Category: English

I was bubbling with excitement, ready for our wedding, when Hugh got into a car crash. He remembered everyone else. Everyone but me. He’d forgotten me completely. I desperately tried to help him remember. But all it did was make him despise me more. He even fell madly in love with his secretary. He hurt me again and again. My parents’ company was ruined. I lost our baby. He even abandoned me, alone, in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t until I tumbled down the mountain that Hugh finally snapped awake. He burst into my hospital room like a madman, yelling that he remembered who I was! But I just stared blankly back at him and asked, “Who are you?” “I told you, I don’t know you!” Hugh ripped his hand away from mine. Seraphina, Hugh’s secretary, stood beside him, smirking at me with triumphant eyes. “Chloe, Mr. Thorne has forgotten you. Are you really going to keep harassing him?” I couldn’t understand why Hugh had forgotten only me. Before the crash, I was clearly the one he loved most. I stood there, frozen, feeling utterly pathetic, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. Then, I watched Hugh clasp a necklace around Seraphina’s neck. “Is this for me?!” Seraphina asked, her voice dripping with delight. “Yes. It suits you,” Hugh said, his eyes full of tenderness as he looked at her. I squinted, a sudden realization hitting me like a punch to the gut. That sapphire necklace… Hugh had designed it himself as my wedding gift. He’d been on his way to pick it up when the accident happened. I couldn’t help but blurt out, “No!” At my outcry, both of them looked up. Hugh’s gaze, when it met mine, held an icy disgust I’d never seen before. Then, he leaned in and kissed Seraphina’s neck, right beneath the necklace. “Only you deserve such a beautiful sapphire!” I stumbled back a few steps, watching Seraphina’s bashful expression. Before the tears could fall, I fled, humiliated and heartbroken.

Back home, I ripped open the liquor cabinet and, not caring what it was, just tilted the bottle back and chugged. In a daze, I thought I saw Hugh’s silhouette. I looked at him, my eyes welling with tears, and reached out, wrapping my arms around him. It wasn’t a dream. Hugh was truly in my embrace. He froze, not pushing me away immediately. As if a subconscious whisper, he softly called my name. “Chloe…” I stiffened, snapping my head up to look at him. But before I could even process it, a powerful shove sent me sprawling to the floor. Seraphina sashayed in front of Hugh, hip-first, shielding him, her voice laced with mockery. “Chloe, have you no shame? Mr. Thorne is my boyfriend now.” Her words nailed me to the spot. I stared at Hugh, disbelief twisting my gut. The fleeting warmth was gone, replaced by a cold, hard glare. He ordered, “Why are you in my house?! Pack your things and get out, now!” His bodyguards grabbed me the moment he finished speaking. Then, they ransacked the home I’d lovingly decorated for us, utterly destroying our marital haven. Vases shattered. Desserts were flung across the room. Our matching couple’s items were all tossed into the trash bin. I bit down hard on my lip, refusing to let the tears fall. “Hugh, you can do whatever you want to me once your memory returns. But right now, you can’t do this.” He sneered at my words. “The fact that I forgot you proves you were never important to me. What else is there to explain?” That one sentence sealed my fate. I was thrown out, luggage and all. My stomach throbbed with a dull ache. I curled up on the ground, drenched in a cold sweat. Hugh never used to let me drink. Because my stomach was sensitive. He’d taken such good care of me that I’d forgotten I even had this issue. But I really didn’t want to be sober! Unbeknownst to me, a heavy rain began to fall. I lay on the ground, dizzy and disoriented, when I felt something licking my hand. I struggled to open my eyes. It was Buddy, my little golden retriever. He was soaking wet, his eyes filled with worry. I managed a weak smile. I lifted my hand, intending to pet him. Just then, a van screeched to a halt nearby. Several men rushed out, carrying nets and ropes. Without a word, they tied Buddy up and dragged him towards the vehicle. Buddy growled, a low, threatening sound, but he was no match for several grown men. Ignoring the searing pain in my body, I scrambled to my feet to stop them. But I was kicked aside. I lay on the ground, watching Hugh observe everything from a distance, cold and unmoving. I didn’t care about anything else. I crawled desperately over to him, grabbing his pant leg, pleading. “No… Please, help me get Buddy back, please…” But his eyes merely flickered. A fleeting hint of compassion, gone in an instant. He remained utterly indifferent. I lay on the ground. Watching Buddy being loaded into the van. The man in charge, grinning, pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to Seraphina, who stood under an umbrella. Then, the van sped away. I couldn’t take it anymore. I lunged at Seraphina, screaming, “How dare you sell my dog?! Give me back Buddy! Give him back!” I was sobbing uncontrollably, gasping for air. Seraphina looked down at me, triumphant. She leaned closer, her voice a low whisper meant only for us. “You always said I copied you, didn’t you? Well, now I’ve replaced you. How does that feel?” She finished, ignoring my pale, devastated face, and wrapped her arms around Hugh’s arm, pouting sweetly. “It’s raining so hard, let’s go home.” Hugh affectionately brushed her nose, scooped her up into his arms, and walked away without a backward glance. I was left alone, helpless and broken, kneeling in the pouring rain. The sound of the rain swallowed my cries. Eventually, exhausted from crying, I lost consciousness and collapsed in the downpour.

When I woke up again, Mom and Dad were by my bedside. Seeing me awake, they both let out a sigh of relief. “You scared us to death, darling. Why on earth were you out in the rain? You have a high fever…” Mom cried, pulling me into a tight embrace. “You’ve suffered so much, my child.” Dad was furious, cursing Hugh under his breath. I stared blankly at the ceiling, my mind consumed by Buddy. *Ding-dong*. I picked up my phone. It was a video from Seraphina. Bloody. Blurry. I could faintly make out Buddy, alone and helpless, being abused by someone. My hands trembled. Suddenly, without warning, I dry-heaved. Tears mixed with vomit, leaving me a wretched mess. Mom and Dad gasped in alarm. They rushed to clean me up. I clutched my head, sobbing hysterically. But moments later, the hospital room door was kicked open. People from the corporate investigators stood at the doorway, staring coldly at Dad. Dad’s face instantly paled. He gave Mom a look, then walked out with them. Mom’s eyes were bloodshot, and she held me tightly. She hadn’t wanted to tell me. But after I pressed her repeatedly, She finally explained everything. Mom and Dad couldn’t stand to see me suffer. How could their daughter, whom they’d doted on since childhood, be treated so horribly? So they stood up for me, ending their partnership with Hugh. But they never expected. Hugh to be so ruthless, using corporate sabotage tactics against our family. “It’s very tricky.” Mom said, worried, but still tried to reassure me. “It’s okay. As long as you’re well, that’s all that matters.” I clenched my fists, couldn’t help but throw back the covers and get out of bed. I was going to confront Hugh. Mom couldn’t stop me, but she was too worried to let me go alone. So she followed closely behind me. I returned to what used to be our marital home. Hugh forgetting me was one thing, But how dare he put my parents’ company in jeopardy? How dare he cause Buddy’s horrific death? *Beep—* The sound of an incorrect fingerprint echoed. I bit my lip and tried the password. Still wrong. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Mom patted my shoulder, about to resort to force when. The door opened from inside. Seraphina stood there in matching pajamas, hickeys clearly visible on her neck. She saw me and, for once, actually smiled, greeting my mom. “Hello, Eleanor. Come on in.” Seeing her act like she owned the place, Mom was furious, about to turn and leave, But I remembered we were here to solve a problem. I quickly pulled her inside. Hugh was sprawled on the sofa, holding a wine glass. He paused when he saw me. A flash of excitement and joy flickered in his eyes. But then he clutched his head, his brows furrowed, pain making him look lost and helpless. After a long moment, he looked up. His eyes were arctic cold. “What are you doing back here?” Seraphina gave him a playful glare, then smiled and motioned us in. “I might have been a bit out of line yesterday. I was actually planning to apologize to you today, but you beat me to it.” She smiled, pointing to the dining table. “Let’s talk things over after we’ve had something to eat. Why don’t you try my cooking?” Hugh sat expressionless at the head of the table, not sparing me a glance. Mom looked at me, worried. I patted her hand, shaking my head. “I’m fine.” I also wanted to see. What she was planning. I pulled out a chair and sat down. Seraphina actively served me a bowl of meat soup, then smiled sweetly at me. “Want a taste?” I took the bowl, suspicious. But the moment the meat touched my tongue, I knew something was wrong. The taste was utterly strange, unlike anything I’d ever eaten. Seeing me take a bite, Seraphina grinned. Her eyes gleamed with pure malice. “Chloe, how do you like the taste of your own dog?”

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On my birthday, Mom and Dad presented me with a gift. It was a DNA test result, showing no biological relation. Mom’s smile was cold. “Maya,” she said, her voice devoid of warmth, “since you’re not our biological daughter, it’s time you repaid us for the seventeen years of expenses for your upbringing.” Dad snorted. “No wonder you don’t look anything like me. You’ve sponged off the Sterling family for too long. From today, you’ll be our housemaid. We’ll pay you fifty dollars a month, which will go towards your debt. Food and board are not included.” I didn’t cry or argue. I just nodded calmly. After all, last night, I’d heard it all from outside their bedroom door. My sister, Chloe, had been clinging to Mom and Dad, pleading, “Mommy, Daddy, my birthday wish is to be the Sterling family’s only child, to have all your love and attention just for me. Can Maya be our housemaid for a year? Please?” Dad, his face full of adoration, had replied, “Yes, my darling. Anything for you.” Mom had chimed in with a soft chuckle, “For this year, Mommy and Daddy belong only to our precious Chloe.” I leaned against the wall, my eyes burning with unshed tears. They didn’t remember that Chloe and I were twins, born on the same day. And my birthday wish was: To leave the Sterling home, not for a year, but forever.

My sister, Chloe Sterling, gasped, covering her mouth in exaggerated shock. “Maya, no wonder you’re so plain-looking, not like Daddy or Mommy at all! So you really are a fake, an imposter!” Her voice was loud and dramatic, as if she’d completely forgotten we were twins, practically mirror images of each other. “Oh no, you’re not my sister at all. You’re just some stray who showed up out of nowhere.”

Eleanor’s face was distant, cold. “Maya, since the truth is out, and you’re not a Sterling by blood, this birthday party is solely for our precious daughter, Chloe. You have no right to be here.” I glanced up at Chloe, her face radiating triumph. She wore a custom-made princess gown, a tiara on her head that probably cost as much as a house. Then I looked at myself: a faded shirt and jeans, frayed at the cuffs from countless washes. I smiled bitterly. Right. That word. It was something I’d never truly had, so how could I lose it now? Richard’s voice boomed, “Starting today, you’ll move into the maid’s quarters. Out of the goodness of my heart, you can stay here as our housemaid until you find your birth parents. I’ll pay you fifty dollars a month, no food or board, to start repaying us for the seventeen years of raising you.” Whispers erupted among the guests. I felt like a humiliated clown, surrounded by their mocking stares, as I bent down to pick up my backpack. Chloe rushed over, snatching my backpack with a powerful tug. The broken zipper, held together by a single safety pin, instantly burst open, spilling my things everywhere. “Aha!” Chloe shrieked. “I knew it! You are stealing from us!” Among the scattered books and papers, a pink sanitary pad lay exposed on the floor. Eleanor’s face tightened with discomfort. “Chloe, it’s fine. It’s just a sanitary pad.” But Chloe wouldn’t back down. “Mommy, I’m the only child of the Sterling family now! What is she, anyway? She’s sponged off us for years and now she’s stealing our things? I say she doesn’t deserve it, she doesn’t deserve anything!”

Seeing her anger, Eleanor immediately softened, her voice dripping with placation. “Alright, alright, darling, don’t be angry. You’re right. You’re Mommy’s only precious darling now. You can do anything you want.” Chloe, satisfied, stepped on the pad, grinding her heel into it. “There! Now I don’t want it. It’s yours.” I stared at the pad, now covered in muddy footprints. My throat felt like it was clogged with wet cotton, heavy and suffocating. In the end, I bent down and only picked up my books. After the party, Maria, the housekeeper, led me to the old storage room. It was a space barely five square meters, containing only a rickety plank bed piled with junk and a single, rust-streaked window. Maria hovered at the doorway, a conflicted look on her face. “Miss… Maya, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling do remember your good side. Once they come to their senses, you’ll still be Miss Sterling…” Before she could finish, two cockroaches scurried out from a corner and vanished. I pretended not to notice her discomfort. “Thank you. I understand.” Maria shook her head and left, muttering softly, “They look so much alike, how could she not be theirs? Sigh…” I sat on the plank bed, gazing blankly out at the inky blackness of the night. It’s okay. Just one more year, and I can leave forever. That night, my lower abdomen cramped painfully. Without sanitary pads, I had to stuff myself with toilet paper. As I came out of the bathroom, I heard Mom and Dad’s hushed voices. “Honey, do you think Maya will hate us for this? She is our flesh and blood, after all.” Dad scoffed. “It’s her own fault for always picking on Chloe. As an older sister, she never knew how to let her sister have her way. A little hardship will do her good.” “After a year, when Chloe gets tired of the game, we’ll just make up an excuse, say the DNA test was a mistake. When she’s restored to her place as a Sterling, she’ll be ecstatic, won’t even have time to be angry.” My fingertips went numb. It was absurd, ridiculous. How could they possibly think that after crushing me into dust, I would still patiently wait for them to decide my fate again?

