Category: English

After bombing my SATs, I changed my number, deleted my socials, and ghosted everyone I knew. Eight years later, at our high school reunion, the class president leaned in and whispered a secret: “Finn Sterling had a crush on you.” I spent days digging through boxes until I found my old phone and logged into the messaging account I had abandoned years ago. And there it was. A message sitting quietly in my inbox, unread for eight years: “Which college are you going to? Can I come with you?” But now? Finn Sterling is a world-famous superstar. 1 The sun was brutal today. I felt dizzy from the heat, and if you looked closely, you could probably see steam rising from the pavement. Traffic was a nightmare. To avoid being late, I bailed out of the cab and sprinted the rest of the way to the airport. Thirty minutes until Finn Sterling’s flight landed. He was the big shot our company spent a fortune to sign—a red-hot A-list celebrity. He was also my high school classmate. Two days ago, at the reunion, I laughed off the class president’s secret. “Finn Sterling? Having a crush on me? Yeah, right! That wouldn’t even happen in a fanfic. He’s Finn Sterling. If every one of his fangirls just spit once, I’d drown.” Anyone could like me, but not Finn. We were never on the same wavelength. High school Finn probably couldn’t stand me. 2 Finn Sterling was number one in everything. He dominated the trending topics, had zero scandals, and was the golden boy for every major brand. But he was an anomaly in the entertainment industry—focused solely on acting, never doing commercials. So when he suddenly agreed to collaborate with our company, it sent shockwaves through the industry. Countless massive corporations were lined up ahead of us, but he chose us. My boss was so excited he called emergency meetings all night. Somehow, the task of picking him up from the airport fell on me. The boss patted my shoulder earnestly. “Sarah, you have to take good care of Finn. Whatever he says, goes. Make him feel the warmth of home while he works with us.” I thumped my chest and promised, “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll do my best.” I said it with confidence, but inside, I was freaking out. In my memory, we weren’t close in high school. We barely interacted. But I was terrified of him because he looked scary as hell. Finn didn’t talk much. He always slouched in the back row, chin resting on his hand, dark eyes, high nose bridge, looking at people with indifference. That was high school Finn. 3 Stepping into the airport, I checked the time. Just made it. But what I didn’t expect was the crowd. It was packed. Fans everywhere. Before I could even process it, someone started screaming. “Finn’s here! My god! My god!” “Ah! It’s really him! He’s so handsome!” “He looked at me! He looked at me!” I sighed. The charisma of a top star was no joke. Finn was popular even in high school. Even though he always had a face like someone owed him money, that face was blessed by the gods. People couldn’t help but look at him. I was drawn to him too. But every time I looked, he’d avoid my gaze and frown slightly. After a few times, I stopped looking. I figured I should know my place. In high school, I was the class academic rep, but I was the type who only knew how to study hard. Since childhood, the phrase I heard most was: “Sarah, you have to work hard. You have to work harder than everyone else. We don’t have connections. Only by studying hard can you compete for a future with those who were born at the finish line.” So my childhood was dull. I didn’t know if I was happy, I was just used to it. Like this was how I was supposed to be. My classmates called me a nerd behind my back. So at the time, I thought someone like Finn must hate a student like me the most. Lost in my memories, the screaming around me suddenly stopped. A shadow fell over me. I looked up. The handsome man in front of me merged with the face in my memory. Unlike the brashness of his youth, he was now composed and elegant. Security and staff surrounded him. Finn looked relaxed. He extended a hand to me, his cool voice hitting my ears: “Hello, I’m Finn Sterling.” I reached out dumbly. He didn’t remember me. Makes sense. I was basically invisible in high school. But the moment our hands touched, Finn chuckled softly. His large hand enveloped mine. Finn rarely smiled on screen, so the fans around us went crazy again—screaming, shutters clicking like machine guns. Despite the noise, I heard him clearly. He said, “Sarah, long time no see.” His lazy tone made my heart tingle. Maybe it was the heat, but my face was burning. I wiped the sweat from my face and whispered, “Long time no see, Finn. I’m the pickup personnel from Zenith Group.” 4 We left the airport, but the luxury car the company sent was stuck in traffic. The sun was blinding. Suddenly, Finn took a step forward, his shadow shielding me from the glare. I looked up at him. His expression hadn’t changed much. I had to admit, he’d changed a lot. The guy who used to be so arrogant was now so steady. When we finally arrived at the company, Lily and her team were already waiting in the conference room. Lily, the hottest actress of the moment. Seeing Finn, Lily immediately stood up and greeted him familiarly. She’d worked with Finn on three dramas, all as leads. Even though they weren’t romance dramas, plenty of people online shipped them. This time, they were collaborating on our company’s perfume commercial. Seeing them talking together, I had to admit, they looked good. With everyone present, the boss called a meeting. After some pleasantries, Finn suddenly spoke up. “Mr. Sullivan, my assistant is on leave for a while. I was hoping your company could arrange a staff member to fill in temporarily.” Finn was a VIP. A small request like this had to be granted. The boss scanned the room and met my eyes. I suddenly had a bad feeling. No, boss, please no! I’m scared, don’t pick me! I frantically winked and shook my head at him. But he acted like he didn’t see it and pointed right at me. “How about Sarah? I heard you were in the same high school. You should be familiar with each other.” Familiar my ass. We barely spoke. Bad memories of high school flashed through my mind. I slammed the table in panic, my voice loud and firm: “I’m not worthy!” Finn looked up at me, danger in his eyes. “Reason.” Realizing everyone was staring, I stammered an excuse. “I feel like someone of Mr. Sterling’s status deserves a more excellent assistant. My abilities aren’t up to par.” I sat down nervously. The room was silent. Everyone looked at Finn. Finn leaned back in his chair, tapping his long fingers on the table, his tone indifferent. “Mr. Sullivan, I’m a nostalgic person. I like working with old classmates. If your company can’t even show this much sincerity, there’s no need to continue our cooperation.” He was talking to my boss, but his eyes were fixed on me. I squirmed in my seat. At this point, the boss didn’t care if I lived or died. He beamed at Finn. “Of course, of course. It’s Sarah’s blessing to be Mr. Sterling’s assistant. Don’t worry, Sarah is just modest. She’s very capable. She’ll do her best to make Mr. Sterling feel the warmth of home here.” Meeting adjourned. Finn stayed in his seat. I tried to sneak out with the crowd, but as I passed him, he grabbed my wrist. Finn said quietly, “We were in the same class. Do you have to avoid me like the plague? Sarah, you hid from me in high school, but we’re not in high school anymore. Tell me why.” I took a step back. People were watching. One photo and I’d be trending. But Finn wasn’t letting me go. He leaned in closer, his voice seductive. “Hm? Old classmate?” I looked down, avoiding his eyes. My face was probably redder than a monkey’s butt. Seeing me cower, Finn tutted in displeasure. His hand slid from my shoulder to the back of my neck. The cold touch of his watch sent shivers down my spine. I struggled uncomfortably and looked up at him. Finn’s face was terrifyingly dark. I heard him grit his teeth. “Your boss said you have to do your best to make me feel the warmth of home. Sarah, nothing less will do.” 5 I’ve always bowed to life’s pressures. After flunking the SATs, I went to a mediocre college. Getting into Zenith Group was dumb luck. To keep my job, I gave Finn a sweet smile. “Of course, Finn. I’ll do my absolute best to make you feel at home. It’s an honor to be your assistant.” I looked him sincerely in the eyes. We were very close. Finn suddenly looked away uncomfortably. “Yeah, well, it’s not like it has to be you, but since we’re old classmates, it’s better to be familiar.” I nodded outwardly, but inside I was screaming. Familiar? We barely spoke! He frowned every time we made eye contact! I didn’t know him at all! But since I was his personal assistant now, I had to learn his preferences and habits. I stayed late to organize the info. By the time I finished, it was dark. I shut down my computer and got up to leave. In the hallway, a familiar figure caught my eye. Finn. In the dim light, he was leaning against the wall, a cigarette in his mouth. The metal lighter in his hand glinted cold. He occasionally checked his phone, the screen’s faint light casting shadows on his face. I called out, “Finn?” He turned, instinctively snuffing out the cigarette. “Off work?” I nodded. “Why are you still here?” Finn explained awkwardly, “Oh, your company is huge. Lost track of time touring.” Lame excuse. Only an idiot would believe that. But I didn’t dare call him out. “Yeah, it is pretty big.” Silence. I looked calm, but I was practically shredding my bag strap. Awkward. What to say? Finally, Finn spoke. “Heading home? I’ll drive you.” I waved my hands, refusing a bit too loudly. “No need! No, really. I’ll just grab a cab. Don’t want to trouble you.” Finn looked at me and chuckled softly. He pinched the back of my neck and guided me forward. “Old classmates. No trouble. Don’t overthink it. I drove, it’s on the way.” 6 Just like that, I was in Finn’s car. My first time in a luxury ride. But before I could even tell him my address, Finn started the car and drove straight towards my place like he already knew where it was. He actually found it! He parked right downstairs. I was about to ask how he knew where I lived, but Finn spoke first. “Sarah.” “Yeah?” Finn didn’t look at me. His gaze was fixed ahead, hands on the steering wheel like he was bracing himself. “Do you still use that QQ account?” I was confused. “Which QQ account?” (Note: In this localized version, QQ refers to an old messaging app popular back then, like how Americans used AIM or Kik). “The one in the yearbook.” Finn turned to look at me. If you looked closely, there was nervousness hidden in his dark eyes. I shook my head. “Nope. After the scores came out, I changed everything.” Finn seemed to let out a long breath. He muttered, “So you just stopped using it. You didn’t intentionally…” “Huh?” I was confused. “What?” Finn looked at me, unable to hide the smile in his eyes. “Sarah, I wanted to take it slow with you, but I changed my mind. We’re adults. Being coy is ridiculous.” I was even more confused. “Finn, what are you talking about?” Finn leaned back in his seat, relaxed. “Go home and log into your old account. You’ll understand.” 7 Finn was being cryptic. As soon as I got home, I tore the place apart looking for my old high school phone. I couldn’t remember the username or password, or even the phone number tied to it. An hour. It took a full hour to find the old phone. It was in a small box, covered in dust. Inside the box, besides the phone, were my high school certificates. Seeing these things again made me sigh. I was actually a great student in high school. I worked harder than anyone. While others played, I studied. I was always first in exams. My parents were proud. But the SATs… I choked. Everyone expected me to ace it, but I bombed. I wasn’t surprised though. I knew it the moment I walked out of the exam room. I knew how bad my mental state was. I was too nervous. Everyone’s expectations were crushing me. Everyone told me to do well, or I’d be letting them down. My hands shook uncontrollably during the test. I hyperventilated. I kept checking the clock, terrified I’d run out of time. I left huge chunks of the test blank. I didn’t dare tell anyone. My parents had high hopes. When the results came out, they signed me up for a prep school to retake the year without even asking me. They looked at me with disappointment. “Do you know how much we sacrificed for your education? Sarah, you’ve disappointed us so much. Do you know how much face we lost?” That’s when I realized my grades were the only thing about me they cared to show off. Everyone assumed I’d retake the year. But that summer, I quietly packed my bags, changed my number, cut off everyone from high school, and had my first real fight with my family. I went to an average college, but I was happy. It was the first time I chose my own life. Do I regret it? Not at all! I’d do it again. I was a teenager. I deserved to be happy. Grades weren’t everything. I missed out on a lot, and I didn’t want to do it over.

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I busted my butt for 24 hours straight, securing two massive contracts worth millions. I took a 15-minute power nap in the bathroom stall. That afternoon, I got hit with a random $150 fine. I ignored it because, honestly, I was exhausted. The next day, I clocked in only to find out I was fired for “failure to pay the fine.” I stormed into the CEO’s office—who also happened to be my fiancé—to demand answers. His little assistant, smirking like she owned the place, cut me off. “Taking a bathroom break on company time is time theft. Fining you a day’s wages is perfectly reasonable!” she chirped. “Everyone else can finish their business in ten minutes. Why are you so special?” My fiancé chimed in, backing her up. “You’re a senior executive, Sarah. You should know better. We need to make an example out of you.” I walked out, catching a glimpse through the blinds of their silhouettes merging into one. I immediately dialed the CEO of our biggest competitor. “I’ve got twenty million in contracts. Give me a job.” “Conditions? Does your company time bathroom breaks?” 1 A hearty laugh erupted from the other end of the line. “Sarah, are you pranking me?” “Who the hell times bathroom breaks? Is your boss a psychopath?” I shot over my resume. “Just give me a title.” Harry, the competitor CEO, sent back an offer letter for Vice President. “VP work for you? Or do you want my chair?” “You’re a founding member of Jack’s company. You’ve been with him since day one. I’ve tried to poach you dozens of times, and you always said no. What happened? Lovers’ quarrel?” I snapped, “None of your business. You should be worrying about whether these twenty million dollar contracts can finally drag your company out of second place and crush Jack.” Harry’s voice was crisp, brimming with ambition. “Forget the contracts for a second. Without you, Jack’s company ain’t shit!” I filled out the onboarding forms and forwarded the contract details for the two deals I secured. “Pleasure doing business with you.” Harry, realizing I wasn’t joking, turned serious. “Sarah, if you’re genuinely joining, I’ll roll out the red carpet. But if this is just a power play to mess with Jack, rethink it. I’m not handing over the reins of my company just to get stabbed in the back.” A power play? I felt a chill run down my spine. Any executive fired for spending ten extra minutes in the bathroom would be mortified. Especially when the person firing you is the man you’ve been with for three years, the man you were about to marry. Especially when you built that company with him from the ground up, turning it into the industry leader it is today. It was cold, but expected. Jack’s special treatment of his assistant, Amber, had been a red flag for a while. “I don’t joke about work. Clear a desk. I start tomorrow.” I hung up. Harry kept blowing up my phone with disbelief. I packed up my desk, ignoring his messages. Suddenly, the overhead speaker blared, “Sarah, silence your phone during work hours. Violation: $30 fine!” Amber’s voice echoed through the office. Everyone looked at me. I ignored her and kept packing. She marched out of the office, furious. “Sarah, did you hear me? Jack was nice enough to pay your previous fine, and you’re still breaking rules?” I chuckled dryly. She was a joke. “Why would a fired employee follow company rules?” Jack heard the commotion and walked over. He leaned in close, whispering, “The girl made the rules. I can’t break them in front of her. But I paid your fine. You don’t have to leave.” I looked at him coldly and tossed my badge on the desk. “Don’t bother. You didn’t fire me? Fine. I quit.” I grabbed my box and headed for the door, but Jack blocked my path again. His face was flushed with anger as he scolded me in front of the whole office. “Sarah, stop throwing a tantrum.” “Amber set these rules to keep everyone in line. The company culture is better than ever, isn’t it?” I rolled my eyes. Better? Just moments ago, people were complaining in the group chat. Sales reps had to take the cheapest trains for business trips. Accommodation was capped at shady $20 hostels. Client dinners were restricted to street food because the budget was a measly $40. Jack enabled her, thinking she was cutting costs. But the employees were suffering. Trying to close million-dollar deals over a $40 dinner was embarrassing. Amber was the cheapskate, but Jack was the idiot for approving it. I’d been on the road so much lately, I barely spent time in the office. Now they were timing bathroom breaks? Two a day, ten minutes max? His company was doomed. I ignored the new fine Amber slapped on me for not silencing my phone and walked out. 2 I slept until the afternoon and decided to cook myself a nice meal. Just as I set the dishes on the table, the door unlocked. Jack walked in with Amber, and they casually sat down and started eating. I stared at them coldly. “I cooked this. What are you doing?” Jack frowned. “Didn’t you see my messages?” My phone was flooded with texts from him. Since hiring Amber, he hadn’t texted me in a month. Today, he sent a dozen messages, all about her. First, he scolded me for embarrassing him. Then he claimed I made Amber cry. Finally, he demanded an apology or he’d call off the wedding. It’s your fault for disrespecting Amber in public. She did nothing wrong. She’s just looking out for the company. I’m bringing her over for dinner. Cook something nice to apologize. Jack looked at the cilantro in the soup with disgust, fueling my rage. “I told you Amber hates cilantro. Are you blind? Pick it out, stem by stem!” He picked a piece of meat, blew on it, and fed it to Amber. “This is Sarah’s specialty. Try it.” Amber ate it off his chopsticks, still pouting. “The food is okay, but unless she apologizes in front of the whole company, I won’t forgive her!” “If she’s this insubordinate, how am I supposed to manage anyone else?” Jack turned on me. “Hear that? Apologize to Amber. Or forget about your job. I’m cancelling the engagement!” We promised never to use breaking up as a threat. Lately, he’d threatened it multiple times because of Amber. They were flirting right in front of me. I gripped my phone so hard I thought it would crack. “Something needs to be picked out, alright. You two!” I roared, “Jack, take Amber and get the hell out!” “You get yourself a mistress, bring her to work to flirt, and I’m supposed to apologize?” “If anyone’s cancelling the engagement, it’s me!” Jack’s face turned icy. He sneered, “This is our house. You’re kicking me out?” I kept a straight face. “This is my house. Get out.” Amber huffed as she left, smugness plastered on her face. “You dare kick me out? Do you know who I know?” “I know a bigshot investor! Apologize on your knees right now, and I might put in a good word for you!” Jack frowned, his tone menacing. “Hear that, Sarah? Kneel and apologize. The company needs her connections.” I slammed the door in their faces. “I don’t care who you know! The company isn’t my problem anymore.” Amber was fuming. Alone at last. Peace and quiet. But the food was ruined. I’d lost my appetite. I decided to eat out. While waiting for my food, I saw Jack’s Facebook post. “Sarah, I’m telling you, if you don’t publicly apologize to Amber, the wedding is off!” I rolled my eyes and blocked him. I hadn’t left the company group chat yet. The next morning, someone leaked that Jack and Amber arrived in the same car, wearing the same clothes as the day before. Rumor had it they spent the night at a hotel. Someone saw them. Photos included. I left the group chat and headed to Harry’s company. I didn’t want to hear another word about them. 3 Harry gave me my own office. He still looked shocked to see me. “You actually came! I was worried I set this up for nothing.” I handed him the contracts. “The annual industry awards are in three days. Whether we get first place depends on you.” His eyes burned with determination. “Don’t worry. With you on board, we’re taking Jack down.” I had three years of client relationships under my belt. That afternoon, I closed another deal. Walking out, I saw Jack with his arm around Amber, looking cozy. I tried to ignore them, but Jack pulled away and approached me. “I know about the group chat rumors. Don’t overthink it. Amber’s apartment flooded. I just gave her a place to crash as her boss.” Who was he kidding? Everyone knew they slept together. I stayed silent and tried to leave. Jack, feeling generous, offered, “Sarah, I know you want to come back. Amber drafted a proposal. If you help her close the deal, I’ll reinstate you.” I scoffed. “Dream on. I’m not helping her.” Jack sighed, his self-righteousness nauseating. “Amber’s fresh out of college. She lacks experience. Help her, and consider it your apology for yesterday.” “Stop being stubborn. Close this deal, and not only do you get your job back, but the wedding is back on.” We were on different planets. I didn’t want to talk to him anymore. I walked past him. Amber spotted the signed contract in my hand and gasped. “That’s the new project proposal I drafted! You stole my work!” She showed Jack her papers, whining, “I stayed up two nights working on this, and she stole it.” The papers in her hand were the proposal I submitted for approval before I left. I was the lead. When I left, the project was orphaned. She simply slapped her name on it. I opened my mouth to defend myself. Jack didn’t ask questions. He slapped me across the face. “Amber fined you according to policy, and you steal her project? No wonder you wouldn’t help her. Sarah, you disgust me! Did you steal all your previous wins too?!” My face burned. I stared at Jack in disbelief. I worked there for three years. Amber was a rookie. How could I steal her project? He snatched the papers from me and ordered his bodyguards to pin me to the ground. They grabbed my hair. Jack’s face was cold. “Sarah, you owe Amber an apology.” I struggled but was forced to kowtow to Amber. My scalp screamed in pain. Amber smirked, stepping on my hand with her stiletto heel. “Sarah, I despise thieves. Did you think an apology was enough?” Pain shot through my hand. She pressed down harder. “Thieves like you deserve to lose their hands!” It felt like her heel was piercing through my skin. My vision blurred from the pain. I whispered my defense, begging Jack to help. We were together for three years. He used to treat me like a princess. A papercut would send him into a panic. But now, Jack pretended not to hear. disgust filled his face. “No wonder your dad divorced your mom. You inherited her trashy habits. Even our engagement was something she sneaked behind my back to arrange. Like mother, like daughter.” “I will never marry a thief. Sarah, the wedding is off!” He turned and walked away. My heart, already shattered, was pulverized. He used my family trauma, something he once comforted me about, as a weapon. I realized how pathetic it was to hope he’d save me. Amber waved the stolen proposal in my face, showing me a photo of her stepping on me. She sneered, “The project is mine. Jack is mine! Sarah, I’m warning you. Try to fight me, and I’ll show everyone exactly what you look like crawling on the ground like a dog!” 4 I passed out from the pain. A stranger took me to the hospital. When I woke up, Harry was sitting by my bed. A flicker of pain hid deep in his eyes. He sat in silence. I whispered that I needed a few days off to recover. Harry agreed instantly. “Take your time. The awards are in three days. We’ll take Jack down.” On the day of the awards, Harry and I sat in the front row. Jack saw us and walked over with Amber, mocking, “Sarah, you stole Amber’s project and ran to the runner-up? Even if you were fired, have some self-respect.” “Oh wait, my company is number one. You couldn’t find anywhere better.” Amber chimed in, “Wait until we win again this year and partner with that investor. You’ll be eating dirt while we monopolize the market!” I felt sick looking at them. My scalp tingled with phantom pain. Jack didn’t hide it anymore. He held Amber close. “Amber is way more capable than you! She designed a cross-state medical collaboration effortlessly. You won’t get a chance to steal from her again.” I laughed internally. Was he talking about the scrap paper I threw in the trash? Amber liked dumpster diving, apparently. If Jack actually went through with that plan… showtime. Other CEOs swarmed Jack. “Why even have this award? As long as Jack is here, first place is a lock.” “Exactly. The Best Enterprise trophy is nothing to Jack. But the funding from that investor? That’s the real prize.” “It’s gotta be Jack.” They glanced at Harry and me. “Sitting in the front row doesn’t make you a winner. You gotta earn it!” Jack soaked up the praise and walked away with his entourage. Harry and I watched them calmly. Who would win was still up in the air. The ceremony began. Jack stood up before his name was even called, heading for the stage. In the dim light, he shot a rude gesture at Harry. But when the host announced the winner, the room gasped. “Congratulations to Harry for winning Industry Leader of the Year! And securing the meeting with Mr. Stone!” Jack froze on the steps. His mind went blank. Harry walked past him, a polite smile on his face, but his eyes danced with triumph. He whispered, “Jack, sorry we took your spot this year. But don’t worry, you won’t be getting it back. You threw away your ace.”

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Five years after my brother threw me out, our paths crossed in the velvet darkness of a nightclub. He was the VIP client, dropping a fortune to celebrate his precious Stella’s birthday. I was one of the atmosphere girls, paid to pour drinks and keep the party going. We didn’t exchange a single word the entire night. Not until I’d downed two straight bottles of brandy for a five-hundred-dollar tip. As he stared at my ghost-white face, his lips thinned and his voice was a whip of ice. “You’d rather do this… degrading work than come home and apologize?” “Anna,” he snarled, “you’ve really got some fucking nerve.” I just gave him a tired, empty smile and held out my hand. “Five hundred dollars. Cash or Venmo?” Time had washed away the old grievances; I had no energy left to fight. But that five hundred dollars was exactly what I needed to pay off the final installment on my urn. … The private room fell silent. All eyes were on me, a mix of pity, curiosity, and contempt. Someone snorted with laughter. My brother Julian’s face, already dark, turned thunderous. He was humiliated. For people like them, five hundred dollars was less than the cost of breakfast. But for me, it was worth swallowing my pride and two bottles of liquor. His darling Stella, Stella Monroe, sneered at me. “Julian has been waiting for you to come home, and this is what you’re doing? Isn’t it… dirty?” I glanced at her. “There’s nothing dirty about earning an honest living. It’s not like I’m sleeping with them.” She let out a cold, dismissive laugh. “Are you that desperate for money? Fine. Drink two more, and I’ll add another five hundred.” The moment the words left her mouth, the onlookers started jeering. “Go on, drink up! If Stella’s adding five hundred, so will I!” “Count me in! I’ll throw in a grand!” Without hesitating, I reached for another bottle. Suddenly, the door swung open and the manager, hearing the commotion, scurried in, a greasy smile plastered on his face. He shoved me aside and bowed obsequiously to my brother. “Mr. Kane, did this employee do something to offend you?” “Please, don’t be angry. She doesn’t know how to behave. If—” “Are you going to drink it for her?” Julian cut him off, his eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. Sweat beaded on the manager’s forehead. He didn’t want to stand up for me, but he was terrified I’d drink myself to death on his watch. He chuckled nervously. “That’s a lot of alcohol, sir. Even a grown man couldn’t handle that, let alone a young woman like her.” “Then get the hell out!” Julian’s brow furrowed with impatience. He pulled a thick stack of cash from his wallet—ten grand—and threw it at the manager. “Anna isn’t leaving tonight. If you get in my way again, you can forget about keeping this club open.” The manager scrambled to scoop up the money, his face splitting into a delighted grin. He couldn’t care less about me now. With a quick “thank you,” he vanished. Every eye in the room was on me again. Julian’s lip curled. “What? You don’t want the money anymore?” My face was a blank mask as I walked over, grabbed a bottle, and tipped it back. After the first two, my stomach was already twisting like a knot of knives. I drank this one slowly, drawing a fresh round of mockery from the crowd. Julian’s expression grew darker with every passing second. Just as I finished the bottle and reached, swaying, for the next, his hand shot out and clamped around my wrist like a vise. “Are you trying to kill yourself, Anna?!” “I want the money.” I wrenched my hand free, grabbed the last bottle, and started pouring it down my throat. I had a plan. The lights were dim. I’d pretend my hands were shaking and let some of it spill. No one would notice. But I’d barely taken a swallow when a hand cracked across my face. CRACK! The blow stunned me. The bottle slipped from my grasp and shattered on the floor. Julian’s voice was a furious roar, his teeth clenched. “Have you no shame? Is money all you care about?!” “Stop drinking! Even if you drink yourself to death, I won’t give you a single cent!” The alcohol hit me like a tidal wave. The room swam, colors bleeding into one another. And a voice, a voice I had buried deep in my heart for five years, exploded in my memory: “You sold Mom’s heirloom for money? Did I starve you? Did I leave you without clothes? Why didn’t you just sell yourself?!” “Get out! From now on, I don’t have a sister!” Five years ago, Stella set a perfect trap for me. She stole our mother’s heirloom bracelet from Julian’s study, sold it, and blamed me. Julian was incandescent with rage. He made me kneel in the snow for three days and three nights, demanding to know where I’d sold it. But how could I know? I told him it was Stella’s scheme, that she couldn’t stand seeing him be kind to me. He refused to believe me. Theft. Disrespect for our mother. Stubborn defiance. I had hit all three of his triggers. Fueled by Stella’s lies, he confiscated all my money and threw me out of the house. For the first six months, I managed. I found a job in sales and could support myself with a little left over. But then everything changed. Julian made the one and only phone call to me in five years. His first words were: “Are you ready to come back and admit you were wrong? Just tell me where you sold it, and I’ll forgive you.” I was still running on pride and fury. “I told you it wasn’t me, don’t you understand? Go ask your precious Stella! She’s the one who sold it!” He hung up. The very next day, I was fired. He put the word out all over Bay City: anyone who helped me was his enemy. For the next four and a half years, I couldn’t find a single legitimate job. My only option was to work the nightlife circuit, being an “atmosphere girl.” It was like he was rubbing my nose in it. He not only publicly declared Stella the sole heir to his company, but he also paraded her around at interviews, galas, and auctions. He spent money on her like it was water—millions at a time. Their faces were constantly on the financial news channels. And I watched from the shadows, drinking my way into stomach cancer just to survive. I spent years seeing doctors, draining every penny I had. I took out predatory payday loans, but it was never enough. The experimental drugs were too expensive, and chemotherapy was a pipe dream. I tried calling Julian to borrow money. I’d barely gotten a few words out before he cut me off. “Money, money, money! Is that all you ever think about?!” “Don’t ever expect a dime from me until you come back and apologize. You can just go die in a ditch for all I care!” That was the call that extinguished my last flicker of hope. I was so tired. Truly. If he wanted me to die, then fine. I would die. At least the pain would stop. A month ago, I ordered myself an urn. I scraped together what I could, but I was still five hundred dollars short on the final payment. The shop owner called almost every day to chase the debt. I thought I could finally pay it off tonight. But Julian gave the manager ten thousand dollars and wouldn’t spare five hundred for me. He and his entourage swept out of the bar. I was left in the bathroom, vomiting until the world turned black and white. Only one thought remained. Three bottles of brandy. All for nothing. The shift supervisor was smoking beside me. “What in the world did you do to piss off Mr. Kane? His face was practically green when he left. What’s the deal between you two?” Waves of agony pulsed through my stomach. My head was spinning. I could barely keep my eyes open, clinging to the toilet to keep from falling in. “I don’t know him,” I mumbled. “Enemies, I guess.” The next day, a phone call ripped me from my sleep. It was the urn seller. “Miss Kane, when are you going to pay the balance? It’s five hundred bucks. Are you really going to drag this out for a month?” “If you can’t pay in three days, I’m not holding it for you anymore! And you’re not getting your deposit back!” My voice was a raw croak. “Please, just give me a little more time. I get paid in two weeks, then—” “I can’t wait two weeks!” he snapped, his tone sharp. “I’ve never seen anyone like you, dragging your feet over buying an urn. If you don’t have the money, you shouldn’t have ordered such an expensive one in the first place!” Before I could say another word, he hung up. My head was splitting. I called my manager, hoping to get an advance on my salary. His response was even more brutal. “Just so you know, you don’t need to come in today. You’re fired.” “And you won’t be getting paid. It’s Mr. Kane’s orders. Our hands are tied.” A roaring filled my ears. My voice was a frantic squeak. “You can’t do that! That’s against labor laws! I’ll file a complaint!” The manager laughed coldly. “A complaint? Go ahead. Mr. Kane said he’ll personally handle any consequences. His legal team is the best in the country. If you want to walk into a buzzsaw, be my guest.” He hung up on me, too. A knot of despair tightened in my chest. I felt sick, my face pale, a metallic taste of rust filling my throat. Suddenly, a mouthful of blood surged up, spattering onto my sheets. I stared at the bright, shocking red, and the tears I’d been holding back finally broke free. After a long while, I mechanically cleaned up the mess and swallowed a handful of painkillers. By the time I was done, I was completely drained of strength. Leaning against my bed, I thought back on the five years since I was cast out. I realized with a horrifying clarity that every escape route, every path forward, had been deliberately cut off by my own brother. Now, I couldn’t even work in the clubs anymore. Just eating was a challenge, let alone paying for painkillers or an urn. All I wanted was a beautiful little house to rest in when I died. Was that really so wrong? I buried my face in my hands and sobbed, crying until the afternoon sun began to fade. Finally, a sliver of strength returned. Looking at my trembling hands, I made a decision. I was going home. I was going to ask Julian Kane why. Why was he doing this to me? When I arrived, Julian and Stella were eating dinner. He glanced at me, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. “So, you finally decided to come back?” “Why did you have my manager fire me?” I shot back, ignoring his question. “Five years. Haven’t you humiliated me enough?” He raised an eyebrow, completely unconcerned. “How else would you learn that home is the only place for you?” “Anna, do you have any idea what people are saying about you out there? The only reason you haven’t heard the disgusting rumors is because I’ve been suppressing them. And you’re still not grateful?” Stella set down her fork, her voice dripping with venom. “Brother, she’ll never appreciate what you do for her. Look at her. She’s clearly blaming you!” “Shut up!” I lunged at her, my hand raised to strike. But in the next second, Julian’s hand closed around my wrist. His face was a mask of cold fury. “Now you’ve learned to hit people? I see you’ll never understand what you did wrong.” “Do you want to see if I can make it so you can’t survive in this city?” My heart seized, as if squeezed by a giant, cruel hand. Can’t survive? Isn’t that what he’d been doing for the past five years? Destroying my jobs, crushing my hopes, one by one. Leaving me worse off than a sewer rat, broken and bleeding, unable to even afford a final resting place. I was done. I was so done with his threats. The dam inside me broke. “I DID NOTHING WRONG!” I screamed, a raw, ragged sound. “Julian, if you won’t let me live in peace, then maybe I should just die! Would that satisfy you?!” “I’ll go to hell! You can’t control me there, can you?!” My words seemed to ignite his rage. A vein throbbed at his temple. “Even in death, you will forever be in my debt!” He shoved me. It wasn’t a hard push, but I was weak. I stumbled backward, my lower back slamming into the corner of the dining table. Pain exploded through me, and a cold sweat broke out all over my body. My face went white. A flicker of regret crossed Julian’s eyes. He turned his back on me. “Until you get Mom’s heirloom back, you don’t even have the right to die!” With that, he strode out of the room. I was in too much pain to get up. Stella stood over me, arms crossed, a triumphant smirk on her face. “Look at you, sister. So pathetic.” “How about this? You get on your knees and beg me, and maybe I’ll tell you who I sold that little trinket to. How about it?” I stared at her, my eyes burning with a hatred so intense I wanted to tear her apart. But I knew I didn’t even have the strength to slap her. I had lived in humiliation for five years. I couldn’t even have a shred of dignity before I died. Julian’s words echoed in my ears: “Even in death, you will forever be in my debt!” Fine. If I get the heirloom back, then I can die in peace, right? I desperately scraped the tears from my face and knelt at Stella’s feet. I bowed my head to the floor three times. “Please,” I begged, my voice cracking. “Tell me where Mom’s heirloom is.” In the past, every time she schemed against me, I would fight back with everything I had. But this time, I had no fight left in me. Stella seemed to lose interest. The game wasn’t fun anymore. She tossed a slip of paper at me. “There’s the address. But sister, you still have to be able to get it back.” Numbly, I picked up the paper, found a shared bike, and headed to the address. It was a pawn shop in a remote suburb. When I explained why I was there, the owner said nothing and simply produced the bracelet. Clearly, Stella had already briefed him. I felt nothing. I just wanted to get the bracelet back to Julian so our debts would be settled. But as I reached for it, the owner’s fingers suddenly went slack. CRACK! The jade bracelet hit the floor and shattered into a dozen pieces. I froze, the blood draining from my face. The owner cried out, “Young lady, why weren’t you more careful? This has nothing to do with me!” “Anna!” Julian’s furious voice came from behind me. I whipped around and met Stella’s triumphant gaze. She was clinging to Julian’s arm. “See, brother? I told you! Anna did it on purpose!” “She’d rather smash Mom’s bracelet to pieces than admit she was wrong. And to think you were still willing to forgive her!” Julian didn’t seem to hear her. His eyes were glued to the pile of shattered jade on the floor. He walked forward, his steps heavy. He knelt down stiffly, and for a long moment, he just stared. Then, piece by piece, he began to gather the fragments, clutching them in his palm. “It wasn’t me,” I whispered, a frantic panic rising in my chest as I watched his desolate figure. “He dropped it. And I wasn’t the one who sold it back then…” But at the sound of my voice, Julian shot to his feet and slapped me with all his might. The force of it sent me sprawling to the ground. My stomach churned, my cheek was on fire, and involuntary tears streamed down my face. His chest heaved, his face a terrifying mask of rage. “You still have the nerve to talk? For five years, I gave you chance after chance! I told myself, if you just came home and told me where it was, I would forgive you!” “But what did you do?!” “Anna, you don’t deserve to be a Kane, and you certainly don’t deserve to be my sister!” The utter disappointment in his voice was a physical blow. He had lost control, his eyes red as he roared at me. My heart plummeted into a black abyss. I felt a familiar metallic tang at the back of my throat and swallowed hard against the rising blood. My voice was a choked sob. “What if… what if I was really dying?” “Stop playing the victim!” Julian spat, his eyes filled with disgust. He was squeezing the jade shards so tightly that blood began to drip from his palm. “Even if you died, I wouldn’t feel a thing!” “Fine.” I clenched my fists and shakily pulled myself to my feet. In that moment, something inside me clicked into place. I was going to die. All the debts and resentments… they didn’t matter anymore. If he wanted to believe I did it all, then fine. I did it. After I was gone, I’d be nothing but a handful of dust. None of it would mean anything. I gave a bitter laugh and turned, walking out of the shop. Julian yelled after me, “Where do you think you’re going?! Won’t you be happy until you’ve driven me to my grave?!” I didn’t look back. My voice floated back to him. “You don’t have to die. I will.” For the next two days, Julian didn’t contact me. He took the bracelet to be repaired, only to be told that no matter what they did, it would never be the same. The sight of the poorly mended jade sent him into a silent fury. On the first day, he made a public announcement, officially severing all ties with me. Facing the media, his face was stone. “From this day forward, I will no longer be involved in Anna Kane’s affairs. Whatever job she finds, even if she sells her body, I will not interfere.” “I only ask that no one ever mention her name to me again. The sound of it makes me sick.” The media was in an uproar. He was swift and ruthless, having my name officially removed from the family registry. On the second day, he took Stella to the ancestral hall. He legally changed her surname to Kane and formally acknowledged her as the young mistress of the family. A relative asked him, puzzled, “Is all this really necessary? Anna is your biological sister. What if something happens to her, and you’ve abandoned her like this?” Julian’s lips tightened into a thin line. His tone was mocking. “What could happen? I’ve spent the last five years crushing her, and she’s still alive and kicking, isn’t she?” “She won’t die. She doesn’t have the guts. And she wouldn’t have the face to see our mother in the afterlife.” Unfortunately for him, he was wrong again. Because I was right there beside him, in spirit form. I had been dead for two days, my body floating in the river near our old home. The pain had become too much. The sorrow was unbearable. Death, for me, was a release. What I didn’t expect was that on the third day, Julian received a call from the urn seller.

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Six years after our divorce, I saw Randall Partridge again at the police precinct. He was a decorated Police Captain, invited to give a lecture. I was just a civilian, there to file a death certificate. As he passed out candies from his new wedding, our eyes met. Neither of us spoke. It wasn’t until I turned to leave that he called out, his voice soft. “Vera… do you still hate me?” I shook my head. When he went from my bodyguard to a celebrated undercover hero, and I fell from a pampered heiress to a pariah living in the shadows, I suppose I did hate him then. But hate is born from love. Six years have passed. I stopped loving him long ago. 1 A young officer, oblivious, called out, “Come on, everyone, get some of the Captain’s good luck.” Randall stopped the officer’s hand as it reached for me and quickly followed me out. His voice was rushed. “What are you doing here? Let me help…” I held up the file in my hand, cutting him off. “It’s already done.” I walked straight out of the precinct. It was a strange coincidence. This was the second time we’d seen each other here. The first time was when my father was arrested. Randall grabbed my sleeve, forcing me to stop. “Are you doing okay?” Such a cliché. I glanced at the new wedding band on his ring finger and replied with a cliché of my own. “I’m fine.” My gaze seemed to burn him, and he let go of my arm. Leo’s car was parked at the curb. I looked back at Randall. “My husband is here to pick me up.” His voice was raw, laced with a choked bitterness. “…Okay. Goodbye.” I didn’t want to see him again. The car pulled away, but he remained standing there, a tall, unmoving figure in my rearview mirror until he disappeared from sight. “Sis, are you using me to ward off old flames?” Leo asked, his face a mask of gossip-hungry curiosity. “That cop looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head. But the more I look at him, the more familiar he seems.” I smoothed out the creased document in my hands. “Randall Partridge.” Leo’s head snapped towards me, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Randall Partridge? The criminal investigation expert? The guy who’s always on TV for case analysis, the one they feature in police academy textbooks?” His reaction was so over-the-top that I had to remind him, “That’s him. Eyes on the road.” Leo was still talking to himself. “No wonder he’s a Captain at his age. I remember now, he was the one who went undercover for ten years to take down that massive organized crime syndicate. The kingpin’s last name was… Vaughn, or something.” “Vaughn,” I confirmed. “Right, right, Vaughn. You don’t hear that name often…” He seemed to remember that my last name was also Vaughn and trailed off. I answered his unspoken question, my voice perfectly calm. “Yes. That was my father.” The kingpin of the Vaughn syndicate, brought to justice by Randall Partridge himself. Leo scratched his head, embarrassed. “Sorry, sis. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” It didn’t hurt anymore. It felt like telling someone else’s story, my emotions placid and distant. The silence in the car was a little awkward. Leo’s eyes fell on the file in my hands, and he quickly changed the subject. “So, what were you at the precinct for today?” I traced the bold letters of the word “DECEASED” on the page. “To… close out my father’s official records.” My father had passed away two weeks ago. He had collapsed in prison, coughing up blood. It was late-stage stomach cancer. He was granted medical parole but didn’t even last three months. On his deathbed, his last words were, “I am a guilty man, Vera. I don’t blame Randall. But he deceived you. For that, I wish I could kill him.” My father never blamed me. Not even when he refused every single one of my visit requests for six years. I knew it wasn’t because he thought I had led the wolf to his door. He just didn’t want me to live my life branded as a criminal’s daughter. Thinking of him, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of sadness. To distract myself, I turned to the hesitant Leo. “Want to hear my story?” The story of the daughter of the city’s biggest crime boss, and the ex-wife of the police department’s golden boy. The story of a walking contradiction. 2 When I was sixteen, I was kidnapped by a rival gang. I managed to escape that night, only to find myself in the slums. The streets were littered with trash and cigarette butts, and rats squeaked in the sewers. Under the flickering gloom of a streetlamp, a drunkard blocked my path. A boy pulled me behind him, shielding me. It was eighteen-year-old Randall. He was wearing a faded black t-shirt, his arms lean and strong. When the drunk’s bottle crashed against his arm, he didn’t even flinch. I didn’t know then that it was all a setup. I was just a naive girl swept up in a hero-saves-the-damsel cliché. When my father arrived, I told him, “Weren’t you looking for a bodyguard for me? I want him.” Bodyguard was just a title. Back then, Randall had nothing but his strength. I had to find a reason to keep him by my side. My father admired him, too. He said the boy had a fire in his eyes, that he was destined for great things. And he was. He studied hard, and two years later, we both got into the same university. The day he received his acceptance letter, his eyes were red. “Vera,” he said, “I owe you and your father everything.” “If I could, I’d stay by your side forever.” Randall would wake up at six every morning and take an hour-long bus ride across town to stand in line, just so I could have hot soup dumplings before my 8 a.m. class. He would spend his entire paycheck on a beautiful brooch I had casually admired, while his own sweater, pilled and faded, was worn for three years straight. His bag was always stocked with painkillers, band-aids, an umbrella, and sanitary pads for my forgetful self. He was so good to me, so perfect, that even my father couldn’t find a single fault. The year we graduated, he asked to join the Vaughn Group. My father hesitated, telling him he didn’t need to repay any debt. But Randall dropped to his knees. “I know I’m not worthy, but I love Vera. I want to earn the right to stay by her side.” I didn’t know then that my father was already trapped, backed into a corner by forces I couldn’t comprehend. I only remember him and Randall talking in the study for a long time. When they came out, my father placed my hand in Randall’s. “Randall, promise me you’ll keep my girl safe. Keep her happy, and keep her life clean. Honorable.” At twenty-five, I graduated with my master’s degree. Randall, through his own merit, had become a key figure in the company. The higher he rose, the stranger he became. Once, as I was sketching, he stared at me for a long time and then said, “Sometimes I just want to give it all up for you.” But when I asked him what he meant, he wouldn’t say. At this point in my story, Leo interrupted. “Do you think he meant he was actually falling for you and wanted to give up being an undercover cop?” I shook my head. “I don’t know. And it doesn’t matter.” A fleeting moment of hesitation couldn’t change his righteous resolve. At twenty-six, Randall proposed. We got our marriage license first, then planned the wedding. The day was magnificent. I was in a pure white gown. And I watched, in my wedding dress, as Randall flashed his badge and snapped handcuffs on my father’s wrists. “On your wedding day?” Leo asked, horrified. “That’s monstrous! Did you go up and hit him?” I shook my head again. “I didn’t get the chance. He left with my maid of honor.” “The maid of honor? Who?” “His current wife.” 3 A few days ago, photos from Randall’s wedding had made the rounds in our old college group chat. The bride, unsurprisingly, was Felicity Fang. My best friend and roommate from college. She came from a poor, rural area. She was plain, with thick glasses, and was intensely proud and hardworking. When our English professor mocked her accent, saying it had the “fragrance of the soil,” her face turned crimson, but she never bowed her head. I was the one who approached her first. I invited her to join the English-speaking group I had with Randall. Perhaps it was because they shared similar backgrounds and temperaments. They got along well. Or maybe… they just clicked. The cheap street food I couldn’t stomach, they both loved. The bright, colorful clothes I adored, they both eschewed for practical, stain-resistant black shirts. When we had to choose between two project topics, they would always, in perfect sync, choose the other one. But all their interactions were through me. They always kept a respectful distance. So I never once suspected a thing. After I got my master’s, Felicity was struggling in her career and came to me for help. I wanted to give her a hand, so I got her a job at the Vaughn Group and asked Randall to look after her. Unlike our old trio, this time, I wasn’t in the middle. That’s when it started. Why Felicity? I suppose after hiding his true self for so long, he could finally be himself around her. And I remained completely in the dark. Until my wedding day, when Felicity threw herself into Randall’s arms. Tears streamed down her face. “You did it! After ten years of suffering and humiliation, you can finally be yourself again.” After ten years, for the very first time, I saw the real Randall Partridge. He looked at me from a distance, silent, his expression placid. It was the look of a man scrutinizing a criminal. I had so many questions. What would happen to my father? When did you and she get together? And… when did you start lying to me? But he never gave me the chance to ask. He walked over, holding Felicity’s hand, and said coldly, “He won’t be detained during the investigation. Pack him a few changes of clothes and take them to the holding center.” He looked at my tear-streaked makeup, and for a moment, his expression softened. I threw my bouquet in his face. Then I grabbed a glass of champagne from a nearby table and flung it at them. The liquid splashed across Felicity’s pink bridesmaid dress. “Randall, don’t go soft on her,” she said, her voice trembling with manufactured victimhood. “Loving her was just an act. You wouldn’t let yourself get caught up in it for real, would you?” Her words snapped him back to reality. He picked up a glass of wine and poured it directly over my head. “A toast, for a toast. This is from Felicity.” “We can talk when you’ve sobered up.” He turned and left with her, leaving me drenched and humiliated. For days, I could hardly sleep. The Vaughn Group was seized, our family’s assets frozen. I spent my time dodging reporters and trying to find a lawyer for my father. The verdict was clear: there was no way out. It was only then that I learned my father was, in the eyes of the world, a bad man. The worldview I had held for twenty-something years shattered. Human nature is so complex. No one is purely evil. He did terrible things, but he also adored his daughter and was a generous philanthropist. And by the same token, no one is purely good. Take Randall. The media lauded him, giving him titles like “The Shadow of Justice” and “The Dawnbreaker.” But I found him in our brand-new, crimson-decorated bridal suite, kissing Felicity. By then, I had no energy left to fight. I collapsed. “What happened to you after that?!” Leo pressed. “After that… I don’t remember much. I think I almost died.” 4 Perhaps my brain initiated a protective shutdown. I became ill, lost in a mental fog. Perhaps out of pity, Randall didn’t file to have our marriage annulled right away. Instead, he took a two-month leave and took me to see doctors. Psychological counseling, but I wouldn’t speak. Medication, but I wouldn’t open my mouth. He even had me restrained for ECT. The side effects were severe, often causing cognitive impairment. To this day, I can’t hold a pen to draw. Back then, I had no intention of getting better. I had a razor blade hidden in my vanity. The day my father was sentenced, I would be free. But Randall was furious. He pried my mouth open and forced the pills down my throat. “Do you still think you’re the same pampered princess you used to be? Can you stop being so willful?” In the past, whenever I had to take medicine, I’d throw a little tantrum. And Randall would patiently coax me. “Be good. The moment you swallow, I’ll give you a candy.” This time, there was no candy. The second he let go, I threw it all up. Randall’s patience was gone. He looked down on me. “Look at the state of you. I shouldn’t even be bothering.” “Then don’t.” The door slammed shut. He spent the entire night smoking in the living room. The next day, Felicity showed up. They fought, their voices sharp. “Randall, you’re a cop with a brilliant future! She’s a criminal’s daughter! Why are you still involved with her?” After a long silence, Randall’s voice came, low and strained. “I’ve taken care of her for ten years. Even if she were just a stray cat or dog, I wouldn’t have the heart to just throw her away immediately.” A stray cat or dog… how compassionate of him. The argument somehow ended with them kissing. They were defiling the new home my father had bought for me. I stormed out and smashed everything in sight. Including our wedding portrait, a picture of two smiling, happy people. Randall shielded Felicity, just as he had once shielded me. He watched my breakdown with cold, detached eyes. Felicity pretended to be terrified. “See? I told you. She has a criminal’s blood in her veins. Selfish, violent… it’s terrifying.” At the mention of my father, I became hysterical. I grabbed a shard of glass and lunged at them. Randall kicked me away. His voice was filled with disappointment. “Vera, you’ve exhausted the last shred of mercy I had for you.” The day Randall filed the annulment papers was the day my father’s final sentence came down. Life in prison. Through the reinforced glass, my father’s eyes streamed with tears. He saw the death wish in my eyes. “My girl, you have to live. I’m begging you.” He had already prepared a way out for me. A massive trust fund in an overseas account. My father had never used the word “beg” in his life. So I thought, fine. I’ll live. The last time I saw Randall was in front of the precinct. He left me with four words. “You’re on your own.” The story was over. The car entered a tunnel, and the world went dark, save for the warm, yellow glow of the lights overhead. The stark white light of a phone screen cut through the dimness. An unknown number. “Hello?” It was Randall. “You left your ID card here. Can we meet?”

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On the day his fiancée returned to the country, I confessed my feelings to him. He frowned, rejecting me cold: “Coco, you will only ever be my sister.” Heartbroken, I agreed to go on a date with someone else. Who would have guessed I’d run into my brother and his fiancée at the mall? I steeled myself and introduced the man beside me. “This is my boyfriend.” My brother’s expression instantly turned icy cold. Later, inside a dressing room at the mall. My brother grabbed my waist, pinning me against the mirror. He narrowed his eyes, enunciating each word clearly. “Didn’t you say the one you liked was me?” 1 When I was nine years old, my adoptive mother took me from the orphanage, and I became the adopted daughter of the Pierce family. “From now on, your last name is Pierce. You are Coco Pierce.” They treated me incredibly well. They taught me etiquette, sent me to school, nurtured my talents, broadened my horizons. They raised me like a true heiress. The staff would respectfully call me “Miss Coco.” Everyone said I was lucky, transformed overnight from an ugly duckling into a swan. But all these years, I’ve hidden a shameful secret. I’m in love with Liam. Liam Pierce, the eldest son of the family, my brother in name. He doted on me, practically holding me in the palm of his hand like a princess as I grew up. Living together, growing up together, I fell hopelessly in love with him. I secretly buried these dirty thoughts deep down, terrified anyone would see. 2 Serena was coming back to the States. Liam told me the news while I was eating breakfast. “When?” “Tonight.” I gripped the cup in my hand tightly. Tonight. No wonder he booked out the entire five-star hotel early this morning; it was a welcome party for her. I took a sip of milk, pretending to be nonchalant: “When is she leaving this time?” Liam was silent for a moment: “She finished her studies. She probably won’t leave again this time.” I didn’t make a sound, my fingers gripping my chopsticks turning white from the tension. Sensing my mood, Liam lifted his eyelids, his tone indifferent. “I know you don’t like her, but you’re not a child anymore. She’ll be your sister-in-law sooner or later. Tonight, do you want to come pick her up with your brother?” I didn’t answer. I lowered my head, burying my face almost entirely in the plate in front of me. A long time later, I whispered a response. “Whatever you want.” I’ve never been able to refuse or go against his decisions. Because he is my brother. At LAX. Liam and I waited for almost an hour before picking up the long-overdue Serena. She wore a pink down jacket and a cute, small rabbit fur hat. She looked adorable and playful. Seeing us, she jumped up and waved. “Liam! Coco!” Like a little winter elf. Four years passed in a blink of an eye, and she seemed to have become even more beautiful. I smiled and returned her greeting, but my fingers curled inside my sleeves, digging into my palms. She is the eldest daughter of the Wright family. A darling pampered since childhood. The incredibly prestigious Miss Wright in our social circle. But the reason I was jealous enough to go crazy… Is because she is Liam’s fiancée. On the way back to the hotel, Serena recounted interesting stories from her years abroad. Liam occasionally responded with a sentence or two. They talked and laughed; the scene was very harmonious. I pulled up my scarf to cover my face. Seeing Liam’s smiling face annoyed me. Separated for four years, barely contacting each other. Suddenly they have so much to talk about? The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got. I pulled down my scarf and offered a “friendly” reminder. “Bro, stop smiling. You’re getting wrinkles.” The sound in the car stopped abruptly, and the atmosphere instantly dropped. Liam glanced at me sideways, his expression unreadable. I pulled my scarf back up to cover my face. Mmm, much better. 3 The welcome banquet was prepared for Serena. Most of the people Liam invited were from our circle, and they all knew Serena. They started flattering her immediately. “Oh my, Miss Wright is finally willing to come back from abroad?” “You came back this time to get married, right? You must invite me for a drink at the wedding!” “Congratulations, congratulations! A match made in heaven!” “Congrats to you two! Wishing you a happy union and a baby soon!” It was supposed to be an ordinary welcome dinner, but some blabbermouth started it. Everyone began congratulating them on the “wedding.” Liam and Serena were surrounded by the crowd and couldn’t move. Annoying. So annoying. My eyes swept over the red wine on the table. Gritting my teeth, I tilted my head back and downed half the bottle. By the time Liam extricated himself from the crowd to look for me… I was already slumped on the sofa, drunk. I heard a very faint sigh by my ear, and then I was scooped up into his arms. Today was a welcome banquet, drinking was inevitable. Liam had booked rooms upstairs early on. Drunk people could just go up and sleep. Who would have thought the first one drunk would be his sister. He carried me all the way to the room. After my butt hit the bed, I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly and wouldn’t let go. Liam’s voice sounded displeased: “Coco, you tricked me?” I slowly opened my eyes. I did drink half that bottle of wine. But because I drank too fast, it hit my gag reflex, and I spat most of it out. As if I’d get drunk. Liam’s eyes were very dark, looking at me with a hint of helplessness. “Making a scene like this, what is it for now?” I lowered my eyes, pausing for a long time before whispering: “Bro.” “After you marry Serena, will you not want me anymore?” Liam sighed, reaching out gently to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. “Coco, you will always be my sister.” I gritted my teeth. I know. I’ve been his sister since I was brought home by Mom at age nine. I was still his sister when he got engaged to Serena at eighteen. Even after he marries Serena in the future, I’ll still be his sister. I curled my fingers tight. Liam frowned slightly, his expression probing. “Coco, what is wrong with you?” I gripped the bedsheets. My heart felt like a tangled mess of hemp rope, twisted and knotted, impossible to sort out. Liam waited a long time but I didn’t speak. He pressed his lips together and straightened up. “Have a good sleep. Tomorrow, brother will take you to eat something good.” With that, he turned to leave. I reached out, grabbing the hem of his coat before my conscious mind could catch up. “But I… I don’t want to be your sister anymore.” “I like you, Bro.” Time seemed to stop at that moment. The room fell into a deathly silence. After a long time, Liam turned his head to look at me. I gripped the corner of his clothes tightly, like a condemned prisoner awaiting sentencing. He lowered his eyes, his gaze pitch-black, like the endless dark night outside. “Coco.” “You will only ever be my sister.” It felt like falling into the deep sea. I struggled desperately to swim up, but my limbs were entangled in seaweed, unable to break free or escape. They dragged me down continuously, to the abyssal depths. Pitch black, endless. Swallowed whole. The hand gripping his coat tightened and loosened, loosened and tightened. Until it ached so much, I slowly let go. Bit by bit, I forced the corners of my mouth up into a smile uglier than crying. “Just kidding with you, Bro.” “I lost a game of Truth or Dare. I had to confess to the first person who hugged me tonight.” “Didn’t expect that person to be you.” “Haha, don’t take it seriously, Bro.” Liam was silent for a long time before raising his eyes to look at me. Neither angry nor annoyed, his voice was cool and clear. “Don’t play that kind of dare again.” I kept smiling. “Okay.” He turned and left, the door slowly closing. Completely cutting me off. 4 It seemed like an insignificant little episode. I said it was a dare, and Liam believed it. We both tacitly chose to forget this incident. I was still the sister he spoiled and pampered. But I was terrified inside. I started gradually avoiding Liam’s kindness, deliberately avoiding being alone with him. I told myself ten thousand times a day he is my brother, I am his sister. We are impossible. I also started trying to accept new people and things. When Julian asked me out for dinner for the 12th time, I agreed. People say the best way to get over a relationship is to start a new one. I tried it, and felt people were right. Julian is a gentleman. He and I got along well in all aspects. We did everything little couples do. Movies, dinner, dates, shopping. Once, while Julian was accompanying me to buy luxury goods, we ran into Liam doing the same. The man’s features were cold and sharp. He looked incredibly noble. Beside him stood Serena in a black long dress. Looking at them like this, they seemed to be wearing couple outfits. I subconsciously wanted to leave. But Serena called my name: “Coco!” I turned around, steeling myself to meet Liam’s gaze. “Bro? Serena.” His gaze shifted to Julian beside me, asking calmly: “Who is this?” I quickly introduced him. “This is my brother, this is my sister-in-law.” “This is Julian, he is my… boyfriend.” Liam’s expression suddenly turned extremely cold at that moment. Run! My brain frantically transmitted this message. But Liam stopped me first. “There’s a small business mixer at the company tomorrow. Mom wants me to take you to see the world.” “Just as well, go into the store and pick a dress to wear tomorrow.” I wanted to say I had one at home, but stopped myself when I met his indifferent gaze. “Okay.” Liam picked the dress. A bright red strapless gown, the color exaggerated and flamboyant. I looked at Liam strangely many times. In Liam’s eyes, there were other colors? Wasn’t he always black or white! In the second-floor fitting room, after changing into the dress, I was about to call the assistant to help me zip up. The door was pushed open from the outside. I turned around, meeting Liam’s pitch-black eyes. Eye to eye, I was so shocked I forgot to scream. By the time I remembered, Liam had already covered my mouth and pinned me against the mirror behind me. Long fingers brought a cool touch. “Bro, what are you doing?” My voice was trembling. Liam narrowed his eyes: “Boyfriend?” “Coco Pierce, you’ve gotten bold?” Can’t I date? Just as the thought popped into my head. Liam grabbed my waist, pulling me hard into his arms. He enunciated word by word, a hint of gnashing teeth in his tone. “Didn’t you say the one you liked was me?” I froze on the spot. In that instant, I even forgot to breathe. “What do you mean?” Liam lowered his eyes. “Literal meaning.” I curled my fingers tight. Does this mean if I like him, I can’t like anyone else? He can get engaged to someone he likes. But I don’t even have the right to like someone else? I pressed my lips together tight. The fitting room was small, Liam’s aura overwhelming. Pressing down on me so hard I could barely breathe. I didn’t speak, he didn’t speak. Just staring at me. In the stalemate, Serena’s voice came from outside. “Coco, are you done changing?” I jolted back to reality. Pushed Liam away. “Done, I’m coming out right now.” Liam kept his eyes lowered, two cold words popping out of his mouth. “Break up.” I turned my head, saying spitefully. “Fine, when you call off the engagement, I’ll break up.”

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The real heiress of our family returned, armed with a brand of performative poverty so extreme she was determined to make us all suffer with her. Our family had a chauffeured car to take us to school, but she refused to get in, insisting that my brother and I ride a rickety electric trike with her instead. When the trike inevitably flipped, my brother and I broke our arms shielding her from the fall. At school, she’d toss out the lavish lunches our chef prepared, only to produce stale bread and pickled vegetables from her bag, forcing us to join her in a life of “frugal simplicity.” My brother, Dan, was a dancer; he fainted from hunger in the middle of rehearsal. When we pleaded with our parents, they’d just sigh. “Sadie’s had a hard life. She’s a pitiful girl. Just try to be patient with her.” “Besides,” they’d add, “frugality is a wonderful quality.” This continued until her official welcoming gala. She replaced all the fine wine with orange soda, the gourmet hors d’oeuvres with potato chips and spicy cheese puffs, and walked on stage wearing a faded, secondhand dress. That was when our parents finally snapped. “Get that pathetic rag off you and throw it away! Who are you trying to look pitiful for?” Dan and I burst into tears of relief and hugged each other. “They finally get it…” 1 The day the real heiress, Sadie, came home, our whole family stood at the entrance to welcome her. The town car pulled up, but Sadie didn’t get out. The driver approached us, looking troubled. “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, the young miss refuses to ride in the car. She says it wastes gas and decided to walk home.” Dan and I exchanged a look of sheer horror. It was a thirty-mile walk from the city! If there were two people in the Sterling family who loved spending money, it was me and my brother, Dan. Our shared philosophy was simple: life is meant to be enjoyed, and money is the key. He bought the latest sports cars; I bought the latest designer bags. He bought top-of-the-line motorcycles; I bought couture gowns. We were blissfully, unapologetically extravagant. If a destination was more than a block away, we took a car. Our family used to look at us with disdain for it. Hearing the driver’s words, my parents were stunned for a moment. Then, my mother’s face broke into a pleased smile. “Frugality is a good thing. It’s alright, we can wait.” Our older brother, Sterling, had no such patience. He turned on his heel and went back to his office. Dan and I were about to make our own escape when our parents grabbed us. “You two stay right here. You could learn a thing or two from Sadie. Stop being so lazy all the time.” We waited. And waited. An entire day passed, and still no Sadie. Dinner had been reheated three times. Just as we were all about to starve to death, the doorbell rang. 2 The housekeeper opened the door. There stood Sadie, dressed in patched clothes and carrying a massive woven plastic sack. After walking for over ten hours, her face was flushed a dark red and beaded with sweat. Everyone rushed to greet her. My mother took the sack from her. It clinked and rattled, and she assumed it was luggage. “Sadie, dear, are these your things?” The moment she opened it, a sour, musty stench hit us like a physical blow. Sterling, our older brother, who had just returned, frowned deeply, muttered an excuse about work, and promptly left again. Dan couldn’t hold back. “What the hell is that, a bag of trash? It reeks!” Mom shot him a death glare. “Be quiet. Don’t be rude.” Dan sulked, shooting me a helpless look. Sadie, however, lifted her chin, her eyes defiant, and snatched the sack back. “These are soda cans I collected on the way. You can sell them for money. I hate waste more than anything.” She looked pointedly at all of us. “I hope everyone here can learn to be more frugal from now on.” My mother immediately gushed, “Sadie, you’re so sensible.” She then glanced at me and Dan. “Poppy, Dan, you two should learn from your sister instead of just eating and playing all day.” My father chimed in. “Frugality is excellent. Especially for you two. You need to learn its value.” He then pulled out a credit card and offered it to Sadie. “Sadie, this is a little something for your allowance.” Sadie turned her head, glanced at the card, and sneered. “I despise the stench of money. Don’t pollute me with such things.” The atmosphere turned instantly awkward. No one in the Sterling family had ever disliked money. My father awkwardly retracted the card. “Well, let’s have dinner then.” 3 At the dining table, which was laden with lavish dishes, Sadie’s face fell. She slammed her chopsticks down. “I don’t approve of such extravagance. Do you have any plain bread? I’ll have that.” I couldn’t help myself. “But there’s so much wonderful food here. Why would you eat plain bread? Wouldn’t letting all this go to waste be even more wasteful?” My parents quickly agreed. “There’s so much to eat, dear. Please, have some of this.” Sadie looked down her nose at me. “Not everyone is as shamelessly wasteful as a spoiled fake princess like you.” My eyes widened in shock. “Fake princess?” Sadie stood up, towering over me with moral superiority. “Even though you stole my parents from me, I don’t blame you. You can continue to live here. Of course, I don’t like drama and just want to focus on my studies. I hope you’ll refrain from bothering me.” I blinked and looked at Dan. He looked like he was trying to solve a complex math problem while severely constipated. Finally, he spoke up. “Sadie, this is your biological sister, Poppy. She’s a year older than you. Don’t you remember her?” My parents’ faces were also a little strained. Sadie was four when she was lost. It was strange that she wouldn’t remember her own sister. Sadie looked shocked for a second, then her expression smoothed back into one of calm indifference. “I was switched at birth. How could I possibly remember?” Dan and I just stared at each other. In the end, Sadie ate a large, dry roll and drank a bowl of cold water. The rest of the family picked at the gourmet feast, the loud slurping of her water making the whole meal incredibly awkward. We finally survived dinner. But the next morning, when it was time for school, Dan and I were in for a true shock. 4 Sadie stood in front of the chauffeured car, her brow furrowed, refusing to get in. “I will not ride in that. It’s a waste of gas and money.” My mother tried to reason with her patiently. “Sadie, honey, we’re not short on money.” Sadie just shook her head, her chin held high. “I don’t like waste. Having money isn’t a license to be extravagant. If they want to ride, let them. I’ll walk to school myself.” My parents looked stressed. “But it’s your first day. How can you walk?” My mother then turned to me and Dan. “Why don’t you two walk with Sadie to school?” “WHAT?” Dan and I yelled in unison. Mom sighed. “It’s two and a half miles… that is a bit far.” Just then, an old man on a motorized tricycle puttered past the end of our driveway. Sadie’s eyes lit up. She pointed. “We can take that! And we’ll be helping that old man earn some money.” My parents looked at Sadie with pure admiration. Dan and I looked at each other in pure misery. The three of us, all high school students, squeezed onto the tiny trike. The whole vehicle swayed precariously. Even on a perfectly flat road, it felt like we were adrift at sea, lost and helpless. Every time we went over a speed bump, it felt like a direct assault on my spine. The old man up front kept shouting, “Whoa, whoa, you’re leaning left! Everybody lean right!” And then, “Hey, hey, don’t move, don’t move!” Dan and I were so terrified we were barely breathing. How could we possibly be moving? “Now you’re too far right! Lean left, lean left… lean…” The trike flipped. Instinctively, Dan and I threw our arms around Sadie to protect her. His left arm was broken. My right arm was broken. Sadie simply stood up, dusted herself off, and turned to leave. “You two wait here. I can’t neglect my studies. I’m going to school.” And she left the two of us, with our broken arms, to cry together on the pavement. When the police arrived, the old man, trembling, finally got to his feet, tears streaming down his face. “I was just out for a little spin! This girl flagged me down, insisted that a trike was more economical and that I had to take the three of them to school. I’m almost eighty! I don’t need the six bucks!” In the end, my parents came, bought the man a new trike, and gave him a hefty sum for his troubles. 5 Breaking my arm did have one upside: I didn’t have to do any homework. Dan, who had been held back a year, was in my grade. When he found out, he was furious. “No fair! My arm is broken too! I can’t do my homework either!” Our homeroom teacher just tapped him on the head with a notebook. “You broke your left arm. I’ll be checking your work tomorrow.” Dan glared at me from his desk with a look of pure, unadulterated envy. I just gave him a smug, provocative smile back. My parents insisted that since Sadie was new and had no friends, Dan and I had to have lunch with her every day. If we didn’t, they’d cut off our allowances. This was a tragedy. A new designer bag I’d been dreaming of had just been released. Dan was eyeing a new motorcycle. So, we dutifully went to find Sadie for lunch. At noon, our housekeeper arrived with a lavish spread delivered from home. Before she could even set it all out, Sadie shot up from her seat. “I will not eat such a wasteful meal. This is pure indulgence. Mrs. Liu, please give all of this to the homeless people outside.” Dan and I were aghast. “What homeless people?” “Well, then give it to a poor family,” Sadie declared. “I brought my own lunch. I can share it with my brother and sister. There are children starving in the mountains who need this more than we do.” At her insistence, Mrs. Liu packed up the feast. Dan and I exchanged frantic looks. Me: What is she talking about? This is Silveridge Heights. How are we supposed to send this to ‘children in the mountains’? And who would accept a random meal from strangers? What is going on in her head? Dan: No idea. And when did she pack a lunch? Me: I don’t know either. Please don’t let it be… We both turned to look at Sadie. She slowly pulled three hard, crusty rolls from her backpack and placed them on the table. Then, she produced several packets of pickled vegetables. “Brother, sister, I dislike waste. From now on, we will be frugal together. Every little bit counts. I even brought pickles in case you aren’t used to just plain bread.” She then shoved the rolls and pickles into our hands. And so it went. For a month straight. One stale roll, a cup of hot water, and a packet of pickles for lunch every single day. The school didn’t have a cafeteria, and we weren’t allowed to bring in outside snacks. By the afternoon, Dan and I were often dizzy with hunger. One day, Dan went to the dance studio to practice his stretches, his arm still in a sling. He fainted mid-plié. I ran over and held his semi-conscious form, sobbing hysterically. “What kind of ‘real heiress’ is this? She doesn’t want money or love, she just wants to torture people! Dan, if you die, what am I going to do all alone?” He managed to open his eyes and pat my head with his good hand. “Poppy, don’t cry. I’m not dead yet. I’m here with you.” Just then, a sound like a thunderclap echoed through the studio. It was his stomach. And then he passed out for real.

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After Lucas bailed me out of the police station and we were driving home, I asked for a divorce. “Maya, there’s a limit to being willful.” I looked at Lucas, who was focused on driving, and suddenly smiled. “I’ve thought it through.” “Lucas,” I turned my head, my gaze firm, “let’s let each other go.” Chapter 1 The Maserati pulled over to the side of the road. The atmosphere inside the car dropped to freezing point. “Reason.” Lucas gripped the steering wheel, his voice cold as ice. “Give me a reason why you’re making a scene again.” I looked at Lucas and suddenly felt it was all meaningless. I lowered the window and pointed at the car that had been secretly following us in the rearview mirror. “I bet, in less than ten seconds.” “Someone will come looking for you immediately.” I started counting down with certainty. “Ten.” “Nine.” “Eight.” Before I could reach seven, a beautiful figure got out of the Porsche behind us. The girl approached with red eyes. “Maya, I really didn’t mean to today. I only suggested picking up clothes because I had to accompany Lucas to the gala. I truly didn’t know you were sleeping at home, let alone that you’d mistake me for a thief and call the police directly.” “This is ultimately my fault. Please don’t fight with Lucas because of this. I beg you.” “If you’re really unhappy,” the girl grabbed my hand and aimed it at her own face, “hit me.” “Hit me to vent your anger.” My hand was being pulled. Just as it was about to hit her. Lucas shouted coldly, “Maya, where are your manners?” “Eaten by dogs?” I just found it laughable. See. I don’t have to do anything. Even if I just sit here passively accepting it, it becomes my fault. I pulled my hand back and turned to face Lucas. “Do you understand now?” “Lucas,” I seemed to have really stopped crying. It was as if the pain had numbed me to the point of having no emotions. I unbuckled my seatbelt and told him, “This is the reason.” “Lucas, let’s get a divorce.” I opened the car door. Under the shocked yet secretly delighted gaze of Lucas’s secretary, I smiled at her. “Congratulations. After inserting yourself into Lucas and my life all these years, you’ve finally made it.” “I don’t want Lucas anymore.” I turned to leave. Lucas hurriedly got out of the car and grabbed my wrist. “Maya, are you crazy? Do you know that because you called the police today, I missed out on a multi-million dollar project? Just because you said you were scared, I rushed to the police station like a madman, only to find you had my secretary arrested!” “I’ve put up with you for a long time.” “You target Bella at every turn, yet she keeps putting in a good word for you, asking me not to be angry with you and for us to get along! Don’t be so ungrateful!” My wrist hurt from his grip, pulling on the scar there, making it hurt even more. I frowned at my already reddened wrist. “Let go!” I yanked my hand away from Lucas, rubbed my aching wrist, raised my hand, and slapped Lucas across the face. “Lucas!” “I’ve put up with you for a long time too!” Lucas and I had been together for ten years. Even though we had fought, argued, and given each other the silent treatment, I had never embarrassed Lucas in front of outsiders like this. But I didn’t want to endure it anymore. I looked at Lucas and got straight to the point. “Let me tell you, when I was hospitalized with a high fever, you were with your secretary saving stray cats and dogs. When my car got rear-ended, you were stargazing with your secretary. Every time something happened to me, you chose your secretary! And today!” I looked at Lucas. “You told your secretary our home’s passcode. When I had taken medicine and was ready to sleep! You let your secretary break into our bedroom to get your stuff! After I called the police, you didn’t care about me, you just demanded I sign a settlement letter!” “Lucas!” “We are completely done!” Chapter 2 In a fit of anger. I ultimately couldn’t control my expression. My carefully maintained composure completely collapsed. I watched Lucas’s face change slightly, then turn to a guilty, subconscious explanation. “I didn’t know you were back from your business trip! How could I decline Chairman Zhang’s invitation? Letting Bella pick up the stuff was a last resort. Why do you have to blow this out of proportion?” “Maya!” Lucas looked at me with disappointment. “Since when did you become so jealous, seizing on shadows and refusing to let go?” “Maya, no man would like you like this!” I really thought I wouldn’t cry anymore. At least, from signing the settlement letter at the police station to sitting in the car with Lucas, I had maintained my dignity and the manners I should have. I had even replayed all the memories of Lucas and me in the car. In the end. I made a conclusion. I wanted a dignified ending. But tears still fell uncontrollably because of Lucas’s complaints and accusations, like pearls from a broken string, falling no matter what. “Yeah, no man would like me like this.” I choked out. “So, I don’t need your like either.” I wiped my tears and turned to leave, but Bella grabbed my hand. She cried with me, even harder than I did, constantly apologizing and saying sorry. “Maya.” “I really didn’t mean to. Please don’t be mad at Lucas anymore. I’ll resign tomorrow, I’ll disappear immediately! Lucas really loves you, please don’t make him sad, okay?” I hated Bella’s fake innocent act the most. Seeing Bella sobbing, my tears stopped instead. I forcefully shook off Bella and cursed. “Get lost!” Bella was thrown to the ground by me and looked up at me in shock. “Maya!” Lucas helped Bella up with heartache, looking at her scraped palm, and roared at me. “Are you crazy! Apologize to Bella!” “Keep dreaming.” “Want me to apologize,” I looked at Lucas, then at Bella, whose eyes flashed with triumph, and dropped a sentence, “If you don’t agree to the divorce, we’ll go through litigation.” I didn’t look back, nor did I care about Bella’s sobbing and Lucas’s voice coaxing her and calling me crazy behind me. Instead, I took a taxi straight to my best friend’s house. My best friend didn’t say a word. After taking me inside, she took out dozens of beers saved in the fridge and put them on the table, asking me just one question. “Enough?” I looked at my best friend, and my eyes suddenly turned red. She didn’t speak, just opened her arms to me and asked, “Hug?” I completely broke down, crying loudly in her arms. I cried until my voice broke, until my whole body trembled, until I threw up in the toilet. In the end, I told her. “I want a divorce!” “I want a divorce!” “I want Lucas to die a miserable death!” What is the end of love? It’s two people who were once so close they were willing to fight the world together turning into opponents wielding knives at each other, determined to fight to the death. It’s going from hoping to enter the tomb of marriage and let flowers of love grow from it, to finally realizing the truth that even roses wither. Chapter 3 I stayed at my best friend’s house for half a month. During that half month. I saw Bella updating her status on social media every day. In every post, there was a shadow of Lucas. [There’s a moon in the sky, and I have a star.] (Note: Lucas’s name contains “Xing,” meaning star.) The picture was a selfie of Bella, and in the corner, the back of Lucas taking a call in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. [Stars always shine, and I will chase the light.] The picture was a star ring on Bella’s hand, refracting a halo under the light, and a hand with distinct knuckles. It was Lucas’s. [Star taking me to see the world!] The picture was a first-class cabin. Bella smiling brightly, and a sleeping profile next to her. Item after item. My best friend jumped up in anger, pointing at Bella’s post and cursing, “Fck that btch! Is Lucas fcking blind? Can’t he see this slt has bad intentions? Even a dog wouldn’t believe it!” My best friend was furious. Instead, I seemed calm. I seemed to be almost out of the withdrawal period. Regarding my best friend’s rage, I commented calmly. “Lucas knows very well.” “Knows very well?” My best friend sat next to me. “What the f*ck, then why does he still say they’re innocent?” “In Lucas’s view, as long as two people haven’t slept in the same bed, they are innocent. After all, he always believes he hasn’t cheated.” Lucas always held onto that bottom line. So, whenever I threw a tantrum, he always had that line [Bella and I are innocent, it’s your heart that’s dirty! You see everything as dirty because your heart is dirty] and I would be rendered speechless. Now, looking back at these past events. I’ve let it go. I reminded my best friend, “The movers are almost here.” Lucas and I are getting divorced, and I’m moving out, so naturally, I have to go to the house and take what belongs to me. After all. My mother’s belongings are still there. “Good that you’ve figured it out.” My best friend followed me home and waited at the door. I watched Bella’s posts and knew Lucas was on a business trip these days. I thought Lucas and I wouldn’t meet, but unexpectedly, as soon as I opened the door, I smelled food from the kitchen. When I walked closer, I saw Bella sitting cross-legged at the dining table eating prawns at a glance. Seeing me. Bella’s expression froze, like a child who did something wrong, and immediately stood up to call me. “Maya.” I looked at Bella wearing my pajamas and slippers, then at Lucas bringing out a dish, his smile freezing, and then speaking stiffly to me, “Have you eaten?” I ignored Lucas’s gesture and walked to the bedroom. Suddenly, I froze. My figurines neatly placed on the headboard were all messed up, even the bed was a mess. The wardrobe had obviously been rummaged through, and even the safe in the back had been opened. My heart tightened, and I subconsciously checked the contents of the safe. “Maya…” The safe was empty. Bella stood at the door, her voice so weak I could barely hear: “Sorry, my luggage got lost on the way back with Lucas. He told me to come here and get some clothes to wear first.” “I accidentally… opened the safe…” My brain buzzed. I turned around and saw the jade fragments in Bella’s hand. My breathing stopped. “I really didn’t mean to.” “Maya, please!” Bella suddenly lunged at me, then knelt down with a thud in front of me, grabbing my arm, crying. “Please forgive me!” Chapter 4 “I didn’t know it was your mother’s keepsake! I didn’t know, I really didn’t know!” Bella grabbed my hand. “Hit me!” “Please!” “Hit me, make me feel better!” Bella was about to kowtow to me. Seeing her head about to hit the ground, suddenly a hand came between us. Lucas held her forehead, pulled up the trembling Bella, and looked at me lightly. “The dead cannot be brought back to life. Things are just inanimate objects. There’s no need to make things difficult for the living because of dead things. Bella already knows she was wrong.” Lucas’s tone was flat, as if this was a very, very small matter. And I was a very, very narrow-minded person. He protected Bella in a protective stance, telling me. “Stop making things difficult for Bella. Her psychological burden is already heavy enough.” I couldn’t say a word, didn’t even express an attitude. As long as Bella acted pitiful, everything was my fault. From Bella stealing my earrings, to Bella taking my paintings, to Bella smashing my wedding photo with Lucas, to Bella barging into my home, my territory, and now, breaking the last thing my mother left me. Lucas was still telling me to forgive, telling me to be magnanimous. My brain kept buzzing, my throat tightened, and the trembling of my fingertips betrayed my lack of calm. I turned to look at Bella, who was still shedding tears in Lucas’s arms, walked directly to her, and in front of Lucas, grabbed Bella’s hair and slammed her hard against the wall. Then, amidst Bella’s broken scream, I kicked her knee. She really knelt in front of me this time. “That’s not how you kowtow.” I stepped on Bella’s knee with one foot and grabbed her head with one hand, slamming it heavily on the ground. A violent impact sounded. I heard Bella scream, watched bright red blood seep from her forehead, and told her, “This is called kowtowing and admitting mistakes!” My eyes were red. I grabbed Bella’s head and was about to slam it down again, but Lucas grabbed my wrist. He forcefully stopped my movement and looked at me gloomily. “Let go!” “Dream on!” Lucas raised another hand to pin me down, then forcefully pried my fingers open. Watching my nails almost being broken, I frowned in pain, but he seemed unaware, still prying my hand open bit by bit, warning me. “Don’t go too far, Maya!” Too far? I looked at Lucas and laughed in anger, “Lucas, the difference between humans and animals is that humans can think and distinguish right from wrong. Humans have moral constraints, not just relying on passion to decide unconditional protection!” “Since you decided to protect Bella!” “Fine!” Ignoring my nails being broken and blood flowing from my fingertips, while Lucas was stunned, I endured the excruciating pain and scratched Bella’s face hard. Accompanied by my nail completely breaking. And the face of Bella that appeared in dozens of my social media feeds every day was ruined together. Bella completely broke down. I laughed out loud completely. “What is this!” “This is karma!” “Let me tell you, Lucas,” I looked at Lucas’s incredulous expression, then at Bella covering her face and screaming like a chicken, reminding him, “I’ve never been a kind person! You should have known!” “Lucas!” “You’ve completely pissed me off!” “Let me tell you!” “If I don’t ruin you! My name isn’t Lin!”

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After the transmigrator who stole my luck finally left, the world returned to normal. Everyone suddenly remembered how much they used to love me. But it was too late. 1 I lay in bed, the familiar pain gnawing at my body. But today, I didn’t reach for the painkillers like I usually did. Because suddenly, rows of bullet comments floated before my eyes. I thought I was hallucinating, but they felt incredibly real. [Is this the female lead of this world? She’s so pitiful.] [So many mini-worlds are being invaded by transmigrators lately. The original protagonists are suffering.] [She’s lucky she still has her organs. I saw a female lead in another world who was drained dry by a transmigrator, even her heart was dug out.] [Sigh, in the original setting, she was supposed to be the beloved princess, adored by everyone.] [Good thing the transmigrator has been cleared out. Her world line is starting to repair.] I stared blankly at these comments, my mind buzzing. So, I was the protagonist of this world? I used to be happy. My parents spoiled me, my brother protected me, my fiancé loved me deeply. I had countless admirers and was the center of attention. Back then, I was confident and radiant, the irreplaceable princess in everyone’s eyes. Everything changed when Chloe appeared. She seemed tough yet pitiful, delicate and moving, quickly earning everyone’s sympathy. My parents sponsored her, adopted her as a goddaughter. My brother took care of her in every way. Even my fiancé started leaning towards her. At first, I wasn’t afraid. I thought it was temporary, that they just pitied her circumstances. I always believed that in their hearts, I was the most important one. Until things spiraled out of control. It was as if they were bewitched, willing to give everything for her, while becoming increasingly cold towards me. The warmth that once surrounded me was stolen by her, bit by bit. I gradually became air, a superfluous person in this world. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t feel even a shred of kindness anymore. 2 Just then, the comments started scrolling again. [Heard the news? After Chloe left, everyone she bewitched woke up.] [Tsk tsk, the female lead’s parents, brother, and that fiancé… they’re all going crazy looking for her now.] [Who would have thought the once pampered princess is now living in this shabby basement?] [So ironic. They were so eager to abuse the female lead back then, now they remember she was good? Too late.] I stared at the comments, feeling nothing. If they were really looking for me, I only hoped they would never find me. I didn’t know how to face them. Not because of resentment, but because… I was just too tired. The cold glares and accusations had long exhausted the last bit of warmth in my heart. Love can disappear, especially after repeated disappointments. Now, I just wanted to live in a quiet corner. Without their disturbance, no matter how destitute, life would be easier. But fate had other plans. The comments started scrolling frantically. [Holy sht! Her fiancé found her! Liam has found the address and is on his way!]* [He’s coming! He’s coming!!] My mind went blank instantly. The first thought was to run. I struggled to get up from the bed, but as soon as I propped myself up, my vision went black, and I fell back heavily. My stomach felt like it was being twisted by knives, my chest tight. It took a while to catch my breath. I clenched my fists, hatred surging. Why wouldn’t he let me go even after driving me to this point? Trembling, I grabbed a fruit knife from the bedside table, hid it under the covers, and stared dead at the door, body tense. [Ex-fiancé has been standing at the door for five minutes. Is he coming in?] [Speaking of which, what identity does he have to see the female lead now? Fiancé? Don’t make me laugh. He was the one who broke off the engagement.] [He despised her so much back then, now he’s shamelessly coming to find her.] I held my breath. The door was locked from the inside. He couldn’t get in. I thought I could relax a little. The next second, BANG! The door was kicked open. I almost jumped out of my skin. I used to be bold, but now the slightest disturbance was enough to give me palpitations for half a day. [? Bro, can’t you knock?] [Aren’t you here to apologize? Why do you look scarier than a debt collector?] [Coming to visit without bringing fruit is one thing, but tearing down the door? Is ex-fiancé here to apologize or to fight?] I couldn’t care less about the comments anymore. Because Liam was standing at the door, locking eyes with me. In that instant, my heart almost stopped. Fear. Terrifying fear. I burrowed under the quilt like an ostrich. As if he couldn’t hurt me if I couldn’t see him. But I still heard his footsteps. Leather shoes on the floor tiles. Step. Step. Heavier with each step. I counted silently, my hand gripping the knife handle under the covers tightly. The moment he approached the bed, I threw off the quilt and stabbed at him viciously! Thud— The dull sound of the blade entering flesh sobered me instantly. Blood gushed from Liam’s shoulder. He didn’t dodge. Red-eyed, he stared at me motionless. As if he knew I would do this, even willing to let me do whatever I wanted. In that moment, I was more scared than before. Because I didn’t know what he wanted to do, nor did I know… what I did wrong. My breathing was rapid, vision darkening. Violent emotions tore at me. I clutched my chest and fell back onto the bed, unable to breathe, feeling like my chest was about to explode. I only heard him shouting my name in panic: “Nora! Nora, what’s wrong?!” His voice was hoarse, urgent, filled with regret and fear. But I only felt nauseous. Don’t call me that. Don’t call me “Nora.” Consciousness fading bit by bit, I completely passed out. 3 When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. Looking at the long-lost sunlight, I didn’t feel warmth, only a piercing glare. It was the light I once craved, now a painful spot I couldn’t look at directly. I slowly turned my stiff neck, my gaze landing on the chair beside the bed. Liam was leaning there, eyes closed as if napping, his brow furrowed with exhaustion and loneliness. In this instant, my body began to tremble uncontrollably. Fear grew from my marrow, pressing down until I could barely breathe. I bit my lip hard, trying to suppress the wave of nausea rising within me. But just as I instinctively tried to turn away to escape, the heart rate monitor beside me suddenly blared an urgent alarm. Liam woke up with a start, his face changing color. He threw himself to my side, his voice panicked and rushed. “Nora? You’re awake! How do you feel? Does anything hurt? The doctor said you…” As he spoke, he reached out to touch my face. But in that moment, his approach was like a snake flicking its tongue. His voice, his scent, filled me with utter disgust and terror. Nausea surged, my stomach cramping. I grabbed the edge of the bed and started retching violently. Liam’s hand froze in mid-air, stiff as stone. The color drained from his face completely, leaving only a bewildered, helpless look like he’d been hit by a heavy hammer. [No way, Ex-fiancé, can’t you feel the female lead is physiologically repulsed by you? Why still clinging?] [I’m new here, this plot is suffocating. What exactly did Liam do to make the female lead like this?] [Can’t explain in a few words. It’s mostly trauma. Overnight she was despised by everyone, even the world’s consciousness started rejecting her. It wasn’t easy for her to even survive.] My stomach was empty, nothing came up but dry heaves. I lay back weakly on the bed, gasping for air. In my peripheral vision, Liam was still frozen there like a statue, his face written with regret and fear. There was a glass of water on the table, but I didn’t dare reach for it. No matter how thirsty, I didn’t want any possibility of touching him. Suddenly, thud. Liam knelt down. I froze, turning to look. Liam lowered his head, voice hoarse and incoherent, but every word burned with regret: “Nora, I was wrong, it’s all my fault… I shouldn’t have trusted Chloe… shouldn’t have doubted you… I… I’m a bastard, I failed you, it’s all my fault…” My ears buzzed. His voice was like a fly buzzing around, annoying, piercing, suffocating. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I pulled the quilt over my head, silently resisting everything. 4 After a long time, sensing my resistance, Liam finally quieted down. His kneeling figure remained motionless. Until much later, he stood up, footsteps slow and heavy, walking towards the door step by step. Only when the door clicked shut and the room returned to silence did I quietly breathe a sigh of relief. But not long after, the door was pushed open again. I immediately tensed, pulling the quilt tighter, leaving only a tiny slit to observe the outside. It was a doctor and two nurses, followed by a solemn-looking Liam. The doctor flipped through the chart, tone grave: “Nora’s condition… is very bad.” “She not only has severe chronic gastritis, long-term malnutrition, insomnia, immune system disorders… but also obvious symptoms of PTSD.” “Worse, her spirit has been suppressed for too long. She’s on the verge of a breakdown. If she doesn’t receive systematic treatment soon, organ failure could occur at any time.” Through the slit, I saw Liam’s face turn deathly white under the lights, as if drained of blood. He stood motionless, throat bobbing, finally speaking in a low voice: “Doctor… please, cure her. I beg you, whatever it takes… cure her.” His voice was filled with a pleading that was almost on its knees. The doctor looked at him with a complex expression and sighed: “Mr. Miller, I understand how you feel. But besides medical treatment, we also need her willingness to recover. If she doesn’t cooperate mentally, the treatment’s effectiveness will be greatly reduced.” “Also, the wound on your shoulder needs immediate attention. It’s starting to bleed.” Liam looked down at his blood-soaked shoulder, shaking his head: “It’s fine, I don’t feel pain.” The nurse didn’t give him a choice, insisting on taking him out: “The wound can’t wait. Please cooperate.” As the door closed again, the ward finally returned to silence. My grip on the quilt corner finally loosened, palms sweaty. I closed my eyes silently. I knew my body’s condition well, but having it exposed in front of someone who hurt me felt deeply humiliating. 5 In the short twenty minutes Liam was taken away, the ward door was pushed open again. I curled up instinctively, thinking he was back. But this time, it was two long-lost faces. “Family” I thought I would never see again. My mother, Jane, and my father, Arthur. Before I could react, Jane let out a hoarse cry: “Nora! My precious daughter, Mommy finally found you!” She rushed over, hugging me tightly, almost suffocating me. “Why are you so thin? Your face is so sharp! Oh, Mommy is sorry, Mommy didn’t protect you well. Mommy will never let you suffer again!” Her voice trembled with tears, full of repentance. But in her embrace, I felt no warmth. I lay motionless, letting her hug me like a puppet. Arthur stood by the bed, looking pained, eyes red, whispering: “It’s Daddy’s fault… Nora, Daddy was wrong.” Daddy… Mommy… So I did have parents. Funny how they only remembered me now. Their regret came too late, and too light. I lay stiffly in Jane’s arms, staring blankly at the ceiling, saying nothing, doing nothing. Time passed second by second. The crying gradually subsided. Finally, they noticed something was wrong. I hadn’t responded a single word. Jane froze for a moment, then panic-strickenly touched my forehead, patted my cheek: “Nora? Why aren’t you talking? Are you feeling unwell? Mommy’s here, don’t be afraid, Mommy’s here…” Tears fell from her eyes like broken beads: “Oh my god… how did this happen? My daughter… how did my daughter become like this? This is a sin…” She cried heartbreakingly. But to my ears, it sounded like it came from behind a thick wall—hollow, fake, weightless. Just like when she kicked me out of the house. Same face, same voice. Only then, she said: “Nora, don’t come back and embarrass us!” I withdrew my gaze imperceptibly, letting her cry. I had long lost any illusions about the word “family.” I was no longer the Nora who would humbly cling to them for a rare kind word. Arthur wiped his eyes, voice low: “Where’s the doctor? Doctor! I want to transfer my daughter, right now! To our own hospital!” He walked quickly towards the door. Jane wiped her tears too. “Nora, don’t be afraid. That Liam is too sinister. He found you first and secretly sent you to this hospital without telling us. He doesn’t care about you; he just wants to win your forgiveness while you’re weak!” She stroked my arm gently. “Once Daddy arranges it, we’ll transfer you. Send you to the best doctors, get the best treatment. Mommy will stay with you this time, okay? Nora?” Her fingers brushed over my skin inch by inch. The warm touch felt like crawling insects. Suddenly, I felt a stinging itch on my skin. My pale hand quickly broke out in a large rash. Every place she touched had the same reaction. Jane saw it and screamed: “Doctor! Doctor, come quickly!” The doctor rushed in. After examining me, he frowned: “This is an obvious allergic reaction. Has she come into contact with any allergens?” Jane looked panicked: “No, she wasn’t allergic before, never since she was little… Ah…” She seemed to realize something, her face turning pale. She looked at me, then at the doctor, voice trembling: “Is my daughter… allergic… to me?” The doctor was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly: “In cases of extreme psychological trauma, if a patient has strong rejection towards a specific person, psychogenic contact dermatitis can occur. The body rejects the presence she doesn’t want to accept. It’s a defense mechanism.” The room fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

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1 The day before my wedding, I went to my fiancé’s office to surprise him with lunch. What I found instead was Lily Vance—the woman who’d left him for being poor and gone abroad—draped across his lap. When she saw me, Lily deliberately tightened her arms around Leo’s neck. “So you’re the little social climber who just plays cards all day? Leo is a celebrated architect now. You’re not in his league.” I ignored her and looked straight at Leo. “Are you calling off the wedding?” My fiancé’s face was a mask of cold indifference. “I need a partner in my career, Stella, not a common woman who only knows how to gossip over a card game.” He sneered. “The stench of the common world on you… it makes me sick.” I didn’t scream. I didn’t cry. I just went back to the private club and, as usual, sat down with my regular partners for a game of Bridge. Leo was right. My daily routine was playing cards. What he didn’t know was that the women at my table held his entire future in their hands. I picked up a card, the ace of spades, and played it with a calm, deliberate motion. “Mrs. Kingston,” I said, my voice light, “that downtown design project your husband is overseeing? Don’t give it to Leo. I have someone better.” … Across the table, Mrs. Kingston paused, her hand hovering over a card. She looked up at me, not with a question in her eyes, but with complete understanding. “Of course, dear. Whatever you say.” She picked up her phone and stepped away from the table. Her voice was low but every word was crystal clear. “Henry, darling? About that downtown project… put it on hold. Yes, replace Leo. Stella has a more suitable candidate.” She hung up and returned to her seat as if she had just instructed her maid to change the dinner menu. My face was impassive. I continued to draw and play my cards as if nothing had happened. Less than ten minutes later, Leo’s call came through. I declined, hung up, and blocked his number. The movements were a single, fluid motion. Half an hour later, the club door was thrown open with such force that it shuddered on its hinges. Leo stood there, panting, his eyes bloodshot, glaring at me like a cornered animal. Lily Vance was clinging to his arm, the picture of fragile innocence, but her eyes glittered with triumph and provocation. Leo stormed over to my table, swept the cards into a pile, and slammed them to the floor. “Stella! The Kingston project is dead! Was this your doing?!” The sharp clatter of the cards was jarring in the quiet room. Mrs. Kingston’s brow furrowed, her expression turning to ice. “Mr. Armstrong, you are not welcome here. Please leave.” Leo completely ignored her, his rage focused solely on me. “Have you had your fun? Don’t play dumb with me! I know you went crying to the Kingstons! Do you have any idea how many nights I spent on that project, how many proposals I drew up? And you destroy it all just because I chose Lily?” Lily immediately gave his sleeve a timid tug, her voice just loud enough for the table to hear. “Leo, darling, don’t be like that. It couldn’t possibly have been Stella. She doesn’t have that kind of influence. I’m sure it was just a last-minute procedural change, or maybe one of your competitors sabotaged you. You shouldn’t blame an innocent person.” Her words were placating, but her body pressed closer to his, staking her claim. At her “reminder,” the suspicion in Leo’s eyes wavered. That’s right. Stella was just a woman who kept rich wives company at the card table. How could she possibly have the power to kill a project that Mr. Kingston himself had approved? He’d much rather believe it was a rival. His gaze shifted from suspicion to pure contempt and disgust. “Get a grip, Stella! Look at yourself. What can you do besides wait on these wealthy women? The cheapness clinging to you is utterly repulsive!” “I need a partner like Lily, someone who can help me with my career, with my connections! Not some common woman who only knows how to play cards!” “Do you think I’m finished without the Kingston project? Let me tell you something. Without me, you are the one who has nothing!” He spat his final words, grabbed Lily’s hand, and stormed out as if fleeing something foul. The club was silent. Mrs. Kingston handed me a cup of tea. “Stella, don’t waste your anger on a man like that.” I shook my head and gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. Across from me, Mrs. Albright played a card with a slow, deliberate hand. “The lead architect for the new downtown redevelopment project hasn’t been chosen yet,” she said casually. “The requirements aren’t steep. Just a clean record… and impeccable character.” An idea sparked in my mind. I picked up a card, looked toward the door where Leo had disappeared, and placed it gently on the table. “And… game,” I said. “A clean sweep.” After they left, Leo and Lily convinced themselves the Kingston project was a fluke, a bit of sabotage from a competitor. They pinned all their hopes on the new downtown redevelopment project. Lily pulled strings with her father and managed to secure Leo a coveted presentation slot. That night, Leo sent me a text. It was a photo of him with a well-known city official. [See this, Stella? This is where I belong.] [The lead designer role for the redevelopment is mine.] [If you hadn’t been so dramatic, that could be you standing next to me. Too bad. Not your fate.] I looked at the boastful message, found it laughable, and deleted it. The next day, at the card table. I brought it up casually with Mrs. Albright. “Mrs. Albright, I heard there’s an architect named Leo Armstrong in the running for the redevelopment project?” Mrs. Albright nodded, her expression neutral. “Yes, I believe so. His proposal was decent. A bit clever.” I smiled, as if we were just making small talk. “He was a senior of mine in college. He was always so talented. His graduation project even won the Gold Medal.” I paused, then added, “But I heard a rumor later… that the award-winning design was actually plagiarized from his girlfriend at the time. The poor girl was so foolish. She covered the whole thing up to protect his future.” Mrs. Albright’s hand slowed as she reached for a card. She didn’t say anything, but her eyes darkened as she glanced at me. On the day of the presentations, I went to the city hall. I had just found a seat in the audience when Lily appeared. She looked down her nose at me, a smirk playing on her lips. “Common women belong in their card clubs. A place like this is above your station.” I didn’t look up, just calmly smoothed the hem of my dress. “I came to see how something I threw away is being treated like a treasure.” Lily’s face tightened. She shot me a hateful glare and stalked off. Leo, dressed in a sharp designer suit, was on stage, speaking eloquently. His proposal was impressive, drawing rounds of applause. When he finished, he made a point of looking in my direction, his eyes filled with a mixture of contempt and triumph. Lily sat in the section reserved for family, smiling like the lady of the manor. The judges on the panel were whispering among themselves, clearly pleased with his work. The host was already raising the microphone to announce the decision. “Ladies and gentlemen, regarding Mr. Armstrong’s proposal, the committee is in unanimous agreement that…” Just then, Director Albright—Mrs. Albright’s husband—who was seated on the panel, raised his hand. “One moment.” Every eye in the auditorium turned to him. Director Albright held up a file. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried through the silent hall. “Mr. Armstrong, behind this stunning proposal of yours, I have just one question.” “Why does the core design concept of your graduation project, ‘Dream Weaver,’ bear such a striking resemblance to a publicly presented thesis by a Ms. Stella Ross, titled ‘Lightspire’?” The smile froze on Leo’s face. He looked as if he’d been struck by lightning, his mind a complete blank. Director Albright projected a side-by-side comparison of the two designs onto the massive screen behind the stage. The overlapping sections were highlighted in red. It was damning. “We had several industry experts conduct an independent analysis. The conclusion is that your work constitutes plagiarism of over ninety percent.” “For an architect, academic integrity is the foundation. For a civic project, the designer’s character is the minimum requirement.” The hall erupted in gasps and murmurs. Leo’s face was ashen. He stood trembling on the stage, a clown stripped bare for all to see. His eligibility was revoked on the spot. The plagiarism scandal spread through the industry like a plague. Reeling from one blow after another, his reputation in tatters, Leo finally started to suspect I was behind it. But he had no proof, and he couldn’t bring himself to believe I wielded that kind of power. All he could do was call me, ranting and raving like a madman. Lily, however, refused to believe it. She was convinced I was a brainless twit. “Leo, darling, don’t overthink it. Stella isn’t smart enough for that.” “It has to be your jealous rivals, trying to drag you down! Don’t worry, I’ll help you!” To salvage Leo’s crumbling reputation, Lily threw a lavish gala for the city’s top architects. She wanted to use the event to show everyone that Leo was still a brilliant genius, with her and her family’s backing. I received an invitation, embossed in gold foil. It felt like a declaration of war. I knew it was a trap. At the gala, architects who knew Leo saw me and shot me looks of pity and disdain, quickly turning away. Lily, in a pristine white evening gown, moved through the crowd like a proud peacock. When she saw me, a flicker of malice crossed her face, as if she were plotting something. She walked toward me, a glass of red wine in hand. As she got close, her ankle “twisted,” and the entire glass of wine splashed across my dress. The crimson liquid was a garish stain on my cream-colored gown. “Oh my goodness, Stella, I am so, so sorry!” she cried out, her voice loud enough to draw everyone’s attention. “It was an accident! Are you alright? I’m just so clumsy.” Before I could say a word, Leo rushed over, pulling Lily behind him protectively. He scowled at me, his face a mask of impatience and disgust. “Stella, what the hell is your problem? You follow us here, and now you’re trying to hurt Lily?” “I remember how you begged your distant, business-owning relative to help me get started. Is this how you repay me? With these cheap, pathetic games of revenge?” With that one statement, he branded me a bitter, obsessive ex. People around us began to whisper. “So that’s her. I heard she’s the one who reported him for plagiarism.” “If she can’t have him, she’ll destroy him. That woman is manipulative.” “Look at what she’s wearing. Looks like it’s from a discount rack. How did she even get in here?” The whispers were like needles, pricking at me from all sides. The same suffocating feeling from my past life—of being isolated and misunderstood by everyone—closed in around me. I looked at the perfectly synchronized performance of the wretched pair before me. I saw the false concern on their faces, hiding their smug satisfaction. I knew I had to make them pay. I smiled brightly at Lily. Then I took out my phone and, right in front of them, made a call. “Mrs. Zhang, are you awake? I’ve run into a bit of a situation.” Mrs. Zhang’s cheerful voice came through the line. “Not at all, dear. What’s going on? Take your time.” I glanced at Lily, whose face had instantly changed, and kept my voice just loud enough for those nearby to hear. “Oh, it’s nothing major. I was just wondering, is your husband still investigating Vance Holdings for tax evasion?” I paused. “I heard the chairman of Vance Holdings is Lily Vance’s father. If the evidence is solid, I imagine that’s enough for a ten-to-fifteen-year sentence, wouldn’t you say?” The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds. “Stella. Thank you for the tip. I know what to do.” I hung up, and with a small smile, raised my phone in a little toast to a pale, trembling Lily.

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My childhood best friend, Luke, got caught sneaking around with the school’s prom queen, Tiffany. To protect Tiffany’s reputation, he lied and said I was his girlfriend. I got suspended for it. Tiffany looked at me with mock sympathy, her eyes red. “Are you happy now?” “It’s just a few days of suspension,” she said. “Now the whole school thinks you two are together, so what am I?” Luke, trying to comfort her, forbade me from returning to school. “Be good,” he told me. “It’s exam season, she’ll get upset if she sees you.” “You’re smart anyway. You can study from home.” I didn’t listen. I went back to school. Luke scoffed when he saw me. “Miss me that much?” He didn’t know I was there to pick up my transfer papers. A month later, Luke called, demanding to know why I transferred. What he heard instead was a lazy, affectionate boy’s voice on the other end: “Babe, how can you be distracted right now? Answering other people’s calls?” “I’m enough for you. Be good, hang up the phone.” 1 Holding the thin transfer application form, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. The principal looked reluctant, still trying to keep me. “Miss Wen, the school apologizes for misunderstanding you. Suspending you without investigation was wrong. Please reconsider transferring…” I shook my head gently, but my resolve was firm. Saying goodbye to my favorite teachers, I couldn’t help but tear up. My favorite teacher wiped away my tears. “I hate to see you go, but your potential is wasted here.” Just as I reached the classroom door, I heard Luke’s lazy laughter. “I waited in line for four hours for this. Will the princess honor me with a bite?” Luke was leaning intimately against Tiffany’s desk. He held a spoon of tiramisu, coaxing it toward her lips. It was hard to imagine someone like Luke having the patience to wait in line for anything. Tiffany still looked a bit grumpy, but the corners of her mouth were already turning up. “Tsk, finally smiling for me?” Tiffany huffed. “Who told you to call someone else your girlfriend? I just wanted to teach you a lesson!” Luke smiled, pleading for mercy. “I did it for you! Wen is top of the class, she just gets a suspension. You’re… average. You would have been expelled.” Tiffany looked at me standing at the door with a triumphant smirk. “Aren’t you worried Wen will get expelled?” Luke pressed a finger to her lips, his eyes playful. “Wouldn’t that be better? Save you the trouble of seeing her.” “As long as you’re mad, I won’t let her come back to school. Forgive me now?” Tiffany slapped his hand away and lifted her chin. “Then who’s that standing at the door? Are you blind?” Luke froze. He turned to me, his smile vanishing instantly. He strode over, grabbed my arm, and dragged me out of the classroom, frowning. “Why are you here?” “Didn’t I tell you to study at home? It’s crunch time for exams, what if you distract her?” “I just got her to calm down, you ruined it!” Maybe because my heart had finally died, I didn’t cry like before. I shook off his hand and moved to pack my things. Luke saw my red eyes and paused. “Miss me that much?” He sighed, helpless. “Fine. Go home now, I’ll come back early to keep you company tonight, okay?” He hooked his pinky around mine and shook it. For a second, I was dazed. 2 Luke and I were inseparable since birth. Our parents were classmates, then neighbors. We were even born on the same day. Luke was older by a few minutes, so he was told to protect his “little sister.” In kindergarten, the first word he learned to write was my name. I had a stutter growing up. Luke fought anyone who laughed at me. When I was ten, my mom died. I locked myself in my room, refusing to eat. Luke climbed through the third-story window when I wouldn’t open the door. He held my pinky and comforted me all night. I cried until I broke, asking, “Will you leave me?” He hugged me tight. “Never.” When Luke bombed his high school entrance exams, I gave up my spot at the elite magnet school to stay with him at the local public school. I believed we would be together forever. But in high school, Luke changed. He started finding me clingy and annoying. He distanced himself at school. His attention shifted to Tiffany, the school beauty. He chased her loudly and proudly. Two weeks ago, someone snapped a photo of them kissing in the woods and posted it on the school forum. Luke’s tall frame hid the girl, showing only messy hair and a pale neck. The Dean was furious. He demanded to know who the girl was. Luke put his arm around me, kissed my forehead in front of everyone, and smirked. “Do you even have to ask? It’s obviously my childhood sweetheart!” I had imagined Luke confessing to me many times. I never imagined he would use me as a human shield for another girl. “I won’t leave you.” That promise still echoed in my ears. But Luke was no longer the boy from my memories. 3 I snapped out of the memory and pulled away from Luke again. Seeing me packing, Luke’s frown relaxed. “Just tell me what books you need, I would have brought them. Why come all this way?” “Do you know what day it is…” He stopped himself. “Whatever, now Tiffany’s upset again. I have to go fix this.” I’ve never been much of a talker. And I didn’t tell him I was transferring. Packing was quick. Senior year textbooks were heavy. My arms were getting sore. Luke naturally reached out and took the bag, walking out. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.” He carried the heavy bag effortlessly with one hand. With the other, he tossed me a bag of pastries. “Bought your favorite chestnut cakes. Eat them later.” I trotted to keep up, reaching for my bag. Luke switched hands, using his free hand to pinch the back of my neck, laughing. “Stop it. With your tiny arms, you’ll break something carrying this.” Suddenly, Tiffany spoke up. “Luke…” She bit her lip, looking pitiful. “My stomach hurts…” Luke spun around. The next second, the heavy bag was shoved into my arms. I stumbled back, hip slamming into a desk corner. “Take a taxi home.” Luke didn’t even look at me as he ran to Tiffany. Pain radiated from my hip. I picked up the bag and limped out. Behind me, Tiffany’s voice floated over: “Your little friend looks hurt. Poor thing.” “Is it cramps? Your period?” “But she really got hit hard.” “Stay there,” Luke said, impatient but not at her. “I’ll get heat packs and brown sugar water.” The hallway was noisy. Their voices faded. The last thing I heard was Tiffany’s sweet voice: “You’re so good to me.” I threw the chestnut cakes in the trash and walked away. 4 Back home, I got a call from Magnet High. “Miss Wen, your dorm and supplies are ready. Just come whenever.” The admissions officer sounded cheerful. “When will you be joining us? Your new classmates can’t wait to meet you.” I thought for a moment. “Tomorrow.” After hanging up, my dad knocked and entered with a plate of fruit. When I suddenly asked to transfer, I thought he’d ask why. But he just nodded. “Where do you want to go? I’ll handle the paperwork.” I wanted to tell him everything. But the words stuck in my throat, and I just cried. “It’s okay not to say.” He patted my back like when I was little. “I know you don’t make decisions lightly. Transferring is good. A fresh start.” “You’re my daughter. Whatever you want to do, Dad supports you.” I begged him not to tell Luke’s parents. He was surprised but agreed. This time, I wouldn’t sacrifice my future. 5 I started packing everything Luke had ever given me. Gift boxes piled up in the corner. Paper stars he folded when I was sad scattered on the floor. A giant teddy bear taking up half my bed. Expensive dresses. Handmade gloves. The polaroid camera and the stack of photos he insisted on taking. Two huge boxes. Taping them shut, I realized it was already night. I struggled to carry the boxes downstairs. The dumpster was at the corner. Just as I was about to throw them in, laughter drifted on the wind. Luke, holding a beer, smiling brightly. Tiffany leaning on his arm, holding sparklers. Someone yelled “Make a wish, Tiffany!”, someone sang Happy Birthday. So it was her birthday. They were chatting and laughing. Somehow the topic turned to transfers. “Heard someone in our grade is transferring? Is it… Wen?” “No way.” Luke was fixing Tiffany’s hair, scoffing. “She’s obsessed with me. She can’t leave me.” “True, she listened to you and stayed home. You’re ruthless, Luke. Aren’t you worried her grades will drop?” Luke sounded casual but certain: “Doesn’t matter. She’s going to the same college as me anyway. Higher scores won’t help.” Tiffany stomped her foot. “Luke! Do you have to talk about her on my birthday?” Luke pinched her nose lovingly. “Princess, how many times do I have to say it? She’s just a sister to me. You jealous of her?” I finished dumping the trash and turned to leave. But then I saw Tiffany playfully hit Luke’s arm. On her wrist was a familiar red string bracelet. I rushed over. “That… that’s mine!” Luke spun around, shocked. “Wen? Why are you here?” I couldn’t mistake it. The bracelet had little silver stars. My mom got it from a temple when she was sick. She climbed thousands of steps for it. One for me, one for Luke. She said it would protect us, that it would be like she was always with us. The string was frayed. Luke had worn it for five years. And now he gave my mom’s last gift to Tiffany! How dare he! Tiffany shrank behind Luke. “What’s wrong with her? Scary…” Smack. The sound of the slap cut through the night air. My hand wouldn’t stop shaking. Luke’s face turned to the side. He froze, shock and anger in his eyes. My eyes burned. I ripped the bracelet off my own wrist. “Who wants your trash!” I threw it over the bridge railing. “Keep it!” “Luke treats you so well, and you hit him!” Tiffany cried. Luke grabbed my wrist, face dark. “Why did you throw it?” I watched the red string disappear into the river below. Without hesitation, I climbed over the railing. “Wen!” “Luke!” Two panicked voices. Tiffany held Luke back. “Don’t go! She’s doing it on purpose! She hit you! She doesn’t care about you!” Luke’s hand froze in mid-air. Conflict raged in his eyes. Anger, worry, and the sting of humiliation. “The bridge isn’t high, the water isn’t deep. She’s just scaring you!” “You’re bleeding. We need to go to the hospital!” After a long silence, Luke’s voice was ice cold. “Let’s go.” The river water hit my knees, bone-chillingly cold. We crossed this bridge every day for school. I remembered Luke always holding my hand, keeping me in the middle, away from the edge. “Stay away. What if you fall? I’m scared.” I’d tease him. “What if you fall?” He’d grip tighter. “I’d be fine. But you can’t fall.” The bridge that seemed so high back then was just a small jump now. I found the bracelet in the rocks. Walking home, I realized something. The bridge didn’t get shorter. The person who used to be afraid I’d fall just stopped caring if I got hurt. But it’s okay. I don’t need him anymore.

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