Category: English

At my engagement party, my fiancé was suddenly replaced by five identical-looking strangers. “Chloe, aren’t you face-blind? If you can find me among them, the wedding goes on as planned.” Tristan’s voice dripped with cold amusement from the recording playing in my earpiece. “But if you guess wrong, the wedding is off. I don’t want a wife who can only recognize her husband by sniffing his clothes like a dog.” I stood there, clutching the bouquet. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the faces of the five men standing in front of me. Because I knew, without a doubt, that Tristan was not among them. Just as I was about to make an excuse to slip away, the audio file automatically played the next clip. “Tristan, if Chloe finds out you ditched her own engagement party to get a marriage certificate with Sienna, won’t she…” a friend’s voice asked on the recording. Tristan interrupted him, his tone sharp and impatient. “Sienna has late-stage cancer. Her last wish in this life is to marry me. How could I say no to her?” “As for Chloe? She’s been chasing me for ten years. She’s too obsessed with me to ever break up over something like this.” My heart shattered. The white roses in my hands slipped through my fingers, scattering across the polished floor. So, from the very beginning, Tristan never intended to marry me. If that was the case, I would gladly step aside. I raised my hand and pointed directly at one of the five men. “Excuse me,” I said, my voice shaking but clear. “Would you marry me instead?”

The banquet hall erupted into a frenzy of whispers. The man I pointed at froze. Then, a low chuckle escaped his lips as the other four men quickly backed away. “Miss Vance, I am definitely not Tristan.” I lowered my gaze, digging my fingernails deep into my palms. “I know…” “But can you help me play along? I will pay you. Once this is over, if you want a divorce, I will agree immediately.” The man stared at me for a long beat. Then, he pulled a sleek diamond ring from his pocket and slowly, deliberately, slid it onto my ring finger. “Deal,” he whispered. He leaned down, his voice brushing against my ear. “But as for the payment… I’ll decide the price later.” A strange, inexplicably familiar scent drifted from him, but my mind was too chaotic to place it. “The wedding will be in seven days. I’ll pick you up then.” I blinked in surprise, but nodded anyway. After all, the sooner this nightmare ended, the better. By the time I managed to escape the prying questions of the guests, night had fallen. I returned to the penthouse I shared with Tristan. As expected, it was dead silent. He hadn’t come home. I let out a long sigh, massaging my aching legs, and collapsed onto the sofa. I figured I should at least let him know. In seven days, I was getting married too. I unlocked my phone. Tristan hadn’t replied to a single one of my Snapchats. With trembling fingers, I opened Instagram. A bright red marriage certificate flashed on my screen, burning my eyes. Sienna had posted it. “My days are numbered, but at least I get to stand by his side as his wife at the very end. No regrets.” In the photo, Tristan was smiling so gently, his eyes crinkled with warmth, though the rims were slightly red, as if he had just cried. The screen went dark, then lit up again. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, it was real. Sienna—my once best friend who had fled to Europe three years ago after her family went bankrupt—was now Tristan’s wife. Suddenly, a loud, frantic knocking rattled the front door. I quickly grabbed a tissue, wiped my tears, and dragged my exhausted body to open it. Tristan stood on the threshold. Rainwater was dripping from his hair, but his arms were wrapped tightly around someone else. “Chloe! There are bags in the trunk. Hurry up and bring them up for me!” Before I could even speak, Tristan pushed past me, carrying Sienna up the stairs toward the master bedroom. By the time I dragged the last heavy suitcase inside, I was soaked to the bone and shivering violently from the cold. “Chloe, thank you so much for bringing our bags up. You must be freezing.” I snapped my head up. A sickeningly sweet scent of expensive perfume hit my nose. Sienna’s face was painted pale, but her makeup was flawless. Not a single strand of her hair was wet. She held out a warm mug of cocoa toward me. “Drink this quickly. We don’t want you catching a cold.” Tristan frowned, immediately guiding Sienna to sit on the sofa. “Don’t worry about her. A little rain won’t kill her. Sit down, Sienna. I’ll make you some porridge in a minute.” My hand trembled, spilling some of the hot cocoa onto my skin. It burned, leaving a bright red mark on my wrist. Did I have to be dying to deserve his concern? Or was I just not worth it to him? “Chloe, there’s something I need to tell you,” Tristan said, holding Sienna as if she were a fragile glass doll that would shatter at any moment. “Sienna has terminal cancer.” “For the short time she has left, we are going to take care of her.” I stood frozen, holding the mug like a statue. “When… when did you get diagnosed?” My voice was so hoarse I barely recognized it. Sienna coughed weakly into a tissue. “Just this month. It was detected very late.” “I wasn’t going to tell you. I didn’t want to ruin your engagement party.” “But the pain became too much, and I didn’t have anyone else to turn to in Europe. So I called Tristan. I didn’t expect him to fly over and drop everything. Chloe, you aren’t mad, are you?” Watching Sienna lean weakly against Tristan’s chest felt completely surreal. When we were sixteen, Sienna was the one who encouraged me to chase Tristan. She helped me lose weight, taught me how to do my makeup, and planned “accidental” run-ins for us. And now, in less than twenty-four hours, she had married him behind my back, leaving me to be ridiculed at my own engagement party. Tristan let out a cold snort. “Mad? What right does she have to be mad?” “She couldn’t even recognize her own fiancé at the party. Does a woman like that even have the right to get angry?” The memory of the humiliation from this morning flashed in my mind, making my knuckles turn white. “So… you two got married?”

Sienna suddenly choked on her drink. “Tristan… I… I was just so happy. I forgot to hide my Instagram post from Chloe.” “It’s fine. She was going to find out sooner or later anyway,” Tristan said, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. “Chloe, since you already know, I won’t lie to you.” He lifted Sienna’s left hand, showing off their matching platinum wedding bands. “Sienna and I are legally married. For her remaining days, I will stand by her as her husband.” “Okay,” I said. My voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. Tristan blinked, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. “But I also have something to tell you,” I continued, looking him dead in the eye. “I’m getting married too.” The living room fell into a dead silence. “You? Married?” Tristan’s lips curled into a mocking smirk. “Do you even know which man you’re marrying?” “It doesn’t matter. He recognizes me. And he doesn’t play sick games to test me.” Hearing this, Tristan burst into a harsh laugh. “Stop playing around, Chloe. You’ve been obsessed with me for ten years. Is there even another man in your life?” “You don’t even have the social skills to meet anyone else. How are you going to get married? By spraying them with perfume so you can sniff your way to the altar?” Sienna piped up in a soft, patronizing voice. “Chloe, I know you’re hurting, but you shouldn’t lie about something like this…” Tristan waved his hand dismissively, picking Sienna up in his arms. “Chloe, I am Sienna’s husband now. So, you’ll be sleeping in the guest room tonight.” “No, Tristan, please,” Sienna protested weakly, clinging to his neck. “I’m dying anyway. I don’t want to ruin your relationship. I’ll just sleep on the couch.” Tristan only held her tighter. “Sienna, you are my legal wife. This penthouse is your home. The mistress of the house does not sleep on the couch.” With that, he walked straight into the master bedroom, closing the door without giving me a single backward glance. My knees buckled, and I sank onto the floor. I looked around the living room. Every single piece of furniture, every painting, every curtain had been carefully chosen by me for our future home. But in the end, there was no room for me in this house. I stumbled to my feet, heading to the kitchen cabinet to find some fever medicine. From the master bedroom, Tristan’s soft, gentle murmurs drifted out. The bitter taste of the pill dissolved on my tongue. He had never once spoken to me in that tone. After a quick shower, I crawled into the small guest bed, wrapping the duvet tightly around myself. Just sleep, I told myself. In a few days, you’ll leave this place forever. The next morning, I woke up just as the sun was rising. My head felt heavy and hot, but sleep was impossible. I walked out to the living room. The bathroom door was slightly ajar, and I could hear Sienna’s muffled voice from inside. “Richard, I have a follow-up appointment in a few days. Make sure you forge the medical records perfectly. Swap my meds for vitamins. Tristan doesn’t know anything about medicine; he believes whatever I say.” Sienna’s voice was low, but in the quiet morning, every word cut through the air like a knife. “Once Tristan helps pay off my family’s debts, you’ll get a huge cut of the money.” My hands began to shake uncontrollably. I pushed the bathroom door wide open. Sienna gasped, her eyes widening in temporary panic. But she quickly recovered, hanging up the phone and casually dabbing pale foundation onto her face to make herself look sicker. “Why… why are you lying to him?” I whispered, trying to keep my voice from cracking. “Because… I need the money,” Sienna said, putting down her makeup brush and looking at her deathly pale reflection in the mirror with satisfaction. “Honestly, I was surprised too. You chased him for ten years, but all it took was one phone call from me for him to pay my debts and abandon you. I guess he never really loved you, did he?” A metallic taste rose in my throat. “Stop lying to him. I… I can help you pay your debts. Just stop this.” Sienna stared at me, then burst into a mocking laugh. “You? Help me? Chloe, did you forget? Before my family went bankrupt, we were worth ten times what your family is!” She stepped closer, looking down at me with pure disdain. “Even if I have to live like a dog now, I don’t need your pity!” Suddenly, Tristan’s voice echoed from the hallway. “Sienna? Are you in there? Are you feeling okay?” Sienna’s eyes narrowed instantly. With a sudden, violent sweep of her arm, she knocked all her cosmetics off the counter. Bottles shattered on the tile floor as she threw herself down, screaming. “I’m sorry, Chloe! I know I don’t have much time left! Once Tristan and I have our wedding, I’ll go away and die in peace! I won’t get in your way anymore!” The bathroom door was kicked open with a loud bang. Tristan lunged inside, shoving me hard against the wall as he scooped a sobbing Sienna into his arms. “Chloe! Sienna is supposed to be your best friend! How could you be so cruel—” Tristan’s voice suddenly cut off.

Bright red blood began to drip onto the white tiles, pooling into a small puddle. My forehead had slammed against the sharp edge of the wall cabinet. My vision went blurry, and Tristan’s face seemed to split into multiple overlapping shadows. Tristan’s lips parted, a flash of pure guilt washing over his face. But his hands remained firmly wrapped around Sienna. I don’t know how long I lay there before I managed to crawl out of the bathroom and onto the living room sofa. By the time Tristan came out of the bedroom, I was silently dabbing antiseptic on my cut. He walked over quickly, reaching out to take the cotton swab from my hand. I tilted my head, quietly dodging his touch. Tristan’s hand froze in mid-air. He looked at me with a complicated expression. “I didn’t mean to shove you that hard,” he muttered, lowering his hand with a sigh. “I know your personality. You wouldn’t have pushed her.” “But she doesn’t have much time left, Chloe. Just go along with it and apologize to her, please?” My hand froze. I looked at Tristan, feeling as if I was seeing him for the very first time. “Tristan,” I said, taking a deep breath. “What if I told you Sienna doesn’t have cancer?” Tristan stiffened. Then, his gaze drifted away, his expression hardening. “Do you have to be this petty?” I turned my head away, refusing to say another word. Tristan stood there in silence for a moment before turning and walking into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he placed a steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of me. “Eat something. We’re going to take Sienna to her wedding photoshoot later.” “After all, this might be the last time the three of us are together.” I stared at the oatmeal, a wave of bitter nostalgia washing over me. During our freshman year of college, I got terribly sick. The doctors couldn’t find the cause. My parents were stuck abroad on business, so Sienna used her family’s connections to get me the best specialists. Tristan had brought me to his place to take care of me, ordering his chefs to make whatever I wanted. But back then, I threw up everything I ate. I was practically skin and bones. In a panic, Tristan, who had never stepped foot in a kitchen in his life, spent an entire day researching recipes until he managed to make a bowl of oatmeal that wasn’t burnt. Back then, I was so touched by that simple bowl of oatmeal that I cried, promising myself I would stay by his side forever. But my ten years of devotion had only earned me a double betrayal. “I’m not going,” I said quietly. Tristan’s face darkened. “Chloe…” “You two are legally married. What would I be doing there? Giving people a free show?” My voice was incredibly calm. Even I was surprised by how numb I felt. I guess once you’re completely drained of love, there’s no room left for anger. “Tristan, I’m ready! Can we go now?” Sienna stepped out of the bedroom, wearing a beautiful white dress, her eyes shining with excitement. Tristan stared at me for one last long second before turning around and walking out the door with Sienna. The penthouse fell silent. I reached up to touch my forehead. My skin felt burning hot. I couldn’t stay here any longer. I swallowed a couple of fever reducers, grabbed my suitcase, and began packing my things. My head throbbed, and my breath felt like fire, but I didn’t stop. I had to leave before they came back. “Chloe? Are you leaving?” Sienna’s voice suddenly echoed behind me. I kept packing, not even bothering to look back. “Chloe, can you hand me my perfume from the vanity? I forgot to pack it,” Sienna asked, her voice dripping with sweet innocence. “Don’t you have hands?” I replied coldly. Sienna gasped softly, a venomous look flashing across her face. I walked into the guest bedroom to grab my last jacket. Just as I turned around, a heavy mist of perfume was sprayed directly into my face. Sienna stood at the doorway, pressing the nozzle repeatedly, targeting my face. My lungs instantly seized. Every breath became a sharp, wheezing battle. “Oh dear, Chloe. What’s wrong? You look so pale,” Sienna mocked, tossing the perfume bottle into the trash can. The sweet smile on her face vanished, replaced by a cold sneer. I collapsed onto my knees, clutching my throat. My airway felt like it was being strangled by a wire. I could only make high-pitched, desperate wheezing sounds. Suddenly, the front door burst open, and Tristan’s panicked voice echoed through the apartment. “Chloe! Are you having an asthma attack?!”

Tristan finally looked terrified. He dashed to the medicine cabinet, frantically tossing bottles aside until he found my rescue inhaler. “Chloe! Quick, use this—” “Tristan… my stomach hurts… I think… something is wrong,” Sienna suddenly whimpered, clutching her abdomen and collapsing onto the floor. Tristan whipped his head around, his eyes darting frantically between me and Sienna. Finally, he clenched his teeth and threw the inhaler toward me. “Chloe, hang on! I’ll call an ambulance for you!” He scooped Sienna up in his arms and bolted out of the penthouse. He didn’t look back. Not even once. I crawled desperately across the floor, my fingers trembling as I grabbed the inhaler. I shoved it into my mouth and pressed down. Nothing. I pressed it again, harder. Still nothing. It was completely empty. The plastic canister slipped from my hand, rolling into the dark corner under the cabinet. Cold sweat soaked my shirt. My lips were turning a dark shade of blue. My lungs screamed for oxygen, but no air would enter. As my vision began to fade into black, the ring on my finger suddenly flashed a bright, steady light. I let out a bitter, silent laugh. I guess… I won’t make it to the seventh day. In the hospital hallway, Tristan paced back and forth, clutching his phone. On his way to the hospital with Sienna, he had called a private medical team to rush to the penthouse. “I left her the inhaler, and the doctors are on their way. She’ll be fine,” Tristan muttered to himself, trying to shake the image of my suffocating face from his mind. Thirty minutes later, his phone rang. “Mr. Carter, we searched the entire penthouse. Miss Vance is not here.” The blood drained from Tristan’s face. “What do you mean she’s not there?!” he roared into the phone. “She was having an asthma attack! Where could she have gone?!” “We don’t know, sir. But when we arrived, the only thing we found was an empty inhaler on the floor.” Tristan’s head spun. He took two steps back, nearly losing his balance. Empty? How could it be empty? All the inhalers in the cabinet were brand new. “Expand the search! Check every hospital emergency room in the city!” Tristan opened his Snapchat chat with me. He realized I had sent him several messages the day before, none of which he had replied to. He dialed my number. “The number you have dialed is currently unavailable…” His hand shook violently. He redialed, again and again, but the automated voice was all he got. Tristan sank onto a plastic chair in the waiting room. He waited from noon until midnight before the medical team called back. “Mr. Carter… a local hospital admitted a female patient with severe asthma and a high fever this afternoon.” Tristan’s body went rigid. The day before, he had been so focused on Sienna that he had forced me to carry heavy bags in the pouring rain. “Is she okay?!” Tristan demanded, his heart hammering against his ribs. There was a long, suffocating silence on the other end of the line. “They… they couldn’t revive her. She’s gone.”

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It was the fifth year of my IVF journey. I had just taken my ninety-seventh hormone shot when my husband, Marcus, brought home a seven-year-old boy. The boy had Marcus’s exact eyes. He stepped into our house, looking at me with terrified eyes. “Daddy said this is my home now. Chloe, are you going to kick me out?” A paternity test sat on the coffee table, confirming their biological relationship. With red eyes, Marcus explained to me that the child was conceived during the single month we had broken up eight years ago. He insisted I was the only woman he had ever loved. He just couldn’t bear to miss out on his son’s childhood. From that day on, my home office was turned into a kid’s bedroom. Our IVF savings were redirected to pay for the boy’s ear surgery. Even my egg retrieval procedure—which I had waitlisted six months for—had to be canceled so Marcus could attend the boy’s school open house. Later, the boy ate something he was allergic to. Hannah, his mother, pointed at me and screamed in tears, “Chloe! Just because you can’t get pregnant doesn’t mean you get to poison my son!” Marcus scooped up the convulsing child and, for the first time in our nine years together, pushed me away. “You’ve disappointed me, Chloe.” That night, I sat alone in the hospital, signing my own surgical consent form with one hand, and a set of divorce papers with the other. Since he was so eager to be someone else’s father, I no longer needed to ruin my body trying to make him one.

Before all of this, I had spent five long years preparing to become a mother. The next morning, I crouched on the bathroom floor, carefully placing the used needles into a biohazard disposal box. The hormone injections made my abdomen bloat. My waist was covered in black and blue bruises, and even bending over slightly sent a sharp pain through my lower back. The door was suddenly pushed open. Seven-year-old Leo stood outside, staring at my stomach. “Mommy said only broken women who can’t have babies need to get poked with needles every day.” My hand froze. Hannah rushed over, immediately pulling the boy behind her. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. Leo doesn’t know any better. Please don’t take a child’s words to heart.” She apologized with her mouth, but her arms were wrapped protectively around Leo’s chest, as if she expected me to lose my mind and hit him. Marcus stood in the hallway, looking exhausted. He hadn’t slept at all last night. His shirt was wrinkled, and his jaw was covered in dark stubble. “He just found out I’m his dad. He’s confused and scared. Don’t pick a fight with him right now.” I snapped the lid of the disposal box shut. “I’m not blaming the child.” Hannah smiled weakly. “That’s good. I was so worried you wouldn’t be able to accept him. Any woman who has struggled with infertility for years would feel devastated to suddenly find out her husband has a seven-year-old son.” Her words sounded sympathetic, but they were carefully designed to twist the knife in my heart. Marcus frowned. “Hannah, take Leo to the kitchen and get some breakfast.” Hannah took the boy’s hand and left. Once the door closed, Marcus knelt in front of me. He gently pressed a clean cotton ball against my fresh injection site, a gesture he had done a hundred times before. “Does it still hurt today?” I stared at his hands. These hands had given me dozens of injections. They had held me tightly after every failed embryo transfer, promising me that we would succeed next time. “When did you find out about Leo?” I asked. “Three weeks ago.” His hand went rigid. “Hannah contacted me first. I was afraid she was lying, so I ran two separate DNA tests. The results were the same.” “So you kept me in the dark for three weeks.” “You had just started your cycle. The doctor specifically said you needed to avoid emotional stress.” Marcus gripped my hand tightly. “I wanted to wait until your egg retrieval was finished. I didn’t want this to ruin your chances.” “My husband has a seven-year-old son, and I don’t even get to decide when I learn the truth?” He opened his mouth, searching for words. “Chloe, I only wanted to protect you…” I had heard that phrase too many times. Now, keeping a secret child from me for three weeks was also classified as “protection.” I pulled my hand back from his grip. Marcus was silent for a moment before pulling a printout of a rental listing from his pocket. “Leo needs surgery on his ears. Hannah just got divorced and has no place to stay in the city. I told them they could stay in our guest room for two weeks. As soon as the apartment across the street is ready, they will move out.” “Two weeks?” “I promise.” He added quickly, “Hannah is in the guest room. Leo is in the study. There is absolutely nothing between Hannah and me. Taking care of my son is my responsibility, but you are the only one I chose to spend my life with.” I agreed. The child had nothing to do with what happened eight years ago. He didn’t choose to be born into this mess. But that night, when I went to the study to retrieve my pharmacy textbooks, the door was locked from the inside. Leo was crying loudly in the room. “I want Daddy! I want Daddy!” That night, Marcus stayed in the study, comforting him until morning.

When I got home from work the next day, the study had been completely cleared out. All of my textbooks, medical journals, and study notes had been packed into six cardboard boxes and stacked on the balcony. My IVF tracking charts, medical reports, and five years of embryo ultrasound photos were all shoved carelessly into those boxes. I rummaged through them for an hour but couldn’t find the very first ultrasound from our failed embryo transfer. Hannah was busy putting dinosaur sheets on the twin bed in the room. She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Are you looking for that black-and-white printout? I thought it was just junk mail, so I threw it in the trash.” “That was my medical record.” “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m not familiar with IVF stuff.” She dropped the bedsheet, her eyes instantly welling with tears. “I know Leo and I shouldn’t have come here to ruin your life. But he hasn’t been able to hear well for years. He cries every night, asking why all the other kids have dads. We are only staying for two weeks. Can’t you just bear with us?” My entire life was packed into cardboard boxes on the freezing balcony. And yet, I was the one being asked to “bear with it.” The doorbell rang. Marcus’s mother, Helen, walked in carrying two large shopping bags. The moment she saw Leo, tears streamed down her face. The boy looked so much like Marcus. She held Leo, kissing his cheeks over and over, her hands trembling with excitement. “Thank God! The Miller family finally has an heir!” The moment the words left her mouth, she looked at me, her expression instantly turning awkward. “Chloe, dear, I didn’t mean it like that.” “I know,” I replied quietly. During dinner, Helen kept piling food onto Leo’s plate. She used to accompany me to my hospital visits. When our first embryo transfer failed, she had sat by my bedside for three days, cooking for me and scolding Marcus for not taking better care of his wife. But now, staring at her biological grandson, all of that past affection evaporated into nothing. Helen got up to get juice from the fridge and noticed the IVF calendar stuck to the door. She peeled it off and stuck Leo’s school schedule in its place. “Now that we have Leo, you two don’t need to put yourselves through that torture anymore. Chloe has taken so many shots, her body is practically ruined anyway.” I reached out and took the calendar back from her hand. “This cycle has already started. I can’t stop now.” “Grandma, I don’t want a baby brother or sister!” Leo dropped his spoon, crying out. “Mommy said if Daddy has a new baby, he won’t love me anymore!” Hannah quickly covered his mouth. “Shh, Leo. Don’t speak nonsense. I never said that.” Marcus’s face darkened. “Hannah, stop feeding the kid these ideas.” “I’m just worried about his security!” Hannah lowered her head, tears dripping into her bowl. “He’s seven years old and only just met his father. Is he not even allowed to be scared?” The dining table fell into a tense silence. Leo, sensing the heavy atmosphere, wrapped his arms tightly around Marcus’s arm. “Daddy, will you stay with me forever?” Marcus rubbed the boy’s head gently. “Yes, buddy.” “Will there be other kids in this house?” Marcus looked at me. In those few seconds of hesitation, I already had my answer. “Not for now,” Marcus said quietly. I squeezed the IVF calendar in my hand, the sharp edges of the paper digging deep into my palm.

That night, my phone buzzed with a billing notification from the fertility clinic. I opened our joint savings account. $6,000 was missing. The transfer note read: Leo’s surgery deposit. Marcus walked out of the shower and stopped in his tracks when he saw my phone screen. “Leo has a benign tumor in his inner ear. The doctor recommended immediate surgery, so I paid the deposit.” “That was our budget for the egg retrieval and embryo cultivation,” I said, my voice flat. “I know.” “Why didn’t you ask me before transferring the money?” Marcus sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ll replace the money. I already listed my car on eBay. The buyer is coming next week.” “Then why didn’t you sell the car first?” “Leo’s surgery date couldn’t wait.” “But my body can?” He rubbed his temples, looking incredibly exhausted. “Chloe, your IVF cycle can be pushed back a month. If Leo delays his surgery, his hearing could be permanently damaged.” Every single one of his arguments made perfect sense. A child’s lifelong hearing was obviously more important than one IVF cycle. But the physical pain of the injections was mine to bear, and the money he took was saved from my hard work. Marcus wrapped his arms around me from behind. “I know I’m letting you down. Once Leo’s surgery is over, I’ll make sure Hannah moves out, and we will get back on track.” I didn’t push him away. The man I had loved for nine years was still holding me, his embrace as warm as ever. Yet, I knew something between us had already broken beyond repair.

On the third day, Hannah walked into my pharmacy holding an expired prescription. The medication she wanted required a doctor’s reassessment. I slid the paper back to her. “Leo has been having a hard time adjusting, and his ear was hurting again last night. Just let me buy it this once,” she pleaded. “I can’t do that, Hannah. The dosage needs to be confirmed by his doctor.” Hannah looked around at the other customers in the store, and her voice suddenly became loud and hysterical. “You know Leo is in pain, and you’re deliberately denying him his medicine?” “The prescription is expired. No pharmacy in the state can legally dispense this.” She pulled out her phone, pointing the camera directly at my face. “Look at this, everyone! This is my son’s stepmother! She can’t have kids of her own, so now she’s trying to kill my son by denying him his life-saving medicine!” Several customers turned to look at us. I quietly instructed my assistant to save the security footage, and then I called the police. Seeing me call the cops, Hannah immediately burst into tears, clutching Leo. Leo couldn’t hear what was happening, but seeing his mother cry, he began to sob hysterically too. By the time Marcus arrived, the pharmacy was in complete chaos. He carried the crying boy outside first. Once the police finished reviewing the store cameras and left, Marcus walked back to me. “Can you delete the security footage and not press charges?” “She publicly slandered me. My corporate office has already suspended me pending an investigation,” I said. “The footage proves you did nothing wrong. You’ll be cleared.” “And?” Marcus looked out the window at Hannah, who was sitting in the car, weeping. “She works as a preschool teacher. If this gets out, she’ll lose her job. If she has no income, the cost of Leo’s treatment and their living expenses will fall entirely on us.” “So you want me to just take the hit?” “I’ll make her post a public apology video.” I looked at him, my heart freezing. “Marcus, she literally tried to ruin my career.” “I know.” He held my shoulders, his voice softening into a plea. “Please, just give me a chance to handle this.” That afternoon, Hannah uploaded a video on Snapchat. She claimed she had been frantic over her sick child and had misunderstood Chloe, the pharmacy manager. She didn’t mention my infertility, nor did she admit to maliciously editing her video. The company lifted my suspension, but because of the public drama, they withdrew my nomination for Pharmacy Manager of the Month. Hannah kept her job. Marcus kept his promise, too. His car sold for $7,000 on eBay, and he transferred the full amount back into our joint account. That night, he prepared my trigger shot. As the needle pierced my skin, his hands were trembling slightly. “Tomorrow is Leo’s school open house. I need to show up so he doesn’t feel left out. I’ll leave by nine and run to the hospital.” “My egg retrieval starts at eight-thirty,” I said. “I’ll only stay for forty minutes. I’ll make it.” I turned my head away. “Can you please not go?” Marcus was silent for a long time before shaking his head. “Leo is the only kid in his class who has never had a father show up.” “You’ve missed seven years of his life, so of course, my procedure doesn’t matter.” “Chloe.” He pressed the cotton ball against my skin, his voice sounding hollow. “Don’t talk like that. I will make it.” The next morning, I still woke up early to pack a lunchbox for Leo. He had a severe peanut allergy. I checked the ingredient list on the snack packages three times and tucked his EpiPen into the side pocket of his backpack. Leo stood at the kitchen door, watching me. “Chloe.” “Yes, Leo?” “If Daddy has a new baby, can I still come see him?” “Of course you can.” “Mommy said you would kick us out.” I knelt down and gently adjusted his hearing aid. “Adult problems are for adults to solve. Your only job is to study, get your ears treated, and grow up happy.” Leo stared at me for a long time, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small candy. “This is for you.” Hannah stood in the living room, watching us with a blank expression. Before leaving, she took the lunchbox from my hands. “I’ll take care of him.” By 8:20 AM, I was lying on the cold operating table. Marcus was nowhere to be seen. Just as the nurse was about to wheel me into the theater, my phone rang. The background was filled with frantic crying. “Leo went into anaphylactic shock! We’re in the pediatric ER right now. Did you prepare his lunch?” Marcus’s voice was wild with panic. “I checked every ingredient.” “The doctor found peanut butter cookies in his box!” I sat up abruptly, a sharp pain ripping through my bloated abdomen. “I didn’t pack any cookies!” On the other end of the line, Hannah was hyperventilating. “Only you touched his bag, Chloe! You can hate me all you want, but what did my little boy ever do to you?” Marcus didn’t wait for my explanation. “I have to stay with Leo.” The line went dead. The egg retrieval couldn’t be postponed. After twelve days of intense hormone shots, the timing of the procedure was calculated down to the minute. If we stopped now, everything would be ruined. I signed the consent form alone and was wheeled into the operating room. When the anesthesia wore off, the pain in my abdomen was agonizing. The recovery nurse noticed my vitals dropping. I was bleeding internally from the ovarian puncture site and needed immediate laparoscopic surgery to stop the hemorrhage. I called Marcus three times. No answer. On the fourth call, he finally picked up. “Leo just stabilized.” “I have severe internal bleeding. I need emergency surgery right now.” “Chloe, can you please just wait a little bit? Leo is traumatized. Every time he sees a food container, he starts screaming!” “I need a spouse’s signature on the surgical consent form.” Marcus gasped. Hannah’s crying started up again in the background. “The doctor said they need to keep Leo under observation,” Marcus said, his voice dropping. “Can you ask one of your pharmacy colleagues to sign for you? I’ll get there as soon as I can.” Before I could speak, he added one last line. “Please, Chloe. Don’t try to compete with a child right now.” The consent form was placed in front of me. My hand shook, but I took the pen and signed my own name, stroke by stroke. Marcus finally arrived at the hospital at 11:00 PM. His eyes were bloodshot as he sat down beside my bed. “The doctor said Leo is out of danger.” I stared at the ceiling, refusing to look at him. “Hannah admitted she didn’t check the lunchbox carefully,” Marcus continued. “But she swears the cookies came from the container you prepared. Leo is terrified of you now.” “And?” Marcus reached out to take my hand. “Once you’re discharged, I think it’s best if you stay in the company dorms for a couple of weeks. Once Leo calms down, I’ll bring you home.” I slowly pulled my hand out of his grasp. Hannah was living in my house. Her son was sleeping in my study. And I, fresh out of emergency surgery, was being exiled to a cold company dorm. Marcus opened his mouth to explain further, but I simply closed my eyes. “Get out.” When the door shut, the hospital room became entirely silent. I reached for my phone on the nightstand. I canceled my embryo transfer consultation for the following week, and then I opened WhatsApp to email my regional manager, requesting a transfer to our branch in the neighboring city. Once those messages were sent, I stared at the screen for a long time. Five years ago, before my very first hormone shot, Marcus had held my hand and said, No matter what happens, we are a family. Over the years, I had endured ninety-seven painful injections, survived countless negative pregnancy tests, and always believed that if I just held on a little longer, we would get the baby we both dreamed of. But tonight, I finally understood. He already had his child. The only person who didn’t belong in that home was me. A week later, I was discharged. My transfer request was approved immediately. A colleague went to my house to pack up my clothes and personal documents while Marcus was at work. The divorce papers were delivered directly to Marcus’s office. That afternoon, I dragged my suitcase onto the train leaving the city. As the doors closed, my phone began vibrating continuously. Marcus kept calling and sending messages. Where are you? Why didn’t you wait for me to pick you up? Are you trying to threaten me with divorce again? The final message read: Chloe, stop throwing a tantrum. I’ll come to your dorm tonight and we’ll talk. I stared at the word “dorm.” I thought about the house that used to be ours, and how quickly all trace of me had been erased from it. As the train pulled away from the platform, I powered down my phone. From this moment on, whatever he did had absolutely nothing to do with me.

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Twelve hours before the flash flood hit, the entire city was under an emergency evacuation order. My parents frantically stuffed all their valuables into the SUV and sped away. They took their adopted daughter, and they even took her two pet turtles. But they forgot me. As the muddy water began to pour into our street, my mother finally realized I was still at home. “Lynn, you need to run! The flood is coming!” “Where are you guys?” On the other end of the line, my mother’s voice sounded guilty. “Just run! Now!” Then, I heard Chloe’s excited voice in the background. “Mom, Dad, look! The highway gates are open! We can get through!” In that instant, cold reality hit me. They had already abandoned me and fled. After I miraculously survived the disaster, they came back, crying and begging me to recognize them. But I walked right past them and ran into the arms of my adoptive parents. “Lynn, you need to run! The flood is coming!” When the landline rang, I was woken up by the sound of rushing water. My backpack was already floating on the floor, and my second-grade worksheets were soaked into mush. “Mom, there’s water everywhere. Where are you?” I burst into tears, completely panicked, not knowing what to do. My mother didn’t answer right away. Her voice trembled with guilt. “Just… just run, okay?” That was when I noticed every door in the house was wide open. My parents’ room looked like it had been ransacked. Chloe’s room was completely empty. Even the two pet turtles on the balcony were gone. A loud buzz echoed in my head, and my face turned paper-white. A terrifying thought crept into my mind. No, it couldn’t be… My parents wouldn’t just abandon me. “Mom, Dad, the water is so high. Where are you? I’m scared, please come save me…” My small, frail body curled up into the corner of the sofa. I clutched my stuffed rabbit, my voice shaking violently. My mother remained silent. Instead, Chloe’s cheerful voice drifted through the receiver. “Mom, Dad, look! The highway gates are open! We can get through!” At that moment, my entire world collapsed. The disaster was here, and my parents had fled with my cousin. They had packed up every single piece of luggage, not forgetting Chloe’s pet turtles, yet they had somehow forgotten me. Then, my father’s angry, defensive voice boomed through the phone. “Why are you even asking? You slept like a dead pig! Who could have woken you up?” I sobbed even harder. I had been running a high fever for two days before my mother even noticed. She had called my school to get me sick leave, and after giving me some heavy medication, I had fallen into a deep, drug-induced sleep. My mother sounded annoyed now. “Stop crying! There’s still some time before the worst of the flood hits. Go downstairs right now and find some other neighbors who are evacuating. Your father and I will come back for you with Chloe later.” Suddenly, the phone let out a sharp, static screech. The power went out. The water kept rising. Crying, I struggled to run upstairs. We lived in an old three-story apartment complex. Halfway up, I remembered the inflatable swim ring Chloe used for her swimming lessons. I waded back through the dirty water, sobbing, to grab it. The water rose higher and higher until it completely swallowed the third floor. With one arm looped through the swim ring, I clung desperately to a floating wooden door. I drifted in the dark for what felt like eternity. My body grew colder and colder, until my consciousness faded into black.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a cot in a makeshift emergency shelter hospital. In my hazy state, I felt someone feeding me medicine and gently wiping my face. A sharp sting in my hand made me let out a weak whimper, and I slowly opened my eyes. A woman in a white nurse’s uniform looked down at me with a gentle smile. “You’re awake, sweetie. Don’t move, the IV will help you feel better soon. Why were you all alone in the water? Where is your family?” I looked down, my tears dripping onto the white sheets. I just cried and didn’t say a word. The nurse looked startled, and out of pity and guilt for bringing up a painful topic, she quickly changed the subject. “Are you hungry? Do you want some chicken tenders? I’ll get you some.” I looked at her and nodded timidly. Because of the prolonged high fever, my throat was severely damaged. Whenever anyone asked about my family, I simply shook my head. They assumed I was an orphan. Everyone in the shelter looked at me with pity, whispering about sending me to a foster home. But I gripped the nurse’s uniform tightly. Wherever she went, I followed. I was terrified of being abandoned again. Her heart melted. Unable to leave me, she took me home. When she opened her door, a little boy gasped in excitement. “Mom! Dad! Did you really bring me a big sister?!” He circled me, looking at me with pure curiosity. I stood there, awkwardly pinching the hem of my shirt. Helen, the nurse, laughed softly. “Peter has been begging for a sister every single day.” Helen’s husband, Arthur, worked for the local government. He was a kind, gentle man. After looking at me, he and Helen exchanged a long glance and went into the bedroom to talk for a long time. Later, Helen knelt in front of me, her voice incredibly sweet. “Would you like to stay with us, sweetie? Can I be your mom?” I looked at her, overwhelmed. My vision blurred as warm tears spilled over my hands. “Mom…” I whispered. Helen gasped in pure joy. “Oh my god, you can talk!” Later, they went through the legal adoption process. Arthur changed my last name to Miller, and they named me Brooke—because Helen said she had rescued me from the water.

Three years later, it was the start of the school year in September. Peter was entering the first grade, and I was in the fifth. I confidently led my parents through the crowded hallways to find Peter’s new classroom. “Mom, Dad, that’s Mrs. Davis! She was my English teacher, and now she’s going to be Peter’s homeroom teacher.” Just as I was about to walk over to greet Mrs. Davis, a shockingly familiar voice rang out. “Lynn? Is that you, Lynn?!” The next second, a woman grabbed my arm with brute force. It was my biological mother, Sarah. Behind her stood Chloe. Right, Chloe would be starting first grade this year too. Sarah stared at me in shock and frantic joy. Once she recognized my face, a heartbreaking sob escaped her throat. “Lynn… my baby girl! I thought you were dead! Why didn’t you come find us? Where have you been?!” She held me in a suffocating grip, crying hysterically. “Lynn, I missed you so much! Why aren’t you calling me Mom?” I looked at her with utter confusion. “Ma’am, I think you have the wrong person.” Under her stunned gaze, I pulled my arm free, ran over to Helen and Arthur, and hid behind them, pretending to be terrified. Sarah looked heartbroken. “How can you not recognize your own mother? Lynn, look at me! I’m your mom! We got separated in the flood three years ago!” I furrowed my brows, looking at her with cold, distant eyes. “You really have the wrong person, ma’am. My parents are right here.” Sarah froze. She stared at our family of four, shaking her head in agony. No… She couldn’t understand how her perfect daughter had suddenly become someone else’s child. And why was I calling another woman “Mom”? The surrounding parents and students were startled by her hysterical behavior. Helen and Arthur exchanged a look, instantly realizing who this woman was. Helen looked down at me. I gave her a tiny, subtle shake of my head. Although Helen didn’t understand why I was denying them, she immediately stepped in front of me to shield me. “Excuse me, ma’am, but you have indeed mistaken her. This is my daughter, Brooke Miller. She is not the Lynn you are looking for.” Just then, my biological father, Mark, arrived and overheard the exchange. The hope in his eyes instantly died, and he muttered in a daze, “Brooke? But she looks exactly like Lynn…” Mrs. Davis stepped in to defuse the situation. “Chloe’s mom, you must be mistaken. Brooke has been my student for a while now.” Seeing everyone staring, Chloe felt embarrassed and tugged at Sarah’s sleeve. “Mom, stop it! Get up from the floor!” Everyone assumed it was just a tragic mistake—a grieving mother who had lost a child and was seeing things. Some even offered words of comfort. But just as I let out a sigh of relief, Sarah suddenly lunged forward. She grabbed my shirt and tried to pull it up. “Lynn has a red birthmark on her stomach! Let me see!” I screamed in terror. Helen and Arthur immediately shoved her away. “Are you insane?! Trying to strip a little girl in public! If you don’t back off, we are calling the police!” Arthur roared. The hallway fell into absolute chaos. Until Sarah screamed at the top of her lungs, “I saw it! She has the birthmark! She is Lynn!” At that moment, my heart sank to the bottom of my chest. She had seen it.

An hour later, both families were gathered at the local police station. In front of the officers, Mark and Sarah were furious, pointing at Helen and Arthur and screaming. “They are kidnappers! Monsters!” “They abducted our daughter and changed her identity! They deserve to rot in prison!” Helen and Arthur looked pale, but out of respect for me, they kept their composure and didn’t argue back. I watched my biological parents throw their tantrum. My face was completely blank. I felt absolutely nothing for them. Officer Carter slammed his hand on the desk. “Enough! This is a police station, not a circus! Keep quiet or I’ll have you thrown in a holding cell!” They finally shut their mouths, though they kept glaring at us. Officer Carter turned to me, his voice softening. “Sweetheart, who are your real parents?” Under the desperate, hopeful stares of Mark and Sarah, I clung tightly to Helen’s arm. “I don’t know them.” Sarah’s eyes filled with tears. “Lynn, think about it. I’m your mommy.” Mark barked at the officer, “Officer Carter, she must have suffered some severe trauma! She lost her memory! You need to investigate these two kidnappers!” Arthur frowned. “Listen, I understand the pain of losing a child. But please calm down and stop terrifying my daughter. You claim Brooke is the child you lost. Tell me, how exactly did you lose her?” Mark and Sarah suddenly froze. Sarah’s eyes darted around guiltily, and Mark began to stammer. “We… we got separated during the evacuation of the flood.” A cold, mocking smile crept onto my lips. “How clumsy of you.” Sarah’s face went pale. To cover her guilt, she wailed dramatically. “Oh, sweetie, you don’t understand how evil people can be! If it weren’t for these sick kidnappers, you would have never been lost! They must have drugged you to make you forget us! Aren’t you afraid of God’s wrath, you monsters?!” Sarah cried as if she were the star of a tragic movie about a mother searching for her lost child. Yet, she didn’t mention a single word about leaving me behind in the rising flood. Mark pointed a finger threateningly at Helen and Arthur. “You child thieves! I bet that boy of yours was bought on the black market too! Officer Carter, these kidnappers need to be locked away forever!” Arthur’s face turned red with anger, and Helen shook with rage. “Watch your mouth in front of the kids!” I stepped in front of my adoptive parents. “Whatever garbage comes out of your mouth just bounces off us and sticks back onto you.” Mark and Sarah’s faces twisted in shock, unable to believe I had spoken to them that way. Officer Carter rubbed his temples. “Look, is this child biologically yours? If you have her birth certificate, show it to us. Otherwise, we’ll have to do a DNA test.” Helen and Arthur exchanged a worried look. Just as they were about to speak, I cut them off. “Why should I have to take a DNA test with strangers? If they want to prove something, they should be the ones bringing the evidence. Don’t I know who my own parents are?” I didn’t want to go back to them. Not even a little bit. Officer Carter blinked, surprised by my sharp logic. “She has a point. Do you have any proof?”

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I was out of town, having just closed a hundred-million-dollar contract. Before I could even send the good news to the team, an email popped up in my inbox. It was a salary reduction agreement from HR. “Liam, as the Head of Sales, you need to lead by example. The company is going through a rough patch, so we’re cutting mid-level management’s salaries by 30%!” I rejected it immediately. But when I got back to the office, my keycard wouldn’t scan. They had revoked my security clearance, and my work accounts were completely shut down. Oh, so that’s how we’re playing this? Fine. I’m going to gift this company a fast-track ticket to bankruptcy! If business is so bad, why keep it open anyway? Looking at the pay cut notice from HR, I was completely stunned. After double-checking to make sure it wasn’t a prank, I replied directly to the email: Rejected. A few minutes later, my phone rang. It was my boss, Arthur Sterling. “Liam, you’re a veteran here. You need to lead by example. The market is tough right now, and the company is struggling.” “This pay cut is just to help us get through this rough patch. You need to be understanding!” “I understand, Arthur, but I don’t accept it. On this business trip, I just—” Before I could finish, Arthur lost his temper and cut me off. “Liam! Don’t get cocky just because you have some talent! This company gave you the platform to grow. Now is the time for you to stand with us!” Hearing him scream through the receiver, I kept my voice deadpan. “I don’t agree to the pay cut.” “Fine! Just you wait!” He slammed the phone down. I looked at the signed contract in my hands and fell into deep thought. Then, I opened Snapchat to get some inside info from a close colleague. “Liam, everyone in the company is being forced to sign it. Arthur was raging just now. He said you weren’t cooperating and that he’d make an example out of you first! You need to get back here fast!” Seeing the message from my team member, Chris, I logged into my email to back up all my work evidence. I wrapped up the loose ends of my project and booked the next flight back. By the time I returned to the office, it was the next afternoon. When I reached the lobby, the facial recognition scanner failed. I tried my keycard, but it had been deactivated. I couldn’t even get past the turnstile. I called Chris, and he came downstairs to let me in, whispering, “Arthur ordered HR to deactivate your card. He said you refused the pay cut and were being uncooperative. Liam, be careful. He’s definitely going to make your life living hell!” “He wouldn’t dare. I just got back from a major business trip. Messing with me now is pure stupidity.” “Who knows if he’s lost his damn mind. HR has already started calling people in for ‘chats’!” “Sigh! Arthur is really suffocating us. He could have at least made the cut smaller!” Make it smaller? No way. A 30% cut on my salary was exactly what he needed to fund his mistress’s lavish lifestyle in Paris. If I hadn’t personally seen his mistress boasting on Ins about her pregnancy and her luxury shopping sprees, I might have actually believed the company was struggling. When I walked into the department, my colleagues looked at me with mixed expressions. Chris headed to the restroom to avoid getting caught talking to me. I sat at my desk and prepared to upload the new contract, only to find I couldn’t log into the system. I entered my password several times, but the screen only displayed: Access Denied. I got the message. They blocked my access and locked me out of the building just to force me into accepting the pay cut. Fine. Let’s have a chat. I patted the folder containing the hundred-million-dollar contract in my bag, stood up, and went to Arthur’s office. Before I could even speak, he sneered. “Liam, you think you’re so smart. A genius like you is far too grand for my little company!” “Arthur, what is that supposed to mean?” “You’ve been absent without leave for more than three days. According to company policy, you are officially terminated!” “No need to explain. Just pack your bags and get the hell out!” Hearing this, my blood boiled. “Absent? I was on a business trip!” Arthur gave me a smug, patronizing smile. “A business trip? Where’s the proof? Where’s the contract? You have nothing. How are you going to prove you were working?” I reached into my bag to pull out the contract, but suddenly, I stopped. Arthur wanted to snatch the contract first and then throw me out like trash. He wanted to drain every last drop of my value. Not a chance. “No proof means you were slacking off. Liam, you’re fired. Get out of my office. Right now!” He pointed at the door, looking absolutely thrilled with himself. “Arthur, are you absolutely sure you want me to get out?”

“Absolutely. Liam, this company doesn’t need an employee who doesn’t know how to obey!” “Understood,” I said. I turned around and walked back to my desk. I opened a terminal on my laptop, ran a custom script, and let it execute in the background. Arthur seemed to have forgotten my background. He forgot that I didn’t just manage sales. I wrote the entire operating system of this company! An hour later, I finished gathering all my personal documents and went to the HR department for the exit interview. Arthur happened to be there. I wasn’t the only one; two colleagues from the planning department who also refused the pay cut were there too. They looked shocked when they saw me walk in. “Liam! What are you doing here?” I shrugged with a dry smile. “The boss told me to get lost. I had no choice but to oblige.” The two of them shook their heads in disbelief. “Arthur has lost his mind. He’s throwing away talent like you?” I didn’t say much. During the offboarding process with HR, I asked casually, “Since the company is terminating me, you’ll be paying out my severance package based on my years of service, right?” Toby, the HR manager, sneered at me. “Are you dreaming? You think we’re going to pay you a massive severance? We’re only paying out your salary for this month.” “Excuse me?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you joking? According to labor laws, I’ve been with this company for ten years. My monthly salary is $20,000. Twenty months of severance equals at least $400,000. If you pay a single penny less, I will see you in arbitration.” Toby’s face turned sour. “Liam, you abandoned your post first, and now you’re stabbing us in the back? After everything Arthur has done for you!” “At your age, good luck finding another job in this market!” “Arthur has taken care of you for years. He only asked for a 30% cut because you’re a veteran, and he promised your year-end bonus would remain untouched. Do you know how many people are losing their jobs out there? Even secure government contracts are getting delayed!” I let out a cold laugh. “Do you know what the most useless department in this company is? It’s yours, Toby. Your entire HR department.” “You do nothing but coast by, you’re completely incompetent, and you can’t even get the monthly timesheets right. You’ll be the next one he fires.” “Tell Arthur I want my full severance. If he doesn’t pay, I’ll drag him through arbitration.” Toby’s face turned purple with rage. He rushed straight into Arthur’s office. A second later, a roar echoed through the hallway. “Liam! You won’t get a single dime from me! And I will personally blackball you from this entire industry! You dare defy me? I’ll make sure none of you ever find a job again!” Hearing this, the other two colleagues looked terrified. They had mortgages to pay and kids to feed; they didn’t have the courage to stand up to Arthur like this. But I wasn’t afraid. I looked Arthur dead in the eye. “We’ll see about that.” He pointed at the exit. “Get the hell out!” “No need to shout. I’m leaving.” Before stepping out, I had already secured all the evidence I needed. More importantly, I had an ace up my sleeve. “Arthur, I’ll be waiting for the day you come begging on your knees.” He sneered. “If I ever beg you, I’ll eat my own shoe!” “Make sure you keep that promise.” I walked out. As soon as I got home, I sent a mass message to all my clients via Snapchat, informing them that I had been terminated and would no longer be representing Sterling Tech. I also noted that Sterling Tech would no longer be handling their accounts. Within minutes, my phone blew up. Clients called me one after another, bewildered by the ridiculous 30% pay cut story. “Liam, why don’t you join us? We can easily offer you a six-figure salary with a signing bonus!” “Come over to my firm, Liam. You can be the Managing Director. You’ll run the entire department.”

I thanked them for their offers, but I already had a plan. Arthur was the one losing out. Now that the clients knew what kind of boss he was, they wouldn’t want to deal with him either. Since the clients trusted me personally, I had nothing to worry about. The next day, I consulted an employment attorney and officially filed for arbitration. Two days after submitting the evidence, the arbitration representative called me. Arthur’s legal team wanted to settle. But they only offered $5,000. I rejected it immediately and insisted on going through the full legal process. If the arbitration result wasn’t satisfactory, I’d take them straight to court. Seeing that I was playing hardball, Arthur spread rumors in the industry to blackball me. The other two laid-off colleagues came to me, and I told them we stood a much better chance if we filed a joint suit. They immediately handed over all their evidence, and we waited for the legal gears to turn. In the meantime, I took a quick trip out of town. Two days later, I officially signed with Nexa Technologies, bringing the hundred-million-dollar contract with me. I was put in charge of Nexa’s entire local division. Meanwhile, Sterling Tech was falling into absolute chaos. Even though I was gone, my old team members were still there. Chris called me on FaceTime, looking panicked. “Liam, the company’s systems are totally crashing. All our code is turning into a mess of errors, and nothing will run.” “Arthur brought in some external developers, but once they looked at the backend, they said the source code was entirely custom-written. They can’t do anything without the original architect. That’s you!” “Arthur is throwing a massive fit in his office. He says he’s going to find you!” I chuckled. “Chris, I actually have an opening in my new team. Pack up your things. Once you get your final paycheck, come join me.” “You already found a new gig, Liam?” “Yeah. Nexa Technologies. And I can offer you a 20% bump on your current salary.” Chris was ecstatic. He immediately sent me two videos of Arthur screaming and cursing like a madman in his office. I tapped my fingers on the desk. This was only the beginning. Arthur, your “blessings” are just starting to roll in. Three days after Nexa Technologies publicly announced our new hundred-million-dollar deal, Arthur called me. “Liam, listen, you designed the system architecture. You must have a way to fix this.” “How about I pay you to consult?” I smiled. “Sure. Pay me my full severance first, and then we can talk.” “You’re extorting me!” “I’m just claiming what is legally mine, Arthur. If you don’t want to pay, feel free to hire someone else to rebuild it from scratch. It’ll only cost you a few million dollars in R&D.” He gasped for air over the phone. “In your dreams!” He slammed the phone down. I didn’t care. I instructed my team to prepare for our product launch. Nexa Technologies’ new product was a massive deal, and the industry was watching. Arthur was watching too. Nexa had set up a major marketing campaign for me, including a solo press conference. I accepted it all. Just a day later, word got out that Arthur had hired a cheap agency to patch up his system using a generic, off-the-shelf software. Chris snapped me, saying the new system was absolute garbage and riddled with bugs. I told him to relax. Arthur had played his last card. When Nexa’s new system went live, it was flawless. It completely crushed Arthur’s patched-up software. In fact, Arthur quickly realized that Nexa’s user interface looked incredibly familiar. It was an upgraded version of the very architecture I had designed at his company—but built entirely on my personal patents. Our system was smoother, faster, and far more user-friendly. When Nexa’s launch trailer dropped, the entire industry was blown away. Right on cue, Arthur called me again, his voice trembling with rage. “Liam! You stole my company’s intellectual property! I’m going to sue you to high heaven!”

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Seven months pregnant. I found an expired asset transfer agreement in Julian’s hidden safe in his study. Twenty percent of Vance Group’s shares, worth billions. Plus three overseas estates and a private island. All gifted for free to my stepsister, Seraphina. But when Julian and I got married, he only handed me a prenuptial agreement. “A business alliance, just a formality,” he had said casually back then. “Sign it.” I signed it, entering the Vance family with absolutely nothing. Ten years of marriage, and I didn’t even know his PIN code. “Who allowed you into my study?” Julian’s voice came from the door, ice-cold. I turned to look at this man I had loved for fifteen years. No tears, no scene. I just said calmly, “Julian, let’s get a divorce.” He strode in, snatched the agreement from my hand, and threw it to the floor. “An old story from years ago, and you’re making a scene over it?” He didn’t even explain. He just angrily told me to get out. I calmly walked out of the study, pulled out my phone, and made a call. “Marcus, help me find a safe place. I want to move out immediately.”

My stomach started cramping uncontrollably. I leaned against the bedroom wall, sliding down to the floor, fighting back tears as I texted my lawyer. My lawyer’s call came back instantly. “Mrs. Vance, are you absolutely sure you want to waive all marital assets and leave with nothing?” “According to the law, a pregnant woman is entitled to at least” Marital assets? I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. There were no marital assets. All of Julian’s stock appreciation over the years was held through nominees, and all his assets were notarized as pre-marital property. My name was never on the family trust’s beneficiary list. On the day we got engaged, he had casually mentioned that he wouldn’t marry a woman who lived off him. He wouldn’t hand over what he worked so hard to get just because of a marriage. Back then, I thought he was just bitter because his father forced him to marry me to repay an old family debt. I knew how hard it was for him to inherit the Vance Group while fighting off a pack of ruthless half-brothers. So, like an obedient fool, I signed page after page of property waivers. I thought that one day, he would let his guard down and truly see me. But seeing that asset transfer agreement, I realized how pathetic I was. Every single asset on that list matched the exact items I had signed away at the notary office years ago. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to share. It was just that the wife he wanted to share it with wasn’t me. “Marcus,” I interrupted him. “Please draft the divorce papers. I’m leaving with nothing.” My hands were still shaking when I hung up. Not from hesitation, but from pure rage. Ten years of marriage felt like a long, elaborate scam, and I had willingly played the fool. The password to Julian’s hidden safe was Seraphina’s birthday. He was willing to give Seraphina everything, yet my monthly credit card limit was capped at five hundred dollars. Even when I was seven months pregnant, vomiting my guts out, he was busy accompanying Seraphina to her private art exhibition. And the most ridiculous part? I was the one who designed their love nest. Three months ago, Julian brought me a villa’s blueprints, forcing me to work despite my severe morning sickness. “A friend is gifting a villa to his partner. Design it to the highest standard, as soon as possible.” Now it clicked. That “friend” was himself. And the elegant signature on the owner’s line read “S.S.” Seraphina Sterling. The divorce papers arrived by evening. My lawyer made one last attempt to persuade me. “Mrs. Vance, at least keep the money you earned yourself…” I shook my head. Julian hadn’t contributed a single dime to our household expenses over the years. All my income as a designer had gone into running this house. Looking back, I must have seemed incredibly cheap to him. As I signed, the baby kicked violently, as if protesting, or perhaps comforting me. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I broke down and cried.

By that afternoon, with Marcus’s help, I rented an apartment. I didn’t care about the location or the layout. I just wanted to leave as soon as possible. It was 8:00 PM when I got back to the Vance estate. The exhaustion of pregnancy made my back ache intensely, but I still cooked one last dinner. All Julian’s favorites. For ten years, I knew his tastes better than my own. Whatever the ending, I wanted a clean break for the sake of our fifteen-year history. But Julian didn’t return until 1:00 AM. He smelled of the perfume Seraphina loved, with a glaring lipstick stain on his collar. I watched him loosen his tie. His ring finger was bare. At some point, he had stopped wearing his wedding band. He saw the cold, untouched food on the table, and his brow furrowed. There was no warmth in his eyes, only deep annoyance. “Playing the victim again? Do you really think this will make me back down?” He tossed his coat onto the sofa and headed upstairs without a second glance. “Julian,” I called out, my voice surprisingly calm. “The divorce papers are on the table. Sign them.” He froze, then turned around, his eyes dripping with sarcasm. “All because of an expired agreement? Luna, since when did you become so unreasonable?” “Your father forced me into this marriage by using a life-saving favor. I had no choice.” “Seraphina has a weak heart. I just wanted to give her some security, a gesture of goodwill!” Security? A gesture? How laughable. Two simple phrases dismissed all my pain. I finally understood. For ten years, the obstacle between us wasn’t anything elsehe simply never loved me. Fifteen years ago, on a rainy night, his half-brothers were hunting him down. I hid him in my family’s pool house for three days. I secretly brought him food and medicine, nearly getting beaten to death myself by those thugs. He had held my hand and promised, “Luna, once I take control of the Vance family, I will marry you in style.” He did take control, using ruthless corporate means. But he “married” me with nothing but a cold, calculating prenuptial agreement. “Julian,” I said, holding my belly as I stood up. “So you do remember that you owe me your life.” He paused, then sneered. “Oh, so you want to settle the score now? Fine. Name your price. How much do you want?” Name your price. I laughed bitterly. The last warm corner of my heart turned to ash. “No need, Julian. I’m truly done with this marriage.” “I want to see the signed divorce papers on the living room table by 9:00 AM tomorrow.” I squeezed out every ounce of strength to keep my voice steady. Without waiting for his reaction, I turned and went upstairs. Behind me, the sound of glass shattering echoed, followed by his furious, out-of-control roar: “Luna! You’d better not regret this!” Regret? My only regret was opening that pool house door fifteen years ago.

The next morning, the living room was empty. The divorce papers had been torn to shreds, scattered carelessly across the expensive rug. My heart clenched at the sight, but then quickly went numb. This was Julian’s answer. He wouldn’t explain, and he wouldn’t let go. My phone lit up with a message from Seraphina on Snapchat. A month ago, she had suddenly added me. Her first message was: “Luna, long time no see. I’m back. Julian picked me up at the airport. He hasn’t changed at all.” Since then, my phone had become a front-row seat to her happiness. A photo of Julian’s back as he walked with her at the art gallery, Julian putting food on her plate, her bare leg resting casually in Julian’s car… And yesterday, she sent a voice note. In the background, I could clearly hear Julian hanging up a call impatiently. “Luna? Don’t worry about her, she always makes a big deal out of nothing. Just focus on the paintings.” The latest message was sent ten minutes ago. It was a photo. Julian was sleeping in her bed, looking peaceful, surrounded by the star-themed bedding I knew too well. The caption read: “Luna, I heard you touched Julian’s things in his study and made him mad?” “Sigh, that agreement was just something he made to comfort me when I was sick years ago. It expired long ago. Don’t misunderstand.” “But Luna, you really look like my younger self, especially your eyes. Julian said that’s the first thing he noticed when he met you.” “Oh, by the way, how is the baby? Julian said he hopes the baby inherits my eyes.” A wave of nausea hit my throat. I rushed into the bathroom and dry-heaved violently. My morning sickness had never been this intense. Leaning against the sink, I stared at my pale face and bloodshot eyes in the mirror. These eyes… I only had them because they looked like hers? Fifteen years of devotion, ten years of marriage, all because a man couldn’t get the woman he truly wanted. And I was just a cheap, flawed substitute. Tears finally spilled over. With trembling hands, I replied to Seraphina. “You always love picking up my trash. Keep him. Keep Julian.” I sent it. Almost instantly, Julian’s name flashed on my screen. I didn’t pick up. I declined the FaceTime call and blocked his number. The world went blissfully quiet. I held my tightening belly, took deep breaths, and forced myself to calm down. Now was not the time for grief. I called a moving company and began packing my things. My clothes, my design sketches, my simple kitchenware, and small appliances… Everything I bought myself was packed into boxes. As for the expensive jewelry, designer gowns, and luxury bags Julian bought to maintain the image of “Mrs. Vance,” I didn’t touch a single one. Even my wedding ring was left quietly on the vanity. The movers arrived quickly and loaded the boxes. Before leaving, I took one last look at the mansion I had lived in for ten years. Beautiful, cold, and a perfect golden cage. And now, my sentence was served. My new apartment was tiny, but it got plenty of sunlight. It took me a whole day to unpack. My body ached, and my lower abdomen felt heavy, but a strange sense of relief washed over me. That night, I received a text from an unknown number. It was Julian. “Luna, come home right now. We can pretend none of this happened.” “Seraphina is in fragile health. Stop harassing and stressing her out.” “And deliver the baby. A Vance heir cannot be born outside.” Looking at the text, I laughed until tears came out. Even now, all he cared about was Seraphina’s feelings and the Vance bloodline. Whether I lived or died, felt pain or sorrow, didn’t matter to him at all. I didn’t reply. I deleted the message and blocked the number.

The day before my scheduled check-up, I went to the hospital. In the ultrasound room, cold gel was applied to my stomach, and the transducer slid over it. The doctor pointed at the screen. “The baby is very healthy. Look, these are the tiny hands, and these are the feet…” The tiny figure was moving, and my heart clenched painfully. With a cracked voice, I asked, “Doctor… the baby’s father is trying to force me to give up custody. What should I do?” The older female doctor adjusted her glasses, looking at me with a complicated expression. “At this stage, an induced labor or giving up the baby would be devastating to you. Besides… the baby can already feel pain.” She placed her hand gently on my stomach. “This baby seems very lively.” I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. My steps were unsteady as I walked out of the clinic. But at the end of the long hallway, I saw the one person I dreaded meeting. Julian stood there in his bespoke suit, looking every bit the powerful CEO of the Vance Group. “Come back with me.” He grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it nearly crushed my bones. “Stop throwing tantrums.” “A tantrum?” I looked up at him. “Julian, you think this is a tantrum?” “That agreement was expired and useless,” he said impatiently. “Seraphina’s heart is weak. I just wanted to give her some security” “So I’m just the stepping stone for your beautiful love story?” I wrenched my hand back. “Julian, do you remember the year we got married, when I had a hundred-and-four-degree fever? You said you were too busy to come home. Later, I saw Seraphina’s Instagram post showing you two skiing in Switzerland.” “On our third anniversary, you said you had a board meeting, but I saw your car in the background of Seraphina’s selfie.” “Every time I had a prenatal check-up, you were too busy. Yet you always had time to go to her art shows, buy her jewelry, and celebrate every single one of her birthdays.” I listed them one by one, my voice as calm as if I were telling someone else’s story. Julian’s expression finally cracked. “You… you knew all along?” “Because I never said anything, I just kept telling myself to give you one more chance, to believe in you one more time.” I smiled, but tears streamed down my face. “It was only when I saw that agreement that I realized what a fool I’ve been.” He fell silent. For the first time, I saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes. But it was too late. Way too late. “I will have this baby,” I said softly. “But it has nothing to do with you.” “From now on, the baby and I have absolutely nothing to do with Julian Vance.” With that, I turned and walked away. He didn’t chase after me. For the next few days, I shut off all communication and rested in my apartment. My lawyer told me Julian refused to sign the divorce papers. “Mrs. Vance, if you insist on a divorce, we’ll have to go to court. But since you are pregnant, the court usually favors mediation first.” “Furthermore, Mr. Vance made it clear that if you go to court, he has the resources to take full custody of the child.” Marcus’s voice sounded helpless. I held the phone, silent for a long time. I knew Julian could do it. He had endless wealth and power. I had nothing but the baby in my belly. “Marcus, how long would a contested divorce take?” “If he drags it out and uses his connections… it could take years.” Years? I couldn’t wait that long. My baby couldn’t be born into this chaos. I had to make Julian agree to the divorce himself.

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The day I found out I was pregnant, my unborn baby’s inner voice was suddenly exposed to the world. *[Stupid old hag, what are you looking at? Once I’m born, the first thing I’ll do is dump you in a nursing home! Your retirement savings will be perfect for buying my organic formula and designer baby gear!]* My mother, Helen, who had been crying tears of joy for me just a second ago, froze. The smile on her face completely shattered. Within days, she packed her bags, returned to her cottage upstate, and took an overdose of her medication, ending her own life. She left me a suicide note with only one sentence: “My daughter doesn’t want me anymore.” My husband was about to comfort me when he, too, heard the baby’s telepathic voice: *[Silly Daddy, why are you still smiling? Mommy and Grandma both have terrible hereditary diseases that cost a fortune to treat! Mommy only married you to scam your money and pay for Grandma’s medical bills!]* My husband gasped, freezing in shock. Before he could even process it, my best friend, Serena, showed up “right on cue” with a medical folder in her hand. With a look of sheer “reluctance,” she handed the report to my husband. “Austin, I couldn’t keep this from you anymore… I pulled some favors and found this. Chloe’s mother really does have a severe genetic illness. The treatment is a bottomless financial pit. Chloe… she might have been lying to you from the very beginning.” Right on cue, the baby’s inner voice chimed in, as if stamping Serena’s words with confirmation: *[Oh no! Aunt Serena leaked Mommy’s secret! Daddy is going to find out!]* Austin filed for divorce on the spot, demanding I pack my bags and get out. The shock was too much. I went into severe hemorrhaging on the operating table, dying in agonizing pain. Until I woke up, reborn. And once again, I heard that child’s voice.

“Chloe, congratulations! You’re officially pregnant! You’re going to be a mom!” A familiar voice echoed in my ears. I snapped my eyes open. Looking at the ultrasound report in my best friend Serena’s hand, I finally realized I had been reborn. Hearing the news of my pregnancy, Austin showed no joy. He merely cast a cold, detached glance my way. My mother, Helen, wiped the happy tears from her eyes, squeezing my hand. “This is wonderful, sweetie. I’m finally going to be a grandma.” But in the next second, the baby’s voice rang out from my womb: *[Old bag, who wants you as a grandma? Your genetic disease is a financial black hole. Mommy said once we drain you of your last penny, we’re going to dump you in some cheap suburban nursing home to rot!]* Helen’s face instantly drained of color. Her hands began to tremble violently. It was exactly like my past life. The moment my mother heard that voice, the light in her eyes died. Next, Serena would “accidentally” reveal that my mother had a family history of genetic illness that would cost millions to treat. Under the influence of the baby’s voice, Austin would become fully convinced that I only married him to scam his money for my mother’s treatment. Seeing the familiar despair in my mother’s eyes, I immediately grabbed her hand tightly. “Mom! Don’t listen to that absolute nonsense! I don’t want this baby anymore! You are the only person who matters to me!” My mother gasped, her tear-filled eyes wide with confusion. “Chloe, sweetie, what are you saying…” Beside us, Serena panicked. “Chloe, have you lost your mind? Why on earth would you abort a perfectly healthy baby?” Austin also spoke up, his voice freezing cold. “Yeah, why abort it? Are you trying to cover something up?” Looking at the suspicion in Austin’s eyes, I sneered inwardly. It seemed he could already hear the voice too. To prevent the tragedy of my past life, I had to get rid of this child. “Austin, you have to trust me this once. We cannot keep this baby!” The moment the words left my mouth, the baby kicked me hard in frustration: *[Mommy! How can you be so cruel? Just because you’re scared Daddy will find out about Grandma’s genetic illness, and that you married him for money, you’re going to abort me to silence me?!]*

That voice sounded like a curse, dragging me back into the horrors of my past life. Back then, after my mother cut off all contact with me out of guilt, I spent every day crying. Austin had looked at me with pure disgust. “Stop acting. Didn’t you and your mother just marry me for my money? Now that she’s sick, you expect me to be the sucker who pays for it?” I thought he was just speaking out of anger and tried to explain that my mother was perfectly healthy. But he threw a forged medical report in my face. My mother’s name was printed in bold black and white, complete with a signature from a specialist Serena had “helped” find. After that, Austin secretly transferred all his assets and kicked me out of the house. Just like right now, Austin was quietly listening to the baby’s voice: *[Grandma’s illness costs hundreds of thousands a year! Mommy already calculated all of Daddy’s assets. She’s just waiting for Grandma to get sick so she can drain him dry!]* *[Once Daddy is broke, Mommy will take me and Grandma to find my real dad. He’s a rich heir!]* To be honest, I had absolutely no idea who this “rich heir” was. I had never done anything to betray Austin. But Austin’s face grew increasingly dark, his gaze turning incredibly sharp as he stared at me. “Are you so eager to abort this baby because you have a guilty conscience?” “I can promise you, neither my mother nor I have any genetic diseases! If you don’t believe me, we can take her for a comprehensive health check right now!” I proposed, interrupting him before he could accuse me further. Seeing my absolute confidence, his brows softened slightly. “Chloe, it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just…” Sensing the tense atmosphere between us, Serena quickly stepped in to play peacemaker. “Oh, you two! It’s just a health checkup. I have connections in the hospital system. I can arrange the most comprehensive exam for Helen. I promise it’ll be fast and accurate!” I looked at her with a cold smile. “Thanks for the offer, Serena, but I’d rather go to a different hospital.” “No!” A flash of panic crossed Serena’s face. “I mean… my trusted specialist is at our hospital. Why go through all the trouble of going elsewhere? Don’t you trust me?” I really didn’t. After all, in my past life, she was the one who forged my mother’s medical reports, framing me as a gold-digging fraud. In the end, I was forced to walk away from the divorce with nothing. She, using the baby’s voice to guide her, successfully took my place and married Austin. As the ultimate beneficiary of the entire tragedy, there was no way I was going to believe she had nothing to do with this “mind-reading” baby. So, I played along, putting on a righteous act for Austin. “A full health checkup is a big deal. Serena is my best friend. To ensure absolute fairness and transparency, Austin, would you really feel comfortable letting Serena handle everything?” Just as Austin was about to agree with me, the baby’s voice chimed in with mock admiration: *[Mommy is so brilliant! Daddy would never guess that Mommy already bribed the doctors. No matter which hospital we go to, the report will say Grandma is perfectly healthy!]*

Was this child determined to drive me to suicide again? I forced down the rising rage in my chest and threw the decision back to Austin. “You decide where we do the checkup. There are dozens of hospitals in this city. Pick any one you want!” Austin rubbed his temples, looking exhausted. “Never mind. Let Serena arrange it. We’ll monitor the whole process. There shouldn’t be any issues.” I thought about it and agreed. If we watched every step, nothing could go wrong. Serena looked incredibly uncomfortable, but she had to play along, taking my mother through the entire panel of tests. A few days later, the detailed medical reports arrived. Seeing that every single index was perfectly normal, I let out a massive sigh of relief. Although I didn’t know why the baby’s voice was trying to ruin me, the black-and-white paper proved my mother was healthy. That was an undeniable fact. Serena forced a relieved smile. “See? Helen is perfectly healthy. You guys were just worrying over nothing!” But the moment she finished speaking, the baby’s voice rang out loud and clear: *[Mommy is so incredibly charming. She actually got Aunt Serena to throw away her professional ethics just to forge this fake medical report!]* Austin snapped. He grabbed Serena’s arm in a vice grip. “Serena! Do you swear on your medical license that this report is real?” Serena looked deeply hurt, biting her lip without saying a word. Her silence made it look like I had indeed begged her to forge the report. I opened my mouth to explain, but the baby seemed even more anxious than I was: *[Mommy, quickly tell Daddy to let go of Aunt Serena!]* *[Oh no! If Daddy looks at Aunt Serena’s Snapchat, he’ll see the texts where Mommy and Grandma discussed how to fake the illness and scam his money! Then the whole marriage fraud will be exposed!]* I had never plotted any of this! We met at a college party and married for love. After marriage, I never coveted his money. I even offered to sign a prenup, but he was the one who insisted we didn’t need one. We had been married for six years… I thought he wouldn’t doubt me over some bizarre, baseless voice in my womb. Yet, he impatiently snatched Serena’s phone right out of her hand. When he opened her Snapchat and saw the meticulously forged text messages—detailing how my mother and I planned to fake an illness, demand exorbitant medical fees, and drain his bank accounts—his hand began to shake violently. “What is the meaning of these messages?” Serena nervously tried to claw her phone back, casting a sorrowful look at me. “Austin, that was years ago. What’s the point of bringing it up now?” “I want answers!” Austin roared, his eyes bloodshot. Serena squeezed out a couple of tears, looking miserable. “When Chloe first approached you, it was indeed because of your family’s money… She told me her mother was sick and needed a lot of cash, so…” “You’re lying!” I screamed, shaking with rage. “Austin, don’t listen to her! Those texts are fake!” I grabbed Austin’s arm, begging him to believe me. But he shoved me away in disgust. “Chloe, I never realized you were such a conniving, cold-blooded snake!”

The force of his shove sent me crashing to the floor. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and hot blood began to pool beneath me. My mother gasped in horror, trembling as she tried to pull me up. “Ah! It hurts!” I screamed. Hearing my cry of pain, Austin and Serena finally looked over. Panic set in, and they rushed to lift me, wheeling me straight into the emergency room. I stared at Serena with pure, unadulterated hatred. “If I die, you are a murderer. I will haunt you for the rest of your life!” Austin defended her, snapping at me, “You’re the one who scammed me first, and you still have no remorse! I don’t even care whose baby that is anymore! Once you’re out of surgery, we are getting a divorce!” Hearing his words, my heart turned to ash. I closed my eyes in despair. The surgery lasted an entire hour, and the baby’s voice mocked me for that entire hour. Except this time, he was speaking directly to me: *[Hehehe, so much for your husband’s grand love!]* *[You evil woman, trying to abort me? I’m telling you, you will never get rid of me!]* *[Once you’re discharged, I’ll make sure your precious mother leaves you too. You’ll end up completely alone and abandoned!]* What a malicious creature. He was my own flesh and blood, yet he was calculating my ruin as if I had committed some unforgivable sin against him. Before slipping into unconsciousness, I couldn’t help but ask him why he hated me so much. But he didn’t answer. When the anesthesia finally wore off, the doctor handed me a cup of water. “Fortunately, the baby is extremely resilient. He’s out of danger, but you’ll both need to stay under observation for a while.” Staring at the clear water in the cup, a sudden realization hit me like a bolt of lightning! I finally understood what this baby’s “inner voice” actually was. Over the next few days, I lived in absolute peace. The baby still tried to provoke me from time to time, desperately trying to get me angry enough to induce a miscarriage. But I refused to give him what he wanted. I ate well, slept well, and let him grow healthy and strong in my womb. When Austin’s lawyer delivered the divorce papers, I didn’t cry or beg. I simply picked up a pen and signed my name with a flourish. Within days of our divorce, Austin proposed to Serena. On the day they set their wedding date, Serena called me. “Chloe, I’ve already told Austin that you and Helen have a genetic disease. I told him I only forged the fake report out of pity for our old friendship.” “For Austin’s sake, I suggest you abort that bastard immediately. Otherwise, we will make your marriage fraud public and turn you into a social pariah!” Facing her threat, I casually agreed over the phone. But behind her back, I took my prenatal vitamins, ate expensive supplements, and nurtured the baby until he was plump and healthy. As my due date neared, Serena’s wedding day finally arrived. Right in the middle of her wedding reception, I FaceTime-called her. “Hey! Happy wedding! Wishing you a lifetime of bliss!” Seeing my heavily swollen belly through the screen, horror washed over her face. In the next second, she threw down the wedding ring, abandoned Austin at the altar, and rushed into my hospital room within fifteen minutes, throwing herself onto her knees. “Chloe! Why haven’t you aborted this baby yet?!” “There’s no time left! I beg you, abort him now! If you do, I’ll give Austin back to you immediately!”

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Reborn to the day my best friend, Victoria, and I were to be married off to the heirs of the Rossi mafia empire. Victoria snatched my husband from my past life, Carlo Colombo, without hesitation. In my previous life, Carlo was the one who ultimately took over the entire Colombo crime family. She wrapped her arm snugly around Carlo’s, leaning in to whisper in my ear: “Dearest Sera, it’s my turn to be the Mafia Queen. I’ll let you have the heir who’s destined to die young.” So, she had been reborn too. But what she didn’t know was that Carlo only managed to conquer the mafia in our past life because of me. Because I could hear the inner voices of everyone around me. I woke up back on the day Victoria and I were choosing our partners. Across the mahogany table sat two men of similar age. One was Alessandro Rossi, the eldest son of the Rossi family—notoriously dubbed “Cold-Faced Alessandro”. The other was Carlo Colombo, the son of the family’s key business partner, who wore a deceptively gentle smile. [This time, the future Capo will be mine!] A sharp female voice echoed in my mind. It was Victoria. I looked over at her, but her lips weren’t moving. Her eyes were locked onto Carlo. [The crown of the Mafia Queen belongs to me this time.] Her voice rang out again. I realized then: I wasn’t just reborn. My mind-reading ability was back. And judging by her thoughts, Victoria had been reborn too. Otherwise, she couldn’t have known Carlo would eventually seize power. Sure enough, the next second, she elegantly glided over to Carlo’s side, flashing a sweet smile. “Hello, I’m Victoria. It’s an honor to meet you.” Our adoptive father, Don Lorenzo, who sat at the head of the table, spoke up. “Sera, since Victoria has chosen Carlo, you will marry Alessandro.” At those words, smugness flashed in Victoria’s eyes. She hugged me, whispering in my ear: “Dearest Sera, it’s my turn to be the Mafia Queen. I’ll let you have the heir who’s destined to die young.” She expected me to break down in despair, but all I felt was a cold, mocking laugh in my heart. In our past life, Victoria married Alessandro. Alessandro was the designated heir of the Rossi family, but his methods were too straightforward. He didn’t play dirty. Victoria tried to help him, but her amateur schemes only made things worse. Eventually, Alessandro lost the brutal power struggle within the family and was sidelined. Victoria suffered endless humiliation alongside him, until they were eventually banished. Meanwhile, Carlo, whom I married, was initially just an insignificant partner’s son. But I had the gift of mind-reading. I knew exactly what everyone thought—their deepest desires, their fears, and their darkest secrets. I used this gift to pave a golden path for Carlo. I knew who to bribe, who to eliminate, and when to make the perfect move. Within three years, Carlo climbed from a nobody to the seat of the Godfather. On the day he took over the family, he hugged me in front of the entire underworld. “Sera, I couldn’t have done any of this without you.” But that very night, I heard his true thoughts for the first time: [I don’t need her anymore.] Only then did I realize he had long discovered my ability. All his warmth and affection had been a facade. He had been practicing suppressing his surface thoughts, only letting me hear what he wanted me to hear. Later, he drugged my food. My mind-reading became glitchy and unreliable. He locked me up, torturing me in various ways to “test” the limits of my power. Victoria, consumed by jealousy over my power and status, seized her chance during one of my rare supervised outings. She personally drove her car directly into mine, pushing me off a cliff… As I plummeted into the freezing ocean, her ecstatic, twisted smile was the last thing I saw.

“Of course, Father. I actually quite like Alessandro,” I smiled gracefully, walking over to sit beside Alessandro. I had to admit, the man’s aura was terrifying. Just sitting next to him, I could feel the suffocating pressure radiating from him. I tried to read his mind, but I got nothing. Complete silence. This was different from my past life—back then, I could at least hear brief, fragmented thoughts from him. But when Carlo smiled at Victoria, I caught his inner voice. [Another plaything.] The voice was warm and gentle, exactly like it had been at the start of my previous life. But I knew it was all an act. Right now, he was calculating Victoria’s worth, planning how to exploit her. I knew his mask too well. Instinctively, I reached out and took Alessandro’s hand. Though his exterior was freezing, his hand was surprisingly warm. Startled by my sudden touch, he glanced down at me. I quickly let go, and he remained silent, offering no objection. Even though he seemed difficult and completely unreadable, I knew one thing: Carlo didn’t deserve that throne. It belonged to Alessandro, and I was the one who had built Carlo’s path. In this life, I would use my power to put the right man on the throne. Victoria and I had a double wedding. Just like in our past life. Back then, Alessandro hadn’t bothered to show up for the morning ceremony, whereas Carlo had arrived early, looking like a prince. Everyone praised Carlo for being a doting husband. As expected, this life played out the exact same way. Carlo, dressed in a sharp white tuxedo, eagerly walked up and took Victoria’s hand. As they passed me, Victoria gave me a triumphant look. “Sera, why hasn’t Alessandro come to pick you up yet?” I simply smiled. “Don’t worry about me. You should focus on yourself.” My words choked her, and her face fell. [Keep laughing. Let’s see if you can still smile when you’re being discarded later.] She sneered in her mind before walking toward the priest with Carlo. But it was too early to celebrate. Who would have the last laugh was still undecided. Alessandro’s absence, just like in our past life, sparked whispers and pitying glances from the crowd. Victoria’s smile grew wider. She couldn’t wait to whisper to Carlo, “I love you, darling.” Then, she pressed her lips to his, looking at me with absolute smugness. I knew she wanted to see me humiliated. But I wasn’t stupid. I wasn’t going to storm off in a rage like Victoria did in our past life. Doing that would only embarrass the family and make me look weak. I remembered how the elders had whispered back then that Victoria was too unstable to be the wife of the Rossi family’s eldest heir.

I picked up the microphone and smiled graciously at the guests. “Alessandro is currently closing a vital business deal for the family. I will be handling the toasts on his behalf today. I hope you all enjoy yourselves.” The moment I spoke, the whispering stopped. Donna Marta, sitting at the head table, gave me an approving nod. The Rossi family held immense power, and their reputation was everything. In moments like this, a wife couldn’t panic. She had to show the poise of a true matriarch. Victoria noticed Donna Marta’s look, and a flash of irritation crossed her face. [Disgusting b*tch. Just wait, I’ll make sure you embarrass yourself during the toasts!] Honestly, mind-reading was the best cheat code ever. It made everything so much easier. During the reception, I elegantly lifted my gown and walked toward Donna Marta’s table. Victoria approached me under the guise of offering a toast, but her hand “slipped,” and a full glass of red wine was about to splash all over my white dress. Thanks to my mind-reading, I anticipated it. I turned naturally to speak to a guest, flawlessly dodging her. The wine splashed onto the floor. “Oh my god, Sera, I’m so sorry! I was just so happy for you, my hand shook,” Victoria apologized instantly, her voice dripping with fake concern. “It’s fine,” I replied coldly. Carlo rushed over to support her. But in his mind, he hissed: [What a useless idiot!] All eyes were on us. Donna Marta looked utterly displeased. “Clumsy and embarrassing. Is this how a Colombo lady behaves?” “I’m… I’m so sorry, Mother. It was an accident,” Victoria stammered, though her eyes burned with resentment. If I were her, I would keep my head down and live quietly in this life. But since she wanted to make my life miserable, I wasn’t going to sit back and take it. Because of Victoria’s little stunt, the wedding ended abruptly. Donna Marta didn’t give her a single warm look for the rest of the night. But when she looked at me, her eyes were filled with pride. She squeezed my hand and said, “Sera, I will make sure Alessandro comes home to be with you tonight.” Sure enough, Alessandro returned that evening. He opened the door, loosening his tie, exhaustion written all over his face. I quickly stepped forward to take his coat. “Tough day, Alessandro?” He only spared me a glance and didn’t say a word. In our past life, the servants whispered that Alessandro hadn’t returned on his wedding night at all. Victoria had spent the night alone in the bridal suite, becoming the laughingstock of the estate. She had gone to Donna Marta to complain, only to get scolded for her own lack of charm. While Alessandro was in the shower, I made the bed and poured him a glass of scotch. Then, I grabbed some blankets and began fixing up the sofa for myself. When Alessandro walked out of the bathroom, he stared at me, a hint of surprise in his eyes. I quickly spoke up. “You take the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.” “Sera, what kind of game are you playing?” He narrowed his eyes at me. Since his bathrobe was loosely tied, his muscular chest was slightly exposed. I had to admit, he was incredibly fit. I quickly averted my eyes. “No game. We don’t have feelings for each other. Sleeping in the same bed would just be awkward for both of us.” “If possible, I’d like to propose a partnership.” “What do you mean?” “Our marriage is purely for family alliance. Many couples like us live separate private lives while keeping up appearances in public. I only married you for a stable life. I don’t expect love.” Hearing my words, a smirk played on his lips. “You’re smart.” “Fine by me. I agree.” I was just an ordinary girl. I didn’t have the grand delusion that I could easily control a powerful man’s heart. Besides, in this family, his attitude toward me dictated how others treated me. I didn’t want to end up like Victoria in our past life—ostracized and hated by everyone. That would serve me no good. And considering how ruthless he had been to Victoria back then, I had no desire to provoke him. A peaceful coexistence was the best path. In this life, I just wanted to make my own money, build my own empire, and rely entirely on myself!

I had Alessandro post a photo of us holding hands on his Instagram. The caption was simple: [Newlyweds.] My reasoning was to convince everyone that our marriage was perfect. I also noticed his Instagram was incredibly clean—aside from that post, there was nothing. A man like him probably lived a highly disciplined and boring life. That night, he actually took the bed and left me to sleep on the sofa. Zero gentlemanly instincts. Whatever, at least this arrangement worked. The next morning, Alessandro woke me up. At the crack of dawn, he was blasting music while doing push-ups. They say men who aren’t interested in women have boring private lives. But looking at his muscular, powerful frame… he was leagues ahead of Carlo. “Stop staring. I’m not interested in you,” he suddenly said, pushing himself up from the floor. “Get dressed. We’re having breakfast.” Translation: let’s go play the happy couple. Honestly, he wasn’t that hard to deal with. Why had he been so brutal to Victoria in our past life? Once I got ready, we walked out together. Almost immediately, we ran into Victoria and Carlo walking hand-in-hand. Victoria rushed over, grabbing my hand with fake concern. Her voice was just loud enough for the nearby servants to hear. “Sera, why is your wrist so bruised? Did you trip? Did Alessandro… do something to you?” She glanced at Alessandro, heavily implying I was being abused. Meanwhile, her own high-neck collar parted slightly, revealing dark purple handprint bruises on her throat. She looked incredibly smug as she sized me up. [Wrapped up so tightly, she must be hiding bruises from being beaten.] Her thoughts echoed in my head, followed by a triumphant laugh. “Sera, how was your wedding night?” Today, I was wearing a classy, modest maxi dress. Victoria seemed to have forgotten that Donna Marta despised any vulgar or overly revealing outfits in family areas. But I wasn’t about to correct her. I simply smiled. “Victoria, according to family hierarchy, you should address me as your superior.” Her face instantly soured, and she gritted her teeth. “Alessandro hasn’t even demanded that. What makes you think you have the right?” She then turned to Alessandro. “Alessandro, tell her!” I could feel the temperature around Alessandro instantly drop. In his mind, Carlo was roaring: [Stupid b*tch! Just wait till tonight, I’m going to ruin you!] Carlo yanked Victoria’s hand, signaling her to shut up. But she was still completely oblivious to the danger. “Carlo, what is the first rule of this family?” Alessandro asked, his voice low and dangerous. Carlo immediately bowed his head. “I’m sorry. I’ll correct her immediately.” The next second, a loud *SLAP* echoed as Carlo struck Victoria across the face. “Greet your superior right now!” Victoria’s face burned bright red from the blow. She looked like she was about to explode with rage. But knowing Alessandro was not someone to be messed with, she could only grit her teeth and mutter, “Good morning, Sera.” With that, Carlo dragged her away. I knew the rules. The absolute first rule of the Rossi family: never show disrespect to the heir or his wife. And Alessandro was the sole heir. In my past life, I had memorized every single rule just to survive. Back then, Victoria had bullied me constantly because I obeyed the rules and didn’t dare fight back. She probably thought she could do the same in this life, completely ignoring the family laws.

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The mountain had collapsed. My mother-in-law, Helen, and I were trapped inside the crushed car. But when the rescue team arrived, I didn’t cry out for help. Instead, I quietly searched for an exit on my own. Because I knew my husband would never choose to save me. In my past life, I had screamed frantically inside the deformed car cabin. My husband had dug through the rubble with his bare hands until his fingers bled to get us out. But after we were rescued, his childhood friend, Chloe, ran back into the danger zone out of jealousy. She was buried in the second landslide. After her death, my husband held me as I shook with fear, whispering that everything was fine as long as I was safe. He even took me on a hiking trip to help me clear my head. Yet, when we reached the peak of the mountain, he suddenly pushed me off the cliff. “It’s your fault I lost the love of my life! Go to hell and rot!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back in that dark, suffocating space. “Jane, hang in there! I’m going to get us out!” I woke up in a cold sweat at the sound of that familiar voice. The moment I opened my eyes, I saw the crushed car door, deformed by falling boulders, scraping against my face. Panic surged through me. I immediately pulled Helen into the safest corner of the cabin. “Helen, don’t try to push the door. Any movement could trigger another collapse.” I scanned our surroundings and found a dropped water bottle. Pouring the last drops of water onto a small towel, I handed it to her to cover her nose and mouth from the thick dust. Outside, the sirens of rescue vehicles echoed. Helen’s face lit up with hope. “Don’t worry, Jane. Ethan is here with his rescue team. We’re going to be okay.” Looking at her hopeful eyes, I lowered my gaze and remained silent. The air in the car was growing thin. The temperature was dropping fast, and the muddy ground beneath our feet was freezing. Just as I got Helen settled, Ethan’s voice boomed from outside. “Chloe! Chloe, are you in there?” “Don’t worry, I’m coming for you!” As the sound of clearing rocks grew louder, a sliver of light pierced through the cracks. Through the swirling dust, I couldn’t see clearly, but I could hear Chloe’s pathetic whimpering. “Ethan… I’m under the big rock ahead. Save me… I’m so scared…” “Everyone, follow me! Don’t waste time searching this area. Move up to the front!” Ethan commanded. Hearing their conversation, Helen suddenly clutched her chest, gasping for air. “That bastard… How could Ethan do this…” Before she could finish her sentence, she fainted from oxygen deprivation and sheer shock. Through the cracks, I watched Ethan’s retreating back as he carried Chloe away. The cold seeped into my bones. Tears welled up in my eyes, cutting clean tracks through the dust on my face. In that moment, I choked back the scream for help that almost escaped my throat. *Ethan, in this life, I don’t owe you anything anymore.* As Ethan disappeared with his muse, I adjusted my mask. I shifted my position to shield Helen, trying to find an escape route on my own. All the straining sent a sharp, agonizing pain through my ribs. It took everything I had just to stay upright. I was shielding Ethan’s mother. And there we were, trapped in the dark ruins of the landslide, listening to their voices fade into the distance. “Chloe, is there anyone else in that car?” “No, Ethan. Jane… she had a fight with me and suddenly grabbed the steering wheel. The car hit the cliff and triggered the slide. She jumped out and ran away…” “That despicable woman! When I find her, I’ll make her pay for this!” My body went limp. The physical and emotional pain made it almost impossible to breathe. A second later, another rescuer’s voice echoed: “Captain! I think I heard something over there.” “I feel like someone might still be trapped under here. What if Jane is in there?” “Chloe already said Jane caused this! Do you think a murderer would stick around to die?” Ethan snapped. “Everyone, move out! Chloe has external injuries. Our priority is getting her to the hospital!”

Enduring the agonizing pain, I tried to squeeze through a small gap. Beside me, Helen was awoken by the dust. Coughing violently, she grabbed my arm and began to scream for help with all her might. “Ethan! You ungrateful bastard! Your wife and your mother are buried in here! Who are you taking to the hospital?” I froze, listening closely to the sounds outside. But the footsteps and the scraping of shovels had already faded. Ethan was long gone. Suddenly, the urgent voice of another rescue worker pierced the silence: “Captain! Over here! We found an elderly woman trapped under the chassis. She still has a pulse!” Then, Ethan’s cold, irritated voice crackled through the walkie-talkie: “Leave her for now! Chloe said her mother was in the car earlier, and after the fight with Jane, she probably got out before the crash. She’s likely just nearby. Focus all resources on getting Chloe to the hospital first! Her injuries are severe. As for the old woman… let the backup team handle it.” Hearing her own son’s heartless words, Helen’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. She gasped for air, suffocated by shock, and blacked out completely. Above us, a loose boulder crashed down, completely sealing the small gap of light we had just seen. With trembling hands, I poured the very last drop of water onto Helen’s dry lips. She was unconscious and couldn’t swallow. Time ticked away. Despair settled over me. For a moment, I truly believed we weren’t going to make it out alive this time. The temperature kept dropping, and my limbs began to go numb. Just when all hope seemed lost, Ryan’s voice shouted from above: “Captain! Wait! This looks like your mother! She’s wearing the scarf your mom had on today!” A flurry of chaotic noises followed, and Ethan’s voice, cracking with panic, blasted through the radio: “What?! Look closer!” But there was no time for explanations. Ryan was already digging furiously with his tools. Soon, a figure cleared the debris, shining a flashlight on us. Unable to hold on any longer, I finally blacked out. When I opened my eyes again, Helen and I had been moved to a temporary medical tent by the road. Her face was pale, and she was hooked up to an oxygen mask as EMTs rushed her into an ambulance. The one who had saved us was Ryan, Ethan’s colleague. Covered in dirt, he looked at me with a complicated, exhausted expression. “Jane… Ethan… he thought it was your mother under there, so he… he gave that order. I got Helen onto the ambulance first, but the delay…” He slumped to the ground, completely drained. The ambulance rushed us to the hospital. Because of the delayed rescue, Helen was in critical condition and was sent straight to the ICU. I was admitted to a general ward for a cracked rib and multiple lacerations.

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. Ethan had rushed to the hospital upon hearing the news. But of course, he went to Chloe’s room first. When he finally showed up at my door, there was no concern on his face. Only blinding rage and disgust. Ignoring the nurse’s protests, he slammed the door open and slapped me hard across the face. “You crazy bitch! Are you and your mother insane? Why did you grab the wheel and try to kill Chloe? Now even your own mother is paying for your sins!” My head snapped to the side, my ears ringing violently. The sharp pain in my ribs made my vision go black. I stared at the man I had once loved with all my heart. His eyes held nothing but pity for Chloe and utter disgust for “my mother” who had been hurt. Chloe stood right behind him, her arm wrapped in a clean bandage, clutching his jacket like a frightened child. “Ethan, don’t be too hard on Jane. Her mother… she didn’t mean to do it. She was just too emotional at the time…” She coughed right on cue, spitting up a tiny speck of blood. The sight of that blood triggered Ethan. He spun around and kicked my bed rail violently, making a deafening metallic screech. “You evil monsters! You almost killed Chloe! Your mother got exactly what she deserved! Why didn’t you just die under those rocks?” He loomed over me, his eyes filled with pure hatred, as if my mother and I were the most disgusting creatures on earth. I didn’t even have the energy to argue. I could only manage a raspy whisper: “That’s your mother… Helen…” Ethan let out a harsh, mocking laugh. “Now you’re calling her ‘mother’ to gain sympathy? Why didn’t you think about that before you caused the crash? Your mother is rotting in the ICU right now, and it’s pure karma!” Just then, a nurse ran in frantically. “Mr. Collins! The elderly female patient in ICU Bed 3 is crashing. The doctor needs the family to…” Ethan waved his hand dismissively. “I get it! That’s Jane’s mother, right? Let Jane handle it! We need to focus on Chloe here!” The nurse froze. She looked at me, then at Ethan, her mouth opening and closing before she finally sighed and walked out. Ethan glared at me one last time. “Don’t look at her, Chloe. It’s bad luck,” he whispered gently, wrapping his arm around her as they walked out of my room.

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My sister, Chloe, had always been obsessed with the idea of marrying into old money. To make it happen, she bought a bottle of viral “Glow-Up Pills” that were trending all over TikTok. Back then, I warned her. I told her these sketchy, unregulated supplements had severe side effects and could literally ruin her body. Hearing my warning, Chloe threw the pills away immediately. She even hugged me and thanked me for saving her life. But not long after, photos of a lavish wedding went viral on Instagram. The groom was a billionaire heir, and the bride was the very influencer who sold Chloe those pills. Chloe was convinced that the influencer only snagged the billionaire because of those Glow-Up Pills. She blamed me for destroying her dream. In a fit of rage, she ran me over with her car. “You jealous bitch! If you hadn’t meddled, I’d be the one marrying into the Sterling family!” Our parents helped her cover up the crime, telling everyone that my death was just a tragic car accident. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day Chloe was showing off those Glow-Up Pills to me. Our parents were standing by, smiling. “It’s fine, Mia. Every girl wants to look pretty. Right?” I smiled back. “Yeah. If you want to take them, Chloe, go ahead.” 1 “Mia, look! I paid a fortune for these Glow-Up Pills. Everyone on Snapchat says they make you gorgeous enough to snag a billionaire!” The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Chloe excitedly waving a beautifully packaged bottle of pills in front of my face. “Once these pills make my skin flawless and pale, those rich guys will be crawling to me.” Before I could say anything, Mom and Dad cut in. “If Chloe wants them, let her have them. It’s normal for girls to care about their looks.” “Mia, don’t always be such a buzzkill. As long as Chloe is happy.” In my past life, they said the exact same thing. But as a Pre-Med graduate, I could see through the scam immediately. The so-called “glow-up” effect of these pills was caused by banned hormones. They gave a temporary boost to the skin, but long-term use caused toxins to build up in the body, leading to sudden organ failure. In my previous life, I had explained all the medical risks to Chloe. I even showed her news articles about girls who ended up permanently disfigured from taking them. Chloe had been terrified. She threw the pills straight into the trash. “Mia, thank God you told me. Being pretty isn’t worth dying for.” Even our parents had looked relieved back then. But soon after, photos of a high-society wedding flooded Instagram. The bride was the very influencer who sold Chloe those pills. Chloe lost her mind. She convinced herself that if I hadn’t stopped her, she would have been the one in that wedding dress. So, she lured me out, waited until my back was turned, and slammed her accelerator, crashing her car straight into me. “You jealous bitch! If you hadn’t meddled, I’d be the one marrying into the Sterling family!” I died on the spot. My parents lied to the cops, claiming I had severe depression and that it was a suicide. Chloe didn’t spend a single day in jail. Instead, she used my tragic death to gain clout on TikTok, building a massive following and making a fortune. Feeling the phantom pain still lingering in my chest, I forced down the burning hatred inside me and forced a casual smile. “Chloe, once you marry a billionaire and live in a mansion, don’t forget about me.” Chloe beamed with pride, her smile reaching her ears. “Mia, we’re sisters. Once I make it big, I’ll definitely look out for you.” Then, Chloe hesitated, a flicker of worry crossing her face. “But… I am a little nervous. These pills won’t actually hurt me, right? You studied medicine. Can you check the ingredients for me?” I opened my mouth, but then swallowed my words. I had warned her in my past life, and what did I get? My parents helped her lie, blamed me, and treated my brutal murder like a convenient accident. I blinked innocently. “I didn’t major in pharmacology, Chloe. I don’t really know much about these synthetic supplements. If you’re that worried, maybe just throw them away?” I said this on purpose. I knew Chloe, and I knew our parents. Since we were kids, our parents never said “no” to anything Chloe wanted. Sure enough, Chloe instantly clutched the pill bottle tightly to her chest. “Tons of girls on TikTok got gorgeous from these. I will too. Once my skin is perfect, finding a rich guy will be a piece of cake.” I said nothing. Go ahead. Take them. This time, I wanted to see if Chloe would end up in a mansion or with a ruined face. 2 Chloe was still slightly anxious, so she spent the whole night searching Snapchat and TikTok for success stories. Thanks to the algorithm, her feed was quickly flooded with videos of girls glowing up and marrying rich after taking the pills. Occasionally, a video debunking the pills as a dangerous scam would pop up. But Chloe swiped past them instantly. She only wanted to see the success stories, fantasizing about achieving instant fame and wealth. Meanwhile, I was busy sending out resumes, running to job interviews, and looking for internships. When I got exhausted, I relied on coffee and mint balm to keep myself awake. Chloe, on the other hand, stayed up all night researching how to sneak into exclusive VIP parties and hunting for wealthy guys on Instagram, giggling at her phone all day. One day, seeing me editing my resume over a cheap takeout box, Chloe curled her lip in disdain. “Mia, you work so hard sending resumes and doing interviews, but you’re just going to end up with a basic, low-paying job.” “You should really try these Glow-Up Pills with me. Once you’re hot, you won’t have to worry about finding a guy to take care of you. It’s way better than wage-slaving.” Without thinking, I blurted out, “No, thanks.” Chloe’s face darkened instantly. “Mia, do you still think something is wrong with these pills?” Seeing the suspicion in her eyes, I quickly smoothed things over. “No, Chloe. It’s just… I’m not naturally pretty anyway. Even if I take them, it won’t make a difference.” “But you’re already gorgeous and slim. The pills will work like magic on you. I don’t want to waste them.” Seeing my self-deprecating look, Chloe’s anger turned into smug satisfaction. She looked down at my faded hoodie with sheer contempt. “True. A plain girl like you wouldn’t know what to do with a glow-up anyway.” I nodded in agreement, my mind completely calm. Our family was working-class. Our parents worked odd jobs to get us through school. In my past life, I worked myself to the bone just to land a decent entry-level job. But I had been content. I wanted to graduate, work hard, and help my parents. I never expected Chloe to destroy everything. And what broke my heart the most was that my parents knew the truth, yet chose to protect my murderer. Remembering how they casually dismissed my death as an “accident,” a cold rage washed over me. Watching Chloe lose herself in her delusional fantasies, I looked away and went back to editing my resume. Soon, the night of the charity gala hosted by the Sterling family arrived. Before leaving the house, Chloe posted on Twitter: “Big night ahead! ✨” with a picture of a Glow-Up Pill. The gala ended late. The moment I walked through the front door, I heard Chloe’s excited voice echoing from the living room. “Chloe, did you seriously meet Zachary Sterling?!” A few of her friends were crowding around her, green with envy. Chloe tossed her hair proudly. “Of course. He even asked for my Snapchat. He told me I looked absolutely stunning tonight.” To prove she wasn’t lying, Chloe started listing the brand of Zachary’s designer suit, his luxury watch, and the exact words he said to her. My heart skipped a beat. Knowing Chloe’s social circle, there was no way she could have gotten close to someone in that elite bracket. Did Zachary Sterling actually take an interest in her? 3 Listening to Chloe brag, the other girls’ eyes practically turned into hearts. “Oh my god, Chloe! This is insane! Zachary is totally into you!” “Forget about basic rich guys, you’re about to secure an actual billionaire!” The flattery went straight to Chloe’s head. Then, one girl asked, “Chloe, how did you do it? We’re best friends, you can’t keep the secret to yourself.” “I saw your Twitter post. Is it because of those Glow-Up Pills?” Chloe didn’t even hesitate. She proudly admitted it. The girls gasped. “If we take those pills before the next party, will we get that gorgeous too?” The room went wild. Everyone stared at Chloe like she held the key to heaven. “Chloe, where did you buy them? Can you get some for me? I’ll pay you right now!” Chloe hesitated at first, but when she realized she could charge them a premium, her eyes lit up with greed. After pocketing their cash, Chloe promised she would secure the pills as soon as possible. Then, she turned to look at me. “Mia, I can get a bottle for you too. I’ll even give you a sister discount.” I rejected her instantly. “No, thanks. I’ll just stick to my regular routine. Besides, those things have crazy side effects. What if something goes wrong?” Hearing my words, the hyped-up girls suddenly quieted down. Realizing there might be dangerous side effects, several girls started getting cold feet. Seeing her easy cash being handed back, Chloe glared at me with pure venom. “Mia, I can’t believe you. Just because you can’t afford these pills doesn’t mean you have to ruin things for everyone else!” I put on a hurt expression. “Chloe, I’m just looking out for you guys. What if someone gets hurt?” Chloe snorted. “I’ve been taking them and I’m perfectly fine! Look at how bright my skin is. If you guys want to stay ugly, fine by me.” Seeing Chloe’s flawless skin, the girls wavered again. A few of the more insecure girls didn’t hesitate. They Venmoed Chloe the money on the spot, begging her to buy the pills for them. Chloe smiled and accepted the money, then smirked at the others. They looked back and forth between me and Chloe, eventually shaking their heads. “We’ll pass.” Chloe let out a condescending laugh, pointing at me. “Fine. Since you’d rather listen to Mia, let’s see what kind of ‘amazing’ job she lands with her boring life.” That night, the girls who bought the pills posted matching Snapchat stories of the capsules with the caption: “Ready for my glow-up! 💖” Looking at their stubbornness, I sighed and went back to preparing for my interview tomorrow. A week later, at another college party, those girls indeed looked significantly fairer. Wealthy frat boys were actually approaching them. They came back ecstatic, crowding around Chloe. “Chloe, these pills are literally magic! My skin is glowing!” “Those rich guys who used to ignore me were buying me drinks all night!” But I knew this was just the calm before the storm. I had secretly researched the chemical compounds in those pills. The short-term whitening effect was real, but the banned hormones would build up in the body. Within six months, the backlash would begin—skin rotting, severe pigmentation, and even organ damage. I tried to drop subtle hints to Chloe, but she wouldn’t listen to a word. “You’re just jealous! Look at my skin, it’s better than any celebrity’s!” What she didn’t know was that Zachary Sterling wasn’t interested in her looks. He was using her as an unregistered distributor to sell his toxic pills to college girls. 4 As word spread, more and more girls came knocking on our door. “Chloe, do these pills really work?” “Are you blind? Look at me! It’s your own fault for not believing me sooner. Just sit back and watch me shine.” “Chloe, you’re literally an angel for sharing this with us.” Hearing this, the girls who had hesitated earlier were filled with deep regret. Noticing their jealousy, Chloe turned her smug gaze onto me. “Mia, if you hadn’t held me back, I would have reached this level months ago. I’d probably be engaged to Zachary by now.” She sighed dramatically. “But don’t be too sad. If you missed out this semester, there’s always next year.” Chloe’s words completely shifted the blame. The girls who had been on my side yesterday now glared at me with burning resentment. “Mia, did you do that on purpose? Just because you’re plain doesn’t mean you have to hold your sister back!” “I was going to buy them, but I listened to you and missed my chance! You ruined my life!” Accusations flew at me from all directions. I kept my face blank, my mind focused on one thing. The pills’ results were real, but the price was absolute. Chloe had no idea she was walking straight into Zachary’s trap. While I was lost in thought, a girl violently shoved my shoulder. “Mia, are you just jealous of Chloe? Why do you hate seeing her succeed?” Chloe put on a fake, sympathetic show. “Guys, don’t blame Mia. She was just ‘worried’ I’d ruin my face. That’s why she stopped me.” This made everyone even angrier. A few girls got so worked up they cornered me against the wall. “Who do you think you are, trying to control our bodies?” I braced myself against the wall, trying to stay calm. “Get a grip! Those pills contain banned substances! They will destroy your kidneys and rot your skin in the long run! I was trying to save you!” But they blocked out my voice. The scene was spiraling into chaos. Our parents, hearing the shouting, rushed out of their room. They were shocked to see me surrounded by a hostile crowd. “What is going on here? Get away from Mia!” Chloe stepped forward. “Mom, Dad, don’t blame them. Mia is the one who blocked everyone from getting their glow-up pills.” Under our parents’ confused stares, the girls started shouting their grievances all at once. Our parents’ expressions became very complicated. But Chloe didn’t notice. She kept egging them on. “This is all Mia’s fault. She’s average-looking, so she wants everyone else to stay average too. She’s just toxic and jealous!” The crowd roared in agreement, demanding I apologize on my knees. Dad frowned, looking at Chloe. “Wait… Chloe, you’re saying you took those pills and your skin actually got better?” Chloe nodded proudly. “Yes, Dad! Look at me. Don’t I look ten times better? Just wait until I marry Zachary, you’ll see.” Hearing this, the girls who hadn’t taken the pills looked green with envy, their hatred toward me growing stronger. Mom tried to disperse the crowd, but nobody listened. A few girls got so aggressive that one of them screamed, “She took away our future! Push her off the balcony!” Before I could react, several hands grabbed my arms, dragging me toward the apartment balcony. I desperately grabbed the doorframe, my sneakers sliding against the floor. “Let go of me! Are you guys insane?!” They didn’t care. They shoved me hard, pushing my upper body over the low balcony railing. I was dangling stories above the concrete pavement, the cold wind whipping my hair across my face. “What are you doing?! Pull her back!” Mom screamed in terror. “Mia, you think you’re so smart? Keep talking now, bitch!” one girl yelled, her eyes bloodshot with rage. I gripped the railing, my knuckles white. “Don’t listen to Chloe! The medical results aren’t out yet! Don’t do this! Murder is a federal crime!” But they were completely deaf to my pleas, trying to push me over the edge. Just as I thought I was going to plummet to my death, the sharp wail of police sirens echoed from the street below. A neighbor had called 91 The cops burst into the apartment seconds later, tearing the girls away from me and pulling me back to safety. Chloe stood in the corner, a faint, cold smirk on her face. When the officer demanded an explanation, Chloe spoke up first. “Officer, this is my sister, Mia. She got jealous because I’m prettier than her, so she tried to stop us from taking our vitamins. Everyone just got a little emotional.” I leaned against the wall, gasping for air, unable to utter a single word. Finally, Dad sighed, looking exhausted. “Since this has become a police matter, I’m taking Chloe to the clinic tomorrow for a full medical checkup. We’ll see if these pills are actually poison.” Chloe whined, but she couldn’t argue with Dad. The next afternoon, the lab results came back. The report showed Chloe’s liver enzymes were off the charts, heavy metals in her blood were at toxic levels, and her skin biopsy showed deep-layer chemical damage. Chloe stared at the paper, completely frozen.

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I supported my fiancé’s college tuition for four long years, only for him to dump me the second he graduated. He told me that the powerful King family of Manhattan was a beast he couldn’t fight. He had no choice but to marry into their family and become their kept husband. Then, he sighed, looking down at me, and called me an ignorant, clueless country girl. He threw a check for twenty thousand dollars at my face and said we were even. Too bad for him, he had no idea. I am the only real heiress of the King family—the one destined to inherit the entire empire. I packed my things, getting ready to head back to New York City. I called Oliver. Within an hour, he pulled up outside my rural cabin in a blinding silver supercar. He had to stop there because the road ahead was too narrow for his low-clearance ride. “I thought you’d fallen in love with the quiet country life and forgotten all about Manhattan,” Oliver teased, leaning against the door. “None of this scenery is half as distracting as you,” I smiled, sliding into the passenger seat. The moment I arrived in New York, I went straight to Columbia University to see Ethan. I spotted him from a distance and waved. When he saw me, he panicked and ran over, looking around nervously. “Mia, I know I broke your heart,” Ethan hissed, his voice hushed. “But even if you stalked me all the way here, I’m not changing my mind. We are over.” I walked right past him, completely ignoring his existence. Just then, Dean Fletcher of Columbia University walked up. He smiled warmly and patted my shoulder. “Chloe! Welcome back. I’ve kept your enrollment active this entire time. Whenever you’re ready, you can resume your classes.” I took the documents Dean Fletcher handed me. I didn’t give Ethan a single glance. Ethan stood there, his jaw practically hitting the floor. He looked like his entire reality had just shattered. He definitely recognized the Dean. Leaving him to drown in his confusion, I drove straight to the King family’s estate. The security code at the front gate was still the same. The moment I walked in, my mother rushed over and hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. She was crying so hard she forgot all about her usual high-society elegance. Suddenly, Serena bounced out from the living room. Her face went pale, and she shrieked as if she had seen a ghost. “Aunt Helen, don’t let her fool you! My cousin Chloe died four years ago!” She lunged forward, trying to grab me. *Slap!* I smacked her hard across the face. “I’ve come back from the grave to collect my debt, Serena,” I whispered, my voice ice-cold. “You better lock your bedroom door very tight tonight.” Serena burst into tears, completely losing her composure. I didn’t care. “Mom, I’m home,” I said, wiping my mother’s tears. “And I’m never leaving again.” My mother believed I had just been studying abroad for the past four years. She had missed me too much to question anything else. Just then, the front door swung open, and my father walked in. “Chloe? My baby girl is back?!” His booming voice echoed through the grand hallway. I rubbed my ears with a smile and threw myself into his arms. My tough-guy dad was trying hard to play it cool, but I could see his eyes brimming with tears. Hearing the commotion, Grandma Evelyn came out of her study. She was visibly shaking. “Your rebellious granddaughter is finally home, Grandma,” I said. I knelt beside her rocking chair, burying my face in her hands. Grandma was a woman of traditional values. To her, family respect was everything. That night, the lights in the King estate burned until dawn. Serena stood in the corner, muttering bitterly. “Grandma, we should double-check her identity. What if she’s just some imposter who wants our family fortune?” I knew she would try this. Before coming down, I had already explained everything to Grandma, and my parents knew the truth too. For the public, we agreed on a cover story: I had been studying secretly in Europe for four years and had just returned. “That’s enough, Serena!” Grandma snapped, slamming her cane on the floor. “Your cousin’s return is a blessing. If I hear you spreading rumors again, I will personally kick you out of this house!” Serena had every reason to doubt my return. After all, four years ago, she was the one who hired the thugs to kill me. She was also the one who plunged a knife into my back before pushing me into the freezing river.

I didn’t return alone. Clara came back with me. Four years ago, Clara’s sister, Lily, was my personal assistant. When the killers attacked us, Lily threw herself in front of a speeding car to push me out of the way. She died on impact. During my first week back, we hosted a family dinner. Serena was noticeably absent, claiming she was unwell. “Is Serena feeling sick? I should go check on her,” I said smoothly. I visited her villa bringing a massive gift basket filled with the most expensive luxury wellness products—imported white truffle serums, Swiss caviar extracts, and royal jelly elixirs. Serena, greedy as always, couldn’t resist taking them. Once she accepted the basket, I slipped a black card onto her vanity. It was an ultra-exclusive VIP card for *The Eden Sanctuary*. “You look pale, Serena. Take this card. Go pamper yourself. We can’t have the public saying the King family treats its daughters poorly.” In Manhattan’s elite circles, *The Eden Sanctuary* was legendary. It was the ultimate playground for billionaire women—private hot springs, custom anti-aging therapies, and personal stylists. But it was nearly impossible to get in. Money wasn’t enough; you needed real political and social influence. A spoiled, second-tier cousin like Serena, living off family handouts, would never qualify for a membership on her own. The temptation was too much for her to resist. “Chloe… is this really for me?” she stammered, her eyes wide. “Of course. But you can give it back if you don’t want it. Someone gifted it to me, and I honestly don’t have the time. Maybe I’ll just give it to Mom…” I reached to take it back, but Serena snatched it out of my hand instantly. What she didn’t know was that I secretly owned *The Eden Sanctuary*. I had already instructed my staff to give her “special treatment.” Serena couldn’t wait. The very next day, she booked an appointment. The face masks they prepared for her were custom-made. After a few sessions, Serena’s skin indeed looked radiant. She looked flawless. “Miss King, your skin is absolutely glowing,” the esthetician flattered her. “You are going to be the most beautiful bride in New York.” “Make sure you keep up the good work,” Serena sneered arrogantly. “Do a good job, and I might tip you next time.” She had been there eight times and hadn’t left a single dollar in tips. Her cheapness was embarrassing. But the staff at *The Eden Sanctuary* were professionals; they just smiled and nodded. Serena’s engagement to Ethan was set for three months from now. Too bad their dream wedding was never going to happen.

Serena claimed to be my cousin, but she was actually just the daughter of my uncle, Charles. And Charles wasn’t even Grandma’s biological son. He was my grandfather’s illegitimate child from some nameless affair abroad. When Grandfather was young, he had a brief fling during a business trip. Nobody knew the full story, but a year later, he brought a baby boy back to New York. That baby was Charles. Grandma, being the graceful woman she was, took the child in and raised him alongside her own sons. But Charles grew up to be deeply resentful. He wanted the entire King empire for himself. He even tried to ruin my father. Charles was completely useless at running a business. To bring my father down, he leaked company secrets to our rivals, costing us tens of millions. He also secretly swapped out high-grade construction materials for cheap, sub-standard ones to line his own pockets. Eventually, one of our major construction projects collapsed because of the faulty steel and concrete. Thankfully, no one was killed. Yet, Charles showed no remorse. He went as far as hiring hitmen to kidnap my father. Luckily, Dad was smart and escaped. When Grandma found out, she was furious. She banished Charles to Europe and warned him never to set foot in the US again, or he would be completely cut off from the family fortune. Serena had grown up in the King estate, and she turned out exactly like her father—a greedy, ungrateful snake. Four years ago, while my parents were away, she tried to murder me. First, she hired someone to run me over. Lily saved me but lost her own life. When I tried to flee, Serena’s men caught me. Serena herself held the knife and plunged it into my back. I only survived by leaping into the rushing Hudson River. I was going to make her pay for Lily’s life, and my own, in blood. But I knew Grandma. She was incredibly fair. Without solid, undeniable proof, she would never allow me to ruin Serena. I needed to trap her so tightly she couldn’t squirm out of it. That was why I set Ethan up to meet her. He was my perfect pawn. Ethan was handsome, tall, and smart. He had always been at the top of his class. But his family was dirt poor. Even though he got into Columbia University, his family couldn’t afford the tuition. More importantly, Ethan had an insatiable greed. He wanted the best of everything. If he saw a chance to climb into high society, he would grab it with both hands. So, when Serena—posing as the ultimate wealthy heiress—crossed his path, he pursued her like a rabid dog. And Serena, who loved being worshiped, easily fell for a handsome, ambitious Ivy League boy. Every expensive suit, watch, and pair of shoes I had bought Ethan during our four years together looked low-key but was actually ultra-luxury, custom-made wear. A girl raised in the luxury of the King family would recognize those brands instantly. Before the semester started, I had intentionally whispered in Ethan’s ear: “Make sure you don’t get distracted by the wealthy girls at school and forget about me. I heard the heiresses of the King family love handsome, brilliant future elites like you.” So, when Ethan demanded a breakup to be with Serena, I wasn’t surprised at all. I was thrilled.

Grandma threw a massive gala to celebrate my official return. Naturally, Ethan was on the guest list. Dressed in a stunning, custom-made gown and dripping in diamonds, I stood beside Grandma, laughing and talking. The moment we walked down the grand staircase, we became the absolute center of attention. “Ethan, what are you staring at?” Serena hissed, pulling his arm. “I’m warning you, don’t get any ideas. That’s my cousin!” Ethan was staring at me in absolute shock. It was the exact same face, but the aura was entirely different. I excused myself and walked out to the quiet balcony. As expected, Ethan followed me. “Miss King,” he began, his voice trembling. “You look exactly like an old friend of mine.” “Ethan,” I turned around, a mocking smile on my lips. “Did you really think you wouldn’t recognize me?” “It *was* you at Columbia that day!” his eyes widened. “Are you Mia, or are you the King family’s heiress?” “I’m Mia, Ethan. Everything I did was for you,” I whispered. By now, Ethan had surely realized who the *real* heiress of the King empire was. He reached out to touch my shoulder, but I stepped back, dodging him. “But… you are Serena’s fiancé now.” “Mia, we were together for four years! You are the only one I love,” Ethan pleaded, putting on his best act of devotion. “I promise you, I’ll make things right. We can be together forever.” Suddenly, Serena burst onto the balcony. She slapped Ethan across the face. “You worthless trash! You’re cheating on me with this bitch?!” Before she could scream again, I slapped Serena right back. “Who are you calling a bitch?” I sneered. “I told you, Serena. I’m here to take your soul.” Serena shrieked in terror and ran back into the ballroom. As expected, she had no brain. She chose to make a scene in front of everyone. “She’s an imposter!” Serena pointed at me, screaming to the crowd. “She’s not Chloe! She’s just a poor country girl named Mia!”

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