Category: English

1 My older brother Thomas used his dying breath to entrust his twelve-year-old daughter and his entire estate to me. For ten grueling years, I played the role of both father and mother. I worked myself to the bone to put her through college. I thought the hardest days were finally behind us. But right after her graduation ceremony, she teamed up with my ex-wife, Brenda, a woman I hadn’t seen in years. Together, they slapped me with a massive lawsuit. “Uncle Tom, my dad left this house to me. You’ve been living here scot-free for a decade. It’s time for you to pack your bags. And that hundred thousand dollars? That wasn’t a gift. You owe me.” I stared at my niece. She was aggressively in my face, completely unrecognizable. A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I thought about the updated will securely locked inside a bank vault. A document no one else knew existed. Did Thomas somehow foresee this exact day? “Tom! Open the damn door! I know you’re in there!” The voice on the front porch was jarringly familiar. “Who is it?” I yanked open the heavy front door, my brow furrowed in confusion. Lily stood on the porch. Her eyes were as cold as ice. Standing right behind her, wearing a smug, arrogant smirk, was Brenda. “Lily?” I froze. I hadn’t seen her in a few weeks, and she looked entirely different from the bright-eyed girl I had raised. Something was deeply wrong. “What’s going on, Lily? Are you in some kind of trouble?” “Trouble? Oh, I’m doing great. Thanks to you.” She sneered, stepping past me into the house. Her eyes scanned the living room like a barcode reader, judging every piece of furniture. Her lips curled into a nasty smirk. “Just came to check on my amazing uncle. Playing house in a home you stole. Must be nice and cozy, right?” Her glare felt like a physical knife dragging across my skin. “Lily. What the hell are you talking about?” There was no warmth. No happy reunion. Just this biting, toxic sarcasm. “What am I talking about?” Lily let out a dry, mocking laugh. Brenda immediately took that as her cue. She eagerly unzipped her designer purse, pulled out a thick stack of folded papers, and shoved them into Lily’s hands. Lily took the papers and slammed them down hard onto the glass coffee table. The whole table rattled. “Open your eyes and read it. It’s a court summons. I’m suing you for embezzling my parents’ estate. For illegally occupying my property. And for that hundred thousand dollars in cash. It’s time to pay up.” My brain short-circuited. A loud ringing echoed in my ears. A summons? Suing me? Embezzlement? I looked at Lily, my throat suddenly going bone-dry. “Lily… what is this? When your parents passed away…” Lily ignored me and repeated herself, her voice flat and robotic. “Tom. Give me my house back. And the hundred grand.” “A hundred grand?!” I stammered. “Lily, how can you even say that? Every single penny of that money was spent on you. Your parents told me…” “Told you what?” Lily interrupted, her face twisting in pure disgust. “Did they tell you to take care of me, or did they tell you to steal my inheritance? Ten years. A hundred thousand dollars. Where are the receipts, Tom? Because all I see is you living comfortably in a house that belongs to me.” “Exactly.” Brenda nudged Lily’s arm, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Lily is a legal adult now. The law is on her side. You can’t just squat on a dead man’s property forever. Don’t waste your breath on him, honey.” After all these years, Brenda’s toxic, instigating mouth hadn’t changed one bit. Lily ignored Brenda and kept her dead eyes locked on my face. “Drop the act. This is my house. That is my money. Every single dime my parents left behind. They died, and you swallowed their blood money. How do you even sleep at night?” Ten years of blood, sweat, and tears. And in her eyes, I was nothing but a thief. “Lily… I’m your uncle. Your family…” “You stopped being family the day you decided to freeload in my house.” “Get out. Both of you, get the hell out of my house!” I pointed a shaking finger at the front door. Lily didn’t flinch. “Get out? You’re the one who needs to get out. This house will officially be mine very soon.” She didn’t spare me another glance. She turned on her heel and marched out. Brenda shot me a victorious, venomous glare and quickly followed her. I stood alone in the living room, staring at the blinding white legal papers on the coffee table. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. This was bad. 2 When I got to the office the next morning, my entire body felt heavy. My right eyelid wouldn’t stop twitching. I had barely sat down at my cubicle when Stan, the guy from the next desk over, rolled his chair toward me. His face was scrunched up in discomfort. “Hey, Tom… man… have you checked the local neighborhood Facebook group? It’s… it’s a total bloodbath.” My stomach dropped into my shoes. I frantically pulled out my phone. I opened the app. The top pinned post hit my eyes like a flashbang. The Ultimate Betrayal. Blood-Sucking Uncle Steals Orphaned Niece’s Inheritance for Ten Years! Posted by: Lily. There were photos attached. One was a picture of my front porch. The other was an old, heartbreaking photo of Lily as a little kid, wearing a faded, oversized t-shirt, standing alone in her parents’ old backyard. The post itself was an absolute character assassination. She called me a hypocrite. A predator. She accused me of betraying my brother’s dying trust, embezzling a massive fortune, and emotionally abusing her. The comment section was a mob out for blood. “Absolute human garbage!” “Lock him up!” “Get the hell out of our neighborhood!” “Give that poor girl her house back!” My hands shook so badly my phone slipped from my grip and clattered onto the desk. “Tom! Mr. Henderson wants you in his office. Right now.” One of the administrative assistants called out from the hallway. She looked at me like I was a piece of trash stuck to the bottom of her shoe. I forced myself to stand up and walk into the manager’s office. Henderson sat behind his massive mahogany desk. His face was thunderous. “Tom.” He tapped a heavy pen against his deskpad. “We expect a certain level of integrity from our employees. Personal scandals reflect on this company. Have you seen the absolute circus online today? Everyone in the building is talking about it. You need to pack up your desk and go home. Fix this mess before you even think about coming back. You are suspended. Do I make myself clear?” Suspended. It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water directly over my head. I drove home in a complete daze. The moment I pulled up to my driveway, I saw Lily standing on the front porch with her arms crossed, blocking the door like a bouncer. Brenda was hovering right next to her. A few neighbors were peeking through their blinds. Others were lingering on the sidewalk, whispering and pointing. “Wow. You actually have the nerve to show your face around here?” Lily announced, making sure her voice carried down the street. “Hey everyone, come take a look! This is the parasite who steals from his own orphaned niece. Does a guy like this really deserve to live in a house like this?” “Tom, you owe me that money. You owe me this house. And I’m not leaving until I get some answers.” “Answers?!” I felt the blood rushing to my head. “You posted a pack of lies online! The whole company saw it, and I just got suspended from my job.” “And now you’re blocking my door demanding money? I don’t owe you a damn thing.” “Lily, I want you to look deep inside your conscience. How old were you when your parents passed away? Twelve. Who raised you? Who put clothes on your back and food on your plate? Who drove through literal blizzards to sit through your parent-teacher conferences? For the last ten years, I was your father.” “My father?!” Lily’s lip curled in absolute disgust. “My real father wouldn’t have dumped me in a cheap boarding school. He wouldn’t have only cared about my test scores. He wouldn’t have been completely broke when it was time to pay my college tuition, humiliating me in front of the financial aid office. If Brenda hadn’t stepped in to cover the final payments…” “Save the sob story, Tom!” Brenda yelled, completely cutting me off. “Where is the money? Where are the bank statements? If you can’t produce them, it means you stole it. And the house? Is your name on the deed? No? Then pack your garbage and get out. Stop squatting in a house you don’t own.” Brenda turned to the watching neighbors. “Look closely, people. This is Tom. A man with zero morals. How can any of you sleep at night knowing a thief lives on your street?” More neighbors started gathering on the sidewalks. I could hear their hushed whispers, the judgmental clicking of their tongues. My vision swam with dark spots. I was shaking with so much rage I couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. 3 Bad news travels faster than wildfire. My own neighborhood became a hostile zone. When I stepped outside to take out the trash, Mrs. Higgins from the house across the street took one look at me, gripped her garbage bags, and practically sprinted in the opposite direction. A group of kids riding their bikes down the street stopped and pointed at me. “Look. That’s the bad guy. The guy who stole that girl’s house.” I had to grip the plastic trash bin to stop myself from doing something stupid. My phone was even worse. Unknown numbers called back to back, ringing constantly. I finally answered one. “Hello?” “Is this Tom? You absolute piece of trash. I hope you rot in hell.” A barrage of vile, explicit curses exploded through the speaker. I slammed the end call button and powered the phone off completely. The house finally fell silent, but the heavy, crushing weight in my chest only got worse. A lawyer was my only lifeline now. I scrounged together every loose bill I had hidden in my desk drawers just to cover the initial consultation fee. I sat in a stiff leather chair in a downtown law firm. Across the desk, Mr. Davis adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. His frown was so deep it looked permanent. “Tom.” He spoke slowly, and every word felt like a hammer hitting my chest. “Your situation is… well, it’s not looking good.” My stomach dropped. “The opposing party, Lily, is a legal adult. She is the rightful heir and the legal owner of the property. She wants to reclaim it, and legally, she is entirely justified. Your name is not on the deed.” Davis flipped open the thin manila folder on his desk. “The main issue is the hundred thousand dollars. You claim your brother and sister-in-law verbally entrusted it to you for her upbringing. But there is absolutely no paper trail. They just said ‘take it’ and ‘live here.’ They didn’t write a formal will stating the cash was a personal gift to you, nor did they legally transfer the house. In the eyes of the court, it is incredibly difficult to prove this was an unconditional transfer of assets.” He paused, looking at me with pity. “You have to prove that every single penny of that hundred thousand dollars was spent directly on Lily’s upbringing. Or, you need to prove your sister-in-law explicitly stated the money was yours to spend. Also…” He pointed a pen at the printed screenshots of Lily’s viral posts. “The court of public opinion is heavily stacked against you right now. Judges are human beings. They read the news. It will subconsciously affect their perspective.” Prove it? It had been ten years. Groceries. Utility bills. Gas money. Textbooks. Winter coats. Extracurriculars. Who in the world keeps a detailed receipt for every single gallon of milk and pair of shoes they buy over a decade? “So… that’s it? I just sit here and let them destroy my life?” “Do your absolute best to find evidence,” Davis sighed. “Large bank withdrawals that coincide with tuition due dates. Or, if there was anyone else in the room when your brother gave you those instructions. An eyewitness.” An eyewitness? My brother died suddenly. The only other person in that hospital room besides me… was Brenda. Her? Would she testify for me? Pigs would fly before that woman lifted a finger to help me. I dragged my exhausted body back home. As I unlocked the front door, I noticed a folded piece of paper shoved underneath the crack. A notice from the Homeowners Association. The itemized list was incredibly long. Neighborhood maintenance fees. Trash collection. Security gate upkeep. The numbers were astronomical. The bold black text at the very bottom hit me like a physical punch. Outstanding Late Fees and Penalties: $15,872.00 Fifteen thousand dollars in late fees?! I immediately dialed the HOA president’s number. “Listen, Tom. Lily marched into the office yesterday and demanded a full audit of the last ten years. She said the reduced rates we gave you out of sympathy were invalid. She demanded we back-charge you at the absolute maximum market rate. For ten years of occupancy. Plus late penalties.” I hung up before he could finish his sentence and immediately dialed Lily’s number. “Lily. You went to college to learn how to completely ruin a person, is that it? Making the HOA back-charge me fifteen grand? This is extortion. Back off.” “Having a tough time, Uncle Tom?” Lily’s voice was dripping with smug satisfaction. “If you want peace and quiet, pack your bags and wire me the money. I promise I’ll leave you alone. If not, I have a lot more tricks up my sleeve.” I was so angry my vision blurred. I tore the HOA notice into tiny shreds and threw them against the wall. 4 It didn’t take long for HR to drop the word “temporary” from my suspension. A rep from corporate handed me a heavily worded NDA and a “Graceful Exit Agreement.” The subtext was crystal clear. Sign the paper, quit quietly, and get a tiny severance check. Fight it, get fired for violating the morality clause, and leave with absolutely nothing. I felt like my spine had been ripped out. I took the severance. The massive suburban house felt incredibly hollow with just me inside it. I started tearing the place apart like a madman. My brother’s old toolbox. My sister-in-law’s knitting basket. Lily’s kindergarten art projects. I yanked out drawers and dumped them on the floor. I pulled every box out of the attic. I searched for twenty-four straight hours. Aside from some old photo albums and worthless trinkets, I found absolutely nothing. No receipts. No hidden documents. No evidence. I collapsed onto the messy floor, staring blankly at the dusty ceiling fan. Suddenly, a violent, aggressive pounding echoed from the front door. It was louder and angrier than Lily’s knocking. Someone was trying to break the door down. I scrambled up and yanked the door open. Three massive, intimidating men stood on my porch. The leader had a tight buzzcut, a black muscle shirt, and thick tribal tattoos snaking up his neck. His eyes were dead and aggressive. The two guys behind him were built like brick walls. Buzzcut held a stack of papers in his massive hands. When he saw me, he flashed a nasty smile, revealing a row of yellowed teeth. “You Tom?” His voice was pure gravel. He slapped the papers hard against the wooden doorframe. “Lily sent us. Read it and weep. Formal Notice of Reclaiming Property.” He paused, his small eyes gleaming with cruelty. “You have exactly two hours to pack whatever trash belongs to you and get out. This house belongs to the lady now. We’re here for the eviction.” “Eviction?!” I yelled. “The court hasn’t even heard the case yet. She has zero legal right to force an eviction.” “Rights?” One of the thugs with a deep scar across his cheek let out a harsh laugh. He shoved his heavy hand against my chest, physically pushing me backward. The three men pushed past me, marching into my living room like they owned the place. “Here’s your rights,” Buzzcut said, shoving the notice directly into my face. “Lily is the deed holder. Understand? The owner calls the shots. She wants you gone, so you’re gone. You want to cry to a judge? Let’s see who the cops side with.” He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. “Besides, the lady gave us full power of attorney to clear the premises. We’re just doing our jobs. Go ahead, call 911.” “This is breaking and entering,” I said, my heart hammering in my chest. “Get out of my house.” “Get out?” Buzzcut threw his head back and laughed. He shoved me hard into the drywall. “Alright boys, get to work. The boss lady said anything that isn’t nailed down is garbage. Throw it all out. Let’s give this freeloader some space.” They immediately started grabbing my belongings and hurling them into the corners of the room. One of the thugs picked up a cheap plastic picture frame from the side table. It was the only surviving family photo of my brother, Sarah, a tiny Lily, and me. He didn’t even look at it. He just casually tossed it onto the hardwood floor. The plastic cracked loudly. The photo slid out, and a heavy, dirt-caked work boot stepped directly onto my brother’s face. That photo was the only physical memory I had left of my brother. All the blood rushed to my head. I let out a feral yell and lunged directly at the man who stepped on the photo. The ensuing chaos was deafening. A neighbor must have heard the shouting and called the police. The flashing blue lights eventually scared the thugs away. As I was on my hands and knees, trying to sweep up the broken glass and shattered plastic, my phone rang. “Hello? Lily…” my voice was shaking. “Tom.” Her voice was completely hollow. “Tomorrow at 2:00 PM, a real estate agent is coming to do a walkthrough. Pack your garbage and leave the keys on the kitchen counter. I’m coming to officially take possession on Monday. If you are still inside that house, what happened today is going to happen every single day.” She delivered the threat rapidly, without a single stutter. A walkthrough? Taking possession? “Lily!” I jumped to my feet. “Your parents left this house for me to live in. They wanted me to have a roof over my head so I could…” “So I wouldn’t end up on the street!” Lily screamed, her voice cracking with fury. “It wasn’t meant for you to squat in for ten years. Do not bring up my parents. You don’t have the right. Brenda was right about you. You’re just a greedy, pathetic parasite.” “What kind of poison is Brenda feeding you?!” I roared into the phone. “That woman is a…” “She cares about me. She actually looks out for my future. She treats me ten thousand times better than you ever did.” Lily practically screamed the last sentence. The line went dead. The dial tone pierced my eardrum. Ten years. Ten whole years. I ruined my own life to play both parents. I clothed her, fed her, paid her tuition. I bought her the newest iPhones and expensive bags because I was terrified she’d get bullied for being the poor orphan kid. I ate ramen noodles for dinner so she could have steak. And this was the result. She sent violent thugs to tear my house apart and crush my brother’s face under a dirty boot. I had raised a monster. She didn’t even call me Uncle anymore. Just “Tom” and “Parasite.” The phone vibrated again. Brenda. My fingers were trembling as I hit accept. “I assume you heard what Lily just said,” Brenda purred, her voice dripping with triumphant satisfaction. “Be smart about this. Pack your bags and leave quietly. Save yourself the embarrassment of a public trial. Because if we go to court, I promise you, I will bleed you dry until you don’t even have the shirt on your back.” She didn’t even wait for a response. The call disconnected. The phone slipped from my sweaty palm and cracked against the hardwood floor. I slumped against the side of the sofa, sliding down until I was sitting in the dust. I had absolutely zero fight left in me. The house was gone. My career was gone. My reputation was completely destroyed. I was drowning in HOA debt, and my legal fund was basically empty. Was there really no way out? 5 I wandered around the empty, echoing house like a ghost for two days. The dirty, crumpled family photo sitting on the coffee table burned my eyes every time I walked past it. In the picture, Thomas had his arm wrapped tightly around Sarah. Lily had two little pigtails, grinning at the camera without a care in the world. Sarah passed away from a sudden illness when Lily was young. A few years later, Thomas’s grief caught up with him. His body just completely shut down. I remember Thomas lying in that sterile hospital bed. He was skeletal. He gripped my hand with a desperate, terrifying strength. “Tom… take care of Lily. The house… is big enough for both of you to live in. The money… make sure she has a good life.” I buried my face in my hands. A sharp, agonizing lump formed in my throat. Hot tears leaked through my fingers. No. I couldn’t just roll over and die. Thomas entrusted Lily to me. He told me to live in this house. He didn’t do it so I could be tortured and destroyed by Brenda’s toxic manipulation and a brainwashed kid. I dragged myself off the floor, wiped my face with my sleeve, grabbed a jacket, and ran out the door. The bank. I needed to go to the bank. That hundred thousand dollars was deposited under my name. The teller at the front desk frowned deeply when I asked for a decade of transaction history. “Sir, our local branch system only goes back five years for immediate printing. Anything older requires a formal request from the central archives. It usually takes three to five business days for approval.” “Request it. Right now. Expedite it if you have to,” I begged, pressing my hands against the bulletproof glass. I waited through two agonizing days of silence before the bank finally called me to pick up the files. My hands were shaking as I held the thick stack of printed statements. I flipped through the pages. Rapidly scanning the lines. Tuition. There it was. Every August, a massive sum was wired out. Payee: State University. The amounts matched perfectly. That was Lily’s college tuition. Five full years of out-of-state tuition. That single expense accounted for over fifty thousand dollars. My heart hammered against my ribs. This was a lead. But my relief lasted exactly two minutes. This was only her college years. What about high school? Middle school? What about groceries, medical bills, clothes, laptops, and emergency room visits? Out of the hundred thousand, college took half. The other fifty thousand was stretched over the first five years. That’s ten grand a year. Less than a thousand bucks a month for food, shelter, and clothing for a growing teenager. The paper trail was broken. A few college tuition receipts weren’t going to justify the entire amount in front of a judge. Refusing to give up, I drove to Lily’s old high school and middle school. The administrator at the high school adjusted his glasses and shook his head firmly. “Mr. Pendelton, you’re asking for financial records from seven years ago. Those are in the deep archives off-site. Without a formal subpoena or a court order, we absolutely cannot release a minor’s historical financial records to you. It’s a massive liability.” I hit a brick wall. The middle school was even worse. The old records clerk had retired, and the new staff didn’t even know what filing system was used back then. Every single thread led to a dead end. I walked back to my neighborhood, my head hanging low, utterly defeated. As I approached my street, I saw Brenda’s obnoxious bright red SUV parked by the curb. She was standing on the sidewalk, smiling warmly, brushing a stray lock of hair behind Lily’s ear. Lily actually looked happy. “Wow. You still haven’t packed?” Brenda caught sight of me, and her warm smile vanished instantly. She looked down her nose at me. “Absolutely shameless. You’re like a leech that refuses to let go.” She raised her voice, making sure anyone walking their dog could hear her. Lily’s smile disappeared. She shot me a look of pure, unadulterated disgust, grabbed Brenda’s arm, and climbed into the passenger seat without a word. The SUV sped off.

