Category: English

When I was ten and living on the streets, I found a kid. He was eight. I made him my little brother, my sidekick. I taught him which dumpsters behind which restaurants had the best throwaways. We lived under an overpass. We got chased by stray dogs. When he got sick, burning up and not making sense, I shoplifted medicine for him. I got caught, and the store owner beat me black and blue. As I lay there, half-dead, I suddenly woke up. I realized I was the villainess of this world’s story, and the little kid I’d saved was the hero. He was destined for greatness, and I was destined to betray him, over and over, selling his company secrets until he finally had enough and sent me to prison. I looked at Leo, sleeping fitfully. I thought for a minute. Then I put the stolen medicine beside him, and I walked away. 1 Leo was almost seventeen when I left. He was old enough to wash dishes, do day labor. He could feed himself. That was enough. I left him all the food I had. I didn’t wake him, didn’t say goodbye. I just needed a clean break. The next time I saw him, it was in a hospital. I was there with Nico, the new stray I’d picked up. Nico’s… sweet, but he’s slow. He kept complaining his stomach hurt, so I brought him in. And there, getting a physical for some corporate wellness program, was Leo. Five years. I knew him instantly. He wasn’t a scrawny kid anymore. He was tall, sharp, wearing a suit that cost more than my entire life. He was exactly as impressive as I knew he’d be. We were separated by twenty feet of linoleum and shuffling patients. He stared right at me. He said my name. “Tess.” The way he said it felt like a truck rolling over my chest. It was too late to run, too late to pretend I didn’t know him. A beautiful, poised woman stood next to him. Skin like porcelain, hair like silk. I’d seen her on the news. Eliza Kane. His real sister. She asked quietly, “Leo? Who is that?” 2 I was Leo’s boss. That was a long time ago. Now he wasn’t a skinny rat living on scraps. He was the long-lost heir to the Kane fortune. He had a real life, a real home. Seeing him so healthy, so safe… I was relieved. I was about to smile, but then Leo’s gaze shifted, looking past me. He was looking at Nico. Nico, who I’d found two years after I left Leo. He’d just started following me, this lost-puppy look on his face that reminded me so much of a younger Leo. I couldn’t shake him. Now Nico, my sweet, slow Nico, asked the exact same question as Leo’s sister. “Sister,” he whispered, “who is he?” Leo’s jaw tightened. The whole temperature around him dropped. His sharp, assessing gaze made Nico nervous. Nico hates hospitals, and the needle for the blood test had already freaked him out. He grabbed my sleeve, ducking behind me. “He’s scary, Tess.” I managed a strained laugh. “Sorry. My brother… he’s a little shy.” “Brother?” Leo’s voice was dangerously low. He repeated the word like he was chewing glass. Then he finally snapped, a vein throbbing in his temple. “Tess. We lived out of each other’s pockets for nine years. When the hell did you have another brother?” 3 The air froze. The smell of antiseptic choked me. Leo’s sister pulled at his arm. “Leo, what’s wrong? What brother?” She paused, the pieces clicking in her head. Her eyes widened as she looked at me. “Wait… Tess? You’re that Tess?” I was lost. “What?” A cold, mocking smile touched her lips. “Leo, the ‘sister’ you’ve spent four years looking for? It seems she’s found a replacement.” Leo’s eyes were glistening, his breathing ragged. He’d been looking for me? For four years? He ignored his sister, his gaze locked on me, his voice tight with pain. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” I’d pictured this moment a thousand times. Pictured him crying, asking me why I abandoned him. I’d practiced a hundred speeches, but in the end, I knew the kindest thing was the cruelest cut. I let out a long breath, like I was finally unburdened. “Say what, Leo? I couldn’t even feed myself back then. You were sick all the time. You were a burden. If I hadn’t left, you’d have dragged me down with you.” His eyes filled. “Then why did you leave me all your food?” “Guilt,” I said flatly. Seeing him now, a rich heir, confirmed it. The script was real. In the years I was gone, I’d watched from afar. I saw the news when he was found by his family. I saw his rise. It all matched the script. And in that script, I’m the villain. The ungrateful, backstabbing trash. I’m destined to ruin him. And I just… I couldn’t. Maybe I am that selfish. Maybe I do have that rotten core the script says I do. I’m the person who can survive anything, and people like that are rarely good. I didn’t want to see the day it all came true. 4 Leo’s face was rigid. “A burden?” he whispered. “I was a burden? Then why… why would you pick up a stray?” He didn’t use the word, but we all saw it. Nico isn’t right. He’s intellectually disabled, stuck at the level of a young child. My hand instinctively went to cover Nico’s shoulder. That tiny, protective gesture shattered him. Leo’s face went white. He grabbed his sister’s arm, a cruel imitation of my gesture. “You’re right,” he spat, his voice shaking. “You always did have a soft spot for trash. Well, I have a real sister now. You can take your new project and… get his head checked.” He pulled Eliza and stalked away. Just like that. Over. I didn’t let myself cry. I turned to Nico. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s go home. I’ll make you some stew.” I get by. I run a food cart near the elementary school, dodging city inspectors. At night, I sell screen protectors at the subway entrance, dodging the cops. It’s not much, but it’s ours. We have a two-bedroom apartment in a run-down building. It’s clean, it’s warm. One day, I was taking the trash out and saw the empty unit across the hall, 203, had movers. They were carefully maneuvering a real leather sofa through the doorway. New appliances followed. Who moves into this dump with that kind of money? A man walked out of the apartment. My heart stopped. Leo. I slammed my door, my back hitting the wood. “What’s wrong, sister?” Nico asked. “Nothing,” I panted. “Just… seeing things.” But that night, the hallucination knocked on our door. I thought it was Mrs. Pena from downstairs, who sometimes gives us vegetables. Nico opened it. Leo stood there, his face a thundercloud. He walked right past Nico, his eyes raking over our tiny, cramped apartment. He saw the single framed photo on the TV. It was of me and Nico. A local photo studio had used Nico as a model for a day, and they gave us a free portrait as payment. Leo stared at it, his jaw tight. I felt a weird, cold guilt. His gaze was a knife, wanting to shred that picture. He finally spoke, his voice quiet. “We never had a photo.” 5 It was an accusation. And it was true. The timer on the stove beeped. I went to kill the heat on the pressure cooker. I hesitated. “We’re… about to eat. You should…” “You’re not going to invite me to stay?” he cut in. The beef was on sale, but it was still beef. My life was still hard, but I wasn’t that desperate girl anymore. I could afford to feed us. I thought of the nine years he was with me. Nine years of stale bread and watery soup. I called him my brother, and I’d barely ever given him a full meal. The guilt I felt for him, I’d poured it all into Nico. Leo was right. I’d given Nico everything I’d once promised him. The regret was suffocating. I got another bowl. “Fine. Stay.”

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On the day of my wedding to Adrian MacRae, a screen suddenly materialized before my eyes: [MC, you can’t marry Adrian MacRae! This wedding is a complete sham!] [You’re actually the long-lost heiress to the Stone Corporation! The heirlooms your mother left you are the proof, and Adrian is only marrying you to steal them!] [He’s going to have his childhood sweetheart impersonate you to claim your inheritance. Then he’ll marry her, and together they’ll murder your father and take over the Stone Corporation!] [As for you, he’ll have your face slashed, then sell you off to an old man deep in the mountains. You’ll give birth to one disabled child after another until you’re finally beaten to death.] My eyes widened as the comments, like a live stream chat, flashed before me. I was torn between disbelief and a creeping dread. From outside the dressing room, I could hear the murmur of guests. “Did you hear? Conrad Stone, the billionaire, is here today to meet his long-lost daughter! Let’s go see!” I stood up, wanting to see for myself, but Adrian suddenly appeared, blocking my path. His expression was dark. “Seraphina,” he said, his voice cold. “The ceremony is about to start. Where do you think you’re going?” 1 Staring at the man I loved, I couldn’t bring myself to believe what the screen was telling me. And yet, a seed of caution had been planted. I decided to test him, my voice hesitant. “Adrian, darling… those earrings my mother left me, you’re keeping them safe, right? I was hoping to wear them for the ceremony. Could I have them back?” The earrings were a gift from my missing father to my mother. Before she died, she gave them to me, calling them my inheritance. A month ago, when Adrian proposed, I told him their story. He said they were too precious and offered to keep them safe for me. I’d agreed without a second thought. But now, as I asked for them, a chill entered his eyes. “They’re too valuable to carry around,” he said dismissively. “There are plenty of other earrings here, Seraphina. Just pick another pair.” His refusal sent a stone sinking in my stomach. I chose my words carefully. “But my mother made me promise on her deathbed that I would wear them on my wedding day. Adrian, could you please just ask your assistant to get them?” His expression turned to ice. “The wedding is starting any minute now, Seraphina. Can you please not cause trouble at a time like this?” he snapped. “Besides, didn’t you say you had something for me? What is it?” My heart clenched. I was sweating, my hand gripping the small ring box in my purse. Besides the earrings, my mother had also left me a ring. I had planned to give it to him before the ceremony, which was why I’d asked him to come here. The comments flared to life again. [Don’t do it, MC! Don’t you dare give him the ring!] [If he gets all the proof, you’ll never be able to reclaim your place at the Stone family!] “I… I just missed you,” I stammered, forcing a smile. “I wanted to see you.” But the man who had always been so patient and gentle now looked at me with an ill-concealed disgust. “I’m extremely busy today. Don’t waste my time with such trivial matters.” He turned to leave. “Adrian!” I called out, one last desperate test. “I heard there’s a family reunion happening in the hotel today. Could you come with me to see what’s going on?” His voice dropped several degrees, any trace of warmth gone. “What does someone else’s family drama have to do with you? Today is our wedding day!” He sneered. “Besides, have you forgotten your place? You think you can just wander into the world of the rich and powerful? If you go gawking and offend someone important, don’t expect me to save you!” My heart turned to stone. Adrian came from nothing. He was a ruthless overachiever, clawing his way up to a general manager position at a young age. Everyone praised him as a prodigy who had reached the pinnacle of success in his twenties. But I knew better. I knew he was nowhere near the “pinnacle” he dreamed of. At every meeting, every banquet, I’d seen him watching the true titans of industry, his eyes burning with the hunger of a wolf, fantasizing about the day he could tear them down and take their throne. His ambition was a bloodthirsty, predatory thing. Looking at him now, I believed the warnings on the screen a little more. Using his lover to infiltrate the Stone family, then using her to devour the corporation… yes, he was more than capable of it. 2 “You’re right, I won’t go…” I managed a weak, submissive smile. Seeing my compliance, he gave a satisfied nod and walked out. I watched him leave, a sense of dizzying disorientation washing over me. Adrian grew up in the slums, an orphan from a young age. My mother took pity on him, raising him alongside me. He was always my protector, the first to defend me from bullies at school. He still had a faint scar by his eye from a fight he’d gotten into for me. On my eighteenth birthday, he’d held me tight, promising to go out and make his fortune. “Seraphina, you wait for me,” he’d whispered. “When I’ve built something for myself, I’ll come back and marry you. I’ll give you a life of luxury.” I never imagined that in just ten years, that earnest boy would become this monster. I opened the box in my hand, my expression complex as I looked at the ring inside. [OMG, she’s looking at the ring! Did she figure out his plan?] [Go find Conrad Stone! Hurry, before it’s too late!] [Please don’t tell me she’s still caught in his web. He’s been sleeping with Chloe forever! They even have a kid together!] I stared at the flashing text, my eyes stinging. With me, Adrian had always been a perfect gentleman. Even in our most intimate moments, he would pull back, his voice strained. “Seraphina… you… you shouldn’t… stay away from me.” I would tease him. “What’s wrong? Can’t handle it?” He would glare, pretending to be annoyed. “I want to wait for our wedding night.” The memory brought tears to my eyes. He swore he wouldn’t touch me, yet he was sleeping with Chloe. They had a child! All these years I spent by his side… what a joke. No. I would not be a lamb to the slaughter. I tore off the wedding dress. There weren’t many options in the dressing room. I threw on a random assortment of clothes and ran towards the private room where the Stone reunion was taking place. [Wait, is she ditching the wedding? Has our lovesick MC finally woken up?] [YES! Look, she’s heading right for the Stone Corporation president’s room! She’s going to change her fate!] I crept up to the private room, only to find Adrian and a woman I assumed was Chloe already inside. Chloe was sobbing, a perfect picture of tragic beauty. “Mr. Stone, I really am your daughter,” she wept. “This DNA report proves it.” “Twenty years ago, my mother met you while you were doing business overseas. But after you parted ways at the port, she never heard from you again. She had to raise me all on her own.” “When she died, I cried until I thought I’d go blind. All these years, I’ve been waiting for any news of you.” “Don’t you remember any of it?” Conrad Stone looked at her pitiful form, his stern expression softening. “This report… it does show that you are my child.” A flicker of triumph crossed Adrian’s face. He pulled a pair of earrings from his pocket. “Not only that, Mr. Stone, but Chloe’s mother also left her these.” The moment Conrad Stone saw the earrings, his eyes lit up with raw emotion. “These… These are the ones I gave to Eleonora!” He snatched the earrings from Adrian’s hand, examining them closely. “Yes! It’s them! I put them on her myself!” Tears welled in his eyes as he was lost in memory. “Eleonora, my Eleonora! If I had known that would be the last time I saw you…” Seeing his emotional state, Adrian and Chloe exchanged a subtle glance. “Mr. Stone, surely this confirms that Chloe is your daughter?” Conrad wiped his eyes. “These are indeed Eleonora’s.” “However, there is one more thing I need to confirm.” He spoke slowly. “As I recall, I also left them a ring.” 3 Chloe flinched, shooting a desperate look at Adrian. The entire “backstory,” the heirlooms—it had all been fed to her by him. She had memorized every detail for this performance. But this was the first she’d ever heard of a ring. “What’s wrong?” Conrad Stone was a veteran of the business world, and his instincts were sharp. He immediately grew suspicious. “If you are truly my daughter, you would have the ring. What are you afraid of?” Sensing his doubt, Adrian jumped in. “Mr. Stone, Chloe simply doesn’t have it with her!” “We’ll go and get it right now!” Conrad nodded. “Very well. I will wait for you here.” As Adrian and Chloe turned to leave, I ducked out of sight. “Adrian, what do we do now?” Chloe whispered, her hand clutching his. Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “Damn it, why didn’t she tell me there was a ring?” “We’re so close. It seems we have no choice. We’ll have to go back and steal it from her.” [That DNA report is a fake! The scumbag used the MC’s blood sample! These two are shameless.] [What are you waiting for, MC?! Go in there and claim your father! If you don’t take this chance, you’re going to be sold off and abused for the rest of your life!] I remembered the horrifying future the screen had shown me, and a cold shiver ran down my spine. No. I had to change my destiny. Mustering all my courage, I threw open the door, rushed toward Conrad Stone, and shouted: “Mr. Stone, I’m the one! I’m your long-lost daughter!” 4 My shout brought Adrian and Chloe, who had just stepped out, rushing back in. The moment Adrian saw me, a murderous look flashed in his eyes. Before I could reach my father, he grabbed me, his arms like iron bands around me. “Seraphina Hayes, your usual antics are one thing, but how dare you cause a scene in front of Mr. Stone!” While violently dragging me out, he turned to Conrad with a deeply apologetic expression. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Stone. This is a well-known local eccentric. She’s always dreaming of marrying rich.” “She must have been eavesdropping and decided to cause trouble.” His hand was clamped over my mouth, my face obscured. I could only make muffled, desperate sounds. He secretly kicked me. “Get lost, now! Before you scare Mr. Stone.” “She’s… crazy?” Conrad looked at me doubtfully, his eyes scanning my mismatched, thrown-on clothes. He seemed to believe it. “If she’s disturbed, then get her out of here.” I watched in horror as I was dragged away. In a panic, I bit down on his hand. Hard. “Argh!” He yelped in pain, his grip loosening for a second. I scrambled free and ran back towards Conrad. “I’m not crazy! I’m your daughter!” “Look at my face! My mother’s name was Eleonora Vance, she was—mmph!” Gritting his teeth, Adrian tackled me again, wrestling me to the floor. “Mr. Stone, don’t believe a word she says! She heard all of that while listening at the door.” “She’s genuinely insane, just ask the hotel staff!” Conrad’s gaze shifted to a nearby waiter. I looked at the waiter, my eyes pleading for help. “It’s true, Mr. Stone,” the waiter said smoothly. “I often see this woman digging through the trash cans outside the hotel. Seems she’s been unhinged for a while. You can tell just by looking at her clothes.” I stared at him in disbelief, then saw the triumphant look in Adrian’s eyes. [Are you kidding me, MC?! He’s bribed all of them!] A cold dread enveloped me. Was there truly no hope? In my despair, another comment flashed before my eyes. [Show him the ring!] Seeing it, I took a deep, shuddering breath. Even with Adrian’s arms wrapped around my waist, trying to drag me away, I shouted with all my might. “Mr. Stone, I’m not crazy! I am your daughter, and this ring is my proof!”

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1 My boyfriend Ryan’s childhood friend, Poppy, calls herself “the bravest little lamb.” When she wires money to a vendor, she enters the wrong account number three times, freezing our company’s assets. She just giggles and claps. “My mistake! But I only got two digits wrong! I’m the best little lamb!” When she sends the wrong design files to the printers, $300,000 worth of materials are scrapped. She makes a fist. “Even though everyone has to work overtime to fix it, I’m still the most amazing little lamb!” I’ve talked to Ryan about it. Repeatedly. He just says, “It’s a learning experience, Sophie. She’ll get there.” It all came to a head at the dinner with our biggest potential client. Poppy secretly switched my carefully planned menu. She ordered mango smoothies, panna cotta, and mozzarella sticks. It was corporate suicide. I immediately overrode her order, switched back to the original menu, and managed to land the fifty-million-dollar deal. Afterward, she burst into tears and ran to Ryan. “I ordered all by myself, Ryan-bear! All by myself! I was the bravest lamb!” “Why did she change my menu? Why did she steal my hard work?” “Lamb good! People bad!” To “compensate” her, Ryan decided to promote her to Project Director. I refused. Poppy ran off, got blackout drunk, was assaulted by strangers, and, unable to cope, jumped from a bridge. Ryan blamed me for all of it. On my birthday, he had me tied to a chair. “You did this,” he hissed, his face a mask of rage. “You took her from me. Now you can join her.” He force-fed me the entire catering order, twenty full entrees, until my stomach ruptured and I died. …Then I woke up. I was back in my office, on the day of the client dinner. This time, I’ll let the bravest little lamb do her very best. “Sophie, sweetie! I’m heading to The Sovereign Steakhouse to check on the private room. You just finish up and meet us there, okay?” Poppy’s voice, sickly sweet, chirped from my doorway. I looked up, my heart hammering. I saw her face, so full of naive, weaponized innocence. It was real. I was back. Last time, at this exact moment, I’d just found out she’d called the restaurant and changed my menu to something you’d serve at a six-year-old’s birthday party. I’d intercepted it. I’d called the manager, fixed the menu, and saved the deal. Poppy had cried. Ryan had tried to give her my job. And then… I looked at Poppy. She’d been with us for a year. In that year, she had frozen our accounts, cost us $300,000 in trashed materials, and alienated half the staff. And every single time, she’d just tilt her head and say, “But I’m the bravest, bestest lamb!” And Ryan would just laugh and say, “She’s still learning, Sophie. She’ll get there.” I wouldn’t let her be director. I wouldn’t let her destroy the company I’d built with Ryan from a college dorm room. Our company. Our eight years of work. So she went to a bar, got drunk, and never came home. Ryan, my Ryan, who I’d starved with and celebrated with… he found me on my birthday. He didn’t yell. He was terrifyingly calm, just like he was when he found out Poppy was dead. I thought our ten years together, our shared history, meant something. He tied me up. He looked at me with dead eyes. “It’s all your fault, Sophie. You were jealous. You couldn’t stand that she was getting ahead.” “You’re a monster. And you owe her.” He smiled, and then he started feeding me. The memory of my stomach tearing, the agonizing pressure… I gripped my phone, my knuckles white. “Sophie, I’m going to the airport to get Mr. Sterling. I’ll just take Poppy with me.” Ryan’s voice pulled me back. He was at the door, his hand resting casually on Poppy’s shoulder. “You head straight to the steakhouse. Sterling really likes you. Don’t be late.” Poppy leaned into his touch, then peeked around him to make a face at me. A flash of pure, childish spite. “Yeah, Sophie, don’t be late! Ryan-bear and I are off!” Ryan just chuckled and squeezed her hand. Last time, I thought that was just his “big brother” act. Now I see it for what it was. I forced the rage down. I looked up. I smiled. “Okay. You two drive safe.” If Ryan wants to burn his own company to the ground to play house with his little lamb, who am I to stop him? 2 I got my hair blown out and arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes early. The Sovereign’s private room was all dark wood, leather, and quiet, old money. The thought of what was about to be served here made me want to laugh. A few minutes later, Ryan walked in with Mr. Sterling, the CEO of Apex Solutions. “Mr. Sterling, so glad you could make it,” I said, shaking his hand. We exchanged pleasantries. Sterling was tough, but fair. He seemed impressed. And then the door slammed open. Poppy burst in, a bag of Doritos in her hand, crunching so loudly you could hear it across the room. Silence. Mr. Sterling’s eyebrow twitched. Poppy’s outfit was a war crime. Hot pink eyeshadow. A giant, matching pink bow in her hair. Ripped jeans so shredded they were barely pants, and—I am not kidding—rubber flip-flops. Her shoulder bag was covered in jangling blind-box toys. Last time, I’d seen her in the lobby and forced her into a spare blazer I kept in my car. She’d complained to Ryan for a week. This time, I just watched. “Mr. Sterling! Hi! I’m Poppy!” she chirped, holding out a hand covered in orange cheese dust. Mr. Sterling stared at her offered hand for two full seconds before giving it a single, reluctant tap. “A pleasure,” he said, his voice clipped. “Ryan, this is your new… assistant?” “She’s… full of energy, sir,” Ryan stammered. “You’re so right!” Poppy beamed. “I’m the bravest little lamb!” Mr. Sterling looked completely baffled. “…Lamb? Is her last name Lamb?” Ryan’s face went red. “A nickname, sir. Just a nickname. Please, let’s sit.” I deliberately hung back, chatting with Sterling’s assistant about the market, letting Ryan and Poppy go first. Just as I’d planned, Poppy, in her infinite, self-absorbed energy, bounced ahead and plopped right down at the head of the table. She then patted the seat next to her. “Come on, everyone! Sit down, don’t be shy!” I watched, fascinated. That seat was for Mr. Sterling. Ryan’s face tightened. He was about to speak. I cut him off. My voice was sharp. “Poppy. That’s Mr. Sterling’s seat. Move.” She hated when I gave her orders. As predicted, she pouted. “But Ryan-bear,” she whined, looking at him. “This seat is right under the AC vent! It’s the best spot!” Ryan, God help him, still tried to be diplomatic. “Poppy, come on. Mr. Sterling is our guest. Let him have the seat.” His voice was so gentle, it had no effect. Mr. Sterling, a true professional, just waved his hand. “Please, please. It’s fine. Young people don’t stand on ceremony. Let the girl sit where she’s comfortable.” It was a polite dismissal. His smile was made of ice. 3 Poppy, however, heard only permission. “Oh, thank you, Mr. Sterling! You’re the best!” She even stuck her tongue out at Ryan. He just shook his head, a helpless, doting smile on his face. I almost felt sorry for Mr. Sterling, who was now seated awkwardly to the side, his entire posture stiff with offense. He actually let her sit there. My God. Last time, I’d forced her to change, so she’d been late and this whole seating disaster never happened. She was full of surprises. The waiter, trying to ignore the breach of protocol, began the service. I picked up my water glass, hiding my smile. Showtime. The first course arrived under a silver cloche. The waiter lifted it with a flourish. A plate of… sweetened condensed milk buns. Mr. Sterling, who had just picked up his fork, froze. Ryan’s smile twitched. “Ah. An amuse-bouche! Just a little something to start, Mr. Sterling. The real food is coming.” The next plate came out. And the next. Coca-Cola chicken wings. French fries. Mac and cheese bites. Creamed corn. A parade of sugary, starchy, deep-fried beige. Mr. Sterling’s face had gone from mildly annoyed to thunderous. He leaned back, folding his arms. He didn’t touch a thing. Ryan was visibly sweating. He flagged down the waiter. “What… what is the main course?” The waiter replied, “A mango smoothie bowl, sir. Shall I bring it out?” “What?!” Ryan’s voice cracked. He looked at Sterling’s stony face and jumped up. “There’s been a mistake! A terrible mistake! I’ll go speak to the chef right now!” “No mistake!” Poppy chirped, beaming. “I changed the menu, Ryan-bear! It’s a surprise!” She turned to Mr. Sterling, her eyes wide with expectation. “Mr. Sterling, these are all my favorite foods! I ordered them just for you!” I had to give her credit. She was so stupid, it was almost performance art. She genuinely thought she was being creative, that this titan of industry was tired of “boring” steak and lobster. She didn’t get it. You don’t sign a fifty-million-dollar deal over mac and cheese. This wasn’t about food. It was about respect. Ryan knew. He knew how bad this was. “Poppy, be quiet,” he hissed. She immediately teared up. Mr. Sterling’s assistant, Graves, had seen enough. He slammed his fork down. He stood up. “Mr. Ryan. Is this a joke? This is how your company does business? You serve our CEO… this?” He gestured at the table. “Is there even a hundred dollars’ worth of food here?” “What’s the matter? Is your company going bankrupt?” 4 Graves was Sterling’s attack dog. If he was this angry, Sterling was furious. Ryan knew it, too. He was bowing. “Mr. Sterling, please, it’s a misunderstanding. She’s new. She… she doesn’t understand corporate etiquette. Please don’t hold it against her. I’ll re-order. Immediately.” Graves laughed. “’New’? Is it your company’s policy to let ‘new’ people sit at the head of the table? Or is she the only one you’ve got?” This was a direct insult to Poppy. She puffed out her chest. “What’s wrong with being new? I’m the bravest little lamb!” The room went so quiet I could hear the ice melting in my water glass. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from howling. Mr. Sterling let out a sound… a choked cough. His face was purple. Graves just stared. He looked… bewildered. “…The bravest… lamb?” He turned to Ryan, his voice shaking with either rage or suppressed laughter. “Ryan. Are you well? In a meeting of this magnitude, you bring… this… child?” “Are you trying to insult Mr. Sterling, or is this a hostile takeover bid via pure, uncut cringe?!” This was bad. Apex Solutions was the industry leader. We needed this deal. I’d set it up myself, leveraging a connection my uncle had. Ryan couldn’t even get in the same room with this man without me. “Poppy, shut up!” Ryan was finally, truly panicked. He turned to Sterling, almost prostrating himself. “Mr. Sterling, it’s my fault. All my fault. Please, give me one more chance. I’ll make it right.” He shot a desperate look at Poppy. “Poppy! The gift! The Pappy Van Winkle! Get it! Now!” Poppy, startled by his tone, looked confused. “What? The bourbon?” “Yes, the bourbon I told you to bring! Get it!” Poppy flinched. “But… you said that was for after we signed the deal…” “Just get it, Poppy! It’s all for Mr. Sterling!” She reluctantly fumbled with her bag and pulled out a beautiful, hand-carved wooden box. Ryan’s professional smile snapped back on. “Mr. Sterling, I heard you were a connoisseur. This is a 23-Year Pappy Van Winkle. A fifty-thousand-dollar bottle. It took me months to find. Please, accept it as a token of our esteem.” At the mention of “Pappy 23,” Sterling’s posture relaxed. Just slightly. A bottle like that… it was a serious gift. Ryan, beaming, undid the polished brass latch on the box. And we all stared.

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My boss’s girlfriend treats me like her personal nemesis. At the company dinner, she marched right up to me in front of everyone. “I heard you’re really good at pleasing the boss,” she sneered. “Tell you what, bark like a dog for me, and I’ll give you a thousand dollars.” Silence fell over the room like a heavy blanket. I smiled, raised my wine glass, and said, “Here’s to the boss! Wishing you luck, prosperity, health, wealth, joy, and fortune!” “That’s six wishes. Six ‘woofs’ worth of luck. Do you want to Venmo me or pay cash?” The room erupted in laughter. Even the boss cracked a smile. Only his girlfriend stood there, her face sinking faster than the Titanic. 1 “Wow, you really live up to your reputation as the top salesperson. Such a smooth talker,” Chloe drawled, her smile not reaching her eyes. She stared at me, dragging out every syllable. “No wonder Damian always praises your ability to close deals. You really know how to charm men.” “Unlike me. I’m so clumsy with words. I could never come up with such a… unique toast.” The atmosphere in the room froze again. Anyone with ears could hear the venom dripping from her words. But my boss, Damian, was apparently deaf. He chuckled and booped her nose affectionately. “Babe, you don’t need to worry about that complicated stuff. Just stay by my side and let me protect you.” “But…” Chloe lowered her eyes, her voice suddenly trembling with unshed tears. “I read online that bosses always get seduced by their female subordinates. Damian, you promoted Sarah so fast… I… I just feel so insecure…” She actually managed to squeeze out two tears, glancing at me with a look of pure victimization. “And… she disrespected me. I just wanted to hear a cute dog bark for fun because I love puppies. But she brushed me off with those six ‘wishes.’ She doesn’t respect me at all…” I almost laughed out loud. She publicly humiliates me by asking me to bark like a dog, and somehow I’m the one in the wrong? I knew better than to argue logic with crazy. I put down my glass and looked at Damian. “Boss, your girlfriend just spent five minutes questioning my professional ethics and personal morals. Is she… trying to find an excuse to get out of paying that six grand?” “Pfft—” Someone in the corner snorted into their drink. Chloe turned beet red, like a cat whose tail got stepped on. “Damian! Look! She’s targeting me! Just because I’m your girlfriend, she’s jealous and trying to embarrass me!” Damian immediately went into panic mode, hugging her and making soothing noises. Then he frowned at me. “Sarah!” His voice was heavy. “Chloe is young and straightforward. She doesn’t mean any harm. You’ve been with the company for a long time. Can’t you just speak nicely instead of making her look bad?” He pulled out his phone, impatient. “It’s just six thousand, right? I’ll pay it for her!” He transferred the money instantly. Chloe tried to stop him but failed, a flash of regret crossing her face at the lost cash. My phone buzzed. [Payment Received: $6,000.00] Six grand for a toast? I’ll take it. I raised my glass to Chloe again, flashing my perfect customer-service smile. “Don’t worry, Miss Chloe. I keep business and pleasure strictly separate. I come to work to make money. After all—” “Flirting with the boss would really slow down my cash flow.” Laughter rippled through the room again. Chloe stood rigid in Damian’s arms, her face cycling through shades of green and white. If looks could kill, I’d be a pile of ash on the floor. 2 Chloe has considered me her imaginary enemy for a while now. She was a micro-influencer with a tiny following before she hooked up with Damian. Since then, she’s styled herself as the “Lady of the Company.” Any female employee who speaks more than two sentences to Damian gets the death stare. And I am Public Enemy Number One. Why? Because I’m the Sales Director. I report directly to Damian. And I’ve been with him since he started this company in a garage. That shared history is a thorn in Chloe’s side. That’s why she tried to humiliate me today. She wanted to assert her dominance in the most primitive way possible. I thought the drama was over for the night. But as we were leaving, Damian threw me right back into the fire. “Sarah, Client Zhang just texted. There are issues with the proposal for the merger. It’s urgent.” He waved his phone. “Hop in my car. I’ll drop you off, and we can talk on the way.” Beside him, Chloe’s eyes instantly reddened. She gripped Damian’s sleeve, her voice shaking. “Damian… you even know where she lives? What is going on between you two?” “What are you thinking?” Damian immediately softened his voice, frantically comforting her. “Last time we had a late meeting, the driver dropped her off. That’s how I know. Chloe, this is work!” Chloe bit her lip, nodding with the air of a martyr accepting a terrible burden. My head was throbbing. I really didn’t want to be part of this soap opera. “Damian, I’ll just Uber. We can talk tomorrow.” “No, they need the revisions tonight.” I had no choice. I followed them to the parking lot. As soon as we reached the car, the show started again. Chloe lunged for the passenger seat like she was claiming a throne. She sat down, buckled up, and flashed me a triumphant smile through the window. “Director Sarah, so sorry! This is Damian’s ‘Girlfriend Exclusive Seat.’ I can’t let you have it.” “Some women just love trying to steal the passenger seat, thinking it means something special.” She sighed dramatically. “Honestly, why bother? It’s so ugly when people try to squeeze into places they don’t belong.” I looked at her acting like a cliché mean girl in a teen movie. The irritation in my chest settled into something colder. She clearly didn’t learn her lesson at dinner. I opened the back door and spoke calmly. “You’re overthinking it, Miss Chloe. I actually hate the passenger seat.” She looked surprised as I slid into the seat directly behind the driver. “You might not know this,” I continued slowly, “but statistically, the passenger seat is the ‘death seat.’ In a crash, a driver instinctively swerves left to protect themselves, exposing the passenger side to impact.” I looked up, meeting her terrified eyes in the rearview mirror. I smiled. “That’s why I prefer sitting behind the driver. It’s the safest spot. Highest survival rate. Unlike the passenger seat… tsk. First to go.” Chloe’s face went pale. Her hand flew to her chest, clutching her seatbelt like a lifeline. “Sarah!” Damian started the car, frowning. “Stop scaring her! You know she’s timid.” He started cooing at his frightened little bunny again. I leaned back and closed my eyes. When I couldn’t take the baby talk anymore, I cut in. “Damian, are we discussing work or not? If you two keep flirting, I’ll be home before we start. Then I’ll have to text you later, and Miss Chloe might think we’re having a secret affair.” That shut them up. Silence filled the car for a few seconds. Then Chloe turned around, forcing a generous smile. “Director Sarah, don’t be mad. Maybe I was… too sensitive before.” She pulled out her phone. Her eyes, however, were hard. “To avoid misunderstandings, let’s add each other on WeChat. If you have urgent work matters after hours, just text me, and I’ll relay the message to Damian. That solves everything!” I almost laughed. Her logic was astounding. I have an urgent business matter, but I can’t contact my boss directly? I have to go through his unemployed influencer girlfriend who knows nothing about our business? I looked at Damian in disbelief, hoping he’d shut this down. Instead, he patted Chloe’s hand approvingly. “That’s a great idea. Chloe just wants to understand my work better and feel secure. Sarah, just add her. I want my girlfriend and my top manager to get along.” My heart went cold. To pacify his girlfriend, he was treating our business like a joke. Under his expectant gaze, I suppressed my nausea and scanned her QR code. Request accepted. Her nickname popped up: [Chloe <3 Damian 4Ever] Her profile picture was a close-up of them making out. Before I could recover from the cringe, my phone buzzed. First message from Chloe: "Director Sarah, remember to tell me immediately if anything happens with Damian at work! [Cute Emoji]" 3 That night, I revised the proposal until 3 AM. At 6 AM, my phone started vibrating like it was possessed. I slid it open. A wall of red notifications from [Chloe <3 Damian 4Ever]. [Director Sarah, are you up?] [I heard Damian is meeting Client Zhang today. Are you going?] [Is Zhang a man or a woman? How old?] [Since you claim you're innocent, you have to help me! If you see any women hitting on Damian, tell me! We're sisters now!] [Also, remind Damian to say 'I love you' twenty times a day. If he misses the quota, I'll be sad!] My brain was throbbing. I threw the phone aside. Ignoring her seemed like the best response. Ten minutes later, my phone rang. [Chloe <3 Damian 4Ever] I took a deep breath and answered. "Miss Chloe, it is 6:10 AM. Is the building on fire?" "You finally picked up!" She sounded angrier than me. "Why didn't you reply to my texts? Do you have a guilty conscience?" "I was sleeping." I rubbed my temples. "Sleeping?!" Her voice hit a pitch only dogs could hear. "How can you sleep? I'm so worried about Damian meeting clients! You have to watch him for me!" "Miss Chloe," I said, my voice dropping to absolute zero. "You are an adult. Please contact your boyfriend yourself. I am not your spy, and I don't have time for this." I hung up. Silence returned, but my sleep was gone. I showered and prepped for the meeting. At 9 AM sharp, Damian and I arrived at Client Zhang's office. As we walked into the conference room, my phone buzzed. Chloe: [Director Sarah, did you see Client Zhang? Send me a pic!] I ignored it. More messages flooded in. [Ignoring me? Are you still mad about last night?] [I know you're upset I suspect you, but I just love Damian so much.] [If you have nothing to hide, you should help me.] [Think about it. If I fight with Damian and ruin his mood, the company loses money. Can you take responsibility for that?!] What kind of mental gymnastics was this? I typed four words: "In meeting. Do not disturb." Then I muted my phone and shoved it deep into my briefcase.

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1 On the eve of the National Robotics Competition, I smashed my meticulously designed robot and announced my withdrawal. Everyone said I was a fraud, terrified of being exposed. The internet forums exploded with mockery. Only Cole Jensen, the campus prodigy, offered a hollow defense: “I believe in Austin Kane’s talent. He’s the only one worthy of being my rival. Whatever he’s going through, I hope he returns to the competition and proves himself.” In my past life, my meticulously assembled robot turned out to be identical to his. No matter how I tried to prove he had plagiarized my work, he just played the magnanimous victim online. “It’s okay,” he wrote, “Austin can have this design. I can always build something better.” His fans cyberbullied me into oblivion. No one believed me. Fueled by a desperate need for vindication, I tried to build a new robot overnight. But a power supply in one of the components exploded, causing severe brain trauma. I was in the ICU by morning. The internet cheered, saying I got what I deserved. That same night, my girlfriend signed the form to take me off life support. Even as I died, I couldn’t understand it. How did he get my robot’s data? And how did my girlfriend end up in his arms? When I opened my eyes again, I was back. It was the day before the competition. … “Austin, this dynamic humanoid design is insane! We’re definitely taking first place in the competition this time!” My best friend Walt’s excited voice snapped me back to reality. I stared at the human-sized robot before me, a violent shiver running down my spine. “I’ll submit the data now, and then all we have to do is wait for the live demonstration tomorrow!” Walt said, already tapping away at the computer. “Wait!” I yelled, stopping him. “I have a better idea.” My hands trembled as I opened my own laptop and navigated to the competition portal. I found Cole Jensen’s submission: the robot’s parameters and a video demonstration. Identical to mine. Of course it was. “What the hell?” Walt gasped, leaning over my shoulder. “How is this possible? I checked his design this afternoon, and it was totally different from ours!” “That son of a bitch, where did he steal this from?” I clenched my jaw so hard it ached. In my past life, I’d also seen his completely different design that afternoon and paid it no mind. It wasn’t until thirty minutes before the submission deadline that I discovered he’d updated his entry to a perfect copy of mine. I’d frantically reported him to the organizers and posted my entire build process online as proof. But the organizers dismissed my claim, and Cole’s fans tore me to shreds. “Copycat Kane is at it again! He was always stealing Cole’s ideas, and now he’s trying to frame him? Shameless!” “Cole released his data first, idiot. How dare you try to claim his work as your own?” Buried under an avalanche of hate, I had stayed up all night modifying the robot, determined to prove them wrong at the competition. But somehow, Cole’s robot on stage the next day was, once again, a perfect match for my modified version. The crowd jeered at me, throwing water bottles. Defiant, I tried to activate my robot to showcase its unique dynamic systems, but it exploded on the spot. The blast sent me to the ICU. With his strongest competitor out of the way, Cole coasted to victory. He won the two-million-dollar prize and was taken on as a protégé by a pioneer in the field of robotics. His future was limitless. Meanwhile, I lay dying in a hospital bed. To add insult to injury, the competition officials announced that they’d found highly flammable and explosive materials in my robot’s wreckage. They concluded I’d been planning some kind of terrorist act and had become a victim of my own malice. But I knew. I had built that machine. There was nothing like that inside it. The university expelled me. The internet branded me a monster. They doxed my parents, sending funeral wreaths to their home and throwing paint on their door, telling them they deserved to die for raising such a demon. The night I was admitted to the hospital, my girlfriend signed the papers to end my life, telling the world I had succumbed to my injuries. The public celebrated. My parents, hearing of my death, went gray overnight. Drowned in grief, they took their own lives. My soul watched it all, trapped in a cage of rage, refusing to move on. And then, I woke up. Back on the day before it all went wrong. This time, I would find the truth. I would clear my name. And I would make Cole Jensen pay. 2 “Austin, we still have time to modify it!” Walt insisted, his face grim after seeing the organizers’ email dismissing our complaint against Cole. “This competition isn’t just about the two-million-dollar prize. The winner gets a mentorship with Dr. Aris Thorne. We can’t give up.” “I’ll do the modifications myself,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Walt, you keep arguing with the organizers. Stall them.” Reborn, I trusted no one. Not even my best friend. In my last life, my girlfriend, Sierra, had been by my side the entire time I worked on the robot. The memory of her, tucked under Cole’s arm after my death, was seared into my soul. She must have been the one who leaked the data. But she didn’t understand programming or advanced mechanics. Even if she gave him the blueprints, she couldn’t have accessed the core operational code. And Cole and I had been rivals since freshman year. I was his shadow; every idea I had, he somehow brought to life just a step ahead of me, earning me the nickname “Copycat Kane.” We avoided each other on campus like the plague. There was no way he could have seen my robot. So how was his operational code identical to mine? It was a puzzle I still couldn’t solve, even after being reborn. Thinking of Sierra sent a sharp pain through my chest. Why would she betray me? We were childhood sweethearts, practically engaged. At the most critical moment of my life, she had shoved me into the abyss. I slapped myself, hard, the sting forcing me back to the present. The robot. That was what mattered now. I worked with frantic speed, dismantling the machine, rewriting the code. I’d already designed an upgraded version, but the performance was unstable, so I had opted for the more conservative build for the competition. My intuition for mechanics and programming had always been my gift; I was confident even the base model could win. But there was no time for caution now. It was all or nothing. An hour later, I stared at the upgraded robot and let out a breath of relief. I had done this modification completely alone. Unless Cole was a god, there was no way he could know the new specs. I wiped the sweat from my brow and was about to submit the new data to the organizers when Walt burst back into the room. “Dude, Cole just updated his submission! Look at this!” My blood ran cold. I snatched the laptop from his hands. The video on the screen… “How is this possible?” I whispered. The robot in Cole’s updated video was a perfect replica of the one I had just finished modifying. I watched the fluid, lifelike movements on the screen, read the fawning comments from his fans, and felt the color drain from my face. I scrolled to Cole’s post on social media: “I felt my initial design was a winner, but there are so many brilliant minds at this competition. After careful consideration, I decided to upgrade my robot. Its performance isn’t stable, but if I can get some feedback from the judges, it’ll be worth it…” Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead. The core of the upgrade was the programming data, a sequence of code that had come to me in dreams, a program I had treasured like a gift from the muses. No one else could possibly know it. Unless… could Cole have hired a top-tier hacker? Was he monitoring my every move through the network? A terrifying theory began to form in my mind. “Austin, what do we do now?” Walt asked, his voice shaking. “The forums are tearing you apart.” 3 I stared at my phone, at the torrent of hate from Cole’s fans. “LMAO, the copycat ran out of things to copy?” “He’s been leeching off Cole for years, but a god will always be a god, and a rat in the shadows will always be a rat!” … I took a deep breath, the venomous words blurring on the screen. “It’s fine,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “I have another robot. I’ll enter that one instead.” I was about to head back into the lab when my phone rang. It was Sierra. I had explicitly told her not to contact me before the competition. I stared at her name on the screen, then coldly blocked her number. “I don’t believe it,” I said to Walt, my voice filled with a grim determination. “There’s no way he could have predicted this arachnid model.” With the resolve of a cornered animal, I re-entered my workshop. This time, I disconnected the entire lab from the network. No hacker could watch me now. I carefully brought out the components of my other project. Its utility and performance were, in many ways, superior to the humanoid model. It was a machine designed to operate in complex, hazardous terrains. It was still a prototype, a secret I had never shared with a single soul. Three hours later, the assembly and programming were complete. I stood back, looking at the spider-like robot with a mix of pride and anxiety. I had spent five years developing this machine. Its most unique feature was its structure; it could shift between eighteen different forms to adapt to any environment. There was no way Cole could know about this. Taking a deep breath, I began to upload the data. But just then, my computer froze. The spinning loading icon on the screen filled me with a sickening sense of dread. When the upload finally finished, I frantically checked Cole’s submission. It had changed. It was now an arachnid-like robot. My arachnid-like robot. I scanned the parameters. They were identical to mine, down to the last decimal. And his upload timestamp was exactly one minute before mine. His latest social media post read: There are too many humanoid robots at the competition this year, don’t you think? I decided to enter this arachnid model instead. If you guys like it, maybe I’ll send you all some miniatures… I swept everything off the desk in a blind rage. “How?!” I screamed, my voice raw. “WHY?!” The world was tilting, my mind fraying at the edges. Walt rushed in at the sound of my roar. He saw the arachnid robot in front of me and understood instantly. “Could it be the organizers?” he asked hesitantly. “Did they give him your data?” It was the only rational explanation he could think of. I stood frozen, a dark, suffocating aura clinging to me. There were only two hours left until the deadline. I couldn’t build another robot from scratch. “I’m calling the organizers. Now,” I bit out, pulling out my phone. I saw that Sierra had called me over a hundred times. After finding her number blocked, she’d used someone else’s phone to send me a single text message: Austin, I love you. My love for you is like your shadow. Where you are, I am. When you are gone, I vanish. The words sparked something in my mind, a fleeting thought I couldn’t quite grasp. I shook my head, dismissing it, and dialed the competition hotline, laying out my accusations. 4 The response from the organizer was cold and bureaucratic. “Mr. Kane, this competition is sponsored by the National Science Institute and was founded by two of its most distinguished members.” “It involves universities from across the country. We would never compromise our integrity for a single student. Especially when…” The voice on the other end took on a mocking tone. “Your university isn’t exactly Ivy League; you don’t have the clout to bribe top scientists.” “If you lack the skills, work harder. Don’t resort to baseless accusations.” With that, he hung up. They wouldn’t take my calls after that. “Austin! It’s getting worse online,” Walt said, his face pale as he handed me his phone. The screen was a wall of vitriol from Cole’s fanbase. SHAMELESS! Openly plagiarizing and still trying to play the victim! Get out of the competition! Someone on Cole’s team must have been bought off! How else could this copycat steal the latest design so fast? Amidst the hate, Cole posted a calm, reasonable message: “The minds of geniuses often run in parallel. Perhaps Austin and I simply had the same idea. It’s okay. He can have this design. I’ll compete with one of my other robots.” Beneath his post, his fans praised his generosity. That’s our Cole! So gracious, even to a thief! LOL, even if you give him the stolen goods, does he even know how to use them? This is disgusting. Someone should call the cops on this vampire before he gets any more ambitious! I stared at the screen, feeling the blood in my veins turn to ice. Why was this happening? Was I supposed to just give up? Let history repeat itself? No. I refuse. There has to be something I’m missing. In the crucible of my rage, my mind became unnaturally clear. Memories of Cole flashed through my mind like a sped-up film. Before I met him, people had called me a genius, too. But since he arrived, my light had been dimmed. He was always smarter, always one step ahead. Suddenly, an idea ignited in my brain. “Walt,” I asked, my voice low and intense. “Do you believe it’s possible for two people to have identical brainwaves?” Walt looked at me, bewildered. “No way. That’s impossible. Not even identical twins.” “Okay,” I said, pressing on. “If I gave you a robot you were completely familiar with, what’s the absolute minimum time it would take you to assemble a new one from scratch?” Walt considered this carefully. “Austin, I’m not on your level, but I’m no slouch either. With all the parts ready, assembly and debugging… minimum, half a day. At least.” “A robot has too many precision components,” he continued. “It’s not like you can just copy and paste the finished product.” As he spoke, my eyes grew brighter. A grin spread across my face, growing into a wild, unrestrained laugh. “You’re right,” I said, the laughter catching in my throat. “It takes at least half a day. So how could two identical, complex machines appear within a minute of each other?” “It’s not scientifically possible!” I stared at the two robots before me, my eyes gleaming with a terrifying, feverish light. I dragged the arachnid robot over to the industrial gravity hammer in the corner of the lab. My finger hovered over the activation button. “I’ve found your flaw,” I whispered.

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My best friend was dying. Her surgery had failed. I was sobbing, my cries raw and ragged, clinging to her as her life slipped away. But then she leaned in and whispered a single sentence in my ear. The words stopped my tears cold. A hysterical laugh bubbled up from my chest. Just moments before, my best friend had been in a catastrophic car accident. Her only hope was an emergency surgery that only two people were qualified to perform: my brother and my husband, both renowned surgeons. My brother was also her husband. I called him first. “Shane, it’s Zoe! She’s been in a horrible accident! You have to get to the hospital, you’re the only one who can do this surgery!” “What kind of stunt are you two pulling now?” he’d snapped. “Does Zoe ever get tired of the drama? It’s Seraphina’s birthday today. I’m busy. Stop bothering me.” He hung up. When I tried to call back, his phone was off. Desperate, I called my husband, Jake. “Jake, you have to—” He cut me off before I could finish. “I already told you I’m busy with Zoe’s birthday celebration. What part of ‘leave me alone’ don’t you understand?” Then he hung up and blocked my number. With no other choice, another doctor had to perform the surgery. But it wasn’t enough. It failed. 1 After Zoe died, I handled everything myself. She’d told me a long time ago that if she died first, she wanted her ashes scattered in the ocean. She loved the sea, and besides, she said, she didn’t belong to this world anyway. There were no roots to return to. It was dark by the time I finally got home. The house was blazing with light, extravagantly decorated. My entire family was in the middle of a lavish birthday party for Seraphina. The house was filled with guests. “Maya, where have you been? Don’t you know it’s my birthday today?” Seraphina asked, her face a perfect portrait of innocent, doe-eyed concern. “And where’s my sister-in-law? Why isn’t Zoe with you?” Only Zoe and I knew the darkness that lurked beneath that pristine, angelic facade. My brother, Shane, wrapped an arm around her. “Ignore them,” he murmured. “They’re professional party-poopers.” “Shane!” I cried out, my voice cracking. “Zoe’s surgery failed. She’s gone. This is her death certificate.” He took the paper, glanced at it, and then he laughed. “You and Zoe really know how to commit to a bit, don’t you? You think this piece of paper is going to fool me?” He ripped the certificate into tiny pieces and tossed them into the air like confetti. “So Zoe’s hiding now, is she? Well, if she doesn’t come home tonight, she can stay gone for good!” He turned away, his arm still around Seraphina’s shoulders. As they walked off, Seraphina glanced back at me, a triumphant smirk on her lips. Her eyes screamed a message loud and clear. See? It doesn’t matter if you’re their real daughter. I’m the only one they’ll ever truly care about. Zoe and I were both transmigrators. This was our tenth year in this world. I was the real heiress to a billionaire family, switched at birth, while my “sister,” Seraphina, was the fake heiress they had raised for twenty-five years. Zoe had fallen in love with my brother, and I had fallen for Jake. It’s why we chose to stay. But Seraphina made us see that our love was worthless. We both wanted to leave. Zoe left first. Now, it was my turn. I remembered her last words, whispered in my ear. “Don’t be sad, Maya. I’m just going back to our world. When I get there, the System is giving me a billion dollars as a reward. I’ll take care of you.” 2 I went to my room and had just set up my phone to record when a group of people burst in. I recognized two of them. They were Seraphina’s thuggish friends. “Who let you in? Get out!” They just grinned sleazily and locked the door behind them. A cold knot of dread formed in my stomach. “What do you want?” They advanced on me, their smiles turning predatory. “I wonder what it’s like to mess with a real heiress. Bet she’s fun.” One of them lunged, pinning me down with brutal force. “You go first, bro,” the other one said. “I’ll take my turn when you’re done.” The man on top of me started unbuckling his belt. Pure terror seized me. “Don’t you dare touch me! I’m a Prescott!” “A Prescott? Please. Your parents treat you like a stray dog they took in.” “You really think a little shared blood makes you their precious princess? Seraphina is the only Prescott heiress. You’re just trash.” “And just so we’re clear, Seraphina is the one who sent us here to teach you a lesson.” A surge of adrenaline gave me strength. I bit down, hard, on the hand clamped over my mouth. “Ah! You bitch!” He recoiled in pain, and in that split second, I scrambled onto the windowsill. “Stay back! If you come any closer, I’ll jump!” “This is the third floor. You jump from here, you’ll be crippled for life, if you don’t die!” They rushed towards me. Steeling myself, I threw myself out of the window. The ground below was tiled. I was lucky, I suppose. I only broke my leg. Ignoring the blood soaking my clothes, I dragged myself through the house, searching for help. “Jake! Jake!” No one answered. But from a room in a secluded corner of the ground floor, I heard familiar, unmistakable sounds. I shoved the door open. There was my husband, tangled up with my sister, their clothes in disarray. “What are you doing?” Jake slowly sat up, calmly buttoning his shirt. “I had too much to drink. Mistook her for someone else.” “I look nothing like Seraphina. And what about her? Did she have too much to drink and make a mistake, too?” “God, you’re so annoying! I said it was a mistake, so it was a mistake!” He turned and finally saw me, his eyes widening in shock. “What happened to you? Why are you covered in blood?” “I jumped from the third floor.” “Are you insane? Why would you jump from the third floor?!” “Because Seraphina sent two men to rape me! I had to jump to get away!” The words came out on a choked sob. Seraphina, a master actress, burst into tears on cue. “Maya, I know you’ve always hated me, but you can’t say such horrible things! You can’t accuse me of something so vile!” “I would never, ever do that to my own sister!” Jake immediately pulled her into a protective embrace. “Maya, that’s enough! How could you frame your own sister like this?” Before I could argue, my parents and Shane appeared in the doorway. Without a single question, my father strode forward and slapped me across the face. 3 My head rang from the impact. “Dad, why did you hit me?” “We heard everything from outside! How dare you use such a disgusting lie to frame your sister? You deserve to be hit!” “It’s not a lie! It’s the truth! Look at me, look at my injuries! My leg is broken!” Shane glared at me. “Stop the theatrics. This is just another one of your pathetic bids for attention. My God, Maya, to hurt yourself like this just to frame Seraphina… you’re truly despicable.” I looked at the four people who were supposed to be my family. My husband, my parents, my brother. They all looked at me with the same expression: disgust and contempt. “You all think I’m lying? Fine. I have proof. Follow me.” I dragged my broken leg and started hobbling towards the stairs, but none of them moved. “Mom, Dad, Shane… just let it go,” Seraphina sniffled. “It’s my birthday. I don’t want to fight with Maya.” Shane sighed. “See? Seraphina is always so gracious. Unlike some people, who are just full of schemes. It’s sickening.” “What’s wrong? Afraid to come with me? Afraid of the truth?” Jake frowned. “Seraphina is trying to protect you from embarrassing yourself further. Why do you insist on being so difficult?” I stopped trying to convince them. I just dragged my broken body up the stairs and back to my room. On the desk, my phone was still recording. I stopped it and replayed the last few minutes. Good. It had captured everything. I sent the video to the family group chat. Within seconds, they all stormed back into my room. Shane held up his phone. “What is the meaning of this video?” “Isn’t it obvious? It’s Seraphina’s friends admitting she sent them to assault me.” My father shook his head. “Impossible. Seraphina would never do that. Those men must have acted on their own. This has nothing to do with her.” Seraphina started sobbing. “Maya, you have to believe me! I didn’t send them! We have to find them, I need to confront them!” “They ran off the second I jumped, of course,” I said flatly. “Did you expect them to stick around and wait for me to tell on them?” My mother’s eyes filled with a flicker of pity. “Maya, darling, jumping from the third floor… does it hurt terribly? We should get you to a doctor.” But Jake was already planting another seed of doubt. “Wait a minute. How did you manage to record that? Did you set it all up with them?” I laughed, a bitter, broken sound. “Jake, those men are Seraphina’s loyal lapdogs. Why would they conspire with me?” “Maybe you paid them!” Shane chimed in, his eyes lighting up. “Jake’s right! You paid them to frame Seraphina!” Seraphina’s sobs grew louder. “Maya, I’m your sister! Why would you do this to me?” The pity in my mother’s eyes vanished. “Maya, I am so disappointed in you.” My father snorted. “We never should have brought her back in the first place.” In that moment, any lingering trace of affection I had for this family turned to ash. “You want to know how I got the proof? Fine. I’ll tell you.” 4 “I was recording because I was about to film my last words.” Jake scoffed. “Your last words? Can’t you come up with a better excuse? You were going to kill yourself? Please.” “Yes. Today is the day I leave this place.” “Don’t be ridiculous. If you die, I’ll eat my hat.” “Maya, are you sick in the head?” Shane barked. “Why are you suddenly talking about suicide?” “You’re the one who framed your sister, and now you’re playing the victim? You have some nerve.” My vision blurred with tears as I looked at my brother. “Shane, is there anyone in your heart besides Seraphina? Do you even remember you have a wife named Zoe?” “Mom, Dad, do you remember your kind, loving daughter-in-law?” “Zoe is dead! She’s dead because none of you would answer your phones to perform her surgery! You were all too busy celebrating with Seraphina! And because of that, she died!” “Zoe is gone, and so is my last reason for staying in this world. I’m going to be with her.” Their faces were masks of disdain. Shane chuckled darkly. “Are you and Zoe still not done with this act? What is this, a soap opera?” “What’s next? Is she going to pop out of a coffin to scare us?” “No. You’ll never see her again. I had her cremated. Her ashes are in the sea.” Jake put a hand on Shane’s shoulder. “Come on, man, let’s not engage. She’s only putting on this show because she has an audience. If we ignore her, she’ll stop.” My father pointed a stern finger at me. “You will stay in this room and think about what you’ve done! You will not get a single bite of food until you are ready to apologize to your sister!” “And you can suffer with your injuries. We’re not calling a doctor until you’ve apologized!” They all turned and left, flocking around Seraphina. At the door, she looked back and mouthed two words at me: You’ll never win. But her taunts didn’t sting anymore. I was about to be free. Free to go back to my world, reunite with Zoe, and live a life of fabulous wealth where my best friend would take care of me. I had planned to die quietly in my room. But they deserved a parting gift. I climbed up to the roof of the villa. Directly below was the massive swimming pool. The whole family was in the water with Seraphina, laughing and tossing a ball around. I sat on the edge of the roof, pulled a small fruit knife from my pocket, found the artery in my wrist, and sliced down without hesitation. A torrent of crimson erupted from the wound. I heard a scream from below. “Someone’s on the roof! They’re going to jump!” Every head turned upwards. “Maya!” my mother shrieked. “What are you doing? Get down from there!” My father snorted. “Leave her. Even if she jumps, we won’t forgive her until she apologizes to Seraphina.” Shane’s brow was furrowed with irritation. “Are you still not done with this act, Maya? We’re tired of watching!” Seraphina started her crocodile tears again. “Why is she doing this to me? Is she trying to use her suicide to prove her lies were true?” “Now I’ll never be able to clear my name! Maybe I should just die too!” Jake held her tight. “Seraphina, don’t. That’s exactly what she wants.” Then he yelled up at me. “If you’re going to jump, then jump! Stop putting on a show!” “If you actually jump, I’ll change my last name to yours!” I was fading fast from blood loss. My vision was tunneling. With my last ounce of strength, I screamed back, “Then you better get used to it, because my name is White!” And then I pushed off, falling like a stone into the center of the pool. The splash sent a wave of bloody water raining down on all of them.

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I’m Willa, the final boss of the Crimson Hollow instance. My daily KPI is consummating a marriage with some hapless outsider who stumbles into my domain. Until the day I woke up and my stomach was inexplicably round and swollen. For the love of God, who the hell is the father? 1 I stared down at my perfectly round belly, then looked over at the pigpen and did a recount. All present and accounted for. I haven’t eaten a single pig in two days. How could my stomach be stretched this taut? Could it be… constipation? I immediately sprinted to the outhouse, squatted down, and tried to channel all my spiritual energy downward. Ten minutes later, I emerged feeling immensely relieved, a faint, foul odor trailing behind me. I looked down. Not an inch smaller. What in the hell was going on? I couldn’t be… My eyes widened in terror. Could it be—a tumor? Can entities even get cancer? The Crimson Hollow instance is about to reopen for new players. In this state, I can’t even fit into my wedding gown. My mind reeling with worry, I made my way to the Miller family’s cottage on the edge of the village. Sadie Miller, in her human life, had been a grad student burning the midnight oil on her PhD in naturopathic medicine. When she couldn’t land a job after graduation, she saw an ad for the new horror game instance and, on a whim, applied to be an entity. She was a headhunted hire, part of a special talent initiative. 2 “The pulse is fluid and fast, rolling smoothly under the fingers, like a bead of mercury on a steel plate. It’s a slippery pulse,” Sadie murmured, her gaze fixed on my enormous belly. She fell into thought. “You’ve just been overeating. It’s classic indigestion. I’ll get you some herbs to help with digestion.” “You quack! I haven’t eaten a thing in two days!” I knew relying on a grad student was a mistake. “Then what did you eat two days ago?” Sadie shot me a disdainful look. Two days ago? I guess I had a couple of pigs. “At least one pig, right?” Though phrased as a question, her tone was accusatory. “The hogs you raise are 500 pounds, easy. Two of them is half a ton. What other entity has an appetite like yours? This is just your system backing up. Indigestion.” “But isn’t a slippery pulse also known as a pregnancy pulse?” A deep-seated unease was coiling in my gut. “That just shows you don’t know anything,” Sadie said, rolling her eyes. “Pregnancy isn’t the only thing that causes it. Besides, you haven’t been with any male entities. Where would a baby come from?” She paused, frowning. “Though, I will admit, your pulse does feel… unique. It’s not like the others I’ve felt. It’s probably just because of the sheer quantity you consumed.” As Sadie launched into a lengthy explanation, I went silent. She might have a point about the male entities, but there were still the male players. A few months ago… that night… that player’s abs, that lean-muscled grace… Damn. The memories of that night were hazy, but I remembered one thing clearly: I didn’t get a wink of sleep. And, I had to admit, compared to all the other players I’d… entertained… that one night had been far more memorable. 3 “You’re blushing!” Sadie circled me, a look of pure astonishment on her face. “You? You’re actually capable of blushing?” I touched my face. It did feel a little warm. Mortified, I shoved her away. “Just tell me if I can get back to normal in seven days! The instance is about to open!” “I’ll give you the strong stuff,” Sadie said, heading into her apothecary. I sat on the worn doorstep of her workshop, watching as she climbed up and down a small ladder, pulling jars from high shelves. The sixth sense I barely possessed was screaming bloody murder. “Hey, Sadie,” I began, my voice hesitant. “What if…” “Spit it out!” So much for higher education. The woman had the grace of a trucker. “What if I was with a man?” I squeezed my eyes shut and yelled, “What are the chances I could be pregnant?” CRASH! The small brass scale Sadie was holding clattered to the floor. Silence. A profound, ringing silence. I didn’t dare look at her. “You didn’t use protection?!” Sadie’s voice was a high-pitched shriek that could shatter glass. “In the heat of the moment, who thinks about that stuff?” I shot back, feeling not an ounce of shame. “Besides, this isn’t some modern-day instance. We can’t just use condoms. What was I supposed to do?” “You’re insane!” Sadie grabbed my shoulders and shook me. “It never happened before, so I didn’t worry about it.” I waved a dismissive hand. “Not every entity is a cold fish like you, you know. A girl has needs! It was consensual. What’s the big deal?” Sadie looked like she was about to have an aneurysm. She raised a fist as if to strike me, but then her eyes fell to my belly, and she forced herself to stop. 4 That same day, Sadie hitched up her donkey cart and took me into the nearest materialized town for a proper check-up. Staring at the grainy image of a tiny, pulsing little bean on the ultrasound monitor, I was overcome with joy. In this godforsaken horror game, I finally had a family. Someone who shared my blood. Sadie was just sighing, one heavy, disappointed breath after another. I blinked at her with wide, innocent eyes. “You want to keep it?” she asked, her voice flat. I hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. She took a deep, steadying breath. “You’re a madwoman. I should have known you were a goddamn madwoman.” I wrapped my arm around hers. “It’s okay! The baby can call you Auntie Sadie!” “Auntie my ass!” she snapped, rolling her eyes. “Who knows if you’ll even live long enough to give birth?” “Don’t swear! You’ll corrupt the baby!” I smacked her arm lightly. “Corrupt my—” Sadie bit her tongue, catching herself. “Fine. Let’s go to my place first.” When Sadie was recruited, the System had allocated her a condo in a materialized suburban development called Evergreen Meadows. “My pigs!” I suddenly remembered. “I’ll go back later and butcher one for you. Bring it back so you can get your strength up. I swear, I must have owed you a debt in a past life.” Grinning, I followed her to Building 2, Unit 401, of Evergreen Meadows. 5 When I woke up, the rich, savory aroma of braised short ribs was wafting from the kitchen. Sadie was a phenomenal cook, but she hated doing it. I’d only been lucky enough to taste her food once or twice when she was in a particularly good mood. Looks like I had this little tadpole to thank for another feast. Just as I was about to sneak a piece from the pan, Sadie slapped my hand away. “Drink your medicine first.” She placed a bowl of viscous, pitch-black liquid in front of me. I recoiled instinctively. “Can I… not?” “Willa! Do you have any idea how much of a drain a human-entity hybrid pregnancy is on your system? Do you have a death wish?” Sadie was officially furious. “I’ll drink it! Right after I finish eating!” I promised immediately. “Nope. It works best on an empty stomach.” Fine. I’ll drink it. Bitter. So unbelievably bitter. The moment I finished, Sadie shoved a piece of tender short rib into my mouth. I chewed instinctively. It was heavenly. Once I was full, I leaned back and rubbed my stomach. A warmth spread through me, and I felt some of my power returning. No wonder I’d been so exhausted and hungry lately. It was all this little freeloader’s fault. 6 Life in Evergreen Meadows was bliss. Sadie cooked for me every day, coming up with new and delicious things to satisfy my cravings. But the damn instance was about to reopen, and my request for leave with the System was denied. I’ve heard the human world has things like labor laws. Maternity leave! There’s absolutely no respect for entity rights here. Sadie was in the kitchen, preparing a batch of snacks for me to take back for the next few days. I was sprawled on the couch, munching on a piece of spicy-sweet beef jerky. Dr. Miller’s culinary skills were truly second to none. “You just lie there waiting for me to cook for you. Have you no shame?” Sadie called from the kitchen, our usual banter in full swing. “You’re the baby’s godmother! Of course you have to cook!” The word ‘polite’ doesn’t exist in my vocabulary. Back in the village, my belly seemed to inflate like a balloon, and with each passing day, I felt my power draining away. Sadie spent her days viciously cursing the man who didn’t use a condom. I’d just grin and curse him right along with her. 7 The day before the instance reopened, Sadie went out. As the sky began to darken with no sign of her return, a knot of panic tightened in my chest. When the game isn’t active, the wilderness at night is crawling with mindless, feral entities. Even a powerful entity like Sadie would be torn to shreds out there. After my 251st trip to the doorway to scan the horizon, I finally saw a lone figure in the distance. When Sadie stumbled through the door, she was covered in blood. Before I could even start screaming at her, she shoved something into my mouth. So accustomed to being fed by her, I swallowed without thinking. A potent wave of energy surged from my stomach, flooding every corner of my being. It was a Wraith Cap. They only grow in the Unhallowed Wilds, a place filled with retired, mindless instance bosses. “Are you insane?” I cried, helping the blood-soaked Sadie to a chair. “Birds of a feather, right? We’re both lunatics,” she slurred, completely unfazed. Sadie passed out. I carried her to the spare room and began tending to her wounds. Gently, I stroked my belly, where a tiny foot was kicking restlessly. “You have to be born safely now, little one,” I whispered. “If only to make your auntie’s sacrifice worth it.” 8 【Welcome to the A-Rank Instance: Crimson Hollow】 【Survive for 7 days by adhering to the following rules:】 【1. The people of Crimson Hollow are a close-knit and xenophobic community. Do not let the villagers discover your identity as outsiders.】 【2. There is a mysterious catacomb within Crimson Hollow. Find the entrance and place the required item.】 【3. The villagers of Crimson Hollow are the players’ targets. The more villagers killed, the higher the player’s score.】 【4. The Village Chief of Crimson Hollow will enter a berserk state on the final day. Discovering the truth can prevent this.】 【5. Crimson Hollow holds a mandatory village-wide training every evening at 7 PM. Do not be late.】 【6. An enemy force will attack Crimson Hollow on the seventh day. Identifying the enemy in advance and providing information about the catacombs may lead to a mysterious grand prize.】 I lay in bed, stroking my lively baby, awaiting the arrival of the player. With a baby on the way, my desire for men had plummeted. At the stroke of midnight, a flash of white light illuminated the room, and a man with the handle 【Spud】 materialized on my bed. Finally. Staying up late isn’t good for the baby. I fell asleep instantly. The man kept fidgeting next to me. Annoyed, I kicked him clean off the bed. The world was finally quiet. When I woke up, 【Spud】 was gone. My first stop was Sadie’s for breakfast. We had brisket breakfast burritos and a rich bone broth. It was divine. The first day is always the easiest, as the players spend their time exploring the village and searching for clues. Sadie was in her kitchen, muttering to herself as she prepared more braised short ribs for me, while I squatted outside, drooling. Suddenly, a book flew through the air towards me. I snatched it with lightning speed. “I’m writing down my recipes for you. After you give birth, you’re cooking all of this for me!” I opened it. The first page was for braised short ribs. The rest of the book was blank. “Why is there only one recipe?” I asked, curious. “With the way you eat eighteen meals a day, be grateful I had time to write down one! When you’re done with all this, you’re going to make it up to me with a full-blown, Michelin-star feast!” she said through gritted teeth. I wasn’t worried. Once the baby was born, I’d just have my daughter turn on the charm. Old Sadie would melt. She always was a sucker for a soft touch. 9 Full and happy, I started walking home and came across a group of ten strangers. They were wearing new, patched-up clothes, chattering excitedly at the village entrance. When they saw me approach, they all fell silent and, like the other villagers, greeted me with a respectful, “Chief.” I stared them down, and not one of them dared to breathe. One of the men looked… vaguely familiar. But then again, we entities have a hard time distinguishing human faces. He probably just had one of those generic faces. It was only the first day, so I had no intention of making things difficult for them. I gave a slight nod and walked on. Once I was a good distance away, I heard them start whispering about “catacombs,” “enemies,” and a “grand prize.” Must be discussing the game rules. When the male player assigned to my house returned that evening, I was gnawing on a pork knuckle. I heard him swallow hard and immediately turned my back to him. This was a gift from Sadie. No one else was getting a bite. At 6 PM, all the villagers and players gathered in Old Man Hemlock’s backyard for training. Sadie led the drills in my place, while I watched from the side, one hand on my belly. The players were all clumped at the back, clumsily mimicking the movements. It was infuriating to watch. “You’re all going to die the second the enemy shows up,” I snapped, pointing at the players. “Straighten your arms! Are you throwing a punch or inviting someone to kill you?” Sadie quickly came over and shooed me away. As I walked off, I sighed. So weak. How do they survive out there? 10 During training on the second night, I saw that familiar-looking male player again. His name was Ethan. And damn, he was well-built. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, and handsome features. He had a pair of eyes that could flirt with a telephone pole and make it blush. I found my gaze drawn to his waist. Mmm. Nope. I’m a mother-to-be now. I have to be dignified. He kept sneaking glances at me during the drills. When I caught him, he didn’t look away. Instead, he just smiled. What’s he smiling about? My stomach is this big because of you damn men! I shot him a vicious glare and walked home, one hand supporting my back. That night, the player named 【Spud】 appeared on my bed right on schedule. He stared at my belly with open curiosity. “Chief, your stomach… did you just eat too much?” I rolled my eyes, too tired to bother with him. He, however, was a natural chatterbox and started telling me about the outside world. “You know, the player forums are going nuts. They’re saying the boss of Crimson Hollow is pregnant. Everyone’s guessing who the father is.” My heart skipped a beat. The news had spread that fast? “Some people are guessing it’s the boar demon from the next mountain over. Others think it’s the fish monster from the Blackwater Bog. And some people are guessing…” He paused, leaning in conspiratorially. “They’re guessing you devoured the last male player whole—body and soul—and just digested him completely.” I… Seriously. It’s a crime that this guy’s imagination isn’t being used to write novels. “Oh, by the way, Chief,” he said, as if suddenly remembering something. “Do you remember a player from a few months back named ‘Ethan’? S-class, super handsome?” My heart stuttered. Ethan? “Don’t remember. I’ve slept with too many men,” I said, my voice hard. Spud gave me a knowing, slightly sleazy grin. “Right, right. Part of the job description and all. But that Ethan guy was a legend. He’s the only S-class player to ever get out of here alive and completely unharmed. After that, he just vanished. Never entered another instance. Some say he retired, found a quiet place to settle down.” My mind was in turmoil. Could it really have been him? Fragments of that night flashed through my mind: hard-muscled abs, that lean, powerful grace, and the sound of ragged, suppressed breaths… My face grew hot. I pulled the blanket over my head. See no evil, think no evil. I’m a pregnant woman! 11 On the third day, the players finally found the entrance to the so-called “catacombs.” It was hidden beneath the old burial ground behind the village. Leaning on Sadie for support, I went to see what was happening. A group of players was huddled around the entrance, chattering nervously. “Is this it? It looks creepy as hell.” “The rules say we have to place an item. What item?” “Who’s brave enough to go down?” I stared into the pitch-black opening, feeling a chill myself. I’d been the chief here for years and never knew this place existed. As everyone hesitated, Ethan stepped forward. “I’ll go take a look.” His voice was calm, but held an undeniable authority. All eyes turned to him. He took off his jacket, revealing a black, form-fitting tactical shirt underneath that left nothing to the imagination. I couldn’t help but sneak another peek at his waist. Yep. That was the one. He glanced back at me, his expression complex and unreadable. Then, he leaped into the darkness. The crowd gasped. “Holy crap, is he for real?” “That’s a top-tier player for you!” Spud puffed out his chest with pride. “You know it. Ethan once took on an A+ boss single-handedly.” Sadie leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Something’s not right with that guy. Stay away from him.” I nodded, but my mind was a chaotic mess. Before long, Ethan emerged from the hole. He was a little dusty but seemed unharmed. “It’s not a catacomb,” he said, his eyes scanning the crowd. “It’s more like a… a nursery.” A nursery? Everyone was stunned into silence. “There are these… cocoon-like things hanging everywhere, with something moving inside them,” Ethan described. “In the center, there’s a stone altar with an indentation on it. That must be where the item goes.” “So where’s the item?” a female player asked. Ethan shook his head. “I couldn’t find it.” The players deflated like punctured balloons. I, however, was lost in thought. A nursery… All the entities in our village were directly deployed by the System. I’d never heard of any of us reproducing on our own. Could there be a hidden mechanic to this instance that even I didn’t know about? 12 I was distracted all through dinner that evening. Sadie tapped my bowl with a chopstick. “What are you thinking about? Your head is in the clouds.” “Sadie,” I started hesitantly, “do you think… is it possible for a player to re-enter an instance they’ve already cleared?” “Impossible,” Sadie said without a second thought. “The System has rules. For the sake of fairness, once a player clears an instance, they’re locked out. Unless…” “Unless what?” I pressed. “Unless he’s a ‘Seeker.’” Sadie glanced at me. “It’s a special status within the System, extremely rare. They can ignore the rules and travel freely between any instance they’ve visited. But there are only a handful of them in the entire game. They’re practically myths.” I fell silent. Ethan. The S-class player. The Seeker. The pieces were clicking into place, forming a wild theory in my mind. “Eat!” Sadie dropped another large piece of short rib into my bowl. “Who cares about Seekers? If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you. Your only job right now is to take care of yourself and bring my goddaughter or godson into this world safely.” I looked at the glistening piece of meat in my bowl, a warmth spreading through my chest. She was right. Who cares? I’ll deal with whatever comes. I placed a hand on my belly. The little one kicked back. “You’ve got to be strong, little bean,” I murmured. “Don’t let your dad… or your auntie… down.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385874”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Cole is five years older than me, but I never called him “bro.” I’ve watched him cycle through girlfriend after girlfriend. And for every single one, I’ve had to smile, be polite, and treat them like they were already part of the family. On my twenty-second birthday, I waited all day. Cole never showed. So, I made a wish: I was done loving him. Later that night, I was taking the trash out when I saw a familiar figure. It was Cole’s best friend, Julian. “Julian? What are you doing here?” “Cole got held up. He asked me to drop off your gift.” “Oh. Thanks. Where’s yours?” He smiled. “I brought two. Which one I give you depends on your answer to a question.” He looked at me, his smile fading a little. “Mia, it’s exhausting, isn’t it? Loving him. Why don’t you try someone else? Be my girlfriend.” 1 I just stared at him. When did he figure out I was in love with Cole? I thought I’d hidden it perfectly. I never, ever let on that I was jealous. “Julian, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He pressed his lips together, still trying to smile, but his eyes were nervous. “Okay, let me rephrase. Mia, I like you. I want to know if you’ll give me a chance to date you.” But he’s Cole’s best friend. I was five when I first met Cole, and Julian was right there with him. We’ve all known each other for seventeen years. I stared at his face, and my birthday wish from a few hours ago echoed in my head. My staring made him laugh. “What, you’re looking at me like I just created a huge problem for you.” I shook my head. Not a problem. Just a shock. Julian was nothing like Cole. In all the years I’d known him, I’d never seen him with a girlfriend. For a while, I’d even wondered if he and Cole were a thing. But Cole… Cole always had someone. Thinking of him, I felt that familiar, sharp sting. I looked at Julian. “Funny. My birthday wish tonight was to finally start dating. And then you show up. You must be a sign from the universe.” “So, okay. Let’s do it. Let’s date.” Julian froze. He clearly hadn’t expected me to say yes. After a second, he broke into a real smile. He turned, reached into his car, and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box. He handed it to me. “This one is for my girlfriend.” 2 I opened it right there. It was a necklace, delicate and covered in tiny, glittering diamonds. It looked expensive. “Julian, this is too much.” I knew his family had money, but his past birthday gifts were always in the same price range as Cole’s. Something I could afford to reciprocate. He stepped closer and ruffled my hair. “It’s for you. It’s fine.” As he got near, I caught his scent. It was different from Cole’s. Sharper, colder, like iced lemon. I subtly stepped back, trying to figure out how to give it back to him, when his phone rang. “Hey, man. You give her the gift?” The night was quiet. I could hear Cole’s voice perfectly through the speaker. And, underneath it, the sound of a girl laughing. “Yeah, she got it,” Julian said. He was still watching me. I felt awkward and looked away, but I couldn’t help listening. “Good. I called Mia, she didn’t pick up. Thought she was pissed.” Julian chuckled. “No, she was just taking the trash out. Didn’t have her phone.” “Yeah, you’re right. She’s sweet, she never stays mad at me. Wait… how did you know she didn’t have her phone? Is she right there with you? Put her on.” I looked up, my eyes wide in panic. I had just agreed to date him. This was already a mess. But Julian just turned away slightly, his voice dropping. “She can’t talk. What do you want me to tell her?” “Just tell her happy birthday. And that she should really try to get a boyfriend this year. Every time I take her out with me, I have to explain to people that she’s not my girlfriend.” Cole’s voice was teasing, but his words were a casual, public announcement of my humiliation. I dug my nails into my palms. Julian’s voice was quiet but firm. “That won’t be a problem anymore.” Cole was silent for two seconds. His voice was cold when he spoke again. “What does that mean? She’s dating someone?” Julian stepped forward and took my free hand. I tried to pull it away, but he laced his fingers tightly through mine. He looked me right in the eyes. “Yeah,” he said into the phone. “She’s with me. She’s my girlfriend now. So if you’re done, I’m hanging up.” 3 He hung up, but he didn’t let go of my hand. “Are you busy tomorrow?” I stared at the pavement. “No.” “Good. I’ll pick you up. It’s cold out here, you should go inside.” I nodded. The second he released my hand, I turned and practically ran for the lobby. “Mia!” he called out. I stopped, but I couldn’t make myself turn around. “You’re not going to change your mind by morning, are you?” “No,” I said. “Good. Because if you did, I’d just have to keep pestering you until you said yes again.” My face burned. I rushed into the elevator. Back in my apartment, I saw the missed calls from Cole. And a stream of texts. [Happy birthday, Mia.] [Sorry I got tied up. Julian was in town for work, so I asked him to drop off your gift.] [You’re with him?] [When did this happen??] [Why didn’t you tell me?] [I’ve never even seen you two talk. How are you dating?] [Is he pressuring you? You’re too nice to say no. Don’t worry, Mia. I’ll talk to him.] I stared at the screen. My chest felt tight. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling. Revenge? Guilt? Or just the same old, bitter disappointment. I thought for a long time, then just typed back: [Yeah.] He immediately tried a video call. I declined. [Mia, have you really thought this through?] Yes. I’m done loving you. [Do you even like him?] I didn’t know. The Julian I knew was always the quiet one at parties, polite but distant. He was gorgeous, with that cool, reserved vibe that always made girls try to talk to him. Tonight, he’d confessed to me. It was shocking. Now that I was calm, I realized I’d probably said yes on impulse. But… maybe Julian wasn’t a bad choice. My phone rang again. Cole. I fumbled it and accidentally answered. “Mia? Are you really with Julian?” He sounded frantic. So he can panic. I just said, “Yeah.” I heard him swear. “Is he forcing you? That asshole. He knows you’re my… my sister. How could he?!” “Mia, don’t worry, I’ll handle this—” I cut him off. “He’s not forcing me. He said he liked me. So I said yes.” And you never did, I thought. So why are you so angry? His ranting stopped cold. I heard a muffled crash, like something breaking. In the background, a girl’s high-pitched voice: “Cole! What’s wrong?” Suddenly, all those complicated feelings vanished. Cole could belong to any of those women. He just couldn’t belong to me. I should have accepted that years ago. I looked down at the glittering necklace from Julian. My voice was quiet. “Cole, I thought you’d be happy for me.” I’d always just called him Cole. He used to tease me for it, saying I was rude, that I should call Julian “Julian” but call him “big brother.” Now I was using the name he wanted, and he was even angrier. There was a rustling sound. Cole’s voice was tight. “Mia, wait for me. I’m coming back. We’ll talk in person.” He hung up. A new text popped up immediately. It was from Julian. [Mia, if Cole comes back to find you… don’t go soft on me, okay?] [Give me a chance. Even if it’s just for one week. Please?] I pictured Julian’s face as he typed that, probably a mix of helplessness and… fondness. I couldn’t help it. I smiled. I texted back: [Okay.] 4 At nine the next morning, Julian called. “Morning. You up?” My brain was still fuzzy. “Huh? What’s up, Julian?” I heard him laugh softly. “Wow. You forget already?” It hit me. The date. I shot up in bed. “Ah! No! I didn’t forget! I’m getting up right now!” His laugh was warmer this time. “It’s okay, relax. Take your time. Just text me when you’re ready.” After I hung up, my heart was pounding. I buried my face in my hands. Every other time I’d seen Julian, Cole was there. Oh, crap. Cole. He said he was coming back. This was getting messy. Why was he freaking out? He didn’t even like me. He was with another girl last night. I took a deep breath, put Cole’s texts on mute, and forced myself to stop thinking about him. I agreed to this. I should at least see it through. When I got downstairs, Julian’s car was already there. He was leaning against the door, tall and impossibly elegant in a wool coat. He looked casual, but the moment he saw me, he smiled and pushed off the car. “Sorry, Julian, I slept in.” “It’s okay,” he said. “So, how are you going to make it up to me?” I wasn’t expecting that. I froze. “Uh… I’ll buy you lunch?” He smiled and took my hand. “Okay. But I was hoping you’d agree to one more thing.” My first date, and I was already late. I felt like I had to say yes. “Sure. As long as I can do it.” “Change what you call me. Don’t call me Julian.” “Oh. Then… what?” “Jules.” He said it, then looked down at me, a hopeful look on his face. Jules. I tried it in my head. It felt way too familiar. “J-Jules,” I whispered. He heard me. His smile widened, and he answered, very seriously, “Yeah. I’m here.” Setting aside the fact that we were dating, Julian’s face, when he smiled, was seriously lethal. Especially when you knew you were the one who caused it. I blushed and changed the subject. “We should get that lunch. I’m starving.” “Right,” he said, and laced his fingers through mine. He seemed to like that. He’d done the same thing last night. I wasn’t used to it. After lunch, he took me to an art exhibit. “Jules, don’t you have work? You said you were on a business trip. We can skip this.” Julian’s family wanted him to take over the family business, but he’d insisted on starting his own company first. Every party I’d ever seen him at, he was on his phone, answering emails, and always left early. He was the definition of a workaholic. But today, he hadn’t looked at his phone once. He just shrugged. “Finished everything last night. Today is all yours.” My face felt hot. “Jules, I’m not a kid. You don’t have to entertain me.” “Oh, I know. I’m the kid. I need you to entertain me.” God, my face was on fire.

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I spent three years studying abroad. When I finally returned home, I found my daughter’s bedroom occupied by a strange girl named Luna. Seeing my fury, the housekeeper stepped forward to kick Luna out, but my husband stopped her. “Honey, don’t,” he said smoothly. “Lily was being impossible. I had to send her to boarding school.” Lily? Impossible? My daughter was the sweetest, gentlest soul. She cried for half a day when our goldfish died. How could she possibly be “bad” enough to be shipped off to boarding school? I stared at the man in front of me, disbelief washing over me. “You sent your seven-year-old daughter to boarding school? And then you let some random kid squat in her room?” He grabbed my shoulders, trying to calm me down. “You don’t understand. Lily is rotten to the core. Luna came over for a playdate, and Lily tried to push her down the stairs.” “We had to teach that little monster a lesson. If we didn’t, she’d probably end up murdering us in our sleep!” I didn’t waste another breath on him. I was going to get my daughter. And then, I was going to kick every single one of these parasites out of my house. This spineless man lived off my money, my inheritance, and my hard work. Did he really think he was the master of this house? 1 When I walked through the front door, Lily didn’t run into my arms like she used to. The house was dead silent. Even my husband, Julian, was nowhere to be found. I figured since I came home early, maybe Julian took Lily out for ice cream. I carried the custom cake I bought—Lily’s favorite—up to her bedroom. I pushed the door open. The room looked even more lavish than when I left a year ago. More toys, new decorations. At least Julian seemed to be taking care of her. I set the cake on the desk and noticed a small lump under the duvet. Lily was sleeping. My heart melted instantly. I sat on the edge of the bed, moving as quietly as possible, and leaned over to see the little face I had missed every single day for a year. But when I pulled back the covers, it wasn’t Lily. My brain short-circuited. I ripped the duvet off completely. The girl was wearing Lily’s pajamas. Sleeping in Lily’s bed. In Lily’s room. The sudden movement woke her up. She rubbed her eyes and glared at me. I forced down the panic rising in my throat and tried to be gentle. I didn’t want to scare a child. “Sweetie, why are you sleeping in Lily’s room? Where is she?” The girl blinked her sleepy eyes open, then smirked with an arrogance that looked bizarre on a child’s face. “My daddy said Lily doesn’t deserve to sleep here anymore. This room belongs to me now! I’m Luna!” “Who are you? Get out of my daddy’s house before I tell him to throw you out!” Her words hit me like a machine gun. Daddy’s house? The bad feeling in my gut turned into a scream. I grabbed her wrist. “Where is Lily?!” She raised her hand to hit me, but then her eyes darted behind me, and her expression instantly shifted to pure terror. “Auntie, please! I really don’t know where Lily is!” Before I could process the sudden change, a strong hand yanked me backward. I lost my balance and slammed into the wall. Julian rushed past me, scooping the girl into his arms, his face full of anguish. “It’s okay, Luna. Daddy’s here. Don’t be scared.” A woman followed him in, looking fragile and teary-eyed. “Mrs. Vance, I know you don’t like us, but how could you treat a child like that?” I hadn’t even asked why these strangers were in my house, and they were already gaslighting me? I ignored the woman and lunged at Julian, grabbing him by the collar. “Where is my daughter?” The righteous anger in Julian’s eyes flickered, replaced by guilt. “She… I sent her to boarding school.” “Boarding school? You sent a seven-year-old to boarding school?!” My grip tightened. “Which one? Tell me exactly where she is!” Julian’s face turned red as he struggled to breathe, pounding on my hand. I threw him to the floor. The woman immediately threw herself over him, weeping. “Mrs. Vance, please don’t blame Julian! It’s my fault. I brought Luna over to play, and we upset Lily.” Julian caught his breath and immediately shielded the woman. “Lily is a bad seed! Luna was just visiting, and Lily tried to push her down the stairs!” “A vicious brat like that needs to learn a lesson. St. Jude’s Academy will straighten her out!” St. Jude’s. The “reform school” that was all over the news last month for abusing students. He was insane. I didn’t bother arguing with this trash couple. I grabbed my car keys and sprinted out the door. They better pray Lily is okay. If she has a single scratch on her, I will make them pay a hundred times over. 2 I ran ten red lights. I drove like a maniac and made it to the gates of St. Jude’s in record time. I stormed past security and kicked open the classroom door. The scene inside felt like a hand crushing my windpipe. A massive, hulking man was kicking a small figure curled up on the floor. It was Lily. She was sobbing, gasping for air. “Instructor Stone, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! I’ll be good, I promise!” “Mommy, help me! Mommy, I miss you!” Every word she screamed was a dagger in my heart. Adrenaline exploded in my veins. I charged into the room and tackled the instructor, slamming him to the ground. Lily gasped. “Mommy! You came!” I pulled my daughter into my arms, shaking with the effort not to kill the man on the floor. “Mommy’s here, baby. I’m sorry I’m late. Mommy’s so sorry.” The instructor tried to get up, but my bodyguards, who had finally caught up, pinned him down. “Do you know who you just kicked? Do you have a death wish? Do you know who my sister is?!” he shouted. To protect Lily’s ears, I ordered my guards coldly: “He’s too loud. Shut him up.” “Check the surveillance tapes. For every time he hit a child, hit him back ten times. Don’t miss a single count.” Surrounded by my security team, I carried Lily to the car, holding her so tight my arms ached. Maybe she was exhausted from crying, or maybe she finally felt safe, but she fell asleep in my arms almost instantly. Holding her, I instructed my assistant to investigate the woman and her daughter. I wanted to know everything that happened while I was gone. When we got home, I carried Lily inside gently. The door opened to a nightmare. Julian, the woman, and the girl were gathered around the dining table, cutting the custom cake I bought for Lily. Luna was clapping her hands. “Yay! Mommy and Daddy cutting the cake together!” The woman, acting shy, whispered, “Luna, don’t say that. Mrs. Vance will get angry. Don’t make trouble for your daddy.” Julian’s frown disappeared as he looked at her. “Sarah, you’re always so considerate. If only Lily had half your manners.” Sarah smiled, hiding the triumph in her eyes. “Luna’s fracture from when Lily pushed her healed in a month. It’s fine.” “Don’t fight with Mrs. Vance over us. I don’t want you to be in a difficult position.” Hearing Lily’s name, Julian’s face twisted with anger. “Lily was ruined by her mother! She was a brat before, snatching things from Luna in public. Now that her mom is back to back her up, she’ll be impossible!” “She’s only been at St. Jude’s for two months. I bet she’s still a bad seed!” “If she bullies Luna again, I’ll send her back until she learns her place!” Watching him speak with such venom about his own child… I remembered before I left for my studies, I wanted to take Lily with me. Julian stopped me. He said it would be hard to study with a child. He joked that with Lily at home, he wouldn’t worry about me running off. He swore he would take good care of her. Before I left, Lily was a happy, chubby, confident little girl. Now she was covered in bruises, begging in her sleep for the instructor not to hit her. I suddenly realized something. He forgot he was just a trophy husband. He forgot that in the Vance family, Lily’s life was worth ten thousand of his. I laughed out loud. A cold, sharp sound. “Wow. ‘Daddy’ rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it?” “Since when did Julian Vance have another daughter?” Hearing my voice, Sarah and Luna immediately cowered behind Julian. Julian spread his arms protectively in front of them. I sneered and carried Lily upstairs, tucking her into her own bed. Julian followed me, whispering angrily. “That room belongs to Luna now. If you put Lily there, where is Luna supposed to sleep?” I turned slowly to face him. “Are you confused? Since when do I not make the decisions in my own house?” 3 Julian’s eyes darted nervously, but he kept his voice low and insistent. “This isn’t about whose house it is. You need to send Lily back to St. Jude’s.” “Didn’t you see how scared Luna was of her? Lily isn’t the sweet girl you remember!” I shot back, icy cold. “Julian, do you even remember which one of them is your actual daughter?” Just then, Sarah and Luna appeared in the doorway. Sarah saw us arguing and gave Luna a subtle nudge. Luna immediately ran forward and hugged Julian’s leg, looking up with big, teary eyes. “Daddy, don’t fight with Mrs. Vance because of me. It’s okay.” “As long as Lily is here, I’ll just disappear. I won’t come out of my room.” Julian’s wavering resolve hardened instantly. “Sarah Vance, send Lily back now. Don’t make me say it again.” Sarah pretended to try and calm things down. She walked up to me, and in a voice only I could hear, she whispered: “Ms. Vance, when you’re old and washed up, you should make way for someone new.” “Did you really think a child could keep a man like Julian tied down forever?” I froze, staring into her smug eyes. She didn’t know. She didn’t know I was the heiress. I was the Vance. Julian just took my last name. Before I could speak, the family doctor arrived. Looking at Sarah’s arrogant face, I suddenly felt like putting on a show. I asked the doctor to move Lily to the guest room. After all, things were about to get messy. I didn’t want to scare her. Looking at the whip marks on Lily’s arm, I swallowed my tears. Just wait, baby. I’m going to make these two kneel and beg for your forgiveness. Once Lily was settled, I walked back into her bedroom. Julian and Sarah were comforting Luna, acting like she was the victim of some great tragedy. I walked straight into the room and started smashing things. That lamp? Not Lily’s. Smash. Green pencil case? Not Lily’s. Smash. Spotted dog statue? Not Lily’s. Smash. … They were stunned for the first item. By the second item, they realized what was happening and tried to stop me. But I was moving too fast, throwing things too hard. They couldn’t get close. Julian stood there, screaming. “Crazy! You’ve gone crazy!” Luna wailed on the bed, heartbroken over her stuff. “The bad lady is breaking my things! She’s a crazy witch!” Sarah was scared, but mostly she looked thrilled that I was acting like a lunatic. It meant her takeover was imminent. She stepped in front of Julian and Luna, acting the martyr. “Mrs. Vance, if you’re angry, hit me! Don’t hurt Julian!” I had just finished clearing the desk. I smiled at her. “Great idea! I was waiting for you to say that!” Slap! Slap! I backhanded her twice across the face. Hard. My hand went numb. Sarah’s delicate face swelled instantly. She stared at me in shock. She didn’t think I’d actually do it. Her daughter reacted fast, charging at me to bite. I was faster. I grabbed her arm and pinned her. “Luna, sweetie, did you think you were immune?” I lifted her wrist. “This crystal bracelet? I spent twenty grand customizing this for Lily. Take it off.” Luna froze, then started crying, clutching the bracelet. “Daddy gave this to me! It’s mine! You old hag!” “Mommy was right, you’re not good enough for Daddy! You should die!” Julian looked stunned. Sarah rushed over to hug Luna. “Ms. Vance, you’re scaring her! She doesn’t know what she’s saying!” I laughed and waved my hand. My security team stepped out from the hallway. “Scaring her? Honey, I haven’t even started.” 4 Seeing the dozen bodyguards behind me, Sarah’s mask of gentleness cracked. I signaled the guards. They moved forward to restrain Sarah and Luna. Julian, furious, stepped in front of them. “Sarah! Enough! When will you stop this madness?!” “You smashed the room! You tore their clothes! What do you want?!” “If you touch them, I will divorce you right now!” The chaotic room went silent. Sarah hid behind Julian, smirking at me triumphantly. The bodyguards hesitated, looking at me for orders. Just then, my assistant whispered in my ear. She had the investigation results. Listening to the report, I laughed out loud. This leech had lived off me for so long he actually thought he was the king. “Bring those two in.” My assistant nodded and left. I looked at Julian’s twisted face and spoke coldly. “Don’t rush, Julian. Your surprise is coming.” I signaled the guards again. Before Sarah and Luna could hide their smirks, the guards slammed them to the floor. They stripped Luna of everything that belonged to Lily. The $20,000 bracelet. The $5,000 hair clip. The $30,000 gold locket. Sarah tried to maintain her dignity, looking at Julian with tear-filled eyes. Luna, terrified, screamed for help. “Daddy! Daddy save me!” “Kick these people out! Especially this smelly woman!” I walked up to Luna and smiled. “Kid, this house is mine. If anyone’s getting out, it’s the three of you.” “Now, go to the guest room, kneel by Lily’s bed, and apologize!” Sarah looked blank for a second. “The house is…” Before she could finish, a booming voice came from the hallway. “Sarah Vance! Have you lost your mind?!” I turned around. It was my older brother, the current head of the Vance family. He stormed in with his own team of bodyguards, looking like he wanted to execute me on the spot. I scoffed. “Do you know what they did to Lily?!” Julian suddenly grew a spine. He cut in. “What did we do to Lily?! She was spoiled rotten! I sent her to boarding school to learn some discipline! Is that a crime?” “Brother, you’ve been gone a long time. You don’t know how bad Lily has become! Luna came to visit, and Lily stole the gift I gave Luna! She claimed it was hers!” “Last time, if I hadn’t caught her, she would have pushed Sarah into traffic!” “She’s seven and already this manipulative. If we don’t correct her…” I used every ounce of strength in my body and slapped Julian across the face. “Julian! How dare you talk about your own daughter like that!” He stumbled, nearly falling. I raised my hand to hit him again, but my brother spoke, his voice ice cold. “Sarah Vance. Did our parents teach you to beat people in public?” “If the Vance family ends up in the tabloids tomorrow for bullying, can you take responsibility?” Sarah, kneeling on the floor, saw her chance. She started wailing. “Mrs. Vance, you are too much!” “Julian works so hard to hold up the Vance Corporation. And you? You spent the family’s money partying abroad for three years!” “He has to run the company and take care of the daughter. Do you know how much my heart breaks seeing him so tired?” “And now you hit him in front of his brother?!” “You are truly…” My brother looked confused. He interrupted Sarah’s passionate speech. “Excuse me, miss. I think you’re confused.” “Sarah Vance is my sister. Julian here… he’s just the man who married into our family.” Sarah’s jaw dropped. “Married… into…?” “Isn’t Julian the son of the Vance family?” My brother, previously furious at me, looked at Sarah with an amused expression. He looked between Sarah, Luna, and Julian. Then he smiled, understanding dawning on him. “Miss, the Vance family has only one son. Me.” “As for the man beside you… he’s a trophy husband.” Sarah looked at Julian in horror, forcing a smile. “Julian… is that true?” Julian didn’t answer. He glared at me with hatred. My brother laughed. “Julian, my friend. You’ve lived the good life too long. Don’t forget where your bread is buttered.”

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My mom doesn’t do dishes. She doesn’t make beds. But her car… her car is spotless. She treats it like her most prized possession, cleaning it out every day after work until it gleams. Today, Dad asked me to grab a file he’d left in there. As I felt around under the passenger seat, my fingers brushed against something small and metallic on the floor mat. I picked it up. It was a shiny silver cufflink. “Dad,” I called out, holding it up. “When did you get a cufflink just like Mr. Davies’s?” 1 My dad’s hand, reaching for the file, froze in mid-air. His eyes fixed on the object in my palm, and the smile on his face slowly dissolved. “What is it, Dad?” He didn’t answer. He just took the cufflink from me, his fingers rubbing the cold metal as he held it up to the light. After a long moment, he tossed it into the center console, his voice trembling just slightly. “It’s nothing. I’ve never seen it before. Must be some trash that got tracked into the car.” He took my hand and led me back upstairs, his pace much faster than usual. When we got inside, he didn’t sit down to build Legos with me like he normally would. He didn’t turn on the financial news. He just stood by the front door, waiting for Mom to come home. The dim light of the entryway stretched his shadow long and thin across the floor. Mom was on the phone when she walked in, her voice bright and cheerful. “Honey, I’m home!” she chirped. She opened her arms for a hug, but Dad took a sharp step back, his eyes locked on her. Her arms fell awkwardly to her sides. “What’s wrong?” He didn’t speak. He just bent down to take her briefcase, his nose brushing against the fabric of her blazer as he did. “Nicole,” he said, his voice flat. “You smell like men’s cologne.” Mom blinked, then forced a laugh that didn’t sound real. “Oh, you know. I was in a meeting with a male client, we were standing close. It must have just rubbed off.” She started to explain more, but Dad didn’t let her. He just opened his hand. The shiny silver cufflink lay in his palm. “Is that so?” he asked. “Did this client also happen to leave his cufflink under your passenger seat?” The color drained from my mother’s face. She stared at the cufflink, her lips parting as if to say something, but no words came out. After a few seconds of dead silence, she snatched it from my dad’s hand and threw it on the floor. Her voice turned to ice. “What are you trying to say? You’re going to interrogate me over some stray cufflink and a hint of cologne? The child is right here!” She pulled me behind her, crouching down to squeeze my cheeks. “Joey, sweetie, you know Mommy only has eyes for you and Daddy.” With that, she walked into the master bathroom and shut the door. A moment later, I heard the sound of the shower running. Dad just stood there, completely still. I walked over and tugged on his sleeve. “Dad, is what Mom said true?” He bent down and kissed my cheek. “Of course, it is.” But all I could see were my dad’s eyes, the light completely gone out of them. 2 The next day at school, as soon as I walked into the classroom, I smelled something familiar. It was the exact same scent that had been on my mom’s clothes the night before. My head snapped up, and I stared at my teacher, Mr. Davies. He was wearing a nice tracksuit today, and his short hair was styled perfectly. He had these two little fangs that showed when he smiled. I thought he was handsome. “Mr. Davies, you smell really good.” He seemed surprised for a second, then a glint appeared in his eye. He smiled and ruffled my hair. “It’s a new cologne someone got for me. You like it?” I nodded enthusiastically. When I got home, I told my dad what happened. “Dad! Mr. Davies was wearing the same cologne that was on Mom’s clothes yesterday!” My dad was peeling an apple. The knife clattered against the ceramic bowl. He just looked at me, his lips moving slightly, but he didn’t say a word. From then on, I could tell Dad was sad. When he read me stories, his mind was somewhere else. But when he hugged me, he held me tighter than ever before. One night, I woke up to use the bathroom and heard my mom talking on the phone out on the balcony. She was keeping her voice low, but I could still make out the words. “Of course I miss you… stop it, you.” “Joey’s doing so well in school, it’s all thanks to you. Yes, I told him Mr. Davies is the best teacher ever.” I tiptoed to the door and peeked through the crack. Mom was leaning back in a chair, holding her phone, a soft, gentle look on her face that I had never seen before. A floorboard creaked in my dad’s bedroom, and she immediately ended the call, her smile vanishing. She pushed the balcony door open and jumped when she saw me standing there. “Joey? Why are you still awake?” I looked up at her. “Mom, was that Mr. Davies?” Her face went stiff. “No, honey. It was just a colleague from work. We were talking about a project.” She picked me up, carried me back to my room, and tucked me into bed. “Go to sleep now. Little boys shouldn’t worry about grown-up things.” But I lay there, wide awake. She was lying. I knew that voice. It was him. The next day, Dad was zoning out again while reading me a picture book. I looked at his tired face and decided to tell him my big discovery, hoping it would cheer him up. “Mr. Davies has a new messaging account. The profile picture isn’t the one he uses for the class group.” I said it like I was sharing a secret. “That’s the one Mom was talking to last night. I saw it.” My dad’s whole body went rigid. He took a few big gulps of water before asking, trying to sound casual, “Joey, do you… do you remember the username?” I nodded proudly. “Of course! The one Mom was chatting with has a gold medal for a profile picture. From when he won that coaching award!” I continued, “The username is his initials, M.D., then the number 520, and then the letters N.S.” My dad’s face went white. I could hear his breathing get faster and faster. After what felt like forever, he forced a few words through his teeth. “Nicole Shaw… Nicole Shaw…” That’s my mom’s name. I’d never heard him say her name like that before. It scared me. I whispered, “Dad?” I didn’t dare look at his face. In that moment, my own heart felt like it was being squeezed into a tight little ball. 3 That night, I woke up for a drink of water and saw the light was still on in my dad’s study. I crept to the door and peeked through the crack. The blue light from the screen made his face look pale and ghostly. He was holding his phone, his expression grim, as if he’d finally made a terrible decision. I watched as he went to my school’s website, found the faculty page, and clicked on Mr. Davies’s picture. The man in the photo had the same short hair, the same handsome smile he wore during the day. Then, Dad opened a secondary messaging account he used for online coupons. In the search bar, he typed in the initials I’d told him. First M.D., then he hesitated, before adding my mother’s initials, N.S., and finally, that glaring number: 520. An account popped up. The profile picture was a gold medal. The exact one I’d seen on my mom’s phone. My dad’s fingers were shaking badly as he tapped on the profile. The feed was filled with pictures of Mr. Davies on trips with a woman, both of them laughing, looking blissfully happy. The woman’s face was never shown. But the trench coat she was wearing… it was identical to the one in my mother’s closet. The most recent post was from my dad’s birthday. It was a selfie of Mr. Davies wearing a brand-new watch. I recognized it instantly. It was the one my dad had stared at in the display case at the mall for so long, the one my mom said was too expensive to buy. And now it was on Mr. Davies’s wrist. The caption read: Thanks, my love. You always know exactly what I want. There was only one ‘like’ on the post, and a comment I couldn’t quite make out before— Clatter. The phone slipped from my dad’s hand and hit the floor. The sound startled me, and a small gasp escaped my lips. I tried to run, but it was too late. Dad was already standing in the doorway. He saw me staring at the phone screen, and his expression turned dark. I walked over and tugged on his sleeve. “Dad, is that Mom’s account that liked the picture?” My voice was small. “She said she only had you and me in her heart. Does she still mean it?” Dad thought for a long, long time. Then he knelt, pulled me into a hug, and rested his chin on my shoulder. His voice was muffled. “Back then… I think she probably did.” From that day on, the air in our house felt heavy and strange. Dad stopped asking Mom why she came home late. He stopped checking her clothes. Mom started coming home on time, and even suggested taking us out to dinner. But Dad would just refuse quietly. “I’m tired. I don’t feel like going out.” Mom would just sigh and say he was “having one of his episodes again.” I would grab my dad’s hand anxiously, asking him what kind of episode, if he was in pain. He would just force a bitter smile, turn his head so I couldn’t see his eyes, and mutter, “Just go do your homework.” It only took a few more days for me to understand. Dad wasn’t sick. I was. 4 My dad came to school that day. He said he was dropping off a workbook I’d forgotten and told me to head home first. But I had a bad feeling. I followed him quietly, all the way to Mr. Davies’s office. The office was empty, but a faint scent of perfume hung in the air. It was the kind my mom always wore. On the sofa, I saw a few long, curly hairs, just like hers. There were also two crumpled-up takeout receipts on the desk. The phone number on them was my mom’s. I thought maybe she had come to pick me up. I decided to follow Dad and surprise her. It started to rain. I saw my mom’s car parked in the small alley behind the school. From a distance, I could see her leaning against it, talking to a man. The man was looking down at her, gently smoothing the collar of her coat that the wind had messed up. It was Mr. Davies. They were standing so close. My mom was smiling, a sweet, happy smile. Then, she stood on her tiptoes and suddenly kissed him on the cheek. Mr. Davies touched his face, then wrapped his arm around her waist with a fond smile. His umbrella tilted and fell, shielding both of them from my view. And my dad… my dad was standing behind a tree not far away, watching them. The wind whipped my dad’s hair across his face as he turned, a stiff, wooden figure disappearing into the twilight. In that moment, I felt like my dad was being stolen. Not my mom. My dad. A wild rage filled me, and I started running. I had to get my mom back for him. 5 I burst through the curtain of rain and slammed myself between my mom and Mr. Davies. Their smiles froze on their faces. My mom grabbed me and pulled me aside, her voice a harsh, urgent whisper. “What are you doing here? Go home, now!” I started crying, telling her I wanted to go home with her, but she just frowned and said she had important things to do. I pointed a shaking finger at Mr. Davies, my voice rising to a shout. “It’s him! He’s the one making Dad sad!” My mom tilted her umbrella further toward Mr. Davies, not even looking at me as she sneered, “Your dad is sick in the head. What does that have to do with anyone else?” “You’re leaving us, aren’t you!” She finally looked at me then, a mocking smile on her lips. “Did your dad teach you to say that? Tell him to cut the drama.” She looked down at me, her voice sharp. “And you, Joey. You’re a big boy now. Stop being sick, just like your father!” Her casual words felt like a knife twisting in my chest. “I want my mommy!” I screamed at her. Her face darkened, her patience gone. “Nobody likes a whiny little boy, Joey. Not me, and not your dad when you act like this.” She went on and on, her voice getting louder, until Mr. Davies finally stepped in to calm her down. I didn’t understand. Why was she yelling at Dad? Why was she listening to Mr. Davies? She was the one who said she only loved me and Dad. It was all his fault. My mind went blank with anger. I launched myself at Mr. Davies, hitting and kicking him with all my strength. “You’re a bad man! You stole my mom! You hurt my dad!” Mr. Davies yelped in surprise, his nice tracksuit getting smudged with dirt. SMACK! A loud crack echoed in the alley. My ear rang, and one side of my face went numb. The person who hit me… was my mother. Her eyes were bloodshot as she pointed at me, screaming, “Apologize! Apologize to Mr. Davies, right now!” Mr. Davies cowered behind her, grabbing her arm. “Nicole, stop, he’s just a kid…” That only made her angrier. “A kid? This is how his father taught him to behave? To throw tantrums and make a scene? He’s just like his neurotic dad!” She lunged at me, shoving me to the ground. She pushed my face into the mud and tried to force me to my knees. “If you don’t apologize, you can stay here and kneel all night!” Her voice was like thunder, shaking my whole body. The look in her eyes was terrifying. I bit my lip, too scared to say anything. I just wanted my dad. That night, I don’t remember how I got home. I locked myself in my room, refusing to eat or speak, just hugging my knees and crying. Dad pushed the door open. When he saw the red mark on my face, he cried out. “Joey! What happened to your face?” He rushed over, his hands trembling as he cupped my cheeks. Seeing the pain in his eyes, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I threw myself into his arms and sobbed. “It was Mom…” Between gasps, I told him everything that had happened. He held me, his body shaking even more than mine. He was crying, hot tears falling onto my neck. That night, I came down with a high fever. My mom didn’t come home. It was Dad who carried me, running through the hospital corridors in the middle of the night. I’d never heard him sound like that before, his voice broken and full of despair as he yelled into the phone. “…He’s just a kid! How could you lay a hand on him!” “A meeting? Nicole, you tell me, what meeting is more important than your son!” “Nicole! Joey has a raging fever! …You want him to ‘reflect on his behavior’? You think he’s faking it? Nicole! You’re a monster!” The way he looked scared me. He didn’t say another word, just hung up. It was all my fault. I tried to protect Dad and just made everything worse. I made Mom leave. I was a terrible son. No wonder she wanted me to apologize. I gathered my courage and stood in front of my dad. “Dad, I’m sorry. I didn’t protect you. I couldn’t get Mom to come back…” Before I could finish, he pulled me into a tight hug, his voice choked with sobs. “It’s not your fault, Joey. You did nothing wrong. You are the best boy in the whole world…” I realized for the first time how thin his shoulders felt. I tried to hug him back, patting his back gently. Again, and again. “Dad still smells the best…” I murmured before I drifted off. When I opened my eyes again, Dad was asleep in the chair next to my hospital bed. He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes. My head felt fuzzy, but I managed to sit up. That’s when I saw her, far down the hallway. My mom. 6 She was supporting Mr. Davies with her arm. They rushed right past our room. The breeze they created lifted the edge of the medical tape on my IV. She didn’t look at me. Not even a glance. Her eyes, her entire being, were focused on the man leaning on her, a slight frown on his face. “Doctor! Now! I want a full workup, the best you have!” Her voice echoed through the hall, strained with panic. “He was assaulted by an ill-mannered child! I’m worried about internal injuries!” Mr. Davies leaned weakly against her, but his voice was smug. “Nicole, I told you, I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.” Nurses immediately swarmed them. Their murmurs buzzed around me like flies. “Oh my god, isn’t that Nicole Shaw? The CEO of Nexus Innovations? She’s so devoted to her boyfriend! Where do you find a love like that?” “I know, right? Bringing him in herself late at night, calling in the hospital’s top specialists. Look at the way she looks at him, you can see the heartbreak in her eyes.” Their words were like red-hot knives, stabbing into me and my dad. I turned to look at Dad. He was standing right behind me. He wasn’t crying. He wasn’t even shaking. He just watched the dramatic display of affection at the end of the hall, his face completely blank. “Daddy…” I started crying again, struggling to breathe. “Did I make Mommy leave? Was I not a good boy…?” Suddenly, Dad smiled. It was a smile I had never seen before. He walked over and used the back of his cool hand to wipe away my tears, one by one. Then he held my face and made me look into his eyes. His voice was quiet, but each word was like a nail being hammered into my heart. He said, “Joey, listen to me.” “You did nothing wrong.” “It’s your mother… she isn’t good enough for us anymore.” “We don’t want her anymore.”

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