The next day, I went out to buy sanitary pads. At the checkout, I was told there were insufficient funds. But I had $200 saved up on my card. Back at the mansion, I pushed open the door. The three of them were at the dining table, laughing and chatting. A gift bag sat on the table. Eleanor was stroking a silk scarf, a look of pure delight on her face. “Our Chloe is such a thoughtful little angel, always bringing Mommy gifts! I’m so happy!” Richard was twirling a plastic cup in his hand, grinning from ear to ear. “Daddy likes it too. You truly are my precious daughter.” Chloe pouted, leaning her head on Eleanor’s shoulder. “But these two gifts only cost two hundred dollars. You two won’t be mad that I bought something so cheap, will you?” Eleanor immediately shook her head. “Of course not! As long as it’s from my darling, even two dollars is a treasure in my heart.” Richard didn’t miss a beat, taking the chance to disparage me. “Exactly! Unlike your sister, who only knows how to spend the family’s money and never bought us a single gift. She’s an ungrateful leech. She could never compare to my Chloe…” As they noticed my return, their conversation died. Chloe tilted her head, her smile brimming with malice. That two hundred dollars… It was my allowance for two months. It was all the money I had. A cold dread washed over me. Something in my mind snapped. When I finally registered what was happening, my hand was already raised, aimed at Chloe. But before my palm could connect,

Richard kicked me across the room. My spine slammed against the sharp corner of the coffee table, and my vision blurred with pain. Chloe held up her arm, showing a tiny red mark, and wailed as if the world was ending. “Mommy, Daddy, it hurts so much! Is my arm broken?” Eleanor shrieked, “Call an ambulance!” Richard quickly interjected, “Forget the ambulance, there’s no time! I’ll drive Chloe to the hospital.” Chloe pointed at me, still sprawled on the floor. “I don’t want to ride in the car! This… this nobody hurt me! I want her to carry me to the hospital!” The nearest hospital in the city was about twelve miles from the mansion. Eleanor’s eyes were icy as she looked at me. “You orphaned stray. We took you in, fed and clothed you for years, and now you dare lay a hand on my daughter? Do as Chloe says.” Seeing that I wasn’t getting up, Richard grabbed me by the arm and yanked me to my feet. “Stop faking it! You just took a small bump! Now hurry up and carry Chloe to the hospital. If you delay my daughter’s recovery, I swear I’ll kick you out of the Sterling family for good!” I believed him. But I couldn’t leave yet. I could only put Chloe on my back and staggered towards the hospital on foot. Richard drove slowly behind me, keeping pace with my every painful step. He kept yelling, “Maya! Carry her properly! If you dare drop my precious daughter, I’ll skin you alive!” Eleanor frowned and complained, “Speed up, are you trying to starve yourself? Don’t you dare delay my darling’s recovery.”

Chloe chuckled from my back, a note of triumph in her voice. “See? Nobody in this family loves you!” Words like that used to pierce my heart easily. But now, perhaps after accumulating too much pain, I was numb, beyond feeling. Seeing my lack of reaction, Chloe fell silent. But just as we neared the hospital, a safety pin she’d hidden in her pocket dug deep into my back. I gasped, stumbled, and collapsed to the ground, Chloe still sprawled on top of me. Richard and Eleanor immediately pulled over, dashed out of the car, and scooped Chloe up, rushing towards the hospital. Eleanor, who was trailing behind, glanced back at my ashen face. She shouted impatiently, “You’re already at the hospital! Go find a doctor yourself. We don’t have time for your drama.” In the end, I never made it into the hospital. Because I had no funds. Too weak to move, I sat on the hospital steps until dusk before making my way back to the mansion. They were already back. Standing in the living room was a cowering, shabbily dressed middle-aged couple. “Perfect timing,” Richard said, gesturing to the couple. “These are your birth parents. You can go with them now.”

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The night before our wedding anniversary, Kevin walked into a hotel, hand-in-hand with his first love. I dialed his number, but my thirteen-year-old son, Noah, answered instead. “Dad’s in an important business meeting. No outsiders allowed!” Noah said coldly, then hung up. That night, my husband and son decided to punish me. Their reason? I’d supposedly disrupted our ‘family harmony’. They locked me out on the wind-battered open-air balcony, forcing me to stand there all night. I let the wind dry my tears. The next day, despite my high fever, I handed him the divorce papers. In the study. Kevin didn’t even lift an eyelid when he heard the word “divorce,” still engrossed in his work. I waited for him for an hour. Just as I was about to collapse, he finally spoke: “Elara, I just made you stand in the cold for a bit, and now you want a divorce?” “You were in the wrong first. Don’t you deserve to be punished?” I opened my mouth. For the first time, I suppressed the urge to defend myself. I just said: “Sign it.” Kevin calmly stated: “I’ll take custody of our son. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?” Seeing me shake my head, Kevin raised an eyebrow in surprise. But to appear ‘fair,’ he called Noah into the study and asked him: “Who do you want to live with after your mom and I divorce?” Noah was truly Kevin’s son, alright. Not just in looks, but even the way he stared at me – the same arrogant, utterly indifferent gaze. Noah said: “My name is Hamilton, not Johnson.” In the past, hearing those words would have kept me up all night, crying until dawn. But after last night. Any maternal love I had for Noah had completely vanished. I couldn’t even bother to look at him, turning to walk into the bedroom. For thirteen years of marriage, all my energy had been focused on taking care of Kevin and Noah’s every need. As a result, I had pitifully few personal belongings in this house. I finished packing in less than ten minutes. As I dragged my suitcase out of the room, Kevin was sitting on the sofa, checking the stock market. Without turning his head, he said: “Where are you going? I’ll have the driver take you.” “No need.” I fought back the dizziness and discomfort from my fever, struggling towards the front door. Just then, a golf ball flew from the second floor, hitting me hard on the back of the head. The second floor was Noah’s game room. He always practiced indoor golf after finishing his homework. Kevin and Noah exchanged a knowing glance – the kind that said, “She’s just faking it again” – as I clutched my head, curling up on the floor. They left me there, gasping for breath, for half an hour. Finally, drenched in cold sweat, I crawled out of the Hamilton house and went to the hospital alone for an IV drip. After my fever broke, I drowsily boarded a bus to the outskirts of town. Two hours later, I arrived at Grandma Rose’s house. Overjoyed by my sudden appearance, Grandma Rose didn’t ask a single question. She just went straight into the kitchen and cooked me a big pot of mushroom soup. When Noah was little, he loved mushroom soup just like me. Sometimes, after eating too much, he’d whine and demand to be held. Around six or seven, some kid in the Hamilton family told Noah: “Mushrooms? Oh, those are just cheap, unsophisticated food. Only poor people eat them.” After that, Noah stopped letting me bring home the mushrooms Grandma Rose grew herself. “Uh, uh.” I was eating too fast, clutching my chest, desperately trying to stop hiccuping. Every wrinkle on Grandma Rose’s face creased with laughter. “Such a silly child.” To make it easier for me to eat, her shaky, wrinkled hands smoothed my tangled blonde hair and braided it into the pigtails I loved as a child. That night, after years of insomnia, I finally had a peaceful night’s sleep. I knew I was finally home. Two days later, I received a call from Kevin. His voice was cold as he asked: “Where’s the suit I had custom-made in Italy last year?” I instinctively told him the exact location and suggested he pair it with the tie in the far-left compartment of the drawer. I heard the rustle of clothes from Kevin’s end.

When he spoke again, there was a hint of awkward approval in his voice: “It looks decent. I’ll wear this to the dinner party tonight.” He paused, then added: “Send me your address. I’ll have someone deliver the jewelry I had made for our anniversary.” I refused: “No need. Briar and I have different tastes.” Briar was Kevin’s first love. Ever since she returned to the country and became Kevin’s personal assistant, she managed everything around him, from his big travel plans to the smallest gift choices. Kevin’s tone turned frigid when I mentioned Briar: “Who do you think you are? How dare you compare yourself to Briar?” I let out a silent chuckle, saying nothing. Kevin was left speechless by my words. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I continued: “Please have Briar arrange a time for you as soon as possible. Just text me once the date is confirmed. No need to call again.” I was about to hang up, but Kevin quickly changed the subject: “Noah’s right here. He wants to say a few words to you.” Before Noah could even open his mouth, I pressed the off button on my phone. Just as quickly and decisively as Noah had blocked me on SnapChat that day. I put down my phone and held Grandma Rose’s hand, watching a movie with her. A week flew by in a blink. While waiting for someone at a hotel, I received a call from an unknown number. It was Noah’s school counselor. He said Noah had gotten into a fight with a classmate at school. The argument started because the other student had heard rumors and, in front of the entire class, asked Noah about the reason for his parents’ divorce. I said: “It’s not a rumor. Noah’s father and I are indeed divorced. Custody of the child isn’t with me. Please contact his father to handle this matter.” After I finished speaking, the counselor sounded awkward as he explained that Noah would only give them my number. So, I had no choice but to ask the counselor to put the phone on speakerphone. In front of the injured student and his parents, I calmly told Noah: “You were wrong to hit someone. When you make a mistake, you admit it, isn’t that the principle you and your father always believed in? Also, whether it’s your father or you, no matter what happens in the future, please don’t call me again. Noah, you need to understand, we have nothing to do with each other anymore.” With that, I hung up, and while setting my phone to ‘do not disturb,’ I waved with a smile at my best friend Chloe and her daughter, Zoe. When I was pregnant with Noah, I always dreamed the baby would be a girl. Yet, even though he was a boy, I still cherished Noah and raised him with all my heart. Before he was six, Noah would plant little trees in the backyard for the cartoon cat that died. He would also secretly hide a small red flower after preschool, then discreetly place it behind my ear when I wasn’t looking. Later, Kevin started taking Noah to the family mansion frequently. After Noah turned eight, he stopped crying, and he rarely smiled. He started complaining that Grandma Rose’s house wasn’t as modern as the city’s skyscrapers. He told me: “You grew up in a place like this? No wonder Grandma always looked down on you.” Zoe, Chloe’s daughter, brought me back to reality by offering a bite of her cheesecake. Seeing me eat the cake, Chloe said: “Now that you’ve eaten, you have to promise to come to her competition.”

I put an arm around Zoe’s shoulder and smiled: “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely be there.” Over a month later, on a Friday. Kevin and I unexpectedly ran into each other on the school track field. Briar stood beside Kevin. She clung to his arm and greeted me first. “Elara, long time no see. Alex didn’t say you’d be here.” Alex was the president of the school’s track and field club, and he definitely had a race today. But I wasn’t here for him. Seeing me ignore Briar and walk straight to the spectator stands, Kevin belatedly pulled Briar’s hand away and followed, his voice dripping with sarcasm: “Elara, didn’t you say you were cutting ties with our son? What are you doing here, embarrassing yourself?” I couldn’t be bothered to waste words on Kevin. I just said: “Please don’t stand next to me. I don’t want people to get the wrong idea.” “Wrong idea about what?” “That we’re still married.” Kevin paused, then his face gradually turned ashen: “Elara, I’m warning you, don’t push it.” I didn’t understand what he meant. At that moment, I was focused on excitedly waving at Zoe on the track. Noah was standing five meters away from Zoe, and I knew he saw me. The boy clearly thought I was waving at him; otherwise, the disgust and contempt on his face wouldn’t have been so obvious. The starting gun fired, and both male and female groups began to run simultaneously. Zoe was surprisingly fast. And Noah, usually a top athlete, stumbled and fell halfway through the race – no one knew why. As soon as the race ended, Kevin and I both rushed towards the track. Kevin was a few steps ahead of me, immediately reaching Noah’s side and sternly asking the school medic about his injury. The medic was about to speak, but Kevin gestured for him to wait. Kevin turned, his face displeased, to look at me, standing not far away, texting on my phone. “Elara, what are you dawdling for? Can’t you see our son is hurt?” Kevin’s reprimand drew glances from the surrounding teachers and students. I put down my phone and stared blankly at Noah, whose lips were ashen. The boy’s knees were scraped and swollen, covered in blood. His left ankle was twisted at an unnatural angle. Noah instinctively reached out to me in pain, his eyes looking helpless. I found it a little funny. What did that have to do with me? As Noah had written in an essay last year, he was a grown man now. He no longer needed a mother like me, who only cooked and cleaned, so mediocre and useless she couldn’t even play a full piano piece, to do anything for him. Under everyone’s gaze, I walked straight past Noah, my face beaming, and embraced Zoe at the girls’ track. “Zoe, you were absolutely amazing! Congratulations on your silver medal. Come on, sweetie, your mom’s car is at the school gate. She said she’s taking us for the seafood feast you’ve been craving!” I walked out of the school gate, feeling light and happy. As soon as I got in the car, Kevin’s call came through. I didn’t intend to answer. But then he sent a text message: [Discussing divorce matters] So, when we arrived at the restaurant, I told Chloe to take her daughter inside, and I’d be there a little later. Two months later, I made the first move to call Kevin. The phone rang for only half a second before his agitated voice came through: “Elara, where are you right now?” “Wherever I am, you can tell me: when exactly do you have time to finalize the divorce?” Kevin fell silent for a moment, then deliberately softened his tone: “Come to the hospital first. Noah is seriously injured. He might not be able to compete again. The doctors need to talk to us about it.”

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My dad died a hero when I was six, saving someone’s life. Grandma’s health was failing, and debt collectors kept showing up at our door. But no matter how poor and tough life got, my mom never remarried. She always said my dad was a hero. She told me to be like him, to always do good. One weekend, a wealthy classmate I’d helped invited me to spend the weekend at her place. “Dad, honey, open up! I brought a friend home!” She knocked on the door and shouted. But when the door opened, I saw it. Her dad had a face that was identical to my dad’s. “You must be Skylar, right?” Brooke Stone’s dad greeted me warmly and politely. The resemblance was shocking, absolutely uncanny! I stared at his face, stunned, rooted to the spot. The familiar features, the slightly downturned corners of his mouth, and especially that triangular scar beneath his eye. Aside from a few more lines of age, he was almost identical to the man in the photos my mom always reminisced over. Even his English had a subtle hint of the regional accent I knew so well. “Sir, are you from the Southern area?” I asked instinctively. “How did you know that?” He looked at me in surprise. “But I left over twenty years ago and haven’t been back since.” Twenty years ago? My dad disappeared when I was six; it had only been sixteen years since then. The timing didn’t quite add up. Did my dad have a twin brother? Or could there really be two unrelated people in the world who looked exactly alike? I followed Brooke into the guest room, still feeling deeply unsettled. “Are you feeling okay?” She asked, concerned. I opened my mouth, a little speechless. It felt wrong to just blurt out that her dad looked exactly like mine. I glanced around the room. On the desk was an old family photo of their family. The date on it was twenty years ago. I would have been two years old then. Brooke in the photo must have been just a baby. Besides that, there were their names. Arthur Stone was probably her dad. My dad’s name was Arthur Grant, only the first name was similar. “I’m fine, I just think your parents are both so good-looking. How did they meet?” I carefully chose my words. “My mom said that about twenty years ago, she was on a business trip and got robbed. My dad chased them away.” Brooke seemed happy to tell her parents’ love story, quite excited. “They fell in love at first sight. After my mom’s work was done, my dad followed her to New York City…” Riverwood. I caught the keyword. I barely heard anything else after that. That was my hometown. If this was a coincidence, it was too much of one. “Do you know where your dad is from?” I eagerly interrupted her story. “I don’t know that. I heard my grandparents passed away a long time ago, which is why my dad had nothing holding him back from leaving the Southern area, and he never went back.” My grandma passed away when I was eighteen. Could he really have no connection to my father? My mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts. It was almost dinner time, so I decided to try a subtle test. At the dinner table, I casually brought up the story of my dad dying a hero saving someone. Hearing that, he snapped his head up, his mouth twitching slightly. That expression, it was so much like my dad! Maybe Arthur Stone *was* the supposedly deceased Arthur Grant!

