Category: English

In a room full of society’s elite, my fiancé snatched the bouquet right out of my hands. He dropped to one knee and proposed to my sister instead. She said yes, tears streaming down her face. The bride was swapped at the altar, and I became the punchline of every joke in the Hamptons. That’s when Julian Thorne, the heir to the Thorne dynasty, stepped forward with a marriage contract and a very public proposal. After we married, Julian spoiled me rotten. Against my better judgment, I gave him my heart. Then came my birthday party. I pretended to be drunk, slumped in Julian’s arms, listening to his friends debate how much a man could truly love a woman. I heard him say: “I married the woman my true love hates most, just to clear the path for her.” 1 Every word struck me like thunder. I was nestled against his chest, listening to his heartbeat while he confessed his undying love for my sister. My blood turned to ice. The private room went silent for a heartbeat before erupting into cheers. “Classic Julian! Enduring a loveless marriage just to protect his white moonlight.” “You’re a real romantic, man. Loving Bianca silently for years, even sacrificing your own happiness.” Julian’s voice was low, gentle, and terrifying. “As long as Bianca is happy, I’ll do anything.” His friend chuckled. “I heard Bianca and Sam are getting divorced. Does that mean you’ll get your second chance soon? When do you plan to tell the wifey?” Julian paused. “Bella is dependent on me. I’ll handle it later.” “Don’t mention this in front of her. I don’t want a scene.” Everyone agreed instantly. No one dared cross Julian Thorne. Someone, emboldened by liquid courage, teased: “But hey, it’s not a total loss. Sleeping with a movie star must have its perks.” Julian let out a soft laugh, his fingers absentmindedly playing with my earlobe. “It has its moments.” I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ached, forcing back tears. I thought Julian was my savior, pulling me from the abyss. Turns out, he was the one cutting the rope. Seven years of marriage, reduced to a cruel joke. Sam, Julian… they all loved Bianca. No one loved me. 2 After the party, Julian carried me to the car himself. “Drive smoothly,” he whispered to the chauffeur. “My wife is sleeping.” He was still so attentive, nuzzling my neck even as I feigned sleep. Lying in his arms, memories flashed like a movie reel. Years ago, Sam—my childhood sweetheart—left me at the altar. Overnight, I became the laughingstock of New York high society. Julian appeared with a contract. He said he’d just inherited the family empire and needed a stable, suitable marriage to secure his position. Disillusioned with love, I agreed to the arrangement without hesitation. He gave me the wedding of the century. Fireworks lit up the Hudson River all night long. I had sworn off love, but his seven years of unwavering devotion melted my defenses. I let him in. I thought I was drowning in honey. It turned out to be arsenic. “Honey…” I murmured, pretending to wake up, eyes unfocused. Julian immediately adjusted me to a more comfortable position against his shoulder. “Babe, does your head hurt? I’ll make you some hangover soup when we get home.” I clung to his arm. “I was just happy today.” My voice was sweet, practiced. Acting is my job. If he, an amateur, could keep up a charade for seven years, imagine what an Oscar-winning actress could do. Julian kissed my temple. “I have a new project starting soon, so I might not be able to visit the set often. Take care of yourself.” “I’ll order food for the crew and make sure your assistant watches you eat… If you don’t behave… I’ll have to punish you.” His hand drifted to my waist, squeezing suggestively. I fought the urge to vomit and twisted away. “Stop, that tickles…” 3 That night, I tossed and turned. I thought about the safe hidden in the corner of Julian’s study. The one I’d never opened. This time, it took me one second. Because I finally realized the combination was Bianca’s birthday. It wasn’t filled with love letters or trinkets from Bianca, as I’d feared. Just a corporate seal. But the company name on the stamp hit me like a lightning bolt. It was a company I had no connection to, yet knew intimately. Because every movie, every endorsement deal Bianca had landed over the years was heavily invested in by this company. I had always wondered. Bianca’s acting was mediocre at best, yet her resources were better than mine—the wife of a billionaire. The mystery was solved. It was Julian. He had been her silent guardian angel all along. Once, a famous director offered me the lead in his new film. The script was perfect. I cleared my schedule for six months, hit the gym, and transformed my body for the role. I told Julian how much it meant to me. He said, “Babe, why work so hard? Isn’t it enough to just be Mrs. Thorne?” Before filming began, the director paid the penalty fee and replaced me with Bianca. This mysterious company had tripled the investment to buy the role for her. I put the seal back and closed the safe. In the darkness, tears finally fell. My phone buzzed. The screen lit up the room, harsh and bright. “Ms. Bella, have you made your decision?” “Yes.” It was time to exit this three-person game. 4 The next morning, the studio van came to pick me up. Julian walked me to the car, kissing the corner of my mouth. “Babe, rest up. Don’t overwork yourself.” I reported my schedule. “Big explosion scene today.” Julian paused. “I thought that was next week?” “Schedule change. Saves resetting the scene later.” He hugged me again, completely missing the test. “Be safe. Double-check the safety gear.” My heart plummeted. In the past, whenever I had a dangerous scene—explosions, car crashes, wire work—Julian would clear his schedule. He’d be on set, checking everything himself. But now… News of Bianca’s divorce had just broken. He couldn’t even be bothered to fake it anymore. Fine. I’ll give these star-crossed lovers their happy ending. During a break, I saw Julian’s custom Rolls Royce parked near the studio lot next door. Bianca was filming there. An impulse to see him one last time drove me toward the car. Only the driver and his assistant were inside. They scrambled out when they saw me. “Mrs. Thorne… Mr. Thorne went to the restroom…” Their eyes kept darting toward Bianca’s trailer. I understood. I walked over and knocked on the trailer door. Julian opened it. Behind him, Bianca sat on the sofa, hair mussed, buttons misaligned. Julian panicked for a split second, then smoothed his expression. “Bella. I came to see you and ran into Bianca. We were just discussing some business.” I forced a smile. “Really? What business do you have with my sister? You never mentioned it.” “Boring stuff. You wouldn’t be interested,” he said gently, dismissively. Before I could speak, his assistant ran up with a phone. “Mr. Thorne, overseas call. Important.” Julian patted my head. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right back.” He walked away. Bianca uncrossed her legs and sauntered over, smugness radiating off her. “Curious what we were talking about, Bella? My dear sister.” “His company is about to announce me as their global brand ambassador.” “Soon, the whole world will know that Mr. Julian Thorne chose his wife’s rival to represent him.” “Does that count as rubbing your face in the dirt?” “Just wait, Bella. I’m going to take everything that belongs to you, piece by piece.” She laughed, bright and provocative, brushing her hair aside to reveal a fresh hickey on her neck. Bianca and I share a father, but different mothers. She was the secret child, brought home only after my mother died. I tried to be a sister to her. She only ever hated me. “I hate you, Bella. You and your mom stole my dad. Stole everything that should have been mine!” “Bianca, my mom didn’t know he had a pregnant girlfriend when they arranged the marriage… She was a victim too!” “Shut up! If not for her, my dad would have married my mom! Remember this: you are not my sister!” My father always felt guilty about Bianca. He made me yield to her. Even when she stole Sam at my wedding, he just scolded her and swapped the brides. I spiraled into depression. It was Julian who pulled me out, brick by brick, with his love. Bianca stole my roles. Julian would say, “Treat acting as a hobby. I want you home with me anyway.” I thought it was sweet. Now I realized, my rival wasn’t just Bianca. It was my husband, sleeping beside me every night with a heart full of secrets. “Oh, right. Julian came to drop off a script. He’s investing in a new movie for me. Top director, A-list team. Starting soon.” She handed me the script from the table. The cover read: Redemption in the Clouds. I flipped a few pages, and my hands began to shake. On my computer at home, there was a script I had spent seven years polishing. It was based on my story with Julian. A chronicle of our marriage, from strangers to lovers. And now, Julian had gifted it to Bianca. I opened my mouth to scream, but Bianca smiled—a twisted, knowing smile. Then she slapped herself across the face, hard. Twice. Messed up her hair and screamed. “Ahhhh!” “Bella, what are you doing?!” Julian, who had been stepping onto the trailer stairs, rushed in. He didn’t even look at me. He shoved me aside and went straight to Bianca. “Bianca, are you okay?” Bianca covered her face, eyes brimming with tears. A perfect victim. “Julian, I don’t know… I just invited her for tea, and she attacked me… called me a slut…” Julian looked at me. His gaze was cold, ruthless. A stranger. “Bella, I know you don’t like Bianca, but how could you hit her? Look at her face! How is she supposed to film?” “There are paparazzi outside. If they get a picture, how are we going to clean this up?” I stared at Julian. My eyes burned, but I refused to cry. I didn’t deny it. I didn’t explain. I just asked: “Why did you give my script to Bianca?” Julian’s eyes were icy. “What script? I told you not to be so ambitious. It’s just a script. Does it matter who acts in it? We agreed you’d retire and focus on the family.” I looked away, digging my nails into my palms until they bled. Exhausted. Disappointed. Focus on the family? Never again. Seeming to realize my detachment, Julian softened his tone. “Bella, I’m sorry I raised my voice. I was just worried the press would spin this and hurt you.” “Everyone knows you’re sisters. You’re my wife. I don’t want people badmouthing you.” He rubbed my head. “Go do your scene. I’ll come have lunch with you. Be good.” I nodded. Turned around, and let a cold sneer settle on my face. It must be exhausting for Julian, juggling two women like this.

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One chaotic night, I accidentally got pregnant with my stepbrother’s child. I remembered a few weeks earlier at dinner, our parents had been nagging him about marriage. He answered calmly: “I already have someone I like.” I nearly blacked out. Great. Now I’m the homewrecker in my own family. I stayed up all night applying for grad schools in Europe, planning to get an abortion and flee the country. But while I was waiting outside the operating room, a hand grabbed my wrist. My stepbrother’s voice was cold and obsessive: “Do you hate me that much?” “You’d rather kill our child and run away than tell me the truth? Is that it, my dear little sister?” 1 My mom married a billionaire when I was three. It was a whirlwind romance that ended in a fairytale wedding, and I, naturally, was part of the package deal. I grew up in the Thorne mansion. My stepfather adored my mom and treated me like his own. I genuinely saw him as my dad and his son, Julian, as my brother. Julian was good to me when we were kids. But as we got older, we drifted apart. It happens. I was sad about it for a while, but I eventually accepted that I had gone from his “beloved little sister” to just “that relative living in the house.” I had just made peace with it when the accident happened. 2 I woke up in Julian’s bed, my body aching all over. I stared at the ceiling, my brain slowly rebooting. The chaotic memories of last night came rushing back like a freight train. Vague fragments of someone whispering, “Don’t cry, baby.” And some… much more explicit phrases. I covered my ears, trying to block out the memories. Failed. Worse, the person next to me felt me move and instinctively tightened his grip, pulling me into his chest. His voice was thick with sleep. “You awake, baby?” I stopped breathing. I didn’t dare look up. He couldn’t know it was me. Julian has a girlfriend. He said so himself. Last weekend at dinner, our parents were talking about the neighbor’s new grandchild, which naturally led to them pressuring Julian about marriage. “Julian, you’re 25. Anyone special in your life?” Mom asked. We were in the living room. I was sprawled on the couch playing video games; Dad had his arm around Mom. Julian said, “Yes.” I looked up from my game, curious. My brother is handsome, rich, and has a good temperament. He’s had girls chasing him since kindergarten. He rejected all of them. Who did he finally fall for? I blinked. “Bro, who is it? Do I know her?” He glanced at me but didn’t answer. I pressed on. “Who? Who is she? Why are you hiding her?” Julian suddenly snapped. He sneered, “Who my girlfriend is is none of your business.” I rubbed my nose, feeling wronged. Mom and Dad pressured you, why yell at me? I’m just the punching bag. Siblings really do drift apart. He won’t even tell me who he’s dating. But forget about the girlfriend for a second. The problem right now is that Julian’s hands are wandering. I buried my face in his chest, frozen. He couldn’t see my face. “Baby, it’s still early,” he murmured lazily. What does that mean?! I went rigid. He thinks I’m his girlfriend. Do they wake up like this every day?? If I look up, I’m dead. He still hasn’t realized. Maybe because I’m silent, he thinks I’m consenting. Just as he was about to prop himself up and see my face, I panicked. I turned over and buried my head under the pillow. “Hmm?” He chuckled, a low, vibrating sound. “You like that?” He leaned over. “Baby, call me big brother.” AHHHH! NO! Why are you guys like this?! 3 I refused to come out from under the pillow. Julian probably never imagined the person in his bed wasn’t his girlfriend. He patted my head. “Shy?” I muffled a reply: “Go away.” He sighed helplessly. “I’ll go make lunch. Rest a bit, I’ll wake you when it’s ready.” Click. The door finally closed. I crawled out of the blankets and stared at my body. I pinched myself. It hurt. It wasn’t a dream!! Julian is outside. And I, his sister… I only remember attending a gala with him last night. The champagne tasted weird. We both drank it. I lost my mind, and Julian apparently mistook me for his girlfriend, calling me “baby” the whole time. And then… this happened. I covered my face. What am I going to do?! I need to escape. Julian’s apartment has an open kitchen. If I walk out, he’ll see me. While I was panicking, Julian came back. I heard the door and yanked the covers up. He patted my head through the quilt. “Still shy, baby?” His voice was so gentle. Oh my god, does he talk to his girlfriend like this? “We’re out of Coke. I’m running to the store to get some for the wings. Don’t panic if you can’t find me, I’ll be right back.” Does his girlfriend love Coke wings too? Who doesn’t? Wait. Focus. He’s leaving. Thank God. 4 As soon as I heard the front door close, I scrambled out of bed. My dress was torn. I opened the closet to borrow his girlfriend’s clothes, but it was full of men’s suits. Huh? No women’s clothes? Maybe there’s a walk-in closet? No time to check. I grabbed one of his shirts and a jacket. Julian is 6’3″, almost eight inches taller than me. I looked like a child playing dress-up. I rolled up the sleeves and pants, grabbed the shreds of my dress, and fled. Once I was out of the complex, I exhaled. Safe. Even if Julian realizes it wasn’t his girlfriend last night, he’ll never guess it was me. Our sibling relationship can still be salvaged. 5 I stopped at a boutique to change into normal clothes before going home. Back in my room, I rolled around on my soft bed. I hadn’t slept till dawn, and then… more exercise this morning. My nerves finally relaxed, and I slept until the afternoon. Luckily, Mom and Dad are on vacation in Europe. No one woke me up for lunch. I rubbed my eyes and went downstairs to ask the maid for food. I saw Julian standing at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over me lightly. “Awake?” I remembered him saying “Baby, awake?” this morning. Followed by two hours of cardio. I stepped back instinctively. “Bro?” His eyes were dark. I feigned surprise. “Why are you home today?” He tapped the railing. “What do you think?” How should I know? I changed the subject. “Did you eat? I’m hungry. If not, I’ll tell the kitchen to make extra.” “You’re eating now?” he asked. I lied without blinking. “Yeah, realized I missed an assignment last night, stayed up all night finishing it. Slept all day.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Doing homework at home last night?” I nodded. “Yup!” “Okay.” Julian’s tone was unreadable. “Eat. My dear sister must be tired after working all night.”

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1 The city’s golden boy got shot down by the campus queen, so he offered to pay me, the shot girl, to drink with him. I was about to refuse when my beat-up old phone suddenly rang. “Mom, don’t be an idiot. This is your one shot at marrying into money.” The little girl’s voice, startlingly clear, came through the speaker. She claimed to be my daughter from ten years in the future. “Just have one drink with the prince, and you’ll get a black card. Instantly.” “If you get all high and mighty and turn him down, in ten years, you’ll be dragging me to sleep under a bridge!” I froze. Get rich just by having a drink? Why didn’t you say so sooner? I hung up and plopped down next to the golden boy, Conrad Sterling. “I’ll drink with you all night long,” I declared. “We’re not leaving ’til one of us is under the table.” … With that, I grabbed Conrad’s glass and downed it in one go. Impressed by my nerve, he pulled out a black card and slapped it on the table in front of me. “Keep me company tonight, and this card is yours. Spend whatever you want.” My eyes lit up. I reached for it, but the campus queen, Melanie, smacked it out of my hand. “Sophie, you have no shame, do you? You’re actually going to take it?” “Let me warn you,” she sneered, “just because I don’t want him, doesn’t mean you can have what’s left.” I ignored her, scrambling on the floor to find the card. Conrad saw this and a smug smile spread across his face. “See that, Melanie? You might not want it, but plenty of people do!” “I’m done being your simp. Tonight, Sophie is all I want.” Melanie shot me a venomous glare before storming off. Clutching the black card, I was so overcome with emotion I could have cried. The girl claiming to be my future daughter… she wasn’t lying. She’d told me on the phone that the one thing Conrad couldn’t stand right now was rejection. If I just accepted his offer, I’d get the black card and be able to pay my rent and tuition. I’d thought it was some new kind of scam, but I was already so broke I was selling shots in a bar. What did I have to lose? Now, with the card in my hand, I finally believed her. She really was my daughter from the future. Conrad was still studying me, and I tried to remember what my daughter had said. “The prince has a huge ego. He loves to be flattered.” “When he’s drunk, make sure you take him back to your apartment.” I brushed myself off, stood up, and gave Conrad my sweetest smile. “Thank you, Mr. Sterling. It’s the honor of a lifetime to meet someone so generous.” My flattery worked. He was so pleased that he bought out my entire sales quota for the night. He got hammered, ranting about how Melanie had no taste. I played along, stroking his ego. “It’s her loss, passing up on a great man like you.” “She’s the one with no taste, no class. Don’t you ever doubt yourself because of her. You’re amazing.” Meanwhile, I was nursing apple juice, matching him glass for glass. Once he was completely wasted, I hoisted him onto my back and hauled him to my tiny rental. My phone rang again. “The prince is a total germaphobe. Get him cleaned up, fast.” “He’s been starved for affection his whole life. You have to use this opportunity to show him what a warm, loving home feels like.” I couldn’t help but ask, “How do you know so much? And how are you even calling me?” My daughter’s little voice sounded frantic. “I can’t explain much. Just answer the phone whenever I call and do exactly what I say.” “Otherwise, my future is eating moldy bread, and yours is starving to death under a bridge.” She also gave me a solemn warning: I had to protect this phone at all costs. It was the only way she could contact me. Looking at Conrad, sleeping soundly, I made a promise to myself. I would seize this chance and change our destiny. 2 The next morning, I placed a bowl of hangover soup in front of Conrad. “I got up early to make this for you. It’ll help with your headache.” “I also made some porridge and pancakes. You can have some if you’d like.” The aroma of the food filled the small room, and Conrad’s eyes suddenly turned red. “Thank you for taking care of me. It’s… it’s been a long time since anyone was this kind to me.” My own eyes welled with tears. “No, thank you.” “I was about to be evicted for overdue rent. Your card saved the only home I have.” He glanced around at the shabby surroundings. “Why do you live in a place like this?” When he learned I was an orphan who had put herself through grad school by working odd jobs, like selling shots at the bar, his expression softened with a mixture of pride and protectiveness. “Keep the card,” he said. “You don’t have to pay me back. Use it for whatever you need.” “I was going to give it to Melanie anyway, and she would have just thrown it back in my face. It’s better off with someone who actually needs it.” During breakfast, Conrad devoured everything, praising my cooking nonstop. I seized the opportunity. “If you don’t mind how simple this place is, you’re welcome to come over for a home-cooked meal anytime.” Just as my daughter had said, he was desperate for affection. He immediately added me as a contact and promised he’d visit often. The moment he left, my daughter called. “See? I told you not to put onions in the pancakes! Perfect for the prince’s taste, right?” “Now, use that card to invest in yourself. Especially your hair! You can’t marry into a rich family with frizzy hair like that!” Don’t you worry, my sweet girl. I am the most coachable mom in the world. That day, I quit my job at the bar and signed up for everything: salon treatments, a gym membership, a whole new wardrobe. Around dinnertime, my daughter’s voice chirped through the phone again. “Don’t expect the prince to chase you. He won’t lower himself.” “You have to be proactive. He loves it when people fuss over him.” I immediately sent Conrad a text: [Make sure you eat a proper meal after drinking so much. You don’t want to get a stomachache.] He replied instantly. He complained that his office only had terrible takeout options, nothing as good as my pancakes. I typed back with a smile: [If you don’t mind, you could come over for a simple dinner tonight.] And so, that evening, I saw Conrad again. He polished off every last bite of the savory fish soup and stir-fried pork I made. From that day on, my tiny apartment became Conrad’s private diner. He noticed the changes in me—my new confidence, my polished appearance. Sometimes, I’d even use my graduate-level knowledge to offer him advice on his business dealings. It didn’t take long for us to grow closer. He offered to help me find a new place to live. “I’ve picked out an apartment for you near my office. It’ll be easier for me to come over for dinner every day, and you’ll be more comfortable.” When my daughter heard, she was even more excited than I was. “Congratulations, Mom! One step closer to marrying into the family!” “But first loves are hard to forget. You need to make him give up on Melanie for good.” After some careful thought, I anonymously paid a few students to spread a rumor around campus. “Did you hear? Conrad Sterling is seeing that Sophie girl now.” “He even bought her an apartment. I guess she’s his new little canary.” As I expected, three days later, Melanie cornered me. “Everyone, come look!” she shouted, making a scene. “This is Sophie! She acts all innocent and pure, but behind closed doors, she’s the biggest slut of them all!” 3 All eyes turned to me, a mixture of shock and judgment on their faces. Melanie scoffed. “You think sleeping with him a few times will make him fall for you? Dream on! He’s just using you to make me jealous!” “Once he’s tired of you, let’s see who’s crying then.” Amidst the whispers, I let my eyes fill with tears, a single, perfect drop tracing a path down my cheek. Melanie gritted her teeth. “You manipulative bitch. Who are you putting on this little pity show for?” Just then, a cold voice cut through the crowd. “Melanie, I never knew you were such a vicious person.” Seeing the utter disappointment in Conrad’s eyes, I fought to hide a triumphant smile. Ever since I’d started the rumors, I’d been feigning illness, asking Conrad to pick me up from campus every day. I had orchestrated this entire scene for him to witness. “Melanie, let’s just pretend I never liked you,” he said, his voice flat. “I was wrong about you.” Melanie stomped her foot in frustration. “Stop pretending, Conrad! I know you’re just using her to get to me!” “Break up with her right now, and I’ll consider giving you another chance to chase me!” Her arrogant, condescending tone was the final straw. “Shut up!” Conrad roared. He pulled me behind him, his voice booming with authority. “Sophie is a decent, hardworking woman. If I hear one more person spreading rumors about her, they’ll be hearing from my legal team.” A gasp went through the crowd as Conrad grabbed my hand and led me to his Rolls-Royce. He gently wiped my tears away. “I should have made things clear with Melanie sooner. Then you wouldn’t have had to go through this.” I squeezed his hand, my voice trembling. “Thank you for defending me. I must have done something truly good in a past life to deserve someone as wonderful as you.” Conrad’s gaze intensified, and the air between us crackled with a new, charged energy. After that day, our relationship deepened. Once I moved into the new apartment, he spent more and more time with me, eating almost every meal at my place. Whenever our bodies accidentally brushed against each other, a faint blush would creep up his neck. Even though I’d bought a new smartphone, I treasured my old, beat-up one. Thanks to my daily calls with my daughter, everything was going according to plan. But I was growing more and more curious about this sweet, clever girl of mine. “Where am I, ten years from now? And who’s your father?” “Are you still eating moldy bread? If I marry Conrad, will your life change instantly?” But every time, her answer was the same. “Time is short. I’ll tell you everything later.” “Just remember, the only way you’ll be happy is if you marry Conrad!” But to marry him, I had to break the comfortable pattern we’d fallen into and make our relationship official. I wracked my brain, searching for an opening. One day, as I was leaving a spa, a lavishly dressed woman stopped me, her eyes raking over me with disdain. “So you’re the shot girl who seduced my son?” 4 I was completely blindsided by Conrad’s mother. Both he and my daughter had told me that his father had passed away young, and his mother had always been consumed by her career, paying little attention to him. I never thought she would be an obstacle. Seeing my stunned silence, she sneered. “Just as I thought. A classless nobody from the sticks.” She threw a stack of papers in my face. “A dirty little shot girl, dreaming of climbing into the Sterling family?” “I will not let my son ruin the family name with a woman like you.” I noticed her assistant in the background, secretly filming with her phone. Suddenly, I realized. This was it. This was my chance to seal the deal with Conrad. I immediately schooled my features into an expression of righteous indignation. “Mrs. Sterling, you can humiliate me, but you can’t hurt Conrad!” “He’s never known what a warm home feels like. Now that he’s finally found some happiness, you want to tear it away from him.” “You’re his mother! How can you be so cruel?” Her face flushed with anger. “You’re an orphan. What gives you the right to speak to me like that?” “Don’t push your luck. Here’s ten million dollars. Get out of his life. Now.” I stood my ground, my voice firm. “I’m not saying this for money! I’m saying it because I care about him!” “I will never leave Conrad. I’m not like you. I could never bear to see him all alone!” Enraged, she slapped me across the face. A sharp, stinging pain bloomed on my cheek, but inside, I was ecstatic. This was it. I’d won. She pointed a finger in my face, spewing a torrent of insults. Before she left, she shot me one last warning. “You think you can steal my son? It’s not that easy!” The moment she was gone, my daughter called, her voice full of concern. “Mom, does your face hurt? I’ll blow on it for you.” “You’re so smart, Mom! His mother wanted to film you being a gold digger, but you completely turned it around on her.” “Just you wait. The prince will be there any minute to confess his love!” I carefully preserved the red handprint on my cheek, waiting anxiously. And once again, my amazing daughter’s prediction came true. Less than half an hour later, Conrad burst in. Seeing the mark on my face, he pulled me into a tight embrace, his voice choked with tears. “I saw the video… I’m so moved… This is the first time anyone has ever chosen me, the first time anyone has ever stood up for me.” “Be my girlfriend, Sophie. I promise I’ll love you with all my heart.” I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and passionately returned his confession. To show his commitment after we made it official, Conrad immediately transferred the apartment deed into my name. He then started planning a grand banquet, declaring he would officially announce our relationship to the world and show his mother he was serious. My daughter could barely contain her excitement. “After the banquet, you’ll be the prince’s fiancée, the envy of the whole world!” “So, Mom, when are you and the prince going to make a baby? I can’t wait to meet you!” A wave of tenderness washed over me. My sweet girl, I can’t wait to meet you, either. After all, without her calls, none of this would have happened. Filled with anticipation, I got into the car headed for the banquet. But when I walked into the hall, I froze. It wasn’t Conrad waiting for me. It was his mother. And Melanie. Seeing the malicious glint in Melanie’s eyes, a jolt of fear shot through me. At the same moment, my phone began to ring frantically. “Mom, you need to get out of there right now—” Before my daughter could finish, Melanie lunged forward and snatched the phone from my hand. “As long as I’m here, you will never marry Conrad Sterling!” CRASH. The phone shattered into a million pieces on the marble floor.

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Today, I was filming a scene with the notoriously icy, A-list actor, Julian Mercer. When it came time to hold hands, I felt something unexpected. He was… reacting. Physically. I froze. Pulling my hand away felt wrong, but letting him keep holding it felt even worse. Because sitting right behind the monitor, watching every frame like a hawk, was my ex-husband, the famous director Wyatt Hale. His face was currently a shade darker than death, while the surrounding crew members were trying very hard to hide their expressions of pure, unadulterated gossip. 1 Even though Wyatt had directed three movies back-to-back for Summer Rose, taken her to fashion shows in Paris, and bought a luxury love nest, no one thought I would actually divorce him. After all, I had been with him when he was a nobody. Now that he was a “Gold Medal Director,” everyone assumed I, the woman who loved him to death, would never let go of the fruits of my labor. But I was the one who proposed the divorce. He refused, dragging it out for two years. At a high-end jewelry gala, I ran into Summer. She brushed past me with her chin held high, unable to resist a jab. “Lexi Shaw, did you know? He says I’m better than you in every way. On screen, and in bed.” As the cameras panned toward us, she flashed a sweet, innocent smile, looking every bit the junior admiring her senior. I beamed back, radiant. “In that case, Miss Rose, your acting skills are truly top-tier. After all, Wyatt is painfully mediocre in bed. You’ve had it rough.” Summer’s face cracked. I reached out and scratched her chin gently, like I was petting a kitten. With the flashbulbs blinding us, I leaned in and whispered in her ear: “Why don’t you convince him to sign the divorce papers? It would save you from being called a homewrecker every day.” Summer turned pale. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and posed for a gracious photo. That night, Wyatt came back to our Beverly Hills villa, holding the photo of me and Summer. “Summer is just a kid. You’re a triple-crown winning actress; why bully her? Where’s your dignity?” I slammed the divorce papers in front of him again and uncapped a pen. Wyatt sighed and took the pen. “It was my infidelity. I can leave you the money and the assets. But you… you can’t find anyone else.” “Wyatt, whether I find someone else is none of your business.” He put one hand in his pocket, looked me over with arrogant confidence, and scoffed. “Forget it. You’re practically frigid anyway. In this world, besides me, no man would put up with you. Lexi, just wait a few years. When I’m bored of her, I’ll come back.” With that, he scribbled his signature on the papers. 2 A month later, I joined the cast of Wyatt’s new film. This contract had been signed years ago. It was supposed to be my movie. But Wyatt had slashed the script to pieces, elevating Summer to the lead and using me as a stepping stone to boost her career. Before filming started, my agent and the producers fought tooth and nail. Summer marched onto my trailer, flashing an eight-carat engagement ring. It was a ring I had seen with Wyatt years ago. Back then, he was broke. I had chosen a one-carat ring instead, telling him, “One carat is beautiful. It means you’re the one.” “Lexi,” Summer gloated, “Wyatt said money was tight, but he borrowed from friends because he refused to let me suffer. Think about it. What do you have?” I took a calm sip of my coffee. “Not much. Just several villas under his name, ten million in cash, and a chunk of his company stocks.” Summer’s mouth twitched, but she suppressed her rage. The trailer smelled of rich, freshly brewed coffee. I looked at her. “Want a cup, Miss Rose? These beans are Colombian. Quite good.” Summer smiled tightly. “Lexi, don’t think just because you have an Oscar you can be a diva. The whole crew is waiting for you. Do you know how much money is lost for every day of delay?” The production assistant stepped onto the trailer. He looked at me with pleading eyes. “Ms. Shaw, Wyatt was wrong… I apologize on his behalf… but please, give him some face. The producer said the next project will be a good one for you…” I had expected this. I’ve been in this industry a long time; I’ve swallowed my pride before. Emotions are a luxury I quit long ago. Besides, giving Summer more screen time wouldn’t help if she couldn’t carry the emotional weight of the role. Bad acting is embarrassing no matter how many lines you have. “Just this once,” I said. The PA looked like he’d been granted amnesty. Just then, my agent stepped onto the trailer. She took a deep breath, looking like she’d just won the lottery. “The male lead has been replaced. It’s Julian Mercer.” Julian Mercer. He won Best Actor at Venice at twenty-two. He had swept every major award globally and was notoriously reclusive. My agent looked at me. “Julian said he liked the original script. The investors agreed. We are shooting the original script.” 3 Outside the cast hotel, a crowd of Summer’s rabid fans had gathered. Every day, when Summer left for set, they would scream and snap photos. Summer would wave with that sugary smile. “Ahhh! My daughter! She waved at me!” “Summer and Wyatt standing together… it’s giving Mafia boss and his baby girl. I’m obsessed.” “Wyatt lost interest in Lexi ages ago. Who wants a damaged woman?” “Yeah, I heard women with Lupus can’t have kids. Useless.” “I heard Wyatt loved Lexi so much he donated a kidney to her back in the day. What a devoted man.” I met Wyatt the year I recovered from Lupus, right after my kidney transplant. The line that moved me most was when he said, “Lexi, I’m grateful I met you when you were fragile. Otherwise, a guy like me would never have had a chance.” Later, when he was caught leaving Summer’s apartment, he spent a fortune buying the photos. He thought I leaked them. So, he “accidentally” revealed my medical history. He planted the fake story about donating his kidney to gain sympathy, then announced the divorce, implying he wanted kids and I couldn’t provide them. Perhaps fearing backlash against Summer, he hadn’t officially announced their relationship. But their “CP” fans were already shipping them hard. Wyatt looked at Summer with doting eyes amidst the screams. Then he looked at me with feigned innocence, as if he wanted no part of the drama. Nausea rose in my throat. I tossed my coffee cup toward a trash can. I missed. The entire contents splashed onto a tall man in a white coat. 4 The brown liquid soaked into the pristine fabric. The wind rustled through the trees. He smelled of cold cedar and winter air. “Oh my god! Julian Mercer!” “He’s even more handsome in person!” “I can’t wait to see him act with Lexi!” “There’s some weird chemistry there already.” I had a tissue in my hand, but I didn’t reach out to wipe him down. I put it away. “I’m sorry. I’ll pay for the coat.” When Wyatt shot his first indie film, Julian had already won his second Silver Bear in Berlin. We had watched the livestream together. My eyes hadn’t left Julian’s face. Wyatt had been jealous then. “I knew you liked that type.” Now, Wyatt watched helplessly as Julian extended a hand to me. “It’s just a coat. No worries. Ms. Shaw, a pleasure.” I shook his hand lightly. “Mr. Mercer, the pleasure is mine.” His assistant rushed over to take the coat for cleaning. As Julian took it off, a worn leather passport holder fell out of the pocket. It flipped open. Inside was a passport photo of a girl in a British high school uniform. Me. Young, bright, and unscarred. Sharp-eyed crew members saw it, but no one dared to speak. Julian calmly picked it up and closed it. “Just got off the plane. Forgot to pack it away.” 5 I was in the studio taking promotional stills. When it came time to select the photos, Wyatt cleared the room. His eyes were glued to my face. “Happy now? You get to work with Julian Mercer.” I stared at the monitor, ignoring him. “Don’t get any ideas. So what if you’re an award winner? You’re a divorcée. A family like the Mercers only marries into old money. Give it up.” To avoid scratching his face, I took off my ring. Then I slapped him. My hand stung. Two years ago, when he first started sleeping with Summer, I screamed and fought. Wyatt enjoyed it. It made him feel important. Later, my heart went cold, and I stopped reacting. “Wyatt, I took this job to repay a favor to the producer. I have no obligation to listen to your barking.” Wyatt looked stunned, then almost aroused by the violence. “Lexi, are you jealous? Do you… do you regret divorcing me? If you say the word, I won’t marry anyone else.” I replayed the producer’s begging in my head and held back my vomit. Outside, Summer was peeking anxiously. I calmly put my ring back on. Summer walked in, eyeing Wyatt’s red cheek. She assumed we were fighting about her engagement ring. “Lexi, are you throwing a tantrum because Wyatt bought me a diamond? You’re divorced. He left you the assets. Is this necessary?” Wyatt put on his impatient, arrogant mask. “Summer, Lexi is your senior. Learn your place.” Summer looked at him with puppy-dog eyes and shut up. Wyatt smirked, satisfied. The dynamic was suffocating.

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After getting rejected by the campus belle, Seth hired me to be his sycophant. My job description included, but was not limited to, shamelessly fawning over him to restore his shattered male ego. Finally, the day came when the campus belle got jealous. I excitedly pulled up my payment QR code. “Money! Pay up!” Seth’s face darkened, and he snapped my phone in half. 1 The night Seth confessed his feelings to the campus belle was quite the spectacle. Rumor has it he worked three part-time jobs around the clock for three months to buy 999 roses. The result? The campus belle elegantly flicked her long hair and gently declined: “Seth, why do this? This kind of grand romantic gesture is clearly beyond your means. It doesn’t move me; it just makes me feel pressured.” That night, the school forum exploded: 【Who does that broke loser Seth think he is, even dreaming of the campus belle?】 【The campus belle is so beautiful and kind. She must be so annoyed by shameless poor guys like him, but she was still so polite!】 As evening fell, the crowd on the athletic field dispersed, leaving Seth’s solitary figure behind. He smoked for half an hour, then suddenly turned and kicked at the magnificent bouquet of rainbow-dyed Ecuadorian roses. “Dude, watch the flowers—” I yelled, waving my arms. Seth’s raised leg froze mid-air. He teetered for a moment before regaining his balance. He lifted his heavy eyelids and looked at me, his lips pressed into a thin line, saying nothing. I trotted over. “Hey, if you don’t want these flowers, can I have them?” Seth frowned in annoyance, turned, and walked away. A grin split my face. I took off my jacket and gathered the massive bouquet in my arms. Ignoring the thorns pricking my skin, I hauled the flowers to the night market next to the school. “The Rolls-Royce of roses, Ecuadorian rainbow roses! Freshly flown in from South Africa! Not 199, not 99, just 9 bucks a stem today! Come and get ’em!” I work part-time at a flower shop. I was the one who delivered Seth’s confession bouquet. 999 roses, at $199 a stem. My boss had offered Seth a discount. Seth refused. “My love doesn’t need a discount.” My boss was thrilled to have found such a sucker. He told me I could clock out after the delivery. Since the delivery was on campus, I decided to stick around and see who the lucky girl was. Unsurprisingly, it was the campus belle, Amelia Thorne. She’s been the campus goddess since freshman year—gentle, elegant, with a legion of male admirers. I had no idea Seth was one of them. I’d heard his name before. He was famous, mainly for his looks. He had the sharp, defined features and broad-shouldered, long-legged build of a comic book hero. Drop-dead gorgeous. But he was supposedly poor. Hence his nickname: the “Handsome Pauper.” But that afternoon, I’d seen him drop twenty grand at the flower shop without batting an eye. I had no idea what kind of part-time job paid that well in three months… or what it involved. It was Valentine’s Day, and the night market was bustling. Lots of girls were selling roses, but their ordinary red roses were no match for my luxury galaxy-themed bouquet. My phone kept chirping:【Venmo payment received: $9.】 It was the sweetest sound. I was in the middle of a transaction when Seth pulled up on his electric scooter. He put one long leg down, stopping right in front of my stall. His expression was unreadable. My phone chirped again:【Venmo payment received: $9.】 I panicked, wishing I could muffle the sound. Seth’s eyebrow twitched. He gave me a thumbs-up. “Impressive.” Then he got back on his scooter and rode off. 2 With less than a hundred roses left, Seth returned. This time, he wasn’t on his scooter. He was driving a flashy blue Aston Martin. The roar of the engine made my customers turn their heads. Seth beckoned to me. “Hey, you. Get in. I need to talk to you about something.” “I can’t,” I refused. “I haven’t sold all my flowers.” “I’ll buy the rest.” He scanned my QR code with his phone. 【Venmo payment received: $1,990.】 Holy crap! He really was the purest-bred sucker I’d ever met. Buying back the flowers he’d thrown away, at the original price. I gathered the remaining flowers and scrambled into his car like the good little lackey I was. Seth took me to a high-end, minimalist bar. “What’s your name?” he asked, fiddling with his car keys and glancing at me. “Lily Bell,” I answered. “Alright, Lily Bell. You need money? I’ve got a job for you. Interested?” “I don’t sell my body or my ‘talents’,” I said, crossing my arms. He scoffed. “You? Not my type.” Seth laid out his plan. Tonight’s public rejection had been a major blow to his pride. So, he wanted to hire me to be his fawning, sycophantic girlfriend. He wanted to get his dignity back. “Why me?” I asked. “You’re the most shameless girl I’ve ever met. You’re perfect for the job.” “If you’re so rich, why were you pretending to be poor?” A faint blush crept up his neck. “In high school, I got tired of all the attention. I just wanted to be a normal person.” But with his looks, “normal” was never an option. The “Handsome Pauper” title was born. And tonight’s confession had been the ultimate humiliation. “To hell with the ‘Handsome Pauper’!” Seth cursed. “Lily Bell, your job is to fawn over me as much as you can. You get paid per fawn. Five grand a month, base salary.” “We need a contract,” I said. “Done. It’s effective tonight.” 3 We signed a six-month contract. That night, I posted on my social media: 【Even my dreams smell like you~ Seth, won’t you please look at me?】 The picture was of me, holding the hundred-plus roses, looking utterly captivated. The scene of Seth’s confession had already been plastered all over the school forum. The sea of galaxy-themed roses was unforgettable. So, it didn’t take long for people to recognize the flowers as the ones Amelia had rejected. Someone screenshotted my post and put it on the forum. The comments were brutal: 【Seriously? Picking up someone else’s rejected flowers? Where’s your self-respect?】 【The sycophant’s sycophant. Lily Bell is officially at the bottom of the food chain.】 #Seth’sSycophantLilyBell went viral. None of it bothered me. I sent a screenshot to Seth. RedRose:【How’s that? Satisfied with the results?】 Seth immediately sent me a thousand dollars:【Not bad. Keep it up.】 RedRose:【Should I bring you breakfast tomorrow? I’ll be at your dorm at 6 a.m. sharp. I’ll make sure every guy there is jealous of you.】 Seth sent back a sparkling gold thumbs-up emoji. I smiled. This is what you call professional competence. 4 The next morning, I was waiting outside Seth’s dorm with an assortment of breakfast foods. Students passing by pointed and whispered: “Look, that’s the shameless Lily Bell.” “Wow, she’s here this early to bring Seth breakfast. What a suck-up.” I calmly took out my vocabulary app and started studying. Seth didn’t emerge until 7:50. I immediately plastered a huge smile on my face and rushed over. “Seth! I brought you breakfast! I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a little of everything.” Seth’s voice was icy. “Don’t do this again. I’m not interested in you.” My eyes immediately welled up. “Liking you is my decision. I don’t need you to respond.” The guys behind Seth looked like their eyes were about to pop out of their heads. “Damn! Seth’s got some serious game!” “Isn’t that Lily Bell the top student in the software engineering department? I heard she’s a campus beauty too. And she’s willing to throw herself at him like this.” Seth snatched the breakfast from my hands and tossed it to his friends. “It’s all yours.” “Thanks, Seth!” they cheered. Then, Seth and his entourage walked away, leaving me biting my lip, my gaze following him until he was out of sight. Once he was gone, I pulled out my phone. RedRose:【How was that? My acting skills are pretty good, right?】 Seth sent me five hundred dollars:【You deserve an Oscar.】 Seth:【I have an early class in Building One tomorrow. Save me a seat.】 RedRose:【You got it!】 After Seth had parked his luxury car on campus last night, his rich-kid status was undeniable. So, a new prefix was added to my title: Gold-Digging Sycophant. The next day, I went to Building One early and saved him a seat in the front row, center. Prime real estate. As I looked up, I saw Amelia Thorne, floating into the classroom in a white knit dress, looking ethereal. I think she glanced at me, but I’d just spilled soy milk on my pants and was busy wiping it off. Seth strolled in right as class was starting. I waved enthusiastically. He saw me, his expression unreadable, glanced behind him, and then reluctantly sat down. “Boss,” I chirped. He sent me the money, then gritted his teeth. “Lily Bell, I told you to save me a seat. You saved me a seat in the front row?” “Huh? Where did you want to sit?” I was confused. “The back row, you idiot.” “Does the back row even need saving?” “Of course it does!” He then ignored me. I thought for a moment, then poked his arm. “Boss, your goddess is sitting behind us.” Seth’s expression flickered. He shot me a look. “Quick, fawn over me!” Sycophant Lily, at your service. I stuck a straw in an unopened carton of soy milk and offered it to him. He reluctantly took a sip, then pushed me away with a cool air of indifference. I gave him a pathetic, wounded look, making sure the students in the back got a good view of my crestfallen profile. Then, I tore open a chocolate bar and tried to feed it to him. He just kept twirling his pen, ignoring me. I gently nudged his arm. Before Seth could say anything, the old professor at the front of the room exploded: “If you want to have a lovey-dovey moment, do it outside! Don’t disrupt my class!” The classroom erupted in laughter. I blushed and hung my head. The professor wasn’t done. “And you, young lady, I don’t believe you’re in this major, are you?” The next second, I covered my face and ran out of the classroom. The laughter grew louder. Someone even started banging on their desk. The whole fiasco was quickly posted on the school forum. 【Seriously, does Lily Bell have no shame? I’m embarrassed for her!】 【Seth’s Aston Martin is worth over seven hundred grand, and he’s so hot. Of course Lily Bell is going to cling to him for dear life.】 【Gold-digger! Sycophant!】 I sent a screenshot to Seth:【Boss, look, the results are amazing. And when I ran out, I saw the look on Amelia’s face. She was glaring at me. You know what that means? She totally regrets rejecting you. Boss, you’ve got a shot!】 A moment later, two thousand dollars appeared in my account:【Stay calm. Don’t get cocky. Pride comes before a fall.】 RedRose:【You’re so wise, boss!】 5 Saturday afternoon was the big basketball game. Seth was the star player. As a dedicated sycophant, I naturally had to perform my duties in public. I stood on the sidelines, holding a bubble tea, my face a mask of excitement. “Go, Seth, go!” Hearing me, Seth took off his baseball jacket, revealing his muscular biceps. I, along with all the other girls in the stands, let out a collective, star-struck shriek. Seth just smirked and tossed his jacket at me. It landed on my face. Besides the pleasant scent of his laundry detergent, there was something hard and sharp in his pocket that hit me right in the corner of my eye. Tears sprang to my eyes. My grip loosened, and the bubble tea spilled all over my chest. I was wearing a light blue shirt. The brown stain spread quickly, leaving a dark, embarrassing mark on my prominent chest. The referee blew the whistle, and the crowd cheered. The game had started. Hiding my face under Seth’s jacket, I carefully put it on, backward, to cover the stain. By the time I’d blinked back my tears and re-emerged, my face was once again a mask of carefree adoration. “Go, Seth! I love you!” Seth raised an eyebrow and gave me a condescending smile. Of course, this micro-expression was immediately captured and posted on the forum. 【Damn, Seth couldn’t care less about her, and Lily Bell just keeps on fawning.】 【She’s actually wearing his jacket? Is she that desperate?】 【She’s so pathetic.】 During halftime, Seth ran over for a drink. I handed him the bubble tea. He took one sip, and his face darkened. “Who told you you could wear my jacket?” His voice was stern, angry. “My shirt got wet, so I—” Before I could finish, the coach called him back to the court. As he left, he shot me a warning look. “Lily Bell, don’t cross the line.” We’d played this game many times before. I fawned, he acted disgusted. It was all a performance. But this time, I knew he wasn’t acting. He was genuinely angry. The condescension, the derision in his eyes—it was real. There was also a hint of the cold, detached superiority of someone who was used to being on top, who saw right through me. A chill ran down my spine. A wave of shame I couldn’t name washed over me. I clenched my fists and texted my roommate, Chloe. RedRose:【Code red! Spilled bubble tea on my shirt. Can you bring me a jacket?】 Chloe:【Babe, I’m out right now, but I just ran into Leo. I told him to go save you.】 RedRose:【You’re a lifesaver.】 A few minutes later, Leo arrived at the gym. His voice was warm, his demeanor gentle. “Your roommate said you got your shirt wet. I was worried you’d catch a cold, so I rushed over. You can wear mine for now.”

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1 For three brutal months, the entire company had been in a death march for Black Friday, and we’d pulled it off. Sales had shattered the ten-million-dollar mark. But at the celebration party, the finance department delivered the gut punch: we were actually $500 million in the red. Just like that, every employee’s bonus was wiped out. My CEO husband, Jeff, however, looked completely unfazed. “The numbers are right,” he explained, a casual wave in his voice. “It was Mary. When she was updating the product listing, she accidentally priced a $3,000 item at $3.” He gently ruffled the hair of the intern standing beside him, Mary Summers, his tone dripping with indulgence. “She’s just a girl. Inexperienced.” Mary seized the opening, wrapping her arms around his and blinking innocently at me. “I’m just a silly girl, Ava. Please don’t be mad.” She snuggled closer to him. “Jeff already said it doesn’t matter if we make a profit. If it makes me happy, then that five hundred million was money well spent!” My blood pressure skyrocketed. I pulled out my phone and fired off a company-wide memo on the spot: 【Effective immediately, by a majority shareholder veto, CEO Jeff Gimpel is terminated.】 【The company will be pursuing legal action against Mary Summers and Jeff Gimpel to recover the full extent of the damages.】 … “Ava Rowan!” Jeff slammed his champagne flute onto the marble floor. It shattered, sending shards of glass skittering across the room. “Who the hell gave you the nerve to send that memo? You think you can fire me?” he roared, his face contorted with rage. “Open your eyes and look around! I’m the goddamn CEO of this company!” I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his, my voice a blade of ice. “I felt like it, so I did. Who you are is irrelevant.” “And it’s not just about firing you,” I added coolly. “You and your little intern owe the company five hundred million dollars.” “You—!” He was so furious his eyes were bloodshot, his finger jabbing the air inches from my face. “Ava, retract that memo right now! For the sake of our marriage, I’ll let this slide!” “Otherwise,” he hissed, “I’ll have you thrown out of this building myself, and you won’t see a single goddamn cent!” The air in the room turned to ice. The employees who had come to celebrate were frozen in shock, too scared to even breathe. Only Mary pouted, her voice a pathetic whimper. “It’s all my fault, I’m so stupid. I must have misread the price.” She tugged at Jeff’s sleeve. “Jeff, just hit me if it makes you feel better. Please don’t fight with Ava…” Jeff’s expression melted instantly. He stroked her hair, his voice softening to a purr. “Silly girl, how could I ever blame you? You’re too adorable. It’s only five hundred million. Think of it as your tuition fee.” Watching them, a wave of nausea churned in my stomach. Mary was Jeff’s childhood friend. I’d always known they were close, but I’d swallowed his bullshit about them being like brother and sister. Now, it was painfully clear. They were just a pair of cheating dogs. I took a deep, steadying breath, forcing down the inferno in my chest. Each word was deliberate. “Jeff, you and Mary will pay back that five hundred million. Every last cent.” “Money, money, money! Is that all you ever think about?” He scowled, his face a mask of disgust. “You have the soul of a cash register. It’s vulgar. Pathetic.” His words were so absurd I almost laughed. He didn’t care about five hundred million dollars? Of course not. He was playing the big shot with my money. And what about our team? The entire company had poured their blood, sweat, and tears into Black Friday for three months. Did their effort mean nothing to him? “Jeff,” I said, a vein throbbing in my temple as I gestured to the anxious employees behind me. “You can insult me all you want, but that money represents every single person’s bonus in this room. Are you really going to let their hard work go up in smoke?” The room erupted. “Yeah! What about our commissions?” “We worked overtime for three months straight! We were counting on that money for the holidays!” “The company can’t just screw us over like this!” Jeff’s face darkened with irritation. “What’s all the noise?” he snapped, waving a dismissive hand. “It’s just a bonus. Look at you all, so pathetic.” He scanned the crowd with contempt, then lifted his chin with an air of magnanimity. “Fine. I’ll cover it. Not only will you get your bonuses, I’ll double them! We’ll just take it out of my year-end dividends.” 2 Instantly, the employees’ faces were plastered with fawning smiles. They scrambled over each other to sing his praises. “Mr. Gimpel, you’re so generous! I knew you wouldn’t let us down!” “See? A company needs a real man like Mr. Gimpel at the helm! Ms. Rowan, with all due respect, you’re just too inexperienced for this!” “Ms. Rowan, why don’t you just apologize to Mr. Gimpel and Ms. Summers? We can all put this behind us.” I stared at the sea of faces that had turned on me in a heartbeat. The cold reality was almost comical. I was fighting for their money, and they wanted me to apologize? What a bunch of thankless snakes. My fists clenched. I turned my gaze back to Jeff, a glacial smile forming on my lips. “What are you even talking about, Jeff? You don’t own a single share in this company. What dividends are you talking about? What money are you going to use to pay anyone, let alone double?” His brow furrowed, his tone dripping with entitlement. “I know I don’t have shares, but your dividends are my dividends, aren’t they?” “It’s all marital property anyway,” he declared. “I’m the man of the house. I decide how we spend our money.” I froze for a second, then let out a sharp, humorless laugh. So, he gets to throw away a fortune, and I’m supposed to foot the bill? I took a deep breath, my voice as cold as a tomb. “Keep dreaming, Jeff. My money has absolutely nothing to do with you.” “We have a prenup,” I stated flatly. “And you cheated. The moment I file for divorce, your debt is your problem, and your problem alone.” The color drained from Jeff’s face. “You’d divorce me over money? Ava, I can’t believe you!” I couldn’t be bothered to argue the point now. “I repeat, you have no dividends. But the money has to be repaid. Should we take it from your personal accounts?” A small, mocking laugh escaped my lips. “Oh, but wait… you don’t have any money in there, do you? Maybe I should just sue. Send you and your little tramp to prison for a few years?” “Ava!” he roared, utterly incensed. “Are you insane? You’d sue me?” Mary stepped forward, her face a mask of indignation. “Ms. Rowan, how could you say that? And… there’s no way Jeff doesn’t have money!” She thrust her hand forward, displaying a massive gemstone ring for all to see, her posture radiating arrogance. “Everyone, look! This was my birthday present from Jeff. This ring alone is worth three hundred million dollars!” Gasps rippled through the crowd. “Three hundred million! Mr. Gimpel is loaded!” “Is that the legendary ‘Heart of the Ocean’? I thought there was only one in the world!” “That’s it! He caused a huge scene at the auction last week to get it for her!” My eyes flickered to the ring, a sarcastic curve to my lips. The real Heart of the Ocean was sitting in my family’s vault. This knock-off Jeff had spent a fortune on was probably worth less than three hundred dollars. And as for Jeff himself? He was a kept man. His entire lifestyle was funded by my family’s trust. One phone call from me, and his bank account would be zeroed out. I sat down, feeling perfectly composed, and locked my eyes on him. “Alright then. If Mr. Gimpel is so magnanimous, he can pay everyone’s bonuses right now. Along with the five hundred million the company lost.” “Fine!” he spat, shooting me a look of pure loathing before turning to the crowd. “Don’t you worry. Your little bonuses are pocket change to me.” He pulled out his phone, and under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, began to process the transfer. A ghost of a smile played on my lips. Because just a few moments ago, I’d had his accounts completely drained. 3 Mary sat down, casting a smug glance in my direction. “Really, Ava, was all this necessary? It’s not like Jeff can’t afford it. You’re just damaging your relationship.” My eyes snapped to her, cold and sharp. “The only thing damaging our relationship is you. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the homewrecker tree.” The smile on Mary’s face froze, then shattered. Her mother had been the other woman, and it was the one thing she couldn’t stand people mentioning. Her features twisted in fury, and she lunged, her hand raised to slap me. I caught her wrist in a grip of iron and flung her to the floor. “You want to hit me? You don’t have the right,” I snarled, dropping into a crouch and grabbing the collar of her dress. “Today, I’m going to find out just how thick your skin really is.” Without another word, I unleashed my fury, one vicious slap after another across her face. Crack! Crack! The sharp sounds echoed in the silent room. Red welts bloomed on Mary’s cheeks. Her shrieks pierced the air, stunning everyone into statues. Jeff was the first to break the spell. He rushed forward, pulling her behind him as if she were a damsel in distress. Mary clung to him, her voice a choked sob. “I’m sorry… Jeff, it’s all my fault… I don’t know what I said to make Ava so angry…” Jeff’s eyes were blazing with fury. “Ava! What gives you the right to hit her? Do you have any idea—” “I’ll hit whoever I want,” I cut him off impatiently, rising to my feet. “Jeff, you were supposed to be paying people. It’s been a while. Did you pay them?” I paused deliberately. “Or could it be… you can’t afford to?” “Hilarious!” he scoffed, as if I’d told the world’s funniest joke. “I make eighty grand a minute. You think I can’t afford this chump change?” An employee immediately pushed his way to the front, his face slick with a sycophantic grin. It was Kevin Miller, a mid-level manager known for being a spineless, opportunistic parasite. “Exactly! Mr. Gimpel spent three hundred million on a ring for Ms. Summers without blinking an eye! Ms. Rowan, you really shouldn’t worry your pretty little head about it!” He turned to Jeff, rubbing his hands together. “Mr. Gimpel, sir, why don’t you transfer my bonus first? You know, just to show certain people what real power looks like.” Jeff nodded, his posture arrogant as he pulled out his phone again. “Fine. Today, you’re the first to get paid.” His fingers danced across the screen. But a second later, they froze. His expression grew darker and darker. Kevin peered at the screen and let out a strangled cry. “Mr. Gimpel… why does your balance say… zero?!” “What? No way! Kevin, you must be seeing things!” Mary leaned in, her face etched with suspicion, but her expression went rigid the moment she saw the screen. After a long moment, a look of realization dawned on her face. “Oh, I know!” she exclaimed. “It must be from when Jeff bought me this ring! The transaction was so large that his account has been temporarily frozen. It’s a security measure.” Jeff, grasping at the lifeline, nodded firmly. “Exactly! What’s the panic? The system will reset in a few days. You’ll all get your money. I won’t short you a dime!” I met his gaze, a slight smile on my face. “Why wait a few days? Everyone’s anxious for their money now. If it’s just a temporary freeze, let’s all go down to the bank. We can do an in-person transfer right away.” 4 “Fine! Who’s afraid of you?” Jeff shot me a withering glare and immediately dialed his phone. “Mr. Davis? I need to make a transfer in the hundreds of millions today. Get everything ready for my arrival.” With that, he hung up and marched out, a procession of hopeful employees trailing behind him like a royal entourage. At the bank, the manager, Mr. Davis, was waiting with his staff lined up, ready to serve us tea and coffee. “Mr. Gimpel, a transfer of this magnitude requires a brief approval process,” he said obsequiously. “What a hassle!” Jeff frowned. “Do I, Jeff Gimpel, really need to go through these formalities?” He lounged on the plush sofa, his gaze drifting out the window to the luxury shopping district across the street. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Mary, how about I take you shopping while we wait? Didn’t you say you wanted that limited-edition handbag?” Mary practically leaped into his arms, her voice syrupy sweet. “Oh, yes! Thank you, Jeff! You always spoil me!” Pleased with himself, Jeff glanced at the eager employees behind him and waved his hand magnanimously. “Everyone, come along! Today, everything is on me!” The bank lobby erupted in cheers. “Mr. Gimpel is the man! A true leader!” “See, Ms. Rowan? I bet you regret how you spoke to him now, don’t you?” I simply sat back and took a sip of my tea, a knowing smile playing on my lips. The real show was just beginning. Seeing my silence, Jeff must have mistaken it for remorse. He looked at me, his tone condescending. “Since you realize you were wrong, I can be forgiving. My card is still frozen, so you can front the money for everyone’s purchases. I’ll pay you back.” I let out a cold, sarcastic laugh. “I’m not as extravagant as you, Mr. Gimpel. I’m just worried you… won’t be able to pay it back.” He clicked his tongue in annoyance. “How could I not pay it back? As soon as the bank lifts the hold, I’ll pay you back triple. Happy now?” I didn’t even bother to look at him, turning my head away. “Mr. Gimpel! Use my card! I’ve got you!” Kevin Miller scurried forward, his face beaming. “Sir, about that… triple repayment… you’ll remember, right?” “I always keep my word!” Satisfied, Jeff took Kevin’s card and led the stampede into the shopping mall. Every time Mary pointed at a luxury item, Jeff would swipe the card with a dramatic flourish. Before long, Kevin’s card was maxed out. Seeing their chance, other employees eagerly offered up their own credit cards. “Mr. Gimpel, use mine! Spend whatever you want! Just… please remember… triple!” “Don’t be so noisy! This is pocket change!” Jeff waved his hand, buying up merchandise as if he owned the entire mall. The other employees, meanwhile, were grabbing armfuls of designer goods, all waiting for Jeff to pay. Only when every last credit card was declined did Jeff reluctantly lead his followers back to the bank. Mr. Davis rushed over as soon as he saw them. “Mr. Gimpel, the approval has been expedited. I just need your account information.” Jeff handed over his details with an air of unshakeable confidence. But as the minutes ticked by, Mr. Davis’s face grew paler and paler, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out on his forehead. He approached Jeff, trembling, his lips moving but no words coming out. Jeff chuckled. “What’s wrong? Did the number of zeros in my account scare you speechless?” Mr. Davis wiped his brow, his voice shaking. “Mr. Gimpel… it’s not that there’s too much money…” “It’s… it’s because your account… it’s completely empty. There’s nothing in it.”

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Before I could even process the grief of my miscarriage, I accidentally overheard Ethan Vance talking to the doctor. “Find a way to remove my wife’s uterus. Make sure she can never get pregnant again.” Then, he gently stroked another woman’s stomach, his voice softening into something tender. “Create the best prenatal care plan for her. I want her child to be the heir to the Vance empire.” I recognized the woman. She was the new star streamer Ethan’s company had just signed. My blood ran cold. I never imagined the man who once loved me more than life itself could betray me like this. So, I left a divorce agreement on the table, granting them their twisted version of a happy ending… 1 Walking back to my hospital room, I felt like a zombie. My brain kept replaying the scene I had just witnessed. My husband, who treated me like a princess and loved me to the bone, was cheating on me behind my back. He was ordering doctors to remove my uterus. And he did it knowing full well that all I ever wanted was a child. A nurse passing by shot me an envious look. “Her husband rented out this entire floor just so she wouldn’t be disturbed. He hired private nurses for her every need, and that wasn’t enough—he insisted on staying by her side 24/7. I’ve never seen a man love his wife so much.” “When she miscarried and hemorrhaged, his eyes were swollen from crying. I heard they were high school sweethearts. To marry her, he even transferred all his family assets into her name.” If this were the past, hearing this would have made me feel like the luckiest woman alive. But now, it felt like a fly was stuck in my throat. Nauseating. Just then, Ethan’s furious voice erupted from a nearby room. “Useless! All of you! You couldn’t even watch one person? If anything happens to Sarah, I’ll kill you all!” Ethan rarely lost his temper. The last time he got this angry was when I fell seriously ill. He took me to every specialist, nearly smashed up a hospital in frustration, and even threatened to die with me if I didn’t make it. I watched the veins bulging on his forehead, but I couldn’t feel the same emotion I once did. I just said flatly: “Ethan, I’m here.” The moment he saw me, Ethan’s eyes lit up. He rushed over and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Sarah, where did you go? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought something happened to you.” His voice trembled with genuine fear. There wasn’t a hint of falsehood in it. I pushed him away gently. “The room was stuffy. I just went out for some air.” He finally exhaled, but he didn’t let go of my hand. Then, he took a bowl of medicine from a nurse and spooned it gently to my lips. “Babe, time for your medicine.” Looking at the dark brown liquid, a chill ran down my spine. The scene from earlier flashed in my mind. “It’s bitter. I don’t want it.” In the past, Ethan never refused my requests. But this time, he was strangely insistent. “If you don’t take your medicine, you won’t get better, and we won’t be able to have a baby. Didn’t you always want to give me a baby?” He knew a baby was my weakness. He was betting that if he used a child as bait, I would bite. But I didn’t trust him anymore. I slapped the bowl away. “I said I don’t want it.” Ethan’s gentle face froze, a flicker of displeasure crossing his eyes. I thought knocking the medicine away would save me, but the next second, everything went black. I lost consciousness. When I woke up, it was the next morning. A sense of dread washed over me. I lifted the blanket and looked down. Sure enough, there was a fresh surgical scar on my stomach. My world collapsed. I wanted to scream at Ethan, but before I could, he explained: “Babe, you fainted last night. The doctor found cancerous cells in your uterus, so I had them remove it.” Afraid I wouldn’t believe him, he showed me a pathology report. It clearly stated my uterus was cancerous. If I hadn’t heard him give the order myself, I might have been fooled. Staring at the angry scar on my belly, my heart felt like it had been ripped in two. Only despair remained. Ethan hugged me, his voice full of pain. “Babe, I know you wanted a child, but your health comes first. I can’t lose you. If it comes down to it, we can just adopt.” 2 I opened my mouth to speak, but the door pushed open. Nina walked in carrying a fruit basket. “Sorry to interrupt. I’m here representing the company to visit Mrs. Vance.” Nina was the new streamer Ethan’s entertainment company had just signed. She was beautiful, had a perfect body, and was incredibly charismatic. Every stream she did brought in millions for the company. No wonder Ethan liked her. Ethan’s expression didn’t change. He nodded coolly at Nina, then turned his attention back to me. But I knew that beneath this calm surface, turbulent currents were raging. I turned my back to them and lay down, suppressing my emotions. “I’m tired. I want to rest.” I thought Nina would leave, but she stayed. She sat quietly next to Ethan, watching over me. Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, massaging my legs. Nina sat obediently nearby. It looked like a harmonious scene of a loving couple and a respectful employee. But no one saw what was happening under the bed. Nina was rubbing her leg against Ethan’s. Ethan didn’t pull away. He let her touch him until she got too bold. Only then did he grab her thigh to stop her. But Nina didn’t give up. She hugged Ethan from behind, nuzzling him like a cat. Ethan glanced at me to make sure my eyes were closed and my breathing was even. Once he was sure I was asleep, he grew bold. He spun around, pressed Nina onto the side table, grabbed her neck, and kissed her. He pulled away quickly, his cold eyes warning her to behave. But Nina was fearless. She wrapped herself around him again. Ethan couldn’t resist any longer. He glanced at me one last time, then took Nina’s hand and led her out of the room. The moment the door clicked shut, I opened my eyes. Ethan would never have guessed that the glass window reflected everything. I saw it all. I followed Ethan and Nina to a secluded corner. Hiding behind a pillar, I peeked out. Ethan had his hand around Nina’s throat, his voice low and angry. “Didn’t I warn you to behave in front of Sarah?” Nina didn’t flinch. She rubbed her cheek against his arm coquettishly. “But you’ve been so busy with her these last two days. The baby missed you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Mr. Vance, didn’t you always want to try it outside? Let’s do it. There are no cameras on this floor, and your wife is asleep. No one will know.” Before Ethan could respond, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Ethan froze for a second, then cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss. “Ethan, be gentle… the baby…” “Shut up. I know what I’m doing.” I didn’t dare watch what happened next. As I fled, the sounds of their intimacy echoed in my ears. My heart felt like it was being shredded. The pain was excruciating. The man who said he only loved me, who promised to spoil me for a lifetime, was hooking up with another woman behind my back. It felt like an invisible hand had slapped me across the face. The shame was overwhelming. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor, pathetic and broken. 3 A passing nurse rushed over to help me up. Seeing the tears on my face, she assumed I was in pain from the fall. “Mrs. Vance, please don’t cry. If Mr. Vance sees you like this, he’ll be heartbroken.” Looking at the nurse’s concerned face, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I broke down sobbing. When I finally cried myself out, I went back to my room and slept. When I woke up, Ethan still wasn’t back. But Nina was standing at the foot of my bed, her face dark. Gone was the respectful employee. She looked at me with disdain and sneered. “You saw what happened, didn’t you? Ethan loves me. I’m already pregnant with his child.” I clenched my fists, trembling. “How long have you been together?” Nina held up three fingers, smugly. “Three years. He met me at a dinner party three years ago and fell in love at first sight. He spent the whole night with me. He only transferred his assets to you because he felt guilty. That money belonged to me and my baby. You stole what was ours.” I bit my lip hard to stop myself from slapping her. Seeing my restraint, Nina grew bolder. “Do you think he loves you? Actually, he comes to me every night after you fall asleep. Even though I’m pregnant, he won’t stop. To be honest, the day you miscarried, he wasn’t at a business dinner. He was in my bed. He can’t live without me now. If you’re smart, you’ll divorce him.” Her words triggered a memory from the day I miscarried. I was in so much pain I passed out multiple times, almost dying from blood loss. The doctor called Ethan ten times. He didn’t answer. Eventually, he turned off his phone. When he came back the next day, he knelt by my bed, claiming he was at a dinner, slapping himself for not being there for me. In reality, while I was screaming in agony, he was enjoying himself with another woman. The last shred of hope I had vanished. My heart turned to ash. Seeing my defeat, Nina gloated even more. Hands on her hips, she announced: “Ethan is throwing a wedding for me tomorrow. It’s going to be grander than yours ever was. Make sure you come drink to our happiness!” With that, she strutted out like a victorious rooster, chin held high. Watching her leave, a sharp pain pierced my chest. The world went black, and I fainted again. When I woke up the next morning, Ethan was sitting by my side, eyes red. He pulled me into a hug, his voice choked with emotion. “Sarah, you’re finally awake. You scared me to death.” The image of them in the supply closet flashed through my mind. Nausea rose in my throat. I pushed him away. “I’m fine.” Ethan froze, hurt flashing in his eyes. I looked at his tear-filled eyes and asked the question that had been weighing on me for days. “Do you remember what I told you before we got married?” Before the wedding, I told him: If he ever fell in love with someone else, just tell me. I would step aside. But if he lied to me, I would disappear from his world forever. Ethan nodded without hesitation. “Why are you asking that? Did I do something to upset you?” He stood up abruptly and barked at the nurses behind him. “Bring every woman I’ve had contact with recently in here!” Moments later, my room was filled with over a dozen women—nurses, maids, and Nina. Nina stroked her belly, looking at me with triumph. Ethan clasped his hands behind his back and ordered sternly: “Tell my wife exactly how you interacted with me recently. Be detailed!” “Mrs. Vance, the last time I saw the Young Master was to hand in your meal plan.” “Mrs. Vance, I only saw him when he asked me to bring incense from home to the hospital.” “Mrs. Vance, the boss called me to change your IV drip.” One by one, they reported. Every interaction revolved around me. They looked at me with envy. When it was Nina’s turn, she said coolly: “I haven’t seen Mr. Vance since I dropped off the fruit basket yesterday. Don’t worry, Mrs. Vance. The boss only has eyes for you.” 4 It sounded like a compliment, but I heard the mockery loud and clear. I laughed bitterly and signaled them to leave. Having “proven” his innocence, Ethan relaxed. He sat on the bed, took my hand, and said earnestly: “Sarah, you know I only love you. I would never look at another woman.” I hummed a flat response, ignoring the disappointment in his eyes as I pulled my hand away. Ethan seemed to remember something and added: “Sarah, I have to go on a business trip tomorrow. I can’t be with you. But my phone will be on 24/7 for you. Call me if you miss me.” His confession of devotion seemed flawless. I suppressed my disgust and nodded. “Drive safe.” I caught a flash of guilt in his eyes before he whined: “But I don’t want to leave you. Even though it’s just one day, I don’t want to be apart for a second.” “When we adopt a kid, I’ll just hand the company over to him so I don’t have to travel and leave you.” If I didn’t know he was spending the next 24 hours marrying Nina, I might have been moved. Finally, Ethan kissed my forehead reluctantly and left the room. The moment he was gone, I checked myself out of the hospital. I went home, packed my things, left a signed divorce agreement on the living room table, and boarded a plane to Switzerland. Before takeoff, I deleted and blocked all of Ethan’s contact information. I cut him out of my life completely. Sitting on the plane, watching the city I had lived in for thirty years shrink beneath me, the heavy stone on my heart finally lifted. Ethan Vance, goodbye forever. I arrived in Switzerland the next morning. After doing some research online, I picked a bed and breakfast to stay in. Meanwhile, Ethan was holding his wedding with Nina. Moments before entering the chapel, he called the doctor to check on me. The doctor told him I had been sleeping since he left and had asked not to be disturbed. They were waiting for me to wake up. Hearing this, he finally entered the chapel with peace of mind. But for some reason, his mind was filled with images of me. Last night, he even dreamed that I divorced him, waking up in a cold sweat. He only relaxed after confirming I was still “sleeping.” But the uneasiness lingered. As time passed, it grew stronger. His mind drifted so far he didn’t even hear the officiant ask if he took Nina as his wife. It wasn’t until Nina shook his hand that he snapped back. Looking into Nina’s adoring eyes, all he could see was my face, looking at him with disappointment. Startled, he shook off Nina’s hand and ran out of the church. “Mr. Vance! The wedding isn’t over! Where are you going?” He realized then that I was too important to him. How could he marry another woman behind my back? Sarah, please wait for me. Ethan rushed back to the hospital. He ran straight to my room. Seeing a figure under the blanket, he breathed a sigh of relief. He pushed the door open, a gentle smile on his face. “Babe, I’m back!” The person on the bed didn’t move. Ethan carefully lifted the blanket. His smile froze. Under the covers wasn’t me. It was a pillow. Where was Sarah?

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It was my birthday. I’d spent the entire day bustling around, decorating our apartment and preparing a table full of his favorite dishes. I was waiting for the food to cool when a text from Jerry came in: [Something came up at work. It’s an overnight trip. Don’t wait up for me, go to bed.] A moment later, I saw a new post on my feed from his old flame, Phoebe. It was a photo of Jerry in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, an apron tied around his waist, looking busy and happy. The caption read: {May this moment last forever.} Suddenly, everything felt tasteless. I tapped the ‘like’ button, reheated a plate for one, and started to eat. My phone buzzed incessantly, but I ignored it. When I finally picked it up after dinner, I saw dozens of missed calls from Jerry. He’d left one last voice message. “Cathy, I’ll explain when I get back. Don’t overthink it. We have so many more birthdays to celebrate together.” I didn’t reply. I just wondered, do we really have a future at all? 1 Jerry didn’t come home for three days. When he finally walked through the door, I was curled up on the sofa, binge-watching a new series. He looked surprised. “Didn’t you see my message?” “I saw it,” I said without looking up from the screen. “I was busy with something. It slipped my mind.” He stared at me, completely baffled. And why wouldn’t he be? In the past, a message like that would have had me bouncing with excitement, waiting for him downstairs a half-hour early. He was silent for a moment, then said, “I haven’t eaten all day. Can you just whip something up?” He was a picky eater and couldn’t stand the food on the train. Whenever he came back from a business trip, I’d always have a home-cooked meal ready to satisfy his cravings. The episode ended. I finally looked up at him and pointed to the stack of takeout menus on the coffee table. “These came in the mail. Looks like that new place has a special on.” A dark look crossed Jerry’s face. “I’m starving right now. Even if you’re mad, can you at least make some food first?” I looked at him, genuinely confused. “You can order delivery, can’t you? And I’m not mad.” He didn’t believe me, of course. “Phoebe’s all alone in the next city over. She has no one,” he said, launching into his defense. “I was just looking after her, as a friend.” “Mm-hmm.” He rubbed his forehead, looking exhausted. “Come on, that’s enough. I really don’t have the energy to coddle you right now.” I sighed. “If you’re tired, you should rest. I’m really not asking you to coddle me.” He choked on his words, his breathing growing ragged. I knew he was getting angry. After a long pause, he pulled a gift box from his suitcase and tossed it onto the sofa next to me. “Your birthday present,” he sneered. “There. Are you happy now?” I placed it on the coffee table without opening it. “Thanks.” He just stood there, his face darkening. “And?” It took me a second to remember our old agreement: for any birthday, both of us would prepare a gift for the other. “Oh, right. Sorry, sorry. I got too caught up in my show and forgot,” I said, a little sheepishly. “I’ll make it up to you later? Or I can just transfer you the money?” He was staring at me so intensely it was starting to feel awkward. I quickly sent him the money through my banking app, then glanced at my watch and went to the bedroom to change into my coat. When I came back out, he looked startled. “You’re going out? You put on makeup to go out? You didn’t get ready for me?” I gave him a strange look. “Didn’t you used to say it was a waste for me to wear makeup at home? Why would I get all dolled up just to greet you here?” Before he could stammer out a reply, I pulled open the front door. “Where are you going?” he demanded, rushing forward to grab my arm. “I have plans with Sasha and the girls.” I ignored the look on his face and walked out. 2 Jerry never liked my more boisterous friends. He thought the bars and clubs we frequented were “improper” and told me I should see them less. I was never going to abandon my friends for him, but to avoid fights, I used to schedule our get-togethers when he was out and always made sure to be home early. I could never really let loose and have fun. Now, finally, I didn’t have to care what he thought. When Sasha and the others heard my plan, they exchanged surprised glances, clearly skeptical. They knew better than anyone how head-over-heels in love with Jerry I used to be. But now that my eyes were open, it all seemed so incredibly stupid. To lose yourself completely for a man… Why didn’t I wake up sooner? We stayed out late, having a blast, and I even posted a few pictures to my story. By the time I got home, it was 3 a.m. I opened the door to find Jerry sitting on the sofa in the dark, his face a thundercloud. “Cathy,” he said, his voice cold as ice. “How old are you? Are you a teenager, throwing a tantrum out of jealousy? Running off and staying out this late just because you’re upset? Is that how a grown woman acts?” My eyelids felt like they were glued together. I was too tired to deal with him. I tried to walk past him toward the bedroom. He stood up, blocking my path. “That’s enough. Phoebe and I are in the past. There’s nothing between us now, and there never will be again. You don’t need to throw these little fits because of her.” He added, “And I don’t like you coming home this late. Don’t let it happen again.” I yawned. “You’re overthinking things. I’m not jealous, and this isn’t a tantrum. Also, from now on, I won’t be following your curfew.” His face contorted. “Haven’t you had enough? There’s a limit to these games. I’m not your father. I’m not going to indulge you forever.” I was too exhausted to even speak. All I wanted was to crawl into bed. He must have mistaken my silence for submission. He sighed and reached out to hug me. I took a step back, dodging his embrace. With the last ounce of my energy, I hurried into the spare bedroom, shutting the door and locking it from the inside. As I drifted off, I vaguely thought that if we were sleeping separately, I probably should have taken the guest room and left him the master. But before I could even finish the thought who cares, I was fast asleep. 3 For the first time in ages, I slept soundly through the night, without a single dream. When I got up to wash my face, Jerry was just coming out of the master bedroom. He walked past me with a stony expression, acting as if I didn’t exist. This time, however, I didn’t feel a surge of panic. I didn’t grab his hand and beg him to tell me what was wrong. I just went about my morning. As I headed to the kitchen, I heard the front door slam shut with a loud bang. That door, I thought, is solid, but it can’t take that kind of abuse forever. I made myself a simple breakfast and left for the office. I went straight to my boss’s office. I was about to knock when I heard a voice behind me. “Cathy, you’re in early!” It was my boss. I’d arrived before she did. Inside her office, I told her I was ready to accept the company’s overseas assignment. The opportunity had come up a while ago. My boss, seeing it as a great career move for me, had urged me to take it, but I’d refused every time because I couldn’t bear the thought of being away from Jerry for so long. She was thrilled. “That’s wonderful news! Is everything alright with your boyfriend?” I shook my head. “We’ll be breaking up.” Thank God for Phoebe. She’d snapped me out of it just in time. Starting today, my life would be about work handovers and preparing to move abroad. It was a long, busy day. By the time I left the office, the sky was already dark. I decided to grab dinner out before heading home. When I walked in, Jerry was on the phone, a bouquet of flowers in one hand. “Yeah, of course. It’s not every day the princess herself graces our city with her presence. I’ll pull out all the stops, I promise. Go ahead and order, I’m on my way out now.” Oh, right. Today was Phoebe’s birthday. His face was alight with a doting smile, an expression he had never once shown me. With me, he was always reserved. Even his smiles were faint, fleeting things. When I’d complained about it once, he’d just said calmly that he wasn’t comfortable with big displays of emotion. Apparently, it wasn’t that he was uncomfortable. It was just that I wasn’t the person he was willing to show them to. When he hung up, the smile was still on his face. But the moment he saw me, it vanished. He walked past me with the flowers, his expression flat and indifferent, and closed the door just as quietly behind him. He was still angry about my coldness the night before and was trying to punish me with the silent treatment. But he didn’t know that, just like that morning, his indifference no longer sent me into a panic. I simply ordered some takeout, and after eating, I picked up the German textbook I hadn’t touched in years. I was fluent, but it had been a while. I needed to brush up. 4 During a study break, I scrolled through my social media feed. Unsurprisingly, Phoebe had posted a new update. {Thankful to the heavens for bringing you into my life.} The comments were filled with messages from Jerry’s friends, all wishing the two of them well. His friends all adored Phoebe and couldn’t stand me. They never said it outright, but they took every opportunity to needle and undermine me. I’d complained to Jerry about it before, but his response was always the same: “Then you’ll just have to try harder to win their approval.” I refreshed the page and saw that Jerry had commented too—just a simple smiley face emoji. Suddenly, I got a notification. One of Jerry’s friends had tagged me. [Just giving you a heads-up so you don’t start a fight with Jerry again. The rest of us are here too, it’s just a normal get-together.] I found it laughable. I replied with a single “k,” then tossed my phone aside, washed up, and went to bed. I was jolted awake in the middle of the night by the bedroom light flipping on. Squinting, I saw Jerry standing over me, staring. “You really trust me, don’t you?” he demanded. “I’m out all night and not a single text from you! My friends’ phones were blowing up with their girlfriends and wives calling them home. I was the only one sitting there like an idiot, waiting for a message that never came!” I was not happy about being woken from a deep sleep. “You’re a grown man,” I said irritably. “Why wouldn’t I trust you at a party with your friends? I believe you. It’s late, you should get some rest.” In the past, whenever he was out with Phoebe, I would throw a fit. Even if I reluctantly agreed to let him go, I would bombard him with calls and texts all night. He’d once yelled at me, “This is a party for our circle of friends! What does it have to do with you? I’m begging you, Cathy, just give me some personal space!” He stood there, stunned. After a few seconds, he grabbed my arm as I was about to lie back down. “We need to talk.” I looked at him, exasperated. He took a deep breath. “That social media post was just a memento from our friends’ gathering. It didn’t mean anything else. You shouldn’t overthink it.” I was so tired. I just nodded again and again. “Okay, I get it.” A flicker of anxiety crossed his face. “What’s with this refusal to communicate? Are you still mad that I saw Phoebe? I told you, she’s just a friend from our circle. We had a past, but that’s over. If it really bothers you that much, I’ll take you with me to the next gathering.” I nodded vigorously. “I know. But I’m really tired. Can I please just go to sleep?” Jerry fell silent. He sighed and moved to get into the bed. I shot up. “What are you doing?!” He froze, then gave me a glacial look before storming out and slamming the door to the master bedroom behind him. After the interruption, I worried I’d have trouble falling back asleep. But thankfully, my head had barely hit the pillow for a few minutes before I was out again.

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I’m Lily. The unloved, “real” daughter, shipped off to an elite prep school, Crestwood Academy, where someone was always trying to make my life hell. Until the day I got cornered in an alley by a girl with a rainbow-dyed undercut. She was shaking me down for protection money. “I don’t take your money for free,” she’d growled. “You’re in trouble, you call me.” So, the next time the school’s queen bee, Madison, had me cornered, I shakily dialed that number. “Hey, Janky? It’s Lily. Help…” Who knew? For the price of a lemonade, she actually meant it. 1. The first time I met Janky, I was riding a beat-up Lime scooter to the subway station. I hadn’t even gone a block before a group of kids dragged me, scooter and all, into an alley. Seriously. They had to help me off the damn scooter. The leader was the rainbow-haired girl. She had seven friends with her, all with bad bleach-blond jobs. It was the first time I’d seen so many colors on one person’s head. I just stared. She snarled, trying to look tough. “Protection money. You gonna pay up, or we gotta search you?” “…” Her crew tried to do an evil laugh. “Heh… heh… heh…” I blinked. “Guys, hold up. First, nobody carries cash. Second, if I Venmo you, the cops will trace it in five minutes.” A bleach-blond guy raised a fist so big it looked like a cartoon ham. I yelped and clutched my backpack. “Wait! I’ve got an idea! You can take me to a store, and I’ll buy you stuff!” The rainbow girl shoved him aside and grabbed my collar. “Don’t try any tricks, nerd.” “Okay.” 2. My brain was running calculations at light speed. Sure, I went to Crestwood, but I was the “poor” rich girl. I got $800 a month. Which was a lot, until the school bullies smashed my glasses the first week ($200 gone). Add in my subscriptions for online AP courses and the scooter rental I was about to be charged for… I had $398.66 to my name. For eight people… that’s $49.83 each. If I begged, maybe they’d leave me enough for the subway and an Uber home? I had to get home. The Astors—my so-called family—had made it clear: show up for their stupid dinner party tonight, or my allowance was cut. I just hoped I wouldn’t have to walk. 3. They took me to a street cart. They bought eight lemonades and eight corn dogs. And they used a coupon. Total: $28.72. The shakedown of the century. 4. The rainbow-haired girl, Janky, stuffed the last of her corn dog into her mouth and slapped me on the back. “Name’s Janky. I run this block.” “Since you paid up, you’re my girl now. Got trouble? Call me.” With that, she and her seven bleach-blonds hopped on three beat-up mopeds and sputtered away. The setting sun caught her rainbow ponytail. It looked like a beautiful oil slick. 5. A half-hour scooter ride, two subway transfers, and a 45-minute Uber later, I got “home.” It was past 9 PM. The guests were gone. Just the four Astors. Rosalie, the fake daughter, was sitting there in a designer dress and a freaking tiara, looking like she was about to cry. The second I walked in, my “dad,” “mom,” and “brother” all turned to glare at me. Only Rosalie stood up, managing a perfect smile-through-tears. “Lily! You’re back!” My blood-related brother, Grayson, exploded first. “You finally decided to show up? You’ve embarrassed us all!” I pushed my new glasses up. “The driver left without me.” I’d seen him. As I was walking out of school, the family Bentley sped off. Rosalie had rolled down the window just long enough to flip me the bird. “Don’t you dare blame Rosalie!” Grayson snapped. “She called, said you flat-out refused to ride in the same car with her!” Rosalie grabbed his arm. “Grayson, stop, please… It’s my fault. I’m the one who made her hate me…” My “mother,” Mrs. Astor, sighed. “We understand you’re upset, Lily. But you can’t take it out on your sister. She wouldn’t even cut her birthday cake, she was waiting for you.” “Mom, don’t…” Grayson was still on me. “Even if you took public transport, you shouldn’t be this late!” I answered honestly. “I got mugged. It took a while.” Grayson just stared. “…That’s the best lie you can come up with?” I shrugged and opened my banking app. “It’s true. I was mugged for eight lemonades and eight corn dogs.” Rosalie’s eyes welled up instantly. “Oh, Lily… you mean you made friends and went out to eat?” “…” It was the perfect example of that old saying: even if you hang yourself, people who don’t love you will just think you’re swinging. 6. Sometimes I think the Astors are just badly programmed NPCs. Rosalie cries. Grayson yells. Mrs. Astor sighs. Mr. Astor stays silent, then hits me with one devastating line. I’d tried explaining myself before. When I first arrived, Grayson cornered me. “Just because you’re blood doesn’t mean anything. Don’t think you can steal the love I have for Rosalie.” I was just confused. “Hi. Don’t worry, I don’t even know you. I have zero possessive urges.” That just made him angrier. Later, they decided to send me to board at the school, giving me only $800 a month. “Don’t be jealous of your sister,” Mrs. Astor had said. “You grew up… that way. We’re afraid if you get too much money, you’ll go wild.” I’d thanked her. “$800 is great. I used to have to collect cans for cash.” She totally lost it. Grayson stormed in, yelling about how I shouldn’t “play the victim.” 7. How do you even respond to a script that bad? I couldn’t. 8. So I just stood there, clutching my backpack, waiting for them to finish. I was starving. I really regretted not taking Janky up on her offer of a corn dog. My new friends were right, they were crispy… But today, Rosalie was really hamming it up. I hadn’t said a word, but she suddenly ran to Mrs. Astor, sobbing. “It’s my fault! I stole her place! Lily has every right to hate me!” “Mom, she’s your real daughter! How can you give me the Amex Black Card and only give her $800 a month? Make me live in the dorms, not her!” Mrs. Astor hugged her, looking pained. “Rosie, stop. This was our decision. It has nothing to do with you.” She shot me a warning glare. “And Lily doesn’t hate you. She knows this is what she deserves. Right, Lily?” Rosalie turned, her eyes hopeful. “Sister… can you please not be mad at me anymore?” I was just so tired. “I’m not mad. I was never mad at you.” “I don’t believe you!” she cried. “Or you would have ridden home with me instead of going out to eat with your… your friends!” I couldn’t help it. “Rosalie, you and I are strangers. We’re not even related. Why would I have any expectations of you?” 9. I knew I shouldn’t have broken script. The whole NPC squad crashed. Grayson slapped me. Hard. “Who the hell do you think you’re insulting?” Mrs. Astor: “Go back to the school.” Mr. Astor, finally speaking: “Since you don’t like the family car, you’re not welcome in it. Go back the way you came.” Before I left, I had to check. “The tuition… and the allowance. That’s… that’s still happening, right?” “GET OUT!” Fine. 10. I scrambled to get back to the dorm. By the time I made it, it was past 11 PM. I opened my laptop and started studying. 11. I never wanted to go to Crestwood. The academics were a joke. Not like the public magnet school I’d tested into. But the Astors had yelled at me. “Rosalie is at Crestwood,” Grayson had said. “You’re going to go to some… some public school? Are you trying to make us look bad on purpose?” Fine. But the teachers here just phoned it in, saving all their real energy for their high-dollar private tutoring sessions. I’d asked the Astors for a tutor. “Just a normal one…” Mrs. Astor had scoffed. “Don’t bother with that. You’re 17. We can’t ‘buy’ you into being a scientist now.” I told her I was first in my class. I heard her laugh over the phone. “Oh, that’s sweet. A real small-town brainiac.” 12. What was her degree in, again? Oh, right. I didn’t get it. You can’t reason with NPCs. No tutor? Fine. The internet is full of free AP guides and resources. I made my own study plan. I was just glad I could make up for the time I’d lost. 13. And, luckily, I’d bought a corn dog on my way back to the dorm. This school had single-room dorms. It was late. I was studying, eating a greasy corn dog, and I was, for a moment, totally happy. 14. The next morning, Madison, a girl in my class, cornered me. She said my “early morning studying” was too loud. This was a lie. Madison didn’t even live in the dorms. She was the school’s top bully, Rosalie’s best friend, and the one who’d smashed my first pair of glasses. I knew she was just looking for a fight. I shrank back. “Sorry. I’ll be… quieter.” She patted my cheek, her rings cold. “You think ‘sorry’ is enough? Just having a charity case like you at this school makes me sick. Don’t go home after class. I’m going to teach you a lesson.” “I’ll tell the principal.” SLAP. She hit me, hard, right across the face. “You try it.” 15. I found out what “you try it” meant. I’m the top student. I sit in the front row. I sat through an entire day of classes with a bright red handprint on my face. Not a single teacher asked me about it. They wouldn’t even make eye contact. I sat there, sick to my stomach. Before the last bell, I tried calling Mrs. Astor. It rang once. She hung up. I was out of options. My hand was shaking. I dialed the number from the alley. “Hey… Janky? It’s Lily. I’m in trouble…” 16. “Who?” I babbled, explaining everything. “Oh! Lemonade-Corn-Dog-Girl! Right! Don’t worry, I’m comin’ to bust you out.” Then she asked, “So, where’s this chick gonna jump you?” “I don’t know.” “…” “She just said… ‘don’t go home after class.’” “Right.” 17. I didn’t get a chance to go anywhere. The bell rang, and Madison and her friends grabbed me and dragged me into the girls’ bathroom. The bathroom. Crap. How was I supposed to tell Janky? 18. Madison didn’t waste time. She punched me straight in the face. My nose exploded. I was crying, tasting blood. “Madison, I never did anything to you!” She and her friends laughed. “You, this piece of trash… how dare you even compare to Rosalie?” “I’m not trying to compare!” Why would I? I had better grades, better morals, and honestly, better looks. Her only skill was acting. “Still talking back!” I saw her fist coming and I did the only thing I could: I head-butted her in the stomach. She shrieked. I made a break for the door. …And got caught. Her two friends grabbed me, dragged me back, and started kicking. “Kill this little bitch!” Help! These NPCs were set to “Hard” mode! My new glasses… they smashed them. Again.

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After another cold war with my childhood sweetheart, I didn’t go running to him. My friends all tried to talk me down. “He’s just complicated, Willow. He says the opposite of what he means.” “Difficult people need a patient lover.” But I was just so tired. I didn’t want to be the one to back down anymore. All those years of cold wars, of arguments and avoidance… they had worn me down so much that I couldn’t even tell the difference anymore. Was he really just complicated, or did he just not love me? So, when he threatened me with a breakup again, I just said, “Fine. Let’s break up.” 1 Hearing me say that, Jerry visibly froze. But I just kept my head down, my voice steady. “I’ll get my things packed and out of here as soon as I can. You can keep everything we bought together. As for the clothes you left at my place, please come get them when you can. Or I can have them couriered to you…” The only sound in the silent apartment was my own voice. Jerry’s expression shifted from stormy to a cold, blank mask. He cut me off abruptly. “What about Pudding? How do we split him?” Pudding was the stray cat I’d found by the gate of our complex. I’d adopted him, paid for all his expenses. But he never warmed up to me. Eight times out of ten, he wouldn’t let me hold him. He’d even scratched my wrist a few times. Jerry, on the other hand, was always indifferent to him, never paid him any mind. And yet, Pudding would actively rub against his legs, meowing and begging for attention. “You can have him, too,” I said, letting out a long breath. No matter how much you love something, that kind of blatant favoritism will eventually break your heart. “Willow Morgan,” Jerry said, his voice tight with suppressed anger, “you’re the one who missed Valentine’s Day. Why are you the one throwing a tantrum?” But wasn’t he the one who said “break up” first? Maybe he’d forgotten. He threw those words around so often, after all. It was an effective threat, and he used it like a well-worn tool. “I told you, my flight was delayed. That’s why I was late getting back.” Jerry just sneered. “Excuses. Why couldn’t you have just caught an earlier flight?” On this business trip, I had worked for over ten hours straight, compressing my schedule just to make it onto a flight that would get me home the same day. But Jerry wouldn’t listen to that. He would find a hundred other reasons to blame me. So I fell silent, a profound sense of powerlessness washing over me. Jerry walked a few steps toward the door, then turned back, his tone icy. “I’m not coming back until you admit you were wrong.” “We’ve already broken up,” I said. But it was as if he hadn’t heard me. He tilted his head, continuing his monologue. “I’ll give you one more chance. It’s not just about you being late.” That was a first. Usually, he’d just slam the door and leave, even if his tone was still as hard as steel. “Think it over, and then come apologize to me.” 2 I sat on the sofa for a long time before dragging my exhausted body up to clean the living room. I retrieved the gift from the trash can. I had run to a dozen different shops in another country to find this, picking it out with so much care. But the person it was for hadn’t even glanced at it. He didn’t cherish it. So, like the rest of the wreckage scattered across the floor, it was worthless. After cleaning the living room, I went to the bedroom to pack. This was Jerry’s home. Every corner of it was filled with traces of me. The mugs we picked out together, the throw blanket, the matching sets of dishes… I only packed a few items of clothing and walked out with my suitcase. As I reached the door, a flash of yellow fur shot out in front of me. As if to block my path, Pudding flopped down in the middle of the living room and refused to move, his round eyes fixed on me. When I first found him, he was dirty and rail-thin, clearly malnourished. Now, his fur was fluffy and glossy. He was an undeniably handsome cat. I knelt down. In a rare exception, Pudding didn’t shrink from my touch. I stroked his head. “I’m leaving now. He’ll take care of you from now on.” Pudding would probably like that. He always preferred Jerry anyway. Not like me, the person he never let get close. I carefully pried his claws from where they were hooked into my pant leg. Ignoring his frantic meows, I picked up my suitcase and left. 3 As I reached the main gate of the complex, I got a call. It was one of Jerry’s friends, and his tone was accusatory. “Willow, what did you do to Jerry this time? He’s at my bar, drinking himself stupid, and no one can stop him. You need to get over here and drag him home before he wrecks the place.” I felt that familiar weariness creep back in. “I don’t even know why he’s angry. The moment I walked in the door, he flipped the table.” There was a pause on the other end, then a note of surprise. “You don’t know? He found out you had dinner with another guy. That guy even dropped you back at your hotel. Jerry’s jealous, Willow.” “He was a client,” I explained. “It was a business dinner. He gave me a ride because it was pouring rain and I couldn’t get a cab.” So that was the real reason. Jerry was always like this. He’d get jealous and angry if I so much as spoke to another man for too long. I used to tell myself it was because he loved me, because he was possessive. But now, all I felt was exhaustion. “I can explain everything,” I said into the phone, my voice soft. “I just don’t understand one thing.” “Why is he willing to tell all of you everything, but he’s never willing to just ask me?” I once asked my best friend what she did when she and her boyfriend fought. She thought for a moment. “Depends on who’s right and who’s wrong. We wait until we’ve both cooled down, then we just talk it out.” But Jerry would never do that. He kept everything bottled up inside. I never knew why he was angry. I always had to guess, or ask his friends. I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t communicate with me. Why he’d rather vent to his friends than just ask me for the truth. Later, I learned a word for it: emotionally constipated. Jerry was the most emotionally constipated person I had ever met. He was sensitive and volatile. His only responses were to retreat and withdraw, using cold, cutting words to test me. Everyone said that people like him weren’t cut out for relationships. Only I didn’t believe them, and I charged ahead, full of passion. But now, I was lost. If a relationship always depends on one person making all the effort… can it really last? 4 I moved back into my own apartment. But even if we didn’t see each other at home, we still had to see each other at work. We worked at the same research institute, just in different departments. During a project handoff, I saw a young woman trailing beside him. She had a fresh, innocent look about her—a graduate student who had just started this year. Her name was Chloe. Jerry’s eyes lit up the moment he saw me. But I didn’t look at him, just calmly went through the work procedures. And just like that, the warmth in his expression vanished, replaced by an icy chill. He walked right past me without a word, his gaze fixed straight ahead. I overheard Chloe’s curious whisper. “Dr. Croft, how did you get that huge scar on your arm? It really startled me the first time I saw it.” Someone else answered. “You’re new, so you wouldn’t know. Our Dr. Croft and Dr. Morgan from the next department… they’re the couple. Total power couple. That scar is from an old earthquake drill. He was carrying her because she’d sprained her ankle. I heard that scar is why he couldn’t become a pilot, so he switched majors and ended up here.” Chloe’s eyes filled with admiration. “That’s so moving. They really are the perfect couple.” The gossip mill instantly churned to life. From Jerry giving up his dream for me to him applying to the institute to be with me, everyone was praising his devotion and, by extension, expressing their envy of me. Our cold war of the past few days was dismissed as simple lovers’ banter. “I bet you it’s Dr. Morgan who apologizes first again.” “Last time she bought us all bubble tea. What is it this time? I’m hoping for cupcakes.” “No way, that’s cheating. It’s always Dr. Morgan who gives in first. If you bet on him apologizing, then I’ll take that bet.” I stood in the corner, listening silently to their laughter. But this time, they were all wrong. “Jerry and I have broken up,” I said, my voice cutting through the noise. “Please don’t bring it up again.” My appearance brought the conversation to a screeching halt. People exchanged awkward glances and quickly dispersed. The truth was, our relationship was nowhere near as perfect as it looked from the outside. The endless cold wars and arguments had left it covered in invisible wounds, fragile and on the verge of collapse. I really wanted to know, Jerry… now that I’m not fixing things, now that I’m not trying to save us… will you even notice? Will you try to get me back? This time, will you be the one to apologize to me first? 5 For an entire month, Jerry and I were like strangers. It was a standoff. Neither of us was willing to be the first to back down. In the meantime, Chloe and Jerry were getting closer. They had lunch together, left work together. During a weekend team-building hike, Jerry even chose to be in her group. It was Chloe, ironically, who seemed hesitant. “Isn’t this… a little inappropriate? What about Dr. Morgan?” Jerry’s tone was dismissive. “We broke up, didn’t we? Why should I care what she does?” He didn’t lower his voice; everyone around us could hear. “Besides, she loves having dinner with other men so much. I’m sure hiking is no different.” Instantly, the way people looked at me changed. I heard whispers. “She has a great boyfriend like Dr. Croft and she doesn’t appreciate him. Flirting with other guys… no wonder he broke up with her.” The gossiping group only scattered when they saw me approaching. On the way up the mountain, Chloe twisted her ankle. Without a second thought, Jerry crouched down and lifted her onto his back. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice filled with guilt. “Now we’re going to be last because of me.” Jerry’s voice was gentle. “It’s fine. We were just here to relax anyway. The ranking doesn’t matter.” I was trailing behind them. There was an odd number of people on the trip, and everyone else had already paired up. Not wanting to break anyone up, I just went as a group of one. My stamina had never been great, and I was already breathing heavily. The atmosphere between the two of them up ahead was peaceful and harmonious. I even heard someone praise Jerry for being so dependable. 6 Jerry was, indeed, a very dependable person. He was polite and gentlemanly to everyone. Except me. In college, he was our class president. During an earthquake drill, everyone scrambled for the exits. He was the only one who ran against the crowd, back towards me, to carry me out because I had sprained my ankle a few days prior. The entire university buzzed about it. Everyone envied my luck. But what they didn’t know was that Jerry was scolding me the entire time. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you are? If you’ve sprained your ankle, why don’t you just stay home? Now you’ve dragged our whole class down to last place again. Willow, you’re completely useless.” I wanted to tell him that I had already gotten permission from the professor to skip the drill. But hearing his harsh words, I didn’t want to argue and make him angrier. Later, his friends told me he was just being contrary. That he was actually worried about my ankle and wanted me to rest at home. He had even gone to find a traditional medicine doctor to get a special ointment for me. “He makes a hundred bucks a day at his part-time job, but one of those patches costs eighty. He bought you two weeks’ worth without even hesitating.” My best friend was envious. “He’s just awkward, but he really loves you. That whole broody, secretly-caring thing is so romantic.” But now, watching Jerry comfort Chloe, I finally realized something. It wasn’t that he was incapable of gentleness. He just wasn’t gentle with me. I could feel his love through the words of others, but never from his own actions. He always spoke to me with venom, always gave me the cold shoulder. He called me stupid, called me frivolous. He cut up a scarf someone else had given me, smashed a gaming console a colleague had lent me. I told myself he was just jealous, that he just cared too much. So, after being pushed away time and time again, after every refusal to communicate, I would soothe my own hurt feelings, and then I would be the one to be warm and proactive, to apologize tirelessly, to be the first to give in. But passion needs to be reciprocated. I wasn’t invincible in this relationship. I could feel hurt and sad, too. The way he acted when he was being “difficult” and the way he acted when he didn’t love me were so similar. I was too heartbroken to tell the difference anymore. Was Jerry really just complicated, or had he just stopped loving me?

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