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The wedding prep was going perfectly. That was until my fiancée, Sarah, brought her childhood guy friend, Oliver, into our brand new home. What pushed me entirely over the edge was finding out Oliver spent the night in our custom ordered master bed. The next morning, Oliver posted a short video that instantly blew up online. The caption was completely sickening. In the video, he smirked at the camera. “Huge thanks to Sarah for setting this up. This hundred thousand dollar mattress is insane. Especially the vibration feature. George really has a killer eye for this stuff. smirk emoji” Sarah’s comment under his post was basically pouring gasoline on a fire. “If you like it so much, I will make him buy you one too.” Seeing that, I was shaking with pure rage. I called a junk removal company overnight and had that expensive mattress dragged straight to the city dump. When Sarah found out, she called me immediately. Zero apologies. Instead, she screamed at me. “Are you out of your mind? If you did not want the bed, you should have just given it to Oliver! Throwing it away is such a waste!” I did not say a single word. I just quietly deleted every single wedding post from my social media. If she could not even maintain the most basic boundaries, this wedding was off. But not long after, Sarah was on her knees in front of me, crying her eyes out and begging me to take her back. She swore she could not live without me. 1 “George, what the hell is your problem?! Why did you delete all the wedding announcements?” When Sarah finally tracked me down, I was busy directing a crew inside our newly renovated penthouse. She came in hot, opening her mouth just to scold me. “Do you have any idea how many people are messaging me right now? Are you intentionally trying to humiliate me?!” I refused to even look at her. I just motioned to the movers handling the bed frame. “Guys, pick up the pace. Do not worry about scratching the walls. Just get it all out of here.” The movers gave a quick nod and kept working. Sarah glanced at the busy clean up crew. The realization finally hit her. Every single piece of furniture they were hauling out was something I had spent months tracking down, specifically catered to her tastes. A flicker of genuine panic crossed her face, but she quickly forced it down. “George, why are you having them move all this stuff?” I finally turned around, locking eyes with her. My voice was dead. “I am canceling the wedding. Is that not obvious enough for you?” Her eyes widened. She finally realized I was completely serious. When she spoke again, her tone was significantly softer. “I know you are mad. But I can explain this. Absolutely nothing happened between Oliver and me! He was literally just testing the mattress for us!” Thinking about that disgusting video still trending online, I let out a harsh, bitter laugh. “Yeah, people who know the truth think he was just sleeping on the bed. Everyone else on the internet thinks he was sleeping with you!” “The entire comment section is mocking me for being so generous. They are saying if I let another guy test out my wedding bed, I probably let him test out the bride too!” Sarah stayed silent for a long moment. When she finally answered, it was just a lazy excuse. “Oliver did not do it on purpose. Stop caring so much about what random people online think. The internet will forget about it by tomorrow. If it really bothers you that much, I will just tell him to delete the video. Okay?” Watching her act like she was making some massive sacrifice, I scoffed out loud. “You think deleting a video fixes this? Sarah, listen to me. This is not over.” Her temper flared right back up. “George, are you ever going to drop this? Nothing I do is good enough for you! We are supposed to get married in a few weeks. Can you stop throwing a tantrum over nothing?” I twitched a tight smile, pointing at my own chest. “I am throwing a tantrum?” She crossed her arms. “Obviously! How many times do I have to say it? Oliver and I are completely platonic! If I was actually into him, do you honestly think I would be marrying you?” A sharp pain twisted in my chest. My eyes burned. “Is that right? So according to your logic, I should be thanking him?!” “Do you think I am an idiot? If you two really did nothing wrong, then why was the entire set of bedsheets completely replaced this morning?!” Suddenly, the electronic lock on the front door beeped. Oliver rushed into the living room and immediately dropped to his knees on the hardwood floor. “George! I am so sorry! This was all my fault! Please do not be mad at Sarah!” Before I could say a word, he raised his hand and started violently slapping his own face. Sarah looked completely heartbroken. “George, that is enough! Oliver grew up incredibly poor. He got overly excited experiencing a luxury bed for the first time and made a stupid video. You cannot blame him just because it went viral!” “We are getting married soon. Can you just be the bigger person? It is just a dumb internet trend. Why are you being so petty?” 2 It was always like this. No matter how inappropriate or shameless Oliver acted, in her eyes, it was never a big deal. She unconditionally took his side, completely blind to the pain she was causing me. If that was how she felt, why did she even agree to be my girlfriend? Why did she agree to marry me? My chest felt completely hollow. “Sarah, what the hell am I to you? You even gave Oliver the passcode to our private home. Are you seriously trying to follow the internet comments and make me give up my spot for him?” She rolled her eyes, looking totally annoyed. “If you were not the heir to the Kensington empire, no one would even care about our wedding. This whole thing only went viral because of your status! You brought this on yourself!” “So what you are saying is, because my family has money, I deserve to be publicly humiliated? Sarah, when did you turn into this person?” Looking at the woman standing in front of me, she felt like a total stranger. I closed my eyes, fighting back the dampness gathering in my lashes. Noticing the shift in my mood, Sarah bit her lip and reached out to grab my sleeve. “George, I came here to explain things and figure this out. I do not want to fight with you. Let us just calm down.” I coldly yanked my arm away. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. “You always do this! You get mad and refuse to listen to a single word I say! I came here to fix the internet drama, and you just yell at me and threaten to break up! How am I supposed to not get defensive?” “What exactly do you want me to do to make this go away? Just give me a straight answer!” I knew at least half her tears were completely fake. But after three years together, seeing her cry was still my ultimate weakness. The veins in my forehead throbbed. Finally, I let out a heavy sigh, giving in one last time. “Fine. Tell Oliver to delete the video and post a public apology. Then we drop it.” I locked my eyes entirely onto hers. “I am willing to let this slide because of everything we have been through. But Oliver has to leave New York. I will personally find him a job in another state, but you two are cutting all contact.” Sarah was nodding along at first, but the second half of my demand made her freeze. “He just moved to the city. If you force him to leave, what if something bad happens to him out there?” I let out a cold scoff and turned toward the door. “Then we have nothing left to talk about. If you cannot do it, we are done.” Sarah panicked and rushed to block my path. She struggled internally for a few seconds before biting her lip and lowering her head. “Okay! We will do it your way. I will keep my distance from him. We can move forward with the wedding.” After that, she dragged a very pathetic looking Oliver out of the apartment, claiming she needed to find him a cheap hotel before having him post the apology. I let them go. Thinking the nightmare was finally over, I pulled out my phone, ready to draft a new wedding announcement to do some damage control. I was halfway through typing when a text popped up from one of my buddies. “Bro, your girl and her friend got entirely wasted at my club. They are practically glued together on the couch. You better come pick her up before this gets worse.” “…Alright, I am on my way.” I forced the words through gritted teeth, swallowing down a tidal wave of fury as I hung up the phone. I drove like an absolute maniac. By the time I kicked open the doors to the VIP lounge, Oliver and Sarah had basically stripped off half their clothes and were aggressively making out on the leather sofa. My vision went completely red. I grabbed an ice bucket from the bar, marched over, and violently hurled the freezing water and cubes directly onto them. “You shameless animals! Keep kissing, I dare you!” 3 The freezing water jolted them completely awake. They shrieked, scrambling up in a panic. “Who the hell do you think you are?! What are you doing to my friends?!” A drunk guy sitting at their table started shouting, heavily swaying as he grabbed an empty beer bottle to swing at me. Before he could even raise his arm, my bodyguard stepped in, grabbing the guy by the back of his neck and slamming his face directly into a massive fruit platter on the table. Sarah was shivering violently from the ice. She wiped her eyes, saw it was me, and immediately exploded in anger. “George, are you psychotic?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Oliver cowered, hiding completely behind Sarah’s back like a terrified child. “L-George. Do not misunderstand. Sarah and I just get a little physical when we drink. It is a habit, we are used to it…” I let out a dark, furious laugh. “Sarah, what exactly did you promise me this afternoon? You said you would keep your distance. Is this your version of keeping your distance?!” Pure rage boiled over. I kicked the heavy glass table, sending it crashing sideways. “You are practically having sex in the middle of my friend’s club! Should I have arrived a little later? Do you guys need me to book you a hotel room?!” Sarah looked guilty for exactly three seconds before her defense mechanisms kicked in. She lifted her chin, completely unapologetic. “Oliver is leaving the city tomorrow! It is totally normal for us to grab a few drinks to say goodbye! You go out drinking with your friends all the time. Why is it a crime when I do it?!” I roared at the top of my lungs. “I drink with my friends?! Do I make out with my friends?! Do I take my clothes off and roll around on a couch with them?!” “Do not forget who you are! If my buddy had not ordered his staff to delete the security footage, you and Oliver would be trending on Twitter again by tomorrow morning!” Sarah glared at me with freezing resentment. “Who I am? What does that even mean? Does being your fiancée mean I lose the basic human right to have a drink with my best friend?!” “Friend? This is what you call a friend?” I reached out, grabbed a half naked Oliver by the collar, and violently yanked him out from behind her. My hands were literally shaking with anger. Oliver immediately dropped to his knees again. “I am sorry George! I am so sorry! This was all my fault! I pressured Sarah into drinking! Punish me, but please do not be mad at her!” Before I could blink, he grabbed a heavy glass liquor bottle from the floor and violently smashed it against his own forehead. Blood instantly poured down his face. “I know I messed up! I am paying for it right now!” Sarah looked completely horrified. She dropped down, sobbing hysterically. “Oliver! Stop hurting yourself! This is not your fault!” Looking at the two of them crying together on the floor, anyone walking in would think I was the evil villain tearing apart two star crossed lovers. “Are you done putting on a show?” I kicked Oliver straight in the chest, sending him sprawling backwards, and ordered my bodyguard to pin him down. Then I grabbed a heavily swaying Sarah by the wrist and dragged her out to the car. “This is the absolute last chance you get. When you sober up tomorrow, we are going to have a very serious conversation about whether this wedding is actually happening.” Sarah fought me the entire way, screaming curses and calling me a monster, until the alcohol finally took over and she passed out in the passenger seat. The very next morning, the absolute first thing she did when she opened her eyes was ask for Oliver. “George, you bastard! You just left him bleeding in that club?! I have to go find him!” She grabbed her purse and rushed to the front door. But the second she pulled it open, she let out a bloodcurdling scream. 4 I stood up and walked over. Oliver was kneeling directly outside my front door. His hair was matted with dried, dark blood. He looked like a literal ghost out of a horror movie. I closed my eyes. A massive wave of pure, unfiltered exhaustion washed over me. Oliver’s face was completely pale. He forced a weak, tragic smile at Sarah. “Sarah, I just came to say goodbye. Thank you for taking care of me all these years.” He slowly turned his head to look at me, his voice trembling with fake desperation. “George, I really know I messed up. I knelt out here all night to reflect on my actions. Please, just forgive her.” Sarah lunged forward, desperately trying to pull him up from the floor. Oliver gripped her arms, shaking his head. “Sarah, just listen to me. Please treat George well. You guys are getting married. Do not let me ruin things between you.” What an incredibly generous speech. If a stranger heard this, they would assume he was her loyal boyfriend and I was the abusive millionaire stealing his girl. He was acting pathetic, but every single word out of his mouth was a calculated flex. He was rubbing it in my face that he was the only man Sarah truly cared about. And Sarah completely fell for it. She grabbed his arm, trying to drag him toward the elevator. “Stop talking! I am taking you to the hospital right now!” Oliver struggled against her grip. “No, Sarah! Do not treat me this well. I do not want George to misunderstand us again!” My eyes were dead cold. Before I could even open my mouth, Sarah spun around and delivered a stinging slap directly across my face. “George! Do I need your permission to take my bleeding friend to the ER now?! He is in this condition because of you! You have the nerve to be jealous?!” The slap was incredibly heavy. My head actually snapped to the side. I pressed my tongue against the inside of my aching cheek. A dark, hollow laugh escaped my throat. “You actually hit me?” Sarah spat a curse, grabbing her car keys from the console. “Yeah, I hit you! You think having a little money makes you a god?! Without the Kensington fortune, you are absolutely nothing! Nobody wants to deal with your entitled rich boy temper!” A flash of smug triumph crossed Oliver’s eyes before he went right back to begging. “George, I promise! As soon as I get checked out, I am leaving the city! You will never have to look at me again!” “He has no right to kick you out of this city! Do not be scared. I will make sure you stay right by my side!” Sarah pulled him toward the elevator without giving me a single backward glance. I stood in the doorway, watching their silhouettes disappear. My heart felt like it was encased in solid ice. Whatever deep, unforgettable love I used to have for this woman completely died in that exact moment. I closed my eyes, pulled out my phone, and dialed a number. If Sarah wanted to choose Oliver over me, then I was done showing mercy.

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It was almost eleven at night by the time Noah finally walked through the front door. He kicked off his shoes, spotted me sitting quietly at the dining table, and walked over to casually brush a stray lock of hair from my forehead. “Why are you sitting in the dark?” he asked. “Saving electricity,” I replied. He let out a soft chuckle and headed into the narrow kitchen, returning a moment later with a steaming bowl of plain oatmeal. “Eat up. You haven’t been taking care of yourself again.” I stared at the bowl. The steam curled into the cold air. “Noah,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “What is that custom jewelry receipt all about?” His hand froze in mid-air. It was only for a fraction of a second. Then, his easy smile returned. “I ordered it for a guy at the office. You went through my pockets?” “It fell out while I was doing your laundry,” I said. “Twenty-five thousand dollars. Your coworker must be incredibly generous.” He looked down, smiling as he nudged the bowl closer to me. “Well, the guys in corporate make the big bucks. Now eat.” He sounded so relaxed. So casual. He sounded so convincing I almost believed him. But the twenty-thousand-dollar monthly deposits burned in my mind, searing hot and painful. He picked up his phone to reply to a text. The screen lit up in the dark room. The contact name was a single red heart emoji. Followed by one word. Wife. 1 I lowered my eyes and slowly forced down the bowl of bland oatmeal. I didn’t say another word. The next morning was Saturday. Noah left the apartment bright and early, claiming his department had an emergency data audit. I sat on the edge of the mattress for a long time. Finally, I picked up my phone and typed the address from the jewelry receipt into the GPS. The Azure. It was the most exclusive luxury high-rise in the downtown district. Condos there went for two thousand dollars a square foot. I had never even allowed myself to buy a cup of coffee in that neighborhood. Then, I searched for the name printed on the invoice. Stella. A perfectly curated social media profile popped up instantly. Her feed was a flawless grid of luxury living. Pilates studios, first-class boarding passes, exclusive tasting menus, and designer hauls. Every single photo radiated the effortless glow of a woman who was fiercely, deeply taken care of. Her latest post was from yesterday. The caption read, Hubby worked late but still managed to snag a reservation at my favorite Michelin Omakase. Waited two months for this table. Totally worth it! At the edge of the frame, a man’s side profile was barely visible. Noah. He was holding up a piece of fatty tuna with his chopsticks, offering it to the camera with the softest, most adoring smile. Just last week, I had asked him if we could save up to try a nice sushi place for our anniversary. He told me it was a waste of money and that we could make rice bowls at home for a fraction of the cost. I kept scrolling. A month ago, she posted another update. Woke up to a new car! Hubby was worried about me taking Ubers late at night, so he paid cash for this gorgeous baby. How did I get so lucky? A pristine white Mercedes convertible sat in a brightly lit underground garage. A massive bouquet of red roses rested on the passenger seat. I drove a rusted ten-year-old Honda Civic. The transmission had slipped twice last winter, and he told me to just take the bus because repairs were too expensive. I scrolled further down. Three months ago. Happy three-year anniversary! Woke up to a total smart-home appliance upgrade. Hubby says our sanctuary deserves only the best. Three-year anniversary. Noah and I had been together for eight years. We had lived together for five. That meant right around the time we signed our first lease together, he had started an entirely different life with her. For three whole years. He would lie in bed next to me in our cramped apartment, whispering, “Just hold on a little longer, Anna.” And all the while, he was living the exact life he promised me with someone else. I locked my phone, leaned back against the cheap headboard, and stared at the peeling paint on the ceiling. The roof had leaked last summer. Noah said hiring a contractor was a waste of money, promising he would patch it himself over the weekend. A whole year had passed. The water stain was still there. By four in the afternoon, I drove my beat-up Civic down to The Azure. I parked across the street, watching the massive glass building through my scratched windshield. Warm ambient lighting bathed the luxurious lobby. Security guards in tailored suits stood at attention by the revolving doors. I looked down at my pilled sweater and faded jeans. I couldn’t even muster the courage to walk into the lobby. I sat there all afternoon. Just as the sun began to set, Noah’s car pulled out of the underground garage. A young, beautiful woman was in the passenger seat. She rested her head affectionately on his shoulder. Noah steered with one hand, his other hand gently holding her fingers. He was wearing a smile I hadn’t seen in years. It was a relaxed, genuinely happy smile. The smile of a man without a single care in the world. Whenever he was with me, his brow was always furrowed. He was always exhausted, always annoyed, always stressed about our budget. Their car turned the corner and merged into the city traffic, vanishing from sight. I turned the key in the ignition and slowly drove away. At nine o’clock that night, my phone buzzed. It was an unknown number. Hey. You sat outside The Azure for three hours this afternoon. The concierge showed me the security footage. You’re Anna, right? The one Noah told me about. My fingertips turned ice cold. A second message followed immediately. Don’t panic, I’m not looking for a fight. But I think it’s time we had a real conversation. I typed back, I’m not his ex. I’m his girlfriend. We never broke up. The typing bubble on her end paused for a long time. Anna, you really don’t get it, do you? In Noah’s mind, you two have been over for years. 2 The text messages kept flooding in, lighting up my screen in the dark apartment. Noah told me everything about your severe depression. He said you’re mentally unstable, and he’s terrified to actually pull the plug. He’s scared you’ll do something crazy if he leaves. That’s why he’s been stringing you along, throwing you a few hundred bucks a month to keep you quiet and pacified. I stared at the word pacified. A bitter, acidic knot twisted in my stomach. I typed out a single line. How much did he tell you about me? Stella replied instantly. I know all of it. I know your mom lost her mind and jumped off a balcony. I know you were bullied growing up, and I know about the scars on your wrists from high school. Noah said he’s been taking care of you for years, but he is completely drained. He said you’re like a black hole. No matter how much love he pours into you, it’s never enough. My hand hovered over the keyboard. I couldn’t form a single word. Those memories were a dark abyss. It took me over a decade to crawl my way out of that hell. It took me years of therapy to finally stop waking up screaming in the middle of the night, to walk down a dark street without trembling, to finally look in the mirror and smile. Noah had always told me my scars weren’t a burden to him. He promised me, looking dead into my eyes, that he would take those secrets to his grave. And now, a woman he had known for less than three years knew exactly where all my deepest, most agonizing wounds were hidden. Stella’s messages kept coming. Look, I’m not trying to hurt you. When we first met, he didn’t mention he had a girlfriend. When he finally confessed, I told him I’d wait for him to handle it. But we truly love each other. Look at what he got me for my birthday last month. A photo popped up. A diamond Tiffany pendant resting on a massive bouquet of crimson roses. The attached card read, Happy Birthday, Stella. You are my forever. My birthday was last month too. Noah had sent me a text. Happy birthday. I’ll make you noodles when I get home. He didn’t even buy me a single flower. He boiled some instant noodles, said he was exhausted from work, and went straight to bed. I sat alone at the small kitchen table, eating the noodles, genuinely believing I was lucky to have a man who worked so hard for our future. Stella sent a voice memo. I tapped play. A sweet, deliberately delicate voice filled the quiet room. “Anna, Noah only loves me. He says you’re suffocating him. Do both of yourselves a favor and just let him go, okay?” I locked my phone and walked out onto the tiny balcony. The night wind bit at my face. Down on the street, the yellow glow of the streetlights washed over the pedestrians. Everyone was moving so fast. Nobody stopped. I stood there for a very long time, staring out at the city until my shoulders went numb from the cold. When I finally stepped back inside, I picked up my phone and sent one last reply. Thank you for telling me. She replied instantly. So you’re finally going to back off? I didn’t answer. Two days later, Noah quietly unlocked the front door. His luggage still had the airport tags on it, and he had changed into a fresh button-down shirt. When he saw me sitting on the worn-out sofa, he offered a tired smile and handed me a small plastic shopping bag. “Hey, Aud. The business trip was insane, but I managed to grab you some of that fudge you like.” I took the bag. It was a five-dollar box of stale fudge you could find at any gas station. He went on a “business trip” and brought me back five-dollar candy. He bought the other woman a twenty-five-thousand-dollar diamond ring. I looked up at his face. I spoke slowly, enunciating every single syllable. “Noah, where exactly did you go for this business trip?” “Seattle,” he lied effortlessly. “Then why did Stella post a photo of you two on a beach in Cabo two days ago?” The living room fell dead silent. The tired smile completely froze on Noah’s face. He slowly walked over and sat on the far end of the sofa, interlacing his fingers, staring down at the scuffed floorboards. A long time passed before he finally spoke. “You know everything.” It wasn’t a question. It was a hollow, emotionless sigh. 3 “Yeah,” I said evenly. “I know everything.” Noah rubbed the bridge of his nose and finally looked at me. There was no panic in his eyes. There was no guilt, either. There was only a chilling, settled calmness. “Anna, I’m done lying to you.” “Stella and I have been together for almost three years.” “She’s the woman I am going to marry.” The words hit my chest like a crowbar. “And what about me?” I asked. Noah’s gaze flickered. “You?” He let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Anna, it’s not that I don’t care about you. But you are just too heavy.” “Every single day we’ve been together, I’ve had to manage your emotions, your depression, your paralyzing fears.” “Do you have any idea how exhausting that is?” “I never asked you to carry me,” I said, my voice steady but tight. “I’ve been going to therapy. I’ve been taking my medication. I’ve been getting better.” Noah shook his head slowly. “You think you’re getting better. But I’m not.” “Every day, I come back to this miserable four-hundred-square-foot box. I have to look at your nervous, walking-on-eggshells face. I have to look at the cheap curtains and the water stains on the ceiling.” “I feel like I’m suffocating.” His phone buzzed on the coffee table. He glanced at it. He didn’t pick it up, but the corners of his mouth twitched into a faint, involuntary smile. “Then why didn’t you just break up with me?” I asked. “Why sneak around for three years? You could have just ended it.” Noah took a deep breath, finally saying the quiet part out loud. “Because I was terrified you’d kill yourself.” He stared at me, his eyes dead and cold. “Your mother felt like she couldn’t handle life anymore, so she threw herself off a balcony.” “You are exactly like her. The second things get tough, your mind goes straight to the edge.” “That night in high school, when you called me bleeding… my hands shook for hours.” “I am not going through that again.” “So I stayed. I kept you company. I coddled you. I gave you a few hundred bucks a month to make sure you could survive.” “But Anna, that wasn’t love.” “That was…” He paused, searching for the word. “Pity.” I sat perfectly still. It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head. I was fourteen the day my mother jumped. A crowd had gathered around the concrete courtyard. I ran down the stairs so fast I lost one of my shoes. She was lying on the pavement. Blood was pooling out from her dark hair. Her eyes were half-open, staring at nothing. I had to change schools three times after that. In every hallway, the whispers followed me. Her mom’s a psycho. Her mom took the quick way down. She’s going to end up just like her. Noah was the only one who stood between me and the bullies. He had gripped my hand tightly and promised, “Anna, you are not your mother. You are going to be okay.” He was the one who dragged me out of the absolute dark. And now, he was sitting on my cheap sofa, ripping open my deepest, most agonizing scars, using them as justification for his betrayal. My throat constricted. My voice shook violently. “Noah… you swore to me. You promised you would never use my mother against me.” He shrugged casually. “I’m not using it against you. I’m just stating facts.” “It’s different with Stella. When I’m with her, life is easy. It’s fun. I don’t have to watch her every second to make sure she doesn’t mentally shatter into a million pieces.” “Your anxiety, your trauma, your constant fear… it’s just too much weight.” “I can’t carry it anymore.” The doorbell rang. Noah stood up and walked to the door. Stella was standing in the hallway, wearing a bright yellow designer sundress. She immediately looped her arm through his. She shot me a look, her voice dripping with condescending concern. “Noah, are you okay? I was worried you wouldn’t be able to handle her alone.” I stood up and locked eyes with her. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to touch either of you.” Noah squeezed Stella’s hand and looked back at me. “Anna, I never wanted to hurt you. Let’s just end this peacefully, okay?” I gripped the edge of the dining table to keep myself standing. My legs felt like water. “Okay.” They walked out together. The moment the door clicked shut, my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the floor. My entire body shook uncontrollably. But I didn’t cry. I couldn’t force out a single tear. 4 I didn’t step outside the apartment for four days. I drew the blackout curtains tight. I tossed my phone onto the far end of the sofa, flinching every time the screen lit up. Stella’s messages were relentless. I knew it was her because the phone buzzed in rapid succession every few minutes. On the fifth day, I finally picked it up. Thirty-two unread messages. She had sent me screenshots of her private chats with Noah. Babe, I booked the bridal boutique. We’re going in for fittings next month. Did you pack your bags? Our flight is early tomorrow. I’ll pick you up. Miss you. FaceTime me tonight. Every single message was like a red-hot iron rod, driven deep into flesh that had already gone numb. She sent one final paragraph. Anna, Noah noticed your phone was off. He said he was incredibly relieved. He hated it when you threw your little episodes. He said when your brain misfires, no one can stop you. He said you’re exactly like your crazy mother. Exactly like your crazy mother. Those words looped in my head like a broken record. I threw the phone as hard as I could at the floor. Then, I slowly bent down and picked it up. The screen was splintered, but it still worked. I slumped against the kitchen counter, staring at the cheap aluminum pot on the stove. The pot Noah used to boil my oatmeal every morning. A faded sticky note was still clinging to the fridge. His handwriting. Don’t forget to eat breakfast. Eight years. He used to sit in the back row of our high school homeroom, sneaking the best parts of his lunch onto my desk. I would tell him I wasn’t hungry. He would say, If you don’t eat, I don’t eat. He was the one who called the police on my stepdad. The day the cops finally dragged that monster out of our house, Noah had pulled me into his chest, holding me so tight I could barely breathe. He had whispered, Anna, no one is ever going to put a hand on you again. I will protect you. His eyes were red, his chin resting softly on top of my head, his chest radiating heat. That was the first time in my entire life I felt like surviving wasn’t an impossible task. But look at him now. He took all of my most precious, vulnerable memories and weaponized them to justify throwing me away. I had no idea when the shift happened. When he started playing the dutiful martyr to my face, while calling me a psycho behind my back. On the evening of the sixth day, I took a long, burning hot shower and put on clean clothes. I turned on every light in the apartment and scrubbed the place top to bottom. Then, I started packing. I only packed the things that strictly belonged to me. My toothbrush. My towels. The dark red cardigan my grandmother knitted for me right before she passed away. I left the reading lamp he bought me. I left the shoebox full of love letters. I picked up the framed photograph of us by the TV and placed it face down on the wood. I zipped up my suitcase and dragged it to the front door. I took a sticky note and a pen from the counter and wrote exactly four words. Eight years. Paid in full. I slapped the note on the shoe rack and dropped my keys right next to it. When I stepped out, the hallway was perfectly quiet. The elevator dinged. I pulled my suitcase inside and hit the button for the lobby. Right before the metal doors slid shut, I took one last look at the place I used to call home. And then, I never looked back.

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There’s a guy on my Snapchat who loves showing off his body. He frequently posts mirror selfies flexing his muscles. I used to wonder which player was casting such a wide net. Later, I found out—his stories are only visible to me. 01 I swiped onto another post from our resident thirst-trapper. As usual, it was a photo. But this time, the style had changed, giving off a vibe of coy restraint. His hand lifted the hem of his t-shirt, revealing deeply defined abs. He was wearing loose gray sweatpants, the drawstrings hanging naturally—one long, one short—stealing all my attention in their extreme asymmetry. I stared at it for a moment, and my face silently flushed red. I forget when I added him, but as far back as I can remember, his stories have been exclusively these kinds of photos. Abs, biceps, back muscles… He posted one every few days, persistently tugging at people’s heartstrings. I assumed he was a total player, for three reasons: First, he never showed his face. Second, he was incredibly good at teasing. Third, he lacked any sort of modesty. —What kind of decent, upstanding man posts stories like this! I originally just watched with a “might as well look if it’s there” mentality, but today, it kind of went to my head. Those gray sweatpants really did something to me. My sleepiness vanished completely. I forwarded the photo to him and started a chat: “Is it cold in your house? Why are you wearing so much today?” I sent the message, but he didn’t reply. I didn’t know if he was busy or just ignoring me. I didn’t dwell on it. Seeing that my lunch break was almost over, I hurried to catch some sleep. When I woke up, it was to the loud chatter in the office. My female colleagues were gathered in small groups, clutching their phones and wailing, “I’m heartbroken, I’m heartbroken.” In my groggy state, I caught fragments of the conversation. It seemed some celebrity had just gone public with a relationship. I reached for my phone, clicked on the Twitter trending topics, and froze when I saw the name at the top. #ChloeMillerLiamHayes# The person who went public was my best friend! Fueled by the indignation of “how dare she not tell me she’s dating,” I clicked on the hashtag. The video content left me even more dumbfounded. It was from the recording of a late-night talk show. The cameras zoomed in on each guest’s phone. The game segment required each guest to post a story claiming they were unhappy and see who received comfort first. Among the phones placed on the table, the one on the far left was the first to get a notification. It was Liam Hayes’s. The host eagerly opened it, still making conversation: “Let’s see who it is—” His voice abruptly cut off, and he stood frozen. Because in the chat window, there was no comfort. None at all. Instead, there was a borderline-inappropriate photo of a man, accompanied by a line of text: “Is it cold in your house? Why are you wearing so much today?” The video ended there. The quality wasn’t great—it was probably filmed by an audience member—but even with poor quality, it was clear enough to see the details in the chat window. The sender’s profile picture was of the actress Chloe Miller, saved under the contact name “Momo.” She had sent the award-winning actor, Liam Hayes, a highly private photo he had never released to the public, accompanied by intimate—even borderline harassing—words! Since Chloe had previously stated in interviews that her childhood nickname was “Momo,” netizens universally concluded this was her. Thus, the relationship between Chloe Miller and Liam Hayes rocketed to the top of the trending list. I rubbed my cheeks, the shock so immense I wondered if I was still dreaming. The conversation with the thirst-trapper was still sitting right there on my screen. With trembling hands, I tapped it open. The exact same content blasted my retinas once again. I had a stark realization—the guy who posted thirst traps on Snapchat every few days was the Hollywood A-lister, Liam Hayes. 02 The trending topic was still blowing up. The most triggered ones were the fans: “Usually you don’t even show an ankle, and you button your shirts all the way to the top. I thought you were the most modest guy out there, but…” “What is this? Liam Hayes’s abs, let me touch! What is this? Liam Hayes’s abs, let me touch!” “Has anyone managed to get a high-res version of this? I need it for my lock screen.” “Just a casual observer here, but is this Liam Hayes’s usual vibe? This is hot.” That last comment had the most replies. I clicked into the thread and was nearly blinded by a screen full of “HE IS NOT!” Undoubtedly, the fans were shocked. But I was equally shocked! I scrolled through the comments, trying to use the fans’ shock to offset my own. Before I could fully process it, a new notification popped up at the top of my phone. It was from my best friend, Chloe, and she sent a screenshot. Chloe: “Audrey, please tell me this isn’t you.” The screenshot was of that exact conversation. Indisputable. I hung my head and admitted: “It’s me.” She sent a string of ellipses and asked genuinely: “How did you manage to strut your stuff right in front of Liam Hayes?” Honestly, I wanted to know too. I was just engaging in some ordinary ogling, how did I end up experiencing social death in front of the entire nation? Although, currently, the one experiencing social death was my best friend… Afraid of causing her trouble, I couldn’t help but ask: “Is this going to be a huge mess?” She replied: “It’s fine on my end. It wasn’t me anyway, I’ll just clarify it. Liam Hayes’s side is the tricky one.” I pursed my lips, still digesting the fact that “the thirst-trapper is Liam Hayes.” My best friend started probing: “What exactly is going on between you and Liam Hayes?” I didn’t know how to answer, so I just said: “He’s the player I told you about before.” My best friend slapped her desk in shock: “So you were the one he was trying to hook all along!” “…” I felt this was basically equivalent to a fairy tale. Liam Hayes and I were complete strangers. He didn’t know me, and I didn’t know him. Or rather, I knew of him; I knew he was a massive star. Aside from that, we had zero connection. How could he possibly be trying to hook me? Just as I denied it, another new message popped up at the top of my phone. It was the other party involved in the scandal. He replied to me. Liam Hayes: “I’ll try to wear less next time then.” “…” Dude, are you sure you didn’t hook the wrong person? 03 If he were just a regular guy on Snapchat, I might have bantered back. But he wasn’t. He was the acclaimed actor, Liam Hayes. I couldn’t fathom how he had the leisure to flirt with me, a stranger on the internet? After the incident, my best friend immediately issued a clarification, stating she was not the person sending the messages. Her friends in the industry also vouched for her, proving that her personal Snapchat was not that account. As for me, I quickly changed my profile picture and display name, terrified that people around me might figure something out. Only Liam Hayes, at the center of the storm, remained completely silent. No PR statement, no clarification. It was as if he had no idea the internet was tearing itself apart over him. The biggest target of criticism was the collapse of his public persona. After all, Liam Hayes had previously been known as Hollywood’s paragon of modesty. He kept his nose clean, had zero scandals, and his life consisted only of acting and hitting the gym. He had almost no other hobbies, and didn’t even touch alcohol or cigarettes, which are ubiquitous in the industry. He was a gentleman, polite, and always covered up. The media had even interviewed him about his habit of “not showing a single inch of skin.” At the time, Liam stated: “Only my wife gets to see my body.” When that interview clip dropped, it was instantly shared and praised by countless netizens, cementing his status as the “modesty paragon.” Let’s just say, the harder they praised him then, the harsher they mocked him now. Because the guy who claimed “only my wife gets to see my body” was secretly blasting thirst traps everywhere. I also felt his public persona was a bit fake. If only his wife could see it, what was he doing posting on Snapchat all day? Photo after photo, I had practically seen his entire body. Was I his wife? As it turned out, I underestimated Liam Hayes’s resilience. The very moment his Snapchat account was exposed, not only did he not lay low, but he actually posted another story that night. Still a photo. But the style was much more explicit than before, and true to his word, he was wearing a little less. I honestly didn’t know what to say anymore. I could only sigh at how incredibly fake Hollywood personas were! Liam Hayes was practically a master-level player, casting a wide net, yet he managed to be called the “modesty paragon” of Hollywood… It was the joke of the century! I decisively chose to block his stories. Unexpectedly, moments later, Liam Hayes actually reached out to me with that same photo. He asked: “Is this okay?” I had no desire to play games with him and asked bluntly: “What exactly do you want?” He was even more blunt: “I want to date you.” I was so freaked out I deleted him right then and there! Even after deleting him, my heart was still pounding. Thank goodness my best friend warned me. Turns out I really was just one of the fish in his pond! 04 I had just escaped the pond, but my best friend was caught in his clutches. It turned out she and Liam Hayes already had a professional connection; they were set to co-star in a commercial for a luxury bottled water brand. The contracts had been finalized ages ago, but the official announcement had been delayed. Now that the collaborating brand saw dating rumors swirling around their two spokesmodels, they decided to capitalize on it. The commercial shoot was urgently moved up on the schedule. Afraid my best friend would be taken advantage of, I warned her repeatedly: “You must be careful around Liam Hayes!” She nodded in agreement. Who knew that on the very first day of shooting, she’d drop a massive bombshell on me. Chloe: “Turns out Liam was the one who recommended me to the brand for this commercial!” My head instantly filled with question marks. While confused, I was also amazed. This guy Liam is casting a seriously wide net! I asked urgently: “How is it? Has he harassed you?” My best friend’s reply surprised me: “No, he’s totally normal. If you hadn’t told me, I would never have imagined he’s that kind of person in private.” I typed back, distressed: “It’s all a persona!” Afraid she’d let her guard down, I called her directly and told her about Liam saying he wanted to date me, emphasizing heavily: “He’s literally just trying to hook whoever he can!” To my surprise, my best friend missed the point entirely: “So he really does want to date you!” Me: “?” She went further off track: “Do you think Liam gave me this commercial gig because of you?” I couldn’t take it anymore, feeling a surge of frustration: “Why are you giving a player such a romantic backstory!” My best friend suddenly laughed: “What if he isn’t a player?” “Of course he is,” I argued. “What normal person posts stories like that? At first, I thought he was looking for a sugar mama.” My best friend laughed harder: “I think the only person he wants to hook is you.” I was speechless: “We don’t even know each other.” “Maybe you two—” Her voice cut off abruptly. Immediately after, a clear male voice came through the phone: “Can I sit here?” Thanks to the internet drama these past few days, I could instantly recognize that this voice belonged to Liam Hayes. Clear, clean, and highly distinctive. “Go ahead,” came my best friend’s voice. After some rustling sounds, Liam asked: “Are you close with Audrey?” “…Yes,” my best friend sounded like she was holding back laughter. “Then do you know why she deleted me?” Liam’s tone was so puzzled. “If she wasn’t satisfied with the photos, I can push the boundaries a bit more.” “Pfft,” my best friend finally laughed out loud. After a long pause, her rather eager voice sounded: “Should I ask her for you?” “Please,” Liam said politely. As soon as he left, my best friend couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore, laughing continuously, making me incredibly annoyed. I snapped: “Stop laughing!” She finally gave a couple of ‘hahas’ and said teasingly: “He seems to know you.” Me: “…” 05 Eggged on by my best friend, I visited the commercial set. The area had been cleared, but a large crowd had still gathered, forming three dense rings of people. Through the crowd, I spotted Liam Hayes right away. This is probably that legendary star quality; he stood there, and my eyes couldn’t see anyone else. He was wearing a solid black tracksuit, looking elegant and tall. Currently, he was bending slightly while his assistant sprayed water on the loose hair at his forehead and temples. It seemed the assistant’s hand slipped, and a mist of water rushed into his eyes. The air froze for a few seconds. I saw him blink his eyelashes lightly, the water droplets sliding down. He opened his sparkling eyes and comforted the assistant: “It’s fine, keep going.” I thought silently, He has a pretty good temper. As if sensing something, Liam looked with pinpoint accuracy in my direction. He looked surprised at first, then panicked, and a few seconds later, quietly averted his gaze. But his pale, jade-like profile slowly turned red, visible even to the naked eye. When I got closer, I even heard the stylist exclaim, “Did you already apply blush?” My best friend was snickering next to me. She whispered teasingly: “You really don’t know him? But he blushed the second he looked at you.” To be honest, I was also quite baffled. Is Liam Hayes really this innocent? But would an innocent person post stories like that? The next second, my best friend cleared up my confusion. Just as the commercial was about to start shooting, she tossed her phone to me, saying simply: “Just added Liam on Snapchat, go look at his stories.” While muttering “What’s there to see,” I obediently tapped it open. The result surprised me. His stories page was completely clean, empty. There was no “Friend only allows viewing of the last 3 days” message, it was just literally empty. But I clearly remembered that when I looked a few days ago, it was full of thirst traps. Did he delete them, or put me on a custom list? Looking at Liam not far away, I found him harder and harder to figure out. The commercial shoot wrapped up quickly, and the crew discussed where to go for dinner. I waited beside my best friend, feeling a gaze seemingly fixed on me. I followed the feeling. No matter from which angle I looked, at the end of that gaze was Liam Hayes. My best friend watched like she was enjoying a show: “If you have something to say, say it. If you have questions, ask. Staring won’t get you any answers.” I was still debating whether to ask when Liam walked over. He was cleaned up and looking sharp, wearing a well-fitted dress shirt and trousers. Uncharacteristically, two buttons at his collar were undone, exposing a small patch of skin. Perhaps because he wasn’t used to exposing skin, as he walked steadily towards us, he subconsciously tugged at the slightly open collar. A very simple movement, but done by him, it was exceptionally alluring. When Liam reached us, he looked at Chloe first and said: “The dinner is at the Grand Hyatt.” My best friend feigned surprise: “Since when do we need you to personally deliver this kind of news?” Liam choked. He seemed to shift his gaze out of embarrassment, quietly turned to me, and without making a sound, mouthed the question: “Are you coming?” I felt a profound sense of absurdity and helplessness in that moment. To me, this action looked exactly like a couple pretending not to know each other in public, while secretly flirting behind everyone’s backs. Were we really that close? It wasn’t the place to talk, but I couldn’t hold back. I took a step closer to him, using a piece of equipment for cover, and whispered: “Do we know each other?” He nodded: “Yes.” “Then the Snapchat stories were…?” He stared at me for a long time, seemingly gathering courage, and said slowly: “The stories were for you.” He leaned in close to my ear, his bright red earlobe right in my line of sight, and added softly and slowly: “Only for you.” Boom. My ears burned red too.

