Category: English

The day I was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer, my husband was lighting fireworks for another woman. When reporters blocked me outside the hospital ward, I forced a smile. “Don’t misunderstand,” I said calmly. “We’re doing fine. She’s just a relative.” That night, I left the hospital alone and went home. Under the fireworks, I saw him feeding her cake, fixing her hair, holding her like a priceless treasure. He scolded me for ruining the mood. She hid behind him, crying softly. I smiled and spoke quietly. “I just wanted to remind you—today is my birthday.” I first sensed it was over when I landed in the hospital from overworking myself into a bleeding stomach. At that very moment, Matthew was at home, hosting a private fireworks show for Olivia in the backyard. When reporters shoved their microphones in my face, I forced a smile through my pale, exhausted expression. “Don’t speculate,” I said. “Matthew and I are doing fine. The girl you saw with him is just his cousin.” The journalists looked unconvinced, their disdain and disbelief practically dripping off their faces. The truth was, I wasn’t entirely lying. Olivia wasn’t his real cousin, though, just an orphan taken in by Matthew’s family. Our marriage had always been a calculated business arrangement. Matthew had played his role well until Olivia came back three months ago. Since then, he’d stuck to her side like glue, completely forgetting he even had a wife. The “perfect husband” image that the media had painted for him was nothing but a façade. That night, while the entire household staff was preparing fireworks for Olivia, I called Matthew over and over again. He didn’t answer. Left with no choice, I discharged myself from the hospital and took a cab home. The house was alive with celebration, the vibrant colors of fireworks painting the night sky. I stepped into the yard, cold and silent, entirely out of place amidst the revelry. Under the fireworks that illuminated the backyard, I saw Matthew tidying Olivia’s hair and feeding her a piece of cake. Suddenly, I felt like an outsider. The autumn leaves covered the ground. As I stepped on them, they crackled softly. Olivia noticed me first. She jumped out of Matthew’s arms like a frightened rabbit, her delicate expression painted with innocence. “Emily!” she exclaimed, her voice trembling. “Please don’t misunderstand! We were just celebrating the company’s revival!” Huh. Revival? A celebration? Was she serious? The company did revive, yet she had no part in its recovery, none at all. As my disdainful gaze swept over them, Matthew charged toward me, shielding Olivia like she was a priceless treasure. “Emily, can you stop wearing that poker face all day?” he snapped, his voice sharp and full of irritation. “Enough with the innocent routine in front of the cameras. Haven’t you had enough? “What do you want? My sympathy? My pity? Dream on!” Behind him, Olivia clung to his arm, her eyes glistening with crocodile tears. “Matthew, please calm down,” she whispered, trembling. “You’re scaring me.” The scene was absurd, a soap opera unfolding in my own home. But I was too exhausted to focus on this drama. To their surprise, I forced a smile, closing the distance between us. “Matt,” I said softly, my tone full of practiced sweetness, “don’t be mad. I didn’t misunderstand. I just wanted to remind you… today’s my birthday. I know you’ve been busy and must’ve forgotten, but it’s okay. I don’t blame you.” For a split second, he froze. A hint of guilt flickered across his face before being quickly buried beneath his usual indifference. “Birthday?” he repeated, scoffing. “Didn’t you always say you hated celebrating your birthday?” Yes. I used to say that. My mother had died giving birth to me. My birthday was also her death anniversary. My father, who worshipped her, would spend every year mourning her with grand ceremonies. For years, I avoided celebrating my birthday. But Matthew had once changed that. Over the first two years of our marriage, he’d celebrated with me, helping me shake off the shadow of grief. I could still remember his gentle words, whispered in my ear with a warm smile. “Emily, from now on, you’ll never feel alone on your birthday. You’re not a curse. You’re my good luck charm.” Looking at him now, standing in front of me to shield Olivia, I realized those words had long since lost their meaning. But it didn’t hurt anymore. He didn’t know I’d already tricked him into signing the divorce papers a week ago.

The stomach bleeding today wasn’t a fluke. A week ago, I had been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, with only three months left to live. That scene was still fresh in my memory. It was our third wedding anniversary, and I sat alone in the hospital hallway. Sweat soaked through the diagnosis report in my trembling hands. My legs felt like lead; I tried to stand several times but failed. My frayed nerves finally snapped after I called Matthew for the tenth time. “Emily! Are you insane? Just because you have nothing better to do doesn’t mean others aren’t busy!” he roared. He wasn’t wrong. I was very sick, and it was indeed driving me insane. Before I could respond, a woman’s honeyed voice floated through the phone, turning my unsaid words into a lump in my throat. “Matthew! I knew you’d come! You missed me, didn’t you?” I heard Matthew’s low chuckle before the call was abruptly cut off. It wasn’t the first time. The first time he stood me up was to pick up Olivia when she returned to the country. The first time he hit me was because Olivia had damaged my piano. At first, I was shocked, but gradually, I stopped caring. The searing pain I once felt dulled into a faint ache. I made excuses for him over and over again, convincing myself it was all because Olivia was his cousin, and he had no other choice. But eventually, I had to face the truth—he wasn’t powerless and chose this willingly. To Matthew, I was nothing more than a distraction when Olivia wasn’t around, a pastime he could step on. My dignity and love were crushed beneath his feet. So, I decided he would taste the bitterness of unrequited love. I would make him fall for me and be haunted by me. If he refused to care about me now, I would make myself a thorn in his heart. While I was alive, I would be a constant, nagging pain. After my death, I would leave him utterly broken. I recorded three videos, preparing to leave Matthew a gift he would never forget.

In my last month alive, I set aside my pride. I tolerated Olivia’s blatant provocations, pretending not to notice. But she wasn’t planning to let me off so easily. One evening, I discovered razor blades hidden in my piano keys. When Matthew came home, he saw me shouting at the teary-eyed Olivia. “Did you really have to go this far?” he scolded, his voice sharp and cold. Silently, I raised my hand, showing him the blood dripping from my wrist. “Matthew! Don’t you know what she…” Before I could finish, Matthew’s gaze fell on Olivia, trembling in the corner with fearful eyes. His face twisted in anger. The next thing I knew, a sharp slap landed across my cheek. “If your hand’s injured, go to the hospital. Stop making a scene here! You really are just a piece of trash with no one to teach you any better!” Every ounce of pride and ambition I had built up in my life crumbled in that moment. The man I had once leaned on now mocked me with disdain. “If you can’t play piano, then don’t. It’s just a tool you use to fish for attention, anyway.” My desperate, hysterical questioning only made me look like a lunatic in his eyes. He scoffed, “How dare you compare yourself to Olivia? She plays piano because it’s her dream. You? You only do it for your pathetic vanity and self-interest.” Olivia picked up a glass of water, pouring it over her head before smashing the glass onto the floor. With her drenched face and trembling lips, she looked pitiful as she turned to me. “Emily, I didn’t mean to… Is this enough for you?” Matthew immediately rushed to her side, cradling her in his arms as he led her away to change clothes. Before leaving, he threw a cold glance my way. “Emily, Olivia is like a sister to me. Watch yourself.” His gaze lingered on my bleeding hand, softening for just a second. Olivia seemed to notice this change. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she collapsed dramatically into Matthew’s arms. “Olivia!” he shouted, his voice panicked. Without another word, he carried her away. That extinguished the last flicker of hope in my heart. Left alone, I hailed a cab and went to the hospital to get my wounds treated.

I sent all the pre-recorded videos to my brother, who knew about my diagnosis and was fully aware of my plan. Ours was a family devoid of warmth. Raised under my father’s influence, my brother had always resented me, blaming me for our mother’s death during childbirth. “Emily, your cancer is karma. You should’ve paid with your life for my mom a long time ago.” That was his first response upon hearing the news. I promised him the company, and he promised to play my videos at my funeral. My phone screen blinked on and off, and the messages came in nonstop. They were from Matthew, his location pinging from abroad. [Emily, don’t worry. I’ll make it back for the family dinner tomorrow.] [You’re not mad, are you?] [Emily, you have to understand. Olivia threatened suicide. I couldn’t just ignore her.] [She’s a living person! What kind of man would I be to let her die?] Each new message brought a numbing sensation to my lips and drained the strength from my limbs. As the screen filled with more notifications, I lost consciousness. When I collapsed to the ground, my final question lingered in my fading mind. Matthew, I just wondered how miserable your end would be. My soul detached from my body. I floated above, staring down at my pale face and lifeless body sprawled across the floor. Perhaps my unfulfilled rage moved the heavens, granting me this chance to witness their inevitable downfall. My phone, now running on its last bar of battery, showed over 99 unread messages. The final one from Matthew popped up: [Emily, stop causing a scene. I might be late from the airport. Wait for me at Gabor Estate.] I let out a cold laugh and willed my consciousness to Gabor Estate, ready to watch the drama unfold. Soon, Matthew arrived in a rush, his tie crooked, his breaths uneven as he stormed into the estate. “Grandfather, where’s Emily? I need to speak with her privately,” he asked. Henry’s furrowed brows deepened at his grandson’s frantic demeanor. “Matt! Must you always act so recklessly? And you’d better rein in Olivia’s antics from now on. Our family isn’t yet free from relying on Emily’s family’s support. “If it hadn’t been for Olivia’s tantrums about studying piano abroad and your secret misuse of company funds, the company wouldn’t have ended up in such a dire situation. You can’t afford to push Emily away. Watch your temper!” Matthew’s expression twisted, a mix of annoyance and frustration darkening his features. “Grandfather, is this really the time to bring that up? If Emily hears about this, everything will be ruined!” A pang of bitterness coursed through me. So, the financial crisis I nearly died trying to save them from was Olivia’s doing. Matthew’s past kindnesses were never about love; they were about greed, about using me to revive his failing company. “What?” Henry asked, confused by Matthew’s accusatory tone. Matthew froze for a moment, his composure cracking. “She… hasn’t arrived yet?” He sighed, pulling out his phone. He dialed my number over and over, but no one picked up. By the time he had called three times with no answer, panic began to creep into his expression. “Pick up, Emily! Answer the phone!” He started pacing, frustration boiling over as he stomped his feet in agitation. Henry suggested they sit down, reminding him that the family dinner couldn’t be delayed since everyone was already present. Matthew reluctantly took his seat at the table, but no sooner had he settled than his phone rang. Excitement lit up his face, only to be replaced by confusion and unease as he listened to the voice on the other end. It was my brother, Jacob. “Matthew, make sure to attend Emily’s funeral tomorrow.” The sound of the call disconnecting echoed loudly. Matthew’s hand, still clutching the phone, froze mid-air as if time itself had stopped. Henry tapped his shoulder with his cane. “What’s the matter? Who was that?”

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My personal videos were deliberately leaked and blasted all over the headlines. Overnight, I became public property. To protect his reputation, my husband told me to suck it up and sign an NDA. Every word out of his mouth pushed me lower, like my dignity was just another bargaining chip. He thought money, apologies, and his clout could wipe the slate clean. He also thought that because I loved him, I’d stay— just like I’d put up with the ninety-eight humiliations before. What he never noticed was this: he only ever got ninety-nine chances. When the last chance was used up, the debt for saving my life was finally paid in full. And this time, I didn’t forgive. During a party game, his assistant lost three rounds straight and got dared to lick whipped cream off some playboy’s thigh. She smashed a bottle and held the shards to her throat, swearing, “Ethan, I’d rather die than let someone humiliate me like this!” My usually ice-cold husband panicked and begged me to take the fall for his assistant. “It’s just licking some cream. I promise I’ll make it up to you later.” Everyone was waiting for me to make a fool of myself, but I just agreed, cool as a cucumber. He had no idea this was the 97th time he’d cut me deep. And I was done being his caged bird. I was just biding my time, waiting to pay off that life debt, so we could be done for good. “Wow, look at that, the supermodel’s actually gonna lick it? Ethan sure knows how to keep his women in line!” “What if she backs out? They’re not really gonna make Amber do it, are they? She’s Ethan’s one that got away!” The mocking laughter was a roar in my ears, and the humiliation burned. In the middle of all this disgusting posturing, Ethan knelt in front of Amber, carefully putting a band-aid on her neck. Then he turned those cold eyes on me: “Chloe, don’t try anything. Amber’s waiting for you to finish so we can get back to the game.” Amber, Amber… It was always Amber. He never once asked if I was okay with it. He’d completely forgotten I was his wife. He’d also forgotten that just a few days ago, I’d miscarried because of her, and I was barely holding it together now. Seeing me hesitate, someone shoved me from behind: “What’re you standing around for? Get licking! Don’t tell me you’re chickening out now?” I stumbled but caught myself. When I looked at Ethan again, his eyes were glued to Amber. “96 times. That’s ninety-six,” I counted in my head as I walked stiffly toward the guy with cream on his thigh, the well-known player in our circle. Just as I bent down, the playboy grabbed my chin. He looked at Amber and said, “Miss Amber, this isn’t right. She lost to me three times. One lick isn’t enough.” “How about we play ‘egg roulette’? You convince her to do it, and I’ll call it even.” Egg roulette? What the hell?! A cold dread shot through me, and I instantly looked at Ethan. But in the next second, Amber was already clinging to his arm, pouting: “Ethan, it’s just a silly dare. Can’t you get your wife to play along just this once?” Seeing Amber’s tiny frame trembling, Ethan’s heart just melted. He stared me down: “Chloe, you were willing to lick the cream. Taking on one more little dare for Amber shouldn’t be a problem, right?” “Yay! Thanks, Ethan!” Amber bounced up, her face pure smug satisfaction. Watching Ethan pat her head with that fond look, I almost laughed right then. My dignity was dirt under their feet, and I was just a toy for their amusement. Ethan, how could you be so cold? How could you still want me to do some degrading performance art for her sake? Oh, right. I almost forgot. Amber was his untouchable white moon. He’d chased her for years and struck out, then their families got in the way. Amber left the country overnight. Now that he finally had her back, of course he’d spoil her rotten. How could I ever compete? Pushing down the bitter taste in my mouth, I said flatly: “Does that count as a forgiveness voucher?” Forgiveness voucher? The crowd laughed at the weird ask, but Ethan let go of Amber and suddenly looked straight at me. He knew what I meant. After a beat, he nodded: “It counts.” I smiled, a bitter twist of my lips. “Fine. I’ll do it.” Eight years ago, when I was just starting out as a model, I caught the eye of a big shot and got trapped on an island. Along with other girls, I became a party favor for men at their business deals. I got lucky. Ethan was the first man I met, and it was love at first sight for him. For me, he took over those men’s operations, sent them away, and saved my life. Later, I found out it was because I looked so much like Amber. The night he saved me, I asked how I could ever repay him. His eyes were sincere: “Then marry me.” I pinched him: “I’m serious.” His breath hitched as he pulled me close and said: “Then… give me 99 forgiveness vouchers.” “Forgiveness vouchers?” I clung to him, curious. That’s when he smiled: “Silly, if – and I’m just saying if – if I ever hurt you 99 times, I’ll use these vouchers to get you to forgive me 99 times. Once they’re gone, we’re even.” For the next five years, he poured everything into making me a top model and treated me like a princess. Until two months ago, when Amber came back. Everything changed. Now it was the 97th time. Just two more, and my debt would be clear. We’d be nothing to each other. Seeing Ethan agree, the playboy led me to a back room, dim and draped in silk. The table was covered in hard-boiled eggs, and on the floor lay two or three women, clothes torn, a foul smell rising from them. Ice flooded my veins as I realized what “egg roulette” meant – they were going inside me. Ethan, who’d followed us in, narrowed his eyes and turned to Amber: “Wasn’t this about eating eggs? What’s going on?” But Amber ignored him and pushed me forward. “Mr. Seven, Miss Chloe used to be a dancer. I’m sure her… flexibility will impress you.” “Don’t you want to see for yourself? See how far she can go?” As Amber finished, I was trembling. I looked to Ethan for help. I was still his wife. He’d loved me once. Even after all he’d put me through for Amber, he wouldn’t hand me over to some freak, right? But to my shock, Ethan walked to the bar, poured a drink, and shoved it into my hand. “Why don’t you have a drink with Mr. Seven first? Break the ice.” Break the ice? He wanted me to entertain them? He… actually agreed? Dazed, I saw Amber flash me a vicious grin. “Sis! You deaf? Ethan’s talking to you!” While I was staring at Amber, lost, she suddenly kicked me behind the knee. I lost my balance instantly, and the drink in my hand flew into the playboy’s face. Then I fell onto broken glass, slicing my arm open in several places. My eyes met the twisted, pale face of the woman on the floor. Amber’s shriek filled my ears: “Sis, if you didn’t want to drink, you could’ve just said so. No need to pull a stunt and piss off Mr. Seven. Is this how you act as Ethan’s wife? Trying to make him lose face?” The playboy’s face froze, then understanding dawned and he stared at me, wide-eyed: “You… you’re Ethan’s famous wife?” I said nothing, just sat on the floor, my body and heart aching so bad I could barely breathe. The playboy reached for my arm, but Ethan instantly grabbed his wrist. Ethan glanced at my bloody face, his eyes darkening. He gritted his teeth at the playboy: “Get out.” The playboy backed off, grumbling as he left. “Ethan! You’re insane! If I’d known she was your crazy wife, I wouldn’t have touched her with a ten-foot pole!” As he vanished, I got up to leave, but a large hand clamped onto my arm again. “Chloe, aren’t you happy you’re off the hook? Didn’t those two years on the island teach you how to act? You just had to have one drink, and this would’ve been over. Why the drama? You knew when I told you to drink, I was trying to end this, right? Are you really that clueless?” Looking at a furious Ethan, I met his gaze, my own eyes red. This time, I didn’t hold back. “Ethan! I’m your wife. If you’d just said who I was, this would’ve ended the same way.” My meaning was clear. It was him. He wanted to play along to save Amber’s pride, so he never said a word. Caught off guard, Ethan actually looked guilty. Amber, seeing this, tried to jump in. But Ethan frowned and cut her off: “Enough! Just shut up and wait for me in the car.” After her footsteps faded, he sighed: “Look, I’m sorry, but I need to say this. I really didn’t know what ‘egg roulette’ meant. If I’d known, I never would’ve agreed.” “As for Amber… try to understand. She just got back and saw that I was marr—” Ethan stopped short, but I could guess the rest. He was going to say Amber was upset finding out he was married, so she took it out on me, and he wanted me to let it go. Our eyes met, and Ethan seemed to read the mockery in mine. He sighed again. “Fine. You’re hurt. I’ll have the driver take you to the ER. Amber’s not in a good place, I need to check on her. We’ll talk when I get back.” Without waiting for a reply, he added: “Even though you didn’t finish, I’ll let this count as a forgiveness voucher.” With that, he turned and left. Watching him walk away, I touched my still-bleeding forehead and laughed. But I didn’t care anymore. Just two more times. Once my debt was paid, I was out. From now on, I wasn’t putting up with his crap.

The driver dropped me home late. Ethan wasn’t back, and I didn’t bother asking. The next day, his assistant brought a gift: two commercial property deeds. He made a point to say one was for the cream-licking, the other for the egg mess. Blank-faced, I labeled them 96 and 97 and tossed them into the safe. The maid beside me beamed: “Mr. Ethan really spoils you, ma’am. The gifts are coming more often.” I just smiled. She didn’t know these were just Ethan’s payoffs for hurting me. Looking at the safe stuffed with deeds, I knew I’d be leaving soon. But before I left, I needed one camera. It had stuff I had to destroy. Ethan had his kinks, and in the heat of the moment, he’d sometimes film us. Back then, those videos were just us. But now, I didn’t want them around. If they got out, I’d be ruined. But after turning the place upside down, I couldn’t find that camera. Just as I was about to search again, my agent called, yelling: “Chloe, have you lost it? Check the news! Your private photos are everywhere! How dare you mess around behind Ethan’s back? If you want to die, don’t take the whole agency down with you!” My mind went blank, only catching her words: “You better explain those videos online right now! And explain it to Ethan, or we’re all screwed!” She hung up. I fumbled for my phone. The top trending topic was my private video. With a bold, clickbait headline: [Supermodel Chloe’s Sleazy Rise to the Top] In it, Ethan’s face was blurred, but mine was clear, flushed and wanting. Millions of comments called me a slut, a gold-digger who slept her way up. My legs gave out, and I hit the floor. But right before I collapsed, strong arms caught me. “Don’t look at that stuff. It’s okay, I’ll handle it. Trust me!” The comforting words were barely out when he turned, his face like stone, and roared at the room. “Who did this! Tell me! Who!” Seeing him this furious, my eyes stung. But at the same time, Amber’s casual voice floated over: “Ethan, you mean the videos? I posted them!” The arm around my waist tightened. Ethan and I both stared at Amber. “Don’t look at me like that! I just found them and thought sis’s body was too hot for just you, Ethan. So I shared!” “Beautiful things should be for everyone, right?” Blood rushed to my head. I lunged to slap her, but Ethan caught my wrist. “Chloe! Enough!” Furious and heartbroken, I yelled: “But she—” Before I could finish, Ethan glanced at a smug Amber, then turned back to me, frowning: “I’ll get the topics taken down. Let it go. Don’t make trouble for Amber, okay? You know, she’s also…” “No! Ethan, why should I let it go? She ruined me! Why should I let it go?” “I’m suing her for defamation! She has to pay!” I stared at Ethan, my eyes red, not backing down an inch. “Chloe! You—” Ethan took a deep breath, about to say more. But Amber tugged his sleeve, fake-sobbing with red eyes: “Ethan! Don’t. I know I messed up. Let sis sue me. I shouldn’t have been jealous, jealous she married you. It’s my fault. If only I’d held on back then!” As she spoke, Amber’s eyes welled up, and she started crying for real. “Sis, I’m really sorry. I’ll kneel and apologize. Please don’t make it hard for Ethan.” “If it makes you happy, I’ll turn myself in right now, clear your name! So what if I’m ruined too, just don’t let this break you two up.” Seeing Amber about to kneel, Ethan’s eyes went cold again. He said to me, low and hard: “Chloe! Amber knows she was wrong. Drop it.” “Your rep’s already trash, so just quit the industry and be a rich housewife. Isn’t that good enough?” I was stunned by his blindness, unable to believe he’d still indulge her like this. I was about to speak, but the next second, a hard slap cracked across my face, stinging. His knuckles were red, his breathing ragged, his eyes full of a violence I’d never seen. He threw a disclaimer at me: “Be a good girl and sign this. Once this blows over, I’ll get you back in the game.” “But if you dare go to the cops, don’t even think about leaving this house again!” “I won’t sign!” I ground my teeth, glaring. But no matter how I fought, Ethan forced my handprint onto the paper. As I collapsed, exhausted, A helpless, crushing pain I’d never felt washed over me, like a thousand needles in my heart. They left, but their casual talk wormed into my ears like poison: “Ethan, is sis okay…” “She’s fine. As long as she wants back in, she’ll listen. Worst case…” “I’ll count it as a forgiveness voucher. She’s got plenty left, she’ll behave.” No, there aren’t plenty. Just one more. Ethan, I won’t be your puppet anymore. After sitting on the floor in a daze forever, I finally went to my room and took out my diary. Everyone says the modeling world is just as dirty as showbiz, but I really loved it. On the runway, under the spotlights—that confidence was where I found my worth. But now, it was destroyed. Maybe heaven was telling me it was time to go, to not stick around. Tears falling, I wrote today in the book, ending with the number 98. Every time he hurt me, I’d write it down, to remind myself not to soften. But Ethan’s voice came from behind: “What’s 98 mean?”

Seeing him reach for the diary, I slammed it shut and shoved it in the drawer. “Nothing.” He sensed my panic and seemed to remember something: “You girls and your dramatics, always writing grudges in your little books. Is this that grudge book you mentioned?” He meant after our wedding, when he lost the rings. He’d used two soda can tabs instead. That night, I was so mad I kicked him off the bed: “Ethan, you’re killing me. I’m putting you in my grudge book.” He’d laughed through the pain: “Write all you want, I’ll always win you back.” Realizing he’d misunderstood, I didn’t bother explaining, just nodded. Remembering those newlywed days, his cold face finally cracked a rare smile: “Alright, I said I’d win you back, so no more grudges. Look.” He handed me a property deed and pulled me into his arms. “It’s a new building downtown. Saved it just for you.” “The video’s been taken care of. Next month, I’ll get you back in the game, okay?” The maid peeked in, jealous. But I stayed stiff, saying flatly: “Whatever.” Seeing I wasn’t moved, his brow furrowed, anger in his eyes: “You really want to make this a thing?” I looked up, my eyes dark: “No, how would I dare, Mr. Ethan?” That set him off. “Chloe, I took those videos, and I slipped up letting Amber see them. If you’re mad, take it out on me. Got it?” For a second, it felt like a rock was crushing my chest. He’d do anything for Amber, even beg me, or throw himself in front of her. I was suddenly so tired. I didn’t want this anymore. So I calmly said: “Got it.” Seeing his punch land on cotton, he glared, jaw tight, before finally slamming the door on his way out. The next day, Ethan texted me to come to the golf course. I was about to say no, but the next message came: “I’ll count it as a forgiveness voucher.” Seeing that, knowing it was the last time, I went. As soon as I walked into the private course, I didn’t see Ethan. Instead, someone kicked me from behind, and I hit the dirt. Amber’s voice floated over: “Don’t bother looking. I invited you.” As she finished, two bodyguards pinned me. Then clubs rained down on my legs. I screamed as blood splattered. Through the pain, I shouted: “Amber, are you insane!” She smiled sweetly, but her eyes were poison: “Chloe, how dare you! You’re already trash, but Ethan still won’t divorce you. He even says he needs to make it up to you, get you back in the game.” “Chloe, tell me! How dare you?!” Ethan treats her like a queen, and his half-assed words to shut me up are worth this? Fed up, I said coldly: “I’m not competing with you.” Seeing I knew my place, she snorted, haughty: “But I just can’t stand you. You’re a supermodel, right? I’ll break your legs and see how you seduce Ethan then!” Looking at the blood on my pants, she gagged. Her eyes landed on a golf ball nearby. Like she’d had an idea, she smiled, eerie. “Strip her!” Her voice was a shriek. “Last time we didn’t get to the egg. Too bad. There’s a ball right here. Chloe, I promise you’ll feel amazing today!” She stroked the golf ball and told the bodyguards to strip me. I fought like a wild animal, roaring. Amber giggled in my ear, grabbing my face, her nails drawing blood: “Don’t scream! You’ll feel so good soon, better than any man! I promise you’ll be addicted!” Looking at her ugly face, I flashed back to all the times Ethan had scolded me, looked at me with disgust, iced me out because of her. Tears poured out, giving me the guts to say screw it. I was leaving anyway. Why should I take this? Just as my pants were coming down, strength came from nowhere. I shoved the bodyguards and charged Amber. Then I bit down hard on her hand. Amber screamed, trying to pry my mouth off. But I held on. The taste of blood filled my nose as I bit off half her finger. “What the hell?” Ethan’s roar came from behind. Rushing in, he saw my bloody face and half-stripped legs. Realizing Amber was behind this, he was shocked! He kicked the bodyguards away and yanked up my pants, his eyes full of panic. “Chloe, what happened? Don’t be scared, I’ll… get you to the hospital!” But Amber shrieked, showing him her bloody half-finger, her cries piercing: “Ethan, she bit my finger off! My hand is ruined!” “It hurts! Ethan, please, help me!” Ethan’s face changed. He looked at me, shocked, torn. But after a second, he tossed me a few words and scooped up Amber. “Finger reattachment’s time-sensitive. I’m taking her first. Call an ambulance. I’ll come back for you.” Hearing that, my heart dropped into a black hole. So, he knew exactly how vicious Amber was. He was just picking sides. I looked up at him, my eyes empty: “Ethan, this is the last time.” Ethan looked at my stone-cold face and felt a pang, like he’d lost something big. But feeling the broken girl in his arms, he still chose to leave me. As he left, he looked at me, pleading: “I know you’re hurt. I’ll make this right.” “Just… don’t call the cops… please.” Watching him disappear, I didn’t go to the hospital. I just dragged my busted leg back to the villa. Sure enough, as soon as I got home, the maid handed me the 99th property deed. It was for this villa. I locked it in the safe. With my diary, divorce papers, and contract termination, I put them on the table. I left a note: “The life debt is paid, love is done. Ethan, let’s divorce.” I packed a small bag and booked a flight to Yunnan. Ethan, this is how we end. As the plane cut across the sky, Ethan came home, wrecked. The place was empty, silent. He called me, confused. He saw the note on the bedroom table and reached for it as a cold, robotic voice came from his phone. “Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service…” And the next second, when he saw the big words on the note, his eyes went wide!

