Category: English

The valedictorian of our high school, who was now at MIT, suddenly added me on Snapchat. I stared at the screen for a solid ten minutes before replying: “Can you CashApp me 50 bucks?” The next second, he unfriended me. Sigh… I knew it was a scammer. Our class president had always been an aloof, untouchable ice king. He hadn’t spoken a single word to me in high school. Why would he randomly add me? Later, at a high school reunion, he had his arm around a gorgeous girl, smiling and telling us they were getting engaged by the end of the year. Damn it… Did this mean I had to write a $500 check for his wedding gift? I was so panicked I sneaked out halfway through the dinner. But he cornered me right outside my apartment building: “Hazel Hayes, how long are you going to hide from me?” 1 If I had known I was going to run into Carter Pierce today, I absolutely would not have stormed into the high school bare-faced and reeking of Korean BBQ. The most embarrassing thing isn’t running into your ex. It’s running into your ex when he looks even cleaner, sharper, and more handsome than before, while you—are wearing zero makeup. “You’re Holden’s guardian?” Carter’s voice was cool and crisp. “I’m his homeroom teacher, Mr. Pierce.” “…” Even though we had been broken up for years, surely he hadn’t completely forgotten what I looked like, right? Carter and I got together during our senior year of high school. He was the genius valedictorian; I was a struggling slacker. That year, he practically dragged my GPA up by brute force, and we ended up getting into two different universities in the same city. But our schools were on opposite ends of town. It took three subway transfers and three hours round-trip just to see each other. Plus, after college started, he was always busy doing research with professors and entering academic competitions. The time we spent together dwindled to almost nothing. We were at that impulsive, stubborn age. The word “breakup” slipped out easily, and just like that, it was over. For the next few years, even though we lived in the same city, we never saw each other again. I never imagined our reunion would look like this. My little brother had been caught dating in school. As his guardian, I was naturally a foot shorter in front of his teacher. I immediately put on my most polite, respectful attitude: “Hello, Mr. Pierce. I’m Holden’s older sister, Hazel.” Growing up, with my rebellious streak, I was no stranger to the principal’s office, but this was the first time I felt this awkward. Thinking about it, my urge to murder my brother grew stronger. If it weren’t for him, would I be suffering like this?! My parents were out of state on a business trip; otherwise, I wouldn’t be the one here losing face! The other student’s parents were here too. It was one against two. I apologized profusely, and thankfully, they were pretty understanding. Carter handed over the two kids’ report cards. “They are seniors now. Graduation is only a few months away, and their mental state is crucial. I’ve spoken to them both, and they’ve promised to focus on their studies and not let this affect their grades. I asked you all here today hoping that as parents and guardians, you can cooperate and guide them properly.” Holding the report card, I muttered under my breath: “…I was wondering why that kid has been chugging energy drinks and doing practice tests until 2 AM lately… He really takes after me back in the day…” Carter paused, finally lifting his eyes to look at me. “Is dating in high school a family tradition for the Hayes family?” ??? Why did that sound so incredibly passive-aggressive? Meeting his dark, cool gaze, my brain short-circuited, and I fired back out of pure reflex: “Not at all. It’s clearly the result of your excellent teaching, Mr. Pierce.” Dead silence. The air in the office seemed to freeze solid. The other parents and the few other teachers present stared at me, jaw-dropped, as if I had grown a second head. And then I finally realized what I had just said. Ahhhhhh! “M-Mr. Pierce, I didn’t mean it like that, please don’t misunderstand!” Just then, the other student’s parent got a phone call and excused themselves. Now, it was just me and Carter left. The awkwardness was suffocating. I decided it was time to make my escape. Carter stood up to walk me to the door. Every step was pure torture. Stepping out into the hallway, just as I thought I was finally free, Carter suddenly spoke, his tone flat. “I didn’t teach him how to make the first move.” Me, who had aggressively pursued Carter back in high school: “…” Back then, Carter was the guy every girl secretly had a crush on. I was different. I pursued him openly. The whole world knew how much I liked him, and the whole world knew how impossible he was to get. So when we finally got together, jaws dropped across the entire campus. Looking at him now, he looked exactly like he did the first time I confessed my feelings to him—completely unfazed and indifferent. A wave of inexplicable irritation flared up in my chest. My brain went hot, and I blurted out: “Mr. Pierce, let’s get one thing straight. Yes, I was the one who chased you back then. But I was also the one who dumped you.” 02 The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted it. He wasn’t my boyfriend anymore; he was my brother’s homeroom teacher! I must have a death wish to say something so rebellious! Thankfully, my useless little brother finally appeared, saving me from the fiery pits of hell. “Hazel?” Turns out the kid had been waiting out in the hall the whole time. I quickly said, “Mr. Pierce, no need to see me out. I’m just going to have a quick word with Holden and head out. My friend is waiting for me at the gate.” With that, not even daring to look at his face, I grabbed Holden and dragged him around the corner. He looked at me weirdly. “Hazel, why are you so nervous?” I reacted like a cat getting its tail stepped on. “Who’s nervous?!” Holden rolled his eyes. “I’ve known you for seventeen years. You think I don’t know when you’re freaking out?” He glanced back over his shoulder. “Mr. Pierce isn’t that scary, is he?” “…” “Holden, you’re the one who got caught dating! Instead of feeling guilty and repenting, you’re here talking back to me?” Holden crossed his arms. “But you dated in high school too! I don’t see you feeling guilty or repenting.” Thank you. I am having a literal heart attack. I kept my face deadpan. “And that’s why karma has finally caught up with me. Your homeroom teacher is the guy I dated in high school.” Holden: ??? His face morphed from absolute shock to a mask of pure agony. “I’m dead! You had your fun, and now you don’t care if I live or die!” “…” He hadn’t been this terrified when he actually got caught dating! Besides, how was I supposed to know Carter would end up being his teacher?! … Walking out of the school gates, I slid right into a car parked by the curb. My best friend, Chloe, glanced at me. “Ooh, got lectured by the teacher?” We both had the day off, so we had grabbed Korean BBQ together. Afterward, she had driven me straight to the school. I slumped into the passenger seat, completely devoid of the will to live. “No. But it was ten thousand times worse. His teacher is Carter Pierce.” Chloe let out an “Oh,” and three seconds later, let out a piercing scream. “HOLY SHIT!?” I covered my ears, but she yanked my hands away. “Carter? Carter Pierce?! The guy you dated in high school?!” I gave a weak groan of confirmation. Chloe covered her mouth. “It’s over. Holden is so screwed. His sister dumped his homeroom teacher. How is he going to survive the rest of the year?” Me: “…Does literally no one think about how miserable I am?” “You aren’t miserable!” Chloe rolled her eyes at me. “You bagged the untouchable golden boy, and then you dumped him. Who could possibly be cooler than you?” “…” Fine. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, Carter’s face, his build… he really did live up to the hype. “It was years ago. Let’s not talk about it.” Seeing how genuinely deflated I was, Chloe suppressed her urge to gossip and changed the subject. “Right, Jake and Sarah are getting married this Saturday. Are you going?” They were both our high school classmates. More importantly, Jake was pretty good friends with Carter, so he’d probably be invited too. “Do you want me to tell them you can’t make it?” My mind inexplicably flashed to Carter’s cold, calm, and completely unfazed expression from earlier. A sudden, stubborn surge of energy hit my chest. “We’re all adults. What’s the point of dwelling on the past? Besides, he’s my brother’s teacher now. I can’t hide from him forever, can I?” “I’m going!” 03 On Saturday, I put on a nice dress, did my makeup, and headed to the hotel where the reception was held. The bride and groom were standing at the entrance greeting guests. I handed over my envelope with the wedding check and smiled. “Congratulations, you guys!” Sarah looked behind me and said, pleasantly surprised, “Hazel! You and Carter came together?” ??? I whipped around, only to realize Carter was just a few steps behind me, walking in my direction. He was wearing a crisp white dress shirt and black slacks. Clean, simple, tall, and elegant. Some people just effortlessly become the center of attention wherever they go. Carter was one of those people. He seemed to have heard her. He looked up, his dark eyes and dark hair exuding an icy, untouchable aura. We made eye contact for a split second before I immediately turned back around, laughing awkwardly. “No, we didn’t.” Sarah looked a bit confused and was about to ask more, but Jake gently pulled her arm and walked forward with a huge smile to greet Carter. “Carter! Man, so glad you made it!” I practically sprinted inside and quickly spotted Chloe waving at me from a table. “Hazel! Over here!” I rushed over, thinking I was finally safe, only to feel my blood run cold when I saw the placard on the table: High School Classmates. I looked around the table. Sure enough, all familiar faces. Me: “…” And then, Carter walked over. There were only two empty seats left at the table. One was to my left, and the other was directly across from me. “Carter! Over here!” A guy at the table who used to be close with him stood up and waved. They had probably already heard what happened at the entrance. Anyone with functioning eyes could tell we were broken up. Hearing his footsteps approach, I stared intently at the porcelain teacup in front of me, inexplicably growing tense. Then, he walked past the empty seat on my left—and sat down directly across from me. The table went silent for a second. Thankfully, the guy who had called him over was great at breaking the ice, and the conversation quickly picked up again. “I heard you’re teaching at Westbridge Prep now? That’s an elite magnet school. Super hard to get into!” “Well, he was our valedictorian for a reason! Smart guys are smart wherever they go, haha!” “Man, I never would have guessed Jake and Sarah would be the first couple from our class to actually get married. I always thought it would be Cart—” The guy talking realized his mistake and immediately clamped his mouth shut. Several pairs of eyes kept darting back and forth between me and Carter. Back then, our relationship was a massive deal. The whole school knew. No one expected it to end the way it did. I instinctively looked up at him. The man across from me had his eyes lowered, calmly pouring himself some tea. The line from his brow to the bridge of his nose was flawless. He looked completely unaffected by the awkward conversation around him. I felt a bit suffocated and made an excuse to go to the restroom. Chloe texted me: Be honest. A man of that caliber, and you dumped him. Don’t you regret it? Why don’t you try to win him back? Outside my bathroom stall, I heard hushed voices. “I still can’t believe Carter and Hazel broke up. Think about how hard she chased him back then!” “So what? A guy like Carter can have anyone he wants. They were never in the same league anyway.” “Exactly. And I honestly don’t think Carter even liked her that much. He probably just agreed because she wouldn’t leave him alone, and then dumped her when he got tired of it.” It just goes to show, adults really love bringing up high school drama. Even though I was the one who dumped Carter, they weren’t entirely wrong about the rest. I typed out a reply to Chloe, ready to talk a big game. Get it straight. I’m the one who didn’t want him. If anyone is doing the chasing, it has to be him chasing me. Chloe: 6. (Slang for “smooth”) Chloe: Big dreams. Very moving. Keep daydreaming. Me: “…” 04 I waited patiently until the gossiping girls finally left the bathroom before slowly making my way out. When I got back to the table, a few people had had some drinks and were getting chatty. I sat down, ready to focus on the food, when Chloe pinched me under the table. “Why did you block me?!” I shot her a look: Take a wild guess. “Hey, Hazel!” Someone called my name. I looked up. It was Ashley Miller, one of the three girls who had been gossiping about me in the bathroom. We had some bad blood in high school. If it weren’t for this wedding, we’d never be sitting at the same table. —She used to have a massive crush on Carter. When she found out we were dating, she sabotaged me a few times behind my back. She smiled and asked, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you single right now?” The table went quiet. Why ask the question and pretend to be polite about it? Isn’t that a bit redundant? She added, “I have a few single guy friends. I was thinking of setting you up.” I smiled. “Thanks, but no thanks. My standards are pretty high.” The table went even quieter. Her fake smile almost cracked, but with Carter sitting right there as living proof, she couldn’t even argue. She paused for a few seconds, her eyes darting around. “Fair enough. But does that mean you haven’t dated anyone at all since then?” What did that mean? That I couldn’t find anyone better than Carter? Or, as she said in the bathroom, that only a guy completely out of his league like Carter was blind enough to date me? “I’ve dated a bit. Two or three guys,” I said. One was a senior in college I impulsively agreed to date right after breaking up with Carter. On the third day, he tried to hold my hand, and it completely grossed me out, so I dumped him. Another was a blind date my aunt set up after graduation. This one didn’t even last three days. On our second dinner, he kept lecturing me about how I should quit my job and be a stay-at-home mom after we got married. I blocked his number right at the table. From a certain angle, saying “two or three” wasn’t a lie. The reactions around the table in that moment were priceless. I broke the silence, laughing lightly. “Hey, you have to try a few options before you figure out who’s the best fit, right?” Hearing this, Carter raised his eyes and looked at me quietly. I was so sick of this weird, tense atmosphere, so I decided to go on the offensive. “Mr. Pierce, wouldn’t you agree?” Ashley looked like she was about to explode. “…Why are you calling him Mr. Pierce?” “Oh, forgot to mention. Mr. Pierce is my little brother’s homeroom teacher now. We just saw each other a few days ago.” Listen to that! That is how a mature ex acts! Making peace with the youth of the past! That is— “I wouldn’t know.” Carter set his teacup down. His long, elegant fingers looked like carved marble. His voice was cold and clear. “I’ve only ever dated one person.” 05 “…” The air froze. For a split second, I felt like Carter was intentionally throwing me under the bus, making me look like a heartless player in front of everyone. But at the same time, my heart uncontrollably started beating faster. How many years had we been broken up? With his looks and status, he could have had a new girlfriend every week if he wanted. But he actually said… he had only ever dated one person. Before my mind could spiral further, the bride and groom came over to our table for the toast, and the topic was thankfully dropped. As the reception wound down and people started filtering out, I saw Ashley sidle up to Carter, her voice sickeningly sweet. “Carter, my nephew is taking the high school entrance exams soon, and he really wants to get into Westbridge Prep. Do you think we could exchange numbers so I can ask you for advice if we need it?” It was a far cry from how she was trashing me in the bathroom earlier. Did she really think people couldn’t see right through her transparent motives? I sped up my pace. I didn’t want to hear his answer. But his cold, clear voice carried over perfectly. “I teach seniors right now. I don’t handle freshmen admissions. If you have questions, you can call the school’s admissions office.” Ashley looked incredibly embarrassed and gave an awkward nod. “Oh… oh, okay.” … “I gotta say, the valedictorian is still just as popular as ever. But his ability to shoot people down has definitely leveled up.” Chloe clicked her tongue. “You walked away so fast, you didn’t see how ugly Ashley’s face got!” I was looking for my car while casually replying, “That’s normal. If he didn’t know how to shoot people down, his contact list would have maxed out years ago.” Back in the day, just to get his screen name, I left an iced latte on his desk every single day for a week! My allowance was tight back then, so I literally starved myself for that week to afford it. I really don’t know where I found the audacity and sheer willpower to pursue him so relentlessly. “True. Didn’t you hear him say it himself? He’s only dated one person all these years.” Chloe said this, then gave me a big thumbs up, looking thoroughly impressed. “Hazel, you are a legend, seriously! I thought you were just talking big when you said you’d make him chase you, but now I think it’s actually possible!” “Here’s the car.” I hit the unlock button on my keys, saying casually as I walked, “I’m not that easy to catch. He’d have to—” I suddenly felt like something was wrong. I stopped, slowly turning my head to look at the car parked right next to mine. The window was rolled halfway down, revealing a clean, incredibly handsome profile. He seemed to have just finished a phone call. Hearing my voice, he turned his head to look. Carter. “…” I died on the spot. He raised an eyebrow, his tone completely flat. “I have to chase you?” “…” I came back to life just to die again. “No, no! I really didn’t mean it like that, don’t misunderstand! I meant… I’m actually really easy to catch—wait, no! I mean, chasing me isn’t that hard—wait, that’s wrong too!” Met with his unwavering, unbothered gaze, I desperately wanted to claw a hole in the pavement and bury myself. Thankfully, Chloe walked over. She hadn’t heard the whole exchange, but seeing Carter there, she was equally stunned. I frantically signaled her with my eyes: Get me out of here! Take me away! Chloe’s gaze darted between me and Carter. A lightbulb seemed to go off in her head, and she quickly said: “Oh! I just remembered I have an emergency at work! I gotta run! Hazel, your car is broken, right? Why don’t you have Carter give you a ride home?” ??? !!! Chloe Bennett! You are dead to me! 06 Unfortunately, Chloe completely failed to grasp the SOS signals I was sending. She dropped that bomb and sprinted away like her life depended on it. I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and reached for my car door handle. Carter asked flatly, “I thought your car was broken?” Me: “…” Biting the bullet, I pretended to inspect the steering wheel. “It looks like it miraculously fixed itself.” Carter: “Are you sure?” Of course I’m sure! I literally just took it in for an oil change a few days ago! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had Chloe drive me to the school that day! “Yep, it drives,” I said, buckling my seatbelt, fully preparing to execute a flawless vanishing act. And then— Carter got out of his car, stood outside my door, and knocked on the window with his knuckles. “Then do me a favor and give me a ride. My car broke down.” … I felt like he was messing with me. I was about to refuse when he delivered the final blow: “The insurance guy just got here for the tow.” “…” So his car actually broke down. Was he calling the insurance company earlier? Refusing him now felt a little awkward, but given our history, interacting this much felt even more awkward. While Carter was finishing up with the tow truck driver, he got another phone call. He frowned. “Got it. We’ll be right there.” When he got into my car, I opened my mouth, fully intending to suggest he call an Uber or ask someone else, when he said: “It’s a thirty-minute drive to City Hospital from here. We might need to hurry.” ??? I looked at him in total confusion. “City Hospital? Why are we going there?” Carter looked at me. “Holden got severe stomach pains during class. The school nurse suspects it’s acute appendicitis. He’s already been sent to City Hospital.” My heart plummeted. … By the time we rushed into the hospital, Holden was already in surgery. The middle-aged man who brought him in was the school nurse, and the younger woman next to him seemed to be a teacher. Seeing me and Carter arrive together, they both looked a little confused. The female teacher looked me up and down, then asked softly: “Mr. Pierce, this is…” “This is Holden’s older sister,” Carter said briefly, offering no explanation as to why we arrived together. “How is he?” She explained: “Holden got severe stomach cramps during math class. Dr. Wang said it looked urgent, so we rushed him right over. He’s been in surgery for a while now; he should be out soon.” Carter nodded. Probably noticing how tense I was, he looked down at me and said, “Take a seat and rest for a bit.” I shook my head, refusing to move. “I’m going to wait right here.” Carter paused, his voice softening a fraction, bringing a strange sense of comfort. “Don’t worry. Appendicitis is a minor surgery. He’ll be fine.” Hearing this, the other two looked surprised. The female teacher’s gaze lingered on me for an extra few seconds. I couldn’t care less about them. My mind was entirely focused on Holden in the operating room. My heart felt like it was being roasted over an open fire. Probably because I was in such a panic, I had started sweating despite how cold it was outside. Now that I was standing still, the drafty hospital corridor breeze hit me, and I couldn’t help but shiver. Just then, a weight settled on my shoulders. A familiar scent, mixed with the faint smell of alcohol from the wedding, enveloped me in warmth. 07 Carter hadn’t drank, and neither had I. But the jacket, carrying that faint scent of wine from the reception, felt burning hot. Like a single spark landing on dry grass, igniting a massive wildfire. I turned my head and met Carter’s gaze. He said, “Your parents are both out of state. If you get sick too, there will be no one left to take care of him.” I snapped back to reality and whispered, “Thank you.” … An hour later, Holden’s surgery was successfully completed, and he was moved to a recovery room. I handled the admission paperwork and called my parents, reassuring them that it wasn’t a major issue and he just needed a few days of rest. After settling everything, I returned to the room and saw Carter standing by the bed, talking to Holden. “Just focus on resting for now. Don’t worry about classes; I’ll send you the notes and practice tests.” Every minute of senior year is precious. Watching this scene, I felt a sudden sense of déjà vu. He looked exactly like he did when he used to supervise my studying. But there was a difference. With Holden, he was clearly much gentler and more forgiving. Back then, when my brain hurt from studying and I just wanted to go play, I had to beg and plead for ages before he’d even hold my hand. Ten practice tests for one hand-holding session. I swear, he was ruthless. Thinking about it made me feel a little resentful all over again. Carter finished speaking and stood up. “Get some rest.” He tactfully left the room so we could have a moment. But my little brother is incredibly untactful. The second Carter left, Holden glared at me and started his interrogation. “Spit it out. Why did you and my homeroom teacher show up together?” Me: ??? I kept my face blank. “Holden, did you forget that I’m your actual, biological sister?” Even though he just had surgery and looked a little pale, his combat power was undiminished. “I didn’t forget. And I definitely didn’t forget that you dated him and then dumped him.” “…” He lost his appendix, but he still has the energy to run his mouth. Clearly, he’s fine. “Holden, you better show your dear sister some respect, or your recovery time in this bed is going to be very miserable.” I said, getting up to leave. “Wait! Hazel!” Holden called out. I looked back. “What?” Holden coughed awkwardly, flashing a sycophantic smile. “Sis, could you do me a favor?” “What?” “When you go to school to pack up my books, could you tell Lily I’m fine and I’ll be back soon?” Lily was the girl he liked. I had seen her picture in his backpack. I was utterly speechless. “Why are you so high maintenance?” Holden was unapologetic. “I just don’t want her to worry about me!” I paused. “Fine. Got it.” “Thanks, Sis!” Holden said, then added with a look of concern, “But Sis, you and Mr. Pierce… you guys are totally over, right?” I gave him a death glare. Holden went quiet for a second. “I mean, a lot of girls like him. Even at our school, there are quite a few… But if you want to get back together with him, that’s fine. You just have to promise me one thing: no breaking up before I graduate!” I said calmly, “Holden, you should be grateful you went into surgery today. Losing your appendix is the only thing keeping you alive right now.” … Today had truly been a rollercoaster. I walked out of the room, intending to get some fresh air before this colorful life gave me high blood pressure. I walked to the stairwell. It was dimly lit. I let out a long breath and rubbed my tired eyes. Then, I heard footsteps. I realized Carter was actually still here. He was smoking. The glowing cherry of the cigarette flickered in the dark. He leaned against the wall, radiating a quiet isolation. Noticing my presence, he looked over and put out the cigarette. —No one knew that Carter, the ultimate golden boy and model student in high school, smoked. I caught him smoking on the roof once. But he maintained that same cold, indifferent expression, as if he didn’t care at all if I reported him. I asked him: Is smoking fun? He didn’t answer and just walked away. After we got together, I brought it up again and was super curious to try it. He refused to let me, but after that, he never smoked again. I didn’t expect him to pick it back up. But I guess it makes sense, we’ve been broken up for so long. I was about to ask him when would be a good time to go to the school and pack up Holden’s things, when he suddenly stepped toward me. “Hazel.” He said my name softly. It was the first time since we reunited that he hadn’t used my full, formal name. “Why are you crying?”

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I had deliberately kept thirty premium suites empty for Allee, a longtime corporate client, despite Memorial Day weekend being fully booked for months. She brought thirty employees for a retreat, but at checkout, she was outraged. “Why are we paying $500 a night when walk-ins pay $400?” she shouted. I tried to explain, “Their rate doesn’t include park passes, meals, or shuttle service—” She cut me off with a sharp slap across my face. “I don’t care! Refund the difference or we cancel!” I said nothing, quietly processed the cancellation. As soon as they left, I called a travel agency I’d turned away days earlier. They had a group of a hundred seniors needing lodging. The tour director wired the deposit instantly, nearly crying with relief. “You saved us—I thought they’d be on the street! Finding rooms now is impossible.” Just as I hung up, a news alert flashed: record holiday crowds, with even luxury resorts sold out. 1 “What exactly are you trying to pull, Marsha?” Allee slammed her hand on the reception counter. “You quoted us five hundred bucks a head. I just watched a guy pay four hundred. You are intentionally ripping off your most loyal clients!” I kept my hand pressed against my stinging cheek, forcing down the massive wave of shock and fury bubbling in my chest. I took a breath and tried to explain one last time. “Allee, you are completely misunderstanding the situation. Mr. Davis was a walk in. He is only staying for a single night, and his four hundred dollars covers the bed and nothing else. Your five hundred dollar rate is an all inclusive package. If you do the math, you are getting an incredibly massive discount.” “A discount? Do you think I am an absolute idiot?” Allee refused to listen. Instead, she cranked her volume up even higher, drawing the stares of everyone lingering in the lobby. “It is just a few extra plates of food and a stupid piece of paper! How much could that possibly cost? You are just taking advantage of our loyalty. You think we are easy targets, so you are jacking up the price!” “That is simply not true, Allee.” I maintained my composure, even though the side of my face was throbbing painfully. “The all access pass to Lake Sapphire costs a hundred and eighty bucks. Our dining is an all you can eat buffet. Breakfast alone has over twenty premium options.” “Lunch and dinner include steak, fresh seafood, an entire dessert bar, and unlimited beverages. You get complimentary private shuttles to the train station and the lake.” “You also get a dedicated tour guide for the entire day, a fifty dollar voucher for the lakeside food trucks, and free access to three premium water sports.” “At five hundred bucks, I am barely breaking even. If you do not believe me, go ask any other resort on this mountain. For the exact same package, they will charge you at least eight hundred dollars.” Allee shrieked, completely unreasonable. “I do not care what other places do! I only care that you gave someone else a cheaper rate! You either refund every single one of us a hundred bucks, or we are walking out that door!” We had been doing business for ten years. I kept her rate locked in at five hundred. I held that price for a decade. Every other hotel in the area had tripled their prices. I still gave her the five hundred dollar loyalty rate. And this was how she repaid me. By slapping me across the face. But I still swallowed my temper. “Allee, if you truly feel that a hundred dollars is a rip off, I can drop your rate to four hundred bucks to match the walk in guests. But that means every single additional service will be immediately canceled.” “The only reason I came to your lodge was for the all inclusive perks!” Allee screamed. “If you cancel the extra services, why the hell would I stay in your hotel!” It was blatantly obvious. She just wanted to milk me for everything I had. She wanted to pay the four hundred dollar bare bones rate, but she still expected the five hundred dollar VIP treatment. But I was not running a charity. Allee pointed a manicured finger right at my nose. “If you do not agree to my terms right now, I am taking my entire team and leaving! Your hotel is going to sit totally empty for the entire holiday weekend, and I want to see who you are going to find to fill these rooms!” The young receptionist standing beside me finally snapped. “What is wrong with you? The sketchy motels down the road have skyrocketed their prices! Our boss kept your rate the same and gave you a million free perks, and you are still acting this greedy?” Allee let out a nasty sneer, side eying me like I was garbage. “Am I the greedy one, or is your boss just a bloodsucking capitalist who lost her morals? Hurry up! Either give me the cash, or cancel the rooms!” Her colleagues immediately chimed in to back her up. “If you do not give us the refund, we are going to bomb your hotel with one star reviews online!” “We will let the whole internet know this place is a total scam!” “You are so shady for ripping off old clients! It is disgusting!” “We would not stay here for four hundred bucks anyway. Just give us our money back!” Several of them pulled out their phones, opening up travel apps, fully prepared to start typing out vicious reviews. I took a deep, steadying breath and gently touched my burning cheek. Ten years of loyalty and goodwill. It was completely shattered by a single slap. There was absolutely no reason to preserve this relationship anymore. I let out a cold, hollow laugh. “Alright. I will process your cancellation right now.” Allee froze. She clearly did not expect me to agree so easily. A smug, triumphant look quickly washed over her face. “Hurry up and cancel it then. You are wasting my time. Let me tell you, there are a million luxury hotels begging for our business!” The young receptionist gathered the thirty ID cards and began canceling their rooms one by one. I stepped to the side, pulled out my phone, and dialed Shirley’s number. Shirley was the director of the Golden Years Travel Agency. About two weeks ago, she practically begged me for rooms. She had a massive senior citizen tour group of a hundred people looking for a two week stay. At the time, I had already promised Allee I would hold thirty premium suites for her corporate retreat. The remaining rooms I had were not enough to house a hundred people, so I had to politely decline. Shirley had sounded like she was on the verge of a breakdown. She told me this tour group was half of her yearly revenue. If it fell through, her agency would go bankrupt. She begged me to call her the second anything opened up. The phone rang exactly once before it was frantically answered. “Shirley, you mentioned you had a massive senior tour group coming to the lake. Did you manage to find lodging for them yet?” Shirley’s voice was thick with despair and exhaustion. “No, we didn’t! The whole trip is ruined. I am literally sitting at my desk right now, preparing to call a hundred sweet old people to tell them their vacation is canceled. My agency is not going to survive this weekend, Marsha.” Hearing that she was about to pull the plug, I quickly interrupted. “Shirley, I have rooms. I have enough space to comfortably house all a hundred of your guests.” Dead silence on the other end of the line for two solid seconds. Then, Shirley let out an absolute shriek of pure joy. “Are you serious? You actually have the rooms? Marsha, please tell me you are not joking! I will take them! I do not care how much it costs, I will take every single one of them!” I quoted her the exact same rate I had given Allee. “Five hundred bucks a person. That covers three buffet meals a day, the all access lake pass, private shuttles, a full day tour guide, the lakeside food vouchers, and three premium water sports.” Shirley let out another hysterical scream. “Oh my god! Are you running a charity? That price is an absolute steal! Do not move, I am wiring the deposit right this second before someone else snatches those rooms!” A second later, my phone pinged. Fifty thousand dollars hit my account instantly. Shirley quickly added, “That fifty grand is just the deposit for the first night! Our group is staying for the full two weeks. That is fifteen nights total. When I get there with the group, I will pay the rest of the balance in full! Marsha, please guard those rooms with your life! You are my absolute savior!” I happily agreed. The slight annoyance of losing thirty petty guests instantly evaporated. I felt incredibly light. Allee was actually right about one thing. If you want to make money, you cannot be too nice. Shirley’s hundred person group staying for fifteen nights was infinitely more profitable, and significantly less of a headache, than dealing with thirty penny pinching, entitled brats. I hung up the phone and walked back to the front desk. The receptionist had finished the paperwork. Every single cent of the deposit was refunded directly to Allee’s corporate card. Allee held up her phone, waving the refund notification proudly at her employees. “Did you guys see that? When you deal with greedy scammers, you have to play hardball!” “Let’s go! We are going to find a much better resort!” “Let her cry in her empty hotel all weekend!” The employees grabbed the handles of their rolling suitcases and followed Allee toward the glass doors of the lobby. But the moment they reached the exit, they abruptly stopped. It was currently two in the afternoon. The local transit buses that ran down the mountain only came once every four hours. The next bus was not scheduled to arrive until six in the evening. If they wanted to charter a private shuttle, it would cost at least eighty bucks a head. Thirty people meant twenty four hundred dollars out of pocket. Allee was incredibly cheap. There was absolutely no way she was going to spend that kind of cash. She hesitated for a moment, then turned to her team. “Whatever, we have time to kill. Let’s just chill in the lobby for a bit and catch the six o’clock bus.” Without waiting for a response, she marched right back into the center of my lobby, dropped heavily onto a plush leather sofa, crossed her legs, and started scrolling through her phone. Her employees exchanged awkward glances, but having no other choice, they dragged their luggage back inside and claimed the remaining seats. Thirty people packed my lobby, taking up every single chair and sofa. My young receptionist turned pale with anger, muttering under her breath. “How do they have the nerve to sit on our furniture? This is disgusting! She literally assaulted you, canceled her room, and now she is loitering like she owns the place!” I just offered a casual smirk. “Let them sit.” Honestly, I was praying they stayed exactly where they were. I wanted them to have front row seats when Shirley walked through those doors with a hundred paying guests. I wanted them to realize exactly who the actual joke was. Time ticked by slowly. The vintage clock on the lobby wall chimed the passing hours. At first, Allee looked incredibly smug. She scrolled through social media, humming a catchy pop song, occasionally shooting me a triumphant glare. She fully believed she had won. But after an hour passed, she started getting restless. She kept checking her watch. She kept standing up and pacing by the front doors, peering out into the driveway. Her employees were clearly losing their patience too. Another hour passed. It was now four in the afternoon. A group of exhausted tourists dragging heavy suitcases walked into the lobby. “Excuse me, do you guys have any vacancies? We need two rooms.” I offered a polite, apologetic smile and shook my head. “I am so sorry, we are completely booked.” The tourists groaned in despair and dragged their bags back out the door. Witnessing this, Allee’s eyes lit up with arrogant glee. She leaned over to her coworkers and whispered loudly. “Did you see that? She is turning away walk ins because she is waiting for us to crawl back and beg. Ha! I am not giving her the satisfaction. Just wait. She is going to come over here and grovel. When she does, we will aggressively negotiate the rate down to four hundred bucks, and we will force her to keep all the free perks.” The employees nodded eagerly, completely buying into Allee’s delusional logic. Over the next hour, several more groups of desperate tourists came in looking for a place to sleep. Since the entire lodge was reserved for Shirley’s mega group, I had to turn every single one of them away. Allee sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, watching me with a smug, knowing grin. She honestly believed I was rejecting paying customers just to keep the rooms open for her dramatic return. Five in the afternoon. Just one hour until the bus arrived. An older employee in Allee’s group finally cracked. He leaned close to Allee and spoke in a hushed, nervous tone. “Allee, maybe… maybe we should just stay here.” “I was looking out the window, and it looks like the entire town is completely booked. Plus, the service here is actually top tier. Five hundred bucks really is not that bad of a deal.” Another younger girl chimed in, her voice trembling slightly. “He is right, Allee. I was just checking the travel apps. The sketchy motels down the road have jacked their prices up to over a thousand bucks a night! And they do not even offer breakfast. If we do not secure a room right now, we are literally going to be sleeping on the pavement.” The smug arrogance completely melted off Allee’s face. She froze. The truth was, she was internally panicking too. She had secretly checked the hotel apps an hour ago and saw the horrifying, skyrocketing prices. But her ego was too massive to admit she made a mistake. “Stop panicking!” she snapped, forcing a confident tone. “She is just playing hard to get to force us into paying more. Watch this. I will go negotiate with her.” “I guarantee I will get us the rooms for four hundred bucks, with all the VIP perks included.” With that, she stood up, smoothed out the wrinkles in her blazer, and sauntered over to the reception desk. She forced a highly artificial, plastic smile onto her face. “Marsha, let’s make a deal. Look at my team. We have so much luggage, and moving around is such a hassle. How about this… we will do you a favor and stay at your hotel.” “You give us the rooms for four hundred bucks a head, keep all the premium services, and we will call it even. Sound good?” I slowly lifted my eyes from the ledger and looked at her. “No.” The fake smile vanished from Allee’s face instantly. “Marsha, do not push your luck! I am offering to stay here to save your business! If I walk out that door, your precious hotel is going to sit empty for the entire Memorial Day weekend!” I ignored her completely and went back to double checking my invoices. Allee gritted her teeth. “Fine. You play hardball, I play hardball. Four hundred and fifty! That is my absolute limit! If you say no to this, we are genuinely leaving!” I did not even bother looking up. “No.” Allee exploded. “What the hell is your problem, Marsha? Four hundred and fifty is not enough? Are you that desperate for cash? Let me tell you something, I know exactly what you are doing! You are turning away random guests to force us into paying full price! Well guess what? It is not going to happen!” Her insults grew increasingly vicious and unhinged. “You greedy witch! You think owning a crappy hotel makes you royalty? You think having a little bit of money means you can treat people like garbage? I hope this place burns to the ground!” My receptionist was shaking with pure rage. “Watch your mouth! If you swear at us one more time, I am calling the cops!” “Call them! I dare you!” Allee shrieked, completely fearless. “When the cops get here, I will make sure they know exactly how you scam your loyal clients!” Right at that exact second, a massive wave of noise erupted from the driveway. “Oh my goodness, Shirley! We are finally here!” “Wow, this lodge is absolutely gorgeous!” “This is a million times better than that dingy place we stayed at last year!” I looked up. Shirley was leading a massive army of a hundred cheerful senior citizens straight through the sliding glass doors. They were wearing matching visors and pulling vibrant rolling suitcases, their faces glowing with excitement. I immediately stepped out from behind the desk, a bright, genuine smile spreading across my face as I went to greet them. “Shirley! I am so glad you guys made it safely! I have all your keys ready. You are all booked into our premium lakeview suites!” Shirley grabbed both of my hands, her eyes brimming with actual tears. “Marsha! You are literally my guardian angel! I seriously thought I was going to lose my business this weekend. I was ready to sell my house to cover the refunds! My husband was threatening to divorce me!” “You single handedly saved my marriage and my career! I can never thank you enough! From this day forward, every single tour group I manage is booking exclusively with you!” I was completely absorbed in welcoming Shirley and the sweet elderly guests. I did not spare a single glance for Allee. Allee and her thirty employees stood frozen in the corner of the lobby. They stared at the chaotic, joyful scene unfolding in front of them, their jaws practically hitting the floor. They simply could not comprehend it. They thought canceling their thirty rooms would ruin me. Instead, they watched me welcome a massive, highly lucrative wave of guests. Allee’s face shifted through a spectrum of colors. Red, white, then a sickly shade of green. She looked absolutely humiliated. But she was too toxic to let it go. She crept over to a group of elderly women waiting for their keys and whispered maliciously. “Ladies, do not let her fool you! This place is a total scam!” “She rips people off! She literally just tried to steal our money! You guys need to get out of here right now!” An older gentleman turned around, giving her a highly confused look. “A scam? How is it a scam? She gave us a room, three meals, park tickets, and a free bus ride all for five hundred bucks. You call that a scam?” “Little girl, I think you need your head checked.” Another woman chimed in defensively. “Yeah! We called every hotel on this mountain. The absolute cheapest place was charging eight hundred dollars just for a bed! Marsha is the most honest business owner we have met. How dare you call her a scammer?” “Honestly, I think you are the scammer! Are you trying to scare us away so you can steal our rooms?” The seniors quickly piled on, scolding Allee loudly for her rudeness. Allee, utterly defeated and embarrassed, slinked back to her corner. Just then, the loud, heavy honk of a bus horn echoed from the road outside. The six o’clock shuttle had arrived. Allee practically lunged for her suitcase, treating the bus like a rescue helicopter. She screamed at her team. “The bus is here! Hurry! Let’s get out of this miserable hellhole!” The employees grabbed their luggage and sprinted frantically out of the lobby, following Allee into the humid evening air. They sprinted toward the open doors of the bus. But the moment they looked inside, they froze in absolute horror.

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1 During the holiday weekend, my mother-in-law and I went to visit the city aquarium. The crowds were shoulder to shoulder, and amidst the pushing, an immaculately dressed woman suddenly lashed out. “Do you have eyes in your heads?! You’re crushing my bag! This is a limited edition! If you ruin it, can you two poor beggars even afford to pay for it?!” I looked at her calmly. “This is a public space, not your private living room. If you’re so terrified of someone brushing against your bag, why don’t you build your own private aquarium to look at the fish?” The woman’s face twisted with humiliated rage. “My husband actually did build this aquarium! I make the rules here! I am ordering you to get the hell out right now! Stop polluting my space!” My mother-in-law and I both froze. This aquarium was built by Sebastian Sinclair. Since when did he become her husband? When the realization finally hit me, my entire body began to tremble. Sebastian was keeping a mistress. My mother-in-law was shaking with fury too. She pointed a finger right at the woman’s nose. “Where did this crazy woman come from?! Sebastian is my son! His legally wedded wife is standing right here! Who the hell do you think you are, barking orders in this place?!” Instead of panicking at the harsh scolding, the woman threw her head back and laughed like she had just heard the greatest joke in the world. “You two poor beggars have the nerve to pretend to be Mrs. Sinclair and her daughter-in-law? That is hilarious!” My mother-in-law had specifically dressed down today to avoid drawing attention and have a quiet, normal experience. Who would have thought her low profile would lead to her identity being questioned? “Whether you believe it or not, I don’t care. I never liked using my status to bully people, but this is Sinclair territory. The only one rolling out of here is you!” my mother-in-law snapped sharply. A mocking smirk tugged at the corners of the woman’s lips. Her eyes scanned my mother-in-law’s plain canvas tote bag like a barcode reader. “Right.” She scoffed through her nose. “You put on a decent act. But everyone knows the elder Mrs. Sinclair is a complete recluse. And the younger Mrs. Sinclair is always by the CEO’s side at high-end galas. They would never dress like absolute trash and squeeze into a crowded, sweaty public aquarium. Who are you trying to fool?” People had already stopped walking, forming a circle around us. The curious stares and hushed whispers felt like tiny needles piercing my skin. My mother-in-law’s face went from flushed red to a sickly pale, her breathing growing ragged. I quickly grabbed her arm to support her, terrified she might pass out from the anger. “What? Cat got your tongue?” Seeing our silence, the woman’s arrogance swelled. She pulled out her phone, swiping the screen with exaggerated, dramatic motions. “Do you want me to call Sebastian right now and have him expose you two frauds in person? Oh, wait. He’s incredibly busy making money right now. He doesn’t have the time to entertain a couple of nobodies.” My mother-in-law’s lips were turning purple. I squeezed her hand tightly, feeling the tremors wracking her frame. I took a deep breath, forcing the violent storm inside my chest to settle. Getting into a screaming match with this kind of woman in public would only lower us to her level. That was exactly what she wanted. “Call him.” My voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable, freezing authority. “Call Sebastian right now. Put it on speaker. Let us all hear how he has absolutely no time for his legally wedded wife and the mother who gave birth to him.” My sheer composure clearly caught her off guard. She paused for a second, but her aggressive facade quickly snapped back into place. “Wow, you are really committed to this bit, aren’t you? You won’t cry until you see the coffin.” She let out a harsh sneer and shoved her phone screen right in our faces. The contact pulled up was Sebastian’s private, unlisted number. “See this? His private line! Do you think a couple of cheap frauds would have access to this?” It felt like a hand made of solid ice had reached into my chest and crushed my heart. The pain was so suffocating I couldn’t breathe. Sebastian… he had actually given this woman his private number. 2 All those nights he claimed he was working late, those business dinners that dragged into the early hours of the morning, those faint whiffs of unfamiliar perfume lingering on his collar. They all rushed into my mind like a violent tide, turning into sharp blades tearing through my chest. The crowd of onlookers was growing thicker, and the whispers were turning into loud murmurs. The woman shrieked at us to take out our phones and show Sebastian’s number. But we had left in such a hurry this morning that neither of us had brought our phones. Seeing that we couldn’t produce any proof, the doubtful looks from the crowd slowly shifted into judgmental sneers. They were completely enjoying the show. She lifted her chin triumphantly, looking exactly like a peacock displaying its feathers. “I knew you two beggars were lying! You’re just making a fool of yourselves!” My mother-in-law’s body shook violently. It wasn’t fear. It was pure, unadulterated rage. She had lived her entire life with grace and dignity. Never once had she been subjected to this kind of public humiliation. Let alone by a woman of such trashy character pointing a finger in her face and questioning her very existence. “You… you…” Her voice trembled so badly she couldn’t even string a complete sentence together. Seeing this, the woman only sneered louder, pouring gasoline on the fire. “Me what? You can’t keep the act up anymore? I highly suggest you take the hint and get lost right now. Don’t wait until I call security to drag you out. That is going to be incredibly ugly for you.” Right as the tension hit a breaking point, a man in a crisp manager’s suit shoved his way through the tight crowd. “What’s going on here? Please keep the peace, everyone…” His authoritative tone completely evaporated the second his eyes landed on the polished woman. An incredibly flattering, almost sickeningly sweet smile took over his face. “Miss… Miss Vanessa! What are you doing here? Is someone giving you trouble?” Vanessa looked at the manager like he was a loyal servant. Her chin tilted even higher. “Manager Davis, perfect timing. These two crazy hags are causing a scene, and they even had the nerve to impersonate Mr. Sinclair’s wife and mother! Get them out of here immediately! Looking at them makes my eyes hurt!” Davis’s expression instantly hardened. He turned to us, his eyes sharp and completely devoid of patience. “Ladies, please leave the premises immediately. Do not cause trouble here and ruin the experience for our other guests. If you refuse, I will have security escort you out by force.” My mother-in-law shook with fury, pointing a trembling finger right at the manager. “You! You are the manager of this facility, and you blindly listen to a one-sided story from her without even asking what happened? Do you have any idea who I am?!” A fleeting look of contempt crossed Davis’s face. “Ma’am. I haven’t had the honor of meeting the elder Mrs. Sinclair many times, but I know for a fact she wouldn’t be dressed like you. Miss Vanessa is a VIP guest, personally entrusted to us by Mr. Sinclair himself. Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” VIP. I caught the keyword, and the chill in my heart turned to absolute freezing dread. Sebastian had blatantly announced the existence of his mistress to his subordinates? I gently pressed down on my mother-in-law’s shaking arm and took a step forward. My cold gaze swept over both the manager and Vanessa. “Manager Davis, is it? You call her a VIP, which means whatever falls out of her mouth is the absolute truth, and whatever we say is just nonsense. Is that how the Sinclair enterprise treats its guests?” My voice was crystal clear and completely calm, carrying an oppressive weight that demanded answers. Davis clearly hadn’t expected me to question him with such ice-cold composure. He was momentarily stunned into silence. But Vanessa was losing her patience. “Stop wasting your breath on them! Manager Davis, call security right now!” “I would love to see who dares!” My mother-in-law, who had been suppressing her blinding rage this entire time, finally erupted with the true, terrifying authority of the Sinclair family matriarch. 3 She stopped looking at Vanessa entirely, dismissing her like a clown. She locked eyes with the manager and spoke with slow, precise hostility. “You will call Sebastian Sinclair right now. Put it on speaker. I want to ask him personally when some random, shady woman got the right to bark orders in his facilities! I want to ask him if his own mother and his legally wedded wife are supposed to be thrown out of a Sinclair enterprise just because this trash said so!” Her aura was absolutely suffocating. Davis was visibly rattled, a flash of genuine panic crossing his face. Seeing his hesitation, Vanessa threw a furious fit. “Call him! Sebastian is in a board meeting right now! Do you really think I’m scared of you two? Call him, Davis! Let these two frauds accept their pathetic reality!” Under the watchful eyes of dozens of people, Davis pulled out his phone with a trembling hand and dialed the number saved as ‘Boss’. After a few long rings, a cold, automated voice echoed from the speaker. “The number you have dialed is currently unavailable…” Davis froze. He quickly dialed again, but got the exact same result. “Mr. Sinclair might be in a meeting…” he tried to explain weakly. But Vanessa whipped out her own phone, looking incredibly smug. “Let me do it. Sebastian told me that whenever I call, no matter how busy he is, he will always pick up.” The call connected almost instantly. The triumphant smile on Vanessa’s face grew wildly arrogant. She even raised an eyebrow at us in blatant provocation. “Baby, what’s wrong?” Sebastian’s deeply familiar voice poured out of the speaker. Her tone immediately shifted into something sickeningly sweet and whiny, playing the role of the spoiled, helpless damsel flawlessly. “Sebastian, I ran into two crazy old women at the aquarium! They’re bullying me! Come back me up!” “What? That is ridiculous. Wait right there, baby. I’m dropping this meeting and heading over right now. How dare anyone touch my girl…” The utter devotion and protective anger in his response felt like a dagger dipped in lethal poison, plunging straight into my chest. My blood froze solid in my veins. My mother-in-law gripped my hand with a deathly tight hold. She had lived her entire life with unparalleled dignity. She had never suffered such a grotesque humiliation. And the worst part was that this humiliation was handed to her by the very son she had raised. Pushed past the absolute limit of her endurance, she lunged forward and slapped Vanessa across the face. “A dirty mistress acting this arrogant in broad daylight!” The slap was incredibly loud and crisp. It carried every ounce of suppressed rage and humiliation, landing squarely on Vanessa’s delicate cheek. Time seemed to freeze. Vanessa’s head snapped to the side. A bright red handprint blossomed across her skin. She covered her cheek, her eyes blown wide in sheer disbelief. The shock in her gaze rapidly morphed into something utterly venomous and unhinged. “Okay. Good.” She gently rubbed her swollen cheek, looking at my mother-in-law and me like we were livestock waiting to be slaughtered. “You ancient bitch. You dare hit me? Impersonating the Sinclair matriarch and laying hands on me? Today, I am going to show you exactly what happens when you cross Vanessa.” She whipped around to look at the terrified manager, her voice sharp and vicious. “Manager Davis! What the hell are you standing there for?! Grab this crazy old hag!” Davis, remembering how fiercely Sebastian had just defended her on the phone, quickly weighed the risks and made his choice. “Grab the old woman!” The second the words left his mouth, two security guards flanked my mother-in-law, grabbing her arms violently. “Let go of her!” My eyes went bloodshot. I fought like a madwoman, scratching and kicking, but another guard easily overpowered me, pinning me back. Vanessa watched the scene with deep satisfaction. She rubbed her cheek again, her eyes darting around the facility before locking onto the massive, deeply illuminated shark tank at the center of the hall. The dark, eerie blue water reflected against the thick glass. Several massive silhouettes were slowly circling in the depths. A completely wicked plan formed in her mind. She let out a chilling laugh and pointed at the guards. “String this old bitch up over the shark tank.” 4 All the color drained from the manager’s face. “Miss… Miss Vanessa, that is incredibly dangerous!” “Shut your mouth!” she screamed, cutting him off entirely. “Do exactly as I say! Or I am calling Sebastian back, and you can kiss your career goodbye!” He swallowed hard, trembling, and finally gave the security guards a defeated wave of his hand. “No! You can’t do this!” I screamed in absolute terror. My mother-in-law finally realized the horrific danger she was in. She struggled violently. “You venomous snake! What are you doing?!” Vanessa completely ignored our desperate screams. She directed the guards to drag my mother-in-law to the service catwalk directly above the deepest, most active section of the shark enclosure. “Vanessa! Stop this! Let her go! Sebastian will never forgive you for this!” I cried out until my voice cracked, thrashing wildly. My nails dug into the guard’s arm, drawing blood, but I still couldn’t break his iron grip. My mother-in-law’s hands were tied behind her back. The mechanical winch slowly lifted her, leaving her dangling helplessly in the air above the massive tank. “How does it feel, old hag? Enjoying the view from up there?” I fought with everything I had, tears entirely blurring my vision. “Vanessa! What do you want from us?! Let her down! Take it out on me!” “Take it out on you?” Vanessa tilted her head as if she had just heard something fascinating. “Sure. You want me to let this old trash go? It’s very simple.” She pointed a perfectly manicured finger at the cold, hard tile floor. “You. Right now. Get on your knees. Kowtow to me eighteen times. And with every single hit to the floor, you will yell, ‘I was wrong, I shouldn’t have offended Miss Vanessa.’ Once you finish, I might consider pulling her back up.” “Don’t you dare!” my mother-in-law screamed from the air. “Audrey, do not kneel! This venomous snake isn’t worth it!” My whole body was shaking. I looked up at the woman who raised my husband, dangling over the jaws of death. I saw the terrifying dark shadows lurking beneath the water’s surface. Dignity meant absolutely nothing compared to her life. “I’ll kneel!” My forehead slammed into the floor with a heavy, sickening thud. “Audrey! Get up! Don’t kneel to her!” my mother-in-law sobbed from above. I didn’t get up. I slammed my head down a second time. “I was wrong… I shouldn’t have offended Miss Vanessa.” Vanessa let out a delighted, ringing laugh, watching me like I was the main event at a circus. By the time I finished the eighteenth kowtow, my forehead was a bruised, split mess. Warm blood trickled down my skin, blurring my vision and coating my face. “Now. Let her go.” Vanessa clapped her hands, laughing so hard her shoulders shook. “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I had no idea you two had such a touching bond!” She walked over to the edge of the railing, placing her hand right over the release latch for the winch rope. But she didn’t press it. “However…” She dragged the word out. “I changed my mind.” A cruel, totally twisted smile stretched across her face. “You ruined my mood today. Just banging your head on the floor isn’t nearly enough to make up for it. I need to give you a lesson… that you will never, ever forget!” “No!” I let out a blood-curdling scream, lunging forward with everything I had. But I was too late. Vanessa ruthlessly hit the release, severing the cord that held my mother-in-law’s life. “Ah!” A short, terrified gasp escaped my mother-in-law’s lips as she plummeted straight into the shark tank below. A massive splash echoed through the hall. The water churned violently as the dark silhouettes of the predators darted forward with terrifying speed. The pristine blue water was instantly tainted with a horrifying cloud of red. The world turned entirely crimson before my eyes. My scream lodged in my throat, choking me into absolute silence. She was gone. Right in front of my eyes, the mistress my husband pampered had sent his own mother into the jaws of death. Just then, a voice rang out from the crowd. “Mr. Sinclair is here!”

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To bathe my pet, I was influenced into buying a “Couples’ Bathroom Suction Cup Wristband.” But the package left at my door was mistakenly taken by my crush, the dentist next door. While walking the dog, I discussed the “wonders” of the wristband with an innocent college boy. When I got back, my neighbor backed me into a corner. “Who did you use it with? “If it could be just anyone, then why didn’t you choose me?” 01 My name is Penny Parker. Ever since I was a kid, my feet would glue themselves to the floor at the sight of good food. After I started working, my food expenses went through the roof, taking up a ridiculous chunk of my paycheck. To fund my eating habits, I racked my brain for ways to make extra cash and finally chose the path that suited me best—becoming a Mukbang streamer. My career was just starting; I only had a meager dozen or so followers. On my stream, I was complaining about how my Corgi, Waffles, never behaved during bath time. A fan mysteriously sent me a link, promising it worked like a charm. I obediently bought it. The next day, the delivery guy called to say it was delivered, but I didn’t see a ghost of a package. “I left it at your front door as you requested.” In the photo the delivery guy sent, the brown cardboard box was sitting quietly right in the middle between my door and my neighbor’s. “I went to the building manager to check the security footage. The neighbor thought it was his package and took it inside!!!” During my stream, looking dead inside, I reported this colossal mix-up to my fans. “I don’t know if the box has the product name written on it. “If he saw it, my lifelong reputation is ruined, hahahaha.” The live chat comments flew by, full of mockery and zero comfort. “I’ve had a crush on him for so long. If he gets the wrong idea, I seriously won’t have the courage to explain myself ahhhh.” Just picturing that scene was more than I could handle. When people feel awkward, they try to look busy, so I stuffed another fried chicken drumstick into my mouth. It was a little bland, but that was okay. Paired with my tears, it was just salty enough. [Don’t you bring him food all the time? Since he just took the package in not long ago, he probably hasn’t opened it yet. Go drop off some food and get it back on the way.] [Girl, she’s right! The longer you drag it out, the higher the risk he sees it. Just rip the band-aid off!] [I’m so anxious, I really want to know what happens next. Streamer, hurry up and go. Come back and restart the stream afterward; I’m pulling an all-nighter right here waiting for you.] Thinking it over, I really didn’t have a better solution. I had no choice but to hastily end the stream, pack up the table full of food, and knock on my handsome neighbor’s door. 02 My neighbor’s name was Arthur Hayes, a dentist at a top-tier hospital in our district. My crush on him originated from a brutally intense cavity filling. I had bad eating habits. Whenever I ate something delicious, I’d subconsciously bite down hard. One careless chomp on a bone fragment chipped my tooth. It hurt so much I couldn’t sleep all night, my cheek swelling up like a small hill. At the crack of dawn, I scrambled to the nearest hospital and registered. Clutching my swollen cheek, I opened the door to the clinic. One look up completely overturned my perception of the medical profession. He looked very unprofessional, because he was simply way too handsome. Fair skin, perfectly proportioned features, soft hair falling smoothly to his brow bone. He wore gold-rimmed glasses resting on a high-bridged nose, and his lips were full and an alluring shade. “Please, have a seat.” His clear, soothing voice pulled my thoughts back. I sat in the dental chair in front of him, obediently opening my mouth, leaving myself at his mercy. He briefly asked about my symptoms, then pinched my chin and meticulously examined me for a long time with his cold tools. I only understood “needs a filling,” “requires a root canal,” and “might need to come in a few more times.” Then, in a daze, I found myself lying back on the cold dental chair. “Pinch me if it hurts.” He placed my hand on his leg. “Tilt your head up. “Relax. “Open wide, don’t bite down…” His deep, gentle voice worked better than hypnosis. It was like I was under a spell, acting completely obedient. Whatever he said, I did. That was until an indescribable, aching, numbing pain spread through my mouth. I couldn’t help but pinch his thigh muscle hard. The texture was firm and elastic. A series of inappropriate images began popping into my head. Like that thirsty TikTok video of the muscle guy I scrolled past before bed last night. Tears spilling out from the pain flowed down my mouth and were sucked away clean by his suction tube. “Bear with it for a second. “A little pressure and pain at first is normal, it’ll be over soon.” The cold instruments brought a weird sensation, and the fear of the unknown tortured me. Only by staring at his eyes and brows could I alleviate a fraction of my anxiety. Luckily, he worked fast. After it was over, I sat dumbly on the edge of the chair. Arthur went over post-care instructions while scheduling my next root canal appointment. When I left, he said. “…Pinch a little lighter next time.” I was speechless. The second time I came, I recorded an audio clip on my phone. “Dr. Hayes, it hurts!” Every time it hurt, I just pressed play on the recording. My voice echoed in the small clinic room. “Dr. Hayes, it hurts! “Dr. Hayes… “Dr. Hayes, it hurts so much!” The young nurse beside us was bursting with joy, laughing so hard she bent over and couldn’t stand straight for a while. Arthur’s face turned red all the way to the tips of his ears. He kept saying, “Okay, I’ll be gentler. Hang in there, it’ll be over soon.” But his hand movements didn’t pause for a single second because of my audio clip. It wasn’t until I looked at him with teary eyes that he let me rest for a few minutes. Then it was a new round of torture. After the filling was done this time, we had no reason to meet and chat anymore. Even though I missed him, the painful memories of that dental chair were truly terrifying, always managing to nip my burgeoning crush in the bud. However, our next meeting didn’t take long. The flu hit hard, and the apartment complex organized a pop-up vaccination drive in the lobby. Arthur was the doctor assigned to our building. I came down late and was at the very end of the line. It wasn’t until I got my shot and he took off his protective gear that I recognized him. “What a coincidence, Dr. Hayes!” “I’ve been dealing with you for days, and you’re just now recognizing me?” “Huh? You recognized me the past two days?” “I recognized your teeth.” I laughed awkwardly. Chalk it up to him being unromantic, and me being overly sentimental. We chatted as we walked, only realizing we were walking the same path when we reached our front doors. “You live here too? “Looks like we’re neighbors.” Being close to the water gets you the moonlight first. Wasn’t this a godsend? I, Penny Parker, am indeed destined to feast on the best! Since then, I would find excuses to bother Dr. Hayes, making him cute bento boxes, asking him out to try new restaurants or watch movies. The fact that he never refused made me feel pretty good about myself. I had even thought of our future kids’ names. Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. I believed our relationship was just one step away from the goal line. Now that this incident happened, if I didn’t handle it well, wouldn’t all this time spent chasing him be for nothing? 03 I knocked lightly three times. Not long after, the door opened. “Hehe, I’m here to use you as my taste tester again.” Arthur stepped aside, gesturing for me to come in. Just as I was about to take off my shoes and walk in barefoot, a pair of fuzzy slippers was handed to me. “I bought you these fluffy bunny slippers. They just arrived today.” The two little ears on the bunny’s head bobbed with his movement. A squeal of delight was right on the tip of my tongue, but to maintain my ladylike image, I swallowed it back down. “I saw these scrolling online just a couple days ago! They’re so cute!” Delighted, I slipped on the slippers and arranged the food on the dining table. Not forgetting why I was here, I kept my hands moving while secretly scanning every corner of the living room from the corner of my eye. By the shoe cabinet in the entryway, my delivery box lay quietly. It didn’t look like it had been opened. My heart settled halfway back into my chest. “I tried to replicate KFC’s crispy fried chicken at home today. I feel like it’s a bit bland, can you taste it?” I held out a drumstick to Arthur. I thought he would reach out and take it, but to my surprise, he just leaned in and took a bite right out of my hand. “It’s delicious.” I felt the temperature of my face rising steadily. Was this the beauty of flirting? I sat down, feigning calmness, and pulled out my homemade floral gin. It was October, the autumn breeze was crisp, and the scent of flowers filled the air. It was a great time for infused liquor. I figured knocking back a couple of drinks might make it easier to speak naturally, so I brought it without overthinking. Arthur brought out two glasses and poured a little for each of us. Worried it wouldn’t be enough liquid courage for me to perform, I topped them off with a bit more. “I didn’t realize you were such a good drinker?” He teased me, watching my actions. I just giggled. I was here to handle serious business, after all. After dinner, I sat on the sofa watching TV, preparing to get down to business once Arthur finished cleaning up the dishes. I was still brewing my words and hadn’t opened my mouth yet when he interrupted my casting. “That movie you missed in theaters is available streaming now. I rented it. Do you want to watch it together?” My mouth was faster than my brain. Before my brain could process it, my mouth had already said yes for me. The lights were dimmed, and coupled with the alcohol, sleepiness soon enveloped me. In a daze, I blindly grabbed something to hug and slept soundly. When I woke up, the movie was over. I was leaning against Arthur’s chest, my hands wrapped around his arm, and I had even left a suspicious drool stain on his shirt. Guiltily, I pursed my lips, but I felt a stinging, burning sensation on them. Seeing this, he leaned in for a closer look. “It might be an allergic reaction. Do you know what you’re allergic to?” Maybe because we hadn’t spoken for a long time during the movie, his voice sounded a bit hoarse. Seeing me shake my head, he continued. “Come to the hospital tomorrow for an allergy test. I’ll book the appointment for you.” Before leaving, as I was changing my shoes in the entryway, I pretended to casually notice my package. “Oh, this looks like my package. The delivery guy must have dropped it off at the wrong door.” He glanced at the box and handed it to me. The lighting was dim, so I couldn’t clearly see his expression. My probing had failed. “Is it? I just brought it in and didn’t look closely. You should take it back.” I thought to myself, Thank god I got here fast. He hadn’t opened it or seen it, so my image was safe. After bidding each other goodnight, I happily carried the box back to my place. I didn’t forget the girls waiting for me online, so I updated them on the progress. “Retrieved safely! I’ll dish the details on tomorrow’s stream! I just fell asleep at his place.” This was the first time I’d stayed at his place this long. My whole body was marinated in the nice woody scent of his apartment. As soon as I got back, Waffles circled me, sniffing for ages. When I showered and threw my clothes in the hamper, I was almost reluctant to wash them. How is my behavior any different from a total creep? Penny Parker, you are such a pervert. 04 Actually, the stinging on my lips was gone after my shower that night. I figured the allergen was probably inside Arthur’s house. However, since he had already booked the appointment, I woke up bright and early to get the allergy test done. As soon as I got the report, Arthur strolled up beside me out of nowhere. “Let me see.” I handed it to him. “Dust mites and cat dander.” “I fed some stray cats on my way home from work yesterday. I probably got cat hair on me.” The symptoms did appear right after leaning on him, and it wasn’t too severe. “Probably.” “Mhm. Next time you come over, I’ll change clothes and shower first.” “It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m not that fragile. It’s probably just because we were leaning so close yesterday.” Arthur gave me a meaningful look. “Last night, when you were rubbing my abs and sleep-talking, you said they felt good, that you loved touching them, and wanted to touch them more.” My eyes widened to the size of saucers. My little brain desperately scrambled for memories of last night—error 404, scene not found. How could a person make such a massive blunder after just a little alcohol??? My mind went completely blank, and I couldn’t utter a single syllable. “Allergies can be mild or severe; in the worst-case scenario, you could suffocate. “As a doctor, I obviously have to prevent my patient from collapsing in front of me.” The heart of a girl with a crush on her doctor simply shattered into pieces. The temperature of my face skyrocketed. If it were winter right now, I’d be blowing white steam out of my nostrils like a dragon. “I have to get to work. I’m leaving.” I muttered under my breath and hurriedly fled the scene, not even taking my allergy report. Sitting in the car, I couldn’t stop replaying Arthur’s words. I said I wanted to touch him, and he just let me? Did he think I was a creep, or was he indulging my handsy behavior? If I hit him up in the future, will he treat me like a pervert? If I read this completely wrong, does that mean I can never hang out with Dr. Hayes again? The more I thought about it, the worse my mood got, and I didn’t dare initiate conversation with him anymore. When I started my stream that night, my head was still full of this mess, so I talked a lot less. [Is Penny in a bad mood?] [You still haven’t told us about last night.] Seeing the chat mention yesterday, I couldn’t help but sigh again. “Ugh, don’t even bring it up. I made an even bigger mess yesterday.” I stopped eating and recounted the whole series of events from last night. The chat had people comforting me and people laughing at my obliviousness. But one particular comment buried in there was exceptionally explosive. [What a shame it was just an allergy! I totally thought he stole a kiss and kissed your lips swollen!] [Let them speak!] [User ‘BigSocks’, you have no filter.] What kind of wild, scandalous statement is that! If Dr. Hayes would actually do that, I’d wake up laughing from my dreams. “I’ve been flirting with him for so long and haven’t even gotten to hold his hand. How could he possibly steal a kiss!” The chat erupted into a sea of [Hahahaha]. [But he ate the chicken straight from your hand! He must have feelings for you to do that.] [Were his words this morning a polite way of telling you to keep your hands to yourself?] [Sister, you’ve definitely never dated. He’s obviously playing hard to get!] [+1.] [I think so too.] Seeing the chat debating so passionately, I felt a whirlwind of mixed emotions. They could guess whatever they wanted, but if I guessed wrong, I might just repeat past mistakes. Back in college, I pursued a guy too aggressively and mistook his polite rejection for shyness. Full of confidence, I went to confess my feelings. When he rejected me, he frowned, looking at me like I was a pesky mosquito. “Sorry, I think you’re just horny, you don’t actually like me.” After that, we completely cut ties. Thinking that if I said the wrong thing, my relationship with Dr. Hayes would reset to zero, my heart ached sourly, and my food lost its flavor. And if I ever needed to see a dentist again, I’d have to detour to a farther hospital. I don’t want that!!! “Sigh, I should just lay low and behave myself for a while.” 05 The wristband the fan recommended was actually pretty great. Once I secured Waffles, he couldn’t break free, and I finally didn’t have to play parkour with him in the shower stall. That evening, I took Waffles out for a walk. We bumped into a downstairs neighbor who also had a Corgi. The two of us strolled along the path by the community park. Waffles and the other Corgi, Marshmallow, ran in circles wagging their tails, having the time of their lives. Heh, little simp. Just like me. Marshmallow’s owner was a college boy. I rarely saw him walking the dog before because he was a busy high school senior; usually, his mom brought the dog out. Back in high school, he had a buzzcut and wore a uniform every day, looking like an average teenager. Now that he was in college, his hair was longer. Wearing a hoodie, calling me “Penny” with a sweet mouth, he gave off total “puppy dog” vibes. “I rarely saw you walking Marshmallow before.” “Yeah, I didn’t have much time in high school. Now that I have more free time in college, my mom stopped walking her for me.” “Oh, I see. Do you take Marshmallow to a groomer, or do you wash her at home?” “Washing her at home is more convenient, but it’s a huge hassle.” Hearing this, I couldn’t wait to recommend my new bath-time miracle tool to him. But since this thing’s original purpose wasn’t pet grooming and it looked a bit kinky, I had to lean in close and whisper to him. “Someone recently recommended something to me, and it works so well. “Go search these keywords: Couples, Bathroom, Wrist Cuffs.” Seeing me say this, Toby looked at me weirdly. I quickly pulled out a picture and explained how to use it, preventing him from thinking I was some older woman with bizarre fetishes. “Look, you strap them up like this, and no matter how much they struggle, they can’t get loose.” “Is it really that good?” “Yeah! It’s comfortable for them, and comfortable for you.” “But I’ve never tried it. Will it overstimulate her?” “No way! I’ve already used it!” Right as we were discussing it, I caught a glimpse of Arthur walking by. I was just about to say hi, but I saw his face was dark. The air pressure around him was freezing, giving off a total “stay away from me” vibe. The way he looked reminded me of that guy I confessed to before; he was just as ruthlessly cold after rejecting me. I swallowed my greeting, lowered my head to pretend I didn’t see him, and moved a few steps closer to Toby. After Arthur walked past, I felt distracted. The topic we were happily chatting about suddenly lost its appeal. Toby also noticed something was off. “Penny, you look a bit tired. You want to head back and rest?” “Yeah, I’m just not really feeling it right now.” I sighed deeply, tugged at Waffles’ leash, and said goodbye to Toby. Waffles looked reluctantly at Marshmallow. His two hind paws dug firmly into the ground, completely refusing to leave. The leash around his neck squished his face flab into a ball, but he still wouldn’t budge. “Waffles! Time to go home!” Seeing his pathetic, simp-like expression made me mad. Toby, on the other hand, was laughing beside us. “He probably hasn’t played enough yet. Looks like Marshmallow wants to keep playing too. “Leave him with me. You head back and take a shower first, and once they’ve played enough, I’ll bring Waffles back to your place.” Although I felt a bit bad, since he put it that way, I couldn’t refuse. I had to temporarily entrust Waffles to him and head home first. As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I saw someone standing in the hallway. It was Arthur. He turned to look at me, his face wearing an icy expression I had never seen before. Pierced by his unfriendly gaze, I felt a sting of hurt. I stood rooted to the spot, momentarily unsure if I should step forward. He turned and advanced on me step by step. In the empty hallway, only the sound of his footsteps echoed, hammering against my heart beat by beat. I had a vague, bad premonition. Perhaps our relationship was about to end right here. My body subconsciously backed up until my back hit the wall with nowhere else to retreat. “Why are you hiding?” I kept my head down, not daring to look at him, but he suddenly took off his glasses. “Close your eyes.” Because I had always followed his instructions during my dental visits, when his familiar voice rang out, my body reacted before my brain. The instant I closed my eyes, his hand threaded through my hair, landing on the back of my neck and pressing me towards him. The momentum made me tilt my head up, and his scorching kiss crashed down. It burned so hot that my eyes flew open, and I froze in shock. His dark eyes carried suppressed anger, his gaze locking tightly onto me, his handsome brows furrowed into a knot. “Do you like it like this? “I saw the package.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I thought you were going to use it with me. “Who did you use it with? “What am I, then? “If it could be just anyone, then why didn’t you choose me?” His tone carried restrained fury. With every accusation, his eyes grew a shade redder. Seeing him like this, I didn’t even know where to start explaining. “I…” The moment I made a sound, he cut me off. “Sorry. I lost my composure.” He let go and looked like he was about to turn and leave. I quickly grabbed his hand. “It’s not what you think…” Before I could spit out more than a few words, my stomach let out a noise louder than my speaking voice. Grrrrmble— In the empty hallway, it sounded exceptionally clear. My silence was deafening. “…Have you eaten? Come over to my place for dinner, and I’ll explain everything while we eat.” He didn’t say a word. He looked like he was in a terrible mood, but he still let me pull him into my apartment. Since I was streaming today, I had cooked rice in advance and prepped food in the fridge, planning to heat it up and eat after walking the dog. I posted an absence notice to my fans on my phone, then heated the food while carefully weighing how to explain things. Arthur sat silently on the couch, the back of his head facing me so I couldn’t see his expression. I analyzed the current situation. He seemed to think I liked aggressive romance, that I had used the wristbands with someone else, and that I was playing with his feelings? So, does that mean I can interpret this as him liking me too? At the dinner table, he ate very little. He didn’t look like he had an appetite, more like he was just going through the motions to keep me company. “Um… that package is indeed mine, but I didn’t use it for those things… “I have a dog named Waffles. He’s misbehaves during baths, so I used them to tie him up while washing him… don’t get the wrong idea.” He put down his chopsticks and looked at me. “Do you see a single shadow of a dog in this house?” I went silent. I had thought of everything except that he wouldn’t believe me. But with Waffles not home, my explanation did sound pretty unbelievable. I had Waffles’ dog bed in my bedroom. If I showed it to him, he should believe me, right? “Penny, do you like me?” I didn’t expect him to ask that. I nodded hastily. He breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had made some sort of resolution. “Then that’s all that matters. I don’t care about the rest. “If you like it rough, I can do it. Just don’t go to anyone else.” 06 “So that’s what happened. It was too much drama. I still haven’t recovered.” After Arthur left, I broadcasted my mind-blowing day on my stream. The chat comments flew faster and faster, and the viewer count skyrocketed. [Ahhhh so sweet!!!] [He’s so smooth!] [He’s down bad!] [Manifesting a handsome, obsessed boyfriend.] I couldn’t help but giggle like an idiot. Who would’ve thought? I assumed I was going to be blocked and treated as a pervert, but the tables turned, and I went from a one-sided simp to mutual love. [Maybe you just shouldn’t explain. I feel like you’re pretty into it.] [She still has to explain! Otherwise, what if he constantly thinks Penny has unhealthy relationships with other guys?] I thought they had a point. Even though this dynamic was admittedly intoxicating, I couldn’t seriously let him keep misunderstanding me. “When Waffles gets back, I’m definitely clearing things up. It’s just that it was so shocking earlier; I’ve never seen anything like that, so I froze in fear, hehe.” After chatting with them for a bit more, Toby knocked on the door to return the dog, so I took the opportunity to end the stream. After wiping Waffles’ paws clean, I took him and knocked on Arthur’s door. Opening the door, Arthur only had a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. His hair hadn’t been blow-dried yet, and water droplets rolled off the tips, sliding all the way down his collarbone and leaving a trail across his pecs and abs. I stared, completely mesmerized. “Come in.” My body reacted faster than my brain again. By the time I came to my senses, the door behind me had already closed. Waffles wriggled free from my arms and ran off into his apartment on his stubby little legs. “Waffles!” I warned him to behave, but Waffles just turned to look at me with a clueless expression. Helpless, I had to turn my gaze back to Arthur. “Now you believe me, right?” “Mhm.” His tone was affirmative, but he didn’t seem to care much whether it was true or not anymore. Looking entirely like, “Whatever, I’ve already made peace with it,” he reached down and scooped up Waffles. Maybe it was because he had smelled Arthur’s scent on me before. Waffles just lowered his head, took a sniff, and dropped his guard. He wiggled his big butt and nestled into a comfortable position in his arms. Haha, the feeling I hadn’t even experienced yet, he got to try it first. Maybe my gaze was too searing; Arthur looked up at me. “Want to touch?” I nodded my head vigorously like a rattle drum. “Touch if you want to. I showered, so you won’t get an allergic reaction.” I remembered what he said at the hospital before. So it really was playing hard to get. Then I won’t hold back. Without hesitation, I shooed Waffles away and threw my arms around his lean waist. I buried my face in his chest; it was cool and felt incredibly comfortable. I hugged him again and again, loving it to pieces. “Arthur, do you like me?” I mumbled. “What else would it be?” He kept a straight face, but his body was honest. His two arms locked me in tight, leaving no room for my hands to cause mischief. “Did you come over to try the wristbands?” I was speechless. “They really are for Waffles!” He clearly didn’t take my words to heart. With a flex of his arms, he hoisted me up just like I hold Waffles and dumped me onto the couch. “We didn’t finish the movie last time. You watch it first; I’m going to change clothes.” Actually, I wasn’t particularly interested in that movie. I just wanted an excuse to ask Arthur out. Unfortunately, my company had a big project right then, and I worked overtime for half a month straight, so we didn’t get to go to the theater. I didn’t expect him to keep remembering it. I sat cross-legged holding the remote, browsing the list for a movie to watch. Arthur sat down beside me, and the couch dipped slightly. Losing my balance, I tipped right over toward him. He stretched out his long arm and very naturally looped me into his embrace. “Throwing yourself at me?” My ears burned bright red from his hot breath. My hand jerked, and I didn’t even know what movie I clicked into. Until Arthur’s voice, speaking through gritted teeth, echoed. “Penny! Parker! What do you mean by making me watch this?” I looked closely. The title “Challengers” was incredibly prominent on the screen. The background image was a promotional poster of two guys and one girl hugging intimately. “No! My hand just slipped, I don’t know how I clicked it!” “Is that so? You sure have a lot of ‘coincidences’ surrounding you.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “439065”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Seven years into our relationship, Ethan Reed turned our wedding into a divorce ceremony for the third time, making a complete fool of me. This time, I didn’t yell or make a scene. My heart had simply died. Around me, his friends roared with laughter while I stood frozen in the center, my face expressionless. “Haley, why aren’t you laughing? Don’t tell me you’re actually mad?” I said nothing. Gradually, their laughter faded as they exchanged awkward glances. The silence became eerily oppressive. Only then did Ethan press his lips together and step forward to ruffle my hair. “What’s wrong? Haley, are you really angry?” I looked at him, suddenly remembering the conversation I’d overheard last night between him and his friends. “Ethan, aren’t you worried that pulling this stunt will make the Rose of the South actually leave you?” Ethan had answered dismissively, “I promised Vivian I’d mess with Haley three times. After this one’s over, I’ll give Haley a real wedding to make up for it. She’s been with me all these years, after all.” Now, I stared at him quietly and forced my lips into a smile. “A divorce ceremony, right? Let’s continue then.”

“Continue?” Ethan’s casual expression froze, his smile flattening. “Haley Grant, are you serious?” My gaze moved past him to land on the large banner that read “Let’s Get Divorced.” Seven years. Countless moments I’d spent yearning for us to get married, to spend our lives together. But in the end, what I’d been waiting for wasn’t “Let’s get married,” but this absurd prank. The first time I learned Ethan might propose to me, joy and excitement kept me awake all night. When I arrived at the venue in my carefully prepared dress and the curtain was pulled back, my heart shattered along with my hopes. That was the first time I’d ever lost my temper with Ethan like that. He spent a long time trying to calm me down. He promised he’d never pull that kind of joke again. But only three months later, the same thing happened again. That was the second time. The third time is now. My chest felt tight and suffocating. The whole thing seemed pointless. I answered him. “Yes, I’m serious. Let’s finish the ceremony as you wished.” Ethan’s expression darkened completely. He stared at me without speaking. Three seconds later, he suddenly smiled, though his eyes were empty, yet somehow filled with inexplicable anger. “Fine. Then let’s continue.” The crowd that had been mocking me and enjoying the spectacle fell completely silent, standing awkwardly in place. “Did he really screw this up? That shouldn’t happen. Nothing went wrong the first two times, right?” Another girl sneered. “How’s that possible? Everyone knows Haley Grant worships the ground Ethan walks on.” “She was all over him when her family still had money. Now that they’ve fallen, there’s no way she’ll let go.” I looked up at her sharply, my gaze piercing. She immediately fell silent, closing her mouth awkwardly. At that moment, a woman in a red dress stepped forward. “Haley, don’t be angry. I apologize, I…” “What are you apologizing for!” Ethan’s angry voice cut her off as he moved to shield her behind him. I turned to look. It was Vivian Song. Ethan stood between her and me, his voice low and confrontational. “What are you standing around for? Let’s go through with the ceremony.” The guy in charge came up on stage with his script, so embarrassed his scalp was tingling. “Miss Grant, do you willingly separate from Mr. Reed, whether he is rich or poor, with no regrets?” An absurd location, absurd words. And absurd vows that made my chest ache uncontrollably. Ethan stared at me quietly, his thin lips pressed tight, his whole body radiating irritation. “I do,” I said. The moment the words left my mouth, there was a loud bang. Ethan hurled the microphone to the ground, his face dark as he glared at me. “Haley Grant, you’ve gone too far.” I felt drained. An overwhelming bitterness washed over me. “What’s wrong? Isn’t this what you all arranged? How am I going too far by just going along with it?” He was momentarily speechless. He took several deep breaths, then kicked over a flower arrangement at his feet. He stormed off, pulling Vivian Song along with him. The venue fell deathly silent. The background music happened to switch to: “Happy Breakup, I wish you happiness, you’ll find someone better.” Ethan’s friend quickly turned it off, coughing awkwardly. “Um… Haley, this is our fault. Don’t be angry. Ethan didn’t know about this either.” I ignored him. Whether he knew or not didn’t matter to me anymore. I mumbled an acknowledgment and walked down the red carpet off the stage. When I walked out of the hotel, the sky was gray and overcast, rain pouring down. A black Maybach pulled up in front of me. The window rolled down to reveal Vivian Song’s apologetic face. “Haley, get in. We’ll give you a ride.” My gaze moved past her to the man beside her who hadn’t even looked up. I replied flatly. “No need.” I heard the man snort coldly and give a curt order. “Let’s go.” The water splashed up by the car instantly soaked the hem of my dress. I laughed bitterly and pulled out my phone to make a call. “Attorney Chen, the trust fund my father left—the condition for me to inherit it is to go to America to find Grandfather and never return, correct?” “Yes, Miss Grant. Once you land in America, you can apply for the inheritance.” Watching the taillights fade into the distance, I murmured. “Alright. I accept.”

I returned home soaking wet to find the lights blazing inside. Ethan and Vivian Song were just standing there, looking at me. As if I were the one who didn’t belong. “It’s too late. Vivian’s staying at our place tonight. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?” He studied me carefully, his body in a defensive posture. After all, the old Haley Grant, the Rose of the South, would have definitely rushed over and slapped her. But now… I only paused for a second before agreeing casually, “Fine. She can stay as long as she wants.” Before Ethan could furrow his brow, I changed my shoes on my own and headed to the master bathroom to shower. My stomach ached with a dull, sinking pain. When the hot water cascaded down, it was warm, gradually washing away the coldness in my chest. This kind of thing had happened before. The day Vivian Song returned to the country, Ethan had already brought her home. I stood in the living room, staring at the man at the door holding a drunk woman, my mind going blank. “You brought another woman home?” I laughed in disbelief. “Don’t you think you should avoid this kind of thing?” He didn’t even pause. He carried her to the master bedroom and laid her on the bed. My pupils trembled. He turned around on his own and went to the bathroom to wet a hot towel, gently wiping her face. While doing all this, he warned me. “Watch your words.” “Vivian is my childhood friend. She’s going through family troubles right now and feeling down. Stop giving her dirty looks.” I stood in the doorway watching him bustle around, unable to describe what I was feeling. Ethan had severe OCD. He absolutely wouldn’t allow me to come home drunk, reeking of alcohol. Once when I lost control, he had the driver take me to a hotel to book a room. The point was, I wasn’t allowed home. But Vivian Song could break all his rules. My thoughts snapped back as someone knocked on the bathroom door. “Haley, let’s talk after you shower.” The man’s magnetic voice sounded by my ear. I knew this was already him lowering his pride. Still, I didn’t answer. When I came out after showering, he was waiting by the door with a hairdryer in hand. “Sit down. I’ll dry it for you.” I happened to be tired. Why refuse when someone was offering to help? “Let’s just move past what happened today,” his slender fingers threaded through my hair, but they felt cold, icy, “and we’ll make things work.” “Mm, make things work.” Make my own life work. Hearing that, he breathed a sigh of relief, his tense expression gradually relaxing. “Good girl.” In the mirror, I observed those downcast eyes. Ethan had beautiful eyes. When he wasn’t smiling, they were sharp; when he smiled, they curved into crescents. When we first met, I ran into some local thugs at a bar who insisted I go into a private room with them. Back then, before my family’s downfall, I lived like no one in the South dared to cross me, so I hadn’t brought bodyguards. That middle-aged man, emboldened by alcohol, grabbed me by the hair and slapped me hard. “I’m doing you a favor by sleeping with you!” Just as the door was about to close, Ethan appeared. He kicked the man away, then looked down at me with mockery. “You’re usually so arrogant. How are you so pathetic now?” But I wasn’t angry at all. Instead, I fell for him right then. I chased after him for years. The hairdryer stopped, pulling me from my memories. Looking at him again, I realized with surprise that those eyes no longer stirred anything in my heart. “What’s wrong?” Ethan frowned and inexplicably looked away, a heavy feeling settling in his chest. “Nothing.” He was about to say something when the door was pushed open. Vivian Song walked in as naturally as if she belonged there, tugging at the man’s sleeve. “Ethan, can you stay with me?” “You know now that I’m back in England, you’re all I have. I’m a little scared.” Ethan glanced at me, hesitating. “Maybe I shouldn’t. I…” “Go ahead.” He looked at me sharply. Time seemed to freeze for an instant. Then he took a deep breath, as if deliberately trying to upset me. “Fine, then I’ll go stay with her!” I turned around calmly and got into bed on my own. That night, Ethan didn’t come home. And I passed out in my sleep, blood pooling beneath me.

When I woke up again, everything was blindingly white. Ethan sat beside me, hands pressed against his forehead, lost in thought. “What happened to me?” His whole body shuddered. He looked up, his eyes tinged with red. “The baby’s gone. Haley Grant, you were pregnant. Didn’t you know?” My expression froze. I could also hear the accusation in his tone. Just then, the doctor pushed the door open. I asked him, “Why did I miscarry?” He glanced at the medical report. “Habitual miscarriage. Your uterine wall is already very thin, and combined with getting caught in the rain, catching a cold, and developing a fever, miscarriage was inevitable.” Ethan shot to his feet, his eyes trembling. “Habitual miscarriage?” His eyes, filled with a gathering storm, fixed on me. “Haley Grant! Don’t you need to explain this to me?!” The doctor, sensing trouble, quickly distanced himself from the brewing conflict. I looked down, my fingers brushing over my stomach. My chest felt like it was being sliced with a small knife, sharp and painful. When I looked up, my gaze held a trace of hatred. “Explain what? The first baby—you personally had it aborted. The second one was drugged away by your mother.” “Did you think you hid it so well?” “Now, what right do you have to demand an explanation from me?!” His hands clenched into fists. The hospital room fell deathly silent, filled only with the man’s ragged breathing. “You… when did you find out?” “I knew from the very beginning.” When I miscarried the first time, we’d just gotten together. That day, I drank a glass of milk and felt dizzy and faint. Perhaps the dosage wasn’t enough, because my consciousness didn’t fade immediately. I heard the conversation between him and his mother. “Ethan, we can’t keep this baby. We need to devour the remaining shares of the Grant family. We can’t have this kind of complication now.” The man was silent for two seconds, his voice hoarse. “Alright, I understand.” He asked, “Will this abortion pill affect her body badly?” “Not much,” his mother said suspiciously. “Ethan, Vivian’s coming back soon. What are you planning to do? Mom knows you can’t let her go.” For a long time, he didn’t answer. He didn’t deny it either. I kept my eyes tightly shut. I wanted to cry, to confront him, but I couldn’t do either. When I woke up, perhaps out of guilt, Ethan stayed by my side constantly. “We’ll have more children in the future,” he promised. But I kept losing one child after another. My thoughts returned to the present. After I finished speaking, Ethan suddenly looked lost. “Haley, I…” His explanation was interrupted by someone pushing the door open. “Haley, I heard you had a miscarriage. I came to see you.” I collected my emotions and looked up. “Get out.” Vivian Song’s expression stiffened. She hadn’t expected me to be so blunt, leaving her unable to save face. She hesitated in the doorway, neither entering nor leaving. “Haley.” The man’s displeased voice carried a warning, as if his earlier guilt had been just an illusion. I suddenly felt powerless, my spine sagging. “I need to rest. Please leave.” I looked at the man with his brows knitted tight. “Is this attitude satisfactory?” Ethan opened his mouth, wanting to say something but unable to get the words out. Finally, he could only forcefully ignore the unease in his heart. He stepped forward and hugged me. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault. Haley, when you’re discharged, I’ll officially hold a real wedding for you, okay?” “I’ll make up for everything I owe you.” “Three days from now, okay? I’ll prepare everything. I’ll compensate you properly.” My heart felt nothing. He didn’t wait for me to nod in agreement either. As if afraid of hearing me mock him, he pulled Vivian Song along and left. My phone chimed. It was a text from Attorney Chen. “Miss Grant, due to the typhoon, the earliest flight is at noon three days from now.” “I’ve already booked your ticket. Someone will pick you up in America.” My fingers landed on the screen, typing as if I’d been set free. “Alright. I’ll be there on time.”

That evening, Ethan brought me home. “Drink some hot water.” He sat down beside me, concern seemingly overflowing from his eyes. If only Vivian Song weren’t there. I found it absurd. He went to the balcony to take a call. I don’t know what the person on the other end said, but he glanced at me. That’s when Vivian Song spoke up. “Still not leaving him?” I looked up at her. Her eyes were mocking. “Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone debase themselves more than you.” “You should know he’s loved me from the very beginning. Even those three times he humiliated you were just because I asked him to.” Hearing that, I found it laughable. “And what about you? No matter who Ethan loves, at least he and I have a marriage certificate.” “What gives you the right to lord it over me?” Vivian Song raised an eyebrow and suddenly laughed out loud. I was confused. But I had an ominous feeling. She glanced at the man on the balcony with his back to us, then suddenly leaned close to my ear. “So you still don’t know.” My lips flattened. My fingers unconsciously tightened on my sleeve. “Know what?” She said softly, yet her words landed like a crushing blow. “Your marriage certificate is fake. It was just something Ethan used to placate you.” “What did you say?” My voice was hoarse. Vivian Song pulled out her phone, opened the marriage registry system, and checked her marital status. Then she held it in front of my face with cold mockery. “Open your eyes wide and look.” My stiff gaze turned toward it. In the spouse column, it clearly showed: Ethan Reed! My mind went blank. Everything was so absurd I couldn’t accept it. My eyes glazed over. I turned around and looked at the man on the balcony, suddenly laughing bitterly. “So it was all fake.” Soon after, he hung up and came back inside. Seeing my expression, he frowned and reached up to touch my forehead. “What’s wrong? Still not feeling well? Why is your face so pale?” I instinctively stepped back. His hand hung in the air. Ethan’s fingers froze. “Rest well. The wedding is in three days.” Three days later, early in the morning, Ethan wheeled a wedding dress into the master bedroom, gently ruffling my hair. “Take a look at the dress first. It’s too heavy, so you’ll put it on at the banquet hall. We’ll go together.” I turned my face away, avoiding his touch. “I’m not feeling well. You go ahead.” He hesitated for a moment but nodded. “Alright. The ceremony officially starts at noon.” Watching his retreating figure, my eyes were full of mockery. I tore up all the photos of us in the house, scattering them everywhere. Thinking of the gift I’d prepared for him at the wedding venue, I laughed coldly. After venting, I removed my SIM card and left without looking back. At the same time, at the wedding venue, Ethan’s mother looked extremely displeased. “Son, what were you thinking? Are you really holding a wedding with her and spending your life together?” “What about Vivian?” Ethan’s heart felt inexplicably heavy, as if something was suspended high above, unable to settle. “Yeah, it’s decided. I’ll make things work with Haley. As for the marriage certificate issue, I’ll handle it without her knowing.” He glanced at the time and asked his assistant. “Go check if Mrs. Reed has arrived yet.” The assistant was about to turn around when the hotel manager burst in, face pale and gasping for breath. “Mr. Reed, something’s happened…” Ethan’s heart sank, his expression instantly darkening like storm clouds. “Speak clearly!” The manager’s voice trembled with fear. “The bridal dressing room… You’d better go see for yourself…” Ethan’s eyes shook. His usually composed face now looked like a storm was approaching. He rushed out and pushed the door open with trembling hands. When he saw what was before him, his breathing stopped.

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On the fifth day of my husband Owen’s business trip, his cousin Louise suddenly sent me a message. “Bruna, I saw the obituary Owen posted on Ins. I’m in postpartum confinement right now, so I can’t make it to your father’s funeral. Don’t be too sad. Take care of yourself and the baby.” My whole body froze. My dad was perfectly fine. What funeral? Also, Owen and I were childfree—where did this baby come from? I suppressed my inner unease and gave her a brief reply. Then I used a burner account, pretending to be his relative, and added Owen on Ins. Sure enough, I saw that obituary! I immediately drove three hours to the funeral venue. In the solemn funeral hall, I met Owen’s other “wife” from his Ins. She looked at me with red-rimmed eyes, her voice choked with emotion: “You must be Owen’s relative, right? Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend my father’s funeral.” My heart surged with shock as I carefully examined the woman before me. She wore an expensive black dress and only light makeup, yet it was clear she was extremely well-maintained. I tried to calm myself down, but my voice still trembled uncontrollably: “Where’s Owen?” “He’s…” “Mommy!” Before Emily could finish, a five or six-year-old boy rushed right over to her. My breath caught. That face was like a miniature version of Owen. Counting the time, I’d been married for five years. That meant Owen had been juggling two women at almost the same time. So, did she know about my existence? Between her and me, who was the mistress? After our marriage, Owen said he was afraid I’d work too hard, so he wanted us to be childfree. His family never gave me trouble over this even once. I’d always been touched by his thoughtfulness. Never did I imagine the truth was that he’d had a son with another woman! Emily crouched down and ruffled the child’s hair. A smile appeared on her pale face: “Jimmy, be good. I still have things to do. Go find Grandma.” My heart jolted. Mother-in-law Antonelli actually knew about all this! The boy nodded obediently and ran to an old lady. That was none other than Antonelli, who had been “bedridden with chronic illness.” Right now, she was holding her grandson and walking as spryly as could be. In my memory, from the first time I met Antonelli, she’d been sickly. Every day she took more pills than she ate food, and year-round she was practically a hospital regular. The reimbursement receipts Owen submitted piled up like a small mountain. My expression darkened, my voice trembling as I probed with a remark: “The old lady seems really healthy.” Emily didn’t notice my abnormal reaction. She sighed, her words carrying gratitude: “Yes, Antonelli loves me like her own daughter. She raised the child.” “I don’t work, and she gives me $20,000 in living expenses every month.” My heart clenched violently, and a suffocating feeling instantly enveloped my entire body. Owen lived with my family. Shortly after our marriage, he’d had surgery for a severe herniated disc. Since then, he’d been unemployed at home, responsible for taking care of household meals and chores. To support the family, I threw myself into business trips and overtime. I worked my way up from director to CEO, and naturally my salary rose accordingly. My father-in-law passed away early, and Owen had depended on Antonelli. To put his mind at ease, I’d suggested several times that we bring Antonelli to live with us, but he’d refused with various excuses. So I transferred $22,000 to Antonelli every month for medical and living expenses. It turned out this mother-son pair had been using it all to support his mistress and bastard child! There were quite a few guests at the wake. Emily didn’t notice my emotional state and brought me over to Owen’s relatives. I looked at these people’s faces—each one more unfamiliar than the last. Yet they all acted very familiar with Emily. “Emily, you’re the apple of Owen’s eye.” “For him and the child, you must take care of yourself.” Emily smiled bitterly, her left hand moving to her lower abdomen. “Don’t worry, I will.” They even had a second child on the way! I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, yet I felt no pain. Using the excuse that his hometown was too far, Owen had even kept our wedding simple. After marriage, I’d never heard of him keeping in touch with any relatives. I’d had my doubts. But he would sigh heavily and say that after his father died early, those relatives bullied him and his mother. Naturally, there wasn’t much point in keeping in touch. Only now did I understand—these relatives weren’t avoiding contact with him. They were just avoiding contact with me! In their eyes, they only recognized Emily as Owen’s wife. Owen, what kind of enormous trap did you set for me?!

The relatives around them kept praising Emily: “Owen is really good to you. I heard he claimed to be taking leave for surgery, but actually came home to keep you company. What a good man!” “Such strong work capability, always the top salesperson, and he hands over all his money, even has to report his pocket money to you.” “You don’t know how much we all envy you.” Emily’s face flushed, happiness practically overflowing from her eyes. “I’ve told him too that he needs to spend money when he’s out, and doesn’t need to be so hard on himself.” “But he cares about me, says he’s afraid I won’t feel secure, and he’s willing to let me manage things.” Only then did I realize—the surgery, being unemployed—it was all fake! “I heard Owen is about to be promoted to director, right?” “He’s so capable, he’ll definitely treat his wife even better in the future.” My heart jolted again. Director? How utterly ridiculous! Owen had a job, and I didn’t know. He had such a high salary, yet still felt entitled to spend my earnings. I’d never even seen him bring home a single penny! In reality, he’d given it all to another woman, supporting another household! Emily’s tone was gentle as she continued: “Owen is the best person I’ve ever met. Being able to marry him is the greatest blessing of my life.” “When he heard something happened to my dad, he rushed over immediately and arranged this entire funeral.” A few days ago, Owen had looked flustered, saying he needed to accompany a newly employed friend on a business trip. In reality, he came to be this woman’s support. And I’d thought he was being loyal to his friends. Turns out, the clown was me all along. “Not only that, everyone knows he’s afraid you’ll get tired, so he even hired a housekeeper for you.” “Emily, look how well-maintained you are, like a girl in her early twenties. You don’t look like a mother at all.” I thought of looking in the mirror before leaving—the exhausted face staring back at me. I was only thirty, but excessive overtime and running myself ragged for our small household had left me haggard. Yet the woman before me had clear eyes, unburdened by daily necessities. All because she had an Owen who loved her to the bone. But I didn’t. Emily’s eyes curved into crescents, the grief from our first meeting already more than half gone. “What touches me most is how good he is to my parents—so much better than me, their own daughter.” “He visits them every week, bringing all kinds of nutritional supplements. Each time he also transfers tens of thousands to them.” Perhaps mentioning her late father, Emily couldn’t help but shed two more tears. Because my dad was rather domineering, he disagreed with Owen and me being together from the start. I was blind, insisting I had to marry him. After marriage, to protect his pitiful little ego. I resolutely moved out of my villa and bought a small two-bedroom to have our own little world. Though it wasn’t far from my dad’s house, I rarely went back because of work. Owen would only visit my dad during holidays, going through the motions perfunctorily. It seemed cold, yet I couldn’t pick out any specific faults. He spent four days almost every week visiting his “sick” mother Antonelli. In reality, he came here to reunite with Emily’s family. He even used the William family’s money to give to his “in-laws” here. What a “good son-in-law”!

Owen called Emily: “Honey, I’ve bought everything needed for the burial.” “Don’t worry, everything for our dad is absolutely the best.” “Stop crying so much. You need to take care of your health. Our family will depend on you from now on.” Emily was moved to tears: “Owen, you’re the one who works hardest for our family.” “Don’t rush. There’s still time. Drive carefully and stay safe.” After hanging up, an old lady in a wheelchair came to Emily’s side. “Emily, where’s Owen?” Emily wiped away her tears and forced a smile. “Mom, he’ll be home soon.” She looked at me again. “I still have things to attend to. Could you help look after my mom?” With that, she turned to greet other newly arrived guests. Emily’s mother Laura sighed softly: “Emily’s father passed away suddenly. Owen prepared this wheelchair for me, afraid I’d be overcome with grief.” “He means well, so I can’t refuse this kindness.” Mentioning Owen, Laura’s face filled with pride. My heart had already gone numb with pain. Inadvertently, I caught sight of the gold earrings on Laura’s ears—they were my mother’s heirlooms! I thought I was seeing things, so I leaned closer to confirm several times. Both earrings had scratches I’d accidentally made as a mischievous child. In exactly the same positions! I was certain—these were my mother’s belongings! Inner fury surged up, rushing straight to my head. I reached out my hand, wanting nothing more than to rip them off right now and burn all bridges! But ultimately reason prevailed over impulse, and I didn’t do it! I did want to blow up this scene, but not to become a laughingstock! Making a scene like that would only make people think I was crazy. That would be too easy on Owen and this family. I retracted my hand frozen in midair. Laura asked me: “Are you married?” I tried to keep my tone steady: “Yes.” “How does your husband treat you?” “He cheated on me, wouldn’t let me have children, but secretly had a bastard with some tramp. He even used my family’s money to support that household.” Laura was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting me to say such things, then anger appeared on her face. “Disgusting! That man is absolute trash, and that mistress and her family are no good either.” Her words actually carried some indignation on my behalf. “People like that belong in hell.” “You can’t let them off easy, or they’ll think you’re a pushover.” Coincidentally, that’s exactly what I was thinking. Just then, Owen called me, his tone urgent: “Bruna, something happened with my friend.” “I urgently need fifty thousand dollars. Transfer it to me quickly!” My hand holding the phone kept trembling. I suppressed my rage and asked back: “What happened?” “Did someone in the family die?” Owen was stunned, seemingly not expecting me, who usually supported him unconditionally, to say such a thing: “Why are you talking like that?” “Is that harsh?” “What do I care about their business?” “Figure it out yourselves!” After hanging up, within seconds, a new message from Owen came through. [You usually act so understanding, but you’re actually this heartless.] [Bruna William, don’t regret this!] The next second, Emily’s phone chimed with a new message, and she walked over to Laura. “Mom, Owen says he bought you some jewelry.” Laura smiled and said, “That boy, so extravagant.” While looking at the images Emily passed her on the phone. When I saw that jewelry, I completely froze on the spot. They were all my mother’s heirlooms!

I finally understood what he meant by telling me not to regret it. This man wasn’t satisfied with just giving away the earrings—he had to go this far! It truly refreshed my understanding of him once again. How could someone be so shameless?! “Mom, Owen says it’s only right to be filial to you.” “He also says after Dad’s funeral is over, he’ll take a few days off work to take you out to relax.” “Even if just for us, you must take care of your health.” Emily’s voice trembled, tears instantly welling up. Laura’s eyes filled with tears as she gripped Emily’s hand and nodded firmly. Seeing this scene, my emotions were incredibly complex. A loving mother and filial daughter, a harmonious family. Without all this mess, I might have admired them like everyone else. But all these happy scenes were built on trampling the happiness of me and my entire family! Emily gracefully attended to the guests like a competent hostess. Laura in front of me sighed deeply again, as if talking to me, yet also to herself: “Owen even suggested bringing me to live at his place.” She pulled out a grayscale photo of her late husband from her pocket. She touched the smiling face in the photo, a tear falling. “Owen is a good man who knows how to care for people.” “Emily is with him, so you can rest in peace.” “Even I can close my eyes without worry now.” I instinctively clenched my fists, my brows furrowing. My heart felt like it was being stirred by something, unbearably painful. But whatever is owed must be repaid, no matter who it is, right? Images suddenly flashed through my mind. When Mom was critically ill, I knelt crying by her bed, hands trembling as I accepted the jewelry box. Mom said this was my dowry, and also a safeguard in marriage. Dad had a huge fight with me, determined to stop me from marrying beneath myself to Owen. When he learned I’d gotten married, he fell ill from anger. But he still offered me an olive branch first, telling me if I ever suffered any grievance, he would always be my support. In a trance, I seemed to see myself again, working late at the office that night. My heart full of expectations for a happy marriage. Now, the dream was completely shattered. I couldn’t help clutching the pregnancy test in my bag—one I’d stroked so many times it was creased. It read: Pregnant, eight weeks. I’d planned to tell Owen this good news when he returned from his business trip. But sadly… “Emily, I’m here.” Owen’s shout brought me back from my thoughts. I saw him gently embrace Emily, coaxing her like a child, wiping the tears from her eyes. I’d never seen such deep affection in his eyes. I was also hearing that tender tone for the first time. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here for everything.” I never knew he had such a responsible side. As for the other secrets he was hiding, I had no interest in knowing anymore. Watching the two of them openly display their affection, my heart felt no ripples. Turns out when anger reaches its extreme, it becomes abnormally calm. “By the way, where’s your mom?” “One of your relatives is looking after her.” Owen let out a long breath and nodded. “Then we should really thank them.” With that, his gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on a familiar figure. And I walked up to the podium and picked up the microphone: “Owen, my husband. How are you going to thank me?” The entire funeral hall instantly fell dead silent. His heart skipped a beat. Owen looked up in utter shock. When his eyes met mine, his pupils contracted and all color drained from his face.

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I’d been with Ethan for seven years before my mom finally agreed to meet him. At dinner, the moment my mom raised her cup, Ethan’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and gave my mom an apologetic smile. “Just a moment, I need to take this call.” That moment turned into forty minutes. The food on the table had long since gone cold. When he came back, his jacket reeked of women’s perfume. My mom said nothing. She just looked at me. The disappointment in her eyes hurt more than any words of blame ever could. Ethan sat down beside me and ruffled my hair. “Sorry about that. Had a last-minute issue with a project.” I forced a smile. A few days later, I got my marriage certificate. Only the groom wasn’t him. When my mom left the restaurant, her back was slightly hunched. A taxi waited by the curb. Before she opened the door, she turned to look at me. “Rachel, just trust your own judgment.” Nothing more. I nodded and watched the taxi disappear into the night. Ethan stood behind me, his hand on my shoulder. “Is your mom upset?” “No,” I said. “That’s good.” He let out a relieved breath. “Next time I’ll put my phone on silent. Today was really just an accident.” I turned away, slipping out from under his hand. “What project?” “Hmm?” He looked confused. “You said there was an issue with a project,” I said, meeting his eyes. “What project requires you to step outside for a forty-minute phone call?” He paused, then smiled. “Listen to that tone. You sound like you’re suspicious of me. It was Serena’s proposal—there was a problem with it. It’s her first time handling a project this big, and she panicked. I had to calm her down.” Serena. His assistant. Six months with the company. Twenty-three years old. “That took forty minutes?” “Well,” he said, pulling me close—this time I didn’t dodge. “It should’ve taken ten minutes, but she started crying. I couldn’t just leave her like that. You know how girls are—once the emotions start, it’s a whole thing.” “Not like you, though.” He looked down at me, his gaze tender. “My Rachel always understands.” A bitter taste spread through my chest. It was always like this. He always said I was the most understanding, then felt perfectly justified giving his time and patience to someone else. “Ethan.” “Yeah?” “Today was the first time my mom met you.” His hand stilled. “I know.” “She dyed her hair specially for today.” My voice was flat. “She hasn’t dyed her hair in ten years.” Ethan was silent for a few seconds. Finally, he just patted my shoulder. “I know. That’s why I feel even worse. Next time, I promise I’ll make it up to her properly.” “Let’s find a time. I’ll take her to that Italian place she likes. Sound good?” He finished speaking and glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. Let me take you home. I have an early meeting tomorrow.” He raised his hand to hail a cab. I stood there, watching his profile. The streetlight stretched his shadow long across the pavement. He was still the same Ethan—always saying things no one could fault. But suddenly I remembered three years ago, when my mom first said she wanted to meet him. Back then Ethan had said, “Let me get a bit more established first. I want to give her a better impression.” Two years ago, my mom brought it up again. He’d said, “Next year. Once this project wraps up, I’ll have more free time.” Last year, he said he was preparing for it. This year, they finally met. And then came today. The car stopped in front of my building. Ethan unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over for a goodnight kiss. I lowered my head, pretending to search through my bag, and avoided it. “I’m tired. Drive safe.” His hand froze mid-air. After a moment, he pulled it back. “Alright. Get some rest.” I got out of the car. The moment I closed the door, I heard his phone ring again. He answered it, his voice warm with laughter. “Still awake? Don’t cry. I looked over the proposal for you…” The car started and drove away. I stood downstairs, watching the taillights disappear around the corner. My phone buzzed. A message from my mom: “Are you asleep yet?” My finger hovered over the screen for a moment, then I typed: “Not yet.” After a while, she sent another message: “Rachel, I’m not old-fashioned. If you really love him, I won’t stop you.” “But I’ll say this once.” “Don’t undervalue yourself.”

I sat on the couch until two in the morning. Only a floor lamp lit the living room. On the coffee table lay a photo of my mom and me, taken on her birthday last year. In the picture, her eyes were crinkled into crescents from smiling, holding the scarf I’d given her. I’d spent a month picking out that scarf. It cost half my monthly salary. When Ethan saw the price tag, he’d said, “You’re buying her something this expensive? She won’t even have anywhere to wear it.” I didn’t respond. I bought it anyway. My mom was so happy when she received it, but she never wore it out. She said she was saving it for an “important day.” Like today. I stared at her smiling face in the photo, feeling my throat tighten. I got up and went to my bedroom, pulling an old tin box from the top shelf of the closet. Inside were things from Ethan and me over the years. Movie ticket stubs, amusement park passes, birthday cards he’d written. At the very bottom was a yellowed sticky note he’d slipped into my backpack in college: “Once I graduate and start earning money, the first thing I’ll do is marry you, so your mom won’t worry.” The handwriting was messy, but every word pressed hard into the paper. I stuck the note back in the box and closed the lid. My phone buzzed again. A message from Ethan: “Did you get home? Get some sleep.” I stared at the message without replying. Five minutes later, he sent another: “Still mad?” “I booked an Italian restaurant for tomorrow lunch. I’ll take your mom. You come too.” I stared at the screen for a long time. Finally, I typed: “No need.” He replied quickly: “What’s wrong? Are you really angry?” “Rachel, I know I didn’t do well today, but you have to understand—Serena’s project is really important.” “I’m at a critical point in my career right now. Once I get through this phase, I’ll give you all my time, okay?” I didn’t respond. I closed the chat window and scrolled to a contact labeled “Mrs. White.” Three months ago, my mom had asked someone to set me up on a blind date. This was the mother of that potential match. I’d refused immediately back then. My mom had said, “Just keep the contact. You never know.” I’d saved it but never planned to use it. Now, I sent Mrs. White a message: “Hello Mrs. White, this is Rachel. About what we discussed before—would that still be possible?” After sending the message, I turned off my phone. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. My mind kept replaying my mom’s expression today. And the perfume smell on Ethan’s jacket. It wasn’t the brand I used. The next morning, when I woke up, I had over a dozen messages on my phone. Ethan had sent seven or eight, ranging from “good morning” to “why are you ignoring me” to “what’s wrong with you.” Mrs. White had replied: “Of course! The young man is wonderful. How about meeting this weekend?” And one from my mom: “Rachel, are you okay?” I replied to my mom first: “I’m fine. Don’t worry.” Then Mrs. White: “Yes, thank you Mrs. White.” Finally, I opened Ethan’s chat window. His latest message was from ten minutes ago: “Rachel, aren’t you being too childish?” “I already apologized. What more do you want?” I stared at those two sentences, my finger hovering over the screen for a long time. In the end, I typed: “Let’s break up.”

Ethan’s call came through three seconds later. I didn’t answer. He called five more times. When the sixth call came in, I picked up. Before I could speak, his voice came through. “Rachel, are you done throwing your tantrum?” His tone was clearly impatient. “I’m not throwing a tantrum,” I said. “I’m serious.” “Serious?” He gave a cold laugh. “You’re joking about breaking up? Rachel, how old are you? Why are you still so immature?” “I’m not joking.” “Then what do you mean?” His voice rose. “Just because I took a phone call yesterday, you want to break up with me? Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?” “It’s not because of yesterday,” I said calmly. “It’s because of these seven years.” He paused. “What seven years? What are you trying to say?” “I’m saying,” I looked out the window, “I’m tired, Ethan.” “I’ve waited seven years. You’re always waiting for the next time. Next time the project ends, next time things are more stable, next time you have more time.” “But there’s never a next time.” He was silent for a few seconds, then his voice softened. “Rachel, I know you feel wronged. But you have to understand—I’m at a critical point in my career right now…” “I understand,” I interrupted him. “I’ve always understood.” “So you—” “But I don’t want to understand anymore.” The line went quiet for a moment. “Rachel,” his voice turned cold again, “did your mom say something to you?” “I could see her expression yesterday. She clearly has a problem with me. Did she tell you to break up with me?” My grip on the phone tightened. “This has nothing to do with my mom.” “How does it have nothing to do with her?” His tone carried a hint of sarcasm. “You were never like this before. You saw her yesterday and suddenly you changed.” “Rachel, you’re twenty-nine years old. Can you stop listening to everything your mom says?” I closed my eyes. “Ethan, I’m meeting someone this weekend.” “Who?” “A blind date.” The line went completely silent. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice full of disbelief. “What did you say?” “I said I’m going on a blind date this weekend.” “Rachel!” He practically shouted. “Do you even know what you’re saying?!” “I do,” I said, my voice flat. “I’m completely clear-headed.” “Clear-headed?” He laughed bitterly. “If you were clear-headed, you wouldn’t say something like this!” “A blind date? You’ve been with me for seven years, and now you’re going on a blind date? Rachel, do you have any—” “We’ve already broken up,” I interrupted. “As of right now.” “So me going on a blind date is perfectly reasonable.” “You—” He seemed too angry to speak. After a long moment, he finally said, “Fine. Go.” “Go on your blind date. Meet a hundred people if you want.” “Rachel, I’ll be watching to see how long you can keep this act up.” He hung up. I put down the phone. My hand was trembling slightly. But my heart felt calm.

My mom called ten minutes later. “Rachel, did you and Ethan have a fight?” I was startled. “How do you know?” “He just called me.” My mom’s voice sounded tired. “He said you’re going on a blind date and asked me to talk you out of it.” “He also said you were influenced by me, and told me not to give you bad ideas.” I closed my eyes. “Mom, don’t worry about it. This is my own decision.” “I know.” She said, “I just wanted to ask if you’re serious about this.” “Yes.” The line was silent for a moment. “Then I support you.” Her voice was soft. “You’re my only daughter. I just want you to be happy.” “If he truly cared about you, I wouldn’t care about losing face yesterday.” “But if he can’t even care that much, I can’t trust him with you.” My eyes began to sting. “Mom…” “Don’t cry.” Her voice carried a hint of a smile. “Why cry? This is a good thing.” “I already asked Mrs. White about it. The man is a teacher—solid and reliable. Meet him this weekend. If it doesn’t work out, just think of it as making a friend.” “And if it works out…” She paused. “I hope you won’t be deceived by a man again.” Tears rolled down my cheeks. “Mom, I disappointed you.” “Silly child,” she sighed. “You’ve never disappointed me. I just feel bad for you.” After hanging up, I sat on the couch in a daze for a long time. My phone buzzed again. A message from my best friend Sophie: “I heard you’re going on a blind date?!!” “Did that jerk Ethan call you?” I replied: “I’m the one who initiated the breakup.” She responded instantly: “You should’ve broken up ages ago!!” “I’ve been side-eyeing him forever!!” “Remember your birthday last time? He said he was on a business trip, but I saw his assistant’s location check-in on social media—she was in the same city!” I stared at this message, my fingers going cold. I called Sophie. “When was this?” “Last month, on your birthday.” Sophie said, “I wanted to tell you then, but you were swamped with that project. I didn’t want to distract you.” “Wait, let me find it for you.” Soon, she sent me several screenshots. From Serena’s social media. The photos showed a restaurant with candlelight and wine on the table. The caption read: “Thanks to Mr. Hayes for the guidance. This newbie is finally making progress!” The location showed our city. Posted at 8 PM on my birthday. That day, Ethan had told me he was on a business trip in another city. The project was urgent, and he’d have to work late. He told me to celebrate my birthday without him and promised to make it up when he got back. I stared at that photo for a long time. Candlelight, wine, warm lighting. And Serena’s eyes curved into crescents from smiling. “Rachel, are you okay?” Sophie asked carefully. “I’m fine.” I heard my own voice, completely calm. “Thank you for telling me.” “Are you really going on this blind date?” “Yes.” “Then I’m coming with you.” She said, “I’m not letting you go alone.” I smiled slightly. “Okay.” After hanging up, I opened my chat history with Ethan. I scrolled up to a month ago. That day I’d messaged him: “When are you coming back?” He’d replied: “The project’s a bit tricky. Might be a couple days late. Happy birthday, babe. I’ll make it up to you when I get back.” I’d responded with: “Okay.” Looking at that message now. Every word felt like a joke. That weekend, Sophie came with me to meet the person Mrs. White had introduced. His name was Nathan, thirty-one, a high school teacher. He was a quiet person, didn’t talk much, but answered questions very earnestly. He asked me, “Have you really broken up?” I was taken aback. He smiled. “I heard you had a boyfriend you were with for a long time. I don’t mind, but I want to know if you’ve really moved on. I don’t want to be anyone’s substitute.” I looked at him, suddenly feeling this person was very sincere. “I’ve moved on,” I said. “Or rather, I’m in the process of moving on.” He nodded. “That’s good.” “I can wait for you to fully move on.” After the meeting ended, Sophie pulled me aside. “This guy’s pretty good. Way better than that scumbag Ethan.” “And did you see how he looked at you? He genuinely likes you.” I smiled without responding. My phone buzzed. A message from Ethan: “Done with the blind date?” “So, how was it? Meet your standards?” His tone dripped with sarcasm. I didn’t reply. He sent another message: “Rachel, I’m giving you three days to cool off.” “If you don’t come back after three days, don’t blame me for what happens next.” I looked at this message and smiled faintly. I closed the chat window. Opened my contacts and sent Nathan a message: “Nathan, thank you for today. If it’s convenient, could we get our marriage certificate tomorrow?” He replied quickly: “Of course.” I put away my phone. Sophie leaned over. “What are you texting?” “Getting married tomorrow.” “So fast?!” Her eyes widened. “You’re serious?” I looked across the street at a coffee shop. Five years ago, Ethan had told me in that very place that once his career stabilized, he’d marry me. “Yes. Completely serious.”

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After three years together, Xander set a rule: we couldn’t hold hands for more than three minutes a day. He said we had to meet at the summit—that we absolutely couldn’t let ourselves get distracted before the SAT exams. I believed him. I suppressed my desires and stayed up late studying with him. The night the scores came out, there was a class party. I went to find him with my results—scores high enough to get into the same university as him. But at the bar, I caught him pinning Summer, the worst student in our class, against the wall, kissing her with wild, unrestrained passion. Summer gasped and pushed him away: “Xander, your girlfriend will be angry if she finds out…” Xander laughed carelessly: “She’s obedient as a dog. I just need to buy her a gift and say a few sweet words, and she’ll be fine. She can’t leave me.” Outside the door, my hands and feet went ice cold. My heart hurt so much I couldn’t breathe. I thought he had a low sex drive. Turns out he just wasn’t interested in me. I forced back the tears threatening to spill from my eyes and tore up that application form where I’d filled in the same choices as him, piece by piece.

I wiped away my tears, tossed the scraps into the trash, and walked back to our private room without looking back. Five minutes later, Xander and Summer pushed through the door one after the other. Xander’s expression was normal as he walked straight over to sit beside me, handing me a glass of water. “Have some water. Your voice sounded a bit hoarse from singing earlier.” I didn’t take it. My eyes were fixed on the faint red mark at the corner of his mouth. He noticed my gaze and casually wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. “What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?” He raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of indulgent helplessness. I felt nauseous. Before I could speak, a delicate cry suddenly came from the other end of the room. “Oh no!” Summer had fallen onto the sofa by the karaoke machine, her eyes rimmed with red. “I think I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much…” She clutched her ankle, but her gaze traveled over the crowd to land on Xander. Several guys immediately rushed over with concern. But Summer bit her lower lip and shook her head pitifully: “You don’t need to trouble yourselves. I’ll… I’ll just take a cab home.” Xander set down the water glass, his brow furrowing slightly. He stood up and turned to look at me. “Mia, it’s not safe for Summer to take a cab alone. Let me take her home.” I looked up at this face I’d loved for three years. “She just twisted her ankle, not broken her leg. Can’t the classmate take her?” A flash of impatience crossed his eyes, quickly suppressed. He reached out to ruffle my hair. “Come on, we’re all classmates. It’s just helping each other out.” “Don’t be so sensitive. Tomorrow I’ll go with you to submit your applications, and I’ll grab that Black Forest cake you love from my house, okay?” I turned my head away, avoiding his hand. This was the first time in three years I’d refused his touch. Xander’s hand froze in mid-air. “Xander, if Mia isn’t happy about it, forget it. I can manage on my own…” Summer grabbed the hem of his shirt, her voice choked with tears. Xander’s expression darkened. Without looking at me again, he gripped Summer’s arm and helped her up. “Let’s go. I’ll take you.” He didn’t give me a single extra word of explanation before walking out of the room supporting Summer. The moment the door closed, I heard classmates whispering: “Xander is way too good to Summer. I’m surprised Mia isn’t even mad?” When the party ended, it was already ten at night. I walked the streets alone. Passing by the corner convenience store that Xander and I used to frequent, my feet seemed nailed to the ground. Through the glass, I saw a young couple in school uniforms huddled together working on homework. The boy draped his jacket over the girl’s shoulders, saying something in a low voice. I stood in the wind, my nails digging deep into the soft flesh of my palms. The sharp pain came, and my eyes instantly rimmed red. But I bit my lip hard, refusing to let the tears fall. Back home, I turned on my computer by the light of the streetlamp streaming through the window. The screen lit up. In the center of the desktop was a folder named “MIT Sprint.” It contained scanned copies of every handwritten note Xander had made for me over these three years. My hand gripped the mouse, the cursor hovering over that folder for a full thirty seconds. Then I permanently deleted it. Just then, my phone on the desk suddenly lit up. It was a shopping link from Xander—a white floral dress. Immediately, a second message popped up. “Wear this dress tomorrow when we submit applications. I just bought it, it’ll look really good on you.” I stared at the product photo. This dress looked way too familiar. Last week, Summer had posted on Ins about receiving an early birthday gift—the exact same style. I pulled at the corner of my mouth in an extremely short, cold laugh. “I don’t want this so-called meeting at the summit anymore.”

“Mia, over here!” The next morning, outside the school hallway. Xander waved at me, holding a small cake box. A little flag was stuck in the box with the words: “See you at MIT.” I walked up to him, glanced at the cake, but didn’t take it. “What time did you get home last night after taking Summer back?” I looked into his eyes, my tone calm. Xander’s gaze flickered for a moment, the smile at the corner of his mouth slightly fading. “Around nine. Why?” I pulled out my phone, brought up a screenshot, and held it in front of him. “Then the message you sent her at 11:47 saying ‘home safe, remember to use the body wash I gave you’—were you sleepwalking when you sent that?” Last night after clearing the folder, I casually checked my social media feed. Summer had posted at 23:50 saying “Thanks Xander for taking me home, got the body wash.” Though she deleted it two minutes later, I’d already taken a screenshot. Xander panicked instantly, his fingers tightening on the edge of the cake box, but he quickly recovered. “Stop making everything into a big deal. We were stressed for three years in senior year—can’t I relax a bit?” “Or are you trying to control who I’m friends with too? Mia, when did you become so unreasonable?” Hearing these words, my mind flashed to the week before finals in second semester of junior year. Another guy in class had asked me to study together at the library on the weekend. When Xander found out, he gave me the cold shoulder for two whole days. In the end, I apologized first and deleted that guy’s contact, and only then did he return to normal. He had always held double standards. I’d just been too in love with him before, choosing selective blindness. “Say whatever you want.” I put away my phone and walked past him. He called after me: “Cool off for a bit. Fill in MIT computer science major for your application like we agreed. Don’t gamble with your future out of spite.” I stopped, looking back through the hallway’s glass window. Right in front of me, he answered a phone call. The name flashing on the screen was Summer. When he answered, the corners of his mouth turned up, his voice softened, his steps became light. Exactly like when he used to chase after me. I withdrew my gaze and walked alone into the classroom, sitting down at the computer. I logged into the application system. On the screen, the first choice field blinked with an empty cursor. I remembered when we first got together in freshman year, when Xander leaned on his desk and drew me a future plan. Freshman year, take photos together at the MIT entrance. Junior year, intern together. Senior year, he’d propose. I’d kept that draft paper tucked in my diary for three whole years. The mouse clicked. First choice: MIT Computer Science and Technology. I hit the backspace key. Cleared it and typed again. First choice: Harvard University, Law. The South. Two thousand miles away. This was my original dream when I started high school—the dream I’d personally abandoned to attend the same school as Xander. My finger hovered above the submit button. My hand was shaking. Not because I was hesitating, but because I suddenly realized that from this moment on, the boy who used to lean on his desk and draw me our future—he was truly dead. I clicked submit. Then I pulled out my backpack and extracted that future plan I’d saved for three years. I folded it once, then again. Then stuffed it into the paper bin in the corner of the classroom. As I left the classroom, Summer’s voice came from the end of the hallway. Around a corner, her voice floated over clearly. “Xander, I sneaked a bite of the cake you just bought for Mia… She won’t be mad, will she?” Then came Xander’s suppressed laughter: “You need to eat less sugar or your teeth will hurt again.” I carried my bag and left through the hallway’s other exit.

“Mia, why have you been ignoring Xander these past few days?” The first week after submitting applications, a classmate messaged me. I didn’t reply, just silenced my phone and tossed it on the bed. In the past, whenever we fought, as long as he gave me the cold treatment for three days, I’d be the first to back down. This time, Xander was clearly waiting again. I found an empty shoebox and packed all the things he’d given me into it. Handwritten problem sets, a cheap silver bracelet, sticky notes covered with physics formulas. When I got to the workbook from second semester of junior year, I opened the cover page. “Mia, I’ve organized the thought process for every wrong answer in this book. If you master them all, MIT is guaranteed. —Your Xander.” I ran my fingertip over the words “Your Xander.” Then I closed the book and put it in the shoebox. I picked up the packing tape, preparing to seal it. I didn’t cry, but when sealing the tape, I had to tear it three times before it broke. Because my fingers had completely lost their strength. On the third day, Xander finally sent me a message: “Been at my grandma’s in my hometown these past few days. Bad phone signal. Stop being mad and reply.” Below was a photo from his hometown. I still didn’t reply. That afternoon, I went to a bookstore downtown, planning to buy some travel guides for the South. While picking books on the second floor, my peripheral vision caught the first-floor café area. Xander, who said he was in his hometown, was sitting by the window helping Summer organize travel plans. On the table sat two milk teas, with two straws in Summer’s cup. I stood behind the bookshelf, my fingers crushing the corner of the book in my hand. Summer’s voice floated up clearly. “Xander, will Mia be upset that you came out with me?” “Is she still mad at you? Actually… my scores aren’t high enough for MIT either. You don’t need to worry about me.” Xander laughed lightly: “She’s so stubborn—where else would she go besides to me?” “She definitely filled in MIT. Don’t worry about it. After school starts in September, once she’s on my turf, I can just sweet-talk her a bit and it’ll be fine.” He paused, then added another line. “You’re different. I’m worried about you going to that community college alone. After I get settled, I’ll fly over to see you on weekends.” Summer giggled and tapped his hand. “But what about Mia?” “Her? She’s very sensible. Just buy her some flowers and she’ll be fine. Don’t worry!” I slowly released the crumpled book pages. I remembered the New Year’s Eve party in sophomore year, on the way home when Xander walked me back. I’d asked him: “If we ever fight, will you go comfort other girls?” Seventeen-year-old Xander had stopped and turned to look at me. Seriously and clumsily, he’d said: “Mia, I’ve given you all the patience I have in this lifetime. How could I have any left to give to someone else?” That was the best sweet talk I’d ever heard. Looking back now, it was just empty promises casually made by a teenage boy. I finally stopped feeling the pain. Because the boy who said those words and the person downstairs who said “just sweet-talk her a bit” weren’t the same person at all. I put the book back on the shelf, turned around, and went downstairs. I went home, grabbed that sealed shoebox, and stuffed it into the roadside clothing donation bin. Then I pulled out my phone and blocked his contact one by one. At the same moment, on the bookstore’s first floor. Xander’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it—not a message from Mia. He paid it no mind and continued helping Summer check travel routes. “I’ll give her the cold shoulder for two more days. When the acceptance letters come, I’ll take mine to her apartment building. I guarantee she’ll be moved to tears.” What he didn’t know was that below the group message he’d scrolled past, there was another one. The advisor had sent an @everyone notice in the grade group chat. “Please verify your application information, everyone. The system has been locked and cannot be changed.”

Mid-August, the acceptance letters finally arrived. Xander looked at the MIT acceptance letter in his hand, unable to suppress the smile spreading across his face. He pulled out his phone, took a close-up shot of the acceptance letter, and prepared to send it to Mia. He clicked send. A red exclamation mark popped up on the screen. Below it, a line of small text: “The other party has enabled friend verification. You are not yet their friend.” Xander froze for two seconds, then let out a scoffing laugh. He opened Ins. The message wouldn’t send. He called. It went straight to voicemail. But he didn’t panic. He even found it a bit amusing. This was the first time Mia had escalated the cold war to blocking him across all platforms. She must be really angry this time. But it didn’t matter. No matter how much of a fuss she made, wouldn’t she come back in the end? Xander switched back to the group chat and typed: “Mia blocked me, hahaha, she’s really going all out this time.” The group chat instantly exploded. “Xander, you’re so bold. You ignored her for a whole month and you’re not even worried?” “Mia’s such a good girl. If you just stand at her door with that MIT acceptance letter, won’t she just cry and throw herself into your arms?” He looked at these messages, in high spirits. He admitted that these past few months he’d gotten too close to Summer, and he felt a bit guilty. But that was different. Summer was just novelty. Mia was the one who truly understood him, who’d endured three years with him. He thought to himself that once school started, he’d definitely make it up to her properly. Xander rode his bike to the mall and walked into a flower shop. “Give me a bouquet of your most expensive red roses.” He tapped the counter. Payment: $399, more than double the $188 bouquet he’d bought for Summer. Next, he went to the jewelry counter and picked out a silver necklace with small diamonds. When he was paying, the clerk smiled and asked: “Sir, this necklace comes with free engraving. Would you like anything engraved?” Xander thought for a moment, his mind flashing to the words he’d written on the corner of their desk freshman year. “Engrave ‘Meet at the Summit.’” He thought this arrangement was absolutely perfect. He went home and changed into a dress shirt, checked his hair in the mirror, then pulled out his phone. He sent Summer a message: “Got something to do today. I’ll contact you tonight.” Summer instantly replied with a cute emoji. “Okay. Contact me when you’re done, Xander!” Xander smiled slightly and casually cleared his entire chat history with Summer. Just in case Mia wanted to check his phone when they met later. He rode his bicycle, holding that bouquet of gorgeous red roses with one hand. In the rear storage basket sat the cake box and the necklace box. He rode across the entire city toward Mia’s house. In his mind, he was already imagining Mia’s expression when she opened the door and saw all this. She’d probably keep a stern face at first, pretending to be unhappy. Then when she saw “Meet at the Summit” engraved on the necklace, her eyes would slowly redden. Finally, she’d reach out to take the flowers and quietly complain, “It’s good you know you were wrong.” She was always like this. For three years, he’d understood her too well. She couldn’t escape from the palm of his hand. Two blocks from Mia’s house, his phone started vibrating violently in his pocket. He stopped his bicycle, pulled out his phone and saw it was his high school teacher Mr. Johnson calling. Xander answered the phone, his tone relaxed and cheerful: “Mr. Johnson, I received the acceptance letter. MIT Computer Science. Thank you for three years of guidance…” Mr. Johnson cut him off directly. “Xander, I’m not calling about you. I’m asking you—what’s going on with Mia?” He frowned. “Mia? She should have received her MIT acceptance letter too, right?” A heavy sigh came from the other end of the phone: “With her scores, getting into MIT would have been more than enough. I even told other teachers you two would definitely go together.” “But when I got the final admissions list today…” Mr. Johnson’s voice suddenly rose. “Her application—she ended up choosing Harvard University Law School. That’s over two thousand miles from you.”

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On my way home, I picked up my last rideshare order. A man with a six-year-old child was on the phone with his wife. “Honey, I’m in the car now. I’ll drop off our son and come right back to spend our anniversary with you.” His wife’s voice came through. “Don’t we have a car at home? Stop taking rideshares. Those cars are filthy.” My grip on the steering wheel suddenly tightened. Not because of the insult in her words, but because the woman’s voice sounded exactly like my wife, Serena Moore. After the man hung up, he said apologetically, “Sorry about that. My wife is a bit of a germaphobe.” I nodded and probed cautiously, “What does your wife do for work?” The child answered proudly, “My mom’s a professor at Harvard! Her name is Serena Moore! She’s amazing!” The man stroked the boy’s hair affectionately. “My family would only let me marry a professor. She used to be a designer, but she became a professor for me.” It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over me. My whole body went cold. It really was her! Seven years of marriage, and her illegitimate child from her affair was already six years old! I suppressed my heartache and went home, only to overhear Serena on the phone. “Mom, find a way to make Holden have a car accident. Once he loses his memory, I’ll bring Preston and the kid home.” “I’ll arrange the best medical care for him, but he’s occupied Preston’s place for so long. It’s time he gave it back.” I stood frozen in place, my heart finally turning cold. Then I pressed send. [Dad, I agree to the arranged marriage, but the company has to go to me too.]

After finishing her shower, Serena placed a bowl of broth on the table. “You’re home so late today. Were you busy?” She was still playing the role of devoted wife, as if she wasn’t the one who had been cheating for six years. Serena rarely had time to cook. Usually it was me rushing home to make dinner for her. The old me would have been moved to tears by this bowl of soup. But I didn’t touch it. I just sat down and looked at her quietly. She sensed something was off, but still asked patiently, “What’s wrong? Bad day? Didn’t get any orders?” “You don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself. The kid thing—we don’t need to rush it.” I smiled bitterly to myself. Yeah, your kid is already that old. What’s the rush? Throughout our marriage, Serena had used her career advancement as an excuse to avoid having children. I thought she felt our life wasn’t stable enough, and I felt bad about how hard she worked as a professor, so I desperately took on orders to earn money, driving from 4 AM until midnight. Now it was clear. She just didn’t want to have children with me. Thinking of our seven years together, I held onto one last shred of hope. “Serena, is there anything you’re hiding from me?” “If you tell me now, I can pretend nothing happened.” Serena’s body stiffened. Clearly I’d struck a nerve. “What do you mean?” I didn’t bother explaining further. “I mean, who are you cheating on me with?” Suddenly, a slap landed hard across my face. Serena flew into a rage and knocked the broth to the floor. “Holden Hayes, you sit around doing nothing all day and come up with this nonsense?” “Imagining your own wife sleeping around—how disgusting are you?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. The last trace of affection disappeared. “I’m disgusting?” “When you told your mom to hurt your own husband, didn’t you think you were disgusting?” Serena froze for a moment, then frowned in disgust. “You eavesdropped on my phone call?” After a few seconds, she calmed herself and looked at me coldly. “Since you heard it, I’ll just say it straight.” “Preston and I have been together for many years. If he hadn’t gone abroad that year, and if you hadn’t saved me—” “How could I possibly have married someone as useless as you?” Her phone screen lit up. Serena glanced at something and her face filled with happiness. I laughed bitterly inside. So that man was still her true love. A belated pain started in my chest, followed by a dull ache from my ribs. That was a lingering injury from when I’d saved her. My breathing grew labored. “Serena, help me get my medicine… My rib injury is flaring up…” But Serena didn’t even glance at me. She grabbed her keys and walked out the door. “Holden, holding a favor over someone’s head works once. It won’t work a second time.” “You owe Preston so much. Apologize to him properly, and we can go back to how things were.” “I’m going to spend our anniversary with Preston. Think it over, then come find me.” My heart went completely numb. In her eyes, everything I’d done for her was just me holding a favor over her head. The pain in my ribs intensified. I struggled to move and find my medicine. Just as I took it, Lynn, my butler, called me. “Mr. Hayes, the arranged marriage with Miss Jones is set for three days from now. Please prepare yourself.”

I packed my things to go home. A colleague sent me a text message. “Holden, why is the platform full of bad reviews about you?” “The company fired you and locked your car access.” I felt no emotion. I knew without asking this was Serena’s doing. She wanted to use this method to force me to apologize, to force me to endure. But that was fine. I was going to resign anyway. This saved me the trouble. But the next sentence truly stopped me in my tracks. “Oh right, Miss Moore is actually the daughter of Mr. Moore, our chairman!” Serena was the daughter of Steven Moore, the owner of the rideshare company? My heart sank to rock bottom. No wonder management always gave me trouble and assigned me barely any orders. No wonder she could get her mother to sabotage me. But from our marriage until now, she’d lied to me, saying her parents were farmers in the countryside who couldn’t conveniently come to the city. I’d never met her parents. They hadn’t even attended our wedding. I didn’t care about her background, but I couldn’t accept that she’d deceived me for five years. From the very beginning, she never planned to accept me, and after all these years, she still hadn’t. I was about to block Serena’s contact information when an unknown number called. “Is this Holden Hayes? I’m Serena’s mother. Do you have time to come over for dinner?” I thought about it and agreed. Our seven years together deserved some kind of closure. I arrived at the Moore family mansion. Inside was lavishly decorated, filled with their relatives. After dinner, out of respect, I volunteered to wash dishes and clean up. That’s when I heard people around me gossiping. “So this is the man Serena never brought home? He’s quite handsome, but he looks so shabby.” “Oh honey, he’s just a rideshare driver who saved her once. How can he compare to Preston?” “Exactly. Preston may not have a job, but his family background is so much better.” I kept my expression unchanged, but my heart ached again. Back then, for Serena’s sake, I’d refused the family’s arranged marriage. I’d fought bitterly with my father and been kicked out of the house. I’d worked hard to give Serena the best life possible. She complained I was useless, yet the man she was devoted to was a freeloader who did nothing. The difference between love and lack of love was indeed obvious. Mrs. Moore sneered. “What husband? The marriage certificate is fake.” “My daughter said he’s just a male housekeeper Serena hired.” All the blood in my body seemed to freeze. I stood there rigid. The marriage certificate was fake? I thought of yesterday, when I’d taken out the marriage certificate to file for divorce, never imagining it was a fake document. The year we got married, Serena and I walked out of the courthouse together. She held that red booklet and smiled at me for the first time. “Holden, I’ll treat you well.” I’d been so excited I couldn’t sleep all night. How moved I’d been then was how ironic it felt now. Mrs. Moore even pulled out photos of their family of three and introduced them to everyone. “This is my real son-in-law. The child looks so much like his father, doesn’t he?” Just then, a news segment played on the TV. “The Moore family heiress has publicly revealed her longtime partner, Mr. Preston.” “According to the couple, they will hold a wedding of the century at the end of this month.” Looking at the TV screen showing the two of them smiling and snuggling sweetly together, I finally understood Mrs. Moore’s intentions. She’d called me here just to make me leave on my own, to establish in front of everyone that I was the homewrecker destroying their family. After gathering my things, I pushed open the door to leave, only to run straight into Serena, who’d just returned. Behind her stood the child and Preston. When she saw me, she slapped me without a word. “Holden Hayes, how dare you make a scene at my house?” “In front of all these people—what exactly are you trying to do?” After all these years, she still jumped to conclusions without asking, never caring about my feelings. My face stung painfully. I pulled at the corner of my mouth. Might as well make everything clear in front of everyone. “Serena Moore, I came to tell you that not everyone is like your freeloader mistress.” “I, Holden Hayes, never used a cent of your money or asked you for a single favor.” “From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other. Understand?”

Serena’s usually proud face showed a trace of disbelief and panic. “What do you mean? You want a divorce?” I laughed coldly. “Divorce? The marriage certificate is fake. There’s no divorce to speak of, is there?” “All these years with you, wasn’t I just a free housekeeper?” The Moore family relatives started chiming in. “Serena, this man just claimed to be your husband. What’s your relationship with him?” Serena’s earlier panic vanished in a flash. She gripped Preston’s hand tightly behind her. “How is that possible? Preston has always been my husband.” “Would I, Serena Moore, ever like a rideshare driver?” Then Preston smiled and put his arm around her shoulder, sizing me up. “Oh, it’s you. That driver from the other day. I guess it’s true—dirty car, dirty person.” I clenched my fists, holding back again and again. Forget it. Arguing with these people was a waste of life. But just as I passed by him, Preston lowered his voice and leaned close to my ear. “She hasn’t let you touch her in a long time, right? Want to know why?” “Because her body is covered with my marks. And you—you’re dirty and weak, can’t even hold onto your own woman.” Hearing that, my anger finally exploded. Though I no longer cared about Serena’s affair, I couldn’t stand the mistress’s constant provocations. But before I could move, Preston suddenly let go and fell backward down the steps. He slammed hard onto the ground in front of the mansion entrance, blood seeping from the back of his head. The Moore family members screamed. Serena shoved me aside hard and ran down to hold Preston. “Preston, Preston, are you okay… Does it hurt…” Seeing her face full of concern, I found it laughable. Years ago, when I’d saved her, I’d broken two ribs and used my body to pry open the crushed car door. I’d been in so much pain that tears streamed involuntarily down my face, yet she’d said coldly, “You’re a grown man. Can’t handle a little pain? Do you need to cry about it?” Serena turned her head and shouted at me with red eyes. “Holden Hayes, have you lost your mind? To get me, you want to kill Preston?” This was the first time I’d seen her this angry. I said coldly, “He fell on his own. Are you blind?” Before I finished speaking, a sharp pain shot through my hand. It was Serena’s illegitimate son. He was hitting my arm with a scalding kettle of hot water. “Bad man! Don’t bully my daddy!” I frowned and pushed the child away. But Serena suddenly rushed over and slapped me several times. She held the child tightly behind her. “You bastard, you even want to hurt my son?” “Holden Hayes, do you really enjoy using these dirty tactics?” Mrs. Moore pulled out her phone and pointed it at me. She was livestreaming. “Everyone come see! The homewrecker is making trouble at the real wife’s house, trying to kill her husband and harm the child!” I looked at this absurd scene and suddenly felt exhausted. No matter how I explained, no one would believe me. They didn’t care about the truth. They wanted to ruin my reputation. Serena kept pounding on me, her eyes full of hatred. “Holden Hayes, I must have been blind to show you any mercy!” “You’ve occupied Preston’s place for so many years—how dare you lay a hand on him!” “Get on your knees and apologize to him right now!” I almost laughed in anger. “Why should I apologize for something I didn’t do?” “You chose to marry me. You chose to cheat. What do I owe Preston?” I looked at them one last time, coldly. “Serena Moore, you’ve lied to me for seven years. You’re the one who owes me.” “I hope you never regret this for the rest of your life.” With that, I ignored everyone’s curses and walked straight out. After instructing Lynn to pick me up, I stood by the road waiting for the car. But the next second, a black car suddenly came barreling toward me. I couldn’t dodge in time and slammed directly into the hood.

When I woke again, I was lying in the Hayes family’s private hospital. My head was dizzy, and my right leg hurt terribly. But compared to when I’d saved Serena, this injury was nothing. My father’s hoarse voice sounded. “You’re awake?” I turned my head to see him sitting by the bed, his eyes red. “Dad.” Seven years. I’d finally seen my father again. He touched my head, as if only then daring to confirm I was really awake. “How long was I out?” “Five days.” Five days. That’s when I learned that to get revenge on me, Serena had deliberately called a car to run me over. Fortunately, Lynn had arrived in time and rushed me to the best hospital for emergency treatment, which was why I’d woken up. Luckily there was no major injury—just a mild concussion and external wounds. I tried to sit up, propping myself on my arms. A dull pain shot through my ribs. Dad said he’d already sent people to deal with the hit-and-run driver, but as for those two people, he’d leave them to me. I nodded without asking more. Of course I wouldn’t let them off easily, but not now. Then I remembered something else. “What about the arranged marriage with the Jones family?” Lynn hesitated. “Miss Moore said we could wait a bit longer.” I frowned and immediately threw off the covers to get out of bed. “No waiting. Today.” “Making a young lady wait so long—what kind of behavior is that?” Dad came over and patted my shoulder gently, saying nothing. Finally, I changed into a suit and got in the car heading to the Jones residence. On the way, I opened my phone. There was a message Serena had just sent. I didn’t open it. I just deleted it. When I arrived at the Jones residence, Amelia Jones was already waiting for me. She wore a white dress. Seeing me get out of the car, she paused slightly. I walked over and extended my hand. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Jones.” She smiled and placed her hand in my palm. “Just call me Amelia.” At the Moore mansion, Serena adjusted Preston’s collar. “Preston, the Jones family’s young lady is getting married today. I’m going over to discuss a project.” “Many elites will be there. It’s a perfect chance to introduce you around.” She took Preston’s arm and got in the car heading to the Jones residence. She opened her chat with Holden Hayes, still feeling uneasy. “Have you finished throwing your tantrum? When you’ve thought it through, come apologize to Preston.” “As long as you sincerely apologize, I can let it go. We can go back to how things were.” But he hadn’t replied to a single message these past few days. After thinking, she sent another one. “I was wrong about the marriage certificate. Whatever compensation you want, I’ll give it to you.” After sending it, she took Preston’s arm and entered the Jones family reception hall. Inside, business elites packed the space. Once everyone had arrived, the Jones family announced they would present the newlyweds. Preston said enviously, “I heard the man marrying Miss Jones has an even better background. I wonder which Mr. Hayes it is.” As soon as he finished speaking, I walked into the hall with a smile, holding Amelia Jones’s hand. The guests below applauded to congratulate us. After Serena saw my face clearly, she froze in place. Her purse dropped to the floor with a thud.

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Once again, Ethan Pierce pinned me down and took what he wanted. When it was over, he stared at my face and whispered another woman’s name. “Yolanda, I love you.” Yolanda Reed was the woman he truly loved. And I had been his secret lover for eight years. I thought eight years by his side would finally make him love me. But the moment Yolanda came back, he got down on one knee and proposed on live television. Ethan even made me, his assistant, present the engagement ring. When I walked onstage holding the box, Yolanda leaned close to my ear and whispered with a soft laugh. “Thanks for warming his bed for eight years. Now it’s time to give him back to his rightful owner.” The crowd erupted in applause. The lights were blinding. And that man who had me pinned beneath him just last night didn’t spare me a single glance as he kissed Yolanda passionately. My heart turned to ash. It was finally time to leave. Sienna POV Ethan Pierce’s control over my body was as absolute as ever. In the dark, castle-like master bedroom, he’d just finished another empty, emotionless round. I barely had time to take the pill from the nightstand before exhaustion shut my eyes. When I woke again, it was already the next morning. A sharp ringtone jolted me awake. I pulled on a robe and walked to the living room, only to find Ethan’s special assistant standing there with a freshly printed legal contract in hand. “Miss Sienna Hayes, Mr. Pierce has instructed you to sign this copyright transfer agreement.” The assistant’s voice was all business, devoid of any warmth. I was a children’s book author. During these eight years by Ethan’s side, I had written countless warm and healing fairy tales under the pen name Starlight. The worlds I created were filled with light, miracles, and unwavering love. But in reality, I was just Ethan’s secret lover who could never see the light of day. I lowered my gaze to the contract. “The Deer Above the Clouds.” This was my latest full-length fairy tale, three years in the making, my heart and soul poured into every word. And in the transferee column, two words were printed clearly. Yolanda Reed. “What is this supposed to mean?” My fingertips went ice-cold instantly. My voice trembled uncontrollably. Ethan emerged from his study wearing an impeccably tailored dark suit, his features cold and sharp, radiating aristocratic hauteur. “Exactly what it says.” He spoke casually, his tone matter-of-fact. “Yolanda’s depression has gotten worse recently. She needs an opportunity to return to the public eye. This fairy tale has a very healing tone. Publishing it under her name will be good for both her condition and her image.” My brain exploded with a roar. I stared in disbelief at this man I had loved for eight years. “Ethan, that’s my life’s work! Every single word, every single story. I stayed up countless nights writing it. Yolanda hasn’t even read it. What gives you the right to hand it over to her?” Yolanda Reed, Ethan’s first love, the woman he cherished most. A year ago, Yolanda’s career abroad hit rock bottom, and she came back carrying the label of “depression.” From that day on, my life became absolute hell. Whenever Yolanda was the slightest bit unhappy, Ethan would trample me underfoot without hesitation. Ethan frowned slightly, as if displeased by my resistance. “Sienna, don’t be unreasonable. You write fairy tales to make money, don’t you? I’ll compensate you ten times the royalties for this book. Yolanda is mentally fragile right now. She needs applause and flowers to rebuild her confidence. You’re just a ghostwriter. What use do you have for fame?” I bit down hard on my lower lip until I tasted blood. Ten times compensation? To me, fairy tales were my only refuge in this broken life. They were my soul. They were the light that kept me alive. But Ethan was about to rip out my soul with casual ease and stitch it onto Yolanda’s false shell. “I don’t want the money.” I looked at him. “I wrote this fairy tale for Oliver. I will never give it to anyone, especially not Yolanda!” Oliver, Oliver Hayes, my younger brother who had autism. Hearing my refusal, Ethan’s gaze turned ice-cold in an instant. He stepped forward, his long fingers gripping my chin with force enough to crush bone. “What makes you think you have the right to negotiate with me?” Ethan looked down at me from above, his voice laced with frost. “Everything you and your brother have had these past years. Who do you think paid for it? Now Yolanda needs it. So you’ll give it to her.” My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand. I couldn’t breathe from the pain. Eight years. When I was eighteen, my parents died, leaving me alone with my autistic brother with nowhere to turn. Ethan descended like an angel and gave me a home. I thought it was salvation, so I gave him my entire heart, my entire life. I was the quiet, obedient woman by day and the bedmate he could take at will by night. I thought if I was good enough, if I loved him enough, someday I could melt this iceberg. Even in bed, in his most passionate moments, he had kissed my forehead and called my name. Turned out it was all just a dream. A tear fell from my eye onto the back of Ethan’s hand, scalding him into a brief pause. But he quickly released me in disgust. “Sign it.” Ethan took the fountain pen his assistant handed him and threw it on the coffee table. “Don’t make me use other methods. You know Oliver is still at the care facility.” My whole body trembled. He was threatening me with my brother. I closed my eyes as tears slid down my cheeks. Eight years of devotion, and in the end, all I got was a calculated robbery with a price tag. My hand shook as I picked up the pen and signed my name on the agreement. Every stroke felt like carving flesh from my own body.

Sienna POV Three days after signing the agreement, Yolanda made her high-profile comeback with “The Deer Above the Clouds.” News articles flooded every outlet praising Yolanda as a “talented beauty author,” saying she used fairy tales to heal herself and the world. I sat in my dim room, watching Yolanda’s radiant smile on the screen, my heart bleeding with every beat. But I didn’t even have time to grieve. The care facility called. Something had happened to Oliver. I stumbled to the facility in a panic. When I arrived, Oliver was curled in the corner of the art room, trembling violently, clutching broken paintbrush shards in his hands. Torn papers littered the floor. “Oliver!” I rushed over and wrapped my brother tightly in my arms. Oliver was an autistic savant. He couldn’t speak, so all his emotions came through in his art. Every illustration in “The Deer Above the Clouds” had been drawn by Oliver, stroke by painstaking stroke. “The deer… it’s gone…” Oliver forced out a few words, his eyes filled with terror and despair. My heart felt like it was tearing apart. I turned around to see Yolanda standing at the art room door, with Ethan beside her. Yolanda wore a pristine white dress, looking like an innocent angel. She hid behind Ethan, her eyes rimmed with red. “Ethan, I just wanted to visit Oliver and let him know his paintings would be published under my name from now on, so he wouldn’t worry. Who knew he’d suddenly go crazy and almost hurt me…” My brain exploded with rage. It wasn’t just the words. They were stealing Oliver’s artwork too! “Yolanda Reed, do you have no conscience?!” I stood up. “Stealing my book wasn’t enough? You had to come provoke Oliver too? Those paintings are his life!” I lunged forward to push Yolanda away, but Ethan grabbed my wrist and flung me aside violently. I lost my balance and crashed hard onto the floor covered with torn paper. A broken paintbrush sliced open my palm, leaving a long gash that bled profusely. Ethan looked down at me from above, his eyes full of warning. “Sienna, have you lost your mind? Yolanda came here out of kindness to visit him, and your brother not only showed no gratitude but almost injured her hand. She’s a violinist. Don’t you know how important her hands are?” I lay on the floor, staring at my bleeding palm, and laughed. Yolanda’s hands mattered, but my brother’s life didn’t? “Ethan, are you blind?” I pointed at Oliver cowering and trembling in the corner. “She came here to steal Oliver’s paintings! She’s the one who pushed him to this!” “Enough!” Ethan cut me off coldly. “It seems this facility is no longer suitable for Oliver. I’ll arrange to send him to a closed psychiatric rehabilitation center abroad. There, he can receive proper discipline.” I felt like I’d been plunged into ice water. A closed rehabilitation center abroad. In other words, a psychiatric institution. For someone like Oliver, going there was a death sentence. “No! You can’t take Oliver away!” Ignoring my injured hand, I crawled over and clutched Ethan’s legs desperately. “Mr. Pierce, I’m begging you. I gave you the book, I gave you the paintings, let Yolanda take everything, all of it! Just please don’t send Oliver away. He’ll die without me!” I abandoned every shred of dignity, humbling myself to dust. Ethan looked down at me clinging to his legs, his brow furrowing slightly. But then Yolanda gently tugged at his sleeve. “Ethan, I’m so scared. Oliver looked terrifying just now…” Yolanda leaned weakly against his shoulder. Ethan’s gaze hardened once more. He pried my fingers off one by one, his voice utterly flat. “This isn’t up for discussion. Keeping him here will only make him a threat to Yolanda. Tomorrow morning, I’ll have someone pick him up.” With that, he put his arm around Yolanda and left the art room without looking back. I collapsed on the floor, watching their retreating figures, tears streaming down uncontrollably. I had always thought that even though Ethan was cold, he at least had some compassion for me. Now I understood. In Yolanda’s presence, my brother and I didn’t even qualify as human beings. We were just stepping stones on Yolanda’s path to success, ready to be crushed at any moment. I turned and held Oliver, burying my face in my brother’s thin shoulder, crying silently. I had to find a way to save my brother. Even if it cost me my life, I couldn’t let Ethan take Oliver away.

Sienna POV To stop Oliver from being sent abroad, I stood outside Ethan’s villa all night. The autumn night rain cut through me with bone-chilling cold. I was soaked to the skin, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t until the next morning that Ethan’s black sedan finally pulled through the gate. The car window rolled down. Ethan saw me standing in the rain, his brow furrowed deeply. “Get inside.” He threw out those cold words. I followed him into the living room. Rainwater dripped from my hair onto the expensive carpet. Ethan removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie, his sharp gaze fixed on me. “Playing the victim? Sienna, when did you learn these underhanded tactics?” I stood there numbly, my voice so hoarse I could barely speak. “As long as you don’t send Oliver away, I’ll do anything.” Ethan let out a cold laugh and walked up to me, his long fingers hooking open my soaked collar. “Anything?” His tone was mocking. “Besides this body of yours, what else could possibly interest me?” I closed my eyes and didn’t resist as he scooped me up and threw me onto the bedroom’s large bed. What followed was a conquest without foreplay, only punishment. Ethan seemed to be venting some unknown fury, his movements rough and brutal. I gritted my teeth and didn’t cry out once in pain. Only silent tears slid from the corners of my eyes, soaking the pillow. I let him tear into me. When it was over, Ethan looked at me, his brow furrowing slightly. “Oliver can stay for now.” Ethan lit a cigarette, dispensing his mercy in the coldest tone possible. “But you have to move out of your current apartment and live in my villa in the western suburbs. You’re not allowed to leave without my permission.” The western suburb villa was where Ethan kept his “pets” in a gilded cage. “Okay.” I agreed without a moment’s hesitation. As long as I could protect my brother, I would give up even my life, let alone my freedom. For the next two weeks, I was completely confined. Ethan came almost every night. He adorned me with the most expensive jewelry and possessed me with the most extreme control. He was trying to prove that I still belonged completely to him. But during the day, I was forced to do the most humiliating work. Ghostwriting for Yolanda. “The Deer Above the Clouds” was a huge success, and the publisher demanded Yolanda produce a sequel as soon as possible. Yolanda couldn’t write a single word herself, so Ethan forced the task onto me. “Ten thousand words per day. If you don’t finish, Oliver’s medical expenses stop.” Those were Ethan’s exact words. I sat at the computer, staring at the screen filled with fairy tale elements that should have been mine, now bearing someone else’s name. Every keystroke felt like a knife cutting into my heart. I wrote faster and faster, but the stories grew sadder and sadder. The princesses in my stories no longer had knights to protect them. They could only bleed alone in dark forests. One afternoon, the villa door opened. It wasn’t Ethan who entered, but Yolanda. Yolanda looked at me, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. “Sienna, do you think Ethan comes to see you every night because he loves you?” Yolanda walked to the desk and casually flipped through my discarded drafts, her tone contemptuous. “He just doesn’t want to hurt me. My wrist was injured, my body is delicate. He can’t bear to touch me. So he uses you as a tool to vent his frustrations instead.” My fingers froze on the keyboard. “Do you know Ethan bought me a wedding dress yesterday?” Yolanda leaned closer, lowering her voice. “At next month’s book launch, he’s going to propose to me. And you? You’ll always be nothing but a dirty woman who can’t see daylight, who doesn’t even deserve to have her name on her own work.” I stared at the screen, my nails digging deep into my palms. I said nothing. I thought my heart had already died, but hearing the word “propose” still made it convulse with pain. Seeing that I wouldn’t fight back, Yolanda seemed to lose interest. She scoffed and left. The room fell silent again. I looked at the sentence on my screen. “The deer finally died on a night without stars.” I covered my face and let out a desperate, muffled cry.

Sienna POV The launch event was dazzling, packed with media and celebrities. I was supposed to be confined to the western suburb villa, but out of the blue, Ethan had someone deliver a haute couture gown and ordered me to attend. “Yolanda’s signing session needs an assistant to hand her pens and organize manuscripts. You’re most familiar with this material. You’ll go.” Ethan’s reasoning sounded official, but every word cut like a blade. I wore an ill-fitting gray business suit and stood in the shadows where the spotlights couldn’t reach. I watched the center of the stage. Yolanda wore a white haute couture gown, looking every bit the fairy tale princess. She held the trophy that should have been mine, smiling gracefully and beautifully. “This work wouldn’t exist without the most important person in my life.” Yolanda spoke into the microphone, gazing affectionately at Ethan in the front row. “He gave me inspiration, and he pulled me out of the abyss of depression.” Thunderous applause erupted. Ethan walked onstage and took the microphone from the host. His usually stern face now wore an unusually gentle smile. “Yolanda is a genius. She deserves the best of everything this world has to offer.” Ethan looked at Yolanda, his voice deep and pleasant. Then, before countless flashing cameras, he dropped to one knee and produced a dazzling diamond ring. “Yolanda, marry me.” The crowd went wild. Romantic confetti rained down from above. I stood in the corner, coldly watching this scene unfold. My heart had gone numb from pain. Even breathing tasted like blood. Eight years. I had accompanied him through his family’s most difficult power struggles, shielded him from harm in the business world, and even nursed him meticulously for a month when he had a bleeding ulcer. I had naively thought that if I just kept waiting, someday he would turn around and truly see me. But now, he was giving all his glory, favor, and promises to another woman. And I had been personally pushed into the mud by his hands, forced to witness their happiness. “Could the assistant please bring up the books for signing?” The host’s voice suddenly rang out. A spotlight hit me. Every eye in the venue focused on me. I froze in place. Yolanda smiled and beckoned. “Come on over, everyone’s waiting.” Ethan also turned his head, his gaze locking coldly onto me with unquestionable authority. I took a deep breath, picked up the thick stack of new books, and walked toward the stage step by step. The book’s cover bore Yolanda’s name. The illustrations were Oliver’s. The words were mine. This was my brother’s and my flesh and blood, now reduced to props for someone else’s romance. When I reached Yolanda’s side, she suddenly lowered her voice to a volume only we could hear. “Sienna, see? Your life’s work, your man. They’re all mine now. You’re nothing but a complete failure.” My hands trembled violently. The books tumbled from my arms and scattered across the floor with a loud crash. Gasps rippled through the audience. “What kind of work is this? You can’t even do such a simple task!” Ethan shouted harshly. “Hurry up and pick them up! Apologize to Yolanda!” I looked at the books scattered on the floor, at Ethan’s heartless face, and suddenly found it all absurd. I didn’t bend down to pick up the books. Instead, I stood straight and looked directly at Ethan. “Ethan, do you really love her?” My voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet venue, it rang out clearly. Ethan’s brow furrowed tightly. “What nonsense are you spouting? Security, get her out of here!” “If you don’t love her, why did you steal my life to give to her?” I smiled, the last light in my heart extinguishing completely. “If you do love her, then why do you pin me down every night and call out her name?” The moment those words left my mouth, the entire venue fell deathly silent. Yolanda’s face went deathly pale. Ethan’s eyes churned with a terrifying storm. “Shut her up and drag her out!” Ethan exploded with rage. Several security guards rushed forward, roughly twisting my arms behind my back and dragging me away. I didn’t struggle. I just turned back and looked deeply at Ethan one last time. In my heart, there was no more love, no more hate. Only the dead ashes of what once was. Ethan, I don’t owe you anything anymore.

Sienna POV After the launch event scandal, Ethan’s revenge became absolutely insane. I was completely cut off from the outside world, locked in the western suburb villa like a real prisoner. Every day, aside from being forced to write, I endured Ethan’s furious punishment at night. Ethan used his actions to show me exactly what happened when I defied him. But I didn’t care about any of it anymore. The only thing I still worried about was Oliver. However, the thing I feared most still happened. Late one night, the villa’s landline suddenly rang. The servant watching over me wasn’t there, so I picked up the phone. “Is this the family member of Oliver Hayes? This is the care facility. The patient’s condition is critical. Please come immediately!” The doctor’s voice was extremely urgent. My mind went completely blank. I bolted out of the villa without thinking. Rain poured down. I had no umbrella, no money, didn’t even have my shoes on properly. I ran barefoot through the storm for what felt like forever before finally flagging down a taxi. When I reached the facility, Oliver had already been rushed into the emergency room. “What happened? What’s wrong with Oliver?” I grabbed the nurse’s hand, trembling uncontrollably. The nurse sighed. “This afternoon, a Miss Reed came to visit him. We don’t know what she showed him, but the patient suddenly lost complete emotional control, triggered severe stress-induced heart failure, and… and mutilated both his hands.” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. Yolanda! It was Yolanda again! I rushed into the hospital room and saw the floor covered with twisted, bloody drawings Oliver had made. Every single one screamed silently. I collapsed in the pool of blood, my heart so broken I couldn’t even cry. I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and dialed Ethan’s number. Once, twice, three times… no answer. Oliver needed to be transferred. He needed the top specialists for consultation. All of this required Ethan’s approval, required the Pierce family’s resources. I had one last option. I called Ethan’s special assistant. “Miss Hayes, Mr. Pierce is currently on a yacht celebrating Miss Reed’s birthday. He’s given strict orders not to be disturbed by anyone.” The assistant’s voice was ice-cold. “Please, just let me speak to him for one second! Oliver is dying. He needs to be transferred to another hospital. Please!” I stood outside the emergency room, desperately pleading into the phone. After a moment of silence, Ethan’s impatient voice finally came through. “Sienna, what game are you playing now?” Hearing his voice, I grasped at that sliver of light. “Ethan, Oliver is dying! Yolanda went to provoke him. He went into heart failure and destroyed his hands! Please help me. Send a helicopter to get him to the best hospital. I’m begging you!” I could hear Yolanda’s sweet laughter in the background, probably cutting cake. Ethan’s voice instantly turned arctic. “Sienna, there’s a limit to how much you can lie. Yolanda has been with me all day. How could she possibly have gone to the facility? Are you so desperate to ruin her birthday that you’d even curse your own brother’s life?” “I’m not lying! Check the surveillance footage! Ethan, this is a human life!” I screamed hoarsely, my throat filled with the taste of blood. “Enough!” Ethan cut me off brutally. “Oliver going crazy is his own problem. Since he destroyed his own hands, he’s just a useless wreck now anyway. I don’t have time to deal with your mess.” The call ended mercilessly. I stared blankly as my phone screen went dark. Useless wreck. My brother was a genius who had been driven to this, step by step, by them! Just then, the emergency room light went out. The doctor emerged, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Miss Hayes. We did everything we could. The patient… didn’t make it.” I didn’t cry. I slowly stood up and watched as they wheeled out Oliver’s body, covered with a white sheet. I pulled back the sheet and looked at his pale face and his hands, which he had bitten until they were mangled beyond recognition. “Oliver, don’t be afraid. I’m taking you home.” I gently stroked his ice-cold cheek. My heart, in that moment, died completely. Not even ashes remained.

Sienna POV On the luxury yacht Ethan had chartered for Yolanda, lights blazed and elegantly dressed guests mingled. Yolanda wore that starry gown, nestled against Ethan’s side, accepting everyone’s blessings and envious gazes. I shoved the banquet hall doors open with force. The cheerful music cut off abruptly. Every eye turned to me. I wore a thin windbreaker soaked through with rain and mud, barefoot, the soles of my feet covered in bloody cuts. The moment Ethan saw me, his expression darkened sharply. “What are you doing here?” Ethan strode over, trying to block everyone’s view, and hissed quietly in fury. “Didn’t you embarrass yourself enough last time? Get out of here!” I ignored him. I stared hard at Yolanda hiding behind him. “Yolanda Reed, what did you show Oliver this afternoon?” My voice was eerily calm. Yolanda flinched and clutched Ethan’s sleeve tighter. “Ethan, I’m scared… She looks like a lunatic…” “Sienna! I told you, Yolanda was with me all day!” Ethan grabbed my wrist, squeezing hard enough to shatter bone. “Where’s security? Drag her out!” I laughed. I wrenched my hand free from Ethan’s grip and pulled a blood-stained phone from my pocket. It was Oliver’s phone. Inside was a video Yolanda had sent him. In the video, Yolanda threw Oliver’s original artwork into a fire pit one by one, burning them while telling him in the most vicious language: “Your sister has been used up by Ethan. She’ll be thrown out of the Pierce family soon. You idiot, you do nothing but drag her down. These garbage drawings of yours are only good enough to be my stepping stones.” I held the phone screen up to Ethan’s face. “Ethan, look closely. This is the kind, fragile woman you’ve been protecting with your life!” Ethan’s gaze fell on the screen. His face instantly darkened. He turned to look at Yolanda. Yolanda panicked. Tears immediately started falling. “Ethan, it’s not like that! That autistic boy went crazy first and tried to hit me. I just got upset and scared him a little… I really didn’t…” “Scared him?” I advanced step by step. “Do you know that because you ‘scared’ him, he went into heart failure? He’s dead! Yolanda Reed, you killed my brother!” The entire room gasped. Ethan’s body went rigid. He looked at me in disbelief. I pulled a sharp knife from my sleeve and lunged straight at Yolanda. “You’re going to pay for his life!” Yolanda screamed and dodged. In that critical moment, Ethan instinctively stepped in front of Yolanda. With a sickening sound, the blade slashed Ethan’s arm. Blood immediately gushed out. I froze. I stared at the blood on the knife’s edge, then at how Ethan had protected Yolanda without hesitation. Suddenly, it all seemed laughably absurd. “Have you lost your mind?!” Ethan snatched the knife from my hand and shoved me violently to the ground. I crashed hard onto the cold marble floor. My bones made a dull thud. “Oliver is dead because he had bad luck. What does that have to do with Yolanda?” Ethan looked down at me from above, his eyes utterly devoid of warmth. “You actually dared to pull a knife and try to kill someone on my turf because of some autistic kid?” “Bad luck?” I lay on the floor, tilted my head back to look at him, and finally let the tears fall. “Ethan, it wasn’t bad luck. It was meeting you! You enabled Yolanda. You personally cut off his path to survival!” “Send him for cremation. I’ll cover the funeral expenses.” Ethan cut me off impatiently and turned to order the security guards. “Take Sienna back to the western suburb villa. Lock her in the basement. Without my permission, no one is to let her out. When she learns to apologize to Yolanda, then she can eat again!” I didn’t struggle. I let the security guards drag me away. I watched Ethan anxiously check whether Yolanda had been hurt, watched him cradle that murderer in his arms protectively.I closed my eyes and told myself: Ethan, this is the last time I’ll cry for you. From now on, we’ll never see each other again.

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