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1 Twenty years ago, I was stolen from my crib. Most of my life was spent in a maximum-security psychiatric ward, where doctors labeled me a high-functioning sociopath. When my biological parents finally found me, I changed. I didn’t want to scare them, so I became a timid, fragile girl who startled at her own shadow. My mother treated me like glass, brewing bone broth each afternoon and choosing pink lace-trimmed pajamas for me. My father kept his voice soft, afraid to startle me. My brother Connor wouldn’t even let me carry plates, worried I’d get hurt. But today, the act ended. Valerie, the daughter they raised before finding me, came to seize my father’s company shares. She kicked the door in, her billionaire fiancé Peter beside her. She smashed Connor’s arm with a baseball bat, then forced my mother to her knees on broken glass. Peter pointed at me and sneered, “Crawl over and lick my shoes clean. Do it well, and I might leave your bodies whole.” I watched blood drip from my father’s lip. Deep inside, the last thread holding me back snapped. I sighed softly, locked the front door, and picked up a serrated boning knife from the kitchen. Looking at my parents, I said, “Close your eyes. What happens next isn’t for family viewing.” Peter pressed his designer shoe harder into my mother’s hair and let out a bark of laughter. “You’re out of your mind, sweetheart. What are you gonna do with that?” The bodyguard standing next to him cracked his knuckles and raised a steel pipe. I didn’t answer. I just walked toward him, my slippers crunching over the bloody glass. The bodyguard swung the pipe in a lethal arc aiming for my skull. I sidestepped, letting the heavy steel slice through empty air. I grabbed his wrist, locking my fingers around his pulse point, and twisted violently outward. A wet crunch echoed through the living room. Before he could scream, I drove the heavy brass pommel of the knife directly into his temple. He dropped like a sack of wet cement. I wiped the bloody handle on the shoulder of his tailored suit, stepped over his twitching body, and kept walking toward Peter. “Don’t you take another step!” Valerie shrieked, her face pale as she peeked out from behind the ruined sofa. “Do you even know who Peter is?” she yelled, her voice trembling. “The people backing him will wipe you off the map! You lay a finger on him, and the entire Cohen family burns with you!” I stopped. I slowly turned my head to look at her. “Valerie.” She swallowed hard. “What?” “Did you just say you were extorting these shares to save the Cohens?” Her eyes darted around the room. “Look, Riley, I know it sounds awful. But my hands are tied. Peter’s family agreed to inject thirty million into the company, but only if they get controlling interest. Arthur and Eleanor are getting old. Connor’s health is declining. If I marry into his family, I can at least keep an eye on them.” I nodded slowly, letting the words hang in the air. “So, you’re the good guy here.” “I’m glad you finally understand.” “You’re a saint,” I said, staring at the serrated edge of my knife. “So get on your knees.” Valerie’s voice hit a shrill pitch. “Are you psychotic?!” “Yes.” I closed the distance before she could blink. I twisted my hand into her hair and slammed her downward, her kneecaps cracking against the hardwood floor with a sickening thud. My mother pushed herself up, her voice quivering. “Riley.” “Mom, I told you to keep your eyes closed,” I said, my voice completely flat. “I’ll help you change your clothes in a minute. Some ice will take care of the bruises.” Behind me, Peter roared. He snatched up a heavy oak dining chair and hurled it at the back of my head. I tilted my neck. The chair leg grazed my ear and shattered against the wall. Releasing Valerie’s hair, I pivoted. Peter was still frozen in the follow-through of his throw. I looked down at his expensive Italian loafers. “What was that you said earlier? Crawl over and lick your shoes?” Peter took a shaky step back. “Let’s talk about this.” I snapped my leg up and brought the heel of my boot down on the bridge of his foot with every ounce of my weight. Peter let out a guttural shriek, folding completely in half as he collapsed to the side. I grabbed him by his expensive silk tie, dragging his dead weight across the floor until he was inches from my boots. I pressed the tip of the boning knife under his chin, forcing his head up until he was choking on his own tie. “Leaving our corpses intact,” I whispered. “How exactly did you plan to do that?” Peter just gurgled, his mouth full of blood from where he had bitten his own tongue. The remaining two bodyguards exchanged a panicked glance and lunged at me together. I shifted my weight. The blade sliced clean through the first man’s wrist tendons. His steel pipe clattered uselessly to the floor. The second man leaped onto my back, locking his thick forearm around my throat. I dropped my center of gravity, ducked my chin, and threw my head back, smashing my skull directly into the bridge of his nose. Cartilage shattered. He stumbled backward, clutching his ruined face. I walked over to the kitchen sink, casually rinsed the blood off my hands, and looked back at Peter. He was curled up on the rug, cradling his mangled foot. “Security!” he screamed, his voice cracking. He slammed a panic button on his Rolex. “Breach on the perimeter!” I tossed the knife into the fruit bowl and walked over to my brother. Connor was slumped against the wall. His arm was bent at a grotesque angle, his forehead slick with cold sweat. “Connor, how bad is the pain?” “I’m good,” he gasped out, trying to force a smile. “Barely feel it.” I patted his cheek. “Hang in there.” My dad was sitting in the corner. His lip was bleeding, but he wasn’t looking at his attackers. He was just staring at me. Before I could say anything, a heavy rumble shook the driveway. The sound of combat boots marching in unison drowned out the evening crickets. The front doors were blown inward by a breaching charge. The heavy wood and iron hinges collapsed onto our entryway rug, sending a cloud of drywall dust into the air. Richard, Peter’s father, stepped through the smoke. Behind him stood dozens of hardened enforcers, all gripping heavy steel rebar. Richard looked down at his bleeding son, his face twisting in pure rage. Then he looked at his men. “Kill every single Cohen in this house. Make it look like a home invasion gone wrong. Keep it clean.” 2 Connor forced his good arm over my shoulder, desperately trying to pull me behind him. “Riley, get upstairs, hide.” “Connor, put your arm down.” “I’m fine, my arm is fine.” I looked at the swollen, purple flesh of his broken limb. I gently peeled his fingers off my shirt and pushed him back down to the floor. “Sit. Don’t move.” Dozens of steel pipes were raised high. Richard’s men fanned out, boxing us in from every angle. My mom threw her arms around my dad, squeezing her eyes shut. My dad held her tight, but his eyes never left me. I reached into my sweatpants pocket and pulled out a heavy, military-grade walkie-talkie. A faded, peeling sticker of a cartoon panda was slapped on the back. Richard caught sight of the radio and froze for a split second before a cruel smile spread across his face. “You calling for backup with a toy?” “She really is a psycho,” one of his thugs muttered. I pressed the push-to-talk button. “Feeding time.” Static crackled for three agonizing seconds before a deep, gravelly voice replied. “Copy that.” The signal died. Richard raised his hand to signal his men. I didn’t move a muscle. First came the screech of burning rubber, followed by the deafening crunch of crushing metal. The impact vibrated up through the floorboards, rattling the crystal chandelier above us. Richard’s enforcers spun around. Outside, a massive armored transport had just violently rear-ended Richard’s Maybach, launching the luxury car into the garden wall. A chain reaction of collisions echoed through the estate. The lights in the living room flickered. Richard’s smile vanished. In the gaping hole where our front doors used to be, five heavily armored tactical vans pulled up nose-to-tail. Emblazoned on their sides in stark black lettering was the logo. Blackwood Maximum Security Psychiatric Facility. The side doors were kicked open. A massive man with a jagged scar running down his bald head leaped out. He was wearing faded institutional scrubs, and in his hands, he gripped a heavy red fire ax. Behind him poured a tide of men in matching scrubs. They carried bone saws, crowbars, and heavy chains. They crunched over the ruined front doors and filed into the living room. Richard’s thugs froze, their steel pipes suddenly feeling very inadequate. The scarred man, Grimm, looked around the room. He kicked a piece of shattered brick out of his way, walked straight up to me, and dropped to one knee, bowing his head. “Director.” Richard opened his mouth, but no sound came out. I pointed a finger at Richard’s crew. Grimm stood up, turning to face the intruders. He didn’t say a word. He just waved a hand. Three minutes later, every single one of Richard’s men was pinned face-down against the hardwood, groaning in agony, completely immobilized by the inmates. Richard was backed up against the doorframe, his legs visibly shaking. The walkie-talkie in his hand slipped from his sweaty grip and clattered to the floor. Over by the sofa, Valerie was curled into a tight ball, holding her bruised ribs and sobbing hysterically. “Arthur! Eleanor! Please, you have to save me! I’m your daughter! That crazy bitch is going to murder me!” My father, still sitting against the wall, looked up at her through the wreckage. He stared at her for a long time. “You broke my son’s arm.” Valerie’s sobbing hitched. “You dragged my wife by her hair. You tried to make her kneel on broken glass.” He paused, his voice turning to gravel. “You were my daughter. Whenever you cried as a little girl, it broke my heart. But you hurt my real family tonight. I don’t have a heart left for you.” Seeing his opening, Richard scrambled for his dropped phone. He punched in a speed-dial number, turned his back, and whispered frantically into the receiver. Roman. Boss. Help. I let him make the call. I sat down on the floor next to my brother. I ripped the sleeve off his expensive suit jacket and used it to tie a makeshift splint for his broken arm. Every time I moved the bone, he sucked in a sharp breath. “Bite down on this.” I folded his silk tie a few times and shoved it between his teeth. He bit down hard, breathing heavily through his nose, before squeezing a few words out. “Riley. When you were out there.” “Save your breath, Connor.” “You were only seven,” he rasped, ignoring me. “Seven years old. Taken away all by yourself.” “Connor.” “Yeah?” “Does it hurt?” “Yeah. It hurts.” “Then focus on the pain. Don’t get distracted.” He let out a muffled chuckle and bit down on the tie again. Outside, the chaotic sounds of sirens, heavy diesel engines, and shouting bled into the night air. A booming, arrogant voice echoed from the driveway, cutting through the noise. “Which suicidal piece of trash is making a mess on my turf?” I let go of Connor’s splint and slowly stood up. 3 When Roman walked in, the smell of premium Cuban cigars filled the room. He was flanked by an army of heavy-hitters. He stood dead center in our ruined living room, his cold eyes sweeping over Richard’s pinned men, lingering on Grimm who was still kneeling, before finally locking onto me. Richard practically crawled over the debris to reach him, grabbing onto the sleeve of his tailored suit. “Roman! Thank God you’re here!” Richard pointed a shaking finger at me. “That psycho is a stray the Cohens picked off the street! She ambushed us, snapped my boy’s foot, and look at what her freaks did to my cars out front.” “Get to the point,” Roman said, flicking ash onto our rug. “These guys are wildcards. I can’t handle them. I need you to clean this up.” Roman grunted. He raised two fingers. Hundreds of hardened syndicate enforcers flooded the property, completely surrounding the estate. They drew machetes, brass knuckles, and heavy iron bars. Grimm stood up, stepping protectively in front of me, but the sheer number of Roman’s men forced him back a step. Roman strolled over until he was invading my personal space. He looked me up and down. “What’s your name, little girl?” “Riley Cohen.” “Cohen,” he mused, pulling the cigar from his lips. “Do you have any idea how much weight that name carries in this city?” I didn’t blink. “I’ve been backing Richard’s plays for twenty years,” Roman continued, blowing smoke in my direction. “This city is mine. It is not a playground for some mental ward runaway.” He didn’t even look at me as he gave the order to his men. “Hack off both her hands. Throw her out on the Cohens’ front lawn. Let the old man know his family’s credit has officially expired.” “Roman,” I said. “What?” “I’m just wondering,” I said, tilting my head. “When exactly did a dog like you get a new master?” Dead silence fell over the living room. Roman’s hand, still holding the cigar, froze in mid-air. He stood like a statue for three full seconds before slowly lowering his arm. His eyes narrowed as he reassessed me. “Who exactly…” he lowered his voice to a dangerous whisper, “do you work for?” I said nothing. Richard yanked on Roman’s sleeve again. “Roman, don’t listen to her! She’s a lunatic, just put her down.” Roman violently shoved Richard away. He took a deep breath, forcing a tight, unnatural smile onto his face. “Alright, no need to lose our tempers over a misunderstanding.” He turned to his men. “Just restrain them. Nobody dies. We’ll sort out the politics later.” Hundreds of machetes were raised. Connor tried to slide in front of me again. I clamped a hand down hard on his shoulder. “Connor, sit.” “Riley.” “Sit.” I looked down at the screen of my phone. Three minutes and forty-seven seconds. I slipped the phone back into my pocket and looked up. A deep, unnatural vibration began to hum through the floorboards. It was a heavy, rhythmic thudding that made the remaining glass in the windowpanes rattle. Roman frowned. The mechanical roar grew deafening. One of Roman’s scouts sprinted into the living room, completely breathless. “Boss! There are bulldozers outside! Not just one, it’s a whole damn fleet.” Roman spun around. 4 The rusted steel bucket of the first excavator crashed through the front gates, effortlessly crushing a Mercedes into the asphalt. Right behind it came a second, then a third. Five massive, industrial bulldozers drove in a tight formation, plowing over everything in the courtyard, turning luxury cars and pristine landscaping into mud and scrap metal. Roman’s enforcers scattered in a panic, retreating to the edges of the property. Richard was trembling so violently he had to lean against the wall to stay upright. Roman gritted his teeth and pulled out his encrypted phone, dialing a private number. It rang five times before a voice answered. “Speak.” “Carter, it’s Roman. I’ve got a situation in the Metro district. Some girl brought a small army of mental patients and heavy machinery to level Richard’s estate. Run a background check right now. Cohen family. Riley Cohen. I need to know whose toes I’m stepping on.” A heavy, suffocating silence stretched over the line. “Carter?” “Roman,” the voice finally replied. It sounded completely parched. “What is it?” “The name you just gave me. Riley Cohen.” Carter paused, taking a ragged breath. “Are you on site right now?” “Yeah.” “How far away from her are you standing?” Roman glanced back at me. “About twenty feet.” Another agonizing three seconds of silence. “Roman, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Turn around. Walk away. Do it right this second.” “What the hell are you talking about?” “Do you remember who they used to keep locked up at Blackwood Max?” “You mean…” Roman’s voice dropped an octave. “The Director of that facility. The one who is never actually on the payroll. Take a wild guess who that is.” Roman slowly turned his head to look at me. “Roman,” Carter whispered, the fear bleeding through the speaker. “That girl’s file at the Agency is a black hole. It’s a kill-switch dossier. Anyone who even looks at it disappears. If you can walk out of there tonight, you run. You abandon Richard. This is not your fight.” The expensive cigar slipped from Roman’s fingers, burning a hole into the carpet. He didn’t move a muscle. Richard grabbed him, shaking him frantically. “Roman? Roman! Give the order! Kill these freaks.” Roman just stared at me. He took a slow step backward. “Roman, what are you doing?” “I can’t help you.” Roman’s voice was completely hollow. “You’re on your own, Richard.” Richard blocked Roman’s path, gripping his lapels. “You can’t do this! If you walk out, my family is dead! She’s a monster! Twenty years of loyalty and you’re leaving me to die?!” Roman said nothing. He just stared blankly at Richard’s hands on his suit. His bodyguards rushed forward, physically peeling Richard off their boss. Roman adjusted his cuffs and turned his back to me. He took two steps toward the door and froze. “Roman,” I said quietly. He stayed perfectly still, his back facing me. “You know exactly why I’m here tonight.” I paused, letting the silence stretch. “And you know you can’t cover for Richard. Not when it comes to me. You never could.” “What do you want?” he asked, his voice barely a rasp. “Turn around.” After a long pause, Roman slowly pivoted. He stood ten feet away, facing me directly for the first time since the phone call. “I know you have Richard dead to rights tonight,” he said slowly, trying to regain some composure. “But there are lines even you can’t cross. Commissioner Wyatt runs this city’s special investigations. He’s my blood brother. Every move you make, he’ll know.” I didn’t say a word. “Even if you have the Agency backing you,” he reasoned, “you broke into a private residence. You assaulted half a dozen people. That’s a federal crime. Nobody can sweep this much collateral damage under the rug.” Before he could finish his sentence, the deafening roar of helicopter blades shattered the night. The chopper hovered directly over the ruins of our roof. Down in the courtyard, blinding searchlights cut through the darkness, turning night into day. “SWAT! Everyone on the ground! Hands where we can see them!” Dozens of tactical operatives repelled from the walls, crashed through the shattered windows, and stormed the perimeter. They were dressed in full tactical gear, assault rifles raised. Red laser sights painted every single person in the room. Roman’s men didn’t hesitate. Machetes and pipes clattered to the floor as hundreds of gangsters hit the dirt. Richard scrambled toward the SWAT commander, screaming in relief. “Captain! Captain, thank God! It’s this psychotic bitch! She brought these mental patients to slaughter my family! Arrest her! Shoot her.” Valerie pointed a trembling finger at me, wailing. “Officer, she’s insane! She was going to murder us all! Put a bullet in her, my whole family will testify.” Captain Reed ignored them. He scanned the carnage, gave a hand signal for his men to secure the perimeter, and stepped over the groaning bodyguards. He stopped directly in front of me, his assault rifle leveled at my chest. “Hands in the air. Drop the knife.” “You don’t have the clearance for that,” I said, tapping the toe of my boot against a piece of broken glass. “I said, drop the weapon.” “And I said you don’t have the clearance.” I looked him dead in the eye. “Look very closely before you do something stupid.” His finger tightened on the trigger. “Failure to comply will result in lethal force. This is your final warning.” I didn’t drop the knife. I didn’t raise my hands. Instead, I took a step forward, walking right up to him until the cold steel of his gun barrel was pressing into the space between my eyes. “Last chance,” he hissed, his jaw locked tight. “Who the hell are you?” I brushed my hair out of my eyes, tilting my face up into the blinding glare of the tactical flashlights. “See for yourself.” Reed squinted, his eyes tracing the lines of my face. A soft click echoed as his finger slipped off the trigger. The barrel of the rifle slowly dipped toward the floor. Then, with a dull thud, the weapon slipped from his hands entirely. His knees buckled. He collapsed right into the sea of shattered glass. He swallowed hard, his voice cracking into a high, terrified pitch. “You… Commander…” Roman stood ten feet away, watching the scene unfold in absolute horror. Captain Reed, bleeding from his knees on the glass, trembled as he forced the words out. “Supreme Commander… Black Site Zero.”

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During study hall, the school’s most popular girl grabbed my childhood best friend, Liam Vance, and demanded: “What do you even like about Chloe? Do you just like those massive cow tits of hers?” “Can you please not be so utterly vulgar?” Countless pairs of eyes landed on me. Some were watching for the drama, some were gloating, and others were purely malicious. Liam gave a helpless sigh and explained, “Our relationship isn’t what you think it is, Summer. I just take care of her like a little sister.” It really wasn’t what Summer Hayes thought. The only reason Liam hovered around me every day, showering me with care and attention, was because his mother was my estate manager. I am the sole heiress of the Vance corporate empire. From the time Liam was a little boy, the only education he received from his mother was how to serve me, please me, and eventually marry into the Vance family to secure her a golden ticket. 01 “First she’s just a friend, then she’s a ‘sister,’ and next thing I know, she’ll be your girlfriend! Liam, it’s her or me. You have to choose!” The veins on Liam’s neck bulged. He weighed his options in agonizing silence, but ultimately gave her no response. Overwhelmingly disappointed, Summer burst into tears and ran out of the classroom. Liam cast a quick, sideways glance at me, gritted his teeth, and chased after her. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if this scene was a flashback before death or reality. Because I was already dead. The day after Liam successfully seized total control of my father’s conglomerate and publicly announced his engagement to Summer, I was pushed into the artificial lake at my family’s estate and drowned. By that point, I had been paralyzed from the waist down and plagued by chronic illness, locked inside the house by Liam. Every single maid and nurse had been replaced; not a single person on the payroll was loyal to me. When I saw their engagement announcement on the news, I expended every ounce of my remaining energy to force Liam to come home. Stripping away his usual gentle, considerate mask, his face twisted into a demonic sneer as his hands clamped around my throat. “I’ve had enough of you, Chloe.” “For years, I threw away my dignity as a man and followed you around like a dog. I couldn’t even go to the college I wanted, and I gave up the chance to study abroad with Summer. I sacrificed everything for you, and that stubborn old bastard of a father still refused to hand the company over to me. He played me for an absolute fool.” “You think just because you have money, you can do whatever you want? You’re just as hypocritical as your father. Today, you’re going to find out exactly what it feels like to struggle at the bottom of the water!” After my father died, Liam’s attitude toward me had slowly turned cold. Once he leveraged my name to fully hijack the Vance empire, his true colors were finally revealed. My father’s drunken drowning in that same lake wasn’t an accident. Liam had orchestrated the whole thing. I looked into his dark, bottomless eyes and saw pure, unadulterated murderous intent. His wings were fully formed; he no longer needed me to act as his good-luck charm to legitimize his reign. His wedding to Summer was approaching. It was time for his hidden, disabled wife to disappear. At the edge of the lake, right as he violently shoved me toward the water, my hands locked onto his collar in a death grip, dragging him straight into the freezing depths with me. A hurricane of pure hatred consumed me. Every single time he thrashed and clawed to reach the surface, I used the very last of my fading strength to drag him back down into the abyss. He murdered my father. If I had to die, I was dragging him straight to hell with me! To ensure my death looked like an accident, Liam had given all the estate staff the day off. In that massive, empty estate, no one was there to hear my cries for help. And now, no one was there to hear his. Right as I confirmed he had completely lost consciousness, I blacked out entirely. When I woke up, I was staring at the current scene. The two of them had just run out the door, and the study hall erupted into chaotic gossip. “Liam is just too nice. Who else would let their maid’s daughter ride to school in his Maybach every day?” “She constantly third-wheels the couple in their own car. No wonder Summer finally snapped…” Then, the crude, mocking laughter of the boys reached my ears. “Hey Tyler, your dad owns Brooks Dairy Farms, right? Tell us, who has bigger udders? Your prize-winning Holsteins, or Chloe?” “Bro, you can’t compare them. Our cows are purebreds and properly mated. They aren’t loose and easy like she is…” “Hahahaha!” They fed off each other’s vile energy, laughing like a pack of hyenas. While I was still processing my shock, a heavy, aluminum can of iced coffee flew across the room and smashed directly into my chest, before clattering onto my desk. Pain. A sharp, piercing pain blossomed in my chest. This wasn’t a dream. This wasn’t a dying hallucination. This was absolute, undeniable reality. I had been reborn into the nightmare that was my high school years. It was today. The day Summer Hayes finally exploded. She had given Liam a final ultimatum: if I rode in the same car with them to school one more time, she would cut ties with him forever. Before study hall even ended, Liam took Summer and left in my chauffeured car. I had to take a cab home in the pouring rain. We got into a horrific crash, leaving me permanently paralyzed from the waist down. I missed over half a semester before returning to school in a wheelchair. By then, Summer and Liam were publicly dating, and because of my disability, the bullying escalated into pure malice. I violently threw my head down and wiggled my toes. Thank God. My legs were perfectly fine. 02 The instigator, Tyler Brooks, laughed hysterically, seeking praise from his cronies. “Did you guys see that? Maximum elasticity!” The group of delinquent boys stared at my chest with blatant, disgusting entitlement. I heard one of them mutter crudely, “Fucking slut.” Smack! The class president slammed a textbook onto his desk. “We’re all classmates here. Don’t cross the line.” Tyler smirked shamelessly. “The Cow Girl doesn’t even mind, why are you playing white knight?” The nickname “Cow Girl” started with Summer. At first, nobody in class treated me like this. Until Summer transferred in. She set her sights on the perfect, wealthy “heir,” Liam Vance, and pursued him relentlessly. After Liam rejected her a few times to keep his facade up, she shifted her crosshairs onto me—the girl who arrived and left with him every single day. In front of all the boys in our class, she announced that I looked like a dairy cow. She claimed that girls with chests that large were promiscuous from a young age, and that they only got that big because men had been groping them. Those filthy, slanderous words acted like Pandora’s box. The moment they were spoken, a demon of pure misogyny was unleashed. Alongside my real name, I was permanently branded “Cow Girl.” At first, they were slightly hesitant, knowing I was dropped off in luxury cars and wore expensive clothes. But thanks to Liam’s deliberate, manipulative blurring of the lines, the entire school began to believe that I was the maid’s daughter, and that Liam—the son of my estate manager—was the true prince of the Vance corporate empire. Under Summer’s passionate pursuit, Liam’s resistance slowly melted. As the two became the school’s golden couple, a horde of Summer’s simps and Liam’s lackeys started targeting me to win their favor. They catcalled me, made sexually explicit jokes, and ruthlessly mocked my “low-class” background. Initially, the “Cow Girl” nickname was contained to our classroom. But one day, my estate manager attended a parent-teacher conference on my behalf. That completely solidified the rumor that I was the maid’s daughter. Soon, the “Cow Girl” moniker echoed through the entire school. Goaded by Summer, the boys even organized a “Brainless Bimbo” poll for the entire high school. Unsurprisingly, I won by a landslide. Ignoring the class president’s warning, Tyler kept throwing insults. “Do you have the nerve to wreck someone else’s relationship, but not the nerve to show your face, Cow Girl?” I took a slow, deep breath. I picked up the heavy aluminum can from my desk and walked straight toward Tyler. “Since you have the audacity to call me ‘Girl’, it’s my responsibility as your superior to teach you how to act like a human being.” Under his utterly bewildered gaze, I smashed the metal can squarely into the center of his forehead. He howled in agony. Taking advantage of his momentary blackout, I grabbed him by the collar, ripped him out of his chair, threw him to the floor, mounted his chest, and started raining slaps across his face left and right. “This is for being a degenerate! “This is for the nicknames! “And this is for barking like a pathetic, rabid dog for a girl who doesn’t even want you!” 03 In the principal’s office. Seeing the bloody scratch marks covering her son’s face, Tyler’s mother raised her hand and lunged forward to slap me. I swiftly ducked to the side. Ms. Parker, my homeroom teacher who was standing right behind me, took the full, ringing force of the slap directly to her face. Ms. Parker had never been a good person. Whenever conflicts arose in her classroom, she always sided with the students who had wealthy, powerful parents. I had reported to her countless times that Tyler and his friends were leading the bullying, catcalling me, and throwing things at my head. Ms. Parker had just looked at me coldly and said: “Where there is smoke, there’s fire. If you behaved like a proper, decent girl, no one would bother you.” God as my witness, what kind of disgusting logic was that? If a fly lands on you, does that mean you’re a piece of rotting garbage? Not only did she refuse to do her job and protect me, but she actually victim-blamed me. Smack! Tyler’s mother gasped in horror, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide. Ms. Parker’s face turned ash gray. “Chloe Vance! Look what you’ve done!” Tyler’s mother had swung with everything she had. A bright red handprint was rapidly blooming across Ms. Parker’s left cheek. “Ms. Parker, Tyler’s mom is the one who slapped you. Why on earth are you blaming me?” Tyler’s mom quickly began apologizing profusely to the teacher, while simultaneously cursing me out. “You little bitch! I was aiming for you! If you hadn’t dodged, I wouldn’t have hit Ms. Parker!” “So I’m just supposed to stand there and let you hit me? The apple truly doesn’t fall far from the tree. No wonder Tyler has absolutely zero class.” Furious, Tyler’s mom raised her hand to strike me again. “Stop right there.” A familiar female voice echoed from the doorway. It was Liam’s mother, my estate manager, Evelyn Thorne. She was dressed in a sharp, tailored business suit, her shoulder-length hair styled in elegant waves. She didn’t look like a housekeeper; she looked like a high-powered corporate executive. “Mrs. Vance! What a surprise to see you here!” Seeing who it was, Ms. Parker instantly flipped her attitude, stepping forward with a fawning, desperate smile. My father was overseas on a business trip and couldn’t make it back. As my dedicated estate manager, it was perfectly normal for Evelyn to come to the school to handle emergencies. Evelyn offered a graceful, weary smile. “Chloe’s parents are so busy with work. We’re all family, so I came in their place. It’s the same thing.” “Of course a maid is busy serving her masters,” Tyler muttered under his breath. Acting as if she hadn’t heard a thing, Evelyn began exchanging pleasantries with Ms. Parker. I lowered my eyes, unable to hold back a cold sneer. This duo, Liam and his mother, were absolute masters at dropping vague, misleading statements that confirmed everyone’s false assumptions. Anyone looking at them would assume Evelyn was the wealthy matriarch, and Liam was the heir, simply letting a poor charity case live with them. When people called me the maid’s daughter, my denials were treated like delusional lies, because Liam and Evelyn never once stepped up to correct the record. Instead, they would pull me aside and lecture me. They’d say, “Don’t stoop to their level. People are just jealous of wealth. Keeping a low profile protects your dad’s company from unwanted attention.” Ms. Parker glanced at me, then gave Evelyn a brief rundown of today’s incident. “Arguments between students are normal, but resorting to physical violence crosses the line. Tyler is injured. In my opinion, you should cover his medical bills, and Chloe needs to give Tyler a formal apology.” “Absolutely not! My Tyler took a beating for no reason. This is not going away that easily!” “What do you propose, Mrs. Brooks?” Tyler’s mom held up five fingers. “This much. And she has to apologize to my Tyler in front of the entire school assembly.” “$50,000?” Evelyn smoothly pulled out a designer checkbook. She turned to me. “Chloe, the car is parked downstairs. Go wait for me in the back.” I walked out, but I didn’t go downstairs. Tyler’s furious complaints drifted through the open door. “Aunt Evelyn, Chloe is just a maid’s daughter! Why are you treating her so well?!” Evelyn’s voice was soft and maternal. “Don’t speak about her like that. She and my Liam grew up together, and I’ve watched over her since she was a little girl. If she makes a mistake, how could I not look after her?” Ms. Parker gushed, “You are simply too kind, Mrs. Vance.” 04 By the time they escorted Evelyn downstairs, I was already sitting in the car. Tyler yanked the car door open and started yelling. “Aunt Evelyn is nice enough to come pick you up, and you’re sitting in the back seat acting like you’re the boss?! Do you have any manners at all?” “You’re talking to me about manners? The guy who makes up degrading nicknames for girls?” Tyler was about to snap back, but Evelyn grabbed his arm. “Let it go. This child has always had a difficult temper. As adults, we just have to be a little more forgiving.” Ms. Parker shook her head in disapproval, and Evelyn offered a tragic, long-suffering sigh. The car pulled away from the school and merged into traffic. “Chloe, we are ladies. We cannot go around getting into physical altercations. It’s inappropriate.” “No boy is ever going to like a girl who is that aggressive and abrasive.” “Besides, you’re all classmates. You have to see each other every single day. There’s no need to make enemies.” “I’ve already smoothed things over with them. You don’t have to apologize in front of the whole school anymore. Just give Tyler a sincere apology in front of the class, and this whole thing will blow over.” She still thought I was the same brainwashed, naive child she had PUA’d for the last decade, assuming she could just pay people off and force me to apologize without even asking what happened. Her “solution” blatantly cemented the narrative that I was the one entirely at fault. “Why didn’t you ask me why I hit him?” In the rearview mirror, Evelyn’s face stiffened for a fraction of a second, before she offered a silent, patronizing smile. “Regardless of the reason, resorting to violence is always wrong.” “Fine. If you think I’m wrong, you go apologize to him. I am not covering a single cent of that check. You can pay it out of your own pocket. And if you can’t handle a minor issue like this properly, I’ll ask my dad to replace you with a competent estate manager.” I had my own independent bank accounts. The massive budget required to run the estate, covering the salaries and expenses of dozens of staff members, was entirely under my control. My dad had assigned a dedicated corporate accountant to manage my books. I pulled out my phone and dialed Mr. Reed. “The estate manager just wrote a check for $50,000. Void it immediately. Do not let the bank clear it.” Hanging up the phone, I looked at the familiar city streets outside the window and ordered Evelyn to take a different route home. Even though the driver today wasn’t Arthur—who in my past life had taken cold medicine before driving—taking a different route gave me peace of mind to avoid the crash entirely. Before I closed my eyes to rest, I caught a glimpse of Evelyn in the rearview mirror. Her face was absolutely livid. Evelyn Thorne arrived at the Vance estate when I was five years old. My mother had just passed away, and my dad was drowning in corporate expansion. Originally hired as a nanny, Evelyn slowly morphed into a mother figure in my life. Her promotion to head estate manager was largely because of me. My dependence on her eventually surpassed my reliance on my constantly traveling father. Who could have guessed she harbored the ambition of a starving wolf? From the time I was a child, she began systematically gaslighting me. She subtly brainwashed me with toxic, outdated ideals: Men conquer the world, women manage the home. Girls should be submissive, quiet, and excessively forgiving. She deliberately manufactured endless opportunities for me to be alone with her son, paving the way for Liam to secure my heart—and by extension, the entire Vance empire—before we even graduated. Evelyn and Liam’s current behavior made them look more like the masters of the house than I did. When we got home, my chauffeured Maybach still hadn’t returned. Because of the voided check, Evelyn was in a foul mood, her tone sharp and snappy. “The young master still isn’t back yet?” Martha, our loyal maid, took my backpack and blazer, shaking her head. “No, ma’am.” “Arthur is so incredibly reckless! Keeping Liam out wandering the streets this late! Do you have any idea what time it is? Are you too stupid to call him and tell him to hurry up?!” Arthur was my dedicated driver. He was also Evelyn’s younger brother, and Liam’s uncle. After Evelyn secured her iron grip on the Vance household, it didn’t take long for Arthur to be appointed as my personal chauffeur. In my past life, when I was abandoned at school, I called Arthur to come back and get me. He casually told me that Liam had an urgent matter to attend to and couldn’t be interrupted, telling me to just hail a cab. I was so blinded by heartbreak over Liam leaving with Summer that I didn’t even think to call my dad. And then the crash happened.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “440335”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

In the fourth year of our arranged marriage, Nathaniel still loved that fragile human, Sophia, his fated mate. Even though I was his wife now, it didn’t matter. After Sophia got injured, he even wanted to drain half his blood for her. Alpha blood had strong healing powers. It could prevent scars from forming on her wounds. Sophia shattered the keepsake my grandmother left me. Yet he grabbed me by the throat and forced me to apologize to Sophia. To make him happy, I chose to break the mate bond and leave on my own. Two months later, he found me in Paris and begged me to come back to him. But he didn’t know. I had found my fated mate. Amelia Johnson POV On the phone, Moore, my father’s beta, had a calm and professional voice. “Amelia, Alpha Silas has carefully considered your proposal. He admits that Nathaniel has done far too much for that human, things a qualified alpha heir shouldn’t do. Therefore, the cooperation with Moonclaw Pack can be terminated. You can leave Moonclaw Pack after that ridiculous marriage contract expires and go anywhere you want.” His voice paused, taking on a hint of amusement. “If the money isn’t enough, you’ll have to talk to your father yourself.” “Thank you for your help, Moore.” I hung up and looked at the enormous photo hanging in the center of the living room wall. In the picture, I wore a formal dress, standing beside Nathaniel. That was the only time in my life I dared to stand so brazenly close to Nathaniel. Yet his expression was so cold. Love or the lack of it needed no words. It hung there, naked and obvious. “It’s finally going to end.” I sighed. Four years ago, my father sent me to Moonclaw Pack for an arranged marriage when I was twenty-two and still hadn’t found my fated mate. After arriving, I learned that Nathaniel had already found his fated mate. It’s just that his fated mate was human, a human that Nathaniel’s father, Alpha William, refused to accept. So Alpha William ordered him to give up that human and be with me. On my wedding night, there was no tenderness, only Nathaniel’s cold, cutting words and a ridiculous marriage contract. “Amelia, remember your place. This is just an arranged marriage between us. And this arrangement only lasts four years. During these four years, do what you’re supposed to do and don’t fantasize about anything that doesn’t belong to you. After four years, give up your position to its rightful owner.” Back then, I naively thought that four years would be enough to warm a block of ice. I thought we could become mates who loved each other. But four years passed, and I finally understood: some ice would never melt for me. A soft sound at the door interrupted my thoughts. Nathaniel was home. His tall figure brought a sharp chill as he stepped inside. I took a deep breath and went to meet him. I took his coat and hung it up. I knelt down in front of him, opened the shoe cabinet, and took out a pair of soft house slippers. I had practiced this routine for four years. Nathaniel had long grown accustomed to it all. He loosened his tie and tossed it carelessly on the shoe cabinet: “Next month is the pack’s full moon festival. Don’t forget to attend.” My movements as I changed his shoes froze for a moment. I shook my head gently: “I’ll probably be busy that day. I won’t go.” After that day, I would no longer be Nathaniel’s mate. But I couldn’t bring myself to say those words. Hearing this, Nathaniel’s brows furrowed immediately. “What are you throwing a tantrum about now?” His voice was full of impatience. “Because I’ve been spending more time with Sophia lately? Amelia, I warned you on the first day of our marriage. Don’t fantasize about things that don’t belong to you. And put away that pathetic victim act. It only disgusts me.” I was simply preparing to disappear completely from his world after the contract expired, to never be an eyesore again. Yet he thought I was protesting his kindness toward Sophia in this way. I opened my mouth but ultimately said nothing. Nathaniel’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression instantly softened. A tenderness he had never shown me. Sophia’s crying came through the receiver. Nathaniel asked nervously and gently: “Sophia? What’s wrong? Don’t cry, take your time.” Sophia on the other end seemed to be saying something intermittently. Nathaniel kept comforting her: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. Where are you now? Okay, I’ll be right there!” He hung up and didn’t even glance at me still kneeling on the floor. He grabbed his car keys and rushed outside. He moved so urgently that his shoulder slammed hard into me. I was already off-balance, and this powerful impact sent my body stumbling backward uncontrollably. My forehead struck hard against the sharp corner of the door frame. Searing pain exploded from my temple, and stars burst before my eyes. But Nathaniel’s figure had already disappeared outside the door. He rushed into the cold night without even a backward glance. The huge house instantly fell silent. I supported myself against the wall and slowly stood up. The pain at my temple made me dizzy. I walked to the mirror in the entryway and looked at the pale-faced woman in the reflection. I wore a blue floral dress, looking docile and harmless. But I wasn’t always like this. I was my father’s favorite child, inheriting his combat talents. I could shift at sixteen and beat down those guys who drooled after me. I never imagined becoming someone’s mate, bearing his children, managing a household. For four years, I had disguised myself as a weak, unthreatening woman. All to win Nathaniel’s love. It was laughable, but I had to do it to maintain the alliance between our packs. I was an alpha’s daughter. This was my duty. At least it would all end soon. It wasn’t until late at night that my phone rang. It was Nathaniel. I answered. His voice came through, completely flat: “Come to the hospital.” I instinctively asked: “What happened? Are you hurt?” “Come and you’ll see.” The call was mercilessly disconnected, leaving only the cold dial tone. Without thinking, I grabbed a coat and rushed out. The night wind was freezing. I drove at top speed all the way. What could have happened? Was it an accident with Sophia? Or was it him? I arrived at the hospital as fast as I could. From a distance, I immediately saw Nathaniel in the hospital room, holding the crying Sophia and comforting her. They were embracing tightly. The scene felt so ironic, as if I, who had rushed here, was the third party.

Amelia Johnson POV The air in the corridor felt especially cold because of the disinfectant smell. I stood there, feeling like all the blood in my body had been frozen by this chill. I watched the two people embracing tightly in the distance. Nathaniel lowered his head, softly comforting Sophia who was crying in his arms. The lines of his profile were as gentle as if he were a different person. That was the tenderness I hadn’t earned even after four years. I could barely breathe. It took me a long time to move my stiffened legs again, walking toward them step by step. Nathaniel heard the sound and looked up. The moment he saw me, the tenderness that flashed in his eyes quickly faded, replaced again by that familiar coldness. “What happened?” I forced myself to speak. Nathaniel looked at me with those terrifyingly calm eyes and spoke slowly: “Sophia had an accident. The wound is long, and she’s lost a lot of blood.” I instinctively asked: “What?” “She needs a blood transfusion.” Nathaniel looked at me as if stating a fact as mundane as the weather, completely unrelated to her: “My blood can not only save her but also prevent the wound from scarring.” “You want to give her your blood?!” Alpha blood did indeed have powerful healing abilities. But that didn’t mean it should be used at times like this, especially not for the reason of preventing a human from having scars. This was absurd. He would go this far for Sophia? “I didn’t call you here for your opinion.” Nathaniel coldly interrupted me. “Just to inform you.” “Nathaniel, you can’t do this!” I stepped forward, my voice trembling with urgency. “Losing a large amount of blood is dangerous even for you. This is too risky!” “Dangerous?” A mocking smile curved Nathaniel’s lips. “That’s none of your concern. My decisions aren’t for you to question.” “I’m your mate!” The words burst out, carrying a desperation I hadn’t even noticed in myself. “Mate?” The mockery in his eyes deepened. “Remember your place, Amelia. You’re just a conveniently suitable arranged marriage partner when I needed one. Now, move aside.” I see. So my only value as his mate was to be a silent background prop when told he’d decided to risk himself for another woman. How ironic. “Fine.” I stepped back, feeling all the strength drain from my body. Nathaniel released Sophia and helped her sit in a nearby chair. He comforted her with gentle words, then turned and strode toward the treatment room. Just as the door was about to close, I called out: “Nathaniel!” He stopped and turned to look at me without emotion. For a moment, I wanted to ask him: In these four years, did you ever care for me, even for a second? But meeting those cold eyes, I knew the answer would only disappoint me more. In the end, I only said: “Be safe.” His gaze seemed to flicker slightly, but he said nothing in the end. He turned and went to give blood without hesitation. I finally understood completely. His love for Sophia was profound enough that he would give his precious blood for her. And my four years of devotion and waiting were nothing but a joke. In the corridor, I sat on the cold bench. Sophia walked out of the hospital room, wiped away her tears, sat down beside me, and spoke in a gentle tone: “I’m sorry for troubling Nathaniel again because of me. You know, when I first learned about you, I was really angry. But he said you were just a tool he used to deal with Alpha William. With you around, Alpha William wouldn’t make things difficult for me, and I could have more freedom.” I knew what this meant. Alpha William was an extremely strict werewolf alpha. He didn’t allow any female werewolves to leave the pack, or even go to bars alone. He was even stricter with Nathaniel’s mate. He forbade me from leaving the pack, required me to wait at home when Nathaniel returned, demanded I personally take care of all of Nathaniel’s needs. So Nathaniel knew this life was restrictive, but he didn’t care about me, so he couldn’t see my pain. “You know what? One year, he secretly flew to Paris just because I casually mentioned I liked a certain vintage pendant that was about to be released.” Sophia smiled and continued to provoke me. “But I was still angry at the time, so I threw the jewelry box right back at him.” I remembered that pendant. When Nathaniel returned from Paris that time, he casually tossed an exquisite velvet box to me, his tone indifferent: “Someone gave it to me. I don’t like it. You deal with it.” I was so happy when I opened it and saw the necklace. I thought it was the first and only gift he’d ever given me. I treasured it at the bottom of my jewelry box, never daring to wear it, often taking it out and looking at it for hours. It turned out that what I treasured was just the garbage Sophia had disdainfully thrown away. “And another time,” Sophia’s voice drifted over leisurely, “I was in a bad mood late at night and posted something really sad on social media. Guess what? He actually flew to New York overnight to be with me. Even though I didn’t want to see him, he stood in the rain all night.” I remembered that time. When Nathaniel came back from his business trip, he was soaking wet and pressed me hard beneath him, taking me fiercely. I naively thought at the time that it was proof of his longing for me after our separation, a breakthrough in our relationship. It turned out that wasn’t love at all, much less genuine feeling. It was just him venting all his unfulfilled desire for another woman on me, a substitute he could use whenever he wanted. “These four years,” Sophia’s voice was full of pride, “I ignored him, wanted him to give up, but Nathaniel pursued relentlessly. Every day he had someone send me a bouquet of lisianthus.” The flower language of lisianthus is unchanging love, eternal waiting. I felt dizzy and disoriented. He didn’t like having any plants in the house. He said he was allergic, so I, who had always loved fresh flowers, hadn’t bought a single one in four years. Yet he easily ordered flowers for someone else for four entire years. I was a complete fool. Four years of arranged marriage, an elaborately planned deception. “I’m leaving.” I didn’t want to hear her continue. I stood up and pushed through the hospital doors, finally breaking into a run. I was afraid that one second later, I would completely drown in this four-year-long fantasy.

Amelia Johnson POV After escaping from the hospital, I locked myself in the villa for three whole days. So the pendant I had carefully treasured was someone else’s discarded garbage. So what I thought was passion was just a tool for venting. So my joyful late-night companionship was just witnessing a prolonged confession. Four years, one thousand four hundred and sixty days: I had become a complete substitute, a shadow. Not even a shadow, just an insignificant background prop in his love story. On the fourth day, Beta Henry knocked on my door: “Amelia, Alpha William wants you and sir to remember to attend the gathering tonight.” I didn’t refuse. This was Moonclaw Pack’s rule: a monthly banquet, rain or shine. I spent a long time using thick concealer to hide the exhaustion and pallor on my face. I changed into a proper long dress and played the role of Nathaniel’s gentle and virtuous mate once again. This would be the last time. In the evening, Nathaniel came home, his face slightly paler than usual but still upright. Seeing me, he only nodded faintly as a greeting, then went straight upstairs to change. From beginning to end, he didn’t ask why I had suddenly left that day or how I’d been these past few days. As if I were just a prop needed to attend the banquet together. The pack’s council hall was built large and usually served the function of hosting banquets as well. The huge dining table was filled with pack members, but the atmosphere was as oppressive as always. No one dared to make noise around the stern and rigid Alpha William. Nathaniel’s father, Alpha William, sat at the head of the table. Halfway through the meal, an elder spoke up with concern: “Nathaniel, you and Amelia have been together for four years. Why hasn’t she gotten pregnant yet?” At these words, everyone’s gaze focused on my flat abdomen. Oh no. Nathaniel put down his utensils and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, his tone indifferent: “No rush.” These three casual words instantly ignited Alpha William’s fury. He slammed his fork heavily on the table. “No rush?!” William glared at him. “You’re already thirty years old. How much longer do you want to wait? Amelia, as Nathaniel’s mate, don’t you have any sense of responsibility?!” The attack instantly turned toward me. I put down my fork, stood up, and bowed my head slightly: “Dad, it’s my fault.” “Of course it’s your fault!” William’s voice grew even harsher. His sharp gaze cut into me like a knife. “I heard that a few days ago, Nathaniel gave a lot of blood for that human woman! Alpha blood is so precious and powerful. How can it be casually given to others, especially to a fragile human?! You’re his mate and you were there. Why didn’t you stop him from doing something so dangerous and reckless?!” “Dad, this was my own decision.” Nathaniel frowned and spoke up. “You shut up!” William scolded. “You don’t get to speak here! Amelia, you’ve been married to Nathaniel for four years without bearing an heir for the pack. Now you can’t even take care of Nathaniel’s health, letting him deplete himself for some damned human! You’re failing completely as a mate!” Yes, this was another reason I decided not to continue the marriage arrangement. This Alpha William was even more domineering and tyrannical than a king. Especially, he hated all women. That included me, of course. He believed women should stay obediently at home, locked up in chains, only needed to bear children. So his mate, that brave Luna, tried to resist and ultimately chose suicide. The death of his fated mate only intensified this tyrant’s obsession. In these four years, I had endured too many such insults. I hadn’t planned to respond. But William gestured to a nearby servant. The servant immediately brought over a bowl of dark, bitter-smelling medicine. “This is medicine I specially had the healer prepare for you. It will help you get pregnant. Drink it!” William commanded. I looked at the bowl of medicine, my stomach churning. For the first time, I chose to resist. “Dad, I’m sorry. I won’t drink this medicine.” Everyone was shocked, including Nathaniel, who looked at me with surprise. William’s face turned ashen. He pointed at my nose and roared: “You dare defy me! Are you challenging Moonclaw Pack’s rules? Guards!” Two tall guards immediately stepped forward. “Take her to the yard! Give her ten lashes with the silver whip!” I didn’t resist, letting the guards drag me out. From beginning to end, Nathaniel just sat there, watching coldly. He didn’t even say a word in my defense, only looking away the moment I was taken out. As if what was about to happen in the yard had nothing to do with him. The late autumn night was bitterly cold. William was always strict. He had established many rules. This wasn’t my first time being punished, but it would be my last. Wounds left by silver weapons were difficult to heal. The cold penetrated through the wounds into my bones, making me shiver all over, yet I also felt a burning pain spreading. Through the study window, I could clearly see Nathaniel’s silhouette. He didn’t come out. He sat on the study sofa, holding his phone and making a call. I couldn’t see his expression, but I could imagine that the person on the other end must be Sophia. Time passed minute by minute. The intense pain and cold from my back gradually blurred my consciousness. After the whipping ended, I felt my body growing colder and heavier, and the scene before my eyes began to spin. In the second before I completely lost consciousness, I saw Nathaniel in the study finally hang up the phone, stand up, and draw the curtains. He completely shut out my last shred of hope. So he simply didn’t care. Everything went black. Then nothing.

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I secretly loved Ethan for ten years. For five years, I was his substitute wife. In that fire, I lost hearing in my left ear and covered my back with scars to save his life. But he believed Cherry saved him. He said I stole someone else’s credit. He said I disgusted him. Then he brought her to our bed. Told me to buy the condoms. Inside the bedroom, Ethan’s stifled, wild groans mixed with Cherry’s shaking moans. Outside, I clutched the condoms, my knuckles white, the wounds on my back reopening. Can’t I just give up? The day I signed the divorce papers, I booked a one-way ticket to an island. My left ear is deaf. I’ll listen to the waves with my right. He doesn’t love me. Fine. I just want to be Summer Lynn again. Summer Lynn POV “Miss Lynn, you have severe hearing loss in your left ear.” The doctor handed me a report, his tone heavy. “Five years ago, you inhaled toxic smoke in the fire. It damaged your auditory nerve. Over the years, you’ve also had severe chronic depression. Your immune system has collapsed. Now even your right ear is starting to fail.” I sat in the chair without a sound. The doctor thought I didn’t understand, so he repeated himself. “If you don’t adjust your emotional state, your right ear will be affected too.” I looked at the diagnosis report. After a few seconds, I folded the thin sheet of paper neatly and placed it in my bag. “I understand. Thank you, doctor.” I stood up and left the consultation room. Outside in the corridor, a rainstorm had begun. I couldn’t help but think of that fire from five years ago. Ethan’s villa had caught fire. His leg was crushed, and he was trapped in the second-floor bedroom. I was the one who rushed in through the high heat. When the beam collapsed, I threw myself over Ethan and shielded him with everything I had. My back was severely injured, and my left ear was damaged by the toxic smoke. It kept bleeding. I dragged the unconscious Ethan out of the fire, then fell into a severe coma myself. But after I spent three days and nights being resuscitated in the ICU and finally woke up, everything had changed. That hospital was a private facility the Harrington family had invested in. Ethan’s mother, who had always despised me, suppressed my true medical report. Sitting by Ethan’s hospital bed was Cherry Collins. In Cherry’s hand, she clutched a watch she’d brought out from the fire. Cherry Collins was Ethan’s first love, the one who held his heart. Five years ago, Cherry, as Ethan’s girlfriend, had secretly left to study abroad on the night of their engagement, turning the Harrington family into a laughingstock. The Harrington family urgently needed a replacement to complete the engagement. I, who had secretly loved Ethan for ten years, stepped forward and willingly became the substitute for this marriage. That day, Ethan expressionlessly slid the diamond ring originally custom-made for Cherry onto my ring finger. From that moment on, I was nothing but a substitute. And when that fire happened, Cherry had just returned to the country. Ethan’s mother told Ethan that Cherry had rushed into the fire to save him, while I had only run in afterward to steal the credit. Ethan believed her. He was convinced that Cherry had risked her life to rush into the fire and save him. I dragged my still-bleeding back to explain, but all I got in return was Ethan’s extremely disgusted look and one cold sentence: “Summer, to make me love you, you’d even steal a life-saving deed? You truly disgust me.” After that, I never brought it up again. I took out my phone to call a car. A sedan suddenly screeched to a stop in front of me. The window rolled down. Ethan sat in the driver’s seat. He frowned slightly, his gaze resting on my rain-soaked shoulders, his tone cold. “Get in.” Ethan spoke. “Stop making a scene. If you get sick, I’ll have to arrange for someone to take care of you.” My hand holding the phone paused. I raised my head and looked past Ethan to see Cherry sitting in the passenger seat. Cherry didn’t turn around. She just leaned slightly to the side. If this were before, I would have stared hard at the passenger seat position, yanked open the car door, and demanded an explanation from Ethan about why he said he’d be at a company meeting but drove the car here instead. I would have asked, red-eyed and stubborn, for an explanation. Ethan was used to my questioning. But this time, I just glanced once, then calmly withdrew my gaze. “No need.” I stood on the steps, my tone devoid of emotion. “The hospital is full of germs. I’m afraid of infecting you both.” Ethan’s hand on the steering wheel paused slightly. “Ethan.” Cherry spoke softly. “Is Summer upset because I’m sitting here? Maybe I should get out. I can just take a cab back.” “Stay seated.” Ethan interrupted Cherry, his gaze still on me. “Summer, don’t test my patience. Are you sure you want to stand here in the rain?” “I called a car. It’ll be here soon,” I replied. Ethan looked at me, then finally let out a cold laugh. “Fine.” The window rolled up. The sedan merged back into traffic and quickly disappeared into the curtain of rain. I hadn’t called a car. I opened the umbrella in my bag and walked into the rain. I returned to the villa. It was already seven in the evening. I closed my dripping umbrella and walked straight into the kitchen. I walked to the counter and pulled open the bottom drawer. Inside was a very thick notebook. Opening the cover, it was filled with my notes. Five years ago, Ethan was admitted to the ICU because of a stomach hemorrhage. After that, I visited every hospital in the city and wrote down these precautions. For the past five years, I’d followed this notebook and made nutritious meals for Ethan every day. My hands still bore two permanent scars from burns. And Ethan’s evaluation of the nutritious meals was usually just a cold “just leave it on the table,” or he simply wouldn’t come home. I flipped through two pages. The paper made a dry rustling sound. Then I closed the notebook and threw it into the nearby trash can. I looked at my left ring finger. This ring was personally designed by Ethan for Cherry back then. The ring size was also made to Cherry’s measurements. So the ring was a bit tight on my finger. Every time I accidentally bumped it, the band would dig hard into my knuckle. But I never complained of pain. I insisted on wearing this ring for five years.

Summer Lynn POV The knuckle of my ring finger had long since developed a ring of stubborn dead skin from being squeezed. I squeezed out a large blob of hand soap and spread it on my ring finger. I gripped the wedding ring with my right hand and pulled hard outward. The stinging pain of broken skin came. The metal scraped against my knuckle. The ring gradually left my finger. The moment the ring came off my finger, I stood by the sink for a long time. I dried my hands, then walked out of the bathroom. I lifted the covers and lay down. I closed my eyes. My right ear listened to the sound of rain outside the window. My left ear existed in absolute, dead silence. I should have gone to the living room to turn on a dim lamp, then stayed up all night waiting for Ethan to come home. But tonight. I didn’t turn on a light for him. I didn’t wait anymore either. The next morning when I came downstairs, Ethan and Cherry were already sitting in the dining room. Cherry picked up a bowl of hot milk and walked over. “Summer, you got caught in the rain last night. Drink some hot milk while it’s warm.” I didn’t speak. I pulled out a chair and sat down. I hadn’t slept all night. My stomach sent a wave of pain through me. I picked up the hot milk and took a sip. After just a few seconds, my face instantly changed. There was peanut powder in the milk. I had an extremely severe peanut allergy. Ethan knew this. If I touched even a little bit, I would have an allergic reaction, triggering acute asthma or even shock. My airway felt like it was being squeezed shut by an invisible hand. I covered my throat, desperately gasping for air, but couldn’t draw in a single breath. I fell from the chair in agony, my face quickly turning purple. “Ah!” At the same moment, a cry rang out from the kitchen. “Ethan, it hurts… I cut my finger.” Cherry held up her finger with a small trace of blood, her eyes red. Ethan, who had been watching the morning news, heard the sound and immediately stood up, striding toward the kitchen. I collapsed on the floor, my vision starting to blur. I used every ounce of strength to crawl toward the table. In the drawer there was my epinephrine emergency pen. My fingertips finally touched the edge of the table. Just as I was about to pull open the drawer, Ethan rushed past. Bang! To get to Cherry faster, he kicked the trash can beside the table. It knocked away the emergency kit I’d barely managed to reach. The medicine vial rolled to the deepest part under the sofa. I desperately reached out my hand and grabbed Ethan’s pant leg, making agonized sounds in my throat. Ethan looked down. He looked at me but didn’t stop. Instead, he shook off my hand. “Summer, can you stop making a scene?” Ethan’s tone was filled with undisguised disgust. “Cherry cut her finger. She faints at the sight of blood. I have to take her to the hospital right away!” He walked straight over, picked up Cherry, and strode quickly toward the door. At the doorway, he coldly threw out a sentence: “Call yourself a car to the hospital!” The door closed. I lay on the cold floor. My vision was already going black from lack of oxygen. I bit down hard and dragged my heavy body inch by inch toward the sofa. My nails scraped across the floor with a harsh sound, drawing out threads of blood. Finally, I touched the emergency pen. With trembling hands, I removed the safety cap, aimed it at the outside of my thigh, and stabbed it hard into my muscle! Along with the intense pain of the thick, long needle piercing in, the medication was rapidly pushed into my body. Ten minutes later, my airway slowly opened. I lay on the floor, gulping in air. I had almost died here just now. I’d always thought that the person I’d saved with my life all those years ago would also save me when I was in danger. But only at this moment did I finally understand. In Ethan’s eyes, my life wasn’t worth even a bit of broken skin on Cherry. I should give up.

Summer Lynn POV I lay on the cold floor for an entire night. Until dawn broke, Ethan hadn’t returned. He hadn’t called even once. I propped up my numb body and slowly climbed up from the floor. I opened my computer, printed out a divorce agreement, and dialed a number I’d never actively called in five years. “If you’re calling to say that Ethan is with Cherry again, don’t bother. I told you long ago. You’re just a substitute.” “Now that Cherry is back, Ethan doesn’t need a wife with no social standing like you.” Over these five years, Ethan’s mother had never hidden her disgust for me. Every time Ethan brought Cherry to public events, she either permitted it or even supported it, trying to force me to leave on my own. My voice was calm. “I agree to the divorce, and I’ll leave here forever, but I need you to help me with something.” The person on the other end was clearly stunned, then said, “As long as you’re willing to leave Ethan, I’ll agree to any condition you want. How much money do you want?” “I don’t want a single penny.” I looked at the agreement I’d just signed beside me. “I just need you to use the Harrington family’s connections to quietly finalize the divorce within a month. And… erase all my information. Ethan can’t find out.” Ethan’s mother laughed. “Fine. In thirty days, I’ll have someone deliver your new identity to you.” After doing all this, I found a number in my contacts. This number belonged to a gallery director. Five years ago, I’d had the chance to have my own art exhibition. But to take care of Ethan, I put down my paintbrush and picked up cooking instead. “Marcus, that beach house you mentioned. Is it still available?” “Of course! Finally ready to paint again?” “Yes.” I replied. “I want to rent that house.” I wasn’t going to be Mrs. Harrington anymore. After hanging up, I booked a one-way ticket for thirty days from now. I was going to that island where no one knew me, to become Summer Lynn again. That evening, Ethan came back alone. He walked into the living room and saw me sitting quietly on the sofa reading. I didn’t rush up to him with hot milk like before. I didn’t even lift my head. Ethan asked coldly, “Did the family doctor come treat you this morning? Stop eating random things from now on.” I turned a page in my book, my tone calm. “It’s fine. I won’t die.” “There’s a charity auction gala tomorrow. Come with me. Don’t you always want me to introduce you to the public?” My gaze moved from the book. I was about to refuse when Ethan’s phone suddenly rang. Cherry’s delicate crying voice came from the other end. “Ethan, can you take me to tomorrow’s auction? I just got back to the country. I don’t know anyone. I’m so scared to go alone…” Ethan glanced at me. I remained sitting quietly, as if I hadn’t heard the phone conversation at all. He suddenly blurted out, “Okay, I’ll pick you up tomorrow.” After hanging up, Ethan looked at me. “You don’t need to go to tomorrow’s gala. Rest at home. I’ll take you to another gala in a few days.” If this were before, I would have demanded through red eyes why he was going back on his word. But today, I looked at him and gently closed the book in my hands. “Okay.” I nodded, no unwillingness in my tone. “I understand.” Ethan looked at me. He suddenly yanked off his tie, turned around, and strode upstairs. What he didn’t know was that the moment he turned to go upstairs, I took out my phone. On the phone screen was a ticketing message from the airline. “You have successfully booked a one-way ticket to Hawaii departing in thirty days.” Ethan’s mother had also sent a message: “The divorce has entered the process. It will take thirty days. In thirty days, I hope you keep your promise.” I replied, “Thank you.” Then I opened my calendar and silently began counting down.

Summer Lynn POV The next day, Ethan took Cherry to the charity gala as expected. When he returned, he even tossed me a gift box. “Auction item from last night’s gala. For you.” I sat on the sofa, my gaze falling on that gift box. I didn’t take it. I didn’t open it either. “Do you need me to open it for you?” Ethan’s brow furrowed slightly. He walked over and opened the gift box clasp with one hand. Inside lay a dazzling diamond necklace. “I saw Cherry really liked the main piece from this collection, so I bought it for her. This starry one is the secondary piece. It happens to suit you.” My fingertips curled slightly under my sleeves. What he gave Cherry was the main necklace worth tens of millions. What he gave me, his wife, was just a secondary gift piece. If this were before, I would have asked him through red eyes, “Ethan, in your heart, will I always only get the things she doesn’t want?” I would have been too upset to sleep, while he would only think I was making a fuss and habitually use money to wipe away my tears. But tonight, I just felt like my heart had been injected with anesthesia. Even the pain had become dull. I looked at the necklace reflecting cold light and pulled at the corners of my dry lips slightly. “Thank you.” My voice was as light as a feather landing on the ground. “The necklace is beautiful. I really like it.” Ethan’s movements paused. I didn’t look at the necklace anymore. My gaze returned to the book in my hands. “Summer, stop making a scene.” His voice deepened, carrying suppressed displeasure. “I’m very tired today. I don’t have time to humor you.” “I’m not making a scene.” I turned a page in my book, my tone as calm as stagnant water. Ethan stared at me for a while, then let out a cold laugh, turned around, and strode toward the second-floor study. Bang! The study door slammed shut. I didn’t try to keep him. I looked at the glittering necklace on the table. What flashed through my mind was a scene from ten years ago. That year I was only sixteen, hiding in a corner of the Harrington family villa, watching that handsome young man. I’d secretly loved him for a full ten years. When his fiancée ran away from the wedding, I was willing to wear an ill-fitting wedding dress and shield him from all the embarrassment. On our wedding day, I naively thought that as long as I was obedient enough and understanding enough, someday I could make him love me. Even though he put a ring that didn’t fit my finger onto my hand, even though he wouldn’t spare me a glance, I still felt that at least I was standing beside him. But that fire not only took away my hearing. It also completely burned away my love for him. For Cherry’s sake, he didn’t even care about my life. Once a person wakes up, they understand everything. For the next two weeks, I silently erased all traces of myself. I listed designer bags and clothes on secondhand websites at low prices, keeping only a few of the most ordinary clothes. In the huge master bedroom, the traces of my presence grew fainter and fainter. That afternoon, the villa’s doorbell suddenly rang. Cherry walked in. I walked out of the storage room holding a wooden paint box covered in thick dust. I looked up and saw Cherry. Around Cherry’s neck, she was conspicuously wearing that dazzling main diamond necklace. That huge central diamond rested perfectly on her delicate collarbone, so bright it hurt the eyes. “Summer, you’re home.” Cherry walked into the living room, deliberately tucking her hair behind her ear to fully expose the necklace to my view. “A few days ago at the auction, Ethan insisted on buying me this jewelry set. I said it was too expensive and I couldn’t accept it, but he wouldn’t listen. He even put it on me himself.” Cherry smiled happily. “He said this necklace had a secondary gift piece that he brought home for you. Did you see it?” My fingers holding the paint box tightened slightly. I listened to Cherry’s boastful words and looked at that necklace, but my eyes didn’t show even a ripple of emotion. I pointed at the box. “If you like it, take that along with you.”

Summer Lynn POV Cherry froze in place. After all, my reaction carried an uncomfortable sense of dismissal. Cherry bit her lip unwillingly. Her gaze shifted and landed on the old paint box I was holding. “Summer, what are you packing up?” Cherry walked forward, pretending to be curious as she reached out to touch the box. “Don’t touch it.” My voice turned slightly cold. I instinctively stepped back. This was the last memento my mother left me before she died. It was also what I planned to take to the island. My hope for starting a new life. Cherry didn’t pull her hand back. Instead, she twisted her wrist hard, using my own backward movement as cover. Crash! A dull, heavy sound. The heavy wooden box slipped from my hands and fell hard onto the marble floor. The wooden box shattered instantly. The paint tubes I’d treasured for years broke into pieces, paint splashing out everywhere, staining the expensive carpet and splattering onto my clean pant legs. I stood frozen, staring at the broken wooden box, my brain blank for a moment. “Oh no!” But Cherry cried out first. She quickly stepped back two paces, her eyes instantly reddening like a startled deer. At the same moment, the second-floor study door was pushed open forcefully. Hearing the commotion, Ethan quickly came downstairs. “What happened?” He glanced at the paint all over the floor, his brow knitting tightly. Cherry immediately grabbed Ethan’s sleeve with red eyes, her voice choking with tears. “Ethan, I just wanted to help Summer with something… Summer might still be mad at me. She threw the box down and almost hit my foot…” Ethan’s gaze followed Cherry’s pointing finger and landed on me. He looked at the mess on the floor, then at my face. “Summer, what exactly are you trying to do?” Ethan’s tone was ice-cold, with undisguised disgust. “They’re just some paint tubes. Do you really need to make such a scene?” These paints were my mother’s favorites when she was alive. Five years ago, to take care of Ethan who had a stomach hemorrhage from inhaling smoke, I gave up my own art exhibition. Now, the items I treasured most from my mother had been smashed to pieces by Cherry’s own hands, yet he directly pinned all the blame on me. I slowly raised my head and looked at Ethan. “You think this is just some paint?” My voice was very light, but carried a kind of deathly stillness that made people’s hearts skip. “What else?” Ethan looked at me coldly, pulling out a checkbook from his suit pocket. “How much money do you need? A hundred thousand or two hundred thousand? I’ll write you a check.” I looked at him for a few seconds. Looking at this man whose life I’d saved with my own, even at the cost of my left ear’s hearing. I suddenly found it absurd. I nodded. I didn’t reach for that check. I turned around and looked at the servant standing timidly to the side. “Sweep all this garbage into the trash.” Ethan’s hand holding the check froze in midair. “Summer…” Ethan frowned. He seemed like he wanted to say something to make me stay. I had already turned and gone upstairs. In this house, there was nothing left worth looking at even once more. Back in the bedroom, I closed the door and leaned weakly against it. I closed my eyes and bit down hard on my lower lip until I tasted a hint of sweet, bloody iron, finally forcing down the sourness in my throat that nearly tore me apart. I took out my phone and opened the calendar. Only seven days left until my flight departed. After heavily crossing off today’s date, I took a deep breath. Very soon, I could be completely free.

Summer Lynn POV I moved out of the master bedroom and into a guest room. I no longer asked Ethan what time he’d be home. Even when Cherry occasionally walked around the living room wearing Ethan’s shirt, I just ignored it. This complete indifference seemed to provoke Ethan. One evening, Ethan pushed open the guest room door. I was sitting by the window reading. Hearing the sound, I didn’t even lift an eyelid. Ethan walked over and placed an invitation on the small table in front of me. His tone was cold. “My friends are having a party tonight to celebrate Cherry’s gallery securing a location. Come with me.” My gaze finally moved from the book pages and landed on that invitation. For five years, Ethan had never brought me to meet his friends. His friends looked down on me as a substitute, and he never felt it necessary to have me attend. But today, he wanted to bring me along. “I’m not going.” My voice held no emotion. Ethan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He looked at me, his eyes gradually growing cold. “Summer, stop making a scene.” His voice was heavy. “You need to attend the party tonight.” He still wanted to control me like before. Over these five years, whenever he used this tone, no matter how wronged I felt, I would immediately comply, afraid of making him unhappy. I looked at him for a few seconds. I didn’t have the energy to endure his cold violence anymore. “Fine.” I stood up. I casually grabbed a high-necked long-sleeved shirt and put it on, covering the hideous burn scars on my back. Half an hour later, I arrived at the private room. Ethan pushed open the door and led me inside. The lively conversation in the room instantly went quiet for a moment. In the center of the sofa, Cherry wore a beautiful white dress, surrounded by several friends chatting. Seeing me, Cherry’s smile stiffened for a moment, then she happily came forward. “Summer, you came.” A flash of mockery crossed Cherry’s eyes as she deliberately stood at Ethan’s side. I paid no attention and walked straight to the most secluded corner of the room to sit down. Ethan was pulled to sit in the center of the crowd. Cherry naturally sat close beside him. During the meal, everyone gathered around Cherry. A few deliberately lowered mocking remarks occasionally drifted over from the sofa area, carrying undisguised malice. “Cherry and Ethan really look like the perfect married couple. Some people use dirty tricks to become substitutes, but they still can’t compare to Cherry.” I sat quietly in the corner, as if all of this had nothing to do with me. The music in the room was very loud. I was sitting on his left side. My left ear had complete nerve death from that fire five years ago. I couldn’t hear anything from it. In such a noisy environment, sounds coming from my left were, to me, an area of complete dead silence. In the corner, I kept my head down looking at my phone, motionless. For some reason, the people in the room gradually stopped talking. The atmosphere became awkward. Suddenly, Ethan strode over and pulled me up from the sofa. “I’m talking to you. Can’t you hear me?” Ethan looked at me, his tone carrying displeasure and coldness. I was caught off guard and stumbled from being pulled. I was forced to raise my head and meet Ethan’s ice-cold eyes. If this were before, I would have desperately explained. I would have told him through red eyes that I really couldn’t hear. But now, I looked at him and calmly spoke. “Yes.” I looked into his eyes, my voice devoid of any emotion. “I can’t hear.” Ethan froze for an instant. Then his eyes turned completely cold. “Stop acting in front of me.” He released my hand. I rubbed my aching wrist where he’d gripped it, turned around without hesitation, and walked straight out of the private room. I didn’t want to stay in this place anymore.

Summer Lynn POV I walked out of the private room. The air in the corridor was cold and cutting. I rubbed my painfully squeezed wrist and didn’t wait for Ethan. I walked straight toward the club’s exclusive elevator. I had just pressed the down button when the elevator doors opened. Just as I was about to step in, urgent footsteps sounded behind me. Ethan strode over with a dark expression, Cherry following closely beside him with reddened eyes. The three of us, one after another, walked into the narrow elevator car. The elevator doors slowly closed and began descending smoothly. Cherry seemed like she wanted to say something to break the awkward silence, but after glancing at Ethan’s grim profile, she swallowed her words. Just as the elevator numbers hit the twentieth floor, a violent explosion shook the building. BOOM. The entire structure shuddered. The lights in the car instantly went out completely. The overhead ventilation fan made a piercing shriek before stopping entirely. Immediately after came a terrifying sensation of extreme weightlessness that made hearts leap into throats. The elevator was out of control. The entire car, in complete darkness, plummeted downward at a horrifying speed! “AH” Cherry let out a piercing scream. I was thrown against the elevator wall by the sudden jolt. The pain made my vision go black. In the darkness, weightless and disoriented, survival instinct took over. I reached out, trying to grab anything to steady myself. I grabbed the nearest thing. The hem of Ethan’s suit jacket. After dropping for more than ten floors, the elevator’s emergency safety clamps finally locked onto the tracks with a death grip. The car was like it had hit an invisible wall, abruptly suspended in midair. The massive recoil force threw us all heavily to the floor. In the pitch darkness, I could only hear heavy breathing. Above our heads came the sound of metal scraping as steel cables snapped. The car swayed precariously in midair.”Ethan…” Cherry curled up in Ethan’s arms, crying uncontrollably. I leaned against the cold metal corner of the elevator car. My right ear was filled with Cherry’s crying and the terrifying sound of steel cables about to snap. My left ear existed in absolute, dead silence. This extreme sense of being torn between half noise and half silence instantly pulled me back to that fire from five years ago. In the old villa five years ago, after the flames died down, it was this same suffocating darkness. The collapsed beam pressed on my back. I had shielded Ethan beneath me. I waited for rescue in that narrow, scorching, suffocating rubble. Since then, I’d developed severe claustrophobia. Whenever night fell, whenever I was in an enclosed space, I would uncontrollably tremble all over, break into cold sweats, even have difficulty breathing. So for these five years, in the villa’s living room, a lamp was always left on for me. At this moment, the claustrophobia was completely triggered in the darkness. My whole body began trembling. Cold sweat instantly soaked through my back. I opened my mouth, desperately trying to draw in the thin oxygen in the elevator car. I don’t know how much time passed. Suddenly, the roar of an electric saw cutting through metal came from the elevator ceiling. The top panel was forcibly pried open, creating an extremely narrow gap. A beam of blinding flashlight pierced down through the gap, cutting through the darkness inside the car. A rough rescue rope was thrown in. “Listen!” The rescue personnel shouted with all their might from above. “All the load-bearing cables have snapped! The opening is too narrow. We can only pull one person up at a time! Quickly put the safety harness on yourselves!” Suddenly, the elevator dropped sharply downward. Ethan didn’t hesitate at all. He grabbed the rope and without a second thought secured it around Cherry, locking the safety clasp tight. Then he forcefully lifted Cherry upward. “Pull her up! Hurry!” Ethan roared toward the opening at the top. The people above began pulling. Cherry’s body was gradually hauled out of the car bit by bit. Ethan kept his head tilted back, his hands constantly supporting Cherry’s waist until he confirmed she was completely safe. Only then did he turn his head. In the faint remaining light of the flashlight, he looked toward me curled up in the corner. “Summer, wait another ten minutes. They’ll lower a second rope right away.” Ethan showed not a trace of guilt toward me. “Cherry developed severe claustrophobia from the fire scene years ago. She can’t stay in the dark. I have to send her up first.” I leaned against the cold elevator wall. The flashlight’s beam shone on my face, illuminating the absurdity and desolation in my heart. The person who risked her life to shield him in that burning villa back then. It was clearly me. The one who truly developed claustrophobia. It was me! But Ethan had believed Cherry’s lies. I lowered my head. In the residual light of the flashlight, I looked at my own hand. From extreme fear and the instinct to survive, from the moment we started falling, I had been desperately clutching the hem of Ethan’s suit jacket. My knuckles had turned white from excessive force. Even my fingernails had drawn blood. I looked at that wrinkled corner of fabric I’d been gripping, and suddenly felt that my persistence over these five years was nothing but a joke. What exactly was I clinging to? Why did I love a man who didn’t even care about my life? Why did I continue to maintain a marriage built on lies and humiliation? The elevator shook violently again. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then I gradually loosened my fingers. I released that corner of fabric I’d been desperately clutching.

Summer Lynn POV “Summer?” Ethan spoke in the darkness, a trace of panic in his voice. “Say something.” No response came from the corner. “Summer! Don’t play dead on me right now!” He took a step toward me, undisguised irritation in his tone. “Cherry has claustrophobia. What’s wrong with me letting her go up first? Your turn is coming right away. Why do you still have to make me angry?” “I’m not playing dead.” Finally, my voice came from the darkness. Calm, weak, yet carrying a frightening emptiness. “I just think,” I leaned against the cold iron wall, slowly closing my eyes, “if this steel cable snaps right now, at least I’ll have given you back the life I owe you.” Ethan fell silent for a moment. “What are you talking about?!” He suddenly reached out his hand and grabbed my shoulder hard in the darkness. “Are you insane?!” My entire body was trembling violently. My clothes were completely soaked with cold sweat. My body temperature had dropped to a terrifying level. Ethan must have noticed my abnormality. After all, he’d never seen me like this before. Even five years ago after that fire, when I woke up in the ICU and he accused me, I’d only bitten my lip hard, my face pale. I’d never been like this. As if I were an empty shell that could shatter at any moment. “We’re pulling you up right now!” The rescue personnel’s shout came from above again. Immediately after, a second rope was thrown down. When I left the elevator, the lights outside were so bright I couldn’t open my eyes. I was pulled out of the elevator shaft. My legs went weak and I sat directly on the corridor floor. Medical personnel immediately surrounded me. On the other side of the corridor, Cherry was throwing herself into Ethan’s arms, crying pitifully, clutching his clothes and refusing to let go. “Ethan, I thought I’d never see you again…” Medical personnel were taking my blood pressure. My face was deathly pale, but I didn’t glance at Ethan even once. “Sir, this lady has an extremely rapid heart rate with mild shock symptoms. She needs to be taken to the hospital for observation immediately.” The emergency doctor turned to shout at Ethan. Ethan’s brow furrowed. He was about to push Cherry away and come over. But Cherry suddenly hugged his waist tightly, her body trembling violently. “Ethan, I feel so dizzy… I can’t breathe…” Cherry closed her eyes and fainted directly in Ethan’s arms. “Cherry!” Ethan’s face changed dramatically. He scooped up the pretending Cherry, turned around, and rushed toward another ambulance parked outside the club entrance. I sat on the ground, watching Ethan’s back as he ran wildly holding Cherry. When facing danger, he chose someone else. After the danger passed, he still chose someone else without hesitation. The doctor beside me urged anxiously, “Miss, where is your family? Have him accompany you in this ambulance!” “I don’t have any family.” I withdrew my gaze, my voice calm. “I’ll go by myself.” I pushed away the nurse’s outstretched hand, supported myself against the wall, slowly stood up, and walked onto the ambulance alone. In the emergency room at the hospital. After finishing my IV drip, it was already late at night. I didn’t notify anyone. I removed the needle myself, took a cab, and returned to the villa. The villa was still pitch dark. Ethan would definitely spend tonight at the hospital watching over his Cherry. I didn’t turn on the lights. I opened my computer and logged into my personal bank account. I returned all the money Ethan had transferred to me over these five years. A full five million dollars was transferred back to Ethan’s private account. In the refund note, there was only one simple sentence: “We have no relationship from now on.” After finishing all this, I closed the computer and walked to the bed. I took out my phone. The screen lit up, reflecting my pale face. I opened my calendar and glanced at the date. I calmly turned off my phone, lay down on the cold bed, and closed my eyes. I didn’t suffer from insomnia. The next day, as soon as dawn broke, I got up to pack my luggage. After packing, I placed the already-printed divorce agreement on the table. I removed my wedding ring and gently pressed it on the signature line of the agreement. I dragged my suitcase and walked out of the villa. The cold early autumn wind hit my face, blowing away the last trace of the oppressive atmosphere from this house that clung to me. A taxi I’d reserved was already waiting outside the door. The driver got out and helped me put my suitcase in the trunk. The car slowly started up, heading toward the airport. I turned off my phone and wearily closed my eyes. “Please drive faster.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “394571”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The moment I won the championship, I instinctively looked for Payton. But the VIP section was empty. On my phone, news flashed. He’d spent millions to rent every billboard in the city. All to celebrate his first love Sophia’s birthday. Meanwhile, the trending topic was my scandal. “Extreme skydiving champion Lily is the mistress of the Payton heir.” But I was supposed to be his fiancée. I rushed to his office to confront him. Instead, I walked in on an intimate moment. He calmly lifted Sophia off his lap and looked at me coldly. “Sophia’s back. You can get lost now.” Seven years of being by his side meant nothing. I looked at his smug face and laughed. I turned and walked into the elevator, dialing his half-brother and bitter rival. “Jace, that collaboration you mentioned before. I’m in. Let’s make Payton lose everything.” Lily’s POV As I leaped from four thousand meters high, the wind roared in my ears. I calmly pulled the ripcord. The massive main parachute exploded open above my head, violently yanking my rapidly falling body upward. Landing, detaching the chute, unfastening the safety buckle. My movements were fluid. Enthusiastic cheers erupted around me. This was my third extreme skydiving world championship this year, and also the highest-level commercial endorsement I’d secured for Payton Corporation. After removing my goggles, I instinctively looked toward the VIP viewing area. I scanned all around but never found the figure I’d been expecting. Payton hadn’t come after all. My assistant Shay approached hesitantly, holding out my phone. “Lily, Payton, he…” On the screen was a news article. “Payton heir makes grand romantic gesture, spending millions to rent citywide billboards for Sophia’s birthday!” In the video, the usually cold and taciturn Payton was gently fastening a diamond necklace around a girl’s neck. The girl shyly nestled into his embrace like a startled fawn. Below this news article hung another glaring headline. #Extreme skydiving champion Lily is the Payton heir’s mistress#. The netizens’ mockery flooded in. “She flies around in the sky every day and actually thinks she’s a socialite?” “Who doesn’t know Lily signed with Payton Corporation for money back then? She’s just a money-making tool.” “Our Sophia is afraid of heights. Mr. Payton won’t even let her near the second-floor terrace. Lily skydives every day and Mr. Payton never cares about her. That’s the difference between true love and a mistress!” I calmly turned off the screen, concealing all emotion in my eyes. “Miss Lily, are you okay?” Shay looked at me with concern. “I’m fine. Pack up the equipment. We’re going home.” During the thirteen-hour flight, I didn’t sleep once. My mind was filled with the look in Payton’s eyes as he fastened the necklace around Sophia’s neck. That careful, protective gaze. He used to look at me like that too. Seven years ago, my mother was dying. I knelt in the rain outside the Payton estate, begging for money. It was Payton who walked up to me with an umbrella and pulled me to my feet. He paid for her treatment. He sent me to the best skydiving school. He said, “Lily, you belong to the sky. You shouldn’t be held back by this mud.” I thought it was love. But I was wrong. He was just seeing someone else in me. Someone too afraid of heights to ever fly herself. Now, that woman had returned. As soon as I got off the plane, I called Payton. The phone rang for a long time before he answered. In the background was soft piano music. “What is it?” The man’s voice carried cold indifference. “I saw the news.” I gripped my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white. “Payton, we’re legally married.” A slight snort came from the other end. “Lily, don’t try to control me with that piece of paper. Whatever compensation you want, contact my secretary directly.” “I just won the championship.” I didn’t know why I said this. Perhaps I still held onto a laughable shred of hope. “Mm, congratulations.” His tone was perfunctory. “Sophia has a bit of a cold. I don’t have time to listen to you report your achievements. If there’s nothing important, I’m hanging up.” Beep. The sound of the call ending pierced my eardrum. Standing in the airport, I suddenly felt that the cold at four thousand meters was nothing compared to this moment. When I returned to the villa, it was already late at night. I opened the door and froze. The originally minimalist living room was now filled with pink throw pillows and stuffed animals. My favorite skydiving oil painting of the snowy mountains had been taken down and carelessly tossed in a corner, replaced by an enormous solo portrait of Sophia. Payton sat on the sofa, playing with an exquisite music box. Hearing the noise, he looked up, his brow furrowing slightly. “Why did you come back so suddenly?” “This is my home. Can’t I come back?” My voice was hoarse. Payton stood up and walked over to me, looking down at me from above. “Sophia likes this place. She doesn’t sleep well and needs quiet. Your skydiving equipment takes up too much space. I’ve already had it moved to the apartment in East City.” His tone was flat, as if he were discussing the most ordinary matter. “You’re kicking me out?” I looked up, staring hard into his eyes. “Just having you change where you live.” Payton was somewhat impatient. “Lily, you’ve always been independent and strong. Sophia is timid. Don’t scare her.” Looking at this man I’d loved for seven years, I suddenly felt he was completely unfamiliar. I was independent and strong, so I deserved to be kicked out? She was timid, so she could rightfully take over everything that belonged to someone else? I didn’t make a scene. I didn’t cry. I simply turned around calmly, dragging the suitcase I hadn’t even opened yet, and walked into the night. He didn’t try to keep me. Behind me, only the crisp music of the music box played on, as if mocking my pathetic state.

Lily’s POV The apartment in East City was tiny, not even big enough to store my parachute pack. I spent the entire night packing up the equipment I’d once treasured like precious possessions, stuffing them one by one into the cramped storage room. At dawn, Payton’s secretary called. “Mrs. Payton, Mr. Payton has instructed that for next month’s extreme sports reality show, he hopes you can help Miss Sophia.” The hand wiping my helmet paused. “Sophia? Isn’t she afraid of heights?” The secretary gave an awkward laugh. “Miss Sophia says… she wants to challenge herself. After all, Mr. Payton feels this show has very high viewership, which would help Miss Sophia’s career…” “And Mr. Payton’s intention is for you to serve as her dedicated safety instructor, protecting her throughout.” Have a world champion serve as a safety instructor for a delicate female celebrity? And watch my own husband dote on another woman in front of a national audience? “I refuse.” I coldly uttered those words. “Mrs. Payton…” The secretary’s voice lowered. “Mr. Payton said if you refuse, Payton Corporation will withdraw all sponsorship of your skydiving team for the second half of the year.” I shut my eyes tightly. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. Payton, you’re so cruel to me. My team had over a dozen colleagues who’d been with me for a long time. They desperately needed this sponsorship to maintain the high training costs. “Fine.” After hanging up, I looked at myself in the mirror with reddened eyes and forced out a smile more painful than crying. The debt I owed Payton. I was close to finally paying it off. On the day of filming, the weather was hot. Sophia wore a custom pink skydiving suit and was surrounded by a cluster of assistants as she approached. She wore delicate makeup and had her hair carefully styled. She didn’t look like someone here to skydive. More like she was walking a red carpet. Payton followed beside her, holding a parasol, carefully shading her from the sun. “Hello, Lily.” Sophia walked up to me with a sweet smile. “I’m really afraid of heights. Payton insisted I try skydiving. You must protect me, okay?” I handed her a set of basic protective gear with an expressionless face. “Put it on. Check the buckles.” Sophia suddenly cried out, looking at Payton with grievance. “Payton, this buckle is so hard. It hurt my hand.” Payton immediately dropped the umbrella, took her hand with concern and blew on it gently, then turned to look at me coldly. “Lily, can’t you help her? What am I paying you for?” The surrounding crew members all turned to look, their eyes full of curiosity. I took a deep breath, stepped forward, and efficiently fastened Sophia’s safety buckles, tightening the straps. “It hurts! Be gentler!” Sophia’s eyes immediately reddened. Payton shoved me aside and shielded Sophia behind him. “Lily, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?” His eyes were icy, as if I were a criminal. The push made me stumble backward, my back hitting the hard cabin door. “Skydiving isn’t acting. If the straps aren’t tight, there could be an accident.” I looked straight into his eyes, my voice completely flat. “If Mr. Payton is worried about her, you can take her and leave right now.” Payton’s expression was terrible. He was about to speak when Sophia tugged at his sleeve. “Payton, Miss Lily is just looking out for me. I’m fine. I can handle it.” He glanced at me coldly. “If anything happens to Sophia, even one hair on her head, I’ll make you pay.” The plane took off. As altitude increased, the cabin pressure began to change. Sophia’s face turned pale. She clutched Payton’s arm tightly, trembling all over. “Payton, I’m scared… I don’t want to jump anymore…” Her voice took on a tearful quality. Payton held her tightly, constantly comforting her, then turned and roared at the pilot. “Turn back! Can’t you see she’s uncomfortable!” The pilot looked at me somewhat helplessly. “Miss Lily, this…” “We can’t turn back.” I looked calmly at the instrument panel. “The air currents are unstable right now. Forcing a landing is too risky. We must either jump at the designated altitude or circle to burn fuel.” “I told you to turn back, don’t you understand!” Payton suddenly stood up, rushed over to me, and grabbed my collar. “Lily, do you want to make Sophia uncomfortable? You crazy woman!” Looking at him, I suddenly felt utterly absurd. I was a professional skydiving athlete using my professional knowledge to protect everyone’s safety, yet in his eyes, I’d become a vicious woman jealous of someone else. “Payton, let go.” I said coldly. Just then, the plane suddenly encountered strong turbulence. The fuselage shook violently. Sophia screamed and fainted. Chaos erupted in the cabin. I quickly steadied myself and checked Sophia’s vital signs. She’d only fainted from extreme fright. Nothing serious. But Payton had completely lost his rationality. He shoved me away, held Sophia tightly in his arms, and glared at me with bloodshot eyes. “Get away! Don’t touch her!” I sat on the cold metal floor, watching him hold another woman while trembling, and my heart felt like it was being pierced by millions of needles simultaneously. The pain made even breathing taste of blood.

Lily’s POV The plane ultimately landed safely. Sophia was rushed to the hospital. Payton stayed close by her side. Meanwhile, I, as the “instigator” of this “farce,” was kept at the tarmac, subjected to questioning by the production team and Payton Corporation’s PR department. “Miss Lily, why did you refuse to turn back? Was this decision mixed with personal emotions?” “There are rumors that you hold a grudge against Miss Sophia and deliberately tampered with the equipment. Are these accusations true?” Countless microphones thrust toward me, camera flashes blinding. I repeated that same sentence expressionlessly. “Weather conditions didn’t permit it. I only made the most professional judgment.” No one believed me. With Payton’s tacit permission, public opinion completely turned toward Sophia. She became the innocent victim. Someone bravely challenging herself but persecuted by a vicious instructor. And I became the jealous lunatic. My social media accounts were flooded with hate. Countless vicious private messages poured in. People even mailed dead rats and razor blades to my apartment. I ignored it all, just locked myself in my room, reviewing the meteorological data from that day over and over. I wasn’t wrong. But I knew that in Payton’s eyes, even my breathing was wrong. Three days later, Payton’s mother, Claire, personally came to this small apartment. She wore a haute couture suit. Looking around, a flash of disgust crossed her eyes. “Lily, look at yourself now.” Claire sat in the only clean chair, her tone condescending. I brought her a glass of water. “Why are you here?” “Don’t call me Mom.” Claire coldly interrupted me. “If Payton hadn’t insisted on marrying you back then, do you think you could have entered the Payton family? Think about what your status is.” I lowered my eyes and didn’t refute her. “I’m here today to inform you of something.” Claire took out a document from her bag and tossed it on the table. “You must win the World Championship next month. Payton Corporation just acquired an overseas sports brand. We need this championship to expand brand awareness.” I looked at the document, sorrow welling up in my heart. “What if I can’t win?” “What did you say?” Claire sneered. “Lily, don’t forget that your mother’s medical bills back then, and your training expenses over these years, were all paid by the Payton family. The contract states it clearly. If you lose, not only do you have to pay ten times the penalty, your team will have to disband too.” She stood up, looking down at me from above. “Win the championship, fulfill the responsibilities in the contract, and then voluntarily divorce Payton. Sophia is the one I approve of. You’ve occupied this position long enough. It’s time to give it up.” The door slammed shut heavily. I collapsed to the floor, looking at that cold contract, and finally couldn’t hold back my tears. So in their eyes, I was never Payton’s wife. I was just an employee who’d signed an unequal treaty. For the next month, I practically lived at the training facility. The high-intensity training aggravated my old injuries. My shoulder and knee hurt so much I couldn’t sleep. I could only get by on painkillers. I dragged my exhausted body back to the apartment, only to see Payton’s car downstairs. He leaned against the car door, a cigarette between his fingers. Seeing me, he stubbed out the cigarette and strode over. “Where were you? Why do you look so haggard?” “Training.” I flatly uttered that word and walked past him, preparing to go upstairs. He grabbed my wrist. I gasped, the severe pain in my shoulder instantly draining the color from my face. Payton froze for a moment and instinctively released his grip. “What’s wrong with you?” “Nothing.” I stepped back, creating distance. “Mr. Payton, is there something you need?” Irritation flashed in his eyes. “Sophia has a very important red carpet event tomorrow. She needs a beautiful necklace. I remember you have one called Heart of the Sun. Lend it to her for a day.” I jerked my head up, looking at him in disbelief. That “Heart of the Sun” necklace. The ring he’d proposed with had been remade into it. Later, he’d personally fastened it around my neck, saying he wanted that necklace to stay against my heartbeat forever. Now he wanted me to lend this necklace to another woman? “No.” I said stubbornly through gritted teeth. “Lily, can you stop being so selfish?” Payton’s voice turned cold. “It’s just a necklace. It’s not like you wear it.” “That’s a memento from my mother!” I blurted out, randomly making up a lie. I didn’t want to tell him I’d been wearing that necklace all along. Payton sneered. “Your mother left it to you? Lily, when you lie, don’t you think first? I bought that for you back then. Since I bought it, I have the right to use it now.” He reached out and directly pulled open my collar. The silver chain glinted coldly in the moonlight, and that blue diamond rested quietly at my collarbone. Payton froze. He clearly hadn’t expected that I’d been wearing it all along. Looking at his shocked expression, my heart no longer held a ripple of emotion. I reached up without hesitation and yanked hard. Snap. The chain broke, its sharp edge cutting a bloody line across my neck. I hurled the necklace, still warm with my body heat and blood, hard against his chest. “Take it! Now get the hell out!”

Lily’s POV The necklace struck Payton’s chest, then fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Payton looked down at the necklace on the ground, then at the blood seeping from my neck, an extremely complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He instinctively reached out, wanting to touch my wound. “Lily, you’re insane…” I violently slapped his hand away, my gaze cold as ice. “Payton, take your things and get out of my sight.” I didn’t look at him again. I turned and walked into the dim stairwell. Only after closing the door did I slide powerlessly to the floor, covering my neck, letting tears flow. That necklace wasn’t just his proposal token to me. It was the only thing that could give me strength during countless high-altitude descents. Now, even this last bit of warmth had been personally stripped away by him. The next day, photos of Sophia wearing that “Heart of the Sun” on the red carpet dominated all entertainment news headlines. The caption read: “Limited edition blue diamond gifted to beauty, Payton heir and Sophia’s relationship going strong.” I turned off my phone, forcing myself to focus on the tactical board in front of me. The World Championship was about to begin. I had no time to heal my wounds. “Miss Lily, your shoulder…” Shay looked at my trembling hand with concern written all over her face. “Give me a nerve block injection.” I instructed the team doctor expressionlessly. The doctor frowned tightly. “Lily, are you insane? If you get another nerve block with this injury, you might never be able to lift your arm again!” “It’s fine.” I raised my head, my eyes resolute. “I must win this competition.” If I won, I could completely repay my debt to the Payton family. If I won, I could completely leave Payton. The moment the nerve block entered the joint cavity, the pain nearly made me bite through my teeth. The World Championship was held in Switzerland. The snow winds of the Alps were bone-chillingly cold. I stood at the helicopter cabin door, looking down at the continuous snow peaks below, and took a deep breath. I leaped, like a bird, diving into the vast whiteness. Wind roared in my ears. I endured the severe pain in my shoulder, precisely controlling my posture, completing one high-difficulty maneuver after another. Opening the chute, gliding, precision landing. When both my feet landed steadily on the bullseye, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue. I won. I’d won this gold medal with the highest value, and also completed the task Claire had assigned. On the day I returned home, the airport was filled with my fans and media. Wearing sunglasses, I struggled to make my way out under security escort. Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the crowd. “It’s Mr. Payton! Mr. Payton came to pick her up!” Payton wore a black haute couture suit, holding a large bouquet of bright red roses, striding toward me. Media camera flashes went crazy, trying to capture this touching scene. Payton walked up to me, handed me the roses, his eyes so tender they seemed to drip water. “Darling, congratulations. I knew you could do it.” He called me “darling.” He hadn’t used that term in three years. I didn’t take the flowers. I just looked at him coldly. “Mr. Payton, don’t put on an act here. I just finished competing. I’m very tired.” The smile on Payton’s face froze. He stepped forward, trying to put his arm around my shoulder. “Stop making a scene. So many media are watching. I’ve already made reservations at a restaurant to celebrate for you.” I dodged his touch, my voice not loud but clear enough for the surrounding media to hear. “Mr. Payton, your fiancée Miss Sophia is still waiting for you. You’ve given the flowers to the wrong person.” As soon as I said this, the entire venue erupted in shock. Payton’s expression instantly darkened. He said angrily, “Lily, do you have to make a scene at a time like this?” “What did you say?” I laughed coldly. “Payton, you’re using the championship I risked my life for to advertise your company, then you turn around and act affectionate toward me. Don’t you find that disgusting?” I didn’t acknowledge his ugly expression again. I walked straight through the crowd and got in the car. The moment the car door closed, I saw Payton violently hurl that bouquet of roses to the ground. When I returned to the apartment, the first thing I did was print out divorce papers. I signed my name on them, then put them in an envelope and mailed them to Payton. I wanted nothing. I only wanted freedom.

Lily’s POV Three days after I mailed the divorce papers, Payton didn’t respond. Instead, Sophia posted a photo of herself trying on wedding dresses on social media. The caption: “Seven years of feelings, not as good as one grand wedding. Looking forward to next month’s wedding.” Looking at that post, I had no reaction. Seven years. The length of my marriage to Payton was also exactly seven years. Today was our seventh wedding anniversary. In previous years on this day, no matter how busy he was, he would cancel all social engagements to spend time with me. But today, he was accompanying another woman trying on wedding dresses. In the evening, someone knocked on the apartment door. I opened it to find a drunk Payton. His tie was loosened, his eyes reddened, staring hard at me. “Lily, how dare you?” He shoved me aside, stumbled into the room, and threw the crumpled divorce agreement on the table. “Giving up all marital assets? Do you think that makes you noble?” I closed the door, coldly watching him lose control. “I’ve fulfilled my contract obligations. I don’t want Payton Corporation’s sponsorship anymore either. Payton, I don’t owe you anything.” “What did you say?” He whirled around, grabbed my chin in a vice grip, the force almost crushing my bones. “Lily, you owe me a life! I saved your mother’s life! You think you can leave me?” I was forced to look up at this face I’d once been so infatuated with. “Oh? Do you want me to give my life back to you?” Payton seemed stung by the deathly stillness in my eyes. He suddenly released me, irritably loosening his tie. “Take back the agreement. I can pretend this never happened.” His tone softened somewhat, carrying arrogance. “Sophia’s wedding is just for show. She needs a wedding to solidify her status in the entertainment industry. You’re still my wife.” I could hardly believe my ears. “Payton, are you insane? You want me to watch you hold a wedding with another woman, and then I’m still supposed to continue being Mrs. Payton?” “What do you want? Money? Resources? I can give you anything!” He shouted loudly. “Lily, don’t be too greedy! You’re flying around in the sky every day. How would you have time to take care of home? Sophia can provide me happiness that you can’t!” “Happiness?” I chewed on this word, feeling utterly desolate. “When I was getting nerve block injections to skydive for your company, nearly dying on that snowy mountain, you were helping her pick out necklaces. When I was being cyberbullied across the internet because of your coercion, you were helping her try on wedding dresses.” “Payton, you don’t want happiness. You just need an obedient pet and a good employee who can make money for you!” Slap! The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the small apartment. Payton’s hand hung in mid-air, trembling slightly. I turned my head to the side. My cheek hurt badly. I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth. This was the first time he’d hit me. The air was deathly silent. “Lily… I…” Payton seemed to realize what he’d done. Panic flashed in his eyes as he tried to reach for me. I stepped back, avoiding his touch. “Payton, consider this slap the last bit of gratitude I’m repaying you.” I pointed at the door, my voice utterly devoid of warmth. “Please leave my home immediately.” Payton stood in place, his chest heaving violently. He looked at me. Ultimately saying nothing, he turned and slammed the door as he left. The next day, I contacted a lawyer and formally filed for divorce with the court. Since he wasn’t willing to divorce by agreement, we’d go through legal procedures. Just as I was preparing to go to the law firm, I received a call from my coach. “Lily, something’s happened! The training facility’s property rights were transferred by Payton Corporation. The new owner is demanding we all move out within three days!” My head buzzed. That facility stood on the last piece of land my mother had left me. Later, to raise training funds, I’d mortgaged this land to Payton Corporation. Payton had once promised me that as long as I won the World Championship, he’d return the facility’s property rights to me. He’d broken his promise. “Who’s the new owner?” I asked, suppressing my fury. “It’s… it’s Sebastian.” All the blood in my body instantly froze. Sebastian, Sophia’s father. He was also the man who’d scammed my mother out of all her money years ago, causing her heart attack and ultimately her death! Payton had actually given my mother’s memento to my enemy!

Lily’s POV I don’t know how I rushed to Payton Corporation’s building. Security tried to stop me. I shoved them aside. Eyes red, like a cornered beast, I kicked open Payton’s office door. Inside the office, Payton sat on the wide leather sofa. Sophia leaned against him, holding a document, laughing happily. That document was the property rights transfer for the facility. Seeing me burst in, Sophia cried out in alarm and shrank into Payton’s embrace. “Miss Lily, why are you here…” She looked at me timidly, like a frightened little rabbit. Payton’s expression darkened. He shielded Sophia behind him, looking at me coldly. “Lily, what are you doing? This is the office!” I stared hard at the document in his hands, my voice trembling with extreme anger. “Payton, you gave the facility to Sebastian?” Payton frowned, his tone very impatient. “It’s just a broken-down facility. Sophia’s father wants to invest in extreme sports. I saw that land was sitting empty, so I transferred it to him. If you want one, I’ll buy you ten better ones.” “Broken-down facility?” I laughed miserably, tears finally bursting forth. “Payton, that’s what you promised to return to me! That’s the only thing my mother left me!” “Lily, stop making a scene.” Payton stood up, looking down at me from above. “Your mother’s been dead for so many years. What’s the use of keeping a piece of land? Sophia’s father is a businessman. That land can only achieve maximum value in his hands.” “Businessman?” I pointed at Sophia, questioning him. “Do you know what kind of person Sebastian is? He scammed my mother out of all her money years ago! He’s the murderer who killed my mother!” Sophia’s face paled. She immediately burst into tears. “Miss Lily, you can’t slander my father just because you’re jealous of me! My father has always done honest business. How could he possibly scam anyone…” “Shut up!” I roared. “Stop!” Payton suddenly slammed a document on the desk, making a huge noise. He walked up to me, his eyes utterly devoid of warmth. “Lily, you’re becoming more and more disgusting. I know better than you what kind of person Sophia’s father is.You could fabricate such lies just to take over that land?” He looked at me with eyes full of disappointment and disgust. “You used to be jealous of Sophia, but at least you were honest. Now? You’re like a lunatic spouting lies!” Looking at him, my heart shattered completely into dust. He didn’t believe me. He’d rather believe a con artist’s daughter than his wife of seven years. “Payton, I’m asking you one last time.” I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “Give me back the facility, and we’ll have nothing to do with each other ever again.” “Impossible.” He refused without hesitation. “I already promised Sophia. It’s a gift for her father.” A gift. He was giving my mother’s memento to the enemy who killed her. “Fine.” I nodded, wiped away my tears, and straightened my spine. “Payton, you’re going to regret this.” I turned and walked out of the office without looking back. I didn’t return to the apartment. Instead, I went straight to the law firm. “Mr. Zhang, help me investigate all of Sebastian’s financial transactions over the years, and find evidence of the fraud he committed against my mother back then.” I slammed a bank card on the table. “This is all my money.” As I left the law firm, I got a call from Old Lee. “Lily, the facility… Sebastian brought people to demolish the buildings!” I rushed to the facility like a madwoman. Bulldozers were roaring. The row of trees my mother had planted with her own hands had already been uprooted. Sebastian stood to the side, smoking a cigar, looking smug. “Stop! Everyone stop!” I rushed forward, trying to block the bulldozers. “Well, well, if it isn’t Miss Lily?” Sebastian exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at me with a smug grin. “What’s wrong? Didn’t Mr. Payton tell you this land is mine now?” “Sebastian, you bastard! Give me back the land!” My eyes were bloodshot as I lunged at him, trying to attack him. Several security guards immediately stepped forward and pinned me to the ground. The rough gravel scraped my cheeks. I struggled desperately, but it was useless. “Demolish it!” Sebastian waved his hand. I watched as the bulldozers knocked down the training tower, watched as those buildings that held countless hours of my sweat and memories turned to rubble. My heart died along with those ruins.

Lily’s POV Through the clouds of dust, the security guards tossed me to the roadside like garbage. My knees and elbows were scraped raw, blood mixed with dirt running down. I watched Sebastian drive away in his luxury car, laughing, watched the bulldozers crush the last traces of my mother. I didn’t cry. I’d run out of tears yesterday. I dragged my stiff body back to that cramped apartment, step by step. I opened my laptop and began organizing all the commercial endorsements and competition prize money I’d earned for Payton Corporation over the years. Payton thought I was just an athlete who could only skydive, but he forgot that over these seven years, to help him solidify Payton Corporation’s market share in the sports industry, I’d been exposed to many core confidential matters. If Sebastian dared to take over the facility, he would definitely use Payton Corporation’s resources for money laundering and illegal financing. I dialed an encrypted number. “Help me check Sebastian’s recent fund flows, especially any connections with Payton Corporation’s overseas accounts.” A low male voice came from the other end. “Lily, you’re finally willing to contact me.” That person was Jace Payton. Payton’s half-brother, the child of the Payton family who’d always been exiled abroad. He was also the one who, years ago in that rainstorm, had actually paid the first installment of my mother’s surgery fees. But later Payton appeared, forcefully took over everything, drove Jace out of the country, and became my “benefactor.” “Jace, help me.” My voice was hoarse. “Alright. Three days.” Jace didn’t ask a single question and hung up directly. For those three days, I didn’t leave the apartment. Payton didn’t look for me either. My phone was filled with news about Sophia and Payton preparing their wedding of the century. On the third night, Jace sent me an encrypted email. Inside was not only evidence of Sebastian using the facility for money laundering, but also evidence of Sophia’s early involvement in illegal gambling. Most damning of all, Sebastian’s money laundering channel used Payton’s private overseas accounts. Looking at the evidence on the screen, I smirked coldly. Payton, for the sake of a con artist, you personally handed me the knife. I packaged all this evidence and set it to send on a timer. Target: the police department and all major mainstream media outlets. After finishing this, I received a call from Payton. “Tomorrow is Sophia’s wedding. You must attend.” His voice still carried that commanding tone. “In what capacity should I attend?” I asked flatly. “Ex-wife, or the stray dog you kicked out?” Payton was silent for two seconds, his tone tinged with displeasure. “Lily, stop making a scene. There will be a lot of media tomorrow. You attending as Payton Corporation’s spokesperson will dispel rumors that we’re on bad terms. As long as you cooperate, I’ll compensate you double for the facility’s loss.” “Compensation?” I laughed lightly. “Payton, some things once broken can never be fixed.” “Lily! What exactly do you want!” He finally lost his patience. “I’m warning you, if you dare not show up tomorrow, or if you dare cause trouble at the wedding, I guarantee you’ll never be able to stay in the skydiving world!” “Fine, I’ll go.” I calmly hung up. I would give them a wedding gift they’d never forget. The next day, the weather was terribly gloomy, strong winds rolling with dark clouds. The wedding of the century was held at an outdoor estate owned by Payton Corporation. I wore a black trench coat with no makeup, my face pale as a ghost. Payton wore a white custom suit. Seeing me, he frowned deeply and strode over. “Why are you wearing this? Didn’t I have someone send you a dress?” “The dress was too dirty. I found it disgusting.” I looked straight into his eyes. Just then, Sophia approached in a trailing wedding dress, supported by Sebastian. “Miss Lily, you came.” Sophia smiled happily, showing off as she touched the blue diamond necklace around her neck. I looked at this revolting father and daughter, then at Payton standing beside them, his eyes fixed on Sophia. “Yes, past matters should be completely resolved today.” I raised my wrist and checked the time. Ten o’clock sharp. The time the scheduled email was set to go out. Almost simultaneously, piercing sirens suddenly sounded outside the estate. Over a dozen police cars roared up, directly breaking through the estate gates. Several police officers strode up to them. “Sebastian, you’re suspected of massive fraud and illegal money laundering. Please come with us. Mr. Payton, your private accounts are suspected of involvement in international money laundering. Please cooperate with our investigation.” Cold handcuffs were directly clamped onto Sebastian’s and Payton’s wrists. Sophia screamed and collapsed to the ground in fright. Payton looked at the handcuffs on his wrists in shock, then suddenly turned to look at me. “Lily… was this you?” His voice was trembling. I stood in place, looking at his pathetic state, not a ripple of emotion in my heart. “Happy wedding, Mr. Payton.” I smiled slightly and turned to walk into the strong wind.

Lily’s POV The police cars roared away. The originally lavish wedding of the century instantly became a farce. I didn’t look back once. I walked straight out of the estate. The wind grew stronger and dense raindrops began to fall from the sky. I drove to the wilderness skydiving facility in the suburbs. Today would be my last jump. I wanted to leave all the Payton family’s taint from these seven years in the wind. When I reached the facility, heavy rain had already fallen. The meteorological station issued a thunderstorm warning. Skydiving in this weather was tantamount to suicide. But I didn’t care. I put on that pure black skydiving suit without any sponsor logos and shouldered my original old parachute pack. The helicopter pilot gripped the cabin door tightly. “Lily, you’re crazy! In this weather, if you encounter strong wind shear, the chute won’t open at all!” “Let me fly once.” I looked at him, my eyes as hollow as a dry well. “Just this once. If I don’t jump, I’ll suffocate.” The helicopter climbed with difficulty through the wind and rain. I sat by the cabin door, looking down at the city shrouded in dark clouds and rainstorm. My phone vibrated frantically in its waterproof bag. It was Payton’s number. He must have been released on bail. I pressed the answer button. “Lily! Where are you!” On the other end, Payton’s roar almost pierced through the wind and rain. “You dared to give that evidence to the police! Do you know how much Payton Corporation’s stock price dropped today!” “Isn’t this what you wanted?” Facing the violent wind pouring into the cabin, my voice was oddly calm. “You broke the law for Sophia’s sake. I just helped you wake up.” “Come back right now! Tell the media that evidence was forged by you! Otherwise, I’ll make sure you never touch a parachute again in your life!” “Payton.” I interrupted his ranting. “Do you remember what you said to me seven years ago? You said I belonged to the sky, that I shouldn’t be held back by mud. But these seven years, you personally dragged me into the filthiest swamp.” “What do you mean? Lily, don’t change the subject!” “Payton, let’s divorce. I’ve already signed the agreement and mailed it to your lawyer.” “No way! You can’t just leave me, Lily. You owe me…” “I owe you nothing!” I screamed into the phone. “I paid for my mother’s life with seven years of my youth. With all my championships. I even got revenge for the facility. Payton, after today, we’re done. Forever.” I violently threw my phone out of the cabin, watching it tumble through the air, finally disappearing into the rainstorm. “Open the door!” The cabin door opened. The violent wind instantly enveloped me. Without a moment’s hesitation, I leaped into that pitch-black thunderstorm. The moment the weightlessness hit, I closed my eyes. My body tumbled violently in the strong air currents, completely losing control. I didn’t pull the main chute. Memories of these seven years flashed through my mind. The altimeter was frantically alarming: 1000 meters… 800 meters… 500 meters… Just as I was about to give up struggling and let myself fall, a dark shadow suddenly swept down from above at high speed, breaking through the rain curtain, precisely grabbing my reserve chute ripcord. “Bang!” The reserve chute was forcibly deployed. The massive pull made my vision go black, my shoulder sending tearing pain. Two bodies collided violently in the strong wind. I barely opened my eyes. Through my blurred goggles, I saw a pair of deep, anxious eyes. It was Jace. He’d actually jumped down after me. “Lily! Do you have a death wish!” He roared at me through the wind and rain, holding me tightly, using his own body to shield me from the raging wind. We glided with difficulty through the strong wind, ultimately deviating from the landing point and crashing heavily into a muddy forest. The massive impact made me completely lose consciousness. When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. My right shoulder was in a thick cast. The hospital room door opened. Jace wore a black shirt, his face somewhat pale, his left arm also wrapped in bandages. Seeing me awake, joy flashed in his eyes. He quickly walked to the bedside. “Lily, you’re finally awake.” I looked at him, my voice hoarse. “Why… did you jump after me?” “Because I can’t lose you again.” Jace gripped my uninjured left hand tightly, his gaze intense and stubborn. “Seven years ago, I was one step too late and let Payton take you away. You suffered for seven years. This time, I absolutely won’t let go.” I was stunned, my eyes gradually reddening. Just then, the hospital room door was violently kicked open. Payton charged in, his eyes bloodshot like a crazed beast. When he saw Jace holding my hand, his rationality seemed to completely snap. “Jace! Let go of her!” Payton rushed over and grabbed Jace’s collar. “You dare touch my woman!” Jace sneered and pushed him away. “Your woman? Payton, do you deserve that?” He pulled out a stamped document from his pocket and threw it in Payton’s face. “Look carefully. The court has officially accepted the divorce lawsuit. From now on, Lily has nothing to do with you.” Payton stared at the document, his face deathly pale. He turned to look at me, his voice trembling with a hint of panic. “Lily… is this true?” I looked at him, my gaze as calm as if looking at a stranger. “Mr. Payton, please leave now. I need to rest.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “394572”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My husband is Bren, the Alpha of the Dubois pack. He’s also the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Outsiders always assume I must be incredibly wealthy after marrying Bren. Whenever I hear that, I can only smile bitterly. Later, while organizing files in Bren’s study, I accidentally discovered a yellowed gift agreement hidden in the bottom drawer. It was a breakup settlement Bren had given his ex-girlfriend Vivian for free: 30 million in cash, 2% of the company’s equity, and ownership of two commercial buildings in the pack’s business district. I’ve been married to Bren for seven years, but before our wedding, he had me sign a cold, impersonal prenuptial agreement. I don’t have any assets under my name, let alone any involvement in his business. Even the villa we currently live in has nothing to do with me. Just as I’m feeling angry, Bren appears in the doorway and scolds me: “I told you not to go into my study. You broke the rules again.” I hand him the gift agreement he gave his ex-girlfriend and say calmly: “Bren, let’s get divorced. I want to break our mate bond with you.” He frowns and tears the document in my hands to shreds: “Just because of this agreement?! I can do whatever I want with my own property. Do I need your approval? Besides, this is all in the past.” With that, he doesn’t spare me another glance and leaves the study. And I simply call my lawyer calmly.

When the divorce lawyer sent over the divorce agreement, she was still trying to convince me: “Luna Una, are you sure you want to give up all assets? Although you signed a prenuptial agreement, Alpha Bren has always been generous. You can fight for your legal rights.” Hearing the lawyer’s words, a bitter smile appeared on my lips. Legal rights? I actually have nothing. After marriage, Bren only takes a $1 salary from the company each month. The company’s equity distribution was made very clear before I married him. All core assets belong to him personally and have nothing to do with me. On our wedding day, he had a professional lawyer present as a witness, while I faced a thick stack of prenuptial agreements. Actually, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it before. Bren is a natural Alpha leader and businessman, skilled at planning and very rational. At that time, I loved him as a person, not his wealth, so I didn’t care at all. But it wasn’t until I saw how generous he was with his ex-girlfriend that I realized how much of a fool I’d been. My chest tightened painfully, but I still replied calmly, “No need. Just proceed with this agreement.” After hanging up with the lawyer, I removed my ring: Inside the ring was an English inscription: B&V. Only at this moment did I suddenly realize this was actually an abbreviation for “Bren and Vivian.” This reminded me of three years ago when I accidentally left my ring at an art exhibition. When Bren saw I wasn’t wearing my ring, he immediately lost his temper. He dragged me to the door. “Why aren’t you wearing your ring? Where did you put it?” The coldness on his face made me panic. I quickly explained: “I went to see an art exhibition during the day and accidentally left it in the restroom. The staff said they’d bring it tomorrow.” After hearing my explanation, although Bren didn’t say much more that night, he had his assistant retrieve the ring from the exhibition staff overnight. Even this villa we live in was purchased because he had planned to marry Vivian. Vivian left him but took away assets I could never obtain in my lifetime. What I’m jealous of isn’t just the unfair distribution of assets, but his favoritism toward his ex-girlfriend all these years. For the next seven full days, he barely spoke a word to me. He didn’t touch any of the breakfasts I prepared. He didn’t even come home two nights. Thinking of all these past events, numbness and sourness surged through my heart again. Afraid tears would burst forth, I removed the ring and placed it on the table. After the lawyer delivered the agreement, I decisively signed my name on the divorce papers and left the villa without looking back.

With a friend’s help, I quickly found a suitable apartment. I’ve never been picky about living conditions, so that same afternoon I finalized the lease with the landlord. By the time I finished cleaning thoroughly, it was already nine o’clock at night. I decided to return to the villa to talk to Bren face-to-face about the divorce and breaking our mate bond. But I waited until eleven o’clock at night, and Bren still hadn’t returned. I sat blankly in the living room waiting for him. At one in the morning, Bren pushed open the door, reeking of alcohol. Seeing me sitting there, he immediately showed signs of impatience. He took off his suit jacket and casually threw it over the back of a chair, saying coldly to me, “Going to fight again? I don’t have time for that.” With that, he rolled up his shirt sleeves and was about to head straight to his room. The whole time, he didn’t glance once at the divorce agreement I’d placed on the table, nor did he say an extra word to me. My throat tightened slightly, but I still called out to him, “Bren, this is the divorce agreement. Please sign it. Let’s get divorced and break our mate bond.” Bren’s steps paused slightly. He turned back irritably to look at me. “Still angry about the breakup agreement with my ex? You’re my wife now. Don’t you even have that much grace?” Hearing these words, I suddenly wanted to laugh. So in Bren’s view, the only reason I wanted a divorce was because he gave his ex a breakup settlement? But if it were really just about money, I wouldn’t have chosen to marry him in the first place. Maybe Bren will never know that I’ve silently loved him for many years. I once wrote him 99 love letters but never dared to deliver them personally. Like a humble observer, I quietly watched everything about him from the sidelines. I watched Bren fall in love with Vivian, watched Vivian break up with Bren and leave for another pack, watched Bren look utterly devastated. Not long after, I discovered Bren and I were fated mates. At that time, Bren took the initiative to ask me to date him. I was beyond thrilled—I thought he’d let go of Vivian. Even if he didn’t love me that much, I wasn’t afraid. I thought people can change, that my sincerity would eventually move him. After we started dating, although he rarely took initiative with me, he always maintained a certain politeness. He spent very little time with me, but he was willing to accompany me to a movie on Valentine’s Day. He’d give me gifts on my birthday, though the gifts were only chosen by his secretary. But even these small bits of sweetness made me feel very content. After dating for a year, we got married smoothly. There was no touching marriage proposal, no romantic wedding. It was simply because his parents urged him to get married, so he agreed to marry me. Four years of secret love, one year of dating, seven years of marriage. Now it’s enough. I don’t want to continue anymore. Suppressing the stabbing pain in my chest, I took a deep breath, “Bren, I really want a divorce.” With that, I stood up first, repeating calmly and firmly, “So, I hope by tomorrow morning, this agreement will already be signed. After that, we’ll find a day to break our mate bond.” After saying this, I imitated his usual cold manner, walked past him toward the guest bedroom, and locked the door. Bren suddenly shouted angrily behind me, “Fine, Una! You want a divorce, right? Okay, I’ll sign it right now. Even if you come crawling back begging me later, I won’t take you back!” Soon, the sound of a door slamming came from the next room. Listening to the commotion outside, even though I was mentally prepared, I still felt a dense, stabbing pain in my heart. Perhaps Bren had long forgotten that during these seven years of marriage, I had begged him in a low voice countless times. On the first anniversary after our marriage, I pleaded with him to celebrate at the beach. He agreed readily, but when the appointed time came, he sent me a last-minute message saying he had an emergency meeting that evening. After that, he never explained again and just hung up the phone directly. Seven years have passed, and every year I ask if he has time, saying I want to travel somewhere with him. But every year, he says his schedule is too tight and he has no time. Just like that, the trips he owes me have been postponed again and again. Actually, I never understood before why even after years of marriage to Bren, there always seemed to be an invisible wall between us. Not until that gift agreement surfaced. Only then did I understand—it’s all simply because he doesn’t care about me at all. I have to admit one thing: Where a man spends his money is where his love is.

The next morning, Bren was already gone. Only the living room remained, littered with shredded pieces of the torn divorce agreement. Looking at the mess, for a brief moment, I felt somewhat dazed. Perhaps… Bren isn’t really that heartless toward me? Did he tear up the divorce agreement because he couldn’t bear to let me go? It wasn’t until my phone buzzed with a new message that I snapped back to reality. The message was from a strange girl. A week ago, she suddenly wanted to add me as a friend on my Ins account. Her verification message read, “Third wheel, I’m back. Time to return Bren to me, don’t you think?” Out of curiosity, I accepted her request. Since then, she’s been frequently sending me various photos and documents. Photos of Bren accompanying her to concerts; Video screenshots of the two of them watching fireworks together at the beach; Even photos of them kissing in a parking lot late at night. Even that agreement in Bren’s study—she was the one who tipped me off about it. This time, she sent a photo of Bren sleeping peacefully on a hotel bed, captured from the side. “I heard you went through Bren’s study and saw that agreement. So, have you given up yet?” “By the way, the jewelry Bren left for you—I hope you’ll send it for cleaning and disinfection soon.” “I have a cleanliness obsession. I don’t like things that other people have touched.” “Making Bren marry you was only because I thought you were clean enough. Men have physical needs, you know. Better he relieves himself with you than goes looking for prostitutes outside.” “Also, you only have three days to get divorced, or I’ll go public with our relationship.” “Don’t think Bren can’t bear to lose you. You have no idea how proactive he is.” “Ever since I returned to Dubois pack, he’s been coming to find me almost every day. Alright, enough talking. Bren’s about to wake up. We’re going to take a bath together.” The messages stopped abruptly there. And my tears fell one by one onto the keyboard. Through blurred vision, I forced myself to reply: “You said you don’t like things other people have touched, but over these years, Bren and I have had sex a thousand times already.” After I sent the message, there was no further response from her. My chest felt suffocated, like being punched into cotton. That sharp, piercing pain surged up instantly. No wonder he stormed out in the middle of the night. At the time, I thought it was because my mention of divorce had upset Bren. Turns out he was just rushing off to relive old times with his ex-girlfriend. The last thread in my heart snapped. With trembling fingertips, I sent him a message, “Bren, are you free today? I want to break our mate bond with you. We can go to City Hall and handle the procedures.”

I sent my message a full half hour ago, and Bren still hasn’t responded. Calling him goes unanswered too. Instead, Vivian sent me a voice message. “Are you annoying or what? Why do you keep calling Bren? Don’t you know? Bren and I hate being disturbed when we’re alone together.” I suppressed the anger in my heart and replied to her: “I’ve already told him I want to reject him. If you don’t want to remain nameless forever, have him come back and break the mate bond with me.” Vivian stopped responding. I really had no patience to wait for Bren’s message anymore. I directly contacted a moving company and started packing all my belongings. Including all the various gifts I’d given him over the years. Oil paintings I’d made for him, ties and cufflinks I’d bought him… He’d thrown all these things in the storage room like garbage. Since he doesn’t want them, I’ll throw them all away—along with the heart that once loved him. Although I’d lived in this house for seven years, it took only three hours to load all my things onto the moving truck. As I was leaving, I ultimately couldn’t hold back and burst into tears again. I had just moved to my new apartment and was simply organizing my things. That’s when I received another message from Vivian: “Come over. Bren is at my hotel suite. He’s agreed to break the mate bond.” Looking at this message, my fingers tightened unconsciously around my phone. In the end, I only replied: “Okay.” Before leaving, I’d already formed a revenge plan in my mind. I changed into a quick-dry outfit and grabbed a camera with a telephoto lens. Then I took a taxi straight to the hotel Vivian had sent me. I’d been humiliated by Vivian for a whole month. It was time to let her experience what being humiliated feels like. Even though I knew Bren would be furious and we’d both lose in the end.

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