Category: English

My parents were on the brink of a nasty divorce because of my dad’s affair. The only thing stopping them was the custody battle over me. To prove she could support me, my mom got a high-paying job that required travel. On the day she left for a business trip, she made my dad promise to take care of five-year-old me. But the moment his first love called, he abandoned me to go cook for her cats. Before he left, he dumped a case of instant noodles and a pack of water bottles on the kitchen floor. Five days later, I developed a high fever. In my confusion, I swallowed my grandmother’s heart medication instead of Tylenol. With my heart rate spiraling out of control, I called my dad in agony: “Daddy, I’m sick. I took the wrong medicine… I think I’m dying.” His voice dripped with impatience at being woken up: “Why are you lying like your mother? Stop making things up!” “I’ll be back in a few days. Go to sleep.” The drugs made me nauseous. I begged him one last time: “Daddy, please save me. I really—” I heard the phone being tossed aside. A woman’s voice drifted through the line: “Your daughter says she’s dying. Aren’t you worried?” His tone was casual, unbothered: “Don’t listen to her nonsense. If she dies, it saves me the trouble!” “She’s the only reason her mother won’t sign the divorce papers!” I remembered the countless times my mom broke down because of his cheating. He was right. Only if I died could my mom finally be free. 1 I used my last ounce of strength to crawl into bed, clutching the family photo from the nightstand. I huddled under the covers, staring at it. In the photo, Mom was kissing my cheek, her smile radiant. Dad was looking at us with deep affection. Mom said this photo was taken when I was two. That was before Dad’s first love came back. His love was entirely in this home. When I was three, she returned. His gaze toward Mom and me turned into indifference and annoyance. But Dad always said he loved me. I was the extension of his life. Especially after the doctor said an injury made him sterile. I, his only child, became his only hope. Even when Mom offered to leave with nothing but me, letting him visit whenever he wanted… He refused. Tears fell onto Mom’s face in the photo. I lowered my head and kissed her forehead one last time. Suffocation wrapped around me like a heavy blanket. With my last breath, I whispered: “Goodbye, Mom.” As my eyes closed, a memory of Mom kneeling before Dad flashed in my mind. “I beg you! Give me the child!” “You don’t love us at all. Stop torturing us.” She was crying so hard her thin shoulders shook violently. Dad looked at her with disgust: “How do I not love you?” “You’re the one throwing away a good life!” “If you really loved our daughter, you’d give her a complete family!” “I will never give you my daughter!” Desperate and furious, Mom stood up and screamed at him: “You love her? Ha!” “Bullsh*t!” She hated it when Dad claimed to love me while neglecting me. Usually gentle, she exploded during their later fights, listing his sins one by one: “You love her? She was in the hospital for a week with pneumonia, and you didn’t show your face once!” “What were you doing?! You took your mistress to see polar bears in Alaska!” “Not only did you not come back, you spent all our savings on that woman!” “You always wanted to know where the money for our daughter’s treatment came from, right?” “I’ll tell you! I sold myself! I slept with an old man for six hours! That’s how your daughter got treated! Are you happy now?!” “I hate you! You don’t love her! Stop lying!” “I birthed her through twenty-four hours of pain. Why can’t I take her?!” 2 That day, I finally understood why Mom spent so long in the shower. The running water hid her sobs. Whenever I asked why she was crying, she’d smile and say I heard wrong. To stop Mom’s pain, I begged Dad too: “Daddy, apologize to Mom. Stop making her cry.” Dad frowned, picked me up, and wiped my tears. He glanced at Mom impatiently: “Stop acting crazy! You’re scaring our daughter!” “I’m telling you one last time. Give me custody, and I’ll sign the divorce papers right now.” “Otherwise, we stay like this! Stop turning the house upside down over nothing.” Mom wasn’t willing to give up. She grabbed his arm, needing to vent: “Mark Zhou, you’re not a man!” “You claim to love your daughter, but what have you done for her?” “You cook for your mistress’s cats, but your five-year-old daughter has never eaten a meal you made!” “You even stole the birthday money I saved for her to buy premium cat food!” “You buy that woman clothes, bags, even clothes for her cat.” “Have you bought a single piece of clothing for your daughter?” Scenes like this played out every few days. Every time, Dad would just say impatiently: “Go crazy if you want. No one cares!” All the arguments ended with Mom screaming alone like a madwoman. I cried snot and tears, secretly begging Dad: “Please divorce Mom. She has to take pills to sleep now.” “She gets sick all the time, cries every day, and stops eating.” “Daddy, even if I live with Mom, I’ll still love you.” “Please, Daddy, let me go with Mom. I don’t want to see her in pain anymore.” Dad’s eyes reddened. He held back tears, stroking my face with his large hand. He whispered softly: “Mom is just throwing a tantrum.” “Daddy can’t bear to let you go with her. She has no job, she can’t raise you.” “We will always be a family, okay?” Mom heard this. From then on, the woman who had been a housewife for five years pulled herself together and found a job. Mom would cup my face, eyes full of hope: “Baby, once Mom’s job is stable, I’ll sue for divorce.” “Once I have financial stability, the court will give you to me.” “Give Mom a little time, okay?” I smiled and cheered her on every time. I learned from listening to adults that before having me, Mom was a brilliant, talented woman. She became a housewife to take care of me and Dad. In my memory, she worked from dawn to dusk. Cooking three meals a day. Keeping the house spotless. Caring for my sick grandparents. Whenever she had a moment, she read to me and played with me. I often saw her exhausted. After getting a job, she was even busier, leaving early and returning late. Dad complained: “For a stupid job, you neglect your family!” Mom, her heart dead to him, stopped arguing. She focused only on making money, getting that stable income proof to win my custody. 3 Dad didn’t change at all. He would only hug me when he was in a good mood. Less than five minutes later, he’d put me down, smiling at his phone, texting that woman. When he was happy, he’d kiss my cheek and say: “I love my big girl so much.” I couldn’t remember any other warm moments with him. It was mostly him fighting with Mom, smashing things, and me crying in terror. Now, it’s okay. I’m dead. They don’t have to be deadlocked over my custody anymore. Mom came back at night. My soul was floating in the living room. “Baby, Mommy’s home!” She dragged her suitcase in, looking travel-worn. In her left hand, she held a Capybara plushie and my favorite snacks. I instinctively ran to hug her, but I went right through her. My transparent soul passed through her body. I remembered then—I was already dead. Mom looked at the messy living room, instant noodle crumbs everywhere. Empty water bottles on the floor. A foul smell in the air. She wrinkled her nose, put down her suitcase, and walked in. Calling my name as she looked around: “Mumu? Mumu, Mommy’s back.” She muttered under her breath: “Only a few days and the house is a pigsty.” “How does he take care of a child!” “And he wants to fight for custody like this!” I followed Mom, reaching out to hold her hand. Just like when I was alive, her big hand wrapping around my small one. But I couldn’t feel her warmth anymore. I looked up at her face and said: “Mommy, I’m dead.” “You can divorce Daddy now.” “You don’t have to fight anymore.” She couldn’t hear a thing. Not finding me in the living room, she went to the bedroom. She saw my small form tucked under the covers. A happy smile lit up her face. She tiptoed to the bed. She stared at me lovingly for a while, then blew me a gentle kiss, afraid to wake me. My nose stung, and tears fell like broken pearls. I cried, hugging Mom’s leg. I knew clearly. In this world, she loved me the most. And I loved her the most. I wanted her to be free, but I was terrified that finding me dead would break her. In that moment, I understood why Mom always said: “You are my weakness.” Back then, I always told her to leave Dad. Naively thinking that if she left, she wouldn’t be sad or sleepless anymore. Every time, she would hug me tightly, heart aching. Determinedly telling me: “Mommy will definitely take you with me. Mommy won’t leave her baby behind.” But Mom, I’m sorry. I left you behind. She quietly closed the bedroom door. She walked to the bathroom farthest from my room to call Dad. It rang for a long time before connecting. She covered her mouth, scolding angrily: “Where the hell are you!” “Are you with that bitch again?!” “Mark Zhou, you are an animal!” “How could you leave our daughter home alone!” Afraid of waking me, she kept her voice low, her face red with rage. Dad’s voice on the phone was as impatient as ever: “I have things to do too!” “Stop looking for trouble every day!” “Mumu is five years old. She’s good, she can stay home alone!” “If you’re so worried, quit your job and come back to watch her!” Beep. He hung up! 4 Mom angrily called back. But Dad had turned off his phone. She cried in frustration, clutching her chest, wiping tears again and again. Painful sobs twisted her face. She covered her mouth to suppress the sound. I hugged her, heart aching, coaxing her over and over: “Mommy, don’t cry.” “You can leave Daddy now.” Her shoulders shook in my transparent embrace for a long time. Red-eyed, she started cleaning the messy house. Just like countless times before, silently doing chores. I followed her like a little shadow, just like when I was alive. Listening to her sniffle as she worked. I cried silently with her. After cleaning, she opened the fridge and found it empty. Just as she was about to cook for me, her boss called. He needed a proposal urgently. She immediately put down her work and opened her laptop in the living room. I lay on the table, watching her quietly. A while later, her phone rang again. It was Grandma. “You’re wasting your youth! How long are you going to drag this out?” “It’s not like you can’t have more kids. Just give him Mumu and leave! Get divorced!” I had heard these words until my ears bled. Mom, as usual, replied firmly and impatiently: “Don’t worry about my business. I won’t give up Mumu.” Grandma got angry: “You think I want to worry? Mark Zhou, that heartless man.” “He mortgaged your house! He bought that mistress a diamond necklace!” “That woman came to show off in front of your dad and me! Your dad had a heart attack from anger!” “He’s been in the hospital for five days! I didn’t want to worry you!” Mom froze, thunderstruck. She didn’t expect Dad to be so heartless. Her chest hurt suddenly, and she patted it weakly. After a few minutes of silence, she picked up her phone and called a man: “I can be your mistress, but I want a divorce. You have to help me get custody of my daughter.” A man’s cheerful agreement came from the other end. I suddenly remembered—this man was an old grandpa with white hair. Mom was so clean and proud. How could she be with an old man for me? I stomped my feet in anxiety: “Mommy, I’m dead! Go check on me in the room!” “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do for me anymore!” Mom stared blankly for a while until her phone vibrated again. Her boss urging her for the meeting. She hadn’t eaten all day, her stomach hurt, but she only had time for half a glass of water. She grabbed her briefcase and rushed to the office, calling Dad on the way: “I’m going to the office. Get your ass back home and watch Mumu.” “If I come back and find Mumu alone again, don’t blame me for going to that mistress’s mother’s house and making a scene!” Dad never took Mom’s threats seriously. He didn’t come back until almost 9 AM the next day. Just as the kindergarten teacher called him: “Mumu’s dad, Mumu’s mom is busy, she asked me to call you.” “Please bring Mumu to school today.” Dad agreed: “Okay, I’ll bring her now.” Hanging up, he walked into the bedroom. Seeing me still under the covers. He playfully pretended to be a lion: “Which little kid is still in bed at 9 o’clock!” “I’m the big lion, let’s see which lazy bones is sleeping in… is it little Mumu?” As he pulled back the covers, the smile vanished from his face instantly. All color drained away.

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In my last life, I went missing on my way home for winter break. When they found me, my clothes were torn, and I was lying in an abandoned warehouse with the town’s most notorious criminal, a man accused of sexual assault. My parents, ashamed of the scandal, gagged me and tied me up that same day, forcing me to marry him. My sister, meanwhile, stole my identity. She took my acceptance letter and went to an Ivy League university in New York. But her stolen life wasn’t a fairy tale. For three years, she was bullied by rich, entitled students until her reputation was destroyed. In the end, she jumped from the top of a campus building. Ironically, my life took a different turn. The year after I got married, the truth came out: my husband was innocent. He had been framed by his billionaire father’s illegitimate son. My husband cleared his name, inherited a multi-billion dollar empire, and took me abroad to live a life of luxury. Everyone back home envied me. Now, I’ve been reborn. But this time, my sister rushed into that warehouse first. When I arrived with the search party, she was already entangled with my husband from my past life. Seeing us, she smirked triumphantly. “Sis, this perfect husband is mine this time. You go to that fancy school and suffer.” I stepped forward to pull her away, but the man shoved me back. He shielded her, glaring at me coldly. “Don’t touch her. Get lost.” I swallowed the bitterness. That very night, I boarded the train to New York. 1 My sister, Bella, stood in the dim light of the warehouse, her clothes disheveled but her smile victorious. She looked like she had finally snatched the prize she’d been coveting for a lifetime. “Mom! Dad! I want to marry him! I want to marry him today!” In that moment, her triumphant grin stabbed me. In my previous life, right before she died, she came to find me. She used the excuse of bringing me homemade jam to get into our villa. Then she pulled a knife and lunged at me, screaming hysterically. Before she could reach me, the bodyguards pinned her down. She struggled, cursing me. “Lily, that night… I saw you get drugged and dragged away! I deliberately didn’t save you. I waited until the next day to lead the village to ‘find’ you.” “I wanted you ruined! I wanted Mom and Dad to give me your acceptance letter!” “I thought going to New York, going to college, would make me elite.” She laughed and cried at the same time. “Instead, those rich kids treated me like a dog. They ruined my reputation and forced me to drop out.” “Now I have nothing! Why should you, an illiterate wife of a rapist, have everything? It’s not fair! If I could do it over, I’d never switch with you! You should be the one suffering in New York!” When the police arrived to arrest her, she broke free and jumped out the window. Reborn, she beat me to the warehouse. She made sure to seal the deal with Liam, who had been drugged into a stupor. The man’s eyes were still unfocused. But hearing her demand marriage, his ears turned red. He looked down at her, his voice solemn and clumsy. “I’ll take responsibility. I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life.” It was exactly what he had promised me in our past life. My parents exploded first. My mom slapped me across the face. Hard. “What kind of sister are you?! If you were watching her, how did she end up here with this animal?” “You ruined your sister! Why don’t you just die?” They tried to drag Bella away, refusing to let her marry him. They said the town only knew a daughter was compromised, not which one. They could just make me the scapegoat. Make me marry him. Even though this life was already different, I was still the one being pushed into the fire. My heart turned to ice. Bella whispered something in their ears. My parents’ expressions changed slowly. They looked at the man again, skeptical but intrigued. Finally, they nodded. “If it’s true like you say, then you should marry him.” “If it’s a lie, you can just run away later, and we’ll make your sister take your place…” … Bella seemed terrified I would steal him back. She insisted on holding the wedding banquet that very night and forced me to help prepare. The whole town knew she had been “compromised” by Liam—the local pariah with a record. Instead of seeking justice, she was rushing to marry him. Everyone called her shameless. No one wanted to come inside for the banquet. They stood outside, jeering and mocking. Bella’s eyes turned red with rage. She pointed at them and screamed: “When my husband gets rich, you’ll all crawl back like dogs!” “When you’re kneeling on the ground begging me, I won’t give you a cent!” The villagers laughed harder. “A thief and a rapist with no parents? Rich? In his dreams!” She stomped her foot and ran back inside. My mother took her anger out on me. She pinched my arm viciously. “They’re insulting your sister and your parents, and you just stand there? Why didn’t you stop them? Why didn’t you curse them back?” She went inside to comfort Bella. My father flipped the table in a rage. “Forget the banquet! We’re not doing it!” Dishes smashed all over me. He pointed a finger at my face, screaming at me to clean it up or he’d beat me. I stood there, eyes stinging, nursing my bruised hand. My heart felt completely frozen. Liam, wearing a groom’s red flower on his chest, walked in and saw everything. He didn’t hesitate. He walked straight toward me. 2 My heart leaped. Flashbacks of fifty years spent with him filled my mind. I remembered how he protected me when my parents slapped me and called me shameless in the past life. My throat tightened. I was about to call his name, tears welling up. But he spoke coldly: “Behave yourself. Don’t even think about hurting your sister again.” I froze, staring at him in disbelief. He stepped forward, pushing me against the wall, his expression icy. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Bella told me everything. You bully her constantly.” “But you shouldn’t have tricked her into coming to the warehouse, making her stumble into me when I was drugged! You ruined her innocence!” “And then you called the villagers to destroy her reputation!” “How can you be so vicious… are you even human?” It felt like a boulder crushed my chest. I bit my lip, voice trembling. “I brought people to save you…” He cut me off with a scoff, his eyes full of suspicion and disgust. “Enough. Save your fake tears and lies.” “Lily, you better pray you never fall into my hands. Or I’ll make you pay ten times over for what you did today.” The last ember of warmth in my heart was extinguished. I wiped my tears, pushed him away, and turned to leave. I heard him go into the bedroom to comfort Bella. I walked into the woodshed. Bella had thrown all my things in there. Clothes, books—all torn and scattered. I lowered my head and started picking them up, piece by piece. Through the thin walls, I heard the man’s low, gentle voice soothing her. It sounded just like when he used to comfort me after a fight. Soon, the sounds became intimate. It felt like a knife twisting in my heart. I stopped packing. I grabbed a few changes of clothes and the acceptance letter. I left the house without a sound. I went to the train station and bought the earliest ticket to New York. In this life, my love is gone. So I will hold on tight to the future that should have been mine. … As soon as I arrived on campus, I registered for work-study. On registration day, I volunteered to help welcome new students. Under the scorching sun, I ran back and forth between the dorms and the academic buildings. Black spots danced in my vision. My legs gave out, and I stumbled into someone’s arms. Whistles erupted around me. “Whoa, Julian! How many girls have thrown themselves at you today?” I quickly stepped back to apologize. When I looked up, I froze. It was Julian Thorne. In my past life, after Bella died, my parents screamed and cried, forcing me to investigate who killed her. When the lawyer laid out the files, I learned the truth. Bella met Julian Thorne—heir to a massive real estate empire—in college. She tried everything to get close to him. When seduction failed, she tried to drug him. She was caught. The Thorne family was furious. They forced the school to expel her. Her reputation destroyed, facing jail time, she fled back home in disgrace. This time, if I stay far away from him, I can graduate in peace. I steadied myself and turned to leave immediately. The boys behind me laughed. “Yo! A girl running away from Julian? That’s a first.” “Maybe she’s playing hard to get. Interesting. Julian, why not play along?” Julian scoffed coldly. “Boring.” At the opening ceremony, he gave the speech as the student representative. All eyes were on him. Standing in the crowd, I couldn’t help but remember his fate. In our junior year, after Bella drugged him, he suffered organ damage and had to go abroad for treatment. But his flight crashed. No survivors. In this life, I won’t get involved with him. He won’t die. … My life consisted of two things: studying and working. But for some reason, I kept running into him. Walking past the basketball court, a ball would always smash into the ground right at my feet. Blocking my path. I’d look up to see him staring at me coldly, his friends winking and nudging him. My classmates comforted me, saying Julian was asking about me, probably planning to bully me. So I stopped walking by the courts. I took the long way to class. I avoided him at school, but I ran into him at my waitressing job. When he saw me, his friends would jeer, demanding I serve their table. They wouldn’t order; they’d just make me stand there while they chatted. Eventually, even the manager asked if I had beef with them. I shook my head and quit that same day. A few days later, I was cornered in an alley behind the library. Julian stood in the shadows, his face dark. His first words were: “You quit?” 3 I pressed my lips together and didn’t speak. He stared at me for a few seconds, then laughed coldly. “Lily.” “You don’t need to hide from me. I have zero interest in you.” “You think I want to run into you? Don’t flatter yourself.” He turned and walked away. From that day on, I really didn’t see him again. Soon after, my professor told me a corporation was sponsoring scholarships for top students in financial need. I was on the list. Full tuition covered, plus a monthly stipend. I looked at the numbers, tears welling in my eyes. Finally, I didn’t have to starve myself while working multiple jobs. I poured all my energy into studying. Later, I heard the sponsoring company organized a volunteer teaching trip to a rural area. I signed up immediately, wanting to give back. But on the day of departure, I saw Julian in the crowd. He saw me, looked cold, and turned away. For several days, we had zero interaction. Until one night, a senior girl told me that the heir to the Thorne fortune was surprisingly kind-hearted. Not only did he fund students, he came to volunteer personally. I was stunned. Just as I was about to ask more, the ground shook violently. Someone screamed: “Flash flood! Run!” Students scrambled, screaming, running for higher ground. I ran with the crowd. In the chaos, I heard someone shout Julian’s name. I looked back instinctively. I saw him push a little girl onto the bank, but he lost his footing and was swept away by the raging water. I didn’t hesitate. I gritted my teeth and jumped into the water. I swam toward him with everything I had, grabbed him, and dragged him to the shore. My fingers were numb, my lungs full of water. But I held on until he was safe on land, then I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a hospital. The door opened. A stylish middle-aged woman walked in and held my hand warmly. “Child, you’re awake?” “Thank you so much for saving my son.” “As a reward, whatever you want, I will…” I instinctively clenched my fingers and shook my head gently. “I saved him to repay a debt. Thank you for the Thorne scholarship.” The polite mask on her face faded, replaced by genuine softness. “Julian is fine. He’s been wanting to see you.” “I’ll have him come thank you personally.” My heart tightened. I wanted to refuse. But before I could speak, she left. A moment later, Julian walked in. He marched to my bedside, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. Then he gritted his teeth and said: “Who asked you to save me?” He sat on the edge of the bed, his shoulders stiff. “Don’t you hate me?” “Why save me?” “Just to repay a debt? That’s unnecessary.” His tone was stiff. “The money for your scholarship isn’t even enough to buy my shoes.” After saying that, he looked at me immediately. He saw I was calm, not insulted or embarrassed. It made him flustered. He lowered his voice. “Whatever you want, I can give it to you.” I spoke softly. “I do have a wish…” Julian looked up, eyes expectant. I looked at him seriously. “Can you stop bullying me? Can we just be normal classmates?” His face turned red, then black. He stood up abruptly. “When did I ever—” He stopped himself. “Fine. Whatever.” He turned and stormed out, radiating anger. … I never expected to see my sister in the hospital. I hadn’t seen her in over a year. She was heavily pregnant, wearing a nurse’s aide uniform, kneeling on the floor cleaning an elderly patient. She looked haggard. It reminded me of my past life. At this time back then, I was pregnant too, working in a warehouse moving boxes. The villagers had burned down our house because they said we ruined the town’s morals. We were forced to leave. Liam’s half-brother hired thugs to harass us. Because the illegitimate son spread rumors to their father, Liam’s father cut him off completely. Liam became depressed, drank, and refused to work. I supported the family with my pregnant body. It wasn’t until I lost our first child that he knelt and cried, apologizing to me. A family member scolded Bella for being too rough. She stood up, eyes red, pushing them away. “I’m pregnant! You’re making a pregnant woman do heavy labor? Do you have no conscience?” The family sneered. “If you weren’t pregnant and pitiful, we wouldn’t have hired someone with zero experience. If you don’t want to work, get out.” Bella turned angrily and saw me. She froze. Then, seeing how pale I looked, a sick excitement flashed in her eyes. “Sis! I told you so. You’d end up like me eventually. Messing with those rich kids!” She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Why are you hospitalized? Did they push you in a pool? Or down the stairs?” She rolled her eyes. “Take my advice. If you want to survive school, stay away from those rich boys.” “Don’t think about climbing the social ladder. Someone like you isn’t even good enough to be their toy.” Seeing my silence, she got impatient. She started bragging about how good Liam was to her. She swore that soon Liam’s dad would clear his name. Then she’d be a rich wife. And I would be driven out of school by the rich kids, forced to crawl back to our village and die miserable. Just then, Liam came up the stairs. Seeing her red eyes, he rushed over and hugged her. “What’s wrong, babe?” “Who upset you?” 4 “Baby, quit. Let’s go home!” I heard those words in my past life too. But if we quit, what would we eat? Liam would just drink and sulk on the sofa. When I urged him to work, he’d just sigh and ask for more time. But how much time? He never said. Sure enough, Bella forced a smile and acted coquettish. “It’s okay. For you, I can endure it.” Then she pointed at me, feigning surprise. “Oh look, hubby, my sister is sick too.” “So pitiful, no one is even here with her.” “Should we stay and keep her company?” Liam looked at me coldly. Seeing my haggard state, he scoffed. “Her getting sick is karma. God is punishing her.” “Bella, you’re too kind. Someone like her doesn’t deserve your concern.” “Let’s go home. Hubby will make you something delicious.” Bella shot me a smug look and linked arms with him sweetly. “My husband is a great cook, sis. Too bad you won’t get to taste it.” They took two steps before Julian walked over from the other end of the hall. He looked at their backs and asked me: “Family?” I shook my head. Julian sneered. “I thought they were your poor relatives. Treating a little food like it’s treasure.” Face tense, he handed me an expensive-looking three-tier bento box. “Here. My chef made too much. Don’t waste it.” Bella turned pale when she saw Julian. She looked at me, eyes wide with disbelief and jealousy. When Liam noticed something was wrong and asked her, she gritted her teeth. “Nothing. I just think some people are delusional. Being played with and thinking they’re special. It’s laughable.” She dragged Liam away. After that day, Julian brought me food every day. But as I ate, I couldn’t help but wonder. For a billionaire family, why did the chef’s cooking taste so… average? I recovered and returned to school. I thought Julian and I would go back to being parallel lines. But he signed up for the same elective class as me. He joined the same student council department. He even showed up where I worked part-time. I finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Julian, what do you want?” “Did I do something wrong?” His face fell. He looked offended. “You think I’m seeking revenge?” He sounded frustrated, like he was giving up. “I’m pursuing you! Can’t you tell?” I froze. The next second, I ran away. In my last life, Bella’s fate was a thorn in my heart. I didn’t dare get close to Julian, no matter what. Maybe he sensed my fear. From that day on, he really stopped appearing around me. Half a year passed. I started getting restless, secretly asking about him. My classmates looked surprised. “Didn’t you know? Julian is getting ready to study abroad.” I froze. The image of his plane crash from my past life slammed into my brain. Suppressing my pounding heart, I asked when he was leaving. “In two weeks. December 10th.” My mind went blank. I pulled out my phone and called him. “Don’t go, Julian.” On the other end, he chuckled softly. “You’re telling me not to go? Who are you to tell me that?” I was speechless. I wanted to explain, but he spoke calmly. “I’ll give you a chance. Dinner with me on the night of December 9th.” “Convince me to my face. If your reasons are good, I’ll stay.” “If not, I leave that night.” I agreed immediately. On the night of the 9th, I went to the hotel he mentioned. The staff told me a private room was booked and led me there. I pushed open the door, only to be slammed against the wall. Liam, dressed in a designer suit, held a red-eyed Bella, glaring at me with hatred. “Lily. I told you.” “If you fell into my hands, I’d make you pay ten times over.” “You ruined Bella’s innocence, and now she lost our baby.” “So I’m going to make you lose your innocence, get pregnant, and then lose your baby too!” He waved his hand. “Hear that? Take good care of her.” I struggled desperately, screaming: “I didn’t! Liam! I didn’t do those things!” Liam just looked at me with disgust. Julian called my phone. Bella snatched it. “My sister has a boyfriend. You’re annoying her, stop calling!” “What? You don’t believe me?” She laughed, snapped a few photos of me pinned down by thugs, and sent them. “Look. My sister and her boyfriend are getting intimate.” She looked down at the phone, smiling smugly. “Sis.” “Young Master Thorne says he understands.” “He’s taking the flight tonight. He’ll never come back to this country.” “Your daydream is over.” I felt like I was plunged into ice water. Liam kissed Bella’s forehead lovingly. “Wifey, let’s go. Don’t dirty your eyes.” The door closed. I was pinned to the floor, vision going dark. The next second, the door was kicked open.

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1 My husband and my best friend were obsessed with their polar plunges. I always told them they were getting too old for that sort of thing, that something bad could happen, but they’d just laugh and say I didn’t get it. Yesterday, I went to the beach to pick them up, just like any other day. But this time, I found them floating naked in the water, their lower bodies still tangled together. Panic and shock washed over me in a tidal wave. I didn’t think to call for help. I didn’t even scream. I just fainted. By the time I woke up, they were both stiff. And that’s when my real trouble began. Just last week, to get back in my good graces, my husband had taken out a billion-dollar life insurance policy. The beneficiary was me. Now, how in the world was I supposed to explain this to the insurance company? … Someone was shaking me awake. My ears were filled with hushed whispers. “They were really in love, huh? Took the medical examiner hours to separate them.” “I know, right? I heard the old couple came here every day for their winter swim. So devoted!” “Less of a swim and more of a… romantic dip, if you ask me.” I shook my head, trying to clear the fog, and slowly sat up. The sight before me snapped me into sharp focus. Two naked bodies lay on the sand, completely exposed. My hand trembled as I tugged on the sleeve of a person standing nearby. “What… what happened to them?” The man sighed, his eyes full of pity. “They’re gone.” Gone? Just yesterday morning, they were so full of life. I remember Chloe showing up at our house, playfully punching Leo on the chest. “What, you’re backing out? A real man never says no!” she’d laughed, her smile radiant. “It’s barely forty degrees out, and you’re already scared?” Then she’d shot me a dirty look. “Or is it Olivia? Getting on in your years and still jealous of us? Is that why you won’t let him come?” “Honestly, Olivia,” she’d continued, her tone patronizing, “you need to loosen the leash a little. Leo and I have been swimming together for ages. If something was going to happen between us, don’t you think it would have by now?” “But fine, if Leo’s too scared, I’ll just go alone.” That was all it took. Right in front of me, Leo ripped off his shirt. “You know I’m not scared of anything,” he’d boomed, laughing. “What does a housewife like Olivia know about our hobbies, anyway? Don’t mind her. Let’s go.” They had tag-teamed me with their words until I finally gave in. And now, they were telling me they were dead? I couldn’t accept it. Tears flooded my eyes, and my body shook with sobs. “Ma’am, you must have been terrified.” A young man in a police uniform approached me, his voice gentle. “I mean, seeing two people… intertwined like that, just floating in the water… anyone would have passed out. We don’t blame you.” “But you were the first witness. We’ll need you to answer a few questions for our investigation when you’re ready.” His words only made me cry harder. Leo was dead. As a woman on her own, I had so much to deal with. Not only did I have to take over his company and inherit his massive fortune, but now I had to figure out how to explain this mess to the insurance company that just issued a billion-dollar policy… I simply didn’t have time for an investigation. The young officer, misinterpreting my distress, shook his head at the two bodies. “All that passion didn’t do them much good in the end.” “Getting on in years, looking for a thrill… all that vigorous activity in the cold water. They must have gotten cramps.” “And because they were… stuck together so tightly, neither of them could make it back to shore.” I froze. Vigorous activity? Stuck together so tightly? The scene from last night flashed back into my mind. They had been pressed together, their lower halves joined in a position that was unmistakably… My heart seized, and I couldn’t breathe. I had been married to Leo for thirty years. I had known Chloe for forty. I couldn’t believe it. The two people I trusted most in the world had been betraying me like this. The evidence was lying right there on the sand. I clutched my chest, feeling the air leave my lungs. But then, a different thought pushed through the pain. They were still my husband and my best friend. One was a powerful CEO, the other a renowned dance instructor. They were proud people who cared about their reputations. As much as I hated them, the dead deserved some dignity. I couldn’t let them be exposed like this. I took a deep breath, scrambled to my feet, and snatched up the matching pair of designer underwear they’d left on the beach. I walked over and draped one over each of their faces. Then I collapsed to the ground and wailed. “Please! Stop taking pictures!” “My husband and my best friend are dead! Please, just leave them alone!” I cried, my voice tearing from my throat. I was torn between rage and a strange kind of pity. Rage at their betrayal. Pity for myself… they were dead, but they’d left me with a mountain of paperwork. The crowd of onlookers grew, and my words sent a shockwave through them. “Wait, they weren’t a couple? She’s his wife? So they were having an affair?” “Oh my god, her husband and her best friend? This is juicier than a soap opera!” “No wonder they came all the way out here… it was a secret rendezvous!” “They probably did this all the time. It was bound to end badly.” “That poor woman… to find them like that and faint from the shock!” Their words felt like a physical weight on my chest, crushing me. The young officer finally understood. His expression softened with even deeper sympathy. “Ma’am, please get up. The ground is cold. By the way… do you two have… any children?” We did. But our son, Dylan, was on his honeymoon with Chloe’s daughter, Sophie. He wouldn’t want to be bothered. Still, with so many concerned eyes on me, I made the call. As expected, Dylan answered with an annoyed sigh. “What do you want now? I told you not to bother me and Sophie.” “Is it that you can’t be happy with Dad, so you don’t want us to be happy either?” I swallowed the pain in my throat and choked out the words. “Dylan… your father is dead.” There was a pause, then a burst of disbelieving laughter. “You’re insane.” “You’ll die before my dad does! Can’t you go one day without wishing he was dead?” I could hear Sophie laughing in the background. “Oh, Dylan, you know how she is. Just hang up.” “Sophie,” I cut in, my voice rising with a fresh wave of sobs, “your mother is dead, too.” The line went silent for a few seconds. Then came her sharp, piercing shriek. “Olivia! Just because my mother is close to your husband, you’re going to curse her like that?” “Their relationship is completely innocent! Why do you have to make things so miserable for everyone?” Ignoring her tirade, I repeated, my voice trembling, “They were having sex in the ocean, got cramps, and couldn’t get out. They drowned. Together.” I said it slowly, word for word, to make sure she understood. But they still didn’t believe me. Dylan’s voice was raw with anger. “Chloe is a lady! She would never do something like that in a place like that!” “Just because you have a dirty mind doesn’t mean everyone else does! I think you’re just jealous of her, and that’s why you’ve never liked Sophie! You’re just trying to ruin our honeymoon!” The young officer couldn’t stand it anymore. He took the phone from my hand. “Sir, this is Officer Miller with the….” He didn’t even get to finish. Dylan cut him off. “Wow, you even hired an actor? Nice try! We’re not falling for it! Spread all the rumors you want! We’ll deal with you when we get back!” The line went dead. When I tried to call back, I’d been blocked. I closed my eyes, all the fight gone out of me. The officer gently helped me into the back of an ambulance. “It’s okay, ma’am. You fainted anyway; you wouldn’t have seen anything useful. I won’t ask any more questions. Just go to the hospital and get some rest. Then you can start making arrangements.” As he spoke, paramedics covered Leo and Chloe with white sheets. Once they were covered, it was as if the naked, tangled scene had never happened. I looked at the two white forms, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Cry? I had no more tears. Laugh? I didn’t dare. But I pulled myself together quickly. I made a call to the company. “It is with great sadness that I must inform you that Mr. Harrison has passed away. I will be in this afternoon to take over his duties… I… I will not let Leo’s legacy fall apart!” Leo had no other family in this world besides me and Dylan. I couldn’t bear the thought of him lying alone in a cold morgue. I arranged for the cremation immediately. Afterward, I went straight to the office. “Mrs. Harrison, you are so strong…” “To lose your husband so tragically and still come back to work for the company…” “She’s the sole heiress of the Rhodes family, you know. Grew up a pampered socialite, and now she has to manage all this herself…” “She’s all alone now that Mr. Harrison is gone…” My voice choked with emotion as I clasped their hands. “Leo is gone, but the company must go on. I will hold it together.” I walked into the president’s office and signed the appointment papers to become the new chairwoman. This company had been a wedding gift from my father to his new son-in-law, Leo. It was only right that I take it back. The next few days were a blur. There were billions in inheritance to process and the billion-dollar insurance policy to claim. The insurance agent was initially suspicious about the timing of the death, but after reviewing the official case file, he just sighed and stamped the paperwork. A week later, Dylan and Sophie returned from their honeymoon. They arrived on the day of Leo’s memorial. I had prepared the offerings that morning and was carrying the urn out of the house. Dylan saw me and frowned. “I heard.” He glanced at the urn in my hands, his tone impatient. “It was just a dog. Do you really have to be so dramatic?” A dog? I remembered then. The circumstances of Leo’s death were so scandalous that I had paid a hefty sum to keep the media quiet. I hadn’t realized their official story was that I was mourning my beloved pet. It seemed a small price to pay for their discretion, so I hadn’t argued. I opened my mouth to explain, but Sophie let out a derisive laugh. “Olivia, you do realize that all of Leo’s money belongs to Dylan and me now, right? So every penny you’re wasting is our money! Did you ask for our permission to spend our money on a funeral for a dog?” She turned to the bodyguards standing by. “What are you waiting for? Get rid of all this junk!” The guards exchanged uneasy glances, unsure what to do. I trembled with rage. “Dylan! Look at this wonderful wife you’ve chosen! She is completely out of line!” Dylan seemed taken aback. He’d rarely seen me lose my temper. After a moment, he shouted back, “Mom! Sophie’s not wrong! She even bought you a gift!” He pulled a seashell out of his pocket. “See? What more could you want in a daughter-in-law?” I glanced at the designer shopping bags Sophie was holding. They were clearly meant for her mother, Chloe. But I was too tired to care. Chloe wouldn’t be receiving any gifts now. I clutched the urn tighter and started to walk past them. “If you have any respect left for your father, you’ll follow me.” I had only taken a few steps when a hand grabbed my hair from behind, yanking me backward. “I go out of my way to buy you a present, and you just ignore me? You care more about a dead dog than me! Don’t you ever expect me to call you ‘Mom’!” Caught off guard, I lost my grip. The urn slipped from my hands and shattered on the ground. The ashes scattered across the stone patio. My eyes turned red. “You! Do you have any idea what that is?” Sophie looked down and poked the pile of ashes with the toe of her shoe. “It’s just dog ashes.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust and ground her heel into them. “What’s the difference between this and trash?” “My mother was right about you,” she sneered. “You’re nothing but a jealous shrew! If my mom had met Leo first, you never would have even been in the picture!” I stared at the gray dust on the ground, a roaring in my ears. But Dylan, instead of reprimanding her, pulled a few bills from his pocket and tossed them onto the ashes. “Mom, stop making a scene. Here, this is enough to buy a few new dogs. Now clean this up before you make a mess of the whole house.” I completely lost it. I grabbed a wooden stake from the corner of the garden and swung it at him with all my might. “You monster! You ungrateful child! Your father is dead, and you desecrate his remains? I’ll kill you!” Dylan dodged the blow, shouting back, “Are you ever going to stop? Stop cursing my dad! He loved Chloe for years! He never should have been soft on you; he should have divorced you ages ago—” He never finished his sentence. A group of people dressed in black walked through the garden gate. They were carrying white funeral wreaths and black banners. In the center, one of them held a large, black-and-white portrait of Leo. The man in charge saw the scene and froze. “Mrs. Harrison… why are Mr. Harrison’s ashes… all over the ground?”

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When we were at our lowest, my sister and I became the trophy wives of the Sterling brothers, bearing them each a son. My sister, burdened with a condition that made her cry easily, was taken by the eldest, the psychopathic Richard Sterling. I, mute from birth, ended up with the illegitimate son, Cole Sterling, who was obsessed with his dead, mute first love. In the fifth year of our miserable existence, my sister said she wanted to leave. Because Richard, obsessed with watching her cry, had “accidentally” killed her kitten. And their son had clapped and cheered for his father. She told me to be obedient, stay with Cole, and take good care of my son. She promised to visit often once she settled down. I grabbed her suitcase and signed to her: “But I don’t love him, and I don’t love that child. I only came to the Sterling family to follow you.” My sister sighed softly. “Then let’s leave together.” Chapter 1 After placing the last piece of clothing inside, I closed my suitcase. It wasn’t a large case, yet it was still half empty. My sister, Maya, lifted the suitcase for me and asked softly, “Is this it?” I nodded and pointed to the small, silver carry-on in the corner. That was all she was taking. Like me, despite living in the Sterling mansion for five years, she hadn’t accumulated much that truly belonged to her. We each took a suitcase. Maya reached out and held my hand as we walked downstairs. In the living room, my son, Leo, and Maya’s son, Ethan, were glued to a video game. Maya led me over to them. Leo, his view slightly blocked, immediately screeched: “Move! The mute and the crybaby, so annoying!” I stood still. The “Game Over” sound blared from the TV. Furious, Leo pushed over my suitcase, threw down his controller, and jumped up to glare at me. “Are you deaf as well as mute?!” Ethan sat silently on the side, but his expression was filled with undisguised disgust. He was older than Leo and more like his father, Richard—better at hiding his emotions, but just as cold. Maya crouched down and set my suitcase upright. Standing up, she looked calmly at Ethan. “When your dad and uncle get back, tell them your aunt and I have left.” Ethan didn’t respond. Maya didn’t say another word. She took my hand and led me towards the door. Just as we were about to step out, Ethan’s voice rang out from behind us. “You’re not coming back?” Chapter 2 Maya’s grip on my hand tightened for a fraction of a second. She paused at the doorway, silent for a moment, but didn’t turn around. “No,” she said simply. “We’re not coming back.” Behind us, Leo cheered. “Finally! The two annoying pests are gone!” Ethan said nothing more. It was the height of summer, and rain was pouring down outside. As we left, Maya held the umbrella, tilting it to cover me. A few days ago, Cole had taken his anger out on the racetrack after being scolded by his father. He dragged me along, and his reckless driving nearly cost me my leg. The wound was just starting to scab over, and Maya was worried about it getting wet. I looked at her soaked shoulder. She smiled warmly. “It’s okay. I’m tough.” In the taxi, she changed the dressing on my leg. When she looked up, her eyes were red, her voice trembling. “It must hurt. It won’t… ever happen again.” I shook my head and signed, It doesn’t hurt. We took the taxi to the train station and boarded a high-speed train. The long tracks were taking us back to our hometown by the sea. Halfway there, Richard actually called Maya. I was sitting close enough to hear his displeasure through the phone. “Where did you go?” Outside the window, the scenery blurred past. Maya pressed one hand against the glass, her fingers curling anxiously. But her voice remained calm and gentle. “I cleared out my things. If I missed anything, please throw it away.” Richard’s voice deepened, impatient. “I asked you, where did you go?” Chapter 3 Maya was used to obeying. When our father was alive, she obeyed him. After he died and she went to Richard, she obeyed Richard. So, when she spoke again, her voice held a trace of unnatural defiance. “You don’t need to know. We have nothing to do with each other anymore.” The silence on the other end suggested Richard was surprised by her attitude. After a long pause, he said angrily, “Did I say you could leave?” Maya’s voice grew quieter. “You have no reason to stop me.” She knew. For all these years, Richard’s heart belonged to someone else. He laughed, a sound born of extreme anger. “Because of that stupid cat?” This time, Maya was silent for a long time. Just as I thought he might have hung up, she spoke. “Yes. Let’s say that’s why.” Richard sneered. “Good timing. My secretary, Sarah, needs a place to stay. She can take your room.” “You and your precious sister can rot in the streets for all I care.” The line went dead. Maya put down her phone and hugged me. She always tried to hide her tears, afraid of upsetting me. But I felt them soaking into my shoulder. I let her hold me, feeling her body shake. After a while, I gently pushed her away. I took a bank card from my pocket and pressed it into her hand. I signed, I saved a lot of money. I can take care of us. It didn’t matter. Men were just men. We didn’t need to rely on anyone. Since the day I was born, the only person I could truly rely on was my sister. Maya wiped her tears, forced a smile, and nodded. The train sped on. The city where we had lived for five years faded into the distance. Chapter 4 From the train, we took a ferry. It was nearly midnight when we reached the island. Our father had left us an old house here. It was small, but livable. It was the only thing he left us. The house was dusty from disuse. By the time we cleaned it up, dawn was breaking. Through the window, we could see a faint glow on the horizon. We decided not to sleep and went to the beach to watch the sunrise. Sitting on the soft sand, the sea breeze blew away our exhaustion. The sun slowly rose from the sea, bursting through the clouds and bathing the water in gold. I leaned my head on Maya’s shoulder. She suddenly said, “I want to open a restaurant here.” She had said the same thing years ago. Then Dad died, leaving behind a mountain of debt. She went to her ex-boyfriend, Richard, bringing six-year-old Ethan with her. After that, the ex-boyfriend became her patron, and she became his mistress. Unable to open a restaurant, she cooked for Richard instead. But after a few days, Richard frowned and told her, “I have chefs. I don’t want to come home to a woman smelling of grease. It’s disgusting.” Maya never cooked for him again. But Richard’s attitude never improved. She realized it wasn’t the cooking; he just found her disgusting. But none of that mattered now. I raised my beer can and clinked it against hers. To Maya’s success. To a smooth future. Maya’s restaurant opened quickly. I invested in a travel agency and started working as a sign language tour guide for the deaf and hard of hearing. There are millions of deaf people in the country, but very few guides for them. I led groups around the island, watching sunrises and sunsets, catching crabs at low tide. Seeing them sign “thank you” with familiar gestures warmed my heart. After work, I would eat seafood at Maya’s restaurant and wait for her to close up so we could walk home together. Business was booming. Maya was beautiful and honest, and her restaurant soon went viral on social media. Days turned into weeks. Cole and Leo were like a fading watercolor painting in my memory. Until one night, over a month later, as I was getting ready for bed, Cole texted me. “What are you doing?” Chapter 5 I thought I was hallucinating. In five years, Cole had never once cared about my whereabouts. I stared at the message, unsure how to reply. A moment later, another text came: “Wrong person.” Expected. I exited the chat, unbothered. I contacted the agency about tomorrow’s tour. When I finished, I noticed Cole had sent another message half an hour ago: “How’s your leg?” I didn’t know what he meant. Maybe he felt awkward about the wrong text and was making conversation. Or maybe he was just mocking me. Either way, there was no need to reply. The scar on my leg throbbed. The memory of Cole crashing his car toward me on the track, his cold, crazy face, came rushing back. It felt like a thorn in my heart. I tapped his profile picture and deleted him. We were never going back. There was no need to stay in touch. My phone was finally quiet. I washed up and went to bed. Closing my eyes, I remembered the first time I met Cole. I had gone to the city to find Maya and got caught in a storm. Richard’s servants locked me out of the iron gates. He looked at me coldly and said, “This isn’t a shelter for strays.” I tried to explain, “My sister is Maya. She’s your girlfriend.” He scoffed. “Girlfriend? She wishes.” I couldn’t get in, and Maya couldn’t leave. She still owed Richard. That was when Cole drove up. He looked reckless and wild, laughing as he cursed at Richard. “Are you human? Leaving your woman’s sister out in the rain?” Richard said indifferently, “You take her then.”

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After our parents died, I kicked my terminally ill sister out of the house. She was homeless, starving, and freezing, but I turned a blind eye. Relatives called me a monster. I pretended I was deaf. I forced her to sign a waiver giving up her inheritance. My sister knelt on the floor, begging, sobbing until she could barely breathe. “Mom and Dad are barely cold in their graves, Harper. How can you be so cruel?” I scoffed. “Dead people can’t tell me what to do.” When my sister collapsed on the street, I cheered. I popped champagne. The next day, #EvilSisterStealsInheritance and #DyingSisterKickedOut were trending on X (Twitter). I sat back on my leather sofa, scrolling through the death threats and curses, and took a slow sip of red wine. “Cry all you want. Scream all you want. The house, the money—it’s all mine.” Chapter 1 At the funeral reception, I forced my sister, Chloe, to sign the inheritance waiver. The moment the ink was dry, I started tossing her luggage onto the front lawn. A suitcase hit the pavement and cracked open. Clothes scattered everywhere. Chloe’s lips trembled, her eyes wide with shock and helplessness. “What?” I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe. “Did you think a sick leech like you could stay here forever?” She bit her lip so hard it turned white. She was shaking. “Harper, how can you do this to me?” “How else should I treat you?” She tried to speak, but I cut her off, impatience dripping from my voice. “Mom and Dad are dead. I’m not carrying your dead weight anymore.” Chloe’s tears stopped instantly. Her face went ghost-white. I stepped closer, looking down at her coldly. “Why are you still here? Get lost.” Her eyes filled with despair. She couldn’t process it. “Harper, why? We’re sisters…” “Get. Out.” I pointed to the driveway. “I won’t repeat myself. Don’t drag me down with you.” “Harper, you are crossing a line!” My sudden outburst stunned everyone at the wake. After a moment of shock, the relatives finally reacted. Aunt Linda, red-faced with anger, stepped forward. “Your sister is sick! She’s pitiful! How can you be so heartless?” “You feel bad for her?” I raised an eyebrow. “Great. You take her home. You pay for her meds.” Aunt Linda’s mouth opened, then closed. She didn’t dare say another word. “What? Scared?” I looked around the circle of family members, my tone dripping with sarcasm. “She is a burden. A money pit. Any of you want her? Take her!” The relatives’ faces shifted, but the silence was deafening. No one made a sound. I sneered. “Since none of you want to take care of her, what right do you have to lecture me?” Chloe’s crying got louder. She clutched the waiver to her chest, tears hitting the paper, and collapsed onto the grass. I didn’t have the patience for the theatrics. I walked over, hauled her up by her arm, and shoved her past the property line. “Don’t make me call the cops for trespassing.” The relatives left, cursing under their breath. I slammed the heavy oak door shut, drowning out Chloe’s wails. Whether she lived or died had nothing to do with me. I lay alone in the spacious, quiet house and slept like a baby. Chapter 2 When I woke up, my phone was vibrating so hard it nearly fell off the nightstand. #EvilSister #HeartlessHarper #JusticeForChloe Some relative had filmed me kicking Chloe out and uploaded it to TikTok. It had gone viral. Millions of views. I tapped on the comments. It was a bloodbath. “Is this woman Satan? Kicking out her own sick sister? Is she human?” “Rich people are disgusting. Look at that poor girl crying. How does she sleep at night?” “Internet, do your thing. Dox her. Ruin her.” The comment section was a war zone. Someone had already posted my personal info. My full name, phone number, home address. Even my office location. The phone started ringing. Unknown number. I picked up. “Harper, you’re going to rot in hell!” “I hope you die alone, you piece of trash!” “Watch your back…” Click. I hung up and blocked the number. My screen kept lighting up. The relatives were lining up to get on local news, crying crocodile tears, acting like they’d seen a ghost. Uncle Bob beat his chest on camera as if I’d committed murder. “I just don’t understand! She used to be such a sweet girl. How did she turn into this monster?” Aunt Linda wiped her dry eyes with a tissue, dramatically tossing it aside. “That poor child. Kicked out like a dog. How will she survive?” The camera panned. Chloe appeared. She looked frail. Head down, tears falling like pearls. Her voice was choked with emotion. “Does… does Harper really not care about me anymore?” The reporter, voice soft and sympathetic: “Is there anything you want to say to your sister?” Chloe sobbed. “Harper, I really need you… please, don’t be so cruel.” On camera, she was a broken angel. Weak, helpless, beautiful in her suffering. The internet exploded. “I’m literally crying right now.” “Sisters are supposed to protect each other. This is heartbreaking.” “Why hasn’t karma hit that witch yet?” I sat on my sofa, holding a latte, scrolling through the hate with a bored expression. Chloe was useless. Why should I pity her? Bang! Bang! Bang! Someone was pounding on my front door. I peeked through the curtains. A crowd had gathered outside. They were holding signs. DO YOU HAVE A CONSCIENCE? GIVE UP THE INHERITANCE! JUSTICE FOR CHLOE! A few angry men rushed up the driveway, kicking my door. Someone threw eggs at my window. The yellow yolk slid down the glass like slime. My phone buzzed again. A text from my boss. Harper, the company is getting too many complaints. Don’t come in. Lie low for a while. Ha. Cowards. Another call came through. A journalist this time, her voice shaking with self-righteous anger. “Do you know your sister slept on a park bench last night? She hasn’t eaten in 24 hours!” “You cold-blooded monster, does your heart not hurt?” I looked out the window at the growing mob. I yawned, stretching my legs out on the ottoman. “It would be easier for everyone if she just died.” Silence on the other end. Then, hysterical screaming. Chapter 3 After two days of relaxing at home, I decided to go to the office. When I pushed open the glass doors, the office went silent. Colleagues buried their heads in their work, eyes darting nervously. The office gossip, usually loud and obnoxious, didn’t dare look at me. I smirked and walked to my cubicle. The moment I turned on my computer, my manager called out. “Harper. HR wants to see you.” Inside the office, the HR director looked grave. “The whole company knows.” I smiled. “Okay.” “This is bad PR, Harper. Partners are questioning our corporate culture because of you.” “And?” I stirred my coffee slowly. “You need to fix this. Don’t drag the company down.” “You mean, you want me to resign?” He didn’t answer, which was answer enough. I nodded, set my cup down, and walked out. I packed my box. As I left the building, the security guard stared at me with complex eyes. I pulled out my phone. [Evil Sister Saga Continues: Victim Suffering Mental Breakdown on Streets!] The comments were unhinged. “Animal. Scum. She doesn’t deserve to breathe.” “Capitalist trash. Glad she got fired!” “Why hasn’t someone beaten her up yet?” These people. So eager to play hero. I shook my head and chuckled. As I approached my apartment building, I smelled paint thinner. My front door was covered in red paint. DEMON. DIE. The words dripped down the wood like blood. Someone had scattered fake funeral money in the hallway. Tacky. I stepped over it. Just as I unlocked the door, a commotion erupted behind me. The cavalry had arrived. Aunt Linda led the charge, followed by a pack of cousins. They looked ready for a lynching. “Harper! You cold-blooded snake! If you don’t take your sister back today, we aren’t leaving!” Uncle Bob slammed his cane on the floor. “Animals treat their kin better than you! Your sister is freezing and starving. Where is your heart?!” My cousins rolled up their sleeves, looking tough. “Maybe we should throw her on the street. See how she likes it.” “Are you done performing?” I yawned, leaning against the doorframe. “You guys are all about justice, right? She’s so pitiful, right? Great. Which one of you is taking her home?” Silence. “What? No volunteers?” I sneered. “Easy to be generous with my money. Why don’t you step up?” Aunt Linda turned purple. “You will rot in hell!” “Maybe.” I dialed 911 on speaker. “Yes, I have intruders threatening my safety. Address is…” The police arrived in ten minutes. The relatives scattered like roaches, cursing me as they ran. But the reporters were harder to shake. They swarmed the lobby. “Harper, how do you feel about the allegations?” “Your sister is penniless. Do you feel no guilt?” “Why did you force the inheritance waiver?” The camera flashes were blinding. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and smiled lazily into the lens. “You guys love pitying her so much?” I looked directly into the camera. “Then you raise her.” The reporter froze. The audience watching the livestream lost their minds. “She’s insane.” “She actually has no soul.” “I want to punch the screen.” The internet hate mob mobilized. They started digging into my past. “I heard she cheated in elementary school. Teachers always knew she was bad news.” “My cousin’s friend’s roommate knew her in college. Said she was manipulative.” “Why hasn’t her boyfriend dumped her?” Within hours, my social circle imploded. Ex-colleagues: Are you crazy? Old classmates: Do you have no conscience? Ex-boyfriend: Delete my number. They thought “morality” would crush me. Naive. That night, I posted a photo on Instagram. A Michelin-star dinner. Wagyu steak, truffle pasta, a $500 bottle of wine. Caption: Delicious. Chapter 4 After a few days of silence, the wind shifted. It wasn’t just hate anymore. It was overwhelming sympathy for Chloe. Because Chloe posted a long essay on Facebook. Title: I Don’t Want the Money, I Just Want a Home. The photo was a blurry selfie. She was wrapped in a dirty blanket under a bridge, dirt on her face, eyes hollow. “I never wanted to fight for the inheritance. After Mom and Dad died, I thought Harper was my rock. I didn’t know she hated me this much.” “I have no money. I eat out of dumpsters. Last night, a homeless man stole my coat… sometimes, I don’t think I can keep going…” It went viral instantly. 100k shares. “I’m sobbing.” “How can a sister be this evil? Letting her sleep under a bridge?!” “Someone help her!” People flooded the comments offering to send money. Someone started a GoFundMe. But here’s the funny part: these “saints” were donating $5, maybe $10. No one offered her a guest room. The relatives cornered me again. This time at a coffee shop near my complex. “Harper!” Uncle Bob banged the table. “Your sister is living like a stray dog. Give her a way out!” “Define ‘way out’,” I said, stirring my tea. “The house. The savings,” Aunt Linda snapped. “Split the inheritance. Half goes to her.” I laughed. I pulled a notarized document from my bag and slammed it on the table. “Legally, she gets nothing.” The air left the room. “You…” Uncle Bob’s hand shook. “She is your blood! If your parents knew, they’d be rolling in their graves!” “Don’t talk to me about dead people,” I said calmly. “They’re ash in a jar. They can’t stop me.” I looked them in the eye. “I’m the legal owner. I do what I want.” “So,” I spread my hands. “You guys love her the most. Who is taking her in?” Silence. “What? All talk, no action?” I mocked them. “You won’t spend a dime on her, but you expect me to give up half my assets?” Aunt Linda smashed her cup. “Karma is coming for you, Harper!” I clapped slowly. “I’m waiting.”

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By the time I, the long-lost daughter, was brought back to the Sterling estate, my place in the family—or lack thereof—was already carved in stone. My brother, Marcin, three years my senior, was the designated heir to the Sterling Corporation. And the impostor, the girl who had stolen my life, was already married to a man of equal stature, living her own fairytale. And me? I was the country girl who’d barely finished high school, a ghost from a past they’d rather forget, stumbling over my words in their polished world. My biological parents could only sigh at the sight of me before tucking me away in the old west wing of the mansion. They promised to support me for life, yet they were too stingy to even share a single meal at the same table. After three months in this gilded cage, I made a decision—I had to escape. 01 “Oh, my sweet grandson, come, come! Look what Grandma has for you!” “Mom, you’re spoiling him.” “He’s my precious boy. Isn’t spoiling him my job?” The mother and daughter laughed, their playful banter filling the grand living room as they led a little boy of about three inside. It was a scene of domestic bliss that had played out countless times over the past three months. But none of it had anything to do with me. I had returned to this house three months ago. My adoptive parents had just passed away when a man who shared a faint resemblance to me found me. He said he was my brother. He told me the family had been searching for me for years, that our parents were desperate to have me home. I’d always known I wasn’t my parents’ biological child. I was curious to see what my real parents were like, to understand why I was lost in the first place. But when I arrived, I learned that another daughter had long since taken my place, basking in the warmth of their affection: Annelise Sterling. It was Annelise’s biological mother who had stolen me from the hospital and abandoned me. By some miracle, someone found me and took me in. Now, Annelise was a graduate of a top university, the Director of Public Relations at the Sterling Corporation, and married to Julian Kensington, the heir to a family as powerful as our own. They had a son. And me? I was just a girl from a fishing town who hadn’t even finished high school. My parents took one look at me and sent me to live in the estate’s forgotten west wing. The constant flurry of activity and celebration at the main house was a world away. My only connection to them was the half-million dollars my brother deposited into my account—”pocket money,” he’d called it. I stood for a moment under the rose arbor, listening to my mother, Eleanor, ask when Mr. Kensington would be arriving for dinner. Just then, the housekeeper assigned to me came rushing over, grabbing my arm and pulling me back toward my solitary wing. “Honestly, Miss Stella, don’t you know your place? Why are you loitering in the main courtyard? You can’t possibly understand what the madam and Lady Annelise are discussing. Why embarrass yourself? Don’t tell me you still dream of replacing her and marrying Mr. Kensington? You should take a good, long look in the mirror and see if you even come close!” The Sterlings and the Kensingtons had an old family arrangement, a promise made before either child was born. If Annelise’s mother hadn’t thrown me away, the one marrying Julian Kensington should have been me. I’d actually met him once during these three months. I was looking for a stray kitten I’d been feeding when I accidentally stepped in front of his car. My so-called mother, Eleanor, had rushed out, yanking me aside with a look of pure mortification. “What are you doing making a scene out here? I told you, it was that woman’s fault you were taken! Annelise was just a newborn baby; you can’t blame her! She and Julian grew up together, they have years of history. You can’t just wedge yourself in with your high school education. Have some self-respect! The Sterling family won’t let you starve, so stop causing trouble!” Three months in, and Annelise was still the only Sterling daughter. I was just the girl in the west wing, so unfamiliar with their state-of-the-art kitchen that I had to rely on the housekeeper’s whims for every meal. As dusk painted the sky, I looked at her face, contorted with a vicious sort of glee, and a slow, genuine laugh escaped my lips. She dragged me back to my rooms and darted into the kitchen, tossing a final warning over her shoulder. “You wait right here! You’re not a child anymore. You should be trying to get on the good side of the young madam and Lady Annelise. Maybe they’ll set you up with a widower or something. If they kick you out, who will you go crying to then?” She sounded more entitled than the actual daughter of the house. I didn’t wait for her. I turned and walked out of the west wing. In truth, I only came here to see what my biological parents looked like. Just now, I was only thinking of saying a quiet goodbye. If this was how it was, then so be it. 02 I walked out with only three things: my ID, the bank card, and my phone. I followed the long, paved driveway until I was beyond the Sterling estate’s imposing gates. A taxi was already waiting. I had arrived on the Sterlings’ private jet. For my departure, I chose the cheapest ticket on a slow, rocking train. After buying a sleeper ticket, I picked up some takeout—a warm roast chicken, some fresh bread, and a box of pastries—and boarded. The train chugged along at its own leisurely pace. I ate, drank, and watched the world go by. A week later, I was back in the small seaside town where I’d grown up. I shared the supplies I’d shipped ahead with my neighbors, then went to the marina to look at boats. The people here have been fishermen for generations. Just over three months ago, my parents were lost at sea during a sudden squall while trying to rescue another boat. Their own vessel was badly damaged, no longer seaworthy. I never thought I’d own a boat of my own again, but fate had a strange sense of humor. Now I had half a million dollars. With two hundred thousand, I bought a boat that had only ever existed in my wildest dreams. I took her out on the water immediately. The salty wind whipped through my hair, and the feeling of being suffocated by that grand mansion finally began to fade. My parents had taught me everything: how to helm a boat, how to read the winds, how to find the fish. I didn’t need modern gadgets; I could find a school just by instinct, by the feel of the wind and the currents. As the drag on the nets grew heavier, a smile spread across my face. This was my life. As for the future… I hauled in the nets, sold the catch at the docks, and went back to town to pay off the rest of the boat. By the time I got home, the sky was dark. I lit three sticks of incense for my parents and cleaned the small house. Mrs. Gable from next door came over with a hot meal, her face etched with worry. My mom once told me it was Mrs. Gable who found me by the shore, nearly frozen to death, and brought me to them. “Were they cruel to you, dear? But I thought they were your real family.” I shook my head, a small smile on my face. “It seems blood isn’t thicker than water. Besides, she really is exceptional.” Annelise, I mean. Top university, sharp and capable. Mrs. Gable sighed. “But you’re a young woman all alone. How long can you manage out on the sea by yourself?” I walked her home, then went to see the town mayor. Most of the fishermen here sell their catch to a large processing plant, which then distributes it across the country. But the plant pays pennies on the dollar. In recent years, more and more young people had left for the cities, leaving only the elderly and children to struggle on. I pitched an idea to the mayor. I was willing to use some of the remaining money to buy equipment and set up our own direct-to-consumer livestreaming channel. We could increase our profits by at least thirty percent. The mayor was overjoyed. He immediately gathered a group of sharp, nimble-fingered women from the town to set up a temporary processing station at the docks, where they would sort, ice, and pack orders. For our hosts, we chose young people who had worked in the cities, the ones with clear voices and a knack for storytelling. I started my own channel too, but mine was different. I took my viewers out to sea, showing them how to find fish, identify seafood, read the tides, chase the wind, and even survive an emergency fall overboard. Life alone was a little lonely, but it was also freeing. I could go home when I wanted, or just drift on the waves if I didn’t. Being alone meant I could venture into more remote waters and catch more valuable seafood. 03 One afternoon, I fell asleep on the deck. I was drifting in that space between dream and reality when my other phone, the one the Sterlings had given me, suddenly rang. The moment I answered, my brother Marcin’s voice, cold and tight with fury, shot through the line. “Stella, are you done with this childish tantrum? How old are you, still playing these running-away games? You think this makes you interesting? Get your ass back here right now! Grandfather wants to see you!” It took me a groggy moment to remember the Sterling family had a patriarch, an old man who had been recuperating overseas. So, he was back and wanted to meet me. That’s the only reason they’d even noticed I was gone. “Give him my best. I’m busy with work. I’m not coming back.” “Work?” His voice jumped an octave. “You’re a high school dropout. What kind of work could you possibly have? Waiting tables? Working on an assembly line? Aren’t you ashamed?” “I’m giving you one day, Stella. Get back here immediately! Apologize to Mom and Dad, and then stay put in the west wing where you belong. We have enough money to feed you, so stop embarrassing me out in the world!” I lay back, feeling the breeze on my face, my sailor’s instincts already kicking in. I shouted an order to adjust the boat’s course, then realized Marcin had finally stopped his tirade. “Are you done?” “You…” “I wasn’t asking for your opinion. I was informing you. I’m not coming back. And you don’t have to worry about me embarrassing your family. After all, your name is Sterling. Mine is Morgan. Oh, and thanks for the half-million dollars and the three months of hospitality. From now on, you don’t need to concern yourselves with my life.” 04 After splashing some water on my face, I remembered my livestream was still on. The chat had exploded. The viewer count was soaring. Everyone was asking which Sterling family I was talking about, what my connection to them was. The Sterlings thought I was an uneducated embarrassment. I wanted nothing more to do with them, so I ignored the questions. After waterproofing my gear, I dove into the ocean, taking my audience on an underwater tour to see a world more beautiful than any starry sky. But it wasn’t long before my channel was shut down due to complaints. I started a new account. It got banned too. I had to head back to town to get a new SIM card, but as I approached the village, the atmosphere felt… off. A line of black sedans was parked at the pier. When he saw me, Marcin stepped out of the lead car, his face a thundercloud. A moment later, the rear door opened, and my mother, Eleanor, emerged, her expression pinched with distaste. “Stella, how long are you going to keep this up?” Her voice dripped with undisguised disappointment. “Are you doing this on purpose? Staying in this backwater town just to make us the laughingstock of our entire social circle?” Annelise appeared from behind her, a supportive hand on her arm. Her face mirrored Eleanor’s disgust, but her words were laced with a pained, sorrowful tone. “Stella, I know. What my birth mother and I did… we wronged you. But what good does this do you? Putting yourself on display like this… the sea is so dangerous, so difficult. You’re breaking Mom and Dad’s hearts. I know you’re angry, but… to me, they are my only parents. If… if you don’t like me, if you can’t stand the sight of me, I’ll stay away. I can meet them and Marcin somewhere else, would that be better?” Little Jack, Mrs. Gable’s grandson, ran up and hugged my leg, trying to pull me toward his house for dinner. I scooped him up and lifted him over my head, spinning him around until he squealed with laughter. “Stella!” Marcin roared, his patience gone. I sighed, then walked a few steps closer with Jack in my arms, and looked Marcin straight in the eye. “Do you remember what I told you before I agreed to go back with you?” Marcin frowned. Clearly, my words had never meant anything to him. “I said, I would go and see.” “I’ve seen it. Now I’ve left. What’s the problem?” “We don’t like each other. Why force it?” “You… Where do you get the nerve?” he sputtered. “Right here, isn’t it?” I retorted, pointing to my head. As if on cue, little Jack reached out and patted Marcin’s cheek. “It’s right here,” he said in his tiny voice. I turned my gaze to Eleanor. “The family won’t let me starve, right? When did I ever need you to feed me? If you truly missed me, if you felt guilty, if you loved me, wouldn’t you have thought of me all the time? I lived there for three months. When, in all that time, did you ever once think of me as anything other than an embarrassment? It’s true, I’m not educated, I’m not refined. But when I was dying, it was my adoptive parents who fed me, who taught me to read and to be a decent person! Don’t think that just because you contributed some DNA, you get to dictate my life.” As for Annelise, I shot her a glance and laughed. “Do you have any idea what I was like when I was found? A newborn baby, floating alone in the sea, with nothing. Do you know what could have happened? Drowning is the obvious one. Or hypothermia from the cold water, leading to heart failure and organ shutdown. Or maybe the shock of the temperature change could have caused a laryngeal spasm, suffocating me. Or I could have been torn apart by the currents, or eaten by marine life. You’re the one who benefited from all of this. Don’t play the victim with me. Do you really think I’m stupid enough to not tell a real apology from a fake one?” Marcin erupted. “Stella, you watch your mouth!” Eleanor was trembling with rage. “You… You’re being completely unreasonable!” She gestured to the black-suited bodyguards who had emerged from the cars. “Bring her back!” Two men lunged forward. They snatched Jack from my arms, tossing him onto the ground, and started forcing me toward the car. I was small and thin, completely powerless against them. “Hey! What are you doing?!” A young man from the village, Mike, came running over, holding a selfie stick with his phone attached. He grabbed me, trying to pull me back. His livestream was on. Eleanor was furious. “I’m taking my own daughter home! This is none of your business!” Mike shoved the camera right in her face. “Say that again!” She gritted her teeth and fell silent, her face a mask of hatred. I let out a dry laugh. “So disgusted with me? Then let’s just say that half-million dollars was the price to sever our ties for good.” I scooped up Jack, grabbed Mike’s arm, and walked away without looking back.

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Seraphina Harmon, heiress to one of the most powerful families in the city, was in a coma after a car crash. My brother was chosen to be her groom in a propitious marriage meant to bring her luck. But the day before the wedding, he completely snapped. “I won’t do it!” he screamed, his voice cracking with hysteria. “I’d rather die than marry her!” I was about to try and calm him down when shimmering text began to float in front of my eyes: 【The male lead has been reborn! This time, he can finally escape the Harmon family.】 【Imagine being married to a paralyzed woman in a vegetative state. Trapped in a sexless marriage for life.】 【Sure, it’s a top-tier family, a mansion, and unlimited money, but our MC is a man who craves a passionate, whirlwind romance!】 My eyes locked onto the key phrase: unlimited money. A brilliant light bulb went off in my head. “I’ll do it.” “I’ll marry her instead of my brother.” My brother, Ethan, was still sobbing in the living room. “Marry a woman in a coma? I’d rather die!” My parents had always doted on him. They saw this as a true injustice. My mother clenched her jaw. “Then don’t. I won’t let my son suffer like this.” My father looked worried. “But the Harmons… they’re not a family you can afford to cross.” “This marriage was only on the table because Ethan’s astrological chart was a perfect match for their daughter’s. If we back out now, what do you think they’ll do to us?” he fretted. He was the only one in this family with a shred of sense. But in the next second, he gritted his teeth too. “Forget it. Even if we offend the Harmons, even if we lose everything, we can’t ruin Ethan’s life!” The comments were touched. 【Thank god the MC was born into a loving family. His parents adore him.】 【If he’d been born into a family of leeches, he’d just be repeating his last life, dying miserable and unloved.】 【Last time, he was forced into the marriage. The Harmon’s luxurious estate was nothing but a gilded cage. Sure, he had endless money, servants, gourmet food, and designer clothes, but who could stand being married to a comatose wife? Our MC has always been a true romantic.】 【In his past life, he was torn from his college sweetheart, a beautiful but poor girl. Now that he’s been reborn, they can finally be together!】 So that was it. I’d been wondering why Ethan was acting so differently. He’d been reborn. My dad pulled out his phone, ready to call the Harmons and cancel the wedding. I lunged forward. “I’ll do it.” “I’ll take my brother’s place.” My dad’s thumb froze over the screen. I sprinted to my room, throwing my meager belongings into a suitcase with lightning speed. I slipped into the suit meant for my brother, dragged my suitcase back out to the living room, and screeched to a halt. My mother’s eyes lit up. “That’s right! We can just have Leo marry into the family!” My father’s face broke into a wide grin. “Of course! I almost forgot we had another son.” I was used to being ignored. It had been that way my whole life. “Mom, Dad, tell the Harmons not to bother sending a car tomorrow. I’m heading over right now.” I gave them a little wave. “See ya.” The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I heard a collective sigh of relief from inside, followed by the sounds of cheerful laughter as they sat down to dinner. I was happy too. I started humming a little tune. “Making it rain, dollar bills all day, every single one is gonna fall my way—” On the way to the Harmon estate, the comments popped up again. 【Wait… who is this guy?】 【He’s the MC’s younger brother. He’s barely mentioned in the book, just a background character with zero presence. I think his name is Leo Shaw or something.】 【Oh. He seems way too happy about this. Wait until he has to start changing catheters and giving sponge baths. The smile will fade fast.】 【Is it just me, or is his family incredibly biased? They’re both sons. When the older one is asked to marry a comatose woman, they’d risk everything to protect his happiness. But the younger one volunteers, and they don’t even bother to see him off.】 【So what? He’s a side character. My precious Ethan is the main character. The whole world is supposed to revolve around him.】 I ignored the comments, pretending I couldn’t see them. Inside, I was ecstatic. Changing catheters? Sponge baths? Big deal. At home, I slept in a cramped closet under the stairs and worked three part-time jobs just to get by. Now, I was marrying into one of the wealthiest families in the country. No more hustling, no more sleeping in a closet. And the best part? No nagging wife, and a bottomless bank account. This was the kind of life I couldn’t even have dreamed of. When I arrived at the gates of the Harmon Estate, my jaw dropped. It was enormous, spectacular. Truly the mark of an untouchable dynasty. I explained my purpose to the head butler, who drove me up to the main house in what looked like a high-end golf cart. A woman in a bespoke silk dress, the picture of refined elegance, looked me up and down. My suit was crisp, but I could feel her assessing gaze. “And you are?” “Mom.” I’ve always been quick with sweet talk. Since I was the substitute, I had to use my brother’s name. “It’s me, Ethan.” Her expression softened instantly. She came forward and took my hands. “My dear boy. The car was meant to pick you up tomorrow. Why have you come tonight?” “This is a wedding for luck, right? Let’s skip the formalities. The sooner I get here, the sooner Seraphina might wake up.” Seraphina was her only, precious daughter. My words brought tears to her eyes. “You poor child, this is so unfair to you.” “I’m not suffering at all.” “You are,” she insisted, pressing a bank card into my hand. “My dear son-in-law, here’s two million dollars. A little welcome gift from me.” “When Seraphina wakes up, I promise you, we will throw you the most magnificent wedding imaginable.” “Oh, I couldn’t possibly.” I said, pocketing the card. Mrs. Harmon told me my room was ready, and that I could redecorate if I didn’t like it. But first, she wanted me to see Seraphina. I had half-expected her to be monstrously disfigured, which would explain why Ethan was so dead-set against marrying her. I couldn’t have been more wrong. She was breathtaking. Perfectly sculpted features, skin like pale marble, wisps of dark hair falling softly across her forehead as she lay still in the bed. She looked like Sleeping Beauty. The comments went into a frenzy. 【How can a human being be this beautiful? This is God just showing off.】 【A stunning, aristocratic heiress. The very definition of old-money elegance. Even in a coma, she’s completely out of reach for ordinary people. The campus sweetheart my MC is so obsessed with looks like a common weed next to this rose.】 【I wish I could possess this substitute guy’s body. A gorgeous wife who never wakes up and unlimited money? I want to live that carefree, lavish life.】 【Suddenly I don’t get the MC. How could he not want this?】 【You can’t look at it that way. She’s still just a body. She can’t give him any emotional connection. The MC wants love, not just comfort. The thought of emptying her catheter bag is probably what grosses him out.】 I don’t want love. I want comfort. I rolled up my sleeves to grab the catheter bag, but Mrs. Harmon stopped me. “Ethan, what are you doing?” “Emptying her bag.” “You don’t have to do that,” she said, her voice gentle. “We have nurses for that.” “All you need to do is sit with her. Talk to her.” “If you can help Seraphina wake up, anything you want, I will give it to you.” All I’d done was call her “Mom” and she’d given me two million dollars. I felt like I hadn’t earned it. “Mom, let me at least give her a sponge bath.” “You go and rest. I’ll stay with Seraphina. I promise, I’ll do my best to help her wake up soon.” Tears welled in her eyes again. She looked so proud, so moved by my devotion. She took off a stunning, high-grade jade bracelet from her own wrist and slipped it onto mine. “Then I’ll leave her in your care. Don’t overwork yourself.” This was my kind of mother-in-law. When in doubt, just throw money at the problem. After she left, I practically drooled. I grabbed a washcloth and excitedly began to unbutton Seraphina’s silk pajamas. “Hey, wifey. It’s your husband.” “Here’s a little secret: I’m actually an imposter.” “Your real fiancé didn’t want to marry you. Said he didn’t want to be stuck with a vegetable.” “Everything I just told your mom was a lie. So please, whatever you do, don’t you dare wake up, okay?” “Hahaha—” I cackled with glee. I was so absorbed, I didn’t even notice her finger twitch. “Whoops, sorry, drooled on you again. Let me just wipe that off.” Lost in my admiration of her beauty, I was startled by a sudden, frantic beeping. Seraphina’s heart monitor was going crazy. Mrs. Harmon heard the alarm and rushed in with the family doctor. I stood there, chewing my fingernails. Was she… dying? My new life couldn’t be over before it even started. The doctor checked her vitals and turned to Mrs. Harmon. “Don’t worry, Madam. An emotional response is a good sign.” “Even though she’s unconscious, she can still hear what’s going on around her.” “She must have heard something exciting or agitating. That’s why her heart rate spiked.” What? She can hear? She heard every single horrible thing I just said! No wonder her heart rate spiked. I’d pissed her off from beyond the veil of consciousness. “Ethan, you’re our lucky star!” Mrs. Harmon exclaimed, beaming. She handed me another card. “You’ve only just arrived, and Seraphina is already showing improvement. It seems the marriage for luck was the right choice.” “This one has no limit. Take a few bodyguards and go on a shopping spree tomorrow.” “Thanks, Mom.” Not wanting to agitate Seraphina any further, I went to my own room to sleep. If she knew I was an imposter, I’d be finished the moment she woke up. I opened the door to my new bedroom and gasped. The décor was unbelievably opulent. Later that night, I tossed in my sleep and vaguely saw a figure standing by my bed, its gaze burning into me. I shot up like a jack-in-the-box. “Hi-yah!” I launched a kick, sending the figure flying. I flipped on the light and saw a life-sized cardboard cutout of Seraphina lying on the floor. The comments appeared: 【LMAO. Mrs. Harmon was worried they wouldn’t bond, so she put a cutout of Seraphina in his room to ‘build intimacy.’】 Honestly, that mother-in-law of mine. She had too much time on her hands. Scared the life out of me. “Hey, man.” The next morning, I was on the phone with one hand, wiping Seraphina’s face with a washcloth with the other. Her pale skin was turning red under my scrubbing, and the heart monitor started beeping again, the rising line a silent scream of: You’re hurting me! I tossed the cloth aside. I wasn’t even pressing that hard. Her skin was ridiculously delicate. “Wanna go shopping? I’m paying for everything today.” “Did you get paid?” my friend Alex asked. We went way back; if I struck it rich, there was no way I was forgetting him. “Let’s go to that all-you-can-eat buffet we saw,” Alex suggested. “They have a special on, only forty-five bucks a person.” “Forget the buffet,” I said, plopping down on Seraphina’s bed and crossing my legs. “I’m rich now. I married into a wealthy family.” “And my wife’s in a coma,” I whispered, covering my mouth to stifle a laugh. “Today, we’re hitting the designer stores. When we get tired, we’ll eat at a five-star restaurant.” “After that, we’ll hit up a high-end club, get a table, maybe find a dozen girls to party with.” “Are you serious?” Alex’s voice cracked. “Beep-beep-beeeeeep—” The line on Seraphina’s heart monitor shot straight up. A vein was actually throbbing on her temple. “Gotta go, see you in a bit.” I hung up. In my excitement, I’d forgotten she could hear me. I leaned over her. “Hey now, wifey, don’t get excited. I’m a traditional, faithful man.” “I would never cheat on you.” “I’m only going out to spend money and eat good food for your sake. You know what they say, husband and wife are one. Since you’re stuck in bed, I have to go out and consume things on your behalf.” “If I eat it, it’s like you ate it. If I have fun, it’s like you had fun. Everything I do, I do it for you. I hope you can understand my noble intentions.” You just lie there and rest easy, I thought. I’ll gladly take care of your massive fortune for you. Gazing at her flawlessly beautiful face, I leaned down and planted a loud smooch on her lips. So soft. How was she even real? She was exquisite. I kissed her a few more times, smudging off all her lipstick. The comments were furious. 【Seraphina has severe mysophobia! She hates being touched by men! Leo is such a scumbag, taking advantage of her when she can’t move.】 Hey now, she’s my wife. What’s wrong with a few kisses? Their outrage just made me want to do it more. I kissed her a few more times for good measure, then put on my sunglasses and sauntered out. “Bye, wifey! I’m off to have some fun. No, wait… I’m off to have some fun for you.” “And don’t worry. I’m a traditional, faithful man. I would never cheat on you.” Man, even the air smelled sweeter when you were rich. This was the life. After I left, the woman in the bed suddenly shot upright, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips.

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I was transmigrated into a tragic novel as the three-year-old daughter of the main characters. In this life, I was merely a prop in my parents’ toxic love story. When my mom went on a hunger strike, I starved with her. When she tried to run away, I was forced to kneel until my knees bled. They tortured each other in their twisted romance, and I was the collateral damage. After my mom ran away again, I knocked on the door of my dad’s sworn enemy. “Does your Border Collie adopt humans? I’m easy to raise. I can survive on half a slice of bread.” He had five cats and three dogs, all strays his dog brought home. I figured since he’d already taken in so many strays, he could squeeze in one more: me. Chapter 1 When I was three and a half, my mom found a lipstick mark on my dad’s suit collar. Heartbroken, she ran away from home. My dad, furious, choked me and threatened my mom over the phone. “If I don’t see you by tonight, I’ll drag Lily to the river, chop off her fingers one by one, and feed them to the fish.” Gee, thanks, Dad. You’re a real peach. I kicked my short legs in the air, trying to struggle. My dad kicked me away with his hard leather shoe, his eyes colder than a fish that had been frozen for a decade. I couldn’t stay in this house anymore. My parents fought every other day, and every time they did, I was the one who suffered. Previously, my dad’s rival, Ethan Cole, had given me a business card with his address. He lived in a mansion with a huge lawn, five cats, and three dogs—all brought home by his Border Collie, Coffee. Since Coffee loved collecting strays, maybe he could spare a metal bowl for me too. With my mind made up, I secretly followed our housekeeper, Mrs. Potts, and slipped out through the iron gates of the villa. Goodbye, cage. Little Lily is free. I clutched the card and showed it to adults along the way. With their help, I successfully entered the upscale Sterling Heights community and arrived at Ethan’s gate. There was a photo of Coffee on the gate. I couldn’t reach the doorbell, so I jumped up and down, yelling: “Coffee! I’m here to play!” As soon as I shouted, Coffee’s head popped up in the window. He barked, then quickly ran to the door, his tail wagging like a propeller. “Coffee, don’t open the door randomly! Cream might run out again.” Chasing Coffee out was Ethan Cole, wearing a Cinnamoroll bathrobe and mismatched slippers. His hair was messy, a stark contrast to the sharp-suited businessman I had seen before. I almost didn’t recognize him. Through the fence, I opened my palm to show the crumpled business card I had held the whole way. “Grape Brother, does your Coffee adopt humans?” “Who taught you to call me that?” Ethan pressed down on Coffee’s head with one hand and pinched my cheek with the other. “Little Chick is skinny again. My house doesn’t take picky eaters.” “I’m not a Little Chick.” I puffed up my cheeks in protest. But Ethan ignored me, kneading my face like dough with his long fingers. “I’m Lily. You saw me on the big fancy boat.” “Dad gave Mom a grape. Mom wouldn’t eat it, so Dad gave it to me.” “It was a huge grape. It got stuck. I saw stars.” I grabbed my neck, vividly reenacting the scene. “You picked me up and whack! The grape came out.” “That was ages ago. You remember that? New brains really work well.” Ethan’s gaze fell on my neck, and he frowned. “Why is your neck red?” “Dad pinched it.” I hugged his leg and deepened my voice to mimic my dad: “If I don’t see Mom tonight, I’ll chop off Lily’s fingers and feed them to the fish. That’s what he said.” “Your dad is a piece of work.” Ethan bent down and picked me up. I took the chance to wrap my arms around his neck. “Brother saved Lily. Saving a life means I belong to you now. Grape Brother, Lily is yours.” “Hey, hey, less of that nonsense. I’m twenty years older than you. You should be calling me Uncle.” Ethan flicked my forehead. I looked at him with puppy eyes. “The pretty ones are brothers. The mean ones like Dad are uncles.” “You are pretty. You are the pretty Grape Brother.” Afraid he wouldn’t want me, I hugged him tighter. “Brother, I’m easy to raise. Half a slice of bread is enough.” “I can clean my bowl, comb my hair, play with toys, and sleep by myself.” “I’m very good. Brother, don’t send Lily away.” I blurted out all my selling points, clinging to Ethan like a koala, tears welling up in my eyes. “I won’t send you away. Coffee has brought home so many brothers and sisters; we can spare a bite for you.” Ethan sighed, touching my thin arms, shaking his head. “Lighter than my cats. Your parents are terrible at raising kids. Your hair is all knotted, and you’re so skinny your bones hurt my hand.” He complained, but his movements were gentle. Before putting me on the sofa, he laid down a soft cushion, treating me like fragile glass. Coffee jumped onto the sofa, nuzzling his head into my chest. I wanted to pet him, but Ethan spoke up. “Pet him gently.” “Coffee, I’m talking to you. Don’t pretend you can’t hear.” I immediately softened my touch, only to see Ethan glaring at the dog. So Coffee retracted the paw he had placed on me. Chapter 2 “Usually, the housekeeper cooks. I can only make instant stuff. Make do with this.” Ethan had changed into an apron. His clothes were all pastel colors, completely at odds with his cool face. He placed a bowl of creamy mushroom soup on the table. While he turned to get a bib, I had already thrown the spoon aside, buried my face in the bowl, and was frantically grabbing mushrooms and shrimp with my hands. “Hey, don’t…” The soup was the perfect temperature. By the time Ethan lifted me out of the bowl, I had already finished most of it and was licking my lips, wanting more. “Brother, I’m full. You can flip the table now.” Facing Ethan’s shocked gaze, I blinked and said obediently: “I’ll eat the soup off the floor too. Mrs. Potts told me to cherish food. After Dad flips the table, I eat all the food off the floor. I don’t waste anything.” “Your dad flips the table every time you eat?” Ethan’s smile faded, his eyes turning cold. “Yeah. If Mom doesn’t eat, Dad says, ‘Then no one eats,’ and flips the table.” “I’m used to it. I use my hands so I can eat more before Dad flips it.” After all, if Mom didn’t eat, Dad would force-feed her later. But if I didn’t eat, I’d starve. “The nanny lets you eat food off the floor?” Ethan’s face looked grim, even though not wasting food was a good thing. I looked at my dirty hands, thinking maybe Grape Brother thought I was too dirty. “I’ll wash my hands properly. I won’t touch the cats and dogs with dirty hands.” I looked at him cautiously. Ethan sighed deeply, sat next to me, and patiently wiped my hands with a towel. “Lily, do you know how to use a spoon?” Seeing me nod, he wiped a smudge of oil from my mouth, his tone gentle. “From now on, in this house, no one will flip the table, and no one will snatch your food.” “You can eat slowly. You don’t need to eat off the floor. In our house, we live comfortably. You don’t have to watch anyone’s mood.” “Understand?” He served another bowl of soup and put the spoon in my hand. I slowly drank the soup, half-understanding. Then Ethan patted my head. “Good girl.” Turns out, eating soup slowly can get you praised too. My eyes stung, and tears fell into the soup, making it taste salty. It rained heavily that night. The swaying tree shadows looked like monsters coming to eat children. Before the next thunderclap, I covered my ears tightly, hugged my small blanket, and hid in the cat’s bed. The black cat yawned and good-naturedly shared half the bed with me. I buried my face in its furry belly, listening to its purring. My cold body gradually warmed up. In a daze, I smelled a faint scent of herbs, and someone lifted me onto a bed. “Why didn’t you come to me if you were scared of thunder? Coffee had to knock on my door to tell me you were fighting the cat for territory.” Ethan tapped my nose. I snuggled into his warm embrace, nodding as he spoke in a tone gentler than a lullaby. “Dad doesn’t let me in his room when he’s in a bad mood. He makes me sleep with the broom…” “Aren’t you scared when it thunders?” Ethan patted my back. My eyelids felt heavy. I pointed at the bottle on the nightstand. “Bottle. Magic round pieces inside. Eat one and sleep, won’t be hungry, won’t be scared. It’s magic. Mrs. Potts gave me this treasure.” Just as I grabbed the bottle, my head tilted. The last thing I heard was Ethan’s sigh, very soft, but it felt heavy to me. “Silly girl, that’s not treasure. Those are sleeping pills.” “If you eat too many, you’ll never wake up.” I had a very sweet dream. It was so sweet that when I opened my eyes, I could still smell the sweet scent of milk. I tried to get up but felt a heavy weight on my chest, pinning me down. Was it a ghost pressing on me? I waved my hands frantically. Then Ethan’s scolding voice came from afar. “Bread, get off your sister!” “You’re a heavy truck, why do you love lying on people’s stomachs? Don’t you know how heavy you are?” Coffee quickly jumped onto the bed and chased away the ball-like orange tabby. The orange cat meowed in dissatisfaction and went to clang its food bowl. Everything felt like a dream. I walked to the mirror in a daze and pinched my cheek. It hurt. Not a dream. I had really left Mom and Dad. I had left that home. Chapter 3 “Giving a child sleeping pills? Only their nanny could do something so low.” “Julian Sterling must have allowed it. He’s shrewd in business; if someone dared to give sleeping pills under his nose, would he not know?” “Is this kid really Julian’s? She doesn’t look like him. And he’s so cruel to her, maybe…” The new sister in the house kept glancing at me. I smiled and said: “Hello, pretty sister. I’m Lily.” “Oh my god, I’m melting.” The sister clutched her chest, shaking her head with absolute certainty: “Impossible. Absolutely impossible. I don’t believe Julian could produce such a cute child.” “She is biologically his. I checked before,” Ethan said, rolling his eyes and speaking sarcastically. “Scum who would let a child choke to death on a grape is actually Lily’s dad. This world is crazy.” “Did you contact the North City project team at his company?” “I did. Their boss treats them like dirt; the team is very disgruntled.” “Okay. Tell the team leader we’ll pay double. We must poach the North City team.” Ethan fingered the prayer beads on his wrist, grinding his teeth: “While Julian is away, I’m going to his office tomorrow to pull out his money tree. Does that dog deserve to be rich?” “Calm down. That’s too obvious.” The sister shook her head in disapproval. “Let me do it. I’ll have Mom apply as a janitor at his company and unplug their internet every day.” Wow, corporate warfare is intense. I listened in confusion, thinking the adult world was indeed complicated. “Coffee, come closer. I’ll share some milk with you.” “Lily, that’s your milk. No sharing with Coffee.” Oops, busted. After eating, I put on the new dress the sister bought and sat in front of the mirror while she braided my hair. “Lily is so pretty, so cute.” “Be good when you get in the car with sister later, okay?” I said yes, then asked: “Am I leaving?” Last time, Mom dressed me up beautifully, fed me a milky cookie, and then disappeared. I guessed maybe Grape Brother was too busy, so the sister wanted to send me away. It’s okay. Lily had sweet milk, cats and dogs to play with, and Grape Brother to coax me to sleep. I was satisfied. Even if I had to go home now, I wouldn’t be sad. “Yes, Brother Ethan has to work. He’s worried about leaving Lily alone at home.” The braids the sister made were beautiful. I sniffled and smiled brightly: “Thank you, pretty sister.” “Baby, you are too lovable.” The sister hugged and kissed me, then put me in the black sedan. Just before the door closed, I took a milk candy from my pocket and handed it to her, saying seriously: “Sister, can you give this candy to Brother for me?” “The candy is yummy. Mom gave it to me. Lily saved it to eat with Mom.” “Now Brother is the best person to Lily. Lily likes Brother, so Lily wants to give the candy to Brother.” I put the milk candy in her palm. Thinking I wouldn’t see Brother one last time, tears uncontrollably flowed from my eyes. “Sorry, Sister. I only have one candy. I like you too, but… but I can’t take out a second candy.” The sister panicked instantly, hugging me clumsily to comfort me: “Don’t cry, don’t cry. I hate candy. Brother can eat it alone. I know Lily likes me, and I like Lily the most too. Don’t be sad.” “But, Lily is leaving, and I don’t have two candies.” I was holding it in, but the sister’s comfort opened the floodgates. I choked out: “Sister made me pretty braids and gave me new clothes. I can’t repay you.” “You’re not leaving. I’m calling Ethan right now. No kindergarten for you.” The sister quickly pulled out her phone and put it on speaker: “Let Lily play at home for a couple of days. We have eight nannies; we can handle it.” “You’re coming home? This fast? Fine. Lily wants to see you too; she says she has candy for you.” In the end, I gave the candy to Ethan personally. Seeing my tear-stained face, he hooked my pinky finger helplessly: “Little ancestor, I won’t send you away. Stop scaring yourself, okay?” “Pinky promise. One hundred years, no changing.” After pressing our thumbs together, he ate my candy and bragged to the sister: “Lily gave this candy specifically to me. None for you.” Chapter 4 “Oh please, Lily promised to give me some later too. Right, Lily?” The two adults fought to hug me. I laughed through my tears and kissed each of them on the cheek. “Yes, I’ll give Sister candy later too.” “Lily, remember, Mom and Dad don’t love you because they are very, very bad, not because you aren’t a good child.” Ethan wiped away my tears and said seriously: “Our Lily is the best child in the world, unique and precious. Brother got lucky finding you.” “Since I took the day off, let’s go to the amusement park, okay?” “Okay! Grape Brother is the best brother in the world.” “And the handsomest.” Ethan emphasized. The sister elbowed him. “Look at you, so full of yourself.” We spent the day playing on the carousel, riding the Ferris wheel that went super high, and feeding goldfish. When the sun went down, we walked the dogs. Brother let me sit in a cart pulled by the dogs, letting them drag me along, messing up my hair. The sister, who went to buy ice cream, came back and slapped Brother hard on the back, scolding him all the way home. “Letting a three-year-old ride a dog cart! What were you thinking? What if it flipped?” “Relax, Coffee is smarter than you. He wouldn’t flip it.” So Brother got slapped again. “Kids can’t eat too much cold stuff, so Lily can only have a bite.” The sister bought five ice creams. Three for the dogs, one for Ethan. She let me take a bite of the remaining one. Icy, and very sweet. Ice cream tastes like Brother and Sister. Cold on the outside, sweet on the inside. When I told the sister this, she laughed for a long time, saying I was probably the only person in the world who would call Ethan sweet. “But I think Lily is right.” The sister smiled at Ethan coming out of the store. He was carrying a big bag, showing off the new coloring book and crayons he bought for me. “Gifts for you. Now you won’t be bored at home alone.” I happily hugged the coloring book, thinking Brother really was sweet. That was the flavor of Brother’s soul. After spending a week playing with the cats and dogs at home, the nanny would turn on the TV for me while she walked the dogs. I sat on the sofa, coloring book and crayons spread on the small table, excited to draw a family portrait. “There needs to be Brother and Sister, Brother Coffee, Brother Cream, Sister Black Forest…” I drew circles one by one. Just as I was about to dot the eyes, familiar people appeared on the TV screen. My hand holding the crayon froze. I stared blankly at my parents on the screen. They were in a field of purple flowers, with four-leaf windmills spinning behind them. “Mr. Sterling, on your second wedding anniversary, what made you decide to buy this flower field and recreate your honeymoon?” “Someone fabricated photos of me cheating. My wife was deeply hurt and even contemplated suicide. I realized that all these years, I only provided for her materially but failed to fill the void in her heart.” Dad interlaced his fingers with Mom’s and kissed the corner of her mouth deeply. “Realizing this, I decided to spend a year accompanying my love to see the scenery she wants to see. Our journey will span the globe, ending with viewing a once-in-a-century meteor shower.” Dad spoke eloquently, his words hard to understand as always. I looked at Mom leaning on Dad’s shoulder. She smiled shyly, her lingering gaze on Dad exceptionally sweet. They reconciled again. I wasn’t surprised. Dad was the best at pleasing Mom. No matter how cruelly Dad abused me, no matter how many tears Mom shed, as long as Dad was willing to soften, willing to stand up for Mom once. Mom would always forgive him and pull my hand to persuade me: “Lily, Dad loves you. He’s just strict. Don’t blame him.” The red handprints on my neck were still visible. Was Dad choking me love? If it was love, why did the Brother who treated me so well get angry when he saw it? I told Dad the nanny made me take pills, made me eat food off the floor, that my stomach hurt, and I wanted to see Mom. “You’re a big girl of three. Solve problems yourself. Don’t come crying for Mom all the time.” Dad pushed me hard, letting me fall to the floor, looking down at me arrogantly. “If you can’t eat, grab it. If your stomach hurts, find a doctor.” “Lily Sterling, your only value is keeping your mother by my side. I don’t care if you live or die, but if you dare persuade your mother to leave me, leave this house again…” He squeezed my jaw, his vicious tone chilling me to the bone. “I will cut out your tongue.”

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I saved a pregnant woman on the side of the road, but I was in a hurry for a blind date and had no time to take her to the hospital. So I called her husband’s number. “Hello? Dad-to-be? Your wife’s in my hands. She’s about to pop, and I don’t have time to wait around. I’m just going to cut the baby out myself. It’ll be better for everyone. Your call. And don’t forget to bring cash.” I glanced down. The pregnant woman, drenched in a cold sweat from the pain, watched me hang up with a look of pure terror. I never would have guessed that five minutes later, twenty private helicopters would land on the hospital lawn. I couldn’t help but marvel. Are families this extra these days? It’s just childbirth, not a full-scale military invasion. 1. The roar of the massive rotor blades felt like it was trying to tear my skull open. A hurricane of wind kicked up debris from the lawn, stinging my face. I squinted, my eyes fixed on the line of matte-black attack helicopters hovering in the air. Ropes dropped, and heavily armed men slid down with chilling efficiency. Anyone else would have thought they were filming a Hollywood blockbuster, or that some head of state had just been assassinated. But I knew. This whole spectacle was for me. Or more accurately, for the pregnant woman at my feet, who had just broken her water and was writhing in agony. Just five minutes ago, I’d done the craziest thing of my life. I’m a former surgeon, suspended from the hospital and desperate to appease my furious mother by going on a blind date. On my way there, I found this poor woman. The ambulance was stuck in rush-hour traffic on the interstate. She had acute placental abruption. Ten more minutes, and it would be two bodies instead of one. I didn’t have time to explain medical jargon to her family or waste precious seconds on pleasantries. To get the fastest response, you have to use the most extreme methods. So I snatched her phone, called the top contact labeled “Hubby,” and delivered a threat that could have landed me in prison. The effect was immediate. But it seemed I had provoked someone I really shouldn’t have. This wasn’t just any family. This was the devil himself. Dozens of men in black suits swarmed the area, forming a tight perimeter. The dark muzzles of their guns—though they tried to conceal them, I could smell the metallic tang of rust in the air—were vaguely pointed in my direction. The man leading them was built like a tower, his custom-tailored suit doing little to hide his formidable frame. His face, while criminally handsome, was dark enough to curdle milk. He strode toward me, his presence so commanding that the very air around us seemed to freeze. “Who’s the one who’s going to cut my wife open?” His voice was a low growl, laced with a bloodthirsty chill. I swallowed hard, but my hands didn’t stop moving. I was using a brand-new eyebrow razor—sterilized with an alcohol wipe—to cut away the fabric of the woman’s dress, performing emergency triage. “That would be me,” I said without looking up, my hands a blur of motion. “And tell your pilot to hold steady. The wind is kicking up too much dust. We don’t want the wound getting infected.” The man stopped in his tracks. He probably wasn’t used to kidnappers being concerned about their hostage’s risk of infection. He stood over me, his shadow swallowing me whole. “How much money do you want?” he asked coldly. “Or is it your life you’re after?” “I need gauze, hemostats, antibiotics, and a gurney on wheels that won’t get stuck in traffic. Now!” I finally looked up and shot him a glare. “Your wife is fully dilated, but the baby is in the wrong position. Keep wasting my time, and you can prepare for a funeral.” The man was stunned into silence. Just then, the woman on the ground found a sliver of strength and weakly grabbed his trouser leg. “Damien… Mr. Knight… She’s a doctor… She’s saving me…” Mr. Knight? My mind flashed to the one and only Damien Knight, the tycoon who controlled half the city’s economy and was rumored to have his hands in both legitimate and shady dealings. I was so screwed. I had just threatened to gut his wife. 2. The misunderstanding was cleared up faster than I expected, mainly because Damien Knight, while terrifying, wasn’t an idiot. With a single wave of his hand, the men who had been pointing guns at me transformed into the most professional team of paramedics, gently lifting the woman onto a waiting stretcher. An accompanying medical team rappelled down from one of the helicopters and immediately took over. I let out a sigh of relief, tucked the bloody eyebrow razor into my purse, and stood up, dusting off my pants. “Well, since the cavalry has arrived, I’ll be on my way.” I glanced at my watch, and my heart sank. Only ten minutes left until my blind date. The guy was a “premium catch” my mom had meticulously selected—an elite professional who’d worked on Wall Street, with a six-figure salary. If I was late, my mom would lecture me for a year straight. “Wait,” Damien called out. He had already regained his composure, looking every bit the untouchable CEO, though his eyes now held a flicker of curiosity as he looked at me. “What you said on the phone…” “A tactical threat,” I cut him off. “If I hadn’t scared the hell out of you, would you have deployed your helicopters? The ambulance is still crawling along the freeway.” Damien was silent for a moment, processing the logic. Then, he pulled a gold-embossed business card from his jacket and held it out to me. “Damien Knight. I owe you one.” I didn’t take it. My hands were covered in blood; I’d only smear it. “No need, Mr. Knight. Saving lives is instinct, even if I’m currently suspended.” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Instead of a favor, could you have one of your men give me a ride to The Sterling Cafe? I’m about to be late.” Damien raised an eyebrow. “A blind date?” “Obviously,” I said, gesturing to the designer tweed suit I’d worn for the occasion, which was now wrinkled and stained with blood. A ghost of a smirk played on his lips. “Get in. I’ll drive you.” It turns out, arriving at your blind date in a Rolls-Royce definitely makes a better impression than taking the subway. If only I didn’t smell faintly of blood. Damien drove himself, handling the car like a Formula 1 racer—impossibly fast, yet impeccably smooth. “You said you were suspended?” he asked suddenly. I watched the city blur past the window and grunted in affirmation. “Yeah. Pissed off the wrong people. Sometimes, in a hospital, saving a life is the wrong thing to do.” He didn’t press further. The car pulled up to the cafe right on time. “Thanks,” I said, hopping out without a backward glance. I heard the window roll down behind me. “If you’re in trouble, use that number.” I waved a hand over my shoulder and rushed inside. At that moment, I had no idea how much that promise was worth. Nor did I have any idea what kind of freak I was about to meet. 3. When I found table 18, the so-called “elite professional” was impatiently tapping his watch. He was decent-looking, I guess, but the shrewd, calculating glint in his eyes immediately put me on edge. I didn’t waste time with small talk and sat down. “Sorry, something came up on the way. I was delayed.” The man looked me up and down. His gaze lingered on my blood-stained sleeve and disheveled hair, his brow furrowing in disgust. “Alex, right?” he began, his tone dripping with annoyance. “You’re a full thirty seconds late.” I was speechless. Was this guy for real? “And what’s with your outfit?” he continued, pinching his nose with a napkin. “You smell… strange. I thought you were a doctor. Don’t you people care about hygiene?” I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to throw my glass of water in his face. “I had to save someone on the way here. Didn’t have time to change. You must be Kevin? The matchmaker said you’re in finance.” Kevin scoffed, puffing out his chest. “That’s right. Just back from Wall Street. We don’t need to talk salary; you wouldn’t understand the complex financial models anyway.” He picked up the menu but didn’t offer it to me, flipping through it himself. “Since we’re both here, let’s get straight to the point. I have very high standards for a partner.” “First, you’ll have to quit your job after we’re married. A doctor’s schedule is too demanding, and you won’t be able to manage the household. I need a full-time housewife to take care of me and our future children.” “Second, my mother will live with us. She’s had a hard life, coming from a small town. You’ll need to be respectful and never talk back to her.” “Third, I don’t like women who are frivolous with money. Your salary will be deposited into an account my mother controls. After all, I’m the finance expert. I’ll manage our assets.” “Fourth…” I listened, utterly stunned. He wasn’t looking for a wife; he was hiring an unpaid nanny and a baby-making machine. A machine that had to hand over its own paycheck, no less. “Kevin,” I interrupted his monologue. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m here for a blind date, not to apply for a position as your personal slave.” Kevin’s face darkened. “What kind of attitude is that, Alex? You’re a suspended doctor with a ruined reputation. I’m doing you a favor by even showing up. Do you really think you’re in any position to be picky?” My heart skipped a beat. How did he know I was suspended? That information was supposed to be internal to the hospital. No one on the outside knew. Unless… “Who told you?” I asked, my voice turning to ice. Kevin smirked. “It’s a small world. My cousin works at your hospital. Laura. She told me you were suspended for taking bribes from patients and causing a medical accident. Said you’ve been blacklisted from the entire industry.” Laura. The name hit me like a punch to the gut. My dear cousin. The one who stole my promotion, framed me for taking bribes, and ultimately got me kicked out of the hospital. It really was a small world. And it was full of my enemies. 4. “If you know why I was suspended, what are you doing here?” I sneered at him. “Not worried I might slip something into your drink if I’m in a bad mood?” Kevin’s face paled for a second, but his arrogance quickly returned. “Don’t try to scare me. Laura said you’re a total pushover. Marrying me would be the best thing that ever happened to you. I suggest you get smart and agree. With your reputation, you’ll never find another man.” As he spoke, he reached across the table to grab my hand. “Your reputation might be trash, but you’re not bad to look at. As long as you learn to behave…” CRACK! I slapped him across the face. The sound was crisp and loud, silencing the entire cafe. Kevin clutched his cheek, staring at me in disbelief. “You… you hit me?” “So what if I did?” I stood up, looming over him. “That was to teach you some respect. And you can go back and tell Laura that she shouldn’t assume her dirty little secrets are safe. I may be suspended, but I’m not dead yet.” I grabbed my purse and turned to leave. Kevin, seething with rage, jumped up and seized my arm. “You bitch! You think you can hit me and just walk away? Not a chance! You’re going to kneel and apologize right now, or I’ll make sure you can never work in this city again!” His grip was strong, and I couldn’t break free. People around us started to whisper and point, but no one moved to help. Just as I was preparing to use my self-defense training to introduce his groin to my knee, a cold voice cut through the air. “Make her kneel? Who the hell do you think you are?” The cafe door swung open. Two of Damien’s bodyguards strode in, plucked Kevin off me like he was a bag of garbage, and threw him to the floor. Following them was Damien Knight himself. He’d changed into a dark grey trench coat that made him look even taller and more imposing. He didn’t even glance at the whimpering man on the ground, walking straight to me and frowning at the red marks on my wrist. “Finished here?” I nodded, stunned. “Mr. Knight? What are you doing here?” “Just passing by,” Damien said coolly, his gaze finally shifting to Kevin. “This is your blind date? You have terrible taste.” Kevin, dazed from the fall, scrambled to his feet, ready to curse them out. But when he saw Damien’s face, the color drained from his. “M-Mr. Knight?” As someone in finance, he of course recognized the most powerful man in the industry. Damien ignored him, turning back to me. “Do you need me to take out the trash for you?” I looked at Kevin’s pathetic, trembling form and suddenly felt nothing but boredom. “No, thanks. Not worth getting my hands dirty.” I straightened my clothes. “He’s not worth it.” Damien nodded and gave a slight flick of his wrist. The bodyguards understood immediately, grabbing Kevin and dragging him out. “Mr. Knight! Please, I’m sorry! I didn’t know she was with you…” Kevin’s desperate cries faded into the distance. The cafe was deathly silent. I sighed and looked at Damien. “Mr. Knight, isn’t this a bit much? You scared off my blind date. My mother is going to kill me.” The corner of Damien’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Perfect. I happen to be in need of a private physician. Room and board included, with a salary triple what you used to make. Interested?” I was speechless. Wasn’t this plot moving a little too fast? “Besides,” he paused, his gaze deepening, “my wife is awake. She wants to meet the woman who threatened to cut her open to save her life.”