Learning my dad wasn’t dead, my first reaction wasn’t joy. It was shame and burning anger. I wanted to grab him by the collar and demand answers. Why didn’t he come home if he was alive? He disappeared underwater when I was six, but Brooke was only two years younger than me? Even if he didn’t care about my mom and me, what about Grandma? Did he not care about her at all? Recalling the beautiful face of the woman in that family photo, and Brooke’s casual mention of her maternal grandfather’s prominent status, I ultimately swallowed the questions on the tip of my tongue. Whatever the answer, it would only be humiliating. “Sir,” I asked, “You must be very happy to have a daughter like Brooke, right?” I thought I heard him let out a subtle sigh of relief. “Happy, yes, but raising her costs a fortune,” He took my words, his voice betraying unconscious tenderness and indulgence. “I see you as a daughter too, Skylar. Tomorrow, I’ll take you two to the mall. Buy whatever you like, it’s on me.” A cold dread settled in my heart. I felt no joy from his words. Treat me like a daughter? I thought he was just guilty, trying to buy my silence. “No, thank you. You should save that for Brooke instead.” I emphasized. “But you’re our guest…” He still wanted to persuade me, but Brooke, having finished eating, stuck out her tongue at him. “Dad, you’ll put too much pressure on her!” She stood up and took my hand, leading me towards her bedroom. “But I have a lot of clothes I barely wore. You can accept those, right?” Listening to her describe which clothes she’d only worn once, and which winter coats were filled with goose down, I offered a relieved smile. My feelings for Brooke were complicated, but I held no real ill will towards her. Firstly, my father died when I was young, so I didn’t have a deep emotional connection to Arthur Grant. Secondly, she truly was a kind girl, without a hint of a spoiled rich kid’s attitude. I squeezed her hand gently, seriously saying: “Thank you, Brooke. These clothes are perfect; I won’t have to buy anything new for winter this year.” In a flash, the weekend was almost over. Staying at the Stone’s house for a few days had been an emotional ordeal. Because every time I looked at that familiar face, I couldn’t help but think of my mom, who had worked so hard to raise me, and Grandma, who, on her deathbed, had called out for her son. Brooke was still packing in her bedroom. I sat restlessly in the living room, but a single sentence from him froze me in place. “Your grandmother… is she doing alright?” He covered his face, his expression hidden. Only his eyes were glistening. Crocodile tears, I sneered inwardly. “She passed away four years ago. She was still calling out Arthur Grant’s name when she died.” He seemed shocked by the news. After a long moment, he said in a hoarse voice, “It’s my fault.” Too weary to watch his performance, I stood up and pushed my suitcase, ready to leave. But he caught up to me and pressed something into my hand. “There’s two hundred thousand dollars in here,” His expression was serious. As if the man who had just been tearing up and speaking hoarsely was merely a figment of my imagination. “From now on, we have no connection. Don’t even think about trying to cling to me for anything!” “Most importantly, you’re not to reveal our relationship to anyone.” Hearing those words, I trembled with rage. Did he think all these years of wrongdoing could be bought off with two hundred thousand dollars? If I kept quiet and didn’t expose my connection to him, it would only be because I didn’t want to, not because he’d bribed me. “My mom raised me, and you didn’t pay a single cent of child support!” “I’m graduating soon; I don’t need your money even more now.” I didn’t hesitate to throw the bank card onto the floor, then took a deep breath and looked at him with scorn. “You should be grateful you have a good daughter.” “Otherwise, I absolutely would have exposed your disgraceful actions for everyone to know!”

Back at school, I called Mom as usual to let her know I was safe. Listening to her rambling concerns on the phone, a wave of warmth washed over me. When we started talking about finding a job after graduation, Mom suddenly sighed, “If only your dad were here, he had so many friends, finding you a good job would be no problem.” Listening to her use various memories to prove how capable my dad was, for a moment, I almost blurted out the truth. Arthur Grant wasn’t dead at all. He’d abandoned everything, changed his identity, and was now Arthur Stone. He wanted nothing to do with us. He wished we believed he had passed away. But even after hanging up the phone, I still said nothing. In Mom’s heart, her husband was her spiritual pillar. He was her guiding star, an idealized figure. But the real Arthur Grant? He was an unfilial son to his mother, a scoundrel who abandoned his wife and daughter. When I discovered his true identity, he showed no remorse. He hypocritically asked about Grandma but showed no concern for Mom. If I told her the truth, how heartbroken would she be? It was better to leave things as they were. The next day, my roommate and I went to a large lecture class. Sitting in the classroom, I felt like people were talking about me. But when I turned around, all the gazes vanished. Only whispers faintly reached my ears. “Is she the homewrecker?” “Looks like it. I thought this kind of thing only happened in TV shows, but there are actually people who want to be their friend’s stepmom?” “Girls like that are always the same. As long as a guy has money, no matter his age, they’ll go for him.” I was confused. Were they talking about me? When did I become a homewrecker? “Skylar, look at the campus gossip page!” Ashley, my roommate, was full of shock, frantically tapping my arm. [Anonymous Post: Skylar Grant, a senior in the Special Education program, was invited to her friend’s home for the weekend. She then tried to seduce her friend’s father, attempting to become a homewrecker and ruin her friend’s parents’ marriage.] [Update to previous post: Skylar Grant’s friend, seeing her poor circumstances, even gave her expensive clothes. Is this how she repays her? She’s an animal.] Looking at the baseless posts on my phone screen and the malicious speculations in the comments section, I felt like my throat was constricted, barely able to breathe. Without a moment’s hesitation, I knew who the poster was. The incident of Brooke giving me clothes happened in her home. Besides her and me, only her father knew. No fourth person. But she had been so friendly to me yesterday. Why would she deliberately slander me? Weren’t we friends? I waited anxiously for class to end. Hearing that Brooke was at the gym, I stormed over, seething with anger. At first, she denied making the post. But when I pointed out that only she at school knew I had accepted her clothes, her demeanor shifted; she adopted a defiant, “what have I got to lose” attitude. “Was anything in the post wrong?” “When you were at my house, you were so broke you even took my old clothes, and you accepted a bank card from my dad with two hundred thousand dollars on it!” “If that’s not being a shameless homewrecker, what is?” Brooke glared at me hatefully. “Skylar, I’m telling you, if anything happens to my parents’ marriage, I’ll never forgive you!” As her words landed, the surrounding students burst into an uproar. They seemed surprised that I had actually accepted money from an older man. And two hundred thousand dollars at that. This seemed to confirm the rumors that I was a homewrecker and a gold-digger.

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It was the company’s year-end dinner, and everyone was allowed to order one favorite dish. When my turn came, Derek, the new intern, snatched the menu from my hands. “That’s enough. No more orders.” I ignored him and looked at the server. “I’d like a salmon fillet, please.” Derek slammed the menu hard against my cheek. “I said no more orders!” A red welt rose on my skin. Heat rushed to my face. I picked up the menu and slammed it straight back into his. He shrieked, then roared, “Do you have any idea who I am? My mother is Evelyn Jonathan-this company’s biggest client! Even your CEO wouldn’t dare touch me! I’ll bet you fifty grand your bonus vanishes and you never work in this city again!” I froze. Evelyn Jonathan was my aunt. She’d been single for forty years. Since when did she have a grown son? Seeing me stunned and silent, Derek grew even more smug. “What, cat got your tongue? A kept boy like you, coasting on your face-your presence at this dinner pollutes the room. You think you’re fit to order a single dish?” Coasting on my face? I’d pulled all-nighters drafting proposals. I’d worked eight-hour days on-site until I was sunburned beyond recognition. And he had the nerve to say that? I pushed back my chair and stood, meeting his glare head-on. “Watch your tone, Derek. I earn my results. My work speaks for itself. You have no right to talk to me like that.” “This dinner isn’t on your dime. If I’m not fit to order, then neither are you. No wonder the air felt foul the moment I walked in-you’ve been spewing garbage.” The entire room of colleagues lowered their heads, trying to hide their smiles. They had long been fed up with Derek’s arrogance. In the month he’d been interning, he treated every colleague like a personal servant. Chloe, a new employee, once refused to get him coffee. He then poured a full cup of hot coffee over her head, scalding her scalp and leaving a blister. Not only did he not apologize, but he also threatened Chloe. “If you dare make me apologize, I’ll make sure you’re fired!” In the end, the company had to cover her medical bills. I had wanted to step in at the time, but my colleagues held me back. I was baffled why they all seemed angry but too scared to speak up. Turns out, they were intimidated by his title as “Evelyn Jonathan’s son.” Derek’s face flushed crimson with rage, and he pointed a finger at my nose, yelling, “Leo! Don’t try to out-talk me. This company would go bankrupt without my mom’s support, I’m telling you, I call the shots at this dinner! If I say you can’t order, then you can’t!” “Who the hell do you think you are, getting arrogant with me? If you dare order one more dish, I’ll make sure you’re out of here tomorrow!” The server looked at me awkwardly after hearing this. “Sir, would you still like to order the dish?” “Yes!” I blurted it out without hesitation. I just couldn’t believe it. I brought in tens of millions in revenue for the company with a single project. And I wasn’t even allowed to order one dish? “What’s all this commotion about?” Mr. Henderson, the CEO, pushed open the door, his face clouded with displeasure. “Company dinners aren’t for arguing. What’s going on?” Derek didn’t give anyone a chance to speak, twisting the entire story with a look of feigned grievance. Before I could explain, Mr. Henderson’s stern gaze landed on me. “Leo, you’ve been with the company for a year now. Don’t you know frugality is a company principle?” “Derek is doing this for the company’s benefit. Are you really going to starve if you don’t eat one extra dish?” “And hitting someone is even worse. You need to apologize to Derek right now and pay him ten thousand dollars for emotional distress. Then, we can put this matter to rest.” I almost laughed, but it came out as a sneer, as I stared directly at him. “Mr. Henderson, are you sure you want me to apologize and pay compensation?” Mr. Henderson’s expression was unreadable, and Chloe quickly tugged at my sleeve. She whispered, “Leo, don’t be stubborn. Derek is Evelyn Jonathan’s son, you can’t afford to offend him. Mr. Henderson is really counting on Derek to close the deal with Skyward.” I couldn’t help but scoff. “He says his mom is Evelyn Jonathan, and you all just believe him? Did he show up with his birth certificate and a family tree?” Chloe pulled out her phone and opened Derek’s social media. “It’s true. Ms. Jonathan herself brought him on his first day.” I looked at the photo and nearly dropped my jaw. My breathtakingly beautiful aunt, looking absolutely radiant, stood in front of a luxury car, and next to her was indeed Derek. Derek had even captioned the post: “Thanks, Mom, for taking time out of your busy schedule to bring me to my internship. I won’t let you down.” I immediately called my aunt, but the call went straight to voicemail. Seeing my refusal to apologize, Derek looked at me with an evil glint in his eye. “Leo, don’t you dare regret this. I’ll make you pay for it!”

