Category: English

I had just announced our engagement dinner to my coworkers in the work group when Ethan’s childhood best friend, Vicky, dropped a bombshell in the chat. “Chloe. How dare you ask Ethan for $8 million for the wedding?” “Ethan’s parents had to sell their family home just to satisfy your greed. Aren’t you afraid of killing them?” In less than ten minutes, everyone at the office branded me as a gold-digger. I was shaking with rage. The total budget for Ethan’s and my wedding was only twenty-eight thousand dollars. I went to confront Vicky, but she immediately started playing the victim, crying in the group chat. “I’m so sorry, everyone. I shouldn’t have mentioned the $8 million at work. I didn’t think about Chloe’s reputation.” Overnight, I became public enemy number one. The internet tore me to pieces. Ethan never said a single word to defend me. My dad was harassed and bullied at his construction site. He fell from a scaffold and never woke up. In the end, consumed by depression, I jumped from the roof of our apartment building. But then, I woke up. I had been reborn. This time, I didn’t argue with Vicky. Instead, I took screenshots and screen recordings of every single message she sent. Then, I tagged Vicky in the chat: “Please show everyone the evidence that I demanded $8 million.” “If you can’t, my lawyer will see you in court.”

The moment I sent that message, the chaotic group chat went dead silent for a few seconds. Vicky was quick to reply. “Chloe, is there any need to be so hostile? I just couldn’t bear to watch this happen.” “Ethan is such a sweet guy. Look how far you’ve pushed him.” I stared at the screen. My fingers were steady, showing none of the panic of someone who had just died a horrific death. “Stop changing the subject.” “An eight-million-dollar demand, selling the house, and draining his elderly parents.” “Give me proof for these three claims.” Some coworkers started chiming in. “But seriously, eight million is insane. Chloe, did you really ask for that much?” “Trying to hit the jackpot in one go, huh?” “Ethan is too nice. He’s probably too embarrassed to say anything.” I ignored them and messaged my best friend, Mia, directly. “Someone is spreading rumors in the company chat, calling me a gold-digger. I’ve already recorded everything.” She replied instantly. “Don’t argue with them. Just keep saving every piece of cyberbullying.” I turned back to the work group and pressed Vicky. “Vicky, I’ll give you ten minutes.” “If you can’t produce a bank transfer of eight million, a house sales contract, or a prenuptial agreement signed by me, I am calling the police for defamation.” Vicky replied with a crying emoji. “I’m not the bad guy here. I just feel bad for Ethan.” “If you’re going to be this heartless, how do you expect to live with Ethan’s family in the future?” Finally, Ethan showed up. He sent only one line. “Chloe, stop making a scene. Everyone is watching.” My heart went cold, aching with a familiar pain. “Ethan, did I ever ask your family for eight million dollars?” The chat went silent again. Ethan didn’t reply. But Vicky jumped right back in. “Don’t force him! He’s caught in the middle and it’s already so hard for him! If you really love him, can’t you save him some dignity?” I laughed. What a disgusting pair. I uploaded a screenshot of my chat with Ethan’s mother, Jennifer, directly into the group. It clearly showed our conversation: The total wedding cost was exactly twenty-eight thousand dollars. Jennifer had even replied with a smiley face: “Chloe, you are so sensible. I love you.” Some coworkers immediately started changing their tunes. “Wait, the wedding only cost twenty-eight thousand?” “Then where did the eight million come from?” “Did Vicky get her facts wrong?” Vicky went silent. Ethan went silent too. But very quickly, the screenshots of our internal company chat were leaked to social media. Strangers who knew nothing about the truth started calling me a gold-digger on Twitter. Mia sent me a voice note. “Chloe, the rumor is spreading fast on social media. Make sure you back up all the chat logs.” I logged onto the company network, exported the chat history, and submitted it to an online notary for digital evidence preservation. Just as I finished, my manager, Marcus Vance, messaged me. “Come to the conference room. Now.”

Three people were waiting for me inside. Marcus, the HR Director Rachel Hughes, and Ethan. Vicky was nowhere to be seen. She was crying her eyes out online, but in reality, she was hiding safely in the shadows. Rachel closed the door and spoke in a gentle, patronizing tone. “Chloe, please sit.” “We’ve seen what happened. The company understands your frustration.” “But this is a personal matter, and it’s already affecting the team’s productivity.” “For next week’s client presentation, we think it’s best if you step back temporarily.” I looked up at her. “The liar gets to keep working, while the victim gets kicked off the project?” Marcus frowned. “Chloe, don’t make it sound so ugly.” “The company isn’t punishing you. We are protecting you.” I fired back. “Protecting me by taking my name off the project?” “Or protecting Vicky so she can keep spreading lies in the company chat?” Marcus’s face darkened. Ethan finally spoke. “Chloe, can you please grow up? Vicky just has a hot temper. She didn’t mean any harm.” I looked at him and let out a cold laugh. “And what about you? Did you mean any harm? Why didn’t you explain to everyone that I never asked for eight million dollars?” Ethan avoided my eyes. “Can’t we talk about this in private? There’s no need to corner me in the work chat.” I nodded. “Fine. Let’s make it clear right now. Did I take your money?” Rachel coughed. “Chloe, there’s no need to discuss these details at work.” “Yes, there is.” I looked directly at her. “The rumor started in the company chat.” Rachel’s expression hardened. “Are you saying you don’t trust the company?” I smiled. “Oh, I know this company all too well.” In my past life, the company was preparing for a funding round. They didn’t want the scandal of an “employee demanding a multi-million dollar for wedding” to trend on social media. They suspended me and forced me to write a public apology online. They made me sign a statement admitting that “my personal relationship issues had brought negative publicity to the company.” I had signed it back then. That piece of paper was later posted online by Vicky. It became the ultimate “proof” of my guilt, showing that I had admitted to my mistakes because I was guilty. This time, I wouldn’t sign a single dirty piece of paper. I pulled out a printed formal request for an internal investigation from my bag. Marcus spoke up. “Don’t turn a small issue into a massive scandal.” I didn’t back down. “It is already a massive scandal.” Suddenly, Rachel’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it, and her face turned pale. “Chloe, did you offend some influencer?” She handed her phone to me. On TikTok, a drama channel had already uploaded a video. The title was eye-catching and disgusting: “Tech Manager Demands $8 Million For Her Wedding; Groom’s Parents Forced to Sell Family Home.” The comment section was a toxic mess. “Another gold-digger.” “The guy needs to run fast.” “Someone expose her company. Don’t let clients support a woman like this.” Staring at those words, a strange sense of calm washed over me. I sent the video link to Mia. As I walked out of the conference room, Ethan chased after me. He lowered his voice, hissing. “Chloe, have you had enough?” “How are my parents supposed to face the world now because of you?” “They didn’t sell their house, so why can’t they face the world?” Ethan froze, his face turning pale.

At 7 PM, I got back to my apartment. There was a paper bag sitting at my doorstep. There was no return address. It only had a handwritten note: “An $8 million bride, but only worth $80 a night.” I didn’t touch it. I pulled out my phone and recorded it first. In my past life, I had been so hysterical that I tore the package to shreds and threw it away. Later, when I called the police, they asked for evidence, and all I could do was sob. This time, I called the building management and asked them to pull the security footage. The bag had been delivered by a courier wearing a face mask. The sender’s number was blocked. I posted a formal update in the company WhatsApp group: “An offensive package was left at my doorstep. I have contacted the police and secured the building’s security footage. I will prosecute anyone involved.” As soon as that message went out, several coworkers who had been mocking me immediately deleted their previous comments. Too late. I had already screenshotted everything. When Mia arrived at my apartment, she was carrying her laptop. She opened it and her fingers flew across the keyboard. “I tracked the social media source. It was Vicky who leaked the company chat screenshots to those gossip accounts.” Suddenly, my phone rang. It was my mom. “Chloe, your dad got into a fight with someone on his way home from work today.” I bolted upright. “Is he okay? Where is he?” My mom quickly explained. “He’s fine, he’s at home. It’s just… some people at the construction site gates were saying nasty things. They said you demanded eight million dollars and were driving Ethan’s parents to suicide. Your dad couldn’t stand it and got into a fight with them.” My fists clenched tightly, my nails digging into my palms. My dad had been an honest, hard-working safety officer his entire life. He hated being slandered more than anything. In my past life, under the crushing weight of the rumors, he had been distracted at work, fell from the scaffolding, and died. In this life, I would never let anything happen to him. “Mom, listen to me. Don’t let Dad go to the site tomorrow. I’ve booked a full medical checkup for him.” My mom panicked. “Chloe, what on earth is going to happen?” “Someone is trying to ruin me, and they are targeting you and Dad too.” Silence fell over the line for a few seconds. Then, my mom’s voice started to tremble. “Chloe, don’t be scared. I understand.” I immediately called Robert, the manager at my dad’s construction site. Robert had worked with my dad for over a decade. After hearing what happened, he cursed loudly over the phone. “What kind of sick bastard would do this? Don’t worry, Chloe. I’ll approve your dad’s paid leave for tomorrow.” “We have cameras at the main gate. I’ll have the security team pull the footage and see who was harassing him today.” After hanging up, I contacted the local mail distribution center near my parents’ house. I instructed them to hold any anonymous packages addressed to my parents, telling my mom to only open them while recording a video. At midnight, Ethan sent me a text. “Chloe, my mom has been crying all night. Are you happy now that things have gotten this out of hand?” I replied: “Why is she crying? Because her lies got exposed?” He didn’t reply. But ten minutes later, Vicky posted a photo on her Snapchat story. It was Ethan’s mother sitting on the sofa, wiping away tears. The caption read: “She told me that as long as her son is happy, she doesn’t care if she has to sell the family home.” Mia sneered beside me. “She’s really putting on a show.” I saved the photo and sent it to a friend who worked as a real estate agent. “Can you do me a favor and check if the Cooper family’s house has had any recent listing or transaction records?” The next morning at 9 AM, Rachel sent me an email. The company had decided to suspend me from all client-facing communications. My project was temporarily handed over to Vicky. I laughed out loud. The person who started the rumors was taking over my project.

At noon, Vicky finally posted her “evidence.” Three images. The first was a fake “prenuptial demand.” It stated: The bride, Chloe Davis, demands the groom, Ethan Cooper, pay $8 million for the wedding. If he refuses, the wedding is off. My signature at the bottom was a shaky, forged mess. The second was a fake bank receipt. Sender: Jennifer Cooper. Receiver: Chloe Davis. Amount: $8,000,000.00. The third was a fake home sales contract. The sellers listed were Ethan’s parents. Vicky sent a voice note in the WhatsApp work group. “I really didn’t want to post these. But Chloe kept pushing me.” “I just want everyone to know how hard it is for Ethan’s family.” The chat erupted instantly. “The eight million is real?!” “This is terrifying. She was scheming even before the wedding.” Looking at those three images, I almost laughed. The background of the desk in the photo of the fake agreement showed Vicky’s signature pink mousepad. In my past life, I had pointed this out in a panic. But back then, no one believed me. This time, I didn’t try to argue in the chat. I simply typed: “Received.” “To everyone in this chat, please do not delete these messages.” “I will be submitting these for forensic analysis.” After sending that, I saved the high-resolution images and uploaded them to a secure digital evidence platform. Mia was already on the move. She contacted the bank’s customer service through official means to verify the format of the receipt. My real estate friend also messaged me back: “The Cooper house has no transaction history. It wasn’t even listed on the market.” Just as I stepped out of the office building, an unknown number sent me a text. It was a photo of my dad’s identification and his construction site address. Below it was a single line: “Call off the wedding now, or your family’s personal info goes public.”

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On the day my physical therapist husband, Ethan, got promoted, I received a photo from a coworker. In the therapy room, Ethan was holding his ex-girlfriend’s waist. They were staring into each other’s eyes, and he was leaning over her, pinning her down on the table. I printed that photo out and placed it on the nightstand. Late that night, Ethan came home smelling of sweet orange blossom cologne. He froze when he saw the photo on the nightstand, but quickly recovered and started explaining. “Avery, you know this is just my job.” “The area where she feels pain is very sensitive. I had to find the exact angle to apply pressure. This photo is just a bad camera angle.” I pulled the blanket tighter around myself. “Okay. Go to sleep. You still have to do her pelvic alignment therapy tomorrow.” He looked surprised. “You don’t mind?” I shook my head. He just couldn’t let go of his first love. It was fine. I happened to have one of my own, too. Seeing that I had nothing more to say, Ethan went to take a shower. The posture in that photo didn’t look like physical therapy at all. It looked like an embrace. The photo was sent to me by Mia, a nurse in the physical therapy department. We had interned at the hospital together. She had only attached one sentence. “Avery, I’m not trying to stir up drama, but Dr. Ethan has been doing this every single day for the past six months.” After his shower, Ethan walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to ruffle my hair. “Avery, Chloe’s lower back injury is serious. Ordinary physical therapy doesn’t work for her. I have to get close to find the right trigger points.” “I was just treating a patient.” I turned my head to avoid his hand and stared at the ceiling. “I know.” “She’s a prima ballerina. Her rehearsals have been intense lately, and her lower back muscles are spasming again. I don’t trust any other therapist to handle it.” “I know.” “You know my skills. I’m the best in the department.” I finally turned my head and offered a faint smile. “I know, Dr. Ethan. You’re a saint.” He continued to justify himself. “She and I broke up a long time ago. We’re just regular friends now.” I didn’t reply. I knew exactly how deep their history ran. Since Chloe returned to the country two years ago, she had never truly left his life. She strained a muscle during rehearsal, her old injuries flared up, she couldn’t sleep and needed him to come over for a massage. On the night we went to the courthouse to sign our marriage license, she sent a Snapchat at 11 PM. “My back is locked up again! I can’t move! It hurts so bad!” Ethan had just taken off his coat. After reading the message, he didn’t say a word and tied his sneakers back on. I stopped him. “Does it have to be tonight?” “She’s alone in her apartment. No one is there to take care of her.” I sat on the edge of the bed and lowered my head. He leaned down and tucked the blanket around me. “I’ll be back soon. I’ll take you to get our courthouse wedding photos tomorrow morning.” He didn’t return until three in the morning. There was a trace of orange blossom massage oil on his collar. He explained that it “rubbed off while massaging her.” I didn’t throw a tantrum. I didn’t argue. I just remembered the date. Every time Chloe was brought up, he would always say, “She’s my patient. It’s my job.” The more fragile she acted, the more patient he became. The more demanding she was, the harder it was for him to say no. Everyone said they had never truly broken up. I, his legal wife, felt like a mere prop in their love story. Ethan wanted to say something more, but his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, his expression changing slightly, and silenced it. “It’s probably her. She gets anxious before big shows.” I closed my eyes. “Answer it. In case she can’t sleep again tonight and ruins her rehearsal tomorrow.” He didn’t answer. He placed his phone face down on the nightstand, turned around, and pulled me into his arms. “Don’t overthink it, babe. She and I are ancient history.” I didn’t hug him back. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen, as if someone had pinched me from the inside. I frowned but didn’t say a word. Even if I told him, he wouldn’t care right now anyway.

At six-thirty the next morning, Chloe’s call came in right on time. “Ethan, I can’t do the rehearsal. I seriously can’t even lift my back.” Ethan’s voice carried a hint of helpless indulgence. “Chloe, you’ve been dancing ballet for over a decade. You’re not a rookie.” Chloe whimpered over the line. “Would it kill you to comfort me a little?” He was silent for two seconds, his tone softening. “Fine. I’ll head over after my morning rounds. I’ll put a pain patch on you first.” Chloe immediately pushed further. “After that, you have to buy me breakfast and help me stretch my legs.” Ethan let out a low chuckle. “Maybe I should just apply to be your dance company’s full-time doctor.” “Oh, I wish! Do you dare? Will your wife mind, though?” The bathroom door was ajar, and I heard every single word. He hung up, turned around, and froze when he saw me standing there. “She’s just really stressed before the show.” My face was expressionless. “You really take great care of her.” “Maybe you should apply for that full-time gig.” He frowned. “Avery.” Another wave of sharp pain shot up from deep inside my abdomen. I grabbed the doorframe, my voice hoarse. “Move.” I rushed into the bathroom, kneeling by the toilet and dry-heaving. Nothing came up, but cold sweat kept pouring down my face. Ethan stood at the door. He didn’t come closer, only frowning. “Did you skip dinner again last night?” I gasped for air. “My stomach… it hurts.” He took one look at my pale face and spoke in a cold, detached tone. “Lower back strain can compress the sciatic nerve, causing referred pain in the abdomen. It’s normal.” “You’ve been staying up late editing videos lately. Your posture is terrible. That’s why you’re hurting.” I froze, my fingers gripping the edge of the sink tightly. “It’s not my back.” He acted like he didn’t hear me. He grabbed a tissue and wiped the doorknob. “You never say anything when you’re uncomfortable. You only play the victim when the pain becomes unbearable. It’s exhausting, Avery.” He glanced down at his watch. “I have to do Chloe’s physical therapy this morning, and I have a consultation this afternoon. I can’t stay.” “There are painkillers in the medicine cabinet. Take two.” He paused before adding, “Make sure to turn on the exhaust fan when you’re done. Don’t leave a smell for others.” The moment the door slammed shut, another wave of intense pain hit me. I couldn’t even stand straight. A metallic taste rose in my throat. I leaned against the wall for a long time, suddenly feeling a deep sense of irony. He had all the patience in the world to find the perfect angle for every inch of Chloe’s spine, but he found my pain “exhausting” and unseemly. So, his medical ethics were reserved only for certain people. He grabbed his bag and left without looking back. I wiped my face, ordered an Uber by myself, and went to the hospital.

When the doctor handed me the ultrasound report, her face was grave. “The embryo is implanted very low, right near your previous scar. Continuing this pregnancy carries a massive risk.” I stared at the blurry shadow on the screen, unable to speak for a long time. The doctor’s tone softened. “In this situation, it’s best to make a decision with a family member. Should we contact your husband?” I opened my mouth, only to realize that the only name I could call was Ethan. My parents had passed away early. When I finally got married to Ethan, I thought I finally had a family. But now, when the doctor asked for family, I was holding the paper with freezing fingers. Leaving the clinic, I stood on the steps and called Ethan. No answer. I sent him a text. “I have an emergency. Come home now.” I took a cab back. When I walked in, a pair of pink ballet flats was kicked off at the entryway. In the living room, Chloe was curled up on our sofa, one leg resting on the coffee table, her ankle wrapped in an elastic bandage. Ethan was kneeling in front of her, his fingers gently tracing her foot, massaging it with professional care. “Did you twist it again during rehearsal?” he asked. “I didn’t land cleanly,” Chloe said, frowning, her voice dropping into a soft whine. “Ethan, am I going to be out for another two weeks?” “The fascia is tight. Don’t rush back to the stage.” He pinched her ankle. “Does this hurt?” “Yes,” Chloe whispered, her eyes curved as she looked at him. “But it doesn’t hurt when you’re here.” “I’m here,” he said. Those two words. Since we got married, I had almost never heard him say them to me. Another wave of pain hit my abdomen. I gripped the entryway cabinet, my knuckles turning white. Only then did Ethan look up and see me. “Where have you been? You look pale.” I opened my mouth to say “I went to the hospital,” but Chloe spoke first with a sigh. “Avery, please don’t misunderstand! My ankle was so swollen I couldn’t walk. Ethan was worried about me taking an Uber alone, so he brought me here to treat it.” I didn’t look at her. I only looked at Ethan. “I need to talk to you.” Before he could answer, Chloe suddenly let out a sharp gasp. “Ethan, my toes are going numb.” He immediately looked down to check her ankle joint again, his voice softening even more. “Don’t move. The ligament is still loose. Give it a minute.” I stood there, clutching my purse strap. I tried again. “Ethan, can you please take me to the hospital?” Chloe grabbed his wrist at that exact moment. “Did I break a bone? Why is it hurting more and more?” Ethan frowned as he examined her foot, not even looking up. “Avery, if you’re not feeling well, go lie down for a bit. I’ll come check on you once I’m done here.” “No need.” I turned and walked back to the bedroom, shoving the ultrasound report into the very bottom drawer of my vanity. That night, Ethan knocked on my door. “The guest room is too damp. Let Chloe sleep in our bed tonight. You can crash in the guest room for one night.” I opened the door. Chloe had already walked into our master bedroom with a glass of warm water. She sat directly on the edge of my bed, reaching into the nightstand drawer to look for pain patches. The very bottom drawer held my ultrasound report. I pressed my hand against the drawer. “Don’t touch that. I’ll get it for you.” But Chloe’s fingers had already brushed against something else in another compartment. A box of unopened birth control pills. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. “You guys have been married for so long, and you’re still using these?” She shot Ethan a meaningful look. “Didn’t you use to hate these? You always said you never wanted kids in this lifetime.” Ethan’s face shifted. “That’s enough.” “Did I say something wrong?” Chloe’s smile didn’t fade. “You said it yourself. If you ever have a child, it would only be with me.” The room fell dead silent. I looked at Ethan. He avoided my gaze. So, all these years, he wasn’t being considerate by not pressuring me to have kids. He had already made the decision for me. My abdomen seized with another sharp pain. Clutching the edge of the cabinet, cold sweat beaded on my forehead. I pulled the ultrasound report out from the drawer and walked toward the door. “Avery, where are you going?” he called out from behind. I didn’t look back. Where else could I go? To take care of a child he never planned to have, and never deserved to know about.

By the time I reached the hospital, I couldn’t even stand straight from the pain. The ER doctor looked at my ultrasound and blood test results, her face darkening. “There’s a high probability of an ectopic pregnancy rupture. You could bleed out at any moment. We need to admit you immediately and prepare for emergency surgery!” I leaned against the chair in the examination room, my back soaked in cold sweat. “Where is your family?” the doctor asked. “This kind of surgery requires emergency consent and someone to stay with you.” I was silent for a long time. Finally, I dialed Ethan’s number. It rang for a long time before he picked up. In the background, I could hear Chloe’s whiny, tearful voice. “Ethan, my foot is swelling up again. Come look at it…” Ethan’s voice instantly softened. “Don’t move, babe. I’m coming.” I spoke into the receiver. “Ethan, come to the Medical Center.” His voice grew cold. “If you’re really not feeling well, just let the doctors handle it. What good is me going there?” “The doctor said I need next of kin to sign the consent form.” My voice was so quiet I could barely hear myself. “I don’t have any other family. I can only call you.” The other end went silent for two seconds. Then, a frustrated sigh came through the speaker. “Avery, stop doing this. I know you’re an orphan and grew up in a foster home, and I get that you have abandonment issues. But you can’t use that to guilt-trip me every single time.” Those words felt like a needle stabbing straight into my eardrum. I doubled over in pain, my vision going black. The call was disconnected. I stared at the dark screen, my legs giving out. He knew exactly how alone I was in this world, yet he used that very vulnerability as an excuse to push me away. I braced myself against the wall, stood up, and scrolled through my contacts to a number I hadn’t dialed in years. He picked up on the first ring. “Avery?” My voice trembled with pain. “Can you come to the hospital?” There was a brief silence, followed by the sound of a chair scraping back. “Text me the address. I’m on my way.” … That evening, Ethan took Chloe to a college reunion party. After a few rounds of drinks, someone started a game of Truth or Dare, and the bottle spun and pointed at Ethan. “Ethan, be honest. If Chloe hadn’t gone abroad back then, would you two have been married by now?” The room went quiet for a second, followed by a chorus of suggestive laughter. Chloe leaned against his side, lowering her head with a smile. “Stop teasing, guys. Ethan’s been married for three years.” Despite her words, her hand slid over his. Ethan didn’t pull away. Someone yelled, “You’re holding hands and telling us to stop teasing? Answer the question, Dr. Ethan!” He raised his glass. “Next question.” The laughter grew louder. Chloe took his phone, wanting to take a selfie. Her finger paused over the passcode screen. It was still her birthday. “You never changed the passcode,” she whispered, her eyes curving as she leaned against his shoulder for a photo. “My back is still stiff. Block the angle for me.” Ethan frowned slightly but still turned his body to block the camera light for her. Someone asked if they could post the picture on Instagram. He said casually, “Go ahead. My wife doesn’t check my social media anyway.” He paused, then added, “She’s been in a weird mood lately. Always complaining about not feeling well.” The laughter slowly died down. A female colleague in the corner, Sarah, suddenly looked up. “Are you saying Avery is faking it?” “Obviously.” Sarah’s expression changed. “But yesterday, I was at the Medical Center, and I saw Avery being rushed into the ER. A man was supporting her.” “The doctor said it was an ectopic pregnancy rupture. She was hemorrhaging. The guy who signed the consent form wasn’t you.”

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I had been stationed at a medical outpost on the edge of the western desert for eight years. In the eighth year, just when I thought our long-distance relationship, stretched across over a thousand miles, was finally about to end, my transfer request was rejected again. The reason was always the same: “Key medical personnel in remote areas, transfer temporarily deferred.” With red-rimmed eyes, I dialed Ethan’s number, but a little girl answered the phone. “Are you looking for my daddy?” the little girl’s voice was soft and sweet. “Daddy is blow-drying Mommy’s hair. They’re going out for dinner soon.” Daddy? That word hit me like a bucket of ice water, freezing me to the core. I thought it had to be a wrong number. After all, everyone knew how deeply Ethan loved me. He came out to the desert to see me almost every month. Even if he could only stay for one weekend, he said it was worth it. He once said, “Sarah, when you come back, we’ll get married.” Sarah POV Through every harsh day when sandstorms raged, and through every lonely late night under a single lamp, I relied on that promise to hold on. So how could Ethan Bennett, who had always been waiting for me to return for our wedding, possibly have built a family with another woman and had a child? I was about to hang up when a deep, gentle voice suddenly sounded. “Emma, stop playing with the phone. We’re going out for dinner.” That male voice, so familiar it felt carved into my bones, came through the phone without warning. It was Ethan! In an instant, my whole body went stiff, and my mind went completely blank. Ethan was actually married, and he even had a child? I was just about to question him when I suddenly heard another woman’s voice follow, “Ethan, I heard Sarah’s approval document for her transfer back was rejected by you again?” At those words, my breathing stopped, and my eyes widened in disbelief. The person speaking was none other than her good friend, Mia Collins. Over the phone, Ethan gave a faint “Mm.” His casual response was like a sharp blade stabbing fiercely into my heart. “You can’t keep rejecting her applications forever,” Mia said with a sigh. “She’s already twenty-eight. If she stays there any longer, she’ll be past her prime. What good man with a decent background would want her in the future?” “Let’s talk about it next year,” Ethan said in a cold and calm tone. “If she comes back now, with her qualifications, this year’s promotion spot for attending surgeon might not be yours anymore.” Mia sounded a little hesitant. “But if you won’t let her transfer back for the sake of my promotion, won’t that be a little unfair to her?” “It’s fine. She’s soft-hearted and won’t mind,” Ethan paused, then said as if it were perfectly natural, “Besides, the desert also needs good doctors. She’s treating patients there too, so there’s no real difference.” The call ended without warning right there. My hand trembled uncontrollably as I held the phone, unable to believe everything I had just heard. Treating patients there too… What a convenient excuse. So there was no real difference. So it turned out that the biggest thing keeping me away all these eight years was Ethan. The same man who kept saying he loved me and couldn’t wait for me to come back so we could get married. And even in the year when I had the best chance of going back, he rejected my application again, just so Mia wouldn’t miss out on her promotion. I felt as if all the blood in my body had frozen, as if my whole heart had been cut into countless pieces by a blade, and my body shook like a sieve. I suddenly remembered that back then, when the medical team selected someone to support a remote area, the person originally chosen was Mia. Mia was her parents’ only child, and at the time, her mother happened to be seriously ill, so she nearly broke down when she learned she was about to be sent to the frontier. I looked at my friend’s pale face, then looked at Ethan, who was my boyfriend at the time. I remembered the flash of pain that crossed Ethan’s eyes then. Back then, I naively thought that the pain in Ethan’s eyes was sympathy for Mia’s situation. So my heart softened, and I volunteered to stand up and say, “I’ll go. I’m in good health, and I adapt well.” Ethan did not object to it, and he did not try to make me stay. He even expressed support. He held my hand, his gaze complicated, and only after a long time did he say, “Sarah, don’t worry. Once you’ve stayed there for a full year, I’ll find a way to transfer you back. I’ll let you suffer for this one year first, and I’ll wait for you to return.” Mia hugged me even harder and cried until she could not speak. “Sarah, thank you. You’re the best friend I’ll ever have in my life! When you come back, I’ll definitely be your bridesmaid!” But now, the man who said he would wait for me to return and the woman who said she would be my bridesmaid were together! My best friend had married the man I had spent my entire youth loving, and they even had a child! They had kept me in the dark and deceived me for a full eight years! How absurd, and how shameless! After returning to my dorm, I dragged a metal box out from under the bed. Inside were all the things Ethan had sent me over the past eight years, neatly stacked. There was a thick pile of letters, each one written in his handwriting, and every signature at the end was always “waiting for you.” Yet now, looking at those words again and at his caring lines in the letters, I only found them painfully ironic. There were also scarves, books, and other things he had sent me… I had once treasured every single item like a precious gift, and they had been the warmth and motivation that supported me through this harsh environment. But now their existence seemed to silently mock my stupidity and ridiculousness all these years. If not for that phone call, I might still have no idea that my best friend and the man I loved most had betrayed me long ago. My eyes were red, tears blurred my vision, and my heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife, hurting so badly that even my breathing trembled. I never wanted to see these things again, so I threw them all into the fire pit one by one. I let everything I had once treasured be swallowed by the flames and burn to ashes. Just then, the station supervisor knocked on my door, his expression grave. “I just received news that your mother is critically ill and is being resuscitated at the hospital. They said you must go back as soon as possible no matter what!”

Sarah POV My mother was critically ill and being resuscitated? Hearing that shocking news, my vision went black, and I had to hold on to the doorframe to steady myself. But my transfer order had just been rejected, and leaving my post without permission would have serious consequences. I was so anxious that I paced in circles, and with no other choice, I went to the phone booth again and dialed the number I knew by heart once more. This time, Ethan himself answered the phone. “Ethan!” I begged with a choked voice. “My mom is critically ill and being resuscitated. Please help me find a way, okay? Let me go back and see my mom…” Back then, my parents had disagreed with my application to go far away to the western desert, but with Ethan’s support, I had stubbornly gone ahead and broken their hearts. At the time, I thought I was only going there for one short year and would not be separated from them for long. Unexpectedly, once I came here, it lasted eight years. For a full eight years, I could not go back to visit my parents. If I could go back, I would apologize to Mom and Dad in person and stay by their side properly. However, the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. Then Ethan refused me in his usual calm tone. “I already know about your mother’s condition. I’ll help you contact the best doctors, so just stay there.” “No!” I said in a panicked rush. “Ethan, my mom isn’t just sick. She’s being resuscitated! This might be the last time I get to see her…” “I know,” Ethan interrupted me with a hint of displeasure. “But under the current circumstances, even if you come back, it won’t help. The station needs you more.” My expression froze, as if I had heard something inside my chest shatter completely. I never imagined that at the critical moment when my mother was critically ill and being resuscitated, he would still be so heartless. Over the phone, Ethan said softly again, “Sarah, I want you to come back as soon as possible more than anyone. I’ll definitely transfer you back next year. But the prerequisite is that you don’t abandon your work without permission.” He wanted me to go back as soon as possible more than anyone? It was as if I had heard the biggest joke in the world, because the person who least wanted me to go back was clearly him, wasn’t it? Next year, and next year again… Over all these years, he had used eight next years to give me hope again and again, trapping me in this desert like I was a fool and spinning me in circles with his lies. Now that things had come to this, did he think I would still believe in some so-called next year? “Ethan,” I said with my nerves stretched tight, hearing myself ask him in an unusually calm voice, “what exactly am I to you?” After a brief silence, his slightly impatient voice came through. “Sarah, stop making trouble. Be good and follow the arrangements. After your transfer request is approved next year, I’ll personally go there and bring you back.” I was just about to speak when I suddenly heard a childish voice. “Daddy, you promised to take Mommy and me to the aquarium. When are we leaving?” “We’re going now.” The busy tone sounded, and the call was hung up. I stood frozen in place, endless cold sinking deep into my bones. My mother was on the brink of life and death in the emergency room, and he would not even let me go back to see her for the last time, while he himself was going to accompany Mia and their child to the aquarium? Was this the man I had loved for ten years? Was this my best friend? Endless disappointment turned into blade after blade, piercing my heart over and over. At that moment, I could not care about anything else, and a wild thought began to grow in my mind. I could not just sit there and wait helplessly. I had to go back and see my mother one last time! I turned and went to the station supervisor’s office, placing an application form on his desk. The station supervisor adjusted his glasses, looked it over, and stood up in shock. “Application to join the international peacekeeping medical team? Sarah, are you kidding me? Do you know what kind of place that is? It’s a conflict zone, the language is different, and there are infectious diseases! Once you go, it’s at least two years, and…” “Supervisor, I heard that team members who voluntarily sign up for the peacekeeping medical team get a half-month family visit leave before departure, and they also receive assistance with urgent family matters. Is that true?” “Yes, that rule exists, but…” “No buts.” I raised my head, my eyes slightly red, but my gaze was resolute. “My mother is critically ill. This is the only way I can get back to see her as soon as possible. Please approve it.” The station supervisor knew about her relationship with Ethan and hesitated. “Then have you discussed this with Director Bennett?” “My affairs,” I said coldly and firmly, “have nothing to do with him from now on.” That afternoon, the approval document stamped with a red seal came down. Along with it came a special emergency family visit leave slip and a bus ticket for the fastest route to the provincial train station. That evening, she boarded the bus leaving the station.

Sarah POV After two straight days of bumpy travel, I finally arrived in New York. On this journey, I had barely closed my eyes, and I was still wearing the old coat I had put on when I left the station. It was covered in travel dust, and my hair was a little messy. But I could not care about any of that. I did not even have time to go home and drop off my luggage. As soon as I got off the bus, I dragged my suitcase straight to the hospital. However, the moment I stepped into the hospital, my steps suddenly stopped. At the end of my line of sight, a familiar figure appeared before my eyes. The man stood tall and straight, wearing a well-tailored dark coat. His bearing was noble and gentle, and even among the bustling crowd, he was still the kind of person people noticed at a glance. It was Ethan. He was holding a little girl about five or six years old in his arms. The child lay weakly against his shoulder, her small face flushed with an abnormal redness, and she looked very unwell. And the woman standing beside him was none other than Mia. They were talking to a doctor in a white coat, and Mia reached out from time to time to touch the child’s forehead, her face full of worry, while Ethan tilted his head slightly and comforted her in a low voice. What a warm and harmonious scene for a family of three. I froze in place. Even though I had already known all of this from that phone call, and even though I had kept telling myself along the way to stay calm, not to care, and that it was not worth it. But when this scene truly crashed into my eyes, I still felt as if someone had stabbed me hard in the chest. Just then, Ethan seemed to sense something, and his gaze swept over casually. The moment our eyes met, his expression first turned shocked, then quickly became angry. “Sarah?” The words almost burst out of him, his tone full of disbelief. I withdrew my gaze, did not want to deal with him, and turned to leave. But I had just taken one step when Ethan stuffed the child into Mia’s arms, strode after me, and blocked my path in just a few steps. “Why are you here?” He looked me up and down, his gaze sweeping over my travel-worn appearance and the suitcase beside me. Instead of showing even a word of concern, he furrowed his brows. “Did you run back on your own?” His voice was very low and carried obvious anger. “Sarah Lane, do you know what kind of issue it is to leave your post without permission? Do you know you’ll be punished? This is absolutely reckless!” “I didn’t…” I had just tried to say that I had come back with approval, but Ethan cut me off and grabbed my arm with so much force that it hurt. “Come on. I’ll take you to the station and buy you the earliest ticket back. After you go back, write a proper self-criticism and accept the punishment!” He dragged me outside, his steps fast and urgent. He pulled me so hard that I stumbled and almost tripped. “Daddy!” Suddenly, from not far behind us, the child cried noisily, her voice full of tears. “Daddy, I want Daddy to hold me…” Ethan’s movements clearly paused. That word, Daddy, was like a needle stabbing into my eardrum. My face turned even uglier, and I forcefully shook off his hand, my voice as cold as ice. “Ethan, I don’t need you managing my affairs. If you have time to worry about whether I’ll be disciplined, you should go take care of your own daughter first!” Ethan froze, and a trace of guilt flashed quickly through his eyes. “Sarah, it’s not what you saw. I…” He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but Mia, who was walking over with the child in her arms, interrupted him. “Ethan.” Mia stopped in front of us, and when she looked at me, surprise and complicated emotions intertwined in her eyes. “Sarah, when did you come back? Why didn’t you tell us in advance? Ethan and I could have gone to pick you up.” Looking at her hypocritical face, my stomach churned, and I felt utterly disgusted. But I was anxious to see her mother now, and for the moment, I had neither the time nor the energy to settle accounts with them. Without saying a word, I pressed my lips together coldly, turned, and walked away. “Sarah!” Ethan instinctively stepped forward to chase after me. “Ethan.” Mia grabbed his sleeve with one hand and said anxiously and worriedly, “Emma has a high fever and feels awful right now. She keeps crying for you to hold her. Let’s take Emma to see the doctor first, okay?” The child lay on Mia’s shoulder, whimpering in discomfort, and called to him weakly, “Daddy… hold me…” Ethan stopped in his tracks. He looked back at his listless daughter, then looked at me. A few seconds later, he took the child. “Okay. Daddy will take you to the doctor.” When I had walked some distance away and could not help looking back, the three of them were already gone from the lobby. I could not help tugging my lips in a mocking smile. It turned out that whether he cared or not was so obvious, yet I only understood it today. All these years, I had truly been blind to love a man like that for so long.

Sarah POV I found my mother’s ward, and the moment I pushed open the door, my fingers were trembling. On the hospital bed, my mother lay with her eyes closed, her face sallow, and monitoring equipment surrounded the bedside. My father sat beside her, with far more white hair at his temples than I remembered, and he looked utterly exhausted. Hearing the door open, my father looked up. When he saw that the person standing in the doorway was the daughter he had not seen in eight years, my father froze for a long while, and his eyes instantly reddened. “Sarah?” My mother also slowly opened her eyes, her cloudy gaze focusing on my face. Her lips trembled a few times, and tears slid down from the corners of her eyes. “Sarah, I thought I wouldn’t get to see you before I died.” “Mom, please don’t say that.” I threw myself to the bedside and held my mother’s thin, bony hand. My throat felt as if something had blocked it, and for a long time, I could not speak. My father wiped his eyes and stood up. “I’ll go call the doctor.” The doctor came quickly, flipped through the medical record, and looked at the monitoring data, his expression not relaxed. “Ms. Lane, your mother’s condition… to be honest, it isn’t very optimistic.” My heart tightened. “Doctor, didn’t my mom already make it through resuscitation?” “She did make it through resuscitation,” the doctor sighed. “But your mother’s heart disease has been recurring again and again for so many years, and each time, her condition gets worse than the last. This time is especially serious. Although her vital signs are stable for now, she still needs continued observation, and whether she can completely get out of danger is still hard to say.” It had been recurring again and again for so many years, and her condition had gotten worse each time? I felt a chill rush up from the soles of my feet, and my whole body felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar. I knew my mother’s heart was not good. All these years, every time I spoke with Ethan on the phone, I would ask about my parents’ health. Ethan always answered her, “Don’t worry. They’re both in good health.” “Your mom has been in good spirits recently.” “Everything is being watched over by me. Don’t worry.” He had never mentioned a single word about my mother’s heart disease recurring again and again, or that her condition was getting worse year by year! I had never doubted what he said, but he had even lied to me about something like this! I stood where I was, my hands ice-cold, my fingertips trembling. “Sarah?” My mother’s voice pulled back my thoughts. “Come here and let me take a good look at you.” I suppressed the surging emotions and sat back down beside the bed. My mother held my hand and carefully studied my face, her eyes full of heartache. “You’ve lost weight. You must have suffered a lot over there.” “It wasn’t hard, Mom. I’m doing fine.” “Silly girl, I know you don’t like to complain.” My mother caught her breath and said weakly, “My body is getting worse year by year, and I probably don’t have many years left. I only have one wish now, and that is to see you get married.” She tightened her grip on my hand. “Since you’re back this time, pick a date and marry Ethan. You two have been together for so many years, and he has been waiting for you all this time. It hasn’t been easy for him.” A sharp pain twisted at the tip of my heart, as if it were being cut back and forth by a dull knife. I lowered my lashes and shook my head bitterly. “Mom, this marriage… I won’t go through with it.” My mother froze, and my father also looked stunned. “Everything was fine, so why are you suddenly saying you won’t get married?” My mother grew anxious and struggled to sit up. “Did something happen? Did you and Ethan fight?” I opened my mouth, but I did not know how to say it. How was I supposed to tell my mother that the man everyone thought was waiting for me to come back and marry him had already had a wife and child long ago? How was I supposed to tell my mother that the future son-in-law our whole family trusted had not only hidden his marriage and child from me, but had also hidden my mother’s illness from me and deceived me again and again? In everyone’s eyes, once I returned, I should marry Ethan. After all, everyone knew about our relationship of so many years, everyone knew he was waiting for me, and everyone thought we were a match made in heaven. But what was the truth? He had turned my eight years of trust and deep love into a complete joke. But I could not say these things. If I said them, my mother would worry. If I said them, my mother might become so angry that her condition would worsen. I took a deep breath and forced out a smile. “Mom, we didn’t fight. I have something else going on.” She paused, then made up an excuse. “I’ve applied for an opportunity to study abroad, and the higher-ups have already approved it. I only have half a month to come back and stay with you, and after half a month, I have to leave.” “Study abroad?” Mom and Dad looked at each other, both stunned. “Mm.” I nodded. “So the wedding can only be put on hold for now.” As soon as I finished speaking, the ward door was suddenly shoved open. I turned back and saw Ethan stride in, his face terrifyingly dark. “Who’s going abroad? Going to what country?”

Sarah POV My expression instantly turned cold, and my voice held no warmth at all. “This is my business. It has nothing to do with you.” Ethan’s brows were tightly knitted. “How does it have nothing to do with me? You were transferred from our hospital to the western desert, and you can’t come back without approval. But what did you do?” His tone was stern. “You have no sense of responsibility. You left your post without permission and snuck back here, and now you’re making up some excuse about going abroad? Sarah, do you know how terrible an impact this will cause?” Listening to his series of questions and accusations, I sneered in my heart. So after all these years, it turned out that in his heart, I was this kind of irresponsible person. He did not even have the most basic trust in me. Ethan stopped looking at me and turned toward my parents by the hospital bed, his tone easing a little yet still heavy. “Sarah snuck back this time. If she’s found out, the consequences will be unimaginable. I have to send her back immediately, and I hope you can understand.” My mother’s face went pale, and my father froze too, looking at me in disbelief. “Sarah, did you really sneak back?” “No.” I frowned and explained to my parents, “I came back with approval.” I took the leave slip out of my coat pocket and handed it over. Ethan reached out first and snatched the paper. Without even looking at it, he tore the leave slip into scraps in his hand the next second. “Sarah!” He flung the scraps into the air and said darkly, “You actually dare to forge a leave slip. That makes your offense even worse!” Seeing the family visit leave slip I had only gotten by joining the international peacekeeping medical team be torn apart without hesitation by him, I was so angry that my whole body shook. “Ethan, what right do you have to tear up my leave slip? Are you insane?” Ethan’s eyes grew even darker, and without giving me any chance to argue, he grabbed my arm with one hand, his grip so strong it felt like he was going to crush my bones. “Come on. You’re coming back with me right now. I’ll help you fight for a lighter punishment as much as possible!” “Let go of me!” I struggled desperately, but he was too strong, and I was dragged two staggering steps toward the door. Just then, my mother’s urgent cry came from behind me. “Sarah!” I turned back and saw my mother anxiously struggling to sit up from the bed, her face pale, gasping for breath, and reaching out as if she wanted to grab something. “Sarah.” Before the words fell, my mother’s body went limp, and she collapsed straight back onto the bed, closing her eyes. The monitor suddenly let out a piercing alarm. “Mom!” I did not know where the strength came from, but I suddenly shook off Ethan’s hand and threw myself to the bedside. My father was also terrified and shouted with a trembling voice, “Wake up!” “Mom! Mom, don’t scare me!” I frantically pressed the call button at the head of the bed, my voice hoarse and broken. “Doctor! Doctor, hurry! Someone come quickly!” The doctor soon rushed over, checked my mother’s condition, and looked grave. “The patient’s condition is critical. She must be resuscitated immediately.” “Then resuscitate her!” I was so anxious that tears fell straight down. “What are you standing there for? Hurry!” But the doctor did not move. He stood there, his gaze passing over me and turning toward Ethan, who stood at the door. I followed his gaze and instantly understood. This was Ethan’s hospital. Here, his power was greater than the sky. Ethan met my eyes, his expression calm and his tone flat. “Sarah, as long as you’re willing to honestly go back to the desert with me and accept the punishment, I’ll immediately arrange for people to resuscitate your mother, use the best imported medicine, and guarantee her safety.” My breathing stopped, and all the blood in my body seemed to freeze at that moment. I looked in disbelief at the man before me, the man I had loved for a full ten years and once thought I would spend my whole life with. To keep Mia from losing her promotion spot, he was actually using my mother’s life to force me back to that desert? All my disappointment, anger, and sorrow broke through my chest like a flood. But as I looked at my mother’s pale face on the hospital bed, unconscious and unmoving, every second of delay meant another degree of danger for her. So at that moment, I could not explode, and I could not go against him. The most important thing right now was to save my mother first, because nothing mattered more than her safety. I clenched my hands tightly, my nails digging into my palms, desperately holding back all my emotions. “Fine.” I heard my own voice, barely forced out of my throat. “I’ll go back with you.” Only then did Ethan smile in satisfaction. “If you had listened this obediently earlier, she wouldn’t have passed out from anger again.” Hearing that sentence, I felt cold all over. I thought, it’s fine. Once I return, the supervisor can prove she came back with approval.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “449018”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

During my wedding dress fitting, Julian handed me a yellowed, tattered vintage gown with frayed lace and obvious yellow sweat stains under the armpits. The makeup artist froze, her hand hovering in mid-air, and the whispers of my friends and family pierced my ears like needles. His childhood friend Mia popped her head out of the fitting room with a mischievous grin. She was wearing my custom haute couture wedding gown, spinning around in front of everyone. “Are you guys mesmerized? The real dress is right here!” My three-hundred-thousand-dollar gown had been stolen and replaced by her. I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted copper, wanting nothing more than to tear her apart. But Julian just smiled in delight. “Mia, you’re always so full of quirky ideas. This is actually pretty fun. Chloe, just wear that vintage one. It’s unique.” I let out a cold laugh, threw the tattered old dress right over Mia’s head, and said, “No thanks. Why don’t you two get married instead? I’m out.” Julian roared in disbelief, “She just wanted to swap dresses for fun! It’s not like she left you naked! Don’t forget, we are getting married for our families’ sake!” I replied coldly, “Don’t forget, it was your family begging for this merger, not me begging to marry you.”

The makeup artist dropped her blush brush, and the eyeshadow palette shattered into pieces on the floor. That musty, tattered wedding dress sat mockingly on the rack. The whispers around me felt like hot needles pricking my skin. “Why is the heiress of the Vance family being given a trashy, worn-out dress?” “Is the Carter family doing this on purpose? Who gets married in that?” “I heard Chloe’s custom gown cost over three hundred thousand dollars to make…” I marched over, grabbed the collar of the musty dress, my fingernails digging deep into the cheap fabric. Cold sweat began to trace down my spine. A second later, I gestured to my maid of honor. “Search the place! Head to toe! Don’t even spare Mia’s purse!” I glanced over at the VIP lounge. My mom’s face was as white as a sheet, her hands shaking so badly her teacup was sloshing over. Beside her, my dad was frantically wiping sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. This alliance between the Carters and the Vances was a massive deal. The venue rental alone cost a fortune. The wedding was supposed to be the event of the year. I couldn’t let it become a laughingstock! “Did one of the staff make a mistake?” My best friend Harper whispered in my ear, holding the coat I had just taken off. I remained silent. The haute couture gown had been delivered by a secure transport this morning. I had watched the staff hang it in my private fitting room with my own eyes. Unless… “Chloe,” Julian walked over, his tone incredibly dismissive. “How about we skip the fitting today? We can come back when it’s less crowded…” “No.” Harper cut in quickly. “Everyone, don’t just stand there! Did someone take the dress by mistake? Bring it out now!” “Yeah! If we find it, dinner is on us! Let’s not hold up the schedule!” I watched Harper and the boutique staff tear the fitting rooms apart, checking even behind the heavy velvet curtains. I let out a cold scoff and locked my eyes onto Mia’s hiding spot. “Stop acting. If you keep dragging this out, everyone’s going to look stupid. Hand over my dress.” The moment the words left my mouth, everyone turned to look at Mia. She took a couple of steps back, instinctively grabbing Julian’s arm. After a tense silence, she screeched defensively, “I didn’t hide it! I didn’t even go into your fitting room! How would I know where the dress went? Chloe, I know you’ve always hated me, but you can’t just accuse me like this…” Julian immediately glared at me, then turned around to pat Mia’s head soothingly. The air outside the fitting room was dead silent, but Mia’s hands were visibly shaking. “Check the security cameras. From the exact moment we walked in!” Even after playing the footage back at half-speed three times, we only caught a blurry shadow. Taking advantage of a staff member’s turned back, someone had slipped the tattered vintage dress into my fitting room. But the face was obscured. I noticed Julian’s mother checking her phone for the hundredth time, her patience wearing thin. Julian suddenly stood up and said, “Chloe, we don’t have to do the fitting today. I’ll have my assistant order a new one. We can try again some other time, okay?” He didn’t even wait for my response. Instead, he turned to look at Mia. He was clearly waiting for her approval. I clenched my fists, a suffocating weight pressing down on my chest. But at this point, causing a bigger scene would indeed leave everyone embarrassed.

I took a deep breath, preparing to speak. Suddenly, Mia stepped out from the crowd. Right in front of everyone, she unbuttoned her overcoat, revealing my custom haute couture gown underneath. She squealed in mock surprise, “Ta-da! The dress is right here! I told you guys you wouldn’t be able to find it!” The delicate lace of the collar brushed against Julian’s arm. Without thinking, Julian reached out to gently smooth the fabric over her shoulder. That casual, intimate gesture made my chest ache with sharp betrayal. But Mia didn’t care at all. The moment she finished her little display, the entire boutique fell into a horrifying silence. Everyone stared at her, their faces painted with utter disbelief. Harper finally snapped out of her shock, her voice climbing an octave, “I knew it! Earlier, Mia said she wanted to help you check the measurements. I literally saw her walk into the storage closet with a garment bag… Oh my god, Chloe, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize she was psycho enough to actually steal your wedding dress!” Turning to Mia, Harper asked, her voice cracking with fury, “Mia, do you literally have nothing better to do with your life? Why the hell would you swap Chloe’s dress with a piece of trash?” Mia just rolled her eyes, completely unfazed. She looked up at Julian, putting on a sweet, whining baby voice, “Julian, I just wanted to give you a little surprise. Don’t you like it? I look so pretty in this dress. I’m sure Chloe wouldn’t mind letting me try it on, right?” With that, Mia snatched the tattered vintage dress from the table and shoved it into my hands, acting as if she were the star of the show. “Chloe, just wear this one. Let’s get this fitting over with!” The smug triumph in her eyes made me realize this entire farce was a calculated move. She wanted to humiliate me publicly. No wonder she had been hovering over me since we arrived. One minute she was asking about the dress details, the next she was offering to hold my things. She had been setting this trap all along. I let out a sharp, cold laugh. “So, let me get this straight. You expect me to just hand over my three-hundred-thousand-dollar custom gown to you, while I wrap myself in your tattered garbage?” The moment I said that, Mia’s eyes welled up with tears, and she sank into Julian’s chest. “Julian, I really didn’t mean to… I just wanted to play a harmless joke on Chloe. I didn’t know she would be so mean… I’ve never worn a wedding dress before. How was I supposed to know it was so fragile and off-limits?” “Even if you’ve never worn one, surely you know that stealing someone else’s property is wrong?” I sneered, staring at her pathetic act. “Or did your parents forget to teach you basic morals?” Of course she knew. If she had any respect, she wouldn’t have “accidentally” spilled red wine all over my gown at the last family gala. Back then, she had whimpered the exact same excuse, “Chloe, your dress was just so pretty. I wanted to see how it felt.” But what shocked me most was Julian’s reaction. He actually stepped in to shield her. He pried my hand away, his tone dripping with impatience, “It’s just a dress, Chloe. Mia was just having some fun. Do you really have to throw a tantrum over this?” I looked down at his tight grip on my wrist. He was frowning, looking at me as if I were a nagging nuisance. “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill, Chloe. Everyone is watching.” I glanced over at the lounge area. Julian’s mother was wearing a tight, strained smile. His father was staring at the floor, his face completely dark. This arranged marriage was supposed to secure the Vance family’s logistics and supply chain for the Carters. In exchange, the Vance family would expand our market into the West Coast. Anyone with half a brain knew this was purely a business transaction. In an instant, all the anger drained out of me. I wasn’t calm; I was just completely, utterly exhausted. Julian didn’t notice my shift in mood. He pressed on, “I’ll just have my assistant order another custom gown. Stop causing a scene, okay?” He spoke to me with the patronizing tone one would use on a hysterical toddler. Then, my eyes fell on the pearl necklace around Mia’s neck. It was a rare piece I had dropped hints about for months, yet Julian always “forgot” to get it for me. I burst into a sudden laugh. “Don’t bother ordering a new one. The wedding is off.” The entire fitting room went dead silent. Every eye in the room snapped to me like daggers. The hanger clattered out of a staff member’s hand. Julian grabbed my arm, his grip painfully tight. “Chloe Vance! Have you lost your mind? You’re calling off the wedding over a dress?!” Mia was the one who stole the gown, brought a sweat-stained rag, and ruined the entire day. Yet, in his eyes, I was the one being unreasonable. Julian and I had been together for two years. Two years ago, my dad started convincing me that the Carter family was our best business match, so I agreed to meet him. From awkwardly forcing conversations on our first date, to pretending to share his obsession with sports cars. I was always the one adapting, the one compromising. I thought even the coldest stone could be melted if I held it close enough for long enough. The day he finally agreed to the engagement, I immediately commissioned a gown from a top designer in Paris. I chose the exact silhouette he had casually mentioned liking once. Harper told me that when I got the sketches back, I was smiling like an absolute idiot. “I begged my dad for a year to get him to agree to this partnership with your family,” I had told him back then, holding his hand. “Now, I know it was worth it.” I kept my word. I always put him first. I rescheduled board meetings just to attend his parties. I drifted away from my own friends because his moods dictated my schedule. Whenever he said, “I want to see you,” I would drop everything and run to him, no matter where I was. But everything changed when Mia returned from abroad. Our dates were constantly interrupted by her emergencies. She would snatch the anniversary gifts I bought him, whining, “Julian, I want one of these too!” Every time I got upset, Julian would just pat my head condescendingly. “Mia is practically my little sister. Stop being so petty, okay?” He didn’t know I had seen the photos on her Snapchat. She was cuddled up in his lap, wearing the luxury watch I had gifted him. He didn’t know that last week, when I went to his office to drop off some corporate documents, I saw Mia walking out of his private office wearing his suit jacket. The night before the fitting, I had sat on my balcony until dawn. I had already realized, deep down, that this marriage was a mistake.

But it wasn’t until I saw him shielding Mia just now, looking at me with pure annoyance, that I finally woke up. “Chloe!” Julian squeezed my arm harder, making me wince. “You know this is a merger. You wouldn’t dare call it off!” One by one, I pried his fingers off my arm. My gaze drifted to the pearl necklace on Mia’s neck. “The Vance family is merging with the Carters. I am not marrying you.” Julian’s grip tightened again. He leaned in close, his voice dripping with a low threat, “Chloe, if you call off this engagement, the Carters will immediately cut off your logistics channels.” He stepped closer, his eyes cold and sharp, fully expecting me to fold like I always did. But I simply turned my head, ignoring the staring onlookers, and looked him dead in the eye. “Cut off our logistics? Go ahead. The contract is clear. A breach of contract requires a ten-fold penalty. Are you sure the Carter family can afford that kind of cash right now?” His eyes widened, clearly shocked by my sudden spine. The Carters’ cash flow issues were an open secret in high society. Without our supply chain backing them up, they’d have gone under months ago. His father had practically begged my dad for this alliance. Julian had assumed I would keep playing the submissive fiancé. Too bad for him. This time, I was done. Sensing the shift in the room, Mia immediately turned on her waterworks. “Chloe, please don’t fight with Julian because of me.” She reached out to grab my arm, but I stepped back, letting her hand fall into empty air. Her eyes welled with tears as she looked up at Julian, her voice trembling. “Julian, this is all my fault. If I hadn’t put on this dress, none of this would have happened. I’ll take it off right now. I’ll tell everyone it was just a silly mistake. Please, go ahead with the wedding. Don’t let me ruin your lives, okay?” Her words sounded apologetic, but her eyes shot me a smug, silent message: Give up. He’ll always choose me. Sure enough, Julian immediately wrapped his arms around her, whispering softly, “It’s not your fault, Mia. She’s just being difficult.” Watching their pathetic little show, a wave of pure disgust washed over me. “Mia,” I interrupted, my voice perfectly calm. “Are you done acting? If you were actually sorry, you’d take off my dress and get the hell out of here, instead of fishing for sympathy.” The room gasped. Mia’s expression froze. She never expected me to call her out so bluntly. Julian immediately stepped in front of her, raising his voice, “Chloe Vance! Who do you think you are, talking to Mia like that?” I looked at him coldly. “I am the bride who was supposed to try on her wedding dress today! She stole my gown and left me a sweat-stained rag! Is that not enough? Or…” I paused, letting every word sink in. “Do you think she has more of a right to marry into the Carter family than I do?” Julian’s face completely darkened. He wrapped his hand tightly around Mia’s waist, pulling her flush against him, and let out a harsh laugh. “Fine! You want to call it off? Mia and I are leaving right now. Enjoy your empty venue! And by the way, I already booked two tickets to the Maldives. I guess I’ll just take her on the honeymoon instead.” He spat the word “honeymoon” with deliberate malice, his eyes filled with smug satisfaction. He was testing me. He was absolutely certain that jealousy would make me beg him to stay. He was sure that, like every other time, seeing him close to Mia would break my pride. But he was dead wrong. This time, I wasn’t playing his childish games anymore.

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For our New Year’s honeymoon, my husband, Carter, and his female bestie, Mia, secretly changed our destination from sunny Maui, Hawaii, to a freezing, rugged mountain cabin in Aspen, Colorado. I had severe car sickness and lay in the back seat the whole time, completely exhausted. When we finally stopped at a diner to eat, I took just one bite of my pasta and immediately had a massive allergic reaction. There was crab meat hidden in the sauce. Mia looked at me with pure disdain. “Oh, come on. Who is actually allergic to crab? Are you seriously faking this right now?” Carter didn’t hesitate. He raised his hand and slapped me right across the face. “Stop being so dramatic, Chloe. If you eat it more often, you’ll build immunity.” I didn’t even have the strength to speak. My hands were shaking violently, and my vision began to blur. I pointed at my purse, struggling to squeeze out a single word: “Epi…Pen…” He didn’t care at all. He casually kicked my bag under the seat, further out of my reach. “Just suck it up. It’ll pass.” Using the absolute last ounce of my strength, I speed-dialed my father. “Dad… Carter is trying to kill me.” Before I could say another word, Carter snatched the phone from my hand. But he had no idea. If anything happened to me, my billionaire father would make sure he paid with his life.

Carter let out a mock laugh, looking down at me with utter contempt. “Chloe, aren’t you making a mountain out of a molehill? It was just a tiny bite of crab meat.” “You’re nothing but a broke college graduate. How could you possibly have some wealthy, powerful father?” I stared at the man in front of me, unable to connect him with the sweet boy who had chased me so passionately in college. My father had always told me that genuine love was hard to find when you were filthy rich. I was rebellious back then, and I wanted to prove him wrong. So, I hid my background, became a low-level clerk at a firm, and met Carter, who had joined the company at the same time. Back then, he was thoughtful and attentive. He constantly praised how “independent and down-to-earth” I was. He used to say, “Chloe, you’re not like those gold-digging girls.” Even after we got married, I kept the secret that my father was a billionaire. But right after the wedding, Carter showed his true colors. He didn’t respect me at all. He threw my phone onto the floor. “It was just a joke. Is it really that serious?” Beside him, Mia was still glowing with excitement, acting coy. She walked over to me, wearing a fake, sugary smile. “Chloe, sweetie, please don’t be mad at Carter. It’s my fault, really. He only did it to make me laugh. He didn’t mean any harm. Besides, you only took one tiny bite. What could possibly go wrong?” Carter shot me an annoyed look. “Can you stop acting like a victim? A mild seafood allergy won’t kill you, even without medicine. You’ll be fine in a few minutes. Besides, if this little joke made Mia happy, why is it such a big deal? Mia is my best friend. Keeping her happy is my top priority.” That was always Carter’s logic. The moment I made Mia even slightly uncomfortable, he would humiliate me without mercy. My hands trembled as I fumbled through my coat pockets, trying to find my emergency medication, but they were completely empty. Mia suddenly pulled my EpiPen out of her own pocket and tossed it right out of the window into the snow. “You probably don’t even need this. Let me help you get rid of it, honey.” Carter chimed in immediately. “Exactly. It was just one bite. Stop being so fragile.” Looking at his self-righteous face, my vision went completely dark. The other customers in the diner kept their heads down, eating quietly. No one wanted to get involved in a domestic dispute. “Severe allergies… can cause anaphylactic shock… I will literally die!” I used every bit of energy left in my body to scream those words. But Mia just grabbed the edge of my sleeve, looking like she was about to cry. “Chloe, I know you don’t like me, but you don’t have to target me like this. You’re putting on a whole show in public just to make me look bad.” “Enough!” I couldn’t take it anymore. I struggled to stand up, wanting to slap the smug look off her face. But Carter shoved me back down hard. “What the hell is wrong with you? Mia has a weak heart! Are you trying to kill her?” Mia immediately clutched her chest, putting on a dramatic show of pain. “Carter, my chest hurts… I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have come on this trip with you guys.” “No, it’s not your fault, Mia.” Carter quickly held her, comforting her with a soft, gentle voice I hadn’t heard in years. “She’s just spoiled. She thinks the whole world revolves around her. Just ignore her.” I watched them holding each other like a perfect couple. My chest felt tighter, and breathing became almost impossible. With a sudden burst of rage, I swept the plates of food off the table, sending them crashing to the floor. “Carter! The moment we get back, we are getting a divorce!”

Carter froze for a second, and then his face twisted with pure fury. “Are you insane?! You want a divorce over this tiny thing? Do you even hear yourself? Do you really think I can’t live without you?” “A tiny thing?” I squeezed the words out of my burning lungs. “You tricked me—someone with a deadly seafood allergy—into eating crab. You call that a tiny thing?” “Carter, we’ve been married for so long. Have you ever actually looked at me as your wife? The second Mia has a minor issue, you run to her. But when I need you, you always have an excuse. I am your wife!” Mia stepped forward again, her voice trembling like a frightened child. “Chloe, please don’t be mad at Carter… It’s all my fault. Carter only did it to make me smile…” She wiped away fake tears and looked at Carter. “She’s only saying this because she loves you. You should go comfort her.” Seeing me collapsed miserably on the floor, a tourist at a nearby table couldn’t watch anymore. He frowned and tried to mediate. “Hey, man, your wife really doesn’t look good. Food allergies can be fatal. Maybe you should take her to the ER first.” “You don’t know her! She just loves playing the victim for sympathy,” Carter snapped, cutting the tourist off aggressively. “She always does this. The more people there are, the more she loves to put on a show. Every single time, she makes a mountain out of a molehill. Last time, just because Mia and I shared a quick kiss during a party game, she made a huge scene and embarrassed me in front of all my friends. Now she’s pulling this crap again!” His words felt like ice-cold daggers in my chest. That game happened right after we started dating. He didn’t care that I was standing right there. He kissed Mia right in front of my face. When I told him he had no boundaries, he called me petty and insecure. “Well, if that’s the case, she shouldn’t have reacted like that. It’s normal for a guy to have female friends,” another male tourist murmured in agreement. “They didn’t do anything crossing the line. Can’t you just let it go?” Hearing a few people take his side only fueled Carter’s ego. He looked down at me and barked, “Mia is just a young girl. What bad intentions could she have? Get up right now and apologize to her!” I stared at them, my vision blurring even more from the physiological tears streaming down my face. “Why… should I apologize?” My throat felt like it was blocked by concrete. My heart was pounding frantically against my ribs, suffocating me. The veins in my temples were throbbing so hard I thought they would burst. These were the warning signs of cerebral and pulmonary edema. I knew them all too well. Seeing that I wasn’t apologizing, Mia acted as if she had suffered the ultimate insult. She sobbed, “Chloe, please don’t do this. I’m so scared you guys will fight because of me… I don’t want to be the reason you divorce. I’ll book a flight and go home right now…” She made a move to leave. Carter grabbed her hand immediately, his eyes filled with worry and anger. “Mia, don’t be stupid! She’s just trying to force your hand! Anyone can play the victim!” Carter whipped around to face me, his eyes filled with disgust and hatred. “You are truly malicious, Chloe. Mia cares so much about you, and you still accuse her of trying to hurt you. Are you really going to ruin our entire honeymoon just because you feel a little uncomfortable?” How dare he even mention our honeymoon? This was supposed to be our trip. Because of his inappropriate relationship with Mia, we had argued countless times. But he never listened. He never cared. And now, my life-threatening condition was just “proof” of my pettiness in his eyes. The severe swelling in my throat prevented me from speaking. I could only open my mouth helplessly, making weak, choking sounds. Mia hid behind Carter, giving me a cold, mocking smirk when he wasn’t looking. Then, she gasped dramatically, “Carter, her face looks so pale… Do you think she’s actually hurt?” “It’s fake! She’s acting!” Carter said firmly. “She just wants to force me to apologize so she can control me later. I won’t give her the satisfaction!” He opened his water flask and handed it to Mia. “Here, Mia, have some warm water. You must be tired from talking so much. Ignore her. Let her cool her head off by herself.” I leaned against the wall, my body sliding down to the cold floor as my consciousness began to fade. Just then, Mia quietly knelt down in front of me. Her face was flushed and healthy, showing absolutely no sign of the “chest pain” she had claimed to feel earlier. She leaned in, whispering in a voice only I could hear: “Chloe, you were so good at acting. Why stopped now?” “To be honest, Carter never loved you. Once you ‘accidentally’ die, the massive life insurance policy he took out on you will kick in. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him—and his money—for you.” She patted my cheek gently, her voice freezing cold. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I’ll make sure your funeral is absolutely grand.”

Mia’s words were the final blow that shattered my remaining consciousness. I wanted to raise my hand and slap her, but the severe anaphylactic shock had drained every bit of my strength. I could only lean against the wall, desperately gasping for air like a fish out of water. But Mia wasn’t done. She picked up the bowl of crab pasta from the table and brought it to my lips. “Chloe, honey, are you hungry? Your lips are so white. Let me feed you another bite.” She scooped up a large piece of crab meat and shoved it brutally into my mouth. “You…!” I glared at her, trying to scream, but only a raspy wheeze came out. My body began to shake violently. Mia viciously covered my mouth, preventing me from spitting it out. “Chloe, do you know how many times I’ve been pregnant with Carter’s babies?” “Six times. Want to know why he didn’t marry me? Because he didn’t want me to suffer. He didn’t want me to live a middle-class life. So, he came up with a brilliant plan. Find a dumb, broke girl to marry, kill her for the insurance money, and then live happily ever after with me. Isn’t he smart?” Hearing this, I couldn’t believe my ears. They were monsters. Complete psychopaths! With a sudden surge of adrenaline, I slammed my head forward, knocking Mia back. I lunged at her, my mouth open, trying to bite her. Mia screamed dramatically and fell to the floor. “Chloe! I was just trying to feed you! Why did you try to bite me?!” Hearing the commotion, Carter whipped around. Seeing me lunging at Mia, his face darkened instantly. “You psycho bitch! Mia was nice enough to feed you, and this is how you treat her?!” He rushed over and kicked me hard in the stomach, sending me rolling across the floor. “How long are you going to keep acting?! Do you seriously have to throw a tantrum in front of everyone?!” “It… wasn’t me… she forced…” I squeezed out the last few syllables with everything I had. But he didn’t give me a chance to explain. He kicked me again. “Enough! I don’t want to hear your lies anymore! You only ate a bite of crab. Even if you’re allergic, it wouldn’t be this bad! You’re just jealous of my relationship with Mia, aren’t you? I only treat her like a sister, and she treats you like family! How could you be so cruel to her? Do you think acting like this will make everyone pity you?” Carter turned around and began complaining loudly to the other diners about how controlling and demanding I was, claiming I had “princess syndrome” but lived a peasant life. His complaints quickly won the sympathy of several men in the diner. One of them yelled, “You need to teach a woman like that a lesson. If she doesn’t behave, a good beating will fix her.” Carter looked down at me with absolute disgust. “Fine. You love acting? I’ll let you act all you want. Just stay here and keep pretending. I hope you actually die this time. If you can’t keep up, you can walk back yourself.” With that, he turned and walked out of the diner without looking back. The other customers looked away, leaving the diner one by one. No one cared if I lived or died. I lay on the freezing floor, my body’s trembling slowly weakening. Every breath felt like swallowing glass, and the pain in my chest gradually numbed. My vision grew darker, and the sounds around me faded into static. Not a single person turned back to look at me. Despair, cold and heavy, began to pull me down into the abyss. Maybe… this is it… I don’t want to die yet, Dad… I don’t know how much time passed, but eventually, those two devils walked back in. I heard them whispering near my ear. “Is she dead yet? Is our insurance money ready?” Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the diner. “How dare you touch my daughter!”

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When Ashton’s childhood sweetheart, Chloe, threw her sixth tantrum and flew out of the country, I got hired to replace her as his personal assistant. In just two years, Ashton fell head over heels in love with me. On the day of our engagement party, Chloe stormed back into the country. Right in front of everyone, she leaked their old intimate photos into our Snapchat group chat. “I have plenty of photos like this. Ashton is just using you as a rebound, Serena.” I pulled out my phone, saved the screenshots immediately, and gave her a quick legal lesson: “In this state, distributing non-consensual explicit images is a felony. You can get up to two years in prison for this.” “How many people did you send this to, Chloe?” Chloe’s face went rigid. She looked completely lost. Instinctively, she turned to Ashton, fully expecting him to take her side. Ashton simply pulled out his phone and, without a second thought, kicked her out of the group chat. Chloe gasped. “Ashton!” “Don’t get it twisted, Chloe. I’m doing you a favor,” Ashton said coldly. “Serena is right. She graduated top of her class from law school. If you break the law and drag us down with you, I’m not saving your ass.” Chloe bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled. Finally, she forced a smile. “Oh, Ashton, you’ve got it all wrong. I was just trying to break the ice! I wanted to test her.” “These days, so many gold-diggers have no shame. They’d do anything to climb their way into high society.” “I was just testing her for you. But wow, Serena, you really keep your cool, don’t you?” I smiled and said nothing. During my two years as Ashton’s assistant, the number of women trying to throw themselves at him was endless. I had cleaned up all his messes and used my legal expertise to shield him from countless gold-diggers and blackmailers. Chloe’s little stunt was amateur hour to me. It didn’t even make a splash. In fact, two months after she had left the country, an influencer photoshopped a fake bedroom picture of Ashton and leaked it to get clout. I personally filed a lawsuit for defamation and harassment and threw her in a holding cell for seven days. Since then, any woman trying to climb into Ashton’s bed had to think twice about whether they could outsmart the law. After all, I was a professional. Ashton looked at Chloe and said flatly, “Serena isn’t like those girls. She’s a top-tier attorney. The only reason she accepted my job offer was because I paid her a fortune. I’m the one who got lucky.” He wasn’t lying. I could easily make seven figures on my own. I have my own network and resources. But Ashton offered me a three-million-dollar annual salary. I had no reason to say no. Chloe fumed in silence, unable to say a word. Tyler, one of Ashton’s buddies, laughed to ease the tension. “Alright, Chloe, stop messing around. You’re back, and Ashton is getting engaged. It’s a double celebration!” “Let’s raise a glass, everyone!” Chloe’s eyes darted around, and a smirk returned to her face. “Right! Ashton, you’re so unfair. I was only out of the country, and you didn’t even tell me you were getting engaged. Good thing I made it back in time!” “You deserve a penalty!” Ashton sighed. “What kind of penalty?” “How about… an arm-locked toast?” She quickly poured two glasses of champagne and handed one to Ashton. I watched them with amusement. Ashton thought about it, poured a third glass, and handed it to me. Chloe froze. “Ashton!” Ashton smiled helplessly. “I know you wanted to see a show. Serena and I will show you how it’s done, so you know what to do when you get married.” With that, he locked his arm with mine and drained his glass. The crowd erupted into cheers and whistles. Someone even chanted, “Kiss her! Kiss her!” I didn’t hesitate. I leaned in on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe. Her eyes were red with rage. She slammed her glass onto the floor and stormed out. Ashton watched her retreating back and sighed. “I’ll go check on her.” I nodded graciously. Once he left, Tyler sauntered over to me, hands in his pockets. “I’ve seen plenty of girls like you, Serena. You’re a much better actress than Chloe.” “But she and Ashton grew up together. You want to take her place? Keep dreaming.” I raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Well, at least I’m doing better than you. You’ve been secretly in love with her for years and never had the guts to say it. And now you’re trying to threaten me?” “If I were you, Tyler, I’d keep my mouth shut. It’s never a good idea to piss off a lawyer. I can destroy your life in a heartbeat.” “For example… that hit-and-run on the East River bridge last night? I know it was you.”

Tyler’s face drained of color instantly. I gave him a sweet, cold smile. “Nothing Ashton does will shake my position. But as for you? You might want to think carefully about how you treat me from now on.” Without giving him a second glance, I turned around to mingle with the guests. A while later, Ashton returned. He was rubbing his temples, looking exhausted. “How is Chloe?” I asked. “She’s just throwing a tantrum. I’m used to it after all these years. Sorry you had to deal with that, Serena.” “It’s fine,” I smiled softly. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and we continued greeting our guests. Not far away, his buddies were watching me with dark, unreadable expressions. I raised my glass to them from afar and smiled. They thought I was in over my head. I thought they were idiots. By staying by Ashton’s side, my professional network had expanded tenfold. No matter what his friends thought of me, I wasn’t going to let go of this golden ticket. Besides, Ashton wanted to marry me, and his parents approved. This meant I had already passed the real test. As for the girls buzzing around him, I trusted that a mature man would handle them himself. Sure enough, Chloe didn’t show up for the rest of the night. But Ashton’s friends couldn’t stop making snide remarks and passive-aggressive comments. Eventually, Ashton snapped. “Serena is my fiancée, and she’s going to be my wife. If you guys consider me a friend, you will treat her with respect. If I hear one more disrespectful comment about her, don’t blame me for cutting ties with you forever!” His outburst terrified them. They exchanged uneasy glances. Finally, Tyler blurted out, “Ashton, you’re blinded by this woman! Chloe is your—” “Chloe is just a friend,” Ashton interrupted him coldly. “Yes, we grew up together. But Serena is the woman I love. Don’t ever bring up Chloe in the same breath again.” Everyone looked at Ashton like they had seen a ghost. They realized he was completely whipped. I looked at Tyler’s furious face and sneered inwardly. Tyler was Chloe’s ultimate puppet and her spy in the city. He reported my every move with Ashton back to Chloe. With that kind of dedication, he should have been a paparazzo. Tyler looked like he wanted to spit fire, but in the end, he kept his mouth shut. This engagement party made one thing clear: Ashton’s feelings for me were real. Too bad some people refused to believe it, thinking I was just a gold-digging witch who had cast a spell on him. I didn’t care to explain myself. After all, I was the one who was going to spend the rest of my life with him. After the party, Ashton drove me home. On the way, his phone rang again. He hung up impatiently. I caught a glimpse of the screen. It was Chloe. “She’s probably upset because you were ignoring her all night,” I said softly. “Why don’t we go check on her? Just in case she does something stupid.” Ashton sighed, steering the wheel. “Thanks for being so understanding, Serena. I wish she could be half as mature as you.” I chuckled. “I wasn’t born mature, Ashton. Chloe is just spoiled by everyone around her.” I had seen these kinds of childish mind games back in college. Now that I’d been in the corporate world for years, Chloe’s tactics looked pathetic. Ashton seemed to take my words to heart. “We’re not going. Today is our engagement day. I’m not letting her ruin it.” He ignored her calls for the rest of the night. When we got back to our apartment, Ashton turned his phone off completely. But Chloe, driven mad by the silence, actually showed up at our door.

Just as Ashton and I were about to go all the way, we heard the electronic lock at the front door beep, followed by an error sound. We both froze. Ashton quickly wrapped me in the duvet. A second later, the bedroom door burst open. Chloe stood there. Seeing us in bed, she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Ashton! How could you sleep with her?!” I threw on a silk robe and crossed my arms, looking at her coldly. “Chloe, we are engaged. It is completely normal for us to sleep together.” “On the other hand, you just broke into a private residence. In this country, that’s a felony. You could go to prison.” Chloe ignored me completely. She ran over and grabbed Ashton’s arm. “Did you really sleep with her?” “Ashton, how could you do this to me?” “I was only away for two years! And you couldn’t even wait for me?!” Ashton’s face darkened with pure fury. He grabbed her wrist and shoved her out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind them. I could hear his shouting through the heavy door. Ashton was livid. He absolutely detested being interrupted, especially at a moment like this. During my first two years as his assistant, Ashton would drink himself to sleep every night because of her. When he was wasted, he would drag me into his misery and ramble about their past. I had listened to those stories with professional patience. I knew every detail of their history. But I also slowly began to change his habits because I refused to work overtime just because my boss was having a heartbreak. Whenever he was in a bad mood, I would make him watch movies, read, or talk about business. Once my shift was over, I would immediately draw a line and leave, refusing to let his drama bleed into my personal life. Over time, this became his routine. Once we were in our personal space, Ashton dedicated all his time to me. He hated interruptions. Now that Chloe had shattered his boundaries, he wasn’t going to let it slide. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the living room. “Ashton! If you don’t want me anymore, there’s no point in me living!” I rushed out of the bedroom just in time to hear Ashton roar, “Chloe, don’t do this!” Chloe let out a bitter laugh and sliced her wrist with a piece of broken glass. Blood immediately welled up. Ashton panicked. He grabbed her hand, his eyes bloodshot. “Chloe! You owe me too much! You can’t do this!” “Ashton, what about what you owe me? I’ve always loved you, but you changed!” “You engaged her! What about me? You owe me, Ashton!” Ashton screamed, “You’re the one who abandoned me!” I couldn’t stand the melodrama anymore. I interrupted them. “Can we stop the screaming and call an ambulance? Otherwise, she’s going to bleed out before anyone owes anyone anything.” Ashton looked up at me, tears in his eyes. I accompanied them to the hospital. After Chloe was rolled into the emergency room, Ashton leaned against my shoulder, looking exhausted and defeated. Chloe’s parents arrived shortly after. Seeing their daughter’s state, Mrs. Sterling was heartbroken. “Ashton, I know this is a lot to ask, but please, Chloe is unstable right now. Can you stay and watch over her? Just make sure she doesn’t do anything drastic again!” Mrs. Sterling then shot me a venomous look, her eyes filled with disgust. “If some home-wrecker hadn’t taken advantage of the situation, you and Chloe would have been married by now!” I finally understood where Chloe got her dramatic, toxic personality. It was entirely genetic. Chloe lay on the hospital bed, her face pale. “Ashton… I regret leaving. I really do.” Ashton stared at her, silent. A complicated look flashed through his eyes. I couldn’t stand the sight of this anymore. “Ashton, it’s late. I’m going home.” “Wait…” Ashton grabbed my hand. “You can’t leave. We need to settle this tonight.” “There’s nothing to settle. It’s past midnight,” I said. Chloe suddenly looked hopeful. “She’s right! Ashton, we need to settle this once and for all! I knew you still cared about—” “Great,” Ashton interrupted her, looking exceptionally cold. “Then pay me back for my vintage vase, plus my emotional distress damages. If you pay up, I won’t file charges for breaking and entering.” Chloe’s mouth fell open. “W-What did you say?!”

Ashton looked at her with pure annoyance. “Are you deaf? You broke into my house tonight, shattered my favorite vase, and threatened suicide to traumatize me. The emotional distress damages plus the cost of the antique vase total 3.8 million dollars.” He snapped his fingers. His bodyguard immediately stepped forward and handed Chloe a printed invoice. Chloe stared at the paper, completely dumbfounded. “Ashton! I-I almost died for you!” She pointed at her bandaged wrist. Ashton nodded. “I have security cameras inside my apartment. They prove you broke in at midnight to perform a suicide stunt. You have caused me severe emotional trauma. Are you paying via wire transfer or check?” Ashton’s cold logic left Chloe entirely speechless. I stood by the side, perfectly calm. During the two years Chloe was away, I had studied her personality inside out. I knew she loved playing the victim and threatening suicide. To desensitize Ashton, I had spent the last two years setting up “scenarios” with various gold-diggers who tried to throw themselves at him. I had exposed him to every trick in the book—from girls faking car accidents to stage-managed overdoses. Ashton had gone from panic-stricken to completely immune. Compared to what I had prepared him for, Chloe’s little wrist-slitting show was amateur hour. Chloe couldn’t believe her ears. “Ashton, I was willing to die for you, and you’re asking me for money?!” “Of course,” Ashton said seriously. “That vase was bought at a Sotheby’s auction. It took me months to find one that matched my living room decor. And you just smashed it!” “And who gave you permission to enter my apartment anyway?” “You set the passcode to my birthday! You still love me!” Chloe shrieked. Ashton looked at her like she was insane. “Chloe, are you out of your mind? We share the same birthday! I set the passcode to my own birthday. What does that have to do with you?” “You broke into my home and traumatized me. The fact that I’m not calling the police right now is me being generous.” Ashton then looked at me, waiting for my professional input. I gave him a thumbs-up. “Spot on. Illegal entry of a habitation is a felony punishable by up to three years in prison. If accompanied by other unlawful acts, the sentences run consecutively.” “And Chloe, you’re looking at a solid three years behind bars. Do you want us to call the cops and get a psychological evaluation? If you’re deemed mentally sound, we’ll proceed with the criminal charges.” Chloe screamed in terror. Mrs. Sterling rushed forward and shoved me hard. “What nonsense are you talking?! Our Chloe grew up with Ashton! They were just playing a game!” I stumbled backward and hit my shoulder against the doorframe. I winced in pain. Ashton’s eyes flared with rage. “Mrs. Sterling! If Chloe’s break-in is a crime, your physical assault on my fiancée is even worse!” “I will make sure my legal team prosecutes this to the fullest extent!” Mr. Sterling, who had been quiet, finally realized Ashton wasn’t bluffing. He quickly stepped in to apologize. “I’m so sorry, Ashton. My wife was just too worried about Chloe.” “We will pay for the damages. But please, for the sake of our families’ history, could you stay with Chloe for a bit?” Ashton wrapped his arm securely around my waist. “No. It’s inappropriate.” “Today is my engagement day. Chloe needs a professional therapist and her family, not me. We’re leaving. And don’t ever bother us again.” With that, he guided me out of the hospital, leaving them behind.

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My sister, Foster, dragged me into her friends’ “Blind Box Dating Game.” I ended up drawing the name of the scholarship kid, Brooks. Immediately, someone gasped. “Oh, Brooks! Orphaned, raised by his sick grandma who collects trash to pay his tuition. Yet, he’s somehow always at the top of the class!” “Christy, if you can make him fall for you and then crush his heart, the satisfaction will be insane!” Pretend to fall in love with a poor guy, win his heart, and then dump him in the most humiliating way possible. They had already ruined countless people using this cruel game. Seeing my hesitation, Foster grabbed my hand tightly. “Christy, you were kidnapped for fifteen years. You finally made it back to our family.” “The only way to fit into high society and get Mom and Dad’s approval is to play along with us.” I grit my teeth and agreed, starting my approach to Brooks. Little did they know, I was playing them. I knew I was the real target. Foster had already set it up with Brooks. She wanted him to dump me first right before the one-month mark. She wanted me to be dumped by a poor kid, making me the ultimate laughingstock of the prep school. But she didn’t know that Brooks wasn’t poor. He was playing broke to test Foster—his wealthy fiancée.

“Foster, did Brooks agree?” “Why wouldn’t he? That idiot spent a whole month’s food money just to buy me a gift. I told him if he listens to me and plays along with Christy, I’ll give him a shot.” “Ugh, a girl like you is way out of his league. He’s getting a steal!” “A steal? Once Christy is ruined, he’s next…” I hid in the bathroom stall for twenty minutes. After Foster left with her friends, I picked a gemstone necklace out of the trash bin. Foster thought it was a cheap fake. But I remembered working at the mall before the school year started. Brooks, who had just returned from studying abroad, walked in once, and the shop owners treated him like royalty. “Tell everyone I’m just a poor student on financial aid. Nobody reveals my identity.” “If Foster is as shallow as they say, I won’t force myself into this arranged marriage just for old times’ sake…” He was a great actor. Foster hired bullies to mess with him at his part-time job, even slapping him hard. Yet, he took it, apologizing with lowered eyes, looking humiliated and desperate. I stepped in to defend him. Foster’s lackey gave a signal, and the bully grabbed me, his foul-smelling face leaning in: “Oh, you feel bad for him? If you want me to let him go, how about you hang out with me and have a few drinks?” His hand grabbed my waist, sliding upward. This was not in the plan. I froze, my mind going blank, panic setting in. Suddenly, Brooks pulled me behind him, shielding me, coughing heavily. The restaurant staff quickly appeared and restrained the bully. Brooks pulled me outside. “Why did you help me?” I had my lines ready: “I couldn’t just stand by and watch someone get bullied.” Foster told me poor, delusional guys fall hard for the “damsel in distress” savior trope. Brooks smiled. “Thank you. Can I have your Snapchat?” “Everyone else looks down on me. They just want to see me fail. You’re the only one who helped.” Then he offered to walk me home. I figured Foster gave him that line. But I didn’t get it. Brooks knew what Foster was like. Why was he playing along? I got my answer soon enough. I didn’t go inside when we reached my house. I hid and watched. A private driver pulled up to pick Brooks up. The driver asked him: “Sir, Foster treats you like dirt. Why do you still bother?” Brooks smirked. “She has no morals, but she has ambition.” “If she can use this game to ruin Christy’s image in front of her parents and take the entire inheritance…” “I might actually give her a business partnership.” “As for Christy, she walked right into the trap without a clue. She’s stupid but kind of entertaining. Since I’m on break, I might as well play along.” I scoffed silently. None of them were good people.

On the track field, Brooks was being humiliated. That’s the price of playing poor at a prep school. Someone stomped on his breakfast. His blood sugar crashed, and he collapsed on the ground, dizzy. Foster didn’t start it, but she stood by, watching the show. Brooks instinctively looked at her for help. She only sneered. “Why are you looking at Foster? She’s already engaged.” “Her fiancé is the only son of the Russells—the richest family in Virginia. Who do you think you are?” “I heard this trash tried to give Foster a gift. How did he even dare?” Foster stayed cold. I stepped forward and helped him up. Foster’s minion immediately seized the chance to mock me: “Look at that! Trash belongs with trash.” “Did you guys know? Christy might be Foster’s sister, but she was kidnapped and raised in some trailer park for fifteen years.” “She’s just as low-class as Brooks. She barely even finished middle school.” “No wonder her grades are always the worst. She’s a total loser…” This wasn’t part of the script. I didn’t need to get humiliated, and Brooks looked surprised. I ignored the laughter, pulled out a homemade bagel, and fed it to him to raise his blood sugar. The crowd laughed harder. “Foster, doesn’t she live with you? Why is she eating pig food?” Foster smiled. “She just came home. She’s probably not used to our lifestyle.” That was a lie. She was pampered by our parents. I was missing for fifteen years. Even after I returned, my parents looked at me with disgust and resentment. Foster convinced them that I’d go bad if I had money, so they cut off my allowance. The maids only cooked for Foster. I had to make my own meals. “Try it, it’s good. I’ve been cooking for myself since I was a kid.” Brooks took a bite, then wolfed it down, slowly regaining his strength. The crowd dispersed, leaving only me. A strange look crossed his eyes. “Thanks…” Since Foster hadn’t scripted this, he didn’t know what to say. I wiped the dirt off his face. “Don’t worry about it. Hey, could you tutor me?” I looked up at him, locking eyes. The sunlight framed his handsome face, his eyes swirling with complex emotions. After a long pause, he asked in a low, husky voice, “Are you approaching me on purpose?” I nodded. “Yes.” “Actually, I’m supposed to get close to you and make you fall in love with me.” “And then, once you love me, I’m supposed to dump you, ruin your grades, and destroy you.” “It’s a game Foster and her friends play. They forced me to join. You’re the target.” Brooks cleared his throat, looking away. “Then… why are you telling me this?” “Aren’t you afraid of failing the game and being rejected by Foster?” I shook my head. “I don’t care.” “She’s terrified I’ll steal her inheritance and her parents’ love. She’ll never accept me anyway.” “My parents listen to her. They won’t give me money for tutoring, and without it, I can’t catch up or apply to a good college.” “So I need you, Brooks. Tutor me.” “We are the same.” “We have no one to rely on. We have to fight for our own future.” Then, I saw Brooks smile. It was a genuine, appreciative smile, like he had just found a hidden treasure. “Okay. I’ll tutor you. Let’s do this together.” I smiled back. In the future, whoever wins Brooks wins the Russell empire.

Foster was thrilled with our progress, so she stopped setting up scenes. As she wished, I spent all my free time alone with Brooks in the classroom. Brooks was brilliant. Concepts that seemed impossible to me, things the teachers explained a hundred times, he could break down in seconds. Of course, sometimes he teased me for being slow, tapping my head and joking that I was giving him a headache. I’d look up at him, pout, and see him framed by the window. The golden hour light hit his face, highlighting his perfect features. I stared. His breath hitched. We both quickly looked away, pretending nothing happened, just like the times our hands accidentally brushed. Two weeks flew by. My midterm grades skyrocketed, almost catching up to Foster’s. She started getting anxious. “You nerd! I told you to seduce Brooks, not do homework with him!” “How is he going to fall in love with you if you’re just studying?” “How are we going to ruin him after the breakup? Where is the fun in that?” “Take him to the mall this weekend!” “Buy him a watch or some sneakers. That’s how you hook him. Got it?” I remembered overhearing Foster asking our parents to take her shopping this weekend. I realized what she was planning and agreed. Besides, Brooks’s birthday was coming up, and I wanted to get him something. When I went to find him, I overheard him on the phone with Foster. Foster’s voice was demanding: “You know what to do if you run into my parents, right?” “Act close with Christy. Make it look like you’ve already slept together…” After he hung up, disgust flashed in his eyes. I waited a moment before walking in to invite him to the mall. Brooks asked, “I thought you said your parents don’t give you money?” I smiled. “I have my ways.” That weekend, I took Brooks to a flea market first. I pulled out the gemstone necklace he had given Foster. His face darkened. “Where did you get that?” “Foster threw it in the trash. I liked it, so I kept it.” “It looks expensive. Honestly, I don’t want to sell it. But Brooks—” The weather was getting cold, and he was still wearing a thin, worn-out jacket. I touched his hand, my eyes filled with concern. “Your hands are always freezing. I want you to be warm.” His breath hitched. I could feel something shifting in his eyes. He slowly leaned in, closer and closer. Just when I could hear his heartbeat, a hand snatched the necklace. “Looks nice. How about $300?” “You kids look poor, this probably isn’t even yours. $300 is a steal.” Brooks grit his teeth. “You bastard, that’s my—” He stopped himself. I haggled with the customer. “$566.” “$566? Why such an odd number? $400 max!” I stood firm. “$566. Not a penny less.” Because the coat I wanted to buy Brooks was exactly $566. Seeing the price tag on the coat later, Brooks’s eyes turned slightly red. “Christy, you…” I cut him off, wrapping the coat around him. “Happy birthday, Brooks.” Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest. I struggled weakly, then let myself melt into his embrace. The warm moment was shattered by a sharp voice behind us. “Christy! What do you think you’re doing?”

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My intern, Chloe Jenkins, used a ghost-mirroring hack on my bank account. No matter how much money I saved, my balance would always magically drop to exactly $50. In my past life, my ultimate dream was to buy a condo near our office in Manhattan. I worked myself to the bone until I finally saved up $50,000 for the down payment. But when I swiped my card at the leasing office, the sales agent gave me a pitying look. “Declined. Insufficient funds.” I checked my transaction history, argued with the bank, and even went to the police. But everyone treated me like I was insane. Because on paper, my bank statement showed every single purchase clear as day. But I had never made those luxury purchases! I was living on instant ramen! I called my parents back in Ohio, sobbing, only to get a cold scolding in return. “Ava, are you seriously making up stories to cover up your reckless spending?” “What a ridiculous lie! If you need money, just ask. You don’t have to invent a sci-fi conspiracy theory.” When I told my colleagues, some of the toxic male agents in our office looked at my statements and started snickering. “Wow, Ava spends thousands at high-end hotel bars at 2 AM. That’s exactly what it costs to hire a hot male escort for the night!” No matter how much I explained, the gossip only grew. I posted my story anonymously on Twitter, but the comments ridiculed me, calling me a clout-chaser trying to set up a scam. Only one anonymous user left a serious comment: “Watch the people around you. See if anyone’s lifestyle matches your leaked bills.” I started watching. Sure enough, I noticed our new intern, Chloe Jenkins. Every time she bought something, a notification popped up on my phone showing a deduction of the exact same amount. Even when she ordered a Starbucks drink, my card was charged instantly. Once I was sure, I confronted her. She just laughed in my face, calling me a crazy, broke loser who was jealous of her lifestyle. She even rallied the rest of the office against me, painting me as a manic stalker, and successfully had me committed to a psychiatric facility. I spent two agonizing years in that mental ward. Unable to take the torture anymore, I finally found a chance to escape and threw myself into the Hudson River. But when I opened my eyes again… I was back. Back to the day before I was supposed to sign the papers for my new condo.

After my rebirth, the very first thing I did was open my banking app. Unsurprisingly, my balance was exactly $50. I quickly pieced my thoughts together. At this moment, my hard-earned money had already been transferred to Chloe’s card through whatever sick method she was using. I wanted to rip her throat out. But in my past life, after my suicide, I saw my parents’ hair turn white overnight with grief. I regretted it instantly. If I acted impulsively like before, I would only ruin my life again. Just then, my manager, Sarah Miller, called me over. “Ava, this new listing is a tough nut to crack, but the commission is a sweet five grand! Don’t say I never look out for you!” My throat tightened. I swallowed hard, almost on instinct. Five thousand dollars. That was enough to cover my Manhattan rent and leave me with plenty of pocket money. But I forced myself to shake my head. “Thanks, Sarah. But for the next month, I’m taking a break from taking new clients.” Ignoring Sarah’s bewildered expression, I turned and walked out of her glass office. The office partitions were thin, and everyone outside had already heard. Instantly, whispers erupted. “Isn’t Ava Vance the top sales agent in the whole company? They call her the ‘Deal Machine.’ Why is she turning down a client?” “Not just today. Didn’t you hear her? She’s taking a whole month off!” Ignoring the gossip, I pulled out my phone, opened UberEats, and ordered the largest iced Americano. It wiped out the last $50 from my account. In my past life, I wouldn’t even spend $4 on gas station coffee. To survive in a cutthroat city like New York, I had practically chained my life to my desk. I worked until 3 AM making cold calls, got up before dawn, and squeezed myself into the subway like a canned sardine for a two-hour commute just to clock in on time. One minute late meant a $50 deduction. That was my food budget for an entire week. My dream was to own a home near the office, even if it was just a tiny 300-square-foot studio. Every month when my commission hit, I kept only $300 for basic groceries. The rest went straight into my savings. Yet, the $50,000 I nearly died saving had ended up in someone else’s designer bag! Right then, the glass doors of the office were pushed open. “Hey guys! Lunch is on me today!” Chloe’s loud, obnoxious voice echoed through the room. Her face was glowing, and she was flaunting a brand-new Chanel handbag, looking like a trailer-trash lottery winner trying to act rich. “We’re going to the Grand Imperial Hotel! Order whatever you want!” The office erupted. Colleagues swarmed her instantly. “Chloe! Did you hit the jackpot?” “Did you find yourself a sugar daddy?” I didn’t move. I just sipped my coffee, my eyes cold as ice, staring at her. Because I knew she was spending my money. Surrounded by the crowd, Chloe waved her hands in mock modesty. “Oh, stop it! I just bought a scratch-off ticket the other day and hit a small prize.” Someone immediately nudged her. “How much did you win?”

Chloe shot a glance at me, a smug smirk playing on her lips. “Not much,” she said casually. “Just around fifty grand.” A collective gasp echoed through the office. Fifty thousand dollars was a massive sum for us 9-to-5 corporate drones. But I noticed that ever since Chloe walked in, her eyes kept darting back to me. She was watching me. Like an scientist observing a lab rat. She was waiting to see if I had discovered that my bank account was completely drained. I clamped down on the raging hatred inside me, forcing down the urge to scream at her. Not yet. I couldn’t startle the snake before I had the trap ready. I stood up, pasting on a perfect, polite smile that looked exactly like genuine envy. “Congratulations, Chloe! You’ve got to let some of that luck rub off on me.” Seeing how normal I acted, a flash of surprise crossed Chloe’s eyes, followed by a subtle, relieved sigh. She probably thought I was still clueless about my empty bank account. As lunchtime approached, Mia, who sat next to me, leaned over. “Ava, didn’t you say you’d saved enough for a down payment? When are we going to see the condo? I’ll go with you.” At the mention of the condo, my fists clenched so hard my nails dug into my palms. But I quickly relaxed them, keeping my expression breezy. “No rush,” I said. “I lost my ID card a couple of days ago, and the DMV is taking forever to mail the replacement. Plus, the housing market is fluctuating. I’ll wait and see.” The moment the words left my mouth, I felt that burning gaze on me again. It was Chloe. She was staring, a hint of glee slipping into her eyes. Chloe was an intern who had only joined two months ago. At five-foot-three and nearly two hundred pounds, she had average looks and the worst sales record in the department. In our luxury real estate agency, where looks and sales charts determined your survival, she should have been at the very bottom of the food chain. Yet, in my past life, she took my $50,000, got full-body liposuction, and underwent extensive plastic surgery. She transformed herself into a wealthy, gorgeous IT-girl overnight. Then, she used my money to bribe our coworkers, teamed up with a few male agents, and had me thrown into an asylum under the guise that I had “lost my mind.” Thinking of the two years of torture in that hospital, I took a deep breath to steady my racing heart. At noon, Chloe took us to the Grand Imperial Hotel. She grandly announced we could order whatever we wanted. I didn’t hold back. I flipped the menu straight to the most expensive pages. “We’ll have the Alaskan King Crab, the largest one you have.” “The bluefin tuna sashimi platter.” “And the wagyu ribeye.” With every dish I ordered, our colleagues’ eyes widened. Mia gently tugged my sleeve. “Ava… isn’t this a bit too much? It’s so expensive.” I smiled at her and said nothing. I was spending my own money. How could it be a waste? Chloe’s cheek twitched, but with everyone watching, she had to keep up her rich-girl act. “It’s fine! Ava is our top agent, she works so hard. She deserves a good meal to recharge!” She smiled brightly, though her eyes were twitching. “After all, you need to keep working hard to bring in more sales for our team!” Before I could reply, a coworker nearby chimed in. “Oh, Chloe, you weren’t here this morning. Ava told Sarah she’s taking a break. She’s not taking any new listings for the next month.” The air in the room instantly froze. I slowly wiped my mouth with a silk napkin and looked up at Chloe. The smile on her face stiffened, cracking inch by inch. “What did you say?” She stared at me, her voice rising to a sharp, hysterical pitch. “Ava, why are you taking a break?” “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

I met Chloe’s furious, panicked gaze and let my lips curl into a slow smile. “I’m taking a break. Why are you so worked up about it?” The surrounding colleagues looked back and forth between us, their eyes gleaming with gossip. “Yeah, Chloe,” Mia couldn’t help but speak up. “Ava isn’t even worried. Why are you reacting so strongly?” “Seriously. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were the one losing the commissions.” The whispers acted like a bucket of cold water, snapping Chloe out of her panic. The ugly snarl on her face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of deep, fake concern. “I… I’m just worried for Ava!” She raised her voice, trying to sound sincere. “Didn’t she say she was just a few sales away from her down payment? The units at Brookside Luxury are selling out fast! If she stops now, she’ll lose so much money! I’m just feeling terrible for her!” She looked like she was about to cry. It was an Oscar-worthy performance. I chuckled. “I’m just tired. I want to rest.” I casually picked up a piece of king crab, slowly cracking the shell. “Besides,” I paused, looking up at her with an innocent expression, “didn’t you just win the lottery? Fifty thousand dollars is a lot. If I’m really short on my down payment… surely you wouldn’t mind lending me some, right?” The air froze again. Every eye in the room locked onto Chloe. The color drained from her face, leaving her ghostly pale. Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t utter a single word. I popped the sweet crab meat into my mouth and added casually, “Our Chloe is so generous. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind, right?” Trapped under the weight of everyone’s gaze, she practically squeezed the words out of her throat. “Of… of course.” Fearing I would actually ask for the cash right there, she quickly added, “But, I didn’t win “that” much. It’s… it’s just some pocket money.” I glanced at her brand-new Celine dress, the limited-edition Chanel bag on her chair, and the lavish feast on the table that cost more than a normal person’s monthly rent. Indeed. My $50,000 wouldn’t last her more than a few weeks at this rate. I thoroughly enjoyed that lunch. Before we left, I had the waiter pack up the untouched king crab and wagyu beef. A few colleagues whispered behind my back. “Oh my god, packing up leftovers at a celebratory lunch? That is so tacky.” “Right? Acted like she’s never eaten real food before. How embarrassing.” I heard them but didn’t care. I just turned to Chloe with a sweet smile. “Chloe, thank you so much for the treat. It would be a crime to waste such good food. You don’t mind if I take it home, do you?” Chloe’s face looked like a rotten eggplant. But in front of everyone, she could only grit her teeth and nod. “No… I don’t mind.” Back at the office, I casually placed the takeout boxes into the communal fridge, completely ignoring the judgmental looks of my coworkers. In the afternoon, I knocked on the door of the finance office. “Brenda, I need to request an emergency cash advance from the company’s petty cash fund.” Brenda looked up from her computer. “Company policy says the manager needs to sign off on it, and all payments are normally processed through direct deposit at the end of the month.” I handed her a pre-signed form. “Sarah already approved it.” “And I don’t want a direct deposit.” “I need cash.” If my money got sucked out of my bank account like a ghost, then I would just use physical cash. Let’s see her transfer paper bills. An hour later, I walked back to my desk with a thick envelope of cash. It was my base salary and part of last month’s commission—$15,000. I stuffed the envelope into the deepest, zippered compartment of my tote bag. In my past life, my descent into hell started with that stolen $50,000. In this life, I would claw my way back starting with this $15,000. But I hadn’t even warmed up my seat for five minutes. My right eyelid began to twitch violently. Thump. Thump. Thump. It grew more intense by the second. A wave of dread washed over me. I quickly unzipped my bag and reached into the inner compartment— Empty! The envelope was still there, but the thick stack of bills was gone! My blood ran cold. The hair on my arms stood up. I hadn’t realized that Chloe’s deposit transfer trick was completely unrestricted by physical distance! Was she trying to cut off all my lifelines? I looked over at Chloe’s desk. A flash of triumphant glee was written all over her face. I clenched my fists. Fortunately, I had already prepared a counter-strategy.

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On our first wedding anniversary, my husband, Julian Carter, was two hours late. I noticed a prominent, dark red stain on his collar. It wasn’t wine. It was cheap chili sauce. I knew immediately. The woman he had been obsessed with for years was back. Faced with my cold, questioning gaze, Julian ripped off his tie in frustration. “Audrey, I know exactly what you’re going to say. Can’t you just let me breathe for once?!” I slowly took off my wedding ring and placed it on the table. If he wanted to breathe, I was about to give him all the space in the world. Seeing my reaction, Julian let out an impatient sigh. “Audrey, it’s just a dinner. Why do you have to be so uptight every single day?” “Look at you. From head to toe, every single strand of your hair looks like it took hours of effort!” “You’re perfect. Flawless. I can’t find a single thing wrong with you!” “But it’s exhausting for me!” I hadn’t said a single word. One look from me was all it took to trigger his defensive rant. I looked down at my haute couture dress. He had probably forgotten that today wasn’t just our anniversary—it was also the day of the contract signing with Apex Enterprises. I had reminded him days ago. But he forgot. I stood up. “Julian, save your energy for the board of directors.” “Since I’m so exhausting, I’ll set you free. Go to Chloe. I won’t stand in your way.” My words stunned him. Then, his face flushed with anger. “Audrey! Are you seriously doing this just because I was late for dinner?!” “No. I’m doing this because your absence cost us the Apex Enterprises contract. Their representatives pulled out of the deal.” “Are you satisfied now?” Julian’s face went completely pale. Finally, it registered. He remembered what today was. “I…” He stepped forward, trying to wrap his arms around me. I took two steps back, avoiding his touch. “I’m tired. Do whatever you want.” I left my wedding ring on the table and walked away. After changing into comfortable clothes, I rubbed my temples. My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was a FaceTime call from my dad. “Julian isn’t home tonight? You’ve only been married for a year, Audrey. What is going on?” “Dad, it was just a strategic marriage. Did you really expect him to love me? I’ve already arranged for the Apex representatives to stay at our hotel. Since Julian’s family blew the deal, we will take it over entirely.” My dad immediately understood the play. His voice softened. “Good. I’ll make the calls. Get some rest.” Right after I hung up, Julian walked into the bedroom. The mattress sank beside me, and his hands wrapped around my waist. “Babe, I’m sorry. Today was my fault.” His hands started wandering under my shirt. I pushed him away coldly. “Julian, I’m tired.” I turned my back to him. His hands froze, and his voice dipped into irritation. “Okay, that’s enough!” “Audrey, I literally just had one casual dinner. I’ll go talk to the people at Apex tomorrow morning. There’s no need to give me the cold shoulder!” “You always act like a lifeless block of wood!” He slammed the door as he stormed out. I looked at the Snapchat message from my assistant showing the signed, finalized contract with Apex in our family’s favor. I smiled. Tomorrow? Tomorrow, the deal would already be dead and buried for him. I closed my eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep. The next morning, Julian got rejected at the Apex headquarters. Out of the blue, he asked me out for lunch. Coincidentally, I wanted to talk about the divorce, so I accepted. As I walked up to the private dining room at the restaurant, I heard a high-pitched, giggling voice from inside. “Oh my god, why do you only eat this fancy, boring stuff? I want glazed donuts and a cheap Starbucks frappuccino with extra syrup!” “Julian, you should try it. Don’t be so uptight!” “I seriously can’t stand how tense you high-society people are all the time!” “But now that I’m here, is Audrey going to be mad?” Julian sneered. “Order whatever you want. Audrey is like a robot. Just looking at her is exhausting.” “It’s so much easier being around you.” “Right? I told you so! She must have thrown a fit when you didn’t go home last night. Did she finally show some real human emotion?” So, last night was intentional. I pushed the door open, and the room instantly fell dead silent. Beside Julian and Chloe, a few of Julian’s wealthy friends were sitting at the table. Seeing me enter, they quickly tried to break the awkward tension. “Hey, Audrey! You’re here!” “Come sit, we were just waiting for you.” I nodded politely and sat next to Julian. Chloe was sitting right on his left. When Chloe looked at me, a smug gleam flashed in her eyes. She exchanged a knowing look with Julian and giggled behind her hand. “Is something funny?” I asked, looking directly at her.

Chloe’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. “Audrey, I’m so sorry. I just… I thought it was a bit funny how you wore full makeup and a designer dress just for a casual lunch. You look so out of place with us.” “But I get it. You come from a prestigious family. You’ve been pampered your whole life.” “It’s my fault for laughing.” Julian immediately jumped to her defense, glaring at me. “Audrey, you’re always so extra. Can’t you just relax for once when you eat with me?” I let out a soft laugh. “I just came straight from the airport. I was sending off the board of directors from Apex Enterprises. Tell me, Julian, what should I have worn to meet our multi-million dollar clients?” Julian’s face instantly crumbled. His friends quickly tried to smooth things over. “Hey, Audrey dressed up to look good for you, Julian!” “Yeah, she looks stunning. Don’t take her for granted, man.” “Exactly. My mom has been married to my dad for thirty years, and I’ve never even seen her without makeup!” Chloe let out a sharp chuckle. “Isn’t that basically wearing a mask? How exhausting!” “Unlike me. Sometimes I’m just too busy to care about looks. I’ll just throw on a random T-shirt and shorts and walk out the door!” Her desperate attempt to put me down to lift herself up was pathetic. I looked at her “no-makeup” makeup look, which clearly took her at least an hour to perfect, and smiled without saying a word. Julian cleared his throat nervously. “Anyway, let’s order! I got the Chilean sea bass specially for you, Audrey. And some King Crab.” I nodded, picked up my fork, and took a bite. The flavor was decent. Julian had the waiters crack open the King Crab, and they began peeling it for me at the side of the table. Chloe raised an eyebrow. “You guys eat so primly. Seafood is supposed to be eaten with your bare hands! That’s the only way it tastes good.” “Just like last night. We had a greasy crawfish boil, and the juice was dripping everywhere!” She suddenly gasped, covering her mouth in mock horror. She looked at me cautiously. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Audrey. We were having so much fun last night that I completely forgot it was your anniversary.” “I told Julian he should go back, but he insisted on staying. That’s why we wanted to treat you to lunch today.” “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted Julian to relax a bit.” I set my fork down and gave her a bright, sweet smile. “Actually, I should thank you. Because of your little distraction, Julian’s family lost a contract worth over fifty million dollars. Conveniently, my family took over the deal.” Julian’s face went from pale to a dark, furious red. Chloe looked utterly lost. She shrieked, “Fifty million?! But you two are married! Why are you talking about ‘your family’ and ‘his family’ like you’re rivals?” “Even though we’re married, my money is mine, and his is his. We signed a very strict prenuptial agreement.” “I don’t expect you to understand. After all, you’re just the housekeeper’s daughter. You probably don’t know that in old-money families, prenups are mandatory.” “We never show mercy to gold-diggers who try to climb into high society.” “Right, Julian?” Julian slammed his hand on the table, his face twisted in rage. “Enough! Have you said enough?!” “Yes! I didn’t want to spend our anniversary with you! That’s why I stayed out last night!” “You think you’re so superior, but you just got lucky with your birth. Stop talking down to people!” I nodded calmly. “You’re right. Reincarnation is a skill, and her luck just wasn’t very good.” Chloe burst into tears. “Audrey…” “Don’t call me Audrey like we’re friends. I’m an only child.” Chloe’s face flushed red, then pale. Finally, she choked out, “Ms. Sterling, you don’t have to look down on me. Julian isn’t happy with you at all! Did you know he called me on your wedding night? We talked on the phone the entire night!”

So that was the truth. I looked at Julian. On our wedding night, he had claimed he was too drunk and slept in the guest room, leaving me alone in the master suite. Turns out, he was busy pouring his heart out to Chloe. I smiled. “And yet, I’m still the one sitting in the seat of Mrs. Carter.” “If you’re so capable, why don’t you get Julian to divorce me?” “Audrey!” Julian roared. The rest of the table looked incredibly uncomfortable, not knowing where to look. Julian grabbed Chloe’s hand. “We’re leaving. You don’t need to apologize to her!” He dragged Chloe out of the room. As she passed me, she shot me a smug, triumphant look. The others stood up one by one, making quick excuses to slip away. Julian’s best friend, Tyler, stopped by the door and looked back at me. “Audrey, can’t you just swallow your pride for once?” “Julian is a man. He always tells us how suffocating it is to be with you!” I looked up at him coldly. “You have a lot of opinions for someone whose father is currently dealing with three secret illegitimate children trying to sue for their inheritance. Focus on your own burning house, Tyler.” Tyler’s face turned bright red, and he slammed the door on his way out. Only the waiter and I were left in the VIP room. The waiter looked terrified. I said calmly, “Please finish peeling the rest of the crab for me.” They didn’t want to eat, but I certainly did. After a peaceful, expensive meal, I drove straight to my parents’ house. When they saw me walk in at this hour, they were surprised. “Dad, Mom, I’m divorcing Julian.” “Is this because of the Apex contract? Surely it’s not that serious,” my dad said, surprised. “It is. I handled the Apex deal from start to finish. Julian ruined it, and we had to clean up his mess. His mother even had the audacity to suggest I hand the contract back to them to save face. Why should I?” I handed my phone to my dad. On the way over, Victoria, my mother-in-law, had sent me a long paragraph on Snapchat, telling me that I had handled the Apex situation ‘unprofessionally’ and that I needed to come to the family estate tonight to apologize to Julian’s father. My dad’s face darkened as he read the message. “Charles Carter has gone too far!” I added fuel to the fire. “Chloe, their former housekeeper’s daughter, is back. They were together last night. They’ve been sleeping together the entire year of our marriage. Dad, the Carters scammed us into this marriage.” Initially, Julian’s parents had talked a big game about how our families were a perfect match and how a merger would help us secure the massive Vanguard Group contract. Once the papers were signed, the cooperation went smoothly. But at that time, my family had already done the heavy lifting, and we only partnered with the Carters because of a temporary cash flow issue. Now that the profits were secured, they were turning on us. Since that was the case, I was done with them. My parents stayed silent for a moment before agreeing. My mom looked at me gently. “Marriage is a big deal, Audrey. Just make sure you’ve thought this through. There’s no guarantee the next man won’t be the same.” I took a deep breath. Julian was the one who made a mistake, not me. My only concern now was protecting my assets. I hired the best divorce attorney in the city and began the asset division process. Since our families’ businesses were deeply intertwined, it was going to take some time. But I never expected Julian to be so utterly shameless. He actually brought Chloe into our home. When I opened the front door of our penthouse, I saw a pair of dirty sneakers kicked carelessly onto the hardwood floor of the entryway. Chloe was lounging on the velvet sofa, her bare feet draped over Julian’s lap as she played a mobile game. She had a lollipop in her mouth. “Julian, save me! You’re so bad at this!” Julian laughed, playfully swatting her foot. The marble coffee table was covered in empty chips and fast-food wrappers. I shook my head. Julian could ruin his own life, but I was going to live mine with class. I walked in, my heels clicking loudly against the tile. Julian jumped up as soon as he saw me. “You… what are you doing here?!” I let out a cold laugh. “Why? Am I interrupting your domestic bliss?” “No… didn’t my mom tell you to go to the family estate?” “That’s your mother. Go explain your mess to her yourself.” I signaled the bodyguards I had brought with me. “Go upstairs and pack all of my things.” Julian froze. “Audrey, what is the meaning of this?” “Chloe just got back and has nowhere to stay. I’m letting her crash here for a couple of days. Is there any need to act like this?!” I stared at him. “Julian, I’m moving out so you two can live together openly. Isn’t that what you wanted?” “What do you mean?” “I’m divorcing you, Julian. I’m done.”

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On the rainy night my husband ran away with his boyfriend, I received a pregnancy notification from the clinic. My father-in-law, Arthur, dragged him back in a fury, forcing him to get down on his knees and beg for my forgiveness. “Chloe, I’m so sorry. I was just blind and confused.” “Please, think of our baby and forgive me.” I didn’t even bother to look at him. I just threw out one casual sentence that blew the entire house to pieces. “The baby isn’t even yours. What exactly are you apologizing for?” *** 【1】 My husband was cheating on me. I knew the old saying—people would excuse it as “just a mistake any man would make.” But this particular mistake? It was absolutely eyesearing. The moment I used the hotel key card to open the door and caught Ethan in the act, a pale, fragile-looking, naked man crawled out from under his bedsheet. His skin was covered in unmistakable pink marks. Ethan sat up in bed, looking utterly embarrassed. He glanced at the man, then at me, looking completely flustered. “Chloe… what are you doing here?” I crossed my arms and sneered at him and his male mistress. “What am I doing here? I came to watch the show, of course!” When my best friend, Maya, texted me saying she saw my husband checking into a hotel alone, I never in a million years expected his cheating partner to be a man. We had been married for three years, and our relationship had always been lukewarm, let alone having any kids. I had wanted a baby of our own so badly. But the weird thing was, Ethan never wanted to touch me. I used to constantly doubt my own attractiveness. I worked out, dieted, and stayed in shape, but none of it worked. And now I realized I had been wasting my time. Ethan was into men. I had spent three years being a beard for a closeted man! “Don’t get the wrong idea… we’re just co-workers. We had too much to drink last night and just shared a bed.” Co-workers? What kind of co-workers sleep naked in the same bed? Furious, I took a step forward. My hand flew up, wanting to slap them, but I didn’t even know who to hit first. Seeing my angry glare, the fragile young man’s eyes turned red. He bit his lower lip, clung tightly to my husband’s arm, and shrank behind him like a helpless puppy. “Ethan, your wife is so scary… I’m frightened…” “You knew he was married, and yet you still had the nerve to climb into his bed?” I held back my rage, clinging to my last shred of sanity. Ethan avoided my gaze guiltily, but his silence only made the male mistress bolder. “Hmph, you’re just his legal spouse.” “In a relationship, the one who isn’t loved is the real intruder!” The guy was sharp-tongued, but the way he clung to my husband like a spineless leech made my stomach turn. My stomach churned so hard that I ran out of the room to throw up. When I walked back to the doorway a moment later, Ethan hadn’t pushed him away. Instead, he was gently stroking the man’s hair. “It’s fine. Chloe isn’t the type to make a scene.” “As long as I apologize properly, she won’t tell anyone about this.” “Would you leave me for your wife?” the young man asked, tears welling in his eyes. “I have to stay with her so our relationship can remain safe, you silly boy,” Ethan cooed, playfully pinching the man’s nose. For three years, I had been the perfect, elegant, and supportive wife. We had treated each other with respect. In the eyes of outsiders, we were a model couple. But in his heart, I was just a trophy tool to show off. A “roommate” he didn’t love, used to cover up his secret relationship with his male darling! The fact that Ethan cheated on me with a man made me both furious and disgusted. No matter what, I was going to tell his parents. I wanted them to see exactly what kind of filthy things their pride-and-joy son was doing behind their backs. 【2】 Two hours later, a heavy storm hit the city. Thunder rumbled, and on the sofa, my parents-in-law’s faces were as dark as the storm clouds. The family owned a multimillion-dollar business and were highly respected in high society. Out of respect for our years of marriage, I hadn’t made a public scene. I had only told his parents. From their grim expressions, it was clear they hadn’t been fully sure of their son’s sexuality either. My father-in-law, Arthur, believed me immediately. But my mother-in-law, Eleanor, remained skeptical. “Didn’t Ethan say they were just co-workers sharing a room? Maybe they’re just really close!” “What could possibly happen between two men in a bed?” “Chloe, stop trying to ruin Ethan’s reputation with your malicious accusations!” Malicious? The image of Ethan and that man tangled up naked in bed flashed in my mind. My dear mother-in-law had always taken her son’s side since the day we got married. Even if I talked until my throat was dry, she wouldn’t believe a word. “Eleanor, when Ethan gets back, you can ask him yourself.” Time ticked by. I was getting sleepy. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. Half an hour ago, Ethan’s card was used to purchase two tickets to Miami on a booking app. “Arthur, Eleanor, look. Is Ethan trying to run away with that man?” The older couple exchanged looks. Arthur quickly dialed Ethan’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. He was likely already on the plane. “I guess we’ll just have to wait until he comes back…” Eleanor tried to soften the tension. “Unbelievable! Just wait until he gets back, I’ll teach him a lesson!” Arthur clenched his fists tightly. The rain poured outside. My heart was colder than the rain. Three years of marriage couldn’t beat a few sweet words from a male mistress. Ethan must have run to another city to avoid the scandal, fearing I would blow his secret. Did he think he could just go and enjoy his life with his boyfriend? I wasn’t going to make it that easy for him. I looked down and touched my belly. After a moment of thought, I forwarded the clinic’s pregnancy notification to Ethan’s Snapchat. “Don’t worry, Arthur, Eleanor. He will definitely come back.” Seven hours later, at 3:00 AM. Ethan rushed back into the house, looking exhausted but incredibly excited. Ignoring his father’s glare and his mother’s worried eyes, he reached out to hug me. I stepped back coldly, my face filled with disgust. “Don’t touch me. You make me sick.” As if he had made a major decision, he suddenly dropped to his knees. “Chloe, I’m so sorry!” “I was stupid! I shouldn’t have messed around with a man! Please, for the sake of our baby, forgive me!” Eleanor immediately tried to pull him up. “Ethan! Get up right now! Have some self-respect! Why are you kneeling?” Then she glared at me. “Chloe, just forgive him for the baby’s sake! It was just a stupid slip-up. Every guy goes through a phase!” I touched my belly and stood up, my eyes freezing cold. “What are you apologizing for? The baby isn’t even yours.” I did the math. Ethan and I hadn’t slept together in nearly a year. He didn’t care about me at all. He was too busy hovering around his little fairy boyfriend to remember such details. I delivered the shocking truth in the calmest voice possible. Ethan’s face instantly darkened. “Chloe, I swallowed my pride for you, and you dare to tell me you cheated on me? You’re pregnant with someone else’s child?” In less than five seconds, his guilt turned into pure rage. Double standards in marriage never changed. His cheating was “just a phase,” but my supposed affair was a “deadly sin.” Eleanor, who had always acted polite, didn’t care that I was pregnant. She rushed over and slapped me hard across the face. “You tramp! You’ve been sleeping around, and yet you dare to accuse my son of being gay to cover it up?” “Where did that bastard child in your belly come from?!” Before they even knew the truth, they were already calling me a tramp. Her voice was so shrill it hurt my ears. Before I could explain, Ethan slapped my other cheek from the left. “I asked you a question! Whose bastard child are you carrying?!” Just as the two of them were about to lung at me again, the front door was kicked open with a loud bang. My best friend, Maya, and a handsome young man rushed in. The man shielded me behind his back, while Maya quickly checked on me. “Are you okay? I’m sorry we’re late!” Though my face stung from the slaps, my stomach was starting to hurt. I grabbed Maya’s arm, signaling her to take me away. I didn’t want to stay in this disgusting house for another second. If I weren’t pregnant, I would have fought them both right then and there. “Oh, so your lover is here to rescue you?” Ethan sneered, locking the door, his eyes burning with jealousy. He obviously thought this young man was the father of my baby. The man was younger and much more handsome than Ethan. Fueled by jealousy, Ethan swung a fist at his face. The young man calmly blocked the punch and shoved Ethan back, sending him stumbling. “You!” Ethan fell miserably to the floor. Before we left, the young man looked down at him and mocked: “What a loser. You couldn’t even keep your own wife.” 【3】 On the drive back, Maya cursed Ethan out completely. “He looked like such a decent guy! How could he cheat on you with a man? That is so disgusting!” Logan, her college athlete brother, was also fuming. “Exactly! What a pathetic excuse for a man! Who hits their pregnant wife?!” Only then did I realize Logan was Maya’s younger brother, five years younger than her. I felt terrible that Maya’s family had to be dragged into my messy divorce drama on our very first meeting. “I’m sorry, Logan. You shouldn’t have to deal with this trash.” Logan shook his head, still angry. “My sister’s friend is my sister too!” “Chloe, my college is right around the corner. If that jerk or his boyfriend ever bothers you again, I’ll knock them out in a second!” My stomach was still hurting, but hearing them defend me warmed my heart. Maya touched my forehead and then checked my pulse. As a medical PhD, she was acting like a traditional doctor out of panic. “No, this pregnancy was too hard to get. And that bastard got you too stressed out. We need to go to the hospital right now.” The hospital was nearly empty in the early hours of the morning. As I sat on the bench waiting, trying to figure out how to get a quick divorce, a familiar figure caught my eye. Maya had gone to find a doctor she knew, and Logan was yawning next to me. Seeing me stare, his eyes followed my gaze. “Chloe, what are you looking at?” Standing right in front of the dermatology and STD clinic was the same guy I had caught with my husband! He was looking around nervously, terrified of being recognized. “Is that the guy?” Logan rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight. “That little punk. Let me go teach him a lesson.” I held the hot-headed college kid back, secretly taking out my phone to snap a photo. “Wait for Maya. We don’t even know what he’s here for yet.” Fortunately, after a series of checks, my baby was fine. Maya breathed a sigh of relief, and she and Logan helped me out of the department. Just as the three of us were about to leave the lobby, a mocking, high-pitched voice came from behind us. “Oh, looking so precious. Are you carrying some royal heir or something?” Well, I tried to ignore him, but he just had to parade himself right in front of me. Looking at the heavily made-up, flashy man, Maya’s grip on my arm tightened. “Who even are you? Do we know you?” “Oh, whether you know me…” He slowly paced around us. “You don’t know me, but I happen to know a cheating tramp who is sleeping around behind her husband’s back. And she’s standing right next to you!” Ethan must have told him about my pregnancy. My chest rose and fell with anger. A homewrecker who ruined my marriage had the nerve to stand there and judge me. But I was pregnant. This baby was precious. I couldn’t lose my temper… “You!” Maya was about to scream at him, but I dragged her back. “Let’s just go. It’s not worth it.” Unfortunately, I could only hold back one of them. “Stop lying through your teeth!” Logan, being hot-headed, couldn’t stand hearing the guy insult me. Before Maya or I could stop him, he lunged forward and landed a solid punch right on Julian’s face. Julian collapsed to the floor and immediately began to wail. “Help! Someone help! The lover and the cheating wife are beating people up!” He cried dramatically, pointing his finger at me. “This woman cheated on her husband, got pregnant by her lover, and came here for a checkup! Look at her, everyone!” It was morning now, and the hospital lobby was packed with patients and visitors. His dramatic scene and loud, piercing voice quickly drew a crowd. “Oh my gosh, how shameless.” “Yeah, that young guy looks so handsome, why is he messing with a married woman?” “Society is really going downhill!”

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