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I am the Phoenix, the first and the last of my kind, woven from starlight and primordial fire. A thousand years of my life force, a millennium of my own heart’s blood, had gone into the single, perfect egg nestled in my sanctuary. Then, during a routine suppression of the Maelstrom Abyss, the intrusive text began to flash across my vision. [No cap, she’s the MC. The Phoenix God is away, so she’s stealing the house.] [Girl boss is shoving the egg straight into her ancient pocket-dimension.] [It’s the Primordial Void Space—no way the Phoenix God can track that.] [So what if the MC force-contracts it before it hatches? She’s the Chosen One, the literal main character.] [The little Phoenix tried to break the contract after hatching, but thankfully the MC isn’t a saint. She just processed it into a puppet.] [LOL. And the Phoenix God thinks it’s her daughter’s choice and bows down to the MC.] [I live for this kind of Dark Empress MC. So good.] 1 My golden eyes narrowed into slits. The True Fire circulating my body flared, threatening to spiral into an uncontrollable conflagration. What arcane sorcery was this? What strange, insidious curse of the demonic races could conjure such mind-scrambling words out of thin air? For a thousand years, I had protected the human cultivators, sacrificing my own life-force countless times to reinforce their grand Abyssal Seal. If even a shred of gratitude remained in their hearts, they would never dare touch my child while I was fighting their endless war against the darkness. But the seed of doubt had been planted. I closed my eyes, focusing my millennia-old consciousness, attempting to locate the faint, familiar thrum of my daughter’s soul-bond. The connection, which had always been as clear as a blazing sunbeam, was gone. Severed. Cleanly. A cold, gut-wrenching dread seized my heart. The suppressed demonic energy in the chasm below immediately surged, exploiting my momentary lapse. “Phoenix Goddess!” the nearby human cultivators cried out, scrambling backward. “Are you alright? The Maelstrom is breaching the seal!” I ruthlessly crushed the rising panic, my True Fire blazing from my fingertips, forcing the swirling darkness back into the depths of the chasm. That egg, forged from my very essence, was due to hatch in three days. The moment before I left, Master Gideon, the head of the Aetherium Citadel, had knelt with dozens of his most revered disciples outside my lair, pleading that if the demonic energy leaked, the entire Ascended Realm would be devoured. I left my unborn child to save their world. And now, someone had raided my nest. More blinding text flashed across the void. [Girl boss is back at the Citadel.] [Here we go, the scene where the MC shuts down the false saintess sister.] [She risked her life to get that Phoenix egg. Why should she give it back?] [Seriously. Willow hasn’t done squat. She just opens her mouth and tells the MC to return it.] [Ugh, I get so mad just thinking about this part of the plot!] [The false saintess is useless, plus she warns everyone that if the Phoenix God finds out, it’ll bring ruin to the Citadel.] [But our Girl Boss knows how to stay undetected. That’s why she risked it.] [And this Willow snitch even tries to turn the Phoenix God against the MC out of sheer jealousy!] [If the MC hadn’t preemptively turned the little Phoenix into a puppet, it would’ve run back to its mother.] [Cultivation is all about being ruthless and taking what you can!] [Strongest rules, duh.] My fists clenched, my golden claws retracting and extending in a paroxysm of need. I needed to be with my daughter. Now. But if I abandoned the Maelstrom Abyss, the demonic power would break containment immediately. The choice was unthinkable. I had to be strategic. I plucked a single, brilliant golden feather from my tail and infused it with a fraction of my soul, shaping it into an avatar. “Go to the Aetherium Citadel. Retrieve my daughter.” The Avatar nodded its feathered head, beat its wings, and soared toward the Citadel, a streak of desperate gold against the darkening sky. The intrusive text went wild. [Wait, why is the Phoenix God sending an avatar to the Citadel?] [She must’ve realized the egg is gone.] [Heehee. She’s too late. The MC has already secured the contract.] The Avatar was blindingly fast, reaching the sky above the Citadel in less than half a pillar’s worth of incense. The humans’ self-proclaimed First Grand Sect was certainly impressive. Ancient runes flowed around the gates, rumored to withstand the full assault of the Ascended Realm’s most powerful Elder. The Avatar’s spiritual power was limited. Breaking the barrier would take time, so I directed it to use its Divine Sense to scout. On the Spire of Lumina, the peak with the strongest concentration of spiritual energy, a cluster of young cultivators were gathered. My gaze snapped to the small, shrinking figure nestled in the arms of a female cultivator in white. I only needed a glance, and my eyes instantly burned with incandescent rage. Golden-crimson fuzz was matted and sparse, clinging to its tiny body. Its wings were not yet fully formed. It was my daughter. Phoebe. She should have remained safely dormant for three more days. Instead, she was so weak she could barely open her eyes. At that moment, the “Main Character,” Sera, lashed out, a vicious slap cracking across the white-robed cultivator’s face. The intrusive text exploded with the word “SATISFYING” on repeat. Sera’s voice was as cold and sharp as obsidian. “Willow, I have been patient. Too patient. “This Phoenix is my property. I secured it. “What I choose to do with my familiar is none of your business. “Out of respect for our shared lineage, give the Phoenix back to me, and I will let this go.” Willow covered her cheek, her eyes red, but she clutched the tiny Phoenix tighter. “Senior Sister, the legend says the Phoenix God has only ever conceived this one egg. You can’t just steal their child.” Sera gave a dismissive, arrogant laugh. “Steal? I obtained this during my own perilous journey. It has nothing to do with theft.” Perilous journey? I had laid layer upon layer of divine wards around my nest. Even a high-stage Ascended Elder would struggle to get through. Her “chance encounter” was clearly a calculated, monstrous act of violation! 2 Willow held Phoebe close, her voice choked with tears. “Senior Sister, the little Phoenix says she doesn’t want you. Just let her go.” Sera didn’t need to respond; the intrusive text did it for her. [The False Saintess has some nerve! She couldn’t get the egg herself, so now she dares to criticize the MC!] [I can’t stand Willow’s fake piety. Give the Phoenix back to the Girl Boss!] [The MC faced death for that egg. Willow just stands here moralizing. Disgusting!] The male cultivator standing behind Sera stepped forward, frowning at Willow. This was Master Gideon. “Willow, stop this melodrama. Give the Phoenix back to Sera. “The creature has been contracted. To attempt to break a blood-oath is an offense, and it must be punished.” Willow’s tears fell faster, making her look truly heartbroken. “But Master, didn’t you see? “Senior Sister just used the Soul-Rending Brand! That’s a forbidden art that can destroy the consciousness of even a mid-stage cultivator. “The little Phoenix just hatched. She’s just a baby. How can she possibly endure that?” Sera crossed her arms, watching Willow with a cold, mocking smirk. “And what of it? It’s my contracted familiar. I can punish it however I see fit. “Even if I chose to incinerate it, it wouldn’t be up to you to object.” The Soul-Rending Brand! My true body at the Maelstrom Abyss shuddered violently. My golden True Fire erupted without warning, causing the demonic energy below to shriek in agony. This thunder not only lacerates the flesh, it tears the soul. One wrong application, and the victim is reduced to nothingness, their spirit scattered to the winds. My daughter was a hatchling. Her soul was inherently unstable. How could she possibly survive the destructive force of the Soul-Rending Brand? But the intrusive text was cheering. [That’s right! Disobedient creatures need the Soul-Rending Brand!] [This Phoenix is so stupid. The Girl Boss is the Chosen One. She’s going to Ascend! Following her is the greatest fortune, and yet it resists!] [Seriously. Familiars need to act like familiars. Disobey the master, suffer the punishment!] Willow furrowed her brow, trying to argue again. “Senior Sister, you are forcibly separating a mother and child. This is against the Cosmic Order. If the Phoenix God discovers—” Sera cut her off, her tone dripping with mockery. “And what if she does? “The Phoenix God was careless. She left a nearly-hatched egg undefended to wander off and play hero. “She only has herself to blame for losing it. “Besides, the little Phoenix will receive the best possible care with me. “What future does it have following its mother? To spend eternity guarding the Maelstrom Abyss?” The intrusive text immediately supported her. [MC is right! The Phoenix God is irresponsible. Losing the egg is on her!] [Girl Boss is a formation genius. Later on, everyone will depend on her to suppress the demons. Who even cares about the Phoenix God?] [The little Phoenix has a future only with the MC.] I took a deep, shuddering breath, my heart ripped in two. If I abandoned the Maelstrom Abyss now, the demonic energy would be completely unleashed, bringing ruin to all life. But my daughter was being subjected to inhuman torture! Sera took a step closer, her eyes turning cold. “Willow, my patience is exhausted. If you don’t return the Phoenix to me, you will face consequences.” Willow frantically looked at Master Gideon, pleading. “Master, please talk sense into Senior Sister! “For thousands of years, the Phoenix God has helped suppress the darkness. “If she finds out her child was stolen, it won’t just be the Citadel that faces danger. “The entire Ascended Realm could be destroyed!” Master Gideon’s face finally shifted, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. “Willow does have a point…” 3 Sera looked at them with pure scorn. “Little Sister, you truly are a master manipulator. A few crocodile tears, and you have men siding with you. “What? Run out of logical arguments, so you resort to fear-mongering?” Willow’s face flushed crimson, a mix of anger and distress. “I’m not! I’m telling the truth!” Sera sneered. “The truth? “The Maelstrom is held by the human Grand Formation, not the Phoenix God. Her role is marginal. “Besides, I am the formation genius. They will be begging me to suppress the darkness later.” The intrusive text reinforced her words. [Exactly! The False Saintess is so manipulative, only begging for sympathy!] [Who needs the Phoenix God to suppress the Maelstrom? The human formation is enough!] [Our Girl Boss is so powerful. She’ll surpass the Phoenix God eventually!] A few different comments flickered through the chaotic text. [Hold on, didn’t the Phoenix God still play a role?] [The MC’s grand formation uses the Phoenix God’s life-blood essence.] [Yeah, she uses the little Phoenix to make the mother obey, drawing her blood every time she needs to set up a seal.] [The Phoenix God is so pitiful. She thinks she’s protecting her daughter, not realizing her daughter’s soul has been extinguished by then…] [Shut up, you bleeding-heart saint! Get out of here!] [The title is literally Dark Empress MC. Why are you looking for morality?] [Our Girl Boss’s skill at manipulating people is genius!] [This is the true law of survival in the Ascended Realm!] Willow tried to speak again, but Sera ignored her completely. Sera looked down at my daughter and commanded with cold authority: “Come here.” Phoebe, weak as she was, managed a tiny, defiant voice. “No!” Sera’s expression darkened. “It seems you wish to experience the Soul-Rending Brand again.” I saw my daughter tightly shut her eyes. “Kill me if you dare. My mother will avenge me!” The intrusive text exploded. [This Phoenix is ungrateful and arrogant!] [Such insolence! The Girl Boss is offering her a path to Ascend, and she’s hoping her mother will kill her master!] [Wait until the Girl Boss uses the Brand to teach her a lesson. She needs to know who the master is!] A vicious spark ignited in Sera’s eyes. “You choose disrespect!” As she spoke, black-violet lightning began to condense on her fingertip. Just as the lightning was about to strike, my Avatar succeeded in breaking the Citadel’s outer defense. A heaven-shattering cry of a Phoenix suddenly echoed across the mountains. A curtain of blazing crimson-gold True Fire enveloped Willow and the little Phoenix, deflecting the Soul-Rending Brand. Phoebe heard the cry, her eyes snapping open. She screamed with a mixture of terror and overwhelming relief: “Mama!” 4 My heart bled as I gently took my daughter from Willow’s protective arms. Phoebe’s tiny body was covered in marks of abuse. Half of her golden-red fuzz had been brutally pulled out, revealing seeping, raw skin beneath. Her back and wings were covered in charred scabs—the unforgiving scars of the Soul-Rending Brand. What pained me most was the instability of her soul. Forcefully hatched, it was fragmented and liable to collapse at any moment. I could barely breathe from the agony. In a thousand years, I had never felt such rage. Not even against the most ferocious demonic horde did I feel this pure, visceral urge to grind someone to dust. The intrusive text was flashing hysterically before my eyes. [How did the Phoenix God get here? She was supposed to be at the Maelstrom!] [According to the plot, she shouldn’t appear now! Did the story break?] [The Phoenix God is so selfish! What if she abandoned the Grand Formation and the darkness breaks loose?] [We’re screwed. The MC is in danger. The Phoenix God’s power is equivalent to a Peak Ascended Elder!] Master Gideon subconsciously recoiled when he saw me. Sera, however, was still desperately trying to project calm, feigning ignorance. “Who are you? How dare you trespass on the Aetherium Citadel and try to steal my familiar?” I poured a small measure of spiritual energy into my daughter. When I looked up again, my eyes were molten with killing intent. “You steal my child, and then pretend not to know me? “Sera, you have a staggering nerve.” Master Gideon’s face turned even paler. “Are you… the Phoenix Goddess?” Sera’s eyes, however, were narrowed and viciously focused on me. “Impossible! With the demonic energy rising, the Phoenix God would be busy at the Maelstrom Abyss. How could she be here? “You must be a fake! Willow sent you to frighten me!” She spun on Willow, her voice full of false indignation. “Willow, to try a cheap trick like impersonating a deity just to seize my familiar? I am utterly disappointed in you!” The intrusive text immediately supported her. [MC is so smart. She saw right through the False Saintess’s dirty trick!] [This Willow is so annoying. She found an imposter to take the Phoenix!] [Don’t be scared, Girl Boss. Expose their true colors and show them your power!] I let the True Fire around me leap higher. The temperature of the air instantly became suffocating. “My patience is limited. Sever the contract now, and I will spare your life. “Continue this delusion, and I will drown the Aetherium Citadel in blood.” Sera stood her ground, her neck stiff with defiance. “This is my contracted familiar. No one has the right to take it! Even if you are the true Phoenix God, you cannot be so unreasonable!” I scoffed, intending to use the raw power of my True Fire to subdue her. Unexpectedly, a dark, heavy light shone from her body. The intrusive text roared with laughter. [Didn’t see that coming! The Girl Boss touched the Primordial Titan’s Tomb and ground its bones into defensive armor!] [With the Titan Shell, the Phoenix God can’t hurt her!] [The Phoenix God is going to lose. The MC is the Chosen One. She cannot lose!] When I read the content of the intrusive text, my anger reached a boiling point. The Primordial Titan was a celestial beast born alongside me, our bond deeper than blood. It sacrificed its life and body to seal another great demonic chasm. Its remains were revered by the human cultivators as a sacred relic. Sera, far from showing reverence, had desecrated the Titan’s divine body, using its bones for a frivolous defense—an act worse than any demon’s. Sera saw that her shield held and a smug, victorious smile spread across her face. “You brought this upon yourself!” she declared, condensing a sword-like spiritual energy and lunging at me. My Avatar, being only a feather, was struggling. It began to fade, becoming translucent. “Mama!” Phoebe sensed the danger and cried out anxiously. Sera’s smile widened, her triumph complete. As my Avatar dissolved completely, the intrusive text erupted in a celebration. [Girl Boss wins!] [HAHAHA. The Phoenix God is nothing special after all!] [Next up is the puppet refinement. Can’t wait to see the MC’s skills!] My daughter saw the Avatar vanish and screamed, thrashing in a desperate attempt to lunge at Sera. “I’ll kill you! I’ll avenge my mother!” Sera grabbed her wing, her red robes snapping in the hot wind. “You? You think you can stand against me?” I watched it all unfold from the Maelstrom Abyss. The last sliver of my mercy for Sera vanished. I had intended to spare her life. But now, she didn’t deserve it. Ignoring the panicked shouts of the cultivators behind me, I beat my massive wings and soared toward the Aetherium Citadel. Did they say the strongest rules? Then I would show them what true strength looked like.

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