Category: English

On the day I got laid off, I called my boyfriend, Liam. He never picked up. Soaked from the rain, I pushed open the front door of our apartment, shivering as I clutched the cardboard box of my belongings. Inside, the place was packed. Loud music blasted, and to my shock, my parents, my relatives, and all of our friends were there. In the center of the crowd stood Liam and my best friend, Chloe, dressed in a tuxedo and a white bridal gown, throwing a massive wedding party. The box slipped from my hands, crashing to the floor. Liam walked over to me, his expression chillingly calm. “What are you doing here?” I stared at him, my voice shaking. “What is this?” His eyes flickered with a brief flash of guilt, but he just sighed. “Chloe and I got legally married last year. Today is just the reception.” Without thinking, I slapped him hard across the face. “Get out. All of you, get the hell out. This is my apartment.” I screamed. The next moment, our mutual friends shoved me back. “How could you hit him like that?” “Seriously. We only kept it from you because we didn’t want you to be devastated. Liam would have broken up with you ages ago anyway.” Amidst the chaos, my parents stepped forward, looking at me with deep disappointment. “Elena, this apartment isn’t yours,” my dad said. “Your mother and I bought it, and we’ve already gifted it to Chloe as a wedding present.” “Today is their big day,” my mom added. “Don’t make a scene. Just go to your room.” I stood by the doorway, laughing through my tears. It was so absurd. Five years of dating. Three years of living together. My boyfriend had become my best friend’s husband. My own parents secretly bought them our home as a wedding gift. And all of my friends had been happily keeping the secret. Right now, I was nothing but a joke.

When they shoved me into the bedroom, my knee slammed hard against the bed frame. Before I could even stand up, the door slammed shut in my face. I froze. The noise outside dimmed for a second, then the party started up again, even louder than before. I was locked in that room from noon until total darkness fell. No one came to open the door. No one even checked on me. I screamed until my throat was completely raw. In the end, I could only slide down against the door, listening to the party noises slowly fade away. But my mind only grew sharper and clearer. When the house finally went completely quiet, the door opened. I pulled myself up using the bedpost. My legs were completely numb. My parents walked in first, followed by Liam and Chloe. My mom’s eyes were red, looking as if she were the one suffering. “Elena, honey… look. You and Liam did those fertility tests before, right?” “We saw the portal report. The doctor said… it might be very hard for you to ever have children.” My entire body went rigid. We had done those tests right before Liam and I were planning to get married. But I never got my hands on the results. Liam said he would handle the portal access, and I hadn’t thought much of it. It turned out I didn’t need to think. Everyone had already made the decisions for me. I looked at Liam. “You knew all along?” He kept his head down, refusing to meet my eyes. My dad spoke up. “Liam is an only child. This kind of issue would have ruined your marriage eventually. If you two broke up normally, could you even handle the heartbreak?” My mom immediately chimed in. “So, your dad and I talked it over. We figured it was best to let Chloe and Liam get married first and have a baby. Once that’s done, you can come back. We can all live together and get through this.” My brain exploded. My lips trembled, and it took me forever to force out a single sentence. “Have you all lost your minds?” Chloe took a step forward. Her eyes were watery, her voice soft and fragile. “Elena, everyone is just really worried about you. I’ve been alone for so many years, and I’ve always seen you guys as my family. If I can help you keep Liam, I’m willing to do it.” She finished speaking and gently placed her hand on her flat stomach. “Besides, I’m already pregnant.” I stared at her stomach, a wave of intense nausea hitting my throat. I slowly turned to Liam. “And you agreed to this?” He stayed dead silent. My vision went dark. My chest felt so tight I couldn’t breathe. The next second, I collapsed onto the floor. When I woke up, the room was pitch black. I fumbled around for my phone. The moment the screen lit up, notifications flooded in. Missed calls, messages from former coworkers, and over a hundred unread alerts in our group chat on Snapchat. I tapped into it. At first, some people were asking why Liam had suddenly married Chloe. But then, the tone shifted. Someone wrote, “Oh my god, my favorite ship actually became canon!” “Right? Chloe is so sweet and gentle. Elena has such a bad temper and is always so dramatic. No guy could stand her.” I scrolled down and saw another message. “Remember when Liam worked overtime until midnight, and she still forced him to drive across town to get her takeout? So annoying. Total spoiled princess.” “Exactly. She deserved to get dumped.” I stared at those words, my hands turning ice-cold. On that night, Liam had been the one who insisted on buying me food, telling me to just name what I wanted. I had even told him to forget it because it was too late. He had laughed and told me it was fine. But in everyone else’s mouths, it became proof of my selfishness. With my heart squeezing painfully, I instinctively typed a message into the Snapchat group. “You all knew about this?” The chat went dead silent for a second. The next second, a notification popped up: You have been removed from the group. They didn’t even bother to give me an explanation. I sat on the edge of the bed and let out a soft, hollow laugh. It wasn’t just my parents. It wasn’t just Liam. My friends, my coworkers. Everyone had been lying to me. I stood up and started packing. I didn’t want to stay in this place for another single minute.

When I dragged my suitcase out, the living room was still decorated with white drapes and fresh flowers. Unfinished wedding favor boxes were scattered on the table, and Chloe’s jacket was tossed casually over the sofa. It was as if they couldn’t wait to make this place their new home. As I was packing, I suddenly noticed the birdcage by the window was empty. I froze. “Where is my pet bird?” My mom was clearing the table outside. She didn’t even look up. “Chloe said keeping him locked up was too cruel, so she let him go.” The clothes in my hands dropped right back into the suitcase. “She let him go?” Chloe, sitting on the sofa, said softly, “I was just doing what was best for him. It’s so sad to keep him in a cage. Isn’t freedom better?” I spun around to face her, my voice shaking violently. “He is a domesticated parrot. He can’t survive in the wild!” She flinched as if I had terrified her, her hands immediately guarding her stomach. “How was I supposed to know? I was just trying to be nice.” “Nice?” I glared at her. “I raised that bird for years.” I turned to my parents. “That was the birthday present you gave me. And you just let her release him?” My dad frowned, completely dismissing it. “It’s just a bird. It’s gone. If you want another one, we’ll buy you a new one later.” Buy me a new one. I stood there, suddenly finding myself completely speechless. I went back to packing in silence. Seeing that I was actually leaving, my mom finally got anxious. “Stop acting out, Elena! You just lost your job. Where are you going to go by yourself? We did all of this for your own future!” I picked up my suitcase and looked at her. “If this is your idea of doing what’s best for me, then you should have never given birth to me in the first place.” I turned and walked toward the door. My dad’s booming voice echoed from behind. “Elena Vance, if you walk out that door today, don’t you dare ever come back!” I didn’t stop. Just as I reached the door, Liam finally spoke. “It’s still pouring outside. Don’t do anything reckless.” I looked back at him. “Liam, don’t ever speak to me again.” His face turned incredibly pale. I carried my box down the stairs, the cardboard cutting painfully into my arms. I ended up checking into a cheap, run-down motel. The room was tiny. The window wouldn’t close properly, rattling loudly every time the night wind blew. I barely slept that night. I had lost my job, my home, and my boyfriend. My best friend was now his wife, my parents were on their side, and even my friends were laughing at me behind my back. But the moment the sun rose, I forced myself up to start sending out resumes. I had to survive. I used to be a top performer at my old company. I thought that no matter how unlucky I was, I could at least find a decent job. But reality was much harsher than I expected. At the first company, the interview went amazingly well, but they suddenly called back to say the position had been filled. At the second company, I went in person, but after the interviewer took a quick phone call, their attitude turned cold. The third company was even more direct. They didn’t even let me past the lobby. After getting rejected repeatedly, I finally realized something was wrong. After getting rejected repeatedly, I finally realized something was wrong. It wasn’t until I was standing outside a restroom at an office building that I overheard two girls whispering inside. “Yeah, that’s her. Vivian said she got fired from her last job for being a homewrecker.” “I heard she tried to steal someone’s husband. Who would dare hire a person like that?” I stood frozen, my blood running cold. My cousin Vivian worked at my old company. And she had been at the wedding reception that day. I immediately took an Uber straight to my old office. The moment I walked in, I noticed everyone stealing glances at me. Some quickly pretended to be busy, while others whispered near the breakroom. I walked straight up to Vivian’s desk. “Are you the one spreading those rumors about me?” Vivian looked up, acting completely innocent. “What rumors?” “That I’m a homewrecker. That I tried to steal someone’s husband. That I got fired because of it.” She leaned back in her chair and scoffed. “I didn’t lie. I just told people exactly what I saw at the party.” I laughed out of sheer anger. “I was the one who was betrayed!” But the moment I said that, the whispers around us only grew louder. Clearly, nobody believed me. Right then, Chloe walked in. She was there to hand in some paperwork, and she stumbled right into the scene. I stared at her, as if grabbing onto my last piece of evidence. “Tell them. Tell them who actually stole from whom!” “Was it you and Liam who went behind my back?” Everyone’s eyes locked onto Chloe. Her face drained of color. She instinctively shielded her stomach, her voice barely a whisper. “Elena, please don’t do this… I’m pregnant.” With that single sentence, she sealed my fate. The looks of disgust from the bystanders solidified. Tears streamed down Chloe’s face as she took a half-step back. “Things are already like this. The baby needs a father. If you want to blame someone, blame me. Just stop making a scene, okay?” I looked at her, my chest so tight I could barely draw breath. In the end, under the judgmental stares of dozens of people, I was escorted out of the building by security.

Rent was due, and I needed to eat. No matter how angry I was, I had to survive first. Eventually, I took a job as a waitress at a local restaurant. One night, the shift manager asked me to bring hot tea to one of the private dining booths. The moment I pushed the door open, I froze. My parents, Liam, Chloe, and a few of our relatives were all sitting inside. They were laughing and talking, looking like a perfect, happy family. And there I was, wearing a cheap apron, holding a teapot. The booth fell into dead silence. My mom’s face twisted instantly. Liam looked up and froze when he saw me. Only Chloe, after a brief shock, gently rested her hand on her stomach. I gripped the tray tightly, my knuckles turning white, but I forced myself to say nothing. I walked in with my head down, pouring tea cup by cup. My mom hissed in a low voice, “How could you work in a place like this?” A relative whispered nearby, “She has a college degree. How did she end up like this?” “Didn’t she use to have a nice office job?” I stood by the table. The teapot was boiling hot, but their words burned much worse. As I turned to leave, Chloe spoke up in her sweet, gentle voice. “Elena, have you been under too much stress lately? Why don’t you sit down and eat with us?” “Don’t be mad at us anymore.” I finally looked up at her. She sat there, her baby bump slightly showing, pretending to care so much about me. I felt a chill run down my spine. Some people will rob you of everything, and then turn around and look at you with pity. As if your miserable state is entirely your own fault. “I’m working,” I said coldly. My mom immediately cut in. “How long are you going to keep throwing this tantrum? You’d rather serve tables than come home!” I looked at her. “I’m working to feed myself. And you call that a tantrum?” My dad’s face darkened. “Look at yourself. You look pathetic. Stop this nonsense and come home. Stop embarrassing us out here.” I suddenly let out a laugh. “I’m the one embarrassing you?” “When you gave my boyfriend to Chloe, did you think about how embarrassing that was?” The room fell dead silent. My mom looked furious. “Do you have to be so hostile?” “Hostile?” I asked. “I’m standing here pouring your tea. How much politer do you want me to be?” Liam hadn’t said a word since I walked in. But now, he finally spoke, his voice low. “Elena.” I glared at him. “Don’t call my name.” His lips parted, but he closed them, saying nothing. Chloe slowly stood up, still looking weak and delicate. “Elena, no one wanted to humiliate you. We’re truly worried about you being out here on your own. Since we ran into each other today, why don’t we sit down and talk things through?” I stared at her. “Talk what through? Talk about how you got everything you wanted?” Her eyes immediately filled with tears, and she cupped her stomach. “Please don’t be like this.” “Then how should I be?” I took a step toward her. “Aren’t you the perfect actress? Come on, tell everyone again how you married Liam ‘for my own good’!” The relatives lowered their heads. No one dared to speak. Panicked, my mom reached out and grabbed my arm. “Enough! Haven’t you made enough of a scene?” I shoved her hand off. “I’m the one making a scene?” “Since the day of that wedding, did any of you ever care about my dignity?” I turned to walk out. But the moment I spun around, a sharp gasp echoed behind me. Chloe clutched her stomach, her knees buckling as she collapsed backward. She knocked over the cups on the table, spilling tea everywhere. The next second, a splash of red began to seep through her light-colored dress. The booth erupted into chaos. “Chloe!” My mom screamed and rushed over. My dad panicked. Liam bolted forward, immediately scooping Chloe into his arms. Chloe huddled in his chest, her face pale as paper, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t blame her… I really don’t blame her…” The moment she said that, everyone’s eyes locked onto me with pure rage. Because a second ago, I was the one standing closest to her. I stood there, my body freezing. “I didn’t even touch her.” But nobody listened. My mom rushed over and slapped me hard across the face. “Are you trying to kill her and the baby to be satisfied?!” The slap knocked my head to the side. My ears buzzed. The relatives started shouting at me. “How could she do that to a pregnant woman?” “What if something happens to the baby?” “She’s completely heartless!”

The ambulance arrived quickly. Chloe was rushed to the hospital. After the examination, the doctor said the baby was fine. It was just a scare, but she needed absolute rest. In the hospital room, Chloe lay on the bed, looking pale and exhausted. But the moment she spoke, she was back to playing the saint. “I don’t blame Elena. Really.” “She’s been through too much lately. She’s emotionally unstable. I understand.” I snapped my head up to glare at her. But she didn’t look at me. She just kept talking to my parents. “Maybe you should get her some professional help. I’m really scared that if she stays like this, she’ll end up hurting herself… or someone else.” My mom nodded immediately. “You’re right. She hasn’t been acting normal lately.” My dad’s face was grim, but he didn’t object. I took a step back, my throat tightening. “I’m not sick.” Liam stood by the bed. He looked troubled, as if he knew something wasn’t right. But in the end, he didn’t say a single word to defend me. My dad quickly made a phone call. That very night, I was forcefully taken to a private psychiatric facility. All the way there, I screamed and tried to explain. I was pinned down in the back of the car, tears and fury blinding me. “I’m not crazy!” “What right do you have to lock me up!” “Liam, say something!” I stared at him desperately. But he sat there in silence for a long time, only whispering, “Just try to calm down, Elena.” Calm down. Hearing those words felt like a knife carving out my heart. Before the car doors slammed shut, I could still hear Chloe’s weak, pathetic whimpering from the hospital room. Once we arrived at the facility, the nightmare truly began. Doctors and nurses swarmed me, pinning me down to inject me with a sedative. The moment the needle pierced my skin, my entire body shivered from the pain. I looked up at them, suddenly losing the strength to fight. As the drugs kicked in, my vision blurred. I faintly heard my mom whispering nearby, “Once she gets better, she’ll realize we did this for her own good.” My dad grunted in agreement. I couldn’t hear anything after that. The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was Liam’s blurry shadow standing under the hallway light. Five years of love. Three years of living together. I had truly wanted to marry him. I had dreamed of our wedding, our children, and a long life together. But now, I regretted ever meeting him. After being locked in that private facility, I spent the first day trying to explain myself. And the second day. By the third day, I realized it was completely useless. The doctor asked why I was resisting treatment, and I said I wasn’t sick. The nurse forced pills into my hand, and I told her my family had set me up. They just nodded and wrote in their notebooks: “Patient is highly unstable. Continuous denial of illness.” When I refused to take the meds, the nurses held me down and forced them down my throat. When I tried to run, the orderlies dragged me back. But the absolute worst part was the electroconvulsive therapy. The first time they wheeled me into that room, I didn’t know what it was. But the moment I saw the machines, I started shaking. I backed away, crying and begging them to stop. Two orderlies pinned me down while the nurses strapped my wrists. I fought with everything I had, screaming at the top of my lungs. Suddenly, the door opened, and Liam walked in. Like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline, I screamed to him through my tears. “Liam! I’m not crazy! Please, take me away from here!” The next second, Liam reached out and held my shoulders down. “Elena, stop fighting it. It’s for your own good.” In that instant, my crying stopped. When the needles went in and the electricity surged through my body, my entire frame went rigid. I screamed until my vocal cords practically shredded. When it was over, I threw up so hard I couldn’t even stand. But they said I was still “unstable.” On the consent form for the treatment, Liam had signed his name. After that, I became quieter and quieter. The doses of medication kept increasing, and my brain felt like it was trapped in thick fog. Sometimes, daytime would pass, and I couldn’t even tell if it was night. When someone asked how old I was, I had to think for a long time without finding an answer. When they asked for my name, it took me minutes to remember. One day, a nurse slipped a piece of candy into my hand. “You were very good today. Here’s a treat.” I stared at the candy in my palm, sitting motionless for hours. I began to lose the ability to recognize people. When my mom came to visit, she stood by my bed crying, but I just found her noise incredibly irritating. My dad rarely came. He would stand at the door for a long time, and I had no idea who he was. But when Liam came, I was terrified. Even though my brain couldn’t place his name, the moment I saw him, my arms would begin to throb in phantom pain, and my body would instinctively shrink back into the corner of the bed. Once, a nurse took me out to get some fresh air. Liam was standing near the bench, calling my name in a cracked, hoarse voice. I clutched my stuffed animal tightly and whispered to the nurse, “Who is that man?” In that split second, Liam looked as if all the life had been sucked out of him. But I didn’t know him anymore. Then, the original testing hospital called. They said they had made a mistake with the fertility screening report. The files had been swapped with another patient who shared the same name. My actual fertility results had been completely normal. When Liam received the call, he was standing in the hospital corridor. His phone slipped from his hand, crashing to the floor as his face drained of all color.

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On my ninety-ninth night with Leo Vance, he was as wild as ever, holding me so tight it felt like he never wanted to let go. He once told me that physical attraction is far more stable than emotional love. And I had always believed we had an unspoken understanding. Until I overheard him talking to his friends. “Maya is just my executive assistant,” Leo said, his voice casually amused. “But I have to admit, she’s incredible in bed.” “Double the service for one paycheck. Pretty good deal, right?” Then, one of his friends mentioned a name: Chloe. The moment he heard that name, Leo’s voice softened instantly. “Chloe is different. I couldn’t bear to ruin her.” At that moment, the illusion I had built for myself shattered. My hand froze on the doorknob. Instead of entering, I pulled out my phone and called the overseas headhunter who had been trying to recruit me for months. “Are you still looking to hire me?” The voice on the other end responded almost instantly. “Perfect. My flight leaves tomorrow night. Come with me.” “I’ll send a car to pick you up tomorrow evening.” After hanging up, I looked through the glass door at Leo inside the VIP lounge. He was sitting in the center of the leather sofa, a tender look in his eyes that only appeared when he heard that name. The rowdy laughter of the men around him continued. “Our Mr. Vance sure has charm. Maya is the most famous PR strategist in the industry, yet she willingly stays by his side just playing assistant.” “She looks like such an untouchable ice queen. I bet she’s amazing in private, huh?” The men laughed and winked. Leo didn’t even try to stop them. In fact, a smug smirk played on his lips. I took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked in. After all, on paper, I was still his assistant. I had a job to finish. The moment I stepped inside, the suggestive tension in the air didn’t fade. The men’s teasing eyes locked onto me. “Oh, Maya’s here! Perfect. Mr. Vance can’t drink anymore. Maya is always his savior at these dinners, isn’t she?” “Exactly. Hey, Maya, do you have any friends like you? Introduce them to us.” “Someone who can handle the business, take the drinks, and… satisfy other needs.” They traded dirty looks, their faces full of disrespect and amusement. Leo jokingly punched the guy closest to him. “Alright, that’s enough. Can’t the expensive wine shut your mouths?” After saying that, Leo waved me over, gesturing for me to sit next to him. As soon as I sat down, Leo handed me a glass with a smile. “These guys are just playing around. They don’t mean any harm. Don’t take it personally.” I didn’t say a word. I tilted my head back and drank the alcohol in one gulp. Suddenly, the door was pushed open. A girl wearing a white woolen coat and a pink beanie stumbled in, her innocent eyes filled with panic. The second she walked in, Leo bolted upright and rushed to her. “Chloe? What are you doing here?” “This place is too chaotic. Didn’t I tell you to wait for me at home?” Chloe? So this was the Chloe they were talking about. Chloe looked up, her eyes watery and incredibly helpless. “I waited for so long and you didn’t show up. I was worried.” “Your stomach is bad. I didn’t want you to drink too much.” Leo seemed deeply touched by her words. His dark, cold eyes softened completely. The men in the lounge started whistling. “Oh, so this is the ‘Chloe’ our Mr. Vance always talks about? Hey, beautiful, want to join us for a drink?” Before the man could finish his sentence, Leo turned around and smashed his glass on the floor. “Shut your damn mouth. Chloe is not the kind of woman you joke about.”

Not the kind of woman? Just moments ago, his friends had said things to me that were ten times worse, and Leo had laughed it off. But now, Leo flew into a rage over a harmless joke because Chloe wasn’t “that kind of woman.” If their conversation earlier had torn my heart open, Leo’s reaction now was like digging a giant hole in my chest, letting the freezing wind howl through. My hands and feet went numb. I closed my eyes, forcing down the bitterness in my throat. A little over a year ago, Leo’s company was facing a massive financial crisis. As a top-tier crisis strategist from Wall Street, Leo hired me with a massive contract for six months. In just three months, I brought his group back from the dead. But our rapid rise pissed off the wrong people. A disgruntled rival hired professional hitmen to ambush us in an underground parking lot. During the chaos, I threw myself in front of Leo, taking a bullet that was meant to end his life. Fortunately, the bullet missed my heart by an inch. I survived. When I woke up, Leo was sitting by my hospital bed, his eyes bloodshot, his voice cracking with emotion. “You didn’t even hesitate to jump in front of me. Did you face stuff like this back in New York?” “Maya, it breaks my heart. Stay with me, okay?” Maybe it was the way he whispered my name, or maybe the tenderness in his eyes was too intoxicating. At that moment, I fell for him. Like an idiot, I nodded. From that day on, everything changed. On the surface, I was still his executive assistant. But he spent almost every night in my bed. We were wild, passionate, doing everything real couples do. I thought it was love. When I opened my eyes, Leo had already left with Chloe. The people left in the room looked at me with either pity or ridicule. I ignored them, stood up, and walked out. I was leaving tomorrow. Once I got back to the apartment, I started packing my few belongings. This apartment was provided by Leo, and most of the things in it were bought by him. I didn’t have much of my own to take. As I was packing, the front door opened. I didn’t turn around. A moment later, a warm chest pressed against my back. A pair of rough hands slid under the hem of my shirt. Leo’s voice was raspy from the alcohol. “Why are you packing? Going somewhere? Is Hazel dragging you out on another trip?” Hazel was my only friend in the country. We occasionally went on weekend getaways. I stopped his hand from moving higher and turned around to look him straight in the eyes. Instead of answering, I asked the one question on my mind. “Leo, what are we?” Leo froze. His drunk eyes cleared up a bit. “Maya, is this about Chloe tonight? Are you upset?” I didn’t say a word. I let the silence speak for me. Leo let out a soft sigh and sat down on the sofa. When he looked up again, there was a hint of impatience in his eyes. “Maya, I thought we had an unspoken understanding about this.” “Chloe won’t affect us. Everything stays the same. Be a good girl, okay?” At that moment, I realized I had never truly known this man. I forced back the tears prickling my eyes. “I see.” Hearing my response, Leo visibly relaxed. He stood up, wanting to hug me. But sensing my coldness, he stepped back. “Whatever. Get some rest and clear your head. I’m leaving.” “I have a dinner with Mr. Sterling tomorrow afternoon. I’ll send a driver to pick you up. Just relax during the day.” After Leo left, all my strength drained away. My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, the tears finally pouring down my face. A while later, my phone buzzed. It was a Snap from Hazel. “What is wrong with Leo? Why did he post this on his Ins story?” I opened the screenshot Hazel sent. It was a photo Leo had just posted. It was a screenshot of a chat. The caption read: “Turns out, being cared for after drinking feels this good.” My tears fell onto the screen. With trembling fingers, I zoomed in on the chat.

Most of the message was blurred out, except for one line from the sender. “Your stomach is bad. I get so worried when you drink. If you do it again, I’m going to ignore you!” Looking at those childish words, Chloe’s innocent face flashed in my mind. I clicked on Leo’s profile. His Ins page was blank for me. Just a gray line. He had blocked me from seeing it. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Hazel’s messages kept spamming my phone. “Who is that in the screenshot? That’s not your profile picture!” “You’ve been with him for a year. What the hell is he doing?” “Has Leo lost his mind? Some basic, whiny text gets him so excited he has to show the whole world? Did he forget everything you’ve done for him?” “You’re his girlfriend!” Looking at the last message, I stared blankly for a second before typing back. “I’m just his assistant. We both got it wrong.” After that, Hazel didn’t send another text. The next morning, Hazel sent a driver to my place, insisting on taking me out for lunch. I checked the time. Leo’s dinner with Mr. Sterling was in the afternoon, and the driver wasn’t picking me up until evening. I had time. Hazel was my only friend. Since I was leaving, I needed to say a proper goodbye. After a night of crying, I had mostly made peace with my decision. But Hazel spent the entire drive to the restaurant cursing Leo out. Looking at her flushed, angry face, my heart felt a little warmer. We hung out at the mall after lunch until the evening, when Leo’s driver picked me up and took me to the private dining club. The moment I entered the VIP room, Leo smiled and waved at me. “Maya, you’re here. Come, sit.” From the second I walked in, Mr. Sterling’s slimy, greasy eyes crawled over my body like a snake. I pretended not to notice and sat down next to Leo. As soon as I sat down, Mr. Sterling spoke up. “Is this… Mr. Vance’s date?” “Mr. Vance, you really are young and successful. Every woman around you is more stunning than the last.” Mr. Sterling stood up, walked behind me, and casually rested his hand on my shoulder. Leo smiled, raising his glass to Mr. Sterling. “You flatter me, Mr. Sterling. When doing business, the women we bring must match our status.” “Since you like her, and she doesn’t have any pressing work tonight… once we sign the contract, she can stay and thoroughly discuss the resort development with you.” Hearing this, Mr. Sterling’s eyes lit up. The hand on my shoulder squeezed tighter. I had been to many of these dinners with Leo. But now I realized that in his eyes, I was just a highly capable assistant, a tool to charm clients, or maybe even a chip to be traded in business. But never his partner. Just then, a commotion broke out in the hallway outside. “Are you blind? Can’t you see me walking here?” Then came a girl’s frantic apology, her voice trembling and full of tears. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking…” Beside me, Leo’s face fell instantly. He bolted upright and rushed out of the room. The girl outside was Chloe. Her eyes were red, filled with tears that looked ready to spill over. The bloated, drunk businessman who had run into her realized she was a pretty, innocent young girl. He stepped closer, reeking of alcohol. “Oh, what a cute little thing.” “Don’t cry. I’m a reasonable guy. But you bumped into me, and it hurt. A simple apology won’t cut it. My private room is right next door…”

Before the man could finish, Leo’s fist smashed into his face. He pulled the sobbing Chloe behind his back. The drunk man was caught off guard and took the blow head-on. Once he steadied himself, furious, he grabbed a glass bottle from a nearby cart and hurled it straight at Leo. Out of professional instinct, I rushed forward, throwing myself in front of Leo and Chloe. Smash! The bottle shattered heavily against my forearm, which I had raised to shield them. The glass exploded. Red wine and blood splattered all over my clothes, and blood began to drip rapidly onto the floor. People from the neighboring rooms came out to see the commotion. When they recognized Leo, their faces turned pale. “Mr. Vance… Mr. Vance… What are you doing here?” The drunk man was still shouting. “Who the hell do you think you are, hitting me! Do you know who I am? I’m with Miller Corp…” Before he could finish, his associate grabbed him, bowing frantically to Leo. “Mr. Vance, Mr. Vance, he’s drunk. Please don’t mind him. Please show mercy…” I looked at Leo. He was staring at the terrified Chloe with pure heartbreak. He didn’t look at me for a single second. Hearing the associate’s apology, Leo’s eyes turned icy. “Miller Corp? Got it.” Chloe clutched Leo’s sleeve, looking pitiful. “Leo, I’m scared. Let’s go.” Without hesitation, Leo scooped Chloe up in his arms and carried her toward the private lounge. Before leaving, he seemed to suddenly remember I existed. “Clean yourself up in the restroom. Once you’re done, go back and take care of Mr. Sterling.” “Don’t keep him waiting. This contract is highly important.” I looked down at my dripping, bloody arm. A cold, bitter feeling washed over me. When Mr. Sterling put his slimy hands on me, Leo looked away and even offered me up as a bargaining chip. But when Chloe was merely teased, the always-rational Leo lost his mind and started a fistfight. The difference between love and convenience was loud and clear. When I walked out of the restroom and passed the private lounge, the door was slightly ajar. A suggestive, breathless sound drifted out. The woman was panting, her voice sweet and whiny. “You say you love me, but why won’t you take me to these dinners? Am I too embarrassing to be seen with?” The man’s voice was deep, thick with desire. “The men at these dinners are beasts. You’re too pure. I couldn’t bear to let you near a place like this.” “I want to protect you from the world. I’d never let you get hurt.” The girl giggled, teasing him. “Don’t be so eager. Your assistant is still cleaning up in the restroom. She might be right next door.” The man didn’t slow down, clearly pleased by her reaction. “I love you so much. You always surprise me.” “Don’t worry. The walls in these VIP rooms are soundproof. I closed the door. She won’t hear a thing.” As Leo spoke, Chloe, who was beneath him, shifted her gaze. Her eyes met mine through the crack in the door. At that moment, everything clicked. Leo thought he had closed the door, but it was wide open. Her showing up here, and this entire performance, was all Chloe’s doing. I smiled, withdrew my gaze, and quietly pushed the door shut for them. As the lock clicked, my phone rang. It was my contact. “Maya, change of plans. The private jet has landed.” “We need to leave immediately. I’m coming to pick you up now.” I sent him my location and quickly walked out of the club, never returning to Mr. Sterling’s room. If the plans had changed, it was fate. Leo, goodbye forever.

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I was born with extreme pain sensitivity. A simple push feels like being pricked by a thousand needles. A single slap leaves me in agonizing pain. My mother said it was the curse of our witch bloodline—our bodies are too sensitive, able to feel even the slightest wrinkles of fate. On her deathbed, she told me this sensitivity would guide me to my fated one. Later, Alpha Victor of the Moonclaw Pack told me: “You are my fated mate, my very life!” Because of our blood-bond, any pain I feel is transmitted to him, magnified tenfold. When his family’s arranged fiancée pinched my arm, Alpha Victor spasmed in agony and immediately terminated all business partnerships with the Linwoods. His mother, the former Luna, slapped me: “Take a million dollars and stay away from my son!” My cheek burned like fire. The next second, Alpha Victor went into shock from the phantom pain and threw his own mother into the Pack prison. Since then, the entire werewolf world knew Alpha Victor’s golden rule: “If she frowns even once, I will crush your bones!” Yet, the daughter of the Ice Wolf Pack’s Alpha, who had just returned from overseas, didn’t know this. She kicked open my dorm door with her minions: “How dare a low-life human like you seduce Alpha Victor!” The next second, I was dragged toward the abandoned outpost, feeling completely hopeless… ***

The grip on the back of my neck was brutal. As two Pack warriors dragged me toward the abandoned warehouse, students along the hallway stuck their heads out to watch. Their whispers felt like tiny needles piercing straight into my brain. The warrior holding me gripped so tightly that his claws dug through my clothes and into the flesh of my arm. It hurt. I clenched the hem of my shirt, my eyes burning with tears. I had been like this since I was a child. When others pushed me lightly, I would hurt for hours. Now, with the warriors’ knuckles squeezing my wrist bone like steel pliers, waves of intense pain flooded my entire body. “Still acting tough? Who do you think you are?” “Why are you crying? Stop playing the victim!” Ivy Linwood sauntered over to me in her four-inch stilettos. Her fingers, painted blood-red, flew up. *Slap!* She struck my face right in front of everyone. She was the eldest daughter of the Ice Wolf Pack’s Alpha. The Linwood family sat on the board of trustees at Northwood University. She had just returned from Europe, only to find that her Alpha had been taken by a human with witch blood. To her, this was a double insult. She hated witches, and she despised humans. Ten minutes ago, when she kicked my dorm door open, I was typing my thesis on my laptop. Before I could even finish a sentence, she splashed half a cup of iced soda all over me. “How dare a human with witch blood seduce Alpha Victor?” She shrieked so loudly that the entire dorm floor poked their heads out. Those curious, mocking, and gossiping stares fell on my face. Shame and anger rushed through me, choking back any words of defense. The warrior behind me shoved me forward. I stumbled, my arm twisted behind my back. My joint let out a sharp pop. The agonizing pain shot straight to my brain, making my vision go dark. “What are you doing! I’ve already notified the Pack Enforcement!” My roommate, Chloe, rushed over to stop them, only to be shoved hard against the wall by a warrior. Her phone slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor. Ivy sneered, stepping over my scattered belongings, and ordered the warriors to keep moving. “Pack Enforcement?” she laughed arrogantly. “Even if you take this to the Pack Tribunal, it’s useless. The Linwood family owns this school. You’re just a witch-blooded human who barged in here by seducing Victor. What are you, anyway?” I looked at my printed thesis and notes, now covered in muddy footprints. My twisted arm was still throbbing with pain. A tear slipped down and splashed onto the back of my hand. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, but my pain-hypersensitive body made it impossible to control. Seeing this, Ivy mocked: “Oh, look at you. Who do you think you are, playing the fragile victim?” Just as she raised her hand to deliver another slap to my face. A voice roared from the end of the hallway: “Stop right there!” The man leading the way was Alpha Victor’s Beta deputy, Derek. Behind him stood four uniformed Pack warriors, lined up in perfect formation. Derek looked at Ivy with a cold sneer, his voice freezing the air: “Miss Linwood, I suggest you don’t do anything stupid.” “If anything happens to Miss Whitmore, I’m afraid you won’t survive the consequences. She is our Alpha’s Fated Mate. Harming her is a direct declaration of war against the Moonclaw Pack.” Ivy froze for two seconds, then burst into a mocking laugh. She took a step forward, completely unfazed. She pointed her long fingernail right at Derek’s nose, her tone dripping with arrogance: “Who do you think you are? A mere dog of the Moonclaw Pack dares to block my path?” “Watch your tongue. I’ve known Victor for over a decade. A Beta like you dares to play the hero here?” She cursed as she shoved Derek’s shoulder, glaring at him bossily: “Get the hell out of my way! Let me teach this girl a lesson. When Alpha Victor arrives, I’ll make him fire you on the spot!”

Ivy turned her glare back to me. “Sage, don’t think you’re special just because you got a Beta deputy to back you up. He’s nothing but a Pack dog. I don’t give a damn about him!” Derek’s expression turned utterly cold. The polite, professional smile on his face vanished. Nobody liked being called a dog. But Ivy, spoiled her entire life, completely ignored the dangerous shift in the room. She kept mocking me, starting rumors on the spot: “Your mother died early, and your grandmother is paralyzed in bed. You couldn’t even afford tuition. Didn’t you sell your body to get your name on the Vance Industries internship list?” With every word she spoke, the murmurs around us grew louder. Several classmates who didn’t know me began to believe her lies. “Wait, is her family really that broke?” “No wonder she never eats at the nice diners. She’s desperate for cash.” “Could Ivy be telling the truth? The Vance Industries internship is almost impossible to get. How could a poor orphan get chosen over everyone else?” “Yikes. She looks so innocent, but she’s actually so wild behind closed doors.” I dug my fingernails deep into my palms, turning them white. My slapped cheek was still burning, and my twisted arm throbbed. I couldn’t even tell what hurt more anymore. I wanted to cry, I was furious that she was spreading disgusting rumors, and I was terrified that everyone would believe them. It was true that I was poor. Even though my mother was a witch, I didn’t inherit any magical talent except for this hyper-sensitive body. My grandma had been paralyzed from a stroke for five years. Her medical bills were over four thousand dollars a month. I worked three part-time jobs and studied late into the night to keep my scholarship just to pay for school. But I got the Vance Industries internship fair and square. I beat out over three thousand applicants through five rounds of brutal interviews. I had nothing to be ashamed of. Yet, the words clogged in my throat. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. The blood rushed to my head, and my ears buzzed. Standing beside me, Derek saw my pale face and the endless tears streaming down. His expression changed instantly. Only he knew what this meant. One night a year ago, Ivy had hired a group of thugs to corner me in a dark alley behind the campus. They dragged me to a corner and beat me. As I curled into a ball, one of my ribs snapped. The agonizing pain surged through my body like electricity. I nearly blacked out. At that exact moment, Alpha Victor was hosting a routine meeting in the Pack council hall. In the middle of his speech, his face turned deathly pale. He clutched his chest and collapsed to the floor. The Pack elders panicked. The healers from the Silver Moon Clinic rushed in, but his vitals were perfectly normal—except for a massive, dark purple bruise that rapidly formed on his chest, right where I had been kicked. The healers were baffled. Victor couldn’t explain where the pain came from either. Over the next few months, similar phantom pains occurred. Sometimes, while signing documents, his arm would feel as if it were being sliced by a blade, yet his skin remained intact. Sometimes, he would wake up gasping in the middle of the night, feeling as if he were being strangled, though there were no marks on his neck. The Pack doctors ran every test possible—brain CTs, cardiac ultrasounds, blood analysis. Everything was normal. Some elders even feared he had been cursed by a rival pack. They brought in the Elder Luna to perform a blessing ceremony, but nothing changed. Until one day, Victor visited Northwood University. I happened to run into Ivy in the hallway. She slapped me in front of everyone, her nails scratching my face. The instant the sharp pain registered in my brain, Victor, who was in the principal’s office, dropped his coffee cup. He collapsed to the floor, clutching his face, his shirt soaked in cold sweat. The principal was terrified, thinking he had been poisoned. When the school doctor examined Victor’s cheek, they watched the skin turn red and swell up in real-time, exactly as if he had just been slapped. At that moment, Victor finally understood. It wasn’t a curse. I was his Fated Mate. A witch’s daughter had become the fated mate of an Alpha werewolf. Fate had forged a unique bond between us. My physical pain was transmitted to him through the blood-bond, magnified tenfold. Every time I was bullied, beaten, or hurt, he felt ten times the agony instantly. If I were to be fatally injured, his heart might literally stop. Only Derek knew about this secret. That was why Victor had ordered him to watch over me twenty-four hours a day. Anyone who dared to make me suffer would pay with their lives. Derek’s voice was tense as he roared at the warriors: “What are you waiting for? Confiscate the phones of anyone who recorded videos or spread rumors! Note down their names. The Pack Tribunal will issue subpoenas to every single one of them!” Seeing Derek panic, Ivy became even more arrogant. “Oh? Are you sleeping with her too? Is that why you’re protecting her so desperately?” “The way this dog guards its bone is hilarious.” She snatched my canvas bag from the side and slammed it onto the floor. That bag held my grandma’s imported medication. As the bag hit the floor, the plastic bottles shattered. The yellow pills scattered everywhere, rolling into the dirt, ruined. “Go on, pick them up,” Ivy sneered, her eyes dripping with malice. “Don’t you dogs love fetching things?”

My fingers trembled violently. I bent down to reach for the pills that hadn’t touched the dirt yet. But a stiletto heel stomped down first, crushing the pills into powder. The yellow dust mixed with the dirt, completely useless now. “Pick them up! Why did you stop?” Ivy laughed hysterically. “Is it too dirty? How about you lick it off the floor, and I’ll buy you ten new bottles. Deal?” I snapped my head up to look at her, my eyes bloodshot. Derek’s face was dark as thunder. He threw a heavy punch, knocking down the warrior guarding Ivy. The other Pack warriors jumped in, pinning Ivy’s minions to the ground. Derek rushed over to me. He took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders, blocking me from the prying eyes of the crowd. He spoke in a whisper, terrified of triggering my panic: “Miss Whitmore, it’s okay. I will get the exact same medicine from the Silver Moon Clinic immediately. Don’t be scared. I’m here.” I leaned against his arm, shivering. My tears soaked into his jacket, leaving damp circles. I thought this nightmare was finally over. But Ivy, seeing her people pinned down, didn’t look scared at all. Instead, she laughed even wilder. The pure malice in her eyes made my blood run cold. “You’re quite a fighter, aren’t you, Derek?” “You think you can protect her? Let me tell you, even if God Himself came down today, he would still beg me on his knees!” Derek’s voice turned murderous: “Ivy Linwood, you are begging for death. Alpha Victor will destroy you!” “Destroy me?” Ivy laughed. She swiped her screen and thrust the phone right in front of my face. “Let’s see who destroys whom!” I looked at her screen. In an instant, my blood turned to ice. The screen showed an abandoned warehouse with damp concrete floors and no windows. My grandma was lying on a rusted cot in the middle of the room. An IV needle was taped to her thin, frail hand. The IV bag hung from a rusty pole, swaying in the wind. I could see the blood backflowing into the tube. Two burly men with full-sleeve tattoos stood nearby, smoking and playing mobile games. The camera zoomed in on Grandma’s face. She seemed to hear something. She opened her cloudy eyes, struggling to turn her head. She opened her dry mouth, her voice raspy: “Sage… Sage, where are you? I’m so cold…” My brain went completely blank. She was my only family in this world. I had no parents. My grandma had raised me by collecting recyclables. After her stroke last year, I worked myself to the bone to put her in the best care facility in the city. I spent most of my salary on a one-on-one nurse just to make sure she was comfortable and could stay with me a few years longer. And Ivy had dragged her out of that warm facility and thrown her into a freezing dump. “Look at her, so pathetic,” Ivy’s voice crawled over me like a venomous snake. “I paid off the facility’s night nurse. Nobody knows where your grandmother is. Only I do.” “Now, get down on your knees and beg me. Give me ten hard head-bows on the floor, then take this box cutter and slash your own face. Only then will I consider releasing her.” “Otherwise, I’ll call my men right now and tell them to pull her plug. If she dies, don’t blame me.” I shook like a leaf, my heart aching as if it were being torn out and crushed. Tears poured down my face, drowned out by Ivy’s triumphant laughter.

Seeing Grandma on the screen, Derek lunged to grab Ivy’s phone. “Ivy Linwood, you’re out of your mind! Kidnapping a human is a direct violation of the Peace Treaty! The human government will get involved! If you release her now, I can still show some mercy. Otherwise, you’ll rot in the Pack dungeons forever!” Ivy dodged his grasp, her finger tapping the call button. She put it on speaker. The tattooed man’s voice came through instantly: “Ivy, what’s the plan? Do we pull the plug now?” Ivy tilted her chin up, looking down at me with cold malice: “Sage, you heard him. I’m counting to three. If you’re not on your knees, they pull the plug.” “Three.” “Two.” All the strength drained from my body. Grandma’s raspy coughing echoed from the speaker. I couldn’t lose her. My knees buckled, and I slammed onto the hard concrete. “One.” Ivy stopped counting, bursting into a smug laugh. “Well, look at you, so obedient. Go on, ten head-bows. Don’t skip a single one.” Derek desperately tried to pull me up. “Miss Whitmore, don’t do this! Alpha Victor is almost here! I’ve already sent a team to rescue your grandmother!” The phone in Derek’s pocket vibrated madly. Victor’s name flashed brightly on the screen. Before Derek could answer, Ivy kicked his wrist. His phone flew and smashed against the wall, going completely black. “Alpha Victor, Alpha Victor… all you do is bark his name. When I talk to Victor later, you’ll be the first one he executes.” Ivy sneered, nodding at me: “Start bowing. Don’t waste my time. My patience is running thin.” I bit my lip, forcing my forehead down against the cold concrete. *Thud.* The first impact brought a dull, throbbing pain. Tears splashed onto the floor. *Thud.* The second one. Ivy laughed harder: “Harder! Did you not eat today?” People around us whispered. Some took out their phones to record, some shook their heads, and some said I deserved it. The third, the fourth… By the tenth time, my forehead was cut open. Blood trickled down my temple, dripping onto my white hoodie, blooming into bright red stains. I gasped, propping myself up on the floor. My vision was blurry. The wound on my forehead burned, throbbing with sharp pain. “Not bad. Very obedient.” Ivy nodded in satisfaction. She pulled a box cutter from her bag, clicked the blade out, and threw it onto the floor in front of me. “Now, ruin your face. The deeper the cuts, the happier I’ll be. If I’m satisfied, I’ll let your grandmother go.” I stared at the silver blade, my fingers trembling. If I cut my face, Grandma would live. Seeing my hesitation, Ivy frowned and kicked my arm. “Hurry up! Stop stalling! If you don’t do it, I’m pulling the plug!” “What, you can’t bear to ruin this pretty face? Still hoping to seduce another Alpha with it?” I gritted my teeth and reached for the box cutter. The moment my fingers touched the cold metal, the wound on my forehead bled faster. The bruises on my knees throbbed. Fear and anger surged through me at once. My vision darkened, my tears mixing with the blood on my face. I could barely breathe. Just as I raised the blade to my cheek, a thunderous roar echoed from the hallway. “STOP!” Everyone turned to look. Through my blurry, blood-tinted vision, I saw Alpha Victor standing in the doorway. His usually neat hair was a wild mess. His face, normally cold as ice, was covered in tears. His eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were completely pale. The hallway fell into a dead silence. Seeing Victor covered in tears, Ivy assumed he had cried out of worry for her. “Victor!” She sprinted toward him in her high heels, her voice dripping with fake sweet sorrow. “You’re finally here! This woman and Derek teamed up to bully me! You have to punish them!” Before her hand could even touch his sleeve, he swerved away. Without sparing her a single glance, Victor strode straight to me and dropped to his knees. His fingers trembled as he gently brushed the bloody hair away from my forehead. I stared at his red eyes, at the tears streaming down his face—the physical manifestation of my pain, magnified ten times and sent directly to him. “Victor… tell your Ice Wolf heiress…” I whispered, my voice cracking. “What happens to you… if I feel too much pain?”

By the time I finished my question, the blood from my forehead had seeped into my eyes. Everything in front of me was stained a blurry red. My forehead burned, my slapped cheek stung like hot iron, and my nerves were stretched to the breaking point by fear and anger. I forced myself to hold onto consciousness, waiting for his answer, but my mind was slipping away like loose sand. Before darkness took me, I saw Victor’s face turn paper-white, tears pouring from his eyes. He tried to reach out to catch me, but his own knees buckled first. Two heavy *thuds* echoed. We collapsed onto the cold concrete floor, one after the other. The crowd erupted into chaos. Ivy, who had been frozen in shock, panicked completely. “Victor! Victor! What’s wrong with you?” Derek’s heart nearly stopped. I had passed out from the pain, which meant Victor was currently feeling ten times that agony—a level of pain that could literally kill him. “Call the Silver Moon Clinic ambulance! Now!” “Confiscate every single phone! Delete everything they recorded! If a single word of this leaks out, the Pack Tribunal will seize your entire family assets!” Several Pack warriors charged into the crowd, grabbing phones and wiping every photo and video, even clearing the deleted folders. Ivy was still screaming, trying to get to Victor, but the warriors pinned her to the floor. Derek immediately dialed the Pack Enforcement. *** When I finally woke up, the sharp scent of antiseptic filled my nose. It was the Silver Moon Clinic—it smelled similar to human hospitals, but with a faint, herbal undertone unique to werewolf healers. The wound on my forehead had been bandaged. It felt cool and barely hurt. Seeing me stir, the healer sitting by my bed smiled warmly. “You’re finally awake. Don’t worry, your grandmother has been brought to the clinic’s VIP suite. Our specialists checked her over. She just caught a mild cold. She’ll be discharged in a couple of days after some IV fluids.” The heavy weight on my chest finally lifted. As I tried to sit up, I heard rustling from the bed next to mine. I turned my head. Victor was lying on the neighboring bed, an IV drip in his hand. His face was pale, almost translucent, with dark circles under his eyes. The moment he saw me open my eyes, he struggled to sit up, causing the blood to backflow into his IV tube. “You’re awake,” he rasped, his voice incredibly hoarse. His trembling fingers reached out to touch my bandage. “When you blacked out… I felt like I was dying.” The tenfold suffocating, crushing pain had felt like being submerged in freezing water. Every single heartbeat felt like a knife twisting in his chest. In his twenty-eight years of life, he had never been so close to death. Just then, the door pushed open. Derek walked in carrying some takeout. Seeing us both awake, he let out a sigh of relief, though his face remained grim. “Alpha Victor, Miss Whitmore. We have a problem.” “Ivy Linwood is throwing a tantrum at the Pack Enforcement headquarters. She’s claiming Miss Whitmore faked the fainting to frame her. She even contacted your mother, the former Luna, telling her that Miss Whitmore is using a witch’s spell to control you. The former Luna is already on her way here.” “Also, those gossiping students leaked some edited videos onto the school forum before we could wipe them. Now everyone online is calling Miss Whitmore a homewrecker who seduced you, driving Ivy to despair.” Victor let out a cold, chilling laugh. “First, have the Pack Tribunal issue immediate subpoenas. Every Pack member involved in spreading those rumors will be dealt with under the Pack Code and banished from our territory.” “Second, notify all allied Packs that we are terminating all trade with the Linwood family. Anyone who does business with them is an enemy of the Moonclaw Pack. I want the Linwoods stripped of their seat on the Council within three months.” “Third, Ivy Linwood assaulted my Fated Mate, violating the Supreme Protection Order of the Luna. Charge her with kidnapping and aggravated assault. Hand her over to the Pack Tribunal for trial.” Derek nodded quickly, turning to leave. But before he could reach the door, it was violently kicked open. The former Luna, Seraphina, marched in wearing a vintage Chanel tweed suit. Her face was flushed with rage. The moment she saw me, she lunged and slapped me across the face.

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Alpha Liam came to pick me up from the Pack Healer’s clinic. But when I reached the SUV, my best friend was already sitting in the passenger seat. She gave me a bright, dazzling smile. She didn’t make even the slightest move to get out. “Long time no see, Sophia. You don’t mind if I take the front seat, do you, Luna Sophia?” From the driver’s seat, Liam Blackwood didn’t say a word. He just changed the subject. “Why were you at the clinic so suddenly?” I opened the back door and slid inside. I could tell he hadn’t caught the scent of his pup on me. So, I didn’t tell him I was pregnant. “Just a minor injury. No big deal.” I wouldn’t have come to the joint Pack social tonight if I knew Maya was going to be here. I heard she was doing pretty well in the human world. If I had known, I would have stayed home. “Honestly, Sophia, you’re still as delicate as ever,” Maya scoffed, tapping the dashboard ornaments. “A tiny scratch heals in seconds for us wolves, yet you still run to the Healer. Talk about wasting pack resources.” She flicked one of the customized hanging charms I bought for the car. “And Liam, this SUV is worth a fortune. Why did you let her decorate it so gaudily? It doesn’t suit an Alpha at all.” Liam kept his eyes on the road, a low, amused chuckle escaping his throat. “She likes it.” “Ugh, I hate it. Such a badass car, ruined by a messy style.” “I can buy you one if you want. Do you want it?” “Please, stop acting like you’re my boss, Liam. If I’m not around, who’s going to keep you company at the bar?” The curve of Liam’s lips was incredibly charming. I hadn’t seen him smile like that in a very long time. The AC in the car was blasting, but my heart felt like it was being submerged in freezing water. I grabbed the light throw blanket next to me and wrapped it tightly around myself. “Cold?” Liam looked at me through the rearview mirror, his brow furrowing as he reached to turn down the AC. But Maya’s hand suddenly pressed down on his. “Oh, come on! I’m roasting! If Sophia is cold, she can just crack the window and get some fresh air. We’re almost there anyway. Just bear with it, Sophia.” Their hands rested naturally over one another. It wasn’t until Liam saw me nod in the mirror that he pulled his hand back to focus on driving. “One of you hates the cold, and the other hates the heat,” Maya joked. “I seriously don’t know how you two managed to live together all this time.” This time, Liam didn’t reply. I let out a soft laugh. “Have you forgotten, Maya? Back then, you were the one sneaking out with him every single day.” Liam remained silent. Maya lowered her head and started playing with her phone. The silence in the car felt thick, heavy with guilt. Maya and I grew up together. Her father was a warrior who died protecting the former Alpha, and her mother was a servant in my family’s estate. We used to share a bed. We dressed up dolls together. We stayed up late whispering about our future mates. But it took me a long time to realize that we had both fallen for Liam. In the beginning, I would occasionally invite Maya on our dates. Liam used to complain about it. But slowly, the dynamic shifted. In our trio, the person sent to buy drinks eventually became me. Sometimes, they would go to pack gatherings together. Without me. Because I hated loud parties and drinking. I didn’t like hiking, and I was terrified of their racing events. But Maya loved all of it. Even when she didn’t know how to do something, she was eager to learn. I never thought they were crossing the line. I actually thought I was lucky. My best friend and my boyfriend were also best friends. We felt like one harmonious family. Until one day, Maya made a bet with me. She bet on whether Liam would choose her or me. She lost the bet. But looking back, I didn’t win either.

Maya went abroad. Liam provided all her funding and sorted out her visa. She said she wanted to leave the Pack to see the human world, and he spared no expense to make it happen. As for me, I was the daughter of the Frost Moon Pack’s Alpha. Our marriage was a political alliance. Liam had no right to refuse me. The party was even more suffocating than I had anticipated. Someone had ordered a greasy garlic and anchovy pizza. The strong smell made my stomach churn instantly. I covered my mouth and excused myself from the table. The restroom was right inside the private dining suite, and the walls were paper-thin. So when Maya loudly announced to the room that she had returned to the pack to “chase her true love,” I heard every single word. The crowd erupted into rowdy cheers. “Who is lucky enough to have Maya chasing them? Tell us!” “Oh, I wouldn’t dare say. I don’t want to make a certain someone angry,” Maya teased. “Just say it,” Liam’s deep voice cut through. “Who would dare get mad at you? If anything, I’ll help you win them over.” “You promised,” Maya said, her voice dropping to a sultry purr. “Yeah.” “Well, that person is right in front of my eyes.” The room went dead silent. My breathing hitched inside the bathroom stall. Slowly, nervous laughter broke out. I heard Liam’s exasperated sigh. “Maya, stop fooling around.” I pushed the bathroom door open and walked out. I saw Maya sitting comfortably in my seat, leaning close to Liam. The lingering affection in her eyes hadn’t even faded yet. Liam was the first to stand up and walk toward me, his eyes full of concern. “Are you feeling better?” Just like many times before, a tiny gesture of care from him was enough to melt my anger. No matter what happened, as long as he reached out, I would swallow my pride and let it go. Because his dignity as the Alpha was always more important to me than my own feelings. And he had grown to take my compliance for granted. I looked up at his handsome face. Then, I swung my hand and slapped him hard across the cheek. The sharp *CRACK* echoed through the room. His cold, composed eyes went completely wide with shock. A sharp gasp erupted from the corner. Maya screamed. “Sophia Vance! Have you lost your mind?!” I ignored her. I just stared coldly at the man I had loved for years. “Liam Blackwood. I reject you as my mate.” Liam had always treated me well. As a mate, he was almost perfect. The laws of the Red Flame Pack were strict, and he knew exactly how an Alpha should treat his Luna. So, even after being slapped in public and publicly rejected, he only frowned. “Sophia, let’s go home and talk about this.” The rest of the pack members dared not make a sound. Only Maya piped up loudly, “Let’s talk nicely, Sophia. Don’t resort to violence. How about I come back with you guys? I can help…” I finally turned my gaze to her for the first time tonight. “Come back with us? Who the hell do you think you are?” Liam’s frown deepened. “Sophia, Maya is just trying to help. You don’t have to be so sensitive.” He hadn’t said a single word of defense for himself after getting slapped. Yet, the moment my tone got slightly sharp with Maya, he immediately rushed to protect her. My vision blurred with tears. But Maya’s tears fell faster than mine. “Sophia, was it because of the joke I made earlier? If it made you uncomfortable, I apologize.” She bowed her head, her tears dripping onto the carpet. I stared at her, my heart turning to ice. “You really don’t have to take it to heart,” Maya sobbed. “Liam and I always joke around like that. Everyone here knows it. I’ve just been away in the human world for too long, and I forgot that you two are officially mated now. It’s all my fault…” The other pack members finally started chiming in. “Yeah, Sophia, don’t be mad. She didn’t mean anything by it.” “You’re the Luna of our Pack. Maya knows her boundaries.”

“Sophia used to have such a sweet temper. I can’t believe she just slapped him like that…” “Maya is so straightforward and sweet. Honestly, I regret not hanging out with her more back then.” The whispers drifted into my ears. I laughed. The tears I was trying to hold back finally spilled over. “Maya, you know exactly what you’re trying to do.” Suddenly, Liam stepped in front of her. His tall, powerful frame shielded her completely from my gaze. “Sophia, when are you going to stop this childish behavior?” I stared at his swelling cheek. The red mark on his otherwise flawless, aristocratic face made him look human for once. But the righteous, cold judgment in his eyes remained intact. He looked like a judge sitting high on a bench, looking down at me with pity and sternness. The drama finally ended under Liam’s quick arrangements. This time, Maya didn’t get to ride in my passenger seat. Liam hailed an Uber for her. Through the window, I saw him nodding to her reassuringly, whispering something to the driver. It looked exactly like that summer afternoon in the school parking lot years ago. Someone had nudged me to look forward. I had watched Maya skip happily into his car. Liam had ruffled her hair, speaking softly to the driver. His expression back then was so incredibly gentle. During those days, they would hang out with mutual friends. I thought that was just their dynamic. I didn’t know they also hung out alone, with nobody else around. Back then, Maya was young, wild, and bold. She had pressed a kiss to her palm and then smacked it playfully onto Liam’s cheek. When he looked shocked, she laughed until her face turned red. I had stood there, completely paralyzed by the scene. A thousand warnings from people around me couldn’t compare to seeing it with my own eyes. The sharp slam of the car door snapped me out of my thoughts. Seeing that I was sitting in the back seat instead of the front, Liam let out a tired sigh. “Sophia, Maya didn’t sit in the passenger seat to make a statement. She literally just wanted to feel the AC better.” His tone was incredibly sincere. Usually, when he used this tone, my anger would already be half-gone. By the next minute, I would have crawled back to the front seat. And if he bought me a diamond necklace at the next pack auction, the matter would be swept under the rug. But when it came to Maya, I could never let it go again. “Liam, since we mated, you have never let anyone else sit in my seat.” The SUV sat idling. Liam suddenly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He knew I despised the smell of smoke. Yet, he lit it in the cramped, enclosed space of the car. “I thought you’d be happy to see Maya,” he said, blowing a cloud of smoke. “You two used to be inseparable. Weren’t you?” I let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, absolutely. We were so close we almost shared a boyfriend.” Silence fell over the car. Forced to breathe in his secondhand smoke, I rolled down my window. He threw the half-burnt cigarette out of the window, his voice sounding raspy. “Back then, looking at her just reminded me of you. That’s why I had more patience with her. But I only ever saw her as one of the guys…” The car was dark. I lowered my head, a single tear slipping from my eye and soaking into my clenched fist. “Did you know?” I whispered. “She once got drunk and cried to me. She said she wished she was born a guy so you wouldn’t be so guarded around her. So you wouldn’t have distanced yourself from her.” I knew about that night because Maya had shown me the video recording herself. The triumph in her eyes was unmistakable. She had told me that from that moment on, Liam only stayed with me for duty, not love.

Perhaps she was right. At the very least, I knew he had never argued with me like this over anyone else. “She didn’t grow up rich like you did,” Liam said, his voice cold. “She built her life through sheer hard work. Even if you hold a grudge, you shouldn’t judge her without hearing her out.” “She wanted to surprise you today.” A sharp pain squeezed my chest. Then came his deeply disappointed voice. “Sophia, there is nothing going on between Maya and me. Why can’t you just leave her alone?” He wanted me to leave Maya alone. But when did Maya and he ever leave me alone? I chose silence. I refused to speak to him. He didn’t force me. He just slammed on the gas. A twenty-minute drive took us barely ten minutes. But when I got out of the car, Maya was already standing at our front door. She immediately raised her hands in mock surrender and stuck her tongue out. “I’m just here to pick up some of my things. I’ll leave right away.” Liam had set up her job in the human world. It was only natural they had professional business together now that she was back. I had prepared myself for that. But I hadn’t expected Liam to let her stay the night. Looking at his stubborn jawline, I knew he was still furious. This was his way of telling me that he ran this house. And I had no choice but to accept it. When his gaze swept over me, I knew what he was waiting for. He was waiting for me to beg, to apologize, so he could graciously ask Maya to leave. But I didn’t. I just quietly walked past them and went upstairs. Maya was given the guest room at the very end of the hallway. Before going to bed, she knocked on my door to say goodnight and apologize again. I locked the door in her face and went to sleep. But I couldn’t sleep. So when the man beside me quietly got out of bed in the middle of the night, I noticed instantly. I kept my eyes closed, letting the hot tears slide silently down my temples. The hallway light was on. The door to our home bar, which was barely ever used, stood wide open. “Liam, this is incredible! It’s exactly how I described my dream bar to you back then.” “I’m glad you like it. I was worried it might look a bit outdated now.” “No way! I’m so touched…” I leaned against the hallway wall, my knees trembling. When we were renovating this house, Liam insisted on designing the home bar himself. He was incredibly picky about every single detail. I hadn’t understood why. He hadn’t cared about any other room in the house. Only the bar. He hadn’t allowed me to touch a single thing in it. It turned out it was all for Maya’s dream. He probably dreamed of living in this house with her every single day. Too bad my existence got in the way. I dragged my numb body back to bed. Liam didn’t return to our room for the rest of the night. And the very last shred of love I had for him finally withered away. At dawn, I got up. I booked an appointment on my phone, reserved a hotel suite, packed a few clothes into a small duffel bag, and walked out the door. I didn’t even look at the open door of the home bar as I passed it. By the time Liam realized I was gone, I was already sitting in my hotel room. My phone rang continuously. I patiently watched it light up. After the fifth call ended, it finally went silent. I knew Liam wouldn’t call again. His patience with me was always limited. Besides, the Frost Moon Pack had been struggling lately, and my father desperately needed the Red Flame Pack’s financial support. Otherwise, my father’s position as Alpha would be in jeopardy. Liam was sure I was just throwing a tantrum. He believed I would never dare to actually leave him.

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My husband, Ethan, is the captain of a massive ocean-going cargo ship. He spends ten months of the year drifting at sea. I always trusted him completely, but I had a little routine that no one else paid attention to. Every time his ship docked at the port for resupply, I would invite the Chief Mate’s wife, Mia, out for a few margaritas. Marcus, the Chief Mate, was a man of few words, but his wife Mia was a chatterbox who couldn’t hold her liquor. We would talk about neighborhood gossip and life on the ship. By the third drink, she suddenly leaned in close. “Your husband is so romantic,” Mia whispered, eyes shining. “Last month, when the ship docked in Marseille, he went out of his way to find a local artisan to make a custom set of ocean-wave diamond jewelry. A necklace, bracelet, earrings—the whole package. He even had the supply ship bring it back early. I’m so jealous.” I kept my voice low. “Oh? Really? That’s nice. I haven’t seen it yet.” I didn’t push for more details, and Mia, sensing something, quickly changed the subject. When I got home that night, I logged into the voyage manifest database. Under the Marseille port cargo-passenger registry, there was indeed a jewelry package. But the shipping address was not my home. The seas are unpredictable, and I realized it was time for me to get off this ship.

Shipping Address: Marina Bay Luxury Condos, Building 17, Penthouse 1203. Note: Must be signed by the recipient in person. Under no circumstances should this be handed over to family. I stared at those last ten words for a long time. Under no circumstances should this be handed over to family. Ethan and I had been married for six years. Before every voyage, he would leave his keys in the second drawer of the entryway console. He would always say, “Ava, I’m leaving the house in your hands.” So, I managed his estate, coordinated his family’s trust fund, and sent out notifications on WhatsApp to the crew’s families. I always thought I was his family. But on his cargo list, “family” was the very category of people forbidden from touching those diamonds. My phone buzzed on the table. It was a text from Ethan on Snapchat. Ethan: Just passed the Suez Canal. Signal is terrible. I replied with a single word. Ava: OK. He probably didn’t expect such a short reply. Two minutes later, he texted again. Ethan: Why didn’t you ask if I’ve eaten today? I closed the laptop with the voyage records. Ava: Have you eaten? He replied instantly. Ethan: Yeah, I ate. Looking at the screen, I let out a cold laugh. For someone with a “terrible signal,” he sure replied fast. The next morning, I drove down to Marina Bay Luxury Condos. It was the most expensive waterfront property in Port Serene, only a ten-minute drive from the docks. The security guard at the gate asked who I was looking for. I showed him the screenshot of the delivery receipt on my phone. “I’m here to verify a delivery for Penthouse 1203, Building 17.” When the guard saw the VIP delivery note, his attitude turned extremely polite. “One moment, ma’am. Miss Reed in 1203 happens to be home.” Miss Reed. I memorized the name. As the elevator went up, Ethan’s face appeared on my screen—a FaceTime request. I declined it. He called back three times. On the fourth attempt, he sent a text. Ethan: Where are you? I replied: At the grocery store. He quickly sent back: Don’t wander around too much. I’m not home, and you can’t handle things if something goes wrong. The elevator doors opened. The door to Penthouse 1203 was already ajar. A young woman stood there in a silk robe, the ocean-wave diamond necklace sparkling around her neck. Seeing me, her hand instinctively went to the diamonds. “Can I help you?” she asked. “I’m Ava Vance,” I said calmly. The smile on her face froze for a fraction of a second before she recovered her composure. “Ah, so you’re the wife.” The way she said “the wife” wasn’t polite, nor was it guilty. Chloe Reed invited me in. Several opened packages sat in the living room, with French artisanal wrapping paper scattered across the coffee table. I spotted the matching earrings, the bracelet, and a small card. The writing on the card was unmistakably Ethan’s. The waves belong to the one who truly understands the sea. During our first year of marriage, Ethan bought me a nautical watch. The strap was stiff and scratched my wrist. At the time, he told me, “A captain’s wife should wear something from the sea.” I wore that scratchy watch for six years. Meanwhile, he bought real ocean waves for someone else, claiming she was the one who “understood” him. Chloe poured me a glass of water. “Are you here to take them back, Mrs. Vance?” I didn’t touch the glass. “Ethan bought these diamonds. They were shipped to your address.” She smiled, leaning back. “Well, Mrs. Vance, you’ll have to ask him about that. Doesn’t the shipping address tell you exactly who they belong to?” “It does,” I said. I pulled out my phone and took a photo of the card on the table. Chloe reached out to block my camera. “You’re being very undignified.” I looked up at her. “And accepting diamonds from a married man is dignified?” Her face went cold. “Ethan must have told you. We knew each other long before you ever came into the picture.” I nodded. “So you’ve been waiting in line for six years? That must have been exhausting.”

Chloe didn’t expect me to say that. Slowly, she took off the necklace and placed it on the table. “If you want to take it, take it.” I didn’t move. She sneered, “But what’s the point of taking the jewelry? The person he wants to see when he’s out at sea is still me.” Her words didn’t hurt. It was just a pathetic little drama she played for herself. I stood up. “Keep the jewelry here for now. Don’t lose it.” Chloe frowned. “What do you mean?” “Someone will be auditing these assets soon,” I replied. As I reached the door, my phone rang. It was Ethan. I answered. He immediately barked through the speaker, “Ava, what the hell are you doing at Marina Bay?” I looked back at Chloe. She was staring down at her lap, her fingers still pressing on her secondary phone. Wow, she was fast. I asked Ethan, “How did you know I was here?” He paused for two seconds. “Chloe called and said some crazy woman was harassing her. I knew it had to be you.” “She’s not a stranger,” I said. “Since you bought her a diamond set, I figured we should get acquainted.” The other end of the line went dead silent. Then, suppressing his anger, he said, “That’s a gift for a client. Don’t start imagining things.” “A client?” “She does public relations for the port authority. She works with our shipping group.” I laughed out loud. “A PR partner who lives in a luxury condo under a note that says ‘do not hand over to family’?” Ethan said coldly, “Ava, don’t make me deal with your emotional tantrums while I’m out at sea.” I hung up. That evening, Helen burst through my front door. She was in such a rush she didn’t even take off her designer heels. “Did you go harass Chloe?” I was in the kitchen stirring some soup. “Did Ethan call you?” Helen threw her Chanel bag onto the sofa. “He is losing his mind out there, and you’re asking me who called? Ava, why are you becoming so unreasonable?” “My husband bought diamonds for another woman, and I’m the one being unreasonable?” Helen’s face darkened. “Ethan is a captain. He has to entertain clients. Men in his position have obligations they can’t avoid. You stay at home all day; you don’t understand how stressful the real world is.” I placed a photocopy of the shipping receipt on the dining table. “He can’t avoid obligations to this extent?” Helen glanced at it, barely paying attention. “It’s just a piece of jewelry. Are you starving for diamonds? If you want them so bad, wait until Ethan gets back and let him buy you a set.” “I don’t care about the diamonds,” I said. “I care about the lies.” Helen slammed her hand on the table. “Lied about what? Doesn’t he bring his paycheck home? Isn’t this luxury house paid for by his hard work at sea?” I stared at her. The down payment for this house came from the trust fund my father left me. I supervised the entire renovation myself. Ethan was at sea so often he couldn’t even remember the color of our bedroom curtains. Seeing my silence, Helen assumed I was backing down. “Tomorrow, you will apologize to Chloe. Let this matter drop. Don’t let your jealousy ruin Ethan’s chances of being promoted to Marine Superintendent.” I poured the soup into a bowl. “I won’t apologize.” Helen’s hand shook with rage. “Do you really think you’re indispensable? Being a captain’s wife gives you a very comfortable life. What are you without him?” I set the bowl down. “Without him, I get to be myself again.”

Ethan arrived at the port five days later. I didn’t go to the docks to meet him. Usually, when he docked, I would start preparing three days in advance. I’d change the sheets, stock the fridge with his favorite foods, and leave hangover cures in his car. This time, I stayed home, organizing corporate ledgers. When the front door unlocked, I was busy scanning the Marseille port records into my computer. Ethan dragged his suitcase in, still wearing his captain’s uniform. His eyes fell straight on the ledgers on the table, and his expression instantly hardened. “Ava, are you auditing me?” “Are you afraid of an audit?” He threw his captain’s hat onto the sofa. “I literally just stepped off the ship, and you want to fight?” “I’m not fighting.” He walked over and snatched the ledgers away. “Where did you get these?” “They’re the spouse copies. They’ve always been in my study.” He glared at me, clearly annoyed. “Stay out of ship business from now on.” I smiled. “When you used the ship’s supply channels to smuggle diamonds to Chloe, why didn’t you think about staying out of ship business?” My words choked him up. A few minutes later, he tried a different angle. “That diamond set isn’t what you think.” “Oh? What is it then?” “Chloe helped me out a lot in the past. She’s had a tough couple of years, and I just wanted to give her a nice gift.” “You gave her diamonds,” I said. “What did you bring me?” An irritated look flashed across his face. “Do you have to compare yourself to her?” I remained silent. He rummaged through his suitcase, pulled out a small plastic bag, and tossed it onto the table. “I brought you this.” Inside was a cheap refrigerator magnet from a port souvenir shop; the price tag on the back hadn’t even been peeled off. Two Euros. I put the magnet back into the bag. Ethan’s face grew darker. “Still not satisfied?” “Do you honestly think I should be?” I asked. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ava, I am exhausted at sea. Chloe understands shipping, and she understands the pressure I’m under. You’re constantly obsessing over these trivial things. Don’t you find it exhausting?” In his eyes, a complete set of custom diamonds was a trivial matter, just as our six-year marriage was not worth mentioning. I unlocked my phone and held up the registration records of Marina Bay Luxury Condos. “You said she was a client. Does a client live in an apartment registered under your name for temporary parking and access?” “Who told you that?” “The security guard.” He snatched my phone from my hand. He scrolled through the album, realized I had already backed up the files, and his hand froze. “What do you actually want, Ava?” “A divorce,” I said. He froze. Then, he laughed. “Ava, stop trying to threaten me with divorce. How would you even survive without me? You’ve been out of the workforce for so many years. You have zero corporate skills. Without me, you are nothing.” I looked at him calmly. “You’ve never actually asked me what assets I hold, have you?” He tossed the phone back onto the table. “You’ve stayed at home for too long. Your worldview is too small, and you’re too naive.” That night, he voluntarily moved into the guest room. At 1:00 AM, I heard his muffled voice through the wall. The door wasn’t fully closed, and his voice was kept low. “Don’t worry, she can’t make any real waves. She’ll throw a fit for a few days, and then it’ll blow over.” “Keep the diamonds. Don’t return them. I bought them for you anyway.” “My mother will handle her. She won’t actually go through with a divorce.” I stood in the dark hallway, listening in silence. So, in his eyes, all my heartbreak and humiliation were just minor inconveniences that would blow over in a few days.

The next evening, the shipping company hosted a homecoming VIP gala for Ethan. Helen called me early in the morning, demanding I attend. “If you don’t go, what will people think of Ethan?” “Is Chloe going?” I asked. Helen grew impatient. “Chloe is a partner of the firm. Of course she’ll be there. Don’t be so petty.” I went. I wore a sleek black evening dress and left my wedding ring at home. The gala was held at the Port Serene Harbor Hotel. When I entered the private dining room, Chloe was already seated to Ethan’s left. She was wearing a white dress, and around her neck was the ocean-wave diamond necklace. She was wearing the matching earrings, too. The entire set. She had it all on. When Helen saw me, she waved dismissively. “Ava, over here. Sit by the door. It’s easier for you to help the waiters with the dishes.” Ethan didn’t object. Chloe looked up, a soft, victorious smile playing on her lips. “Mrs. Vance, please don’t misunderstand. I only wore this set because we need to take promotional photos tonight. Ethan said I should keep it for now.” Some of the colleagues at the table began to tease. “Captain Vance has great taste. The ocean-wave style suits Miss Reed perfectly.” “He’s a captain. Only someone who knows the sea truly understands him.” “Don’t be jealous, Mrs. Vance. Miss Reed is one of us.” Ethan raised his glass. “Alright, guys, let’s not gossip.” He told them to stop, but the smug smile on his face was hard to hide. I sat near the door, and the waiter placed a plate of cold oysters in front of me. I have a sensitive stomach and can’t eat raw shellfish. Ethan used to know this. But right now, he was busy scooping hot soup for Chloe. Chloe stood up, holding her champagne glass, and walked over to me. “Mrs. Vance, let me toast to you. Ethan always tells me how hard you work taking care of things at home. I really admire you.” I stared at her necklace. “What else does he say about me?” Amusement danced in Chloe’s eyes. “He says you take care of every little detail perfectly… but you just can’t read the ocean in his heart.” The table went quiet for a second. Someone quickly laughed to break the awkward silence. “Well, that’s life as a captain’s family! Long distance is hard. Mutual understanding is key.” Helen whispered sharply from beside me, “Drink the toast. Don’t embarrass us.” Ethan looked at me. “Ava, let’s keep our private issues private. Don’t lose your dignity in public.” I picked up my glass. But I didn’t drink. I tipped the glass and poured the champagne right into the potted plant next to my chair. Chloe’s smile vanished. Helen slammed her hands on the table and stood up. “Ava Vance!” Ethan also stood up, reaching out to grab my arm. Just then, the door was pushed open, and Mia walked in. She looked slightly flushed, clutching a folded piece of paper in her hand. “Ava, I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” She squeezed past the guests and shoved the paper into my hand, her voice frantic. “The Marseille supply logs… there wasn’t just a diamond set. There was also a signed spouse-authorization release form. It has your signature on it, but Marcus told me you never signed anything!” Ethan’s face drained of color. He lunged forward to grab the paper. I stepped back, unfolding the document. At the very bottom, in the signature line, my name, Ava Vance, was written in a clumsy imitation of my handwriting.

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I married a mute girl who was nothing but a stand-in. For three years, I treated her with absolute coldness. On the day she died, she left me with only three things: a voice recorder, a diary, and a sign language translator. That was when I finally learned— She was the little girl I rescued when I was ten. She was the savior who pulled me out of the car wreck when I was seventeen. She was the wife who had loved me silently for twenty years. And I was the one who personally drove her to her death. **1** I married Sera Vance on a cloudy day. There was no wedding, no rings. We just signed the papers and took a quick photo at City Hall. She tried her best to smile for the camera, but her lips were stiff. I knew why. The night before, I had told her, “Your profile looks just like Chloe’s. Too bad you’re mute.” During our three years of marriage, she was invisible to me. Tonight, I brought another woman home to spend the night, deliberately letting her see. Sera sat in the darkest corner of the living room, looking like a faded shadow. The other woman’s high heels clicked past her, her perfume suffocatingly strong. “Ethan, your maid is really quiet,” she giggled, leaning into me. That wasn’t a maid. That was my wife. But I just said, “Yeah, she won’t make a sound.” In the middle of the night, I went downstairs for a glass of water. Sera was still sitting there. When she saw me, she slowly raised her hands. Her fingers traced shapes in the air, over and over again. I recognized that gesture: money. “Can you give me a hundred thousand dollars? It’s to save a life,” she signed, her eyes filled with fear. I laughed. I pulled my checkbook from my suit pocket, tore off a page, crouched down, and tossed it onto her lap. “Faking an illness?” I sneered. “A mute like you doesn’t deserve to copy Chloe’s pitiful acts.” Her eyelashes trembled. She looked down at the paper, slowly curling her fingers into a tight fist. Her shoulders were shaking. *Quite an actress,* I thought. I stood up and poured myself a glass of whiskey, watching her through the reflection of the bar mirror. She bent down, picked up the check, and held it up to the light. She stared at it so seriously, as if she could actually cash it. “What do you need the money for?” I asked casually. She signed, *My brother’s surgery.* “What brother? Since when do you have family?” I scoffed. “Or is it some secret lover you’re keeping on the side?” She snapped her head up, her eyes turning red. She shook her head frantically, her signing fast and chaotic: *No! My real brother! He’s in the hospital!* “Enough,” I cut her off. “I’ll have my assistant wire you ten thousand dollars tomorrow. Take it and stop bothering me.” She froze. Slowly lowering her hands, she folded the check into a tiny square and clutched it tightly in her palm. I turned and walked upstairs. At the top of the stairs, I looked back. She was still sitting there, staring at her palm. A single tear fell onto the check, and she quickly wiped it away with her sleeve. How ridiculous. She did it all for money, yet she still acted so aggrieved. Her brother? She had never mentioned him. It was probably just another lie to squeeze cash out of me. A week later, Sera vanished. At first, I didn’t even notice. She was like air—practically invisible. It wasn’t until the third day that our housekeeper asked hesitantly, “Mr. Sterling, is Mrs. Sterling on a business trip? Should I clean her room?” Only then did I realize I hadn’t seen her in a while. On the dining table lay a divorce agreement. The paper was slightly wrinkled, and her signature, “Seraphina Vance,” was shaky and uneven, as if she had barely had the strength to write it. The last stroke dragged out, unfinished. Next to it was a printed note: *I’m sorry for wasting three years of your life.* Just that one sentence. I crumpled the paper and threw it in the trash. Right then, Chloe called. “Ethan, I’m back! I made some soup right after landing. Can I bring it over?” “Sure,” I replied. “Bring enough for tonight. You’re staying over.” **2** Chloe arrived and naturally walked into the master bedroom. Spotting Sera’s lip balm on the vanity, she frowned and tossed it into the trash. “Ethan, we should redecorate this house,” she said. “There are too many traces of that other girl everywhere.” “Do whatever you want,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around her waist. Late at night, Chloe fell asleep. Driven by some strange urge, I walked over to Sera’s room and pushed the door open. It was completely empty. The closet doors were wide open, leaving nothing but bare hangers. The vanity was spotless, not even a single strand of hair left behind. Only the bookshelf remained full—stacked with sign language textbooks, from beginner to advanced, arranged by year. I pulled one out and flipped through it. On the margins, there were neat pencil notes in her elegant handwriting: *”Today I learned how to sign ‘Hello,’ but no one said it to me.”* *”The nurse signed ‘Keep fighting’ to me, and I cried.”* *”If I could speak, what would be the first thing I’d want to say?”* On the very last page, there was a tiny line: *”I want to ask him if he still remembers the little girl by the river.”* The little girl by the river? What nonsense. I shoved the book back, turned off the light, and left. It was better this way. It was time to make room for Chloe anyway. Three months passed with zero news of Sera. Since Chloe and I had made up, we had been living together. On the day she officially moved in, she hired movers to throw out all of Sera’s things. The sofa, the curtains, the tableware—everything was replaced. “Finally, this place feels like our home,” Chloe said, leaning against my shoulder. I nodded, but an inexplicable irritation clawed at my chest. That afternoon, my phone rang with an unknown number. “Hello, is this Mr. Ethan Sterling? This is the Greenfield Care Center.” “What is it?” “Ms. Seraphina Vance’s body has been kept in our morgue for three months past the limit. We need a family member to handle the final arrangements. Regarding the fees—” I interrupted, “Is this a new scam? How much did she pay you to put on this show?” The voice on the other end faltered. “Mr. Sterling, this is not a show. Ms. Vance passed away three months ago, and her body has been unclaimed. We found your number in her emergency contacts. You are listed as her husband.” I laughed. “She really knows who to target. Let me tell you, Seraphina is perfectly fine. I just heard from her yesterday.” I hung up. Sitting in my office, I lit a cigarette. Through the rising smoke, my fingers subconsciously tapped the keyboard. I logged into my online banking to check her authorized card’s transaction history. On the fifth of every month, there was a recurring $10,000 charge to “Greenfield Care Center.” It had gone on for three years, never missing a month. The last payment was made three months ago—exactly when she disappeared. Ten thousand dollars. Exactly the amount I had promised her. I clicked on the payment details. The recipient was indeed Greenfield Care Center. The memo for every single transaction read: *Care fees for Leo Vance.* Leo Vance. The name sounded vaguely familiar. Then I remembered—when we got married, I had glanced at her family registry. She had a younger brother named Leo. At the time, I thought he was just some distant relative and ignored it. I called the care center back, my tone completely different. “I’m Leo Vance’s family. I want to know what’s going on.” The representative was polite. “Mr. Vance has been in a vegetative state since a car accident in 2016. His sister, Ms. Seraphina Vance, has been solely responsible for his expenses and visits. But she hasn’t shown up in three months, and we haven’t been able to reach her.” A car accident in 2016. “We heard he was hit by a car while trying to save a child.” Leo… a vegetative state… Sera paying ten thousand a month… Where did she get that kind of money? I drove home and went straight to the guest room she had occupied for three years—which was now Chloe’s walk-in closet. Chloe wasn’t home. I pushed the door open. The room was packed with her designer clothes and bags. In the corner sat a few cardboard boxes labeled “For Trash.” Those were the last of Sera’s belongings. **3** I opened the first box. It contained her clothes—painfully plain and worn. The sweaters were pilled, and the shirt collars were frayed. Not a single decent outfit. The second box was filled with books. All about sign language and special education. At the bottom of the box was a small metal tin, locked shut. I grabbed a pair of pliers and snapped the lock. Inside was a pink diary with a worn plastic cover and a few faded photographs. I opened it. On the title page, a line of ink was slightly smudged: *To the little hero who saved me — Seraphina, June 2010.* 2010. The year I was ten. My fingers trembled as I turned the pages. *June 12, 2010. Sunny.* *Today by the river, a giant billboard suddenly fell. A boy rushed over and pushed me out of the way. He got hit instead. His arm was bleeding so much, and I was terrified. But he smiled at me and said, “It’s fine, I’m a tough guy.”* *His eyes were so bright. I asked for his name, and he said “Ethan.” Ethan Sterling.* *I took him to the clinic. He winced in pain while the nurse bandaged him up, but he kept saying, “It doesn’t hurt, really.”* *When he left, he told me, “Be careful next time, little girl.”* *I wanted to say thank you, but I was too nervous and couldn’t make a sound. I could only nod frantically.* *June 20, 2010. Cloudy.* *I went back to the river to wait for him, but he didn’t show up. Mom said I was silly, that he’d never remember a passing remark. But I believe he will.* *July 5, 2010. Rainy.* *I saw him on the street today! He was with a group of boys, laughing loudly. I wanted to say hi, but I didn’t dare. I’m such a coward.* The diary entries were sporadic, with only a few pages for each year. Every single one was about “Ethan.” The final entry was dated June 17, 2016—the day of my car crash. The handwriting was messy, written in hurried pencil: *A car crash on Redwood Road. He was hit. When I rushed over to pull him out, a shard of glass sliced deep into my neck.* *It hurt so badly. But I had to save him.* *He was bleeding everywhere. I couldn’t scream, so I could only pull him with all my strength.* *The ambulance arrived. They wouldn’t let me get in because I couldn’t speak.* *Which hospital did they take him to? Is he still alive?* *God, please, let him live.* The diary ended there. The rest of the pages were completely blank. I collapsed onto the floor, my back against the closet. The diary in my hand felt as heavy as lead. So the little girl by the river was her. She had known me since she was ten. She had remembered me all this time. Why did she never say a word? I drove straight to the hospital where Sera had been treated. I used my connections to find Dr. Robert Bennett, who had treated her back then. He was already retired, but I practically dragged him out to meet me. “Seraphina Vance? I remember her,” Dr. Bennett said, adjusting his glasses. “That poor girl broke my heart.” “What happened to her voice?” “It wasn’t congenital. When she was sixteen, she suffered a penetrating neck wound. A shard of glass severed her vocal cords. When she was brought in, she was covered in blood, but she kept frantically signing, asking about another patient’s condition.” “Where did she get injured?” “Redwood Road. On the afternoon of June 17, 2016.” Dr. Bennett remembered it vividly. “That massive pile-up killed three people. The teenager she saved was lucky to survive.” My throat tightened. “The person she saved… was it me?” Dr. Bennett looked at me and sighed. “So it was you. She shielded you with her body. When the glass flew toward you, she pushed you away, taking the blow herself…” “Why didn’t she tell me?” my voice cracked. “Why did no one tell me?” “She wanted to, but she couldn’t speak.” **4** Dr. Bennett pulled an old medical record from his drawer. “Besides, there was another girl who stayed by your bedside the whole time, claiming she was your savior. We assumed they were friends.” It was Chloe. She had stolen Sera’s credit. “And Seraphina didn’t deny it?” “How could she? She couldn’t speak, and her hands shook too violently to write.” Dr. Bennett let out a bitter laugh. “Plus, that Chloe girl told us Seraphina was just a random passerby who lent a hand. So we believed her.” I took the file and flipped to the injury report: *Penetrating neck trauma, severed vocal cords. Multiple glass shards remaining. Surgery recommended, but patient’s family refused to sign the consent form.* *Patient herself vehemently insisted on prioritizing the treatment of Ethan Sterling (the other victim).* *Note: Patient cannot speak, communicates via writing. Repeatedly inquires about Ethan Sterling’s condition and begs us not to inform the Sterling family of her injuries to avoid placing a financial burden on them.* My eyes welled with hot tears. That foolish girl. She was hurt so badly, yet she was still worried about being a burden to me. “Did her voice… never recover?” Dr. Bennett shook his head. “She missed the critical window for surgery. By the time she wanted to do it later, she had no money.” “No money?” I froze. “My family was supposed to cover all the medical expenses back then—” “She refused it,” Dr. Bennett said, looking at me. “Your father did go to see her and offered financial compensation. She turned it down. The only thing she asked for was a photo of your recovery.” I couldn’t stand anymore. I collapsed into a chair, my head spinning. So all these years, she had remained mute because of me. The car accident—she was the one who saved me. And Chloe… had lied to me for seven years. What have I done? Greenfield Care Center was located in the suburbs, a place so quiet it felt almost desolate. I registered at the front desk. When the nurse heard I was Leo Vance’s family, her expression turned complicated. “Ms. Vance hasn’t been here in three months,” she said. “She used to come every single Sunday, without fail.” “Take me to him.” The room was at the end of the second floor. I pushed the door open to see a thin young man lying on the bed, hooked up to various tubes. He looked to be in his early twenties, and his facial features closely resembled Sera’s. He lay there with his eyes closed, as if sleeping peacefully. The nurse said softly, “Leo Vance has been in a vegetative state for years. In 2016, he was hit by a car while pushing a child out of the way.” 2016 again. Saving someone again. Did this brother and sister never learn to put themselves first? “Did his sister… come often?” “Every Sunday.” The nurse retrieved a small metal tin from a drawer. “This is what Ms. Vance left behind. She said if she ever couldn’t make it, to give it to whoever came to see Leo.” I opened the tin. Inside was an old voice recorder and a stack of small notes. The notes were filled with handwritten messages, some already faded: *”Leo, today I learned how to cook your favorite braised pork.”* *”Leo, Ethan smiled today, though it wasn’t because of me.”* *”Leo, you have to wake up quickly. I might not be able to… accompany you for much longer.”* The recorder was low on battery. I asked the nurse for a charger and plugged it in. Once it powered up, I pressed play. After some static, her soft, strained breathing filled the room. The first recording, dated three years ago: *”Leo, I got married today. He’s a wonderful man, even though he doesn’t love me yet. But that’s okay. Just being able to see him every day makes me so happy.”* *”Your surgery is still short on funds, but he gave me a credit card. Leo, you’re going to be saved.”* *”When you get better, I’ll take you to meet him. I know he’ll like you.”* The second recording, two years ago: *”Leo, I’m sorry. I’m really sad today.”* *”He brought another woman home and made me sleep in the guest room. That woman wore my slippers and used my cup.”* *”But I have no right to be sad. This marriage was stolen by me in the first place.”* *”As long as you get better, I can endure anything.”* The third recording, one year ago: *”Leo, I’m sick. My throat hurts terribly, and I’ve been coughing up blood.”* *”The doctor says it’s late-stage cancer.”* *”The surgery costs a fortune, and there’s only a thirty percent survival rate. If it fails, I’ll lose my voice forever.”* *”But I’ve already lost my voice anyway. So, I won’t do the treatment.”* *”I’ll save the money for your awakening surgery. Leo, you have to live well for both of us.”* The fourth recording, six months ago: *”Ethan asked me today why I’m always acting mute. He said the way I try to play the victim makes him sick.”* *”Leo, I’m not acting. I really… can’t make a sound.”* *”If I could speak, I would tell him: I am the little girl by the river, and I am the one who saved you on Redwood Road.”* *”But I can’t. Maybe it’s for the best. Some secrets are meant to be taken to the grave.”* **5** The final recording, three months ago: *”Leo, this is my last recording.”* *”I’ve finally gathered enough for your surgery. Two hundred thousand dollars, exactly.”* *”Ethan refused to give me the money, but that’s okay. I sold everything I could—my wedding ring, grandmother’s emerald necklace, and the gold chain my mother left me.”* *”I was still short by two thousand. So I went to sell my plasma. The nurse said I was too thin and didn’t want to take it, but I begged her until she drew a full bottle.”* *”I feel so dizzy, but when I think about your surgery, the dizziness fades.”* *”Leo, I’m sorry. I can only walk with you this far.”* *”If the surgery is a success and you wake up… please don’t hate me for leaving you.”* *”And please don’t hate Ethan. He’s the boy I’ve loved since I was ten. I’ve loved him for twenty whole years.”* *”Loving someone is never a crime.”* *”The only mistake was mine, for wishing he could love me back.”* The recording ended with muffled, suppressed crying. Then, with what seemed like all her remaining strength, she uttered a few broken, agonizing syllables: *”E… th… an…”* *”I… love…”* *”you…”* The audio cut out. I sat in the hospital room, clutching the recorder. My tears splashed onto my hands, burning hot. The nurse stood by the door and whispered, “The last day Ms. Vance came, she couldn’t even walk. The orderly had to push her up in a wheelchair.” “She sat here for the entire afternoon, holding her brother’s hand.” “When she left, she signed: ‘Leo, when I become a star, I will always be watching over you.’” I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking violently. Seraphina, come back. I’ll give everything back to you. Please, come back. When I stormed back home, Chloe was trying on a newly bought dress. “Ethan, look at this—” She froze when she saw the expression on my face. “What’s wrong?” “Redwood Road, 2016,” I said, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “Who was the person who actually saved me?” Chloe’s face instantly drained of color. “O-of course it was me. Why are you suddenly asking this…” “Seraphina’s vocal cords were severed by flying glass during that crash.” I glared at her. “She pushed me out of the way, taking the blow to save my life. And you—you stole her credit, lying to me for seven years!” Chloe took a step back, bumping into the vanity. Bottles and jars shattered all over the floor. “I didn’t mean to…” she sobbed, her voice trembling. “You were unconscious, and I just happened to pass by. When the nurse asked if I was the one who saved you, I… I had a moment of weakness…” “A moment of weakness?” I let out a dry laugh, tears streaming down my face. “You stole the fact that she saved my life! You stole seven years of my gratitude! You stole the love that belonged to her! And you’re telling me it was just a moment of weakness?!” “But Seraphina herself never said anything!” Chloe screamed suddenly. “If she wanted to tell you, she would have! She chose to stay silent!” “How could she tell me?!” I grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. “Her vocal cords were severed! Her hands shook too much to write! And you threatened her, didn’t you? Tell me you threatened her!” Chloe’s pupils contracted in terror. In that instant, I understood everything. “What did you say to her?” my voice was cold as ice. “What did you tell her?” “I… I said if you knew the truth, you’d live with guilt for the rest of your life,” Chloe wept. “I said you had just recovered from a severe injury and couldn’t handle the shock. I said… I said if your life was miserable because of her, she would suffer even more.” “And she believed you.” I let go of her, stumbling back. “She actually believed your toxic lies.” That was why Seraphina stayed silent. That was why she watched me shower Chloe with gratitude, watch me pamper Chloe, and watch me give all the tenderness that belonged to her to another woman. She didn’t even have the courage to tell me who she was. Because she was terrified of making me feel guilty. Because that foolish girl would rather swallow all her pain than cause me a single moment of discomfort. “Get out,” I told Chloe. “Ethan…” “Pack your trash and get out of my house. Never let me see your face again.”

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On Christmas Eve, my husband’s secretary, Chloe Bennett, updated her Instagram. “Ugh, what kind of company makes you travel on business on Christmas Eve? Every single hotel in town is fully booked! Thank god my handsome CEO is here to spend Christmas with me…” Below the caption was a sultry selfie of her lying on a bed, wearing a plush white bathrobe. Right next to her lay a man. The photo captured only his back—a toned, sun-kissed back that looked incredibly attractive. In the comments, tons of netizens swooned over how sexy and masculine the man was. Chloe, of course, couldn’t help but show off. She replied with a blushing emoji: *“So strong, so wild… my legs are still shaking.”* I let out a cold laugh. Opening my CashApp, I sent her a transfer of $66.60 with the note: *“Enjoy the room.”* A few minutes later, Chloe called. She was sobbing hysterically, claiming she had taken the photo of Julian Sterling by accident and had absolutely no intention of provoking me. Before I could say a word, Julian snatched the phone from her. His voice was dripping with impatience. “Daisy Vance, Chloe just started working as my secretary. Why do you have to be so passive-aggressive? Can you stop being so paranoid for one single day?” Then, he turned around and spoke to Chloe in a voice so tender it made my skin crawl. “Chloe, don’t take it to heart. She’s just crazy.” Hearing the soft, sweet giggles on the other end, I hung up. Julian and I had dated for three years and had been married for four. The dreaded seven-year itch had finally arrived, and we weren’t going to survive it. *** **1** At 2:00 AM, Julian finally came home. The moment he pushed the door open, our eyes met. Neither of us spoke. Julian’s gaze drifted to the table littered with takeout boxes. He marched over, snatched the leftover pizza and cheesecake right out of my hands, and threw them into the trash. “Eat, eat, eat! That’s all you know how to do! Keep this up and you’ll turn into a land whale!” The last time he had talked to me like this was a year ago, right after Chloe returned from studying abroad. Back then, he showered her with compliments in front of me, only to turn around and mock me for being “as bloated as a cow.” Since that day, I had eaten nothing but bland meal-prep salads for an entire year. Seeing that I remained silent, he tossed a package of high-end, tight shapewear onto my lap. “Chloe bought this for you. See how thoughtful she is? She said if you still don’t accept her apology, she’ll delete her Instagram account.” I looked at the tag on the shapewear. It read in bold letters: *“Instantly flattens fat and sculpts curves.”* I smiled. Chloe really knew exactly how to push my buttons. Julian saw my smile and assumed my anger had faded. He handed me my phone. “Since Chloe is being so sweet, aren’t you going to thank her?” I ignored him and kept my eyes on the TV. “Daisy! Are you fucking deaf?” He grabbed my arm and yanked me up. Taken off guard, I lost my balance and crashed hard onto the floor. My lower back slammed right against the sharp corner of the coffee table. A sharp, blinding pain shot through my body. The injury on my waist was a scar from seven years ago. During a terrible house fire, I had dragged Julian out of the burning building, only to be crushed by a collapsing wooden beam. It was a chronic injury that never fully healed. I curled into a ball on the floor, clutching my waist, shaking from the agony. Julian looked down at me, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. “I’ll get the pain-relief cream.” I looked up at his retreating back. I wanted to tell him to stop, but the words caught in my throat. The pregnancy test results had been sitting in my drawer for three days now. When the results came out, the doctor had specifically warned me to stay stress-free in the early stages of pregnancy. She also told me to be extremely careful with medications—especially topical pain-relief creams. I had originally planned to tell him on Christmas Day that we were going to have a baby. But now, it seemed entirely unnecessary. Julian rummaged through the medicine cabinet frantically, but stopped after a few seconds. “Where is the cream? Did we…” He stopped mid-sentence. I caught the fleeting expression on his face—a mixture of guilt and sheer panic. Suddenly, I remembered Chloe’s reply to a comment on her Instagram post a few days ago: *“He’s such a caring guy. I accidentally burned my hand while cooking, and he immediately brought over his favorite imported scar gel to apply it for me.”* If this had happened in the past, I would have demanded to know if he had given my expensive prescription cream to Chloe. But this time, I didn’t even bother to expose him. I let out a tired laugh. “Julian, stop looking. I’ll go buy some myself.” Julian’s face hardened. “How are you going to go out looking like that? Just stay home. I’ll go—” Before he could finish, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and answered it instantly. “Chloe, what’s wrong?” Chloe’s whimpering voice echoed through the quiet room. “Julian… I was feeling down, so I went to a bar for a drink. Some strange men are hitting on me and trying to force me to leave with them. They said… they said if I don’t go with them, they’ll hurt me…” “Julian, can you come save me? Please… I’m so scared…” Julian slammed the first-aid kit onto the couch and stood up abruptly. “Chloe, don’t be scared. I’m on my way.” “Julian, thank you… but maybe you shouldn’t come. If Daisy finds out, she’ll be furious. I’ll… I’ll find a way to handle it myself!” “She has no right to be angry.” With that, he cast a cold, dismissive glance at me as I lay curled on the floor. After hanging up, Julian rushed toward the front door. “Julian, wait,” I called out. “Daisy, can you stop throwing tantrums for once in your life?” he snapped, not even turning around. “You left your phone and wallet. How are you going to save her without them?” I pointed at the couch. His phone and wallet were lying quietly right next to the discarded first-aid kit. Julian stared at them, stunned for a brief second. “I’ll go get Chloe first. I’ll take you to the hospital when I get back.” Then, he slammed the door and left. *** **2** Morning came. Julian never returned. The pain in my abdomen grew so excruciating that I couldn’t bear it any longer. I finally called an ambulance. While waiting for the paramedics, I scrolled through Instagram. Sure enough, Chloe’s latest post popped up. She posted a long paragraph about how she was harassed by thugs at a bar, and how Julian had arrived just in time, getting into a fistfight to protect her. She wrote about how deeply moved she was. Beneath the post was a photo of Chloe, teary-eyed, gently dabbing ointment onto a bruise on Julian’s cheek. The caption read: *“Love can conquer all, and face all.”* One comment read: *“How can you resist a man that handsome right in front of you? Girl, you must be made of stone!”* Another added: *“Right? If he were in front of me, I’d be healing his wounds too, just… in a very different way… 😉”* Chloe replied with a smug emoji: *“Why the rush? He’ll be mine sooner or later anyway!”* Then, another user posted a video in the comment section: *“Omg, what a coincidence! I ran into you guys too!”* In the video, Chloe was crying like a damsel in distress while Julian yelled at the thugs, sweeping Chloe into his arms and carrying her out of the bar. The way he looked at her was filled with nothing but tenderness and fierce protection. My mind suddenly drifted back to two weeks ago. Julian had invited a group of business partners to a VIP lounge at a high-end club. When I arrived, the guests hadn’t shown up yet. Julian texted me saying something urgent had come up at the office and he’d be a bit late. Not long after, a man walked in. It was Carter Hayes, Julian’s main business partner. Julian often talked about him, praising him as a young genius who had secured a massive round of funding and was about to take his company public. Carter eyed me up and down, then slid onto the couch, sitting uncomfortably close to me. “Hey, beautiful. You’re even hotter than Julian described.” I gasped, but before I could speak, he clamped a hand over my mouth. “Julian told me you have an amazing body. He said you’re incredibly submissive—that no matter what we do to you, you won’t fight back.” Carter yanked my hair, forcing my head back against his shoulder. He whispered in my ear, “Are you really that obedient, sweetheart? No matter how rough I get?” I fought back frantically, trying to tear myself away from him. My resistance seemed to anger him. He bit my neck viciously. When I refused to scream, he took his freshly lit cigar and pressed the burning end right against my chest. The searing pain made me scream. I shoved him away with all my strength and ran out of the room. As I bolted into the lobby, I ran straight into Julian and Chloe. Julian didn’t even look at me. He kept his arm wrapped around Chloe’s waist and walked right past me. Chloe turned her head, flashing me a triumphant smirk. Around her neck was a stunning, heart-shaped yellow diamond necklace. I recognized it instantly. Julian had bid on that exact necklace at a Sotheby’s auction. He had told me he bought it as a Christmas gift for me. Later, he told me he changed his mind because I was “too out of shape” to pull it off. Julian didn’t come home until midnight, smelling strongly of whiskey. “Daisy, what the hell was wrong with you today? You ran off before the guests even arrived! Who do you think you are, throwing a princess tantrum like that?” In response to his shouting, I unzipped my dress, exposing the dark bite mark on my neck and the raw, blistered cigar burn on my chest. He gasped, stepping closer to inspect the wounds. “Oh my god, honey… does it hurt? How did this happen?” I told him exactly what Carter Hayes had done to me. Julian let out a harsh, mocking scoff. “Daisy, do you think I’m stupid?” “If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable! Why would Carter ever look at you? Did you throw yourself at him to get his attention?” He grabbed my hair, dragging me to the full-length mirror in the walk-in closet. The woman in the mirror had messy hair, a pale face, and eyes swollen red from crying. “Look at yourself, Daisy. Who would ever want you?” “Look at the fat on your stomach. It’s disgusting.” With that, he walked back to the bedroom. I knelt on the cold floor of the closet and cried until dawn. The next day, Julian bought me a Cartier diamond necklace to “apologize.” I thought I had buried that memory deep down, but seeing the video of Julian saving Chloe today brought back all the disgust and humiliation. The ambulance arrived, and the paramedics lifted me onto a stretcher. While lying in the ER with an IV drip in my arm, I opened Snapchat and sent a message to my best friend, Mia Collins. *“Mia, I’m divorcing him.”* *** **3** After getting discharged, I rested at home for a few days. I thought I would finally get some peace, until my phone rang repeatedly, waking me up. I answered it weakly. Julian’s cold voice came through the speaker. “I’m picking you up for dinner.” Before I could reply, he hung up. Wanting to keep things civil before the divorce, I got dressed and went downstairs. Seeing my pale, exhausted face, Julian suddenly seemed to remember the pain cream he had promised to get. “The restaurant is near the medical center. Let’s stop by and get you checked out first.” “No need. It’s been days. The pain is gone.” He let out a sigh of relief. “I figured. It’s been seven years, after all. Any pain you feel now is probably just psychological.” I smiled bitterly. “Yeah. Seven years.” Seven years ago, I used every ounce of my strength to push Julian out of the collapsing house, leaving myself trapped in the raging fire. I suffered three broken ribs and a fractured tailbone. To this day, even a minor bump caused agonizing pain. I had never told him about the chronic pain because I didn’t want him to feel guilty. But he chose to believe I was just “delusional.” But then again, we had been together for seven years. If he had loved me even a little, how could he not know how much I was hurting? Julian kept talking as he drove, explaining what happened the other night. “After I got Chloe out of the bar, she was traumatized. I stayed with her for a couple of days to make sure she was safe. Don’t go making up stories in your head.” I stared out the window blankly. “I’m not making up stories. She’s your secretary. It’s only right that you take care of her.” Clearly annoyed by my flat tone, Julian slammed on the brakes. The sudden jolt knocked my AirPods onto the floor. I leaned down to search for them under the passenger seat. Instead of my AirPods, my hand brushed against a pair of sheer, lacy G-strings. If this had been two weeks ago, I would have held up the underwear and screamed at him. But now, I simply smiled, picked them up, and tossed them onto the backseat. Julian’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Oh, that… Chloe probably left them there after her swimming lesson. It was an accident.” I nodded. “Okay.” And went back to staring out the window. At the restaurant, a young couple at the next table kept staring at us. Realizing I had noticed them, the girl walked over to our table. “Excuse me, are you the billionaire CEO from Chloe Bennett’s Instagram? Oh my gosh, you are even more handsome in person!” Julian looked up at her. “Can I help you?” The girl asked eagerly, “Are you and Chloe actually dating?” Julian glanced at me as I quietly chewed my food. He smiled at the girl. “Yes, Chloe and I are dating.” I looked up and smiled politely at the girl, even as a sharp, sudden cramp bloomed in my lower abdomen. The girl looked at me, confused. “Then… who is she?” “Our housekeeper,” Julian replied smoothly. Before leaving, the girl squealed at Julian, “I’m such a fan of you two! You guys have to get married!” Julian watched them leave, then placed a scoop of ice cream on my plate. “Don’t take it personally, Daisy. The ‘Billionaire CEO falls for me’ series Chloe is posting is doing wonders for our company’s PR. She’s so happy right now. If I ruin her fantasy in public, she’ll be devastated.” “I don’t care,” I said quietly. “You don’t need to explain.” The sharp cramp in my stomach intensified. My face went completely pale, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. On the drive back, Julian’s phone rang again. It was Chloe. “Julian… can you come pick me up from the indoor pool? The cover-up I brought is a bit too revealing, and I don’t feel safe taking an Uber. Please? Pretty please…” Unable to resist her whining, Julian let out a fond chuckle. “Alright, alright. I’m on my way.” Julian hung up and grabbed my hand, kissing it. “Let’s go pick up Chloe together, honey. That way, you won’t have to worry.” “Julian, you can’t go,” I gasped, clutching my stomach. “My stomach hurts so bad. Take me to the hospital. Now!” His face darkened instantly. “Daisy, can you stop being so dramatic? I offered to bring you along so you wouldn’t get jealous, and now you’re playing the sick card?” “I am not playing! Take me to the hospital! I’m not joking, Julian, it hurts so bad!” “Stop acting. You’re terrible at it.” Suddenly, I felt a warm, thick rush of liquid flowing between my thighs. “Julian… I’m pregnant. My stomach is in agony, and I think I’m having a miscarriage! We need to go to the hospital right now!” Julian didn’t believe a word. He looked at me with pure disgust. “You usually play games, but now you’re lying about being pregnant?” “We’ve been married for four years without protection. You never got pregnant once. Now that I’m going to pick up Chloe, you suddenly have a baby in your womb?” His anger boiled over, and he slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the curb. “Get the fuck out! Out!” “Aren’t you in a rush to go to the hospital? Bleeding and hurting? Then get out and call an Uber! Stop wasting my time. I need to get Chloe!” “Fine. I’ll get out.” But as I reached for the door handle, he grabbed my arm. “I’ve been way too soft on you. It’s made you completely unmanageable!” “Let’s get a divorce, Julian.” The words seemed to freeze him. “Divorce?” I nodded slowly. “Mia already drafted the papers.” He let go of my arm, staring at me in shock. “Are you serious, Daisy? You better think this through. Once you leave me, no one is going to want a dramatic, manipulative woman like you.” “I’ve thought it through. Goodbye.” I opened the door and stepped out. But before I could even clear the car, Julian slammed his foot on the gas pedal. The sudden acceleration knocked me off balance, throwing me violently onto the asphalt. Amidst the screams of pedestrians, I collapsed in a pool of blood. Julian’s car sped away, never once braking. TThe blood pooled beneath me, spreading out like bright, crimson spider lilies blooming on the road to hell.

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I was pregnant. Just as I was about to go to Julian’s office to share the amazing news, his mother blocked me right outside his door. She screeched, calling me a cheap gold digger who was trying to use a baby to trap her son and climb into their old-money family. “Let me tell you something, bitch. Countless girls throw themselves at my son every single day. Look in the mirror. You think you’re worthy?” “Using a pregnancy to trap him? In your dreams!” She dragged me into the VIP lounge, kicking and punching me, trying to force a miscarriage. Afterward, she looked down at me, gloating. “My son’s life belongs to me. I make his decisions!” 0 Lately, I hadn’t been feeling well. I had no appetite and felt nauseous all the time. After a quick trip to the clinic, the doctor delivered the news: I was pregnant. My eyes welled up instantly. I grabbed the doctor’s hand, trembling. “Are you serious? Really?” The doctor smiled and nodded. At that moment, tears streamed down my face. Julian and I met back in college. We had been married for five years, but we had never been able to conceive. It had been a silent ache in our hearts. Even though Julian always comforted me, telling me not to rush it, I could always see the faint sadness in his eyes. But now, finally, I was pregnant. I gently placed my hand over my lower belly, heading straight to his company to surprise him. But the moment I reached his office suite, a woman rushed out and blocked my way. In our five years of marriage, I had never met Julian’s parents in person, but I had seen their photos. The woman standing in front of me was his mother, Judith. I kept my manners and greeted her politely. “Hello, Mom.” Hearing that, her face twisted instantly. “What did you just call me?” “Mom, I’m here to see Julian.” Her eyes turned sharp as she scanned me up and down. “Who the hell do you think you are? What business do you have with my son?” “I’m his wife.” Before the words could even fully leave my mouth, a loud *slap* echoed through the hallway. My face whipped to the side, burning. “What kind of trash dares to call herself my son’s wife?” “Clearly, he hasn’t taught you your place. I’ll do it for him today.” Before I could react, she grabbed my wrist with surprising strength and dragged me into the adjacent VIP lounge. The moment the door slammed shut, she shoved me violently to the floor. I looked up at her in utter shock, quickly shielding my stomach with both hands. The doctor’s warning was still ringing in my ears: *The first trimester is the most critical. You must be extremely careful.* “You dare glare at me?” She lunged forward and kicked me. I gasped, collapsing entirely onto the cold floor. Suppressing the sharp pain, I gasped, “Judith, even if you don’t accept me, you can’t humiliate me like this! Besides, I—” “Shut up! Who gave you permission to speak my name? My son never told me he got married.” “You’re just a cheap sugar baby he keeps on the side, yet you honestly think you can become a princess? Dream on.” She sneered, grinding the heel of her designer shoe onto my right hand. “Let me tell you the truth. Any girl who wants to marry my son has to pass me first. No worthless slut is ever getting into my family.” Staring at her twisted, disgusted face, a sudden realization hit me. I remembered asking Julian why his parents didn’t attend our wedding five years ago. He had brushed it off, saying they were too busy. Now I realized the truth. His parents had never approved. In fact, they didn’t even know he was married! Just then, the lounge door clicked open. A young female intern walked in. For a second, I thought I was saved. But Judith immediately barked at her to get out. “I’m disciplining my son’s side-chick. What are you looking at? Get the hell out!” 0

“Get out before I have my son fire you!” Terrified, the girl scrambled backward and slammed the door shut. She didn’t dare take another step inside. Whispers started echoing from the hallway outside. “Wait, is that another one of the CEO’s side-chicks throwing a tantrum?” “I know, right? So many girls these days think they can sleep their way to the top.” “Well, Julian is rich and hot. It’s no wonder these girls don’t know their place.” My entire body was shaking with pain. I carefully reached into my bag to pull out my phone, desperately wanting to call Julian to save me. But before I could dial, Judith snatched it away. “Oh? Look at this. The lock screen is a photo of you and my son.” “It seems you really are quite a favored little toy.” She looked down at me, her voice dripping with mockery. “I am not his toy. I am Julian’s legally wedded wife,” I protested again, my voice cracking. Judith just laughed. Clearly, she didn’t believe a single word. “You think I’d fall for that garbage?” With a cruel smirk, she threw my phone hard against the tiled floor. It shattered into useless pieces. Still unsatisfied, she spat out vile insults while stamping harder on my hand. “Bitch!” “Stay away from my son starting today. Do you hear me?” The pain was so intense I couldn’t even squeeze out a word. My strength was fading fast. Judith, taking my silence as defiance, grew even more furious. “Tough, aren’t you? Still refusing to beg.” “Won’t leave my son, huh? I guess you won’t learn your lesson until I make an example out of you.” “Since you love throwing yourself at men so much, let’s show the whole company what you really look like.” She opened the door and ordered two young secretaries to come inside. When I saw them holding a pair of desk scissors, my heart froze. Panic consumed me. “What… what are you doing?” I was trembling violently. Judith sneered. “Now you’re scared? Too bad. I gave you a chance, and you blew it. I won’t let the son I raised so carefully be ruined by a parasite like you.” “Strip her. I’m going to take photos of her naked and leak them. Once she’s ruined and dirty, my son won’t even look at her. Hahaha!” Her laughter echoed loudly, sending a bone-chilling shiver down my spine. “No! You can’t do this!” I tried to crawl away, but I didn’t dare make any sudden, violent movements. I had to protect the baby in my womb. “I really didn’t seduce him! If you don’t believe me, call Julian in here right now! Let him tell you!” Judith burst into hysterical laughter. “Do you have any idea how big of a deal my son is handling right now? His time is literally worth thousands a second. You think he’ll just run over because you called? Can you afford his time?” One of the secretaries quickly chimed in, eager to please. “Mrs. Zhang, you are so right. Some girls really think they’re the center of the universe when they’re actually nothing!” “Strip her clothes off!” At Judith’s command, the secretaries didn’t hesitate. They lunged forward, grabbing my blouse. I screamed and cried, begging them to stop. My desperate cries echoed through the thin walls, and soon, a small crowd of employees gathered outside the glass doors of the lounge. Most of them were just watching the drama, whispering and pointing at my torn clothes. Only a couple of younger girls looked uncomfortable. One of them stepped forward slightly. “Mrs. Zhang, maybe… maybe this is a bit too much? This is the CEO’s office, after all. If a scandal like this leaks, it might hurt his reputation.” “Yeah, she seems to have learned her lesson. I’m sure she won’t come back.” 0

Instead of listening, Judith glared at them. “You dare talk back to me for this worthless slut? Do you want me to have my son fire all of you right now?” Her threat worked instantly. The employees shut their mouths, stepping back in fear. Suddenly, one of the secretaries holding me gasped. “Mrs. Zhang… look at her. She keeps protecting her stomach. Is she pregnant?” Judith froze for a second. For a brief, naive moment, I thought she would spare me for the sake of the baby. I was dead wrong. The realization that I was pregnant only made her more psychotic. “No wonder you had the nerve to show up here! You brought a little bastard with you to blackmail my son for money!” “Well, too bad you met me today. I am not letting this mistake be born.” Judith grabbed me by my hair, yanked my head back, and kicked me hard right in the stomach. Since I was only in my first trimester, the blow was devastating. Cold sweat poured down my face from the blinding pain. My head spun, and my vision started to blur. For a second, I genuinely thought I was going to die. Using the last of my strength, I shoved Judith back, sobbing out the truth. “I am not his mistress! I am his wife!” “We have a marriage certificate! I am the legal Mrs. Zhang!” The VIP lounge went dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. “Bitch! I am Julian’s mother! If he got married, do you think I wouldn’t know?” “You’re just trying to ruin my son’s reputation!” I wiped the blood dripping from my lips. “Julian and I have been together since college. We got married right after graduation.” Judith’s face filled with pure disgust. “Are you trying to say my son went behind my back to marry you?” “My son has been a good, obedient boy his whole life. He would never hide something this big from me!” “If he did, it would mean he didn’t want me as his mother anymore. Who do you think you are to destroy thirty years of our mother-son bond?” I struggled to keep my eyes open, wanting to defend myself, but suddenly, I felt a sickening warmth pooling between my thighs. I wanted to look down, but I had absolutely no strength left. Someone in the crowd gasped, “Oh my god… look! There’s blood on the floor!” Panic surged through me. Five years. It took us five long years to finally get this baby. I wanted to crawl out the door, to scream for Julian to come save our child, but my limbs felt like lead. “It’s just a little blood. Who are you trying to scare?” Judith scoffed. “I’ve been pregnant before. Besides, a dirty girl like you has probably slept around with plenty of men. Who knows if this bastard even belongs to my son!” Her words were laced with venom. Because she was the CEO’s mother, nobody dared to contradict her. I reached out, desperately grabbing the hem of her pants. “I beg you… please save my baby. The baby is innocent!” “My poor baby hasn’t even seen the world yet… please, don’t do this. Call an ambulance, please!” But my desperate cries fell on deaf ears. The people standing around just watched with cold, indifferent eyes. It was none of their business. They didn’t want to get involved. Judith stood there, watching me bleed out on the floor. Only after a grueling ten minutes did she finally pull out her phone. For a split second, I thought she had found her humanity. But she wasn’t calling 911. She was calling Julian. “Mom? What is it now?” Julian’s voice came through the line, sounding exhausted and annoyed. “Sweetheart! Some girl just barged into your office looking for you,” Judith said, her voice instantly transitioning into a sweet, motherly tone. “Mom, people come to my office to see me every day. Men, women, everyone. Can you please stop micromanaging my life?” “Oh, sweetie, I’m just worried about you since you’re still single.” “You don’t need to worry about my personal life. I have it under control. I’m busy, I have to go.” Before he hung up, Judith deliberately put the phone on speaker. “Did you hear that?” Judith sneered, looking down at me. “My son just said he’s single. What kind of ‘wife’ are you?” “In his heart, I am the only woman who matters.” Hearing Julian’s words, my heart completely shattered. So, he had hidden our marriage from everyone. All this time, I was the only one living in this beautiful, pathetic illusion. 0

“I get it… I get it now,” I whimpered. I couldn’t fight her anymore. I just wanted to survive. “Just let me leave. I promise I’ll never see Julian again.” I didn’t dare argue with Judith anymore. I just wanted to soothe her rage so she would let me go to a hospital. “Let you go?” “How do I know you won’t creep back to my son? He’s young and easily tempted. As his mother, I have to eliminate the threat completely!” “Where are the scissors I asked for?” Judith screamed at the secretary, grabbing the scissors and hovering them over my face. “You only got close to my son because of this pretty face. If I ruin it, I’ll believe you won’t ever see him again.” “No… please, no…” As the sharp metal coldness neared my cheek, terror gripped me. But just as I braced for the worst, a phone rang. It was Julian, calling the secretary’s desk phone. He was demanding his lunch be sent up. I had arrived at the office in the morning. It was now past lunchtime. I had been subjected to hours of torture. I looked at the crowd blocking the doorway. Dozens of people, yet not a single one was willing to help me. I couldn’t escape this nightmare. But my heart ached most for my baby. My baby, who had every right to see this world, had been murdered by these monsters. I hated them. I wanted them all to rot in hell to accompany my child! Especially Judith. She was a mother too. How could she be so evil? “You still dare to glare at me?” Judith slapped me hard across the face, several times. “What? Unfair?” She raised the scissors and slashed them across my cheek. A sharp, burning pain flared up as my skin tore open. It hurt so much I could barely breathe. “What are you all doing standing around here? Don’t you have work to do? Does this company pay you to slack off?” It was Julian’s voice. Judith quickly pushed me under the coffee table, hiding me under the long tablecloth. Then, she walked out of the lounge casually. “Julian, sweetie, don’t blame them. I just had a few questions for your staff.” “Mom, why are you still here? This is a place of business, not your personal interrogation room.” “What’s that supposed to mean? I can’t even talk to your employees now?” Judith whined, pretending to be hurt. “That’s not what I meant. Just… go home, please.” Julian was standing right outside the door. I had to make some noise. I had to let him know I was in here. But the lounge was sparse, with only a sofa and a coffee table. As I tried to kick the table leg to make a sound, the secretary guarding me realized my plan. She immediately crouched down and clamped her hand over my mouth, choking back my cries. I was pinned down, completely silenced. My husband was just a door away, yet he couldn’t hear me. I hated him. I hated his mother, who killed our baby, ruined my face, and broke my body. “Aren’t you going to eat? Have someone bring it to your office. Don’t starve yourself,” Judith said smoothly. Julian sighed, turned around, and began walking back to his office. Listening to his fading footsteps, the tiny ember of hope in my chest died completely. I closed my eyes, letting my tears mix with the blood on my face. Suddenly, his voice sounded closer again. “Oh, by the way, Chloe, when you bring my lunch, bring the Q3 project proposal with you.” I heard the door to the VIP lounge creak open. “And whatever my mother asks you, just tell her you don’t know.” He finished his sentence and turned to leave, but suddenly stopped. He frowned. “Wait… why is there so much blood on the floor?”

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My husband’s mistress was madly in love with him. She actually believed his pathetic lie that he was a single, divorced dad. Naturally, she saw me as the evil homewrecker. She even brainwashed my daughter into giving me a teddy bear hidden with a spy camera. Then, she filmed a self-righteous video about “fighting back against homewreckers” and posted it on her social media. Within a single day, I was relentlessly cyberbullied by her hundreds of thousands of followers. The online hate storm drove me into severe depression. For six months, I was too terrified to even step outside my house. My husband treated me like I was invisible. Even my own daughter thought I was just throwing tantrums, throwing cruel, verbal jabs at me every single day. Unable to bear the physical and mental torture anymore, I finally set fire to the house and let the flames consume me. But when I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back to the exact day my daughter handed me that rigged teddy bear. This time, I’m going to make sure the three of you are locked together in your own personal hell forever.

“Chloe, look! I got this teddy bear for you. Isn’t it pretty?” My daughter Lily’s voice echoed beside me. I looked down at her and suddenly noticed a flicker of… disgust in her eyes. I froze. I realized that even at this point, her loyalty had already shifted to that other woman. In my past life, to help Lily progress faster in her dance classes, I had specifically applied to work as an instructor at her dance studio. Back then, I held Lily to high standards. Because of that, she resented me deeply. So when Lily handed me this teddy bear in my past life, I was absolutely thrilled. I kept it on my office desk, looking at it happily every single day. It wasn’t until my husband’s girlfriend barged into our dance studio that I realized I had been labeled as the “homewrecker.” She shoved her phone in my face, recording a video while screaming, “Look at yourself! You actually make this poor little girl call you mom? Aren’t you embarrassed?” “Don’t you know her dad has had a girlfriend since his divorce? That’s me!” “Using a child to cling to a man—how shameless can you get!” At that time, to protect Lily from being gossiped about by her peers, I didn’t announce to the crowd that she was my biological daughter. I had only let her call me “Mom” privately in my office. Who would have thought this woman would upload that video online, calling me a disgusting homewrecker? I had looked at Lily desperately, begging for help. But my own daughter just turned her head away, refusing to say a word to defend me. That woman posted the video on her TikTok. Her hundreds of thousands of followers exploded instantly. They swarmed all my social media accounts, leaving thousands of abusive comments. The harassment lasted for six long months. Meanwhile, my husband and daughter were playing happy family with that cheap homewrecker, acting as if I didn’t exist. The pain was too much. I ended it all in a house fire. Now, I was back. Back in my office, with Lily handing me the teddy bear. I looked at her coldly. “Got it. Just leave it on the desk. And remember, we are at school. Call me Ms. Chloe.” Lily didn’t expect such a cold reaction. She pouted. “Fine.” Shortly after Lily went back to class, I received a Snapchat from my husband, Carter. “I’m taking Lily out for a dinner party with some friends tonight. Want to join?” In my past life, I suffered from severe postpartum depression and hated socializing. But back then, I didn’t want Lily to be cooped up at home with me. So, I always encouraged Carter to take her out to have fun. When Lily was three, she said she wanted to learn ballet. I picked up my old passion, practicing day and night to get a job at this prestigious dance academy. Aside from training her at school, I even built a private dance studio for her at home. I loved dancing when I was a kid, but my parents were sick and we couldn’t afford it. I wanted to give Lily everything I never had.

I never thought I’d be cheated on. Carter and I had been together for thirteen years. I thought we knew each other inside out. And I certainly never expected that the woman outside would try to steal my daughter, too. I clenched my fists so hard my nails nearly bit into my palms. I typed back: “Sure, have fun. Get back early.” Carter forgot that his current success was built on my sweat and tears, funded by every single dance show I performed back in the day. And now, he wanted to turn me into a laughingstock? I don’t think so. After dance class ended, I saw Carter standing by the door, dressed in a sharp suit, waiting to pick up Lily. Lily jumped into his car giggling, and I quietly followed them in mine. The car didn’t head to any “dinner party.” Instead, it drove straight into the luxury gated community next to our neighborhood. I remembered when we bought our current house, Carter had pointed at this exact luxury estate and said with deep emotion: “Chloe, don’t worry. This house is just the beginning. One day, I’ll buy you that villa right in the center.” We had toured that villa before. It had a perfect view, but it was priced $500,000 higher than the others. I had smiled at him and said, “It’s fine, babe. As long as our family is happy, I don’t care where we live.” Over the past few years, he kept complaining about how bad his business was, bringing home less and less money. I always comforted him: “It’s okay. I can work to help support us. You just focus on your business.” Thinking back to my past self, and looking at the luxury villa he bought for his mistress, what a sick joke. I parked my car across the street. I hopped on TaskRabbit, hired a local runner, and offered a huge tip with one condition: find out the exact villa number of the woman living there. Usually, security in these gated communities is tight, but in my previous life, I remembered the mistress’s name was Hailey. The runner called me immediately after accepting the task, asking if I had made a typo with the tip amount because it was so high. Hearing her voice, I realized the runner was a young woman. I choked up and told her briefly that my husband was cheating on me and staying in that estate. Hearing my story, she got incredibly angry. She agreed immediately, saying women need to stick together. She walked straight to the security guard. Within minutes, she managed to charm the information out of him. When she sent me the delivery confirmation photo, a man’s hand was shown taking the package. He was wearing the exact designer watch I bought for Carter. With the address confirmed, I contacted a local drama alert channel on Instagram. I asked if they wanted some exclusive tea on a rising influencer. The only thing I asked in return was a copy of the photos they took. They agreed instantly. I didn’t care if this villa was their permanent love nest or just a hookup spot. Getting hard evidence of his infidelity at the lowest cost was my priority. To prevent Carter from hiding or transferring our joint assets, I immediately contacted a top divorce lawyer to get the paperwork ready. I didn’t want the man anymore, but the money? Every single cent of it was earned through our joint hard work. I wasn’t going to leave empty-handed. I went home and acted completely normal. The only difference was that I stopped cooking, cleaning, or taking care of them. I left them to fend for themselves. Within a day, Lily couldn’t take it anymore. She sat at the empty dining table and complained loudly. “Chloe, why aren’t you making dinner? Are you trying to starve me and Dad?” “I have to study hard every day, and Dad works so hard to make money. How can you be so lazy and not cook?”

In the past, when Lily said things like this, I used to feel jealous, thinking she was just closer to her dad because they spent more time together. But now I realized she was completely brainwashed by Carter. I slowly chewed on my toasted bread, looking at her blankly. “You have school, and your dad has work. But guess what? I have a job too. My name isn’t written on these chores. I don’t owe you a clean house.” Lily stared at me in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock. “How is that the same? Do you make as much money as Dad? You do nothing all day but sit in your stupid office.” “Plus, you love shopping. If Dad didn’t give you money, you couldn’t even afford the clothes you wear!” So that was it. In the eyes of the daughter I cherished so much, I was just a useless housewife, a parasite. Carter hadn’t put a single penny into our joint account for two years. Every single dollar spent on this house came from my salary. Yet, to Carter and Lily, I was just a freeloading leech. She really was her father’s daughter. I smiled, looking straight into her eyes. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you. Even if I am a leech, your dad is still legally obligated to support me.” “From now on, if you want to eat, order takeout or cook it yourself.” Carter, who was putting on his coat, froze. He walked over, frowning at me. “Chloe, how can you speak to Lily like that? She’s just a kid!” I washed my hands, grabbed my purse, put on my heels, and turned to him. “She’s eight years old. She has her own thoughts and opinions.” “Since she thinks I’m a useless housewife, I might as well act like one. From now on, you do the chores.” With that, I walked out. Today was the day Hailey was going to show up at my studio to make a scene. I sat in my office in a great mood, admiring my new designer necklace in front of the hidden camera in the teddy bear. My coworker, Sarah, noticed it and gasped. “Oh my god, Chloe! That necklace is gorgeous!” I blushed, acting shy. “Thanks. My husband got it for me.” The other teachers started teasing me, complaining about how their husbands never bought them anything nice. I checked the time. It was almost showtime. I saw Lily standing at the door, looking at me with a confused expression. When I walked out, she couldn’t wait to whisper-hiss at me. “Why are you lying? Dad didn’t buy you that. He only buys things for—” She cut herself off, but I knew exactly what she was going to say. She wanted to say that Carter only bought luxury items for Hailey now, and that she preferred Hailey over me anyway. In my past life, those six months of depression made me constantly question myself. Why did my own daughter abandon me? I used to drown in anxiety and self-doubt, wondering what I did wrong. But now? Why should I suffer for their sins? They were the ones who lied and cheated. As long as I didn’t care, they couldn’t hurt me. I tilted my head and smiled at her. “How do you know Dad didn’t buy this for me?” “Of course he did. He loves me so much.” Lily looked utterly bewildered. She was just a kid, after all, probably struggling to figure out who was telling the truth. When I walked back to my desk, the drama channel sent me a Snapchat. It was a photo of Hailey driving out of her luxury community. Right on schedule. Suddenly, Lily’s eyes lit up. She ran toward the entrance, waving her hands excitedly. “Hailey! Over here!” Hailey gave Lily a quick nod, but the fury on her face was unmistakable. With a loud *bang*, she kicked my office door open, her phone raised to record. Sarah stood up, startled. “Excuse me? Can I help you?” Hailey rolled her eyes at her and glared at me with pure venom. “Help? Oh, you can help me expose this disgusting homewrecker!”

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After I got pregnant, Ethan came home less and less. I was left alone, dragging my heavy pregnant belly around, doing the laundry, cooking, and taking care of his bedridden, eighty-year-old mother. In the middle of the night, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I looked down, and fresh red blood had stained the bedsheets. Terrified, I called him, sobbing, begging him to take me to the hospital. But all I got from the other end of the line was his irritated roar. “Can you stop bothering me in the middle of the night? I’m extremely busy right now!” Cold sweat drenched my forehead. My body felt weak and useless. And then, through the receiver, I heard a woman’s sweet, soft coo next to him. “Stop it, Ethan… gentler~” Before I could even process it, the line went dead, leaving only a cold dial tone. When I woke up again, I felt nothing in my lower stomach. No kicking. No movement. I unlocked my phone, and a Snapchat notification popped up. It was a photo. In the picture, my fiancé was holding his secretary on his office desk, locked in a passionate, heated embrace. 0

In the past, if I saw my fiancé fooling around with another woman, I would have rushed to his office immediately to confront them. But now, looking at this photo, I felt absolutely nothing. It was as if my heart had died and been buried right alongside my unborn child. I slowly placed my hand on my flat belly. I had imagined this baby’s face so many times. Would he have my eyes? Or his father’s nose? Because I didn’t know the gender, I had even prepared two sets of baby clothes. Now, none of them would ever be worn. I had loved Ethan for ten long years. I chased him for a decade. On the night he finally proposed to me, I cried like a baby, thinking I was the happiest woman alive. I thought our love had finally won. I didn’t know that right after the proposal, he locked himself in the study with his buddies, drinking the night away. I heard his friend, Tyler, ask him, “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for Amber to come back? You’re just going to marry any random woman?” I knew who Amber was. She was Ethan’s college girlfriend, the love of his life—the one that got away. And I was just the “random woman” in his friend’s eyes. That night, I stood frozen outside the study door for a long time, waiting for Ethan’s response. I desperately hoped he would say I wasn’t just “anyone,” that he actually loved me. But I waited and waited, only to hear three icy words from him: “It doesn’t matter.” As long as it wasn’t Amber, anyone would do. I guess that was my worth to him. “I know you don’t care, but Chloe is different,” Tyler sighed. “She’s chased you for ten years. Anyone can see how much she loves you. If you marry her and Amber comes back, how are you going to shake her off?” My heart turned to ice. Before we were even married, Ethan was already thinking about how to get rid of me. I clenched my fists. I was young, stubborn, and desperately in love. I believed that as long as I kept treating him well, he would eventually forget Amber and love me back. Looking back, I was so incredibly naive and stupid. Trying to use marriage to touch the heart of a man who doesn’t love you is just self-torture. Ethan’s heart was harder than stone. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t chip away even a fraction of it. I checked myself out of the hospital alone. The moment I walked through the front door of our house, I saw Ethan sitting on the sofa. Seeing me enter, his first words were a sharp scolding. “Where have you been all day? Look at the bathroom. Why haven’t you washed the laundry yet?” I didn’t say a word. If he had bothered to look at me for even two seconds, he would have noticed how deathly pale my face was. “Are you still throwing a tantrum over last night?” “I told you, I was busy at work. What are you crying about now?” In the past, whenever he came home, the house would be spotless, and a warm, delicious dinner would be waiting for him. I wanted him to feel the warmth of a home after a long day at the office. But now, I was done being his unpaid maid. My love for him had been completely chipped away, and I had nothing left to give. I took a deep breath, clenched my nails into my palms, and spoke quietly. “Ethan, let’s call off the engagement.” 0

Ethan had only proposed to me, but we had never registered our marriage, nor had we held a wedding. Our relationship was neither legally recognized nor publicly celebrated. In the past, I used to beg him for a real wedding, to give me a legal title. But my pleas were always met with his cold shoulders and silent treatment until I eventually stopped asking. Just like that, I lived with him for five years without a title. When I found out I was pregnant this year, I thought he would finally give our child a legitimate family. But then Amber came back, and the topic was buried again. In Ethan’s heart, no one was more important than Amber. Hearing me say we should call off the engagement, his face instantly darkened. “Chloe! Since when did you become so petty and narrow-minded?” “Just because I stayed late at the office and didn’t come home, you want to break up?” “I work so hard every single day. If you can’t help me with my business, can you at least show some understanding?” Understanding? Hadn’t I been understanding enough? During our five years of engagement, he lived like a king. He never had to lift a finger at home. I shielded him from every single domestic stress. I never asked questions I shouldn’t ask, and I even used my father’s business connections to help his company grow. What more did he want from me? Seeing my eyes well up with tears, Ethan impatiently pulled a pair of earrings from his pocket and tossed them onto the coffee table. “Here. Take it as an apology for last night.” I stared at the earrings. They didn’t even have a box. What Ethan didn’t know was that I had seen Amber wearing these exact earrings on her Instagram story. He was handing me Amber’s leftovers as charity. At that moment, my heart completely died. Thinking of my lost baby, a sudden wave of relief washed over me. Maybe it was destiny. Maybe my baby knew his father wouldn’t love him, so he chose not to come into this miserable family. Holding back my tears, I snatched the earrings and threw them right at Ethan’s face. “What do you take me for, Ethan? Am I a trash can for Amber’s garbage?” Ethan’s eyes widened in shock. He jumped up and roared, “Chloe! I’ve been way too nice to you! What the hell is your problem?” “Yes! Amber was with me at the office last night! So what? She is my secretary. Isn’t it normal for her to work late with me?” “We were in a rush for a meeting, so I hung up on you. Afterward, she was even sweet enough to pick out a gift for me to bring back to you!” “Why can’t you be more like her? Instead, you stay at home all day, acting paranoid and crazy like a hysterical housewife!” Ethan rarely got angry like this. Usually, he preferred silent treatment and cold shoulder. Silence was his weapon to make me submit. But whenever Amber was involved, he lost his temper instantly. He couldn’t stand anyone saying a single bad word about her. “Since you think Amber is so perfect, then me leaving is just perfect, isn’t it? I’m clearing the path for her.” Seeing how serious I was, Ethan kicked the coffee table in frustration. “Are you seriously doing this? You want to call off the engagement?” I nodded. I didn’t want to waste another second. “Chloe! Have you forgotten how you begged me to be with you ten years ago? Who do you think you are to dump me?” “Besides, you’re pregnant with my kid. If you leave me, who else is going to want a woman with baggage?” 0

To Ethan, the baby in my womb was just “baggage”? How pathetic. I watched his cold, retreating figure as he turned around and walked out. The pain in my stomach flared up, and I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Chloe, oh Chloe. For the past ten years, you really lived your life as a joke. With a loud *slam*, the front door shut. I knew Ethan did that on purpose to show me he was angry. For the ten years I chased him and the five years we lived together, it was always like this. He would throw a tantrum, and then wait for me to crawl back and beg for his forgiveness. But not this time. I dragged myself up from the floor, leaning on the sofa. I walked into the bedroom, packed my clothes, and left without looking back. As I walked out of the building, a young girl accidentally bumped into my shoulder. I stopped. She quickly apologized with a polite bow and then ran right back into her boyfriend’s waiting arms. I remembered the first time Ethan ran toward me like that. I was in high school back then. On my way home, a group of girls cornered me in the woods behind the school. They had been bullying me for two years, constantly extorting money from me. Before I met Ethan, my life was a living hell. But that day, he appeared in those woods. He didn’t just beat those bullies off; he reported them to the school board, ending my nightmare once and for all. That single glance was the start of my ten-year obsession. From then on, I quietly followed him. I studied like crazy just to get into the same university as him. Every step of my youth had Ethan’s shadow in it. I spent three years transitioning from a mere acquaintance to his friend. I watched him date girl after girl in college, until he met Amber. I knew instantly that he had fallen hard. He was different with Amber. He overcame his extreme fear of heights to go bungee jumping with her, and he ate spicy hotpot with her even though it gave him terrible stomach ulcers. Later, when Amber went abroad, he was devastated for months, drowning his sorrows in alcohol every single day. That was probably his lowest point. I had never seen him sober. It was during that dark period that Ethan proposed to me. I knew he hadn’t forgotten Amber, but I wanted to gamble. I gambled that my love would eventually touch him. I gambled that one day, Ethan would open his eyes and love me back. During our five years together, Ethan gave me everything except a marriage certificate. He was attentive and took good care of me. Just when I thought I had finally won his heart… Amber came back. From the moment she set foot back in the country, Ethan started disappearing. He ignored my texts and treated me like air. Amber’s presence was a slap in my face, reminding me that my five years of devotion were nothing but a joke. I wanted to leave back then, but fate played a cruel trick on me. I got pregnant. I thought the baby was a sign from God to save our relationship. I thought the baby wanted me to try one last time. So, I tried to have an honest conversation with Ethan. I asked him to keep his distance from Amber, but he couldn’t do it. To him, my baby and I didn’t even compare to Amber’s little finger. The moment Amber shed a tear, he would drop everything and run to her, leaving me and the baby behind. Even on the night I called him in agonizing pain, he didn’t even bother to ask why. When he came home, all he did was yell at me. I lost this ten-year gamble. But thank God, I could still walk away with what was left of my life. 0

After moving out, I couldn’t find a permanent apartment right away, so I checked into a hotel close to the hospital for my follow-up checkups. Right after registering at the clinic, I ran straight into Amber. Seeing me, she jogged over with a sweet, mocking smile. “Oh, Chloe! Are you here alone? Why isn’t Ethan with you?” I stared at her coldly. I knew she was just trying to rub it in, so I ignored her and walked past. But Amber wouldn’t let me go. She followed me closely, and when she got bored of my silence, she stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Oh, silly me, I almost forgot!” she giggled, tapping her forehead. “Ethan is actually here at the hospital with *me*. How could he be with you?” “I was feeling a little under the weather today—just a mild headache and a tiny cold. I told him it was no big deal, but he insisted on taking me to the clinic. He’s so overprotective of me.” She was practically glowing with smugness. I raised my eyes and asked flatly, “Are you done?” “Are you mad, Chloe?” Amber stared at my belly, then slowly reached out, placing her hand on my stomach. “You shouldn’t get so worked up. If you accidentally lose the baby because of your temper, Ethan will hate you even more.” A sharp pang of grief hit my chest. I violently slapped her hand away. Amber let out a dramatic cry and fell to the floor. And of course, right on cue, Ethan appeared. “Chloe! What the hell are you doing?!” he roared. Ethan rushed over, bending down to help Amber up. Amber clung to him, her eyes red and tearful, looking like a helpless victim. “Ethan, don’t blame her… I’m sure Chloe didn’t mean to push me.” “Say no more,” Ethan comforted her gently, wrapping his arm around her. “I saw everything. I won’t let her bully you.” Watching them play the loving couple right in front of me made my stomach churn with disgust. “Chloe, what is wrong with you?” Ethan glared at me. “First you run away from home, and now you’re stalking me? Are you playing hard to get to make me apologize?” “You’re about to be a mother, yet you’re acting so malicious! If I hadn’t arrived in time, would you have done something worse to Amber?” “I am truly disappointed that my child has such a jealous, spiteful mother!” I clenched my fists so hard my nails nearly drew blood. Disappointed in a mother like me? How laughably ironic! My baby was already gone. And Ethan still thought I was just jealous of Amber. “Stalking you? What makes you think you’re worth stalking?” “If I see two dogs barking on the street, I walk the other way. Why would I willingly step in dog crap?” “You—!” I didn’t care what else Ethan had to say. I turned to walk away. But after only two steps, Ethan grabbed my wrist tightly. “Did I say you could leave?” “Apologize to Amber. Right now.” Me? Apologize to Amber? In his dreams! I barely used any force when I brushed her hand off my stomach earlier. She had staged that fall completely for his benefit. Since she loved playing the victim so much, I decided to give her a real reason to cry. I marched right up to Amber and shoved her to the ground with all my strength. “You probably couldn’t see clearly from over there, Ethan. Now look closely. *This* is what a real push looks like.” Ethan froze in absolute shock. When he finally snapped out of it, a loud *slap* echoed through the corridor. He hit me right across the face. My body was still incredibly weak from the miscarriage, and Ethan had used his full strength. I stumbled backward, trying to grab the wall for support, but my legs gave out. I collapsed heavily onto the cold floor. Immediately, a dark red stain began to spread across my sweatpants. Ethan stared at the blood pooling underneath me, his face turning pale. He panicked and screamed, “Doctor! Doctor! Someone help! My pregnant wife is bleeding!” Within seconds, a team of doctors and nurses rushed over. “Save the baby! Please save my baby!” Ethan cried out. The lead doctor happened to be the same OB-GYN who had performed my miscarriage surgery a few days ago. She looked at Ethan, her brow furrowing in confusion. “And who are you to her?” “I’m the father!” Ethan yelled. “Didn’t Chloe tell you?” the doctor asked, looking bewildered. “She had a miscarriage days ago.” Ethan stumbled back, his face completely drained of color. He trembled, barely able to squeeze out the words. “Mis… miscarriage?”

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