The next day, I saw the price he had spoke of. At the awards ceremony, my title as Top Sales Performer and my $500,000 bonus were given to Derek. The award acceptance speech on the presentation slides even still had my name on it. This was blatant robbery, and a fire raged in my chest. I immediately challenged them. “What are the criteria for Top Sales Performer? My project sales this month exceeded one billion dollars, generating tens of millions in revenue and outperforming second place by five million in profit. Derek has not closed a single deal. I ask every leader here-on what grounds was my award given to him?” A sudden silence fell over the room. The Finance Director and Sales Director exchanged glances, neither daring to speak. Derek looked at me with an arrogant smirk. “Of course, it’s because your projects weren’t acquired legitimately. The company can’t condone such deplorable behavior.” “Right now, we’re only stripping you of your Top Sales Performer title. If you continue to use such shady tactics to damage the company’s reputation, then you’ll be facing termination!” I was trembling with anger, my gaze sweeping across all the leaders on the podium. Those leaders who used to praise my business acumen, calling me a promising talent, now all avoided my gaze. I looked at the company’s highest leader, Mr. Henderson. “Mr. Henderson, is this your decision too?” Mr. Henderson, called out publicly, was clearly displeased, frowning impatiently. “Leo, the company has its own considerations. Don’t let such a small matter disrupt the awards ceremony. You need to think about the bigger picture.” “The bigger picture?” My eyes reddened, and my voice trembled. “The ‘bigger picture’ you speak of means that my projects, which I worked on tirelessly, staying up until midnight every day, are simply handed over to someone else?” “Because of his baseless rumors, all my contributions are erased, and you do nothing?” “I ask you, where is the fairness? Where is the justice? Don’t you feel any shame treating an employee who has made such significant contributions to the company this way?” Mr. Henderson was left speechless by my questions, but Derek showed no shame, raising his chin as he looked at me. “Fairness?” He scoffed. “Leo, don’t be so naive. In this society, justice always belongs to those with power.” “If you want justice, then find a rich mom to give it to you. Too bad, you don’t have one.” He made no effort to hide his contempt, telling me coldly, “My identity as the CEO of Skyward Group, Evelyn Jonathan’s son, will crush you so completely you’ll never recover in this lifetime!” I stared at him, truly wondering where he got such confidence. I even started to doubt whether my aunt had truly secretly had a child without our family knowing. I suddenly spoke up. “I heard Ms. Jonathan has a nephew she dotes on like her own son. Derek, have you ever met him?” Derek’s expression stiffened for a moment, then he gave me a disdainful glance. “That’s my cousin. Of course, I’ve met him. But my cousin lives abroad and rarely comes back. Even I rarely see him. A lowlife commoner like you wouldn’t even have a chance.” I scoffed. “Is that so? Derek, if you’re not a ‘lowlife,’ why are you stealing someone else’s Top Sales Performer title and bonus? Could it be you’re just a fake heir?” “You!” Derek’s face turned ashen, and he glared at me fiercely. “Leo! Don’t push your luck. Your Top Sales Performer title was revoked because you’re undeserving, and I earned mine through merit!” “Through merit?” I took a step forward, glaring at him. “Are you referring to your ‘merit’ of slacking off and playing video games all day, taking a two-hour lunch break, and leaving promptly at five?” “Or perhaps your ‘merit’ of sitting in front of a computer all day and only typing ‘proposal’ into a presentation slide?” My words weren’t fast, but each one was enough to humiliate him. He stood there, mouth agape, unable to speak, and looked to Mr. Henderson for help. Mr. Henderson’s face flashed with a look of disappointment, and he spoke to me in a stern voice. “Leo! Watch your language. This is a company, not a fish market, and you won’t be allowed to make a scene!” “Don’t think that just because you secured a few projects for the company, you’re above the law. It’s survival of the fittest. You need to accept being replaced by someone more outstanding. Don’t be unreasonable!” All eyes turned to me, waiting to see me make a fool of myself, tearing into the company over this $500,000 bonus. $500,000? I wouldn’t even bat an eye at $5 million. What I wanted was fairness. I wasn’t angry, nor did I refute. I just offered a sarcastic smile. “Fine, I accept. The Top Sales Performer title should indeed be reserved for someone more outstanding.”

As soon as I returned to my cubicle, HR sent out two announcements. “Leo has been found to be misusing company funds for lavish meals, which is a serious violation of company policy. Therefore, Leo’s position as Sales Manager has been revoked, and he is suspended for self-reflection.” “Intern Derek has bravely upheld company interests and demonstrated outstanding performance during his internship, generating significant revenue for the company. He is hereby immediately promoted to full-time employment and appointed as Sales Manager, taking over subsequent projects.” Immediately after, Mr. Henderson @’ed me in the group chat. “Leo, your extravagance and disregard for company policy have resulted in the deduction of this month’s bonus. You are to write a 10,000-word self-reflection report and post it in the group. All other employees should take this as a warning!” This was outright bullying! They stripped me of my Top Sales Performer title, withheld my bonus, and made me a cautionary tale, using my humiliation to solidify his own power. The group chat instantly went silent, and even the office fell into a dead hush. All eyes, subtly or not, shifted towards me – some with sympathy, others with regret, indignation, and even schadenfreude. The messages lay there, untouched. It was as if everyone was waiting for me to bow my head and apologize in the group. Mr. Henderson @’ed me again. “Are you blind?” I still didn’t reply. He kept @’ing me, over and over, like a man possessed. Chloe sent me a Snap. “Leo, don’t be stubborn. Just give in a little. Your job is on the line.” I smiled at her, a tear rolling down my cheek. My stiff fingers tapped on the phone, trembling as I replied, “Understood, boss. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll never again be so extravagant as to order a forty-dollar dish. Next company dinner, I’ll just drink water. I won’t touch a thing.” This seemingly apologetic message was like dropping a match into a powder keg. On the surface, it was calm, but it conveyed a deep disappointment in the company. I immediately logged out of all company software, genuinely taking my suspension for self-reflection. Mr. Henderson, citing the ‘out of my lane, out of my business’ principle, moved me to a cubicle next to the restroom. I was forced to endure the condescending or pitying glances of colleagues passing by every day. Derek sat triumphantly at my former cubicle, barking orders at department employees. But my position wasn’t so easy to fill. Every previous project, I had personally overseen, from design to production, understanding every detail. But Derek knew nothing. Within a few days, a dozen clients complained, demanding I resume their projects, otherwise they would cancel their partnerships. The company was facing hefty compensation fees. Mr. Henderson finally couldn’t handle it. He condescended to come to my cubicle. “Leo, these projects were under your supervision, and now there’s a technical issue. Go coordinate and ensure the client is satisfied.” I slowly lifted my head, feigning confusion. “Mr. Henderson, are you sure you have the right person? I’m suspended for self-reflection.” He paused, then spoke in a stiff tone. “Suspension for self-reflection doesn’t mean no work. Company policy dictates that you’re responsible for your projects from start to finish.” I shrugged. “But I’ve already revoked all my access permissions. I can’t follow up.” His expression froze, his eyes filled with anger. “Suspension isn’t termination, why did you delete your accounts? Apply for new access immediately.” I looked at him calmly. “But Mr. Henderson, you’re the one who said, ‘Out of my lane, out of my business.’ I’m just listening to my boss’s orders.” Mr. Henderson’s face reddened with embarrassment, but he still tried to be patient. “Alright then, your work status is reinstated now. Contact the clients immediately and make sure they don’t terminate their contracts.” I smiled. “Mr. Henderson, shouldn’t you be asking the more ‘outstanding’ Top Sales Performer for this? I’m just a pretty boy who gets by on his looks, you know, I don’t have that kind of talent.” His face turned beet red, trying hard to suppress his rage. “Leo, it was just a joke between colleagues, you didn’t actually take it seriously, did you?” I still had a smile on my face, but it was edged with ice. “So, my Top Sales Performer title being revoked and losing out on a $500,000 bonus was also just a joke?” “A $40 dish being deemed extravagant and wasteful was also just a joke?” These words landed like a series of slaps, hitting him squarely in the face. His complexion shifted from red to white, then to a purplish-blue. He remained silent. I knew he was battling himself; after all, admitting he was wrong wasn’t something a big boss like him would do. Just then, Derek excitedly rushed over. “Mr. Henderson, Skyward has agreed to invest!” Mr. Henderson’s face immediately broke into a triumphant smile. “That’s fantastic! Derek, you’re a godsend to this company. With Skyward as our backer, those clients will be begging to work with us.” He turned and gave me a sharp glare. “Leo, you’re fired. Go process your resignation immediately!” I calmly nodded. “Alright. I’ll expect the company to compensate me as per regulations.” He shrieked furiously, “Compensation? You’ve caused the company immense losses; just wait, the company will sue you!” Derek looked at me with venom. “Leo, I’ll make sure you’re blacklisted from the entire industry!” I gave a faint smile. “Sure, I’ll be waiting.”

I quietly packed my things and walked out of the company where I had poured my heart and soul for a year. I had dedicated all my passion and intellect to this company, relying not on connections but on my own abilities to make it flourish. Yet, I was met with termination. My heart felt as if it had been rolled in ice, cold and aching. Colleagues came out to see me off, offering words of comfort. Chloe said tearfully, “Leo, you’re so talented, you’ll succeed wherever you go. Don’t let Derek’s words get to you; you’ll definitely find a new job.” I just smiled without speaking. Derek didn’t have that kind of power. Outside the company, I received a call from my aunt, who had been unreachable for half a month. “Leo, I’m signing a contract with your company next week, but I’ll be in Africa for a survey, so I can’t be there.” I spoke, my voice low. “Aunt, I quit.” A pause on the line. “Did something happen at work? Do you need me to step in?” No. I want to return to the company and take over this project myself.” I hung up. A slow smile touched my lips. The real show was about to begin. My appearance at the signing stunned everyone from my old company. Especially Mr. Henderson and Derek, whose stares could have cut glass. Derek sneered at me. “What are you doing here? You’re fired. You have no standing at this signing.” I barely glanced at him. “Not being your employee doesn’t mean I can’t attend. What if I’m here on behalf of Skyward?” He laughed, sharp and mocking. “Leo, that’s pathetic. The CEO of Skyward is my mother. I’m the client. I’m signing for her.” “Don’t flatter yourself by calling yourself the client. A lowlife like you isn’t fit to scrub Skyward’s floors.” His words drew every eye in the room. “So he’s Ms. Jonathan’s son! No wonder he has such presence.” “How dare he offend Ms. Jonathan’s son? This guy must not want to get by in this city anymore.” “He looks like he works at a nightclub. Definitely a kept man!” “He’s nothing like Ms. Jonathan’s son, who’s such a respectable young man.” Derek stood in the center, surrounded by flattery, already feeling on top of the world. He looked at me with an even more triumphant smile and ordered the security guards, “Get this lowlife out of here right now, and let’s proceed with the signing immediately!” Several security guards moved toward me. I calmly took out a seal and held it up. “Derek, without this, how can you sign the contract?” The room went still, all eyes locked on my hand. “Isn’t that Ms. Jonathan’s personal crystal seal? It’s priceless. She never lets it leave her side. How could he have it?” I walked straight past a stunned Derek, stepped up to the podium, and picked up the microphone. “Effective immediately, Skyward Group is terminating its partnership with Conflux Company.” Mr. Henderson’s eyes narrowed. He glared at me, furious. “Leo, who the hell do you think you are, speaking for Evelyn?” I met his gaze, my voice level. “Didn’t you hear me? I am the client.” Derek stared at me in disbelief. “Leo, how do you have my mother’s seal? Who are you? What gives you the right to make decisions for her?” I held his stare and spoke slowly, clearly. “Because she’s my aunt.”

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My husband, Julian, was a genetic elitist. He looked down on me for graduating from community college, claimed my genes were inferior, and insisted on having a child with his stepsister, an Ivy League graduate. Three months into my pregnancy, they forced me to terminate it. My uterus cramped, bleeding heavily, and I begged him through tears to take me to the hospital. He watched, cold and detached. “It’s for the best. That child’s genes weren’t worthy of mine.” His stepsister, Vivian, tried to console me. “You should be grateful! You’ll get to help raise a child of superior lineage. It’s a privilege.” They would discuss intimate fertility details in eight different languages right in front of me. What they never knew was that I understood every word. The day Vivian’s pregnancy was confirmed, Julian went to church himself to pray for the “genius” in her womb. That same day, I left a signed divorce agreement and never looked back. There was one secret I had never told Julian. He and Vivian would never have a high-IQ child.

As I was wheeled out of the operating room, I heard Julian ask the doctor about safe birth control. “Your wife is very fertile, Mr. Davies. Both barrier and hormonal methods carry risks. If you’re certain you want no more children, I’d recommend…” The doctor’s tone was careful, almost regretful. Julian took my hand, his eyes full of practiced concern. “Maya, let me have the surgery with you. Vivian’s baby will be yours too, someday. I just can’t bear to watch you go through this again.” The cramps in my abdomen still twisted like knives. I stared at him, empty. Tears began to fall, sudden and silent. Julian had hated our child that much. When he found out I was three months pregnant, he erupted in uncharacteristic rage and forced me to take the pills. Just yesterday, he had been meticulously reminding Vivian to take her prenatal folic acid and maintain a light exercise routine. His voice then had been soft, full of anticipation. “The fusion of our genetics will produce the world’s healthiest, brightest child.” Julian, for the sake of your child, are you truly prepared to strip me of my chance to be a mother? A tearing pain in my heart made it hard to breathe. I closed my eyes, my voice chilling. “If you can’t bear to see me suffer, why don’t you get the surgery yourself?” Julian went still, staring at me as if he didn’t recognize me. “Maya, you were the one who wanted a child. I was only granting your wish.” He let out a short, cold laugh. “Besides, what kind of brilliant child could a mother who only attended community college possibly raise?” “Vivian has been exceptionally clever since childhood and studied abroad for years. Wouldn’t a child inheriting her superior genes be a far better fit than one from you?” Before I could retort, his phone suddenly rang. Julian’s expression softened instantly. “I’ll go ask the doctor for some recovery medication.” With that, he hurried away. I could hear Vivian’s sweet, cooing voice from the phone. “Julian, my feet hurt so much! Can you come get me?” “I told you to stop wearing high heels all the time,” Julian said, his voice laced with indulgence. “Take your shoes off. I’ll come carry you.” My heart clenched painfully. The first time I attended a Davies family gala, I was terrified of embarrassing Julian. My high heels had chafed my heels raw, but I didn’t dare say a word. Every step felt like I was walking on razor blades. Julian watched my discomfort with cold eyes, then reprimanded me mercilessly. “If you can’t handle them, don’t force it. From now on, you don’t need to come to these kinds of events.” Back then, I was foolish enough to think he was showing concern in his own cold way. But now, witnessing his blatant favoritism toward Vivian, I realized it had always been my own wishful thinking. Soon after, Julian entered, carrying Vivian on his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, grinning as she greeted me. “Don’t laugh at me, Maya. Julian’s just worried I walked too much, so he carried me up.” I closed my eyes, ignoring her completely. The atmosphere grew awkward. Vivian’s eyes instantly welled up. Julian’s face darkened, his voice filled with displeasure. “Maya! If you have a temper, take it out on me, not Vivian!” “Julian! Maya just lost her child, she’s grieving,” Vivian said, feigning sympathy, pinching his arm. Then she turned to comfort me. “Maya, genes are natural. You mustn’t feel insecure, okay?” “Julian not wanting your child was actually for your own good. Davies children are born to be exceptionally privileged. With a mother like you, they might never be able to hold their heads high.” Her voice was soft and gentle, yet every word felt like a sharp blade twisting in my gut. I snapped my eyes open, staring at her with chilling intensity. Vivian maintained an expression of concern, as if she genuinely had my best interests at heart, acting as if her relationship with Julian was nothing more than normal step-siblings. But I knew she had always been madly in love with him. When Vivian’s mother married into the family, Vivian had cried as she smashed our family portrait, screaming in anguish. “I don’t want to be his sister! I want to marry him too!” Later, Julian married me, and she, in a fit of pique, left the country, not returning for years. Vivian flinched under my gaze, her composure faltering. She pouted, wiping away feigned tears. “Maya, if you’re upset, hit me, yell at me, just don’t give me the silent treatment!”

The moment she cried, Julian became a ticking time bomb. He barely suppressed his fury, stepping forward and gripping my wrist fiercely, with enough force to shatter bone. I cried out in pain. “Maya, Vivian has tolerated so much from you, and you still deliberately make things difficult for her! Do you have any dignity as the Davies family’s eldest daughter-in-law?!” A heavy stone seemed to weigh down my chest, making it impossible to breathe. I struggled, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably, and couldn’t help but shout. “Fine! If that’s how it is, then give the title of Mrs. Davies to her!” Julian’s face turned frighteningly dark, his chest heaving, his eyes burning as if he wanted to tear me apart. “You can be as crazy as you want, but if you ruin Vivian’s reputation, I’ll make your life a living hell!” He spat the threat, threw my hand away, and, with an arm around Vivian, stormed out. I collapsed back onto the bed, a bitter ache spreading through my heart. That night, Vivian posted a picture on Ins. A man embraced her from behind, his distinctively jointed hands clasped over her lower abdomen. The caption read: “Anticipating the arrival of a wondrous little life.” I instinctively touched my own empty abdomen. It had just been cut open by cold blades, scraped and hollowed out, aching with fresh blood. Then, another update refreshed on my feed – a video. In the warm hotel lighting, Julian was intently studying a recipe, preparing a special “Five Red Soup” for her “cold uterus.” Vivian lay on the bed, sweetly bragging. “He said it’s his first time cooking personally. He wants to spoil me like a little girl before I become a mom.” But just last month, when I shared pregnancy recipes with Julian. He had suspected me of tampering with them, inspecting the condoms in our bedroom with a dark expression. It turned out Julian didn’t not want children; he just wanted children with Vivian. These two years of supposed deep affection, of being a loving couple – it had all been a facade. Tears soaked my pillow, the heavy ache suffocating me. I finally drifted off to sleep as dawn broke. The next morning, Julian came to the hospital with breakfast. He set up the small table, placing warm milk and a sandwich on it, his expression unusually gentle. “Maya, I said some harsh things yesterday.” Julian patiently tried to coax me. “Even though Vivian and I aren’t blood relatives, she’s still my step-sister by name. There’s nothing scandalous going on between us like you imagine.” “Once she has the baby, I’ll bring it to live with you, and it will only recognize you as its mother.” “If that child ever dares to treat you poorly in the future, I swear I won’t forgive him!” Listening to Julian’s sanctimonious explanations, my heart slowly sank to the bottom. The milk was leftover from breakfast, still bearing the hotel label from last night. Even now, his soft words were only meant to manipulate me into accepting Vivian’s future child. Was this truly the same man who once loved me so fiercely he was willing to break ties with the Davies family just to marry me? Seeing my continued silence, Julian finally grew impatient. He loosened his tie and sat beside me. “Not talking again? Aren’t you tired of this act?” “Fine, Vivian and I can do IVF, without us even being intimate, and you can be the surrogate! Would that satisfy you?!” His face was grim, his tone cold. I looked at him, countless emotions stuck in my throat, finally managing only a self-deprecating smile. “Julian, let’s get a divorce.” A flicker of panic crossed Julian’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. “Don’t pretend.” “You were so desperate to marry into the Davies family, you even agreed to have your parents’ final resting place moved to our private family cemetery, essentially erasing your own family’s history!” He scoffed, certain I wouldn’t leave. But he forgot that he had once knelt before my gravely ill parents, begging for their blessing, for my hand. I had never married into the wealth and prestige of the Davies family. I had married the Julian who loved me as much as his own life.

The day I was discharged, Vivian was also brought home. They maintained a superficial politeness, a distant facade, but in private, they were anything but. When Vivian stood on tiptoes to reach a book, Julian reached from behind to precisely retrieve it for her. When Vivian took off her hair towel, Julian would gently blow-dry her hair. At dinner, Vivian’s gaze lingered on the shrimp. Julian had already peeled them and placed them on her plate. “Eat more.” His eyes were soft. Then he glanced at me and set a piece of fish on my plate. “Maya, you eat too. It’s good for you.” The fish was full of tiny bones-the part I hated most. Julian used to pick every bone out for me, reminding me to eat slowly. But now, looking at that piece of fish, a wave of nausea hit me. They talked about everything and nothing, their conversation effortlessly weaving between three or four languages. I dropped my fork and bent to pick it up. Then I saw what was happening beneath the table, and I froze-rooted to the spot. Vivian had already slipped off her heels. Her long legs, sheathed in black stockings, were wrapped tightly around Julian’s like a serpent. “Julian, the kisses in the car were amazing. We should do that again later, ja?” “And I’m wearing your favorite little bunny outfit tonight… specially to arrest you!” Hearing the familiar Danish, I stiffened upright, my eyes darting instinctively toward Julian. His expression was as usual, yet he replied in the same language. “Naughty girl, be careful. Don’t let Maya find out.” They were intimate without a care in the world, completely disregarding my presence. But Julian probably never imagined that I had been fascinated by foreign languages since childhood, possessing an extraordinary talent for them. I understood every single word they said. Overwhelmed by anger and distress, my face suddenly paled, and I coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. “Maya!” Julian was alarmed, immediately reaching out to steady me. “Maya, it was a miscarriage, not some terminal illness. Why would you suddenly throw up blood?” Vivian feigned confusion, then pretended to realize something. “Could it be… you’re putting on a show for Julian?” Julian stiffened, his hand slowly retracting, his eyes filled with disappointment. “Maya, are you trying to manipulate me?” “You’re poorly educated, from a humble background, yet you foolishly deluded yourself into thinking you could bear a child worthy of the Davies family name. This is the consequence of your greed.” “Vivian is at a crucial stage of her pregnancy planning. If you cause her even the slightest fright, I’ll make you pay a hundred times over!” Vivian gave me a triumphant look, then gently pulled Julian away, comforting him. “Maya’s so sensitive and prone to overthinking, why bother getting upset with her…?” Their voices faded into the distance. Strings of blood dripped onto the floor. I managed a pained, hollow laugh, feeling utterly suffocated by the pain. Julian had probably forgotten that I, too, had a promising future ahead of me. Back then, to be with him, I gave up the chance to study abroad. The Davies family was one of the wealthiest and most influential in the city, and the conditions for marrying Julian were ridiculously harsh and outlandish. Giving up my academic pursuits, learning the strict socialite etiquette, even agreeing to have my parents’ graves moved to their private cemetery… Whenever I felt my boundaries were pushed, seeing his pleading expression, I would bite down hard and force myself to accept. The love I had fought so hard to protect, no matter the cost, now lay shattered at my feet. Julian, if this is what you want, then I will grant it to you. I silently wiped away the bloodstains, took out the prepared divorce agreement, and went straight to the upstairs study to find him. As I reached the corner, I suddenly heard hurried gasps and moans. I froze. Through a gap in the curtains, I saw Vivian, wearing a bunny headband, pinning Julian beneath her. “You don’t even like Maya, so why don’t you just divorce her and marry me instead!”

Julian held her waist, his eyes narrowing slightly in warning. “Vivian, you’re crossing a line.” “Mrs. Davies will always be her. You’re merely a tool to provide reproductive genes.” Vivian pouted, complaining petulantly. “But what if she refuses to accept our baby?!” “Don’t worry. As long as she can’t have children for the rest of her life, she’ll have no choice but to accept it.” Julian’s chilling voice pierced the air. I stood frozen, a cold dread spreading from my feet upward. Julian had always claimed to love me, but his favoritism was always for Vivian. It turned out that in this relationship, from beginning to end, I was the only one in love. Numbly, I returned to my bedroom and sat there for a long time. Only when the room was shrouded in darkness did I pick up my phone and dial. “Please book me a flight. I accept the conditions you proposed.” Julian didn’t return until late that night. Fresh from the shower, his hair still damp, he tried to wrap his arms around my waist from behind. I shifted away. “You’re still up? Work ran late. Don’t be angry, my love?” “Tomorrow is our two-year anniversary. I’ll take you to church to pray for peace and blessings.” When I didn’t answer, he seemed unsettled. He pulled me closer, his face buried in my neck. “Maya, I know you’ve been through so much recently.” “Just hold on a little longer…once the baby arrives, we can start over. Okay?” “Okay,” I said, my voice flat, my heart a block of ice. The heavens listen. Julian was desperate for Vivian to conceive his privileged prodigy. But he would be waiting in vain.

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I left the bedroom door ajar on purpose, so my husband could hear me making out with my lover all night. The next morning, his eyes were full of anger as he pinned me against the bed, demanding answers. “Did he even satisfy you? How many times did he really touch your body? Why not me?” But I just tightened my silk robe, covering the marks on my skin, and threw his own question back at him. “Aren’t we just playing the same game? Has your little nurse, Tiffany, stopped satisfying you?” Julian Grant’s eyes burned red, but he had nothing to say. Our marriage died the day he caused our daughter’s death. The wind bit through me as I drove alone to the suburban cemetery to visit our daughter. Passing the lot where my father’s clinic once stood, tears blurred my vision. I had been the youngest, most promising doctor at the Academy. I gave up a place at a top-tier institution for Julian. The year the malpractice lawsuit hit, an angry mob of patients’ relatives nearly beat him to death. My father sold the clinic he’d built over thirty years and emptied his savings to bury the legal case. To secure Julian’s position at City General, he handed over a lifetime of surgical notes, contacts, and professional reputation. He even joined a drug trial Julian was running, just to support his research. It cost him his liver. He didn’t survive. That was how Julian became the youngest Chief of Surgery in the city. I was naive enough to believe t to believe a debt like that would be honored for life. But after he brought the nurse, Tiffany, into our home, everything changed. The man who once worried if I so much as frowned was now tearing my heart apart with his own hands. I’ll never forget it. My mother was dying of lung cancer, desperate for an imported drug. But Julian, to cheer up Tiffany, gave the only available dose to her ragdoll cat for a skin rash. And I’ll never forget the day our daughter stopped breathing. Julian was in Tiffany’s hospital room, tangled up with her. I finally found my daughter’s niche in the cheapest public cemetery. A tiny, desolate space-not even a photo to mark her. When darkness fell, I sat on the cold tile floor. Just as I used to when lulling her to sleep, I hummed Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star through the night. I woke up the next morning to a chorus of shouting. Blinking my eyes open, I found a crowd of neighbors circled around me, phones raised and recording. “That’s her! Dr. Grant’s mad wife!” “Nurse Tiffany said she went berserk last night-destroyed the whole community garden!” “Those flowers were just planted by the management. They cost a fortune!” “What a vicious woman. No wonder Dr. Grant keeps her locked away!” Julian stepped forward through the crowd. His face was a mask of pained regret. “Neighbors, I apologize. It’s my failure. My wife has been unwell. Emotionally unstable. Misunderstandings led to this. I will cover every loss. Please, don’t hold it against her.” With those words, he sealed my fate as the “madwoman.” I stared at the man I had loved with my entire life, trembling with a rage so deep it felt cold. “Julian, you’re lying. I never left the cemetery last night!” “Still making excuses!” A security guard held up his phone. “The security footage shows a woman from behind. She’s wearing exactly what you have on now!” “That madwoman is a curse. Even her daughter’s grave is tainted!” “Get that urn out of here! Don’t pollute our cemetery!” I lunged to stop them, but several men forced me down, pinning me to the ground. My face pressed against the cold tile, tears cutting through the grime on my cheeks. All that escaped my throat were choked, guttural cries. They pried open the small niche and pulled out the black urn. I fought wildly. The box fell and struck the floor. The lid flew off. Pale gray ashes spilled out. A sudden gust swept through, lifting the dust into a swirling cloud. I could only watch, helpless, as the last trace of my daughter in this world simply…drifted away. The crowd muttered and dispersed. Julian slowly walked over. He looked at me with complex eyes. “Audrey, you’ve always been the strongest… it’s just a place for ashes. I’ll buy a better burial plot later…” “You know how delicate Tiffany is, how sheltered she’s been. What you did yesterday-sprinkling that powdered medicine into her soup-went too far.” I gritted my teeth, every word tasting of blood. “My daughter’s last remains in this world…were those ashes..” “I understand.” He sighed. “But if I don’t reassure Tiffany this way, what if her depression returns? What if it harms the baby she’s carrying? Audrey, you should understand my position.” He paused, his voice softening slightly. “Audrey, you need to be strong.”

Strong? What a joke! My dad died of liver failure after participating in a clinical trial to help Julian develop a new drug. To keep him from feeling guilty, I forced myself to handle my father’s funeral arrangements alone, without shedding a single tear. When my mom was in the final stages of lung cancer, he gave the only life-saving imported drug to Tiffany’s cat. Before she passed, my mother gripped my hand and whispered, “Julian…might have his own burdens. Don’t resent him…” My throat closed. My eyes burned. I swallowed every tear. But all that pain I  carried, all the humiliation I endured, all the tears I never cried… In his eyes, they were just reasons for me to be “strong”? I laughed, my whole body trembling. “Julian, is Tiffany’s mood more important than my daughter’s ashes?” “Can’t you stop making such a big deal out of it? She didn’t mean it.” It was always the same. I was always the one at fault. It was just like before: I simply pointed out that she was giving a patient the wrong medication. Furious at my defiance, Julian locked me in the basement for a year. “Audrey, it’s been a year. Have you learned your lesson?” When Julian opened the basement door again, the outside light cut into my eyes. Tiffany, visibly pregnant, walked over, pretending to help me. “Be careful, Audrey. The basement’s damp, don’t fall.” Fall? I almost laughed. The day he locked me in, a year ago, our daughter had just died. I had knelt then, clutching Julian’s pant leg, my forehead bleeding from begging against the floor. “Please, save Lily! I swear I’ll never oppose Tiffany again!” He looked down at me, his eyes cold as a scalpel. “Audrey, you’re ill. How could Tiffany harm our child? You’re the one who’s lost your mind.” He held the trembling, sobbing Tiffany, his voice sickeningly gentle. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll lock her up. No one will hurt you again.” I saw a tenderness in his eyes I’d never witnessed before, and my blood ran cold. “Julian! My daughter is dead!!” My response was the thud of a lock clicking shut. To get out sooner and bury my daughter, I didn’t cry or make a fuss. But as my daughter’s body began to decompose in the hospital morgue, Tiffany, while I was asleep, had someone send the body directly to the crematorium. I hammered on the door like a madwoman, my throat hoarse from screaming. “Julian! That’s your daughter! How could you let her be cremated without even a proper goodbye!!” My palms bled from pounding, and what I got in return were rats, infected and scurrying, thrown in through the vent in the middle of the night. They bit my feet, tore at my fingers. I huddled in the corner, wounds infected and inflamed, feverishly ill. “Is Audrey doing okay?” Tiffany’s voice pulled me back to reality. I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, looked up at Julian, my voice hoarse. “Where are Lily’s ashes?” No one answered. My heart sank. I stumbled toward the nursery on the second floor, The room I had decorated myself when I was pregnant. The closer I got, the more my heart ached. But the moment I pushed open the door, I froze. The room was filled with lingerie, whips, and handcuffs. The walls were covered with nude oil paintings of Tiffany. My fingers dug into the door frame, knuckles white. Julian’s footsteps sounded behind me, his tone impatient. “I didn’t let you out to cause trouble.” “The dead cannot return; can’t you just move on?” “No!” I spun around and slapped him across the face. “Is this filthy place how you explain yourself to our daughter?! Julian, do you deserve to be a father?!” “I just want to know, where are her ashes?” When I mentioned our daughter, his eyes darted away. “Tiffany’s pregnant and emotionally unstable, so I painted some pictures to cheer her up…” “She has prenatal depression, I couldn’t help it.” “Couldn’t help it?” When Tiffany moved into my house, neighbors whispered and pointed, but he pretended not to see, saying he couldn’t help it. Tiffany put peanut powder, which I am severely allergic to, in my soup; I went into shock and was rushed to the ER, but he turned a blind eye, saying he couldn’t help it. Tiffany caused our daughter’s death, and he protected her, saying he couldn’t help it. I laughed, tears streaming down my face. “All these ‘couldn’t help it’s almost killed me.” I stormed into the room, grabbed a bucket of paint, and hurled it at the paintings. “Audrey, are you insane?! What has Tiffany ever done to you?!” Julian grabbed my wrist, but suddenly froze. Beneath my sleeve, my arms were covered in festering wounds. “What… how did you get these? I explicitly ordered them to bring you food every day, to take good care of you…” “I’m perfectly fine.” “You can just kneel here until you’ve truly reflected. Then you can come back.” Julian’s cold voice snapped me back, and I pressed my lips together, unable to say a word.

I knelt on the ground, my forehead resting against my daughter’s tiny headstone, crying my heart out. “You look so pathetic.” Tiffany’s voice drifted from behind me. “She’s already like this, why can’t she just get the hint, divorce him, and get lost?” She stood before me, visibly pregnant, wearing a victor’s smirk. “But you reaching this point? It was all my design, step by step.” She crouched down, leaning close to my ear, her voice laced with a smile. “I personally dragged your daughter out of the morgue and threw her into that stray dog den on the west side of the city.” “I watched those dogs… tear her apart piece by piece. It was so satisfying.” She paused, her tone laced with a sickening pride. “Do you know what Dr. Grant did that night, when I came home, covered in blood and the stench of death?” “He held me… and ravished me all night.” “You bastard! You witch!” I shrieked, scrambling to my feet, my hands clamping tightly around her throat. I would kill her! Avenge my daughter! Tiffany’s face flushed dark, but her smile never wavered. “Serves you right.” Her hand closed around the handle of a shovel leaning nearby. She swung it hard into my back. A white-hot pain exploded through me, and my vision went black. A year in the basement had already broken my body.. I collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll, unable to move. I don’t know how long it was before she crouched beside me again, dangling something in her hand. A soft, chilling chime. My pupils shrank- Three years ago, before Julian’s heart surgery. I flew to the Philippines, nearly died diving the depths, all to gather those golden pearls. I polished each one myself. Tiffany’s smile was cruel. “Remember these? I should thank you, really.” “Dr. Grant loved using them during our nights…slipping them, one by one, over my skin…” “He said it let him feel your devotion.” That raw, life-risking devotion I had once offered now felt like poison-tipped boomerangs, each one flying back to pierce my heart. A sharp, sickening pain twisted through me. “Get out! Tiffany, get out of my sight!” Her eyes were cold, her words venomous and ruthless. “Audrey, you deserve to die!” My vision went black, and I collapsed.

When I woke again, I was bound in an abandoned warehouse. The rough nylon ropes chafed my wrists, burning with pain. My heart tightened, and I tried to struggle free. A man with a scar across his face walked over and kicked the metal shelf beside me. “Don’t bother. If Julian is smart, he’ll send over the original copy of that medical notebook your dad left behind, and we’ll let you go.” That notebook was Julian’s lifeblood-it contained all my father’s lifelong work. He always kept it locked in a bank safe; no one was allowed to touch it. My heart ached, but I felt no expectation that Julian would come. Too many expectations had been shattered; I no longer dared to hope. After an unknown period, the screech of tires echoed from outside. Scarface grinned. “Dr. Grant is quite fast. Where’s the stuff?” Julian stepped out of the car, his brows furrowed. He was about to signal his assistant to hand over the file, Suddenly, his phone rang, a sharp, insistent sound. He impatiently reached to hang up, but then his gaze softened as he saw the caller ID, and he answered. The nurse’s excited voice came through the phone. “Dr. Grant! Miss Tiffany’s water broke prematurely, she’s hemorrhaging badly, and she keeps calling your name!” Julian froze. He turned to look at me, his lips moving. “Audrey…” A bodyguard rushed forward to intervene. “Mr. Grant! Mrs. Grant’s life is genuinely in danger here! Miss Tiffany has doctors at the hospital…” “Shut up!” Julian’s face was grim. “I’m leaving this to you. Make sure you protect my wife.” He looked at me, his eyes complex. “Audrey, you’ve always been able to get through things… you know, Tiffany can’t do without me now…” “But Mr. Grant…” Before the bodyguard could finish, Julian had already turned and climbed back into the car. The car sped away. My heart was completely numb. Was my life truly that worthless to him? One bodyguard. One bound woman. What chance did we have against desperate men like these? Scarface eagerly tore open the envelope. After flipping through a few pages, his face darkened. “Damn it! You dare try to fool me with forgeries?!” He snatched up a steel pipe from beside him, his glare burning into me. “Your man played dirty. Don’t blame me for what comes next!” I thought perhaps, after a year so close to death, that when the end truly came, I’d feel nothing but calm. When your heart dies completely, even fear disappears. The pipe cut through the air with a whine. I closed my eyes. Bang. The warehouse door burst open. Blinding headlights cut through the dark, a dozen black SUVs sealing every exit. A voice I knew too well cut through the silence. “Let’s see who dares lay a hand on her today.”

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Eight-year-old Leo was in a car accident and urgently needed Rh-negative blood. My husband, David, turned quickly to the doctor. “I know someone with Rh-negative. I’ll call her right now.” I slammed the divorce papers against David’s chest. “She can come. But you sign these first.” He crumpled the papers. “Scarlett, are you insane? Our son is fighting for his life, and you’re doing this now?” I met his gaze, my voice cold. “Yes.” My mother-in-law rushed forward, hand raised to slap me. “You heartless bastard! You’d really let your own son die?” I only smiled. Then I walked to the ER door. “Doctor! Halt all the preparations. This family refuses consent for the transfusion and the surgery!” The doctors and nurses stared at us, their movements frozen. The air in the ER corridor grew thick, heavy, broken only by the low hum of medical machines. David pointed a finger at my face, his eyes bloodshot. “Scarlett. Say that again.” “I said, stop the surgery.” My voice was low, unnervingly clear in the silence. My mother-in-law snapped out of her daze and lunged for me again. David caught her, locking his arms around her waist. She clawed at the empty air between us, screaming. “You monster! Leo is still in there! Your own flesh and blood! How can you say that?” I simply watched her, saying nothing. David held his struggling mother, snarling at me. “What the hell do you want? Is it because I called Chloe that you’re acting like this? There’s nothing going on between us! She just happens to have Rh-negative blood, and I didn’t want you to suffer again!” “You didn’t want me to suffer?” I asked him. “David, do you even believe that yourself?” My question choked him, his face twisting in an ugly grimace. “Is this really the time for this? Leo’s life is what matters most! Whatever grievances you have, we can talk about them after the surgery, when we’re home!” “Home?” I looked at him. “David, we don’t have a home anymore.” I held out the divorce papers again. “Sign them. I’ve already arranged for a blood bank and several volunteers. As soon as you sign, they’ll be on their way. There will be enough blood for Leo’s surgery.” My mother-in-law’ stopped sobbing. Both she and David stared at me as if I were insane. “To force me into a divorce, you’d even abandon our son’s life?” David ground out, each word bitten off. “I said, sign, and the blood will arrive.” I didn’t back down. Other patient families began to gather, whispering and pointing at me. “What’s wrong with that woman? She’s so cruel.” “Right? Even animals protect their young. Her husband didn’t want her to donate blood because he cared about her, and she’s using the child’s life to threaten him into divorce.” The murmurs and accusations washed over me, but I felt nothing. David watched me, his chest heaving. “Fine, Scarlett. You’re ruthless.” He released his mother, snatched the papers and pen from my hand, and scrawled his signature a few times before throwing the document back at my chest. “Satisfied now? Can we save our son?” I picked up the papers from the floor, confirmed his signature, and tucked them into my bag. Then I turned to the doctor nearby. “You can prepare for the surgery now. The blood will be here as soon as possible.” With that, I turned and walked away. David yelled after me. “Where are you going? You’re not staying for Leo’s surgery?” I didn’t look back. “His life or death is no longer my concern.”

As I exited the hospital, a car screeched to a halt in front of me. The door opened, and a woman in a white dress hurried out, her face etched with anxiety. It was Chloe. She saw me, paused, then asked urgently. “Scarlett, how’s Leo? David called me, said something happened to the baby.” I looked at her, the woman who had hovered around David for ten years. “He’ll live.” I spat out the three words, moving to walk around her. Chloe seized my wrist, her eyes rimmed with red. “Scarlett, I know you’ve always misunderstood the bond between David and me. But right now, Leo is all that matters. Please don’t blame David. He’s just so worried about you.” Her voice was soft, yet perfectly pitched to reach every onlooker. An elderly woman immediately began to berate me. “What kind of wife are you? She’s speaking reason to you, and you stand there with such darkness in your eyes. To abandon your own son-have you no conscience?” Chloe quickly turned to the woman, pleading. “Please, don’t say that. Scarlett is just very tired.” The more she played the role of the compassionate one, the more wicked I appeared. I yanked my hand free. “Don’t touch me.” Chloe stumbled, tears welling up. “I’m sorry, Scarlett, I didn’t mean to.” David rushed out of the hospital at that moment, saw the scene, and immediately pushed Chloe behind him. He glared at me, furious. “Scarlett! Haven’t you caused enough trouble? Chloe came here out of kindness for Leo, why are you taking your rage out on her?” My mother-in-law followed him out, and seeing Chloe, she seemed to find her savior, grasping Chloe’s hand. “Oh, you good girl, you’re finally here! Go see Leo, that venomous woman has abandoned him! We only have you now!” Chloe, while comforting my mother-in-law, spoke to David. “David, don’t blame Scarlett. She must just be overwhelmed.” The three of them stood together, a picture of a loving family. And I, I was the unwanted villain, the cruel outsider. I looked at them, and my ten-year marriage felt like a cruel joke. I said nothing more, hailed a taxi, and left. Even after the car drove a long distance, I could still see David holding Chloe, and my mother-in-law wiping away tears in the rearview mirror. Back home, I started packing my things. This house was mine, bought before marriage, registered in my name. For ten years, I had turned it into a home, but in the end, there wasn’t an ounce of warmth here that belonged to me. That evening, I received a call from my mom. The moment I answered, a barrage of scolding erupted. “Scarlett! Have you gone mad? Leo was in such a terrible car accident, and you chose to divorce his father at the hospital? You and your dad have brought such shame upon us!” “Mom, I-” “Don’t call me Mom! I don’t have such a heartless daughter!” My mom’s voice was shrill. “David told me everything. He didn’t want you to donate blood because he cares about you. You nearly bled to death when you gave birth to Leo, and your health has never been the same since. How ungrateful can you be!” I clutched my phone, unable to utter a single word. “You go to the hospital right now! Apologize to David, and go see Leo! If you still recognize me as your mother, then go!” The call ended. I stared at the dark screen of my phone, my heart clutched as if by an unseen hand. When I gave birth to Leo, I truly almost died. But none of them knew why I had hemorrhaged so badly.

I didn’t go to the hospital. The next day, David brought my parents to my place. The moment I opened the door, my dad’s hand shot out, connecting with my face. “You monster! You dare show your face here!” He was trembling with rage. “Leo had a high fever last night, crying for his mom, and where were you? Is your heart made of stone?” My mom, supporting my dad, cried as she spoke to me. “Scarlett, please come to the hospital with us. The child is innocent. Even if you and David have issues, you can’t take it out on the child.” David stood behind them, looking at me with a pained expression. “Darling, I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have called Chloe. Please come back with me? Leo needs you.” He acted so genuinely that even my parents believed him. I covered my stinging cheek, looking at the three of them. “Are you done talking?” My dad froze. “What kind of attitude is that?” “If you’re done, then leave. I need to rest.” I pointed to the door. “You!” My dad raised his hand, intending to strike me again, but my mom held him back tightly. David also stepped forward, shielding me. “Uncle, please don’t be angry. It’s all my fault. I didn’t handle things well, and I hurt Scarlett.” He turned, his eyes red, looking at me. “Darling, you can hit me or yell at me, but please don’t abandon me and Leo. We’ve been together for so many years, how can you just throw it all away?” He reached for my hand, but I stepped back, avoiding his touch. “David, stop acting. Aren’t you tired?” David’s face stiffened for a moment, then was replaced by an even greater sorrow. “Scarlett, how did you become like this? You weren’t like this before. You used to love Leo so much; you’d do anything to give him the best.” “Yes,” I nodded. “I used to be quite foolish.” My parents, seeing my imperviousness to reason, were utterly disappointed. My mom, tears streaming down her face, said. “Scarlett, if you insist on this divorce, then don’t ever set foot in our home again. We’ll pretend we never had a daughter like you.” My dad pointed at David and declared. “From now on, David is our true son!” I looked at them, and the last flicker of warmth in my heart vanished. “Fine.” That single word made my parents and David freeze. They probably thought that by threatening me with family ties, I would compromise. Just like every other time in the past ten years. Unfortunately, this time, they were wrong. After seeing them off, I received a call from my lawyer. “Ms. Scarlett, David’s side has received the court summons. But he leaked to the media, claiming you abused Leo and, due to marital disputes, refused to give him a blood transfusion, leaving him critically ill.” I opened my phone. The news was everywhere. “Wealthy Wife’s Cruel Jealousy: ‘I Won’t Save My Own Son!’” “Where Is a Mother’s Love? Heartbroken 8-Year-Old: ‘Mommy Doesn’t Want Me Anymore!’” The comment sections were a blaze of fury. My photos, workplace, and home address were all exposed. A group of self-proclaimed activists had gathered downstairs at my company, holding banners, demanding I be fired. Soon, I received a call from my boss, who told me not to come into work for a while. That afternoon, Chloe called me. Her voice sounded gentle and innocent. “Scarlett, please don’t blame David. He was just pushed to his limit by you.” “Leo isn’t doing well; he needs his mom. Can you… please come back and see him?” “What standing do you have to call me?” I asked. A few seconds of silence on the other end. “I… I’m Leo’s aunt, and your friend.” “Friend?” I laughed. “Chloe, are you even worthy of that title?” With that, I hung up. Not long after, my phone buzzed with a photo from Chloe. In it, Leo lay in a hospital bed. Chloe was bending over him, gently wiping his face. David and his mother stood close by, watching them with tender, doting looks. The scene was a picture of perfect harmony, so bright it stung the eyes. Beneath it was a message: “Scarlett, we’re all waiting for you to come back.”

On the day of the hearing, the courtroom was packed. There were media reporters, social activists, and all our so-called relatives and friends. They were all there to see me utterly destroyed. David arrived with Leo and Chloe. Leo sat in a wheelchair, his face pale, his arm still in a cast. Seeing me, Leo’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. “Mommy, please don’t divorce Daddy, okay? It’s all Leo’s fault. Leo won’t get sick anymore.” He cried so pitifully, drawing gasps of sympathy from the spectators. My mother-in-law wailed dramatically, pointing at me and cursing. “You bring nothing but bad luck! A curse on husband and son! What did our family do to deserve a creature like you?” David held Leo, looking every bit the tragic, good husband. “Scarlett, even now, are you still going to be so stubborn? For your own sake, are you really going to throw away Leo’s future?” Chloe stood beside him, timely offering a tissue and gently comforting him. I watched their little family act, my face expressionless. David’s lawyer rose and began to recite my list of “failures.” From forgetting our anniversary gift to not cooking for my mother-in-law’s birthday, to my “deliberate refusal to act” when Leo was in the car accident. Each point painted me as the selfish, heartless villain. Finally, the lawyer presented a hospital report. “Your Honor, due to the defendant’s delay, the plaintiff’s son, Leo, suffered cerebral hypoxia. This could result in permanent neurological damage.” “Furthermore, the defendant has subjected the child to sustained emotional abuse, causing severe psychological harm. We request full custody be granted to Mr. David, and that the defendant be ordered to pay one million dollars in emotional damages.” The judge looked at me, his expression heavy with judgment. “Defendant, how do you respond to the plaintiff’s claims?” Every eye in the room fixed on me, waiting. I stood. I didn’t look at David, but at Chloe in the witness stand. “I’d like to ask Ms. Chloe a question.”

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Reunited with my birth parents for three months, our family went broke. Caroline and Robert took Isabella, my adopted sister, to work in another city. Before they left, they only gave me three hundred dollars and told me to wait at home. Three years later, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I couldn’t help but call Caroline and Robert. Caroline cried, saying: “Robert fell from a construction site earning your tuition, and he’s still in the ICU. We really don’t have any money for you, Amelia!” I rushed out of the hospital, taking a thirty-hour train ride to their city. I was dying. All the money I’d saved these past years, I’d leave it for Robert’s life-saving treatment. But when I found them, they were living in a huge mansion, celebrating Isabella’s eighteenth birthday. I overheard Caroline saying: “She asked me for money. I can’t believe we’ve been pretending to be poor for three years, and she’s still so greedy. She’ll definitely try to snatch Isabella’s inheritance later.” Robert immediately called the landlord and told them to kick me out, saying I needed to suffer a bit more. Caroline hesitated: “But won’t she be homeless then?” But Caroline, this hypocritical family, I don’t want it anymore.

So, the supposed bankruptcy, the “struggle” to support me, it was all a cruel charade, a “tough love” lesson orchestrated to keep me from competing with Isabella for their fortune. I crouched down, a gush of black blood spilling from my mouth. The pain in my lower abdomen had spread to my heart. I turned clumsily, wanting to leave. But then I heard Caroline’s surprised voice from behind. “Mr. Davies said she wasn’t home. They saw her buy a train ticket here yesterday. She wouldn’t be coming to find us, would she?” They frantically changed into janitor and security guard uniforms. Isabella sat on the side, looking annoyed, refusing to take off her ball gown no matter what. My phone showed Caroline calling. Her voice was incredibly gentle: “Honey, Mr. Davies just told us you came to the city where your father and I work. Is that true?” “Where are you? Robert and I will come pick you up, okay?” I spoke softly: “I’m at the train station.” Caroline said sweetly: “Good girl, sweetheart, we’re coming to pick you up right away.” After hanging up, Caroline’s gentle demeanor vanished. She said irritably: “See? I told you! She won’t give up until she gets money, and now she’s here, isn’t she?” “Why is our biological daughter so cunning and selfish?” Robert sighed: “She’s definitely picked up some bad habits out there. Looks like we’ll need to think of another way to ‘teach her a lesson.’” “But it’s okay, we still have Isabella, don’t we? We’ll just focus on raising Isabella well.” Their words pierced my heart like daggers. Slowly, I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and turned to walk away. I walked several blocks before a cake shop caught my eye. A towering eighteen-tier cake, displayed in the window with a hefty price tag, was identical to the one Caroline and Robert gave Isabella. A store clerk greeted me warmly. “This cake was custom-ordered by a famous local entrepreneur, Mr. Miller, for his beloved daughter’s eighteenth birthday.” “Mr. Miller even had jewels and diamonds encrusted on that cake. It costs hundreds of times more than this one!” “His daughter is so lucky, pampered like a little princess.” But she didn’t know that the girl standing before her, in faded, old clothes, was also Mr. Miller’s daughter. Yet, I had nothing. “Would you like to buy a small slice to try?” But even a small slice was beyond my means. On the street, a crying child threw his cake box on the ground, wailing: “I don’t like this flavor; I want strawberry!” His parents gently coaxed him: “Okay, we’ll go buy you some now.” I walked over and quietly asked: “Can I have this cake?” They looked at me with surprise and pity, then nodded. I bent down and picked up the cake box, holding it like a precious treasure as I sat by the roadside. Carefully, I put the broken pieces of cake into my mouth. So, this is what cake tastes like. So sweet, but why does it also taste salty? I wiped away a tear, wanting another bite, when the cake was snatched from my hand. “Isabella! What are you doing picking up garbage to eat? It’s so dirty! Throw it away!” Caroline threw the cake directly into the trash can. “Sister, you’ve been back for three years, why are you still acting so destitute? Picking up trash? It’s disgusting.” Behind her, Isabella stood in a gorgeous dress, her face full of disdain. Caroline glared at Isabella. Seeing me staring at Isabella’s dress, Caroline guiltily explained to me: “Your sister just started working at an event venue, doing hostess work to earn money. This dress was lent to her.” “Now, hurry up and take it off! If you ruin it, we can’t afford to pay for it!” Isabella pouted, saying nothing. Caroline seemed to remember something, grabbed my hand, her eyes full of feigned sympathy. “Robert and I have been so busy, we completely forgot it was your birthday today. My dear, what would you like for your birthday?” My voice was hoarse. I pointed at the utterly ruined cake on the ground and said: “I want a cake.” Caroline lowered her head, looking troubled: “It’s our fault, we’re not capable enough. That cake is too expensive; we can’t afford it. How about I make you noodles when we get home?” I remained silent. Seeing that I didn’t object, Caroline sighed in relief and pulled me, wanting to leave. But after only a few steps, the pain in my abdomen made it almost impossible to stand. I collapsed to my knees in the snow. Caroline’s panicked cries echoed in my ears. “Don’t scare me! What’s wrong with you?!” 2 The next time I woke, I was in a hospital bed. Caroline and Robert, seeing me awake, hugged me with red eyes: “It’s all our fault…” Seeing their guilty expressions, my heart ached. I felt a little anxious. Did they know I had stomach cancer? Were they finally going to tell me the truth? Would they regret tricking me, even a little bit? I murmured: “Did the doctor tell you the test results…?” Caroline froze, then looked away guiltily and said: “Our family is too poor… we don’t have money for your tests. I think you just got a stomachache from eating that cake from the trash. I asked the doctor to give you some painkillers… See? Don’t you feel much better now?” I stared at her blankly. Caroline stood up and pulled me: “Since you’re awake, let’s go home with me. The hospital fees are too expensive; we don’t have any money left.” It felt like my tears were flowing backward, straight into my heart, leaving a bitter ache in my chest. The door to the hospital room burst open, and several fierce-looking men stormed in. “When are you going to pay back the thirty thousand dollars you owe us?!” “If you don’t pay up, we’ll break your legs!” Caroline immediately pleaded. “Please, can you give us a few more days? We really don’t have any money because of the medical bills.” Robert looked surprised but, catching Caroline’s eye, he immediately reacted. “Please give us a few more days. We’ve been working really hard. My youngest daughter even started working at a club. We’ll pay you back soon.” The men sneered: “What good is one daughter working? Don’t you have another one here?” “Let this little girl go work at the club too. As soon as she earns enough to pay off the debt, we’ll bring her back.” Caroline and Robert repeatedly refused. “No, you can’t take our precious daughter! We’re working so hard precisely so she can have a good life!” But they didn’t move an inch, watching with expectant eyes as I was dragged away. Just before I was shoved into the van, Caroline suddenly panicked and called my name. “Amelia…” “Robert and I are so sorry. We’ll gather the money soon and bring you home.” I lowered my eyes, not looking at them. I was thrown into the kitchen, where piles of dishes stood before me. I wanted to tell them that I knew Caroline and Robert had hired them to give me a “hardship education.” I wanted to beg them to let me go. But as soon as I opened my mouth, I was slapped several times and knocked down. If I moved too slowly, I’d get a kick to the stomach. They held my head under the faucet, watching me gasp until my eyes rolled back, then they laughed and let go. They talked loudly: “Talk about different fates! Both are daughters, but one’s stuck here scrubbing dishes, while the other’s popping champagne bottles outside. Tsk, tsk, who cares if she’s the ‘real’ daughter? If she’s not favored, she’s still treated like trash.” A man holding a drink glass grabbed me from the floor: “The big boss outside wants you to deliver drinks. Hurry up.” I was pushed to the private room door. Inside the room, a dazzling Isabella was surrounded by her friends. The supervisor behind me kicked me in. “What are you waiting for?!” Numbly, I stepped forward and set down the drinks. A girl shrieked, knocking over a bottle of wine. She pointed at me: “Why didn’t you hold the bottle properly?! Look, you stained my dress!” “Supervisor! What are you going to do about this?!” Brenda immediately understood. She grabbed me, pressed me onto the broken glass, and slapped me with all her might. Her friend said: “Not enough! This dress cost me thousands! Do it again!” Punches and kicks rained down on me until I couldn’t get up anymore. Only then did Isabella nod in satisfaction. She walked over, smiling, and said to me: “Amelia! Surprised to see me here, aren’t you?” “You didn’t really think I was slaving away in this filthy place like you, did you? You didn’t really think this dress was given to me by the club, did you?” “You’re so naive. Caroline and Robert lied to you! They never went bankrupt. They just pretended to be poor because they were afraid you’d fight me for the inheritance.” “While you were back home, poor and scavenging for scraps on the streets, Caroline and Robert bought me an entire closet full of jewelry, luxury goods.” “Who cares if you’re the biological daughter? You still can’t compete with me.” She wanted to see hatred and despair on my face. But there was none. I clutched my abdomen and said. “I won’t fight you, Isabella. Will you please let me go?” “I’ll cut ties with them. From now on, they’ll be only your parents.” She scoffed, grabbed my hair, and poured a glass of liquor down my throat. “Do you think I’ll believe that crap you’re spewing?” “Stomach pain, huh? Drink more and just die of the pain. If you die, no one will fight me for Caroline and Robert.” The burning alcohol seared my stomach, and the pain made me convulse uncontrollably. I mustered all my strength and pushed Isabella away. She shrieked and fell to the floor. The rest room door was abruptly pushed open, and Caroline and Robert rushed in, pushing me aside with worried looks. “Isabella, are you okay? Did the glass cut you?” “Amelia, didn’t you see the glass all over the floor? How could you push your sister like that? What if you hurt her?!” I looked at Caroline and Robert, who were so panicked and worried that they forgot to maintain their pretense of poverty. My heart felt like it had been ripped open. So, they had been here all along… But why did they ignore my suffering? 3 “Sister, you just hate us for pretending to be poor and tricking you. Go ahead and hit me, I won’t fight back. But you can’t curse Caroline and Robert, calling them liars who deserve to die.” Caroline and Robert looked at me with extreme disappointment. “This was Caroline’s and my idea; it has nothing to do with your sister. How dare you hit her?!” “We only pretended to be poor because you were too greedy and out of control.” Caroline and Robert listed my supposed transgressions one by one. “When we first brought you home, you were so envious and jealous of Isabella, you went into her room in the middle of the night and cut up all her dresses!” “And all those missing pieces of Isabella’s jewelry? They were eventually found in your room…” I clenched my fists, staring at them in disbelief. Robert’s gaze grew even colder: “That time you stole Isabella’s most valuable necklace, you insisted on calling the police.” “Do you have any idea how priceless that jewelry was? If we’d pressed charges, you’d be facing at least ten years in prison! For your sake, we pulled every string, telling the police to drop the investigation. We even made your sister apologize to you to make you happy. What did we ever do to you that you hate us so much?!” Caroline said with red eyes: “Robert and I had it all planned out. As long as you didn’t ask us for money for these three years, and learned to endure hardship.” “We would tell you the truth, bring you home, and split the company and inheritance equally between you and Isabella.” “But you disappointed us so much. Just because we pretended to be poor and you couldn’t enjoy yourself, you wished death upon us.” I trembled uncontrollably. “So, you never believed me.” “So, every time you said you believed those things weren’t my doing, it was all a lie.” I rubbed my eyes and said softly: “If you dislike me so much, then I won’t be your daughter anymore.” I struggled to my feet and stumbled out. “Amelia! You stop right there! We just said a few things to you, asking you to apologize! And now you want to cut ties with us?!” Caroline’s voice was furious: “Get back here!” Seeing that I still ignored her, Caroline grew anxious and shouted at me. “If you’re leaving, leave everything we gave you behind!” “The clothes you’re wearing, we bought them for you! If you hate us so much, then don’t use them!” Seeing me stop, she sighed in relief, but still said coldly: “Apologize to Robert and me! Apologize now, and we won’t hold it against you that you failed this test.” “However, you’re very disobedient, so don’t even think about our company and inheritance.” “But, since you’re our biological daughter, we’ll still make sure you have enough to eat.” I shook my head, reached out, and took off my worn-out coat, sweater, shirt, and pants. Until I was left with only thin underwear, Caroline cried and rushed over, picking up the coat and throwing it over me. She hit me as she covered me. “Why are you so disobedient, child?! Do you want to drive Robert and me to our graves?!” “Is it so hard to admit you made a mistake?” I was the one who was hurt, yet she was the one crying. I pulled off the coat she had draped over me and turned to walk out. Suddenly, Isabella’s shout came from behind. “My money is gone from my bag! Who stole my money?!” Everyone exchanged glances. Isabella pulled a cheap button from her bag, identical to a button on my shirt. Caroline suddenly looked up at me.

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On my eighteenth birthday, I spent the couple hundred dollars I’d painstakingly earned from my part-time job. I invited my parents and brother to a French restaurant. But, in the end, they stood me up. They went to Disneyland with my adopted sister, Luna. The fireworks on their Ins stories stung my eyes. I couldn’t help but call, wanting to demand: Compared to Luna, aren’t I your real family? But before I could even speak, Luna’s voice chirped through the phone: “How could Mom and Dad celebrate your birthday? Don’t you know you were actually picked up from a hospital dumpster?” In that moment, everything that had clouded my mind suddenly became clear. So, I wasn’t their child. Then I didn’t need to beg for their pathetic affection anymore. I filled out the application for Oxford University. Then I bought myself a one-way plane ticket to the UK. I wasn’t coming back, ever. I closed the application page, took a deep breath, and my gaze finally fell upon the special dinner I’d arranged. For this one meal, I’d washed dishes in the school cafeteria kitchen for almost a year. But now, the long table was filled with everything they loved – filet mignon for Mom, her usual; ribeye for Dad, his favorite; garlic lobster tail for Ryan, who could never get enough; and I hadn’t forgotten Luna’s go-to Caesar salad. It wasn’t until I picked up my knife and fork that I realized not a single dish on the entire order was something I liked. But that didn’t matter anymore. When I stopped begging for their fleeting affection, I started learning how to treat myself well. Just like this moment – I found that dining alone could be so peaceful and free; a birthday cake celebrated by no one still tasted soft and sweet. What’s more, the restaurant’s waitstaff came over with twinkling candles, and a warm birthday song gently enveloped me. On this night that was entirely my own, every bite of food softly whispered: You deserve all of this. Today, I wasn’t lonely. Back home, they had returned from Disneyland. Seeing me, Mom’s expression faltered for a moment. Then she handed me a Disney plushie. “Aubrey, your birthday gift.” “I’m sorry, we were going to come celebrate with you, but your sister Luna got into the top ten in her class this time, and we promised her we’d take her to Disneyland if she did well.” “So we changed our plans midway.” “You’ve always been such an understanding kid, you’ll get it, right?” I looked up at this woman who, when I was very little, used to hold me, call me her “sweet pea,” and say she couldn’t bear to be apart from me. I used to adore her so much. Loved her. Desperately wanted to be by her side. But when I came back home after living with relatives in the countryside, I found a new girl already there. Mom started calling only her “sweet pea.” Her hugs were only for Luna. Before, I would have felt jealous and sad. But now, I only felt a sense of calm. It turned out, just like Luna, I was also a child they’d picked up. So, it was normal that they didn’t love me. I nodded slightly, saying flatly: “Yes, I don’t blame you.” After speaking, I didn’t take the plushie that Luna had thrown on the ground and stomped on, as seen in her Ins story. I walked straight towards my room. Behind me, I heard Mom’s disgruntled voice. “We got her a gift, and she’s still like this.” “She doesn’t know how to be affectionate, no wonder I don’t like her.” Luna’s whiny voice followed: “It’s all my fault, making a fuss about going to Disneyland.” “Aubrey must be mad at me. I shouldn’t have said anything about a reward, boohoohoo…” My departing steps were suddenly blocked by a force from the side. Ryan violently shoved me to the ground. My forehead hit the corner of the wall, sending a sharp pain through me. “Aubrey Evans, apologize to Luna right now!” “So what if we didn’t celebrate your birthday today? You just had to make the whole family miserable.” Ryan sneered at me, spitting out cruel words, one by one: “But you, a foundling picked up from a dumpster, what makes you think you’re worth our time and effort to celebrate your birthday?”

I looked up, stunned, at Ryan. The sneer on his face only widened. “Don’t play dumb here. I know you heard everything Luna said on the phone.” “Yes, you were found.” “That’s why we favor Luna, and why we hate you. That’s why we kept you away in the countryside until you were twelve.” “Because you have nothing to do with our family.” I looked at Mom and Dad again; they watched me in silence. Finally, they quietly nodded. My palm trembled, and something inside me completely shattered. Ryan gritted his teeth and said: “Now you know how out of line you’ve been, right? You and Luna, you were both adopted by our family.” “But you’ve been acting like you’re our biological daughter, constantly competing with Luna.” “What right do you, an outsider, a loser who always scores at the bottom of the class, have to compete? It’s laughable.” “You want us to celebrate your birthday? Get into the top ten in your class then!” Luna, hiding behind Ryan, smirked mockingly at me. I suddenly found it utterly pointless. Laughable, indeed. What right did I, an adopted daughter just like Luna, have to compete? Even though I knew, deep down, that I wasn’t actually “found.” Since I returned to this house at age 12, my life had been a living hell. If I got a little closer to Mom and Dad, Luna would get upset. If my test scores were better than hers, she’d be unhappy. If a teacher praised me, Luna would throw a huge tantrum at home. To keep Luna happy, they forbade me from getting close to them. They wouldn’t let me score better than Luna on exams. They even forbade me from excelling academically or being praised by teachers at school, because Luna would be unhappy. If I didn’t comply, they’d lock me in the dark basement until I gave in. So, at 15, fed up, I took strands of their hair. I secretly went to a DNA test center. I thought, I must not be their child. If I were biological, they would never treat me this way. I wanted to get the test results and apply to live in an orphanage. But to my surprise, the results confirmed a parent-child relationship. I was, in fact, their biological daughter. The moment I saw the results, I almost broke down. I didn’t understand why, if I was their biological child, they preferred an adopted daughter and refused to love me. Was it just because I had lived for twelve years with the grandmother my mother hated the most? And so, by extension, they hated me too? I had pondered this question for eighteen years, never finding an answer. But in this moment, I finally understood. Not all family members naturally love their own children. Since that was the case, there was no point in forcing it. I would just pretend I was found. After all, I had never truly had a family anyway. I wiped the blood from my forehead, stood up, and gave Luna a deep, sarcastic bow, saying: “I’m sorry, Luna.” “Before, I didn’t know the truth, and I constantly defied you. From now on, I, who am merely a guest here, will never again be so presumptuous.” Yes. Never again. If I wasn’t even their biological child, why should I keep fighting for their love? Luna covered her mouth, as if startled, and said: “Aubrey, what are you saying?” “No matter if you’re adopted or anything else, in my heart, you’re my older sister.” “Your forehead is bleeding again, let me see…” Her outstretched hand was yanked away by Ryan. “Don’t bother with her. She loves to play the victim.” “Be careful she doesn’t use your kindness against you and twist things around.” Each word cut me like a knife. I awkwardly wiped away the tears that stung my eyes – physical tears rather than emotional. I covered my wound and walked towards my room. Mom and Dad looked at me, a flicker of emotion seemed to cross their faces. But they looked at Ryan and Luna, and in the end, said nothing. The moment I closed the door, I heard Mom say: “Ryan, did we overdo it?” “What if Aubrey actually believes we picked her up?” Ryan laughed: “Wouldn’t that be better? She’s always so competitive, always fighting with Luna over everything. This is a good way to punish her.” “We planned it all out. We’ll tell her the truth after the SATs. It’s not too late.” I smiled self-deprecatingly. I quietly closed the door. Ryan. I don’t need to know the truth anymore. The identity of being found is just fine. Let it be.

I sat in my room, wiping my wound in front of the mirror. The past eighteen years slowly replayed before my eyes. Sometimes, it was a tiny me, sitting by the village entrance day after day, waiting for Mom to pick me up. Then it was me, after Grandma passed away, realizing there was no place for me in this family. There was also me, framed by Luna for breaking her birthday gift, then slapped hard by Ryan. And me, scorned by Mom and Dad, who said they wished they hadn’t taken me back, crying on the floor, feeling utterly wronged. Finally, it all turned into… me, waiting at that fancy restaurant for my family to celebrate my birthday. But they never came. Creak— The door suddenly pushed open. Without turning, I knew it was Luna. This was her favorite tactic. After I’d been reprimanded by the whole family because of her, she’d come to gloat under the guise of comforting me. “Aubrey, are you very sad?” she said with a grin. “Knowing you’re adopted too, do you feel like dying?” “You know, we’re both adopted daughters, so who’s nobler than whom? You still fight with me every day.” “But you can’t win against me in the end, you’re really so ridiculous.” “Mom and Dad, and Ryan, I’m the one they’ve always loved.” After she finished, she covered her mouth and burst out laughing. She had said things like this to me countless times. Each time, it made me furious. Because of it, I had slapped her. I had poured milk on her. But this time, I found it utterly meaningless. I wiped the wound on my forehead and said flatly: “Since you’re so happy, then they’re all yours. Completely.” Perhaps my expression was too calm. It robbed Luna of some of her pleasure. She glared at me viciously: “Don’t act all superior and pretend to be magnanimous here.” “In the end, you’re just a loser who can’t win against me, I’m telling you.” “Everything I have now, I fought for it, you didn’t give it to me. Now I’m going to make you see reality clearly.” With that, she messed up her own hair. Then she threw herself to the ground, screaming: “Aubrey, don’t hit me!” “I won’t go to Disneyland ever again!”

The door was violently flung open. The next second, Mom’s hand landed hard on my face. “Aubrey, how could you treat your sister like this?” “You’re nothing but a rotten seed!” Mom’s words were incredibly harsh, making me tremble with hurt. Dad huffed as he helped Luna up from the floor: “Aubrey, you’ve really gone too far this time.” “We know you’re jealous that Luna scores better than you, and that she pleases us more.” “But why haven’t you recognized your place?” “You’re just an adopted daughter in our family, an orphan of unknown origin picked up from a dumpster. Your background isn’t even as respectable as Luna’s.” “At least we know her parents were our deceased friends.” “You, a worthless stray, what right do you have to compete with Luna?” Worthless stray? Dad’s words were like a sharp sword piercing my heart, making me ache so much I wanted to double over. Ryan glared at me like I was his enemy and said: “I think some people are just too comfortable in our house.” “Since that’s the case, get out of here right now! After all, you’re just a stray we picked up from a dumpster.” “If we don’t teach you a lesson, I don’t think you’ll ever learn gratitude.” With that, Ryan shoved me out of the mansion. Then, my luggage was roughly thrown out after me. Mom, Dad, Ryan, and Luna stood on the steps of the villa, looking down at me. They looked like true strangers. My eyes stung. What was I still hoping for? This was it. I opened my mouth and heard myself say: “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, for raising me all these years. Now that I know my true identity, it’s really not convenient for me to live here anymore.” “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, for raising me all these years. Now that I know my true identity, it’s really not convenient for me to live here anymore. Please give me my passport.” I wanted my passport to leave. Mom scoffed: “What do you need a passport for? Going abroad, are we?” Ryan jeered: “Her? Going abroad? What good would it do even if we gave it to her?” Ryan threw my passport at my face. Then he ruthlessly slammed the door shut. Ryan’s voice pierced through the door: “Mom, Dad, don’t be soft. If we don’t teach her a lesson, she’ll never learn!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “322487”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn