Category: English

After our parents divorced, my sister chose to live with our wealthy father. I moved into my mother’s cramped rental apartment. A few years later, my father squandered his fortune on partying, gambling, and women. Meanwhile, my mother became a massive live-streaming influencer and a famous female entrepreneur. My sister’s life was turned upside down, so she came crying to me. But when I wasn’t looking, she slipped poison into my cup. “We are both their biological daughters! Why do you get to live so well while I’m out on the streets?” “It’s my turn to live the good life!” When I opened my eyes again, we were back on the day of our parents’ divorce. This time, she beat me to it and threw her arms around our mother. “I want to live with Mom. I don’t care how hard it gets, I’m willing to endure it.” But she didn’t know—our mother was far more terrifying than our father. 01 My sister, Lily, always had a sweet mouth and knew exactly how to charm people. Because of that, she was favored much more than I was. Naturally, when our parents decided to get a divorce, they asked Lily first. They asked her who she wanted to stay with. Our dad, Richard, was a trust-fund kid from a very wealthy family. Our mom, Evelyn, was a stay-at-home mother who would have absolutely nothing to her name after the divorce, destined to struggle just to make ends meet. So, without a second thought, Lily obediently threw her arms around our dad. “I love Daddy the most! I can’t live without you, I want to grow up with you!” Dad beamed with joy, lifting Lily high into the air. “My sweet girl, you stay with Daddy, and you’ll be a little princess for the rest of your life!” Lily smiled sweetly. But in a blind spot where our parents couldn’t see, she shot me a smug, triumphant look. Yes, she had been like this since we were kids. She always had to compete with me. As long as she could “beat” me, she was perfectly willing to do things that didn’t even benefit her, just to see me lose. Dad and Lily were laughing happily. Mom stood off to the side, looking heartbroken and gloomy. I stayed silent for a moment, then walked over and took Mom’s hand. “Mom, I’m willing to live with you.” She gave me a deep, unreadable look and said nothing. 02 A few years later, through a stroke of luck, Mom’s live-streaming career exploded. We moved from a rundown rental into a nice apartment complex. Then from that apartment into a gated mansion community. Mom’s used scooter was traded in for a Mercedes. And then the Mercedes was traded in for a Porsche. One day, Mom was driving me out to run errands when we happened to witness a traffic accident. An e-bike rider was driving the wrong way down the street and crashed into a luxury car. The owner of the luxury car got out and started screaming, while the e-bike rider just stood there, meekly apologizing. His teenage daughter was standing to the side, crying her eyes out. Embarrassed by her tears, the man actually kicked his own daughter. Heartbroken, the girl turned her head, and her eyes met mine through the tinted window of the Porsche. It was my sister, Lily. I looked closer at the pathetic, apologizing e-bike rider—it was my dad! Lily saw Mom and me. Her eyes lit up, and she started chasing after our car like a madwoman. But Mom just stepped on the gas, driving forward as if nothing had happened. I hesitated before speaking up: “Mom, that was Lily.” Mom replied coldly: “I saw her. What, do you want to help her?” I didn’t dare make a sound. Mom let out a cold laugh. “She was so cute when she was little, wasn’t she? Now that she’s grown up, she’s just as ugly as her father. Ungrateful little backstabber. This is karma.” I shut my mouth completely. Not long after, Lily managed to find my contact info and asked me to meet her. Sitting in a coffee shop, she cried a river of tears. “Chloe, you have no idea. Dad is—” Lily told me that our dad was an absolute fool. He was incompetent, yet incredibly greedy. A few years ago, listening to the nonsense of his sketchy friends, he ignored our Grandpa’s strict warnings and invested tens of millions into a startup. The company was a complete scam designed to drain his money. Just like that, millions vanished into thin air. Grandpa was furiously disappointed and kicked him out of the family. “I thought Dad would learn his lesson, but all he did was party, drink, and sleep around.” After being cut off, Dad spent his nights clubbing. Taking the terrible advice of his various girlfriends, he went to Las Vegas and threw cash around like water. Within a few months, whatever millions he had left in his bank account were gone. Worse, he racked up over six million dollars in casino debt. Grandpa was entirely done with him and refused to give him a single dime. Out of options, Dad had to start doing DoorDash deliveries just to survive. But he was a man who had been pampered his entire life. He used to have a private chauffeur; he didn’t even know basic traffic laws. Not long after he started delivering food, he drove the wrong way down a street and crashed into a luxury car—the exact scene I had witnessed. In the coffee shop, Lily threw herself into my arms, weeping bitterly. “Chloe, I saw Mom driving a Porsche and wearing Chanel. Your purse is Dior. You guys must be living such a good life.” “Chloe, can you please go back and talk to Mom? I’m her daughter too. I don’t want to live with Dad anymore, I want to live with her.” “She must miss me so much, right? In those first few years after the divorce, she called me all the time, begging me to come back.” Her eyes were full of desperate hope. But just thinking about my mother made a violent shudder run down my spine. Finally, I said, “It’s best if you don’t live with Mom. But… I can give you some money.” Lily snapped her head up, a flash of pure, venomous resentment crossing her face. But just as quickly, she masked it with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Chloe. I knew you loved me the most.” 03 The next day, I transferred ten thousand dollars to Lily. She eagerly offered to invite me over to her rental apartment for dinner. Inside the dingy apartment, Lily handed me a cup of tea. “Chloe, I remember you always loved sweet peach tea since we were kids. I picked this out just for you. Tell me if it tastes good.” My guard was down, so I drank it. But soon, the room started spinning. My final memory was Lily holding a knife, slashing my face to pieces. “Chloe, we’re both their biological daughters! Why do you get to live so well while I’m out on the streets?!” “You have so much money, but you only gave me this pathetic amount?! And you won’t even let me go back to Mom?! You selfish, greedy bitch!” An endless darkness washed over me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of my parents’ divorce. Faced with Dad’s question about who we wanted to live with… This time, Lily didn’t even hesitate. She turned and threw her arms around Mom. “I can’t live without Mom! I want to live with Mom! I don’t care how hard it gets, I’m not afraid!” Mom was so moved she hugged Lily tightly. Buried in Mom’s embrace, Lily flashed a cunning, wicked smile. In a blind spot where no one else could see, Lily silently mouthed the words to me: “Sister, this time, it’s my turn to fly high.” So, she was reborn too. But she didn’t know—Mom was far more terrifying than Dad. 04 Lily happily skipped off to the cramped rental apartment. I stayed behind in the sprawling mansion. Dad was as unreliable as ever. He had just finalized his divorce, yet that very night, he was getting ready to hit the clubs. On the phone, some mistress was speaking to him in a sickly-sweet voice. It cheered him up instantly. He grabbed his designer jacket, ready to walk out the door. Right as he was about to leave, I stopped him. I asked: “Dad, who’s going to eat dinner with me?” He answered like it was obvious: “Isn’t the nanny here? Just have her eat with you.” I bit my lip and said, “I haven’t seen Grandpa in a long time, and I miss him. Dad, can you drop me off at his house?” Dad hesitated. Seeing this, I added: “Auntie’s son, Liam, went to see Grandpa a couple of days ago. I don’t know what he said, but Grandpa bought Auntie a brand-new car. Did you know about that, Dad?” Hearing this, Dad’s hesitation vanished instantly. “That family just knows how to leech off my side of the family! Pathetic!” “Chloe, I’ll have the driver take you over right now. Remember, you have to put in a good word for me in front of Grandpa, understand?” Saying that, he practically shoved me into the back of a black SUV. Grandpa lived in a quiet, secluded lakehouse estate. In his eyes, my mother was a manipulative gold digger who used every trick in the book to climb the social ladder and marry my dad. He thought she was deeply scheming and venomous. Because of that, he always despised my mom, and by extension, he didn’t like Lily or me either. In my past life, after the divorce, Lily also tried to suck up to Grandpa. But she was a spoiled little princess who had been coddled at home. Her head was empty, and her only skill was pretending to be cute and innocent. At Grandpa’s house, all her little tricks failed miserably. No matter how much she cried or threw tantrums, all she got was Grandpa’s cold indifference. Unlike her, our aunt’s son, my cousin Liam Carter, was Grandpa’s absolute favorite. No matter what Liam said or did, he always earned Grandpa’s praise. Over time, Lily grew incredibly resentful. During a family gathering, she deliberately smashed an antique vase and framed Liam for it. She thought it would ruin Liam’s standing in the family. Instead, she was met with security footage from a hidden camera. Liam’s status remained unshaken. Lily, on the other hand, faced the absolute wrath of the family’s strict discipline. Grandpa accused her of being “scheming, venomous, and willing to do anything for personal gain—just like your mother.” He strictly ordered my dad to never bring her to the estate again. From that day on, Lily harbored a deep hatred for Grandpa. On his birthday, she even posted a twisted comic on social media, depicting the Grim Reaper using various horrific methods to take an old man’s life. Grandpa definitely saw it, but he ignored her completely. Later, when Dad went bankrupt and Lily’s life hit rock bottom, she finally remembered Grandpa. She knelt outside the gates of the lakehouse, begging him for forgiveness and a place to stay. Grandpa didn’t even show his face. The security guards just dragged her away. This time, time had rewound. Lily ran off to chase her dream of a luxurious new life. And the person standing outside the lakehouse, about to visit Grandpa, was me. I took a few deep breaths and pressed the doorbell. 05 Even though Dad had called ahead to say I wanted to visit, Grandpa’s expression in the study was still freezing cold. After I politely greeted him, he showed no intention of entertaining me. I didn’t get upset. I just found a quiet corner and sat down. Living with my mother in my past life, I had endured humiliations hundreds and thousands of times worse than this. This was nothing. In the study, Grandpa was quizzing Liam on his studies. Liam was seventeen this year. He was an academic genius with a deep interest in finance and economics. Grandpa was a self-made billionaire, but unfortunately, all of his own children were mediocre at best. Therefore, he genuinely admired this driven, grounded grandson. He would often pull Liam aside to analyze famous domestic and international business mergers and acquisitions. The questions Grandpa asked were extremely difficult. Liam answered the first few perfectly. But the next one was different. Liam fell into a long, deep silence. Grandpa wasn’t in a rush, patiently waiting for his answer. I timidly raised my hand. “Grandpa, can I share my thoughts on this?” Grandpa glanced at me, his expression full of doubt. “You? You’re not even in high school yet. What could you possibly know?” “If you can’t sit still, go wait outside. Don’t try to play smart with me.” I didn’t get angry. I just smiled and said, “If you aren’t satisfied with my answer, I’ll go stand in the corner outside. How about that?” Grandpa scoffed. But Liam chimed in: “Grandpa, why not let Chloe give it a try?” Grandpa didn’t say anything, which was a silent yes. I shot Liam a grateful smile and began to speak: “The initial capital for this specific group of entrepreneurs wasn’t exactly clean. In the early days, they acted as exclusive import distributors, helping foreign corporations open up the local market. By monopolizing information gaps, they extracted massive, exorbitant profit margins.” Grandpa looked at me in surprise and kept grilling: “Then tell me, what was their natural advantage, and what was their fatal flaw?” I thought for a second and replied: “They built close ties with foreign entities early on and adapted to the market quickly. That was their advantage. But it was a double-edged sword. Their fatal flaw was becoming entirely dependent on the first-mover advantage provided by those foreign companies. They never developed their own core competencies. So, once the market became regulated and standardized, their competitive edge vanished.” Grandpa stared at me for a long time. His expression was complicated. There was doubt. There was scrutiny. But there was no longer any contempt. After a moment, he asked, “You’re only fourteen. Where did you hear all this?” I said, “The public library has a lot of books. I love to read.” But that wasn’t true. In my past life, a massive portion of my mother’s “clients” were exactly those men who profited from those very distribution monopolies. They exploited loopholes, built wealth through cronyism and information gaps, and yet attributed all their success to their own sheer brilliance. And on drunken afternoons, holding a young girl in their arms, they couldn’t wait to brag about their past business conquests. Thinking about this, I squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them again, I was still sitting in Grandpa’s solemn, antique study. I wasn’t in a dim, suffocating bedroom bathed in cheap pink lighting. Clap, clap, clap— Liam began to clap softly. He said, “Chloe is only fourteen, but her reading comprehension and analytical skills are incredibly sharp. That deserves recognition.” He looked at me, his expression gentle and sincere. “I concede. I couldn’t have answered it better.” I quickly shook my head. “It was just a lucky guess. I don’t know any of the complex financial and economic terms you were talking about earlier. I still have a lot to learn.” After a brief silence, Liam asked me, “Chloe, do you want to study with me?” 06 At Liam’s suggestion, Grandpa allowed me to audit his lessons. But he was still suspicious of me. He suspected this was just a creative new strategy to con money out of him. So, he ordered Liam to give him regular reports on my behavior. In truth, I didn’t need Liam to monitor me, and I didn’t need anyone to force me to work. Every single day, I went to class, came home, and whenever I had a day off, I was either practicing the piano or buried in the library. This was the normal life I had begged for but never had in my past life. How could I not cherish it? Months went by. In Grandpa’s study, I was no longer just a listener. Often, when Grandpa threw out a debate topic, Liam and I would argue until we were red in the face. Until Grandpa finally called a halt to it. I don’t know exactly which day it happened. But Grandpa stopped looking at me with defensive, guarded eyes. And Liam stopped reporting my behavior to Grandpa. He complained that paying too much attention to me was wasting his own study time, which was exactly why he had lost to me on a recent pop quiz. Grandpa just roared with laughter at that. I pretended not to notice any of it, quietly continuing to work on my practice exams. At school, my intense studying brought massive rewards. I won first place in the State Math Championship. My homeroom teacher said she was going to call me out for special praise at the upcoming parent-teacher conference. But my dad was as useless as ever. He promised he would attend, but half an hour before it started, he called to say he couldn’t make it. He said, “Chloe, Dad has a very important business meeting. Just let the nanny go to the conference for you, okay? Be a good girl.” But over the phone, I could clearly hear the giggling of several women in the background. I didn’t expose his lie; I just calmly hung up the phone. Then, I took a picture of the Math Championship honor roll hanging on the classroom whiteboard and texted it to Grandpa. On the list, my name and Liam’s name sat at the absolute top of the middle school and high school divisions respectively. Both carrying our family’s legacy, sparkling in the sunlight. I added a message: [Grandpa, Dad had a last-minute emergency and can’t make it to my parent-teacher conference. But my teacher really wants to talk to my guardian about my future academic track. Could you come?] Grandpa personally showed up at the school. This was a privilege not even Liam had ever received. My homeroom teacher was terrified but honored, and the principal rushed down just to greet him. Grandpa sat completely at ease in the principal’s office and asked, “How is my granddaughter’s academic performance? Are there areas where she needs to improve?” He knew the answer perfectly well, but he asked anyway. The homeroom teacher quickly piled on the praise, confirming that I was the absolute top student in every possible metric. Only then did Grandpa nod in satisfaction. After the conference, he hesitated for a moment, then surprisingly ordered his driver to take us to the high-end shopping mall. He said, “I saw the other little girls in your class dressing so brightly. Why are you dressed so plain? Is your father neglecting you?” In the end, he bought me six or seven tailored outfits. And several designer bags. Looking at the numbers on the receipt, I felt a wave of anxiety. “Grandpa, aren’t you worried I’m just after your money now?” He let out a booming laugh. “Go ahead and be after it! I’d be more worried if you weren’t!” I froze for a second, then laughed along with him. Lily thought that to please Grandpa, she had to rely on being cute, providing superficial emotional value, and acting like a spoiled princess. But she didn’t understand. Grandpa was a ruthless, self-made entrepreneur who built an empire from the ground up. He had seen countless sugar-coated bullets and witnessed the darkest sides of human nature. He didn’t need, nor did he respect, flattery and whining from someone useless. An aging titan holding the reins of an empire… The thing he most desperately wants to see is a vibrant, fiercely capable successor. And as long as I kept proving my competence, it was only a matter of time before I became the second Liam. Grandpa’s favorite.

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When an A-list actor adjusted my microphone, he unconsciously kissed my hair. We both froze. Because this was a reality show about divorce. And we were from two different former couples. 01 After my divorce from Ethan Vance, everyone assumed I would cling to him. He had publicly announced our marriage at the peak of his career. After tying the knot, he successfully transitioned from a teen idol to a serious actor. When he finally won his first major award, people still brought me up. “What gives her the right? She’s so lucky.” I was the one who asked for the divorce. But it was what he had been waiting for all along. While he was playing house on set with Chloe Sterling, his co-star in his new drama—wearing his jackets, using his phone case… I was still at home, flipping through the calendar, waiting for him. Time and again, he hung up my calls, using work as an excuse. Until one day, I ran into Chloe in first class. She greeted me warmly, a bright smile on her face. “Did you know?” she whispered in my ear. “I bought this ticket using his credit card.” She did it on purpose. Trying to force me into a divorce. I gave her exactly what she wanted. I went home and packed my bags in half an hour. I don’t want something that someone else has already dirtied. Thank god we didn’t have kids. Ethan leaned against the doorframe, watching me. His reaction was flat. He only asked one question: “What else do you want?” “Your phone.” He paused for a second, but then handed it straight to me. During the years he loved me most—when I stayed by his side from D-list obscurity to A-list stardom—I was always his only pinned contact. Now, I had been replaced. I was relegated to “Do Not Disturb.” An uncontested divorce. He gave me everything he earned over those years, asking only that I let him go as quickly as possible. He told me he truly loved Chloe. After signing the non-disclosure agreement, I thought we would never speak again. Until he called me one last time. “Let’s meet up.” It was the first month after our divorce. “We can’t let my fans know I cheated. The new drama is about to air.” I arrived early. In the break room, I overheard Ethan’s manager trying to persuade him. “Even after a divorce, you’re still an A-list actor. And her? Just an absolute nobody waiting to be laughed at. “She’s definitely not over it. “Just trick her. Tell her you want to go on a divorce reality show with her. “Make her think there’s a chance to win you back, and she’ll do everything to please you. “Then, we’ll edit the show to make the audience find her annoying, and you can maintain your ‘devoted ex-husband’ persona.” The manager nudged him. “Are you even listening?” Ethan had his legs propped up on a low table, lazily playing a game on his phone. He gave a noncommittal “Yeah.” “Trust me, you crook your finger, and she’ll come running back like a dog, grateful for the attention.” In the meeting room. Ethan was playing with his phone with one hand. He only said a few words. And I agreed. “I’ll do the show.” He stared into my eyes, pausing for a moment. “Are you really… that desperate for me?” He was too confident, too easy to fool. I lowered my eyelashes. “Yes. “Ethan, is there still a chance for us?” His gaze turned cold. He looked away and said softly, “Depends on your behavior.” “But,” he added, “the script for this show isn’t what you think.” This divorce reality show. It was scheduled to air while his new drama with Chloe was broadcasting. To drum up publicity for their on-screen romance. The theme of the show was “Seeing Marital Problems by Changing Lifestyles.” Chloe would be sharing a room with him. And I would be sharing a room with Chloe’s ex-husband. That guy, Carter Hayes, who skyrocketed to fame at nineteen with a single drama, won a grand slam of awards, and then abruptly retired to get married. Ethan was just the guy who picked up the scraps Carter left behind. He became famous because his face looked seventy percent like Carter’s. Rumor had it that Chloe and Carter lived apart after getting married. That she loved him, but couldn’t have him. 02 A hot spring resort. Two rooms, separated by a single wall. The show was broadcast live. There was an observation room on set and live comments from the audience online. [Ethan Vance and Chloe Sterling on a divorce show, sharing a room? They’re playing hard!!!] [Their chemistry is insane! So perfect together.] [Told you Ethan and his wife had no feelings left. No one likes the one holding them back.] [I’ve been waiting for them to divorce for so long!] [Was he blind? He loved her so much back then…] The staff strapped heart rate monitors on Ethan and Chloe. “If your heart rate reaches 70, you can leave the room.” [They’ll break that in seconds, right?] To everyone’s surprise, both of their heart rates stalled at 68. They had done everything together off-camera. They were too familiar with each other, afraid of slipping up and showing it. So they ended up acting overly cautious on the show. [Chloe is so polite, she doesn’t even dare get too close.] [Ethan, stop holding back! We support you!] Chloe sat by the door. Ethan stood on the balcony for some fresh air. From a certain angle, he could see into my room. Carter hadn’t arrived yet. I was sitting alone on the edge of the bed, wearing my heart rate monitor. Someone knocked on the door. It was a tall, slender man. A baseball cap hid half his face, and his damp bangs were dusted with mist from the hot springs. It was drizzling outside. He carried the crisp, cold scent of a foggy midnight. [MY FIRST LOVE IS BACK!!!] [How should I put this, Ethan… comparison is the thief of joy.] [Let’s not pit them against each other.] “You have to put this on.” I handed the other heart rate monitor to Carter. Ethan always hated it when people said he looked like Carter. In our first year of marriage, we were taking a walk on the street late at night. I froze, staring at a massive luxury billboard featuring Carter. Ethan pulled a beanie over my head, blocking my view, and muttered sourly: “I knew you liked this type of face.” And now. In the other room, Ethan was on the balcony. Watching clearly. Watching Carter walk into the room and close the door behind him. Putting on the monitor. Ethan didn’t care. He had known since that night that the man he could never catch up to, the man he was insanely jealous of—Carter—was only married to Chloe out of a contractual obligation. Carter didn’t even like Chloe. Naturally, it was even more impossible for him to like someone as incredibly ordinary and divorced as me, someone Ethan himself looked down on. Ethan scoffed lightly, completely unbothered. Yet, he scrutinized my reaction without missing a single detail. “Hello, I’m Audrey Miller.” My heart rate was resting at 50 as I held out my hand to Carter. “Hello, I’m Carter Hayes.” He took my hand. A few seconds later, a sharp, piercing beep came from the monitor. Carter’s heart rate had skyrocketed, breaking the limit. But the man himself was calmer than anyone else. He said, “The monitor is broken.” I said, “Oh.” 03 They changed the monitor, and sure enough, it was normal. After a few cooperative games, Ethan and Chloe’s heart rates surpassed 70, and they left their room early. But on my end. Carter’s heart rate remained stubbornly stuck at 25. Pathetically low. “If it never goes over,” I asked the staff, “do we have to spend the night in the room?” Carter heard that. His shoulders were broad, his back straight. He was wearing a thin black hoodie, his gaze empty and distant. The staff replied, “It counts as a failed mission. You can come out in an hour.” Carter and I were the last to come out. [That was such a fail.] [Zero chemistry between those two.] [Take her away, can we please not show her? I only want to watch Chloe and Ethan.] The live comments were dismal until the broadcast ended. Post-interviews were held in the various rooms. Cameramen, lighting crew, people everywhere. Ethan stood in a corner, watching Chloe getting interviewed, his gaze accidentally sweeping over me. “Excited?” He asked me out of nowhere. “Did you think for even a second that Carter might actually be interested in you?” I ignored him and tried to leave. But he blocked me. “What to do, Audrey,” he put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head to look at me. “I’m starting to feel that divorcing you was the best decision I ever made.” Someone walked past, and Ethan straightened up. Back to his gentle, affectionate, yet broken persona. As if I was the one who had hurt him the most. After Chloe finished her interview, she walked up to me under everyone’s gaze and grabbed my hand. “Audrey,” she had a worn red string tied around her wrist, “you really need to cherish Ethan. He truly loves you.” That red string. I had seen it before. For our anniversary last year, Ethan was tailed by a stalker fan and got into a minor car accident. He was fine. I dragged him up a mountain to pray at a temple, closing my eyes and filling my heart with prayers for his safety. When I opened my eyes, I saw him buying that red string. I thought he was going to give it to me. But he said he bought it for himself, to put my mind at ease. And now, it was on Chloe’s wrist. “Stop being unreasonable,” Chloe was still talking for the cameras. “I want you two to be happy more than anyone.” I didn’t say a single word. Ethan didn’t know. And Chloe didn’t know either. Actually, there was another, hidden reason I agreed to participate in this show, a reason I couldn’t tell anyone. When I closed my eyes that day at the temple, it wasn’t Ethan in my heart. 04 The reality show was filmed on weekends. The concept was “Weekend Spouses.” During the weekdays. I picked up my old career, wanting to return to my previous entertainment agency as a talent manager. “Carter and Chloe are divorced.” My former boss told me. “He signed a ten-year contract with Chloe’s dad’s company, and now he can finally terminate it. “He’s restructuring his studio, and I recommended you to him.” Following the address he gave me, I saw Carter at a photo studio. His profile was backlit, his features sharp and rebellious. It was indeed a face made for the silver screen. He was even harder to approach than I imagined. I waited outside for a long time. Until his assistant ran out and told me. “I’m sorry, Ms. Miller. We probably can’t meet today.” On the way back, my car broke down. At 11 PM, in the middle of nowhere, and it was raining. I held an umbrella, waiting for the tow truck. Watching the cars drive past from afar, like phantoms moving through the night. Not a single one was coming to pick me up. Headlights flashed in front of me. The window of a black SUV rolled down, and Carter’s assistant said to me: “Ms. Miller, get in the car first.” Carter sat in the very back, a baseball cap pulled over his eyes, fast asleep. His breathing was shallow, his long legs slightly bent. The space was a bit cramped for him. There was a lot of clutter in the car, and two suit jackets were hanging by the window. A crisp scent of pine. The smell of his hand when he shook mine that day. “Ms. Miller, I’m going to buy a bottle of water at the gas station up ahead. Do you want anything?” the assistant asked me quietly. “Just call me Audrey. I’ll go with you.” “Ah,” he waved his hand and got out of the car. “I’ll go. I’ll be right back.” The door closed, leaving only Carter and me in the car. No one else. And no cameras. The headlights flickered slightly; the interior of the car was dim. Even though there was a row of seats between us, his breathing felt as close as if it were right in my ear. I stared out the window at the blue glow of a convenience store not far away, where the assistant was wandering near a shelf. I remembered once, while grocery shopping, I saw a billboard with Chloe on it. “She’s so pretty.” I said to Ethan back then. His reaction was flat. “She’s alright.” I didn’t know. That “alright” was the reason he stopped coming home, time and time again. Later, I found out from others that Chloe was his first love. They broke up when he couldn’t catch a break in his career. He never forgot her. But back then, in the grocery store, he smoothly changed the subject and asked me: “Baby, did you ever date anyone before me?” “No.” At least, that’s what I told him, and what I told the world. In the car, someone was kicking my calf. The long leg stretching from the back seat wasn’t an accident. It was deliberate, mischievous, childish, and rhythmic. I pulled my leg back out of his reach. I didn’t speak, nor did I turn around. I maintained my previous posture, as if nothing had happened. “Audrey Miller.” He spoke up, perhaps just waking up, carrying a trace of reckless, youthful energy: “Long time no see.” It had been so many years. Why did he still like calling my full name like that? Just like in that cramped, hot, and humid rented apartment… Drowning again and again… In his gentle yet unrestrained, uncontrolled hands. 05 After that day, Carter and I had no further contact. Until the new weekend arrived. The live broadcasts for the show operated on a rotation system. This weekend, we were supposed to switch back to our original couples. “Director.” Chloe sounded incredibly understanding, looking like she was thinking only of the show. “The audience loves Ethan and me together. If you switch us back now, you’ll get backlash.” The director thought for a few seconds: “But—” “Ethan,” Chloe turned around, “what do you think?” Right in front of me, she asked Ethan: “Who do you choose tonight?” She had been waiting for this moment for a long time. The more something is kept in the dark, the more it craves to be chosen in front of everyone. Ethan understood her intentions. He deliberately let his gaze sweep over my face, then leaned back in his chair. “Is that even a choice? “The audience doesn’t want to see her.” Chloe got the answer she wanted and looked at me again. “Audrey, you won’t mind, will you? “But, you’ve been a housewife for so long, you don’t have much work experience, so you probably don’t know this… the audience’s preference is the most important thing. You should think of the bigger picture…” “Okay.” My tone was crisp. Hearing this, Ethan looked up at me. They all thought I was going to throw a fit. That way, they could edit my reaction into the bonus episodes to highlight Chloe’s thoughtfulness and understanding. They didn’t expect me to be so agreeable. Chloe, having finally memorized her lines for the morning, had nowhere to use them. After a long pause, she managed to squeeze out: “That’s good. No backing out now.” I said: “Let’s keep it like this from now on.” Her smile stiffened. Then, breaking into a smile, she tucked her hair behind her ear and whispered: “Are you trying to make Ethan jealous? “Who doesn’t know you came on this show to win him back? “What a shame, not only is he not jealous, but you can only watch helplessly as he walks into my room.” Over there, the production team called out. They decided to stick with last week’s setup. Before leaving, Ethan asked Chloe a question with a teasing undertone: “Aren’t you afraid of her being in the same room as Carter?” At the mention of that name, Chloe’s reaction was a bit exaggerated. She acted as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. “I’ve never seen him like anyone. “Her? “You could lock them together for a year, and he still wouldn’t look twice at her.” The two exchanged glances and shared a knowing smile. Ethan purposely took off his coat and draped it over Chloe right in front of me. “Audrey, if you want to win me back, these little tricks aren’t going to cut it.” He wanted to provoke me. Make me break down and go crazy in public, so he could logically play the victim. Ethan and Chloe were taken to a luxurious mansion. That was the reward for the couple with the highest heart rate from last week. Chloe posted a picture of a candlelit dinner on Instagram. The comments were flooded with people shipping them. I saw all of this on my phone while riding in the production team’s van. The van was heading toward the older part of the city. [If their heart rates don’t go up today, they’ll be eliminated, right?] [They wouldn’t eliminate Carter. He’s too big of a star. They’ll probably just swap his partner.] [This is boring. Why would Carter even agree to a show like this?] [The weirder it gets, the more I ship it. I have a feeling something is going to happen.] [The person above is delusional!!! If something actually happens, I’ll do a handstand and eat shit!!!] I put my phone away and asked the staff: “Where are Carter and I staying tonight?” “Your heart rates were the lowest, so you have to accept the punishment. Tonight you’re staying in…” The van stopped. He lifted his chin, pointing at the old residential building in front of me. “There,” he said. “A cheap rental apartment.” We got out. There was only one camera inside the vehicle filming me. It was far away, only capturing my back. It couldn’t pick up audio. I stood at the door. My mind went blank for a few seconds. I took out my phone and called my former boss, who also happened to be my long-suffering best friend. “Carter said ‘long time no see’ to me.” Right now, I desperately needed her to pour a bucket of cold water on me. “So what? “What else is he supposed to say besides that?” My best friend responded exactly as I expected. “To put it bluntly, everyone has an ex. “He has so many options, why would he choose a divorced woman like you? “Just because of the few months you relied on each other? Be honest, that was the absolute lowest point of his life. Who would be nostalgic for that?” She was right. I hung up the phone. I turned the doorknob. Carter was on a ladder, fixing a ceiling light. As he reached up, his movements casually revealed the flex of his lean muscles and smooth lines. Just like back then. Except now he wore a bandage wrapped around his waist from doing wirework on a movie set. The old tungsten bulb flickered in his hands. Going out, then coming back on. It was too familiar. So much so that I stood in the doorway, unable to step inside for a long time. “Time to eat.” He saw me. Simple words, devoid of extra emotion. It made my unease seem exceptionally strange. I was the one overthinking it. To him, this show was probably just a safe PR move to wrap up his marriage. Outside, it was snowing. Tall, with sharp features, he stood by the counter preparing a hot pot with one hand. He radiated a very domestic, “husband material” vibe. I took a picture of his back and posted it on Instagram. Considered it fulfilling the production team’s task. After we ate, he didn’t let me wash the dishes. He moved swiftly, washed his hands, and then, inexplicably and automatically, started making the bed for me. There was only one bed. He said he would sleep on the floor. “The injury on your waist, do you need to change the bandages?” I asked him. “I can do it myself,” he said. When I finished my shower and came out of the bathroom, a thin quilt was already laid out on the floor. He was pulling a long roll of bandages out of his suitcase. I instinctively looked away and picked up my phone. Ethan had sent me a voice message. My hands were wet, and I accidentally played it on speaker. Ethan had seen my Instagram post. “Are you even used to eating hot pot? “Last time at home, you said you wanted a cake from that one bakery. I bought it for you on my way.” That cake was the one I said I wanted for my birthday last year. He never bought it for me. After waiting all this time, him buying it now was only to solidify his “devoted” persona for the show. I looked at my phone. The overhead light was blocked by Carter. “Can you help me?” In his hands was the roll of bandages. Didn’t he just say he could do it himself? Changing the dressing, wrapping the bandage. My arms weren’t long enough; I had to loosely encircle him with both arms. In this rental apartment in the north. The heating was inadequate, and the smell of snow mixed with rain seeped through the cracks of the old building. It was clearly very cold. But he and I maintained our distance. My fingertips only touched the bandage. His face could only turn to look elsewhere. Unlike that year, in that rental apartment in the south. Stiflingly hot and dark. It was clearly very hot. Yet, time and time again, as if there were no tomorrow, we possessively claimed each other. Click. The tungsten light flickered on. He and I stood beneath the light at this moment. In the year we were so poor and destitute we had no hope, we couldn’t even bear to replace a single lightbulb. We just made do. That old tungsten bulb was repaired over and over again. It would always flicker in the middle of the night. At the time, an eighteen-year-old Carter told me: “Every time it flickers, it means I’m thinking of you.” Tonight. At an age where we lacked for nothing. The tungsten light flickered countless times. I looked up and said to Carter, “Did you not fix it properly just now?” He froze, looking down straight into my eyes. “Yeah. “I did it on purpose.” I asked him, “Why?” “If I fixed it, you wouldn’t hear it flicker.” I was stunned. He took the bandage from my hand and swiftly, expertly wrapped it around himself with his other hand. “Audrey Miller.” He called my name. “Hmm?” “Do you prefer hot pot, or cake?” One must always answer questions about food honestly. “Hot pot.”

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My fiancé chased his kept canary all the way to New York. Coincidentally, I was in New York, too. The young girl dropped to her knees in front of me, crying a river of tears. She told me that true love is the only truth. Truth? What a coincidence. I happened to have a few pieces of “truth” right in my hands. 01 My fiancé back in the States made a fool of himself again. To chase down his runaway canary, he locked down an entire private airport. It was a small airfield, and it was late at night. The Vance family’s PR team quickly squashed any media leaks before they could spread. Unfortunately for him, he was still too late. The canary flew to New York one step ahead of him. I originally couldn’t have cared less. Cleaning up his mistresses was Preston Vance’s own problem. But when a stunningly beautiful Asian girl dropped to her knees in front of me, crying a river of picture-perfect tears, it naturally drew the stares of passersby. I stood at the top of the steps, frowning as I looked her up and down: “What was your name again? ‘Miss Innocent’ or something?” The girl froze, her tears hesitating on her lashes. She offered a stiff rebuttal: “It’s Aria.” I had a vague impression of this mistress who had been with Preston the longest. But that didn’t mean she was worth remembering. Over the years, I knew Preston constantly surrounded himself with women because he resented our arranged engagement. But causing a scene right to my face. She was the first. My expression gradually shifted to impatience: “What do you want from me?” She really was a professional actress. The paused tears immediately started flowing again, dropping like broken strings of pearls. “Ms. Sterling, Preston loves me. Please, I’m begging you, let him go. Stop clinging to him.” I raised an eyebrow. Clinging? I let out a cold laugh, looking down at her: “Ms. Montgomery, is that something a homewrecker should really be saying out loud?” “Preston and I knew each other long before you came along! You’re the real third wheel here!” Her face twisted in sudden anger, and she lunged up the steps, trying to grab me. My bodyguards, naturally quick on their feet, intercepted her immediately. In the chaos, she twisted her ankle and tumbled down the concrete steps. Gasps erupted from the crowd. In the surging sea of people, I could see the flashes of paparazzi cameras hiding in the shadows. The company I held a controlling stake in was about to go public on the US stock market, and I couldn’t afford any scandals right now. I scanned the area, and right on cue, I saw Preston wearing a black trench coat, shoving his way through the crowd. He had lost all of his usual aristocratic composure. His dark eyes were filled with panic and heartache. He took off his coat and draped it over Aria’s exposed long legs. Then he pinched her chin, and kissed her fiercely. His eyes were burning with an intense, undeniable possessiveness. The man’s voice was hoarse and restrained: “Run again, and I’ll break your legs.” Aria tilted her chin up stubbornly: “If I can’t have all of you, I’d rather die.” After their intense public display, they turned to look at me in perfect unison. Preston’s dark eyes were furious: “Serena Sterling, didn’t I warn you not to mess with Aria? “You actually dared to push her. Who gave you the nerve?” My eyebrow twitched violently. Who was messing with who here? With her backer present, Aria looked triumphant: “Sister, you’re a bit older, so maybe you don’t understand. In today’s society, the woman who isn’t loved is the real mistress. “True love is the only truth.” Her tone was incredibly provocative. What a perfect, dramatic scene straight out of a billionaire romance novel. The glass windows nearby reflected my face. With my long, straight black hair and cold, indifferent expression, I really did look like the evil second female lead trying to tear the star-crossed lovers apart. Beautiful, rich, and completely wicked. But I wasn’t an idiot. And real life wasn’t a movie. I smiled at her: “Truth? “What a coincidence. I happen to hold a few pieces of ‘truth’ right in my hands.” The sharp, metallic clicks of guns cocking echoed from behind me. I ground my teeth. How dare they threaten me on American soil? Did these two morons forget that it’s perfectly legal to carry firearms here? Aria shrank into Preston’s arms like a terrified rabbit, looking pathetic. But no matter how tough Preston liked to talk, he wasn’t going to argue with a bullet. “Preston, when you said you wanted to play around, I let it slide. But if you try to put your dirty laundry on the table, don’t blame me for flipping the table over.” I narrowed my eyes at him, my tone utterly merciless. He had been preparing to scoop Aria up and leave. Hearing my words, he let out a cold scoff: “Serena, do you honestly still think you’re the untouchable sole heiress of the Sterling family? “Stop hiding out overseas and daydreaming. Next time we meet, you might have already been kicked off the board.” The fact that the Sterling family had an illegitimate son was no longer a secret. It was currently the biggest gossip back in Chicago high society, and had even made the front page of the local financial journals. Preston left under the escort of his own bodyguards. My assistant stood by my side, her expression grim: “Ms. Sterling, the domestic headquarters just suspended all joint projects with us.” I squinted into the distance: “Prepare to fly back to the States.” Preston, did you really think that bastard could beat me? You backed the wrong side. 02 The Sterling and Vance families practically built their empires on the same boat decades ago. The Sterlings spent decades in heavy manufacturing. The Vances rode the wave of the economic boom. One manufactured, one exported. Together, they carved out an empire. But later, the Sterling family transitioned from factories to a massive corporate conglomerate, developing its own global brands. Our reliance on the Vance family grew smaller and smaller. But my engagement to Preston was settled by my grandmother’s generation. The old lady was born in the post-war era. She was iron-willed, decisive, and had a thunderous personality. In her youth, she was a legendary female entrepreneur and the absolute authority of the Sterling family. Beatrice Sterling’s word was the absolute law in the Sterling family. Even after her death, no one dared to disobey her. Beatrice was steadfast her entire life, changing her own decision only once when I was eight years old. She changed the name of the company from Sterling Global to Serena Global. That day, she was as strict as ever, staring at me with her eagle-like eyes. She said seriously, word by word: “Serena, remember this. From now on, the ‘Serena’ in Serena Global is your name. “You must ensure that this empire always belongs to the Sterlings.” Upon returning to the States, I went straight home. The mansion felt a bit emptier than it had when I left the country two years ago. My mother sat elegantly on the sofa, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, reading the newspaper. I poured myself a cup of tea and asked casually: “Did you clean everything out?” “Yes. The trash man and his trash belongings have all been thrown out.” I frowned: “You didn’t let him take half the assets, did you?” My mother looked up at me. “Do you think your mother signed a prenup for nothing?” Then she let out a long sigh: “Ah, back then I was so resentful. But now it proves your grandmother was an excellent judge of character. You are much more steady than I am.” I smiled helplessly: “Did you hit them?” My mother’s expression was somewhat proud: “Robert Cole, that little homewrecker, and their bastard son. I slapped all three of them.” I gave her a thumbs-up. “Next Wednesday is the Sinclair family’s golden anniversary gala. Go in my place.” She suddenly turned dead serious: “We absolutely cannot lose that partnership with the Sinclairs.” I swirled the tea in my cup, speaking lazily: “Of course.” 03 The Sinclairs were an incredibly deep-rooted family in Chicago. The elder Sinclairs were generous, low-key, and had vast connections. So it wasn’t surprising to see Preston at the golden anniversary gala. And standing right beside him was Aria. The radiant woman looked over at me, raising her red wine glass from afar and shooting me a provocative smile. I could barely make out her mouthed words: “I’m the winner, loser.” I was slightly displeased. After all, the Vance family and I hadn’t formally broken off the engagement yet. Preston blatantly bringing his mistress to a major high-society gala was a direct slap to my face. People around us were already waiting to see me become a laughingstock. Harper Sinclair appeared beside me, flashing a triumphant grin: “How is it, babe? I personally invited Aria here.” I pinched her cheek: “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” “How could I bear to kill you? I’m obviously giving you a chance to vent.” She blinked her cunning eyes: “Do you know why Aria is acting so arrogant right now?” I replied calmly: “It’s nothing more than her thinking she’s secured her spot on the Vance family ship, and the Vances are backing my dad’s illegitimate son.” Robert Cole had put on a brilliant act all these years. My mother’s health had always been poor. For years, he was the one managing the corporate affairs. Not only did he hide an illegitimate son older than me from everyone, but he also made the outside world believe he held the real power in Serena Global, even quietly placing his bastard son in the Vice President seat of a subsidiary. Preston was currently chatting happily with that illegitimate son, Jackson Cole. The people around them were subtly trying to suck up and join their circle. In contrast, my side was empty. No one dared to approach me. I had only been out of the country for two years, and these people had already forgotten who owned the Sterling name. Harper’s face suddenly turned cold: “Today, I’m going to show these people who really deserves to sit at the table.” She set down her wine glass and walked toward the center of the banquet with a bright smile: “Tonight, I specially invited Ms. Aria Montgomery to celebrate my grandparents’ golden anniversary. I heard that before Ms. Montgomery got into acting, she graduated from Juilliard. Why don’t you grace us with a dance?” Aria’s face instantly froze. Asking a guest to perform for the room was tantamount to public humiliation. Harper asked coldly: “What’s wrong? Is Ms. Montgomery unwilling? Or do you think our Sinclair family isn’t worthy?” The elder Sinclairs looked over as well. This caused Preston, who was about to step in, to halt his movements. Gritting her teeth, Aria performed a short routine. Because she hadn’t practiced in so long, she nearly tripped and fell several times in the middle of it. Harper walked up and patted her shoulder: “Asking you to dance was doing you a favor. Too bad your skills are so awful it ruined the mood.” Aria’s eyes turned red with anger, and she ran out crying. As she passed me, she didn’t forget to drop a harsh threat: “Serena Sterling, I’m not going to let you get away with this. Your days of being happy are numbered.” And from beginning to end, I didn’t even grant her a single direct glance. Harper returned to my side, fishing for credit: “How was that? Satisfying?” I nodded honestly. “So… about that European market expansion project?” Her eyes sparkled. I smiled fondly: “It was always yours. But are you sure you can keep your brother in check?” “Relax. You’ve been abroad for two years, do you think I was just sitting around? When Grandpa called Mason home to handle this project, that idiot was probably still panting in some random woman’s bed. He made Grandpa so mad he almost ended up in the hospital, which let me swoop in and steal the deal. “If Mason is useless, the Sinclairs will naturally have someone else step up for him.” The woman’s face was painted with inevitable ambition. I looked across the room at Preston, who was clinking glasses with Mason while absentmindedly glancing toward the exit, and I let out a mocking laugh. My fiancé… your taste is consistently terrible. 04 Shortly after the banquet ended, a video of a drunk Preston kissing Aria was sent to my phone. The exclusive private VIP lounge was mostly empty. They were surrounded by just a handful of Preston’s rich, trust-fund frat brothers. The lighting was dim and hazy. Aria’s eyes were still slightly red, making the seductive look in her eyes even more pitiful. “Preston, who do you really like? Serena or me?” Preston lay back on the black leather sofa, his collar undone, his arm wrapped around the woman’s slender waist as he narrowed his eyes: “Who the hell is Serena Sterling? Does she even deserve to be compared to you?” With that, they started making out as if no one else was in the room. Was this a direct warning right to my face? Who gave these trust-fund idiots the nerve? My gaze landed on the table in front of Preston. Printed on it was a logo I was intimately familiar with. I made a phone call: “Kill the main breaker for the entire lounge. And lock the doors.” The manager on the other end answered nervously: “Ms. Sterling, there are still VIPs inside. Mr. Vance is still here.” “If he wasn’t there, why would I tell you to cut the power?” The manager shut his mouth. “If he dares to come smash up the place tomorrow, call the police immediately, and contact the corporate legal department.” I heard that Preston and his little mistress spent the entire night playing a real-life “escape room.” When he finally saw the lounge’s logo and realized what had happened, he was so furious he kicked the doors several times. Preston hated me even more after that. He called me the very next day to drop a threat: “Serena Sterling, you just wait. The entire Sterling family is going to pay the price for your stupidity.” 05 Speaking of which, Preston and I did try legitimately dating for two months. On the day of our engagement, he was so happy he almost forgot himself. Even every time he saw me, there was a bit more tenderness in his eyes. Of course, it wasn’t because he loved me so much. But because he felt like he had finally won once. Preston and I were born in the same year. When we were born, the Sterling and Vance families were still in their honeymoon phase. But as the sole son and daughter of both families, we inevitably got compared. From who walked first, to who talked first, to our grades, and extracurriculars, both families were secretly competing. And I completely crushed him every time. I was even better at throwing a punch than he was. But Preston’s parents had a surprisingly great attitude about it. Every time they saw me, they still liked me very much. Until one time in the courtyard, when no one else was around. Mrs. Vance held my hand, smiling warmly: “My future daughter-in-law is so capable. You’ll definitely be able to help Preston run the company well in the future.” After she said that, she let out a faux-sympathetic sigh: “It’s just a pity your mother’s health was poor since childhood. She had a girl and couldn’t have any more.” It was only then that I realized that the Vance family’s ultimate trump card was simply the fact that their family heir had male anatomy. This was a concept my brain, born into the Sterling family, couldn’t comprehend. After all, my mother had aborted two male fetuses just for my sake. When Preston grew up, he naturally inherited his parents’ ideology. He wanted a bird in a cage, a submissive housewife. He believed that in a marriage, a wife was naturally supposed to submit. So he was happy to marry me. He could only win in marriage, and he only needed to win in marriage. Unfortunately, by the second month after our engagement, he couldn’t control himself. At a yacht party, he was kissing a girl on each arm. I only used one slap to make him see reality clearly. Then I had someone throw him into the ocean. I remember that day was Christmas. The seawater was freezing, the winter night bitterly cold. He was in the hospital for a full week. Preston’s parents came to our door to cause a scene. My mother refused to even see them. She only asked me one sentence: “As long as you want, the engagement can be canceled at any time.” I laughed lightly and comforted her: “As long as I want, I have ten thousand ways to make them actively cancel the engagement. “But not right now.” The Vance family was no longer suitable as an ally, but their foundation was still there. “But don’t worry, Mom. This kind of man is not entering the Sterling family’s door.” And since then, Preston completely hated me. Now that the conflict had intensified again, I figured it was time for the Vance family to make their move. 06 The public opinion attacks against Serena Global came faster than I imagined. Firing the first shot was the video of me pushing Aria down the steps in New York. Aria was a rising star; she had plenty of fans willing to charge the front lines for her. In less than a day, it pushed me to the top trending spots on all major social media platforms. Under every related video, there were long essays detailing the epic romance between the billionaire heir and the beautiful starlet, from childhood sweethearts to star-crossed lovers. The so-called “childhood sweethearts” was nothing more than Aria’s childhood dance troupe performing at the Vance estate. A blurry video where you couldn’t even clearly see eyes, noses, or mouths was dug up as “proof,” paired with emotional background music, making it look almost real. As for the descriptions of me, they claimed I was morally bankrupt. Soon, the news of my US-controlled company preparing to go public was also pushed into the spotlight. Financial media and bloggers intentionally or unintentionally hinted that the Sterling family was suspected of transferring assets offshore. The Sterling family was branded as unpatriotic. The stock plummeted for three days. I scrolled through the vicious comments on a stock trading app, calmly sipping my tea. At the other end of the table, the wealthy wives sat close together, occasionally covering their mouths to laugh at something Aria said to amuse them. This was a gathering hosted by Mrs. Davis. I never liked these types of gatherings that revolved around cheating husbands, kids studying abroad, comparing whose husband came home for dinner more often, and who had hidden more secret funds. But my mother wasn’t feeling well, so I could only take her place. One wife, egged on by the others, came over with malicious intent: “Oh, Serena, I heard the Sterling family stock dropped quite a bit. If you’re short on funds, don’t hide it in your heart. Tell us, maybe everyone can help you think of a solution.” I set down my teacup and smiled faintly: “It’s true that the Sterling family stock market evaporated tens of billions these past few days. I just wonder if Mrs. Davis’s secret slush fund is enough to cover it?” Mrs. Davis’s face was completely embarrassed. The other wives, who didn’t know much about the stock market, were all startled. Another woman spoke up: “Is your Sterling family going to go bankrupt? What about my husband’s contract with you guys?” “Mrs. King, please relax. Your husband was just doing a three-way battle at a hotel recently. He’s not worried, so you shouldn’t be either.” Mrs. King’s face turned black as well: “Young girls nowadays are just so sharp-tongued and impulsive. Not like my son studying in the US. He’s mature and steady, just waiting to graduate from Harvard and come back to take over the family business.” I spun the teacup, speaking with a faint smile: “Your son is indeed a handsome young man. And his boyfriend is quite dashing as well. The last time I saw them in New York, I was kind enough to remind them that HIV is still quite serious in the States.” Mrs. Wright clutched her heart and frantically started dialing her phone. Aria let out a cold laugh: “What’s the use of only being good with your mouth? You’re offending so many powerful wives. Are you complaining that the Sterling family isn’t dying fast enough? “Serena Sterling, Preston is mine now, and the Sterling family is finished. I really want to see what you’ll use to prop up your stupidity and arrogance when you lose everything you used to rely on.” Preston walked into the courtyard wearing a black coat. He lovingly took Aria’s outstretched hand and put it into his pocket. He completely ignored my existence as his fiancée. Was it just because of catching him cheating a few years ago and slapping him a few times? He was holding a grudge for this long? I thought to myself, completely unbothered. While keeping my eyes on the notification sent to my phone. In fifteen days, Serena Global would hold an emergency board of directors meeting.

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After my car accident, the brother who always hated me came to visit. His eyes were cold as he asked, “Do you remember who I am?” I didn’t have amnesia, but I lied to him anyway. “I remember. You’re my husband, aren’t you?” His dark eyes shifted away. After a few seconds, he replied almost inaudibly, “Yeah.” 01 Today was my birthday. But the first thing my brother said when he saw me was, “What are you pretending for?” When I didn’t answer, he kicked my hospital bed. “Speak. What kind of trick is this now?” He had blocked me. If the hospital hadn’t called him, he wouldn’t be here. Outside, a nurse called out to him. “Family member, please sign here.” He was broad-shouldered with a sharp jawline, looking striking as he stood by the door. The police arrived. “Are you Ryan Carter?” He paused, pen in hand, and nodded. The police explained the cause of the accident. Some thugs Ryan had crossed paths with heard he had a girlfriend he treasured. They wanted to kidnap her for revenge. “Your sister and your girlfriend look too much alike.” The police said they got the wrong person. While fleeing with a sprained ankle, I was hit by a car. That’s how I ended up in the hospital. Ryan’s pen hovered in the air. He didn’t move for a long time. “Is it really that serious?” he asked. “They had knives. “Any slower, and you’d be signing for a body in the morgue. “She had a severe head injury when she was brought in,” the nurse asked him. “Why wasn’t your phone connecting?” He was with his girlfriend, Chloe. Today was their one-year anniversary. Chloe had purposely chosen my birthday to get together with him. Just so that, year after year on my birthday, Ryan would only be with her, not me. Back then, Chloe stood at my bedroom door wearing his shirt and asked me: “Did you know, Mia? “Everything he wouldn’t do with you, he did with me.” Ryan signed the papers. He sat by my bed, silent. I reached out for a drink of water. He grabbed my arm and pushed my sleeve up. Shocking, dark bruises and scabs, varying in depth, were exposed. He stared at them intently. Almost instinctively, he started unbuttoning my hospital gown. The red marks spreading from my collarbone. I clutched the fabric at my chest to stop him from going further. His gaze paused on my bra strap. Only then did he calm down. He let go, sat back in his chair, and stared darkly at my rumpled collar. “Where else?” I shook my head. His phone rang. It was Chloe. He glanced at it, then silenced it. He got up and went outside to call her back. He couldn’t bear to ignore her call; he couldn’t let her suffer even the slightest grievance. Through the glass, I watched the annoyance on his face gradually smooth out. He said, “I’ll be back soon.” He was still going back to her, even though I was lying in a hospital bed. With no one to care for me. Ryan returned to the room. His eyes were cold as he asked, “Do you remember who I am?” I didn’t have amnesia, but I lied to him anyway. “I remember. You’re my husband, aren’t you?” A dead silence filled the room. His dark eyes shifted away. After a few seconds, he replied almost inaudibly, “Yeah.” It wasn’t that I loved him to death. I was disgusted by him. In two weeks, I would completely leave this place. Right when he was most invested. I would vanish from the face of the earth. And he had no idea. 02 Ryan and I were from a blended family. He and his mom moved into the house I shared with my dad. A massive fire. It blackened the afternoon of July 24th. The teacher sent us both home. My dad died on the spot. His mom held on in the hospital until winter, draining all the money we had. Before she passed, she held Ryan’s hand and made him swear. “You must protect your sister and be good to her.” “I swear,” he said. When we returned to school, we only had each other. He had perfect scores in math. He topped the class for three years in middle school, but then he changed. He started skipping class. He’d vanish into internet cafes, impossible to find. When the principal came for a home visit, he only found me gnawing on stale bread, unable to even offer a cup of hot water. “I’m sorry, Mr. Davis. I couldn’t pay the gas bill.” Mr. Davis opened his wallet and left several crisp bills on the coffee table. He never visited again. The next year, I got into a top high school but couldn’t afford the tuition. Relatives urged me to drop out and work in a factory. “What’s the point of a girl studying so much?” Ryan kicked the door open and coldly chased them away. He had been constantly playing games for others online, working all night to make money. He was so thin and pale. He gave all the money to me. He said he would make money to support me. “You keep studying. Go as far as you can.” I lived in the dorms during high school and rarely saw him. But rumors about him were everywhere. He grew more attractive as he got older. Tall, smoking, fighting, with a cold, rebellious vibe. I heard many girls chased after him, but he never cared. Our only interaction was my meal card. Topped up right on time every month. One Friday night during sophomore year, a senior who was pursuing me followed me all the way to my front door. He bumped into Ryan, who was taking out his keys to unlock the door. Ryan had a cut on his brow, smoke rings curling around his lazy eyes, shrouded in mist. The senior froze. Ryan reached out, hooked his arm around my neck, opened the door, and closed it. Without a single word, he left the guy outside. “Ryan.” I turned around, wanting to explain. He pointed at the table. A cake. Stars hanging from the curtains. He had fixed the camcorder my dad left me, which had a video of my dad singing me happy birthday. “Ryan,” I asked him, “will you always celebrate my birthday with me?” He rested his forehead against mine. “Duh.” He chuckled softly, “If not me, who else do you want to celebrate it with?” After that, he waited for me at the school gate every Friday. In the sea of people, he could always spot me instantly. This continued until right before summer vacation, when I borrowed his computer for research. I saw a chat window he hadn’t closed. His friend asked him: [You’re not even going to LA for the tournament? [Do you really want to be dragged down by her your whole life? [You’re not even blood-related, you’ll separate eventually.] He only replied with one sentence. [Yeah, waiting until she graduates.] I only had him. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, I clicked on the search bar and typed: [Is it illegal to marry a stepbrother with no blood relation?] Hundreds of pages of results. I was so engrossed I didn’t realize Ryan had entered the room and was standing behind me. I looked at the webpage. He looked at me. Neither of us said a word. When I realized it, I slammed the laptop shut, so tense and ashamed I couldn’t speak. He grabbed his jacket that night and left. He didn’t come back all night. He didn’t come back for the entire summer I was home. Until I needed to pay for my prep classes. He paid for them. Hands in his pockets, wearing a black hoodie, he waited for me at the end of the alley after class. Drawing the attention of many girls. As soon as I arrived, he saw me. This was where we met Chloe. Wearing a white dress, a face as small as a palm, delicate features. Tears in her eyes, she bypassed me and gently tugged at Ryan’s shirt. “Ryan.” She asked him. “Can I walk with you guys for a bit?” Someone was following her. At that moment, Ryan just looked at her. Just a brief glance. So brief, yet my premonition beat as strongly as my heart. He couldn’t refuse Chloe. 03 Chloe had dropped out of school a long time ago. She lived with her grandmother, who had passed away a few months prior. Ryan was also raised by his grandmother when he was little. We walked her all the way to her door. Only to find out the landlord had changed the locks because she was behind on rent. She looked at Ryan, helpless and frantic. Ryan didn’t say anything. But he brought her home. Our apartment only had two bedrooms: mine and Ryan’s. Chloe looked at me, then peeked into my room. She wanted to share a room with me. “You take the couch,” Ryan threw a blanket at her. “Don’t bother my sister, she has exams. You’re leaving tomorrow.” She obediently curled up on the couch. Wrapped in the blanket, a small ball, coughing all night. In the morning, she made a whole table of food for Ryan. She didn’t say a word, didn’t fight for anything. And left on her own. Ryan didn’t ask her to stay. He stood outside the door watching her go. The early winter wind scattered the smoke from his cigarette. The next day, I went back to school. When the following Friday rolled around, I was glad class didn’t run late. Full of anticipation, I squeezed through the crowd, looking for Ryan at the school gate. He was still there. I waved at him, then saw Chloe standing next to him. They came together. Chloe was afraid of the cold and was even wearing Ryan’s jacket. In less than a week. My room was adorned with Chloe’s pink bead curtains, and her makeup crowded my things off the desk. Her clothes were piled on my messy bed. “You’re rarely home,” she explained. “I’m just crashing here for a bit. You don’t mind, right?” I walked in. And yanked her curtain down. Along with all her stuff, I threw it all out the door. “Who said you could touch my things?” She crouched down, her eyes red as she looked at the curtain. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Mia, I made this for you myself. It’s all my fault.” Ryan leaned against the wall, his eyes cold. “It is her room,” he told Chloe. “You sleep on the couch.” Chloe was very obedient. Before going to sleep, she apologized to me again and again in front of Ryan. She curled up on the couch. Whenever the wind rattled Ryan’s door, she would cough. It made your heart clench. In the middle of the night. I was woken up by her faint breathing. She was standing outside my door, saying to Ryan, “The living room window is drafty. Can I sleep on your floor?” The wind kept blowing the door open and shut. I knew he let her in. The next morning, as dawn was just breaking. Neither of them was awake yet. I braved the biting wind and went back to school. 04 A lot of guys chased Chloe; she was very likable. Ryan knew that too. Because of this, he got into quite a few fights for her. Starting my senior year, I barely went home. When it was time to pay tuition, I used the money I had earned from working. “Here, paying you back.” I went to the internet cafe and found Ryan. I returned the tuition money he had paid for me. At the time, he was running a fever from a recent fight, but was still playing games for clients. “What, my money isn’t good enough for you?” The corners of his eyes and brows looked increasingly decadent and feral. His words were ice cold. “I saved up enough myself. Take care of your injuries and stop fighting—” “None of your business.” He impatiently snatched the money and threw it on the desk. “I can’t even get you to live at home, and you want to tell me what to do?” He knew exactly why I didn’t want to go home. He said if I didn’t want his money, plenty of others did. He used the tuition money to buy Chloe a dress that cost over a thousand dollars. Winter break during senior year was very short. I only stayed home for a week. But Chloe couldn’t even tolerate me for that one week. Her tactics weren’t very sophisticated. She claimed I took her dress. I scoffed and immediately tore my room apart. “Open your damn eyes and look. Where is your dress?” Ryan walked in just as I said that. He looked at me flatly. Like I was a stranger. “Give it back to her.” “I didn’t take it.” I was desperate, my mind racing for any way to prove my innocence. But I met the eyes of Chloe standing behind him. Why did I have to prove myself, but she didn’t? A sour ache welled up in my throat. The dress was eventually found in the dumpster downstairs, cut to shreds. Ryan demanded I apologize. I refused. I confronted him: “You believe her, but not me?” Chloe pulled his arm: “Forget it, it’s fine.” Ryan picked up the seashell keychain on my desk to threaten me. We made it together the first time our whole family went to the beach. “Mia, if you don’t apologize, I’ll smash this.” He knew what I cared about most. I only felt a creeping chill rise from my feet. I reached out, smacked the seashell keychain from his hand, and watched it shatter on the floor. He stared blankly at the broken pieces. Then looked at me in disbelief. “I don’t want it anymore,” I said, enunciating every word. He gathered his expression, gave a cold scoff, and asked: “Do you know why I don’t believe you? “You don’t care about the dress. You just can’t stand me buying things for her. “You know exactly what kind of filthy thoughts are in your head.” He laid my feelings bare over the shattered pieces on the floor. Without leaving a shred of dignity. I turned around and left the apartment. It was New Year’s Eve, and it was snowing outside. No one came looking for me. It was too cold. I stayed at the public bathhouse until it closed, nowhere else to go. I still ended up back at the apartment. Only Chloe was inside. She said she was hungry, so Ryan went out to buy New Year’s dinner. At that time, Chloe stood at my bedroom door, wearing his shirt, and asked me: “Did you know, Mia? “In the few hours you were gone. “Everything he wouldn’t do with you, he did with me.” I never went home again until after the college entrance exams. I ranked first in the entire school. I could go to the best university in the state capital. Ryan went to LA for a gaming tournament. It wasn’t until July 24th, when I went to the mountains to visit my dad’s grave. He called me from the hospital. Anxious and terrified, I pedaled my bike as fast as I could. All the way there, holding back tears, praying to God. He was my only family left. But when I arrived, he was sitting in the emergency room waiting area. He wasn’t the one hurt. Some thugs he had trouble with targeted Chloe while he was away. He grabbed my wrist, bombarding me with questions. “Chloe said she called you for help. Why did you ignore her? “You better pray she’s okay.” He gripped me so hard it hurt. “I didn’t know. There’s no signal in the mountains.” He suddenly remembered what day it was. He let go. Silence. He watched the people coming and going in the ER. And only said one thing to me: “Leave. “Go to college and don’t come back.” I walked out of the hospital doors and couldn’t find my beat-up bike for a long time. I was in such a rush earlier, I didn’t know where I parked it. I turned around and saw Chloe coming out. Superficial injuries. A band-aid on her hand. Crying uncontrollably in Ryan’s arms. Ryan thought I only applied to universities in the state capital. Not too far away. He could see me with a two-hour drive. He just never expected I would apply to an Ivy League school on the East Coast. Thousands of miles away from him. I never went back once. Never made a single phone call. During the summer of my sophomore year, I was tutoring. While I was in the bathroom, my high school student answered my phone as a prank. “He said he’s your brother.” The student handed the phone to me with a mischievous grin. “I told him I’m your boyfriend.” I took the phone: “Hello?” Ryan was silent on the other end for a long time. Finally, through gritted teeth, he forced out a laugh and said two words. “Very capable.” He hung up and blocked me. We never contacted each other again.

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I stirred up trouble in the incoming freshmen group chat: [I’m so pretty, won’t you guys feel insecure when you see me?] [Does the school have a helipad? Can I park my helicopter there?] [No way, no way, you guys applied for this major and don’t even know how to manufacture chips?] Soon, I was being flamed by the entire group chat. Some angry students even made me trend on social media, getting me dragged by the entire internet. But I just smirked because I was bound to the “Get Flamed to Get Stronger” system. If they keep flaming me, this beautiful girl is going to be flying a helicopter into school with 5-nanometer chip manufacturing technology! 01 College was about to start, and various show-offs started appearing in the incoming freshmen group chat for Stanford. Nate: [Could some kind upperclassman send the location of the parking lot? I’m planning to drive my Porsche to school. Ugh, I really can’t get used to driving left-hand drive cars in the US; I always drove right-hand drive abroad.] Chloe: [Ah, you’re driving yourself? My international driver’s license doesn’t work here, so I had to have my family’s chauffeur drive me.] I got excited seeing these two familiar names. Nate was a classmate from my AP Physics class, and Chloe was the popular girl from my high school. Stanford was right in our state, yet they were making such a big scene. Weren’t they just trolling? Since it was people I knew trolling, as a chronic troll myself, how could I not join in the fun? So, I also jumped out and asked: [Does the school have a helipad? Just got my pilot’s license, planning to fly my family’s helicopter to school.] Who knew that right after I spoke, Nate sent a picture of himself driving a Porsche with one hand. Damn, my former classmate is actually a rich kid? Immediately, people in the chat started kissing up: [Young master! Can this humble servant ride shotgun in the Porsche!] Nate replied quickly: [Don’t call me young master. My dad’s business partners used to like calling me that. I believe in an egalitarian world; I’m just an ordinary rich person.] [Yes, young master.] Not to be outdone, Chloe also sent a picture of the luxurious interior of a stretch limo. Wait, isn’t she the popular girl who did art in the other class? How does she actually have a luxury car? At this moment, I was struck silent. But Nate singled me out and asked: [Audrey Miller, what does your helicopter look like? Send a picture.] Me: […] What’s going on, are you guys flexing for real? Am I the only one actually just BSing? 02 Because I couldn’t produce a picture of a helicopter, the group chat started mocking me: [Hahaha, there really is a fake mixed in.] [A helicopter? You really want to fly to the heavens, huh?] Nate and Chloe also aimed their guns at me. Nate mocked: [I hate you broke people the most. No money in your pockets, no brains in your heads, and full of hot air.] I clutched my burning red face, increasingly embarrassed. We had been classmates for a few years, how could he talk to me so ruthlessly? Chloe also chimed in: [Unbelievable! Cheap people do cheap things, so cheap~] I had never heard of Chloe going abroad, but I didn’t expect her to be throwing around English like that now. But the worst part was me, because I had truly become a joke. Even hiding behind the screen, I felt so embarrassed I was about to combust. But while the people in the chat were flaming me, I suddenly heard a robotic voice: [Congratulations, you have successfully bound the “Get Flamed to Get Stronger” system!] [The harsher the flames, the stronger you become!] [Detected that ten people are currently flaming you. Wealth +10.] At the same time, I heard a pleasant voice— “CashApp transfer received: $10,000.” I jumped up like a carp, totally energized again! Other people go wait in line at temples to pray for wealth; I get flamed a couple of times and it just falls into my lap. What’s there to be embarrassed or ashamed of! Flame me! Flame me as hard as you can! 03 I was just about to show off my skills in the freshman group chat. But my mom called me to go out and buy groceries at that moment. I ran an extra block to buy fresh meat and vegetables. Just as I was walking back, a flashy-colored Porsche pulled up next to me. The window rolled down, revealing Nate’s mocking face. He looked at me dismissively: “It’s Audrey Miller. I thought I saw wrong. Even my family’s nanny drives a Mercedes to buy groceries, why are you walking to buy groceries? It’s fine if you don’t have a helicopter, but does your family not even have a Mercedes?” I gripped my grocery basket tightly. To be honest, we really didn’t. This was the first time someone had mocked me to my face. Even with the system, I was still a bit terrified and helpless. Nate, seeing my expression, mocked me again: “Next time you don’t have money, don’t pretend to be rich. You really drag down the class of us truly rich people.” And he didn’t forget to throw in one last insult at me—”Broke ass.” I was so angry that I suddenly burst out laughing. Because I heard the system voice: [Detected that you are being flamed. Wealth +5.] And the sound of money rustling: “CashApp transfer received: $5,000.” Nate was taken aback by my laughter, then he looked me up and down and gave a wicked smile: “Heh, you really are a glutton for punishment. Are you smiling at me to seduce me? After all, only by being my woman can you truly sit in luxury cars and fly in helicopters. I hadn’t looked closely before, but actually, with this face of yours—I wouldn’t totally rule it out.” As soon as he finished speaking, the system chimed in: [Wealth +10.] Ptooi! This sentence was even dirtier than the last one! I finally summoned the courage, and the anger I had accumulated burst forth at this moment: “I wanted to say this earlier, the color of this Porsche is absolutely hideous!!!” After saying that, I turned around and ran amidst his astonishment. In my ears was the continuous robotic voice: [Wealth +1.] [Wealth +1.] [Wealth +1.]… I ran, hearing “CashApp transfer received: $50,000,” feeling exceptionally exhilarated! 04 I got home and opened my phone. The freshman group chat was still buzzing. First, Nate spammed the group with pictures of his flashy Porsche. He also asked in the group: [Does this color really not look good? Is this color really ugly? Surely no one actually thinks this color Porsche looks bad, right?] He actually has moments of self-doubt? Of course, the people in the chat praised him; this was the real rich kid driving a Porsche, after all. Nate quickly regained his confidence: [I knew some people just don’t have taste, but the audience has a discerning eye!] Next, someone posted in the group: [Anyone want to post selfies for fun! Opportunity to get priority mating rights~] Chloe was the first to jump out. She posted a heavily photoshopped selfie. Legs ten feet long, heavily edited with filters, even the floor tiles next to her were warped. This was followed by a voice message, speaking in a cutesy anime voice completely different from her usual way of speaking: “Oops~ My hand slipped and I sent the wrong one~~~ By the time I noticed, I couldn’t unsend it~~~” Yeah, right. It hadn’t even been two minutes since the photo was sent. Even after two minutes, no one had said anything. I don’t know if Chloe was embarrassed, but I definitely laughed out loud. Just past the two-minute mark, Nate appeared. He posted a selfie of himself sitting in the Porsche. The photo was taken from a tricky angle that captured his bulging biceps and the Porsche logo reflected in his eyes. He really nailed the details, I’m dying. Nate also sent a voice message, using a deep, raspy voice he probably practiced for God knows how long: “Does the school have a gym? I have to bench press 200 pounds; if I don’t bench for a day, my whole body aches.” 05 Right after Nate finished showing off, someone in the chat recognized the Porsche reflection in his eyes. And so, the flattery began again. But Nate messaged me privately at this moment: [Audrey Miller, I know you only said my car was ugly because you didn’t get to ride in it. It’s okay, I won’t hold what happened earlier against you. Look at me, handsome and rich; if you get with me, won’t you have whatever you want!] While talking, he also sent transfers: [Transfer $520.] [Transfer $1314.] Nate added: [Transfers with special meaning numbers like these, even if we break up, I won’t ask for them back. Since you like pretending to be rich so much, why not get with me and become truly rich.] I was so silent I wanted to beat his dog head in. Where does he get this confidence, help!!! Of course I couldn’t accept this kind of money, so I decisively chose to return it! This money was dirtier than his insults! 06 That wasn’t the end of it. Nate publicly called me out in the main chat again: [Audrey Miller, how could we miss out on our Audrey for something as fun as posting selfies? I like Audrey’s looks, she’s totally my type.] These ambiguous words instantly excited the people in the chat. [Really? Really? Is Audrey Miller a huge beauty too? How beautiful, more beautiful than Chloe?] [Chloe is the school’s popular girl, but I haven’t heard that Audrey Miller is.] Of course I’m not as pretty as Chloe! I have self-awareness! Chloe has naturally cool-toned pale skin. I studied pretty hard in high school, so I was constantly sleep-deprived, and my skin was a bit rough and sallow. Chloe wasn’t happy hearing this either: [Audrey Miller, post a picture and let us see. I heard you’re also from our high school, but I’ve never heard that you were pretty.] Everyone was curious about what the girl Nate liked looked like. Nate even messaged me privately: [Audrey, quickly post a pretty selfie of yourself! Let them know that my, Nate’s, taste is the absolute best!] Could I give him what he wanted? I thought about it and whipped out a video from two years ago. It was taken when I participated in the Global Youth Fishing Tournament. In the video, I was tanned as dark as a shadow, holding the championship trophy and yelling in broken English: “China~” Thinking about the system rewards, I added on a whim: [I’m so pretty, won’t you guys feel insecure when you see me?] Sure enough, this blew up all the lurkers in the chat. 07 [Hahahahaha so this is the aesthetic of rich people, so unique!] [I tolerated the muscles, I drank the fake tea, but seeing this dark-skinned girl confidently participating in a beauty pageant, I can’t hold it in anymore!] [Your mating rights for the next four years of college are gone, but if you enter the popular girl contest, I will definitely vote for you!] [The main vibe is real, reliable, no filters, and honest. What a precious quality on the internet.] [She really is something, I’m dying. Even through the screen, she wants to show her truest beauty!] They don’t say you’re at the peak of your IQ right after high school graduation for nothing. The group members were all flaming me like mean girls, serving high-class shade. The system spoke up again: [Detected that you are being flamed. Beauty +10.] Flexing wealth and getting flamed makes me rich; flexing looks and getting flamed makes me truly beautiful. Amidst their chorus of “praise,” my face flushed red behind the screen. You wouldn’t guess it, but as a troll, I’m actually quite shy. But soon the blush faded from my face because I realized I really had gotten prettier. I saw myself in the mirror: my sallow little face from late-night studying in senior year had become fair and radiant, and my large pores had shrunk until they were invisible. At this rate, I won’t ever need cosmetic procedures in my life. I instantly got excited, and even felt that everyone was still being too restrained. The people in the freshman chat are all civilized; their insults aren’t harsh enough. Only Nate messaged me fiercely in private: [Audrey Miller, you did that on purpose! If you want to embarrass yourself, why drag me down with you! Let me tell you, I will never like you now!] Oh my god, thank you so much for that. 08 Nate’s love came fast and left fast. Soon he turned around and hooked up with Chloe. Rumor had it that within half a day, they made it official in the group chat. Someone asked him in the chat: [Nate, why didn’t you get with Audrey Miller? Is it just because of her dark skin? Can’t you see her simple and honest, excellent qualities?] The chat had not only show-offs but also kiss-asses. And mostly people who just loved watching the drama unfold. Nate got anxious and dropped an image. It was a screenshot of him transferring money to me: [Don’t slander me! I’m not that kind of person! Look at Audrey Miller, she was just after my money!] I frowned as I read it. What a sinister motive. That screenshot was taken the very second after the transfer was made. If he had waited even half a minute longer to take the screenshot, it would have shown the “Transfer Returned” screen. I immediately typed a reply: [Nate, don’t play the victim. I didn’t accept a single cent of the transfers you sent, nor did I ever ask for your money.] Nate replied: [Do you have proof? This screenshot of my transfer is solid evidence!] My fingers froze on the keyboard. I really didn’t have proof. Because I had deleted him a long time ago, and all the chat history had been cleared. I felt incredibly angry. I actually let him exploit a loophole! Now wasn’t it just whatever he said went! Sure enough, everyone started flaming me again: [Audrey Miller, I thought you were an honest girl, I didn’t expect you to be a gold digger!] [Look at you. If you looked like Chloe and were a gold digger, whatever. But with your pitch-black face where you can’t even see your features clearly, you sure have the nerve to be a gold digger!] I pursed my lips and listened to the system voice in my ear: [Wealth +1.] [Wealth +1.] [Wealth +1.]… For the first time, I felt this money was a bit hard to swallow.

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Dorian Thorne belonged to me for two years. In those two years, he went from an untouchable, elite golden boy to a man who knew exactly how to please me. Our breakup was incredibly messy; the news of him kneeling to win me back caused a massive uproar in our social circle. When we met again, he was my prospective fiancé’s uncle. The corporate marriage between the Kensington and Thorne families was just waiting for his nod. From beginning to end, he only said two words: “Not worthy.” Later, he pinned me against the door, shutting out the desperate calls of my prospective fiancé from the hallway. “Vera, he’s not nearly as fun to play with as I am.” 01 The youngest son of the Thorne family had somehow taken a liking to me. Everyone knew he was pursuing me. My best friend, Blair, advised: “Just give in. He’s totally obedient to you anyway.” Before I could even nod, someone else made the decision for me. The marriage between the Kensingtons and the Thornes was a massive social climb for the Kensingtons. My dad couldn’t have asked for anything better. The two families sat together, chatting enthusiastically. Preston Thorne whispered his confession beside me. “Vera, after we’re married, I’ll listen to you in everything.” My inner annoyance steadily climbed. I suddenly craved a cigarette. Preston was great—gentle, polite, rich, and handsome. But unfortunately, he really wasn’t my type. “Then in the future, I get to be on top every time. Is that okay?” 02 Preston’s face turned incredibly ugly. Right after I said that, someone sat down in the empty seat at the head of the table. The first thing that caught my eye was that pair of pale, long, elegant hands. The mole on his index finger was so familiar it sent a jolt of terror through me. In that split second, panic boiled up from the bottom of my heart. I subconsciously grabbed my phone. But I must have accidentally tapped something. A low, hoarse voice played from the phone’s speaker. “Vera, let me kiss you… breathe first… don’t touch me there.” I stiffly raised my eyes and met the gaze of the man at the head of the table. Honestly, I wanted to die. 03 During that dinner, I couldn’t taste a thing. I had imagined ten thousand ways of reuniting with Dorian. But never like this. That audio came from a video sent in a group chat by a friend—a secretly recorded video from an after-party five years ago. In the video, Dorian was pinned down and kissed by me. His ears were impossibly red. Among my group of rich, idle friends, Dorian was a well-known existence. I loved seeing men cry. In the two years Dorian was with me, he shed quite a few tears. Once, after making him cry, I took a picture, posted it on Instagram, and captioned it: [Such a good boy. I love him so much.] The comments section exploded. Then everyone knew I was keeping a “boy toy.” 6-foot-2, six-pack abs, incredibly obedient, and he only called me “Mistress.” A friend left a harsh comment: [Are you even treating him like a human being? Huh? You absolute psycho!] 04 I am a psycho. I have to admit it. Dorian was with me for two years. In those two years, he went from the highly praised, untouchable elite to someone who was very good at pleasing me. With me, most of the time he didn’t have to suffer financially. But when I went crazy, my methods of tormenting him came one after another. He often had red marks on his wrists from being restrained. His lips often had cuts. Some people did try to stand up for him. A suitor of Dorian’s. His face was so handsome it looked like a top-tier 3D modeler’s most perfect creation. There were quite a few people who liked him. “If you really like Dorian, you shouldn’t treat him this way. “His reputation is going to be completely ruined by someone like you. “I hope you break up with him sooner rather than later.” I sat on the balcony railing, swinging my legs. After hearing her out, I smiled kindly. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” Dorian was sitting at the other end of the corridor. His long legs spread apart, his arm resting on the back of the chair, propping up his chin as he looked at me. He radiated an aura of laziness and exhaustion. I swayed my body. In my peripheral vision, he abruptly stood up. That laid-back demeanor vanished completely. If I fell from here, I wouldn’t die, but injuries were unavoidable. He was terrified. “But there’s one thing I need to clarify. “I don’t like Dorian.” The shadows on the ground stretched long. The footsteps rushing toward me suddenly stopped. The setting sun behind Dorian was as red as blood. 05 At this dinner, Dorian only said two words from start to finish: “Not worthy.” My dad’s face looked terrible. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud: “Huh? How are we not worthy?” “Uncle~” I followed Preston’s seniority and called him that: “Preston and I are deeply in love.” The man at the head of the table looked up at me. His face was just too top-tier. My gaze shifted downward, resting on his lips. A very beautiful lip shape, one I had bitten open many times. “Veronica.” Not Vera, but Veronica. Or at the very least, it should have been Ms. Kensington. In the past, no matter how terribly I behaved, he never called me by my full name. I understood him. Dorian was angry. Because of what I just said. Which word in that sentence? Uncle? Preston? Or deeply in love? My hand was grasped by someone; it was Preston. “Uncle.” His voice was gentle: “Vera is straightforward, please don’t be hard on her. She means no harm.” I tried to pull away, but couldn’t. “Preston, let go.” This was said by Dorian. There was no specific tone, but it inexplicably made one’s heart tremble. Preston immediately withdrew his hand. “Grandpa said I’ll be the one to decide if this marriage happens or not. “Ms. Kensington, being deeply in love is useless. You’d be better off figuring out how to convince me.” “Convince you how?” Silence. No answer. The dinner ended abruptly. 06 A long road. The car took a sharp turn into a dark alley. Dorian and I were not heading the same way. When we parted, my dad pushed me into his car. My dad whispered a warning behind me: “No matter what method you use, make him agree.” Preston wanted to tag along. Dorian commanded: “Sit in the passenger seat.” So Preston closed the back door. Just as he walked to the passenger side, the car sped off. A closed-off road, the car stopped at the end of the alley. Dorian’s voice was very low: “Get out.” I reached for the door; it was locked. I frowned: “It’s locked, how am I supposed to get out?” The driver in the front seat unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Me: “…” Only the two of us were left in the car. The person beside me clearly sighed. The next second, a strong force grabbed my waist, forcefully hauling me onto his lap. Dorian’s hand wrapped around my wrist. He pressed my hand against the knot of his tie. In the dim car, his crimson lips parted. “Untie it.” I did as told. “Buttons.” I undid the top two buttons of his dress shirt. “Keep going.” So I rested both hands on his neck. Slowly, inch by inch, moving up to his jawline. Cupping his face, I tilted my head back to look at him. His voice was husky: “Vera, not enough.” I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck. Dorian trembled slightly and smiled. “Deeply in love? “Heh, Vera, what are you doing to your prospective fiancé’s uncle right now? Hmm?” I rested my chin on his shoulder and smiled too. “Uncle. “Is this convincing enough? “My dad told me to use every possible method to make you agree.” Between Dorian and me, from the past to the present, I always believed I held the initiative. Even now that he was the future head of the Thorne family. Even though I had gone from being the true heiress to the fake one. However, as time passed, many things were indeed unpredictable. The moment Dorian opened his mouth, I became the passive one. “Want to be Mrs. Thorne? “Vera, be mine.” 07 At night, I sat in the study. On the desk lay an old relationship contract. The phone next to it kept vibrating. Calls were pouring in. From my dad, my mom, Blair, and Preston. I opened the first page of the contract. In the Party B column, the name “Dorian Thorne” was eye-catching. After a long while, I called Blair back. The topic cut straight to the point. She spoke first: “Did it work?” “No, Blair. Dorian is back.” She didn’t care: “Oh, and then? You still miss him and want to get back with your ex? “Wake up, sis. Men are never as important as your career.” I chuckled softly: “They both have the last name Thorne, what do you think?” Finally, the other end of the line went silent. “Why have I never heard of him in the news about the Thorne Corporation?” “I don’t know. I only found out today that he’s the Thorne heir.” I asked: “In the past, was I…” “Vera, run. I have a little money, I can support you.” “Was I… really that terrible back then?” Blair cursed: “What do you think? You absolute psycho! And he’s a psycho too! Being tortured like that and still not leaving.” “He was just…” I rubbed my nose guiltily. “You put a dog collar with a bell on him. You only allowed him to wear bespoke suits from that one specific brand because you thought he looked best kneeling in them. You should burn incense thanking God he’s not retaliating against you right now.” Me: “…” Put that way. The days back then were quite wild. 08 When I was 20, Dorian and I signed a relationship contract. No other reason. We both got what we needed. That year, the long-lost biological daughter of the Kensington family was found. Many things that belonged to me were subtly being transferred to her name. The sense of loss made me irritable. As for Dorian. He had a very rare condition—touch starvation. Not only that, his skin was allergic to others’ touch. When I met him, it was so severe he relied on medication every day to control it. I was his exception. How much of a psycho was I, exactly? Dorian was a year older than me, but he had to call me “Mistress.” When kissing him, I liked to bite his lip until it bled. Usually, when it was over, he would remain expressionless, raising a hand to wipe the blood off his lips. “It doesn’t hurt. I like it a lot.” This was my demand; I needed him to provide me with good emotional value. No matter how much it hurt, he had to endure it. When his symptoms flared up, he knelt on the expensive suit I bought him. With his hands tied behind his back, eyes red, begging me. “Please, help me.” I sat leisurely, my posture noble, the tip of my stiletto lifting his chin. “Hmm? How should I help?” “Hold my hand, or… anything… just physical contact…” Just as he was about to break down, I leaned over and cupped his face. Dorian’s body trembled, his jawline taut. The symptoms eased, but clearly not enough. “Vera…” I shook my head: “Wrong.” “Mistress…” I pushed further: “Dorian, you know what I like.” So he looked at me. After a long time, his eyes reddened, and finally, a tear fell. Finally, I hugged him just as he wished. “So impressive. What are you thinking about to be able to cry so quickly?” I always asked this every time Dorian cried. “Thinking about… the day you won’t want me anymore.” I rested on his shoulder and laughed. “What a great actor.” 09 The reason for the breakup was also simple. The contract expired. It ended very unpleasantly. He tried to win me back; I refused. That night, I found myself literally handcuffed in a basement. Dorian sat to the side. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent. He didn’t say a word. His face was just too stunning. So much so that my first reaction wasn’t even disgust. “Baby, this is illegal.” Dorian ignored that statement and brought a piece of watermelon to my lips. “Open.” I chewed twice: “It’s a bit bitter.” He chuckled: “So delicate. How can watermelon be bitter.” He put the half-eaten watermelon from my mouth into his own. “Why don’t you untie me? What if you feel sick? If I’m locked up, I can’t help you.” “I can take medicine.” Me: “…” Understood. No room for negotiation. Dorian pinched my chin. Forcing me to look him in the eye. His eyes were bottomless, truly validating that saying. He was too good at acting normally. “Vera, I should have just kept you locked up like this. “From morning till night, handcuffed here. “Pleasing me. Kissing, hugging, doing delightful things, and then I’ll grant you brief moments of freedom.” I shook my head: “I don’t like begging.” “It’s not up to you.” On the third day of being locked up, I hadn’t had a drop of water. Dorian couldn’t pry my mouth open no matter what. “Open your mouth. Otherwise, I’m giving you a nutrient IV.” He sounded fierce. I leaned against his shoulder. My entire body was weak. “Dorian, my stomach hurts.” The “pain” tactic usually only works on those who care about you. Those few words sent Dorian into a panic. He scooped me up and carried me out. His footsteps were frantic. The one thing Dorian hid the worst—was his love for me. Later, Blair came to pick me up, and I didn’t say a word about the details. “What happened to you two?” “Nothing.” “Dorian asked me to pass on a message to you.” “Hmm?” “He said, ‘Ms. Kensington, I hope you have smooth sailing from now on. Don’t ever let yourself fall into my hands one day.’” A prophecy fulfilled. What goes around comes around. 10 Preston was waiting downstairs early the next morning. Overnight, the situation became clear. Dorian gave the nod. The Kensington-Thorne marriage was set in stone. “Vera, you’re amazing. You even managed to persuade my uncle.” I kept my head down. Wondering how to phrase my words to minimize the damage and loss. “I was angry yesterday and told your uncle we were deeply in love. Sorry, actually I…” Preston interrupted me: “My uncle said you’re quite suitable to be a part of the Thorne family.” I paused. “Don’t be in a rush to reject me. Vera, haven’t you been fighting for the Boston Harbor project?” I started looking at Preston seriously. Objectively speaking, as a son-in-law for the Kensingtons, he was the most suitable. Why not Dorian? Because if it came to a capital game, Dorian was completely capable of turning the Kensington Corporation into a mere shell. And Preston wouldn’t. No, he couldn’t. Naturally, my dad preferred him. “How are you going to help me?” “I’ll take you to meet a few people.” I said: “Your condition?” “None. Just casting a brick to attract a jade, trying to win your favor.” I had learned a truth very early on. Resources don’t just flow into your hands because you try your hardest. On the way to the Thorne family’s summer resort. Blair sent me a message. Her intelligence network was always formidable. [Dorian’s exact words: Veronica Kensington is quite suitable to be a part of the Thorne family.] [Does this mean you and Preston are a done deal?] I rubbed my temples: [Dorian’s exact words: Want to be Mrs. Thorne? Be his.] [HOLY SHIT!!!] Three exclamation marks to show her shock: [What are you thinking now?] [Right now, I’m in Preston’s car.] User is typing… A long pause: [That’s so fucking wild. Are you two-timing? [If Dorian finds out you’re secretly meeting Preston…] I replied: [Watch your phrasing. It’s not a secret meeting. Besides, Dorian isn’t that idle.] 11 Dorian was very idle. He was sitting with several executives of the Boston Harbor project. Someone saw me before he did. He sneered. Then instructed the people around him: “Hey, put out your cigarettes.” I knew this guy. Last name Cole, Griffin Cole. I had met him a few times in college with Dorian. His punchable voice rang out: “Put ’em out, put ’em out, or someone’s going to get anxious in a minute.” Only then did Dorian look up. His eyes collided with mine. His index finger tapped the table slowly. He smirked: “You should put them out.” No one listened to Griffin. But as soon as Dorian spoke, the others swiftly extinguished their cigarettes. Preston greeted him. He nodded: “Have you eaten breakfast?” Preston quickly answered: “Yes.” “And Ms. Kensington?” I had stomach issues; I couldn’t go hungry. Preston had picked me up early, so I hadn’t had time for breakfast. “Not yet.” Preston looked apologetic: “I’m so sorry, I forgot. What do you want to eat? I’ll have someone…” He couldn’t finish his sentence. Dorian cut him off. “Have someone prepare a bowl of clear broth noodles for Ms. Kensington. No cilantro, a soft-boiled egg, and extra greens.” Griffin scoffed: “How many years has it been? You still remember?” A simple, brief exchange. No matter how dense Preston was, he should have understood by now. In today’s gathering, the one casting a brick to attract jade was someone else. All sorts of clumsy tricks. Luring me into the trap. “It truly is hard to forget. Unlike some people… completely heartless.” Me: “…” The Boston Harbor project was worth billions. Dorian offered a springboard. There was no reason for me not to jump. I chatted with Griffin and the others from morning till night. When the contract was signed, I breathed a sigh of relief. Griffin looked at me with admiration: “Ms. Kensington, you’ve got skills.” “You flatter me, Director Cole.” Another person changed the subject. “I heard the Kensingtons and Thornes are arranging a marriage. With Preston Thorne?” Griffin laughed heartily: “Ms. Kensington is highly ambitious; Preston probably isn’t a match for her.” “Then who else in the Thorne family is around Ms. Kensington’s age and is a good match?” Griffin raised an eyebrow, deciding not to answer for me this time. “Dorian.” You could hear a pin drop in the room. I repeated: “Dorian Thorne.” 12 I heard a similar conversation again that night. I swear. I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping. I was dozing on the balcony. The heavy curtains hid me. The door opened outside. Dorian and Preston’s voices drifted in. “Uncle, you used me.” Dorian’s voice was cold: “Hardly.” I peeked through the gap in the curtains. I decided not to make a sound for now. “You clearly knew I liked her, and the Kensington family preferred me.” “Does it matter?” Dorian narrowed his eyes: “You even need my approval to marry her.” That was brutal. In my line of sight, Preston swayed on his feet. “Besides…” Dorian paused. He turned his head and glanced toward the balcony. Fine. He knew I was here. “Besides, I like her quite a bit too.” Dorian finished his sentence: “Preston, what do you have to compete with? “Vera securing the Boston Harbor project was seventy percent skill and thirty percent favor. Do you think Griffin Cole gave that favor because of you?” Every word pierced the heart. Preston was left speechless. Dorian’s move was ruthless. Killing two birds with one stone. Taking down Preston and striking at me. “Veronica is ambitious, and I have power and influence. We’re a match made in heaven.” Me: “…” I was just about to speak up. An audio recording echoed in the empty room. It was a past interview of mine. A deleted segment. The host asked: “Ms. Kensington, you’re successful in business, what about your love life?” “I have no expectations for romance.” “Not even when you were younger?” How did I answer back then? I said: “No.” “But I heard Ms. Kensington dated in college.” After a long pause, I opened my mouth: “Just playing around.”

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My boyfriend sent my roommate a selfie. He didn’t know that her laptop was hooked up to the big screen in the college auditorium. The entire audience got a front-row seat to the photo. My classmates told me they’d stick by my side and help me put on the ultimate revenge show. 01 For tonight’s campus talent show, I was on music duty, but my laptop suddenly died. In a panic, I sprinted back to the dorm, grabbed my roommate’s MacBook, and made a mad dash back to the auditorium. Because I had helped this roommate submit assignments before, I knew her password. Once I logged in, I saw her Mac Messages app was still open. The host was supposed to go on stage in one minute. She was giving me desperate looks, so in my frantic rush, I quickly connected the projector and loaded up the slides. Just as everything was ready and I was about to close out my roommate’s messages, a new text popped up. The sender was Carter Hayes, my boyfriend. My hand trembled, and muscle memory made me click the chat window. “When are you getting here? I’m itching to see you.” Our college wasn’t massive; everyone pretty much knew everyone. At that exact moment, the chat box was projected clearly onto the giant screen. The previously noisy, buzzing auditorium instantly went dead silent. The host stood frozen on the sidelines, completely forgetting to walk on stage. My roommate’s reply synced to the big screen in real-time. “I’ll be there soon, what’s the rush?” “I’m dying to see you, babe.” “Chloe won’t find out, right?” “Nah, she’s got her drama club performance tonight.” The entire audience turned to look at me with overwhelming pity. Pretty much everyone knew me. They knew I was Chloe, the unlucky girlfriend in question. Immediately, the laptop chimed again. Carter sent a photo. In the picture, he looked like he had just stepped out of the shower. His hair was still dripping wet, and he was flexing in the mirror with a smarmy “I know you can’t resist this” smirk on his face. On the massive projector screen, every single detail was blown up for the world to see. How should I put it… the audience’s gaze somehow grew even more pitiful. I stood completely still, a tidal wave of shock and rage rising higher and higher in my chest. Carter and I had been dating for a long time. Just last week, I went to his house for dinner and met his parents. His parents owned a small local business. To my face, they kept praising me for being smart and capable. But when his mom pulled Carter into the kitchen to whisper, I overheard her. “This Chloe girl is too ambitious. She’s got a stubborn streak. Might be hard to keep her in line later on.” It wasn’t until Carter mentioned that my family was going to buy us a house in cash that his mom’s tone finally softened: “Well, that’s good then. Just make sure your name gets put on the deed. And remember, the man is the head of the household. You have to make sure you keep her on a tight leash.” That conversation had been a thorn in my side ever since it happened. I had planned to sit down and have a serious talk with Carter about it, but I never expected he’d already be actively looking for his next target. The host standing off to the side was Zoey Miller, my absolute best friend. After a moment of silence, Zoey walked out onto the stage. She tossed her cue cards aside and brought the microphone to her lips: “First of all, thank you all for coming. “Tonight’s event was supposed to be a play carefully put together by our drama club. But given the… technical difficulties we just witnessed, I’m afraid the show can’t go on as planned.” A collective sigh of disappointment rippled through the crowd, though everyone clearly understood why. “However,” Zoey announced loudly, “we’ve just discovered that real life is way more dramatic than any script. Since you’re all here for a show, why don’t we play one out in reality?” The room was quiet for a split second before erupting into wild applause and whistles. This auditorium full of theater kids was absolutely thrilled by Zoey’s proposal. “Don’t worry, Chloe!” “We’ll help you get payback!” “Let’s play this cheating trash and his side piece!” I looked out at the crowd, the warmth in my chest evaporating the chill of betrayal. With so many people standing by my side, I realized I had nothing to be afraid of. 02 My roommate had a thing for Carter. I had sensed it for a long time. Whenever Carter and I went for a walk, we’d magically bump into her. She was always twisting her ankle or feeling faint, begging Carter to walk her to the campus clinic. Back then, Carter barely gave her the time of day. It was obvious he genuinely wasn’t interested. So why the sudden switch to acting like her absolute lapdog? My gut told me there was more to this story. I shared my suspicions with Zoey. By now, Zoey had fully embraced her role as the executive director of this revenge plot, and she immediately started giving out orders. The vanguard consisted of Carter’s three roommates. They were dispatched to gather intel. The three frat guys coordinated perfectly and quickly got results. They noticed that Fall Campus Recruiting was right around the corner, and Carter hadn’t sent out a single resume. So, two of the guys played bad cop. They relentlessly mocked Carter, saying he only ever passed his classes because his girlfriend did his homework, and since he didn’t actually know anything, he probably gave up on job hunting altogether. The third guy played good cop. When Carter was fuming mad, he dragged him out to a college bar for some beers. A few drinks in, Carter took the bait. Tipsy and visibly smug, he leaned in and bragged to his roommate: “Do you know who Mia Evans is? She’s the daughter of the CEO of Apex Innovations!” Mia Evans is my roommate. We happen to share the same last name. The roommate immediately reported this intel back to base. When Zoey and I heard the news, we looked at each other in dead silence. After a long pause, Zoey patted me heavily on the shoulder: “Chloe, Chloe, Chloe… How many times have I told you? Being low-key is fine, but being too low-key is a problem.” “Look at this! Mia isn’t just trying to steal your boyfriend, she’s trying to steal your dad!” Zoey grabbed her phone, ready to figure out a plan to publicly clarify that I was the actual daughter of the Apex Innovations CEO. I thought about it for a second, then reached out and pressed my hand over hers. “Don’t,” I said quietly. “If Mia wants to play the rich heiress so badly, let’s play along. Let’s let her really enjoy the fantasy.” Zoey froze, then caught my drift, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “Damn, Chloe. You’re evil. I love it.” 03 Mia had been practically invisible for her first three years of college, but lately, she had become the hottest commodity on campus. Guys were showing up early to lecture halls just to save her a seat, hoping to chat her up between classes. Guys were sliding into her DMs, asking if she wanted to catch a movie, offering to buy the tickets in advance. She started receiving a steady stream of little gifts: anonymous flowers, surprise coffees, expensive snacks. Mia’s ego went straight to her head. She walked into the dorm carrying a massive pile of imported snacks, dropping loud hints: “Ugh, I don’t even know who keeps sending me all this. It’s so annoying, I’m going to get so fat if I eat all this.” One of our other roommates chimed in: “You can share with us! We can all get fat together.” “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly do that,” Mia flatly refused. “These are heartfelt gifts from those sweet boys. If I gave them to someone else, it would break their hearts.” I rolled my eyes so hard internally I practically saw my own brain. Back when Carter was pursuing me, he’d buy me fruit and pastries. Every single time, Mia would insist on “sharing the wealth” and snatch away a huge portion. Funny how she lacked all that empathy back then. Maybe sensing my coldness, Mia deliberately provoked me: “Sigh, Valentine’s Day is coming up. I have no idea how many gifts I’m going to get. I finally understand what a ‘sweet burden’ really is.” “Unlike some people. Even with a boyfriend, they probably won’t get a single thing.” She was clearly banking on the fact that Carter wouldn’t buy me anything, so she was preemptively rubbing it in my face. Normally, I would have clapped back immediately. But for the sake of the upcoming show, I instantly contorted my face into a look of deep, wounded insecurity. “Y-you don’t know what you’re talking about,” I defended Carter with a pale, shaky voice. “Carter was just really stressed with midterms before, so he forgot. He’ll definitely get me something this year.” Mia laughed out loud. “Oh, really?” She was fully expecting to watch me humiliate myself. But to her shock, on Valentine’s Day, Carter actually did give me a gift. And it was way more expensive than anything he’d ever bought me. When I walked back into the dorm wearing the necklace Carter gave me, Mia’s face cycled through shades of red, white, and green. I let out a soft, internal scoff. Mia still didn’t understand men. Or at least, she didn’t understand Carter. She thought that just because they had hooked up, Carter had already chosen her over me. But Carter was far more calculating than Mia realized. Yes, Mia was supposedly the daughter of the Apex Tech CEO, but she hadn’t actually done anything concrete for his career yet. Meanwhile, I was his long-term girlfriend, practically a fiancée, and the actual local girl whose family promised to buy him a house in cash. It made no sense for him to drop me just yet. And because he felt guilty for cheating, even though he skipped gifts in the past, he made damn sure to buy me one this year. I never liked showing off my relationship, but for the sake of dramatic effect, I immediately touched the pendant, putting on my best “I’m the luckiest girl in the world” face, and gushed to the room: “I only mentioned this necklace in passing once, and Carter actually remembered!” “He went to three different mall boutiques just to find it.” My other roommates were absolute Oscar-worthy actors. Every single one of them plastered a look of pure envy on their faces. “Wow, I saw that on TikTok! It’s this year’s exclusive Valentine’s edition, right?” “That’s so expensive! But our Chloe deserves the best.” The roommate assigned to play the “mean girl” stepped up on cue. She shot a sideways glance in Mia’s direction and said snarkily: “Unlike some people, who just get bought off with cheap grocery store candy and a bag of chips.” Mia completely lost her mind. Honestly, a gift is about the thought, regardless of the price tag. But that was a concept Mia’s vanity could never grasp. Deeply stung, she practically tore the dorm door off its hinges as she stormed out. My roommates and I exchanged a look. I casually tossed Carter’s expensive necklace onto my desk, pulled out my phone, and texted Zoey: “Mia just bailed. Knowing her, she’s headed straight to Carter.” Zoey replied instantly: “Copy that!” In the ‘Revenge Alliance’ group chat, Director Zoey pinned an announcement: “Who shares a lecture with Carter right now?” Soon, the boots on the ground reported back with live intel— Carter was sitting in a lecture hall. Mia was spamming his phone with back-to-back calls. Visibly annoyed, Carter slipped out the back door and met Mia in the woods behind the science building. The very first words out of Mia’s mouth were: “Break up with Chloe.” Carter looked frustrated. “Babe, didn’t I tell you? We have to take this slow…” He had probably used that excuse a dozen times by now. Mia cut him off impatiently: “No more taking it slow. Do it tomorrow!” Carter wasn’t happy. He considered himself a big man on campus—handsome, smooth-talking, always popular with the ladies. No girl had ever ordered him around so aggressively. “Mia, you’re crossing a line,” Carter frowned. Of course, Mia wasn’t listening. She had been jealous of me for way too long. The second she thought she had the upper hand, it was ruined by Carter’s Valentine’s gift to me. This was the absolute peak of her humiliation. She had already taken the first step of lying about her identity. Now, we were guiding her right into taking the second step. And exactly as predicted, she took it. “Carter, if you don’t break up with Chloe immediately, I won’t lift a finger to help you during campus recruiting.” Carter’s eyes lit up instantly. He grabbed Mia’s hands: “You agreed to help me? You’ll talk to Mr. Evans and get me straight into the core engineering team?” Mia nodded haughtily. “Obviously. He’s my dad. It’s literally just one sentence from me.” Carter was so thrilled he picked Mia up and spun her around in circles: “Thank you, Mia. Thank you so much.” Listening to the live-streamed audio, a mocking smile crept onto my face. Thank her while you can, Carter. Because soon enough, you’ll be thanking her whole damn family. 04 The next day, Carter came over to dump me. His roommates texted our group chat, letting us know he had left the building. Zoey immediately whipped out a sliced onion and shoved it near my eyes. I was furious. “You don’t trust my crying skills?!” Zoey patted my back. “I trust you, I trust you! You’re the star of the drama club! The problem is Carter is such an idiot, I’m terrified you’ll start laughing in his face…” That made me even madder. “That still means you don’t trust my acting!!” Mid-argument, a knock sounded at the door. I opened it. Carter stood there. “Chloe.” He wore a perfectly calculated look of regret. “I’m here to break up with you.” I snapped into character in less than a second, my face falling into a mask of pure, devastated disbelief. “What? What are you saying?” Behind Carter, Zoey and my roommates were silently giving my performance a standing ovation. “I thought about it a lot, and I just don’t think we’re a good match.” I played the desperate, clinging girlfriend: “Why? We literally just met each other’s parents…” “My family doesn’t think we’re a good fit either.” Carter let out a heavy, solemn sigh. What a textbook manipulator—even while dumping me, he left a breadcrumb. “I still love you, Chloe. But I’m afraid we just don’t have a future. If we don’t end it now, it’ll only hurt more later. So I’d rather be the bad guy and do it today.” You are the bad guy, you pretentious prick. I sobbed and pleaded a bit more. Carter’s heart remained made of stone, so I finally, agonizingly, agreed. I thought he was going to leave, but then he said: “Since that’s settled, I’m going to take back the things I left with you.” He picked up the expensive necklace from my desk and asked: “Where’s the rest of it?” Oh my god. I practically barked out a laugh. This was the first time in my life I’d seen someone refer to gifts they gave as “things I left with you.” Zoey, predicting I might break character, lunged forward and grabbed my face. Her hands still had onion juice on them. The tears started flowing instantly. “Are you really not going to leave me with a single memory of us?” I wept. Seeing me cry so tragically must have softened his ego a little bit. “You can keep this one.” He picked through the pile of gifts and placed something in my hand. I looked down and almost broke character again. It was a cheap, scribbled Christmas card he gave me freshman year. Taking back the expensive jewelry and leaving me his worthless autograph? How generous. Zoey, seeing my mouth twitching into a smile, viciously wiped my face with the onion again. When Carter looked back at me, I was clutching his freshman year Christmas card, tears streaming down my face, sobbing uncontrollably. He definitely walked away thinking: Wow, this girl is so deeply in love with me. Meanwhile, I was thinking: Wow, this onion is incredibly spicy. 05 The second Carter’s footsteps faded, my roommates started tearing him apart. The group chat was blowing up with people raging on my behalf. One roommate argued that I shouldn’t have let him take the gifts back so easily. I couldn’t care less. All the gifts he ever gave me added up to barely a thousand bucks. What I saved was the million-dollar cash payment my family would have blown on his future house. Besides, I had a feeling the upcoming acts of this play would be more than enough to cover the price of admission. After dumping me, Carter’s relationship with Mia didn’t go as smoothly as he planned. Riding the high of having a roster of campus orbiters, Mia started playing hard to get. She dropped hints that she had plenty of options now and didn’t necessarily need Carter. Furious, Carter stormed back to his dorm, grabbed his roommate Liam by the collar, and screamed: “Did you leak Mia’s real identity?! Where else would all these guys be coming from?!” Liam obviously knew the exact truth, but his acting chops were top-tier. He stared back at Carter with wide, innocent eyes. “I didn’t say a damn thing! Think about it man, the source of the rumor is Mia herself. She probably told all those guys to flex on everyone!” Carter had no way to verify it, and he was terrified that pushing Liam too hard would cause him to blab to the whole campus. He just gritted his teeth: “Just keep your mouth shut.” At this point, Carter was already harboring some resentment toward Mia, feeling like she was stringing him along. But since he’d already burned the bridge with me, he swallowed his pride and resorted to aggressively sucking up to her. Carter clearly studied the rom-com male lead playbook. He brought her coffee in the morning, carried her bags in the evening, and even pulled the classic move of giving her a piggyback ride over a puddle on a rainy day. Watching this unfold with the Revenge Alliance chat, we all marveled at how deeply Carter had deluded himself into thinking he was the star of a movie. I have to admit, his handsome face was a pretty good smokescreen. After weeks of relentless rom-com stunts, Mia finally agreed to make it official. They posted a massive photo dump on Instagram to soft-launch the relationship. In every picture, Carter was smiling like he’d won the lottery. He absolutely believed his life as a wealthy, pampered son-in-law was just beginning, and every step from here on out would be bathed in gold. You’re overthinking it, Carter. Right here? This is your peak. Next up, you’re going to find out exactly how deep of a hole you’ve dug for yourself. 06 Carter submitted his resume to Apex Innovations. His interview was scheduled for a week later. That week was the absolute highlight of Mia’s life. Not only was Carter at her beck and call, but our dorm roommates—having “heard” she was the Apex heiress—seemingly betrayed me and flocked to her side. In the past, Mia’s hygiene was terrible. She’d constantly make excuses to skip chore duty, and our Neat-Freak roommate would always tear into her. But now? Neat-Freak completely ignored the mountain of Amazon boxes and takeout bags piling up on Mia’s desk. She even cooed softly: “Mia is a high-class girl. How could she possibly concern herself with trivial things like taking out the trash? Just leave it there.” In the past, Mia slept through lectures, skipped homework, and tried to get our Valedictorian roommate to help her cheat on finals. The Valedictorian used to roll her eyes and look at Mia with blatant disgust. But now? Valedictorian pulled a full 180. She practically bowed to Mia, saying: “Us try-hard scholarship kids only know how to read books. One day, we’ll all just be working for you anyway.” (In the group chat, Neat-Freak told Valedictorian she was overacting and sounded entirely too sarcastic). In the past, Mia loved playing the fragile damsel in distress. Our D1 Athlete roommate couldn’t stand it, constantly telling her to hit the gym instead of trying to fit into that toxic, stick-thin influencer vibe. But now? Athlete praised Mia’s looks daily, insisting that an heiress like Mia was supposed to be pale and fragile, and that’s exactly why boys loved her. Mia was still the exact same Mia. Not a single one of her flaws had changed. Yet, entirely because of her supposed “Dad,” everyone around her completely changed their attitude, treating her like absolute royalty. Shortcuts like that can make anyone lose their mind. Mia completely lost herself. Drowning in endless flattery, she fully sank into the role. Subconsciously, she genuinely started believing she was the daughter of the Apex Tech CEO. This delusion bled into her relationship with Carter. When he nervously asked her if he was guaranteed to pass the interview, Mia boldly declared: “My dad owns the company. You just go in there and say you’re my boyfriend. Who would dare reject you?” Carter was so ecstatic he picked her up and spun her around three times. The day of the Apex Innovations interview finally arrived. Zoey and I got there early and slipped into the building’s security room. Zoey aimed her phone at the CCTV monitors, live-streaming the feed to the group chat. Wearing a crisp, tailored suit and clutching his resume, Carter strutted up to the front desk like he owned the place. While he was signing in, a group of executives walked out from the hallway. Leading the pack was CEO Evans. He was heading out to a meeting. For context, I hadn’t formally introduced Carter to my parents yet. My dad didn’t know him from Adam. But Carter had definitely stalked the company’s website and recognized CEO Evans’s photo. Believing he was finally meeting his future father-in-law, Carter puffed out his chest, desperate to flex his “insider status.” He practically leaped forward and loudly announced: “Good morning, Uncle!” He was so loud that everyone in the lobby turned to look. Seeing the audience, Carter puffed up even more. By pure coincidence, the HR Recruiter scheduled to interview him walked out at that exact moment. Eager to show the HR rep that he had serious connections, Carter smoothly asked CEO Evans: “I hope you’ve been doing well, Uncle. We were thinking about getting together for dinner next week.” CEO Evans: “?” Carter, assuming my dad’s stunned silence was just him rushing to his meeting, quickly played the understanding son-in-law: “I see you’re busy, Uncle. We’ll chat later.” Carter gave a suave smile and turned to head toward the interview rooms. The HR Recruiter, sensing something bizarre, hurried over to my dad: “That’s the intern candidate I’m about to interview. Do you know him, sir?” CEO Evans looked baffled. “Never seen him in my life.” The Recruiter tried to jog his memory: “Based on the way he called you ‘Uncle,’ could he be Chloe’s boyfriend?” “Impossible,” CEO Evans stated flatly. “Chloe just went through a breakup.” Relieved, the HR Recruiter decided to do things strictly by the book. She would evaluate Carter based entirely on his actual merits. Walking into the conference room, the HR rep began the interview. After a few standard behavioral questions, she pivoted to the technical portion. “What is the difference between a mutex and a semaphore?” “Can you explain multi-threading programming?” “Suppose you have a single-threaded standard C application that keeps crashing, but it never crashes in the exact same place. What do you think could be causing this?” Guys, if Carter knew the answers to any of these, would he be spending all his energy trying to marry into a trust fund? So, after ten agonizingly awkward minutes of dead silence, Carter raised his hand, stopping the HR rep from asking the next question. He gestured confidently: “I think you need to take another look at my resume.” The HR rep was entirely confused. “I already reviewed your resume when you applied online.” Giving her a highly suggestive wink, Carter pushed his freshly printed physical resume across the table. “I highly suggest you look at it again.” The HR rep must have been questioning her reality, wondering what massive secret was hiding in this kid’s painfully mediocre resume. But given his immense confidence, she opened the folder. Page one: normal. “Look at page two,” Carter smiled knowingly. The HR rep flipped to the second page. In the security room, Zoey and I let out a scream of laughter. For his second page, Carter had printed out a massive, full-color selfie of him and Mia cuddling. The HR rep stared at the giant, glossy faces of these two college kids, then slowly looked up at Carter. Carter flashed her a blinding, “Now you get it” smile. I am absolutely certain that in her entire professional career, this HR rep had never encountered something so profoundly unhinged. She sat in absolute silence for two full minutes. Finally, maintaining peak professionalism, she told Carter: “I think we can conclude the interview here.” The HR rep just wanted to get this insane person out of her building. But Carter, convinced that the HR rep had finally understood his VIP status and was “fast-tracking” him, stood up and excitedly shook her hand. “Excellent. I look forward to receiving my offer letter. Oh, by the way, the standard entry-level package is around $100k, right? Since it’s me, is there any way we can make a special exception and bump that up?” This time, the HR rep was silent for five full minutes. Zoey and I were laughing so hard in the security room we couldn’t breathe. When we finally left the security room, we bumped right into Carter in the lobby. Carter looked us up and down, a smug smirk twisting his lips. “Here for an interview?” Zoey had been laughing so hard that she hadn’t managed to reset her facial expressions yet. The look on her face screamed ‘I am looking at a clinically insane person’. Carter noticed. His smile dropped into a cold sneer. “You’d better watch your tone with me. Because whether you get hired here or not is entirely up to me.” Zoey scoffed, “Aren’t you just here for an interview too?” Carter sneered, “Do I look like I’m in the same league as you?” He slung his backpack over his shoulder and strutted out the glass doors. Zoey and I watched him leave, sharing a knowing look. Well, the setup was done. It was about time for the climax.

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When I opened my eyes, the air felt different—thicker, colder, and smelling faintly of cheap floral perfume and hairspray. I realized with a jolt that I was back. I was back on the day that had dismantled my life. It was the afternoon of my cousin Tiffany’s wedding. Earlier that day, during the reception, I had managed to snag several party favors—little gold envelopes tucked into the centerpieces. In this small, judgmental town, these were the “lucky” favors Tiffany’s new husband had boasted about: scratch-off lottery tickets. No one could have guessed that one of those tickets was a ten-million-dollar winner. In my first life, I had run home, breathless and sobbing with joy, wanting to tell my mother the news. My father’s stomach cancer had just been diagnosed; we were drowning in debt. This money meant he could finally get the surgery he needed in the city. It was a miracle. But my mother’s reaction had been a bucket of ice water to the face. She didn’t celebrate. She didn’t cry in relief. Instead, her face hardened into that familiar mask of stony “decency.” She snatched the ticket from my hand, insisting it belonged to Tiffany. “We are honest, hardworking people, Julie,” she had lectured, her voice vibrating with a terrifying kind of pride. “The poor must have dignity. We don’t take advantage of family. We don’t steal luck that isn’t ours.” I remembered the aftermath with excruciating clarity. My father died six months later in a cramped, humid bedroom. My mother, while trying to walk the neighborhood’s “village idiot” back to his house to prove what a good neighbor she was, was struck by a car. She survived, but she was permanently disabled. The relatives who had praised her “noble heart” brought over a few cartons of eggs and some “thoughts and prayers,” but they never mentioned the mountain of medical debt we owed. Left with nothing, my mother turned her desperation into a weapon against me. She tore up my university acceptance letter. Then, she drugged my dinner with sedatives, hoping to marry me off to the neighbor’s son—a man with the mind of a child and a family with enough “bride price” money to solve her problems. “Don’t blame me, Julie,” she’d whispered, her eyes brimming with calculated tears as I drifted into unconsciousness. “Blame the world. People are cruel, and money is the root of all evil. A mother has to do what she has to do…” In the end, unable to endure the suffocating shame, I had stepped off the roof of a six-story building. … “Seriously? You’re sure the winning ticket was from the favors at the reception?” “Positive. The clerk at the gas station said Derek bought two hundred tickets there right before the rehearsal dinner.”f The voice on the other end of the phone sighed heavily. It was my Aunt Linda. “Ugh, if I’d known, I would have told them to just put two-dollar bills in those envelopes. Ten million dollars… God, I just hope whoever got it has enough of a conscience to bring it back to Tiffany!” My mother was at the stove, the phone on speaker. She hummed in sympathy as she stirred a pot of thin soup, her brow furrowed as she cursed the “ungrateful” guest who was probably hiding the ticket right now. The ticket. My pupils contracted. The phantom sensation of being dragged across a carpet by a man twice my size flared in my nerves. The sound of my own skull cracking against the pavement—a wet, sickening thud—echoed in my ears. I gasped for air, my right hand clenching instinctively. I looked down. My knuckles were white, gripping the cold brass handle of my bedroom door. This wasn’t a dream. This was the morning after the wedding. In my previous life, I thought I was having a run of bad luck. I’d tripped on the porch coming home from the reception and spent the afternoon nursing a bruised hip. But it was that very day that I’d realized I held the golden ticket. And it was that day my mother had marched me to Tiffany’s house to hand over our future. “We’re poor, but we have our souls,” she had said. A sharp, rhythmic banging started at my door. “Julie? You grabbed some of those envelopes, didn’t you? Open them up! Let’s see if you’re the one holding onto Tiffany’s luck.” My mother’s voice was sharp with a sudden, opportunistic “integrity.” I heard her heels clicking toward the door. A wave of cold fury washed over me. I had one goal: She could never, ever know that I had the ticket. I turned the lock. I fumbled with the pockets of my jacket, pulling out seven small envelopes. I found it—the one with the specific serial number etched into my brain. I pulled up the lottery results on my phone. The numbers matched perfectly. I checked them once, twice, three times. Then, I slid the winning ticket into the pages of an old, dusty textbook at the bottom of my shelf. I took a deep breath, messed up my hair to look like I’d been sleeping, and opened the door. My mother looked ready to break the door down. Her face was a map of righteous anxiety. “What are you doing in here? Sleeping the day away while your cousin is in a crisis?” she snapped, looking me over with disdain. “Locking the door in the middle of the day… you’re becoming so secretive. I can’t rely on you for anything.” Her eyes darted to my desk, landing on the pile of candy and envelopes. “Did you win anything?” she asked, her voice dropping into a probe. I picked up a hairbrush and shrugged. “I haven’t even looked.” “Well, look now! Your aunt said there’s a massive winner out there. Tiffany and Derek are practically camped out at the lottery office waiting to see who shows up. If you have it, we need to get it back to her immediately. She’s family, Julie. Don’t let her suffer.” In my old life, I would have argued. I would have said that a gift is a gift, and if Tiffany wanted the money, she shouldn’t have given the tickets away. But I knew better now. You can’t argue with a martyr. I grabbed the remaining six losing envelopes and headed for the door. “Where are you going?” she yelled. “To the gas station to check them!” I called back. My mother didn’t know how to use the lottery app. She didn’t understand that a jackpot this big couldn’t be claimed at a local convenience store anyway. “If you won, you give it back!” she shouted after me. “Don’t be a thief! Honesty is the only thing we own!” When I got to the station, Tiffany and Derek were there, looking disheveled. Tiffany was still wearing her white silk rehearsal wrap with a fur stole, looking wildly out of place. She was accosting anyone who looked like they’d been at the wedding. When she saw me, her eyes lit up with a predatory hunger. She grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. “Julie! Why are you here? Did you win? Tell me you won!” I gently pried her hand off. I looked her dead in the eye and gave her a bright, vacant smile. “I did! I’m here to claim it!” Tiffany’s face went pale, then red. She snatched the stack of envelopes out of my hand before I could stop her. She tore through them until she found the one I’d left on top—the one that had won exactly one hundred dollars. Her face fell. “This? This is all?” “Yeah!” I chirped, acting thrilled. “A hundred bucks! Can you believe it? That’s like a week of groceries!” I took the ticket back, scanned it, and pocketed the cash. I made a show of tossing the other losing tickets into the trash can. “What are you guys doing here, anyway?” I asked innocently. Tiffany didn’t even answer. She turned away, scanning the parking lot for her next victim. I walked away, my heart hammering against my ribs. Stage one was complete. They wouldn’t suspect me for a while. Now, I just had to get to the city. On my way home, a hand dropped onto my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of my skin. “Hey, kiddo. Look what I got you.” I turned to see my father. His face was sallow, a yellowish tint to his skin that made my throat ache. He was smiling, though his lips were pale. He had been sick for a month, and we hadn’t even raised half the money for his initial consultations. He pointed to a suitcase on the sidewalk. It was a soft rose-pink, hardshell, with spinning wheels. It looked expensive—too expensive for a man who was skipping meals to pay for “stomach medicine” that was really just antacids. My eyes blurred with tears. In my previous life, my mother had forced me to hand over the ten million. Tiffany had done a fake little dance of “Oh, but your father is so sick, are you sure?” And my mother had waved her off. “Everyone has their cross to bear. We aren’t going to use your good fortune to fix our problems.” Tiffany had pocketed the ticket and never looked back. When we finally went to her to beg for a loan a month later, she’d looked at us with “pity” and said, “I’d love to, Aunt Bethany, but with Julie starting school and your husband’s condition… I’d never see that money again. It would be like throwing it down a drain.” That was the day my father—the strongest man I knew—wiped away a tear and told us, “Stop. No more doctors. I’m done.” Now, looking at the pink suitcase, I realized he had spent his secret savings to make sure I went to college in style. “Dad…” I choked out. “It’s not much,” he said, rubbing his hands together nervously. “But the guy at the store said all the girls at the university use these now. It’ll last you years.” I didn’t scold him for the money. I just grabbed the handle and hugged him. “It’s perfect, Dad. Let’s go home.” Back at the house, my mother eyed the suitcase with a scowl. “Wasteful,” she muttered. “Your Aunt Linda gave me that old black duffel bag Tiffany used. It’s a bit dusty, but I could have fixed the zipper. Why spend money on vanity?” My father smiled sheepishly. “It wasn’t that much, Beth. Only about sixty dollars. It’s an investment.” My mother groaned at the “extravagance,” but since the money was already spent, she just went back to the kitchen. During dinner, I pushed a piece of broccoli around my plate and said as casually as possible, “Dad, I want you to drive me to campus tomorrow. It’s my first year, and I don’t want to take the bus with all this luggage. Plus, the city is dangerous. I’d feel better if you were there.” My father nodded immediately. “Of course. A-State is far. You shouldn’t be wandering around alone.” My mother slammed her fork down. “She’s nineteen! She needs to be independent. And why tomorrow? Move-in isn’t for another two weeks.” My heart sped up. In my last life, I had stayed behind to help her, and that delay had cost my father his life. “They sent an email,” I lied, holding up my phone screen too far away for her to read. “Orientation and early seminars start this week. I just saw it today. I have to go.” My mother looked at me suspiciously. “Your father isn’t well. I should go. I’ve never even seen the city.” She shot my father a look of pure resentment. “I married a man who can’t even take me on a vacation. My life is just one long struggle.” My father looked down at his plate, the light leaving his eyes. “Mom, I’d love for you to come,” I said, my voice sweet as honey, “but I saw Billy wandering around near the guitar factory today. He looked totally lost. You know his mom relies on you to watch out for him. If you leave for two days, who knows where that poor boy will end up?” Billy was the “neighborhood project” my mother used to bolster her reputation as a saint. Just last week, she’d stayed up all night finding him after he’d wandered off. She loved the way the neighbors whispered about her “golden heart.” My mother hesitated. She looked at the plate of cookies a neighbor had brought over as a “thank you” for her kindness. She sighed, a martyr’s smile touching her lips. “True. If that poor soul wanders off and gets hurt, I’d never forgive myself. Everyone knows I’m the only one he trusts.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Fine. Let your father go. I’m just a pack mule anyway.” The next morning, my father and I stood by the road with the pink suitcase. The November air was biting, but my palms were sweaty with anticipation. Just get to the city. Claim the ticket. Get the surgery. But before the bus arrived, two figures appeared, walking quickly toward us. It was Tiffany and Aunt Linda. They weren’t just walking; they were nearly running. My stomach dropped. I gripped the handle of my suitcase. “Julie! You’re leaving already?” Aunt Linda called out. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, which were fixed on my luggage. “Yeah,” I said, trying to sound normal. “It’s a long trip. I want to get there before dark.” Tiffany looked like a ghost. Her eyes were sunken, dark circles weighing them down. She wasn’t even looking at me; she was staring at my suitcase like she could see through the plastic. “Tiffany, shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon?” I asked. She didn’t answer. She stepped forward and grabbed the handle of my suitcase, trying to pull it toward her. “Wait,” she said, her voice raspy. “My mom and Aunt Bethany were talking. They said it’s weird you’re leaving so early. Almost like… like you’re running away.” “I’m going to school, Tiffany,” I said, holding on tight. “If you have nothing to hide,” Tiffany snapped, her facade finally cracking, “then you won’t mind if we check your things. My ten-million-dollar ticket is missing, Julie. And suddenly you’re rushing off to the city?” “This is insane,” I said, looking to my father for help. But then, my mother appeared from around the corner of the house. She walked up and put a heavy hand on my shoulder. “I called them,” my mother said, her voice cold. “Tiffany has been crying all night. It’s only fair, Julie. If you’re innocent, you have nothing to fear. We are honest people. We don’t leave town with shadows over our names.” She nodded to Tiffany. “Go ahead. Check it.”

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Piper always lived under the delusion that I was a trophy she’d managed to snatch from someone else’s hands through sheer, calculated manipulation. What was truly exhausting, though, was her attempt to goad her best friend—the “one who got away” in her own twisted narrative, Isabel—into trying to steal me, too. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she had told Isabel back then. I remember the smugness in her voice. “Back when he was single, girls were practically tripping over themselves to get near him. Now? It’s just him and his girlfriend. There’s no competition.” She paused, taking a slow sip of her wine. “Love is a game of skill, Isabel. If you’ve got the moves, you take the throne. If you don’t, you bow out gracefully.” The very next day, I received a DM from Isabel. Attached was a photo. “I heard you don’t give the time of day to girls without a toned core,” the message read. In the photo, she was pulling up her workout top to reveal a razor-sharp six-pack. “I’ve got the abs. Can I get a reply now?” I was hovering my thumb over the screen, ready to type out a polite but firm rejection, when my vision suddenly flickered. Strange, translucent lines of text—like a live-stream chat—began scrolling across the air in front of me. [Ugh, this side character… just cheat already!] one comment read. [If it weren’t for you blocking the way, the Male Lead could have been rescued by the Heroine ages ago. He wouldn’t have to suffer in the slums.] Another followed immediately: [The Heroine is only staying with this loser because she’s afraid if they break up, he’ll go back to bullying the Male Lead. She’s literally praying he’ll hook up with the side-chick so she can be free.] Then came one that chilled me to the bone: [Stop hating on him. If this guy doesn’t break up with her soon, he’s slated for the ‘tragic ending.’ Once the Heroine and Male Lead finally get together, he’s going to get kidnapped, assaulted, and eventually die of a terminal illness in a gutter.] I froze. My heart hammered against my ribs. Without a second thought, I called Piper, ended things right then and there, and accepted Isabel’s invitation. But I’d barely finished moving my boxes into Isabel’s penthouse before Piper showed up at her sister-friend’s door, brandishing a kitchen knife. “You used every dirty trick I taught you against me!” Piper screamed, her voice cracking with a manic edge. “I taught you how to steal from others, you bitch! I didn’t tell you to steal from me!” 1 I had just finished unpacking the last of my suitcases when I heard the commotion outside. Piper was standing in the driveway, shrieking insults at her “best friend,” her face contorted with rage. Fearing things were about to turn bloody, I stepped between them, my hands raised in a gesture of forced calm. “Piper, stop it,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Can you please just stop making a scene?” Piper looked like she was vibrating with lethal intent. But as soon as I spoke, the fire in her eyes died down, replaced by a haunting, glassy red. “Stop making a scene?” she whispered. “Is that what you think this is?” She took a step closer, her breath hitching. “I was a fool. I sat there like a total idiot, coaching that snake on how to seduce a man, never imagining she was practicing her lines for you.” Her voice broke into a sob. “Parker, she took everything. She took my pride, she took my life, and she took you. Can’t you see how much I’m hurting? Please, just… come home with me.” She became increasingly hysterical, the knife in her hand trembling so violently I thought she might drop it on her own foot. She reached out with her free hand, tracing the line of my arm until her fingers locked with mine. For a split second, my heart softened. I opened my mouth to offer some kind of explanation, some comfort—but then the glitches returned. [Wait, is this side character actually falling for this? Does he really think she wants him back out of love?] [Don’t be so full of yourself. The Heroine is just testing to see if you’re actually gone for good. She needs to make sure you won’t come crawling back to haunt her once she’s finally with her ‘True Soulmate.’] [Gotta hand it to her, the crying is top-tier. The ‘devastated ex’ act almost fooled me, too. Perfect performance.] [Alright, wrap up the melodrama. Why is he still holding her hand? Can’t he see the Heroine is literally cringing inside? Look at her eyebrows—she’s disgusted.] I looked at Piper. She was practically on her knees, her face a mask of Shakespearean tragedy. Was it all just a script? My hand jerked back as if I’d touched a live wire. I tore my fingers away from hers. She looked up, startled. A fresh layer of mist coated her eyes. Here we go again, I thought. The waterworks. I looked away, my voice turning cold and flat. “We’re done, Piper. Please. Stop haunting my life.” I didn’t wait for her to respond. I grabbed Isabel’s hand and pulled her toward the house. Behind us, the clouds broke. A sudden, torrential downpour began to lash the pavement. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the second-floor living room, I looked down. Piper was still there, standing exactly where I’d left her, soaked to the bone and motionless. “Feeling guilty?” Isabel asked. Her tone was a cocktail of mockery and comfort, with a twist of something I couldn’t quite place. “I can have the housekeeper call her a car if you want.” I shook my head. Ever since I realized I was just a “disposable male lead”—a plot device destined for a gruesome end—I had started suffocating the feelings I had for Piper. I couldn’t let them grow. I was terrified of the point of no return. Maybe our entire relationship had been a glitch from the start. When I was going through a messy breakup with my previous ex, Piper had played the part of the “supportive friend” for months. She handled the drama, dealt with the toxic fallout, and was the shoulder I cried on. When she finally asked to be with me, I hesitated. It felt too soon. She accepted my rejection with such grace, such quiet patience, that I found myself drawn to her. I fell for that image of the calm, restrained woman who knew how to hold space for someone. Then, the moment we went official, the mask shattered. She became a “velvet handcuffs” kind of girlfriend. Obsessive. Clingy. She monitored my every move. If I came home late, she cried. If I missed a text, she cried. If I didn’t hold her in my sleep, she cried. As a low-energy person, the constant emotional labor of “fixing” her moods had drained me to the husk. Now that the burden was gone, I should have been ecstatic. A warm hand slid over the back of mine. Isabel. She smiled. Unlike Piper’s performative warmth, Isabel’s composure felt like something forged in the fires of experience. It was solid. Unshakable. “I honestly don’t mind,” she said softly, “if you just want to use me as a rebound. Or a distraction.” I looked at her. Her face bore no resemblance to Piper’s. I thought to myself: Maybe this is what I need. Someone older, someone who can lead, someone who doesn’t need me to be her entire world. 2 [This guy is such a sucker for any woman who gives him the time of day. Does he really think a high-flying CEO like Isabel would actually fall for a loser side-character like him?] [I don’t know where he gets the confidence. This is a Male-Oriented trope world; every woman is eventually going to gravitate toward the ‘Male Lead.’ Parker, just accept you’re a placeholder!] The heart that had just begun to beat again felt like it was flatlining. Was everyone in my life just playing a game? I didn’t notice Isabel’s eyes locked on my face. Within a second, my expression had curdled. She squeezed my hand, her voice suddenly laced with an odd, sharp anxiety. “What is it? Is it the house? Do you hate the decor?” I didn’t understand what act she was playing now. I quietly pulled my hand away. “I’m fine. Just tired. I’m going to go lie down.” The next morning, I walked downstairs to find Isabel fumbling around the kitchen. She was trying to wash vegetables, but she’d somehow managed to spray water everywhere. Her silk blouse was damp, clinging to her skin. Her hair was matted in wet strands against her forehead. I watched a single bead of water trace a path down her neck, past the subtle rhythm of her throat, disappearing into the shadows of her collar. Beneath the translucent wet fabric, the sharp lines of her physique were unmistakable. Before I could look away, she spoke. “I… I might not be as good a cook as Piper,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically small. “But I’m a fast learner.” [Classic female competition!] the text scrolled by. [The Alpha Female can’t stand losing to the younger girl in any category. She’s using the side-character as a lab rat for her cooking.] [Parker is only getting this treatment because the ‘Male Lead’ isn’t available yet. Otherwise, why would a woman like Isabel ever step into a kitchen for a nobody like him?] I looked away, my voice colder than I intended. “You don’t need to cook for me.” Isabel looked stricken. She opened her mouth to argue, but my phone rang. It was my assistant, sounding frantic. “Boss, the corporate seal is missing. We just landed that massive tech contract and we need it for the filing immediately!” Panic flared, overriding my personal drama. I tore through my luggage, but it wasn’t there. It had to be at the house. At Piper’s. I checked the time. She should have been at work by now. I figured I’d let myself in, grab it, and be out in five minutes. I walked into the home office with practiced ease and yanked open the drawer. Empty. I frowned, wondering if I’d misremembered, when a low, raspy voice came from behind me. “Don’t bother. I hid it.” I spun around. Piper was standing in the doorway, her eyes bloodshot, looking like she hadn’t slept in forty-eight hours. The harsh words I had prepared died in my throat. I forced myself to look at her palm instead of her face. “Give it back, Piper.” She lunged forward, grabbing my wrists and pinning them behind my back before I could react. She hauled me into her chest, her grip like iron. “Move back in,” she whispered into the crook of my neck. “Move back in, and I’ll give it to you right now.” Her skin was unnaturally hot. She pressed her face against mine, her nose brushing mine in a desperate, fleeting mimicry of affection. She leaned in to kiss me, but I jerked my head away. I felt a sharp sting on my neck—she’d bitten me. She began to sob, the hot tears soaking into my collarbone. “I’m sorry,” she choked out. “I should have listened. I shouldn’t have tried to play games with Isabel. I didn’t think she’d actually take you.” “Can’t we just go back? I’ll be whatever you want. I’ll be the quiet little girlfriend. Just don’t leave me.” [Is he actually moved by this? Can’t he hear the subtext? She’s basically calling him a ‘cheater’ who likes playing both sides.] [Seriously, a guy this messy deserves the ‘tragic ending.’ It’s not an accident; it’s karma.] [Wait until he finds out the ‘Male Lead’ just got hired as Piper’s new personal assistant. The office romance is about to start!] I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. Almost fell for it again. These two “sisters” were both Oscar-caliber actresses. I gritted my teeth and brought my heel down hard on her foot. She gasped, her grip loosening for a split second, and I bolted for the door. She stumbled, then scrambled after me, literally sliding across the hardwood to block my path. “Parker, you can’t go!” she cried, clutching my knees as she knelt on the floor. I rubbed my temples, my patience finally snapping. “We are broken up, Piper. Give me one good reason why I should stay.” She looked frantic, sweat beading on her forehead. Then, a strange glint appeared in her eyes. She looked up at me, her expression suddenly, terrifyingly firm. “I’m pregnant,” she said. “You can’t abandon the mother of your child.” Me: What? The screen: [???] 3 I stared at her flat stomach, my mind racing through the timeline, trying to calculate the odds. She saw the doubt in my eyes. Standing up and using the hallway table for support, she reached back and pulled her silk nightshirt over her head in one fluid motion. I didn’t have time to look away. My eyes landed on the soft curves of her torso, her chest rising and falling rapidly in the dim hallway light. A small, triumphant smile touched her lips. She took my hand and pressed my fingertips against her lower abdomen. Her skin was smooth, tensing and then relaxing under my touch. “Feel that, baby?” she whispered. Before I could pull away, her other hand hooked around the back of my neck. She pulled me down and kissed me with a desperate, unyielding hunger. [False alarm. She’s not pregnant, she’s just thirsty.] [Well, she is the Heroine. That body is basically the gold standard for this genre.] [Obviously. Why do you think she’s kissing the side-character now? She knows things are going to get ‘intense’ once the Male Lead takes over, and she wants to get it out of her system.] [Heartbreaking. She’s using Parker as an outlet while saving her ‘pure soul’ for the Male Lead.] I felt a surge of humiliated rage. I bit her lip hard—hard enough that the metallic taste of blood filled our mouths. She let out a low, breathless laugh and pinned me against the wall, her arms boxing me in. She opened her mouth to say something—something meant to be seductive, no doubt—but I glared at her with everything I had. Then, I dropped low, ducked under her arm, and sprinted out the door. Piper: …What? The screen: [Rare. The side-character actually rejected her?] [Just a ‘hard to get’ tactic. He’ll be back.] [Now that she’s confirmed he’s ‘playing hard to get,’ she can finally focus on her new assistant. Get ready for the sparks!] I ignored the voices. I spent the next hour on the phone with my lawyer and my secretary, figuring out how to bypass the missing seal. When I got to the office, I saw Isabel standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows. The morning sun framed her in gold. She was listening to a consultant, looking every bit the power player. She caught my eye and gave a small, subtle nod. I put on my “professional” mask and joined the meeting. Between her influence and my negotiation, the contract was saved. I thought she’d leave once the business was done. Instead, she stayed. She sat in my office, watching me work. I started to wonder what her angle was. Then the text appeared: [The ‘Alpha Female’ is so calculated. She knows the Male Lead wants to be a CEO. She’s scouting Parker’s company so she can short the stock and buy it out as a gift for her future man.] My heart did a painful somersault. You can mess with my feelings, but messing with my life’s work? That’s where I draw the line. Trying to stay polite given her stature, I cleared my throat. “Isabel, don’t you have a multi-billion dollar empire to run?” She bit her lip, standing up to button her blazer. She looked… hurt? “Right. I’ll get out of your hair. Call me if you need anything.” I nodded. I’d sooner call a debt collector, I thought. By the time I finished work, I was exhausted. I drove into my parking garage, but I found myself paralyzed by the thought of going upstairs. I didn’t want to see Isabel. I didn’t want to see anyone. I sat in the dark car, browsing Zillow. I needed a new place. Something temporary, something mine. I found a listing for a vacant condo nearby and messaged my assistant to buy it immediately. Relieved at the prospect of an escape, I finally went upstairs to pack my things. Of course, I ran into Isabel at the door. She didn’t say anything, and I wasn’t in the mood to pretend. But when I opened the door, I froze. There was Piper. She was wearing a Hello Kitty apron, standing in the foyer like a 1950s housewife. “Welcome home,” she said. “Dinner’s ready, sis. You too, Parker. Wash up.” Piper had this eerie, Stepford-wife smile plastered on her face. It was deeply unsettling. 4 Isabel’s brow furrowed, her voice dropping to a glacial temperature. “Last time you had a knife. What is it this time? Poison in the risotto?” Piper’s smile twitched, a tiny crack appearing in her mask. “Hardly. I wouldn’t risk harming Parker just to get rid of you.” Isabel’s patience evaporated. “What are you doing here, Piper?” “Don’t worry,” Piper chirped, regaining her composure. “I’m not here to break you two up. I’m here to… join the party.” She didn’t wait for an answer. She sat down at the dining table and started eating, as if to prove the food was safe. She was right; she had no reason to poison us. She was just playing the long game, testing my resolve. Back at her house, I’d been clear, and she knew the “Male Lead” was already in her orbit. This was just a spat between “sisters.” I was drained. I sat at the far end of the table, as far from Piper as possible. Isabel took the seat next to me. Immediately, Piper grabbed her bowl and slid into the chair on my other side. Isabel put a piece of sea bass on my plate. Piper’s chopsticks followed instantly, dropping a glazed rib into my bowl. “Eat up, Parker,” she cooed, her voice so syrupy it made my skin crawl. I hadn’t even picked up my fork when Isabel grabbed the arm of my chair and pulled it half an inch toward her. Piper didn’t miss a beat. She grabbed the other armrest and pulled me back, her smile frozen in place. “Let’s keep things fair, shall we?” They stared at each other over my head. I could practically hear the tectonic plates of their egos grinding together. I gave up on the food. I just sat there, sipping orange juice, watching the silent war. Isabel took a sip of her water. Piper took a gulp of her soup. Then, silence. Ten minutes later, my fingertips started to itch. My breathing became shallow, heavy. I turned to look at Isabel—her face was flushed a deep crimson. She was tugging at her necktie, her throat working in tight, rhythmic swallows. She locked eyes with Piper. They both seemed stunned for a second. Then, Isabel’s eyes widened. She gritted her teeth so hard I thought they’d shatter. “I… I underestimated how low you’d go.” The “supplement” Piper had put in the water was taking effect. Shaking, Isabel reached for her phone, but Piper snatched it and smashed it against the floor. Piper leaned in, grabbing Isabel’s collar and whispering into her ear: “I’m going to make sure someone ‘finds’ you tonight. Let’s see if Parker still wants you after you’ve been ruined.” As she spoke, a group of security guards—men I didn’t recognize—burst into the room. They grabbed Isabel and began dragging her toward the door. I gripped the edge of the table, my voice thick. “What… what did you put in the water?” Piper reached out, her long arm hooking around my wrist, and yanked me down. I lost my balance and tumbled into her lap. She straddled me, her pupils blown wide, looking down at my flushed face. “Just something to make you stop running,” she whispered. [OMG, the ‘Yandere’ trait just unlocked! She’s even betraying her best friend!] [Parker, get off her! This ‘forced love’ plot isn’t for you!] [Whatever, let it play out. At least the side-character is taking the hit so the Male Lead doesn’t have to suffer.] I struggled to get up, but her arms were like coiled pythons. Just as she started to lift me to carry me toward the bedroom, a figure appeared in the doorway, framed by the hall light. A young man, tall and lean, shouting: “Let him go!” [Holy crap! The Male Lead has entered the building!]

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Walking home after school with Everett, the world was exactly as it had always been—the smell of damp pavement, the rhythmic thrum of rain against umbrellas, the comfortable silence between two people who had known each other since they were in diapers. Then, a voice that was unmistakably Everett’s, yet completely silent, echoed inside my skull. God, Cora is such a drag. Why does she have to shadow me every single day? I froze. Everett hadn’t moved his lips. He was staring straight ahead, his profile as sharp and cold as an ice sculpture. If it weren’t for the Sinclair-Aria merger, I wouldn’t even look at her. My father would kill me if I blew the deal. It’s pouring. I bet Luna didn’t bring an umbrella. She’s probably shivering. My heart did a slow, painful somersault in my chest. I felt a cold sweat break out, unrelated to the rain. 1 Luna. She was the new girl—the girl with the thrift-store sweaters and the kind of ethereal beauty that didn’t belong in a place as cutthroat as our private academy. Rumor had it she lived in a cramped studio on the edge of the city, working two jobs just to keep up with the tuition. Everett’s jaw was tight, his usual mask of indifference firmly in place. But the voice in my head—the one that sounded like his soul stripped bare—wouldn’t stop. The walk to that neighborhood is brutal. The streets are a mess. I’m so worried about her. I just want to be the one to take her home. Ugh, if I could just find a way to shake Cora off for five minutes… I stood there, paralyzed. I looked at him, really looked at him, and for the first time, I saw it: the flicker of resentment in his eyes when he glanced at me. He didn’t just find me annoying. He loathed me. Suddenly, the heavy back door of the prep hall creaked open. A soft, hesitant voice drifted toward us. “Everett? My umbrella… it’s broken.” 2 I turned. Luna was standing there, clutching a flimsy, floral-patterned umbrella with a snapped rib that hung like a broken wing. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to bother you both. I just… I was worried about my textbooks getting ruined.” She looked up, her eyes catching Everett’s for a split second before she looked away. They were rimmed with red, shimmering with a vulnerability that felt like a calculated strike to the heart. Luna had only been here a week. She barely spoke to anyone, let alone the “inner circle.” For her to ask Everett for help was a move I hadn’t expected. Everett was famous for his lack of patience; he usually cut people down before they could even finish a sentence. But today, he didn’t even hesitate. “Cora, I can’t walk you home today,” he said, his voice dropping an octave into something low and forced. “Luna lives on the other side of town. It’s too far for her to walk in this.” His face remained a mask of ice. If I hadn’t heard the internal screaming of his heart, I might have actually believed this was a moment of chivalry. “And what about me?” I asked, my voice laced with a bitter edge I couldn’t quite suppress. Everett frowned, his irritation bubbling to the surface. “Your driver is literally sitting at the gate, Cora. Just take her broken umbrella and run to the car. It’s twenty feet. You’ll survive.” Without waiting for an answer, he shoved Luna’s mangled umbrella into my hand. 3 Luna looked at me, her face a portrait of guilt and anxiety. She twisted the hem of her cardigan, her fingers shaking. “No, I can’t let you do that, Cora… I’m so sorry. I’m such a mess. Forget I said anything, I’ll just run for the bus.” She turned to go, but Everett caught her arm. His grip was firm, protective. He looked at me again, his lips thinned into a hard line. But his thoughts? They were a riot. Here comes the tantrum. I am so done with her drama. She’s spent her whole life thinking the world revolves around the Aria family fortune. She thinks she owns me. But I’m not playing along anymore. I love Luna. I want to scream it just to see the look on Cora’s face. Luna can’t get sick. I won’t let her. I felt like the air had been sucked out of the street. Something inside me—some old, dusty hope—finally cracked and turned to ash. Before he could say another word, I took a step back. “Just go,” I said. Everett’s shoulders slumped in visible relief. He turned to her, his voice softening into a register I’d never heard him use with me. “Luna, give me your bag. I’ve got you.” Luna gave me one last, lingering look of pity before she tucked herself under Everett’s umbrella. Within seconds, they were two silhouettes blending into the grey curtain of the rain. I looked down at the broken umbrella in my hand. Then, I tossed it into the gutter and walked into the downpour. At the gate, our driver, Arthur, scrambled out with a large canopy, looking panicked. “Miss Aria! Where is Mr. Sinclair? Why are you all alone?” “Just drive, Arthur,” I said, leaning back into the leather seat, feeling the cold water seep into my skin. My eyes burned, but I refused to let a single tear fall. 4 When I got home, my mother was a whirlwind of silk and concern. She began rubbing my hair with a towel, her voice a frantic hum. “Cora! Are you trying to catch pneumonia? Where is Everett? He’s supposed to be with you! Look at you, you’re pale as a ghost. If your father heard about this, he’d fly back from the London merger tonight…” “Mom,” I interrupted, my voice sounding hollow and strange. “I just want to sleep.” She paused, searching my face for a moment. “Agatha, get the ginger tea started! I’ll bring it up myself.” She didn’t push. She knew me well enough to know when the silence was a warning. I changed into dry clothes and went upstairs. The moment the door clicked shut, the world went silent. But the images from the afternoon kept playing on a loop in the back of my mind. I saw the way Everett’s eyes crinkled at the corners when he looked at Luna. I saw the way he looked at me—like I was an obstacle to be cleared, a debt to be paid. The voices hadn’t been a hallucination. Everett Sinclair didn’t just tolerate me. He used me. He hated the very shadow I cast. For years, I told myself he was just “stoic,” that he didn’t know how to show affection because of the pressure his father put on him. I was wrong. He knew how to show it; he just didn’t want to show it to me. My phone buzzed on the nightstand. The caller ID flashed: EVERETT. 5 The second I picked up, his voice came through like a jagged blade. “Cora, did you say something to your mother? Because my father just called me, losing his mind. It was a rainstorm, for God’s sake. I was being a decent human being and giving a classmate a ride. Do you really have to run to the parents every time you don’t get your way?” I could hear his breathing—jagged, frantic. It was the most emotion I’d ever heard from him. “Everett,” I said, my voice eerily calm. “Are you calling to check if I’m okay? Or are you just scared that if my family pulls out of the merger, your father will finally realize you’re useless?” There was a beat of silence. Over the phone, the “mind-reading” didn’t work. But I didn’t need it. I could see the sneer on his face. “Don’t be dramatic,” he snapped. “You’re just throwing a fit because I didn’t hold your hand for two blocks. Just tell your dad it was a misunderstanding. Fix this, Cora.” I took a long, shaky breath. “Everett, why would I ever cover for you again?” The line went dead silent. 6 I let out a short, cold laugh. “You think your dad found out because of me? Everett, use your head. Do you have any idea how many people your father has watching us? He knows exactly how much money the Aria family has pumped into your father’s failing ventures. He’s not watching me—he’s watching his investment.” I heard a muffled thud on the other end, like he’d punched a wall. “Are you finished?” he hissed. “No,” I said. “I’m just getting started. I’ve spent years keeping quiet about your ‘moods’ because I thought we were a team. But the truth is, the Sinclair family would be in bankruptcy court if it weren’t for my father’s pity.” The silence stretched out, heavy and suffocating. He was calculating, weighing his pride against his bank account. Finally, his voice came back, cold as a winter morning. “I won’t be calling you for a while, Cora. Maybe take that time to think about how you treat people. You think money buys loyalty? Good luck with that.” He hung up before I could reply. 7 The cold war lasted three days. I knew he was waiting for me to crawl back, to apologize for “misunderstanding” him, just like I always did. He thought he was the prize. On the third day, I was walking to the library when Luna collided with me. It happened in slow motion. Before I could even react, she was on the floor, clutching her ankle and whimpering. Students stopped in the hallway, their eyes darting between us. Then, that familiar, low voice cut through the air. “Cora! What the hell are you doing?” I looked up to find Everett’s eyes burning with pure, unadulterated disgust. Luna bit her lip, her voice a tiny, fragile thing. “It wasn’t her fault, Everett. I was just… I was walking too fast.” God, even now she’s trying to protect her. Luna is too good for this world. I’ve only ignored Cora for three days and she’s already targeting Luna. She’s so incredibly spoiled. I can’t breathe in the same room as her. Once I take over the company, I am going to bury the Aria family. I’ll make sure Cora never looks down on anyone again. The thoughts hit me like a physical blow. 8 I looked at the crowd, then back at Everett. “She ran into me.” Everett stepped forward, his lip curling. “Save it. Do you honestly expect us to believe she tripped herself just to spite you? You’re pathetic.” I looked at Luna, who was looking up at him with wide, watery eyes. “You’re right,” I said quietly. “She knew exactly what she was doing. She knew that if she fell, a dog like you would come running to bark at me.” The hallway went dead silent. Luna gasped, fresh tears spilling over. “Cora, I know you hate me, but how can you talk to Everett like that? He’s only being kind…” Everett’s fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. “Is this who you are now, Cora? Just a bully hiding behind a trust fund? You clearly haven’t learned a thing—” “If you hate the trust fund so much,” I interrupted, “stop using it. I’m telling my father tonight to pull the funding for the East Side project. You should probably tell your dad to start looking for new investors. Or a bankruptcy lawyer.” There she goes again. Always the power play, always the threats. She’s bluffing. She’ll cool off in two days and come crying to me. And when she does, I’m making her get on her knees to apologize to Luna. “Do whatever you want,” Everett spat. “I don’t care.” He knelt down, sweeping Luna into his arms in a classic bridal carry. “Hang on,” he whispered to her, his voice dripping with artificial sweetness. “I’ve got you. Let’s get you to the nurse.” Luna tucked her head into his shoulder, her face hidden from the crowd. But as they turned, I caught it—the tiny, sharp curve of a smirk aimed directly at me. I didn’t say a word. I just turned and walked the other way. 9 My father came home that night, still smelling like jet fuel and expensive espresso. We sat in his study, the heavy oak doors shut tight. He tossed a stack of documents onto the desk. “The Sinclairs are pushing hard for the East Side development, Cora. Your Uncle George has been hounding me for a decision. I’ve been holding off. What do you think?” My father knew exactly what was going on. He’d seen the Sinclairs lean on our family for decades, using our reputation to prop up their shaky empire. He’d only allowed it because he thought Everett would eventually be family. I looked him in the eye. “Dad, I’ve been a fool. But I’m awake now. It’s time to cut them loose. All of it.” He let out a short, dry chuckle and pushed the papers aside. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that.” He stood up and walked over, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Remember this, Cora. You are an Aria. You are the heir to everything we’ve built. You don’t bow to anyone. Especially not a Sinclair.” I nodded, feeling a strange, cold peace settle over me.

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