Category: English

I have been able to smell people’s emotions since I was a child. Sweetness meant love. Bitterness meant grief. And a sharp, spicy sting meant anger and disgust. During my ten years with Julian, his scent had never changed. It was always a sweet, comforting vanilla—so sweet it could rot your teeth. The only time it changed was the night my sister, Jasmine, moved abroad. When Julian came home late that night, the scent radiating from him was so bitter it made my stomach turn. But back then, I didn’t connect the two events. It wasn’t until three years later, when Jasmine came back to get married. That day, Julian’s scent was a suffocating mix of bitterness and a sharp, stinging spice. It was a smell I had never encountered on him before. Frowning, I followed him out of the reception hall. In the quiet stairwell, I heard his voice—low, choked, and dripping with agony. “Enough, Jasmine! Just to make me give up, you’d rather marry a total stranger?!” Jasmine sobbed, her voice cracking. “What else was I supposed to do?! You’re Chloe’s fiancé, and Chloe is my sister! We can’t keep making this mistake!” I froze at the entrance. My entire body trembled with shock. It felt as if my heart was being slowly crushed in a fist, squeezing the air out of my lungs until I couldn’t breathe. Right then, my phone buzzed. A calendar notification popped up: Wedding with Julian next week. I stared at the screen for two seconds. Then, I called the venue and canceled the wedding.

Through the crack in the door, I saw the two of them wrapped in a painful, desperate embrace. The scent of grief radiating from them was so thick it was almost physical. Jasmine covered her face, her shoulders shaking violently. “Julian, let it go. We have to stop.” She looked up at him, her eyes filled with unspeakable sorrow. “I’m getting married today. Next week, you’re marrying Chloe. Chloe and I only have each other. Since our parents passed away, she’s my only family. Don’t hurt her, I beg you.” I leaned heavily against the cold wall. My chest throbbed with a million tiny needle pricks. The sheer absurdity of the situation made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. I stood there like a lunatic, not knowing what expression to put on my face. Jasmine. Julian. I had never once connected them in my mind. For the past few years, they had kept such a polite, distant boundary. They behaved like strangers, and I was the only bridge between them. During holidays, Julian would bring gifts to our house and greet her with polite formality. Jasmine would nod distantly and say nothing more than, “Please, make yourself at home.” Every time Julian left, Jasmine would stroke my hair, her emotions tightly suppressed. “Chloe must be happy,” she would whisper. Back then, I didn’t understand the deep sadness in her eyes. But now, I did. Inside the stairwell, Julian shook his head. His hands shook as he desperately tried to grab hers. “Don’t do this to me, Jasmine. Please.” Jasmine closed her eyes and slapped his hand away. “I said it’s over! Julian, we were just never meant to be.” Julian punched the concrete wall. His hand—the hand of a brilliant surgeon—was instantly covered in blood, but his eyes were redder than the blood dripping from his knuckles. “I don’t care about fate! Jasmine, let’s run away. Let’s leave this place together!” She tore herself from his grip, her gaze hardening. “I won’t hurt Chloe. If you dare do anything, I will never speak to you again.” He froze. His spine went rigid, like a bowstring stretched to its absolute limit. Then, with a bitter, defeated laugh, all the strength drained from his body, and his shoulders slumped. “Fine…” “You win, Jasmine. You win.” “I will stay with Chloe. For the rest of my life.” I closed my eyes, a mocking smile on my lips. It was all a joke. I stumbled away from the stairwell. My steps were hollow, and every drop of color had drained from my face. A short while later, Julian returned to the banquet hall and sat down next to me. “What’s wrong, babe?” He gently touched the corner of my reddened eyes, his voice dripping with concern. “Have you been crying?” I looked up, digging my fingernails into my palms. He was back to his usual self—warm, gentle, and perfect. It was as if the scene I had just witnessed was nothing but a hallucination. I instinctively shrank back from his touch. “I’m fine…” He didn’t press. The lights in the ballroom dimmed, and his attention was immediately drawn to the grand doors at the end of the aisle. “And now, please welcome the beautiful bride!” As the host spoke, Jasmine walked down the aisle in her white wedding gown. She looked at me first. When her gaze briefly brushed past Julian, it was filled with a lingering, quiet sorrow. As for Julian… His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. I watched it all play out. Taking a soft breath, a wave of cold desolation washed over me. Because out of the three of us in this room, not a single one smelled sweet. Up on the stage, Jasmine was reciting her vows to her new husband. Soon, it was time for the family speeches. The host walked over with the microphone. “Now, we invite the bride’s only sister, Chloe, to say a few words of blessing!” I reached out to take the mic. But Julian, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly stood up and snatched it first.

I froze. The host froze. Everyone in the room looked on in confusion. On stage, Jasmine’s body went completely rigid. She gave Julian a subtle, pleading shake of her head. Julian kept his eyes lowered, looking down at me with practiced tenderness. “Let me do it. I’m afraid if you start speaking, you’ll cry too hard, and my heart can’t take that.” Without waiting for my response, he raised the microphone. His voice echoed through the speakers, flat and devoid of real emotion, like he was delivering a business report. “Chloe wants to tell you that you look beautiful today. She hopes you will be happy forever, and always stay true to yourself.” “If you ever feel tired or unhappy out there, you can always come home. I… we will always be there for you.” Jasmine forced a small smile. “I know. Thank you.” They looked at each other from across the room, then quickly averted their eyes. Only I could smell the suffocating bitterness hanging in the air between them. The speeches ended, and the wedding proceeded smoothly. I turned my head to look at the man sitting beside me, whose mind was clearly miles away. “I didn’t want to say any of those things,” I said quietly. “Didn’t you hear me practicing my speech at home?” “And besides, I could have said it myself.” Julian snapped out of his daze. Hiding the complex emotions in his eyes, he reached out and playfully pinched my cheek. His smile was doting. “The wedding hasn’t even started and your eyes are already puffy from crying. I was just worried you wouldn’t make it through a single sentence.” He chuckled softly. “Chloe has always been so sensitive.” He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. It was no different from how he used to hold me. If… If I hadn’t smelled that the sweetness in his emotions had completely evaporated, I would have truly believed he loved me. “Is that so…” The corner of my mouth twitched into a strained smile. “Then thank you.” He didn’t notice the edge in my voice. Jasmine had walked over to our table, raising her champagne glass to toast us. “Chloe, you’re getting married next week.” She gently patted my head. “My little sister is all grown up.” I kept my eyes down, feeling a sickening wave of nausea rise in my chest, accompanied by a dull, throbbing pain. She turned to Julian. “Take… take good care of my sister. I hope you keep your promise.” Julian, who rarely drank, downed his entire glass of champagne in one gulp. “I will.” They quickly broke eye contact. Jasmine moved to the next table, and laughter rippled through the hall. But Julian kept drinking, one glass after another. I watched him the whole time. I didn’t stop him. There was no point anymore. That night, Julian got dead drunk. The moment we got home, he collapsed onto the living room sofa. “Jasmine…” “Why… why couldn’t it be us? Tell me why…” I sat on the armchair nearby, listening quietly. I sat there and listened to my fiancé call out my sister’s name in his drunken slumber. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was the coordinator from the wedding venue. “Hi, Chloe. We noticed you canceled the wedding on our portal. Is everything okay?” “We just wanted to remind you that according to the contract, the deposit is non-refundable.” I gave a soft hum. “Yes, it’s canceled.” “Keep the deposit. It’s fine.” After I hung up, Julian muttered, “Chloe… my throat hurts. Get me a glass of honey water…” I ignored him. I went straight to the bedroom and locked the door. I canceled the catering orders, returned the wedding decorations online, and then booked a one-way ticket to Iceland. I had always wanted to go there. Julian had always claimed he was too busy with hospital shifts. Well, now I could go alone. Lying in bed, sleep eluded me. I began to mentally retrace the steps of our ten-year relationship. The more I looked back… The more I saw the glaring red flags I had previously ignored. Like the time Jasmine moved abroad, and his mood had plummeted for weeks for no apparent reason. Or the year Jasmine graduated, and he insisted on flying across the country with me just to congratulate her. Or the way that, in every single photo of the three of us, his head was always slightly tilted toward Jasmine. I didn’t know when it had started. But I knew. It was time for it to end. The next morning, when I woke up, Julian was already in the kitchen making breakfast. He had cooked for me for years, never letting me lift a finger. “Morning.” He set the plates on the table and asked casually, “I drank too much last night. Did I say anything stupid?” I stared at the strawberry jam on the table. I hated strawberry jam. Jasmine loved it. “No,” I replied flatly. He quietly let out a breath, but then frowned slightly. “You didn’t even put a blanket on me last night, and there was no honey water. I woke up freezing, and my head is splitting.” I looked him dead in the eye. “I am not obligated to take care of you.” He froze. Julian pressed his lips together, swallowing his sudden irritation. A flicker of anxiety crossed his eyes. “What’s wrong? Did someone upset you? Or are you stressed about the wedding preparations?” I didn’t answer. I grabbed the toast smeared with strawberry jam and threw it directly into the trash can. “I hate strawberries.” Looking at his bewildered face, I let out a cold laugh. “The one who loves strawberries is Jasmine.”

I walked out of the apartment and wandered aimlessly down the streets. A light drizzle was falling. It wasn’t heavy enough to need an umbrella, but it was enough to knock the dead leaves off the trees, letting them rot in the mud. I stopped outside our old high school. Julian and I had been classmates here. Jasmine was a grade above us. Back then, she would always wait for me after school so we could walk home together. At some point, Julian started walking with us. Jasmine used to tease me, saying Julian was doing it because he had a crush on me and wanted to walk me home. But even though we were in the same class, we barely spoke. Yet, from that day on, my eyes couldn’t help but follow him. After the SATs, Jasmine encouraged me to confess my feelings to him. So I did. I remembered the shock on his face when I asked him out. But the rejection that had been on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back down. Instead, he had said, “Okay.” And just like that, Julian became a permanent fixture in my and Jasmine’s lives. I kept walking, my hair soaked by the rain, my feet growing heavier with every step. I couldn’t help but wonder… What if he only agreed to be with me so he could be closer to Jasmine? What if the sweet scent of love I had smelled on him all these years was just a lie he forced himself to project? I didn’t dare go down that rabbit hole. Thinking like that would drive me insane. I squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath, and hailed a cab. Just as I got into the backseat, Julian’s black Mercedes sped past us. “Sir, follow that Mercedes,” I whispered, my voice hoarse. That direction didn’t lead to his hospital, nor did it lead to his parents’ house. Where was he going? The answer was screaming in my mind, but my heart clenched, too terrified to believe it. The cab took several turns and finally stopped in front of a small, charming cottage in the quiet suburbs. I never knew he owned a house here. I got out of the cab. As I walked closer, the muffled sound of an argument reached my ears. Jasmine sounded like she was on the verge of a breakdown. “What did Chloe mean by that comment this morning?!” “Julian! You promised me she would never find out! You promised you wouldn’t hurt her!” Julian’s jaw was clenched tight. “She won’t find out. She was probably just in a bad mood. I asked her if I said anything stupid last night, and she said no.” Only then did Jasmine seem to calm down. She wept softly. “In any case, this is the last time I’m coming here. We cannot contact each other ever again.” Julian’s voice was a soft, desperate whisper. “Really? Can you really let go of this place?” “We bought this cottage five years ago. We have so many beautiful memories here. Can you really just wipe them away?” “Jasmine, stop lying to yourself.” Then, Jasmine threw herself into his arms, and they held each other tightly. It was so picturesque. It made me look like the cruel villain standing in the way of their true love. I couldn’t hear what else they said. A loud buzzing filled my ears. As I leaned against the gate, I noticed the archway of the cottage was covered in climbing jasmines. Every corner of this place was a testament to their love. And I was nothing but a pathetic clown. A flood of memories rushed into my mind. Four years ago, on New Year’s Eve, both of them claimed they had to work late shifts. I spent the countdown alone. Three years ago, on Valentine’s Day, both of them said they had business trips. The romantic dinner I prepared ended up in the trash. Two years ago, on Jasmine’s birthday while she was still abroad, Julian suddenly told me he had to fly out for an emergency surgery. That same night, Jasmine’s phone went unanswered. Piece by piece, the puzzle came together. The truth wrapped around my throat like a poisonous vine, cutting off my air. I went home. I didn’t confront them. Not yet. I quietly packed my bags. When Julian came home later, his scent was miserable, but the moment he saw me, he forced a bright smile. He pulled me into a tight embrace. There wasn’t a single trace of sweetness on him. “Chloe, I’m so sorry about the strawberry jam this morning. My brain was still foggy from last night.” “Are you mad at me?” I stared at him, then let my lips curve into a wide, cheerful smile. “Of course not.” He let out a sigh of relief and headed into the bathroom. My smile instantly vanished, replaced by cold indifference.

Three days after her wedding, Jasmine brought her new husband, Luke, to visit. She took my hand, her smile warm and sisterly. “Chloe is getting married.” “I can’t be your maid of honor next week, but being able to hand you over to Julian is enough for me.” I looked down at our joined hands. “Is that so? You don’t feel any regret?” She stiffened for a fraction of a second, then laughed it off. “Why would I regret seeing you happy?” “Mhm,” I murmured, pulling my hand back. She didn’t notice my coldness. “I’m going to see what delicious food Julian is whipping up,” she said cheerfully, heading into the kitchen. The table was set with an incredibly lavish feast. Julian was supposed to have a surgery scheduled for today. He was the kind of doctor who put his patients above everything else. But this morning, I heard him call his chief to swap shifts. All so he could cook a meal for Jasmine. At the dinner table, the two of them sat diagonally from each other. The maximum distance possible. “Chloe mentioned you like seafood, Jasmine, so I made a seafood feast today. But don’t eat too much cold seafood, it’s not good for your stomach.” Julian said casually. I listened in silence. Every detail he knew about Jasmine’s preferences felt like a slap in my face. Because I had never told him those things. Jasmine gave a cold, polite nod, then turned to cut a piece of steak for Luke. Julian’s scent turned bitter and dejected. I watched it all, feeling completely numb. Except for Luke, who was happily eating, everyone at the table was drowning in their own thoughts. In the afternoon, Luke had to head back to work. Jasmine and Julian accompanied me to my final wedding dress fitting. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at the glittering gown. I was dazed. This dress was designed by Julian himself. It was intricately embroidered with delicate white petals. I remembered the day he had proudly shown me the sketches like a boy presenting a treasure. “Chloe, I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he had said, eyes shining. “Even when we’re old and gray, I want to hold your hand and look at the beautiful things we built together.” I never could have imagined that in just six months, the truth would be laid bare. I lost my parents at eight. And now, at twenty-three, I was losing my sister and my fiancé. I wondered if I was cursed. Why was I destined to lose everything? Why could I never keep the people I loved? The boutique assistant smiled warmly as she adjusted the train of the gown. “This gown is called ‘Pure Jasmine,’ Chloe. I’m guessing your sister’s name inspired it?” My body went completely rigid. So that was the name of the dress. Those embroidered petals weren’t cherry blossoms. They were jasmines. A wave of pure disgust and absurdity washed over me. I ripped the veil off my head. The assistant gasped, startled. “Chloe? Is there something wrong with the dress?” I stared at the crumpled veil on the floor, my voice hollow. “No. It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.” I changed out of the dress and walked out of the fitting room. Jasmine and Julian were standing far apart, looking like polite strangers. Julian blinked in surprise. “Babe? Why didn’t you show us? I wanted to see you in it.” I forced a smile. “If you see it now, where’s the surprise on the wedding day?” Julian smiled tenderly, and Jasmine patted my head affectionately. It made my skin crawl. According to tradition, the bride and groom shouldn’t see each other the night before the wedding. So, Julian checked into a hotel. Before he left, he held me tightly, his heart hammering against his chest. “Tomorrow, you’ll finally be my wife, Chloe. I’m so happy.” I nodded expressionlessly. At midnight, I packed the last of my things and headed to the airport. My flight was scheduled for 2:00 AM. Before boarding, I took a photo of the suburban cottage and sent it to our three-person Snapchat group. I didn’t say a single word. I turned off my phone, stepped onto the plane, and left. Twelve hours later, the plane touched down in Iceland. By then, the wedding was already over. The moment I turned my phone back on, a barrage of missed calls and notifications flooded in, making my phone vibrate violently.

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I had just returned from Paris after finishing my degree in fashion design. My grandpa, Arthur Vance, insisted that he had set up a family alliance agreement for me years ago. The moment I landed, he dragged me straight to the Sterling estate to discuss the engagement. Finding the conversation in the parlor incredibly boring, I slipped out alone to wander around the Sterling family’s massive garden. Suddenly, a woman rushed out of nowhere and slapped me hard across the face. “Where did this trash come from? How dare you steal my things!” I cupped my stinging cheek and stared at her in utter shock. The woman tilted her chin up, her expression dripping with aristocratic arrogance. “That pigeon’s blood ruby ring on your finger is my birthday gift from Julian Sterling! A dirt-poor girl like you? You think you’re worthy of wearing that?!” I opened my mouth, about to tell her it was mine, when she slapped me again, even harder. “Do you even know who I am? I’m Julian’s future wife! The future Mrs. Sterling! This entire estate will belong to me!” I pulled out my phone and, right in front of her face, opened Snapchat to message the guy labeled ‘Fiancé.’ “Julian Sterling, there’s a dog biting people in your yard. Are you going to leash her, or should I?”

But to my disbelief, a red exclamation mark popped up. I let out a cold, angry laugh. We hadn’t even finalized the engagement yet, and he had already blocked me. “How did you sneak in here anyway? Give Miss Thorne her ring back, now!” A Sterling family maid lunged at me aggressively, but I sidestepped, letting her crash into the bushes. “I am a guest of the Sterling family. Is this how you treat your guests?” I demanded. Nadia Thorne sneered, immediately pulling out her phone to FaceTime Julian—my dear fiancé. His deep, smooth voice answered in less than a second. “What’s wrong, Nadia, babe?” I listened closely. The voice was actually quite nice, the exact deep baritone I liked. It seemed Grandpa Arthur actually had decent taste in men. “Julian! Some crazy bitch sneaked into your yard claiming she’s an elite guest, and she stole the ring you gave me!” I cut off her whiny, high-pitched voice to introduce myself, saving him the confusion. “Mr. Sterling, I am Seraphina Vance. Your fiancée.” There was a two-second silence on the other end, as if he was trying to place the name. Then, his tone turned icy cold. “Fiancée? Anyone entering the Sterling estate must have an official VIP invitation. Otherwise, they are just trespassers. Call the cops.” Then, his voice softened back into a gentle whisper for Nadia. “Nadia, don’t cry over a stupid ring. I’ll buy you a better one when I get back tonight.” My pigeon’s blood ruby was a family heirloom from my parents. There wasn’t another one like it in the entire world. While I was re-evaluating whether this marriage alliance was worth my time, Nadia was laughing so hard she could barely stand. She looked me up and down with sheer disgust. “You? Your clothes don’t even have a single designer brand on them! And you dare call yourself Julian’s fiancée? What a joke!” I had been studying fashion design in Paris, and the clothes I wore were my own custom, unlabeled designs. They were highly sought after by European aristocrats, but obviously, this basic girl couldn’t recognize real haute couture. Annoyed by her drama, I lost all interest in the garden. I turned to leave. But Nadia blocked my path. “Didn’t you hear Julian? You need an invitation! Didn’t you say you’re a VIP? Where is it?” I rolled my eyes, reaching into my coat pockets, but found nothing. Then I remembered Grandpa Arthur saying we didn’t need one to enter the Sterling estate. Seeing my empty hands, her smug smile widened. “I knew it! You’re a fraud! Security! Strip that ring off her finger, tie her up, and throw her out!” I covered my ring with one hand, stepping back with a cold glare. A few maids approached me, whispering with fake pity. “Miss, just give the ring back to Miss Thorne. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you died!” “Yeah, that ring is the token of love between Master Julian and Miss Thorne. They grew up together. If he finds out, he’ll ruin you.” “I saw a guy lose his hand last month just because he accidentally spilled wine on Miss Thorne’s dress!” Their warnings only made Nadia’s sneer more insufferable. “Hear that? Kneel down, put the ring back on my finger with respect, and get lost! Or else, your hands will end up just like that waiter’s!”

In my entire life, I had never knelt to anyone. The last person who dared speak to me like this was probably six feet under by now. I took a step forward and slapped Nadia across her face. Her head whipped to the side, her eyes wide with fury. “You dare hit me?!” She clutched her red cheek and screamed at the maids to attack me. I curled my lips into a cold smile. Before I went to Paris, Grandpa Arthur was so worried about me being alone abroad that he personally trained me in kickboxing. A few out-of-shape maids were nothing to me. With a few quick punches and sweeps, I left them groaning on the grass, dazed and disoriented. “Pathetic,” I muttered, shaking out my slightly numb knuckles. I turned to walk away while Nadia shrieked in rage behind me. Suddenly, a maid gasped. “Master Julian is back!” I looked up. A tall man in a bespoke, tailored suit was walking toward us, his handsome face clouded with anger. Nadia instantly dropped her vicious look, replacing it with a tearful, fragile expression as she threw herself into Julian’s arms. “Julian! You’re finally here! She almost killed me!” Honestly, Julian Sterling was extremely good-looking. He could easily pass for a Hollywood lead. Unfortunately, knowing he had an active marriage agreement with me, he was still holding his childhood sweetheart with such desperate tenderness. I rolled my eyes. I needed to tell Grandpa to take me home. This wedding was officially off. Ignoring their little drama, I headed straight for the garden exit. “Stop right there! You think you can touch my woman and just walk away?” Julian didn’t even look at me. He was busy wiping Nadia’s tears. Several heavy-set bodyguards stepped forward, blocking my exit. I took a deep, exhausted breath and turned back to face him. “Master Sterling, right now, my grandfather is in your grandfather’s study discussing our alliance. If they find out you’re treating me like this, it won’t end well for you.” Hearing me mention the elder Mr. Sterling, the maids’ faces paled slightly. “Wait… is she really Master Julian’s fiancée?” “Who cares? Look at how protective Master Julian is of Miss Thorne. This wedding might not even happen.” “Exactly. Let’s not offend Miss Thorne, or we’ll pay for it later!” Julian’s face darkened when he heard the word “alliance.” “What alliance? I never agreed to it. Besides, my grandfather loves me more than anyone. He would never force me to marry a nameless, classless girl like you!” Nadia peeked out from his chest, looking at me triumphantly. “Julian and I are soulmates. A filthy thief like you actually thinks she can be the next Mrs. Sterling? Delusional.” I nodded slowly. “Great, these two trash bags are perfect for each other. Please stay locked together forever.” But I remembered my grandpa saying that of all the families who begged for my hand, the Sterling family had put in the most effort. I had met old Marcus Sterling a few times; he was a highly respectable elder. If he found out his precious alliance was ruined by his stupid grandson, there would be a bloodbath. But oh well. A rotten apple ruins the basket.

I shook my head in pity and started to walk away again. But Nadia shrieked, “Don’t let her go! She still has the ruby ring Julian gave me!” At Julian’s nod, several bodyguards instantly pinned me down, grabbing my hand to force the ring off. But the ring had been custom-resized to fit my finger perfectly. No matter how hard they pulled, it wouldn’t budge. “Nadia Thorne, if this ring is yours, why does it fit my finger so perfectly?” I mocked. This only enraged her further. She shook Julian’s arm frantically. “She must be fatter than me! She forced it on! That’s why it’s stuck!” “Then use a drill,” Julian said coldly. My face fell. “Damn it.” I hadn’t brought my personal security detail with me today. Julian’s bodyguards were massive, and there were too many of them. After a brief struggle, they pinned me to the grass. Nadia knelt in front of me with glee, her sharp red nails clawing into my jaw. “Where’s that attitude now, huh? Weren’t you so tough a minute ago?” With a vicious grin, she slapped me hard. My face scraped against the dirt, and the rough sand left bloody scratches on my cheek. Julian stared at me for a few seconds, a cruel smirk appearing on his lips. “Nadia, your hand must hurt. Want to see something more fun?” Nadia’s eyes lit up. “What?” “Tie her to the old rowboat in the lake!” My eyes widened as I stared at Julian’s twisted, excited face. “Does he know?” “No! You will regret this!” I screamed. Nadia sneered with pure excitement. “Regret? That word isn’t in my dictionary!” “But today, I’m going to make sure you regret ever touching my things!” The bodyguards dragged me across the grass to the lake in the center of the estate, tying me with thick ropes before throwing me onto the decaying wooden rowboat. Before I could even process the situation, they flipped me over. A small electric saw buzzes near my finger. The agonizing pain made me scream at the top of my lungs. Soon, the pigeon’s blood ruby was stained with my blood, looking horrifyingly crimson. “Oh dear, looks like another one is going to lose their life.” “She’s a pretty girl, why did she have to be so stubborn? Master Julian won’t let her off easily. She’s losing at least a finger.” “It’s too cruel, I can’t even watch.” The servants whispered from the lake bank, but their voices were fading. The intense pain made me thrash wildly. The old, decaying boat creaked loudly as it rocked against the water. This exact feeling—the rocking, the dark water—instantly triggered the memories of the shipwreck that killed my parents. The deep-seated trauma and terror seized my mind. My face turned deadly pale. Losing control, I curled into a ball, clutching my head as fresh blood dripped down my face. “No! Please! Let me go back to the shore!” But Nadia and Julian stood on the bank, watching me like they were watching a movie. Julian even stepped onto the dock and kicked the boat, sending it drifting into the deep center of the cold lake. I struggled to open my eyes, seeing Nadia proudly holding the blood-stained ring. Julian wrapped his arm around her waist, speaking softly. “That ring is dirty now that it has her filthy blood on it. Throw it away, babe. I’ll buy you a new one.” And right before my eyes, they casually tossed my parents’ heirloom into the deep, muddy lake. “Julian Sterling!” I screamed through my tears. “Aren’t you afraid my grandfather will make you pay for this?!”

He chuckled softly, his eyes filled with absolute disdain, looking at me like I was piece of trash. “Your grandfather? Who the hell is he to make me pay?” “The Vance family is practically dead. It’s just you and that old man left!” “You literally cursed your own parents to death. And your grandpa actually thought he could dump a jinx like you onto me? In his dreams!” My pupils dilated. The words “cursed your parents to death” stabbed straight into my heart like a dagger. On my eighth birthday, my parents were supposed to take a luxury yacht back from overseas to celebrate with me. But a storm was brewing. The captain advised them to wait a day. However, I had called them, crying over the phone, saying how much I missed them. So, they braved the storm on a smaller yacht just to get back to me. Right before they reached the dock, a massive wave crashed over them. Their boat capsized right in front of my eyes. That horrific scene flashed repeatedly in my mind, triggered by Julian’s cruel words. I curled up in the rocking boat, shaking violently as tears streamed down my face, mumbling incoherently. “Mom… Dad… I’m sorry… I don’t need a birthday party anymore… please come back…” Seeing my pathetic state, Nadia clapped her hands in delight. “I knew she was a jinx! No wonder she smells like bad luck! Julian, we need to stay away from her, or we’ll get infected!” In Paris, nobody knew about my past, so it was never brought up. At the Vance estate, to protect me, Grandpa Arthur had ordered everyone never to mention that day, and he had even filled in all the lakes and ponds on our property. The guilt and depression I had suppressed for years exploded all at once. For a second, I had a sudden urge to jump into the lake to join my parents. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was the custom ringtone I had set for my grandfather. The sound brought a momentary flash of sanity back to my brain. The Vance family only had me and Grandpa left. After my parents died, he had to bury his own children. His pain was no less than mine. If I left him too… I couldn’t bear to think of the consequences. I took a deep breath, fighting the dark thoughts, and struggled to reach for my phone. Seeing this, Nadia ordered the guards to throw rocks at me. My hands were shaking violently from the severe panic attack. A large rock hit my wrist, and the phone slipped from my grasp, falling into the lake. It flickered twice before going completely black. The rocks also punched two holes in the old rowboat. Cold lake water began to seep in, soaking my clothes and making me shiver. “Seraphina Vance, didn’t you want to die with your parents back then? I’m giving you that chance today. You should thank me!” Julian crossed his arms, coldly watching the boat slowly sink. “And as for your grandfather, when he comes, I’ll make sure he joins you guys down there!” I struggled weakly, but it was useless. The cold water reached my chin. I closed my eyes, crying silently in my heart. “Grandpa… I’m sorry…” But just as the water was about to cover my nose, a familiar, heavy footstep echoed from the shore. A heavy mahogany cane slammed onto the dock. “I want to see who dares send my family down there!”

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Before we got married, Ethan Carter insisted on buying two apartments right next to each other. I asked him why he had to take on an extra mortgage. He said, “Your parents are getting older, so it’ll be convenient whether they come over to take care of you in the future or you want to take care of them.” I believed him. For those two apartments, I put in all my savings. But before we registered our marriage, when we went to file the property records, the staff member looked at the documents and frowned. “Miss, are you sure the apartment next door is also for your parents to live in?” “But the pre-registered owner is named Mia Hayes, do you know her?” I froze. Mia Hayes was my best friend. Ethan quickly pulled me aside and coaxed me in a low voice. “She just broke up and has nowhere to stay, so she’s only borrowing the place for a few days, don’t be so petty.” The next second, Mia posted on Ins. [Thank you to him for finally giving me a home.] I stared at that line for a long time, then turned around and put my documents back into my bag. That day, I did not go to the city clerk’s office, and I simply canceled the wedding.

Ethan chased after me. “Listen to me, I’ll handle Mia’s side, and we just need to change the owner, it’s a five-minute thing.” I raised my hand and called an Uber, then immediately got inside. He bent down and leaned against the car window. “If you leave like this, how am I supposed to explain it to our parents?” I glanced at him. “You can explain it to Mia.” I opened the SnapChat of our wedding planner, Claire, and sent one sentence: The wedding is paused. Claire replied almost instantly with a voice message. “Miss Harris, why is it suddenly paused?” “Your fiancé was still discussing the new plan last night.” “What new plan?” “You don’t know?” Claire’s tone was a little hesitant. “Mr. Carter said he wanted to add a special memory video at the wedding and make a photo wall.” My fingertips froze. “What photo wall?” A few seconds later, Claire sent over a picture. I opened the full-size image, and my whole body stiffened in the seat. The most eye-catching spot on the so-called wedding photo wall was not me and Ethan. It was Mia. She was wearing a white dress and standing by the ocean, smiling brightly. And Ethan stood beside her, gazing at her with endless tenderness, looking so romantic and relaxed. I stared at the screen and suddenly found it so absurd that I wanted to laugh. “Who picked these photos?” Claire’s side went quiet for a moment. “Mr. Carter sent them over.” “He said Miss Hayes is your best friend and that you two are close, so putting her photos at the wedding would also count as witnessing your friendship.” “He also said Miss Hayes hasn’t been doing well lately, and he wanted to use this chance to cheer her up a little.” I held my phone and slowly lowered my eyes. The details of wedding planning over the past few months suddenly surfaced one by one. For the flowers I chose, Ethan said Mia was allergic to pollen, so they were later changed to artificial flowers. For the wedding music I picked, Ethan said Mia thought it was tacky, then turned around and changed it to an obscure French song. Every single time, he told me in a tone that made it sound completely natural. “Mia understands these things, and she’s also doing it for our wedding, so don’t be so sensitive.” It turned out that in this wedding that was supposed to belong to me, I had already been pushed to the side. “Miss Harris?” “Are you listening?” “I am.” I closed my eyes for a moment. “The wedding is canceled, and none of this is needed anymore.” Claire sucked in a sharp breath. “But the penalty fee is not a small amount, do you want to discuss it with Mr. Carter again?” “There’s no need to discuss it, and I’ll pay the penalty according to the contract.” “Okay, Miss Harris, then I’ll need you to come to the studio when you have time to sign.” “Okay.” After hanging up, my phone lit up again, and it was a message from Ethan: “Don’t tell your parents yet, I’ll explain the apartment situation to you tonight.” I did not reply and went straight to my parents’ house.

When I pushed open the front door, my dad was wearing reading glasses and tending to his potted orchid on the balcony. My mom was making soup in the kitchen, and when she heard movement, she poked her head out. “Olivia?” “Aren’t you supposed to be getting your marriage license with Ethan today?” “Why are you back so early?” I did not rush to answer and only walked to the dining table and sat down. “We didn’t get it.” “I also canceled the wedding, and I’m planning to return those two apartments.” My dad quickly walked over, and my mom also wiped her hands and ran out of the kitchen. “What happened?” “Did you two have a fight?” My mom was so anxious that her face changed. I pushed a document envelope toward them. “When we went to the property transaction center today to file the records, the staff told me that for the apartment Ethan bought next door, the pre-filled owner was Mia Hayes.” “Mia Hayes?” “That friend of yours?” My dad frowned. I nodded. “Yes.” The air fell silent at that moment. My mom stood frozen in place, her lips moving, but she could not speak for a long while. My dad grabbed the document envelope from the table. “That bastard!” “Back then, he swore up and down that he was buying it for us to retire in, and that was why we agreed to let you put in your savings!” “What is this supposed to be?” “Using our Harris family’s money to support another woman?” He turned to get his phone. “I’m calling Attorney Lewis right now, and this apartment must be returned!” “He has to spit out every cent!” Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang. Ethan’s anxious face appeared outside the door. He was still holding a bouquet of roses. “Olivia, let’s go back and talk about this.” “Can you let me in?” “This really isn’t as serious as you think, so don’t act on impulse.” I did not move. My mom walked over with a cold face and pressed the call button. “Ethan, how do you still have the nerve to come here?” Ethan froze for a second, and the expression on his face instantly turned awkward. “Mrs. Harris… you’re here too.” “Did Olivia say something to you?” “She told us everything.” My mom stared at the screen, her voice as cold as ice. “I only have one question for you.” “For the apartment you said you bought for us two old people to live in, why is someone else’s name on it?” Ethan became guilty. “Mrs. Harris, that’s a misunderstanding.” “Mia really has been going through a hard time recently, and I was just helping her as a friend…” “A friend?” My mom sneered. “You took my daughter’s money to help your friend settle down, do you think the Harris family runs a charity?” “Mrs. Harris, please listen to me explain…” Ethan still wanted to say something, but my mom directly cut off the call. The screen went black. I looked at the dark screen and thought of the night I decided to take out my savings. My dad had once advised me to keep some money for myself, saying that a woman only has confidence when she has money in her own hands. At the time, Ethan held my hand tightly and swore while looking into my parents’ eyes. “Mr. and Mrs. Harris, please don’t worry, I will never make Olivia regret this.” Looking back now, that vow was only laughable. I sat at the dining table and admitted my stupidity in front of my parents for the first time. “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry.” “I regret it.” My mom hugged me, and her tears fell onto my shoulder. “Silly girl, what do you have to be sorry for?” “It’s a good thing you saw him clearly before you got the license.”

The next morning, my parents and I showed up on time at the sales office of Meadowbrook Residences. The customer service woman at the front desk was very polite. “Miss Harris, you previously made an appointment for a consultation about canceling the purchase, and we’ve already pulled up the purchase files on our side.” I stared at the words on the screen. [Client request: Miss Hayes prefers quiet and needs to be close to the east-side elevator, but must avoid the equipment room.] [Follow-up record: Already took Miss Hayes on-site to measure the balcony dimensions.] The date was from six months ago, the month when we had just started looking at apartments. I sat on the sofa and felt all the blood in my body rushing to the top of my head. So even the part about her having just broken up and having nowhere to stay was fake. As early as six months ago, Ethan had already brought Mia here to choose an apartment. “Olivia…” My mom held my hand, her eyes full of heartache. I patted the back of her hand to signal that I was fine. “Excuse me,” I looked at the customer service rep, “if I request to cancel one of the apartments now, what is the process?” The customer service rep looked troubled. “Miss Harris, because you received a ten percent discount for purchasing both apartments together, if you cancel only one apartment separately, the price of the other apartment will need to be recalculated at the original price.” “Also, the loan plan will need to be approved again, and the penalty fee is about five percent of the total price.” I nodded. No matter how much I lost, I could only accept this result now. “Then cancel it.” Just then, the glass door of the sales office was pushed open. Ethan ran in, out of breath. “Olivia!” He strode up to us, glanced at the page on the customer service computer, and his face instantly changed. “You really came to cancel the purchase?” “Olivia, an apartment isn’t a joke, how can you be this impulsive?” He once again used that gentle voice. “The penalty is so high, and canceling isn’t worth it.” “Come back with me first, and let’s talk properly, okay?” I looked up at him. That face was clearly so familiar, but at that moment, I only felt he was a stranger. “If an apartment isn’t a joke, then is marriage a joke?” I stood up and looked him straight in the eyes. “You brought her here to view the apartment six months ago, Ethan, how long exactly were you planning to hide her next door to me?” Ethan’s eyes dodged for a moment. “That was because… because she understands renovations, and I only asked her to come help with references!” “Is that so?” “Olivia.” Suddenly, a soft female voice came from behind Ethan. Mia stood there in an off-white knit sweater, her eyes red. She looked at me, her voice full of grievance. “You really misunderstood.” “I really just had nowhere to go, and Ethan kindly took me in.” She walked forward and tried to take my hand. “Please don’t ruin your relationship of so many years because of me, okay?” I stepped sideways to avoid her. Before I could speak, the customer service rep beside us froze first. “Huh?” “Miss Hayes, how do you have time to come over today?” The customer service rep flipped through the notebook in her hands and smiled warmly. “You came last week to choose curtain measurements, and you also said you wanted to change the master bedroom wall color to dusty pink before move-in, and we’ve already confirmed with the engineering department that it can be changed.” The surroundings instantly went quiet. The grievance on Mia’s face instantly froze, and all the color drained from it. I looked up at her. “Aren’t you just staying temporarily?” “Why are you already renovating my apartment?” Mia bit her lip and could not squeeze out a single word for a long while. “Please,” I turned to look at the customer service rep, my tone calm, “help me cancel the apartment.”

Because of Ethan’s repeated obstruction, the apartment cancellation was not settled for the time being. To keep my parents from worrying, I asked them to go home first. Then I took an Uber to the wedding studio by myself. When Claire saw me, she froze for a moment, then quickly revealed a professional smile. “Miss Harris, please sit.” She handed me a thick file, and the cover said “Wedding Schedule Confirmation Form.” I opened the first page, and my gaze stopped. In the upper right corner of the document, several words were printed boldly: Miss Hayes Confirmed Version. “Sorry, I took the wrong one.” Claire quickly pulled the document back, looking a little embarrassed. “This was the draft left from when Mr. Carter and Miss Hayes came to communicate before.” I pressed down on the document and did not let her take it away. “Do they often come together to communicate?” Claire hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Actually… every time they came to go over the schedule, Miss Hayes basically made the decisions.” She glanced at me, and her voice lowered. “Our team even thought in private that Miss Hayes was the bride.” “After all, every time you came, you were only responsible for looking at the budget details.” I felt as if my heart had been viciously squeezed by something. So in other people’s eyes, I had long since become a side character who was responsible for paying the bill. I picked up the pen on the table and flipped to the last page of the cancellation agreement. “Has the penalty been calculated?” “It has been calculated, and aside from the deposit being deducted, you still need to pay an additional twenty thousand for material losses.” I signed my name and paid without hesitation. Just as I walked into the studio lobby, I ran straight into Ethan, who had hurried over. When he saw the cancellation agreement in my hand, his eyes turned red. “Olivia Harris!” “Have you made enough of a scene?” He rushed over and tried to snatch the document from my hand. “The wedding invitations have already been sent out, and all the relatives and friends have been notified, so if you cancel the wedding now, are you trying to embarrass both families?” I looked at his sanctimonious face and suddenly felt disgusted. Then I took out my phone and notified the friends and family in the wedding SnapChat group. [Everyone, I’m sorry to inform you that Ethan and I are officially canceling our wedding, and I apologize for the trouble.] Ethan’s eyes widened, and he reached out to snatch my phone. “Are you crazy?” “Unsend it!” “Unsend it now!”

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On my last business trip, I stayed near the client’s office to rush a project. The hotel went over the company budget by a measly eighty dollars. During reimbursement, my boss, Marcus, pointed his finger right at my nose. He screamed at me for having “no sense of cost awareness.” Not only did he refuse to cover the eighty dollars, but he also docked my two-thousand-dollar quarterly bonus as a penalty. He lectured me with a heavy, patronizing sigh: “Rules are rules, Chloe. Young people need to learn respect and compliance.” I smiled, nodded, and sincerely apologized for my “mistake.” A few days later, I was sent back to that same city for an emergency follow-up. This time, I followed company policy to the absolute letter. When I got back, Marcus looked at my expense report. His face turned completely green. He demanded to know why my three-day hotel stay cost the company $7,936. I said, “Company policy states the daily lodging rate cannot exceed $300.” Marcus frowned. “And?” I answered calmly: “So, I had to take an Uber to another city to find a hotel for $299. Out of that $7,936, about $7,338 went toward the round-trip Uber rides.”

The expense report slapped against my face, leaving a stinging red mark. “Chloe, do you think this company prints money?!” Marcus’s finger practically poked the tip of my nose. Spittle flew from his mouth. I didn’t flinch. I just looked down at the receipts scattered all over the floor. Hotel invoice: $299/night, two nights. Total: $598. Uber receipts: $1,834.50 per single trip, four trips. Total: $7,338. Plus a few small receipts for meals and local transit. Every single one was perfectly compliant. The amounts were accurate to the penny. “I was just following company policy,” I replied softly, my voice deadpan. Marcus’s chest heaved with rage. His custom-tailored shirt, his absolute pride and joy, looked ready to rip at the seams. “Policy? Did I tell you to sleep in another city?!” “Did I tell you to spend nearly two grand a day on Uber?!” “You didn’t say I couldn’t.” I looked up, staring directly into his bloodshot eyes. “Chapter Three, Section Seven of the Employee Travel Handbook only limits the lodging rate. It does not restrict the city where the hotel must be located.” “Transportation expenses are fully reimbursed as long as there are valid receipts.” I paused, then added, “You revised that handbook yourself, Marcus. You made all of us memorize it.” Marcus’s face turned from red to a deep, bruised purple. He was probably remembering the last trip. How he had ripped me a new one in front of the entire department over a measly eighty dollars. How passionately he had preached his management philosophy of “system above all else.” Now, I was serving his own philosophy right back to him. The office was dead silent. My coworkers all kept their heads down, pretending to work, but their perked-up ears gave them away. “Fine. Very fine.” Marcus hissed through clenched teeth. “Chloe, you’re fired.” “On what grounds?” I asked. “For malicious reimbursement! Intentionally hurting the company’s bottom line!” “Every single one of my actions fell within the framework of company rules.” I bent down, picking up the receipts one by one, carefully smoothing out the creases. “If you think my expense report is unreasonable, you don’t have to approve it.” “But I will go straight to the Department of Labor. I’ll let a judge decide if I committed fraud, or if your company policy is just incredibly stupid.” I stacked the neat receipts on his desk, right next to the paperwork of my docked bonus. “Also, I’ll need a clear explanation regarding the eighty-dollar hotel overage and the two-thousand-dollar bonus you withheld last time.” Marcus stared at me, his eyes dark with malice. He knew that if this escalated into a legal labor dispute, he would be the only one humiliated. A boss who constantly preached “rules” getting legally checkmated by his own employee’s compliance? He would become the laughingstock of the industry. “Are you threatening me?” “I’m just protecting my legal rights.” Just then, his secretary rushed in, her face pale and panicked. “Mr. Marcus, Mr. Stephen Vance from TEK Group is on the phone.” “He wants to know why the ‘Whisper of the Tide’ sample we delivered has minor transit scratches.” Marcus’s face went instantly white. ‘Whisper of the Tide’ was a custom glass sculpture our company had spent six months creating specifically for TEK Group. It was our foot in the door for an eight-million-dollar contract. And that very sample was what I had personally transported back from the neighboring city during this trip. I looked at Marcus and slowly, very slowly, let out a smile.

The handoff of ‘Whisper of the Tide’ happened on the third day of my trip. It was an exquisite, incredibly fragile piece of art, packed in a massive crate filled with foam and suspension air cushions. I had started my journey from that $299 budget hotel, ordering an Uber XL just to squeeze the massive crate into the back. The driver was a chatty guy. Seeing me hold onto the box like my life depended on it, he asked curiously, “What kind of treasure you got in there, kid?” “The company’s future,” I said dryly. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror and stopped talking. He just drove a lot more carefully. During the two-hour drive, I barely moved. I used my own body as a buffer, absorbing every bump on the highway. By the time we arrived at the TEK Group headquarters, my back was soaked in sweat. My arms were trembling from tension. Stephen Vance’s assistant, Jax, came down to meet me. Seeing my disheveled state, he looked surprised. “Chloe? Did you… run here?” I shook my head, pointing to the SUV parked by the curb. “Just came from my hotel.” Jax nodded slowly, his eyes lingering on the sweat beads on my forehead with sudden curiosity. The handoff went smoothly. They had professional equipment to unload and open the crate. Under the gallery lights, ‘Whisper of the Tide’ shone in a dreamlike, oceanic blue. The internal air bubbles and textures mimicked crashing waves. It was breathtaking. Stephen Vance came down to inspect it personally. He put on white gloves and examined every inch of the sculpture. “Perfect,” he said, taking off his gloves and turning to me. “The core technique lies in the uneven distribution of internal air bubbles, simulating the randomness of real tides.” “Every bubble is hand-blown by master artisans. It’s one of a kind.” “But that also means it is incredibly fragile. Any damage would destroy its value. It’s irreplaceable.” “And it’s extremely sensitive to vibration frequencies during transit,” I added. “Luckily, the ride was smooth.” Stephen’s eyes flashed with surprise, which quickly turned into appreciation. “Thank you for your hard work, Chloe. Marcus is lucky to have an employee like you.” I just smiled and said nothing. Oh, it was a lucky day for him, alright. Just not the kind he wanted. I knew the artwork wasn’t perfectly fine. During those long, bumpy hours crossing state lines in a standard SUV, one of the internal mounting brackets had rattled loose from the constant vibration. This caused the edge of the sculpture’s base to rub micro-scratches against the inner wall of the crate. The scratch was as thin as a strand of hair. But I knew it was there. It was all part of my plan. Back in the office, Marcus’s secretary’s report was like a bucket of ice water dumped right over his burning rage. “Scratches? What scratches?” He snatched the phone from her hand. “Mr. Vance! Hello, hello, this is Marcus.” Whatever Stephen said on the other end made Marcus’s spine curve instantly. A fake, sickeningly sweet smile plastered over his face. “A mistake, surely! Our quality control is top-tier. How could there be scratches?” “Maybe it’s the lighting? Yes, yes, please have another look.” “What? You already had your appraisal experts look at it? Confirmed it happened during transit?” Marcus’s face was now whiter than the copy paper on his desk. He whipped his head around, staring at me with a look that wanted to rip me to shreds. I met his gaze calmly, even taking a moment to straighten my collar. “Mr. Vance, let me explain, the employee responsible for transit… she…” Marcus started to stutter. He wanted to throw me under the bus. But he didn’t dare. He was terrified that if he pushed me, I would blab about the $7,338 Uber bill right to Stephen Vance. That would be a spectacular disaster. He would go from being a “strict boss” to a cheap, reckless merchant who shipped a multi-million-dollar fragile artwork via Uber to save on lodging. The eight-million-dollar deal would vanish instantly. Watching him sweat, trapped in a corner of his own making, a wave of pure satisfaction washed over me. When you docked my eighty dollars and stole my two-thousand-dollar bonus, you felt so powerful, didn’t you? Now, it’s your turn.

Marcus ultimately didn’t dare blame me on the phone. He hung up, looking like his bones had been sucked out. He collapsed into his chair. His mind was blank. All he could think was: I’m ruined. The eight-million-dollar deal, the lifeblood of his company, was hanging by a thread because of an eighty-dollar hotel dispute. The office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “Chloe,” he called out, his voice completely drained of energy. “Yes?” “What happened with the sample?” “I don’t know,” I said, putting my hands up. “I escorted it personally the entire way. When we did the handoff, Mr. Vance’s assistant was there. They unboxed it, inspected it, and signed for it.” I was telling the truth. The scratch was invisible to the naked eye. The assistant had just done a quick, routine check and signed the paperwork. Only a high-level collector like Stephen Vance would examine it with specialized tools like a rare diamond. Marcus obviously didn’t believe me. He immediately called up TEK Group’s lobby security footage. On the screen, I was carrying the massive box, walking steadily into the lobby, and handing it over to their staff. The entire process was seamless. No drops, no bumps. He then had his assistant call the ride-share company, trying to get the driver’s dashcam footage. But he was told that to protect passenger privacy, in-car footage was only kept for twenty-four hours. It had already been overwritten. Marcus slammed his fist on the desk, rattling his pen holder. He couldn’t find a single shred of evidence to prove I was negligent. But he knew deep down that the problem came from that ridiculous cross-city commute. Yet, he couldn’t say it out loud. To admit it would be to admit that his proud “company policy” was a complete joke. “You,” he pointed at me, his finger shaking violently. “Get out. You’re done.” “Sure,” I nodded. “But before I go, please sign off on my expense report and return my withheld bonus.” “You dare ask for money?!” Marcus roared, standing up, his eyes bloodshot. “Why wouldn’t I?” I met his gaze, unflinching. “I completed the company task. I strictly followed the travel policy despite the risk of being penalized again.” “I am taking what is rightfully mine.” “As for the transit damage,” I shifted my tone. “I think the company needs to reflect on why it has such absurd travel policies. Policies that force employees to use high-risk methods just to get the job done.” I pointed the finger right back at him. “You, Marcus. You created this risk.” “Now that something went wrong, you want me to take the fall?” My voice was quiet, but every word felt like a nail hammering into everyone’s hearts. My coworkers, who had all been docked pay or penalized under his bizarre rules, looked at Marcus with a different expression now. Anger, contempt, and quiet satisfaction. Marcus was speechless. He knew that if he didn’t pay me today, he would lose the entire office. His company would fall apart. His secretary, who always took his side, silently picked up my expense report and the bonus dispute form. She walked over to the finance office and knocked on the door. That was the signal. His authority had collapsed. He stared at me, his eyes filled with a deep, hopeless dread. A growl caught in his throat, but he couldn’t squeeze out a single word. He slumped back into his chair, waving his hand like he was shooing away a fly. “Give it to her. Tell her to get out.”

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Ever since I can remember, I knew I was just a replacement for my dead sister. The day before I started elementary school, my parents took me to buy a backpack. My mom smiled warmly and asked me, “Sienna, which one do you want? The blue one or the red one?” I pointed at the blue one. Instantly, her smile vanished. She grabbed my shoulders, her grip painfully tight, and screamed hysterically in my face. “Why didn’t you choose red?! Gemma only ever chose red!” Seeing my mom having another episode, my dad slapped me hard across the face. My nose bled. The blood was red, too. From that day on, I only ever chose red things. I only dared to want what Gemma would have liked. Once, while playing with my classmates, some playdough got stuck in my hair. The teacher kindly helped me cut the tangled piece out. But when my mom came to pick me up, she lost her mind. “Gemma had long hair! You are not my daughter!” She kicked me out of the car. I ran after it, crying, chasing the car for half an hour before I finally made it home. To avoid triggering my mom, I started mimicking Gemma in every single way. This lasted until the college application season. I scored a perfect 1600 on my SATs and got accepted into Harvard, but my mom demanded that I enroll in the local community college down the street instead. “Gemma was accepted into this college before she died! You have to go!” My high school counselor called to reason with her, but my mom snapped at him, shutting him down instantly. “If Gemma hadn’t died, Sienna wouldn’t even have been born!” Looking at her hysterical face, I suddenly felt like everything was so pointless. Since I had to copy my sister in every way, then I shouldn’t miss out on her final act either. She drowned when she was eighteen. Maybe I should do the same.

When the admission package from the community college arrived, a few local reporters showed up at our door. The moment my mom opened the door, microphones and camera lenses were shoved into her face. “Are you the mother of the genius student, Sienna? Was choosing a community college really Sienna’s own decision?” “Don’t you think it’s unfair to sacrifice Sienna’s future to make up for your late daughter’s regrets?” Hearing their questions, my mom snapped. She violently pushed the reporters out and slammed the door. Then, she dragged me to Gemma’s memorial corner and forced me to my knees. “Sienna! Did you call those reporters on purpose?!” “We are letting you go to the school your sister never got to attend! How is that unfair to you?!” The wooden hanger struck my back. I bit my lower lip so hard it bled. My dad was so angry he smashed a coffee mug on the floor. “Just to rebel against us, you cheated your way to a perfect SAT score?!” “Gemma would never do something so dishonest!” Hearing my dad’s words, I felt so hopeless I wanted to laugh. Back in middle school, my brain finally clicked, and I brought home a straight-A report card for the first time. What welcomed me was a brutal beating. “Gemma was always an average student. How could you possibly get top grades? You must have cheated!” To be just like Gemma and avoid triggering them, I learned how to control my grades. I intentionally tanked my GPAs and practice tests. But on the final SAT, the most important turning point of my life, I chose to show my real strength. I never expected that instead of being proud, they would forcibly change my college applications and accuse me of cheating. “I didn’t cheat,” I said. “Just because Gemma couldn’t get top scores doesn’t mean I can’t.” I straightened my back and stood up to them for the first time in my life. Shocked by my defiance, my mom gasped. She stood there, pointing a trembling finger at me, stuttering, “You… you…” for a long time. Finally, she locked me inside Gemma’s old room and went outside to chase down the reporters. “I want to report Sienna! She cheated on her exams! I want a full investigation!” Hearing my mom’s righteous voice through the door, tears of laughter streamed down my face. In the darkness, my sister’s portrait seemed to stare down at me. When I was little and forced to kneel here alone to reflect on my “mistakes,” I would always be terrified of her picture and cry. But now, I looked straight into Gemma’s eyes and whispered, “I really envy you. You’ve been gone for twenty years, and they still love you so much.” “If I die, will they love me like this too?” The portrait remained silent, her carefree smile frozen in time. She had a deep dimple on her right cheek when she smiled. I didn’t. Because of that, my mom never allowed me to smile in front of her. Gemma was naturally hyperactive and loved running wild outside. To force me outside, my mom tore up my sketchbooks and snapped my drawing pencils. She wouldn’t let me back into the house until it was pitch black. Even on my birthdays, I could only celebrate Gemma’s birthday. The cake was always mango-flavored because it was Gemma’s favorite, even though I was severely allergic to mangoes. When it was time to blow out the candles, Gemma’s portrait was placed right across from me. My only allowed wish was to pray that Gemma was doing well in heaven. I had been my sister’s shadow for eighteen years. I didn’t even know who the real me was anymore. How could they ever love me? I don’t know how long I sat in the dark. Suddenly, the door clicked open. My dad stood in the doorway, blocking the light from the hallway. He looked incredibly exhausted. “Sienna, go apologize to your mother.”

“Ever since your sister passed away, your mom’s mental state hasn’t been stable,” my dad said. “She’s getting old. You need to be more understanding.” I didn’t argue. I walked out numbly. Like I had done a thousand times before, I spoke my lines: “Mom, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked back to you. I shouldn’t have gotten those high scores.” My mom turned to look at me, but her eyes were glassy and unfocused. She was having another episode. She was seeing Gemma again. “My sweet Gemma, what are you talking about?” “Come, sit down and eat. Mom made all your favorite foods.” She pulled me to the dining table and kept piling food onto my plate. This was a treatment I never received when she was lucid. Most of the time, I had to sit the furthest away from the dishes. My parents would sit on either side of Gemma’s framed photo. The thickest cut of the steak, the extra cherry on the pie, and the perfectly golden center of the cinnamon roll—those were always reserved for Gemma. I only got to taste them when my mom was confused. After dinner, my mom led me to Gemma’s room. She made me lie down on Gemma’s soft, queen-sized bed. She carefully tucked me in and sat by the bedside, gently patting my back. “Sleep tight, sweetie. Mom is right here watching over you.” I heard this was Gemma’s habit when she was little. She was terrified of the dark and couldn’t fall asleep alone. She needed my mom to stay with her every night. When I was six, a violent thunderstorm kept me awake. Clutching my pillow, I ran to Gemma’s room to find my mom. But my mom shoved me out of the house into the cold night. “You’re so young, yet you’re already trying to steal your sister’s spotlight! I don’t have such an ungrateful daughter!” I cried until my voice went completely hoarse. My mom didn’t let me back inside until dawn. Now, feeling this rare, borrowed maternal love, I began to count down in my head. Five, four, three, two… The moment I hit one, my mom’s eyes snapped back to reality. The warmth in her eyes instantly turned into pure hatred. “Why are you in Gemma’s bed?!” “Are you trying to steal the last piece of her left in this world?! Get out!” She dragged me off the bed. Practically on instinct, I scrambled out of the room before she could throw her slippers at me. I retreated to my bedroom, which was actually a modified utility closet. Compared to Gemma’s cozy room, this place was incredibly depressing. It got zero sunlight, and it was so damp and cold that I suffered from chronic eczema. Once, when the itching became unbearable, I begged my parents to move to a bigger house. I told them I didn’t want a big room like Gemma’s. I just wanted a small bedroom that got some sunlight. Our family could easily afford it. But my dad just slapped me. My mom’s hand shook with rage as she pointed at me. “This house is the only place your sister ever lived! If we move, she won’t be able to find her way home!” “How can you be so selfish?!” So, I had to retreat back into my tiny, cramped closet. Even this closet didn’t fully belong to me. Two-thirds of the space was packed with Gemma’s old things. Her old keyboard, her dolls, her roller skates. They were covered in thick layers of dust, but I wasn’t even allowed to touch them. Because they “preserved” Gemma’s scent. I wasn’t allowed to ruin it. After calming my mom down, my dad did something rare. He walked into my room. “The school board checked. You didn’t cheat. We misjudged you.” I didn’t say anything. I just stared at him quietly. “Sienna, your sister died the day before she was supposed to leave for college. That is the pain of your mother’s life.” “Even if you are a genius, you must go to that community college. This is your destiny. You have to accept it.” In the dim light, I let out a soft laugh. “I accept it.” Watching his relieved back as he walked away, I added silently in my heart: And I will surely follow my sister’s destiny, and drown the day before college starts.

To celebrate Gemma’s “new beginning,” my parents decided to throw a massive graduation party for “her.” And I was required to attend as her stand-in. My mom took it very seriously. She dug up some clothes that matched the style Gemma used to wear. Styles from twenty years ago, long outdated. They were cheap clothes my mom had bought from thrift stores or received as hand-me-downs from relatives. Some of the collars were stretched out, and the sleeves were fraying. They all smelled like stale mildew. When I was forced to wear them to school as a kid, my classmates would laugh at me behind my back. Now, I put them on without a word. Seeing me in those clothes, my mom’s eyes welled with tears. I knew she was looking at Gemma through me again. That loving gaze of hers had never once truly landed on me. “Don’t smile too much later, but keep your manners sweet,” she instructed. “Your sister was closest to your Uncle and Aunt Clara. Make sure you talk to them more.” She went over the details one by one, terrified I would make a mistake. If I didn’t act like Gemma, their beautiful dream would shatter. She had no idea that after eighteen years of acting, Gemma’s behavior was already carved into my bones. I knew Gemma better than anyone else did. At the party, every relative who saw me gasped. “Sienna looks so much like Gemma…” “Twenty years flew by so fast. Gemma used to wear clothes just like this when she greeted us.” “Yeah, she’s just like Gemma. Smart, sweet, and always knowing exactly what to say.” Everyone was using me to reminisce about Gemma. It had been like this since I was a little girl. “Sienna likes red too, and she wears her hair in the same pigtails Gemma did.” “Sienna can’t sit still either, just like Gemma. Always wanting to run wild outside.” In the beginning, I would silently scream in my head: No! I’m nothing like my sister! I hate red! I hate long hair! I just want to stay inside, read my books, and paint. I don’t want to go outside! But as the years went on, the lines blurred. What color did I actually like? What did I enjoy doing in my free time? What kind of food did I prefer? If Gemma had never existed, and I was my parents’ first child… What would my name have been? “Sienna!” A young male voice called out from behind me. I turned around in shock. It was Aunt Clara’s son. My cousin, Zach. He was three years older than me and was the only person present who had never met Gemma. And he was the only one who never called me “Gemma.” He insisted on calling me “Sienna.” Ever since he left for college out of state three years ago, we hadn’t seen each other. “Long time no see, Sienna.” He reached out and ruffled my hair, just like he used to do when we were kids. Then, he handed me a gift box. “This is your graduation present.” I took it numbly and opened it. Inside was a complete set of expensive, professional art supplies. Zach rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit embarrassed. “I remembered you loved drawing when you were little. I hope you can still use these.” He then handed me another shopping bag. “This is from my mom.” “You’re going to college soon, so she picked out a couple of outfits suitable for a young girl.” “Hope you like them.” I looked down into the bag. Inside was a light blue sundress and a simple white t-shirt. Very basic, but my eyes welled up instantly. The fake, “Gemma-like” smile was still plastered on my face. What would the perfect “Sienna” say right now? What would she do? My mind went completely blank. I realized I didn’t even need to wait until the day before college to drown. The real Sienna had died a long time ago. The person standing here was just a cheap, broken copy of Gemma.

I stood there like a frozen robot. Seeing my silence, Zach started to panic. “What’s wrong? Do you not like them?” He looked at me, then glanced over at Aunt Clara. “If you don’t like them, we can go exchange them for something else after dinner.” I sniffed, shaking my head with a smile. “No, I love them. Thank you, Zach.” Noticing the redness in my eyes, Zach sighed softly. “Sienna, my mom told me about what’s been going on.” He patted my shoulder. “Your mom’s mental health is… really bad. You’ve had to suffer so much just to keep her happy.” “Once you start college, focus on your grades. You can apply for grad school later. Your life is just starting, Sienna. I know you’re going to have an amazing future.” Hearing Zach’s words, I could barely keep my smile from cracking. Did I really have a future? Could I really shed Gemma’s shadow and just live as myself? I got my answer that very night. As soon as we got home, my mom grabbed the art supplies Zach had given me and threw them right out the window. The paint bottles shattered on the concrete driveway below. They looked like splatters of colorful blood from someone who had just jumped. I rushed to the window, but before I could react, my mom pulled the blue dress out of the shopping bag. She flicked a lighter, and the flame instantly licked the fabric. The fire illuminated her twisted face. “Who allowed you to accept these?!” “Gemma never had things like this! What are you trying to prove by bringing them into this house?!” Recalling my cousin’s words, something inside me finally snapped. “Gemma is dead! She’s dead!” “I am Sienna! I am a living, breathing human being! I have my own tastes! I have my own life to live!” “She died at eighteen! I’ve played her ghost for eighteen years! Isn’t that enough?!” My answer was a stinging slap that cut through the air. The force knocked me to the ground, my back crashing into the memorial table. Gemma’s portrait fell with a loud crash, the glass shattering. Her hollow eyes stared straight into mine. My mom pointed a shaking finger at me, her voice trembling. “How dare you… how dare you…” “If Gemma hadn’t died, you wouldn’t even have a life to live!” “My daughter never got to have a future! What makes you think you deserve one?!” Even though I had always known she didn’t love me, hearing those words out loud made my heart shatter into a million pieces. I lay on the floor, my palm sliced open by the shards of Gemma’s frame. Blood pooled under my hand. My mom sank to her knees, crying hysterically as she cradled Gemma’s portrait in her arms. “My Gemma… my sweet Gemma…” “Does it hurt? Mommy will find a better place for you.” She walked right past me, carrying the portrait, without giving me a single glance. My dad grabbed his jacket and rushed out after her. The front door slammed shut. I closed my eyes. I’m sorry, Zach, I thought. That beautiful future you talked about… I won’t be able to see it. The hem of the burnt dress was charred black, looking like a withered flower. I pulled it over my head, put it on, and looked at the wide-open window. At this moment, I suddenly changed my mind. I didn’t want to drown like Gemma anymore. In my final moment, I wanted to end it as Sienna. This was the only tiny rebellion I had left. I climbed onto the windowsill and took one last look at this house. Then, I closed my eyes and let myself fall backward into the night.

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My Husband and Son Took His First Love to the Amusement Park Behind My Back, So I Got Divorced On our wedding anniversary, I saw my husband’s chat history pop up on the computer. His first love, Claire Bennett, sent him a message. “To celebrate Noah’s improvement on his exam, let’s go to the theme park this Sunday.” My husband replied right away, “Sure, I’ll book the tickets.” Then came a voice message. I tapped it open and heard my son’s voice, bright with excitement. “Great! Just the three of us are going, and we’re not inviting Mom!” “She’s always so mean, and she even fought Claire over an ice cream.” I did not argue. I only silently printed out the divorce papers. Then I gave up custody of my son. 0 Just then, my husband called me. “Sophie, Noah and I have plans on Sunday, so we won’t be home during the day.” “Make your own arrangements.” Before I could react, he hung up, completely forgetting that today was our wedding anniversary. I walked into the living room. Looking at the cups that belonged to my son and Claire on the coffee table, I suddenly froze. It turned out that everything had left traces. I had only been lying to myself! Ever since Claire Bennett returned home after a breakup and my husband brought her to stay with us, I had become the extra person in this family. Yesterday, I only casually picked up the last ice cream from the fridge and ate it. Claire said she wanted ice cream, and the whole family asked me to give it to her. I split the ice cream into two portions, half for each of us. But what I got in return was my husband’s criticism. “Half an ice cream isn’t enough to satisfy anyone!” As he spoke, he threw the half of the ice cream in Claire’s hand into the trash can. He took her hand and walked out. “Come on, Claire! I’ll take you to buy some!” And my son also pouted. “Can’t you let Claire have it for once? It wasn’t easy for her to come stay at our house.” I froze. I had always thought they only acted that way because Claire was a guest who was temporarily staying in our home. But I was wrong! I was the outsider in this family! I picked up the cups one by one and put them away. In their room, the soft bed looked incredibly warm and cozy. I glanced at my sofa bed in the living room, and my heart ached. Claire Bennett was my husband’s first love from college, and after she had just ended a relationship and returned home, he said she wanted to stay with us for a few days to clear her head. I agreed, because everyone has hard times. On the second morning after Claire came to our home, she had dark circles all over her face. My husband asked her with concern if she had not slept well. She tactfully said she used to sleep alone and was not used to it. So I was asked to move into the living room. Claire had just broken up, and I sympathized with her unstable emotions. Besides, she said she was used to sleeping alone, and since we were friends, I thought it was no big deal to make her more comfortable. At the same time, I was afraid of making things hard for my husband, so I willingly agreed. But my thoughtfulness only made them go further and further! Because I was thoughtful, I had to give in to her in everything! Because I was thoughtful, my husband only helped Claire and my son with their laundry, while I had to wash my own! Because I was thoughtful, I had to take on all the housework, while Claire and my son only needed to enjoy themselves! In the past, although Noah was afraid of me supervising his studies, he would still be the first to call out, “Mom, I’m home,” when he came back from school. Ever since Claire came, he looked for Claire first when he got home, and he no longer did his homework properly. She said, “A child’s happiness matters most,” and my husband also thought that made sense. I objected before, but all I got was my husband’s eye roll and my son’s impatience. Why did everything change as soon as she came? Thinking of this, my heart ached. I sat on the sofa and scrolled through my phone in boredom. Claire Bennett updated a social media page with her alternate account. In the photo, my husband, my son, and Claire were smiling brightly. The scene looked very warm. The caption said: “This ‘husband’ came late, but it still came.” Thank you, James, for giving me a complete family. I stared at that sentence for a long time. She knew what she was saying. She also knew how others would see it. She did not care. The comments from users below said: “Congratulations, you finally waited for the right person.” “Congratulations, blogger, wishing you happiness forever.” I casually liked that social media post. And I commented, “Wishing your family happiness forever.” Soon, that social media post disappeared. She probably forgot that she had used my phone to follow her account before, and then forgot to unfollow herself later. Right after that, she called me. “Sophie, don’t take that social media post seriously, I was just posting for fun.” 0

I laughed. She had truly gotten better at acting one way in front of people and another behind their backs. In the past, she acted like a good girl in front of my husband. But behind his back, she relied on being his first love and tried to step all over me. I endured it. Later, she could easily “snatch” things from my hands, and my husband would still say I was being petty. I tried to explain, but all I got in return was their blame. Seeing that I did not reply for a long time, her voice on the other end of the phone took on a sobbing tone. “Sophie, you’re angry, aren’t you?” “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, I just… I just wanted to be loved too much…” As she spoke, she was already crying so hard that she could not speak. Before I could react, my son’s shout came from the other end of the phone. My husband had turned on speakerphone. “Sophie Miller, that’s enough! It was just one social media post, so why are you always so narrow-minded?” He called me by my full name. He no longer called me Mom. “You made Claire cry, so hurry up and apologize to her!” My heart sank at once. I clearly had not done anything, but now I needed to apologize to her. I sneered and said, “Apologize? Why should I? What did I do wrong?” My son said angrily on the other end. “You’re asking what you did wrong? Making Claire unhappy means going against me!” “I don’t care, apologize right now!” My husband’s voice also came from the other end of the phone. “Noah, don’t talk to Sophie like that, she’s your mother!” Then he turned to the phone and said, “Sophie, Noah is still young, so don’t take it seriously.” “And we only came out to have some fun today, so don’t mind it.” Listening to my husband’s words, my heart ached. I said coldly, “You don’t have to explain, because you are the real family anyway.” Those words completely angered my husband. The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly rose. “Sophie, how can you say that?” “Isn’t it just that we went to the theme park without you? Do you really have to make such a huge deal out of it?” “If you want to go have fun, I’ll send you two hundred dollars and let you have all the fun you want!” As he spoke, my phone showed a payment notification for two hundred dollars. Two hundred dollars. That was the price he put on my emotional value. “Okay, I sent you the money, so this matter is over.” After saying that, he hung up directly. I gave a cold laugh. I did not want family like this, or a marriage like this! I opened my contacts and found a lawyer’s contact information. “Attorney Lewis, help me draft a divorce agreement. I give up all property and only want freedom.” I called Ethan Clark. “Can I still join that project you mentioned before?” Ethan Clark replied immediately on the other end of the phone, “Of course you can!” “Sophie, you’re finally willing to join my team!” “When can you come over? I’ll book your plane ticket.” Without any hesitation, I replied, “Tomorrow, the sooner the better.” After hanging up, my heart was unusually calm. Ethan Clark had invited me to join his team several times, but I had always refused because it was too far from home. At that time, my life goal was to stay by my family’s side. But now, I had let go! 0

I sent the divorce agreement out by express delivery the next day. The package arrived at his company that very afternoon. I did not call, and I did not send a message. I only slipped a note into the documents. “I don’t want anything, only a divorce. Sign it.” He did not reply to me. When the three of them came home, it was already evening. They had spent the whole day playing, and the air still carried the heat from outside. At that moment, I was packing my things. When he saw this scene, my husband’s expression changed. He rushed up, snatched the clothes from my hands, and threw them onto the floor. “Sophie Miller, what are you doing? Are you planning to run away from home?” “Didn’t I already send you money? Why are you still making trouble?” I silently picked up the clothes and stared hard at him. “Making trouble? Who exactly is making trouble?” “I saw the chat records, and have you ever treated me like family?” My husband’s face instantly turned pale. “Sophie, listen to me…” I sneered. “No need, I don’t care about this kind of family anymore.” Claire Bennett came forward crying. “Sophie, did you see my message?” “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.” “If I hadn’t come to this home, I wouldn’t have caused you so much trouble.” As she spoke, she came forward and grabbed my arm. “Sophie, can you please stop being angry with me?” “If someone has to leave, it should be me, because you were always part of this family.” I shook off her arm. “Stop putting on an act here! I’m not falling for this!” I did not use much strength, but Claire Bennett swayed and crashed toward the corner of the table. Noah Miller, who was beside her, caught her. He shielded Claire Bennett behind him and shoved me hard. Before I could react, I fell heavily to the ground. A dull thud came from my knee, and the pain made tears fall. But there was not the slightest guilt on his face. Instead, he looked completely justified. “Who told you to attack Claire first? You deserved it!” A trace of hesitation flashed across my husband’s face. He was just about to come help me up when he was drawn away by Claire Bennett’s sobs. “James, maybe I should just leave. With me here, I only make everyone unhappy.” My husband could no longer care about anything else and pulled Claire Bennett into his arms. He held her right in front of me. Right in front of our son. I stood there, feeling like a fool—he was not even bothering to hide it anymore. “Silly girl, how could I possibly let you leave? You only have me now.” As he spoke, he turned to look at me, his eyes full of disappointment. “Sophie, you went too far this time!” “I’m very disappointed in you!” Disappointed? A bitter smile appeared at the corner of my mouth. He wanted me to give in to Claire Bennett in everything, and I did it. He wanted me to be considerate and understand him, and I did that too. Then what exactly was he disappointed about? Was he disappointed that I could no longer be played like a fool by Claire Bennett as always and still keep silent? Or was he disappointed that after discovering they had never treated me like family, I refused to keep pretending to be stupid? But I was a person! I had dignity too! My husband came out to smooth things over again. “Sophie, I’m really angry this time!” “Hurry up and apologize to Claire, and this matter will be over.” An apology again! From beginning to end, I was always the one who had to apologize! This time, I refused! I stubbornly lifted my head to look at them and said each word clearly. “I will not apologize!” There was a ruthlessness in Noah Miller’s eyes that I had never seen before. That was not a look a child should have. I never expected Noah Miller to rush over and kick me. “Then I’ll see whether your mouth is tougher or I am!” A bloody taste instantly surged into my mouth, and I spat out a mouthful of blood. But Noah Miller did not care about any of that and kept shouting loudly. “Sophie Miller, don’t think you can fool me!” “I’m telling you, if you don’t admit your mistake to Claire, I won’t let you leave!” As he spoke, he lifted his foot again. My husband stopped him. “Noah, don’t do this, she’s your mother!” Noah Miller immediately retorted, “She is not my mother!” “All she does every day is control my studying and stop me from watching TV!” “Claire never yells at me, and she gives me whatever I want!” “My mom is only Claire!” And at this time, my husband also spoke. “Sophie, don’t blame me for taking Claire’s side.” “Look at what you’ve become now! I remember you used to be very reasonable.” As he spoke, he pulled Claire Bennett into the room. Out of the corner of my eye, Claire Bennett looked at me with smugness all over her face. It was as if she were saying, “See? You will always be defeated by me!” “Everything you have, including your family, is all mine!” And Noah Miller seemed to have received permission, because he walked toward me again. Seeing that I had already said that, my husband did not interrupt anymore and returned to his room. Noah Miller stood in front of me. “Sophie Miller, are you going to apologize or not?” “If you don’t apologize, I won’t let you get up!” This was the first time I had seen this side of him, and he suddenly felt very unfamiliar. In the past, although he was mischievous, he had never treated me this way. Every time I was sick, he would secretly pour water for me. But now, he looked at me as if he were looking at an enemy. It was as if he wished I would disappear from this home. But the conflict between us had never reached this point! Claire Bennett’s methods were truly brilliant! First my husband, then my son! One by one, they were willing to hurt me for her. I laughed miserably. “Even if you beat me to death today, I still won’t apologize!” Noah Miller punched me again and again. I did not make a sound. Compared with the pain in my heart, this bit of pain was not worth mentioning at all. In the end, it was still my husband who came out to stop him. “Stop hitting her, it won’t be good if someone dies.” And Noah Miller also seemed to find it boring, so he stopped. The entire home instantly fell silent. I lay on the cold floor, recalling everything from the past. I did not know how much time had passed before I heard my husband speaking softly in the room. “Did we go too far today?” “No! Sophie went too far today. She deserves a lesson.” “At worst, we can take her out for something good to eat tomorrow to make it up to her.” “Don’t you know her? She values relationships the most.” I laughed. So it was because I valued relationships that they could trample on my dignity however they wanted! Just then, my phone rang. Ethan Clark sent me the flight information. It was a flight early tomorrow morning. I endured the pain and got up, took my driver’s license, and left the house directly. The moment I closed the door, I actually felt incredibly light. I did not want this home anymore. I did not want this marriage anymore either. 0

I forced myself to walk to the roadside and called a car. “To the airport.” The driver saw that my face was pale and that I had injuries. He asked if I wanted to call the police. I shook my head and gave him the destination. Outside the car window, the streetlights swept backward one by one. They looked so much like the way my mother used to hold my hand and count streetlights with me when I was little. Back then, she always said, “Sophie is the best girl, and Mommy loves you the most.” How ridiculous! When I arrived at the airport, there were still more than four hours before boarding. I found a seat in a corner and sat down. The injury on my knee was still aching faintly. I lifted my pant leg and saw a large patch of purple bruising, swollen very high. I went to the bathroom and rinsed it with cold water. The pain made me suck in a sharp breath. The person in the mirror had red eyes, and there were dried bloodstains at the corner of her mouth. I wiped hard, but the more I wiped, the redder it became. In the end, I simply stopped wiping and just looked at myself like that. Sophie Miller, remember this. From now on, no one is allowed to make you cry again. I went to the pharmacy and bought iodine and bandages, then treated the wound simply. After finishing all this, my heart became calm instead. When the boarding announcement sounded, the sky had just begun to brighten. I turned off my phone and walked into the boarding gate. The moment the plane rushed into the clouds, sunlight poured in through the window and made me narrow my eyes. Below the clouds was a gray sky, and above them was dazzling sunshine. It turned out that as long as you flew high enough, cloudy days would also become sunny. More than three hours later, the plane landed. Ethan Clark was waiting for me at the exit, and he froze the moment he saw me. “Sophie, your face…” I smiled. “It’s nothing, I bumped into something by accident.” “Let’s talk about the project in detail.” He looked at me for several seconds and did not ask any more questions. He took my hand and said, “Come on, I’ll take you to eat first.” Ethan Clark was a very perceptive person. He knew that if I did not want to talk, he should not ask. He booked a hotel for me and took me to have a hot meal. After we finished eating, he sent me the project materials. He said, “Rest for a day first, and start working tomorrow.” I shook my head. “No need to rest, I can work now!” He stared at me for a long time and sighed. “Fine, then come with me to the company this afternoon.” The company was in the city center. It was not big, but it had everything it needed. Ethan Clark worked in online retail. After two years of starting his business, his team already had more than a dozen people. He had always wanted to bring me in, saying I was the most business-minded person he had ever met. Before, I could not bear to leave my family, so I refused again and again. Now that I thought about it, what exactly was I unwilling to leave? Was it the home where the whole family went out to have fun and only left me out? Or was it the family who treated me like an outsider?

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Before the engagement dinner began, I was in the lounge tidying myself up when my fiancée’s assistant, Vincent, suddenly handed me a marriage agreement. Article One: Without Vincent’s written permission, the man may not have any physical contact with the woman. Article Two: The man and woman must live in separate rooms, and all daily communication must be relayed through Vincent. Article Three: The man must remain respectful toward Vincent on all occasions. ….. After reading more than a hundred clauses in the agreement, I forced down my anger and dialed my fiancée’s number. “Miss Young, could you explain Article Ninety-Eight to me?” “What does it mean that I, as your husband, must acknowledge that your relationship with Mr. Vincent takes priority?” 0 Today’s engagement dinner was actually an arranged marriage set up by the elders in our families. Before today, I had never even met the bride. All I knew was that her family was prominent, and that she was a wealthy heiress well known in New York society. But I never expected that the so-called family rules would be this absurd. “You’re nothing but insurance and decoration our family brought in, and Vincent is the one I truly trust, so follow the agreement exactly as it is written, understood?” Over the phone, my fiancée’s tone was full of contempt. I took a deep breath, and my voice left no room for argument. “Sorry, Miss Young, but I will not sign this marriage agreement.” The second I finished speaking, my fiancée’s furious roar came from the other end of the call. “Carter, how dare you talk to me like that?” “It is the greatest luck of your life that I would get engaged to you, and you still dare defy me?” I froze on the spot. Was this really the upbringing of a wealthy heiress? She was completely different from the gentle and refined image my grandfather had described. I was just about to continue arguing with her when the line on the other end had already gone dead. Seeing what happened, Vincent, who was standing beside me, looked at me with disdain and let out a cold laugh. “Mr. Carter, I suggest you obediently sign the agreement. I understand Miss Mandy’s thoughts better than anyone. You are an outsider, so know your place, and your life will be a little easier.” Seeing that I was young and dressed very low-key, he did not take me seriously at all, and his tone carried the superiority of a master. “Whoever wants to sign such a dignity-stripping agreement can sign it, but I definitely will not!” Although the Kosa family was low-key, we were definitely not soft targets anyone could push around. So what if she was a New York socialite? At worst, I would refuse to acknowledge this engagement today! With that, I set down my wine glass and turned to leave, only to be stopped by Vincent beside me. “The dinner is about to begin, so where exactly do you think you are going, Mr. Carter?” I clenched my fists without realizing it and stared hard at him. “My legs are on my own body, so I can go wherever I want, and what does that have to do with you?” Faced with my warning, Vincent not only failed to restrain himself, but became even more reckless as he stepped closer, lowered his voice, and spoke in a tone full of provocation. “Mr. Carter, I advise you to stay put. When it comes to Miss Mandy’s affairs, I have always had the final say. If you sign it, everyone saves face. If you do not… I am afraid you may not even have a place to stand in New York in the future.” He shoved me hard, his eyes filled with threat. Ever since I came of age and began taking part in family affairs, I had trained day and night with private instructors, and the pride carved into my bones did not allow me to compromise. Seeing him act so arrogant, the anger in my heart kept rising. “And what if I insist on leaving?” As soon as I said that, the servers and several early guests in the lounge immediately began murmuring. “Oh my God, is this guy crazy? Mr. Vincent is Miss Mandy’s most trusted person, so if he offends him, how can his life in the Young family be easy?” “He should just sign it. It is just a formality anyway. Who doesn’t know about Mr. Vincent and the young lady’s relationship? Why ask for trouble?” “Exactly. Just pretend not to know and take the benefits from the Young family. Can dignity put food on the table?” As the surrounding discussion grew louder and louder, Vincent’s expression became even smugger, as if he were the real master here. “Did you hear that? Smart people know what to do. A puppet like you, with nothing but an empty title, should be grateful that we are still leaving you some dignity, and yet you still dream of talking about pride?” Faced with everyone’s mockery, I did not care at all, and even found it a little funny. In New York, the Young family could indeed be called rich, with endless wealth to their name. But if they wanted to compare foundations with the Kosa family, that would only be a fight beyond their means. No matter how much money they had, before true power and the rules of the game, it was only a string of cold numbers. “Vincent, I will warn you one last time, move.” Perhaps he was frightened by the cold aura that suddenly burst from me, because Vincent paused for a moment, but then he showed an even more contemptuous smile. “Fine, fine, fine, kid, you… you actually dare talk to me like this. I… I will invite the young lady here right now, and we will see how long you can keep acting arrogant!” I spread my hands with an indifferent attitude. “Be my guest.” 0

Before long, the door of the lounge was pushed open. A tall young woman walked in, surrounded by a group of bodyguards, and Vincent immediately put on an attentive expression as he went up to greet her with movements that were natural and familiar. “Mandy, you’re here. This Mr. Carter has a ‘tiny’ issue with the agreement.” “You are Mandy Young, my fiancée?” I carefully looked over the woman in front of me, and I had to admit that she was indeed beautiful. She was nearly five-foot-seven, and her luxurious gown wrapped perfectly around her flawless figure. If I had to find one flaw, it could only be that her gaze toward me was too cold, while when she exchanged glances with Vincent, there was a faint intimacy that was hard to notice. “Miss Young, since this is our first meeting, please allow me to briefly introduce myself.” “My last name is Carter, and my first name is Ash, and I am from the Ko—” “No need!” Before I could finish speaking, Mandy impatiently raised a hand to cut me off while naturally accepting the wine glass Vincent handed her. “I have absolutely no interest in who you are. You only need to remember that once you are in the Young family, you will follow Vincent’s arrangements in everything.” I had wanted to state my background so that she would restrain herself a little, but I never expected this arrogant young lady to refuse to even let me finish speaking. From her eyes and her tacit interactions with Vincent, it was not hard to see that her heart already belonged to someone else, and I was nothing more than an inconvenient symbol in this arranged marriage. “Miss Young, although you and I have never met, and this engagement was our parents’ idea.” “But you will not even let me finish speaking, and isn’t that a little too disrespectful?” As soon as I said that, my fiancée’s expression changed at once, as if she had heard some kind of joke. “Respect?” “Carter, you need to understand your own position. Respect is for useful people, not for a… ‘decoration’ like you.” My fiancée gave me a contemptuous glance and let out a cold snort. “I can tell you clearly that if my father had not insisted on forcing me to get engaged to you, I would not even bother to glance at some random man like you who came out of nowhere!” At the end, she suddenly raised her voice, as if she were saying it for Vincent beside her to hear. “And after you sign the agreement, you may be my husband in name, but in reality, stay away from me. Vincent is enough to worry about my affairs.” I stared hard at her, then swept a glance at Vincent, whose lips held a smile, and my tone carried not a trace of emotion. “Since Miss Young is so unwilling to get engaged to me, why make yourself suffer?” As I spoke, my tone suddenly changed. “Why don’t… we cancel the engagement, which would be good for you, for me, and for your… ‘capable assistant.’” I had wanted to resolve this peacefully, but the self-righteous woman in front of me could not listen at all and instead thought I was mocking her. “You useless loser, stop playing games with me!” “Do you know how many men in New York are lining up to marry me?” Instead of getting angry, I laughed. “Miss Young, I do not care what other people think. I simply feel that since you two are in love, why should I step in and make myself a nuisance?” “As for Mr. Young, I will personally explain everything clearly to him, so you do not need to worry about that.” After several exchanges, the entire lounge immediately erupted into an uproar. “My God, is this guy stupid? He actually offered to call off the engagement? Isn’t he pushing away wealth and glory that were already in his hands?” “Exactly. Miss Young is the goddess in the hearts of so many men in New York, and this idiot has no idea how lucky he is.” “If it were me, I would probably wake up laughing from my dreams if I could get engaged to the Young family’s heiress.” The doubts around me kept coming, but I did not care at all. In families like ours, marriage was never only about matching status, and loyalty and dignity mattered even more. It was obvious that this wealthy heiress, whose relationship with her assistant was murky and ambiguous, was not only not my type, but was also trampling on the dignity of both families. Even now, I still remembered the way Mandy’s father, Michael Young, the CEO of Young Enterprises, had treated my grandfather with deep respect. During a meeting that lasted less than half an hour, sweat had been beading on Michael Young’s forehead the entire time, as if he were afraid of saying a single wrong word. I guessed he still did not know that the protection he had begged so hard for, as well as his family’s dignity, were being trampled underfoot by his daughter and this ill-intentioned assistant. “Carter! I will ask you one last time, are you truly going to break off the engagement with me?” I slowly raised my head and met her eyes, my gaze firmer than ever before. “Without question. I will accept neither this engagement nor this ridiculous agreement.” 0

The scene was terrifyingly quiet. Mandy probably never imagined in her dreams that I would give up so decisively, and her face flushed bright red, mostly from the anger of being unable to save face. Just when she did not know how to end the situation, Vincent beside her gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and comforted her softly. “Sweetheart, do not be angry because of someone like him. It is perfect if he leaves, because we will never need this eyesore of a cover between us again.” My fiancée leaned into his arms and nodded, but there was still some worry in her eyes. “But Vincent… the invitations have already been sent out, and with so many guests watching, where will I put my face if we suddenly announce that the engagement is canceled? Where will the Young family put its face?” Vincent glanced at me with ill intent, then lowered his head and spoke to Mandy in a gentle but clear voice loud enough for the people around us to hear. “Babe, what is there to be afraid of? As long as you insist on choosing me, Mr. Young will understand in the end. We have been together for so long, and how much have I done for you and for the Young family? How could a fiancé with nothing but an empty title compare to someone as caring, attentive, and capable as me?” He extended a few fingers, not to show any money trail, but as a gesture of comfort and promise. “Besides, haven’t I been the one helping your father handle several of the Young family’s recent major deals? What I can give the Young family is far more than this kid ever could. In the future, we can be together openly, and the Young family will be better off too.” Mandy lifted her head and looked at Vincent, her eyes showing dependence and love. “You’re right… Vincent, you are still the one who understands me. Then you… are you really willing to stay with me forever and help my dad manage the family business?” Vincent looked at her affectionately and vowed with certainty. “Of course! Everything I have is yours. My heart and my body have belonged to you for a long time. Your family business is naturally our future too.” Seeing this scene in front of me, I finally understood completely. It turned out that this absurd agreement was a shackle this man and woman had created in order to completely exclude me and allow Vincent, this so-called “insider,” to permanently control the situation. He wanted not only the woman, but also to use this relationship to gradually control the Young family’s business. It was just a pity for the Young family’s heiress, who was so blinded by love that she had no idea where she was being led. “That is enough.” “Miss Young, although I have already broken off the engagement with you, isn’t this impatient display from you and your ‘capable assistant’ a little too ugly?” As I spoke, I raised a hand and pointed at Vincent, who was holding her tightly. “Right now, I only want to know one thing: which one of you came up with this agreement that treats me as invisible and even requires me to remain respectful toward your assistant?” Based on what I knew of Mandy, although she was arrogant and domineering, her brain might not have been capable of drafting such detailed and controlling clauses. In this, Vincent had “contributed greatly.” However, her expression at this moment just happened to confirm the guess in my heart, because the way she looked at Vincent was full of complete trust and reliance. “What does it matter whose idea it was? This was a joint decision made by me and Vincent! You are an outsider, so what right do you have to question it?” “You need to keep your word. Didn’t you just say you wanted to cancel the engagement? Now you are asking questions left and right, so are you trying to go back on it?” I raised an eyebrow lightly and let out a cold laugh. “Go back on it? You think far too highly of yourselves.” “I just wonder what your father would think, Miss Young, if he knew that his capable assistant was planning how to sideline his future son-in-law and even further control his family business.” Halfway through, I turned my head and looked at Vincent beside her. “Or, Mr. Vincent, does Mr. Young know about this affectionate performance and long-term plan of yours?” For Mr. Young’s sake, I had wanted to wake up this foolish woman, but who knew she would not appreciate it at all and would instead act like a cat whose tail had been stepped on? “Carter, I am warning you, stop trying to drive a wedge between us!” “Vincent is loyal to me and to our Young family! Weren’t you the one who swore you wanted to cut ties with me just now? What, now that you see Vincent treating me well, you are jealous? Regretful?” After hearing those words from her, the last shred of pity in my heart disappeared. The Young family had at least been a powerful force in the business world for so many years, so how had they produced such an idiot who was being played in the palm of her lover’s hand? “Kid, did you hear that? You are not welcome here, and Mandy does not need a fiancé like you. If you know what is good for you, hurry up and get lost!” Vincent stared at me with a provocative expression, his arm tightening around Mandy as he declared his ownership. I merely smiled faintly, my gaze sweeping toward the door. “It is still uncertain who should get lost.” “But before I invite the two of you out of my sight, I would like to see what you, Vincent… actually amount to without the status of the Young family’s future son-in-law.” As soon as I finished speaking, the door to the lounge was pushed open, and it was not someone Vincent had arranged, but Michael Young’s butler, who glanced inside nervously before bowing and stepping aside. Michael Young himself was standing at the door with a livid face. 0

“Sir!” The butler reminded him in a low voice. Michael Young ignored everyone else, his gaze first pausing briefly on me as he nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then locking fiercely onto Vincent, who was still holding his daughter, with fire almost shooting from his eyes. When Vincent saw Michael Young, he instinctively released the arm wrapped around Mandy, but there was not much fear on his face, and instead, he carried a hidden, almost provocative smugness as he nodded at Michael Young. “Mr. Young, you’re here. Perfect timing, Miss Mandy and Mr. Carter have a small misunderstanding between them, and we need you to make the decision.” Michael Young jogged all the way over to me, then bowed slightly. “I am sorry, Mr. Carter, I am late. What… is going on here?” I raised my hand in a slight supporting gesture, my tone calm. “Mr. Young, you came at just the right time. Half an hour ago, I just broke off the engagement with your daughter. The reason is that she and your assistant, Mr. Vincent, jointly drafted a ‘marriage agreement,’ and I find it unacceptable.” Before Michael Young could even digest those words, Mandy beside him violently shook off Vincent’s hand as he tried to comfort her and shrieked. “Dad! Don’t listen to his nonsense! This kid doesn’t know what’s good for him, and I asked him to sign the agreement for everyone’s sake, but he actually dared call off the engagement with me! He even slandered Vincent!” I looked up at her and spoke coldly. “Miss Young, slander? Do I need to read Article Ninety-Eight aloud in front of Mr. Young? ‘The husband must acknowledge that the wife’s relationship with Mr. Vincent takes priority’—is this the kind of clause a ‘loyal’ assistant should write in, or is it a power claim from an ambitious lover?” Michael Young’s face instantly turned deathly pale, and he suddenly turned to look at Vincent, his voice trembling with anger. “Vincent! That agreement… you drafted it? And this clause… you and my daughter…” Vincent stepped forward and actually managed to remain calm. “Mr. Young, please listen to my explanation. This agreement… is for Miss Mandy’s good, and also for the stability of the Young family. Mr. Carter is an outsider after all, so setting some rules in advance avoids trouble later. Miss Mandy and I… we truly love each other. I can take better care of her, and I can also better assist you in managing the Young family.” “Truly love each other? Assist me?” Michael Young shook all over with rage. “So the two of you joined hands to draft this humiliating agreement and drive away the honored guest I worked so hard to invite? Vincent, I treated you well, and you actually dared… actually dared covet my daughter and interfere in the Young family’s marriage arrangements!” Seeing this, Mandy hurriedly stood in front of Vincent to protect him. “Dad! Why are you yelling at Vincent! I asked him to draft it! I am the one who likes him! What is so good about that Carter guy? He is some poor kid from who knows where, and in what way is he more thoughtful or capable than Vincent?” “You… shut up!” Michael Young pointed at his daughter, his fingers trembling. “You idiot! Do you know who he is?!” “I don’t care who he is!” Mandy stiffened her neck. “In any case, I want to be with Vincent! This engagement must be canceled today!” Vincent also seized the chance to put on a helpless yet affectionate expression. “Mr. Young, I know my status is low and that I am not worthy of Miss Mandy. But my feelings for Mandy are real, and my loyalty to the Young family is also real. As long as you agree, I will definitely…” “Enough!” I finally spoke and interrupted his clumsy performance. I looked at Michael Young, who was so angry he was about to faint, and my tone was icy. “Mr. Young, it seems your daughter and your capable assistant have already made a ‘thorough’ plan for your family business and future. Since that is the case, I will not disturb you further. The engagement is canceled, and from now on, our two families are even.” With that, I turned to leave. “Mr. Carter! Please wait!” Michael Young hurriedly shouted, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He knew better than anyone what offending the Kosa family meant. That was not business damage. That was destruction. “Wait? What else is there to say?” I stopped, but did not turn back. “Does Mr. Young also think that agreement was fair and reasonable? Or do you also think your assistant is more suited than me to become your son-in-law and take charge of your future family business?” “No! That is not it! Mr. Carter, this is all a misunderstanding! My daughter is ignorant and was deceived by a villain!” Michael Young was so anxious that his voice changed pitch, and he glared fiercely at Vincent. “You traitor! Get out! From this moment on, you are fired! Get out of the Young family!” The calm on Vincent’s face finally cracked, and he had not expected Michael Young to show him so little mercy. But he still forced himself to hold on, because he knew he controlled many of the Young family’s internal affairs and secrets, and that was his final bargaining chip. “Mr. Young, you cannot do this! I have made great contributions to the Young family! I know a lot about the Young family’s…” He did not finish his sentence, but the threat in his words was already obvious. Mandy also screamed. “Dad! You cannot drive Vincent away! Without him, there are many deals you cannot handle! If you drive him away, I will leave with him!” The scene completely spun out of control, and an ugly family farce was displayed vividly in front of all the guests.

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My wife said she was allergic to semen, so every time we reached the final moment, she made me take care of myself. But she was willing to swallow her lovers’ stuff. In seven years of marriage, she took exactly twenty-nine lovers. The thirtieth young man sat naked in the middle of the studio while Vivian Blake focused on drawing a nude sketch of him. When I pushed the door open, the sound of charcoal scraping against paper stopped dead. “Isn’t drawing outside enough for you? You had to bring him home to draw him?” Vivian did not even lift her head as she pulled a palm-sized sticky note from beside the easel, scribbled a few strokes on it, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it at my feet. “There, I made up your drawing.” That night, the light in the studio stayed on until after midnight. Early the next morning, Vivian was furious at my indifference. But she had forgotten that we had an agreement: every time she made me angry, she had to paint a portrait of me. Once the portraits reached one hundred, we would get divorced. The sticky note she drew with an eyebrow pencil last night was the ninety-ninth.

“Ethan, go get Liam something to wear.” Vivian sat on the bed half-wrapped in a robe, lit a cigarette, and ordered me around. Clothes were scattered all over the floor, as if telling the story of how intense last night had been. I stood still and glanced at her. Liam Hayes, wrapped in the blanket, looked at me with a bright smile. “Ms. Blake, this doesn’t seem right, does it? He is Mr. Cole, after all.” He called me “Mr. Cole,” but there was not a trace of guilt in his tone, only smugness and provocation. The blanket slipped a little with his movement, revealing skin covered in red marks. “Besides, I’m afraid Mr. Cole won’t have anything that fits me!” My face was blank as I turned and walked toward the door. “Ethan! I’m talking to you!” Her voice came from behind me, carrying a hint of displeasure. I paused, but I did not look back. “If he needs clothes, he can get them himself. I have things to do.” In seven years, I had rarely gone against her. Whether she made it obvious or only hinted at it, I almost never refused anything she asked me to do. Today was the first time. “What did you say?” Vivian was clearly not used to my cold attitude, and anger crept into her voice. “You have things to do? What could you possibly have to do? You stay home every day and don’t even work for money!” “Ethan, you’d better remember this. If I hadn’t married you, how could you have ever lived like this on your own?” She was right. If I had not married her, I really would not have had this comfortable life with no worries about food or clothes. But she had forgotten that this was not the life I wanted. Back then, my family’s company had just run into trouble. Walter, the old butler who had taken care of me since I was young, told me that because the cash flow had broken, the family business was on the verge of bankruptcy. If we could not find someone to invest, the old employees who had followed us for years would have nowhere to go. It was at that moment that Vivian appeared. She gave me one condition: marry her, and she would inject capital into my family’s company. I hesitated. She saw my hesitation, tapped her brush against the easel, and added in a tone that gave me no room to refuse. “How about this? I have a bad temper, so if I make you angry in the future, I’ll paint you a portrait.” “When I’ve painted one hundred of them, our debt will be cleared.” After we got married, I never hoped for love. Sure enough, it did not take long before I discovered that she had chosen me only because I resembled someone she could not forget. The first portrait was delivered in the third month of our marriage. The technique was exquisite. Starting with the twentieth portrait, there was no frame. Starting with the fiftieth portrait, it became a sketch. Starting with the eightieth portrait, it was only a few careless strokes. The one she drew with an eyebrow pencil on a sticky note last night was the ninety-ninth. In the drawer of my study, ninety-eight portraits were stacked neatly. From serious to careless, they recorded her journey from slight guilt to complete indifference. Just then, Liam walked out of the walk-in closet wearing an off-white casual outfit. I froze for a moment. At that instant, he looked too much like that person. It seemed he had come prepared. Vivian’s gaze fixed on him. Perhaps because of that familiar shadow, she was not as casual as usual and actually stared for a second before saying, “Not bad. Keep that style.” Liam’s smile grew wider. “Really? Then Ms. Blake has to take me out later and buy me a few more outfits.” Vivian nodded. He glanced at me and deliberately asked, “Mr. Cole should come too, right?” I knew he wanted to embarrass me. “No, I have things to do.” But Vivian frowned. “You’re coming too. Don’t make me say it twice.” I knew this was not the time to clash with her head-on. I did not argue again and answered in a low voice. I would endure it one more time. Once I collected the hundredth perfunctory “portrait,” I would be free.

Vivian booked an entire floor of an art gallery. She stood beside Liam and watched him pose. In a gentle tone I had never heard from her before, she said, “That angle is good.” Liam smiled and adjusted his pose. “If Ms. Blake paints me, it’ll definitely be worth a lot.” The corner of his eye swept toward me, full of provocation. The gallery manager flattered him. “Mr. Hayes really has such artistic presence.” Vivian did not deny it. The manager looked at me. “And this gentleman is…?” Vivian seemed to have only just remembered me. “He’s with us. Ethan, take a look too.” The manager exclaimed, “You’re even this kind to your assistant. Ms. Blake, you’re so considerate.” I said nothing and continued replying to emails on my phone. I had already handled my family’s affairs. “I’ll look at that one.” I casually pointed at a landscape painting. “Then I like that one too,” Liam immediately said. I frowned. “Go look over there.” “I’m just looking.” He suddenly turned sideways, jabbed his elbow into my ribs, and tripped me with his foot. I stumbled backward and crashed into the base of a metal sculpture. The edge scraped across my arm and back, burning with pain. I also hit the glass cabinet beside it, and the replica sculptures inside shattered all over the floor. Vivian rushed over, her face dark. Liam retreated to a safe distance, covered the back of his hand that had “accidentally” brushed against some broken plaster, and frowned. “Is Mr. Cole upset? If you don’t want me to look, I won’t look. Why did you have to push me?” He held out his hand, where there was a barely visible red mark on the back. Vivian immediately held his hand, her face full of distress. “How did this happen? Does it hurt?” She glared at me. “Ethan! Are you really that petty? Was it worth it over one painting?” I braced myself against the base and tried to stand, but my wound hurt and blood was seeping out. I opened my mouth. “I didn’t. He was the one who—” “You’re still making excuses?” she cut me off, not seeing my miserable state. “It’s always like this with you!” She held Liam’s hand and comforted him softly. “Don’t be scared. I’ll take you to a doctor.” Liam leaned against her and frowned pitifully. “Will it affect my painting?” “No. I’ll take you to the best doctor.” She supported him and turned to leave. When she passed me, she did not stop, only threw me one cold sentence. “I’ll make up a drawing for you later.” Then she left without looking back. She left me behind with the mess all over the floor. The “makeup drawing” promised in the gallery should be the hundredth one.

I endured the pain and went to a private medical center. The doctor prepared to treat my wounds. “There’s debris in the wound, so we’ll need to clean it out. We’ll use some anesthetic first…” Vivian rushed in, holding the best antibiotic ointment. “Doctor, use this ointment on Liam first! His hand can’t get infected!” “But Ms. Blake, Mr. Cole’s wound is deeper…” “What does he have to be afraid of?” Vivian impatiently interrupted the doctor, only then noticing the blood on me and frowning. “Just bandage him up however you can first. Liam’s hand is the hand he uses to paint!” The doctor looked at me helplessly. I said, “Use it on him.” The doctor sighed and left with the ointment. I turned to the nurse. “Just clean it directly. No anesthetic.” The nurse froze. “But without anesthetic, it will hurt a lot…” “It’s fine.” The tweezers probed into the wound and pulled out the debris. Every time, it felt like a branding iron searing my flesh. I clenched my teeth and did not make a sound. When it was over, the nurse’s hands were shaking, and she whispered, “You… really can endure pain.” I said nothing. After my wounds were treated, I went home. The kitchen smelled of soup. The housekeeper saw me and avoided my eyes. “Sir, Ms. Blake asked me to make soup for Mr. Hayes, and I have to go over there to take care of him for the next few days.” She looked at my arm wrapped in gauze and paused. “There’s still a little left in the pot. Would you like some?” I tugged at the corner of my mouth. “No.” Even a housekeeper knew to ask. But my wife, who had shared my bed for seven years, had not even noticed how badly I was hurt. My phone vibrated. It was a confidential message from the family lawyer. “Everything is in place. Ready for handover at any time.” I replied to confirm and booked the earliest flight overseas for the next morning. No one was home. I quickly packed my luggage. Standing in the middle of the bedroom, I looked at the place where I had lived for seven years. It would be a lie to say I felt no attachment. But more than that, I felt relief. I called her one last time. It rang for a long time before she picked up, and Liam’s voice was in the background, crying out in pain. Her voice was full of impatience. “Ethan? What do you want now? Liam is still hurting!” I was silent for two seconds. “Nothing.” “Ridiculous.” She hung up. I listened to the busy tone and put down my phone. I walked to the study and opened the locked drawer. Ninety-eight “portraits” were stacked in chronological order. The one on top was the smiley face she had drawn with lipstick on a napkin three months ago. I put them into a document envelope. Then I took out the divorce agreement, signed my name, and placed it on the desk in the study. I did not leave a note. The day the hundredth painting arrived would be the day the agreement officially took effect. I dragged my suitcase out and checked into a hotel near the airport. That night was very quiet. She sent no messages and made no calls. The hundredth painting did not come either. That was fine too.

The next day, I boarded the plane and turned off my phone. As the plane shot into the clouds, something in my heart that had been pressed down for seven years collapsed with a roar. After I passed through customs, a woman in a sharp suit was waiting with a sign. “Mr. Cole, welcome. I’m Olivia Reed, your special assistant.” She took my carry-on and spoke as we walked. “The car is waiting. You have a video conference in one hour, an inspection of the tech park this afternoon, and a welcome dinner tonight.” Her professionalism and efficiency reminded me of myself seven years ago. “I didn’t expect you to be so young.” After we got into the car, she looked at me through the rearview mirror. “From your file, I thought you’d be more serious.” I smiled faintly. The car drove onto the highway. The moment my phone was turned on, it vibrated dozens of times in a row, all missed calls and messages from Vivian. I did not read them and deleted them directly. Olivia looked at me through the rearview mirror. “Do you need to handle personal matters first?” “No,” I said. “They’re not important.” My phone rang again. I picked up. “Ethan! Are you insane?! Where did you go?! Come back right now!” Vivian’s voice was shrill with rage. I said calmly, “Ms. Blake, there is nothing left to say between us.” “Nothing left to say?! You are my husband! Get back here right now!” “We haven’t reached one hundred paintings yet.” My tone had no fluctuation. “When your hundredth ‘portrait’ is delivered, the divorce agreement will officially take effect. Before that, legally, maybe I still am. But in reality, we’re even.” “Ethan, you—!” I hung up and blocked her. Olivia spoke. “Mr. Cole, your residence is a lakeside penthouse. I think you’ll like it.” I looked out the window as the setting sun dyed the clouds gold and red. “Good,” I said.

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Finn broke up with me nine times because of Nevaeh, his adopted sister. The first time we broke up, I lost my mind and threw all his luggage out the door. The third time, I begged him to leave his bags, terrified he would never come back. By the eighth time, I was packing my own things in absolute silence, asking no questions. Every single time, he would return right on schedule, and we would get back together. Until this time, when he asked for a breakup once again for Nevaeh’s sake. He said, “This is just to calm Nevaeh down. We’ll get back together in a month.” I just smiled and didn’t reply. He had no idea that this time, I had decided to leave for good. And he would never find me again. *** ### “We’ll get back together in a month.” Finn ended our relationship with practiced ease, his voice smooth and comforting. When I agreed, I felt absolutely nothing. I didn’t even have the energy to argue. “Chloe.” Finn frowned, clearly annoyed by my silence. He repeated himself. “Oh. Okay.” I stopped packing my suitcase and looked back at him with a sigh. Finn was a man of his word. Every time we broke up, he would give me an exact date for when we would get back together. He had only lied to me once. It was on the night we officially decided to be together. He held me close and whispered, “You’re the only one I’ll ever love.” Men who talk too sweet can never be trusted. He seemed surprised by how calm I was. After all, during our previous breakups, I would completely lose control, crying my eyes out in front of him. “So, I’ll pack my things and move out this time…” Finn was still trying to find the right words, but I cut him off. “No need. I’ll move out. I’ve already packed most of my things.” A look of utter shock flashed across his face. The first time we broke up, I lost my mind and threw all his luggage out of the house. The third time, I begged him to leave his bags, terrified he would never come back. By the eighth time, I was packing my own things in absolute silence, asking no questions. My meltdowns, my begging, my obedience. All of it had bought me his promise to return. Along with the inevitable breakup that followed. Three days ago, Finn had handed me a gift. It was a deep blue velvet box. Inside was a diamond key pendant necklace from Tiffany. It was incredibly expensive—his usual way of buying off his guilt. I had forced a smile, though my heart was aching. In all our years together, Finn rarely gave me sweet moments. Every sudden gesture of affection was always a warning sign of the pain about to follow. That night, unable to sleep, I heard him talking on the balcony. His voice was low, but every word was crystal clear: “…I know. I’ll talk to her tomorrow… Nevaeh, please don’t be like this. You know you’ll always be the most important person in my life.” It reminded me of a few nights ago when I went to a bar to pick him up. I overheard him talking to his friends: “…I care about Chloe, but she’s strong and independent. She understands me… Nevaeh is my only family. I can’t lose her.” His friend asked, “So you still love Nevaeh, even though you’re with Chloe?” Finn was silent for a moment before replying, “Yes. I love her.” In that single second, the suffocating pain I had carried for years suddenly vanished. It was never about his responsibility as a brother. He was just using me as a placeholder while carefully loving another woman. Shaking my head, I snapped out of the memory. Under Finn’s heavy, unreadable gaze, I finished packing my bags. As I rolled my suitcase toward the door, I was already planning my permanent escape. Behind me, Finn spoke in a formal, reminding tone. “Chloe. In one month, we get back together.” I didn’t look back. I just waved my hand to show I heard him. What a coincidence. My flight out of the country was also booked for exactly one month from now. *** ###

After moving out of Finn’s apartment, I checked into a condo my parents had left me. Just like during our previous breakups, Finn didn’t reach out to me once. I had only twenty days left before leaving the country. Today, I was meeting my best friend, Joyce, at a trendy new brunch spot downtown. She was passionately trash-talking Finn before she paused and looked at me carefully. “I saw the photos Finn and Nevaeh posted on Instagram. They’re at a winery in Napa Valley.” I remained silent. I suddenly realized that during our past breakups, I would obsessively refresh Finn and Nevaeh’s social media like a masochist. Except for this time. Seeing my silence, Joyce asked gently, “Are you guys broken up again?” In our social circle, Joyce was the only one who knew about our constant cycle of breaking up and getting back together. “Yeah. We’re done.” Joyce sighed and flooded me with comforting words. I smiled, preparing to tell her about my plans to move abroad. But before the words could leave my mouth, I spotted Finn standing near the restaurant entrance, waiting for a table. “Chloe.” He called out to me instinctively. Nevaeh was clinging to his arm, looking incredibly sweet as she greeted me. “Chloe! What a coincidence. Are you here to see Finn?” She really was beautiful. No wonder Finn could never let her go. In the past, whenever we ran into each other like this, I would glare at Nevaeh as if she were my mortal enemy. Finn shot me a intense look, instinctively stepping in front of Nevaeh to shield her. I held Joyce back before she could start a fight and smiled. “Just celebrating some good news with a nice lunch.” Joyce chimed in right on cue: “Exactly! Dumping a toxic guy and finally getting appreciated by someone who actually has good taste. I’d say that’s worth celebrating, wouldn’t you?” I gave Joyce a playful nudge, but deep down, I completely agreed. Finn opened his mouth to speak, but seeing the happy banter between Joyce and me, he remained silent. We were led to different sections of the restaurant. Joyce whispered to me that Finn, seated across the room, kept looking in our direction. I just hummed in response, assuming it was nothing but guilt. “I’m so sorry, ladies,” the waiter said apologetically as Joyce tried to order. “Our chef’s special slow-cooked lamb shank is sold out for the day.” The waiter added, “The last portion was reserved by that lady over there. She’s a regular, and Mr. Collins always makes sure we save the daily specials for her.” Right then, Nevaeh’s soft laughter drifted over. I looked over and saw her naturally cutting a small piece of steak from Finn’s plate. She smiled at him and said, “Finn, yours is cooked perfectly. It’s exactly how I like it.” I smiled, turned back, and ordered something else with Joyce. Then, I pulled the Tiffany diamond necklace Finn had given me out of my bag and handed it to Joyce. “Here, this is for you. Consider it compensation for the lamb shank you didn’t get.” Just then, Finn and Nevaeh rose to leave, walking right past our table. Finn’s eyes locked onto the sparkling diamond necklace in Joyce’s hands. Joyce hesitated, “Chloe, this is way too expensive!…” “Just take it,” I interrupted with a wink. “It’ll look perfect with that new dress of yours, don’t you think?” *** ###

With only ten days left, I handed in my resignation to my boss. After work that day, I walked back to my apartment feeling a mix of relief and nostalgia. Just as I pulled my keys out of my bag, a figure stepped out from the shadows of the stairwell. “Chloe, it’s me.” Finn looked exhausted. I immediately took a step back, maintaining my distance. “What are you doing here?” I made no effort to hide my annoyance. “How did you get in?” “Waiting for you,” Finn said shortly. “I wanted to surprise you.” I was speechless. If this were the past, coming home to find Finn waiting at my door would have been a miracle I prayed for. Now, looking at the strange, searching look in his eyes, I just felt tired. I sighed, feeling a sudden urge to just tell him the truth. But I suppressed it. I didn’t want any unnecessary drama. “You should be with Nevaeh instead of coming here. Don’t make her misunderstand.” I spoke calmly, trying to be reasonable. “Misunderstand what? We’re legally just siblings,” Finn said, ignoring the obvious reality of their dynamic. I tilted my head, looking at him, choosing not to call out his lie. “Whatever you are, I’m just the ex-girlfriend.” Even if our breakups were a joke to him, I was still the ex. Silence fell over the hallway, save for the faint hum of city traffic below. After a long pause, Finn looked up, trying to make his twisted logic sound reasonable. “I know it was wrong of me to break up with you again. But Nevaeh can’t handle you being around. I can’t trigger her. Chloe, you’re different. You’re strong. You can bounce back from anything. But she can’t. If I leave her, she’ll completely fall apart.” I turned away, feeling a sudden wave of disgust. Nevaeh couldn’t be triggered, so I deserved to be discarded nine times? With my back to him, my voice sounded muffled. “How thoughtful of you, Mr. Collins. I have nothing to say.” Finn opened his mouth to speak, but his phone started ringing. It was Nevaeh. The loud, custom ringtone sounded incredibly grating in the quiet hallway. I turned around, looked at her name flashing on the screen, and said calmly, “Go to her. We can talk about us later.” Finn looked at me, then down at his phone. Finally, he turned and walked toward the elevator. I watched his shadow disappear. Only then did I open my door, walk inside, and lock it tight. Locking away everything that had just happened, and everything from our past, behind a door he could never open again. *** ###

Time flew by. After finishing my transition at work, my departure date drew closer. Without a job and without Finn, I completely disconnected from the San Francisco social scene. My life became incredibly peaceful. Only Joyce, who knew I was leaving, would occasionally call to give me updates. She told me that after our run-in at the restaurant, Finn and Nevaeh had a massive fight, and their friends had to step in to mediate. She also mentioned that Nevaeh had publicly screamed at Finn during a dinner party, leaving him standing in the corner looking completely lost. I listened to all of it without feeling a thing. In the past, news of Finn and Nevaeh fighting was my green light to beg him for an early reconciliation. But this time, I didn’t even have the urge to look at his social media. Even when Joyce casually mentioned that Finn had been asking her about me, I didn’t care. What surprised me more was that Finn actually started calling me. I repeatedly declined his calls, a move so cold that even Joyce, who was getting a facial with me, noticed. “Is it true what they say? The more you pull away, the harder they chase?” Joyce joked, and I playfully kicked her leg. After our spa session, we sat in a café sipping tea. Joyce sighed softly. “You know, in the beginning, Finn really did treat you well.” My mind drifted back to the past. I met Finn when I was a student at Berkeley. He was eight years older than me, a rising star in the business world whom my father highly respected. When my parents moved to Europe, they asked him to look after me. Back then, the powerful Silicon Valley investor had spoiled me rotten. When I sprained my ankle during a football game, he ran down from the stands and carried me to the clinic in front of everyone. When I was crying in the library, overwhelmed by exams and worrying about my mother’s surgery, he found me and held me until I calmed down. When I bought a cheap, sketchy used car to save money and it broke down on the highway, he not only got me a full refund but made sure the shady dealer faced legal consequences. I couldn’t even point to the exact moment I fell in love with the man who protected me like a precious girl. I had openly showed him my devotion. Finn, used to pampering me, didn’t realize my feelings until I finally confessed to him. His face had turned solemn, ending in a deep sigh. “Nevaeh needs me. She can’t handle me being in a relationship.” That was the night I first learned about Nevaeh’s existence. His parents’ legally adopted daughter. The sister who “needed” him. That failed confession marked the beginning of nine years of agonizing entanglement. It wasn’t until Nevaeh went abroad for therapy that I naively confessed a second time. He answered me with a kiss, binding himself to me with a promise of a real relationship. But when Nevaeh returned and found out we were officially together, she had a complete breakdown. And Finn broke up with me for the first time. By the time the cycle of breaking up, getting back together, and breaking up again became routine, I had stopped hating Nevaeh. I started hating Finn. What did he think I was? A convenient comfort he could summon and discard whenever he pleased? If he didn’t love me, why did he keep coming back? I should have realized much earlier that our relationship was just a twisted ritual. It was his way of proving to Nevaeh, and to himself: *“I tried to love someone else, but in the end, I still belong to you.”* Snapping out of my thoughts, I cut off Joyce’s rambling. I looked down at my phone. Tomorrow, I was leaving. A sense of excitement washed over me. Let the title of “ex-girlfriend” exist for just another twenty-four hours. After that, we would be nothing but strangers. *** ###

To avoid any drama from Finn, I checked into a luxury hotel downtown for my final night. I didn’t expect Nevaeh to find me first. My phone buzzed with an incoming photo. I opened it. It was a photo of Finn and Nevaeh lying in his bed. She was wearing his button-down shirt, curled up in his chest. He was asleep, his arm naturally draped over her waist. The background was the familiar headboard of his bedroom. Then, my phone rang. Her voice was dripping with smugness. “See this, Chloe?” she said, her voice filled with triumph. “This is how we really are. You were nothing but a substitute.” I took a deep breath. After years of putting up with her games, I couldn’t believe she still thought she could hurt me with this. “Nevaeh, if you have nothing intelligent to say, keep your mouth shut.” I didn’t hold back. I was done playing the victim. “I don’t know what cheap tricks you used to get that photo, but congratulations, you win this round.” Nevaeh ignored my sarcasm, her tone suddenly dropping into frustration. “Finn broke up with you nine times just to use you as my replacement. I’m the one he loves.” My heart twinged slightly. Yes, I knew that. “But so what? Whenever I need him, he comes running back. I thought this time would be the same, but…” She paused, revealing something I had been actively trying to ignore. “But he’s been fighting with me constantly this time. He said we can’t keep doing this, that I’m just his sister. You, the little substitute, actually managed to crawl into his heart.” I didn’t buy her words, but I found it hilarious that she was actually feeling insecure. I mocked her, “So, are you scared now?” Nevaeh suddenly let out a sharp, arrogant laugh. “Scared? Chloe, are you blind? Even if he hesitates, he can never say no to me. I asked him to marry me. Want to guess if he said yes?” I sighed and hung up the phone. I always knew Nevaeh’s place in Finn’s heart. The year he carried me out of the stadium, I saw Nevaeh’s name tattooed on the inside of his wrist. The year he comforted me, he was busy texting Nevaeh to calm her down. The year he ruined that used car dealership for me, he used the family trust fund that he shared with Nevaeh. He had consumed my entire youth. But Nevaeh was a shadow he could never escape. That night, knowing Finn wouldn’t call, I still kept my eyes on my phone. I sat on the hotel sofa, staring at the screen all night. Today was supposed to be our tenth reconciliation. Instead, I was leaving. At 7:00 AM, I headed to the airport and deleted all of his social media accounts. At 8:00 AM, after passing through security, I blocked his number. At 9:00 AM, I boarded the plane. As I was deleting every photo and trace of him from my phone, including that pathetic photo from Nevaeh, my phone rang. It was Joyce. I answered. But instead of Joyce, Finn’s panicked, shaky voice came through the receiver, sounding close to tears. “Chloe, where are you?”

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After My Husband Sent Me to a Psychiatric Hospital, I Decided to Fake My Death Every time my fiancé found a mistress, I would order a male escort at a nightclub. Until I caught him and my best friend in bed, and in a frenzy, I slept with his best friend, Ethan Hayes. But after my fiancé found out, he only raised an eyebrow at Ethan Hayes in public at a business reception and said, “Have fun? How was my fiancée’s… service?” Ethan Hayes had his arm around his new date and laughed without the slightest restraint. “Not bad, just a little uptight, nowhere near as good as that influencer last time.” I completely broke down and slashed my wrist with a dinner knife in front of all the guests. After I was saved, Adrian Blackwood sent me to a sanatorium on an isolated island. After a year of electroshock therapy there, my fiancé finally came to pick me up. But he did not know that I had already forgotten how to love him. A staff member swiped open the heavy metal door. “Miss Bennett, your evaluation has been approved, and Mr. Blackwood has arrived.” I sat on the hard plank bed, looked at the helicopter parked on the lawn outside the window, and nodded. As I walked through the long, pure white corridor, I could hear the idle chatter coming from the control room behind me. “She really knew how to make trouble. With someone like Mr. Blackwood, couldn’t she just turn a blind eye?” “Exactly. He’s handsome and rich, so what’s wrong with him having a little fun once in a while? Why put herself through all this?” A year ago, those voices were nails being driven into my eardrums. Now, they were only voices. Beside the helicopter, Adrian Blackwood wore a crisp cashmere coat and stood in the early winter wind. I walked up to him. He reached out, seeming to want to tuck my windblown hair behind my ear. I moved one step ahead of him and gathered my hair myself. His hand hovered in the air for a moment before slipping back into his coat pocket. He pulled open the cabin door. “Get in.” The cabin was filled with the unfamiliar scent of expensive perfume, and on the leather seat lay a wrinkled piece of expensive women’s lingerie. Adrian Blackwood’s expression changed, and he quickly grabbed the lingerie and stuffed it into his coat pocket. “My assistant is always careless. Don’t mind it.” I smiled faintly without saying anything, because that style of lingerie was Sophia Lane’s favorite. But it was fine, because I had stopped minding long ago. I fastened my seat belt, looked out the window at the outline of the isolated island rapidly shrinking below, and smiled. “Okay.” During the flight, Adrian Blackwood looked at me several times, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on his knee. “On the island… did you adapt to the treatment?” “Mm.” I looked at the clouds. He continued, “I had the servants clean your things every day, so nothing gathered dust.” “Thank you.” He was silent for a while, then took a dark blue velvet square box from his pocket and opened it, revealing an unprecedentedly gorgeous diamond ring with a shockingly large center stone. “The wedding will be held as scheduled next month. I’ve already reserved the seaside church you like.” I did not look at the ring. “Cancel the wedding, Adrian.” He frowned, closed the box, and stuffed it into my hand. “Enough, stop throwing a tantrum. I slept with your best friend, and you slept with my best friend, so we’re even.” “The position of Mrs. Blackwood will always be yours. Be good.” I held the cold velvet box without opening it. I was not throwing a tantrum. I was just going somewhere else. A distant, quiet seaside town, with a lighthouse and waves, without him, and without pain. The helicopter landed on the helipad on the top floor of the villa. Everything was the same as always, yet everything was different. I did not walk into the room that belonged to me and him, but dragged my suitcase toward the guest room. Adrian Blackwood grabbed the handle of my suitcase. “What do you mean by this?” “The room on the island was small, and I got used to it.” I stopped without turning around. “The master bedroom is too empty, so I can’t sleep there.” I remembered the surveillance video where he held Sophia Lane’s waist on our custom water bed, while around her neck she wore the pearl necklace my mother had left me. The pain in my heart at that moment was enough to make me die once. Adrian Blackwood stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly let out a scoff and released his hand. “Suit yourself. Don’t go too far. My patience is limited.” He turned and left, his back resolute. I looked at him, and the place where my heart was felt as calm as a pool of dead water. It seemed the sanatorium’s treatment really was effective, because I had already forgotten the feeling of my heart beating for him and my emotions rising and falling with him. Late at night, I had grown used to the sanatorium’s hard plank bed, and now I was no longer used to sleeping on a soft bed. During the more than three hundred days on the island, Adrian Blackwood had not called once and had not answered a single letter. When fear soaked into my bones like ice water, I cried and begged the doctors, hitting my head against the wall, only asking them to let me call him. Once, ten times, a hundred times… There was only ever a busy tone in the receiver. Later, I stopped calling. When I got better, I no longer wanted to call either.

Feeling thirsty, I got up and went downstairs to pour some water. But I saw Adrian Blackwood on the rooftop terrace, making a phone call. His voice was not loud, but I could hear him clearly. “Do you like the ring? Mm, of course it looks good on you. It’s a gift for you, so you don’t need to thank me.” After a short pause, his tone became even gentler. “Are you settling into the new apartment? If you need anything, tell me directly.” His tone was indulgent, and that tone had once belonged only to me, but now it no longer did. I held my glass of water and stood quietly downstairs, listening for a while. I found it meaningless. I had just turned around when I heard him say, “Claire? When did you come down?” He had already hung up the phone. “Just now…” He wanted to explain, but I interrupted him. “I was thirsty, so I came down for some water. Keep going, don’t mind me.” He walked toward me and reached out as if to grab me. But I had already turned around and gone upstairs one step before him. At the corner of the staircase, I saw from the corner of my eye that his gaze had been following me the whole time. The next day, when I went downstairs for breakfast, Adrian Blackwood saw me and instinctively wanted to come over and give me a good-morning kiss. That was his habit. But this time, I took a step back and avoided his lips. His smile froze on his face, but he did not say anything. Adrian Blackwood stood up, picked up his coat, and walked outside. “I need to go out for a while.” “Okay,” I replied. He reached the door, stopped, and looked at me. “You don’t want to ask anything?” I froze for a moment. Indeed, if it were the old me, I would definitely have dug to the bottom of it. I would have asked what he was going out to do, how long he would be gone, and with whom. I did not know when I had started becoming so insecure and so afraid that he would leave me. Fortunately, I would not do that now. I spoke in a calm tone. “No.” Adrian Blackwood stood in place for a few seconds, but in the end, he said nothing. After he left, I got up and went to the room to pack my luggage. There was actually not much to take. I did not want to bring the clothes I had worn during my hospitalization, because seeing those clothes would remind me of those painful memories. I put the “Recovery Diary” I had written in the sanatorium into my suitcase, then took it out again and threw it into the trash. Every page of that diary was printed with a template, and at first I filled the “triggering event” column with “Adrian Blackwood,” then it became “none,” and the last few pages were completely blank. Adrian Blackwood came back soon, and he brought his three friends with him. They discussed company matters in the billiards room. The door was not fully closed, and I could hear their conversation from the living room. “Adrian, how are things with her?” It was Ethan Hayes. Adrian Blackwood’s voice was very calm. “Not bad.” Ethan Hayes said again, “But seriously, hasn’t that little lover of yours, Sophia Lane, been a bit too flashy lately? That ring on her hand, did you really give it to her? The style is exactly the same as the one Claire picked back then. You really have guts.”

Adrian Blackwood’s voice rang out. “As long as she likes it.” Ethan Hayes said, “Aren’t you afraid the one at home will find out? You finally got her out of the sanatorium, so don’t provoke her into going back in again.” Adrian Blackwood answered, “If she knows, she knows. She’ll make a scene for a while, then behave. It’s the same routine every time, and she never gets tired of it.” Casual and matter-of-fact. The billiards room fell silent all at once. I sat on the sofa, flipping through a book, my heart calm. Ethan Hayes came out of the billiards room, walked to the sofa, sized me up, and curled his lips into a smile. “Miss Bennett, you look much better.” I did not respond. He walked over and sat beside me. “Honestly, I still remember that night last year. You look much thinner now, so I wonder if you still feel the way you did back then.” Adrian Blackwood came out last, looked at me, and said, “There’s a party tonight. Get ready. You’ll attend with me. You’re my fiancée, understand?” “What time does it end?” I asked him. He looked a little confused, as if he did not know why I was asking that question, but he still answered, “Eleven.” My flight was at one in the morning. So I nodded, which counted as agreeing. Ethan Hayes laughed. At the party, Adrian Blackwood brought me around to socialize and introduced me to others. In truth, he did not need to introduce me, because that farce back then had caused such a huge stir that everyone remembered I had once been a madwoman who slept with her fiancé’s friend and was personally sent away by her fiancé. Those people piled smiles on their faces for Adrian Blackwood, but when they looked at me, there was something else in their eyes, as if they pitied me. I smiled politely and did not care. “Adrian.” Sophia Lane’s sickly sweet voice came over. She naturally walked to Adrian Blackwood’s side, hooked her right hand around his arm, and the diamond ring on her ring finger was glaring under the lights. “Thank you.” Adrian Blackwood’s expression was normal, and he even smiled gently at her. “As long as you like it.” It was as if I did not exist at all. I felt a little nauseated, so I withdrew the hand that had been holding Adrian Blackwood’s arm. “I’m going to the restroom.” Adrian Blackwood lowered his voice by my ear. “If you really want to make a scene, wait until we get home. Don’t make trouble on this kind of occasion, understand? Come back quickly.” I hummed in agreement and looked at my pale face in the mirror, overlapping with the shadow of myself in a hospital gown at the sanatorium in my memory. I slowly pulled out a perfect smile at the mirror, then turned and left. When I came out of the restroom, I saw Ethan Hayes smoking in a corner. When he saw me, he started talking and blew out a smoke ring. “Look at you. Are you forcing yourself to hold it together? Jealous again, aren’t you? Sophia really is something. She had to wear that ring out to show off. If she provokes you into going crazy again later, she’ll be happy.”

I walked straight past him. I returned to Adrian Blackwood’s side. Adrian Blackwood looked down at me, satisfaction in his eyes. His body smelled of Sophia Lane’s perfume, and I did not know what they had done during the time I was away just now. But none of it mattered anymore. I glanced at my phone, and there was still half an hour until ten. Adrian Blackwood lowered his head and said by my ear, “The wedding will be held next month. I’ve looked at a few venues, and when we get home tonight, I’ll have my assistant send you the information so you can choose.” I looked at him. “I already said it. Forget about the wedding.” There was a hint of warning in his voice. “There should be a limit to your temper tantrums. I said the position of Mrs. Blackwood will always be yours. What else do you want from me? Do you want me to get down on my knees and beg you?” He was a little impatient and took my indifference as me making trouble. “I don’t want you to do anything,” I said. “I just won’t marry you anymore.” “Enough.” He said coldly, “Do I have to send you away again before you’ll come to your senses? Don’t be so ungrateful.” I took a deep breath. “You still think I’m throwing a tantrum, don’t you?” “What else?” He sneered. “Isn’t it just because of Sophia? How many times have you sulked at me over this already?” I wanted to say that I really did not care anymore. But before I could say it, Sophia Lane walked over again. She “accidentally” spilled wine on the front of her dress, let out a delicate cry, and fell smoothly into Adrian Blackwood’s arms as he walked over. “Adrian, I think I drank too much.” She leaned softly against Adrian Blackwood, and the hand wearing the ring wrapped tightly around Adrian Blackwood’s neck. Adrian Blackwood frowned, but he did not push her away, and instead wiped her with a handkerchief. She lifted her eyelids and glanced at me, clearly not drunk and clearly provoking me. Ethan Hayes looked toward me, as if waiting to watch a good show. Adrian Blackwood held Sophia Lane by the waist, his brows furrowed, but he did not push her away and instead glanced at me. If it were the old me, I would already have gone crazy and rushed forward to hit someone. But the current me only said calmly, “Since Miss Lane isn’t feeling well, you should take her home.” Adrian Blackwood’s expression seemed a little ugly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Sophia Lane interrupted him. “Adrian, take me home, okay? My head is so dizzy. I only want you to take me, just like before, okay?” Adrian Blackwood hesitated for a while, then said to me, “Go home first and wait for me. I’ll come find you right after I take her home. Don’t make trouble, be good, and wait for me to come back.” I smiled and nodded. “Okay.” Adrian Blackwood picked Sophia Lane up in his arms and left under everyone’s gaze. Ethan Hayes clapped as he walked over and sized me up from head to toe. “Damn, Miss Bennett, which sanatorium did you go to that worked so well?” “Did you really change, or are you holding back something big?” I ignored him, turned around, and walked straight outside. Ethan Hayes’s voice came from behind me. “Are you really going home obediently? Not waiting for Adrian to come back and coax you?” I did not pause, and I did not turn back. I called a car, went home first to get my luggage, and then went to the airport. I boarded the plane and switched my phone to airplane mode. I slept, and it felt like I slept for a long time. After waking up, I got off the plane. I turned off airplane mode. Almost instantly, my phone vibrated violently.

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