg over the railing, he screamed my name. He chose me. I knew it. I knew I was still the one he loved the most. I could swallow all the humiliation, forgive his momentary lapse. As long as he finally chose to return to me. Rhodes made the woman, Holly, abort the child. I thought we could finally start over. But he was quick to teach me a lesson. 3 The day after my birthday, photos of Rhodes and his secretary, Tasha, having sex in a car in the suburbs were plastered all over the internet. Another betrayal. My heart seized, and I fainted. When I woke up, I rushed to his company, screaming in front of the media, calling him a heartless, faithless monster. But Rhodes was no longer the broke young man kicked out of his family. He was CEO, a man who controlled the city. No media dared print my accusations. Instead, he dismissed it with one light sentence: “She’s been emotionally unstable lately.” Just like that, I became the city’s jealous, hysterical shrew. Rhodes gently stroked my hair. “You used to praise Tasha for being so discreet. I thought you wouldn’t mind her carrying the child. But seeing you like this, I guess not?” “Aubrey, my patience has limits. We must have a child. Since you insist on disobeying me, don’t blame me for using my own methods to teach you obedience.” Determined to establish dominance, he fired Tasha and immediately found a starlet named Summer. She vowed to abandon her career to give him a son. Moved by her declaration, Rhodes sold the one-bedroom apartment. The one he’d broken two ribs to buy. The one that housed our purest love and memories. I knelt, begging him, sobbing until I couldn’t breathe. But the apartment was gone, replaced by a bracelet on the starlet’s wrist. Summer lasted five months without getting pregnant. He replaced her with an influencer named Zara. My body and mind collapsed. I was seeing a therapist daily. Two months later, Zara showed up at my house, clutching her stomach. I lost control and slapped her. That single slap caused her to miscarry. Rhodes’s anger finally burned me. He sent me to a private behavioral modification center. Seven days of a dark room, piercing lectures, and inhumane correction. I returned home vacant and simpleminded. The bedroom door was ajar. He and a new woman were in our bed, trying to conceive. His face was slick with sweat. He looked up at me and smiled. “Aubrey, this is your punishment for being disobedient.” “Be a good girl. Once she’s pregnant, I promise we’ll go back to normal.” This time, I didn’t cry or yell. I waited until they were done. Then, quietly, I climbed onto the rooftop and jumped. I woke up in the hospital, covered in plaster casts. Rhodes was beside my bed, unshaven, a few strands of gray at his temples. He gripped my hand, tears raining down. “Aubrey, I’m so sorry, I’m a bastard! If anything had happened to you, I would have slit my wrists and gone with you!” For seven years, the words Rhodes said most often were not I love you. They were I’m fine, I have Aubrey. When he was kicked out, he said, I’m fine, having Aubrey is enough. When his ribs were broken, he said, I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt when I have Aubrey. When his former friends threw money in his face to humiliate him, he still said, I’m fine, I still have Aubrey. The hardest year, we shared a single cold bun a day. I couldn’t bear to drag him down anymore. I swallowed the splitting pain and suggested we break up. He knelt, begging me. “Aubrey, I can’t live for one more second without you.” Now, crying, I asked him: “Rhodes, do you really have to have a child?” He shook his head frantically, clutching me tightly. “No, I don’t. I only want you. Only Aubrey.” During my recovery, his care was meticulous. We were back to the beginning. He would kiss me and whisper in my ear, over and over, “I love you, Aubrey. I only want you.” That period was beautiful, like a fragile dream. But dreams always end. 4 His new mistress was a college student named Sylvia, dressed in cheap clothes, barely daring to look at me. Yet, she looked oddly familiar. Rhodes shielded her behind him, equally afraid to meet my eyes. I heard my own voice, dry and hollow. “Didn’t you say you didn’t want a child anymore?” He was silent for a long time before finally saying: “She’s different.” In that moment, I heard the precise sound of my heart shattering. Sylvia was different. For her, Rhodes went to cooking classes and prepared meals himself. He bought her extravagant jewelry and lit up the sky with expensive displays. Her smile was worth any price. On Sylvia’s birthday, the night sky was filled with a fleet of drones, outlining the silhouette of them embracing, spelling out the words: “Happy Birthday, Little Dream.” The light was so sharp it physically hurt my eyes. A memory flashed into my mind. Years ago, nestled in our tiny apartment, we saw a drone show on TV. I’d watched with wide-eyed envy. He held me then and promised, “When we have money, I’ll book all the drones in the city for your birthday. They’ll fly in the shape of us and spell out ‘Happy Birthday.’” Later, we did have money. But not one drone ever appeared on my birthday. I thought he’d forgotten the promise. He hadn’t. He had just given the fulfillment of that grand, romantic gesture to another woman. Three months into their relationship, Rhodes brought Sylvia to see me. He handed me a document. Divorce papers. “Today is my one-hundredth day with Sylvia.” “Her only wish is to register the marriage with me. Aubrey, just for one day. We’ll register, and then we’ll immediately exchange the certificate back.” I looked at him, then at Sylvia, who nestled in his arms, her face presumptuous with favor. Like a bolt of lightning, I suddenly realized who she looked like. All rationality left me. I lunged forward, grabbing Sylvia’s hair and screaming. “Rhodes! Look at her face! She’s just me! Why would you fall for a replacement?! Why?!” Sylvia shrieked. Rhodes brutally shoved me away. I slammed onto the coffee table. Looking down, I saw a fruit knife had lodged, straight and true, into my stomach. Waking up in the hospital again, Rhodes was seated by the bed, his face gray and utterly despairing. The wound required a forced hysterectomy. The knife had also taken an already formed embryo. I wasn’t sterile. Our first child was lost when I miscarried after kneeling all night at his father’s estate. The second was lost when I starved myself into malnutrition, so Rhodes could eat one more meal. The third was when a business rival intentionally hit my car… I lost count of how many times I was pregnant for him, and how many times I lost them. I only remembered the last time the doctor told me: “Mrs. Victor, your health is too fragile. Forcing another pregnancy will kill you.” Rhodes was terrified. He held me tightly and promised, “We won’t have children, Aubrey. We’ll be child-free.” But I wanted a complete family with him so badly. And now, after all the fighting and sacrifice, I had completely lost the chance to become a mother. Rhodes’s tears were hot and remorseful. He swore, “It’s okay, Aubrey. We have each other, and that’s enough. I’ll treat you well from now on. I promise I’ll never let you be hurt again.” I couldn’t hear anything. My world was a vast emptiness. Sylvia, standing to the side, suddenly tugged on Rhodes’s shirt, her voice timid. “Rhodes, what happened to your sister-in-law was an accident. Don’t blame yourself too much.” “Let me tell you some good news. I’m pregnant. You can still be a father. Are you happy?” My head exploded in a deafening buzz. I found strength I didn’t know I had. I lunged from the bed, reaching for her. “Bitch! You did this on purpose!” Rhodes didn’t hesitate. He violently threw me back onto the hospital bed, spinning to shield Sylvia in his arms. “Aubrey Victor! What is wrong with you?!” “Sylvia just told you it was an accident! Why do you have to be so unforgiving?” He was panting, completely out of control. “If you couldn’t keep the baby, if you couldn’t keep your uterus, why don’t you look at yourself for a change?” The IV needle had been ripped from my hand. Blood was pouring onto the sheets. But I felt no pain. Only a cold, dead silence, spreading from my heart to every limb. Rhodes stared at me, then looked at the blood on my hand, his face paling as he finally realized what he’d said. He quickly released Sylvia and tried to approach me. “Aubrey, you’re bleeding! Nurse! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to…” I looked at him. The last light in my eyes went out. “Rhodes, let’s get a divorce.”

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My coworker, Maya, found a stray dog outside our office building and decided to bring it inside. It was a scruffy little thing, but it had a nasty snarl and bared its teeth at anyone who came close. I tried to be the voice of reason. “Maya, this is an office,” I said gently. “Maybe you should let it go.” She shot me a look of pure venom, accusing me of having no heart. Then she and her two little friends launched a campaign, telling everyone in our small office how cold-blooded I was. It all came to a head when her precious stray wandered into the boss’s office and mauled his wife. Five days later, she was dead from rabies. The story blew up. The office was in chaos. And in the midst of it all, Maya and her cronies pointed their fingers at me, swearing up and down that the dog was mine. I was dragged away by the boss and his men, thrown into a dark room filled with vicious, barking dogs. They tore at my flesh, their teeth ripping me apart until I finally choked on my own blood, my heart filled with a burning hatred. Then I opened my eyes. And I was right back on that day, watching Maya walk into the office, cradling that snarling mutt in her arms. 1 “Look at him! Isn’t he the cutest thing? We should totally keep him in the office!” Maya cooed, hugging the little dog to her chest. Her two loyal sidekicks, Leah and Chloe, immediately rushed over, making goo-goo eyes at the creature. The dog just bared its teeth, a low growl rumbling in its chest. It looked anything but cute; it looked feral. I watched from a distance, my face a cold mask. There were only four of us in our section. Maya came from money, and to make matters worse, her uncle was our department head. Leah and Chloe knew which side their bread was buttered on, so they stuck to Maya like glue. In my last life, it was those three who ganged up on me, who created the lie that sealed my fate. It was their word against mine, and my furious boss didn’t even bother to ask questions. He just had me taken away, left to be ripped to shreds by a pack of wild animals. The memory of that agony, the feeling of my skin tearing, was still seared into my soul. As I watched them fawn over the mutt, my mind wasn’t on them. It was on survival. I discreetly pulled out my phone, hit ‘record’ on the video camera, and called out to her. “Maya, that’s a stray, isn’t it? I really think you should get rid of it. You have no idea what diseases it could be carrying.” All three of them whipped their heads around to glare at me. “Claire, have you got no heart?” Maya shrieked, pointing an accusing finger. “Look at this poor, adorable thing! How could we let him wander the streets alone? What if something happened to him? Could you live with that?” “How could you be so cruel as to even suggest it?” Chloe chimed in. “Seriously, Claire. You’re really cold,” Leah added, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “I never knew you were this kind of person, Claire.” I held my ground, my voice calm and steady despite the storm brewing inside me. “This is a place of business. People are coming and going all day. What if it bites someone?” “Look at this sweet face! He would never bite anyone!” Maya insisted. “And even if he did, my family has plenty of money. You think I can’t afford to pay for a little bite?” Leah immediately backed her up. “Exactly! Maya’s family is rich. Not like you. It’s bad enough you’re broke, but do you have to be so heartless too?” “Besides, Claire,” Chloe said, crossing her arms, “there are four of us here, and three of us want to keep him. Your opinion doesn’t count.” It was a pathetic attempt to curry favor with Maya, but it was their go-to move. “Shouldn’t you at least get a cage for him, then? Or a leash?” I suggested, feigning concern. I already knew what their answer would be. As expected, they erupted. A leash would restrict his freedom! Dogs have rights, you know! Don’t be so cruel! The way they looked at me, you would have thought I’d just insulted their mothers. I let them rant, and when they finally wound down, I simply nodded. “Fine. He’s your dog. You deal with him. I’m staying out of it.” Then, I quietly uploaded the video I’d been recording to a public social media account. The dog would bite the boss’s wife in three days. For the next three days, I would document everything. And this time, when the accusations started flying, I would have proof. 2 By that evening, my video had already started to gain some traction. I scrolled through the comments, a grim smile on my face. Most of them were trashing me. This woman is pure evil. It’s a tiny puppy, what’s her problem? She’s the one who should be kicked out of the office, not that adorable dog! Some people are just monsters. How can she not feel any compassion? A few even wished I’d drop dead. But the rising tide of hate didn’t bother me. In fact, it was exactly what I wanted. The next day, I filmed Maya and her friends again, this time showing them feeding the dog bits of their lunch under their desks. I posted it with a simple caption: Is it really appropriate to keep a stray dog in a professional office? What if it bites someone? The floodgates of outrage opened once more. She’s so toxic! That puppy hasn’t done anything to her! Dogs are the most loving creatures on earth! Maybe if YOU were a better person, you wouldn’t be so afraid of it! What a witch. I hope she gets fired. Dogs are our best friends! They can sense evil. If a dog doesn’t like you, you’re the problem! The comments were ridiculous, but the more the videos spread, the safer I felt. Let them call me whatever they wanted. I was building an airtight alibi, one post at a time. On the morning of the third day, I walked into the office to find Maya, Leah, and Chloe in a full-blown panic. They were tearing the place apart, searching for something. The dog was gone. “Claire! Did you hide Sparky?” Maya demanded, rushing toward me. Sparky was the ridiculously generic name she’d given the mutt. “Of course not,” I said, pretending to be engrossed in my phone while secretly turning on the camera again. I looked up at her. “You can’t even keep track of your own dog?” “What if he’s out there somewhere? What if he bites someone?” I asked, my voice laced with manufactured concern. “This is exactly what I was worried about. An office is a public space, Maya. It’s not a kennel.” “I knew it! You hated Sparky from the start! You did something to him, you vile woman!” Maya was practically screaming, her face red with rage. “Think about it, Maya,” I said calmly. “I was the first one to leave yesterday, and I was the last to arrive this morning. When would I have had time to hide your dog? And besides, it’s a stray. I wouldn’t touch that thing.” “There are security cameras in the hallway. Go check for yourself.” My logic only seemed to make her angrier. “I can’t believe how cold you are, Claire! Sparky is missing, and you can still say things like that! You’re not even human!” She stormed off toward the security office, and I followed close behind. The footage showed it clearly: sometime in the middle of the night, the little dog had slipped out of our office and trotted down the hall. I held up my phone, recorded the monitor, and posted the clip online. I knew I was about to be buried under another avalanche of hate, but I didn’t care. The show was about to begin. 3 As predicted, the comment section of my latest video was a cesspool of vitriol. People called me heartless. A so-called “animal rescue” group even threatened to find me and “teach me a lesson.” This woman is a monster. What did that sweet puppy ever do to her? It’s a living creature! She has no soul! I ignored it all and followed Maya and her crew as they began a frantic, company-wide search for the dog. I knew exactly where it was. It was in the boss’s office, and his wife would be arriving any minute. I trailed them, my phone recording their every move. I wasn’t in any hurry. Leah and Chloe were calling out “Sparky! Oh, Sparky!” with such panicked desperation, you’d think they’d lost their own child, not some mangy stray. I rolled my eyes and kept filming. Soon enough, we were near the executive suites at the end of the hall. Suddenly, we heard a sharp bark. The faces of the three stooges lit up. They followed the sound until they stood before the CEO’s office. Their excitement quickly faded into nervousness. This was the boss’s territory; they couldn’t just barge in. Maya’s head snapped around, her eyes landing on me. “Claire, this is partially your fault. You go in and get Sparky.” “My fault? How is this my fault?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. “Because of you!” she snapped. “We were so good to him, and you were nasty every single day! Your bad attitude probably scared him, and that’s why he ran away!” Her logic was so twisted it was almost impressive. “So, you need to go in there and make him like you again. Go on, bring him out and give him a nice cuddle. Then he’ll see you’re not so bad!” I just stared at her, speechless. The sheer audacity was breathtaking. When I didn’t move, she got agitated. “Claire, what are you waiting for? Go!” “Yeah, Claire, it’s your responsibility,” Leah chimed in. “If you don’t, we’re not going to be friends with you anymore!” “Oh no, please don’t,” I deadpanned. “Whatever will I do?” “You are unbelievable, Claire!” Maya shrieked, her face turning crimson. All three of them started railing against me again, calling me heartless, cruel, a monster. “If you’re so full of love and compassion,” I shot back, “why don’t you go get him yourself?” Just then, a woman’s terrified scream echoed from inside the office. I knew what was happening. The boss’s wife was being attacked. The color drained from their faces. Maya shot me one last hateful glare. “You’re a horrible person, Claire! Fine, I’ll get him myself!” She threw the door open and rushed inside. I followed right behind her, my phone held high. “AHHH!” The moment the door opened, the scream intensified into a sound of pure agony. My camera caught it all. The boss’s wife was on the floor, the little stray latched onto her calf, shaking its head violently. A chunk of flesh was already torn away, leaving a gory, bloody mess. Maya froze, her eyes wide with horror. She didn’t dare take a step closer. Leah and Chloe stood behind her, mouths agape, utterly silent. They were paralyzed by the horrific scene. “What the hell is going on?” a deep voice boomed from behind us. I turned to see our boss. It was him. The man from my nightmares. The man who had me thrown to the dogs, his face twisted in a cold, merciless snarl. A shiver of pure, primal fear shot down my spine. The terror was so real, so visceral, I had to fight to keep my composure. He shoved past us, his eyes locking on the scene. When he saw the dog savaging his wife, he didn’t hesitate. He drew back his foot and kicked the dog with brutal force. The mutt flew like a soccer ball, slamming into the far wall with a sickening thud. It lay there, whining pitifully, too broken to even try to stand. The boss stalked over and delivered two more vicious kicks. The dog let out one last, choked whimper and went still. 4 In my past life, I only knew that the boss had carried the dog’s corpse from office to office, demanding to know who owned it. This time, I’d witnessed the execution firsthand. The sheer violence of it left Maya and her friends trembling in fear. “Whose dog is this?” he roared, his voice thick with rage as he knelt beside his wife. “Why is there a dog in my company?” He turned to his wife, his voice softening slightly. “I’m getting you to a hospital.” She was pale as a ghost. She nodded weakly as someone helped her out. I knew it was pointless. The bite had sealed her fate. When she was gone, the boss turned back to us, his eyes dark and menacing. “Was it your dog?” This was it. The moment of truth. In my last life, this was when Maya threw me under the bus without a second thought. It was when he slapped me so hard I saw stars. It was the beginning of five days of hell that ended with me being eaten alive. But this life was different. This time, I had my armor. Let them try to frame me. “No! It wasn’t ours!” Maya blurted out, her face as white as a sheet. She immediately pointed a trembling finger at me. “It’s Claire’s! Claire brought the dog to the office!” Her voice was shrill, desperate. “We told her not to, sir! We told her it was against the rules to have a dog here, but she wouldn’t listen! She even yelled at us for trying to help!” Leah and Chloe nodded frantically beside her, their faces masks of phony earnestness. I watched them, a profound sense of disgust washing over me. But what happened next still shocked me. Before I could even form a sentence, a hand cracked across my face. The force of the blow sent me stumbling backward, my head ringing. Stars exploded behind my eyes, and for a second, the world went blurry. I planted my feet, steadying myself, and slowly turned my head to face him. His face was a thundercloud of pure rage. “What do you think this company is? A damn kennel?” he snarled. “If anything happens to my wife, I’ll kill you.” The injustice of it was staggering. “Sir, that dog wasn’t mine,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “And I have proof.” I reached for my phone, ready to show him everything. “Claire, what are you doing?” Maya shrieked, lunging for my phone. But the boss was faster. He grabbed her arm, his grip like iron, and pushed her away. He stared at me, his eyes narrowed. “Proof?”

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