“The life debt is paid, love is done. Ethan, let’s divorce.” Ethan’s mind blanked, barely registering the word “divorce.” He picked up the paper, turned to the last page, and only then saw the three words signed: Chloe. He finally got it. Chloe really wanted out. Looking at the contract termination in front of him, he smashed his phone in a rage. Then he called my agent, roaring: “You terminated her contract behind my back. You have a death wish?” The agent was terrified, stammering: “Mr. Ethan, didn’t you say Amber was hurt bad, and unless the sky was falling, not to bother you?” Ethan froze. He remembered getting a call when the specialists couldn’t help Amber. But he’d been so panicked he’d cursed and hung up. Who knew it was about Chloe’s contract? “How could you let her leave without me signing the termination?” Ethan was out for blood. The other end sighed: “Mr. Ethan, did you forget? You signed that contract five years ago.” “She’s your wife. You gave her a special termination clause back then, even paid the breach fee out of pocket…” Ethan’s lips were white, teeth grinding. That did happen. But he’d forgotten. Back then, he was head over heels for Chloe. He signed her to his own label, poured everything into making her a star, just to give her the best, make sure she wasn’t trapped. He’d even blown through his cash, pissing off his grandpa who’d whacked him twenty times with the family cane. After he healed, Chloe was so worried she got a fever in the night, almost died. He was terrified, called in every favor in the city to save her. He’d cried at her bedside like never before: “Chloe! You can’t die, you can’t. Even the grim reaper can’t take my wife!” And when Chloe woke up, her one sentence made him cry with joy: “Is this your idea of a proposal?” Remembering, Ethan’s eyes stung. His so-called spoiling had almost killed Chloe back then, and now it had made her vanish. Didn’t Chloe say she loved him? Then why did she leave… His nails dug into his palms, but he felt no pain, just the ache in his chest. The world felt like those dark days when the Jin family had him surrounded, fighting for power. The darkest days of his twenty years, suddenly thrown into a frozen hell, all warmth gone. Only Chloe stayed, loving him. She stayed up with him, coaxed him to sleep, took him to therapy, did extreme sports with him. She gave him love, became his rock. How could someone like her leave? Ethan crouched, head in his arms, asking the air over and over. But no one answered. The phone on the floor was still ringing: “Sigh, Chloe’s pitiful too. Her legs were beaten so bad she’s crippled. Can’t model anymore.” “But at least she retired as an international supermodel at her peak. People will remember her, so she won’t be too lonely.” A tear hit Ethan’s phone as he desperately needed to know: “How bad are her legs?” The agent’s voice turned angry: “It’s sick. They specifically aimed to ruin her. Didn’t touch anything else, just destroyed her legs. It’s a sin!” “Could’ve been treated, but who knows why it took so long to get her to the hospital. Her right leg’s done for now.” Only her legs? Specifically to end her career? Ethan’s heart ached, knowing Amber was behind it. His chest felt squeezed, guilt washing over him. But right now, he just needed to find Chloe!

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Three days before Christmas, I didn’t close the window tight enough, and my sister, Willow, caught a cold. My parents immediately kicked me out, ordering me to go into the woods in the middle of the night to chop down a Christmas tree. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad hovered around Willow, asking her endless questions and fussing over her. I didn’t cry, didn’t argue. I just grabbed the saw and walked into the biting wind and snow, heading for the woods. I didn’t find a Christmas tree, but I found a man. His leg was horribly stuck between two rocks, bloody and terrifying. When he saw me approach, he rasped, “Little girl, just get me out of here, and I’ll grant you anything you wish.” I stared blankly, my eyes focusing. “Really? Then I want you to be my dad.” The words had barely left my lips when I realized the man in front of me had passed out. After thinking it over, I pulled him free anyway. I hoisted his unconscious body, limping my way back home. Just as I was about to tell my parents what had happened, my dad’s slap was my welcome. “Where’s your Christmas tree? Christmas is almost here! How are we supposed to celebrate without one?” Mom frowned, her eyes sweeping over me like I was something disgusting she’d found on her shoe. “Who is this man? Why did you bring him back?” I pursed my lips, wanting to explain. In this weather, he could freeze to death if left outside for one night, let alone with those injuries. Willow, however, suddenly skipped over, spotting a bracelet on the man’s wrist. “Wow, that bracelet is so pretty! I want it!” Willow was the family’s little princess; whatever she asked for, Mom and Dad would agree. Sure enough, Mom reached out to unfasten the injured man’s bracelet. “Ugh, why won’t this thing come off?” “Never mind. Let him stay here for the night. Once he wakes up, we’ll just ask him for it. After all, *we* saved him.” Willow clapped her hands happily. “Yay! I’ll have a new bracelet tomorrow! Riley, remember to give Max the leftover steak from dinner tonight!” Max was our dog. I hadn’t even eaten dinner yet, but Willow wanted to give my share to the dog! At that moment, Willow and Dad were helping bandage the man’s wounds. Then she suddenly turned to me and said, “Oh, right, Riley, you haven’t eaten, have you? But Max hasn’t eaten either…” Just then, Grandma Elsie snapped, “She doesn’t need to eat! She can’t even get a Christmas tree right, what good is she? Right then, the man we’d rescued finally regained consciousness and slowly opened his eyes. Willow looked at his wrist and said petulantly, “I saved you, so you have to repay me. I want that bracelet.” Without hesitation, the man took off the bracelet and placed it on Willow’s soft, pale hand. “I’m Matteus Blackwood. My friends and I had an accident while on vacation. Thank you for saving my life.” I stared intently at my “adopted” dad, hoping he’d recognize that *I* was the one who saved him. But his gaze remained solely on Willow, completely missing me. My hands, clenched tightly at my sides, slowly relaxed. It was always like this. Mom and Dad, and Grandma Elsie too. Everyone only loved innocent, lively Willow, who was like a doll. No one ever liked quiet, plain me. Willow got her bracelet and skipped off to walk Max. Dad looked at the man impatiently. “Well, if that’s the case, then hurry and have your friends come pick you up. It’s almost Christmas, you’re just being a burden.” “My apologies, I can’t reach my friends.” Matteus said awkwardly. Eventually, he promised to transfer money to my parents once he returned home, and that’s how he temporarily stayed with us. Grandma Elsie rolled her eyes at me from the side. “It’s all your fault. You couldn’t find a Christmas tree, and instead, you brought trouble into the house.” Grandma Elsie threw a dishrag right in my face. “Get out there and wash the dishes.”

I quietly dished out a bowl of mushroom soup for Matteus. I was a little reluctant; it was supposed to be my dinner tonight. That night, my parents made Matteus sleep in the storage room. He didn’t know that the storage room was actually my room. Matteus looked surprised when he asked me, “This is your room? Are you their daughter? How come you don’t even have a bed?” In the dim light, I didn’t answer his question. Matteus rubbed his temples, a hint of distaste on his face as he lay down on the floor. I curled up tighter, hugging myself, trying to stay warm. To be honest, I regretted it a little. I’d saved him hoping to finally have a dad who loved me, but my “adopted” dad didn’t even remember me. Of course, compared to cute, pretty Willow, I was dirty and thin. Since I didn’t get a good dad, maybe next time, the heavens would send me a mom. Drifting in and out of consciousness, I finally fell asleep. Around five in the morning, I woke up naturally. “You’re awake? Up so early?” Matteus, behind me, looked at me curiously. Dark circles under his eyes suggested he hadn’t slept all night. “Yeah, I have to chop wood, shovel snow, feed Max, lots of chores to do.” “Before Mom and Dad wake up, I also have to cook breakfast. Don’t worry, I’ll save a portion for you first.” Without waiting for his reaction, I turned and walked out the door. It was almost dawn; I needed to get today’s Christmas tree branches chopped. Otherwise, Grandma Elsie would hit me again. Trudging through the thick snow, I moved with difficulty. The beam of my flashlight swept over the deep snow, landing on a dark shadow behind a tree. I remained calm, expertly shielding the light. There were always strange creatures scurrying around in the backwoods; sometimes, if I was unlucky, I’d encounter a wild boar. But I was used to it; I didn’t get scared. Just as I was about to turn and slip away, a faint call came from behind me: “Is anyone there? Hello? Please don’t let me freeze to death out here.” Only then did I realize it was a woman. Could it be… the universe sent me a mom? The woman and I met each other’s gaze. She had gorgeous wavy hair and blinked her big eyes at me. “Where did this kid come from? Am I hallucinating from the cold?” “Are you in trouble? Do you want to come back with me?” I boldly asked. Seeing the woman nod frantically, I let her follow me. On the way back, I learned her name was Seraphina Thorne, and she was also here on vacation. She had gotten separated from her friends, and heavy snow had blocked the roads. Her car was stuck in the snow, so she couldn’t drive down the mountain to find help, which was how she’d stumbled upon me. Reaching our doorstep, I stopped. “I can let you stay, but you have to be my mom and take me away.” Seraphina froze. She looked at my tattered cotton coat and my basket full of branches, then asked, “Do you live here alone?” My eyes welled up. “No, Dad, Mom, Grandma Elsie, and Willow, they’re all here.” Seraphina sighed. “Little one, if you already have a mom, then I can’t be your mom. Your own mom would be sad.” I clenched the hem of my coat, shaking my head. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine. Come with me, but be careful not to let them see you, or they’ll kick you out.” I said, leading her to the storage room. The moment I pushed the door open, Matteus’s gaze snapped over, instantly freezing. Seraphina rolled her eyes. Matteus’s mouth twitched. “What a coincidence.” They knew each other. Later, I brought breakfast to the storage room. Seraphina’s eyes fell on the lingering red mark on my face, and she gasped in surprise, “Someone hit you?” I pretended not to hear, placing a few slices of bread on the table. “Breakfast, you two share it. I’m going to do chores.” Seraphina quickly grabbed my arm. “What about you? Aren’t you eating?” “I already ate,” I lied, but my stomach uncooperatively rumbled. “She didn’t eat last night either,” Matteus sighed, looking at me with pity. “Do your family abuse you?” Seraphina frowned. They were about to say more when Grandma Elsie’s shriek came from outside: “Riley! Where did you disappear to, get over here and do your chores!” I quickly went into the yard, and Grandma Elsie shoved a knife into my hand, telling me, “Kill this chicken.” The knife slipped, slicing my hand, and then slit the chicken’s throat, spraying blood all over my face. Grandma Elsie didn’t even acknowledge the cut on my hand; instead, she cursed me. “You can’t even do this simple thing right. Are you deliberately trying to make me angry?! No lunch for you today!”

I stumbled back into the storage room, dazed. My whole body trembled as if plunged into an ice bath. Seraphina had heard the commotion outside and had been peeking through the door crack. She rushed to bandage my hand, her expression frantic. When she grasped my wrist, she visibly flinched. My arm was so thin, just bone. And my outstretched hands were dark and calloused, covered in rough skin and festering frostbite. From outside, I heard my parents’ and Willow’s conversation: “The snow is so pretty, I want to take pictures!” “Okay, okay, but baby, you need to dress warmly so you don’t catch a cold.” “Where’s Riley? She grew up in the mountains, let her guide us.” “Why bother with her? That child isn’t close to us, it’s awkward to have her around.” Seraphina’s face fell. “Those are your parents?” “I guess so,” I mumbled, then mechanically walked back out. After repeating the day’s chores, I didn’t forget to sneak some food for the two in the storage room. That night, Seraphina refused to sleep on the bed with Matteus. Instead, she lay down on the floor with me. She felt my forehead and found it burning hot. She quickly took off her down jacket and wrapped it around me. An unprecedented scent and warmth enveloped me. I froze for a moment, and then tears fell first. I instinctively wanted to call her “Mom,” but I held back. Perhaps it was the fever, but my heart felt warm that night. When I woke up the next day, it was already bright outside. Grandma Elsie was yelling in the yard, and I scrambled to my feet out of habit. “I overslept, no, I—” Seraphina and Matteus also heard the commotion and tried to stop me. But they watched as I staggered out, falling right in front of Grandma Elsie. “You worthless piece of garbage, getting lazier and lazier, aren’t you?” She gave a mocking laugh, tugging my hair and dragging me over. With one hand, she snatched up the snow shovel nearby and slammed it hard onto my back. I gasped, doubled over in pain, breathing heavily. “I’m so bored, Grandma Elsie, I want to build a snowman.” Willow, beside her, acted as if she hadn’t seen Grandma Elsie’s furious beating. A sly look crossed her face, and she pointed at me. “Let Riley be the snowman.” She scooped up a ball of snow and smeared it on my face. Then she innocently called out to Mom and Dad, “Mom and Dad, come play!” My parents walked over, completely ignoring me, barely clinging to life on the ground, and dotingly helped Willow put on her gloves. “Be careful, sweetie, don’t catch a cold.” Willow giggled, shoveling snow and piling it on top of me. Icy snowflakes slid down my collar. My face was pale with cold, and I couldn’t stop trembling. But my parents’ scolding reached my ears: “It’s just a little snow, can’t you cooperate with your sister?” Suddenly, a voice cut in: “You don’t want to raise this child, do you? I’ll take her. How much do you want? Name your price.”

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When Adam Hayes broke up with his first love, Seraphina, she slapped him in public. “You’re a pathetic, broke loser! We were never meant to be!” I saw his handsome face, his earnest eyes, and decided to date him myself. So what if he was poor? Money was the one thing I had plenty of. We married. An Ivy League grad, he started a company with my backing. Seven years later, he took it public. He’d always say, “My love, you’re an angel sent from heaven to save me.” Today, as I held our daughter and fed her, a message came in from the HR manager at Adam’s company. Adam had just hired his ex-girlfriend, Seraphina, as his assistant. The message hit me. I paused for a single, sharp second, then texted Adam. “You hired Seraphina Miller. The woman who slapped you and called you trash in front of everyone. And now you’re bringing her into your office?” His reply was instant. “It was a business decision. The previous assistant quit, and Seraphina aced every test. You know I don’t mix work with personal feelings.” When I didn’t answer, two more texts followed in quick succession. “Don’t stress over this. You need your rest after having Celeste.” “Send me a picture. I miss my girls.” For a moment, staring at his words, I almost believed him. The realization hit me a second later. He was deflecting. That familiar, icy pang returned to my chest. “You want a picture?” I typed, my fingers cold. “Fire Seraphina. Now.” He went silent. It wasn’t until 4 PM that Adam finally replied. “Sorry, I was in a meeting.” The tears came then, hot and immediate. A woman’s intuition is never just intuition. I opened a new chat with Adam’s HR manager. “Send me Seraphina’s resume.” I own forty-nine percent of Hayes Capital. I have a right to see every employee’s record. The HR manager sent Seraphina’s file half an hour later. A quick scan painted a clear, pathetic picture. After breaking up with Adam, she got laid off. Then she’d bounced through several companies since, with each job ending in a layoff or a bankruptcy. Once, she’d been a Wall Street star, connected and envied. No wonder she’d left Adam in the dust back then. She’d been in a different galaxy. But a gold digger like her begged for an assistant job from the man she’d discarded? No way this wasn’t a play. So that very day, I hired a private investigator to dig up everything. Her life, her debts, her secrets. My instincts were right. Seraphina hadn’t just come back. She’d come back with an agenda. The day before she started at Adam’s company, Seraphina dumped her sales-rep boyfriend. She even posted it anonymously on Ins: “My ex’s company just went public. Leaving him seven years ago was the biggest mistake of my life. He’s married now, with a newborn. I’m dying of regret. How do I get him back?” The post blew up. Hundreds of comments poured in, most telling her not to wreck a family. But a few voices cut through the noise. “If he ever really loved you, he’d take you back in a heartbeat. Men are simple. They always want the one they lost!” “Why work a 9-to-5? Even as his mistress, you’d clear six figures a year.” “His wife just had a baby. She’s exhausted, distracted. This is your moment!” To each of these, Seraphina replied: “Thanks for your support!” After reading the post, I immediately printed it out. When Adam came home that night, I calmly handed him all of Seraphina’s information. “This is what my private investigator found on Seraphina. You might want to take a look.”

To my surprise, he didn’t even look at the documents. His brow furrowed in immediate irritation. “Why are you investigating her? How many times, Aurora? Seraphina is just an assistant. She means nothing.” “If she means nothing,” I shot back, “fire her. I won’t have a ‘nothing’ woman casting a shadow over my marriage. Remember who funded this company of yours.” At that, Adam snapped. “There it is. The golden ticket. Do you have to hold it over my head every day? You think being my savior gives you the right to control my every move.” I didn’t back down. “My line is infidelity, Adam. Fire her. Or I will.” Adam shook with rage. He ripped off his tie, glaring at me as if I were the enemy. “Fine, you win. I’ll fire her tomorrow.” Then he kicked the table, turned, and stormed upstairs without another look. The moment he disappeared, the tears I’d held back finally fell. Then my body gave out, and I collapsed into the sofa. Seraphina had only been at the company for a few days, yet Adam was already a stranger. That night, he didn’t come to our bedroom. He slept in the guest room. It was a stark break from his old routine. Every night, his first stop was our room for a kiss-first for Celeste, then for me. And he would gently say to me, “My love, you must be exhausted.” Then he’d hold Celeste in his arms. “Our precious girl is just too adorable.” Now, because I’d dared to look into Seraphina, he wouldn’t even look at our daughter. He wouldn’t even come home to our room. My heart ached for Adam all night, and even in the middle of the night, my C-section incision throbbed faintly. Celeste also cried non-stop all night for some unknown reason. Rachel, the nanny, didn’t sleep a wink that night because of Celeste and me. But Adam never came to check on us. Still, the outcome was positive. Early the next morning, I received a call from HR, telling me that Adam had fired Seraphina. I let out a long sigh of relief. By mid-afternoon, I SnapChatted Adam, asking him to come home for dinner. I told him I’d asked Rachel to make his favorite paella. I desperately wanted to mend things between Adam and me, and I was genuinely convinced that Adam had just momentarily lost his way in our marriage. I even thought Seraphina was insignificant. But to my surprise, Adam didn’t reply to my message until eight o’clock that night. My brow furrowed, and I called Adam, but it went straight to voicemail. It wasn’t until 11 PM that he finally messaged me. “Sleeping at a hotel tonight. Not coming home.”

Reading that message, my fingers clutched the phone tightly, and my C-section incision started throbbing again. My fingers trembling, I called Mike, Adam’s driver, to ask where Adam had gone. In the past, I never questioned Adam’s whereabouts because he’d always tell me himself. But now, a bitter smile played on my lips. Especially when Mike hesitantly told me that Adam had left the company at 10 AM. A sharp pain shot through my heart. 10 AM was the exact time Seraphina left the company. My fingers trembled as I started checking Adam’s credit card statements. Seeing that Adam had booked two presidential suites at a five-star hotel near the company at 11 AM, I completely collapsed to the floor. Just then, Rachel, the nanny, brought me some warm milk. With red eyes, I asked her, “Rachel, should I go look for Adam?” Rachel looked at me hesitantly. “Mrs. Hayes, maybe you should back off a bit, give Mr. Hayes some space? Men have their pride, after all.” A bitter smile appeared on my lips. “Back off? But what if ‘backing off a bit’ means Adam actually cheats, and then there’s no turning back for us? Celeste is only three months old; she hasn’t even learned to say ‘Daddy’ yet. Am I really going to get a divorce?” “And if Seraphina were just an ordinary woman, I might be able to find a way to get rid of her. But it’s clear Adam can’t bear to let her go, and Seraphina definitely has her sights set on him.” And then, I finally broke. For days, I’d armored myself in cold, aggressive logic to face the Seraphina problem. But inside, my heart was a pincushion.Even if I could force myself to be gentle now, would it bring Adam back? No. The unattainable always shines brightest. In the crushing silence of that realization, Celeste spiked a fever in the dead of night. The family doctor came at once. After a brief examination, he told me to take Celeste to the hospital right away. She likely had pneumonia. Guilt, hot and sharp, ripped through me, and the tears I’d held back for days finally fell. For two days, I’d been so consumed by Adam that I’d let Celeste fade into the background. The night before, she’d cried without end. I hadn’t noticed. Pain and regret tore through me like a sharp blade. I called Adam, again and again. No answer. Finally, a text arrived. “Don’t contact me. I need space.” Then his phone went dead! At that exact moment, Celeste’s crying stopped. Shallow, desperate gasps took its place, like a fish flopping on the sand. “No, no, no, NO!”

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“You’re a man, who did this to you?!” My parents screamed, their voices frantic. I looked at them and a laugh unexpectedly escaped my lips. “The kidnappers.” My parents and Cassie froze, their faces draining of color. I continued softly, “Don’t you remember? The kidnappers demanded a ransom. You only offered to save your other precious son, saying I needed to learn a lesson.” My mother collapsed onto the sofa. “That’s impossible… We just wanted you to learn a lesson, to tell you to stop bullying Leo. I never… We never thought…” I walked over to my mother, bending down to look at her. “You never thought the kidnappers would humiliate me like that, did you?” Without waiting for her reply, I rolled up the sleeve of my left arm. A winding scar, like a centipede, coiled across my skin, stretching all the way to my elbow. “Knife wounds, burns, fractures.” I pointed at each mark. “They broke two of my ribs and burned seven cigarette marks onto my back. I had all these when I came home. Why did none of you ever ask me about them?” My mother opened her mouth, but I cut her off. “You didn’t come to rescue me. You just took Leo.” “You didn’t come for a day, then two days, then a whole month…” “Do you really think the kidnappers would still believe they could get a ransom?” Well, it’s too late now. I’m going to die.

The next day, I was heading to the hospital for surgery when I coincidentally ran into Mr. and Mrs. Hayes and Cassie. Leo’s stomach issues had flared up again, and the whole family was rushing to be with him. I went to the doctor’s office and confirmed my surgery time. As I walked out, Cassie spotted me and grabbed my arm. Behind her, Leo’s eyes were sharp and accusatory. “What are you doing at the hospital? Leo’s stomach is acting up because you haven’t been eating or drinking. What else are you trying to do?” Cassie demanded, her carefully applied makeup unable to hide the harshness in her brow. I waved her off. “I don’t have time for this.” To me, the Hayes family was as distant as strangers passing on the street. Once I decided I was no longer a Hayes, I would sever all emotional ties with them, just like… my own parents did to me. Perhaps, deep down, I did have the same cold blood as the Hayes. I shook Cassie off and turned to leave. I used to always watch the backs of Mr. and Mrs. Hayes and Cassie. Now, finally, I didn’t have to. The biopsy results came back: Stage 4 brain tumor. Surgery was no longer an option. The old injury on my left arm, however, required another debridement surgery – the infection left by the kidnappers had turned cancerous. There was no way I was keeping that arm. When I came off the operating table, I felt like I’d lost half my life. I slept for two days, but it felt like just a shallow nap. If death was like this, perhaps it wouldn’t be too hard to accept. The doctor said the debridement surgery was successful, but the cancer cells had already spread. I knew my time was even shorter. A month later, I was discharged. The doctor urged me to continue chemotherapy. That’s when I got a call from Leo. He said if I was leaving the Hayes family, I should do it cleanly. He asked me to meet him at a coffee shop to return my belongings. Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the coffee shop. Leo was already impatiently waiting. I was surprised to see Cassie there too. She scrutinized me from head to toe. I’d lost so much weight in the past month that my hospital gown hung loosely on my skeletal frame. My eyes were deeply bruised from the constant pain. “Alex, look at you. How can you even compare to Leo? You’ve completely disgraced the Hayes family,” Cassie said. I didn’t reply, just picked up my bag, preparing to leave. Cassie called out, a look of disbelief on her face. It was probably because of my blatant disregard. For four years, I had constantly tried to please her. When had she ever been treated with such indifference by me? Seeing her silent, I reached for the glass door of the coffee shop to open it. Cassie tried to grab me, but accidentally tugged on my hair. My short, dark brown wig came off. Cassie and Leo stared, stunned. “Why did you shave your head?!”

“Are you insane? You’re throwing away your image completely?” Cassie continued, glancing at the equally shocked faces of the other customers in the coffee shop. Leo, too, asked with a sneer, “Alex, what’s this stunt now? Other people make grand sacrifices, and you’re doing this? Are you shaving your head to make some profound statement?” Leo’s words cut like knives. I laughed. “Don’t you know what ‘starting over’ means?” I extended my hand to Cassie. “Give me back my wig.” Cassie clutched my wig, speechless, just staring at me. It was Leo who snatched it from her and tossed it into my lap. I calmly put on the wig. After all, a skeletal man with a shaved head isn’t exactly a sight for sore eyes on the street. “Leo, you really don’t have to be so scared. I’m not coming back to the Hayes family,” I said with a smile. “Not in this lifetime, and certainly not in the next.” “I’m not scared! Mom, Dad, and Cassie only love me!” Leo cried out, furious, his usually handsome face twisted with rage. Before my chemotherapy appointment, I went to pick out my burial plot, right next to my foster parents. In my next life, I wanted to be their biological son. This life had been too painful. In my next life, I only wanted to live the way I did before I was 17. To my surprise, the sales manager at the cemetery was Chloe, the neighbor from my foster parents’ old house. She didn’t ask too many questions, nor did she offer forced comfort. She’d probably seen enough of life and death. Her initial shock was probably just because it was her first time meeting the user of a burial plot in person. Chloe seriously explained all the arrangements, even helping me choose a good, affordable urn. Chloe walked with me towards my parents’ graves. “Dad, Mom…” I missed them so much. I quickened my pace up the steps, all 108 of them. Standing before their familiar tombstone, I was pierced by the sight before my eyes, and my vision blurred! There, on the tombstone, crude letters written in foul-smelling dog’s blood screamed. I rushed forward, charging towards the grave… [ALEX IS A BASTARD, AND THE PARENTS WHO RAISED HIM ARE ANIMALS!] I dropped to my knees, frantically scrubbing with my sleeve. As I wiped, I apologized, “Dad, Mom, I’m so sorry… Your son is unfilial, I’ve dragged you down even in heaven, you can’t even rest in peace…” “I’m useless, how could this happen…” “I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry!” My hands were raw and chafed from scrubbing. My light-colored clothes were stained red and dirty. Chloe returned from the office with a bucket of water and a rag, helping me clean. The rain grew heavier. I was soaked to the bone. Chloe struggled to drag and support me down the mountain. I was the biological son the Hayes family had searched for. But when I returned at 17, there was already an adopted son, Leo, the same age as me. Leo, who had soaked up all the Hayes’ love. In the four years since my return, no one seemed to remember to change my surname back to Hayes. I continued to use the name my foster parents gave me, Alex Miller. My foster parents had been wonderful to me. Unable to have children, they felt finding me was a blessing from heaven, vowing to cherish me as their treasure. But when my DNA was uploaded online after a school blood drive, my biological parents, separated from me for 13 years, found me. My foster parents still let me go. They believed I could get better educational resources with the Hayes, at least no longer needing to work part-time to help support myself. But now, I was dying. Brain tumor, late stage. To see my foster parents, who loved me so deeply, insulted like this… I felt like my insides were being brutally squeezed and twisted.

They don’t love me, and I don’t want to love them anymore. I just want to live for myself at the end of my life. Tomorrow is my chemotherapy, but why did I have to see my beloved foster parents suffer such an insult? My foster mother passed away when I was 12, and my foster father died in an accident last year. Can’t even the dead leave in peace? My childhood memories of Mr. and Mrs. Hayes were hazy. I only remembered Cassie, five years older than me, taking me to an amusement park. She told me to wait while she went to buy me ice cream. I waited from morning until night, but Cassie never came back. In the end, it was a cleaning lady at the amusement park, my foster mother, who found me and took me home. On my first day back at the Hayes mansion, Leo cried to me, “I don’t want anything. I know I’ve taken your place all these years, but now I just want to be with Mom, Dad, and Cassie. Please, Alex, don’t make me leave.” What did Cassie, who had lost me that day, do? She pushed me away fiercely. “Leo, no one will make you leave, and no one dares to. You are my brother, my only brother,” Cassie said, hugging Leo tightly and glaring at me. It was as if I were some unforgivable villain, trying to break up their family. My biological mother, her eyes red-rimmed, looked at Leo and choked out to me, “Alex, when you went missing back then, Mom went crazy. So your father brought Leo home. Leo was the one who stayed with Mom through all the days and nights without you.” The moment I turned to look at Leo, he gave me a defiant smirk. “Mom, let’s not talk about all that for now. Let Alex stay in my room tonight. The guest room isn’t ready yet.” Leo emphasized the words “guest room.” “Oh, no, that won’t do, Leo. You’re particular about your bed. Changing rooms will make you sleep badly,” my mother quickly said, then immediately remembered I was still there and abruptly stopped herself. For the next four years, I lived in the guest room next to the maid’s quarters on the first floor and never moved. No more thinking about it. I can’t think about it anymore.

The first round of chemotherapy was so painful that cold sweat plastered itself to my face, dripping down. I was in agonizing pain. The doctor asked if I had any family with me, but I said nothing. But when I saw Chloe waiting outside the operating room, I felt a flicker of relief. I wasn’t alone. I was too lonely. I needed someone to be with me, at least for this final journey. I needed someone to bury me. Because of the chemotherapy, I couldn’t eat anything and dry-heaved every day. Even the rich and bland meals Chloe brought me were impossible to stomach. “Eat a little more, otherwise, when you’re cremated, there’ll be so little left, it won’t even cover the bottom of the urn. What a waste,” Chloe said. After every meal, Chloe would push me to the hospital garden for a walk. Silverwood had already entered winter, with heavy snow blanketing everything, and the sun couldn’t ward off the cold. “Let’s go back to the room. It’s too cold.” I gazed at the grey sky and asked Chloe, “Why couldn’t I reach you when I came back to the Hayes family?” Chloe’s eyes reddened. She didn’t speak. I sighed deeply. Had I said the wrong thing? Chloe turned her face away, her shoulders trembling slightly. Back in the hospital room, I lay in bed reading when Leo called me. “Alex, where are you?” Leo’s voice was agitated and urgent. “Can you come home? Cassie is being beaten to death by Mom and Dad.” Leo didn’t wait for me to speak, then started crying again. “It’s all your fault! Mom and Dad are blaming Cassie for saying you needed to learn a lesson. Cassie’s being hit all because of you.” I was speechless. “Why should I go?” “Why won’t you come back? It’s all because of you! Don’t you love Cassie most of all? Can you bear to see her beaten?” “Mr. Leo, I’ve already left the Hayes family. Haven’t you always wanted to be the only son of the Hayes? Why are you asking me to come back now?” I couldn’t believe Leo had the nerve to call me. I hung up and then blocked and deleted everyone from the Hayes family. But I didn’t expect Cassie to show up at the hospital. I was in the hospital lobby, basking in the sun by the floor-to-ceiling windows, enjoying a rare good day. Cassie stood in the shadows, asking, “Why didn’t you tell the family you were sick?” “Ms. Hayes, your family is truly ridiculous. Why do you always forget that I’ve cut ties with you? My name is Miller, yours is Hayes. What is there for us to talk about?” The sunlight made me squint. Hearing me say my name was Miller, Cassie’s face paled slightly, but she patiently asked, “What illness do you have?” I pointed to the sign on the wall. “Oncology. What else could it be, stomach problems?” “Alex, are you planning to fake your death this time to gain Mom and Dad’s sympathy?” “Get out!” I roared at Cassie. I had run out of patience for the Hayes family. My only wish while still alive was never to see any of them again. Was that really so difficult? Chloe pushed me back to my room, blocking Cassie. “How dare you stop me? I’m his sister! I told you back then, you weren’t good enough for Alex. Why are you still showing up?” Cassie shoved Chloe.

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At the end of the year, the company organized a team retreat to Hawaii as a reward for its employees. But right before we were supposed to leave, my female superior, Jessica, told me I wasn’t allowed to go. “There are limited spots for this retreat, someone has to stay behind and cover,” she said, a saccharine smile playing on her lips. “Your husband is the VP, Sarah. Do you really care about one trip?” Twenty-plus people were in the conference room, and not a single one spoke up. I stared at her. Five years. My performance had been number one every single year, yet my name never appeared on any commendation list. I knew Jessica was deliberately trying to suppress me. “Fine.” I nodded. “I won’t go.” Jessica froze for a second. She probably hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. I pulled out my phone. The HR manager from our rival company had called me thirty times. I’d initially rejected them, but now, I decided to call back. I stood up. “But Jessica, are you sure about this?” The conference room fell silent for three seconds. Jessica’s smile faltered, her face stiffening. “Sarah Miller, what do you mean?” “Nothing.” I walked toward the door. “I’m going to cover.” I turned and left the conference room. Whispers erupted behind me, but I didn’t look back. At the end of the hallway, the elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside. The moment the doors closed, I saw Jessica standing at the conference room entrance, her face a thundercloud. I pressed the button for the first floor. My phone vibrated. It was my husband, David. “Honey, don’t be mad. Jessica is just looking out for the company.” I stared at the message, not replying. Another one popped up: “I’ll make it up to you when I get back from the team-building trip. How about Bora Bora?” Bora Bora. They were going to Hawaii, a trip costing about twenty-eight thousand per person. He’d “compensate” me with Bora Bora. I walked to the break room and poured myself a glass of water. My phone rang again. It was my colleague, Lisa Chen. “Sarah, are you crazy? Your husband’s the VP! Why don’t you just ask him to say something?” I didn’t reply. She sent another message: “Ugh, but I guess it makes sense. What good is your performance? You only get by because your husband helps you at work.” I stared at that message for five long seconds. “Thanks to my husband.” My thirty-two million in annual sales, *that* was thanks to my husband? I put down my glass and looked out the window. The sky was as gray and heavy as my heart. The company’s WhatsApp group buzzed with team-building notifications and the list of staff staying behind. I saw my name listed alongside three interns and said nothing. Lisa immediately followed up with a laughing emoji. I exited the group chat and opened the contract details for Zenith Corp. The renewal was next week—a twelve-million-dollar order, right smack in the middle of the team-building trip. I smirked. Jessica sure knew how to pick her timing. Chloe, the receptionist, saw me and hesitated. “Ms. Miller, are you really not going?” “No.” “But…” She lowered her voice. “You’re the *only one* not going from the whole company.” I just smiled. “Someone has to cover.” She looked like she wanted to say more but held back. I knew what she wanted to say. Out of thirty-two people in the company, twenty-eight were going to Hawaii. Besides me, three interns were staying behind. Three interns. I was in my fifth year, a Sales Manager, with annual sales of thirty-two million. And I was on duty with interns. At 5:30 PM, people started trickling out. I was still at my desk. David came out of his office and walked over to me. “Honey, done for the day? Want to head home together?” I looked up at him. “Do you know about the team retreat?” He paused. “I know.” “And you didn’t say anything to help me?” He sighed heavily. “Honey, Jessica’s the Sales Director. Even though I’m the VP, sales falls under her. It’s not my place to interfere.” I just stared at him. “For three years, my performance has been number one.” “I know.” “Half of Jessica’s sales are from *my* clients.” “I… know.” “You *know*?” I stood up. “You knew she was taking credit for my work, and you stayed silent. You knew she was pushing me out, and you stayed silent. Now she’s got me on shift with interns, and you’re *still* silent?” “Sarah…” “David, you’re my husband.” He opened his mouth, but no words came out. I picked up my bag. “I’m going home by myself.” “Honey!” I didn’t stop. The moment the elevator doors closed, I saw him standing there, his face a roadmap of conflict. The parking garage was quiet. I got into my car and started the engine. My phone rang. David: “Honey, please don’t be angry. I’ll explain everything when I get home.” I didn’t reply. I’d been married to David for three years. He was a VP, and I was just a manager. Everyone thought I’d married above my station. Including Jessica. The first day she met me, she’d said: “Oh, so you’re David Miller’s wife? Work hard under me, don’t embarrass your husband.” Back then, I was a new hire, with zero sales. Now I had thirty-two million in sales, and she still looked at me with that same disdain. When I got home, David wasn’t back yet. I changed my clothes and sat on the couch, lost in thought. The doorbell rang. It was Mrs. Miller, David’s mom. “David told me you’re in a bad mood?” “No, I’m not.” “What’s all this fuss about team-building trips? You’re just an office drone at that company, what difference does it make if you go or not?” I looked at her. “Mom, I’m a Sales Manager, not an office drone.” “Manager, drone, whatever. You’re still working for someone else.” She waved her hand dismissively. “You just focus on what’s important: taking good care of David and giving me a grandson.” I took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen. I opened the fridge; it was completely bare. “Mom, where are all the groceries?” “Oh, I took them.” Her voice floated in from the living room. “Emily’s pregnant, she needs the nutrition.” My hand, gripping the fridge door, tightened. Three years. Three years of marriage, and David’s mom never once looked at me as an equal. She thought I’d married above my station, that I wasn’t good enough for her son. I closed the fridge door. I walked to the window, looking out at the night. It was time to take action. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. “Hello, is this Ms. Amanda Stone, HR Director at Ascend Solutions?” “It is. Who’s calling?” “This is Sarah Miller from Nexus Innovations. The new position you offered, I’m willing to consider it.” Amanda on the other end seemed surprised, but quickly regained her professional composure. “Ms. Miller, hello. I know who you are. Ascend Solutions is very interested in you. If it’s convenient, we can meet to discuss further.” “Alright. Tomorrow at 3 PM. Please send me the address.” I hung up the phone and looked out the window.

The next day, I went to work as usual. The atmosphere in the office was a little strange. Passing by the break room, I heard people chatting inside. “Did you hear? Sarah isn’t going on the team retreat.” “She’s not going? Jessica isn’t letting her go.” “Why not?” “What else? Her husband’s the VP. Jessica’s probably afraid she’ll steal her thunder.” “Pfft, with her sales numbers, *she’ll* steal thunder?” “You don’t know? Her sales are actually…” The voices suddenly stopped. I pushed the door open and walked in. The two female colleagues’ faces changed, and they quickly grabbed their cups and left. I poured myself a coffee, saying nothing. My phone vibrated. It was Jessica. “Sarah, my office, now.” I put down my cup and walked over. Jessica sat behind her desk, a smile on her face. “Sit.” I sat down. “No issues with the team retreat, right?” “None.” She nodded. “Good. Oh, and the Zenith Corp contract is up for renewal next week. Get all the materials ready; I’ll handle the negotiation myself.” I looked at her. “Zenith is my client.” “It’s the *company’s* client,” she corrected me, her smile fading slightly. “You’re just the liaison.” “Mr. Edwards only deals with me.” “Mr. Edwards deals with *deals*,” she countered, her eyes holding no warmth. “Sarah, you’ve been at this company for five years. You should understand one thing: clients belong to the company, not to you personally.” I said nothing. She continued, “You do your job covering. I’ll take care of Zenith.” I stood up. “Jessica, are you *sure* you want to handle this yourself?” She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “Nothing.” I turned to leave. At the door, I paused. “Jessica, Zenith Corp’s annual order is twelve million dollars, accounting for 35% of the company’s revenue.” “I know.” “Good that you know.” I pushed the door open and stepped out. Behind me, Jessica’s voice rang out: “Sarah, you better not be trying anything funny.” I didn’t look back.

At lunchtime, I skipped the cafeteria and went to a coffee shop downstairs by myself. Amanda was already there. She looked like a very capable woman. “Ms. Miller, hello.” She handed me a file. “Here’s the detailed information about Ascend Solutions. Take a look.” I opened it and read carefully. Regional Sales Director for the East Coast, an annual salary of fifty thousand dollars, plus commission. “Amanda,” I said, using her first name, “I wanted to ask, if I bring my clients with me, would the company be open to that?” She smiled. “Ms. Miller, Ascend Solutions is hiring you precisely because of your client base. Especially Zenith Corp.” “So, for Zenith…” “If you can bring the Zenith order with you, the company will give you an additional bonus.” She paused. “However, you’ll need to handle it cleanly, avoiding any legal complications.” I nodded. “I understand.” “How long will you need to consider, Ms. Miller?” I looked at her. “Amanda, I have one condition.” “Go ahead.” “I need my start date to be in a week.” She thought for a moment. “That works. It’ll be right after the team retreat ends.” “Then it’s settled.” I returned to the office that afternoon and went straight to the fire escape, dialing Mr. Edwards. “Mr. Edwards, it’s me, Sarah Miller.” “Sarah, what’s up?” “Regarding the renewal next week, the company might be replacing me with Director Jessica Reed to liaison.” “Jessica? Never heard of her.” Mr. Edwards’ tone was blunt. “Sarah, I work with your company *because* of you. If they change my contact, there’s no deal.” “Mr. Edwards, I understand.” I paused. “What if… I’m no longer with this company?” Silence on the other end for a few seconds. “You’re leaving?” “Yes. An opportunity came up.” Mr. Edwards laughed. “Then the contract here, I’ll follow you. I deal with *you*, Sarah Miller. When’s a good time to firm up the details?” “Great. Thank you, Mr. Edwards.” A twelve-million-dollar order, and I could take it with a single phone call. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Back at my desk, Lisa leaned over. “Sarah, were you just in Jessica’s office?” “Yeah.” “What did you guys talk about?” “Nothing.” She scoffed. “Don’t be ungrateful. Jessica putting you on duty means she trusts you.” I turned to look at her. “Lisa, what were your sales last year?” She froze. “What’s it to you?” “I think it was around three point eight million, right?” Her face changed. “My sales were thirty-two million.” I turned back to my computer. “That’s over eight times yours.” Her face flushed crimson. “You… What’s so great about you! It’s all because of your husband!” I ignored her. She huffed and turned away. At closing time, David came to find me. “Honey, dinner together?” “No, I have plans.” “What plans?” “Work stuff.” I picked up my bag. “You go eat by yourself.” “Sarah…” I didn’t stop, walking into the elevator. I arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop with Amanda and signed the letter of intent. Everything went smoothly. Stepping out of the coffee shop, the evening breeze blew on my face—a little chilly, but very refreshing. I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Mr. Edwards: “Mr. Edwards, it’s confirmed. Please proceed with the plan and call Jessica Reed next Monday.” He quickly replied: “No problem. Waiting for your good news.”

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When my biological parents came to take me home, I looked reluctant. “I’ve heard that real daughters never win against the fake ones and end up suffering terribly. I’d rather not go back.” Hearing this, they rushed to comfort me. “Don’t be silly, Veronica is so gentle and kind. You’re sure to get along wonderfully with her.” I nodded, then pulled out my phone. “To prevent her from harming me, you need to understand the tricks fake daughters use. Here are a hundred web series about fake daughters causing trouble. Once you’ve watched them, I’ll come home with you.” After watching all hundred episodes, Mom and Dad were astounded. “Those are just made-up stories. Veronica would never act like that.” I remained noncommittal, pulling out an agreement. “Then sign this. Every time I’m harmed, you’ll have to compensate me. $5,000 for false accusations, $10,000 for minor injuries, and serious injuries we’ll negotiate.” Mom and Dad were convinced I was overthinking it and signed without hesitation. But they were quickly proven wrong. Less than half an hour after I arrived home, Veronica announced her necklace was missing. Her eyes were red, as if I had truly wronged her. “Eleanor, that platinum necklace was a birthday gift from Mom and Dad! Please give it back to me! I know you’re their real daughter, you can take anything else you want, just please give me back the necklace…” Mom and Dad immediately frowned, looking ready to grill me. I pulled out my phone with a straight face, opened one of the web series, and handed it to them. “See, the plot where someone frames another for theft is right here.” They froze, swallowing the accusations they were about to make, forcing awkward smiles. “Veronica, look again. Eleanor wouldn’t take your things.” Veronica looked genuinely stunned, probably not expecting Mom and Dad to side with me. “Are you all saying I’m lying? I get it now. Eleanor is back, so you don’t want me anymore. Why should I even stay here?” She sprang up abruptly and bolted for the door. I swiped through the clip. “Pretending to run away from home—that’s in here too.” Veronica froze, then burst into even louder sobs, vanishing into the night. “Veronica! It’s dangerous outside, come back!” Dad panicked and chased after her, even losing a shoe. Mom’s eyes welled up, and she couldn’t help but scold me. “Veronica is… you two are both my darlings, can’t you be a little nicer to her?” I felt confused. “She’s the one not being nice to me. She said I stole her necklace…” Before I could finish, Mom cut me off. “Veronica feels insecure right now. As the older one, you need to be more understanding and tolerant.” “Are you implying I should just take the blame for stealing?” Mom sighed. “Regardless, when she comes back, just apologize to her. She’s never experienced such unfairness growing up; I don’t know how upset she must be.” “Plenty of these shows have plots where the innocent one has to apologize to the wrongdoer.” Mom’s expression stiffened, and she didn’t dare say another word. I didn’t forget the agreement, silently opening my payment app. “$5,000 for false accusation. Please transfer the payment.”

I heard Dad found Veronica under a bridge. She was drenched from the heavy rain, her face deathly pale. After Dad carried her back, she threw herself onto the bed, thrashing and wailing. “Leave me alone! You all love Eleanor and don’t love me anymore…” Mom’s heart ached, and she burst into tears, quickly wrapping Veronica in a large towel, coaxing her in a hushed tone to change clothes. Dad kept checking her forehead, worried she might have a fever. “Veronica, sweetie, stop fussing. What’s a necklace worth? I’ll get you a whole diamond set, okay?” “No matter if Eleanor is here or not, you’ll always be Mom and Dad’s precious darling.” Hearing this, Veronica burst into tears. “Don’t lie to me…” Mom hugged her tightly, also crying uncontrollably. I understood then. So, those web series actually got it right. When there’s favoritism, blood ties don’t mean much. Luckily, I was prepared, otherwise, I don’t know how heartbroken I would have been. Dad saw me sitting quietly by myself, not showing any intention to help, and his face darkened as he snapped. “We’re a family! Are you just going to watch Veronica suffer like this?” I shrugged. “What do you want me to do?” “Go to the kitchen and bring the hot herbal tea the housekeeper brewed.” It was a small task, just doing a good deed. I went to the kitchen without a word and brought the herbal tea to Veronica’s lips. She was about to take a sip when, out of Mom and Dad’s sight, she shot me a defiant glare. Oh, here we go. Classic fake daughter move from those shows, right on cue. I remained calm, wanting to see what Veronica was planning. Sure enough, she nudged the bowl’s rim with her index finger, and the steaming hot tea splashed all over her. “It’s so hot! You burned me! Eleanor, you…” Veronica’s face showed a mix of shock and pain, as if in disbelief. Dad rushed over and shoved me aside. “Eleanor! Are you out of your mind? How could you do that to Veronica!” I slammed into the corner unexpectedly, and a huge bump quickly formed on my forehead. He looked like he wanted to hit me again, but Mom quickly grabbed his arm, her tone stern. “Eleanor, you really messed up. Apologize to Veronica!” I didn’t say a word. Instead, I pulled up a video clip, fast-forwarding to a scene where the fake daughter plays innocent to stir up trouble between the parents and the real one. “You watched it, and you already forgot? Your memory is terrible.” “This…” Mom and Dad exchanged glances, not daring to mention an apology again. They were busy getting burn cream and new pajamas for Veronica, and no one noticed the red, swollen bump on my forehead. After they finished fussing, my payment app pinged with another $10,000. Perfect. On my first day home, I’d already collected $15,000.

Feeling guilty about what happened, Mom and Dad showered me with concern for the next three days. Veronica also seemed like a changed person, calling me Eleanor this and Eleanor that, treating me incredibly well. Mom and Dad praised her with relief: “Veronica has matured. This is our good child.” Given her excellent behavior, Mom and Dad bought her a pile of luxury goods. On the fourth day, my younger brother, Sam, returned from his school trip. He excitedly showed off the gifts he’d bought for everyone. “Dad’s lighter, Mom’s perfume, Veronica’s silk scarf—I remembered what you all liked!” Everyone received beautifully wrapped gifts, except for me. Seeing the four of them happily together, I discreetly prepared to go back to my room. It was only when Mom noticed me leaving that she gasped: “Sam, didn’t you buy Eleanor a gift?” Sam pouted, “I only have Veronica.” Just then, Grandpa George, who had just walked in, heard this, and his blood pressure shot through the roof. The old man, who valued blood ties above all else, grabbed Sam’s ear. “You brat! Who taught you to talk like that? Eleanor is your real sister! Veronica was just raised here out of convenience; she’s an outsider! You don’t know who’s family? I’ll beat you!” The word “outsider” deeply stung Veronica. She didn’t dare argue with Grandpa George, only glaring at me, her eyes filled with resentment and hatred. Sam cried loudly from the pain. “I don’t know what an ‘outsider’ is, I only acknowledge Veronica!” Grandpa George twisted his ear even harder. Hearing their son’s ear-splitting cries, Mom and Dad were heartbroken, desperately begging Grandpa George to let go. “Please calm down, we’ll educate Sam properly…” “Hmph!” Grandpa George also couldn’t bear to let him cry further. He pulled me to the sofa. Looking around, he quickly figured out what was going on. “You’re the only one without a gift? Good, good, how could you do such a thing? Eleanor, I’ve got your back! The Sterling family’s heirloom jewelry? I’m only leaving it to you. No one else gets a share!” Veronica’s face crumpled in a show of hurt, tears welling in her eyes. Mom cautiously spoke up. “Veronica, shouldn’t she also…” Grandpa George refused decisively. “My possessions are only for members of the Sterling family. Some people have impure hearts; it’s better to send them away early.” Even with all her brazenness, Veronica couldn’t stay. She ran back to her room, tears streaming down her face. Dad blamed Grandpa George: “You spoke too harshly. I watched Veronica grow up; I know what kind of person she is better than you do.” “Idiot!” Grandpa George sneered. “How did I ever raise such a fool like you?”

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After eighteen years in the slums, my sister’s billionaire father came to claim her. The day she left, Serena-the sister I’d never gotten along with-insisted on taking me with her to that better life. Everyone was jealous. They thought I’d finally escaped this place. But I refused. My parents stared at me, caught between fury and despair. “We’re handing you a future, and you’re throwing it away? You want to rot here forever?” Even our relatives saw a chance. “If she won’t go, just send my Chloe instead!” I didn’t budge. “I’m not going.” I knew what awaited there was danger. My repeated refusals drew a frost over Mr. Sterling’s expression. A man of his stature didn’t beg. He certainly didn’t beg a poor, unrelated girl. He crossed his arms. “Ungrateful,” he spat, the word hanging in the air like a verdict. Seeing his anger, Mrs. Davies trembled. She stepped forward and slapped my shoulder, her voice a low, furious hiss. “What is wrong with you? People would kill for this chance, and you say no? Are you insane? What is so good about this dump that you must stay?” I kept my head down, silent, as they yelled and hit me. This rundown place truly was awful. We scraped by, working through scorching summers and braving winter blizzards to tend the livestock. But I still wanted to stay. At least… Mr. Davies gritted his teeth and shoved me. “You have to go! This isn’t up to you. If you go, it’ll ease the burden on this family. Your mother and I won’t have to break our backs paying for your education anymore!” “Lily, stop being stubborn! This is for your own good.” Tears filled my eyes. I knew they meant well. They wanted a better life for me. But I still shook my head, my voice thick. “I can’t!” My aunt Rachel saw her chance. She pushed her daughter Chloe forward, her shrewd eyes darting between us. “Since Lily won’t go, why not Chloe? She’s every bit as good!” Before Mr. Sterling could respond, Serena frowned and cut in. “No! I only want Lily to come with me!” Anyone else might have seen a devoted sister. But I, shrank back into the corner, broke into a cold sweat.

Normally, Rachel would have yelled in Serena’s face for using that tone. But things were different now. Serena was the billionaire’s daughter, her status transformed. Rachel was too busy currying favor to protest. She edged closer, her voice sycophantic. “Serena, just take Chloe. She’s hardworking. She’ll look after you. Far better than that lazy Lily!” As she spoke, a look of pure disgust landed on me. I didn’t feel angry. If anything, a quiet relief settled in. Serena dismissed the idea without a second thought. “No, I only want Lily with me!” With that, she intimately linked her arm through mine. It felt like a cold, slimy snake coiling around me, suffocating me. “Lily, please come with me. It’s such an amazing chance to change your life. Why do you keep refusing me?” She blinked, a probing look in her eyes as she stared at me. I yanked my hand away as if she burned me, stumbling back a few steps before I regained my composure and spoke. “I’m not going. Find someone else, or just go by yourself.” She put on a wounded expression, her eyes welling up, looking incredibly hurt. “No, Mom and Dad always taught us to share. Now that I have a good life, I keep thinking of you, and you just keep refusing me.” “Did I do something wrong to upset you? I’m sorry, okay? Just come with me.” “You can try it for a while. If you don’t like it, you can come back, okay?” Rachel watched me, her eyes thick with an envy so potent I could taste it. She wished Serena had asked her. I cleared my throat, firm. “I’m not going. My life is here. I wouldn’t belong there.” Serena’s composure shattered. “What life?! Slaving at dawn, pinching cents for a flicker of light at night, wearing rags until they fall apart! What is worth clinging to here?” “Lily, look around! Every girl here is married off the moment she’s of age. Is that what you want? To be sold to some stranger twice your age?” Every accusation struck a deep, familiar chord. I didn’t want this life. It was a grinding, colorless struggle. But I feared the mansion more than the hardship. A gilded cage was still a cage. I would not go. I sighed, taking a long moment before speaking slowly. “I’ve said it many times. I just don’t want to go. No matter how good the life is, I don’t want to go. How many times do I have to tell you before you understand?” My parents shot me a look of furious disappointment, practically gnashing their teeth as they asked me. “Then why don’t you want to go? Tell us, what’s so special about this place that you’re so attached to it?” I rubbed my red eyes, hesitating repeatedly before swallowing the truth, knowing no one would ever believe me. I could only find another excuse to give them. “I want to stay here with you, okay? If you both leave, who will take care of you if you get sick?” Mr. Sterling’s expression finally softened, and he cleared his throat. “That’s not a problem. We can take your parents with us to live a good life. Consider it our way of repaying you for raising Serena all these years.”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me dazed. My parents instantly grinned from ear to ear. “R-really? We can go too?” Mr. Sterling nodded, but a flicker of inexplicable disdain was hidden deep in his eyes. Seeing this, my parents slapped their hands together and turned to me, smiling. “Lily, now our whole family can go. You can rest easy now, right?” Serena unconsciously let out a sigh of relief, a genuine smile on her face, and chimed in. “So Lily was worried about this. You should have said something earlier! Taking care of Mom and Dad is my responsibility too; I would never abandon them.” But I couldn’t smile. I only wished I had found a different excuse, I’d fallen right into their trap. Serena started pulling my parents towards the car. I rushed forward to stop them. “No, you can’t go!” Serena’s smile froze on her face. She looked at me in surprise, a flicker of irritation crossing her face. “Lily, didn’t you say if Mom and Dad went, you would too?” “Why are you disagreeing now? What else do you want?” I ignored her, just grabbing my parents’ hands and pulling them back. “Don’t go, and I won’t go either. Can’t we just stay in the slums?” My parents stared, confused. “Lily, what is this? You just agreed to go if we went.” “We said yes. Now you’re stopping us?” Serena clasped her hands, tears glistening in her eyes as she approached me. Her voice trembled with hurt. “If you don’t want to go, fine. But why would you take this chance from Mom and Dad? Why are you being so selfish?” “I only want what’s best for all of us, and you’ve blocked me at every turn! Why?” I gritted my teeth, fury burning in my chest. If my parents went alone, I’d never have a moment’s peace. This was Serena’s new strategy. If I wouldn’t go, she’d take my parents instead. She had me completely cornered, certain that if my parents went, I would follow. Her act of being so devoted to my well-being made me seem ungrateful in the eyes of the other relatives. They stood by, arms crossed, loudly mocking me. “Lily was just never meant for a good life. I say she should just find a man and get married.” “I know, right? If something like this happened to me, I’d say yes in a heartbeat. She’s such an idiot.” “Serena, if she won’t go, fine, just take us! We all want a good life!” Serena ignored them, her eyes meeting mine, with a hint of scrutiny. I quickly masked the fear in my eyes, not wanting her to notice anything amiss. Mr. Davies yanked his hand from mine, gasping for breath as he angrily questioned me. “Lily, what are you doing?! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” Mrs. Davies’ face was ashen. “Lily, my patience is wearing thin. You won’t go, and you won’t let us go. Are you crazy?!” I was furious and desperate. The truth sat bitter and heavy on my tongue, but I couldn’t force it out. All I could do was cry and repeat myself, a broken record of desperation. “I don’t want to go! And you can’t go, either!” “If we go… if we go there, it will-” “It’ll what?” Serena cut in, her smile sharp and probing. I flinched. The words shriveled in my throat. I turned my face away, sealing my lips in a tight, final line. My mother raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face, then made her final decision. “Alright, I’ve decided. Our whole family is going. Lily, stop messing around!” The tension drained from Serena’s face, and a relaxed smile appeared.

But I couldn’t just stand by and watch my parents go to the billionaire’s house. Without a word, I rushed to the balcony, swung one leg over the railing, and threatened to kill myself. “None of you are allowed to go! If you go, I’ll jump from here!” My parents were startled by my actions. But the person even more agitated than my parents was Mr. Sterling. He quickly raised a hand to stop me. “Lily, don’t be impulsive, don’t be impulsive! Let’s talk this through!” I didn’t look at him, only stared at my parents, demanding they change their minds. “Mom, Dad, promise me we won’t go, okay? If Serena wants to go, let her go by herself, okay?” My parents looked hesitant, even starting to wonder. “Is this kid possessed?” A profound sense of helplessness welled up in my heart. My voice rose to a shout. “If you don’t promise me, I’ll jump from here right now!” With that, I leaned further out, my whole body hanging precariously from the balcony. One gust of wind and I’d be gone. My parents were still deliberating, truly unable to understand why I would refuse a good life and insist on staying in this poor place. After a long time, my tears nearly dried, my parents finally nodded. “Fine, if she doesn’t want to go, then we won’t. We’re not meant for that kind of life.” My strength gave out, and I crumpled to the floor. Mr. Sterling looked at me with a complex expression for a long time before speaking. “Since she’s unwilling to go, I won’t force it. Serena, let’s go home.” Serena was the first to object. She shrieked, her voice hoarse. “No! Lily has to come with me!” Her face twisted as she rushed over to me, frantically shaking my shoulders. “Lily, why won’t you go? You don’t want a good life, are you crazy?!” Her nails dug deep into my shoulder, and I gasped from the pain. Mr. Sterling spoke up, displeased, his voice carrying a hint of authority. “Serena, that’s enough!” His words acted like a tranquilizer. She froze. A fine tremor ran through her body. She released me, her grip going slack. Her eyes were red-rimmed, still burning with defiance. “Why? Are you insane? You’re throwing away a fortune, a future.” To an outsider, it might have looked like genuine concern. My parents stepped forward, patting Serena’s shoulder soothingly, forcing a smile. “Serena, if Lily doesn’t want to go, fine. Just remember to take care of yourself when we’re not around.” Serena shoved them away, her voice rising to a shout. “Don’t tell me what to do! I offered you a way out and you threw it in my face! You’ve brought this on yourselves!” My parents opened their mouths, then closed them, the words dying into a helpless sigh. Serena stood abruptly, shot me a venomous glare, and let her new father lead her away. A wave of relief finally broke across my face. But my parents couldn’t smile. They looked at me with disappointment, before turning back to their work. The day’s turmoil left me drained. I collapsed into bed, fell into a deep sleep, only to wake up staring at the roof of a car. My eyes snapped open. My parents’ voices cut through clearly. “Thank goodness Serena had the foresight to drug her. Once Once Lily wakes up in that mansion, she’ll never want to leave. Just stubborn, that girl!”

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Five months pregnant, when I went to book my prenatal care, I discovered my CEO husband, Liam, had booked out the entire luxurious maternity retreat. Thrilled, I snapped a picture to post on Instagram. But as I raised my phone, I saw Liam tenderly leaning into Stella, his widowed sister-in-law’s swollen belly, his voice impossibly gentle. “Stella, thank you for blessing me with another child. My life is finally complete.” My heart seized, I couldn’t breathe. Back home, I hired a private detective to dig into Liam’s past. After his brother’s death, he secretly became the guardian of Stella’s child, giving her a home, all behind my back. I sat numbly all night, the pain suffocating, as I slowly slipped off my wedding ring. I couldn’t stay with a man who was unfaithful. Footsteps approached. I quickly wiped away the tears stinging my eyes. The rich scent of roses filled the air, but it couldn’t mask the unfamiliar perfume clinging to Liam. Liam wrapped his arms around me from behind, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. “My dearest Chloe, here are the passionate red roses you adore.” I took the flowers, forcing a brittle smile. “Is this the surprise you wanted to give me? I thought it was that necklace I loved from the auction.” Liam’s gaze darted away, trying to hide his guilt. “I heard that necklace was already reserved. It was impossible to snatch it away.” I sneered, a bitter laugh bubbling up as I watched Liam lie. Last week, news spread about a stunning sapphire necklace at the auction, and Liam knew how much I loved blue. He had vowed to buy it for me. But just moments ago, I’d seen him with my own eyes, fastening that very necklace around Stella’s neck. The image of Liam and Stella kissing so passionately, unable to tear themselves apart, churned my stomach. I stumbled to the trash can, violently throwing up. Liam, panicked, immediately called the family doctor. But the next second, his phone vibrated wildly. A fragile female voice echoed from the speaker. “Liam, I accidentally slipped in the bathroom…” The man who was always so calm and composed suddenly grabbed the doctor and rushed out of the apartment. I watched his frantic retreat, tears finally streaming down my face. Before Liam’s brother died unexpectedly, he had asked Liam to take good care of his wife and child. Back then, Liam’s entire focus had been on his widowed sister-in-law. When Stella grieved, drinking herself into oblivion all night, he abandoned me even as I suffered from a raging fever. When Stella collapsed from emotional distress, refusing to eat, he left me, unconscious and miscarrying in the rainy night. … I had always assumed Liam was just trying to protect their broken family, swallowing my complaints, burying my resentment deep down. But I never imagined that his sense of responsibility would morph into love for his sister-in-law. He had betrayed me, becoming another woman’s husband, another child’s father. With all my strength, I ripped off the wedding ring from my ring finger and hurled it into the trash can. The glass window reflected a woman’s pallid face, her hair disheveled, looking like a complete lunatic. My swollen pregnant finger was raw and bleeding where the ring had chafed it. Once I calmed down, I dialed the pinned contact, my voice hoarse. “Mom, I want to come home.”

Liam didn’t come home all night. I released the roses in my arms, tossing them into the trash without a second thought. A notification popped up, reminding me it was time for my prenatal check-up today. I gently stroked my growing belly. Through my skin, I felt a faint kick. Even if Liam had cheated, the baby was innocent. It was my flesh and blood, my precious treasure. I grabbed my previous check-up results and asked the housekeeper to prepare the car for the hospital. The corridor was bustling with people, every couple’s face radiating joyful smiles. I sat on a cold bench, waiting, when a familiar voice unexpectedly pierced my ears. I looked up, and my heart plummeted into an ice-cold abyss. Liam was carefully supporting Stella, the worry in his eyes undisguised. He carried her pink handbag and an assortment of breakfast items. I suddenly remembered when I first found out I was pregnant; my morning sickness had been terrible. Liam, out of concern, dropped everything to learn how to cook nutritious meals for pregnant women. I had been angry, scolding him for not knowing what was important. Liam had clawed his way up from a corporate greenhorn to CEO, pouring countless hours and effort into his career. He’d pulled all-nighters on projects, flattered clients and drank until he collapsed, and nearly suffered a heart attack from overwork… I couldn’t bear to see the man I loved ruin himself, covered in scars. I had humbly called my mom for help, begging her to support Liam. And to protect Liam’s pride, I had never mentioned it to him. I just couldn’t understand how the Liam who once stayed up all night, eyes red from exhaustion, promising me a happy future, could have cheated. The hospital loudspeaker suddenly crackled, pulling me from my thoughts. “Chloe Miller, please proceed to consultation room 103.” Not far away, Liam finally saw me. His gaze dropped, filled with guilt, then he quickly strode towards me. A warmth spread across my wrist as Liam leaned down, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from my forehead. “Why didn’t you call me to come with you?” I looked past him at Stella, suppressing the bitterness in my heart, and gave a light laugh. “I was afraid you wouldn’t have time.” Liam frowned, sighing helplessly as he explained. “After my brother passed, Stella was pregnant and had no one else to rely on.” “Don’t overthink it, Chloe. I’m just fulfilling my brother’s responsibilities.” Seeing us at a stalemate, Stella clutched her pregnant belly and rushed over, her face anxious. She shielded Liam, her eyes red, and grasped my hand. “Chloe, please don’t be angry with Liam.” “It’s all my fault for bothering him. I promise I’ll never appear before him again.” I said nothing, yet Stella was already crying, tears cascading down her face. Liam pulled her into his embrace, his eyes as dark and stormy as a brewing tempest. “Chloe, can’t you show some empathy?” “She’s my sister-in-law, she’s family!” And what about his wife? Weren’t spouses supposed to be the closest people to each other? The loudspeaker sounded again, urging me to go for my check-up. I bit the inside of my cheek, and as I turned, I quickly wiped away my tears. Of course, I didn’t miss the triumphant, challenging glint in Stella’s eyes. She deliberately exposed the ambiguous red marks on her collarbone, then wept piteously in Liam’s arms. Last night, the private detective’s photos showed Liam tenderly removing Stella’s nightgown, the two of them spending a passionate night together. And I? I had foolishly waited all night for a man who would never come home. After the check-up, Liam, to my surprise, was waiting at the door. He gripped my hand, like a devoted husband to his beloved wife. “How was it?” I subtly pulled my hand away. “The doctor said the baby’s heartbeat is a little faint and advised me to try and stay cheerful.” Liam nodded, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say more. Stella stood not far away, coughing softly. So Liam ruffled my hair. “I’ll take Stella home first, then I’ll come back to pick you up.” The tiny flicker of hope in my heart was thoroughly extinguished by a bucket of cold water. I forced out a weak smile. “Okay.” But after waiting three hours in the cold wind outside the hospital, Liam never appeared. I pulled out the voluntary waiver of assets in case of divorce that Liam had handwritten for me years ago and sent it to my lawyer.

Back home, I started packing my luggage to leave. The door slammed open with a kick. Liam stormed in, grabbing my wrist, his voice sharp with accusation. “If you have a problem, you should take it out on me!” I frowned in confusion, then Liam roughly shoved me against the wall. A torrent of curses rained down on me. “Thank God I managed to swerve away from that truck, or Stella and the baby would have been crushed!” “Chloe, you’re a cold-blooded killer.” My bracelet snapped without warning, clattering to the floor at my feet. It was the love knot bracelet Liam had braided for me himself. I winced in pain, looking directly into Liam’s eyes. “What on earth are you talking about?” A muffled shuffling sound came from the hallway. Stella, pale-faced, leaned against the doorframe, her wrist wrapped in a thick bandage. She bit her lower lip, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably. “Chloe, I know you don’t like me, but my baby is Liam’s own nephew.” “You went too far today.” An unknown fury surged within me, and I violently broke free from Liam’s grip. “I didn’t do anything! And I would never stoop to such a base method to harm you!” I angrily advanced on Stella, who retreated, tears welling up. A sharp slap echoed, and a searing pain spread across my cheek. Liam watched me with cold eyes, his large frame completely shielding Stella. I stood frozen. His gaze held anger, contempt, hatred – everything but the slightest trace of the trust he once had in me. He had promised me he would unconditionally trust me, unconditionally stand by me, no matter what. A sharp pain jolted my lower abdomen, and I leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down to the floor. But Liam didn’t even spare me a glance, disdainfully shifting his foot away. As if he feared I would contaminate him. I bit down hard, refusing to show any vulnerability. The room was filled with Stella’s fragile sobs and Liam’s soft comforts. I suddenly remembered two years ago, when our whole family went on a cruise. Stella and I accidentally fell overboard simultaneously. She was an excellent swimmer, while I was a complete non-swimmer. But Liam’s first instinct was to save Stella. Only after Stella was taken to the hospital and confirmed to be unharmed did he remember me, sinking into the depths of the ocean. I lost control, smashing the glass cup beside me. Shards of glass flew everywhere, cutting Liam’s hand. He winced in pain, but his first concern was whether Stella had been hurt. Upon seeing a tiny scratch on Stella’s finger, he anxiously scooped her into his arms, then coldly ordered the housekeeper. “Don’t let anyone send food to Chloe today. And from now on, without my permission, she is not allowed to leave and harm anyone!” The door slammed shut, the distinct click of the lock piercing my eardrums. My stomach began to ache belatedly, a sharp, violent pain. I nervously clutched my abdomen, a warm wetness spreading between my legs. My beige dress was stained with a large patch of crimson, my mind a complete blank. Amidst the intense contractions, I frantically crawled to the door, pounding on it like a madwoman. My voice trembled with fear. “Liam, I’m bleeding…” “Please, open the door! Take me to the hospital…” The footsteps outside the door paused, then grew clearer, closer. A sliver of hope ignited in my heart, and I shifted my body to make room for the door to open. The doorknob turned slightly, then I heard Liam’s cold, mocking voice. “Chloe, I’m not falling for your childish tricks anymore.” My heart instantly stopped beating, and I pounded on the bedroom door like a madwoman. “Liam, come back! I’m not lying!” “My stomach really hurts… The baby is in danger…” But only dead silence answered me. My phone wasn’t nearby, what could I do? Who could save my baby? Blood pooled on the floor, terrifying, and my stomach felt like it was being torn apart by a thousand knives. Just before losing consciousness, I finally remembered the SOS bracelet my mom had given me.

With all my remaining strength, I crawled to the bedside table, found the bracelet, and pressed the emergency button. Consciousness completely faded, and I collapsed onto the cold floor. When I next regained awareness, my nose was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant. I immediately touched my abdomen, but it was flat. Realizing I had lost my most precious treasure, I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. The doctor stood nearby, sighing regretfully. “If she had been brought in earlier, perhaps the baby could have been saved.” This was the second time. This was the second time this had happened. Liam, you are the real murderer. A stranger by my bedside handed me a plane ticket, his voice respectful. “Miss, your mother has arranged everything for you.” “Please be at the airport in three hours to depart for home.” My tears soaked into the pillow, and my phone chimed. It was an unknown message. The photo showed Liam, his left hand holding a little boy who bore a striking resemblance to him, and his right arm around a pregnant Stella. If he weren’t my husband, the scene would have been so warm and touching. I screamed helplessly, tears streaming down my face. The Liam who had once knelt and begged me to marry him, the Liam who had always prioritized me, was truly dead. As the plane was about to take off, I dragged my weak body to complete the discharge process. Standing at the entrance of my home, I heard a woman’s cheerful laughter from inside. I froze, my legs heavy as if filled with lead. Pushing open the door, I saw Liam busy in the kitchen, wearing an apron. Stella and her son were cozily watching TV on the sofa, smiling. They looked like a happy couple, and I was the intruder, the outsider in this home. Liam didn’t notice my flat abdomen, or my pale face. He simply glanced at me indifferently. Stella smirked triumphantly, then feigned surprise, like a startled deer. Liam, afraid I would bully his darling, rushed over with a ladle in hand. “You hurt Stella, so I brought her home to take care of her, as an atonement for your sins.” I numbly nodded, all strength seemingly drained from my body. Seeing my docile expression, Liam patted my head, satisfied. “I stewed your favorite chicken soup. Go wash your hands quickly.” “Apologize properly to Stella, and we can put this whole incident behind us.” I said nothing, quietly returning to my room to collect my important documents. Liam was attentively serving soup to Stella and her son, not sparing me a single glance. I quietly walked out the door, and not a single soul noticed. Childish laughter echoed from inside the house, and I could no longer control my grief, bursting into helpless tears. The bodyguard stood not far away, silently waiting for me to finish crying, then escorted me all the way to the airport. As the plane took off, I broke my SIM card, and threw away the rings, necklaces, and everything Liam had given me. From then on, Liam and I would be strangers.

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After remarrying Jesiah Spencer, I became the perfect, compliant wife. Jesiah once said, “If you’d been this agreeable from the start, maybe we never would’ve divorced.” Even at a college reunion, his drunk friends would mock me, “You really are Jesiah’s slave, aren’t you? Even after divorcing, you just had to get back with him. You totally messed up his chance to marry Serena.” The atmosphere instantly grew thick with awkwardness. Jesiah probably expected me to blow up like I used to. But I just smiled, saying nothing. They all thought I remarried Jesiah because I loved him too much. The truth? I’d been so angry during our last divorce that I walked away with absolutely nothing, suffering a devastating financial loss. This time, after we remarried, I immediately drafted a new prenuptial agreement. When we divorced again, I wouldn’t be the one left empty-handed. After the party, Jesiah said to me in the car, “I feel like your attitude towards me has been off ever since we remarried…” “You’re being overly sensitive,” I calmly replied. “Before we got back together, I promised you repeatedly that I wouldn’t let Serena interfere in our lives again, and I’d keep my distance from her. Even at the reunion tonight, she and I kept to ourselves. What more do you want from me?” He wasn’t known for his patience, so hearing him actually string together that many words was practically unheard of. “I’ve told you countless times, if Serena’s father hadn’t helped me back then, I never would’ve made it out of that poor little town.” I locked my phone screen and stared at him, calmly meeting his impatience. “You don’t need to explain, I know.” I’d heard the same story a million times. That’s why I’d endured it when, after graduation, Jesiah went to great lengths to fast-track Serena’s recruitment into the hospital, keeping her by his side. That’s why I’d endured her frequent appearances in our lives, even on our wedding anniversaries, there was always a third person tagging along. That’s why I’d endured their endless sharing of daily details, while my own attempts at conversation were always met with cold, clipped words. But when I came home early from a business trip and found them tangled up, naked, that was it. I couldn’t endure it anymore. I demanded a divorce, willing to walk away with nothing just to cut ties with him. But then, not long after, my mother was diagnosed with an aggressive tumor and needed surgery. And it turned out, Jesiah was the only surgeon who could perform it. So, I went and begged him. What truly chilled me to the bone wasn’t just my emotional backlash, but his utterly callous attitude. “Chloe, you know I’ve been incredibly busy since my promotion.” “But if the patient were my own family, I’d definitely make time to operate myself.” “So… do you finally understand what you did wrong?” I stared at him, stunned, and under his smug, self-satisfied expression, I nodded. We remarried. But our relationship was irrevocably broken. Even sleeping in the same bed, we were strangers. Just like today. “Jesiah! I knew you hadn’t left yet! I told you, you wouldn’t abandon Serena!” Serena’s college friend, Sarah, waved from a distance. She helped a half-drunk Serena walk over to us. “Serena’s so beautiful, I just couldn’t let her go home alone. Didn’t you always take her home before?” She glanced at me, subtly, her tone laced with mockery. “Chloe, you’re pretty ‘safe-looking,’ you’ll be fine going home by yourself, right?” Jesiah looked at Serena, leaning against her friend, then at me. He looked conflicted. It stung, just as it always did, no matter how many times I witnessed his hesitation. But unlike before, when I would shout and scream, this time I simply raised my phone, expressionless. “My ride’s here. I’m leaving.” Just then, my Uber arrived. Jesiah helped Serena into the back seat, rolled down the window, and looked up at me. “You go home first and wait for me.” “Tomorrow is your mother’s final surgery. We need to discuss the details tonight.” As expected, Jesiah didn’t come home that night. But thankfully, I wasn’t like I used to be. Foolishly waiting up for him.

If a breakup is a massive withdrawal, then I’d been tortured by that feeling twice. The first time, I broke down, deleting his number and throwing away everything related to him. But after years together, he was ingrained in every corner of my life. The books he’d given me still held his love letters, each word pouring out his deepest feelings. The scarf he’d knitted for a whole month, pricking his fingers raw, he’d still smiled foolishly, asking me to try it on. He knew I loved stargazing, so he’d used two months’ worth of his part-time earnings to buy a telescope and confessed his love to me under a once-in-a-lifetime meteor shower. “Chloe, I grew up without parents, no one to look out for me. I just want to be yours, completely, to let you guide me.” But then, later, he said, “In this world, I see Serena as my only family. Chloe, can’t you just stop being so possessive?” Family? What kind of family sleeps naked in the same bed? Honestly, from the very beginning, I’d heard rumors about him and Serena at school. They said Jesiah was the top student, and the school made an exception to admit Serena because of him. They were from the same small town, their bond so close from childhood, I couldn’t help but be suspicious. But he’d told me, “Serena’s father practically adopted me back then, otherwise I would have died. I owe him everything.” “But Chloe, don’t worry, in my heart, she’s only ever been like a sister to me.” I believed him, and I paid for it with five years of my life. To be honest, that first time I saw him again after our divorce, my heart still pounded in my chest for him. His phone lock screen was still our photo together, as if nothing had changed. Remarrying him, I told myself, was my second attempt at withdrawal. I couldn’t forgive him and pretend nothing happened. Nor could I just walk away cleanly right then. So, I decided to let the pain slowly chip away at me, like a dull blade. Even if it hurt more, even if it took longer. But thankfully, after six months, I was finally numb. Once my mother’s last surgery was done, I could divorce him again, free from any burdens. I’d already drafted the divorce papers: 70% for me, 30% for him. After all, he was the one who messed up. He had to pay a price, didn’t he? However, the next day, Jesiah disappeared. The substitute surgeon, thrust onto the operating table, was sweating profusely. “We can’t reach Dr. Spencer! You’re his wife, don’t you know where he is?” “I have less than a ten percent chance of success with this surgery. You… you need to prepare yourself!” Jesiah’s phone went straight to voicemail. I called him over a hundred times, until my fingers were numb, mechanically dialing the same number again and again. Until, after what felt like an eternity, someone finally answered. “Jesiah, where in the world are—” “Oh, it’s Chloe. Jesiah went back to his hometown with me for an emergency. He’s in the shower right now.” *Buzz.* My mind went completely blank. My phone slipped from my hand and smashed to the floor, its screen shattering into a spiderweb. Was it my imagination, or did I hear Jesiah’s voice through the receiver? “Who’s calling? Is it Chloe?” “No, just a spam call…” For the next three hours. I knelt outside the operating room, begging for my mother’s life, pleading with whatever gods would listen not to take her. But when the lights of the operating room finally dimmed, all I received was a death certificate. 2. I handled my mother’s funeral all by myself. For seven days, I drifted in a daze. It wasn’t until the eighth day that Jesiah finally returned. “I’m sorry, I…” Before he could finish, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. “Jesiah Spencer, you bastard!” “You killed my mother!” I put every ounce of my fury into that slap. Jesiah’s head snapped to the side. To my surprise, he didn’t get angry. He just calmly explained, “Your mother’s condition wasn’t good. Even if the surgery succeeded, she would have been tormented by chemotherapy treatments over and over again.” “Serena’s father suddenly fell gravely ill. If I didn’t go back with her, she might not have seen her father for the last time.” I was trembling with rage, unable to form a coherent sentence. But his cruelty didn’t stop there. “You never had a father growing up, so it’s only natural you wouldn’t understand this kind of bond.” I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn’t reconcile the man in front of me with the loving partner from my memories. He knew. He knew my father died in his mistress’s bed when I was eight, and that it was a pain that had haunted me my entire life. Back then, he’d held me close, comforting me, vowing to love me forever. In that moment, I completely lost it. I grabbed everything within reach and hurled it at him, screaming for him to die. But he just watched me rage, his eyes cold, and finally said, “Chloe, I actually prefer you like this.” “Stop pretending from now on. It’s pointless.” After he left, I collapsed onto the cluttered floor, sobbing uncontrollably. I started to hate him. I hated how he’d used the very weapon I’d given him to stab me through the heart, without so much as a flinch. My phone suddenly rang. It was Serena. *Hey there, sis. Heard about your mom. My condolences~* *It’s all Jesiah’s fault. I told him my dad just had a slight cold, but he just *had* to abandon you and your mom to come home with me.* *But… who told you to keep pestering him to remarry you? You only have yourself to blame, right?* Those messages stripped me of all reason. Clutching my phone, I rushed to the hospital and reported Jesiah Spencer and Serena’s improper relationship to the administration. I reported Jesiah for gross medical negligence, disappearing before surgery due to personal reasons, which led to my mother’s death. But the hospital didn’t immediately launch an investigation. They merely “invited” me into an office. They said it was a private matter, and they couldn’t intervene. Their words were a warning: Jesiah was a brilliant surgeon they’d invested heavily in. They advised me to let it go. When Jesiah arrived, I was in the middle of arguing passionately with Dean Thompson. “How can it have nothing to do with him? If it weren’t for him, my mother wouldn’t have died!” But Jesiah simply said, “I apologize, my wife has been through a lot lately, and her mental state might be a bit unstable.” The glances that had held a touch of sympathy instantly turned complex. They instinctively took a few steps back, creating a distance between us. Soon, only Jesiah and I remained in the cramped office. “Chloe, apologize.” I had cried so much my eyes were swollen, blurring his face, but I could feel his condescending presence. “You shouldn’t have caused a scene at the hospital. What if it gets out and damages Serena’s reputation?” “So, I need you to apologize to her.” I stopped wasting my breath on him and turned to open the door. I was going to contact the media, reporters, and expose their illicit affair. But then I heard him sigh softly behind me. “Then don’t blame me.” As the youngest Chief Resident in the hospital, a brilliant young mind already famous in the medical world, he’d taken seven years to climb to this position. But it would only take him seven days to have me committed to a psychiatric hospital. I lost count of how many times I insisted I wasn’t sick, only to be met with larger doses of sedatives and tighter restraints. I began to calm down, stopped resisting, and waited for my chance. Finally, I seized it. I escaped.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “320040”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring