Category: English

My brother was strapped with a bomb, the timer ticking frantically. I was at the training base, my fingers nimbly tapping away at a video game controller. Minutes later, my fiancée, Iris Gray, kicked the door open and stormed in, her face ghostly pale. “Ron! The bomb is under ten minutes! Every bomb disposal expert in the city is waiting for you! You’re the only one who can disarm that kind of intricate device!” Her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood. Tears welled up in her eyes. I was the demolition expert nicknamed the “Grim Reaper’s Rival.” I could defuse any explosive device in milliseconds. But this time, I wouldn’t. My game character was instantly headshot. I clicked my tongue and drawled a lazy, “Oh.” My parents rushed in right behind her. My mom slapped me across the face. “Ron! Are you even human?!” “That’s your brother! Go save him right now!” I slowly showed them my right arm. The hand that had performed countless miracles was now encased in a plaster cast. “I’m truly unable. Car accident yesterday. This hand? It’s gone.” 1 They froze instantly. The air thickened like concrete. They stared at my cast-wrapped right arm. For a bomb expert, this meant the end of a career. My mom gasped in disbelief. “How could this happen? You were fine when you came home last night!” I forced a cold, cruel smile. “Guess it’s my destiny.” “I hadn’t been gone long when a truck slammed into me. Lucky it only ruined a hand.” My mother swayed, her eyes unfocused, her lips trembling. “What about my Ethan? He’s so young. Are we just going to watch him die?” I shrugged, expressionless. “What can we do? Just leave it to fate.” As soon as the words left my mouth, my dad suddenly erupted. His hand clamped down hard on my plastered arm. “Leave it to fate? I think you’re just jealous that we dote on your brother more, so you’re faking this injury!” The sharp, agonizing pain made my vision swim, but I bit my tongue and didn’t utter a sound. What was a little physical pain compared to the knives they’d plunged into my heart over the years? Eight years ago, at the police academy initiation, my face, which strikingly resembled the Police Chief’s, got me identified as the son the Rhodes family had lost eighteen years prior. I thought it was a divine blessing, a chance to return to my biological parents. But when I came home, I discovered my parents had adopted a boy a year older than me. They named him Ethan, the “Eternal Peak,” pouring all their hopes into him, and renamed me Ron, the “Rock.” The two vastly different names made me, already self-conscious, even more cautious. Ethan was kind to me. He’d ask the butler to prepare matching clothes, introduce me to his friends, and praise me in front of Mom and Dad. To meet his expectation, I studied relentlessly, desperate to become the family’s pride. Until now… Seeing my silence, my mom suddenly lunged, tearing at my shirt, screaming hysterically. “Say something! You planned this, didn’t you? You hate us, so you want him dead!” “How could I have given birth to a monster like you? Your brother was so good to you, and you’re heartlessly abandoning him!” “Have you forgotten? When you were hospitalized, he watched over you without sleeping! When you were bullied, he stood up for you!” My eyes burned, but I threw my head back and laughed. It was because I remembered it too clearly that the pain was gut-wrenching. My fiancée, Iris, looked at me with disappointment but tried to reason with me, biting her lip. “Ron, I know you harbor resentment, but this is a life-or-death situation! You can’t stand by for selfish reasons. Do you have any respect for that uniform you wear?” I didn’t say a word, grabbing the medical report from the table. “Comminuted fracture. I wasn’t lying.” My mom snatched the report. Reading the conclusion, she collapsed instantly. “My Ethan, if he dies, how can I go on living…” My dad, usually so commanding, now had red eyes. He pointed at me, roaring. “You’re a bomb expert! Even with a ruined hand, you can go there and instruct! Ethan is your flesh and blood, yet you show no concern and deliberately hide. You are intentionally seeking revenge!” My heart felt like a chunk had been carved out. I forced a smile. “Think what you like. I’m useless.” With that, I slumped into the training chair and closed my eyes. My indifference completely enraged my dad. He dragged me off the chair by my hair. “You will crawl to that site today if you have to! If anything happens to Ethan, you’ll pay with your life!” I sneered. “Chief Rhodes, you can drag me there, but my hand is gone. I can’t guarantee anything based on sight alone.” Iris suddenly stepped forward, grabbing my dad’s arm. “Chief Rhodes, why ruin your reputation over scum like Ron!” “I’ll handle the disposal!” Chapter 2 2 My mom shot up from the floor and grabbed Iris’s hands like a drowning woman clinging to driftwood. “Iris, can you do it?” My dad’s eyes regained their composure. “Iris, this isn’t a drill! I know you want to save him, but if anything goes wrong, you and Ethan will both…” Iris straightened her back and gave a perfect police salute, her voice ringing with certainty. “Chief Rhodes, rest assured!” “Ron and I have handled over five hundred explosive cases together. Every step is burned into my mind!” “Ron is heartless enough to let Ethan die, but Ethan and I grew up together. I can’t abandon him. I have to try my best!” She implied I was harboring a wicked motive and intended to let Ethan die. She was placing the guilt of murder squarely on my shoulders. Colleagues who rushed in upon hearing the commotion now looked at me with disgust. My dad returned a formal salute to Iris. “Regardless of the outcome, your family will be taken care of from now on. The police force needs people with your courage! If you return safely, the Captain’s position on the Serious Crimes Unit is yours!” He cast a cold glance at me. “As for certain heartless beasts who refuse to help, they don’t deserve this uniform!” A flicker of delight crossed Iris’s eyes. She glanced at her watch, her voice urgent. “Only three minutes left! We have to go!” “Wait!” As soon as I spoke, my mom’s hand slammed across my face again. “Ron, stop wasting time! Do you want your brother to die?” I wiped the blood from my mouth and gave a light laugh. “Am I required to give consent for the use of my proprietary disarming technique?” Iris froze, looking at me with shock and disappointment. “Ron! Are you insane? This is life and death, and you’re worried about irrelevant intellectual property?!” “No, it’s very relevant.” “If I don’t agree, you’re infringing on my patent. I can sue you.” “What do you think the sentence is for breaking the law while upholding it?” Iris trembled with anger. “You—!” My mother’s recently dried tears started again. She gripped my dad’s uniform, sobbing. “Rob, what do we do?” I looked at them and spoke calmly. “I might agree, but only if all the family assets are transferred to me. Not a penny goes to Ethan.” “But there’s only one minute left! You’d better decide!” My dad glared at me, then slammed his fist on the table. “Fine, I agree!” I hid the darkness in my eyes, calmly rubbing the plaster cast on my right hand. “Dad, you have to keep your word. I recorded all that.” My dad glared fiercely, then turned and left with the others. Once the three of them vanished around the corner, I slowly wiped the moisture from my eyes and tossed the fake diagnostic report into the trash. Three minutes later, a cheer went up on the large screen. “In the critical moment, Officer Iris Gray of the Special Tactics Unit turned the tide, successfully disarming the explosive device and saving the hostage…” I switched off the screen, walked out into the pouring rain, and made my way to my rental apartment. Only here did I feel like I had a home. Before I slept, a message popped up on my phone. “Tomorrow’s commendation ceremony: confess, or disappear.” I smirked, then downed the glass of milk laced with a sleeping aid. After tomorrow, everything would end. Chapter 3 3 The next morning, the top three trending topics all featured my name. #RonIsColdBlooded #RonDoesn’tDeserveTheBadge #RonShouldDie had millions of views. In the video, Iris, sporting a brand-new rank insignia, looked resolute. “As a police officer, saving lives is my duty. I’m not a hero; I just did my job.” Flashbulbs popped as reporters thrust microphones toward her. “There are rumors Ron refused to help because he was afraid failure would hurt his career. As his fiancée, what do you think of his actions?” Iris casually touched the engagement ring on her finger, smiling at the camera. “I can’t judge his choices, but since we’re a couple, my intervention is effectively his intervention…” “Besides, everyone has a selfish side. He must have had some selfish thoughts.” Her statement successfully redirected public outrage toward me, completely avoiding the fact that my arm was broken. Netizens attacked me relentlessly. Some even dug up my entire background, fiercely claiming I was trying to seize the family fortune by letting my brother die. “Ungrateful snake! Would he be anywhere without Ethan’s care and concern?” “He always had a dark personality. That’s why his adoptive parents abused him! The pitiful deserve what they get!” “I heard he stole things as a kid! How did he even get into the police force?” In two short minutes, #RonGetOutOfThePoliceForce# was the number one trending topic. I wanted to ignore it, but I underestimated the power of the online mob. A cab driver recognized me and sped away as soon as I hailed him. I walked to the commendation ceremony. I looked up and saw the scene of domestic bliss: my entire family of four. My biological parents and my fiancée, all clustered around Ethan, treating him like royalty. Seeing me, the smiles on their faces instantly froze. My mom’s eyes fixed on my right hand, which was now free of the cast. She screamed. “I knew it! You were faking it!” “What sin did I commit in a past life to give birth to a beast like you!” My brother, Ethan, his eyes red-rimmed, his voice hoarse, challenged me. “Little Ron, why? I’m your brother.” The room instantly exploded with noise. “Oh my god! He faked an injury to let his own brother die!” “The Rhodes family is worth hundreds of millions! That ungrateful viper wanted to inherit everything, that’s why he was eager to kill his brother!” “He’s deranged! Arrest him immediately!” I ignored the noise, focusing on Ethan’s handsome face. I once naively believed that though we weren’t blood-related, our bond was stronger than that of brothers. But I was too naive. Before I could speak, Ethan tore open his hospital gown, revealing shocking bruises all over his body. “Since it’s come to this, I don’t have to hide the truth for you anymore.” He turned to the cameras, tears perfectly sliding down his face. “Actually, my kidnapping… was planned entirely by my little brother, Ron…” “He’s the culprit. Of course, he wouldn’t save me!” “He’s been abusing me for the entire eight years he’s been back.” He pointed at the scars, his voice trembling. “He resented me for taking his place. Every time Mom and Dad were nice to me, he’d find an opportunity to hit me, burning me with cigarettes.” “I was afraid of upsetting Mom and Dad, so I kept it hidden…” Under the flashbulbs, the bruises on his body looked terrifying. My former comrades looked at me with revulsion. “He always looked so decent! A monster behind the scenes!” “A wolf in sheep’s clothing! He doesn’t deserve to live! He should be tortured!” My mom rushed to Ethan’s side, her trembling fingers tracing the bruises, sobbing. “You poor boy, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” “How did you endure all these years? It’s my fault for bringing that beast home and ruining your life!” Ethan let a single tear roll down his cheek, whispering miserably. “Every time I tried to say something, he’d threaten to have me thrown out. I didn’t want to leave you…” My mom’s eyes became lethal. She grabbed the microphone stand nearby and violently swung it at my head. “I shouldn’t have given birth to you! You plague, why don’t you just die!” Warm blood streamed down my brow into my eye, but I started laughing. How ridiculous. My own biological parents wished me dead. Just then, several Internal Affairs officers approached. “We received a tip-off about a suspected murder-for-hire plot. Who filed the report?” Ethan and Iris exchanged a secretive smile. My dad stepped forward immediately, pointing at me with sorrowful authority. “Officer Lee, my unfilial son is responsible for the murder-for-hire.” “Take him away…” He was cut short by my voice. “I filed the report.” Chapter 4 4 The venue instantly fell silent. Whispers spread through the crowd. “He’s that arrogant? Trying to confess to get a lighter sentence?” “Absolutely sickening! He needs the maximum penalty!” “Why would someone call the police on themselves? Could there be something else going on?” I endured the pain, raising my head with difficulty, enunciating every word. “I, Ron Rhodes, formally accuse my brother, Ethan Rhodes, and my fiancée, Iris Gray, of colluding to hire a killer and repeatedly trying to murder me!” Silence again. Ethan’s face was white. Tears filled his eyes, and he shook his head in disbelief, arguing back. “Little Ron, how can you twist the truth? You’re the one who hired the killer to kidnap me and destroy the evidence with a bomb! If Iris hadn’t saved me, I might be dead already…” Iris bit her lip, forcing calm. “Ron, your lack of moral bottom is chilling. The evidence is clear. The explosive device tied to Ethan is the exact type you use for practice! Stop being delusional. Confess now, and you might get leniency!” Some people in the crowd were starting to doubt the initial story, but the couple’s explanation renewed the disgust in their eyes. My mom shielded Ethan, spat viciously at me. “Beast! Trying to smear your brother even now!” I suppressed the faint throbbing in my heart and raised my phone, playing a security camera video. In the footage, Ethan was completely calm, obediently letting the black-masked kidnapper bend down and strap the bomb to him. “Brother, can you explain why you were so cooperative with the kidnapper?” A colleague’s face grew serious. He couldn’t help but ask. “Yes, why was Ethan so submissive? A hostage should be terrified. His composure is unusual…” A flash of panic crossed Iris’s eyes. Her trembling hands betrayed her anxiety, but she maintained a tough facade. “That doesn’t prove anything! The kidnappers were ruthless! Ethan’s submission was his only chance to survive until the bomb squad arrived! If he had resisted, he might have been killed on the spot!” Ethan nodded in agreement. “Yes, the kidnapper held a gun to my back. If I’d resisted, he would have shot me!” He continued to plead with me. “Little Ron, stop this stubbornness. The kidnapper has been caught. Dad is arranging the interrogation. You should confess soon. And don’t talk nonsense without evidence. You claim I hired a killer, but everyone who knows us knows I’ve always been the kindest to you.” I cut him off with a cold laugh. “If you think that evidence isn’t direct enough, how about something more concrete?” “The net of heaven has wide meshes, but nothing escapes it. Your wicked schemes will eventually be fully exposed!”

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Three years after my death, Chris, the man I’d driven away, finally returned to Auden City. Isabelle was still by his side. He held her umbrella, carried her handbag, his devotion evident in every small gesture. The story’s ending remained unchanged: the hero and heroine lived happily ever after. The only one who met a tragic end was me, the villainess who had dared to covet the hero. They were here to visit his mother’s grave, and I was buried just a short distance behind hers. I floated nearby, watching them. Everyone always said they were a perfect match. When the incense had burned to ash, Chris made an excuse and walked away from Isabelle. He came to my tombstone and stood there in silence for a long, long time. So long that I thought he was trying to choose the right words to curse me with. Instead, Chris let out a soft laugh. His fingers traced the outline of my photograph as he whispered, “Nora, why haven’t you come to my dreams yet?” Because I’m not your Isabelle, I thought. My dreams could never reach your distant shores. … 1 Before I died, Chris had cut all ties with me and fled the country, desperate to stop me from hurting Isabelle. On my deathbed, I clung to a small box meant for him, my life sustained by a single, stubborn breath. I waited for him, but he never came. All I got was a single, relayed message. “If she’s dead,” he had said, “call the funeral home, not me.” After the call ended, my mother collapsed onto my bed, sobbing like a child who had lost everything. My last thread of hope snapped, and I died with a heart full of bitterness. Perhaps that bitterness was strong enough to anchor me here, waiting for him. I watched as my mother pulled the weeds from my grave, again and again, as three years slipped by. My obsession began to fade with the silvering of her hair. Just as I felt my form growing transparent, my earthly attachment dissolving, Chris returned. He had become gentler, more considerate, taking meticulous care of Isabelle. Without my interference, their love story was even more perfect. I laughed at myself. Even if I wanted to, I could no longer do anything to be hated. The smoke from the incense twisted in the wind. I just watched them, my ghostly form still. When they lit the incense for his mother, I crouched nearby, thinking he must have forgotten me completely by now. But after the incense burned out, he lied to Isabelle. As she walked down the mountain path, he came to my grave, my own spectral eyes wide with disbelief. He stared at my headstone for an eternity. I was sure he was deciding on the perfect insult. Slut? Bitch? The wind picked up. He gave that soft, low laugh again, his hand resting on the cold stone. “Nora, why haven’t you come to my dreams yet?” His voice was so quiet, so gentle, I almost believed that ghosts could dream. Chris pulled a wrinkled caramel chew from his pocket and bent down to place it before my grave. Then he turned and left. I stared at the candy. But Chris, I thought, I don’t like sweets anymore. I reached out to brush it away, but my hand passed straight through it. I shook my head with a sad smile and sat down on the hillside. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and violet. I used to love watching sunsets. But now, my eyes were fixed on that single piece of candy. I thought a ghost’s heart couldn’t ache. But Nora’s could. I’m done, I decided. I’m done with the bitterness. I’m done with Chris. I would no longer hide from my fate. I had one last thing to do, and then I would move on, find my peace, and be reborn. This life was over. I floated down the mountain and settled into Chris’s car. Isabelle was in the back seat, so the passenger seat was empty. I sat there, finally able to look at him without hiding. As the story’s hero, he was, of course, devastatingly handsome. I couldn’t resist reaching out a translucent hand to trace the lines of his brow. There was a faint scar above his eyebrow—a mark left from when a seventeen-year-old Chris defied the will of the world to save a seventeen-year-old Nora. It was the mark I had once believed was proof of his undying love for me. My hand fell. I sat up straight. Chris drove with intense focus. The car was silent. I watched his hands on the steering wheel. As he turned, the cuff of his expensive suit slid back, revealing a sliver of his wrist. I froze. Tied around it was a cheap, simple red string bracelet. The one I had gotten for him, a token of safety and love. Once, he’d worn it proudly. Now, he had to keep it hidden. I couldn’t help but look at his face, at his thin lips. My mother used to say that men with thin lips were the most heartless. A low, bitter laugh escaped me, and I felt the phantom sting of tears. Even as a ghost, I was still so pathetic. The memories I had spent five years suppressing came rushing back in a tidal wave the moment I saw him again. It wasn’t time that had trapped me here. It was me, refusing to leave the memories of a younger Chris, a Chris who hadn’t yet met Isabelle, a Chris who hadn’t yet forgotten me. The city lights blurred past as the Maybach sped forward, but my thoughts were rewinding, racing back against the wind. Back to a time before Isabelle, when Chris still remembered me. 2 Once, Chris and I were known as the Twin Stars of Auden’s elite. One was a fiercely bright flame, the other a cold, isolated storm. We were complete opposites, yet we were childhood sweethearts. When I was five, I went with my father to visit the Cole family. I wandered off and found myself in a small, dusty attic. There, huddled in a corner, was Chris, covered in bruises. He snarled at me like a cornered animal, telling me to get out. Instead, I crouched in front of him, showed him my canines in a fierce grin, and grabbed his hand. “I’m getting you out of here,” I declared. I pulled him stumbling out of that dark little room and all the way back to my house. From that day on, we were inseparable. At school, I was always ranked first, and he was always second. He would intentionally score one point lower than me, just as he always seemed to yield to me in everything. Before we were eighteen, our worlds contained only each other. Our families were similar—loveless arranged marriages. But my mother was a powerhouse who cared only for her career. Chris’s father had a legion of illegitimate children, and Chris and his mother constantly had to endure the provocations of his many mistresses. His mother was hopelessly romantic and emotionally unstable, and she often took her frustrations out on Chris. One day, one of his father’s mistresses came to the house. His mother lost control and hurled a porcelain vase at Chris. He just stood there in his white shirt, looking broken, not even trying to move. I threw myself in front of him, taking the full force of the shattering vase on my back. The shards of porcelain felt like shrapnel. That day, Chris’s tears fell onto my heart like stones. It hurt, it hurt so much, but when I saw the dark, murderous look in his eyes, I wrapped my arms around his neck and snuggled against him. I gave him a pained, toothy grin. “Chris,” I said, looking him straight in the eye. “It doesn’t hurt.” He hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe, his voice trembling with fear. “Nora, from now on, you only stand behind me.” My mother later told me that after I fell asleep, he’d driven back to his family home in a rage, smashed everything in sight, and gotten into a brutal fight with his father. He even warned his own mother to never touch him again. I knew none of that. All I knew was that when I opened my eyes, Chris was there. Later, in college, we finally made our relationship official. It was after a bizarre accident that we began to suspect the existence of a “World Will.” Through various experiments, we confirmed it: Chris was the story’s hero, and I, most likely, was not the heroine. My consciousness awakened. I was just cannon fodder, a villainess whose purpose was to highlight the epic love between the hero and heroine. But I refused to accept it. I clung to Chris, and he wanted only me in his world. For that, we were warned by the World Will. It tried everything to erase me, to force the plot back onto its predetermined course. At my eighteenth birthday party, the grand ballroom chandelier came crashing down, aimed directly at me. Chris threw himself over me without a second’s thought, shielding me with his body. The razor-sharp crystal shards rained down, one of them slicing open his brow. My ears were ringing, and I could only cling to his shirt in terror. He held me, murmuring over and over, “Nora, I’m here. It’s okay, Nora. Look at me. Look at me.” From that day on, Chris became even more possessive, more like a beautiful, dangerous madman. It seemed there was nothing he wouldn’t do to love me. But the hero’s destined love was still waiting. And she appeared right on schedule. During his graduate studies, a girl named Isabelle joined Chris’s research team. The first time I saw her, I knew. She was the one. Perhaps it was a rival’s intuition, but I disliked her instantly, for no reason at all. But she was so gentle, so kind, that I could find no excuse to lash out, no reason to demand that she stay away from him. Chris started spending more and more time with her. Their interactions were always perfectly appropriate, but my heart was sinking with a quiet panic I couldn’t control. One day, Chris mentioned her again, a casual anecdote, but the smile that touched his eyes was so unconsciously tender that the panic inside me became a tsunami. I lost control. “Enough!” I screamed, my voice raw with helplessness. “Can you please just stop talking about her? Don’t you see what’s happening, Chris? She’s getting into your heart!” He froze, a look of confusion, then dawning realization, in his eyes. His tightly pressed lips told me he knew it was true. Isabelle was like a spring rain, slowly seeping into the soil of his soul. While I wasn’t looking, he grabbed a fruit knife and plunged it into his own thigh. The shock of pain seemed to clear his head. I screamed, trying to stop the bleeding with my hands. He just pulled me into his arms, promising, “Nora, it won’t happen again. I’ll keep my distance from her. I promise.” His fierce, desperate madness made me believe that we would never let each other go. And for a while, I never heard Isabelle’s name from his lips again. But destiny is a stubborn thing. Chris wouldn’t quit his research, and as a member of his team, Isabelle was a constant presence. They went on a research trip together. At the same time, my mother was hospitalized for exhaustion, and I went to take care of her. The next time I saw Chris, he was a different person. He was standing under a streetlight, holding Isabelle in his arms. The last thread of my sanity snapped. In that moment, I could almost hear the great clock of fate swinging back into its correct position. Like his mother before me, I went mad, rushing at them, trying to tear them apart. Chris, who had always protected me, who had cherished me, pushed me away. He pulled Isabelle behind him and shoved my shoulder. I stumbled and fell to the ground. “Nora, don’t be like this,” he said, his voice laced with tired frustration. Isabelle gently touched his arm. “Chris, don’t. She’s just a girl, like me.” He told her to go on ahead, then pulled me up and walked me home. “Chris,” I asked, my voice hollow. “Are you in love with her?” He looked momentarily lost. “Nora, don’t overthink it. Her grandmother just passed away. She was upset.” A wretched laugh escaped me, and I tore my hand from his. I was consumed by bitterness. I went to find Isabelle. “You know Chris and I are together,” I confronted her. “Why are you deliberately getting close to him?” Her usual gentle smile vanished. Her eyes were cold. “Because I’m the protagonist,” she said with a dismissive smirk. “He and I are destined for each other. And you are destined to love him and lose him.” Her words hit me like a physical blow. A ringing filled my ears, and I couldn’t hear anything else. At nineteen, I was still the spoiled, hot-headed heiress. I hired people to corner Isabelle, to threaten her to leave. The first time, all I got was an annoyed warning from Chris. The second time, the love in his eyes was gone, replaced by an icy contempt. I had pushed Isabelle, and she’d scraped her knee. For that, Chris took a heavy cane and brought it down hard on my own kneecap. “Nora,” he said, his voice dripping with disgust. “This is your lesson.” His undisguised loathing was a thousand arrows in my heart. Our butler was the one who found me later, huddled in an alley. That night, drifting in a haze of pain, I thought I saw Chris sitting by my bed. He was frowning, but his hand reached out to gently touch my face. “Nora… this isn’t right… this isn’t right,” he whispered. But I was too exhausted to open my eyes. When I woke up, the room was empty. I told myself it was a dream. After that, I became a true monster. I was desperate to get my Chris back. I tried everything. But he only grew more distant, his memories of us fading like old photographs. He broke up with me. I threatened to kill myself. Chris, the boy who could never bear to see me hurt, handed me the knife himself. “Do it cleanly,” he said with a cruel smile. “And stay out of my and Isabelle’s sight.” I grabbed his hand, desperately reminding him of our promises, our past. He shook me off. “Disgusting,” he spat. Then he turned around and publicly announced his relationship with Isabelle. On his birthday, he invited his research team out to dinner. I went, carrying a cake I’d bought for him. I stood outside the door and listened. Someone was teasing him. “So, Chris, who’s better, Nora or Isabelle? You and Nora used to be so intense. Her temper is awful, how did you even put up with her for all those years…?” Someone coughed, cutting the speaker off. But Chris didn’t seem to care. He leaned back on the sofa, looking completely relaxed. “I forgot,” he said casually. “I can’t even remember why I liked someone like that. The person I like is…” He frowned, his sentence trailing off. For a split second, his eyes landed on Isabelle with a flash of something sharp, almost hostile. But she just smiled at him, and his expression softened. “The person I like is Isabelle,” he finished. I looked down at the cake in my hands. A bitter smile touched my lips, and I turned and walked away. The World Will was so powerful. It could make him forget me, even while I was still alive. On my way home, I was drugged and kidnapped. When I woke up, Isabelle was there with me. It was a classic plot device. Our kidnappers, old enemies of the Cole family, forced Chris to choose. The one he didn’t choose would have her legs broken. Chris arrived, a baseball bat in his hand, a conquering hero. He fought his way through them… and swept Isabelle into his arms. He walked right past me without a second glance. Isabelle shot me a triumphant smirk over his shoulder. I smiled back, a tear escaping the corner of my eye. The kidnappers didn’t hesitate. I felt a sickening crunch as they shattered my kneecaps. When my parents and the police arrived, I was just lying there, my eyes vacant. Chris, it hurts. My legs were broken. So were my ribs. My heart was shattered. I was so, so tired. But I had to try one last time. I used my family’s influence to get Isabelle expelled, to halt their research project. The Coles put pressure on Chris. He stormed into my office and smashed everything in sight. He raised his hand to strike me, again, for another woman. I was too weary to fight. I just tilted my head back, a tear falling from my eye onto the hand that gripped my chin. “Chris,” I whispered, “you promised you would never leave me.” He scoffed and let go. “Nora, I don’t remember anything I said to you before. I don’t love you anymore. I don’t want you. Can you understand that? If you touch Isabelle again, I swear, it will be war between us.” I looked into his fierce eyes and knew he meant it. My shoulders slumped. I leaned back in my wheelchair and started to laugh, tears blurring my vision. “Chris,” I said, “the way you protect her… it’s exactly how you used to protect me.” He frowned, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. He subconsciously reached out to wipe away my tears, but I turned my head away. He dropped his hand and left without another word. I continued to pressure him, but I had forgotten one thing about Chris: once he set his mind on something, he never let go. He severed all ties with his family, took Isabelle’s hand, and left Auden City for good. I tried to follow him. There was a car accident. And as I lay dying, I received his final message. And now, here I was.

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The Route 23 Night Bus has a rule: No woman named Sierra is allowed on board. Every time you ride, you have to pass a facial recognition scan before you can even drop your coins in the box. It doesn’t matter if you’re the Mayor’s daughter; the driver will throw you to the curb. Even a mother desperate to get to the hospital to see her sick child gets dragged off without mercy. I didn’t buy it. I forged an ID and hopped on, challenging the driver: “Why ban women named Sierra? This is public transit, man. Isn’t that discrimination?” The driver just smiled, a cold, thin expression. “If a Sierra is on board, everyone on this bus will be dead within three hours.” My hand tightened around the fake ID in my pocket. Chapter 1 “What’s wrong?” The driver shot me a glance. I waved my hand quickly. “Oh, nothing!” I took a seat and shook it off. There’s no way someone’s name could kill a busload of people. That’s insane. He was probably just messing with me to dodge the question. Curiosity kills the cat, but it also sells tickets. The Route 23 Night Bus had become an urban legend, a TikTok hotspot. I was just another thrill-seeker here for the ride. I closed my eyes, drifting off. Suddenly, a woman with curly red hair behind me spoke up. “How much longer to Hollow Creek? Feels like we’ve been driving forever.” I opened my eyes. Outside, it was pitch black. No streetlights. I had no idea where we were. Someone else chimed in. “Yeah, driver. Hollow Creek is the next stop. We’ve been rolling for thirty minutes.” I looked at the driver. He was gripping the wheel, his expression grim. “Are you sure none of you are named Sierra?” “No way. You checked all our IDs, didn’t you?” “Something’s wrong,” the driver growled. “One of you is lying. Whoever is named Sierra, stand up now.” My heart skipped a beat. I checked the time. Thirty minutes had passed. Hollow Creek should have been a ten-minute ride. Was the rule real? I shook my head. Impossible. “Driver, quit joking. We passed the facial scan. You think we can trick a machine?” “A Sierra has her ways!” the driver shouted, startling everyone. “Thirty minutes gone. You have two and a half hours left. If you don’t want everyone to die, confess! Or turn her in!” I was glad I came alone. But I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. “Hey! That’s Hollow Creek Station!” I pointed ahead, relieved. The redhead grabbed her bag. “Finally! You’re driving so slow today. I’m filing a complaint!” But as the bus approached the station, the driver slammed the gas pedal to the floor. “Hey! What are you doing? That’s my stop!” The redhead hammered the stop button. “Look outside! Do you really want to get off?” She looked. So did the rest of us. “Ah!” She shrieked and collapsed into the aisle. Everyone scrambled to the left side of the bus, away from the window facing the station. “Why are there so many people?” Hollow Creek flashed by. It was 9:30 PM. Usually, it’s a ghost town. Now, the platform was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people. They stood with their heads bowed. As the bus flew past, they all snapped their heads up in unison. Their eyes glowed green. They lunged, trying to grab the bus, but we were moving too fast. “Oh my god!” I gasped, pressing my back against the glass. In that sea of green-eyed monsters… I saw myself. “Sierra?” A familiar voice. My boyfriend, Clay, was staring at me in shock. “What are you doing here?” Chapter 2 “What did you just call her?” The redhead whipped around. Her eyes went wide when she saw me. “Sierra!” “J… Jade?” I stammered. My jaw dropped. Jade was supposed to be studying abroad in Europe. She wasn’t due back until next year. What was she doing on a bus in the middle of nowhere? “Sierra?!” A guy with a buzzcut stood up. “Mr. Stone?” I was floored. My old neighbor? I stood up and looked around. My elementary school classmate, my kindergarten teacher, my high school nemesis… even an online tutor I’d used once. I knew everyone on this bus. “You called her Sierra? Is that her name?” The driver didn’t turn around, but his eyes in the rearview mirror were predatory. Clay hesitated, staying silent. But Cliff, my high school bully, lunged forward and snatched my fake ID. “Kimberly Steele? Since when do you have a fake name? You’re Sierra! Sierra Mason!” “Throw her off!” the driver roared. Everyone flinched. Since we all knew each other, they hesitated. “Come on, driver. It’s probably a coincidence. A name can’t kill people.” The door hissed open. The bus was still speeding. “I said, throw her off.” At this speed, I’d be roadkill. And with those things outside… “Don’t panic!” Clay pulled out his phone. “The next stop is Riverdale. I’ve called the cops to meet us there. Everyone just—” He froze. We all crowded around his phone. Jade covered her mouth. “We’re moving towards Hollow Creek? But we just passed it!” “GPS must be glitching,” Cliff said, pulling out his own phone. His face went pale. Everyone checked their maps. We were all showing the same thing: The bus was driving from the start terminal back toward Hollow Creek. “Decide! Or it’s too late!” the driver screamed. “It’s her! She’s the only Sierra, and she lied about it!” Cliff grabbed my arm. “Driver! Stop the bus! I’ll throw her out!” “Once the bus starts, it only stops at the station,” the driver said coldly. Cliff gritted his teeth and started dragging me toward the open door. “Are you crazy?” Clay blocked him. “That’s murder!” “She won’t die! Just get her off!” Jade pushed Cliff. “You believe this supernatural crap? If you throw Sierra off, I’m throwing you off!” “AHHHH!” A scream from the back. My kindergarten teacher was curled up in her seat, shaking violently. In the seat in front of her sat a bloody corpse. Jade gasped. “Where… where is his head?” “Rocky!!” Cliff screamed. Rocky was his best friend. “His head… and his legs… where are they?” Cliff’s eyes were bloodshot. The teacher sobbed, “I… I don’t know. He just… became like that in a blink…” Rocky’s torso, unsupported, slumped into the aisle. Missing a head. Missing both legs. Cliff turned to me, eyes wild with rage. He lunged for my throat. Chapter 3 “You’re insane!” Clay kicked Cliff away. Cliff pointed a shaking finger at me. “Sierra! It’s the name! Sierra represents the Earth! It’s burying us!” “Stop talking nonsense!” Jade yelled. “There could be a million reasons. The driver is lying!” “You don’t get it?” Cliff laughed maniacally. “The rule says ‘No Sierra’. Think about the names! Look at the dead guy! Rocky! Rock! Earth!” People started whispering. “Wait… Clay. Jade. Stone. Cliff. Even the teacher’s name is Sandy.” Cliff pointed at Rocky’s corpse. “The driver… his name is Forrest. Forrest means Wood. In the cycle of elements, Wood conquers Earth. Roots tear the earth apart. That’s why his head and legs are gone! He was ripped apart by the roots!” “It’s Hollow Creek Station!” Jade shouted, pointing out the window. The station glowed with a ghostly green light in the darkness. “Don’t stop!” she screamed. We all saw it. Among the crowd of monsters waiting at the platform, Rocky was standing in the front row. He was smiling at the bus. “AHHH!” Another scream. The teacher looked to her left. Another corpse. Headless. Legless. “Peter!” She cried. Peter… Rock. Cliff pointed at me again. “I told you! It’s the Earth names! She’s Sierra! Mountain! She’s the biggest target!” “We have two hours,” the driver said through gritted teeth. The teacher, broken by fear, rushed up with Cliff to grab me. “I’m sorry, but you have to go!” The mob mentality took over. “It’s your fault for sneaking on!” “Sorry, kid. It’s us or you.” Except for Clay and Jade, everyone closed in. “No! Stop!” I struggled, but there were too many of them. They dragged me to the open door. The wind howled like a banshee. The asphalt blurred beneath us. “Stop it!” Clay threw himself over me. Cliff punched him in the face. Clay’s head slammed into a seat back. The metal buckle on his bag gouged the upholstery. He groaned, sweat pouring down his face from the pain. “Clay!” I reached for him, but Cliff grabbed my hair. He yanked my head out the door. One shove, and I was gone. “NO!!” As I screamed, the grip on my hair vanished. Warm liquid splattered my face. I looked up. Cliff’s head… was gone. Jade hauled me back inside and shoved me into a seat. “Nobody move!” Jade stood in front of me, fierce as a lioness. “Don’t you see? Anyone who tries to kill Sierra dies!” Clay struggled to his feet, standing beside her. “You saw what happened to Cliff. If you want to try next, go ahead.” The mob hesitated. Cliff’s death might have been a coincidence, but nobody wanted to roll those dice. Jade yelled, “Think! Who made the rule? Who is driving this bus? Why are we attacking each other instead of the guy named Forrest?” The realization hit them. I sat there, gasping for air, shaking. I looked at the seat Clay had hit. The fabric cover was torn. Underneath, there was a deep scratch from his bag buckle. I reached out to touch it. I froze. There wasn’t one scratch. There were thirteen. Identical scratches. Right on top of each other. Chapter 4 Clay and Jade were arguing with the passengers, but my world had narrowed to those thirteen scratches. Clay only hit the seat once. Unless… this wasn’t my first ride. Wait. Why did I get on this bus? To challenge a rule? That sounded stupid now. I pulled the fabric cover back down, hiding the marks. I stood up and walked to the driver. “Hey. Show me your ID.” Forrest gripped the wheel, silent. “You keep saying the name ‘Sierra’ kills people. But Cliff’s theory about Wood eating Earth… that applies to you, not me.” Forrest stayed silent. “Clay! Jade! Help me!” They didn’t hesitate. They pinned the driver’s arms. I reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. ID Name: Forrest Graves. “Graves?” The passengers gasped. “Sending us to our graves…” someone whispered. “He’s the Grim Reaper!” “He’s the Wood element! He’s the one killing the ‘Earth’ passengers!” “Throw him off!” A guy rushed forward and grabbed the wheel. “I can drive! Get rid of him!” They dragged Forrest out of the seat. He didn’t fight. He just looked at me with a chilling, knowing smile. His lips moved. See you soon. I kicked him out the door. He vanished into the dark. No sound of impact. We waited. Silence. No more heads popping off. “Where are we?” Clay rubbed his head. “I feel like I blacked out.” “Look! Lights!” Streetlights flickered on. Hollow Creek Station appeared ahead. No ghosts. Just a normal, empty station. No police, though. We were stuck in a loop, but we had survived this round. “We made it!” People jumped off the bus, hugging and crying. Those who tried to kill me apologized profusely. I didn’t blame them. Survival instinct is ugly. A few locals waiting at the station looked at us weirdly. “Hey,” I called out, high on adrenaline. “It’s late. What are you waiting for?” “The 23,” one said. “Isn’t it due?” “The 23 just…” I turned around. The bus was gone. I checked my watch. 9:30 PM. The exact time I boarded. “Here it comes!” someone shouted. Headlights cut through the fog. The red LED sign read ROUTE 23. I looked at the driver’s seat. Forrest Graves was looking right at me. I collapsed onto the bench. “No… the name change wasn’t enough…” “Sierra? What are you doing?” Clay and Jade grabbed my arms. “Bus is here. Last one. Let’s go.” I looked around. The people who were just celebrating survival had reset. They were lining up like sheep. Forrest shouted the warning: “No one named Kimberly allowed! IDs out!” I understood. I stepped onto the bus. This time, I was going to break it. Chapter 5 “Name?” Forrest asked. “Marina Waters.” I stared him down. Clay and Jade looked at me, confused. I shot them a look to stay quiet. I had forged a dozen IDs to get on this bus. Marina was one of them. We were in a time loop. But I was the anomaly. I remembered. Forrest checked the ID. He paused. In Chinese philosophy, Water nourishes Wood. If Wood (Forrest) destroys Earth (Sierra/Clay/Jade), then Water (Marina) feeds him. He let me pass. I sat down and picked at the seat cover. Thirteen scratches. It all flooded back. The metal buckle. The scratch. The loop. I remembered the previous attempts. Attempts 1 through 12: Everyone died except me. Attempt 13: I changed my name to Kimberly Steele. Metal cuts Wood. I threw Forrest off the bus. We survived the ride, but time reset. We didn’t break the cycle; we just delayed the inevitable. Attempt 14: This time. Fighting him (Metal) didn’t work. Feeding him (Water) might. I looked around. Clay, Jade, Rocky, Cliff, Sandy… All Earth names. All destined to be consumed by the Forest. Except me. My real name is Sierra. Earth. But I cheated. The 12th time, I realized why I was the only survivor. He couldn’t kill me because I wasn’t technically “Sierra” when I boarded. I was using fake IDs with different elemental associations. I looked at Forrest in the mirror. He looked back and smirked.

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My younger brother borrowed my gaming account and spent all his time sweet-talking top players into boosting his rank. I didn’t pay much attention. Until one day, the most popular guy on campus cornered me. “You call me ‘Husband’ so sweetly in the game. When can I make it official in real life?” “?” Who? Me? 1 After graduating high school, my little brother, Finn, was living the good life at home. He ate whatever he wanted, and sweet-talked me into letting him borrow my full-skin gaming account. Every night, he’d hide in his room playing games. At first, it was normal. But then, he started talking to people while playing. “You got first blood again, Big Brother! You’re so awesome!” “Big Brother, they’re chasing me, I’m scared, waaah.” “Wow, you’re too good, Big Brother~” “I feel so safe with you!” It was so affected and weird. Mom, Dad, and I outside felt a wave of nausea just listening. One day, I couldn’t stand it anymore and planned to go in and warn him not to embarrass me with my account. My mom stopped me. “Let him be. He just finished his exams, let him enjoy himself for a bit. We’ll deal with him when school starts.” I thought about it. She had a point. I hadn’t played in ages anyway. And he couldn’t possibly do too much damage to the account. Until one night at dinner. Finn sneakily put a piece of meat on my plate. I immediately knew something was up. I frowned. “What did you do now?” He acted offended. “What? Why do you think so badly of me, Sis!” When I glared at him, he forced a smile. “Okay, so I’ve been talking to a ‘God-tier’ player in the game recently. I’ve only been texting him, but now he wants me to turn on my microphone to play with him…” I rolled my eyes. “I’m not helping you run a scam.” He clasped his hands together and bowed to me frantically. “Please, Sis! Just say a word or two, and I’ll find an excuse to turn the mic off right away.” I put down my chopsticks and told him clearly: “No. Way.” Me helping my brother pretend to be a girl to talk to a stranger? Never. Even though Finn had been acting like a spoiled brat since graduation, he didn’t dare argue too much with me. He just went back to his room dejectedly. I heard the game login music shortly after he closed the door. A few minutes later, I suddenly got a WeChat message. The contact name was “Ethan Chen.” I chewed on my chopsticks, trying to remember. That should be the most popular guy on campus. He was handsome, brilliant, and his family seemed loaded. I’d met him a few times at club events and politely added him on WeChat. But we had barely ever chatted. He forwarded a graphic listing what to avoid eating and doing when you have a cold. Me: $$?$$ He quickly sent a follow-up message. $$Don’t eat these when you have a cold. Take care of yourself.$$ I was confused. “?” When did I get a cold? How did I not know? And are we even close enough for him to care? ________________________________________ 2 But because we weren’t close, I debated for ages about how to respond. Finally, I just replied: $$Thanks, got it.$$ Even if I didn’t have a cold, it could just be a kind reminder. If he sent it to the wrong person, Ethan would be the one who felt awkward. He never admitted he sent it to the wrong person. I didn’t think much of it. Finn kept badgering me about using the microphone several times. He said he had run out of excuses. I was so annoyed I finally snapped: “If you want to pretend to be a girl, why don’t you just buy a voice changer?” He looked at me in sudden realization, his eyes lighting up. “Sis! You’re a genius!” I slowly frowned. But from that day on. It sounded like he really did start voice-chatting with someone. And his voice was even more affected than before. My mouth twitched, but I was too busy to care. I had tons of stuff going on with the end of the semester, and the school forced us to participate in some pointless basketball scrimmage. In the afternoon, our Liberal Arts department played against the Computer Science department. My professor insisted I go deliver supplies. When I arrived with water and snacks, the court was completely packed. I was shocked: “Why are there so many people today?” My friend whispered: “Don’t you know? Ethan Chen is playing for Computer Science today!” “He’s amazing at basketball! You’re lucky to catch him play!” I was astonished. I put my hands on my friend’s shoulder, stood on my tiptoes, and looked onto the court. I saw Ethan leaping high, executing a beautiful dunk. His jersey fluttered up slightly. Revealing the taut lines of his abs beneath the fabric. He turned his head, and the sunlight hit his sharp profile. Time seemed to slow down for a second. “Wow, he’s really hot,” I couldn’t help but say. My friend agreed: “Right?” I had seen him before. But in a white jersey, Ethan Chen seemed even more charming. The girls around us were screaming non-stop. After the game, our team narrowly lost. I quickly called the players over for water and a rest. Our main player, Sam, took the water I offered and grumbled: “If it wasn’t for Ethan Chen, I would have crushed those coding nerds.” I laughed: “Okay, okay, you’d crush them.” He looked offended: “You don’t believe me?” I shrugged. “I didn’t say that.” Sam turned around in a huff, looking for someone to back him up. And ran right into someone. Ethan Chen, a towel draped over his shoulder, had walked over to our side, standing right behind Sam and me. Sam jumped: “What are you doing here?” Ethan ignored him and just stared at me. In front of everyone, he slowly held out his hand to me. “I’d like some water too.” Sam’s jaw dropped. Confused, I quietly reminded Ethan: “Hey, you’re from Computer Science.” Wasn’t he on the opposing team? Was he asking the wrong people for water? His expression didn’t change. “I know.” I didn’t understand. But out of basic courtesy, I handed him a bottle of water. “Uh… here you go.” What a weird preference. Does he like drinking our team’s water? While I was wondering, Ethan took the water and drank a small sip. “It’s sweet,” he confirmed about our water. Before I could figure out what to say, Ethan suddenly tilted his head and asked: “Are you playing tonight?” “?” Playing what tonight? ________________________________________ 3 While I was trying to figure out what Ethan meant, Sam slapped Ethan’s shoulder. “Tonight? Playing what tonight?” “Our department is having a dinner gathering tonight. You want to come?” Ethan shot Sam a look, moving his hand off his shoulder. He looked at me instead. “Are you going?” I paused, then nodded. Even though I wasn’t on the basketball team. The dinner was planned much earlier. Ethan didn’t hesitate. He turned and asked Sam. “Mind if I join?” Since he asked, of course, no one minded. Everyone agreed immediately, and we even invited some other people from his department. But someone please tell me. Why was Ethan sticking to me like glue?! From the moment we got into the cars until we arrived, he maintained a distance of less than two feet from me. His gaze made me so uncomfortable. I tried hard to remember. Did I offend him somewhere, or did I owe him money? No, right? He was shadowing me so closely. I stopped before sitting down at the table. I turned and forced a smile: “Please, you go first.” He seemed momentarily stunned, then smiled, looking like he understood something. “Sure.” He casually pulled out a chair nearby. I sighed in relief and quickly rushed over to sit next to Sam, far away from Ethan. Although I didn’t look in Ethan’s direction. I could feel a look of surprise and disbelief focused on me from his seat. I felt inexplicably guilty. Sam was oblivious. When I sat down, he grinned widely. “Chloe, want to play some games while we wait for the food?” “Sounds good,” I replied vaguely. ________________________________________ 4 We settled on the classic game of Truth or Dare. The first person asked was Ethan Chen. The eternal heartthrob, the campus darling—his dating life was the most gossiped about subject. So when people asked him how many girlfriends he’d had, I couldn’t help but look over curiously. My eyes met Ethan’s gaze. The corner of his mouth instantly lifted in a smile that was stronger than any AK-47. He looked around, then shyly lowered his eyes. “Half a one.” Everyone was baffled. “Half a one? What does that mean?” “How do you only date half a person?” “‘Half a girlfriend,’ that’s a new one.” I was confused, frowning slightly. He explained shyly: “It’s someone I’m currently developing a relationship with.” “But we’re very happy with each other… We’re just waiting for an official confirmation.” “She said she wants to pick an auspicious day.” Everyone nodded, finally understanding. They started teasing him. “You, the guy who looks like he should have a long line of girlfriends, has never had an official relationship?” “What’s so strange? Ethan is famously aloof and doesn’t let anyone close.” “Lots of people chase him, but has he ever dated anyone?” “I heard that, but who knew Ethan was so pure?” … Everyone was very excited to get the gossip on Ethan. Only I was sitting rigidly in my chair. Hold on. What was with Ethan’s shy glances at me? I wasn’t the one he was developing a relationship with! But that girl was truly strange. Waiting for an auspicious day just to start dating? And Ethan actually went along with it. Hilarious. Someone else asked curiously: “Which girl managed to snag Ethan?” “Is she from our school?” Ethan sipped his tea, his head still bowed. “Yes.” “As for who, she’ll tell you when the time is right.” His voice was laced with unconcealed excitement. I had a strange feeling. The girl was probably here. Among the people at this dinner.

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1 The tender moment—my husband and I, foreheads pressed together in a lingering farewell at the train station—was captured by a stranger and went viral. It should have been just another sweet video, blessed with well-wishes. But then one comment blew it up, sending it rocketing to hundreds of thousands of likes and shares. [Dude, you should delete this! That’s my boy, and his wife’s about to have their baby!] I found it absurd, almost laughable. The man I had just legally married, the man I was planning my wedding with, couldn’t possibly be someone else’s husband. But the rumor spread like a plague. “The Great Online Mistress Hunt” became my trending hashtag. The flood of messages in my inbox was unbearable. I needed my husband, Matthew, to clear the air. That’s when I overheard his friend’s teasing voice through his office door. “Man, you must be exhausted, juggling Ava and Nora these days.” Matthew just chuckled. “Nora’s throwing a fit because she found out Ava and I got our marriage license. She’s dead set on making Ava a laughingstock.” I stood frozen at his office door, a chill seeping deep into my bones. The Ava he was talking about was me. And Nora… was his adoptive niece. … “Does Ava even know you and Nora used to be a thing?” My mind went blank, a deafening buzz drowning out everything else. “It doesn’t matter—” The sharp ring of his phone cut Matthew off, snapping me back to reality. The second he pulled the door open, I arranged my face into a look of perfect, pleasant surprise. “Ava? What are you doing here?” his friend asked. I forced a smile, my heart hammering against my ribs, and gave a small nod. My gaze drifted past him into the office, and the smile froze on my face. Where my carefully chosen monstera and palm plants used to be, there was now a sprawling collection of Labubu art toys. “Your hands are freezing,” Matthew said, ending his call and wrapping his warm hand around mine. I pulled away, gesturing toward the army of vinyl figures. “Have you forgotten about your allergies? Your asthma?” He followed my gaze, a look of confusion on his face before it melted into a fond, indulgent smile. “Oh, that. Nora said my office was too stuffy. She wanted to ‘update my aesthetic.’” The name “Nora” had never sounded so grating. Matthew was a man who valued his boundaries. He never let anyone intrude on his personal space. I remember our first real fight, back when I had spent weeks researching the best air-purifying plants for his health. “Ava, I hate it when people cross the line,” he’d said, his eyes filled with an undisguised annoyance that stung. Even after a year together, I had blamed myself, convinced I hadn’t respected him enough. The day I was finally allowed to add my own touches to his office, I naively thought I had finally broken through his walls and earned a place in his heart. But Nora had only been back in the country for a month, and every trace of me had already been erased. If I hadn’t overheard their conversation, I might have tried to rationalize it, telling myself they were just a close uncle and niece and I was being petty. But I had forgotten. They weren’t related by blood at all. Nora was just the daughter his older brother had informally taken in years ago. I forced a smile. “Well, I don’t like them. Get rid of them.” Matthew’s smile faded, his expression darkening. His voice dropped. “They’re just toys, Ava. Don’t you think it’s a bit petty to pick a fight with a young girl over them?” I nodded, my smile never reaching my eyes. “Oh, I’m more than just petty. I hold a grudge.” I paused, my voice steady. “Is there anything you’re hiding from me?” My jaw tightened, my fists clenching at my sides. I fought to keep my breathing even, to hide the frantic rhythm of my heart. He stared, then let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “You see right through me, don’t you? I was planning a surprise, how did you find out?” He spoke as he slid a box across the desk toward me. But my attention was snagged by the open drawer beside it. Inside lay a necklace—a pendant shaped like the right half of a heart. The strange thing was, I’d seen its other half. On Nora’s Instagram. I had even liked the post, the caption a giddy declaration: [Your left side is all mine now!] The diamond ring he slid onto my finger was too big. My hand went slack. The ring slipped from my finger and clattered to the floor. A sharp, needle-like pain pricked at my heart as I watched Matthew awkwardly bend down to retrieve it. “I’m so sorry, Ava,” he stammered. “Nora’s so unreliable. She swore your hands were the same size. I’ll have it resized immediately. Please, don’t be angry.” My fiancé, using his “niece” as a cover, had ordered my engagement ring based on his ex-girlfriend’s finger size. When they were picking it out together, being praised as the perfect, loving couple… were they getting off on the thrill of some twisted, forbidden taboo? I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. “I found the person who started the rumors about me being a homewrecker,” I said flatly. He froze for a second. I met his eyes, my voice calm and serious. “It was Nora. I’m going to file a police report.” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Matthew’s face hardened, his brow furrowing. “She’s my niece, Ava. Soon she’ll be your family too. You’re going to have her arrested?” All it took was one mention of Nora, and the mask of the gentle, sophisticated man I loved shattered. “And you didn’t have a problem calling animal control on my brother’s puppy, did you?” I asked softly. He sputtered, speechless. The day Nora came over to pick up some documents, my brother had brought his puppy to visit. While I was in the kitchen making tea, the dog had jumped on her in the garden, leaving a faint scratch on her arm. Matthew had dropped everything at work and rushed home. “That mutt should be put down!” he had roared. But the security footage showed the whole story: Nora had been yanking the dog’s tail, hard, causing it to react in fear. At the time, I just thought he was being overprotective. I smoothed things over, and after the puppy was taken away, I secretly pulled some strings to get it back. He must have realized his own hypocrisy. He sighed, his voice softening. “Ava, when did you become so unreasonable? It was just a dog, a dog that had already hurt someone.” He paused. “And even if Nora did start the rumor, it was just a silly joke. Is it really worth making such a big deal over?” I looked down, pressing back the storm of pain inside me. So, in his eyes, the humiliation of being publicly branded a homewrecker, of being torn apart by the entire internet, was less significant than a scratch on Nora’s arm that could be covered with a Band-Aid. Seeing my silence, he must have mistaken it for surrender. He reached out, pulling me into a gentle embrace. “We’re getting married soon. The rumors will die down on their own. We’ll have so many more happy moments to capture.” A future built on lies and deceit can never be happy, I wanted to scream. In the end, Matthew did manage to kill the online buzz. The day before my birthday, he showed up with a bouquet of flowers as a peace offering. “Nora didn’t mean any harm. She knows she was wrong! She even got you a birthday present.” On my birthday, our house was filled with guests. Very few were my friends or family. Most were strangers to me, all orbiting around Nora. She was a vision in a striking red dress, her makeup flawless. She and Matthew, dapper in a black suit and white shirt, moved around the kitchen together, a picture of bizarre domestic harmony. As the last dish was served, Nora placed a single shrimp in my bowl. She winked playfully, her tone laced with triumph. “Ava, I can’t believe you got so upset about those little toys in Uncle Matthew’s office. I made you this dinner myself, so you can’t be mad at him anymore, okay?” Her words painted me as a petty, irrational girlfriend, jealous of an innocent niece. The guests shot me strange, judging glances. I looked at Matthew. He seemed oblivious to the subtle shift in the room’s atmosphere. “Ava, Nora spent a whole week learning how to cook this meal just to apologize. You have to try it.” I took a deep breath. “I’m allergic to shellfish.” Nora’s lips curved into a smirk. “Oh, whoops! My bad, Ava. How about some tofu instead?” She spooned a heap of it into my bowl. My fists clenched under the table. I kept my eyes locked on Matthew. I’m allergic to soy, too. Of all the dishes on the table, the only thing I could eat was a plate of steamed greens. Matthew knew that. He had to know. But he just leaned in, his face grim, and whispered, “Ava, just eat the tofu. We have your allergy medication here, you’ll be fine. Nora has a lot of pride. It took a lot for her to apologize. She’s acting out a little, but you’re the adult here. Don’t stoop to her level.” A slow, cold smile spread across my face. I understood. I picked up my bowl. Under Matthew’s relieved gaze, I lifted my arm and flung its contents across the table. “Ah!” Nora shrieked. Matthew had shielded her from the worst of it, but her hair was still matted with sticky, crumbled tofu. She looked pathetic. I smiled sweetly. “Since I’m the adult, I guess it’s my job to teach the younger generation a lesson. You’re welcome to it.” Matthew shot up from his chair, his hand flying through the air. The sharp crack of the slap echoed through the room. And in that instant, my world went utterly silent. Matthew stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I spent my birthday—the first one without him in seven years—surrounded by the wreckage of our dinner. He didn’t come home that night. I contacted a lawyer to draw up divorce papers. Just as I was about to text Matthew, my phone started buzzing relentlessly. A torrent of abusive texts from unknown numbers. [You’re famous now, you fucking homewrecker!] [Got a thing for married men, huh? You a professional or something?] My hands trembled as I opened up the trending topics. The train station video, the one he had suppressed, was back at number one. My boss called and told me to stay home for a while. A mob of “homewrecker hunters” had already shown up at my office. My personal information had been leaked. My mind was a chaotic blank when another text popped up. [So what if you have a marriage license? His heart belongs to me. You’re the one who has to hide in the shadows!] [If it wasn’t for that stubborn old man at the Vance estate, I would have been Mrs. Vance years ago!] The messages from Nora kept coming, one after another. I read them numbly, piecing together the story I had been too blind to see. Matthew’s grandfather, the patriarch of the Vance family, had never approved of the orphaned Nora. When he discovered their secret relationship, he gave her a choice: a large sum of money and a new identity—as the adopted daughter of his eldest son. He threw a city-wide banquet to publicly announce their new, purely platonic “uncle-niece” relationship. Matthew fell into a deep depression, convinced Nora had chosen money and status over him. And that’s when I appeared. The perfect rebound. The perfect foundation for seven years of a beautiful, hollow lie. Tears blurred the screen of my phone. The last message from Nora, an attached photo, was the thing that finally shattered the last thread of my sanity. In the picture, Matthew was on one knee, dressed in a sharp tuxedo and bow tie, tenderly kissing Nora’s hand. And Nora was radiant in a magnificent white wedding gown. They looked perfect together. [I bet you didn’t know this, did you?] she wrote. [The same day you two were filmed at the train station? He and I were taking our wedding photos.] That day. I had taken the train to another city to consult a specialist for Matthew’s asthma. “I should just cancel my meetings,” he’d murmured, his voice thick with reluctance as he pressed his forehead to mine. “I hate that you have to go alone.” My heart had swelled with love. “Don’t be silly! You already came all the way to the station with me, you even bought an extra platform ticket. You’re spoiling me!” “Every extra second with you is worth it,” he’d whispered. That moment, captured by a stranger’s lens, the moment I thought was a snapshot of our perfect happiness… it was a lie from the very beginning. I wiped the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand. Oh, Matthew. If that’s how we’re playing this, then I have a gift for you, too. Matthew came home right after I posted our marriage certificate online. I had fallen asleep on the sofa and woke to find him in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, making breakfast. He saw me, froze for a moment, then sighed and looked down. “Why are you barefoot again?” he asked softly, his voice laced with a guilty sort of weariness. He moved to kneel, a familiar, practiced motion. But just before his fingers could touch my ankle, I pulled my foot back and slipped it into my slippers. His hand hovered, frozen in mid-air. “Thank you,” I said, my tone polite, distant. For some reason, my courtesy seemed to infuriate him. “The things they’ve been saying online these past two days… they’re disgusting,” he said, his voice ragged with frustration. “Why didn’t you call me?” I gave him a cool, placid look. “You were busy with the wedding. I can handle it myself.” A flash of shock crossed his face. But when he realized I had brought up the wedding myself, the tension in his brow eased. He reached up, his movements fluid and confident, to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I flinched back. The small movement seemed to wound him deeply. His face crumpled with regret. “Ava, I’m so sorry. That slap… I was out of my mind. Please, don’t be afraid of me. I lost control, and I regret it more than you can imagine.” He grabbed my hand, his words tumbling out in a desperate rush. “Let me be honest with you, okay? Nora was just angry that you embarrassed her in front of all those people. She pushed your video back into the spotlight behind my back. The moment I found out, I took care of it. And I read her the riot act.” “She knows she was wrong. She promised me she’d never do anything like it again.” He was apologizing now, right after I’d revealed our marriage certificate. It was hard not to suspect he was just afraid I’d press charges. But it didn’t matter anymore. I nodded, pulling my hand from his grasp. “Okay.” His brow furrowed, and he recaptured my hand, his grip possessive, as if to prove that his love for me was unchanged. The gesture reminded me of a hundred other arguments. I would always pull away, using physical distance to mask my vulnerability. And he would always see through my brittle defenses, stubbornly pulling me back into his arms. I looked at him, my voice even. “Matthew. Is there anything else you’re hiding from me?” Just tell me the truth, I pleaded silently. And I will let you go with dignity. He met my gaze, his eyes shining with what looked like absolute sincerity. “There’s nothing else, Ava. I swear.” “There never will be again. My past, my future… it’s all yours.” I smiled, a genuine, liberating smile. “Good.” Because my future will have no place for you. The wedding day drew closer. As tradition dictated, we weren’t supposed to see each other for the week leading up to it. His friends threw him a bachelor party, but Matthew was uncharacteristically distracted, his eyes constantly on his phone. “You’re seeing her tomorrow, man. Do you have to stare at your phone all night?” one of his friends teased. Matthew offered a weak smile. “You wouldn’t get it, you’re single.” His friend laughed, not offended in the slightest. “I gotta hand it to you, Matthew. Getting a woman as proud as Ava to just accept you carrying on with Nora right under her nose, without a single fight? You’re my hero, man!” Another guy chimed in. “What are you talking about? He just thinks of Nora as a niece.” “A niece you can kiss and cuddle? Hahaha, that’s some forbidden fruit right there!” The room erupted in laughter. Matthew, like any man, basked in the ego-stroking, but my brief, ordinary texts sent a strange unease crawling under his skin. “Watch your mouths,” he warned, his tone suddenly serious. “My only wife is Ava. Nora is in the past.” On the day of the wedding, his anxiety intensified. But then he saw the custom light fixtures I had designed myself. He saw the venue overflowing with pink roses, my favorite flower. He relaxed, laughing at himself for being so nervous he was rubbing his thumb raw. He watched the beautiful bride walking toward him, a vision in white. He made a silent vow to cherish me for the rest of his life. When the officiant told him to lift the veil, Matthew’s hands trembled with eager reverence. He swept the delicate fabric aside. And his face went ghost white. The bride beamed up at him, her eyes shining with manic joy. “Uncle Matthew! I’m finally marrying you!”

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1 After college graduation, my parents suggested I go on a road trip with all the students my family’s foundation had sponsored. Driving through No Man’s Land, the fuel gauges on our three SUVs were hitting empty. That’s when Sarah piped up with a brilliant idea: pour water into the gas tanks. “Just add some water, the gas will last longer,” she chirped. My boyfriend, Liam, smiled and agreed. The other sponsored students nodded along like bobbleheads. I shut it down immediately. Water in the gas tank? That’s a one-way ticket to a wrecked engine. I couldn’t let everyone die out there. I took a hard line, siphoning gas from two vehicles into one, and risked my life driving out alone to get help. When my car ran dry, I hiked for a day and a night until I found a rescue team and brought them back. On the return trip, Sarah claimed I looked down on her. She ran off crying and stumbled straight into a wolf pack. They tore off both her legs. She sobbed that I had led her into the wolves. Liam, furious, threw me out of the car. The wolves tore me apart. Not even a bone was left. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment Sarah suggested watering down the gas. I smiled. “Sure, go ahead. Water makes the car go faster.” “Gas stations water down their fuel anyway. If we add water to the tank, we can definitely save some gas.” Sarah’s voice buzzed in my ear. I pinched my own face. Ouch! I’m reborn? “Zoe, stop being stubborn. Just listen to everyone. Maybe this method can help us get out of No Man’s Land.” Sarah looked at me with wide, fearful eyes, like I was about to eat her. Liam and the other sponsored students stared at me. If I dared refuse Sarah’s suggestion, they’d gang up on me. I’d been through this scenario a thousand times. I smiled. “Sarah, you’re so smart to think of such a great idea.” “Do it. Water in the tank makes it go faster.” Standing nearby, Liam finally gave a satisfied smile. “For once, you actually know your place.” I didn’t want to waste breath on them. My brain was already calculating my escape plan from this wasteland. There were eleven of us in three cars. Originally, I was in the same car as Liam, but Sarah insisted on riding with him. So, I’ve been driving one car solo this whole trip. In my last life, my car had the most gas. To give everyone a fighting chance, I left them all the supplies and drove alone into the endless desert to find help. In this life? I’m not lifting a finger for these idiots. I’m getting myself out. Based on my past life, heading west for sixty miles gets you out of this desert. My tank has enough for forty miles. Luckily, I’ve always been into extreme sports. My stamina is solid. I can hike the remaining twenty miles before dark. The supplies in my car are more than enough. With a detailed plan in mind, I started to relax. Just to be safe, I pulled a watch out of the trunk. It was a birthday gift from him. In my last life, he found this watch where the wolves killed me. He broke down, slapping himself, blaming himself for not telling me sooner that this watch had a satellite GPS. If I had turned it on, he could have found me anywhere. I smirked, fiddled with the settings, and activated the GPS. This time, I hope he finds me. Seeing the luxury watch on my wrist, jealousy flashed in Sarah’s eyes. “Zoe, doesn’t your car have a case of water? Bring it out for us.” My heart sank. They want to use my drinking water to fill their gas tanks? 2 “You have four cases in your car. Why don’t you use yours?” I shot back. Sarah pouted, acting self-righteous. “Zoe, we’re in a desert. Water is precious. You can’t hoard it all for yourself.” I laughed. Just moments ago, she was using bottled water to wash her face. Now water is precious? Liam stepped forward, staring me down. “Bring it out.” His tone left no room for argument. I took a deep breath, suppressing my rage, trying to reason with him. “I bought that water…” “We’re in a crisis, and you’re still talking about ‘yours’ and ‘mine’?” Sarah interrupted, looking like a saint. “We need to unite in the face of difficulty. If everyone was as selfish as you, how would we ever get out of here?” The other students immediately chimed in, looking at me with disdain: “You can’t drink a whole case by yourself. Bring it out for distribution.” “Zoe, bring the water! Don’t make us take it.” “Capitalist daughters are so selfish. Not sensible like Sarah at all.” … Selfish? If my family hadn’t sponsored your education, you’d be hauling cement at a construction site right now, not going to college or getting jobs at our company. I finally understood why my parents wanted me to go on this trip. Crisis reveals character. This was their final test. Seeing I wouldn’t budge, they opened my trunk and started unloading supplies. I tried to stop them, but they pinned me to the ground. I watched helplessly as they poured my drinking water into their gas tanks. Without water, driving in this heat would mean dehydration and passing out. “Give me back my water…” I struggled to get up. Sarah grabbed a handful of sand and shoved it into my mouth, snarling, “Shut up! Say another word and I’ll fill your stomach with sand.” I gagged, coughing as sand filled my nose and throat. Snot and tears ran down my face. I was pathetic, lying in the dirt. The students laughed, clutching their stomachs. “Is this the heiress of the Ling family? Looks more like a dog to me! Hahaha…” I gritted my teeth and stood up, raising my hand to slap Sarah. The next second, my wrist was caught in a vice grip. Sarah reacted instantly and slapped me. Smack! Liam froze, instinctively letting go. I collapsed, my face burning. Sarah hid behind Liam, trembling. “I’m sorry, Zoe. You tried to hit me first. It was just self-defense.” Liam reached a hand out to me, looking disgusted. “Get up. Stop embarrassing yourself.” I forced the tears back and looked up into his eyes. “Liam, let’s break up.” “Sarah was just reacting, she didn’t mean it. Why are you throwing a tantrum again?” Liam shielded Sarah, looking at me warily, like I was going to snap his little white flower in half. A wave of exhaustion hit me. Throwing a tantrum? From the moment we started dating, any time I didn’t go along with his decisions, I was “throwing a tantrum.” Not going to the same college as him? Tantrum. Studying abroad? Tantrum. Sarah cries? My tantrum. … “Liam, we’re not on the same path. Breaking up is best for both of us.” Time had corroded the man I loved beyond recognition. When I was twelve, I snuck out to eat street food and saw Liam huddled in a corner washing dishes. His hands moved mechanically, scrubbing greasy plates, but his eyes looked enviously at the students in uniforms. 3 I felt sorry for him and asked my dad to sponsor his education. Liam worked hard, got into high school with top grades, and ended up at my school. At the opening ceremony, a stage light fell. He shielded me with his body, getting a concussion that hospitalized him for a month. Blood blurred his vision, but he smiled and comforted me: “Don’t be scared. I’ll protect you.” Later, we naturally became a couple. I don’t know when his gaze started drifting to Sarah. She was a charity case like him. Sarah, the delicate little flower, always made him feel soft, made him want to take care of her. Eventually, his heart completely tilted her way. I staggered up, snatched my keys from Sarah, and started the car. As I hit the gas, I felt a weight lift. Finally escaping. The next moment, Liam blocked the car with his body. I slammed the brakes, hitting my head on the steering wheel. A flash of pain crossed Liam’s eyes, and his tone softened. “Stop this. It’s dangerous to go alone.” Sarah walked up, linked arms with Liam, and smirked at me. “Zoe, stop with the princess attitude. Your car has the most gas. If you waste it, what about us?” Her words rallied the others. “Yeah, it’s safer if we all stick together.” “Siphon the gas from her car. That gives us more hope.” I sneered. “This car is mine. Why should I give you my gas?” Not just this one. All three cars were mine. One guy shouted indignantly: “We need to work together to get out of the desert. There is no ‘yours’ and ‘mine’ right now.” I rolled my eyes. “Your two cars are full. Where am I supposed to sit? You giving up your seat?” He shut up. Sarah tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Zoe, don’t you love convertibles? You can sit on the roof! It’s way more exciting than a convertible.” Everyone agreed instantly. “Exactly! The roof is great. She loves freedom, let her feel the wind.” “Don’t worry, we have ropes. We can tie you down so you won’t fall.” “Money can’t buy this kind of thrill. Miss Heiress can brag about this when we get back.” Liam sighed. Just as I thought he would shut down this ridiculous idea, his next words froze my blood. “You like extreme sports. You’re physically stronger than them. Sitting on the roof is fine.” I gave up hope. I slammed the gas pedal. Sarah screamed, “She’s running! Grab her!” They swarmed the car. The door was ripped open, and I was dragged out. I thrashed, trying to break free. “Ah!” Sarah cried out, clutching her stomach and crouching on the ground. “Zoe, why did you kick me?” Liam shoved me aside and held her. I froze, instinctively arguing, “I didn’t even touch her…” Sarah shrank into Liam’s arms, looking at me with terror. “Zoe, I shouldn’t have blocked your way. Please don’t kick me again… it hurts…” Liam frowned, his voice cold. “Apologize!” “I didn’t do anything! Why should I apologize?” The others started accusing me: “You were struggling so hard, you definitely kicked Sarah.” “Sarah is so kind, she wouldn’t lie. You have to apologize!” 4 Sarah was sweating, breathing fast. “Sand got into my wound…” She showed Liam a one-inch scratch on her arm. Liam glared at me. “Zoe! Look what you did.” I smirked. “Any later and the wound would have healed itself.” Sarah forced a pained smile. “Zoe, I don’t need an apology. Can I borrow your sun jacket? Just to block the sand, my wound hurts…” My jacket was custom-made, designed by my mom with high-tech fabric. Sun-proof, wind-proof, breathable. You couldn’t buy it. I refused immediately. “I’m allergic to UV rays. No.” Sarah moaned in pain. “Forget it. My life isn’t worth as much as the princess’s delicate skin.” Liam’s face went ice cold. “UV allergy? That’s just an excuse because you don’t want to get tan.” “I’m counting to three. Take it off yourself!” “One, two…” Before three, Liam lost patience. He grabbed my wrist and stripped the jacket off me. I was left in a tank top. My skin, exposed to the brutal sun, started to burn immediately. My face stung. Liam gently put the jacket on Sarah, carefully blowing away the sand on her skin. Looking at them made me sick. I turned to leave. Just as I reached for the car door, Liam grabbed my hand. “It’s just a jacket. Why are you throwing a tantrum again?” “Throwing a tantrum.” Those words lit a fuse. I slapped Liam across the face. Hard. “I don’t throw tantrums. I throw hands!” Liam’s face swelled instantly. Sarah screamed. “Are you crazy? How dare you hit Liam!” Liam pressed his tongue against his cheek, his face dark as a storm. “Zoe, you mess up and refuse to repent. Looks like you need a lesson.” My heart sank. “Since you don’t want the roof, take the bumper.” I gasped. “Liam, are you insane?!” Two muscular guys grabbed me, tied my hands, and tied the other end of the rope to the back of the car. “We’ll let you down when you admit you’re wrong.” With that, he got into the driver’s seat. The engine roared. I was yanked forward. The car picked up speed. I couldn’t keep up. I fell, dragged for dozens of yards. Rocks and sand tore my skin apart. Blood flowed. I screamed in panic. “Stop! Please stop!” Laughter came from inside the car. They couldn’t hear me. The car drifted around a rock. My head slammed into it. Stars exploded in my vision. Blood blurred my eyes. Terror flooded me. Survival instinct took over. I begged, “I’m sorry… I was wrong…” The roar of the engine drowned me out. The car didn’t stop. I was going to die here. My consciousness faded. Through the blur, I saw a helicopter approaching. A man’s desperate voice shouted: “Let her go!” Smoke poured from the two cars ahead. They had to stop. One student yelled: “Bad news! The cars broke down!” 5 Before the helicopter even landed, the man in the pilot’s seat jumped out and sprinted toward me. He cut the rope with a knife and crushed me into a hug, his voice trembling. “Moon, I’m late.” “Brother…” As soon as I spoke, my nose stung and tears poured out. I choked, unable to form a sentence. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you.” I shook my head slightly, trying to smile. “I’m happy to see you.” “Ethan! Let go of my girlfriend!” Liam got out of the car. Seeing me in Ethan’s arms, anger washed over his face. Ethan set me down gently, turned, and punched Liam square in the jaw. Liam hit the dirt. Ethan, eyes red, pounded him again and again. The students were stunned. “What are you waiting for? Help him!” Sarah shrieked. They snapped out of it and pulled them apart. Liam wiped blood from his lip, veins popping. “Ethan, you’re a psycho!” Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot, chest heaving. “I’m a psycho? You’re an animal!” “Zoe loves you, and you tried to kill her!” Liam finally saw my state. Covered in wounds, forehead bleeding. His face paled. “I just wanted her to apologize… I didn’t think she’d get hurt this bad…” “Apologize?” Ethan sneered. “Looks like you’re not just stupid, you’re blind.” Liam shot back, “You’re just the Ling family’s adopted son. What right do you have to interfere with me and Zoe?” Ethan’s gaze shifted to me, gentle as water. “From now on, I’ll protect her for the rest of my life.” I froze. I didn’t expect him to say that. Ethan was the son of my dad’s best friend. His parents died in a car crash when he was young, and my dad adopted him. We were close as kids. I followed him around calling him “Brother.” But in high school, he turned cold. He forbade me from calling him Brother. When I started dating Liam, he went abroad. He only came back a year ago. He brought a first aid kit and bandaged me. “Just a quick fix. I’m taking you to the hospital.” I nodded. Sarah whined, “How can we all fit in that tiny helicopter?” She was already planning to grab the best seat for the view. Ethan laughed coldly. “What does your survival have to do with me?” “You!” Sarah fumed. Seeing me on the helicopter, she put on her innocent mask. “Zoe, you wouldn’t be heartless enough to leave us, would you?” I smiled faintly. “Didn’t you say water in the gas tank would get everyone out? I believe in you.” Seeing the smoke pouring from the cars, the students started to panic. “Sarah, didn’t you say water saves gas?” “The engines are blown! What now?!” Sarah’s face twisted. She lost it. “It’s not my car! How should I know? I don’t even have a license! You guys are men, shouldn’t you know cars better than me?” That enraged everyone. “Sarah, what the hell? We trusted you because you’re the top student! Now the cars are wrecked and you’re blaming us?” “I don’t care! You have to get us out of here!” Sarah hid behind Liam, eyes darting with calculation. “Don’t they have a helicopter? Go take it!”

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As a corporate slave, the person I envied most was the CEO’s sister who sat in the next cubicle. I worked 996 for a base salary of $3,000, while she did nothing for a base of $300,000. She never had to suck up to idiot clients. Even if she threw red wine in an investor’s face, her brother would make me take the fall. But then, the Luo family discovered that Lola wasn’t their biological daughter. I was. My best friend warned me not to go back: “That family is obsessed with her. They’ll just think you’re an intruder. They won’t love you.” “Especially your brother. He’s a total sis-con.” I waved her off: “We’re all adults here. Who cares about love when you get a golden ticket to high society?” If the Luo family accepts me, I’ll play nice. But if they dare give my shares to Lola, I’m going to raise hell. 1 The Luo family threw a press conference for me. Lola, the princess who used to sip boba while dumping her work on me, was sitting in the main seat, eyes red. I found it odd. As the returning biological daughter, why was I in the side seat? Just as I was about to make a speech, Lola suddenly stood up and ran off crying. The moment she ran, my former boss—now my brother, CEO Luo—and Mr. and Mrs. Luo all chased after her. Leaving me alone on stage, staring at a thousand people in awkward silence. I was curling my toes in embarrassment, wondering if I should crack a joke, when the speakers suddenly broadcasted the Luo family’s voices. “It’s okay, we’re just acknowledging her. You are still the only princess of the Luo family.” That was Dad’s voice. Then CEO Luo’s: “Exactly, Sis. At the end of the day, she’s just an employee under me. If she knows her place, I’ll call her sister. If she tries to take your things, I’ll kick her out of the company.” The audience was confused: “Oh snap, they forgot to turn off the mics!” I facepalmed. I served that idiot boss Lawrence for years. He was obsessed with PR. How could he make such a rookie mistake? Obviously, it was intentional. To let everyone know my place and give me a warning shot. The envious looks from the crowd turned into disdain. Mom’s voice chimed in: “Don’t be scared, baby. We won’t let her in the house. You’re still the only princess in the manor.” The scrutiny from the crowd burned. Anyone else would have slinked away in shame. But I stayed glued to my chair, waiting for fifteen minutes until they came back. Seeing me still there, their faces darkened. They clearly didn’t expect me to have skin this thick. Joke’s on them. I finally got my golden ticket; only an idiot would give it up over some mean words. “Ahem, well, Penny, your return was sudden. The house isn’t ready yet. Why don’t you stay in your rental for now? Mom will give you an allowance to find a better place.” A manor with thousands of square feet needs prep time for one room? They just didn’t want me home. Lola hid behind Mom, smirking at me. I nodded: “Sure.” Lawrence gave me a “you know what’s good for you” look. “But since I’m back, an allowance isn’t enough, right?” I pivoted: “I heard you prepared shares for my sister. Where are mine?” They were stunned. 2 Lawrence, clearly used to ordering me around, adopted his boss persona: “What nonsense! Do you think you deserve that?” I nodded and stood up: “Fine. I see you don’t genuinely want to acknowledge me. Then I won’t acknowledge you either.” I started walking away. Mom panicked and stopped me. After all, they were a prominent family. The news of the switched babies was already out. If people found out I didn’t actually rejoin the family, it would look bad for them. “We need to discuss the shares. You’ll get them later.” “No. Now.” We’re adults. Why play stalling games? Lawrence frowned: “Stop causing trouble!” “Look, I’m your biological daughter and sister. You won’t let me come home, and you won’t give me any compensation. What was this press conference for? A show?” “Let me guess, these reporters are your paid dogs too? I’m leaving.” “Sister!” Lola called out to me with red eyes. She bit her lip, looking pitiful: “You… you misunderstood. I meant… we were afraid you wouldn’t adapt to the new environment, so we thought you should stay in your rental first.” I laughed: “Princess, only rich people can’t adapt to poor houses. Since when can’t poor people adapt to a mansion?” Lola’s eyes got redder, tears threatening to fall: “I… I’m sorry. Sister, just come home…” Lawrence blocked her: “If you don’t know how to talk, shut up.” “None of your business!” Lawrence froze. As his corporate slave, I always smiled on the outside while cursing him on the inside. “Mr. Luo, you are my brother now. Is it appropriate to speak to me like a subordinate?” Lawrence frowned. I looked past him at the crying Lola: “Princess, don’t be so aggrieved. After all, I should have been living at home since birth.” 3 In the Rolls-Royce, the family sat in sullen silence. Mom occasionally wiped Lola’s tears. I was the only one enjoying the ride, touching everything, curious about the starry ceiling. “Later, the heir of the He family will pick you up. You can get to know him,” Mom said with hesitation. “What’s our relationship with the He family?” Lawrence said impatiently: “Arranged marriage from childhood.” I glanced at Lola: “Then he must know Sister.” Lola bit her lip, clutching her dress. Lawrence sneered: “Of course. They have 26 years of history. You can’t compare.” Mom tried to smooth things over: “Penny, we respect your choice. The agreement was with the He family heir and our daughter, but Lola grew up with him.” “If you don’t like him, we won’t force you.” I picked at a sticker on the window. If I couldn’t understand my bio-mom’s hint, my years in the corporate world were wasted. I soon met Harrison He. Tall, long legs, 6’1″, my type. But Lola opened the door first. “Harry!” She threw herself into his arms. Saying nothing, just crying. Harrison was flustered for a moment, then looked up and saw me. His brows furrowed. Lola sobbed, pulling away from him, seemingly remembering something, and pushed Harrison towards me: “Sorry, Sister, I… I didn’t mean anything. I’m not trying to steal Harry…” Harrison looked at Lola in surprise. Lola bit her lip, tears falling: “Go. You were betrothed to Sister… I… I’m just a fake…” Seeing his love in pain, Harrison’s eyes flashed with heartache. He looked at me coldly: “I don’t like her.” “No, Harry.” Lola shook her head: “You two are the real match.” I raised my hand: “Um…” “I don’t like her means I don’t like her. I only like you,” Harrison ignored me. I coughed: “No, I wanted to say…” “Forget it, Harry, Sister is back…” Lola cried. “Hello?” “So what if she’s back? A low-class girl from the gutter wants to steal your things?” “But…” “Are you guys done yet!” I was genuinely annoyed. Lola quickly blocked Harrison: “Sister! I won’t steal your man! Don’t misunderstand! I know my place!” “You really want to give him to me?” I stared at her. Lola froze, sobbed once: “Of course…” “Okay.” Lola’s eyes widened. Harrison refused: “I don’t want you.” “Do you get a say in this?” I lifted my chin: “I heard we signed some agreement? Breaching it costs a fortune.” “You can marry Sister, but pay the penalty.” The agreement was a joke between the families back then, but the penalty was astronomical. If I wanted to be serious, it could be enforced. Harrison gritted his teeth. “See? If you don’t want to pay, be a good boy and marry me.” Harrison clenched his fists. I raised an eyebrow at Lola: “Thanks for the gift, Sis.” “Sister!” Lola suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud. 4 If you told me yesterday that the princess in the next cubicle would kowtow to me, I’d think you were crazy. But Lola really banged her head on the floor, forehead red: “I beg you, let us be together! Even though you and Harry are betrothed, you are the real daughter of the Luo family. You can have anything you want later.” “But I only have Harry…” Harrison hugged her tight, glaring at me: “You’re going too far!” Lawrence shoved me hard: “You’re bullying her again!” Mom and Dad also rushed to comfort Lola. Mom looked at me: “Penny, don’t make it hard for your sister.” “I’m not making it hard for her.” I stepped closer to Lola: “Sister said herself she wanted to give him to me. Did I confirm it with her?” “Since you decided to give him up, why act like I robbed you when I accepted?” I squatted in front of Lola: “If you don’t want to give, don’t say it. Because if you say it, I will take it.” Lola shrank into Lawrence’s arms like a frightened deer. I sneered and stood up, glancing at the glaring Harrison: “Relax. I was just teasing you. I don’t like you.” Harrison choked. He gritted his teeth hard. Strange. When I said I wanted him, he didn’t like me. When I told him the truth that I didn’t like him, he wasn’t happy either. 5 The next morning, a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace appeared before me. Seeing my parents’ smiling faces, I knew— Something fishy was going on. Sure enough, Mom spoke: “Penny, about the shares. We thought about it. We will definitely give them to you.” “But the transfer to Lola was already effective. Wait until we expand the business, then you’ll get every penny you deserve.” Dad added: “Yes, you are our biological daughter. Don’t worry.” So that’s the play. Yesterday the transfer hadn’t happened. One night later, the shares were in Lola’s name. Does this look like they plan to leave me anything? But… I picked up the necklace, worth less than ten grand, and reddened my eyes: “Okay. Who asked you to be my mom and dad…” Mom’s eyes flashed with guilt. I wiped my tears: “I know I wasn’t raised by you. Even as your biological daughter, I’ll never get the same treatment as Sister.” “I understand. I won’t ask for a single share. Don’t worry.” “How can you say that? Silly child!” Mom hugged me: “You are our daughter. That won’t change!” Dad nodded: “We are happy you’re sensible, but don’t say things like that!” I sniffled: “Do you really love me?” “Of course! How can parents not love their child!” “Then… transfer me to the overseas branch. I don’t want shares, just let me manage the branch.” They froze.

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My brother stole my fiancé’s canary. My fiancé pressed a knife to my neck, his voice a low threat to my brother. “Send her back.” “Or you can come collect your sister’s body.” My brother didn’t even spare me a glance. “Oh.” “Then kill her.” The words shattered something inside me. My depression, a dormant beast, flared up in that instant, and I threw myself onto the blade. After I died, they all went insane. 1 The day I was trying on my wedding dress, my fiancé, Liam Blackwood, pressed a knife to my neck. “Caroline,” he murmured, his voice heavy. “I’m sorry.” Then, he made a video call to my brother, Caleb Vance. It took three tries before Caleb finally answered. Liam casually maneuvered me into the center of the frame, the cold steel of the blade a chilling line against my artery. His handsome face was a mask of cold, predatory cruelty. “Send her back,” he repeated. “Or you can come collect your sister’s body.” Her? Before the shock of Liam’s actions could even register, before the pain could set in, a girl’s face flashed in my mind. 2 Her name was Jenna Reed. Everyone called her Liam’s little canary. She’d shown up at my university once to confront me. “Liam and I have been together for three years. We’re going to get married eventually,” she’d sneered. “What’s the point of clinging to an engagement? Are you planning on sleeping alone for the rest of your life?” Her face was twisted with contempt as she spoke, and when she was done, she swept away. A sleek, black Cayenne was waiting for her at the curb. Quite the scene. I watched her go, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. She had it all wrong. It wasn’t me clinging to the engagement; it was Liam. He was the one who wanted to marry me. It wasn’t a new development. For the sake of the alliance between our families, I supposed. What other reason could there be? He couldn’t possibly still remember that I was his first love. That kind of foolish sentiment was probably something only I held onto. 3 Jenna’s words didn’t break me, but they sent my best friend into a fury. She called my brother, Caleb, hoping he’d stick up for me. But when the call connected, we heard Caleb’s voice mingling with Jenna’s. “Gave my sister a piece of your mind. Feel better now?” Of course. The Cayenne belonged to my brother. I hadn’t recognized it, probably because Caleb never, ever picked me up. Yes, Caleb was in love with Jenna, too. But he was more “noble” than Liam. He wanted Jenna to have a respectable, happy life. He had repeatedly pushed Liam to marry her and had always been against my engagement to Liam. A shame all his efforts were for nothing. This marriage was about the merger of our family empires. Not everyone was a lovesick fool like Caleb. Certainly not Liam. When the Vance and Blackwood families finalized our wedding date, Caleb had made a scene, demanding of Liam in front of our parents, “How can you do this to Jenna?” Liam had just smiled coolly. “Jenna who?” he’d said. “The only one I know is Caroline.” Liam always knew how to play the game, which was why my father favored him. But now… I never thought the ever-composed Liam could be so reckless. The moment someone snatched his precious canary, he didn’t hesitate to put a knife to his fiancée’s throat. 4 Jenna and I shared a striking resemblance. My best friend suspected Liam was indulging in some kind of replacement fantasy. I’d laughed so hard it hurt. Who would threaten the original for the sake of a replacement? There was a time when a simple paper cut on my finger would have Liam fussing over me for ages. Now, for Jenna, he held a blade to my throat. I closed my eyes, my heart turning to ash. Through the phone’s screen, my brother watched, a cold sneer on his lips. “Oh,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “Then kill her.” His complete indifference was nothing like that of a brother. I froze, the wound in my soul gaping wide. I stared at Caleb, my eyes wide with disbelief. He was my brother. My own brother. Tears finally escaped, trailing down my cheeks. On the other end of the line, Caleb’s gaze met mine, and his brow furrowed. A flicker of pain crossed his handsome face. For a heartbeat, I thought he might change his mind. But in the next second, he looked away. “Regardless, Liam,” he said, his voice flat, “I’m not giving Jenna back to you.” That was it. He had taken Jenna, and he had no intention of returning her. “You’re a real bastard, Liam,” Caleb continued, his voice sharp with accusation. “You’re about to marry my sister, yet you’re still trying to keep Jenna locked away. What do you think she is to you?” Every word was about Jenna, not Caroline. Not me. My heart plummeted into an abyss. I remembered when we were children. Mom was still alive then. She’d asked Caleb gently, “Will you protect your sister when you grow up?” “Of course, I will!” he had promised, full of boyhood bravado. “What if a bad guy tries to hurt her?” she’d asked. “I’ll hide her,” he’d declared without hesitation, “and I’ll go fight the bad guy.” The memory was a cruel joke now. My hands fell limply to my sides. The mental illness I’d fought for so long, the one I thought I had under control, suddenly erupted. A voice whispered from the depths of my mind. No one loves you. Your brother doesn’t love you. Your fiancé doesn’t love you. Just die. Death will end the pain. Go see your mother… “…Okay.” 5 All I wanted was for Liam to kill me quickly. To end it all. But then, with a soft thud, the knife fell from his hand, landing silently on the thick carpet. “I’m sorry,” Liam whispered. I didn’t hear him. It didn’t matter anymore. No apology from anyone mattered now. I just smoothed down the fabric of my wedding dress. They say you’re buried in a shroud. A shroud… it couldn’t be as beautiful as a wedding dress, could it? As I pondered this, Liam turned and left. He had to find Jenna. He couldn’t be bothered to finish me off. But at least he’d left the knife behind. The blade was sharp. I picked it up, whispering to myself, “It won’t hurt.” 6 They say a spirit first returns to a place it holds dear. So my soul drifted back to the familiar old villa. This was where I was born, where I lived until I was fourteen, with Mom always by my side. Being back felt good. I floated onto the large, pink canopy bed in my old room and settled into a peaceful pose. My life had been unhappy enough; I didn’t want to be a restless spirit. But a moment later… Click. The door opened. Strange. Who would come here? I opened my eyes and froze. A tall, imposing figure led a delicate one into the room. It was Caleb and Jenna. “This room is the biggest and gets the most sun. You can stay here,” Caleb said, pulling Jenna in by the wrist. He strode to the floor-to-ceiling windows and yanked the curtains open. A flood of bright sunlight poured in. I recoiled, scrambling under the bed as the light seared my ghostly form. Jenna stood silhouetted against the window, a living figure in a golden oil painting. Caleb stared at her, mesmerized. “Caroline?” he breathed. He said my name. No, I must have misheard. The noon sun was scorching, nearly burning me to ash. It hurt so much. 7 Luckily, the bright light seemed to bother Jenna’s eyes, and Caleb drew the curtains closed again. I could finally breathe. As I drifted out from under the bed, I saw Jenna’s high heels digging into my carpet. “This is your sister’s room. Won’t she be angry?” she asked. A cold laugh echoed in my spectral mind. Of course, I’m angry, you hypocrite. My mother had decorated this room for me with her own hands. The embroidery on the pillowcases—she’d stitched it herself. And tonight, Jenna would be sleeping on them. Jenna’s gaze fell on the photos on my wall, a flicker of envy in her eyes. “Your sister went to Europe when she was so young? She’s so lucky. People really are born different, aren’t they?” Caleb looked at her, his eyes softening with pity. After a moment’s thought, he reached up and took my picture down from the wall. “This is just our old family home,” he said. “She won’t be coming back here.” He paused, his expression darkening. “She has no right.” 8 So, Caleb had hated me all along. He’d been quiet about it for years, but that didn’t mean he’d forgotten. When Dad had his affair, I urged Mom to divorce him. I still remembered Caleb’s enraged shouts. “Mom has the softest heart! Dad already said he’s sorry, she would have forgiven him!” he’d screamed at me. “This is all your fault! You went to college and filled your head with all that nonsense just so you could tear this family apart?” His words had stunned me. I didn’t understand. Dad had hurt Mom. He made her miserable. Why shouldn’t she leave? Was a woman supposed to just endure a man’s betrayal in a marriage? All I wanted was for my mother to be happy, to stop crying in secret. To stop enduring. To stop yielding. But in the end… Mom never saw her new dawn. She died. And Caleb hated me for it. He called me a fool. “Mom was like a vine, Caroline. She couldn’t stand on her own,” he’d spat. “You killed her. All your crazy ideas killed her!” I didn’t know if I had done the right thing, but it was true that she died after the divorce. If she hadn’t left, maybe she would still be alive. The guilt gnawed at me. I told Caleb I would never speak out of turn again. He shoved me away. “It’s too late! Mom is dead! Do you think you can ever be happy again?” His words became a prophecy. I was never happy again. And from that day on, I buried my own nature. I endured. I yielded. Even when Liam paraded his affairs for the world to see, then came back and proposed to maintain the family alliance, I smiled and accepted, pretending nothing had happened. Like a doormat. My mother was dead. And I had become her. 9 Clutching the picture frame, Caleb was lost in those same memories. A storm of irritation and a strange, deep regret churned within him. Was Caroline really wrong back then? It was so long ago. He didn’t want to think about it. And what if she was? It didn’t matter. In her eyes, he was no longer the good older brother. Fine. That was fine. Jenna saw his silence and bit her lip. “Will your sister really be okay? With what Liam did?” she asked softly. “It’s my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to make that choice. Liam… how could he hold a knife to his fiancée? He didn’t have to do that for me…” Her voice trailed off, her eyes welling up with tears as if she felt terrible for me. But her words made my spectral skin crawl. “Don’t worry. Even if the sky fell, Liam would never actually hurt her,” Caleb said, his expression flat. The flicker of worry he felt was gone as quickly as it came. “Oh, is that so?” Jenna’s eyes dimmed, and she muttered to herself, “He would never hurt Caroline… Right. I was overthinking it.” Caleb didn’t notice the change in her expression. His gaze drifted up to the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It seemed to sway slightly, as if someone were sitting on it. Heh. Impossible. He was just overthinking things. It must be because he was thinking of Caroline. She was so small as a child. Once, during a game of hide-and-seek, she’d climbed onto the chandelier and couldn’t get down, nearly falling. He’d asked her if she’d dare do it again. She’d tilted her little chin up defiantly. “I will next time! If you make me mad, I’ll climb up there and scare you to death!” Caroline had been fearless as a child, always ready to challenge him. They had been so close. He was the one who had changed. At that thought, Caleb’s fingers trembled. What was Caroline doing right now? Was she sad? Should he call her? They were siblings. It was only natural for him to care about his own sister. 10 I sat perched on the chandelier, looking down at Caleb. It had been a long time since I’d really looked at him. Our features weren’t that similar, really. Maybe he’d known all along we weren’t related by blood, and that’s why he’d started treating me so coldly. I swayed back and forth, watching him hand a tissue to a tearful Jenna, all warmth and gentlemanly concern. He looked just like the brother I remembered. Just then, the sound of fighting erupted from downstairs. Liam had found them. His security was clashing with Caleb’s. Caleb heard the commotion and strode out to the second-floor landing. He rested a hand on the railing, looking down imperiously. “Weren’t you supposed to be at a wedding shoot with Caroline?” he called out, his voice laced with sarcasm. “You really want it all, don’t you?” The veins on the back of his hand stood out as he gripped the railing. There was no one Caleb despised more than Liam. And yet, he had allowed him to marry Caroline. Liam had everything… why did he still have to come for Jenna? Anger simmered beneath Caleb’s calm facade. “Caroline won’t be happy about you being here.” Liam looked up, a disdainful smirk playing on his lips. “You’ve got a lot of nerve. You didn’t care about Caroline’s life, but now you care if she’s happy?” If he and Caroline were on good terms, Liam thought, he would have beaten Caleb to a pulp by now. Some brother. Seeing the enmity in Liam’s eyes, Caleb’s hands clenched into fists. “I’m not the one who held a knife to his own fiancée. Aren’t you afraid you’ll regret that?” Caleb cursed their father under his breath. The old man must have been blind to pick a man like this for Caroline. Caroline, who as a child had the courage to tell her mother to get a divorce. Why could she tolerate this man now? How much did she have to love him to forgive his endless transgressions? A sour feeling churned in Caleb’s gut. At the word “regret,” a strange tightness seized Liam’s chest. But the feeling vanished as quickly as it came. Caroline owed him this. He had nothing to be sorry for. Besides, he liked seeing her hurt by him. At least he could still hurt her, couldn’t he? A slow, cruel smile spread across Liam’s face. “I never regret anything I do.” 11 Listening to their barbed exchange made me sick. The afternoon air was hot and sticky. The old villa’s air conditioning was barely working. I huddled next to the refrigerator, the only cool spot. Someone had left the door ajar, and a stream of cold air washed over me. I never thought being dead would come with its own set of physical discomforts. Speaking of being dead… I checked the time. It had been half an hour. The bridal shop was one of Liam’s properties. Hadn’t anyone found me yet? I had been too impulsive. Using that knife… I hope I didn’t traumatize the staff. Why did I have to be a burden even in death? Sigh. I felt a wave of gloom. I wanted to go check, but I found I couldn’t leave the villa. So, I was forced to watch this drama of two men fighting over one woman. Liam was losing his patience. “Cut the crap, Caleb. Give Jenna back to me. Or else…” He hated having what was his taken from him. He clenched his fists, ready to fight for his possession, but then he paused. His hand felt empty. Something was missing. What was it? Liam’s handsome face suddenly crumpled, his eyes losing focus. It felt like he’d lost something vital. That’s right. The knife was gone. Had he brought it with him when he left the bridal shop? Or… had he left it there? In the dressing room. An image of Caroline’s fragile frame flashed in his mind. When he’d held the knife to her throat, he’d seen how delicate her neck was, the sharp line of her collarbones, her slender arms without a trace of excess flesh. Just how thin had she gotten? Did she even eat anymore? Liam suddenly remembered that he hadn’t made sure she ate her meals in a long time. The last time they’d eaten together, she’d suddenly gotten sick halfway through the meal. He’d been so furious he’d kicked the table over. But why had she gotten sick? His mind unwillingly drifted back to the reason they had fallen apart. The fact that Caroline had been with another man. His heart felt like it was splitting in two. What was he doing? He had left Caroline and a knife together in that dressing room. A wave of panic, sharper and more terrifying than anything he had ever felt, washed over Liam.

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When my gangster owner picked me out of a trash can, he asked me, “Do you know what the slogan for stray cats is? Snooze, you lose.” Later, when a gas leak filled his apartment, I used my paw pads to plug his nostrils until he woke up gasping. He hugged me and cried, “Coal, you really are my lucky charm!” From then on, he tucked me into his jacket wherever he went, even when he was doing his cringe-worthy street dances. Until one day, his ex-girlfriend came to get back together. I jumped on the table and meowed, “Meow!” He froze for three seconds, then suddenly lifted me above his head like Simba. “See that? My daughter says no!” 1 I am a noble, long-haired calico. I was only five months old when my owner picked me up. Honestly, when he first took me home, I was worried he couldn’t afford me. Thankfully, he just has abstract taste, not an empty wallet. Litter box, imported kitten food, a cat tree with plush cushions—he had it all. 2 The next morning, his phone woke us up. The voice on the other end was hype: “Boss! That kid is at the school gate! Hurry!” My owner woke up instantly, threw on his eye-blinding orange jacket, grabbed his keys, and rushed out. Annoying. I leaped off the cat tree and bit his baggy pant leg. “Tsk!” He stumbled, looked down at me, and scratched his head in frustration. “Stop it! I’m in a hurry!” I clamped down on the fabric, growling a warning deep in my throat. He paused, then slapped his forehead. “F*ck! Forgot to feed you!” He rushed back and poured half a bowl of kibble. “There! Eat!” He turned to leave again. I bit his pant leg again, precise and firm, pawing at his shoe with determination. “???” He looked at the full bowl, then at me, confused and frantic. “Fine!” He scooped me up and stuffed me into his open jacket. Zip. The zipper went up to his neck, leaving only my head exposed. Our destination wasn’t far—an alley near a school side gate. His lackey, Tank, and a few others had cornered a boy in a school uniform. The boy was thin and scholarly, calm despite the situation. In my vision, white text floated above his head: [Male Lead: Julian Song]. I immediately turned to look at my owner. [Second Male Lead: Lucas Lu]. Second male lead? Experience told me: cannon fodder, tragic ending. No way! He’s my poop scooper! Lucas shoved me into Tank’s hands, stepped forward, and reached for Julian’s collar! I struggled free from Tank’s grip. “Owww!” Lucas yelled in pain, pulling his hand back. A set of clear teeth marks adorned his wrist. He looked down in shock to see me landing gracefully. “Boss! Why’d you bring a cat to a fight?!” Tank and the others stared, eyes wide. Lucas was furious. He picked me up by the scruff, lightly tapping my head with his other hand. “Ungrateful wretch! I feed you, shelter you, and you bite me for an outsider?!” Before he could finish— Wee-woo—wee-woo— A police car pulled up. 3 An officer got out, scanning the group. “Causing trouble?” Lucas immediately put on a smile, holding me high. “No, no! Officer, look, who brings a cat to a fight?” I let out a timely, innocent “Meow~”. The officer looked at Tank and the crew, then at me, relaxing his brow. “Break it up! Go home!” The police car drove off. Lucas let out a long breath, then suddenly lifted me to his face and kissed my forehead. Mwah! “Lucky star! My little lucky star! If not for you, bro would be in jail today!” At the other end of the alley, Julian adjusted his glasses. The look behind the lenses was dark enough to drip ink. He stared at me, lips pressed into a cold, hard line. A perfect plan, ruined by a cat. Lucas didn’t notice at all. He flipped me over, his big hand reaching for my belly. “Hey, don’t even know if you’re a boy or a girl yet…” “MREOWWW—!” My fur stood on end instantly! You rude hooligan! I kicked off his hand and scrambled away, darting left and right in the narrow alley. “Hey! Why you running!” Lucas chased after me but didn’t dare grab too hard. Tank couldn’t watch anymore and chimed in, “Boss! Do you even need to check? Definitely a girl! Look at that attitude, so tsundere!” Lucas stopped, scratched his head, and realized, “Makes sense!” He put his hands on his hips, declaring loudly to the trash can I was hiding behind, “Decided! From now on, your name is Coal! How badass!” “Meow!” (Rejected! It’s ugly!) “Yo! Coal! You like it?” Lucas beamed, shouting again. “Meow! Meow!” (No! Not at all!) “Haha! Coal! Coal! Look how happy you are!” 4 Lucas was like a stubborn donkey programmed with a single command: if he wasn’t causing trouble for Julian, he was on his way to cause trouble for Julian. Blocking him, provoking him, petty vandalism… yet every time, Lucas ended up looking like a fool and retreating in defeat. Julian didn’t even have to lift a finger; coincidences or accidents always made Lucas eat dirt. I yawned watching it. The Second Lead Law never fails. Late that night, Lucas finally came home. Without turning on the lights, he collapsed onto the sofa. I jumped onto the coffee table. His phone screen lit up. A message from “YaoYao” popped up: “Lucas Lu, stay away from me! I never want to see you again in this life! If you target Julian again, I’ll only hate you more!” His shoulders slumped, head buried low. Suppressed sobs sounded loud in the silence. Tears hit the phone screen, blurring the light. Tsk, pathetic. I walked over and sat next to him. Hesitating, I extended my barbed tongue and licked the wet tracks on his face. He jolted, looking at me with red eyes. “Coal… do you understand love?” Human, I am just a cat. “I don’t know either…” He mumbled to himself, “I feel like I’m programmed. Seeing Linda Lin, I lose control. And Julian Song, it’s f*cking weird too, seeing him makes me want to mess with him…” Because you’re the second male lead, you idiot. Your destiny is to be the stepping stone and catalyst for the leads’ romance. I roasted him internally, but lifted my paw, placed it gently on his messy head, and pushed down—burying his face in the soft fur of my chest. Warm tears instantly soaked my fur. He stiffened for a second, then buried his face deep, shoulders trembling. After a long while, he lifted his head carefully. He gently gathered me into his arms, ensuring my fluffy chest was center stage, then raised his phone. Click. Fingers flying, he edited quickly. Seconds later, a post with the photo went up: “Humans, if you’re tired, you can lean on a cat’s chest.” Posted. He lowered his head and nuzzled the top of my head with his nose. “Thanks, Coal.” I rolled my eyes, too lazy to meow. Idiot, getting abstract as soon as the wound heals. 5 The next morning, Lucas picked up the cat carrier, then patted his open jacket. “Coal, choose. Bag or Daddy’s chest?” I glanced disdainfully at the cramped carrier, stepped elegantly up his leg, climbed his pants, and nestled into his jacket, finding a comfy spot. “Alrighty!” Lucas zipped up until only my head showed, bouncing happily. “See that? My daughter knows kung fu, wall-walking master!” He took me to the vet for a routine checkup and bought some cans. Just as we exited the glass doors, we ran into Julian. Next to him was a girl clinging to his arm. Text above her head: [Female Lead: Linda Lin]. So this is the heroine. Indeed beautiful and gentle. Linda saw Lucas and immediately shielded Julian like a mother hen, eyes full of wariness and disgust. “Lucas! What do you want now?!” The relaxed look on Lucas’s face froze instantly. His body stiffened visibly. But he quickly put on a roguish grin, pulled me out of his jacket, and held me up like a trophy. “Why so nervous?” “Just shopping with my daughter, feeling great! Letting you off the hook today!” Holding me, he sauntered closer. As he brushed past Julian, his smile vanished. He turned his head, voice low. “But remember, I ain’t no stable boy.” With that, he stopped looking at anyone, hugged me tight, and strode away. Back home, his facade crumbled completely. He put down the stuff silently, washed up haphazardly, and threw himself onto the bed, facing the wall. The image of Linda protecting Julian played on loop in his head. Am I really that hateful? I finished my kibble and leisurely polished off a can to replenish my energy. Night deepened. I lay on the floor, watching the sparse stars through the window. Suddenly, a strange smell hit my nose. I jolted up, nose twitching, locking onto the source—the kitchen. I rushed over. The lid of the kettle on the gas stove was rattling. Water boiled over, extinguishing the flame. I turned and sprinted to the bedroom, jumping onto the bed. Lucas was dead asleep. “MEOWWW!!” I screamed in his ear, pawing at his face. He didn’t move. Desperate, I lifted my front paws and pressed my pads firmly over his nostrils. “Mmph… uh…” Seconds later, suffocating, Lucas struggled awake, swatting my paw away. “Coal! You rebe…?” He stopped mid-shout, smelling the gas himself. Sleepiness vanished. He scrambled to the kitchen. He shut the valve with lightning speed and opened the windows. Only when the smell dissipated did he return to the bedroom. He scooped me up, burying his face in my thick fur. “Precious daughter… you… you saved Daddy’s life…”

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At my boyfriend’s party, I finally met his infamous “female bro.” She uses the “I’m just one of the guys” excuse to flirt with everyone’s boyfriend, breaking up couple after couple. Her victims came to me, crying: “We can’t take it anymore! You have to teach that ‘Pick-Me Girl’ a lesson!” Well, they found the right person. I am, after all, the notorious “Green Tea Bitch” of campus. She thinks she can outplay me? Please. 1 After dating Luke for almost six months, I finally agreed to meet his friends. He wanted to introduce me the first week we started dating, but I had just finished band camp and my tan was tragic. I needed a recovery period. I heard his circle included a local celebrity—Nina. Almost every breakup in their friend group was because of her. The girls even started a group chat called “The Avengers,” and I was the first recruit. After all, I had a reputation on campus for being a master manipulator, a “Green Tea Bitch.” I couldn’t let my sisters down. I put on my “pure but sultry” makeup and slipped into my battle dress. “Babe, you look gorgeous. They’re going to be so jealous of me.” Luke leaned in for a kiss. I dodged dramatically. “Honey, watch it! You almost ruined my makeup.” Luke immediately pretended to slap himself. “My bad, my bad.” Hand in hand, Luke and I walked into the restaurant. I spotted his bros immediately. Sitting awkwardly in the middle was a girl. That must be Nina. Seeing us holding hands, her face dropped instantly. “Luke, since when do we bring girlfriends to bro nights?” “Babe~ Why is she looking at me like that? If I knew she didn’t like me, I wouldn’t have come.” Luke rolled his eyes at her and pulled me into his arms. He introduced me to his friends loudly and proudly. “This is my girlfriend, Chloe.” His friends started hyping him up. “Damn, you scored a baddie! If I were you, I’d show her off every day.” “Luke, why are you doing this to me? This hurts more than a breakup.” Hearing everyone praise me, Nina felt left out and started seeking attention. “Luke, that’s not cool. This was supposed to be a guys’ night. Bringing a girl ruins the vibe.” She looked me up and down. That look was no different from a creepy old man checking out a girl. I rolled my eyes internally. Haha, acting like she’s not a girl herself. Luke held me tighter. “I organized this, so I brought my girlfriend to meet you guys. You got a problem with that?” Sensing the tension, I tried to diffuse it, but Luke signaled me to ignore her. I raised an eyebrow at her. Sorry, sis. My boyfriend loves me too much. Can’t help it. “Alright, alright, tradition! New friend means group photo!” Luke’s friends enthusiastically pushed me to the center. Nina wasn’t having it. She squeezed in next to me, pushing me aside. “You guys see a pretty girl and lose your minds. I used to always stand in the middle! Bros before hoes, remember?” The guys looked awkward, scratched their heads, and let her have the center spot. “Since when is that a tradition? I didn’t know,” Luke muttered. I sneered internally. Of course, the Pick-Me Girl wants to be the center of attention. During the photo, Nina reached out to put her arm around my boyfriend’s waist. I saw it coming and switched places with him. “Sis, only I get to touch my boyfriend’s waist. If you want to touch someone, touch your other bros.” Nina laughed awkwardly. “Chill, sis. Luke and I are bros. Now that he has a girlfriend, he can’t even get a bro-hug?” She looked at Luke expectantly, waiting for him to choose. Are you kidding me? That’s MY boyfriend! Two can play at that game. I turned and buried my face in Luke’s chest. “Babe, I think she really hates me. Doesn’t she know girls get possessive when they’re in love? Boohoo.” Luke understood the assignment. He frowned at Nina immediately. “Stop giving my girlfriend a hard time.” To maintain her “chill girl” persona, Nina didn’t dare explode. She had to swallow her anger. Try me. Your Pick-Me game is weak. Time to sit. As soon as I sat down, Nina told me to get up. “That seat is mine.” I looked aggrieved—fake, of course. Luke pushed me back down. “Why are you listening to her? Don’t spoil her. My girlfriend sits here.” Nina’s face turned green, but she slunk into the seat next to my boyfriend. Current seating: Me, Luke, Nina. Luke put food on my plate. Nina put food on Luke’s plate. “Luke, eat more. You’ve been sluggish on the court lately.” Unexpectedly, my straight-laced boyfriend looked disgusted. “Don’t put food on my plate! Your chopsticks have your saliva on them!” I laughed out loud. Nina clenched her fists. I quickly smoothed things over, apologizing to Nina. “Babe, be nice. She’s just being thoughtful, unlike me who only knows how to eat…” See, Bro-Sister? I’m nice to you. Nina was speechless. Probably the first time she met a worthy opponent, she panicked. I didn’t expect Luke to defend me so hard. It seems it’s not just Nina’s problem; the man’s attitude matters too. Luke had stomach issues lately, so I didn’t want him drinking. Nina insisted. “Come on, Luke, what happened to you? We used to drink every day! Or is it because of… her?” Nina gave me a meaningful look. Implying I was controlling him. Fine, I’ll drink with her. As I stood up, I saw a shadow cross her eyes. “How much can a girl like you drink?” Her tone was dismissive. I held up one finger. She laughed. “One glass?” Me: “One night.” 2 Everyone stared at me. Even Luke thought it was impossible. They definitely didn’t expect a sweet girl like me to have a hollow leg. I inherited my tolerance from my dad. No one has ever out-drunk me. Nina wasn’t convinced. She felt challenged. Let the battle of the Green Teas begin. One glass for her, one glass for me… Three rounds later, she was drunk. I was just getting started. She kept going. No one stopped her, but everyone tried to stop me. “Nina, stop drinking with the little sister. You’re bullying her,” Luke’s friend, Mike, said, unable to watch. My boyfriend tried to stop me too. But no one cared about the wasted Nina. I just flush when I drink, but my mind is clear. She was truly trashed. “Sis, you can’t out-drink me. Let’s stop.” This hurt her pride. “Luke, what does your girlfriend mean? Looking down on me?” I looked at Luke like a frightened bunny. “No, I’m just worried about her health. What if she gets sick?” Nina finally snapped and glared at me viciously. Luke shook his head at me, signaling to ignore her. Awkward silence. His friends changed the subject to save Nina. “Hey Luke, where to next?” Luke asked if I was tired. I’m a night owl; midnight is when the party starts. I’m definitely not tired. After discussing with me, Luke suggested Karaoke. On the way, Nina stumbled, constantly falling towards Luke. But every time, my boyfriend dodged with precision. “Luke! I’m this drunk and you won’t even help me?!” Maybe the day’s frustration finally made Nina explode. I watched coldly as she threw a tantrum. There were so many single bros behind us, why did she need my boyfriend to help her? Her intentions were clear. Seeing Luke look at her like she was a monster, Nina lowered her head in disappointment. “You got a girlfriend and started ignoring me? We used to sleep in the same bed, and now you ignore me for some girl!” Same bed? I looked at Luke skeptically, demanding an explanation. Luke jumped up, angry and shocked. “What the hell do you mean? Who slept in the same bed with you? Are you drunk or just crazy?! I gave you enough face today, Nina. If you keep talking nonsense, we’re done.” Sensing the bad vibe, his friends were torn. Trying to calm Luke and Nina at the same time. “Bro, she’s just drunk. Don’t take it seriously, sis. She likes to joke around. We all get it.” Seems they enjoy these jokes. I lowered my head and sighed. “Sigh, Nina is amazing. If I had her mouth, I’d have dated dozens of guys by now.” Let’s see who breaks first. As far as I know, Nina has never been in a relationship. Simple reason: the girl who seems popular with guys is actually struggling to maintain relationships. Guys are visual creatures. One look at Nina… and they lose interest. Only these “bros” who don’t cherish their girlfriends hang out with her. They’re not stupid; they just enjoy the attention. “Why aren’t you talking, sis… don’t tell me you’re so ‘good’ with guys but haven’t dated anyone… Oof.” Luke looked at me with pride. His friend tugged at his shirt. “Control your girlfriend, make her shut up.” He whispered, but I have good ears. Tsk, what kind of bros are these? I rolled my eyes internally. Nina ignored me and told us to be quiet. She waved her phone in front of my face. “Luke’s mom is calling. Shh!” 3 Thinking her savior had arrived, she deliberately put it on speaker. “Auntie~ Yes, yes, Luke is with me. We drank a little, don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.” Luke was confused. “How does my mom have your number?” Judging by his expression, he didn’t know what tricks Nina used. He looked like a heartbroken puppy trying to distance himself from Nina. I cleared my throat. “Hi Auntie! Luke hasn’t had a chance to introduce us yet. I’ll visit you in a few days.” You dare dance in front of the main character? Know your place. Nina panicked and covered the phone. “Are you sick? Who told you to speak?” Auntie asked confusedly who was speaking. Nina hung up in a hurry. I didn’t understand this behavior, but I had a theory. “Nina hung up so fast. I wanted to chat with my future mother-in-law.” I winked at her. She ignored me and glared. Luke was still wondering why she had his mom’s number. Before I could notice everyone’s expressions changing, I continued, “Nina is so amazing. I’m too shy to even talk to boys, let alone get their mom’s number. So awkward.” Some people couldn’t sit still and stood up for Nina. “Luke, control your girlfriend. We were all fine before, why is it so unpleasant today?” “Luke, you really… Nina has known us for so long. Are you forgetting your bros for a girl?” I’m acting this pitiful and they don’t feel bad for me? They feel bad for the Pick-Me Girl? Seems guys really can’t tell the difference… For the first time, I felt a bit defeated. Nina’s simps were numerous and tough to deal with. These guys… they deserve to be dumped by those beautiful girls. I want to scoop them all up with a bulldozer and dump them. Luke didn’t look happy. I had to use my ultimate move. “Boohoo, I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I won’t come to your dinners anymore. I won’t ruin your friendships.” With that, I ran out. I bet Luke will come comfort me. Downstairs, I pretended to hail a cab. Luke hugged me from behind. “Sorry babe… I let you suffer back there. If you don’t go, I won’t go either. Let’s go have a candlelit dinner.” I saw Nina coming down out of the corner of my eye. I turned and snuggled into Luke’s arms, looking at Nina provocatively. Try stealing my boyfriend now. Nina ground her teeth. Luke noticed Nina too, but ignored her. Without saying goodbye to his bros, he put me in the car and drove home. As the car started, Nina collapsed in front of it. Still acting… I thought Luke would get out to help her. Instead, he drove around her lying body. This was a huge insult to her. But she asked for it. 4 Luke and I got home, lying in bed… I don’t know what he was thinking, but my mind was full of revenge plans against the Pick-Me Girl. Oh right, I was so busy fighting I forgot to check my phone. Sure enough… 999+ messages in the group chat. I had to read from the top. The sisters were all tagging me. “Chloe, how is it? Did you explode from anger?” “I think Chloe’s combat power is high. She probably made Nina explode.” “Where is Chloe? Report back!” “Give her time. Battle is probably fierce.” I typed “1”. The group exploded. “Damn girl, you’re finally back.” I typed out everything that happened today, word for word. I even imitated Nina’s passive-aggressive tone and my comebacks. The chat was giving me a headache. Luke was depressed beside me. “Stop playing on your phone. Comfort my wounded soul.” I rolled my eyes. No one watching, mask off. “I was almost killed by your female bro and your good bros. Why don’t you comfort me?” Luke wilted immediately and started massaging my back. “What female bro? If they didn’t insist on bringing Nina, I wouldn’t even know her. And let me be clear, I’m not close with her at all. Before dating you, I never spoke to her. I really don’t like her. She ruined several of my friends’ relationships…” I clapped. Ruined? Good! Those guys didn’t deserve those queens anyway. Those girls’ biggest black mark was dating them. “Babe~ Honestly, I don’t like your friends. I feel like they don’t like me either… If they really respected you, why defend Nina?” I’m an expert at sowing discord. Like cures like. My morals are loose enough to handle them. Since playing nice doesn’t work, I’ll play dirty. Luke hesitated, but seeing how wronged I was today, he decided to stab his bros in the back. “Your values are so right. Friends shouldn’t be like that. Next time… we won’t hang out with them.” After my fanning of the flames, Luke was more determined. But we still felt something was unresolved. Oh right! How did his mom have Nina’s number? They weren’t childhood friends or neighbors. They met in college through his bros. It shouldn’t have escalated to having his mom’s number. Are people perverted enough to save the parents’ numbers of people they barely know? Luke got creeped out thinking about it. His mom video called right then. Let’s solve this together. I stayed out of frame to touch up my makeup. His mom sounded confused. “Son, did you fight with Nina? What happened? Why bring a girl to a party? Won’t she get jealous? Mom doesn’t allow you to do that.” Luke was even more confused. Me too. “Mom, what do you mean? Why would Nina be jealous? I brought my girlfriend.” His mom froze completely. It took her ten seconds to process. “Son… I’m confused. You brought your girlfriend? Then Nina…” “I have nothing to do with Nina! Who told you that?” Luke interrupted. His mom was baffled. “Let me tell you what happened… That day I went to your campus to bring you snacks. I met a girl and asked if she knew you. She said she was your girlfriend. I didn’t believe it at first—my son has such bad taste? When she found out I was your mom, she asked for my number and said she’d visit.” Luke’s face was cold, veins popping. I felt like he wanted to smash the phone. Actually, I was on a call with the sisters in the group. They heard the tea and went silent. The group exploded again… I stepped in to comfort Auntie. “Auntie, hello. I’m Luke’s real girlfriend, Chloe. Don’t stress, we’ll handle this internally…” I saw Luke’s mom’s eyes light up. “Oh my god, honey, you are gorgeous! No comparison! That liar pissed me off! I’m blocking her right now.” I wanted to say more, but my phone kept buzzing. I excused myself to deal with “private matters.” Another 999+. “Chloe, stop Auntie from blocking her! I have an idea.” “Chloe, we planned a show. Keep your man and his mom calm.” I had to follow orders. I couldn’t think of a way to punish Nina anyway. “Auntie, don’t block her yet. Might be useful later.” Luke pouted. His mom didn’t dare move after hearing me, just sighing about being deceived. For the next hour, his mom roasted Nina.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387130”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel