Category: English

Abandoned in London for three years. While I was being beaten on a cold, unfamiliar street, Josh Rojas was back home, sending a lavish bouquet of Valentine’s Day roses to Serena Dalton, the woman he cherished. While I was wasting away in a damp, rented flat, waiting to die, Josh Rojas was throwing a magnificent birthday gala for Serena. Just when I was sure I would breathe my last in England, one of his assistants came for me. “Miss Shaw,” he said, his face impassive. “It’s time to go home.” On the private jet, I wiped the condensation from the small, round window. His assistant approached. “We’re preparing for landing, Miss Shaw.” He paused, his voice softening slightly. “Once you’re back, let go of Josh. He and Miss Dalton are about to be engaged.” My hand froze against the cool glass. After a long moment, I shook my head. “That was then. I was young and foolish.” 1 I stood at the gates of the Shaw estate, my luggage laughably small. From inside the grand house, I could hear my parents’ raw, furious argument. A teacup shattered on the marble entryway just outside the door. “How dare she come back looking like that? Why didn’t she just die over there?” my mother shrieked. “From the very beginning, she was never as good as the Dalton girl,” my father roared back. “Look at the state of her! Serena Dalton is already the brilliant, accomplished heiress to the Dalton fortune!” The sky bled from dusk to black before Martha, our housekeeper, finally opened the door. She wiped tears from her eyes and pulled me inside. As we passed my parents’ bedroom on the way upstairs, I hesitated. “Father, Mother,” I called out softly. “I’m home.” The only reply was the thud of something heavy hitting the door from the inside. Martha quickly pulled me away. “Oh, my dear girl,” she whispered, her voice thick with pity. “Why are you still so naive?” 2 The next day, I was ordered to find a job at a hotel. As I was leaving, my father stopped me. “Wait.” His voice was cold steel. “When you get there, you drop the pampered princess act. You are not a Shaw anymore; you’re just another worker. If I hear that you’ve told anyone who you are, you’ll regret it.” I nodded and left. It took a long walk to get out of the wealthy district before I could catch a bus. As we moved through the city center, the bus jolted violently. “We hit something!” someone yelled. “What kind of car is that? It looks expensive.” “The driver is done for. That’s a Maybach. He’ll be paying that off for the rest of his life.” I looked up from the resume I’d been studying. Our bus had sideswiped a multi-million-dollar Maybach while changing lanes. I recognized the vanity plate instantly. My fingers clenched around the paper in my hands. It was Josh’s car. The bus was out of commission. As I queued up to get off, I saw the driver of the luxury car open the rear door. A perfect couple emerged: the impeccably dressed Josh Rojas and the elegant, long-haired Serena Dalton. A murmur went through the crowd. “Who are they?” “He’s handsome enough to be a movie star.” “She’s gorgeous, too. They look perfect together.” Standing at the back of the crowd, I instinctively touched my earlobe. The hole from the piercing I once had was long gone. Three years ago, Josh had admired a pair of pearl earrings at an auction. Even though I was terrified of pain, I went and got my ears pierced. On his birthday, I wore them, hoping he would like it. But by a cruel twist of fate, Serena wore an identical pair that day. My presence seemed to deeply upset her. To appease her, Josh ripped the earring straight from my ear. “A pathetic imitation,” he’d sneered. The snow-white pearl fell to the ground, stained by crimson drops. 3 Shaking myself free from the memory, I clutched my portfolio and hurried toward the next bus stop. Last night, my phone had buzzed with warnings from their friends. Aria, you idiot. How dare you come back. Listen up. The title of Mrs. Rojas belongs to Serena. Get that through your thick skull. If you ever hurt Serena again, we’ll skin you alive. You worthless snake. Even your own parents say you’re an ungrateful wretch. I blocked each number, one by one. They were worried for nothing. For me, the word “love” had long since lost its meaning. As I boarded the next bus, I had the strangest feeling that a pair of eyes from the accident scene was fixed on me. I didn’t turn to look. I just got on the bus and disappeared into the city. … At the Celestial Hotel, the interview concluded, and the General Manager walked over to me. “You interviewed very well. Work hard, and you’ll have a bright future here.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Thank you. I can start immediately.” She looked surprised. “Excellent. Head over to HR and get your paperwork started.” The hotel was constantly busy, a whirlwind of guests and staff. I never had a moment’s rest, but I didn’t feel tired. My salary was commission-based; the busier the hotel, the more I’d make. I was energized. “Mr. White, what kind of tea can I get for you?” “Mr. Rojas, you’re too kind. It’s an honor just to have you pour.” I was passing a private dining room, taking notes on a clipboard, when the voices from within made me freeze. The door was slightly ajar. Inside, Josh Rojas sat at the head of the table, commanding the room. Business documents were spread out before him. A nearby staff member saw me and hurried over. “Manager Shaw, aren’t you going to go in and serve them personally?” In the competitive hotel world, when a major client was present, the area manager was expected to make an appearance, perhaps offer a complimentary dessert or a bottle of wine. But this was Josh Rojas. If I walked in there, his face would turn to ice. “No, that’s not necessary,” I said quickly. “Just make sure they have everything they need.” I turned to leave, but as I did, my eyes met Josh’s through the crack in the door. Our gazes locked. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly, and I felt as though I’d been turned to stone by some immense, terrifying force. The world went silent. Three years of torment abroad had conditioned me to run, to put as much distance as possible between myself and this man. But I couldn’t make a scene. I forced the same polite, professional smile I used when a guest was screaming in my face, gave a slight nod, and walked away. 4 Two hours later, the staff was cleaning the private room. “Manager Shaw, the guest left a fountain pen behind.” I was about to say, “Take it to the front desk…” when the staff member added, “Manager Shaw, I think it has your name on it?” I walked into the room and took the pen. When I saw it clearly, a tremor went through me. Could this be the handmade fountain pen I gave him for his birthday all those years ago? I had a tiny ‘A’ engraved on the pure gold nib. “Manager Shaw, should I still take it to the front desk?” My hand tightened around the pen. “I’ll handle it.” … Back in my office, I didn’t send the pen to the lost and found. I couldn’t figure out if Josh had left it on purpose or if it was a genuine mistake. And I certainly couldn’t understand why he would ever use something I had given him. To him, my gifts were like cursed objects, tainted by an evil he refused to touch. After a moment of internal struggle, I placed the pen in my desk drawer. Logically, it should have ended up in a trash can years ago, just like everything else I’d ever given him. Just then, an employee rushed in, looking flustered. “Manager Shaw, the guest is back! He’s asking for you.” I didn’t understand. “What guest?” “Mr. Rojas. He came back for the pen.” I frowned. “That pen doesn’t belong to him.” The employee paled. “I… I accidentally mentioned that you had it. He said he wants to see you. Immediately. Manager Shaw, he seems… very powerful.” 5 My hand trembled as I entered the meeting room. Josh Rojas turned from the floor-to-ceiling window. “Where is it?” His gaze was sharp, landing on my empty hands. With me, his aura was always brutally cold, without a fraction of the warmth he showed Serena. But it was fine. After being abandoned by them for three years, unable to reach anyone by phone, my heart had long ago frozen solid. I forced myself to remain calm. “Are you referring to the fountain pen? It’s not yours.” His cold eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to destroy your family’s flagship hotel?” My fists clenched, a subtle tremor running through them. It took a moment before I could find my voice. “Mr. Rojas, perhaps you’ve forgotten. When I was eighteen, I flew halfway across the country and apprenticed with a master craftsman to make that pen. My hands were raw for weeks. It’s my creation.” I looked him straight in the eye. “You must have mistaken it for a gift from Serena, didn’t you?” I knew how hard his heart was. I wasn’t naive enough to think he would ever use something from me. The only logical explanation was that he’d forgotten its origin. As I expected, he stood there, tall and silent, offering no reply. I bowed my head slightly. “My apologies for the confusion, Mr. Rojas.” He walked past me, pausing for a few seconds without a word, before striding out of the room. 6 The atmosphere at home that evening was surprisingly calm. My mother’s expression had softened, and for once, my father wasn’t angry. My mother gestured for me to sit. “How is work? Are you settling in?” I nodded. “It’s fine.” She reached out and stroked my hair. “The hotel’s Vice President called. He said you’re doing an excellent job.” It had been so many years since I’d felt this kind of warmth from her. It felt like a dream from another lifetime. I sat stiffly, unsure how to react. After a few minutes, my mother spoke again, her tone hesitant. “Aria, Josh’s grandmother has invited us to dinner tomorrow night.” I froze, looking at her in confusion. She averted her gaze. “You’ve been back for a while now. You must have heard about the Rojas and the Daltons. They’re getting engaged. The Rojas feel they owe us something, so they’ve invited us for a meal before the official announcement.” My fingers curled into a tight fist. My father’s temper flared instantly. “What’s that look on your face? You’re not still hung up on him, are you? Serena is a well-educated, gentle, and understanding young woman. You’re a failure. You can’t compare.” I clutched the documents in my lap. “Father, Mother, may I please not go tomorrow?” 7 The Rojas Mansion. When we arrived, the Daltons—Serena and her parents—were already there. The living room was filled with lively chatter, the atmosphere warm and congenial. The butler cleared his throat. “Madam Rojas, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw have arrived.” The conversation stopped abruptly. My gaze met Serena’s, who was sitting beside the Rojas matriarch. The air was thick with a hellish tension. Even my parents looked uncomfortable. But the Rojas family controlled the city’s largest conglomerate. No one dared to cross them. My parents presented their gift with forced smiles. The most important guest of the evening, Josh himself, was apparently very busy. By seven o’clock, he still hadn’t arrived. His grandmother looked displeased. Dinner had already started when he finally walked in. He strode into the dining room, his eyes sweeping over the tense gathering. He seemed to frown. “Grandmother, what is this?” I felt his scrutinizing gaze land on me. I immediately looked down, stirring the soup in my bowl. “Josh, what are you waiting for?” his grandmother said sharply. “Sit next to Serena.” As the youngest guests, Serena and I were seated together. But Josh chose the empty seat on Serena’s other side, putting her between us. My hand tightened on my spoon. I remembered when we were children. I was selfish and possessive, insisting that only I could sit next to him. I would throw a tantrum if anyone else took my spot. Back then, he was like an older brother, always indulging me. But as we grew up, his patience wore thin. Eventually, my presence just seemed to irritate him, and he would punish me for the slightest annoyance. I learned to be more careful, to walk on eggshells around him. But my fierce, unyielding love for him always made me lose my footing, always made me cross the line. 8 Throughout the entire dinner, my family was invisible. The Rojas elders spoke exclusively to Serena and her parents. We were left in an awkward, humiliating silence. Perhaps only then did my parents understand. This wasn’t an apology dinner. It was a power play. A warning. Our families are about to be joined. Know your place, Shaws. Control your daughter. Don’t cause any more trouble. Even so, my parents swallowed their pride. When you’re outmatched, you have no choice but to bow your head. I glanced up at Mrs. Rojas. There was a time when she would hold my hand and say, “My dear Aria, you’re the only granddaughter-in-law I’ll ever want. On your wedding day, I’ll give you a whole chest of family heirlooms. You’re so lovely, my dear.” Looking back, I realized that was only because the Shaw family business was still thriving. A Shaw heiress was a suitable match for a Rojas. But then the Daltons rose to power, and I was no longer their choice. Lost in thought, my spoon slipped from my fingers and clattered against my plate. It was a breach of etiquette. Every head turned toward me. Mrs. Rojas scoffed. “A few years abroad, and Aria still hasn’t learned any grace.” Josh’s mother looked at me with a condescending smile. “Aria, dear, you must learn to control your need for attention.” I’m sure my face was ghostly pale. I opened my mouth to explain, then realized there was no point. But as I looked up, my eyes met a pair of intense ones already fixed on me. Josh. He committed an even greater sin of etiquette by pulling out a cigarette and placing it between his lips. His mother shot him a death glare, and only then did he remove it, tossing it onto the table. Serena leaned closer to him. “Josh, look. Alex and the others are in Norway seeing the Northern Lights. They’re asking if we want to join them.” I lowered my eyes, staring at the lines on my own hand. The air in the room was growing thin. I felt like I was suffocating. My phone vibrated. I used it as an excuse. “I’m sorry, I have to take this call.” 9 Once outside, I answered the call, my voice tight with emotion. “Matt?” A low, magnetic voice replied, “Aria. I miss you.” I forced a smile, but the words felt foreign and clumsy in my mouth. “I… I miss you… too.” “Come on, silly. You promised you’d say it to me often. Don’t tell me you’re taking it back already.” The words still felt stuck. “Matt, I…” “I’m getting angry!” he teased. I closed my eyes. “I… I miss you… too.” Suddenly, there was a clatter behind me. I spun around, terrified, and my eyes locked with Josh’s. He was squinting, his expression dangerous. I quickly lowered the phone. When had he come outside? A cold sweat broke out on my back. “Silly girl, what’s wrong?” Matt asked from the phone. Something felt terribly wrong. Josh opened his cigarette case, lit one with a deliberate, menacing slowness, and his face was terrifying. It was the same look he’d had three years ago, when he’d casually destroyed my life with a single sentence. Mr. Shaw, Aria ran into Serena. Should she go to jail, or should we send her abroad to learn some manners? I ended the call and tried to walk away. I had made a mistake. This secluded bamboo grove was Josh’s private sanctuary. But as I reached the edge of the veranda, a hand shot out and clamped around my wrist. “Who is he?” Josh’s voice was freezing. Pain shot up my arm. He was never gentle with me. I fought back the tears, forcing myself to look at him through a sheen of cold sweat. “Josh, I’m sorry. I trespassed. It was my fault.” I stared at him, my voice steady. “I understand the meaning of tonight’s dinner. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you and Serena ever again.” “I wish you both a happy engagement and a lifetime of happiness.” I tried to pull my hand away, but his grip was like a vise, filled with a deep, simmering hatred, as if crushing my bones was the only way to erase my sins. The more I struggled, the tighter he squeezed. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood, refusing to let him see me cry. He glanced down at me, then yanked me forward. Without warning, the glowing red tip of his cigarette pressed into my palm. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. “Ah!” A scream of pure agony tore from my throat. He leaned in, his voice a low, terrifying growl, each word a threat from the depths of hell. “Aria. I’m asking you. Who… is… he?” The fire seared my skin, the pain radiating straight to my heart. I stared at him in shock. Suddenly, the dining room doors burst open, and a crowd of people spilled out onto the veranda. The moment Josh released me, someone stormed forward and slapped me across the face with tremendous force. CRACK. “Shameless hussy!” I was already disoriented. The blow sent me staggering back against the railing. I clung to it for support, my head ringing, the world a blur. Josh’s mother stood over me, her voice dripping with venom. “Is this how the Shaws raise their daughter? To be a desperate, shameless leech? Josh is Serena’s fiancé!” I pushed myself upright, my burned palm screaming in protest. Straightening my back, I met her furious gaze. “You’ve all misunderstood. I learned my lesson a long time ago. What happened in the past was just childish foolishness. And tonight, I wasn’t clinging to anyone.” I held up my phone with as much dignity as I could muster. “I forgot to mention. For the last three years, I’ve had a boy…” “Aria, shut your mouth!” Before I could finish, I was grabbed and dragged away. I stumbled, trying to keep up. “Josh!” He was pulling me, almost running, away from the mansion. My ankle twisted, sending a fresh wave of pain through me. Behind us, his mother and grandmother were shouting in shock. “Josh!” He shoved me into his car. Before I could even scramble out, he was in the driver’s seat, the doors locked, trapping me inside. “Drive,” he commanded his chauffeur. 10 He took me to one of his private residences and locked me in. I stared at him in disbelief. “Josh, what are you doing?” He was tall, imperious, and holding my phone. His face was a dark mask as he scrolled through it. I lunged for it, but he held it high above my head, dangling it like a toy in front of a clown. “Give me back my phone!” That night, my throat went raw from screaming, but I never got it back. Sometime after midnight, overwhelmed by terror and exhaustion, I finally closed my eyes. In a hazy, restless sleep, I felt a cool sensation on my hand. My eyes flew open. The sight that greeted me was shocking. Josh was carefully applying ointment to the burn on my palm. Our eyes met. A chill ran down my spine, and I snatched my hand back as if I’d been burned again. I saw the front door was open and made a break for it. I only made it two steps before he grabbed me from behind. “It’s the middle of the night. I’ll take you home in the morning.” I twisted around and bit his hand, hard. He grunted in pain and loosened his grip. I shot him a cold smile and tried to leave again, but he caught me by the collar and slammed me against the wall. His tall frame completely eclipsed mine. His perfect, handsome face was inches from my own, his scent overwhelming me. “Do you hate me this much now?” he whispered. I looked up at him and laughed, a hollow, empty sound. “Josh? Aren’t you the one who hates me? What’s wrong?” “You should let me go. What if Serena gets jealous?” Just then, a phone started vibrating in the room. I craned my neck and saw it was mine. I tried to push him away to answer it.

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A basketball knocked me and my friend Aiden out cold. Waking up, I suddenly heard my late mother’s voice. “Sweetheart, don’t trust Aiden. He’s faking amnesia to impress Jennifer.” Stunned, I turned to Aiden as he mumbled, “Who… are you?” My mother’s voice returned, heavy with sorrow. “In another life, he left you alone in a fire to be with her. You died.” “Listen,” she urged. “Your father will ask you to pick a brother. Don’t choose Aiden. Pick Julian Shaw. He seems stern, but he’s the one who always carried your water bottle on hikes.” Before I could react, my father approached with photos of orphaned boys. “Lily, choose one. We’ll adopt him as your brother.” Without hesitation, I pointed to Julian. “I choose him,” I said softly. “I’m listening to Mom.” 1 My father stared, taken aback by my choice. “Lily, are you sure? You and Julian are usually at each other’s throats. This is a big decision. Once it’s made, he’ll be your family for life.” My dad was a big shot on the base. Whichever boy joined our family was getting a life-changing opportunity. Ms. Evans, Aiden’s distant aunt, hurried over. “Lily, dear,” she said, her voice syrupy sweet. “I know Aiden’s memory is a little fuzzy right now, but you two have always been so close. Why don’t we wait a few days? I’m sure he’ll remember you then.” My mother scoffed in my head, a sound like static and fury. “What nonsense! In that other life, that little Jennifer girl ripped your favorite butterfly ribbon. You barely said a word, and Aiden locked you out in the pouring rain. You almost caught pneumonia. It was Julian who found you, shivering under the eaves. He grumbled about you being ‘so much trouble,’ but he wrapped his own coat around you.” A sharp pang of something—grief? recognition?—shot through my chest. I didn’t understand what my mom meant by “another life,” but every word she spoke felt heavy and real, clogging my heart like waterlogged cotton. Besides, it was true that Aiden always put Jennifer first. Their games of house were an exclusive club, and I was never invited. “Dad,” I said, my voice firm. “I’ve made my choice. I want Julian to be my brother.” My father tucked the photos away and ruffled my hair. “Alright, Lily. I respect your decision. In two days, I’ll host a dinner for everyone on the base to make the official announcement.” My mother’s voice sighed with relief. “That’s my girl. This time, you’re going to be safe and sound.” Later, after my dad and the other adults had left to discuss the arrangements, I changed into a sundress and slipped out of the room for some fresh air. The moment I opened the door, I saw three familiar figures standing in the hallway. They were the other boys my dad had considered adopting, all kids I played with. Aiden was with them. The only one missing was Julian. Max sidled up to me, a grin on his face. “Lily! Heard you’re picking a brother. So, who’s the lucky guy?” Finn chimed in, “Who do you think? It’s gotta be Aiden! Everyone knows Lily follows him around like a puppy, saves all her best snacks for him.” Aiden just glanced at me, his expression coolly adult. “I honestly don’t remember the last few years,” he said, a little too smoothly. “I just remember always playing with Jennifer. But if this is what the adults want, I’ll look after you.” A cold laugh echoed in my head. “That’s the exact line he used in the other life,” my mother hissed. “Playing the amnesia card so he could keep Jennifer at his side while still taking everything you gave him. That little liar broke my baby’s heart.” I looked at Aiden’s nonchalant face. If it weren’t for my mother’s warning, I would have bought his act completely. I used to trust him so much. I thought he was my real friend. I remembered my birthday three years ago. He’d gathered all the kids from the base to sing for me, his eyes sparkling as he said, “Lily, I’ll always protect you.” I’d been so moved I cried. From that day on, I was his shadow. Now I saw it. He probably only ever nice to me because of my father. And now he was faking amnesia, a convenient excuse to openly prefer Jennifer while still positioning himself to be adopted by my dad. He couldn’t have it both ways. Not this time. You little monster. I bit back the urge to expose him right then and there. Let him enjoy his little fantasy for two more days. I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he heard my father’s announcement. Seeing my silence, Max nudged me. “So? Who did you pick?” “You’ll all find out in two days,” I said flatly. I turned to leave, but Finn’s voice followed me. “Aiden, it’s definitely you. Remember when you had that fever? Lily ran through that huge storm to the clinic to get you medicine. She got totally soaked. She’d do anything for you.” “Is that so?” Aiden’s voice was laced with a smug satisfaction. “I guess she really does care about me a lot.” A sharp sting, like a needle prick to the heart. My eyes welled up, but I refused to cry. Everyone on the base knew I adored Aiden. The other kids called me his “little shadow,” but I never cared. I’d lost my own mother so young, and with my dad away on missions all the time, Aiden was the one who stood up for me when others picked on me. When he let me be his friend, I was ecstatic. I promised myself I’d be the best friend he ever had. But now I knew. His kindness was probably just a transaction, an investment in my father’s influence. “Lily, wait,” Aiden called out. I turned. He was walking toward me, holding one of Jennifer’s Barbie dolls. “Look, I know you picked me, and I’ll be your brother. But I need you to promise you won’t interfere when I’m playing with Jennifer.” I looked him straight in the eye. “You have amnesia, remember? What makes you so sure I chose you?” He frowned. “Everyone says you like me best. Who else would you pick?” A wave of fury washed over me. He knew. He’d always known how much I cared, and he was still using it, still twisting it to his advantage. “Don’t worry,” I said, my voice colder than I knew I was capable of. “I won’t bother you anymore. You and Jennifer can play all you want.” And when he finds out I chose Julian, he’ll probably be thrilled. My easy agreement seemed to throw him. He looked stunned for a second. As I walked away, he reached out instinctively to grab my arm. Just then, a small pink bicycle came wobbling erratically toward me. The front wheel slammed into my shin, sending me sprawling onto the rough concrete. My palms scraped against the ground, instantly raw and bleeding. Jennifer hopped off the bike, her face a mask of panicked tears. “Lily! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you…” Before I could say a word, my mother was already raging in my head. “That little actress! She’s always pulling this stunt! Last time, she pushed you off the swing and then cried like you were the one who bullied her. And that fool Aiden falls for it every single time!” Seeing Jennifer’s tear-streaked face, Aiden’s heart melted, just as predicted. “It’s okay, Jennifer, it was an accident. Lily won’t blame you.” He helped Jennifer up, then shot me a look of annoyance. “It’s just a scrape. Don’t be so dramatic.” My hands were on fire. I fought back tears as I pushed myself to my feet. Jennifer was still sobbing. “Lily, I’m so sorry. I was being careless. Here, I’ll hit myself to make you feel better!” She made a show of raising her hand to her own arm, but Aiden quickly caught it. He glared at me, his voice sharp with anger. “Lily, she already said she’s sorry. Can you stop being so unreasonable?” My mother was even angrier. “That little brat! My sweet girl hasn’t said a single word! It’s all that little drama queen’s performance! Sweetheart, you are not letting this go.” I always listened to my mother. I raised my hand and gave Jennifer a firm, solid shove, sending her tumbling back onto the ground. Then I turned to Aiden. “This is what being unreasonable looks like. My mother taught me that.” Jennifer sat on the pavement, stunned into silence. Aiden was speechless, his young face flushing with disbelief and rage. “Lily, you…” I raised my hand again and gave him a push, too. “And this is what it feels like to cross the line.” For as long as I’d known him, I had never, ever fought back. This had completely scrambled his world. He stared at me, his face turning a deep shade of red. “Fine. You’re really something, Lily. You started it. You’ll regret this.” “Jennifer, come on. I’ll take you to the clinic.” My mother’s voice was dripping with scorn. “He doesn’t even look at his injured friend, but he’s all worried about the one who caused the accident. Being family with a fool who can’t tell right from wrong is what you’d really regret. Oh, my poor girl, does your hand hurt terribly?” I looked down at the blood welling in my palm, and the dam of my composure finally broke. A hot wave of misery washed over me. Any other time, a scrape like this would have sent Aiden into a panic, fussing over me like I was made of glass. Maybe that concern wasn’t entirely fake, but the Aiden standing here now was blind to my pain, his world revolving only around protecting Jennifer. The things my mother was telling me… they were starting to feel terrifyingly real. Even if he did become my brother, it felt like we were already on a path to repeating the tragedy she described. 2 I wiped my tears and headed to the base clinic to get my scraped hands bandaged by one of the nurses. A few of the younger nurses were clustered by the window, looking out at the playground, so I peeked too. There, tucked behind the basketball hoop, were Aiden and Jennifer, whispering. Jennifer was tugging on Aiden’s sleeve, her voice a whiny murmur I could just barely hear. “Aiden… if Lily finds out you only pretended to have amnesia so you could play with me, she’s going to be really mad.” Aiden just ruffled her hair, his voice loud enough to carry. “So what if she gets mad? She’s obsessed with me. Even with amnesia, she’ll be begging to be my friend.” “In his dreams!” my mother seethed in my mind. “My girl didn’t choose you this time, you little narcissist. Just wait until the announcement. We’ll see who’s looking so smug then!” My face scrunched up into a pained frown. Cradling my bandaged hand, I started walking toward my classroom building. Suddenly, a scream cut through the air. “The older kids are fighting! Somebody get a teacher!” The playground dissolved into chaos. I instinctively turned to run, but one of the brawling high schoolers slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. He was swinging a broken broom handle, and it was coming right for my head. I’d learned some basic self-defense from my dad, but I was small and no match for him. I saw Aiden notice the commotion. “Aiden!” I screamed. “Help me!” He started to move toward me, but Jennifer immediately wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his back. “Aiden, I’m scared! Please don’t go!” In that single moment of hesitation, the broom handle came down, cracking hard against my arm. The fresh bandages on my hand immediately started turning red as the wounds reopened. The pain was so sharp it made my vision blur with tears. “Unbelievable!” my mother cried out, her voice frantic. “That rotten kid has faked his amnesia for so long he’s lost his conscience! My sweet girl has been so good to him, and he just stands there and watches her get hurt!” The pain made my legs feel like jelly. I could barely stay upright. I summoned my last bit of strength. “Aiden, it hurts so much! Please, help me!” Before the words were even out of my mouth, Jennifer let out a piercing shriek. The other kid in the fight was now charging toward them. Without a second thought, Aiden spun around, shielded Jennifer with his body, and ran, never once looking back. I watched their retreating figures, a cold, sharp agony piercing my chest. Even if he didn’t want to be my friend anymore, we had grown up together. When I was in danger, he wouldn’t even offer a hand to help me up?

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I’ve been married to my aloof, high-achieving college senior for five years, but we still haven’t been able to have a baby. After another night of intense effort, I suddenly saw comments floating in the air like a live stream: [Lol, the male lead is set to be infertile. Even if he grinds an iron rod into a needle, he can’t get the supporting female lead pregnant.] [Male lead, just give up. Wait until you meet your destined heroine. Guaranteed triplets in one go.] Infertile male lead? So, basically sterile? Looking at the man trying to coax me into “one more time,” I kicked him away. I turned around and threw divorce papers in his face. “My family has an empire to inherit. I don’t want a sterile man.” He thought I was just throwing a tantrum until he found out I got myself a young “boy toy.” He lost it on the spot, kneeling before me with red eyes: “Babe, I’ve been drinking herbal remedies and seeing specialists. Try me again.” 1 At the courthouse entrance, the appointment time for our divorce was about to pass, but Julian Sterling still hadn’t shown up. He didn’t reply to my texts, nor did he answer my dozen calls. Only after the appointment time passed did he finally pick up. “Babe, I was in meetings all afternoon. Miss me?” I frowned and said coldly, “Julian, is this fun for you?” “How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want you anymore. I want a divorce.” There was a long silence on the other end before he spoke coldly: “Unless I die, I will never divorce you in this lifetime.” I scoffed, speechless. “Won’t divorce? Fine. Don’t blame me for putting a green hat on you.” (Chinese idiom for cheating/cuckolding, adapted to context: “Don’t blame me if I start looking elsewhere.”) “Chloe Jiang, you dare!” The sound of something smashing came from the phone. Not wanting to listen to his tantrum, I hung up. An hour later, at the hottest club in NYC. My bestie and I ordered ten male models to dance for us. The guys were pulling out all the stops to flirt with me. One bold model held my hand with his wine glass and poured the drink down his unbuttoned shirt, staging a wet t-shirt show. He pitched his voice low: “Sister, my chest is so cold, touch it…” Just as I reached out, Viola pressed my hand down. “Chloe, are you serious?” “Aren’t you afraid your jealous husband will find out and be impossible to soothe?” I played with the model’s tie nonchalantly and said: “Better if he knows. Maybe he’ll divorce me faster.” “Divorce?” Viola’s eyes widened in shock. “Do you have someone new?” I paused and looked at her grumpily. “Why don’t you think he has someone new?” Viola shook her head without thinking. “Impossible. He’s a top-tier simp for you. How could he like anyone else but you?” “He will.” And the person he liked from the beginning wasn’t me. We were destined for a bad ending. 2 Julian Sterling was my college senior, the campus heartthrob, and top student. From school uniforms to wedding dresses, we were the model couple in everyone’s eyes. Classmates called it a fairytale come true—the princess and the prince. After graduation and marriage, our life was still sweet and happy. Julian spoiled me rotten. The only downside was that after five years of marriage, we had no children. For this, Julian and I went to the hospital for checkups. The results showed that both Julian and I were physically fine. We thought maybe fate just hadn’t brought us a child yet, so we let nature take its course. But half a month ago, I accidentally heard my little nephew say: “Auntie can’t have babies, so Auntie’s fortune will be mine.” Learning that his parents taught him this, I felt a chill down my spine along with the absurdity. Just because my dad is an only child and I’m his only child… And I haven’t been pregnant… They assumed I couldn’t conceive. They started eyeing my family’s assets. Who knows how many malicious thoughts they harbored in private? The more I thought about it, the more disgusted I felt. I decided to put having a baby on the agenda. That night, I started trying hard. 3 In the study, Julian was working. Seeing me appear in a skimpy slip dress, he raised an eyebrow. “Babe, if you’re sleepy, go to bed first. Don’t wait for me.” I cursed him internally for pretending. I sat on his desk and stepped on the part of him that was already misbehaving. He grabbed my ankle to move it away, looking serious. “Don’t mess around, Hubby is working.” I was so mad I unhooked my bra and threw it in his face. Julian took a deep breath and finally put down the documents. Playing with his pen, he leaned back in his chair, his gaze moving down from my chest. “Continue.” One simple word, but the implication was clear. Meeting his burning gaze, I slowly untied the ribbon and threw the palm-sized fabric at him. Julian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He couldn’t hold back for three seconds before propping up his exploding body to hug me. But I pressed my foot against his chest, keeping him away. “Julian, you haven’t finished your work.” His breathing was ragged, voice husky: “Babe, don’t tease me…” I looked down at him, lifting his chin with my toe. “Beg me.” He lowered his head and bit my instep lightly, voice affectionate: “Please.” Only then did I let go, satisfied. The well-dressed man instantly turned into a hungry wolf, burying his head to feast insatiably. I even agreed to many of his excessive demands, cooperating so well it surprised him. In the bedroom, after we reached the clouds again, Julian bit my earlobe and teased: “So good today. You aren’t keeping a wild man outside, are you?” I glared at him weakly. “I am. What are you going to do?” He thrusted hard a few times. “I’ll kill the wild man, then lock you up forever!” “Easy…” I bit my lip and slapped him lightly. “I can barely handle you, let alone someone else?” Julian chuckled, tangling his tongue with mine in a deep kiss. “I knew it. With such an excellent husband, how could you look at anyone else?” “So what happened? Which blind fool upset you?” 4 Seeing him ready to destroy the world for me, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Nothing big. Just that we haven’t had kids, and someone is eyeing my family’s assets.” After I finished telling him about the day’s events, Julian stroked my back. “Since they like eyeing other people’s stuff, let them taste what it’s like to be eyed.” “What scheme are you cooking up?” Julian deliberately kept me in suspense. “Want to know? Say something nice.” “Hubby, you’re the best. Tell me.” Julian smirked. “Unlike me who keeps myself clean, there isn’t a good man in that family. From the father to the son, they all have illegitimate children hidden outside.” “Push these people into the light, and I guarantee they’ll fight until the sky turns dark.” I tsk-tsked. “You’re really bad… but I like it.” “Like it?” Julian wrapped his arm around my waist and flipped me over. “Then let’s go again. I’ll make sure to plant the seed properly.” With that, he continued to sweat like a beast. Suddenly, comments appeared before my eyes: [Lol, the male lead is set to be infertile. Even if he grinds an iron rod into a needle, he can’t get the supporting female lead pregnant.] [Male lead, give up the struggle. Wait until you meet your destined heroine. Guaranteed triplets in one go.] [Advise the supporting female to divorce early. Good for everyone. After all, both your families really have empires to inherit.] [The supporting female doesn’t know yet, the male lead chased her because he mistook her for his savior.] [After the car accident, it was the heroine who pulled the male lead out, but by mistake, the supporting female sent him to the hospital.] …

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1 My best friend, Abby, mailed me a rib she’d had removed during weight-loss surgery. She wanted me to make a bone broth with it, and she insisted I record a video of myself drinking it. The thought of it turned my stomach. I posted anonymously online, asking for advice. An anonymous account replied. 「Don’t drink it. It’s a bone-swapping curse. She’s trying to trade lives with you!」 An idea sparked. I went to the butcher, bought some beef ribs, and simmered them into a rich soup. I filmed myself drinking it for Abby. Then I took the rib she sent me and tossed it into the feeding trough at a pig farm. The next day, I went back to check. The sow, nursing five piglets, stared at me with eyes full of venomous resentment. … 「Clara, this is the rib I had them take out for you during my surgery. You have to make a soup with it, and don’t forget to send me a video, okay?~」 The message from my best friend, Abby, ended with a smiling emoji. A moment later, a package from a local courier arrived. I opened it. Inside were two ribs, cut clean by some sharp instrument. One was still stained with blood. A wave of nausea hit me, and I shoved the box away. Two weeks ago, Abby had complained about her weight and announced she was getting full-body liposuction. I gently advised her to think it over, warning her about the risks. I never imagined she’d not only go through with it but also have two of her ribs removed. I took a moment to compose myself, then texted her back. 「Are you insane? You want me to make soup with your rib?!」 「If you want to drink it, drink it yourself! I’m not doing it!」 The moment I hit send, my phone rang. The sound was shrill and insistent, like an alarm in the dead of night. Abby’s smiling face flashed on the screen, and for a long moment, I couldn’t bring myself to answer. On the sixth call, my boyfriend, Leo, suddenly appeared behind me. “Clara, what are you doing? Why aren’t you answering your phone?” he murmured. I froze, about to stop him, but it was too late. He’d already pressed the answer key. I snatched the phone and retreated to the balcony. Before I could say a word, Abby’s cloyingly sweet voice drifted from the receiver. “Clara, didn’t we just talk about this a couple of days ago? We promised to be best friends forever!” “This is a special ritual just for us. If you drink the soup, our wish will come true!” The hairs on my arms stood on end. I hadn’t seen Abby in two months. We’d been so busy with work we hadn’t even spoken in a week. What “couple of days ago”? The last time we’d talked was when she congratulated me on my “dumb luck” for landing a rich boyfriend like Leo. The more I thought about it, the more wrong it felt. I used an anonymous account to post on a forum. 「My best friend wants me to make soup with her rib and send her a video. Is this normal?」 Replies flooded in almost immediately. 「OP, can you actually stomach that? Because I definitely couldn’t.」 「I’ve heard of psycho boyfriends, but a psycho best friend is a new one. Is this just for clicks?」 「Yeah, I love a good twisted story, but if this happened in real life, I’d be shaking.」 Amid the jokes and shock, one anonymous account stood out. It had posted three comments in a row. 「Don’t listen to her! It’s a bone-swapping curse. Your friend is trying to trade lives with you!」 「If you do what she says, your fate and your body will be exchanged with hers!」 「Get rid of the ribs immediately. But you can’t just throw them away, or the curse will backfire on you. Find a living creature to take it for you!」 I stared at the comments, a cold sweat breaking out on my skin. Abby and I had been friends since we were kids. We went to the same university. We’d always promised that whoever got married first, the other would be the maid of honor. Our kids would be best friends, too. How could she possibly want to harm me? But the voice on the phone… it was definitely Abby. As I stared at my phone, lost in thought, Leo walked out of the kitchen holding a bowl of soup. “You said you were hungry, right?” he said softly, setting the bowl in front of me. “I saw the ribs you bought and made a broth. Eat it while it’s hot.” He scooped up a spoonful of the glistening broth and brought it toward my lips. My eyes fell on the two familiar-looking ribs in the bowl. I flinched, instinctively shoving his hand away. The hot liquid splashed across the floor. Leo’s expression soured. “Clara, what’s wrong with you? You almost burned me.” Seeing the anger in his eyes, I quickly made an excuse. “You know I can’t drink meat broth without white pepper.” “And we’re all out. Could you run down to the convenience store and grab some?” For some reason, I had a nagging feeling that something was off about Leo. He was the kind of guy who wouldn’t even make instant noodles for himself, always ordering delivery. For him to be making soup this late at night was completely out of character. Was he in on this with Abby? My excuse seemed to work. His face softened, and he pulled out his phone to order a delivery. I quickly put on a disappointed look, wrapping my arms around his. “The store is right downstairs,” I pouted. “You’ll be back in ten minutes. If we order delivery, it’ll take at least half an hour. The soup will be cold by then.” He sighed, unable to refuse. As soon as he was out the door, I poured the hot rib soup into a thermos and hid it. Then, I took out the leftover beef ribs from last night’s dinner, carefully selected two small ones, and simmered them in a fresh pot of water. I poured the new broth into the bowl Leo had used. The beef ribs glistened with fat, looking almost identical to the ones Abby had sent. Leo was back in less than ten minutes. He was out of breath, as if he’d been rushing. I pretended not to notice, took the pepper with a smile, and sprinkled it into my soup. While I drank, I recorded a video for Abby. “Abby, Leo made the soup for me. I’m drinking it now!” I had Leo hold the phone as I tilted my head back and finished the entire bowl. Then I made sure to praise his cooking skills. Maybe it was my imagination, but Leo seemed to let out a small sigh of relief when I was done. A minute after I sent the video, Abby replied with a cute emoji. She hadn’t suspected a thing. Leo left soon after, and I finally let myself relax. I retrieved the thermos and fished out the two bones. They had been steeping in the broth for hours, and their color had changed. One of them had taken on a grayish-blue tint, as if it had been cut from a long-dead skeleton. Suddenly, a wild idea took hold of me. The next morning, I took the thermos of soup and bones to a pig farm on the outskirts of the city. The owner was a distant relative, a place I used to visit as a child. In one of the pens, a massive sow was lazing in the sun, a litter of pink piglets nursing at her belly. My uncle, Ben, saw me staring. “Don’t you recognize her?” he chuckled. “That’s the little piglet you used to feed all the time. She’s a mother now.” He scratched his head. “She’s been acting a bit strange lately, though. Always keeps her head down, gives you this weird side-eye. It’s creepy.” It took me a second to process what he’d said. I quickly urged him, “Uncle Ben, you go on with your work. I’ll feed her for you today.” He nodded and handed me a bucket of feed. As soon as he was gone, I pulled the thermos from my bag and started to pour the soup into the stone feeding trough. The sow, who had been dozing, suddenly snapped her beady black eyes open and stared right at me. A shiver ran down my spine. My hand trembled, and the soup and bones tumbled into the trough together. The sow went berserk. She scrambled to her feet and lunged at the trough, slurping down the soup with frantic, grunting noises. She even crunched the two bones to splinters and swallowed them, like a starving demon. The sound of the cracking bones made my skin crawl. I was about to leave when the sow let out a strange, low whimper from behind me. It didn’t sound like a pig. It sounded like a human sigh. Goosebumps erupted all over my body. I whipped my head around. The sow, which had been on all fours, was now standing on her hind legs, her front hooves off the ground. Her eyes held a look of pure, venomous resentment. I screamed and stumbled backward, falling to the ground. Ben heard the noise and rushed over, helping me up. “Clara, what is it? You look pale as a ghost.” I swallowed hard, my voice shaking. “Uncle Ben… that… that sow… something’s wrong with her…” I pointed toward the pen. But the sow was back on all fours, casually munching on her feed as if nothing had happened. It was like I had imagined the whole thing. In a daze, I noticed my phone had over a dozen missed calls and a flood of unread messages, all from Abby. 「Clara, did you drink the soup or not? Why doesn’t it look like my rib in the video?」 「Tell me the truth. Did you switch the bones?」 「Clara, you dare lie to me!」 As I wondered how to reply, a call from an unknown number came through. I answered. All I could hear at first was heavy, labored breathing. Then, Abby’s voice, seething with rage. “Clara, you fed my rib to a pig? How could you…” The line went dead. Immediately, my phone rang again. It was Leo. “Clara, where are you? I need to talk to you, it’s urgent!” Hearing the panic in his voice, I knew for sure he was involved. There was no other reason for him to be this desperate to find me. I cut him off with a cold laugh. “Leo, I’ve been thinking, and this isn’t working out. Let’s break up.” “Don’t ever contact me again.” I hung up before he could respond. I didn’t know what his connection to Abby was, but I figured if I stayed away from both of them, they couldn’t hurt me. But when I checked my home security feed on my phone, I saw Leo using a locksmith to pry open my apartment door. I couldn’t go back there. I checked into a hotel for the night, deciding to figure out my next move in the morning. I couldn’t sleep. At two in the morning, my phone started buzzing wildly. It was a video call from Abby. After a long hesitation, I answered. The face on the screen was a complete stranger, yet I could vaguely make out Abby’s features. Her cheekbones were unnaturally high, her eyes were long, narrow, and slanted upwards, and a grotesque smile was plastered on her face. “Guess where I am…” The camera spun around. It was a pigpen. In the moonlight, I could see Uncle Ben’s old sow undergoing a horrific transformation. Its snout was shrinking, its eyes were moving down and growing larger. A human face was beginning to emerge from the pig’s head. And then the creature, not quite human, not quite pig, opened its mouth and spoke in Abby’s sickly sweet voice. “Clara, we promised, remember? Best friends forever. Why did you break your promise…?” A tidal wave of terror washed over me. The phone slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor, ending the call. A crash of thunder rattled the window. A storm had rolled in. I was grateful I wasn’t at home. This was a horror movie come to life. Just as I let out a breath of relief, a notification popped up on my phone. It was from the couples app Leo and I used, which tracked our proximity to each other. 「Your distance from your partner is now 5km… 3km… 900m…」 My blood ran cold. How did he know where I was? Did he put a tracker on my phone? I did a quick check, but found nothing. Then, a frantic knocking echoed from my hotel room door. Was it Leo? But the app said he was still three hundred meters away. A strange, melodic voice called from the other side of the door. “Clara, it’s me, your best friend Abby… open the door…” The voice was a horrifying mix of Abby’s and something animalistic. Goosebumps prickled my skin. I slid down the door, my back pressed against the wood, my hand clamped over my mouth to stifle a scream. My hands shaking, I fumbled for my phone to call the police. Just then, a message came through from Uncle Ben. 「Clara, where are you? Something’s happened at the farm! The old sow… she’s talking! She keeps calling your name. It’s terrifying. I’ve called the cops, do you want to come see?」 But the thing that was—or wasn’t—Abby was still outside my door. Hearing my silence, it began to claw at the wood, a high, piercing screech that set my teeth on edge. My phone buzzed again. It was Ben. 「The sow is getting worse. The police don’t know what to do. It’s speaking in full sentences now, says it’s going to get even with you. Clara, did you mess with something you shouldn’t have?」 Before I could reply, the thing outside spoke again. “Clara, I know you’re in there… why won’t you open the door?” Then, its voice dropped, becoming a gravelly, unfamiliar snarl. “Did you think you could hide from me? You can’t escape the swap…” Suddenly, there was a scraping sound at the window. I whipped my head around. A dark silhouette was climbing up the side of the building, its shape visible against the rain-streaked glass. My blood turned to ice. It wasn’t the shape of a person. And the voice outside my door hadn’t sounded like Abby anymore, either. Who were they? Trapped, I didn’t know what to do. My phone screen lit up. It was a new message from the anonymous account on the forum.

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At nine, I was caught in the shockwave of an explosion trying to save Greg. I’ve needed a hearing aid ever since. The guilt ate him alive. He was the one who insisted on the promise between our families, his eyes red as he swore to me, “Willow, I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life.” But when I was eighteen… To pass a test set by the school’s queen bee… He pulled out my hearing aid himself. In front of her and all his friends, his voice dripped with disgust. “You little burden. I’m so sick of you.” “I wish they’d never saved you when you were nine. I wish you’d just died.” I clutched the doctor’s report in my pocket—the one that said I was cured—and said nothing. When I got home, I quietly changed my college application choices. Then, I went with my parents to his house to break the promise. Greg, from that day on, our paths would diverge. We never needed to meet again. 1 “Willow, I wish they’d never saved you when you were nine. I wish you’d just died.” The moment Greg said it, the private room erupted. “Damn, Greg, you’re a savage!” “Next time, wait till her hearing’s fixed, then say it right to her face. I bet she’d cry. She’s always so meek and quiet, like some kind of saint.” “So what if she heard? Who’d want a cripple anyway? You’re the only one generous enough to put up with her, man.” I froze, my hand clenching the report in my bag until my knuckles were white. My parents had taken me to a specialist right after final exams. The surgery was a success. I didn’t need the hearing aid anymore. Today was my birthday party. I had planned to surprise Greg. To tell him my hearing was back, that I wouldn’t be his burden anymore. But my carefully planned surprise had unearthed a bloody, rotten truth instead. Greg’s words were a blade twisting in my heart, stealing the air from my lungs. Pain bloomed in my palm where my nails dug into my skin. I bit my lip and looked up at him, wanting to ask why. But he didn’t even seem to notice me. He was busy toying with the white hearing aid in his hand, a lazy, mocking smile on his face. “Alright, that’s enough,” he said. “She did save my life once. Watch what you say. Don’t let it get back to her.” The group caught his drift instantly. “Right, right. Our lips are sealed, bro.” “Tsk, for a shot at a guy like Greg? Being deaf for life is a small price to pay for her.” Another round of jeering laughter filled the room. “Okay, okay, guys, lay off,” Jessica said, stepping forward with a smile. She was the queen bee, the girl at the center of it all. “Willow’s a sweet girl, not a tomboy like me who can roughhouse with you guys. Don’t be too mean.” She turned to Greg, her voice full of theatrical gravity. “Greg, you passed my test.” “Now I believe you’re really not into Willow. So… we can go on that date tomorrow.” A slow smile spread across Greg’s face, his eyes so full of affection it looked like it could spill over. He murmured, “Okay.” I just stood there, my mind a complete blank. The world seemed to grind to a halt. The mocking laughter, the whoops and hollers—it all swirled around me, crescendoing into a sharp, painful ringing in my ears. “Hey, what are you thinking about?” Greg was suddenly in front of me, gently placing the hearing aid back in my ear. A smile played on his lips. “Speechless with joy?” I should have been. An eighteenth birthday, a confession from the boy I loved, our relationship made official in front of all our friends. It was like something out of a movie. But now, when I tried to speak, my throat was too dry, too tight for any words to escape. His friends jumped in, their voices a cheerful chorus of lies. “Willow, you missed it! Greg pulled out your hearing aid and whispered a ton of cheesy romantic stuff. We all got goosebumps.” “Man, I wish I had a childhood sweetheart.” “You lucky bastard,” Jessica said, slinging an arm over Greg’s shoulder and giving his chest a playful punch. “What did you do in a past life to deserve a girl as sweet as her?” 2 I didn’t say a word. My eyes scanned the faces in the room, one by one. They were all smiling, congratulating us, patting him on the back. A few even joked about saving the date for the wedding. Not a single crack in their performance. Their expressions were flawlessly, unnervingly natural. I suddenly remembered all the other parties, the other gatherings this year. There were so many moments just like this one. Greg would take out my hearing aid, his eyes soft, and say something I couldn’t hear. When he put it back, everyone would rush to tell me he was whispering promises, swearing he’d never let me down. If my hearing hadn’t been restored… If I hadn’t heard the shards of glass hidden in his honeyed tones, the utter ugliness of his words, I would have been trapped in that lie forever. “Oops!” Jessica suddenly exclaimed. She dropped her arm from Greg’s shoulder and turned to me with an exaggeratedly apologetic look. “Sorry, Willow! We’re just like brothers, always messing around like this. Don’t be jealous, okay?” Greg laughed. “Give me a break. You’re such a tomboy, nothing ladylike about you.” With that, they started chasing each other around the room, play-fighting as if no one else existed. Everyone watched, completely unfazed. I closed my eyes, took a breath, and turned to leave. But Jessica, quick as a flash, stepped in my way. Her eyes were filled with disapproval. “Everyone came here for you, for your birthday. You’re just going to walk out?” Greg came over and ruffled my hair, his voice laced with feigned patience. “You haven’t even opened your gifts yet. Come on, don’t be a princess.” I frowned and instinctively pulled away. Ignoring the darkness that flickered in his eyes, I told him, each word clear and deliberate, “We’re breaking up. Don’t ever contact me again.” Then I walked out of the room without a backward glance. 3 On the way home, my phone buzzed relentlessly. Greg was confused. “What’s with the drama now? Everyone worked so hard to come celebrate with you, to get you presents, and you just bail on them?” “Jessica was just excited. She’s not like other girls, all sensitive and complicated. She’s straightforward. That’s why she put her arm on my shoulder. She let go right away and even apologized, didn’t she?” Then the DMs started coming in from the group chat. “Willow, that was way out of line.” “You just stormed out for no reason. What did we ever do to you?” “Seriously? No good deed goes unpunished.” I almost laughed. A cold reply typed itself out: “Who was really out of line?” Then I blocked them, one by one, and left the group chat. When I got home, I gave my parents the short version of what happened. I bit my lip, the concern on their faces making the tight, aching knot in my chest swell. My voice cracked. “I don’t love him anymore…” “I don’t want to go to NYU with him. I don’t want to be with him. I don’t want to marry him.” My mom pulled me into a hug, wiping away my tears. “Oh, sweetie. That’s not the end of the world.” “Dad and I will go with you tomorrow to call off the engagement. You can apply wherever you want. We’ve got your back. We’ll always have your back.” My dad led me to the living room and placed the cake knife in my hand. “The cake never even made it to the party. Perfect. Now we can have a quiet birthday, just the three of us.” “Eighteen years ago, when you were born, I think I smiled so much my face cracked. Come on, birthday girl, no more tears. Make a wish. Cut the cake.” A watery smile broke through my tears. I made my wish to their chorus of blessings and blew out the candles. Just as I was about to cut into the cake, the doorbell rang. I composed myself and opened the door. It was Greg. A light drizzle had started, punctuated by rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightning. He was soaked to the bone, water dripping from his hair onto his shoulders, but he didn’t seem to care. He just smiled and held out a beautifully wrapped jewelry box. “See? I picked it out just for you.” “Stop the drama. Everyone’s still at the restaurant waiting for you. And don’t talk about breaking up again, okay?” I stared at the diamond bracelet inside the box. It looked familiar. Jessica had been wearing a necklace from the same brand today. I didn’t move, didn’t take it. Greg’s arm hung in the air, suspended between us. After a long moment, he finally lowered it, his patience fraying. “What the hell is wrong with you today?” he demanded. “You were crying with happiness when you accepted my confession. Now you just flip a switch?” “Willow, have you forgotten how sweet and obedient you used to be?” A lump formed in my throat. I didn’t even want to look at him. I had been living in a dream, believing he loved me, that we’d go to NYU together, build a life, and that after graduation, we’d get married and have kids. Today, that dream had been violently torn apart. I finally understood. He never loved me. To him, I was just the burden who had saved his life as a child, a nuisance he couldn’t shake. I took a deep breath and repeated calmly, “I’m not causing drama. I’m serious. We’re over. Don’t contact me again.” Suddenly, he snapped. He threw the jewelry box on the ground, his face dark with anger. “Willow, for fuck’s sake, when are you going to stop—” He was cut off. My dad stepped in front of me, his brow furrowed. “Greg, watch your language.” “You’re soaked. You should go home, take a hot shower, and get some rest. It’s late, we won’t ask you to stay.” My mom appeared with a slice of cake on a plate, her smile polite but distant. “Willow already made her wish. She doesn’t need the gift. Take this cake with you.” “Get home safe. You need to be careful when you’re out, too.” Greg stood there, stunned. I knew why. In the past, whenever he came over, my parents were warm and welcoming. They’d never, ever left him standing on the doorstep. He had no idea what had caused this sudden shift, and he opened his mouth to say something, but it was too late. The door clicked shut in his face. 4 I had no appetite. After a few bites of cake, I went to my room. My mom followed, sitting on the edge of my bed. “Willow,” she asked softly, “are you absolutely sure about this?” She knew me better than anyone. She knew how much I loved Greg. How much I had always loved him. I looked down at the white hearing aid in my hands. What was there to say? It was just… astonishing how much a person could change. When we were kids, just after my family moved into this neighborhood, I used to follow Greg around like a shadow, always calling him “big brother.” Our families were close, business partners. That day, we all went to a factory on the outskirts of town. No one saw the explosion coming. I remembered the emergency drills my parents had taught me and got out. But Greg was trapped inside. I saw the flames licking higher and higher, saw him frozen in place as the fire closed in. I don’t know where the strength came from. Before anyone could react, I ran back in and pulled him toward the exit. We were almost out. Then a secondary explosion threw me against a wall. I was knocked unconscious and didn’t wake up for a long time. When I did, the world was silent. My parents were quiet and grim. Greg’s parents hovered, their faces etched with guilt. I just lay in bed, listless, refusing to speak or interact with anyone. Greg stopped going to school. He brought me snacks and toys, but I ignored them. He decided the hospital was too depressing, so he snuck me out and took me to a shop where he had this hearing aid made for me. He drew a tiny fish and a stalk of wheat on it with his own hands. He was just a kid himself, but he fumbled to put it in my ear, his expression deadly serious. “Willow,” he promised, “I’ll protect you from now on.” “My tutor said wheat is strong, that it always grows back, no matter what. You’ll get better too, Willow.” “And the fish… well, they say fish have a seven-second memory, but I won’t. I’ll never forget you.” “I’ll always be your knight.” I was the only one who remembered that promise. If the nine-year-old Willow had heard the eighteen-year-old Greg say, “I wish you’d just died,” she would have cried for days. But over the years, I’d grown used to the whispers and stares my hearing loss attracted. So I accepted this change in him, too. People grow up. I saved his life, and his family had been trying to make up for it ever since. For years, they’d given our family’s company a nearly fifty-percent discount on all our joint ventures. That was more than fair. We didn’t owe each other anything anymore. And I was my own person, not an accessory to someone else’s life. I didn’t need anyone to survive. So I looked up at my mom, my voice firm. “I’m sure.” With my mom’s help, I changed my college applications. From NYU to a university in Boston. I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep that night, but I slept like a rock. I woke up around noon, groggy, and instinctively reached for my phone. Two new voice messages from Greg were waiting for me. He must have used a friend’s phone. His voice was cold, laced with ice. “Willow, are you done with this tantrum? Block me, unblock me… how old are you?” “Jessica feels terrible about you leaving last night. She keeps saying she doesn’t know how to make it up to you. She even went up to the roof, threatening to jump. I had to talk her down.” “We still have a few weeks of summer left. I’m taking her and a few of the guys to Aspen for a ski trip to clear her head. Don’t be jealous. It’s partly your fault she almost did something stupid, after all.” His shamelessness made me laugh out loud. Jessica? Kill herself? Not a chance. At school, she was always bragging about being a “cool girl,” not one of those “fake, high-maintenance girls” who wore no-makeup makeup and acted all innocent. But she was the most manipulative person I knew. Four months ago, at my best friend Chloe’s birthday party, Chloe had picked out a special dress and done her makeup, hoping to get some beautiful photos. Jessica, of course, had to ruin it. The second she walked into the room, she’d started in on her. “Damn, Chloe, look at that body. You been sleeping around?” “Don’t be shy! We’re all friends here. Spill the tea.” When Chloe burst into tears, Jessica threw her hands up in mock surrender. “Jesus, can’t you girls take a joke? This is why I don’t hang out with girls. So. Much. Drama.” Another time, when we were all cramming for the SATs, exhausted and stressed, she went around snapping unflattering photos of everyone. She turned them into memes and posted them on the school’s gossip page with the caption: “Our junior class queen. Line up, boys.” It only stopped after half the class reported her to the principal. And I’d known for two years that she’d only joined the basketball team as “manager” to get close to Greg. I just hadn’t taken her seriously. Back then, I was arrogant. I thought no one could take what was mine. Now that she had, I had to admit it. I was a poor judge of character. I’d saved a snake. “Willow, if you have any conscience at all, you’ll come and apologize to everyone, especially Jessica…” The messages kept coming. I didn’t even listen to the end of the voice note. I just blocked the new number, too. Outside my door, my mom was calling for me. “It gets cold in Boston in the winter. Let’s go buy you some warmer clothes.” I nodded. I never expected that after buying a few sweaters on the second floor of the mall, we’d run right into Greg and his crew.

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Six years after my death, I returned to the world of the living to collect a debt because I owed a massive sum in the underworld. I had no parents, so I pinned my hopes on my best friend. Entering her mansion, a barrage of comments suddenly floated before my eyes: [Help! The tragic heroine is having another breakdown, smashing all the luxury goods the male lead bought her.] [Her husband cheated, her son doesn’t want to acknowledge her as his mom… she probably wanted to end it all a long time ago.] [No one outside dares to go in, afraid of triggering her. Wait…?! Who just took the door off its hinges?! And moved it away?! And just swaggered in!??] That’s right, yours truly. I watched as my best friend prepared to slit her wrist. I grabbed her hand, snatched the knife, and screamed excitedly: “Bestie! You know I’m terrified of snakes! But that Bulgari Serpenti bracelet on your wrist is the exception!” “Also, don’t die yet. I have a debt in the underworld I need you to pay off.” Hearing this, my best friend stopped crying, abandoned her suicide attempt, and chased me around the room with the knife instead: “You wretched girl! You didn’t visit me once when you were dead, but the moment you owe money, I’m the first person you think of??” The comments were confused: [What kind of home invasion-style friendship is this…] 1 When I stormed into the master bedroom of my best friend Chloe’s luxurious mansion, she was in the middle of slitting her wrist, and the maids were about to rush in to stop her. Until I pinned her wrist down and flashed a hand sign: “Not cool, bestie. Showing off your Bulgari Serpenti bracelet without me.” Chloe looked bewildered. The maids outside were stunned. The floating comments filled with question marks: [???] [? Sis, take a closer look at what the heroine is doing! She’s trying to off herself and you’re admiring her million-dollar bracelet…] [Unbelievable. Lying through her teeth.] Chloe stared at me with eyes swollen like walnuts, wet and glistening. The despair in her gaze was replaced by confusion and shock. In my memory, she was bright and beautiful, with a high, curly ponytail, resilient and full of hope for the future. She used to say: “Tess, you have to be there when Julian and I get married.” But now, looking at her pale face, her dull, hopeless eyes, her messy hair, and her crumpled pajamas, it felt like a lifetime ago. Chloe’s figure was so thin she looked like a skeleton that would fall apart at a touch. I had never seen her this pathetic. A sudden, sharp pain pierced my heart. Six years later, when I appeared before Chloe again, she almost fainted. She stared at me in a daze, processing. I seized the chance to snatch the fruit knife from her hand, leaning in to admire the dazzling bracelet sparkling under the light: “Bestie, you know I hate snakes.” “Except for the Bulgari Serpenti.” Looking at my own bare wrist, I was green with envy. I shamelessly said: “You brat! Sharing is caring. Take that diamond-encrusted bracelet off and let me wear it.” The maids crowding the doorway widened their eyes, as if hearing a joke. Some couldn’t stand my antics and spoke up: “Who brought her here? Where are her manners? Asking for a million-dollar bracelet just like that? You…” But in the next second, Chloe stopped crying. She wiped her tears messily and took off the bracelet right there, sliding it onto my wrist. Her voice was hoarse, choked with sobs: “If you told me you liked it earlier, I would have bought another one for you.” The maids exchanged glances, eyes popping out of their heads. She actually gave it to her? 2 Later, the maids dispersed. I looked at the empty doorway, dragged the removed door back, and leaned it against the frame to cover the room. Ignoring the chaos of the situation. I sneakily pulled an IOU from my pocket and presented it to Chloe, my tone dripping with flattery: “Bestie, guess what good stuff I brought back from the underworld for you?” Chloe was still a bit low, but at least she had given up on suicide. After unfolding my massive IOU, she reverted to the crazy woman from our school days. No more staring blankly at the sky, no more pondering the meaning of life. She picked up the fruit knife I had thrown away and chased me around the room. When she shouted my name, her voice wasn’t weak anymore; it was loud enough to scare the birds out of the garden trees. The maids were alerted again and rushed back, only to see this scene— Chloe chasing me with a fruit knife: “Tess! You wretched girl! You never visited my dreams once, but now you come to me for money?! Do I owe you from a past life?! I’ll kill you, and we can all be dead together!” I raised my hands in surrender, sprinting around the room: “Turtle! Turtle! Don’t be like this, listen to me explain…” The butler, arriving late and missing everything, silently raised his phone and made a call: “Hello, sir.” “You might not believe this, but the Madam, who was too weak to walk straight, is currently chasing someone with a knife.” 3 Chloe refused to pay my debt. Instead, she ruthlessly demanded I work off the debt in her villa. Ten thousand dollars an hour. I cowardly started my life as a maid. Because she was emotionally unstable, she often smashed things and refused to eat. So when the food was brought back to the kitchen untouched again, everyone felt defeated. The head chef even started doubting his skills. I glanced at the comments: [The heroine is practically anorexic, so pitiful.] [Ever since her parents went bankrupt and jumped off a building a few years ago, she’s been alone. Her husband doesn’t love her, her son hates her. If it were me, I would have given up long ago.] [Can’t be helped, she’s a tragic heroine. Later, the male lead will force her to donate a kidney to the villainess. She almost dies on the operating table, and then the male lead will start his redemption arc! Can’t wait!] I walked into the kitchen, chopping vegetables with the ferocity of chopping a cheating ex. I made a bowl of noodles and enthusiastically brought it to Chloe. Chloe had no appetite. She turned her head away, refusing to eat even when I tried to force her. She stated bluntly: “I want to vomit when I see food. I can’t eat.” I raised an eyebrow at her, picked up a piece of beef, and switched to a baby voice: “Here comes the airplane~” “Ahhh~” Then, Chloe opened her mouth wider than my fist. … Heh, women. The comments went wild: [Is this Tess a new character? I’m dying of laughter, she knows exactly how to handle the heroine.] [Has anyone noticed the heroine is gaining weight? She looks so rosy and healthy now. Her beauty is returning!] [Tess keeps calling the heroine ‘bestie’, what’s their relationship? Never heard of her before.] … 4 With me by her side these days, Chloe rarely lost control. During my time in the underworld, I learned everything about her past ten years. I knew she had nightmares every night about her parents jumping to their deaths. I knew she was repeatedly humiliated by the mistress Julian kept. But Julian chose to turn a blind eye, forcing her, humiliating her, even making her kneel and apologize to the mistress. She seemed to have lost herself, pushed forward step by step like an emotionless puppet. … Today, I pestered Chloe to take a walk in the garden in front of the villa. The comments marveled: [Damn, a bestie’s words really work better than a man’s. If the male lead tried this, he’d get a pillow to the face.] [Wait, I remember this part! This is when the heroine’s demon spawn son gets brought back by his grandparents!] [Tess, don’t let Liam see the heroine! He hates his mom. Her own son doesn’t acknowledge her.] … Before the comments could finish, two elegantly dressed elderly people walked into the yard holding a child’s hand. At that moment, Chloe and I were squished onto a swing chair, fighting for territory. Chloe smiled at me, but somehow, this sight displeased her son, Liam. Liam angrily threw his limited edition car model on the ground and rushed up to us, screaming at the top of his lungs: “Get off! Why are you sitting on my swing!” As he spoke, Liam started pushing Chloe’s legs with all his might. Chloe’s smile froze. She instinctively grabbed my hand, seeking security, but looked at Liam: “Liam, don’t be like this…” The comments wailed: [Sob… how can she not love the child she carried for ten months? The heroine really wants to be close to her son!] [He’s an ungrateful wolf just like his dad!] [Seriously, is no one going to discipline this brat? No manners at all! I want to jump into the book and spank him!] I raised an eyebrow at the little milk dumpling standing with his hands on his hips. Looks just like his dad. Liam huffed arrogantly, sure that Chloe wouldn’t do anything to him. A look of “what are you gonna do about it” on his face. The next second, I sneered, grabbed him by the ear, quickly pulled him onto my lap, and spanked his butt with full force. Smack smack. In the distance, Liam’s grandparents, who had looked indifferent, suddenly reacted. They hobbled over with their canes as fast as they could: “Where did this crazy woman come from?! How dare you hit my grandson! Put him down! Put him down!” Liam howled, crying even harder: “Ahhh! Grandpa, Grandma, my butt hurts! She’s hitting me! Save me, waaah…” I didn’t stop; I hit harder. Listening to Liam cry made me even more excited: “Brat! If your mom won’t teach you a lesson, your godmother will!” I got tired of hitting him. Liam’s grandparents snatched him from my arms and started wailing too: “Oh my god! Are you maids deaf in there?! Security? Where is security?!” Three of them hugging and crying. The comments exploded: [Holy crap holy crap holy crap. Sis, you are my idol! You really don’t hold back!] [Wait guys, why does the heroine look like she’s about to die of laughter watching her son get beaten? She looks satisfied?] [Damn, the heroine is laughing! She’s not holding back at all, laughing so loud. Feels like she’s gonna clap and cheer any second!] Hearing the noise, the maids rushed out with spatulas and brooms, looking fierce. But seeing the grandparents pointing at me, they froze. Liam wiped his tears, his little face flushed red. Stamping his feet in anger, he rushed at me to hit me. His grandparents followed, pulling at my clothes. Seeing the situation turn bad, Chloe used both hands to hold back the three of them. The maids rushed up to break up the fight. It was chaos. Just as Liam raised his chubby fist, before he could touch me, I sat on the ground and started wailing: “Oh my god! Is there no justice?! Help! Help! Liam is hitting me! Kids in the Hope Class, don’t play with him! Oh my god~” Liam’s big eyes blinked in confusion. Then he waved his hands frantically, explaining desperately: “Liar! You bad woman! I didn’t touch you! …I… I didn’t!” Chloe saw me get “pushed” down. Her usually composed face turned stern. She shoved the people around her away. No one expected the gentle, patient mother to grab Liam by the collar, pull him into her arms, and spank him just like I did. Liam started howling again. His grandparents couldn’t believe their eyes. They thought Chloe had gone mad: “Chloe Miller! You little bitch! I think you’ve lost your mind! I’ll tell Julian, see if his wife is trying to rebel!” The maids tried to persuade her too: “Madam, please let the young master go! The master will be angry if he finds out! Madam…!” Chloe turned a deaf ear, her voice icy: “Liam! What did Mom tell you?! Can you just hit people?! “What do you say now?!” Liam was bewildered by the beating, crying and begging for mercy: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I was wrong… I was wrong! Stop hitting me! Waaah…” Seeing this, the maids stopped intervening, and the grandparents stopped wailing. Watching Chloe discipline her child online. “Who are you apologizing to?! Speak!” I leaned in and whispered in Liam’s ear: “It’s Godmother.” Liam struggled violently. Seeing my cheeky expression, his face turned purple, snot and tears flying everywhere: “I don’t want to call this bad woman Godmother! I don’t want to waaah…” Chloe raised her hand again. Liam submitted. He stopped crying and forced a smile: “Sorry Godmother, I was wrong.” I nodded in satisfaction. The comments were chaotic, celebrating for me: [Holy! Did I see that right! Before, whenever the heroine tried to discipline this brat, he never listened and kept hurting her. She had given up on him. Tess’s little trick made her pick up the mantle again!] [I’ve never seen the heroine this angry! Even when the male lead brought the mistress to show off in front of her, she didn’t react much. Tess just got ‘pushed’ lightly…] [So satisfying, sis! Following you feels like a power fantasy! I will follow you forever, Sister Tess!] [Heroine: If you touch my bestie, I will destroy your heaven (and beat my son too).] Liam’s grandparents looked like they were about to have a stroke. They dialed Julian immediately: “Come back quick! Your wife is leading a rebellion!”

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Six years. Six years since I’d run away with our unborn child. Now, the prodigal son of one of the city’s most powerful families was here to take him from me. I refused. I booked a flight for that very night. But as we were about to board, my son wrenched his hand from mine and screamed. “She’s not my mother! She’s a kidnapper!” Genetics, it turned out, were a terrifyingly powerful force. He had met Alex McCloud’s little gold-digger just once, and already, he loved his “new mommy” more. So I turned around. I dropped everything. Including him. I had a friend arrange my fake death. After that, I heard Alex and my son turned the entire city upside down looking for me. 1. Alex found me while I was enrolling our son in school. A fleet of black cars lined the street outside, a parade of wealth and power. It was his signature style. He kicked the door open. Before I could even look up, he grabbed the hand I was using to sign the forms. His voice was cold, leaving no room for argument. “Leo Wen will be Leo McCloud from this day forward.” Leo Wen. My son’s name. My whole body went rigid. I never thought I would see Alex McCloud again. Six years ago, he’d thrown open my bedroom door and shoved the woman he kept on the side onto my bed. He’d kissed her deeply, his hands already unknotting his tie. “Not leaving?” he’d smirked. “Want to stick around for the main event?” The woman on the bed shot me a triumphant smile. “Darling, this bed you made is heavenly. What, you want to join us?” I walked out with my head held high. I waited on the sofa for Alex all night. He finally emerged, his chest bare. “Alex,” I said, my voice steady. “Let’s end this.” He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. He sauntered over, his tone as arrogant as ever. “Upset, are we?” Suddenly, the whole charade felt pointless. Alex and I were supposed to have been a business merger, a union of two powerful families. But then my parents died in a car crash. We hadn’t gotten married yet. After that, he stopped pretending. He brought woman after woman into our home. This new one, I’d heard, had lasted three months. A new record for him. “Anya,” he murmured, his expression softening as he leaned in to kiss me. “Just say the word, and I’ll kick her out.” There was still a smudge of her lipstick on the corner of his mouth. I shot to my feet and threw my handbag square in his face. “You’re a fucking scumbag, Alex McCloud.” His face went blank. He just watched, motionless, as I turned, walked out the door, and sped away. I blocked him on everything. I never told him I was pregnant. I didn’t run far. In this city, Alex McCloud was king. If he wanted to find me, he could. But he never even looked. Until today. A woman in red stilettos stepped out from behind him. The same woman from six years ago. Isabella. She waved at my son. “Leo, darling, want to come live in a big mansion with Isabella?” 2. Leo’s big eyes blinked, clearly intimidated by the crowd of imposing figures. I immediately crouched down, pulling him into my arms, shielding him. My voice was ice. “Alex, we broke up a long time ago. My son has nothing to do with you.” I hated Alex. But Leo was the child I had nearly died to bring into this world. I was allergic to the anesthetic. Ten hours of labor without an epidural. I almost bled out on the operating table. After my parents were gone, Leo was all I had left. My palms were slick with sweat. Isabella smiled sweetly at Leo. “Leo, if you don’t come over now, I’m going to have to leave.” She made a show of turning away. And the small body in my arms stirred. Leo pulled his hand free and shoved me away with all his might. “What are you doing?! Why won’t you let me live in a mansion?” I stared at him, my world tilting. “Leo… what are you saying?” I whispered. “You’re so selfish! Why do I have to be poor because of you?” The air left my lungs. My eyes burned. I never imagined those words could come from my own child. After my parents died, my family went bankrupt. But Leo never wanted for anything. He had better clothes, better toys than any of his peers. He was a picky eater, so I took cooking classes, learning a hundred different ways to make him smile at the dinner table. He loved basketball, so I pulled every string I could to get him front-row tickets to see his favorite players. I loved him with every fiber of my being. I poured my entire life into him. And now… Isabella burst into laughter. “Oh, Anya, your son is just adorable. And you… still as pathetic and unwanted as ever, I see.” I looked up and managed a smile of my own. “What’s the matter? Can’t have one of your own? Is that something you’re proud of?” It was a wild guess, but judging by the way Alex’s face darkened, I’d hit a nerve. He gritted his teeth, enunciating each word with venom. “Anya. You have one day to get his things. I’m coming back tomorrow night to finalize the transfer.” My fists clenched. Alex McCloud always did what he said he would do. Back at our apartment, I ignored Leo. I didn’t cook him dinner. It took him a whole night of being hungry before the truth came out. He’d met Isabella before. 3. “Mama Isabella bought me limited-edition sneakers! She’s a million times better than you!” “My friends’ moms wear designer clothes! And you? You wear cheap junk!” “Mama Isabella smells so nice, not like you! You smell like the cafeteria lady at my school!” I listened, my chest heaving with a pain so sharp it felt like I was suffocating. I couldn’t tell if it was rage or grief. Leo had always been clever. Fearing I would scold him, he started crying first, his sobs wracking his small body, but he held his chin up in defiance. And I saw it then. He really, truly didn’t like me very much. How ridiculous. Six years of my life, dedicated to him. Every first step, every first word. I had watched him grow with a heart full of hope and pride. And it all meant nothing compared to the “Mama Isabella” he’d just met. He even called her Mama. “Mama Isabella told me everything. She said Daddy doesn’t like you.” His voice was resolute. “Whoever Daddy likes, she’s my real mommy!” I sat on the sofa, a dull, aching numbness spreading from my heart through my entire body. Leo was still sobbing, whining about wanting to go back to Alex’s mansion. He’d met Alex, and Alex had promised him that if he came back, everything in the house would be his. He was only six. Could a six-year-old truly understand the difference between right and wrong, between love and personal gain? Of course, he could. When Alex was six, his father brought him to my family’s company headquarters. He had told me, even then, that he was going to marry me when he grew up. Like father, like son. A perfect match. I stood up, not looking at Leo again. “Fine,” I said. “You can stay here. Alone. And no bedtime story tonight.” I went to my room and locked the door. After a long moment of thought, I called my best friend. “Chloe, cancel the flight. And the car.” “What? What happened?” Before I could answer, a heart-wrenching wail came from outside my door. “Mommy! Mommy, I’m sorry!” “Please don’t leave me here alone! I’m scared!” “Please, Mommy, please!” I opened the door. He threw himself at my legs, clinging to me. His eyes were swollen like walnuts. “Mommy, I’ll be good from now on, I promise. I’ll go with you.” “I’m scared of the dark. I’m scared of being alone.” “Can you… can you tell me a story?” 4. The flight overseas was in four hours. Inside the blacked-out private car, Leo was asleep on my lap, still hiccupping softly in the aftermath of his tears. I’d heard once that after childbirth, hormones hijack a mother’s senses, creating something called “maternal love.” I never believed it. I loved this tiny person willingly, with my whole heart. But tonight, I asked myself a different question. He had just spent the evening telling me how much he hated me. Why did I still give in? There was no answer. I watched the streetlights flash by through the tinted windows. The roads were empty. Alex probably never imagined I would try to run, not tonight. He had always underestimated my hatred for him. There was a time I truly believed he loved me. It started as an arranged marriage, but we had grown up together. Falling in love felt natural. He was a business prodigy, a kingmaker who held the fates of countless companies in his hands. But he was most famous for being “devoted” to me. “Give that project to Anya’s firm.” “Sorry, my girlfriend doesn’t want to partner on this.” “What can I do? If she gets mad, I’ll have to blow up a few buildings to make fireworks for her.” But after my parents died, he changed completely. The women in his bed became a revolving door. One night, I overheard him on the phone. “They died at the perfect time. I was so sick of her. If it wasn’t for her family’s money, who would bother playing house with her?” My family’s destruction. In his words, it was “the perfect time.” The memory still made my breath catch in my throat. But as long as I could get out of this city, it would all finally be over. I never saw it coming. Right before we boarded, my son tore his hand away and screamed at the top of his lungs. “She’s not my mother! She’s a kidnapper, she’s trying to take me away!” I froze. The screen of his smartwatch was lit up. He yelled into it. “Mama Isabella, are you here yet? Come and save me!” A commotion erupted at the terminal entrance. The roar of multiple car engines cut through the night. Leo flashed me a triumphant, toothy grin. “You wouldn’t tell me a story. But Mama Isabella will!” 5. Alex was already waiting nearby. He stood there in a perfectly tailored black suit, Isabella clinging to his arm. The second they approached, Leo ran straight into her embrace. “Mama Isabella! Her passport, the birth certificate, it’s all in her bag!” The world started to spin. I could barely stand. How could this be happening? Leo… I watched the doctors clean him off and place him in my arms. He was my child. There was a time when Alex and I would stand together, and people would ask when we were setting a wedding date. “Such a perfect couple,” they’d say. “Imagine how beautiful your children will be.” He would kiss my cheek softly and laugh when I blushed. After I left, Isabella took my place. Everyone said she was just my replacement, that she looked a little like me. But I knew the truth. Alex didn’t love me. This wasn’t what love looked like. I had long ago given up on the dream of a happy family with him. But why? Why was my own son standing with them? A bitter, corrosive acid churned in my stomach, and I nearly threw up. I leaned against my suitcase to keep from falling. Alex’s brow furrowed, but his voice was as cold as ever. “The bag. Don’t make me take it from you.” I let out a hollow laugh, unclipped the strap from my shoulder, and tossed it to him. He looked surprised by my compliance. One of his men unzipped it. It was all there. Birth certificate, passports, IDs… everything. Leo cheered. “Daddy, does this mean I can live in the big mansion forever?” Alex grunted in agreement, a rare warmth in his eyes as he looked at our son. The sight was both strange and sickening. “And can Mama Isabella tell me stories?” “Of course.” Isabella’s smile faltered for just a fraction of a second. Leo ran back to me and pushed me hard. “You’re not my mommy anymore! I have a new mommy now!” I think the pain had finally numbed me. I couldn’t feel anything. Something inside of me simply… broke. A new mommy? I smiled to myself, a cold, dark thing. I was almost curious to see how long Isabella could play the part of doting stepmother. 6. I went back to the apartment to pack Leo’s things. He didn’t want this, he didn’t want that. He said his new mommy would buy him better things. So I threw it all in the trash. Including the photo albums. A professional portrait for every year of his life, from birth to age six. Leo watched me, then tilted his head. “Mommy, don’t you want those?” Want them? Why on earth would I want them? He was so used to my one-sided love, he couldn’t even comprehend it ending. I smiled at him. “I’m not your mom, remember? They’d just take up space.” His little brain seemed to short-circuit. He stared at me blankly for a moment. Then he stomped his foot and pouted. “You’re right! You’re not my mommy!” After I’d packed his one small bag, I walked him down to Alex’s car. He was practically vibrating with excitement. I didn’t look at him one last time. He didn’t look at me. From now on, he was Leo McCloud. I called Chloe. “Hey, if I needed a death certificate, I bet you could make that happen, right?” “Holy shit! Are you serious?” “I’m done, Chloe. I just want a new life.” “Say no more. When do you want to die? Give me a week to make it look good.” I thought for a moment. A week was perfect. “Next Wednesday, then.” It was perfect. It was Leo’s birthday. I wanted him to remember, for the rest of his life, that his birthday was the anniversary of his mother’s death.

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I am the perfect wife, cultivated by the Sterling family specifically for Julian Sterling. Julian loathes me. He distances himself from me. He thinks I’m just a useless vase, a trophy wife. Little does he know, “All-Purpose” is literal. I am the Michelin-star chef who cooks his favorite meals. I am the secretary who handles every detail of his business. I am the mysterious fighter who took down ten men to save him when he was kidnapped. Even his online confidante, his “soulmate,” is just me playing a role. “No one understands me better than you. I want to meet you, babe.” When I received that message, my hand trembled. I decided to move up my departure date. 1 When I went downstairs, Julian was having breakfast at the dining table with his best friend, Zach. “Morning, sis-in-law. Just waking up?” I smiled, tacitly accepting the jab. Zach glanced at Julian teasingly. “Look at you, wearing her out like that.” Julian let out a dismissive snort. We’ve been married for two years, but no one knows we’ve never slept together. Julian resents this marriage arranged by his grandfather. He doesn’t know my background. We have no emotional foundation. He thinks I’m a talentless gold digger who used dirty tricks to marry him. So, he despises me. In two years, the number of times we’ve spoken can be counted on one hand. Julian took a sip of the abalone porridge and frowned slightly. “The porridge tastes off today.” I was pouring water at the island counter and exchanged a look with the butler. The butler quickly interjected, “The head chef is sick these past two days, sir. We have a replacement.” Zach, unconvinced, took several large gulps. “It tastes fine to me. Julian, you’re too picky. A chef who meets your standards must be a god. Let me borrow them for a couple of banquets sometime.” “Dream on,” Julian said, wiping his hands slowly. “Grandfather found the chef. Even I haven’t seen them. They just send the food over at mealtimes.” The ligature marks on his wrists still hadn’t faded. The purple and blue bruising was shocking to see. Zach winced looking at it. “Did they catch the guys who kidnapped you?” “They caught the kidnappers,” Julian said, his gaze deepening as he thought of something. “But they haven’t found that person yet.” A week ago, Julian returned from a business trip. He was tailed and kidnapped on the way back from the airport in the middle of the night. It was premeditated. The gang executed a precise plan, snatching Julian and vanishing from all surveillance cameras instantly. The kidnapping shocked the entire city. The heir to the Sterling empire, taken. Half the business world stayed up all night. Grandfather Sterling remained calm. He made one phone call, then told everyone to wait. The police couldn’t find Julian. But a mysterious figure did. Riding a motorcycle, leading a highly trained team, this person raided the kidnappers’ den at night, rescued Julian, and dropped him off at the gates of the Sterling estate at dawn without saying a word, disappearing into the morning mist with the roar of an engine. “Who does that? Doesn’t want money, doesn’t want fame. Is he Batman?” Zach asked. “It was a woman,” Julian said. “What?!” Zach’s eyes widened. I slowed my steps on the stairs. Julian’s voice was low. “When she brought me back, my arms were around her waist. It was slender but strong. And her helmet hid long hair. I’m certain she’s a woman.” “Did you see her face?” “No. I only saw a small red mole behind her ear.” … I subconsciously touched the back of my ear and closed my bedroom door. The first time I met Julian was at the old Sterling manor. It was New Year’s Eve. After giving out red envelopes to the younger generation, Grandfather Sterling gave Julian a special gift. “Meet Chloe. Your future All-Purpose Wife.” Julian stood there, stunned. That day, he threw a massive tantrum. He smashed dishes, overturned tables, but ultimately bowed to Grandfather Sterling’s financial power. I stood aside, silent the whole time. Julian probably never paid attention to the words “All-Purpose.” He hated me. He ignored me. He thought I was just a useless vase. He didn’t know “All-Purpose” was literal. I am the chef who suits his taste buds perfectly. I am the secretary who manages his work flawlessly. I am the mysterious fighter who took down ten men to save him. … I was born in a remote village. My biological parents sold me to traffickers when I was five. The Sterling family’s charity saved me. Grandfather Sterling picked me out of a group of children. He gave me food, clothes, and training in every skill imaginable, all centered around Julian. Julian grew up studying abroad. He looks rebellious, but he has zero romantic experience and no guard against women. The moment he returned, business rivals tried to use honey traps on him. From maids to secretaries, plants were everywhere. So, I stepped in. My mission was to eliminate all threats around Julian. Once he securely held the position of Sterling heir, I would vacate the position of Mrs. Sterling. Then, Grandfather Sterling would send me abroad to study, and I would be free for the rest of my life. To repay the Sterling family’s kindness, I valued Julian’s life more than my own. Unexpectedly, Julian misunderstood my dedication. “SpongeBob, I’ve decided to divorce her as soon as possible.” “I thought she married me for money. But I’m realizing something is wrong. She seems to have fallen in love with me.” “If she falls deeper, she won’t leave easily. I’ve thought about it, and I need to propose a divorce now.” Julian sent these messages under the username “PatrickStar.” I sat by the window, smoking a cigarette in silence. Then I replied: “What did she do to give you that idea?” Julian would never dream that his online soulmate, SpongeBob, was also me. 2 I realized I could block the women around him physically, but I couldn’t stop online threats. To save trouble, I created a perfect online persona to keep his standards high so he wouldn’t look at anyone else. He thought I was a once-in-a-lifetime soulmate. I knew every book he read, every movie he watched, every place he visited. Our hobbies and values matched perfectly. I’ve studied Julian for so long. This was easy for me. Even my username was designed to match his. Thanks to this identity, he told me everything, saving me a lot of trouble. “She gets jealous. Last time at the manor, a neighbor’s sister I played with as a kid asked for my number. My wife glared her away.” Oh god. That woman just rented the mansion next door. She’s three years older than him and clearly hunting him. Only Julian would believe she’s just a “neighbor’s sister.” “Every time we eat, she steals glances at me. She thinks I don’t see it.” Okay, that’s on me. I’m a perfectionist with my cooking. Every time Julian eats my food, I can’t help but check his reaction. I’ll reflect on that. “Recently, I had an accident. She stayed by my bedside in the hospital for a day and a night.” I fell silent. I saved him from the kidnappers and got injured myself. We were treated in the same hospital, and he saw me. To cover my tracks, I lied and said I had been watching over him the whole time. “It seems your wife really loves you,” I typed, feeling nauseous. Whatever he wants to think. Step one of playing the perfect online friend: Unconditional validation. Julian replied quickly: “I’m just worried. She loves me so much, even if I ask for a divorce, she won’t agree.” “You never know until you try. Maybe she’ll agree immediately.” “SpongeBob, you’re adorably naive. Have you never been in a relationship?” … Thinking about the expression on Julian’s face as he typed that gave me goosebumps. “Many women see love as their whole life. They won’t give up easily.” I typed furiously: “Idiot. You don’t know women. Stop talking nonsense.” This was how we interacted online. The harder I roasted him, the happier he was. He said this was the kind of friend he wanted. “What if?” My heart started to race. After the kidnapping, Grandfather Sterling promised to send me abroad in two months. I was planning to find a way to divorce Julian. If he brought it up first, that would be perfect. “Want to make a bet?” “Bet on what?” “If she agrees to divorce, I’ll give you any gift you want. If she refuses, can I meet you?” I stared at the last few words. Julian’s next message came through. “No one understands me better than you. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time, babe.” My hand shook. What does he mean? SpongeBob is SpongeBob. Why “babe”? Is he doing this on purpose? I thought for a moment and typed “Okay.” I was definitely going to agree to the divorce. Then we’d part ways, and all my identities would vanish from his life. I didn’t care what he was thinking. As for the gift… I needed to think about what to fleece him for as a parting gift. Julian moved fast. Three days later, divorce papers were placed in front of me. “The compensation is clearly outlined. Take a look. If you have other demands, speak up.” He looked calm, fully prepared. The alimony was tempting, but I’d just return it to Grandfather Sterling anyway. I glanced at it briefly, frowned, and wiped the corner of my eye. Seeing my expression, Julian spoke as if he expected this. “Crying is useless. I won’t change my mind. Instead of being sad, think about what else you want.” “Oh, no. An eyelash fell in my eye.” I finished wiping my eye and held out my hand. “Pen?” Julian froze. It took him a while to speak. “You agree?” He tapped his long fingers on the desk, sneering. “If you’re trying to act cool to get my attention, save it. I’m serious.” Impatiently, I took a pen from the drawer myself. Just as I was about to sign, Grandfather Sterling called. I stepped away to answer. “Chloe, this wasn’t a normal kidnapping. Someone was pulling the strings. I need you to find out who. After the investigation is closed, I will personally arrange your divorce.” When I put the pen down, I clearly saw the contempt in Julian’s eyes. “If you don’t agree, why pretend to be so free and easy just now? Such hypocrisy.” I grabbed my dress, holding back an eye roll. “I can’t divorce right now.” “Save it. I will get this divorce.” Julian pushed the papers toward me. “Tell me your demands soon. Signing is good for both of us. Don’t make me hate you more.” He got up and left. I saw him type something on his phone. My alt account pinged. “SpongeBob, looks like you need to schedule a time to meet me.” 3 Since Julian started managing the group with Grandfather Sterling, he’s been so busy he has to schedule meals with his friends weeks in advance. But when it comes to meeting his online friend, he’s got all the time in the world. “Any time works. Up to you.” “Location? Just send a pin, I’ll be there.” “Busy? No problem, I can pick you up from your office.” I stalled for days until Julian started getting suspicious. Helplessly, I hired a small-time actress online for a high price. To meet him in my place. We agreed on the phone: five thousand dollars for one meal. But the moment the actress, Layla, saw Julian, things spiraled out of control. “PatrickStar? I didn’t expect someone with such a cute username to have this kind of… vibe.” In the restaurant. Layla rested her chin on her hand, eyes glued to Julian. Honestly, it was my first time seeing Julian like this too. No stiff suit, no haute couture. He wore a regular bomber jacket, hair unstyled. He looked like a fresh college grad. He looked down and smiled. “What kind of vibe?” I was sitting a few tables away, coaching Layla through an earpiece. “Don’t initiate topics. Just nod, smile, and bluff your way through.” Layla paused, ignoring me. She pretended to adjust her clothes, pulling her collar down to show cleavage, and crossed her legs, extending a long, pale leg into the aisle. “A very… seductive vibe.” She leaned closer to Julian with every word. Visibly, Julian frowned slightly. “SpongeBob?” “Mmhmm?” “You’re different from online.” “Is it because I’m so beautiful in person that you can’t handle it?” … Layla was lost in her own performance, oblivious to the world. I took advantage of her bathroom break, put on sunglasses and a mask, and intercepted her. I warned her to stop improvising. Layla looked me up and down and scoffed. “You don’t dare meet him because you’re ugly, right? Lady, if you’re ugly, don’t online date. Just let me have him.” She transferred my five thousand back, plus another five thousand. “Consider this a transfer fee.” The heir to the Sterling Group, sold for five grand. If Julian knew, he’d explode. I blocked Layla’s path. “You saw him. He’s handsome.” “So? You want to meet him yourself? Can that face under the mask be seen?” “I mean… you have to pay more.” “…” Layla looked at me with disdain and reluctantly transferred another two thousand. “Fine. Enjoy your date. Hope you guys get married.” Selling an identity I couldn’t take with me? Nice. I hummed a tune and walked out. While washing my hands, I heard Layla’s excited voice from a stall. “Girl, you won’t believe it! I caught a big fish! He dresses plain, but that watch on his wrist is worth five million! Definitely a hidden billionaire. I just Googled him—he’s the heir to Sterling Group! I’m latching on. Watch me marry into money!” Layla had good eyes. I hadn’t even noticed the watch. I turned my head and saw the five-million-dollar watch. Looking up, Julian stood like a statue at the bathroom entrance. Face pale, lips tight, visible shock and disappointment. He didn’t even glance at me. He turned and strode away before Layla came out. Uh oh. My husband just got his heart broken. 4 “It was all fake. Everything was fake.” “I thought she was different. Different from other women. I looked forward to meeting her so much. How could it be like this?” “SpongeBob… why are you like this?” … Julian and Zach got wasted. The kidnapping threat wasn’t fully resolved, so for safety, I went to pick him up myself. Zach helped him into the car. “I’ve never seen Julian like this. He won’t tell me what happened.” “It’s fine. Heartbreak is like that. He’ll be fine in a few days.” Zach paused. “Heartbreak?” I didn’t elaborate. “Thanks for your help. I’ll take him home.” “Wait.” Zach blocked the car door, reaching out to fix my collar that had flipped inside. “I’m kind of envious of Julian. Gets drunk and has a gentle, beautiful wife to take him home. Drive safe, sis-in-law.” I frowned. Zach’s bold move felt offensive. I gave him a cold look. ” knowing his tolerance is low, you still let him drink this much. You call yourself a best friend?” Zach chuckled, looking down. Then he shrugged. “If he didn’t get drunk, how would you come pick him up?” Weirdo. I ignored him and drove Julian home. Neither of us liked having people around, so the staff were gone at night. I struggled to get Julian into bed, fed him some hangover soup, and was about to take off his coat when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. Looking at Julian’s face inches from mine, I froze. “SpongeBob.” “I’m not. You’re mistaken.” I tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge. “Do you remember? The first year we met, the New Year’s gift you sent me?” That was also the first year of our marriage. New Year’s at the Sterling house is lively, but cold. Uncles and aunts feigned concern while picking at his faults. Cousins scrambled to please the grandfather. Compared to them, Julian, whose parents died early, seemed awkward and silent. Julian left the gathering early. He came home to see me, a forced wife, and went into his study without a word. At the same time, I got a message from Grandfather Sterling: “Julian is hurting. Chloe, it’s New Year’s. Make him happy.” Chloe couldn’t make Julian happy. SpongeBob could. So I bought a talking plushie, recorded a “Happy New Year” message, and pretended it was a delivery to his office. Late at night, Julian ran to the office without hesitation. He came back with the plushie, smiling. “I was so happy then.” “Since my parents died, I never received a New Year’s gift prepared with genuine care.” I felt a pang of sympathy. Before I could react, Julian’s face changed. He pinned me to the bed, furious. “But why are you so fake too?!” My wrist hurt. I frowned and slapped him. “What are you doing?!” Julian’s head snapped to the side. He buried his face in my neck, repeating “Why?” I couldn’t push him off. When I finally broke free, he still gripped my wrist tight. Exhausted, I slept on the edge of the bed. The next morning, I opened my eyes to see Julian fully dressed, standing by the bed looking down at me. His eyes were full of disgust. “Is this your tactic?” ? “You don’t want a divorce, so you can’t wait to climb into my bed? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting.” Julian leaned down, gripping my chin. “I will never acknowledge you as my wife. You disgust me.” I slapped his hand away. “Are you sick?” Forget roasting him; we barely spoke in two years. Julian was taken aback. Unfortunately, I have morning grumpiness. Seeing Julian picking a fight first thing in the morning pissed me off. “If your last name wasn’t Sterling, I wouldn’t have anything to do with you.” Julian sneered. “Admit it? You only married me because I’m the heir.” True enough. I didn’t argue. I just gave him a timeline. “Don’t worry. Maximum one week. I will divorce you.” “You better keep your word.” His attitude made me want to see him suffer. So I asked deliberately: “You drank so much yesterday. Something sad happen?” “…” “I saw you wearing clothes you don’t usually wear, and you ordered flowers. Meeting someone important? Why were you unhappy after meeting them?” “…” SLAM. Julian stormed out. I lay in bed, laughing after twisting the knife. Then I checked my phone. New intel: “Kidnapping case leads found.”

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Preston Sterling didn’t want me, his “hillbilly” fiancée from the countryside. To get me to break off the engagement myself, he hired the school’s poorest scholarship student to impersonate him. “One nouveau riche, one guy so broke he can’t afford lunch. A perfect match,” Preston sneered to his friends. “I bet the gold digger won’t last three days before she runs back to her daddy to cancel the wedding.” The scholarship student was tall, aloof, and looked like he was holding the weight of the world on his shattered shoulders. I fell for the lie completely. I really thought the Sterling family had gone bankrupt and that he couldn’t even afford a meal. My dad’s advice rang in my ears: “Baby girl, so what if they went bust? We don’t love people for their money. We have enough money to support him.” So, when he was hungry, I fed him. When he worked part-time, I acted as his bodyguard. When his mom was hospitalized, I swiped my card. I took excellent care of my destitute “fiancé.” Until that day. A gorgeous, preppy boy snatched the breakfast I had painstakingly prepared. Just as I was about to explode, he looked at me with a mix of frustration and desperation. “Lily, look closely. I am your fiancé…” 1. My dad told me I had a fiancé in the city. To let me decide whether I wanted him or not—and to get me into a better school—he transferred me to Preston Sterling’s high school for my junior year. I heard the Sterling family was old money, the richest in the state. My dad made sure I packed plenty of expensive gifts. But when I got off the train, not a single person from the Sterling family was there to pick me up. I was annoyed at first. But when I got to the school and saw “Preston”—wearing a t-shirt so washed out it was practically transparent—my anger vanished. A helpful student I met on the way had looked at the photo in my hand and guided me. “Junior AP History? You’re looking for Preston? I know him. I’ll take you.” He pointed him out. I followed his finger. Sitting by the window was a boy with a straight back, thin and clean. The afternoon sun filtered through the blinds, hitting his profile. The breeze ruffled his hair, revealing a smooth forehead and a sharp brow bone. I looked at the photo, then at him. The helpful student whispered, his voice dripping with tragedy, “You don’t know? The Sterling family went bankrupt two years ago. Preston is on financial aid now. He works part-time after school. Sometimes he’s so broke he can’t even afford lunch.” My family didn’t have much contact with the Sterlings, and rich families don’t exactly advertise bankruptcy to their country connections. I let out a soft “Oh,” nodding like a bobblehead, promising not to spread the gossip. “Class, this is the new transfer student, Lily Vance,” the teacher announced, pointing to an empty desk in the back. “You can sit there.” I looked up. It was right next to him. From the moment I walked in, he never looked up. He was writing furiously on a piece of paper. As I squeezed past his chair to get to my seat, my backpack snagged on something. I tugged gently, and a metal water bottle fell out of his desk. It clattered on the floor, the lid popping off to reveal half a dry, stale bagel inside. It rolled into the dust. I saw his shoulders tremble slightly. He gripped his pen tighter, but didn’t turn around. Stifled snickers erupted around us. I saw boys whispering, looking at his back with disdain. So it was true. The boy in the photo, once so full of life, really couldn’t even afford a proper meal. I bit my lip, hugged my bag, and sat down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He still didn’t look at me. He just picked up the bottle and stuffed it back into his desk. “I’m Lily,” I said, tilting my head to catch his eye. “Do you remember me?” We had met once when he was six. My mom and I are suckers for pretty faces, and little Preston was exquisite. I had dragged him to chase chickens, and he got pecked on the butt. He never spoke to me again. But he hadn’t grown up ugly. He was still beautiful. He jumped slightly at my closeness, leaning back to look at me. His eyes were gorgeous—like obsidian. His lashes were long and dark, softening the coldness in his gaze. He didn’t speak. I scratched my head. “I’m your fiancée. Remember?” He was taking a sip of water and choked, coughing violently. I quickly patted his back. When he recovered, he looked at me with a complicated expression, a flush spreading across his pale cheeks. Maybe he forgot. Or maybe bankruptcy changed him. Whatever. I decided we’d just start over as friends. I extended my hand, smiling. “Well, we’re desk mates now. I’m Lily. Nice to meet you. By the way, can you do me a favor?” I thought he would ignore me, but he spoke. His voice was cold. “I don’t have time.” 2. Meanwhile, the “helpful” student who guided me had run to the stairwell to meet a group of rich kids. Gavin laughed, high-fiving the center of the group—a handsome, preppy boy. “Preston, it’s done. That girl is not the brightest bulb.” “She believed everything I said. I pointed at Jax and told her the Sterlings went bust and he couldn’t afford food. Her jaw hit the floor.” “She even saw Jax’s stale bagel. Who lives like that in this day and age? Is she planning to run a charity?” “I bet you anything, she’ll call her dad to cancel the engagement within three days.” Preston looked impatient but checked, “Are you sure? Three days? She really bought it?” “I saw the photo she had. It was just a side profile of you. You and Jax have a similar build. Nobody would question it.” “I told her that after the bankruptcy, you changed your name to Jax to hide from debt collectors. She bought it hook, line, and sinker.” “If you run into her, just say you have the same name. She won’t cling to you.” Preston shoved his hands in his pockets, relaxing. “Nouveau riche country bumpkin. What century is this? Who does arranged marriages anymore?” “Exactly. The Sterling family has a hundred years of history. Even if you marry, it should be to an heiress, not some village girl.” “My mom has been on a hunger strike trying to force my dad to cancel it. But Dad listens to Grandpa, and Grandpa is all about ‘honor’ and ‘promises to old war buddies.’” “But hey,” Gavin added, “I actually think your fiancée…” Preston shot him a cold look. Gavin corrected himself. “The little village girl is actually pretty cute. I took a picture. Want to see? Maybe you’ll like her.” Preston scoffed. “Are you sick? Since when do I have low standards? I don’t do country girls.” Gavin scratched his head, muttering, “She really is pretty though. Prettier than the prom queen.” 3. I knew none of this. Right now, my world revolved around Jax. Yes, he said his name was Jax. The Sterlings really did change his name to hide from debt. I spent the whole day trying to talk to him. He rarely responded. But I’m chatty. I got my dad’s genes—he could talk to a cow for a whole day. Plus, I’ve never met a stranger. “Hey, what’s good to eat in this city? I’m new.” “Do you live on campus or commute?” “Wait, why is this formula different from what I learned back home?” “Where’s the water fountain? I’m parched.” Finally, Jax couldn’t take it anymore. He whispered, “Listen to the teacher.” Then, after a pause: “Water fountain is by Room 4. Go after class.” By the time the bell rang, I forgot about the water. I called my dad immediately and told him about the Sterling bankruptcy. Dad was shocked. “What? Oh well. It’s okay, baby. If they’re broke, they’re broke. We aren’t snobs. True character shows in hard times. If you like the kid, we’ll just support him.” I nodded. I didn’t love him yet. But Jax was just so pitiful. I didn’t have much, but I had money. And right now, that was exactly what he needed. My family got rich the year I was born. My dad invested in real estate when our town expanded, then got lucky with tech stocks. He didn’t know anything about the internet, but he knew how to write a check. Compared to the generational wealth of the Sterlings, we were definitely “new money.” But the benefit of being new money is that my dad hands me credit cards like they are playing cards. I could have bought the karaoke bar where Jax worked, but I didn’t want to hurt his pride. I followed him for days before finding out where he moonlighted. Jax looked different at night. More casual, hair a bit messy. I had sneaked in, so when he saw me, his eyebrows knotted together. “Who told you to come to a place like this?” He dragged me to the stairwell. “Go home.” Now he was talking. I pulled a club sandwich out of my bag and shoved it into his hand. Jax froze. “Eat it,” I pushed it toward him. “I bought too much. The shop owner said it expires tonight. I can’t eat it, and wasting food is bad. Help me out?” I knew Jax worked three jobs after school. Flyer distribution, running a taco stand, then cleaning at this karaoke bar. He sold tacos for $7 but never ate one himself. He survived on stale bagels or leftovers from the karaoke fruit platters. I had made friends with other classmates. They warned me to stay away from Jax. They said he was weird, gloomy, and anti-social. They said he had a mom on dialysis and a disabled sister. Strange. Mrs. Sterling was that sick? I couldn’t ask him. I didn’t want to break his heart. “Why?” Jax held the sandwich, looking down at me. I widened my eyes. “Why what? We’re desk mates. And you helped me with that math problem today.” I nodded firmly. “Yes! My dad said if I don’t get into a good college, he’ll break my legs. Jax, I am bribing you. This sandwich isn’t free. You have to tutor me tomorrow.” I saw his test scores. Perfect 1600 on the SATs. He pursed his lips. “You don’t think I’m… dirty?” I gasped. “How could I?” I leaned in and sniffed him exaggeratedly. “You smell like soap. Your clothes are cleaner than mine! Look at my sleeve—” I showed him a smudge. “Are you going to say I’m dirty?” In the dim light of the stairwell, Jax looked up. His eyes shone like stars. He shook his head. I lifted my chin proudly. “That’s right. I am your fian—” I stopped myself just in time. 4. Jax clocked out ten minutes early to walk me home. He stuffed a notebook of study guides into my bag. My dad bought me a house in the ritzy gated community, Clearview Estates, before I arrived. Since my mom passed, he treats me like a fragile treasure. He hired a live-in nanny to cook for me. As we approached the gates of the rich neighborhood, I swerved and walked toward the regular apartments down the street. His family went bankrupt. Seeing villas might make him sad. “This is me!” I pointed at a random building. “You go home now.” Jax looked at the building, then suddenly reached out and patted my head. “See you tomorrow, desk mate.” If anyone from school had seen him, they wouldn’t have recognized him. The paper-thin, lifeless Jax seemed to have inflated with a little bit of hope. Once he was gone, I sprinted toward the gated community. I ran fast, rounding a corner, and almost slammed into someone. The person reacted quickly, grabbing my arm to steady me. I looked up. A very handsome, preppy face. Huh. He looked familiar. Kind of like Jax. But why did he look so dumbfounded? I waved my hand in front of his face. “Hey, I’m fine. You can let go.” He startled and dropped his hand. “Sorry.” I didn’t care. I nodded and kept walking. “Wait, do you go to Central High…?” he called out from behind. But just then, my golden retriever burst out the front door to greet me. I squealed and ran to my dog, forgetting the boy entirely. Preston stood there, watching the girl hug her dog and disappear around the corner. By the time he reacted and chased after her, she was gone. He opened his group chat: “Does our school have a girl with long hair, big round eyes, and a beauty mark on her nose? Has anyone seen her?” Someone replied: “What’s the situation? Love at first sight?” “No way. Preston has high standards. He wouldn’t even date the cheer captain.” Preston kicked his feet up on the coffee table, staring at the words “love at first sight.” “Shut up. Just tell me if you’ve seen her.” “I’ve seen long hair. I’ve seen big eyes. But that specific combo? I can scout for you tomorrow. If she goes to Central, she can’t hide.” Preston smirked. He was rich, handsome, and confident. There was no girl he couldn’t get.

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1 To save my people, I sought help from my childhood friend Caspian, now a famous scientist. He was still obsessed with me—kept me in his bed for seven days. Then he poured acid over me, coldly saying, “So mermaids feel pain. But it’s nothing compared to what your kind did to my parents.” For two years, he married another woman but kept me chained. He cut out my Coral Core to heal his wife, made me clean their bed, and listen to their nights. When she got pregnant, he fed her my flesh. He hated me, yet nursed me back each time I neared death, whispering, “You’re defiant because you know I love you. Tell me where my parents are.” I stayed silent. But soon, I won’t need to—a mermaid who stays on land for three years dies. I had three days left. … At three in the morning, the wooden door to the storeroom was kicked open. Hands grabbed me, hauling me to my feet before a series of sharp, ringing slaps struck my face. The assault only stopped when my lip split and I could taste blood. Caspian’s personal assistant, Marcus, dragged me out by my legs, cursing under his breath. “The madam is hurt, and you have the nerve to sleep so soundly!” The salty sea air was thick with the scent of blood. A crimson trail snaked all the way to Caspian’s bedroom. He saw the bloody path I left on the floor and his brow furrowed in disgust. “Rosalind is hurt,” he commanded, his voice flat. “Heal her.” I lifted my eyes, first to Rosalind, her cheeks flushed and dewy, then to her swollen belly— CRACK! The back of his hand cracked across my face. He loomed over me. “I told you to heal her. Do you think a creature like you even deserves to look at her?” I immediately lowered my head. “I’m sorry.” Slowly, I crawled toward the bed. I learned then that Rosalind had woken in the night to feed the piranhas and one had nipped her finger. After all these years, I was used to her various “ailments.” I numbly opened my shirt, dug my own sharp nails into the flesh over my heart, and, through gritted teeth and a cold sweat, pulled out the glowing Coral Core to heal her. The room was silent, until Caspian’s voice cut through the air, cold as ice. “Playing the victim won’t work on me, Lira.” In his eyes, this was just an act. After all, a mermaid’s blood could also heal. But my blood no longer held that power. Rosalind stirred, letting out a soft cough, and Caspian was at her side in an instant, gathering her into his arms. “Does it still hurt?” She bit her lip, her gaze flicking to the open wound on my chest. “Darling, I don’t know why, but since I’ve been pregnant, the smell of blood just makes me so sick.” At her words, Caspian’s leg shot out, kicking me hard. “Get out. And stand guard.” I crawled out of the room, my body aching, as I heard his voice soften behind me. “Rosalind, my love, you haven’t been sleeping well. Is the baby keeping you up? Let me listen.” My heart, which I thought had turned to stone, clenched painfully. The wound on my chest, not yet healed, began to bleed anew. A maid appeared, dumping a bucket of foul, fishy water over me. Her face was a mask of disgust. “Filthy monster. Aren’t you supposed to heal? Why are you still bleeding all over the floor? It’s disgusting!” She threw a mop at me, the handle striking my forehead. I flinched, curling into myself. “Clean this up. Now. Or I’m telling Mr. Caspian.” For the rest of the night, I was on my hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. I listened to the sounds of their intimacy from within the room, and a single, hot tear fell from my eye. The memory of Caspian’s loathing was a phantom that haunted me, growing larger with every passing moment. Soon, I thought. Soon I’ll be free. The immortal mermaid could die. Three days left. By the time the last drop of blood was gone from the floor, my wound had finally sealed itself. A new day was dawning at the seaside estate. Caspian emerged from the bedroom, his neck dotted with fresh, red marks. He frowned at the blood-soaked mop. “Why was there so much blood?” I didn’t try to explain. I just bowed my head. “I’m sorry. I’ll dispose of this filth immediately.” Nearby, a maid was trimming flowers, her voice deliberately loud. “You won’t believe it, but that thing actually asked me how to make someone happy. Oh my god, is she trying to seduce Mr. Caspian?” “Heh, of course she is. Does a worthless creature like her actually dream of becoming the lady of the house? If it weren’t for her kind, Mr. Caspian’s parents would never have disappeared.” I tried to hurry away, but Caspian was faster. He kicked the cleaning supplies aside and dragged me to his laboratory. I was strapped into the electric chair, capable of delivering a hundred-thousand volts. The world swam before my eyes, and I fought back nausea. Caspian held the remote, his legs crossed, his expression dark. “I almost forgot. It’s been a month since our last session.” “Tell me,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “Where did they take my parents?” He hadn’t even pressed the button, but my hands were already clawing at the armrests, a frantic, reflexive terror taking over. My fingers were bloody before the first jolt hit. “I don’t know.” The words had barely left my lips before the current tore through my body. I screamed, my body convulsing violently as a hot liquid streamed down my legs. The first shock ended, but I couldn’t stop twitching. Caspian stood up, pacing, his jaw tight. He asked again. I spat out a mouthful of blood. Every organ in my body screamed in protest. “I won’t tell you.” I couldn’t. Their safety depended on it. This time, he didn’t press the button. Instead, he had Marcus bring out a small, velvet pouch. From it, he poured several shimmering pearls—Coral Cores I had hidden in a loose floorboard. My eyes widened in horror. My whole body trembled. “What are you doing?” “Oh, I think you know exactly what I’m doing.” A cruel smirk played on his lips. He tossed one of the Cores onto the floor and brought his heel down on it with a sickening crunch. He laughed at my blood-choked scream. “Was this your mother’s Coral Core? Or your father’s? I hear the only way to truly kill one of your kind is to crush the Core. Otherwise, you just keep coming back.” He ground the fragments under his shoe. “Such a resilient species… still not talking?” My nails had broken, exposing the white of the bone underneath. Tears of blood streamed from my eyes. “Caspian,” I whispered, my voice raw with hatred. “I hate you.” His response was a kiss that felt like he wanted to bite my tongue off. The kiss sent me spiraling. My body was so weak these days, I could almost forget how deeply we had once loved each other. Merfolk have always been drawn to humans, often taking human form to live and love among them. I was three when I first met Caspian. The first time he saw me, he looked up at his mother and asked, “Mommy, is this the bride you found for me?” His mother had laughed and tapped him gently on the head. Our families became close, spending all our time together. Then, when I was fifteen, a wave of persecution drove my people from the shores. We had to leave. But I would still sneak back onto land sometimes, just to see him. Once, when someone asked who I was, I was about to say I was his sister. But he cut in, his expression deadly serious. “She’s my girlfriend,” he declared. “And my future wife. Lira.” In that moment, my heart truly belonged to him. Years later, a deal was struck between a faction of merfolk and a group of elite human scientists. The liaisons for this exchange were my parents… and Caspian’s. And then, his parents vanished. I was the prime suspect. I knew he hated me for it. But I couldn’t tell him the truth. Years passed. Caspian became a top scientist in his own right. And I, for the sake of my people, had to get close to him again. So many times, I wanted to tell him everything. But I couldn’t. It didn’t matter anymore. Soon, the suffering would be over. Caspian’s fingers were setting fires on my skin. He suddenly stopped, staring at the blood on his hands. Only then did I realize that all the old wounds—from the cuttings, the bloodletting—were beginning to reopen. I let out a hollow, numb laugh. “I’m dying, Caspian.” He reacted as if I’d spoken a forbidden word. He looked like he’d gone mad. He scrambled for a bottle of pills and forced them into my mouth. His voice was like cracking ice. “Without my permission, you don’t get to die.” He unlocked my shackles, dragged me to a pool of medicinal solution, and forced my head under. I choked, water flooding my senses. His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing ragged and harsh, as if he were the one suffocating. I held my breath to keep from drowning in the solution. The lack of air made my face swell and turn purple. Only when the powerful healing agents in the pills took effect and my wounds stopped bleeding did he grab my hair and yank me out. I had barely caught my breath. When he shackled me again. He chained me to the bedpost like a dog. Rosalind, her eyes full of sultry invitation, leaned against his chest. Her gaze shifted to me, and it was filled with a strange, venomous glee. Her red lips moved, forming silent words only I could see. “Lira, I want you dead.” In a state of half-sleep, I felt a hand gently stroking my hair. A tear fell from their eye and landed on my lips. It was salty. “Lira,” a voice whispered, full of a pain I hadn’t heard in years. “If none of this had ever happened… how wonderful would that have been?” Was it Caspian? Was he… crying? I struggled to open my eyes, but there was no Caspian. It was Marcus, yanking on the chain, dragging me out into the estate’s courtyard. Merfolk hate the sun. For one on the verge of death, it was agony. Rosalind saw me and smiled sweetly. “Lira, are you hungry?” Caspian had his arm around her. When I didn’t answer, he kicked me. The blow landed squarely on a wound that was already on the verge of splitting open. Blood immediately soaked through the fabric of my dress. Caspian looked away, irritated, not sparing me a single glance. He just tossed a trench coat from a nearby lounge chair over me. “Rosalind gets faint at the sight of blood. Cover yourself!” A flicker of something crossed Rosalind’s eyes before she smiled again, tossing chunks of raw meat and muddy vegetables onto the ground in front of me. Her voice was as soft as silk. “Eat up, Lira.” For some reason, I looked up at Caspian. Why did I ever think he felt sorry for me? Expressionless, I bent down and began to gnaw on a dirty cabbage leaf, my fingers digging into the soil in humiliation. I heard Rosalind’s concerned voice. “Lira, why aren’t you eating the meat? You need meat to be healthy, you know.” Without thinking, I tore off a piece of the raw flesh. My sense of smell had degenerated so much I was almost numb to it. I didn’t know what kind of meat it was. “Is it good? It’s mermaid meat! Very nutritious!” I froze mid-chew and stared at her. Her smile widened, and my stomach heaved. “Ugh—” “Ah! My shoes!” I had vomited on the heel of her shoe. Marcus didn’t even need to be told. He grabbed me by the collar and slapped my tear-stained face. Caspian, who was notoriously germaphobic, knelt down and began to wipe Rosalind’s shoe with his own handkerchief. He was so gentle, so meticulous. He had never once, after using my body to vent his frustrations, even bothered to clean me. He was clearly furious. “Ungrateful bitch. If you don’t want to eat, we’ll feed this to the dogs!” Rosalind gave a weak, delicate smile. “Lira’s just not hungry. Don’t force her.” “Why don’t we let her join me while I paint? It can be her way of making up for this, what do you think?” Caspian sighed, a faint smile touching his lips. “You’re just too kind.” He shot me a cold look and was about to say something else when his phone rang. He murmured something loving to Rosalind, then leaned down and gently kissed her pregnant belly. For some reason, my nose began to sting. After he left, Rosalind’s expression turned to ice. “I don’t like people watching me paint. Go to the basement.” I said nothing and did as I was told. In the basement, a maid tossed several small buckets at my feet. Her voice was a derisive, pinched whine. “Hey. The madam needs more red for her painting, and there’s no red prettier than blood. Fill these three buckets. Now.” A rusty blade clattered on the floor in front of me. “Use this.” I hesitated, mumbling, “It’s rusty.” The maid spat. “Who do you think you are, a princess? Why would an unkillable monster like you deserve anything good?” She crossed her arms and watched me. I picked up the blade without another word and sliced open my wrist. Hot, crimson blood dripped into the bucket. By the time all three were full, I was shivering, my lips blue with cold. I leaned against the wall, my mind adrift. Two maids passed by, carrying laundry, their voices loud with gossip. “The madam’s paintings are so beautiful, aren’t they? It’s just a shame the materials are so hard to find. They had to kill several mermaids just to get a tiny bit of Coral Core powder.” “And some of the blood isn’t even pure. A monster is a monster. They’re not like us.” The hair on my body stood on end. I pushed myself up, using the wall for support. I staggered into the courtyard and was met with the sound of piercing shrieks. The ground at Rosalind’s feet was littered with the mangled bodies of merfolk. She had her foot on one of their tails, carving out a translucent Coral Core before crushing it in her fist. I felt my own heart shatter with it. Rosalind turned to me, silhouetted against the light, a malicious curve to her lips. “Lira, I learned something new today! Did you know every Coral Core is a different color?” “Such a shame I only want white ones. Why don’t you be a dear and help me? Dig out all their Cores for me—” My eyes locked on a small figure in a nearby water tank. My little brother. He was only ten. He hadn’t even learned to take human form yet. “Sister, help me!” he cried, banging on the glass, his tears turning to pearls as they fell. Rosalind pouted, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Oh, so he’s your brother? How cute! Why don’t we start with him?” Two guards seized my brother and dragged him before her, holding him down under her blade. I couldn’t control it anymore. I fell to my knees and slammed my forehead against the ground, over and over. “Madam, I’m begging you! Please, let my brother go!” “Use my Coral Core! Mine is white, I swear it!” Rosalind twirled the knife playfully. “But I’m in the mood for a surprise today. Isn’t this more fun?” “Little boy, today sister is going to open you up first, and then Lira—Ah! What are you doing?!” “Don’t you dare hurt my sister!” My brother, his eyes red with defiance, struggled with all his might and sank his teeth into Rosalind’s wrist. A second later, Caspian, who had just returned, sent him flying with a vicious kick. All his teeth were knocked out. He landed in a heap beside me. Caspian held Rosalind, comforting her, the rage in his eyes practically spilling over. “Lira! Your kind stole my parents, and now you try to harm my wife?” I shook my head, tears streaming down my face, shielding my brother’s broken body with my own. “I was wrong! Kill me, just kill me! Let my brother go, he’s just a child…” “Heh. Let him go? Fine.” Caspian’s burning gaze swept over us. “Tell me where my parents are, and I’ll let him go.” Those same words again. All the strength drained from my body. For the first time, I looked at Caspian with pure, undiluted hatred. “You don’t know anything. You don’t understand anything.” “I told you, when the time is right, you will understand everything. Why do you have to hurt my family?” Caspian, I hate you. God, how I hate you! He averted his gaze, refusing to meet my eyes. He bit the inside of his cheek and sneered. “Fine. If you won’t talk, then your brother can pay for your sins.” It happened so fast. Caspian’s hand moved in a blur, and the dagger was buried in my brother’s chest. I thought I heard something shatter. My brother’s small face, once so soft, was now cold and still. His Coral Core was gone. I just sat there, forgetting how to beg. Rosalind, clutching her belly, came over to “help” me up, only to collapse dramatically a few feet away. She sobbed, a pathetic, kitten-like sound. “Lira, they were just animals! My baby is a person! Are you trying to kill my child?” Caspian had never believed me. This time, I didn’t even bother to explain. “Yes,” I said, my voice dead. “I want to kill you both.” Caspian trembled with rage. He was about to strike me when he realized Rosalind’s water had broken. He shot me one last, venomous glare. “After the baby is born, I’ll deal with you.” I just smiled, a hollow, empty thing. You won’t get the chance. I’m almost dead. I was locked in the storeroom again, in the suffocating, sunless dark. I curled into a ball, feeling the warmth steadily leech from my body. The floorboards above me were alive with activity. They had set up a temporary delivery room for Rosalind. She screamed for a day and a night before the baby was finally born safely. Caspian, relieved, leaned against the doorframe, lighting a cigarette. Just then, Marcus rushed up, out of breath. “Mr. Caspian! Sir, there’s… there are people at the gate for you!” He raised an indifferent eyebrow. “Who?” “Your parents!” Caspian moved like a bolt of lightning. But when his parents saw him, their first reaction wasn’t a tearful embrace. It was frantic, desperate questioning. “Is Lira here? You have to get her to the sea! She’ll die without saltwater!” A cold dread gripped Caspian’s heart, but he feigned nonchalance. “She hurt Rosalind. I locked her in the storeroom. Dad, mermaids can’t die.” “Let’s not talk about her. Tell me, where have you been all these years?” His father looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. He raised his hand and slapped Caspian hard across the face. “Where is the storeroom? Take us there! Now!” Reluctantly, Caspian led the way and opened the decrepit door. “See, Dad? She’s fine.” His parents took one look inside and burst into tears. Caspian turned. He saw that half of my face had dissolved into seafoam. But in the next instant, he did something I never could have predicted.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386629”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel