Category: English

My boyfriend, Julian, told me that once our paper got published in a top-tier journal, we would go public with our relationship. For that promise, I practically lived in the lab day and night. For a whole year, I ran every single experiment, analyzed all the data, and wrote the entire manuscript. I did all the heavy lifting. But when the final draft was submitted, my name was gone. In its place was Chloe, a junior student who had joined our lab just two months ago. “You were just helping out. It wasn’t a substantial contribution,” Julian said, his tone casual, as if he were talking about the weather. At the lab group dinner, he held Chloe’s hand and announced they were dating. Yet he couldn’t even look me in the eye. It turned out that my year of blood, sweat, and tears was nothing more than a bargaining chip for him to win over another girl. Fine. Since you want to play dirty, I’m going to take back everything that belongs to me. Personally. “Sera, I sent the final draft of the paper to your email. Take a look.” Julian stood at the lab door, holding a freshly bought iced Americano. He spoke in a tone so casual it made my blood run cold. I looked up, moving my eyes away from the microscope. “The final draft? We haven’t even finished the last round of data validation. How is it already finalized?” “It’s good enough,” he took a sip of his coffee. “Chloe urgently needs this paper to apply for a conference. We’re out of time.” Chloe Evans. That name had been popping up more and more over the last two months. She was a first-year Master’s student our advisor had recently taken in. She was pretty, soft-spoken, and always wore a sickeningly sweet perfume whenever she came to the lab. “She’s submitting it to a conference? I did the core experiments for this paper. I built the entire data model.” I stood up, staring at him. “What exactly did Chloe do?” Julian’s face tightened with impatience. “Sera, you need to look at the bigger picture. Chloe just joined the lab and needs some achievements to get her foot in the door. You’re already in your final year. You don’t need this paper as much as she does.” “Why wouldn’t I need it? From the research design to the experiments, from data collection to model validation—I spent an entire year on this. Tell me, what right does she have to put her name on it?” He didn’t answer. He just set his coffee on my desk, turned around, and walked out. I stood there, my hands gripping my lab notebook so hard my knuckles turned white. That night, I opened my laptop and checked my email. There it was. The final draft. On the very first page, in the author section: My name was completely gone from the main authors. First Author: Chloe Evans. Second Author: Julian Carter. My name only appeared at the very end, in the acknowledgments section, in tiny font: With assistance from Sera Miller for data collection. “Assistance.” I stared at the word for a long, long time. A year ago, Julian came to me saying he wanted to do a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary project. He said if we pulled it off, we could get published in a top-tier journal. He said we would co-author it together. He said once it got published, we would finally tell everyone we were dating. And like a fool, I believed him. I buried myself in the lab for a year, spending every single weekend running simulations. Meanwhile, his only job was writing the literature review and adjusting the formatting. I did all the actual work. And now, the results were out, and I was reduced to mere “assistance.” My phone buzzed. It was a Snapchat message from Julian. “Sera, Chloe is confused about some data. Can you help her look over it tomorrow?” I locked my screen and didn’t reply. Outside the window, the night was as black as ink. The next morning, when I walked into the lab, Chloe was already sitting at my desk. She was wearing a pastel yellow dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders, chewing on her pen while staring at my monitor. Seeing me walk in, she immediately flashed a sweet, innocent smile. “Sera! You’re finally here!” “You’re in my seat,” I said, standing right in front of her.

She blinked, startled, then stood up with an apologetic, embarrassed smile. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I thought you weren’t coming in this morning. Julian told me you were busy writing your Master’s thesis and wouldn’t be in the lab much.” “Julian told you that?” “Yeah,” she tilted her head. “Sera, could you help me look at this data model? I’ve adjusted the parameters so many times, but the fitting curve is still totally off.” I looked at her. Her eyes were clear, her expression incredibly sincere. She looked exactly like an innocent junior student asking a senior for help. But then, my eyes fell on her finger. She was wearing a ring. It was silver, delicate, and very elegant. I recognized that ring. For Julian’s birthday last year, I spent half my monthly allowance to buy us a pair of matching couple’s rings. At the time, he said it was too childish and refused to wear his. I told him I’d wear mine anyway, and he just shrugged and said, “Whatever.” Later, I ended up losing mine somewhere. And now, that exact same ring was on Chloe’s finger. “That’s a nice ring,” I said quietly. She looked down at her hand, a soft blush creeping up her cheeks. “Julian gave it to me,” she whispered. “He said he just bought it on a whim. I don’t even know if he was serious…” On a whim. The ring I bought with my own hard-earned money was given to another girl. “I’ll look at the data model this afternoon,” I said, turning to my locker to grab my lab notebook. “Thank you so much!” her voice piped up behind me, sweet as honey. I didn’t look back. At noon, I was eating lunch at the campus cafeteria. Julian slid into the seat across from me, placing his tray down. “Sera, don’t overthink the paper thing.” He cut into his steak. “Chloe really needs this publication. Her family isn’t doing well financially, and she needs this to secure a spot in the fast-track PhD program. She can’t do it without a paper.” “So my hard work should just be handed over to her?” “It’s not handing it over, it’s resource sharing!” He looked at me, his tone condescending, like he was lecturing a stubborn child. “You’re the senior student here. What’s wrong with helping out a junior? Besides, your name is still on it. Even if you’re not the first author, having your name in the acknowledgments is still good.” I set my fork down with a sharp clink. “Julian, eighty percent of the work on this paper—from the initial idea to the experiments and the actual writing—was done by me. You didn’t even do enough to deserve first authorship, yet you kicked me off completely and gave it to her. Do you honestly think that’s fair?” His face shifted, turning impatient and slightly guilty. “Sera, can you stop being so aggressive? Our advisor, Higgins, approved the author list. He thinks it’s fine.” “Higgins approved this?” “Yes,” he avoided my eyes. “I discussed it with him. He feels that as a newcomer, Chloe needs a heavy-weight paper to build her profile. You’re graduating soon anyway, you don’t need this one.” I stared at him. He couldn’t even look me in the eye. “Fine,” I said, standing up. “Since Higgins agreed to this, I’ll go talk to him myself.” “Hey!” He reached out to stop me, his voice rising. “Stop throwing a tantrum, okay? You’re making things awkward for everyone.” “Awkward?” I looked down at him. “Julian, you stole my research to please another girl, and now you’re telling me I’m throwing a tantrum?”

A few students at nearby tables turned to look at us. Julian’s face flushed red. He lowered his voice, hissed, “Can you keep it down? Can we not talk about this in public?” “There’s nothing to discuss in private,” I grabbed my tray. “I’m going to see Higgins.” I turned and walked away. Behind me, I heard his chair scrape against the floor, but he didn’t chase after me. At 2:00 PM, I knocked on Arthur Higgins’s office door. “Come in.” Higgins was sitting behind his desk, a stack of papers spread out in front of him. He was in his late fifties, with graying hair and reading glasses. He always tried to project the image of a warm, academic father figure. “Higgins, I want to talk to you about the authorship on the new paper.” He took off his glasses and looked at me. “Are you talking about the interdisciplinary materials paper?” “Yes.” “Julian mentioned your concerns to me,” he leaned back in his chair. “What’s on your mind, Sera?” “Higgins, I did eighty percent of the work on this project, from the research design to the data analysis. I believe my contribution should be fairly represented on the author list.” The office went silent for a moment. “Sera, I am well aware of your hard work,” he said slowly. “But you have to understand that academia isn’t just about who did the physical work. It’s also about strategic resource allocation. Chloe needs this paper to get into the PhD program. You’re already in your final year of your Master’s; you have your thesis. You don’t need to fight over this.” I froze. “Higgins, are you saying that even though I did the work, I shouldn’t be credited for it?” “That’s not what I said,” he waved his hand dismissively. “You are credited, but having Chloe as the first author is strategically better for the lab. Whether you are second or third author doesn’t affect your graduation.” “But that is my work.” “Sera.” His tone turned cold and stern. “You need to learn to be a team player. You need to align with the lab’s goals.” The team. It was always “the team.” I squeezed my lab notebook tightly. “Higgins, I understand teamwork. But authorship is a matter of academic integrity. I did eighty percent of the work. I will not accept being demoted to ‘assistance.’” Higgins’s expression darkened. “Sera, are you questioning my judgment?” “I am stating facts.” He stared at me for a few tense seconds, then picked up his mug and took a slow sip of coffee. “The author list stays as it is,” he said, his voice calm but absolutely non-negotiable. “If you’re unhappy with it, you are welcome to file an appeal with the university’s academic board. But let me remind you—the outcome of an appeal might not be what you want.” I understood his implication loud and clear. He was threatening me. If I made a scene, he would make sure my graduation was living hell. “I understand,” I said, turning toward the door. “Sera,” he called out behind me. I stopped but didn’t turn around. “You’re a smart girl. Don’t ruin your future over something so trivial.” I didn’t say a word. I opened the door and walked out.

On my way back, a Snapchat message from Julian popped up. “Higgins told me what happened. Sera, stop making a scene. Chloe is still waiting for you to help her with the data.” Looking at the message, I let out a bitter, dry laugh. He stole my research, stripped my name off my own paper, and still expected me to help his new girl fix her errors. I locked my phone and shoved it into my pocket. That night, alone in my rented apartment, I opened my laptop. There was a new email in my inbox. It was from Chloe. “Sera, I tried adjusting the data model the way you suggested, but it’s still not working. Could you please take a look? I’ve attached the files. Thank you!” I opened the attachment. She had changed the parameters of my model, completely ruining the fitting results. But the real issue wasn’t the parameters—it was that she didn’t understand the core logic of the model at all. It took me three months to build this model, from the mathematical derivation to writing the code. Julian didn’t understand it, and Chloe understood it even less. They only knew how to copy and paste it, but they had no idea how it actually worked. I stared at the lines of code on my screen. My fingers hovered over the keyboard. Then, I closed the file. I didn’t reply. At 11:00 PM, Julian called. “Sera, Chloe said she emailed you but you haven’t replied. What’s going on?” “I’m busy.” “Busy with what?” “My Master’s thesis.” There was a brief silence on the other end. “Sera, I know you’re upset. But the paper is a done deal. Throwing a fit won’t change anything. Chloe really needs help. Just help her out, and we can keep things professional and pleasant.” “Pleasant?” “Yeah,” his tone was dead serious. “You help her this time, and I’ll make sure to help you out with lab stuff in the future.” “Help me with what?” “With your graduation,” he chuckled. “Aren’t you still working on your thesis? I can help you review your framework.” I gripped my phone so hard my nails dug into my palm. He was using my own stolen research to buy favor with another girl, and then turned around to offer me crumbs of “help.” “No thanks,” I said coldly. “I can write my own thesis.” “Sera, you—” Before he could finish, I hung up. I threw my phone onto the bed, sat at my desk, and stared out into the dark night. Three years. I had been working with Julian since my first year of grad school. I believed everything he said. I did everything he asked. He told me we’d go public once the paper was published, so I waited. I waited for a year, only to have my name erased, and to see the ring I bought on another girl’s finger. My phone buzzed again. It was a notification from the lab’s Slack channel. Higgins had posted an announcement: “Lab group dinner next Saturday. Everyone is expected to attend. Location TBD.” A string of “Got it” replies followed. Julian replied: “Received. Chloe and I will be there on time.” Chloe and I. The way he paired their names together felt like a soft-launch announcement. Chloe replied right after: “Received! Can’t wait to see everyone!” followed by a smiley face emoji. I watched the chat roll up, message by message. Someone asked: “Julian, is there something going on between you and Chloe?” Julian replied with a winking emoji. Then Chloe posted a blushing face. The chat went wild. “OMG! Are you guys together?” “Congrats, Julian!” “Chloe is so lucky!” I locked my screen, turned the phone face down on the desk, and took a deep breath. On Saturday evening, I put on a sleek black dress and did my makeup. The girl in the mirror looked calm, but her eyes were cold as ice. Before leaving, I opened my drawer and dug out the matching silver ring I had lost and eventually found. It was identical to the one Julian gave Chloe. I looked at it for a few seconds, then slid it onto my ring finger. I wasn’t wearing it for him. I was wearing it for myself. I bought this ring. I paid for it. I chose the design. I could wear it whenever I wanted, and it had absolutely nothing to do with Julian.

The dinner was held at an upscale restaurant near campus. The private dining room was large, easily seating over twenty people. By the time I arrived, almost everyone was already there. Julian was sitting next to Higgins, and Chloe was glued to his side. She was wearing a white lace top, her hair in a delicate braid, looking pure and radiant. The room fell silent for a fraction of a second when I pushed the door open. All eyes turned to me. Julian’s eyes flickered with a trace of unease when he saw me. Chloe smiled warmly at me. “Sera! You’re here! Come, sit!” She pointed to the empty seat directly across from Julian. I walked over and sat down. Next to me was Leo Brooks, a second-year student who had always been on good terms with me. He lowered his voice and whispered, “Are you okay?” “I’m fine.” “I heard about the paper…” he hesitated, looking sympathetic. “That’s messed up.” “Let’s just eat,” I said, picking up my fork. As the food was served, the atmosphere warmed up. Higgins stood up, raising his wine glass. “Two announcements tonight. First, let’s welcome our newest member, Chloe Evans. Even though she’s only been with us for two months, she’s incredibly hardworking and has made rapid progress. Let’s support her.” Applause filled the room. Chloe stood up, blushed, and bowed. “Second,” Higgins smiled at Julian. “Julian and Chloe have recently made things official. As their advisor, I’m thrilled to see love blossom in our lab. Let’s congratulate them!” The applause grew louder. Someone yelled, “Julian, aren’t you going to do something special?” Julian stood up, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it to reveal a silver ring. It was delicate. It was thin. It was the exact replica of the one on my finger. He slid the ring onto Chloe’s finger, took her hand, and addressed the room: “Thank you, everyone. Chloe is an amazing girl, and I promise to cherish her.” Chloe’s eyes welled with tears. “Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Higgins… and thank you, Julian.” Her eyes swept across the room, lingering on me for a second before shifting away. Julian didn’t look at me once. Not even a glance. Under the table, my thumb gently traced the silver band on my own ring finger. He didn’t dare look at me because he knew exactly where that ring came from. For his birthday last year, I spent half my food budget to buy those matching rings. He dismissed them as childish, asking, “What’s the point of these cheap things?” Apparently, they had a point now. Because the girl receiving it was Chloe. Beside me, Leo muttered under his breath, “Wait, why does that ring look so familiar…” I said nothing, quietly savoring my appetizer. Halfway through the dinner, Chloe walked over to my side of the table, holding a glass of wine. “Sera, let me toast to you.” I looked up and raised my glass. “Thank you so much for helping me with the data and the model lately. You’ve been so good to me,” she said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. “Can I still come to you if I run into any more trouble in the future?” “Sure,” I said. She smiled and downed her wine. I did the same. As she turned to leave, her eyes suddenly locked onto my hand resting on the table. “Oh, your ring is so pretty!” I raised my hand, letting the light catch the silver band so she could see it clearly. “Really? It looks quite similar to yours.” Her face froze for a fraction of a second before her sweet smile returned. “It does look similar. But mine was a gift from Julian, so the meaning is completely different.” “Mine was a gift from someone too,” I replied calmly. “Given to me last year.” The smile on her face completely vanished. Julian, who was clearly listening from across the table, stood up and marched over. “Chloe, go back and sit down. Your food is getting cold.” “Okay,” Chloe said softly. She took a couple of steps back, giving me one last suspicious look before walking away. Julian stood right in front of me, barely hiding his fury. “Sera, what the hell are you doing? Why did you wear that ring today?”

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On my wedding day, my fiancé abandoned me at the altar to marry my half-sister. That very same day, with my father’s silent approval, my stepmother kicked me out of the house. At my absolute lowest, drenched in the pouring rain, I ran into Christian. It turned out he hadn’t stayed single all these years by choice. He was waiting for me… Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life—my wedding day with Ethan. I sat in front of the vanity mirror in my carefully chosen lace wedding gown. Looking at my reflection, I was filled with absolute excitement for the ceremony. Ethan and I had been together for five years, ever since we were eighteen. Now that we had both graduated from college, we were finally making it official. Everyone always said we were a match made in heaven. My makeup was done, and the ceremony was about to start. Holding up my train, I walked to the entrance of the chapel. I looked at the man standing at the end of the aisle. That was Ethan—the man who was about to become my husband. The minister finished his opening remarks, and his voice echoed through the speakers: “And now, please welcome the bride!” I took a deep breath and was about to step forward when my father, Richard, suddenly blocked my path. I stared at him in confusion. He had explicitly told me he wouldn’t attend my wedding. But Richard ignored me completely. He reached his hand out to someone behind me. I turned around, and my heart stopped. There stood Scarlett, also wearing a white wedding gown! Scarlett took Richard’s arm, followed by two flower girls, and began her walk down the aisle. As she brushed past me, Scarlett threw me a contemptuous look and whispered, “You’re nothing but a pathetic loser.” With that, she stepped onto the red carpet, walking straight toward Ethan. This is ridiculous, I thought. My eyes flew to Ethan, waiting for him to put an end to this circus. But to my horror, Ethan smiled warmly, his eyes locking onto Scarlett as she approached him. It felt like ice water had been poured down my spine. Suddenly, all the red flags I had ignored rushed back into my mind. Ethan constantly making excuses to cancel our dates, the nights he didn’t come home, the smug looks Scarlett always gave me… They had been sleeping together behind my back. I was the only fool kept in the dark. Shortly after my mother passed away, Richard married Victoria, and Scarlett was their child. Ever since Scarlett was born, I had become an invisible ghost in my own home. I thought moving out after the wedding would finally free me. I never expected them to steal my wedding, too. And what hurt the most was that the man I loved for five years had betrayed me without a single shred of hesitation. Richard handed Scarlett’s hand over to Ethan. Ethan looked at Scarlett with deep affection, reciting the exact vows he was supposed to say to me. My head spun. Shock and rage warred inside me, making my knees buckle. I couldn’t watch another second. I turned around and fled the chapel.

With nowhere else to go, I ended up returning to the family estate, still wearing my wedding dress. I locked myself in my room, tears streaming down my face. But once the sadness faded, a burning resentment took over. I would make both Ethan and Scarlett pay for this. Suddenly, my bedroom door clicked open. The maid walked in and looked at me blankly. “Victoria wants you out of here. Pack your things and leave immediately.” Victoria was Scarlett’s mother—my stepmother. I stood up, trembling with disbelief. “Her daughter stole my husband, and now she wants to steal my home? I’m not leaving! I want to see Richard!” But life was about to kick me while I was down. The maid sneered, “Are you seriously still that naive? Your father disowned you hours ago. Now get out before I call security!” Looking at her cold face, I realized she wasn’t lying. Richard had truly abandoned me. Grit my teeth, I grabbed my phone and my wallet, and walked out of the house. As soon as I stepped outside the gates of the estate, the sky opened up. A heavy downpour began. I ran frantically and huddled under the awning of a boutique down the street. I hugged my knees and sobbed. “Damn you, Scarlett… Damn you, Victoria… Damn you, Ethan…” I cried until my voice went hoarse. Suddenly, the rain on my head stopped. I looked up blankly, only to realize it hadn’t stopped raining. Someone was holding a black umbrella over me. A tall, handsome man stood before me. He looked down, his sharp, striking face completely expressionless. “Chloe? What are you doing crouching here?” It took me a few seconds to recognize him. He was my high school classmate, Christian. We hadn’t spoken since graduation, and I knew nothing about his life now. Embarrassed, I clutched the damp fabric of my wedding dress. “My family kicked me out. I have nowhere to go.” Christian didn’t even look surprised. He simply extended his hand to me. I didn’t know where he was taking me, but as if possessed, I reached out and took his hand. He led me gently into the passenger seat of his luxury SUV. To my surprise, Christian drove me straight to his penthouse. “I live alone. There are plenty of guest rooms. You can stay here for now.” Christian showed me to a spacious guest room. I looked down at my ruined wedding dress, feeling incredibly awkward. I didn’t have any change of clothes. “I already had my assistant buy some things. They’re in the closet. Check if they fit.” I opened the closet door. It was packed with brand-new designer clothes, premium skincare products, and high-end makeup. Everything was top-tier and incredibly expensive. Overwhelmed, I turned to look at Christian, hesitating. “You don’t need to be polite with me,” he said softly. With that, he turned and went into his study. I figured he had work to do, so I didn’t bother him. And just like that, I moved into Christian’s penthouse. I planned to stay until I could find a job and rent my own place. A week later, I received an invitation to a post-grad college alumni mixer on Snapchat. I had been cooped up inside for days, so I figured going out would help clear my mind. I decided to go. The moment I stepped into the VIP lounge at the restaurant, the atmosphere shifted. People looked at me with curiosity, amusement, and outright mockery. I instantly knew something was wrong. Then, Scarlett’s voice rang out, dripping with fake sweetness. “Chloe, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for you forever.”

I took a deep breath. Thank God I had put on a full face of makeup and dressed up tonight. I straightened my spine and walked over, sitting directly opposite Scarlett. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” The host of the party was Ashley, our former college alumni coordinator. Sitting right next to Scarlett, she smiled nastily. “Well, Chloe, your sister told us you were kicked out of the house. She was worried you were starving on the streets, so she asked me to organize this dinner just so you could get a decent meal.” Ashley’s words felt like a slap in the face. She had exposed my humiliation to everyone in the room. I forced myself to stay calm. The more they wanted to see me crumble, the stronger I had to look. I took a sip of my orange juice and smiled. “Thanks for the concern, guys. But as you can see, I’m doing perfectly fine. Better than ever, actually.” Scarlett let out a cold laugh. “Stop lying, Chloe. Is that dress you’re wearing a cheap knockoff? That’s a limited-edition piece. As far as I know, there’s only one in the world, and it was bought by the prestigious Gray family.” The dress I was wearing was one of the items Christian had bought for me. I hadn’t checked the price tag, but hearing Scarlett’s words, I realized just how expensive it was. I smirked and looked at her. “You’re right. It was bought by the Grays. So, where do you think I got it from?” Scarlett’s sneer deepened. “Are you trying to say Christian Gray gave it to you?” I nodded. “Exactly.” The room went dead silent for three seconds. Then, the entire lounge erupted into hysterical laughter. “Haha! Chloe, you are seriously delusional!” Scarlett laughed so hard tears came to her eyes. “If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable! Why would Christian Gray ever associate with someone like you? He’s the billionaire CEO of Gray Enterprises! He is powerful, rich, and untouchable. Why would he give a gift to a pathetic, abandoned bride? Haha…” Ashley chimed in with a vicious smirk. “Exactly. I didn’t know you were this thick-skinned, Chloe. How dare you use Christian’s name to clout-chase? Everyone knows he’s notoriously cold and aloof. No woman has ever managed to get close to him.” I froze. I had been so focused on my studies and my relationship with Ethan over the past few years that I had no idea Christian had become such a powerful, legendary figure in the business world. But seeing their mocking faces, my anger flared. I pulled out my phone. “You don’t believe me? Fine. I’ll call him here right now.” Scarlett thought I was bluffing. She leaned back, amused. “Sure. I’ll wait.” With my heart hammering in my chest, I sent Christian a message on Snapchat. I told him I was at the restaurant and needed him to come over urgently. I sent the location, but there was no reply. As the minutes ticked by, my anxiety grew. I started to regret my impulsiveness. If Christian didn’t show up, I would become the laughingstock of the city. Ten minutes later, the door to the VIP lounge was pushed open. I looked up with hope, only to feel my stomach drop. It was Ethan. All my past love for him had turned into pure hatred. Just looking at his face made me sick. But Ethan didn’t even look at me. He walked straight to Scarlett and wrapped his arms around her. “Babe, I’m here to take you home.” Scarlett smiled triumphantly, her voice turning high and whiny. “Babe, wait a second. Chloe claims she invited Christian Gray here. I’m waiting to see him!” Ethan scoffed loudly. “Christian Gray? Chloe must have lost her mind. Christian is way out of her league. A trashy girl like her? Even a beggar wouldn’t want her!” Being humiliated in public by the man I had loved for five years was the final straw. I grabbed my glass of orange juice and splashed it straight into Ethan and Scarlett’s faces. They were completely caught off guard. Scarlett shrieked like a maniac, and Ethan wiped his face, glaring at me as he roared, “Chloe! You’ve lost your mind!” I felt an rush of pure satisfaction. Just as I reached for another glass, the door opened again. A tall, familiar figure walked in. Christian walked into the room. He ignored everyone else and kept his eyes locked entirely on me. He stopped by my side and spoke in a deep, velvety, and incredibly gentle voice. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I’m late.” Christian’s sudden appearance left everyone in the room utterly speechless.

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I died on the operating table. My only sister, Chloe, was kneeling on the cold floor, sobbing and begging the doctors to save me. But she didn’t have any money. In a fit of desperation, Chloe declared she would sell our late parents’ house. But her boyfriend, Joel, stepped forward to stop her. “Chloe! We agreed to sell that house to fund my startup! What about my company?” Chloe hesitated, torn between her dying sister and her boyfriend’s future. Seeing her struggle, I made the choice for her—I let go of my final breath and died. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day we were preparing to sell the house. This time, I would never let that scumbag boyfriend get his hands on our parents’ legacy. But later, I found out… The one who had stolen my life-saving money wasn’t the boyfriend at all. It was Chloe herself, who had planned every single detail from the very beginning! “Elena, Joel says his company is just $500,000 short of its final funding round. Once that money is in, we’ll get huge dividends by the end of the year.” “I swear, I’ll pay you back the very second we get our return.” Chloe held my hand, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice dripping with desperation. I stared at her, feeling dazed as I looked around the familiar living room. Wait. Didn’t I die in the hospital from a severe post-accident infection because I couldn’t afford the surgery? That sudden car crash had left me with severe internal bleeding. I needed immediate, expensive surgery. But the medical bills totaled half a million dollars. And all the money I had saved over years of hard work had been handed over to Chloe just weeks prior. While lying on that hospital bed, I could hear Chloe crying hysterically outside the ICU. She claimed she had sold our parents’ house and invested every penny into Joel’s startup. But Joel turned out to be a scammer who took the cash and vanished. She wept, saying she was sorry, saying she was the one who killed me. Looking at Chloe—the little sister I had pampered and protected since she was a baby—I couldn’t bring myself to blame her. My only fear before dying was leaving her all alone in this world to be bullied. In the end, swallowed by endless regret and worry, I took my last breath. Yet now… not only was I alive and well, but our house hadn’t even been sold yet. And Chloe still had that same innocent, naive look on her face from two years ago. “Elena? Elena? What are you thinking about?” Seeing my silence, Chloe anxiously shook my arm. “Elena, you can’t just turn your back on Joel. This money is life or death for him.” “We promised each other that as soon as his company goes public, we’ll get married.” Selling the house. The investment. The marriage. My mind cleared instantly. This was two years ago, the exact day Chloe begged me to sell our parents’ house to support Joel’s startup. So… I was reborn? I was back before the tragedy even started? “Elena, say something.” Chloe’s lips curved into a pout when she noticed my cold expression. “Do you… not trust Joel?” I suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. Thank God. It wasn’t too late. God had given me a second chance to see through that scumbag’s lies. This time, I would protect Chloe no matter what. “Elena? What’s wrong with you?” Chloe was taken aback by my sudden hug, her hands freezing in mid-air. I let her go and shook my head. “Nothing. I just think… investing everything our parents left us is too risky.” “If the business fails, we won’t even have a place to live.” Chloe leaned against my shoulder, whining like a spoiled child. “I have you, Elena. I’m not scared.” “Besides, Joel is so talented. There’s no way he’ll fail.” I nodded, keeping my voice gentle. “I know.” “But people change. For your own future, we have to be smart about this.” The moment those words left my mouth, the smile on Chloe’s face vanished. “Elena, what is that supposed to mean?” “Joel isn’t some stranger. He’s going to be family!” “Chloe, listen to me,” I said, holding her hand firmly. “We can’t rush into this investment. Let’s observe Joel a little longer, okay?” Just as I finished speaking, Chloe reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She snapped. She yanked her hand away, her eyes flashing red with anger. “Observe? What is there to observe? We’ve been together for three years!” “Elena, is this because our parents died early and you’re still single? Are you just jealous that I’m happy?”

I stared at her in utter shock. I couldn’t believe these venomous words were coming from the sweet, gentle sister I thought I knew. “Chloe, do you even hear yourself right now?” “Did I say something wrong?” She threw her chin up, tears trembling in her eyes. “Joel and I genuinely love each other. Now that he’s struggling, he needs my support.” “You’re just stingy about that $500,000. To you, money is more important than my happiness!” “I never thought you’d think of me that way,” I said, my heart aching. “Did Joel put these ideas in your head? He’s trying to drive a wedge between us!” Chloe froze for a second, then became even more hysterical. “What he said was right! You have the money, but you refuse to help us. You’re just selfish!” “If you hate seeing me happy so much, I might as well just die!” With that, she spun around and made a wild dash toward the open balcony, threatening to jump. Terrified, I ran and grabbed her, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Are you insane?! Threatening to kill yourself over this? Is this how you repay our dead parents?” “You don’t love me anyway! What’s the point of living?” Chloe thrashed in my arms, screaming at the top of her lungs. “I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world to have a sister who loved me. But it was all a lie.” Looking at her dramatic breakdown, my heart felt like it was being shredded. Just to calm her down, I had to play along. I feigned defeat. “Okay, okay! I’ll do it! I promise you, we’ll sell the house. I’ll give you the money, alright?” The moment the promise left my lips, Chloe’s crying stopped instantly. She lifted her tear-stained face, squinting to make sure I was serious. “Elena, really? You actually agree?” I gave a weary nod. “When have I ever lied to you?” She instantly beamed, throwing her arms around me. “I knew you loved me the most! I’m going to call Joel right now and tell him the good news!” Watching her skip happily back to her bedroom, my heart turned to ice. With a sister so utterly blinded by “love,” if I didn’t keep my guard up, she’d get us both ruined and thank the devil for it. My eyes darkened. I changed my clothes and immediately headed out. In my past life, I had never dealt with Joel directly. Everything I knew about him came from Chloe’s mouth. She told me he was from a poor family but was incredibly brilliant and ambitious. Because I loved Chloe, I loved him by extension and never doubted a single word. But now that I thought about it, maybe I had been wrong from the very beginning. I drove straight to Joel’s office. He was in a meeting, so I waited for him at the reception desk.

“Elena?” When Joel saw me, the shock on his face was genuine, mixed with a visible layer of awkwardness and anxiety. It seemed he never expected me to show up at his workplace. I sneered inwardly but kept my face perfectly neutral. “I’m here about the $500,000 Chloe mentioned.” The moment the words left my mouth, Joel’s face went completely pale. He rubbed his hands together nervously, stammering, “Elena… please don’t be mad. This… this is all a misunderstanding on Chloe’s part.” “A misunderstanding?” I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. “I… I do need some short-term capital, but only $200,000 is enough,” he explained rapidly, sweat dripping down his forehead. “I told Chloe I would find a way myself, even if it meant selling my own parents’ cottage.” “But she insisted I shouldn’t. She said if I sold it, where would my parents live?” “She said… she said you had already set aside $500,000 for her wedding fund anyway, and that we should just use that first.” “She said you really believed in me and thought I’d make it big, so this money would be your angel investment in my future.” Joel’s voice grew quieter and quieter, his face flushed with embarrassment. “I know it’s not right, but Chloe was so certain about it.” “She said you spoiled her, and whatever she wanted, you’d give her.” “She even said… you raised her like your own daughter, so this $500,000 was practically hers anyway.” I froze. $200,000? A wedding fund? His version of the story was the exact opposite of what Chloe had told me. Looking at Joel’s red, embarrassed face and the sheer sincerity in his eyes, a ridiculous and terrifying suspicion began to form in my mind. In my last life, if he had really stolen the money, why would he let Chloe drag his name through the dirt without a fight? And if he hadn’t stolen the money… where did the cash from the house sale actually go?

When I left Joel’s office, my mind was a chaotic mess. As soon as I got home, I walked toward Chloe’s room. The door was slightly cracked. From inside, I heard her hushed but clearly triumphant voice. “Don’t worry, babe, the cash will hit my account tomorrow.” “Elena folded the second I threatened to hurt myself.” She was on the phone, her tone incredibly flirty. But I knew for a fact she wasn’t talking to Joel. She continued, “Joel is such an idiot. He actually thinks I’m head over heels for him. He only asked for $200,000 like a coward.” “I demanded $500,000 from Elena, told Joel she was giving it to us as a gift, so he’d treat me like a queen.” “When the wire goes through, $200,000 goes to his company, and the other $300,000 is ours.” “Once the cash is in hand, I’ll buy that sports car you wanted.” “Joel? He’s just a stepping stone.” “Elena? She’s just a human ATM.” “She’s single and lonely anyway. If she doesn’t spend her money on me, what is she going to do with it? Take it to her grave?” “Besides, half of that house belonged to me anyway.” “I’m just taking what’s mine a little early.” I couldn’t hear the voice on the other end, but Chloe’s giggling sounded like a poisoned blade tearing through my chest. I had never imagined that Chloe—the girl I cherished more than my own life—was calculating against me like this. To her, family was a bargaining chip. Her lover was a stepping stone. And I was nothing but a brainless ATM. I recalled my past life, lying on that freezing hospital bed, watching my life slip away. Chloe had cried by my bedside, sobbing about how she had been scammed and left with nothing. At the time, I only felt pity for her, worrying about her safety even in my final moments. Now, I wondered: how much of those tears were real, and how much was pure acting? I didn’t storm in to confront her. Instead, I quietly retreated back to my own room. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe. But at the same time, a cold wash of clarity settled over me. Perfect. Since you love playing a part, Chloe, I’ll gladly play along. Let’s see who gets the last laugh when the curtain falls on this little drama.

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During the fifth year of our marriage, I went back to Ethan’s family home with him for the Christmas holidays. That night, blood-curdling screams echoed from Chloe’s bedroom upstairs. Ethan wanted to rush up and help, but I held him back. The next morning, Chloe was dead. After the funeral, Chloe’s husband run me over with his car, leaving me paralyzed. But Ethan refused to press charges. He told me, “If you hadn’t stopped me, Chloe wouldn’t have died.” Once we got home, he hooked up with our live-in housekeeper, leaving me to starve to death in the dusty guest room. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the exact night Ethan wanted to go upstairs and help Chloe. This time, he rushed in, beat the man up, got thrown into jail, and was sued for two million dollars. clinging to the prison bars, he wept and screamed at me, “Why didn’t you stop me?!” “Maya, what the hell is your problem with Chloe? It was bad enough you rolled your eyes at the dinner table, but now you’re blocking the door and won’t let me go check on her? What is wrong with you?” Ethan’s angry voice buzzed in my ears, accompanied by Chloe’s begging and screaming from upstairs. Hearing those all-too-familiar words, my eyes went wide. My hands shook as I tapped my phone screen to wake it up. When I saw the date and time on the screen, tears of pure relief almost spilled over. “Maya! I’m talking to you! Are you even listening?” Ethan was still rambling. Only then did I realize my hand was tightly gripping his wrist, preventing him from leaving the room. Coming back to my senses, I immediately let go of him and stared deep into his eyes. “Go ahead. I won’t stop you.” The moment I released him, Ethan couldn’t wait to fling the door open and sprint toward Chloe’s bedroom upstairs. Very soon, shouting and screaming erupted from above. Ethan’s voice cursing out his brother-in-law, Garrett, was exceptionally loud. Remembering the events of my past life, I let out a cold laugh. I grabbed my coat, slipped it on, took my phone, and walked out of Chloe’s house. The moment I stepped outside, the freezing wind hit my face, and heavy snow was falling. Walking through the fresh snow, I took a long, deep breath. Then came a wave of pure ecstasy. I had actually traveled back in time. I was reborn, back to the night Chloe was still alive. In my past life, before dinner, I had accidentally overheard Chloe and Garrett whispering in the hallway. I knew they were putting on a dramatic show to scam Ethan out of his money. That was why I had stopped Ethan from going upstairs. But I never expected Garrett to go so far. In a fit of rage, he actually beat Chloe to death. From that day on, Ethan treated me like garbage. He blamed Chloe’s death entirely on me. He not only cheated on me with our housekeeper, but he also refused to let the police go after Garrett after Garrett ran me over with his car. Ethan dragged my paralyzed body back home and locked me in the dusty guest room, leaving me to rot. Because of my paralysis, I couldn’t even sit up. He never brought me a single scrap of food, clearly intending to starve me to death. When the hunger became unbearable, I tore pieces of the bedsheets and stuffed them into my mouth, causing my stomach to bleed. Later on, the housekeeper, Hailey, would come in frequently—but only to humiliate me. I would never forget how she dangled a chicken drumstick in front of my face, mocking me as I crawled like a dog on the floor, only to turn around and throw it to her dog. That dog was just as vicious as its owner. It used my paralyzed legs as chew toys. My thighs were covered in bloody holes from its teeth. Because of the filth, my wounds festered and rotted, but no one cared. Eventually, they went on a vacation, leaving me locked in the house to starve to death. Before I died, I stared out the window with pure hatred, swearing that if I ever got a second chance, I would destroy every single one of them.

By some miracle, God gave me that second chance. Maybe because I had starved to death in my previous life, my stomach was currently throbbing with a dull ache, screaming for food. As for how Chloe was going to scam Ethan, I didn’t want to think about it for now. Filling my stomach was my top priority. By the time I calmed down, my Uber had arrived. I got in and told the driver to head straight to a late-night diner. The moment the hot soup touched my tongue, tears rolled down my face. I swallowed my tears along with the food, feeling a deep, aching sorrow. It hadn’t actually been that long, but to me, it felt like a lifetime. I had almost forgotten what real food tasted like. After I finished eating, my phone lit up. The caller ID showed “Husband.” I pressed decline without hesitation and immediately blocked Ethan’s number. There was no point in trying to save a fool destined for hell. This time, I wasn’t going to ruin my own life for him. Didn’t he blame me? Fine. I would let him see the true face of his beloved family. With a full stomach, I took an Uber back to our suburban villa. Ethan and I had started a mid-sized tech company together years ago, and we were quite wealthy. Because of work, we had delayed having children. I was finally ready to start a family this year, but the baby I had hoped for was lost in that horrific car accident. Back then, I screamed at Ethan for being heartless, asking how he could not care about his own child. But he had just wrapped his arm around Hailey’s waist, stroked her belly, and told me he didn’t care about any child of mine. He said he had been looking for a way to get rid of me anyway. Thinking of this, I gently touched my lower abdomen, my expression turning cold. I unlocked the front door of our house, only to be startled by a sharp, aggressive bark. Staring at the familiar dog, the shadow of my past life instantly suffocated me. My eyes turned red with instinctual fear. Seeing me freeze, the housekeeper, Hailey, quickly grabbed the dog’s muzzle and looked at me apologetically. “Mrs. Miller, I’m so sorry! Lucky didn’t mean to…” Once her hand gripped its muzzle, the dog instantly became docile, wagging its tail to please Hailey. This dog lived in my house, ate the food I bought, yet always bared its teeth at me. People say you can tame any dog, but in my experience, some beasts are just born rotten. “Get that dog out of here. It is never allowed inside my house again. And you—you’re fired. Pack your things and leave tomorrow morning. I’ll contact the agency for a replacement.” I composed myself and fired Hailey on the spot. “Mrs. Miller! Please!” she cried, realizing I wasn’t joking. Tears pooled in her eyes, but underneath, I could see her burning resentment. “My grandmother is still in the hospital, and your family is the only one willing to pay me this much. If I did something wrong, just tell me! Please don’t fire me!” “Oh, I know,” I said, offering her a sweet, gentle smile. Just as she was about to sigh in relief, I added, “But what does that have to do with me?” “You’re a housekeeper, but you act like you’re the mistress of this house. You’re lazy and useless. I don’t need someone like you here.” In my past life, because I knew her family was struggling, I turned a blind eye to her laziness. Whenever she upset me, Ethan would defend her, telling me to be more understanding. And how did she repay my kindness? She seduced my husband and tortured me when I was paralyzed. Now that I was back, there was no way in hell I would keep this snake in my house. I was done being nice. This time, I, Maya, would only live for myself. Being soft-hearted to others is just being cruel to yourself.

“Mrs. Miller, I…” Hailey’s face went pale. Tears finally spilled over as she looked anxiously behind me, searching for someone. I chuckled and stepped aside, showing her the empty hallway. Hailey’s body trembled as she spoke defiantly. “Ethan isn’t back yet? He’s the one who hired me. You don’t have the right to fire me on your own.” “Is that so? But I’m the one who signs your paychecks. Do you still think I don’t have the right?” Ignoring her pale face, I pulled out my phone and called the housekeeping agency, explaining the situation. Within minutes, Hailey’s phone rang. “Hailey! What the hell did you do?” her manager’s voice boomed through the receiver. “The client just filed a formal complaint and terminated your contract! Get your ass back to the office, grab your final check, and get lost!” Hailey’s face completely drained of color. “I understand, sir,” she whispered. After hanging up, she glared at me, her eyes filled with self-righteous anger. “Mrs. Miller, you are being horrible! When Ethan finds out, he will never forgive you!” I laughed out loud. It was hilarious how confident she was. She honestly believed Ethan would play the hero and punish me for her. “And who are you to him that he would care about your forgiveness?” I sneered. She seemed to realize something, panicked, and ran out of the villa. “Woof! Woof!” The dog tried to chase after her, but the moment its paws touched the freezing snow outside, it whimpered and shrank back. Even then, it turned around to bare its teeth at me. I scoffed and called estate security to throw the dog out of the gated community. Even though it whined and scratched at the door, I felt absolutely nothing. Its owner was Hailey. What did its life have to do with me? Honestly, if it weren’t against the law to abuse animals, I would have had it put down myself. Once the tension left my body, a wave of exhaustion hit me. I yawned and went upstairs to sleep. The next morning, the doorbell rang violently. I opened the door to find Chloe standing there, her face bruised and swollen, covered in a thin layer of snow. She was shivering uncontrollably. The moment she saw me, she began to scream, “Are you deaf? I’ve been knocking forever! Were you trying to freeze me to death?” I didn’t answer. She scowled, looking at me as if I had committed some unforgivable sin. “Maya, why did you leave Ethan behind and run off by yourself yesterday? Didn’t you know we were in the middle of a fight?” “Yeah, I knew. But Ethan and I were fighting too. Is it not normal for me to leave when I’m angry?” I took a bite of my toast. In the corner of the ceiling, the security camera’s red light blinked silently. “Ethan beat up Garrett. Garrett is demanding two million dollars to drop the charges, otherwise, Ethan is going to prison! Give me the money, now!” Chloe pushed past me, walked into my living room, and started eating the fruit on the counter as if she owned the place. “Chloe, Ethan got into that fight because of you. Instead of helping your own brother, you’re letting your husband lock him up just so you can squeeze two million dollars out of me? Do I look like an idiot to you?”

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Just because my childhood best friend, Anthony, casually mentioned how jealous he was of guys whose girlfriends made them giant handmade gift towers, I spent days and nights doing manual labor. I assembled every single piece by hand, finally finishing it right before graduation. But on Christmas Day, while I was out, he took my gift tower and gave it to Chloe, the prettiest girl in our class. Outside the restaurant booth, I heard Chloe asking him hesitantly, “Sofia put so much effort into making this. Is it really okay to just give it to me?” Anthony let out a soft laugh and replied carelessly, “It’s not like I begged her to make it. Besides, I never actually accepted her confession back then.” “I just thought it was fun having her follow me around like a puppy, so I never explicitly rejected her.” Hearing his reply, I froze in place. I looked down at my fingers, which were covered in band-aids. Tears welled up in my eyes. Mortified, I ran out of the restaurant and threw myself into a cab by the curb. On the ride home, the harsh truth finally hit me. He wasn’t some emotionally unavailable guy. He was just never going to bloom for me.

Ding— My phone screen lit up. It was a Snapchat message from Anthony. “Sofia, where are you?” I stared at the screen for a long time before slowly typing back: “Something came up at home. I had to leave early.” “Merry Christmas.” It took forever for him to reply with a simple, “K.” I stared at that single letter, feeling a huge lump in my throat. Suddenly, I had nothing left to say. When I got home, my phone kept buzzing non-stop. I opened it and saw the group chat was blowing up. “Anthony, you got Chloe a gift but made Sofia do the actual work? That’s so insincere!” “Are you two planning to apply to the same college to keep your romance going?” Watching everyone tease them, my heart sank. Just as I was about to leave the group chat, Chloe sent a message. “Sofia, thank you so much for the handmade gift tower! I absolutely love it!” “I didn’t expect Anthony to remember when I casually mentioned it.” To my surprise, Anthony, who barely ever posted in the group, replied instantly. “Chloe, don’t worry about it. Sofia is family.” “Chloe and I have similar SAT scores. Even if we don’t get into the same college, we’ll definitely end up in the same city.” Just then, someone brought me up. “Is Sofia coming with you guys too? She’s been following you around since we were kids.” Seeing that message, a wave of anxiety hit me. I gripped my phone so hard my hands started to shake. A second later, Anthony’s reply popped up. “Whatever she wants. Why should I care? I’m not her parent.” Looking at his answer, my breath caught in my throat. My heart plunged into a bottomless icy abyss. I slowly closed my eyes, and tears finally broke free, spilling down my cheeks and landing right on my burned fingers. I thought back to my memories with Anthony. From learning to walk together to him riding his bike to take me to school every day, we were practically inseparable. This crush had lasted over a decade. I was the only girl by his side. I had always believed we would end up together eventually. It was just a matter of time. Until Chloe showed up and threw me off. She was a transfer student. Her family wasn’t well-off, but she was gorgeous, and tons of guys sent her love letters. Once, when Anthony was bringing me some books, he happened to find Chloe cornered by a few girls who were accusing her of stealing. Chloe denied it, panic-stricken, and stumbled right into Anthony’s arms. Their eyes locked. From that moment on, Chloe became a constant presence next to Anthony, and I became the one trailing behind them. In the beginning, I casually asked him how he felt about Chloe. Every time, he would roll his eyes at me and say impatiently, “What could I possibly feel for her? I just think she’s pitiful.” “Instead of overthinking, you should study harder. Otherwise, how are you going to keep up with me in college?” But now, in front of everyone, he said I had nothing to do with him. I took a deep breath, forced my eyes open, wiped my tears away, and quickly typed a reply: “Anthony, since you gave it to Chloe, you owe me for the materials and labor. Venmo me $1,200.” “And as for college, I’ll apply wherever I want. It has nothing to do with you.” Right after sending that, I left the group chat. I walked out of my room and told my parents firmly, “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to college in Europe after this summer.” Anthony, I’m done forcing myself for you. And I’m definitely done chasing after you.

After I left the group chat, several classmates DM’ed me, asking what happened between Anthony and me. “Sofia, right after you left the group, Chloe told Anthony she wanted to return the gift.” “She sent voice notes of her sobbing, and then she left the group chat too.” I frowned, feeling completely indifferent. “So what? Anthony just needs to Venmo me. I’m not taking a loss on this.” Just then, my doorbell rang. Looking through the peephole, I saw Anthony standing outside with a dark, angry face. I took a deep breath, opened the door, and said coldly, “What do you want?” “Sofia, what the hell was that in the group chat?” “Chloe already has low self-esteem, and you had to say that in front of everyone? Do you know how hurt she is?” I looked down and quietly listened to him yell. My nose stung, but I forced the bitterness back down. After a long pause, I looked up and asked in a raspy voice, “So, what do you want me to do?” Anthony rubbed his temples in frustration, his voice filled with impatience. “Sofia, normally I don’t care how you treat me, but you have to apologize to Chloe this time.” “She’s insisting on returning the gift tower now, and she won’t even see me.” He paused, a look of genuine worry crossing his face as he continued, “If Chloe doesn’t go to the same college or city as me, what if she gets bullied? Who’s going to protect her?” “So Sofia, stop being childish. Come with me to apologize.” With that, Anthony grabbed my wrist—the one with the fresh burns—and tried to drag me outside. The pain was so sharp I gasped. “Ouch! Let go of me!” He let go immediately, but it was too late. My newly healed skin had ripped open again. “What’s wrong with your hand? Come on, I’m taking you to the hospital.” He reached out to grab my wrist again, but I stepped back, shook my head, and said softly, “No need. I can handle it myself. But I am not apologizing.” I rarely went against Anthony’s wishes, so my refusal caught him off guard. His face darkened, and his eyes turned cold. “No wonder Chloe said you didn’t seem to like her and were always targeting her. I’m so disappointed in you, Sofia.” Hearing that, I actually laughed. I waved my hand dismissively and said with complete indifference, “Think whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me anymore.” “Now, I don’t want to see you. Get out of my house.” Anthony stood there in silence, staring at me coldly for a long moment before turning on his heel and leaving without looking back. I shut the door, slid down against the wall, and collapsed onto the floor. My chest felt so heavy, like a giant rock was crushing my lungs. It was hard to breathe. Ding— Anthony had Venmoed me the money. The note read: “Consider the gift tower bought. We’re even now.” Looking at the notification, I let out a self-deprecating laugh and replied without hesitation: “Thanks. So generous of you.” Anthony didn’t reply, and I didn’t bother keeping the chat open. Only the throbbing pain in my hand reminded me of what had just happened. That very night, Anthony and Chloe went Instagram official. In the photo, they were hugging intimately with my gift tower in the center. The comments were flooded with congratulations. “So sweet! Congrats!” “I thought you guys would fight because of what Sofia said, but it actually got you two together faster!” A few minutes later, Chloe left a general reply in the comments: “I misunderstood Anthony. He explained to me later that he bought it specifically for me. Maybe Sofia just got confused at first.” “Sofia, I’m really sorry for causing a fight between you and Anthony. I hope you aren’t mad at me.” I curled my lips into a sarcastic smile and commented back: “Why would I be mad? You’re the most important person to Anthony now. Best wishes.” Not long after I posted that, Anthony sent me a DM. “Chloe and I want to treat everyone to dinner tomorrow night. You should come.” “Chloe wants to clear things up with you in person so there are no misunderstandings.” I stared at the message blankly for a long time before slowly typing, “Okay.”

By the time I pushed open the door to the restaurant booth, almost everyone had arrived. Chloe was clinging to Anthony’s arm, laughing and chatting with the others. I took a deep breath, digging my nails into my palms to calm myself down. Forcing a smile, I walked over. “Anthony, Chloe, congratulations!” Hearing my voice, Chloe walked over with a bright smile, took my hands, and said sweetly, “Sofia, I thought you wouldn’t show up. I was so worried.” She paused, then turned to Anthony with a playful pout. “Anthony, come over and apologize to Sofia. You were so mean to her yesterday.” Anthony sighed with mock helplessness, nodding, his eyes filled with indulgence. “Alright, alright.” He reached out, trying to ruffle my hair like he used to, and said casually, “I was just stressed yesterday. Don’t take it to heart, okay?” His sudden gesture caught me off guard. I quickly took two steps back, my voice turning stiff. “You’re overthinking. I didn’t take it to heart. I only came today to congratulate you guys.” He froze, his hand hanging awkwardly in the air. He opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. Seeing this, Chloe quickly grabbed his hand, locking her fingers with his. She laughed it off, saying, “It’s great that Sofia isn’t mad. I was so worried you’d be unhappy about us being together.” She leaned into Anthony’s chest, her cheeks flushing slightly. My lips curved into a faint smile. I looked at the expressionless Anthony and said sincerely, “Why would I be? Anthony is like a brother to me. I’m genuinely happy he found such a pretty girlfriend.” Anthony narrowed his eyes at me. A flash of disdain crossed his face as he sneered, “A brother? Sofia, since when did you start looking at me like a brother?” “Well, you better start getting used to it, brother.” I smiled, meeting his gaze head-on, before making an excuse to go to the restroom. With no one else around, I stared at myself in the mirror for a long time. I let out a quiet sigh and whispered, “Sofia, it’s time to lock these feelings away. A crush that never even started is officially over.” After collecting myself, I walked out of the restroom, only to find Anthony standing by the door with a deep frown. Seeing me, he pulled me to the side and said coldly, “Sofia, what the hell was that back there? Were you trying to provoke Chloe on purpose?” I pursed my lips and said softly, “No. I meant what I said.” “You meant it? Sofia, do you really think I’m that stupid?” “As if I don’t know how you feel about me!” At those words, I snapped my head up and stared at him. The years of bottled-up pain rushed to the surface, and my voice trembled. “Anthony, if you’ve always known how I felt, why did you pretend you didn’t? How could you comfortably enjoy everything I did for you without feeling guilty?” He sighed, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, and said flatly, “I didn’t understand before. But once I met Chloe, I finally learned what chemistry feels like.” “Sofia, I just don’t feel that spark with you.” “If I did things in the past that led you on, I apologize. But I don’t want you being hostile to Chloe.” I bit my lip so hard I could taste copper before slowly letting go. My voice was incredibly hoarse. “Fine. I got the wrong idea. I wish you two a lifetime of happiness.” With that, I brushed past him and walked straight back to the booth. For the rest of the night, I sat in the corner, quietly watching Anthony and Chloe whisper to each other, acting like the perfect, lovestruck couple. Eventually, I pulled out my phone and hit submit on my study abroad enrollment form. With that done, I downed my glass of red wine and left the restaurant without looking back.

Over the next few days, Chloe posted tons of photos. They were kissing under the Disneyland castle, watching the sunrise on a mountain top, and walking hand-in-hand on the beach. Their happiness practically leaped off the screen. I felt absolutely nothing. I liked every single post with a blank face, then spent my time discussing my relocation details with the study abroad agency. The university I applied to was in the UK. The school and the major were things I genuinely chose for myself. It had nothing to do with anyone else. A few days later, Anthony and Chloe returned from their trip. They came to my house with shopping bags. “Sofia, Anthony told me you love this franchise, so we bought you a bunch of merch. Do you like it?” My lips curved into a polite smile as I took the bags. “I love it. Thanks for thinking of me while you were away.” Anthony let out a mocking laugh and said sarcastically, “Well, we had to. Someone was liking every single one of Chloe’s posts. The hint was pretty obvious.” I rolled my eyes, too exhausted to argue with him. Just then, Anthony noticed my SAT prep books on the desk. He picked one up and flipped through it. “Sofia, why are you studying this now?” I didn’t want to tell him I was moving to the UK, so I just went along with it. “It doesn’t hurt to learn more.” Anthony didn’t say anything, but he raised an eyebrow and casually grabbed Chloe’s hand. “Well, college decisions are coming out soon. Chloe and I are planning to go to NYU. What about you?” I smiled and said honestly, “I’m not going to NYU. I don’t want to get in your way.” “Then where are you going? Other colleges are just average. You don’t need to avoid NYU just to stay away from us.” “Sofia, neither Chloe nor I feel like you’re in the way.” Anthony’s brow furrowed, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Chloe’s face stiffened a bit. She let out an awkward laugh and tried to intervene. “Anthony, Sofia isn’t a kid. She has her own plans.” “What plans could she possibly have? She can barely take care of herself.” “If something happens to her, I won’t even be there to help.” “Sofia, if you really don’t want to go to NYU, then apply to another college in New York.” Anthony’s automatic dismissal of her words made Chloe’s face turn pale. She looked extremely uncomfortable. “Anthony, Sofia…” “Alright,” I interrupted. “You two just got back from your trip. You should go home and get some rest.” “You don’t need to worry about my business. Chloe, thanks again for the gifts.” Seeing my attitude, Anthony sneered. “Fine, do whatever you want. Just don’t come crying to me later.” “Chloe, let’s go. I’ll drive you home.” He took Chloe’s hand and walked out. I watched their retreating figures, sighed, and threw the gift bags into the corner of my room. Truth was, I didn’t even like that franchise. Anthony was the one who liked it when we were kids because he thought the characters looked cool. He didn’t even remember. We didn’t contact each other after that night. It wasn’t until the night before my flight to London that Anthony sent me a text. “Move-in day is coming up. Are you finally going to tell me which college in New York you’re going to?” “If you’re not at NYU, Chloe and I will come visit you.” I hesitated for a moment, then finally sent the text I had been holding back. “Anthony, you always knew I liked you, right?” It took a long time for his reply to come. “Sofia, Chloe and I are together now. Saying this is completely pointless.” “You just need to know that we are still important to each other.” I stared at the message, let out a peaceful laugh, and replied with a simple “Okay.” I blocked his number right after. The next day, Anthony was attending a family gala. By the time he tried calling me, I was already sitting on the plane to England. Looking at the missed calls, my heart remained completely still. I took a photo of the view outside the window and posted it on Instagram. “Goodbye, New York! Off to the UK to chase my dreams!” After posting, I blocked Anthony on all social media platforms and whispered, “Goodbye, Anthony.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “446896”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

On the day the university announced the finalists for the Direct Master’s Program with a full fellowship, a screenshot suddenly popped up on the university’s main Discord server, which had over ten thousand members. A bright red box was circled around my name. Chloe Smith. Ranked #1 overall. Candidate ID: 08. Immediately after, Austin, the school’s golden boy, sent a message: “Ah, candidate 08. She’s a masseuse at that sketchy parlor downtown. I’ve ordered her services before. Pretty good, I must say.” It stayed up for less than ten seconds before he deleted it. The chat, which had just been flooded with “Congrats, Chloe!” instantly went dead silent. In my past life, my brain buzzed, and I naively thought no one would believe such a disgusting, low-life rumor. But within two days, the university’s anonymous app, Fizz, was flooded with posts. Scurrilous photos of me allegedly providing “special services” at a massage parlor were everywhere. Some said I got my master’s slot by sleeping with my advisor. Some even claimed I had an STD. When my dad heard the rumors, he suffered a massive heart attack on the spot. He never woke up. Later, my admission was revoked. I was relentlessly cyberbullied. Within a single month, my depression spiraled. I swallowed a handful of pills and ended my life. Before I lost consciousness, my phone was still buzzing with notifications. “Has No. 08 dropped out yet? Don’t let her contaminate academia.” But now, I opened my eyes again. I was reborn. I stared at the Discord chat on my phone screen. This time, I immediately took a screenshot of the entire rumor-starting process. Then, I replied to Austin directly in the server: “Austin, you claimed you hired me for services.” “Please provide the evidence: the time, the location, the specific services, the transaction history, payment receipts, and security camera footage.” “If you can’t, I am calling the police.” 0

After my message was sent, the server fell into a dead silence. Thirty seconds later, Austin finally popped up. “Chloe, don’t take it so seriously. I was just joking.” I stared at his words and let out a cold laugh. My fingers didn’t stop typing. “You call slut-shaming a joke?” “I will submit this ‘joke’ of yours directly to the Dean’s office and the police.” Austin replied quickly, “Is it really that serious?” “I already deleted it, and you still took screenshots? Are you just feeling guilty?” Immediately, some of his friends chimed in. “Honestly, reacting this dramatically is kind of sus.” “Austin was just joking around. If you’ve got nothing to hide, why not just laugh it off?” “Isn’t she on financial aid? But that dress she wore to the thesis presentation last week wasn’t cheap.” “She’s pretty. You know how it is. We all know how she gets her money.” Those words were like mosquitoes. In my previous life, they buzzed around me, sucking every last drop of my blood. In this life, I kept taking screenshots. I didn’t miss a single one. The very people who used to beg me for my study notes, leech off my research, and ask me to format their papers had completely changed their faces. “Chloe, we know your grades are good. But making a scene like this ruins the reputation of the whole department.” “The admission list is still in the public objection period. It’s normal for the public to raise questions.” Someone else commented snidely, “We’ve seen too many ‘underdog success stories.’ Real life is never that clean.” I exported the chat history, uploaded it to a digital forensics app, and secured certified timestamps for all of it. Just as I finished, our academic advisor, Mrs. Davis, finally showed up in the chat. “Everyone, please stop discussing this.” I was about to switch screens to DM her, but her next message popped up. “Chloe, you need to calm down too.” “The objection period is a sensitive time. Questioning people like this in the main server only escalates the conflict.” I typed, “Mrs. Davis, Austin is the one who started the defamation. I request the department step in now and preserve the evidence.” Mrs. Davis replied almost instantly. “Austin already said it was a joke. Do not blow this out of proportion.” “As a young woman, you need to be mindful of your boundaries. You spend a lot of time around male professors and senior classmates. It’s not entirely baseless that people misunderstand you.” As soon as she said that, the chat was flooded with “Mrs. Davis is right.” I sneered. I sent Mrs. Davis a private DM with a screenshot of her own words. “I am formally filing a complaint against Austin for malicious defamation and harassment. Please let me know the official procedures.” She didn’t reply. Three minutes later, she posted in the main server: “Please stop sharing unverified content.” “Chloe, please stop spamming the chat to avoid causing any further negative impact.” I didn’t argue with her anymore. Instead, I messaged Harper, a law student. She was my roommate’s older sister and was currently interning at a top law firm. In my past life, I hadn’t thought of reaching out to her until it was too late. “Harper, someone is spreading sexual rumors about me. I’ve already secured some of the evidence.” She replied within seconds. “Do not try to explain your personal morality. Do not try to prove your innocence.” “Track down the source of the rumors, the chain of distribution, and the resulting damages.” “From now on, treat every single word you say as evidence for a courtroom.” Staring at her message, my hands finally stopped shaking. Okay. Let’s start with the first knife they threw at me, and trace it back. 0

When I returned to my dorm that evening, a sticky note was pasted on my door handle. “Hey, No. 08, you taking clients tonight?” I didn’t touch the paper. I took out my phone and recorded a video first. In my past life, I had torn it off in a rage. Later, Mrs. Davis had said, “Without proof, who’s to say you didn’t paste it there yourself?” This time, I recorded everything clearly. Once inside, I opened my laptop. The campus anonymous app, Fizz, had gone completely wild. “Anonymous post: Heard the girl who ranked first for the master’s program used to work at a sketchy massage parlor. Her ID is literally 08.” “Anonymous post: Why does her advisor always put her on his research projects? There’s got to be something going on between them.” “Anonymous post: Where does a financial aid student get the money for high-end makeup? We need to audit her bank accounts.” The comments below were even more sickening. Someone used AI to paste my face onto explicit escort cards. Someone else spammed the words “academic whore” across the entire screen. My roommate, Mia, bit her lip, looking worried. “I can testify for you.” “You didn’t even go out last night. You were grinding in the lab until 2 AM. I walked back with you.” I looked at her. “Don’t do anything rash yet,” I said. “Send me the log of the lab’s keycard access from last night, and the screenshot of our Uber receipt.” “The original files. Don’t edit them.” She nodded and immediately started searching her phone. At 10:30 PM, my dad called. “Chloe, is the final list out yet? Your aunt said you’re going to grad school. Is it true?” His voice was bursting with joy. My throat tightened. In my past life, he had asked me the exact same thing. Back then, I had sobbed and said, “Dad, I might not be able to go anymore.” There was a long silence on the other end, and finally, he said, “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll drive the truck for a few more years. We don’t owe anyone anything.” But he never got to see me go to grad school. In this life, I forced my voice to remain steady. “Yes, Dad, it’s true. Hey, don’t answer any calls from strange numbers for the next few days, and don’t click on any random links.” “I booked a health checkup for you. Aunt Clara will go with you tomorrow.” He was stunned. “I feel perfectly fine. Why do I need a checkup?” “The school covers family checkups. It’s a waste if we don’t use it.” I lied with absolute calm. After hanging up, I immediately called my Aunt Clara. “Aunt Clara, no matter what, take Dad to the clinic for a checkup tomorrow.” “Keep his heart medication on him. Block all unknown numbers on his phone.” “Also, call the local post office. Tell them to hold any anonymous packages addressed to Dad. Do not deliver them.” Aunt Clara sensed something was wrong. “Chloe, did something happen?” I fell silent for two seconds. “Someone is trying to ruin me.” There was silence on the other end. Then, Aunt Clara said, “Got it. I’ll handle things at home.” The next morning, I went to the department office. Mrs. Davis made me wait outside her office for forty minutes. In the end, it wasn’t her who walked out, but Dean Harrison, the head of graduate admissions. He closed the door and spoke in a cold, bureaucratic tone. “Chloe, the department is aware of your situation.” “There is a lot of public outcry online right now. To be safe, the department suggests you submit a request to temporarily suspend your admission process.” I asked, “Why should I suspend it?” Dean Harrison frowned. “A major controversy has arisen during the objection period. The university has to investigate.” “The controversy is because others are defaming me, not because I committed academic fraud.” Mrs. Davis chimed in from the side, “Don’t be so defensive, Chloe. There is no smoke without fire. Why aren’t they saying these things about other students?” I looked directly at her. “Mrs. Davis, I am recording this conversation.” Her face went pale instantly. Dean Harrison tapped his fingers on the desk. “Chloe, you need to consider the consequences.” “The fellowship is not just about you. If this gets out, it looks bad for the university, the department, and your advisor.” “So, instead of dealing with the bullies, the department wants to deal with me?” No one answered. I stood up and placed my official complaint dossier on the desk. “I will not request a suspension.” “If you dare to unlawfully halt my admission process, I will report this directly to the University Board of Trustees and the State Department of Education simultaneously.” Leaving the office, I messaged Harper. “They’re trying to push me out.” She replied, “Excellent. The administration’s failure to act will now be added to our evidence chain.” 0

At noon, Mia handed me her phone, her hands trembling. “Someone started a poll on Fizz.” The headline was incredibly offensive. Should candidate No. 08’s admission be revoked? There was only one option: Absolutely, yes. In the comment section, someone posted a picture of what they claimed was a “receipt from an escort service.” Client Memo: No. 08 Chloe. Amount: $500. Timestamp: The exact night of my thesis presentation. I zoomed in on the image and stared at it for three seconds. It was a horribly sloppy Photoshop job. The business name didn’t exist. The Venmo QR code was pixelated. The font in the memo line didn’t even match the rest of the receipt. But the online mob didn’t care about the truth. At 2 PM, the post office manager from my dad’s small town called me. “Chloe, an anonymous letter arrived for your dad. I held it back like you asked. How do you want to handle this?” My fingers clenched tightly around my phone. Here it came. The very weapon that had killed my dad in my past life had arrived early. I asked Aunt Clara to go to the post office with her phone and record the entire process of opening it. A few AI-generated explicit photos fell out of the envelope. Along with them was a fake medical report. The diagnosis read: Syphilis Positive. The stamp on the report read “City Central Hospital.” But the city our university was in didn’t even have a hospital by that name. The last piece of paper contained a single sentence: Your daughter is selling her body. Isn’t she disgusting? On the other end of the video call, Aunt Clara was shaking with rage. “These absolute monsters!” I stared at the screen, my eyes burning. In my past life, my dad had seen these very things, suffered a sudden heart attack, and died. I forced myself to stay calm. “Aunt Clara, do not let Dad see this. Take the original documents to the local police station and file a report. Make sure they take clear photos of the shipping label.” “I will file a report here as well, and ask the police to link our cases.” Aunt Clara choked back her tears. “Okay, sweetie.” I immediately forwarded the new evidence to Harper. She replied: “This is enough to send them to federal prison for a while.” In the evening, I went to the science building to retrieve my external hard drive. Just as I walked into the basement parking lot, I heard footsteps behind me. A guy blocked the exit, holding his phone up, pointing the camera right at my face. It was Tyler, one of Austin’s frat brothers from the student council. “Hey, Chloe, can I get a quick interview? How much do you charge per night, anyway?” I took a step back. “Get out of my way.” He laughed. “Stop acting innocent. The whole school knows what kind of girl you are.” “Tell us, how did you really get that fellowship?” I turned on the voice recorder on my phone. “Your current behavior constitutes harassment. This is my first and only warning.” He reached out, trying to grab my arm. “Oh, come on, don’t run away. Everyone wants to know your price.” I didn’t hesitate. I pulled the pin on my personal safety alarm. The deafening siren filled the garage as I aimed my pepper spray and unleashed it right into his face. Tyler screamed in agony, stumbling backward and smashing his nose against a concrete pillar. Blood instantly gushed down his face. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his face, screaming, “Chloe is assaulting me! Help! Help!” The campus security guards and passing students quickly rushed over. Phones were whipped out, lenses pointing at me. I stood there calmly, holding the pepper spray in my hand. “Check the security cameras,” I said clearly. “Right now.” 0

In the campus security office, Tyler was holding a bloody tissue to his nose, wailing loudly enough to wake the dead. Austin arrived shortly after. When he saw me, a smug look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. “Chloe, even if you’re desperate because your secrets got exposed, you can’t just brutally assault a classmate like this.” I ignored him. After the police arrived, they separated us to take our statements. Tyler insisted he only wanted to say hi to me, and that I had suddenly attacked him without provocation. That was, until the security office pulled up the full, unedited surveillance footage. On the screen, it was clear. He had followed me all the way from the elevator, blocked my exit, pressed his phone against my face, and physically lunged to grab me. I had retreated three times. I had warned him twice. Only then did I use the pepper spray. The police officer’s expression turned cold after watching the video. “This isn’t ‘saying hi.’ This is stalking, intimidation, and sexual harassment.” Tyler’s face drained of color. “I… I was just joking…” Hearing that word again made my stomach churn. Their weapons were always called “jokes.” By the time I walked out of the station after finishing my statement, my phone was blowing up. Austin had moved faster than the police. He had edited the video, cutting out the first two minutes, leaving only the footage of Tyler bleeding on the ground and me holding the pepper spray. His caption read: The “Scholarship Whore” gets mad after being exposed, violently assaults classmate and sends him to the hospital. The anonymous app Fizz, the campus forums, and TikTok were instantly flooded with the video. The comments were brutal. “She’s clearly guilty.” “Revoke her admission immediately!” “She’s on financial aid but can afford premium pepper spray? Where’d that money come from?” They even dragged up my past financial aid records. Some accused me of defrauding the school. Some sent spam emails to my advisor, demanding a thorough investigation into “academic sexual favors.” That night, Mrs. Davis summoned me to the department office. In her office, Dean Harrison looked even angrier than he did in the morning. “Chloe, this situation has escalated beyond the university campus now.” “The department has decided that until the investigation is complete, you are suspended from the lab, and you are barred from attending the upcoming fellowship confirmation ceremony.” I looked up at him. “This is just a passive-way of revoking my admission.” He replied, “Watch your tone. The department is doing this to protect you, and to protect the other students.” “Protect me?” I laughed. “When I was defamed, you told me to shut up.” “When I was harassed, you banned me from the lab.” “And now, when I defend myself, you suspend my admission.” “Dean Harrison, who exactly are you protecting?” Mrs. Davis lowered her voice. “Chloe, don’t be ungrateful. If this gets completely out of hand, no one will be able to save you.” I recorded every single word they said. “I don’t need you to save me,” I said. “I will handle this myself.” On my way back to the dorm, I walked back into the police station and formally submitted a Request to Subpoena Digital Evidence. Once a criminal case for defamation is officially opened, the police have the authority to demand the backend user data from the anonymous app, Fizz. Right before night fell, the detective called me. “The IP address of the user who made those anonymous posts is traced to the university library. The MAC address points to a personal laptop.” “We cross-referenced the hardware serial number. The owner is Austin.” At the same time, the cyber police division recovered the deleted chat history from Austin’s Snapchat cache. I clicked on the screenshot sent by the detective. Austin’s and my other roommate Isabella’s usernames, profile pictures, and timestamps were clear as day. Isabella: “Austin, I’ve hated that bitch for a long time. Why does she get the fellowship?” Austin: “Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Austin: “Isn’t her candidate ID 08? We’ll call her ‘Escort No. 08.’” Austin: “Once a girl is branded with that kind of trash, she can never wash it off.” Austin: “I’ll post it in the main server first, then delete it. The mob will do the rest. I won’t even get my hands dirty.” Isabella was ecstatic: “Yes! If the drama blows up during the objection period, the department won’t dare let her pass! Once her spot is vacated, the runner-up slot will go straight to me!” The next morning, a livestream started on Fizz. The title was: Public Town Hall on the Fellowship Fairness Controversy. Austin didn’t show his face; he used a voice changer to host. But Isabella sat in front of the camera. Her eyes were red, and she looked like a victim who had suffered a great injustice. “I’m not targeting anyone personally,” she sobbed. “I just think academic integrity belongs to everyone who worked hard.” “If a candidate has this much controversy surrounding her, shouldn’t the university be more cautious?” The live chat was scrolling at lightning speed. “Support Isabella!” “Fairness first!” “No. 08, come out and explain yourself!” “Does she even dare?” I clicked “Request to Join Livestream.” Austin probably didn’t expect me to join. He hesitated for a dozen seconds before finally accepting the request. The screen split in two. I was wearing a simple white shirt, sitting in the university’s official hearing room. I was not alone. The university disciplinary board members, campus security directors, the graduate admissions officers, faculty representatives from the law school, and student body representatives were all sitting behind me. This was the public hearing I had secured after submitting an emergency application late last night. The number of viewers in the livestream instantly multiplied.

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I love money more than life itself. I would do absolutely anything for it. When I was ten, my foster mother, Fiona, accused me of stealing. I decided to play along and make it official. I emptied her purse, stuffing every single dollar into my pockets. “You want to call me a thief? Fine. I’d hate to let Fiona’s accusation go to waste.” When she realized her money was actually gone, she went completely ballistic. She whipped me with a cane, forced me to kneel on broken glass, and screamed at me to hand over the cash. “You little trash! You’re born rotten! How dare you steal Victor’s college tuition!” Trash? I listened to her in silence. That night, I snuck into Victor’s room, tore his graduation project into confetti, and stole his phone. I had paid for that phone myself by selling wild herbs I picked in the woods. “Now,” I whispered to myself, “we’re both rotten.” When Fiona tried to sell me to a human trafficker, I beat her to the punch. In the middle of the night, I led the town’s creepy old bachelor into her bedroom. “She’s your new wife. Just give me ten grand in cash, and she’s yours!” Fiona went wild, chasing the old man out of the house with a butcher knife. The day my billionaire biological family finally found me, Fiona’s eyes practically bled with jealousy. “She’s a thief! She can’t be your daughter! You must have the wrong girl!” My biological father didn’t even blink. He gently guided me into the back of his Rolls-Royce. Once inside, he handed me a black card. “Spend whatever you want.” I twirled the card between my fingers and looked up at him. “Christian, can you buy Fiona’s pigpen?” “I want to live in it for a few days. I’ve never lived in such a big place before.”

Christian’s eyes welled with tears, but he remained silent. When we arrived at the Williams estate, my eyes were immediately drawn to the majestic statue at the entrance. That thing looked like it was worth a dozen pigpens. My biological sister, Barbara, ran up to me, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “Maia, welcome home.” “I heard you didn’t have much before. If you need anything, just ask me. Don’t go taking things on your own.” I walked right past her, straight to the statue, and pointed. “Christian! This is mine.” Christian froze for a second, then smiled. “You like this, sweetie? I’ll buy you a better one…” “No, I want this one!” I interrupted, jamming my fingers into the statue’s carved mouth. “Right now.” Barbara couldn’t help but shriek. “Are you insane? That’s a priceless antique! It guards the house!” “Guard the house?” I sneered. “I’m more useful than this rock. With me here, the Williams family will be printing money.” Eleanor quickly stepped in to keep the peace, handing me a black card. “Maia, take this. Spend whatever you want. Consider it a makeup gift…” I didn’t take the card. My eyes were still locked on the statue. “How much cash can this thing be worth?” Barbara, as if finally catching me red-handed, lunged forward and grabbed Eleanor’s hand. “Mom! You can’t! She only cares about money! We should treat money like garbage!” She slapped her own card—loaded with half a million dollars—onto the statue’s head. “Look! I’m donating my entire monthly allowance to the stray cat shelter!” “We’ll donate Maia’s share too, to wash the scent of greed off her!” She reached out again, trying to snatch the black card meant for me. Just before her fingers touched it, I snatched her card off the statue’s head and shoved it into my back pocket. Then, I grabbed a heavy decorative brass candlestick nearby and smashed it right into the statue’s head! Crash! A piece of marble chipped off. The entire courtyard fell into a dead silence. “You… you…” Barbara’s finger shook violently. I weighed the candlestick in my hand and looked at her. “I’ll accept the donation.” “As for my money…” I turned my head, my gaze sweeping past my pale parents before landing squarely on Barbara. “If you ever reach for my things again…” I raised the candlestick and smashed the statue again! Crash! “I will smash this statue, and then I will smash you, just to hear the sound it makes.” I tossed the candlestick aside, slipped the black card from Eleanor’s frozen hand, and patted both cards in my pocket. “Money is my life,” I told Barbara, pronouncing every word clearly. “Touch my life, and I’ll take yours.” Without looking back, I picked up the chipped statue and walked upstairs through the stunned silence. “Put the guardian statue by my door.” “From now on, I’m the one protecting the Williams fortune.”

At dinner, Barbara’s eyes were still red from crying. She picked at her food with her fork. Christian set down his spoon and looked at me. “Maia, do you have Barbara’s card?” I poked a piece of steak. “Yeah.” “That’s Barbara’s allowance,” Christian said, his voice firm. “Give it back.” I put down my fork, pulled out the $500,000 card, and slid it to the middle of the table. Barbara’s eyes lit up, and she reached for it. I pinned the card down with my finger. “Are we donating it?” I looked at Christian. “For the stray cats?” Christian frowned. “What?” “This half a million,” I tapped the card. “Barbara said she wanted to donate it to cleanse my soul.” I looked at Barbara. “Are we donating, or should I just keep it?” Barbara’s face drained of color, and her lips trembled. Christian’s face darkened. “Enough! What donation? Allowance is for you girls to spend!” “Oh,” I said, sliding the card back into my pocket. “Then I’ll spend it for her.” “Maia!” Christian raised his voice. “That is Barbara’s money!” “It’s mine now,” I met his gaze. “She said it herself—we’re family, so her stuff is my stuff. You didn’t object then.” Christian choked on his words, his chest heaving. Barbara burst into tears, pointing at me and screaming. “Dad! She stole my money! She’s robbing me!” Eleanor immediately hugged Barbara, comforting her while looking at me with disapproval. “Maia, you went too far.” I wiped my mouth with a napkin and looked at the sobbing Barbara. “She can try to take my card, and that’s fine. But when I take hers, it’s too far?” “Your logic is pretty warped.” I stood up to go upstairs. “Stop right there!” Christian’s angry voice boomed from behind me. I paused at the stairs and turned. Christian was glaring at me. “Tomorrow morning, nine o’clock. You’re coming to the office with me.” Barbara’s sobbing stopped instantly. She looked up, tears still on her face, but her eyes flashed with disbelief and jealousy. “What?” Eleanor was surprised too. “Maia just got back. Isn’t that too sudden?” “She needs to see how Williams money is made!” Christian interrupted her, his eyes still locked on me. “She needs to see that wealth is built through hard work!” “Not through extortion and bullying her sister!” I nodded. “Fine.” Back in my room, I locked the door. The walk-in closet alone was larger than my entire old room. Actually, it wasn’t even a room. I used to live in a run-down shack in the backyard used for storing junk. I had never even dreamed of a life this luxurious. When I was eight, Fiona locked up all the food. “This is all for Victor! Don’t you dare touch it!” I was so starved that I was nothing but skin and bones, without even the energy to talk back. My only friend back then, Karl, wasn’t doing any better. He lived with his elderly grandmother. One day, she gave him their very last bowl of oatmeal. But Karl gave it to me. “Maia, I’m not hungry. You eat.” Starving, I didn’t think twice. I devoured the whole bowl. The next day, when I went to return the bowl, I found Karl and his grandmother had both starved to death in their beds. I didn’t cry. I just stood by Karl’s body for a very, very long time. That was the moment I realized the absolute power of money. Without money, you die. I would tear through anyone and anything before I ever let myself go back to that life. At 5 AM, I woke up in a panic, about to run outside because I thought I’d be beaten for feeding the pigs late. Once I realized where I was, I lay back down on the memory foam mattress, but sleep was gone. I got up and went downstairs to grab a glass of water. As I passed Barbara’s room, the door was cracked open. Her whispered, sharp voice drifted out. “…I don’t care! Dad is taking her to the office tomorrow! Why her?” “The bitch will probably make a fool of herself, but what if Dad softens up?” “Mary, you need to do something for me…” The voices faded into hushed whispers. I stood in the shadows, finished my water, and smiled. Barbara, you’re right. I love money because I know what real poverty feels like. When you have nothing left to lose, you’ll do anything. Even if I have to destroy my own sister.

Early the next morning, I rode to the office with Christian. The moment Christian stepped out of the car, his phone rang. His face turned grim instantly. “When did this happen? Are you sure?” He hung up and snapped his head toward me. “Were you in my study last night?” I blinked. “No.” He turned and strode toward the elevator. “Come with me!” Outside the CEO’s office, the secretary and assistants stood in silence, barely daring to breathe. Christian threw the door open. The study was a total disaster. Drawers were pulled out, and documents were scattered all over the floor. Most noticeably, an empty luxury watch box lay discarded on the desk. Barbara and Eleanor were already there. Barbara looked at me with red eyes, shaking her head in fake disappointment. “Maia… I know you love money, but stealing from family? How could you…” Eleanor looked worried. “Maia, if you needed money, you should have just asked. Why would you…” “I’m asking you one last time,” Christian pointed at the empty box, glaring at me. “Did you come in here last night and take what was inside?” “No.” “Don’t lie to me!” Christian slammed his fist on the desk. “Mary saw you sneaking out of the study in the middle of the night!” Mary stepped in, her head lowered, avoiding my eyes. “Sir… I got up to use the bathroom last night, and I saw Maia coming out of the study… she looked really frantic…” Barbara gasped, covering her mouth. “Maia! That limited-edition Patek Philippe pocket watch was Dad’s favorite piece! How could you…” “I didn’t take it,” I repeated coldly. “Search her!” Christian ordered the female assistant. “Search her bag and her pockets!” The assistant stepped up, grabbed my bag, and searched it thoroughly. There was nothing inside. Christian’s brow relaxed slightly, and he was about to speak. Barbara’s eyes flashed, and she pointed at my simple black coat. “Maia, what’s in that inner pocket of your coat? It looks bulky.” The assistant took the hint and reached into my inside coat pocket. Her hand paused, and she pulled out an exquisite gold pocket watch. Christian looked at the watch, the last bit of warmth draining from his eyes. “Caught red-handed. What do you have to say now?” I looked at the watch, then glanced at Barbara. “I was framed.” “Framed? By Mary? She’s been with us for fifteen years!” Christian pointed at the watch, trembling with rage. “Did the watch sprout legs and crawl into your pocket?!” I suppressed my anger and spoke slowly. “I have no motive to steal a watch that I can’t easily liquidate.” “How do you know it can’t be liquidated?” Barbara shrieked immediately. “You did your research! You came here for the money! You didn’t even care that it was Dad’s favorite keepsake!” Eleanor looked at me with deep disappointment. “Maia, you’ve broken our hearts…” “Call the police,” Christian waved his hand, closing his eyes in exhaustion. “Take her away.” “Take back every cent of allowance I gave her. We don’t keep thieves in this family.” The assistant picked up the phone. Beside her, the corner of Barbara’s mouth twitched upward in a smirk. Looking at her triumphant face, I didn’t feel angry. Instead, I burst out laughing. They want me to take the fall? Fine. But trying to take my money? No way. Since they wanted to play dirty, I didn’t need to show mercy anymore.

The assistant froze with the phone in her hand. Everyone was stunned by my laughter. “What are you laughing at?” Christian’s voice was full of disgust. I stopped laughing and stared at Barbara. “Barbara, you said I steal from family?” Barbara’s eyes flickered, but she forced herself to stay calm. “Isn’t it true?” “Sure,” I nodded. “So I’m curious, how much have you stolen from this family?” I turned to Christian. “Christian, I’ll admit defeat on the watch.” Christian sneered but didn’t speak. “I’ll return the allowance,” I said slowly. Hearing this, Barbara’s smirk widened. “However,” I pivoted. “Before I return a dime, there’s an account I want to settle with Barbara in front of everyone.” Barbara gasped, then yelled, “What lies are you trying to tell now!” “Last month, the 15th, at 3 PM,” I paused. “The VIP room at Chase Bank downtown.” Barbara’s face drained of color instantly. Christian looked confused. “What was she doing there?” “It doesn’t matter if I was there,” I stared at Barbara. “What matters is, Barbara, what did you do with Mom’s ID and her private signature stamp?” Eleanor was stunned. “Barbara? My stamp is locked in…” “You opened a joint account in Mom’s name,” I interrupted, my voice steady. “And you transferred the five million dollars—the money meant to be saved for your trust—straight into it.” “You’re lying!” Barbara shrieked in panic. “Dad! She’s making things up! I didn’t!” “Do you want me to call Manager Johnson right now to check the security footage and wire records?” I smirked at her. “The same Manager Johnson you always have high tea with?” Barbara looked like she was being choked. Eleanor looked at her in disbelief. “Barbara… that money was for your future! How could you…” Christian glared at Barbara, his eyes sharp. “Is this true?” Barbara collapsed to her knees, grabbing Eleanor’s legs, sobbing hysterically. “Mom! I didn’t mean to!” “I just… I found an investment project and wanted to try it on my own…” “I wanted to prove myself to you and Dad!” She looked up with a tear-stained face. “I just wanted to prove that I’m not worse than Maia! I can make money too!” Eleanor softened, hugging her, and looked at Christian. “Barbara just wanted to prove herself…” Christian’s expression softened too. “So that was it… I thought…” “Oh, a great investment,” I interrupted, walking over to Barbara. “Is that why you wired three million from that joint account to your boyfriend Chris’s shell company? What project is that?” The crying stopped instantly. Barbara looked up, complete terror on her face. “Boyfriend?” Christian’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Chris?” Eleanor’s voice was shaking. “The same Chris Monroe whose family drove your grandparents to their graves?” The office fell into a dead silence, save for Barbara’s frantic breathing. Barbara shook violently, stammering. “No… I didn’t… Dad, let me explain…” “Explain what?” I looked at her. “Explain how he took that three million and lost every penny at a Las Vegas blackjack table?” I took a step forward, looking down at her. “Or explain the two-month-old baby in your stomach?”

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The first day after I died, my wife brought her high school golden boy back to our house. They made out in our bedroom, ate the prime ribeye steaks I had bought for her, used my computer, and spent my money online. When he asked, “Where’s your husband?” My wife replied, her voice cold and dismissive, “Always working. He’s on some stupid business trip. I don’t even know where he is.” She had no idea I was dead. I had been rushing back from a business trip, driving through the night to surprise Clara for her birthday. Then came the headlights. The crash. I died instantly. Maybe it was my sheer obsession with seeing Clara one last time that bound my soul to her side. But when I opened my ghostly eyes, I saw her walking through our front door with Julian Ward—the guy she used to obsess over in high school. This was the first time I had ever seen Clara dress so provocatively. Around me, she barely wore makeup unless it was for a corporate dinner. But right now, she looked like a rose in full bloom, sultry and radiant. They were wrapped around each other. Clara leaned gently against his shoulder as they walked into the living room. Her eyes were filled with a tenderness she had never shown me. She helped him onto the sofa, her voice dripping with affection. “Let me make you some lunch, babe. Just rest here. The sofa is super comfortable.” Julian nodded. As Clara reached out to cup his face, he took her hand and kissed her palm. “Thanks, beautiful. Anything you make is heaven to me.” Clara smiled, looking completely drunk on his words. She walked into the kitchen, pulled out the prime ribeyes I had bought for her from the fridge, and seared them on the stove. She even opened my bottle of vintage Cabernet Sauvignon, setting the table beautifully. Together, they enjoyed a perfect, romantic lunch. After sharing the bottle of wine, both of their faces flushed. Their eyes grew hazy with desire. Leaving the steaks half-eaten, Julian pulled Clara onto his lap. He gently brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Clare, you are the most gorgeous, intoxicating woman in the world. You’re the only one who can make me lose control like this.” Clara melted into his arms, soaking in his flattery, responding to his every touch. The sight broke something inside me. Around me, she was always a cold queen. I never knew she had such a passionate, wild, and tender side. Watching them touch, even though I thought I was emotionally numb, a sharp pain stabbed through my ghostly chest. I remembered how, after Julian’s recent divorce, Clara had repeatedly insisted on “comforting” him. She would go out to drink with him, coming home half-drunk in the middle of the night. We had screamed at each other because of it. “When I graduated college, I had no place to live and no money! Julian was the one who helped me!” she had yelled at me. “Now that his life is falling apart, I can’t just abandon him! I have a conscience!” My hands had been shaking with rage. “And because of that ‘conscience,’ you’ve been staying out with another man until midnight for days? Do you even care about me? Do you care about this marriage?” “Are you even a man, Ethan? Why are you so insecure? There is nothing going on between us. Stop overthinking!” I had lost my mind. “Don’t think I’m stupid just because I’m quiet, Clara! Julian got divorced because he was caught cheating! Now you’re rushing to play his savior? Anyone would think you were the one he cheated with!” “Don’t you dare accuse me of that, Ethan! I have never cheated on you!” I had let out a cold laugh, leaning in close. “I might be a nice guy, Clara, but I’m not an idiot. You want to play nursemaid to another man? Over my dead body.” After that massive fight, I had volunteered for the business trip just to get some space. But I still loved her. I worried about her, and today was her birthday. That was why I had rushed back. I just didn’t expect that it would actually be over my dead body.

I tried to look away from them, but my soul was tethered to her. I was forced to watch every single second of their intimacy. Julian kissed her neck, his hands sliding down her back. Clara didn’t pull away. Instead, she arched into his touch, enjoying it. In my memory, she had never been like this. In our daily life, she was lazy and passive. I was always the one taking care of her. Being forced to watch them play their little games made my heart grow cold, piece by piece. But when Julian tried to pull her shirt off, Clara finally stopped him. “No, Julian. I’m still Ethan’s wife.” Julian frowned. A flash of annoyance crossed his face, but he quickly masked it with a look of deep, tragic devotion. “You are the only woman I’ve ever loved, Clare. For you, I’d give up everything—even my own family. But I don’t want to ruin your life. Loving you but not being able to have you… that is my ultimate torture.” “Oh, Julian… me too. I love you more than anything. Only when I’m with you do I feel alive.” Their sweet talk felt like a blade scraping against my soul. Suddenly, old memories flashed before my eyes. Years ago, Julian had tried to ask Clara’s parents for her hand. But her family despised him because he was broke and had no stable job. They forced them apart and arranged blind dates for Clara instead. During that time, Clara fell into a deep depression. I was the one who stayed by her side, carefully nursing her back to health, giving her all my love and patience. It was during those dark days that Clara became dependent on me. I thought those were our best times. I thought we were each other’s forever. So, I proposed. She said yes. I gave her everything I had. When she wanted to start her own company, I emptied my savings for her. When she needed connections to break into the market, I used my family’s influence to pave the way. Within six months, her business was booming. I thought she would love me more now that our life was perfect. But her success only brought Julian back. After just one meeting with him, Clara grew colder and colder to me. She stopped coming home, using work as an excuse for everything. No matter how much I gave, she didn’t care. Now I finally understood. I was just Julian’s temporary placeholder. Julian was the only one she ever truly wanted.

These memories made my soul ache. I knew it was time to let go. It was time to say goodbye to my pathetic, one-sided love. But when I tried to fly away, I found out I couldn’t leave Clara’s side. If I drifted too far, my soul would start to rip apart in agonizing pain. I tried with all my might, but eventually, I grew too weak. I was dragged back, floating uselessly right next to her. Despair washed over me. I was trapped, forced to watch them play house, enjoying the wealth and comfort I had built for them with my own blood and tears. I had never done anything wrong in my life. I had never hurt anyone. Everything I had was earned through hard work. Why did I have to suffer this emotional torture? Clara stood up to adjust her messy clothes. Julian hugged her from behind, asking softly, “Can we ever be together?” Clara froze, a look of conflict on her face. Then, she let out a heavy sigh. “No.” Julian’s face fell. He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I know. You hate me because I didn’t fight for you back then. But Clare, your family demanded things I could never afford in a lifetime. I was so insecure.” Clara spun around and hugged him tight. “Don’t say that. I will make you rich, Julian. But I can’t divorce Ethan. Everything I have today is because of him. I don’t love him, but I owe him.” Julian kissed her lips, gently stroking her hair. “I understand. I know I’m the one you really love. I can wait. No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for you. Even if I have to watch you from the shadows forever, I’m happy as long as you’re safe.” Clara kissed him deeply. When they finally broke apart, she looked at him guiltily. “I’m sorry. Just give me some time, okay?” “Of course. Always.” “The company needs me, and Ethan won’t be back from his trip for a few days. Next time he’s gone, you can come over. I won’t make you wait in vain.” Clara smiled, suddenly looking like a playful, teasing schoolgirl. She began to dress in front of him, throwing him seductive glances. Watching them laugh, I laughed at myself too. She was already planning to find a way to divorce me. She couldn’t even bear to make him wait. I had been so blind, so incredibly stupid.

Later that afternoon, Clara was at her office. She was supposedly reviewing documents, but she was completely distracted. Every ten minutes, she would check her phone. She had probably just left Julian, but she was already missing him too much to focus on work. It was almost 6:00 PM by the time she wrapped up her sluggish day. She picked up her phone for the hundredth time, then slammed it down in frustration. I knew that habit. She was anxious. She was waiting for a text from Julian. But Julian hadn’t texted her all afternoon, which was making her lose her mind. Suddenly, she grabbed her phone angrily and opened a chat. Out of curiosity, I floated closer to look. To my shock, she hadn’t opened Julian’s chat. She had opened mine on Snapchat. There was a message I had sent her this morning before the crash: *“Clare, today is your birthday! Guess what surprise I have waiting for you!”* Seeing that message made me feel physically sick. I hated how foolish I had been. That text felt like a giant joke mocking my own corpse. Clara stared at it for a long time, then finally typed back: *“It’s almost 7:00 PM.”* I understood what she meant. She was reminding me that her birthday was almost over. Ever since we met, I had always planned her birthdays meticulously. I would start preparing half a month in advance, giving her all the romance and pampering a girl could dream of. Every year was different, grand, and beautiful. I wanted her to feel proud in front of her friends and family when I wished her a happy birthday. But today, there would be no wishes. She would never hear my voice again. Because I was dead. Clara stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of her office, watching the traffic below. The city was bustling, full of life. But Clara’s anxiety was only growing. The clock was ticking, and my phone remained silent. Maybe she was hungry. She opened the office freezer. Inside were frozen meals I had prepped for her—handmade dumplings, pasta, and some frozen lobster ravioli. She chose the ravioli and boiled them. But when she took the first bite, she suddenly froze.

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Halfway through our wedding, Julian and I were in the dressing room changing our outfits. Suddenly, Julian turned to me, his voice laced with guilt. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I can’t file our marriage license tomorrow.” I smiled, not thinking much of it. “Then we can do it the day after tomorrow, or when you’re done with this busy season. There’s no rush.” Julian avoided my gaze. His voice sank. “It’s not a matter of time.” “I mean… we can’t get legally married at all.” My hand, which was gently resting on my slightly bloated belly, froze. I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you calling off the wedding?” Julian immediately pulled me into his arms, cooing softly, “Of course not. It’s just… five years ago, I legally married someone else abroad. It was a business alliance arranged by my family. I had no choice.” “But Chloe, you’re the only one I—” Before Julian could finish his sentence, the door was slammed open. Marcus, the best man, rushed in, panting. “Julian, there’s a woman and a child outside. They’re calling for you.” “She claims… she’s your wife from abroad, and that’s your son.”

Before I could even process what was happening, Yvonne Reed pushed past Marcus, holding a young boy in her arms. She looked at Julian, tears streaming down her face, looking incredibly pitiful. “Julian… my mother passed away.” The boy in her arms, about three or four years old, started crying along with her, pointing at Julian. “Daddy! Daddy!” I stared at the boy. He looked at least seventy percent like Julian. My brain felt like it was about to explode. I violently pushed Julian away. I stood there, frozen for a few seconds. Slowly, the brutal reality sank in. The man I was marrying had already become someone else’s husband five years ago. No. Perhaps I didn’t even have the right to call Julian my husband. In the eyes of the law, I was the homewrecker. The other woman. A cold shiver ran down my spine. My whole body began to shake uncontrollably, and my knees buckled. Julian rushed forward to support me. “Chloe…” “Slap!” Before he could utter another word, I swung my hand and slapped him hard across the face. I took a deep breath, desperately suppressing the roaring emotions inside me. “Julian, today is our wedding. The entire high society is out there. You might not care about your reputation, but I care about mine. Come out with me right now. We will announce an early end to the reception and send the guests away gracefully.” “Then, we will call both of our parents and handle this mess together.” Knowing he was entirely in the wrong, Julian took the slap without a word. Seeing my cold expression, he tried to reach out again. “Chloe…” “Don’t say my name!” I cut him off sharply. Even the sound of his voice made me sick to my stomach. I lifted the skirt of my wedding gown and turned to walk out. Julian hung his head and followed me. But just as I was about to push the door open, Yvonne screamed behind us. “Leo! Leo, what’s wrong?” “Don’t scare Mommy!” I looked back. For some reason, the little boy in Yvonne’s arms had turned a terrifying shade of purple. His body was twitching, and he quickly lost consciousness. Julian darted past me, snatching the child from Yvonne’s arms. He asked frantically, “What happened?” “It looks like an allergic reaction! What did you feed him?” Yvonne was sobbing hysterically, completely unable to give a coherent answer. Beside them, Marcus suddenly remembered something. He yelled, “Could it be that peanut pastry? On our way here, the kid said he was hungry. When we passed the dessert table, he grabbed a piece. Maybe he’s allergic to peanuts? Should we make him throw up?” But at this point, Julian clearly didn’t care about the details. He held the child tight and rushed toward the door. “There’s no time. We have to go to the hospital right now.” He didn’t even look at me. He just ran past me, disappearing down the hallway with Yvonne and the child. I stood there in my white wedding dress, completely alone. I stared blankly at the empty doorway. My groom had just abandoned me at our wedding to run off with his secret wife and child. Emptiness, humiliation, anger. So many emotions choked my throat, leaving a metallic taste of blood in my mouth. I covered my face and wept silently, unable to even make a sound. Until Marcus’s hesitant voice broke the silence. “Chloe… there are still so many guests outside. What should we do about the wedding?” I forced myself to stop crying. I wiped my tears, walked back to the vanity, and applied a layer of powder to cover the tear stains. “Tell them…” my voice cracked, “tell them Julian felt suddenly ill. The wedding is over. I’m going out to see them off.” I walked out of the dressing room, forcing a polite smile to bid the guests goodbye. Faced with my parents’ confusion, I could only offer a vague excuse. Meanwhile, Julian’s parents, Richard and Eleanor, helped me play along while offering me apologetic, guilty smiles. So, they knew. They knew all along. My heart shattered into a million pieces. What was this? A family-wide conspiracy to trick me into a sham marriage? When the last guest left, Eleanor and Richard walked up to me, looking extremely anxious. “Chloe, Julian just called. He said he’s back at your new villa, and everything with Yvonne and the baby has been settled. You two just got married. Don’t let some outsiders ruin your relationship. Go back and talk it out. Everything can be resolved.” “There’s nothing a young couple can’t resolve over a good talk.” I let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Mr. and Mrs. Cole, I don’t think I can carry the title of ‘wife’ anymore. Legally, Yvonne is Julian’s wife. I, Chloe Vance, am the irrelevant outsider here.” “Since things have come to this, I think our families’ business merger should be put on hold.” “I’m tired. I’m going home.” Without waiting for their hypocritical excuses, I turned and drove straight to our new villa. The moment I pushed the door open, Julian stood up from the sofa. He had been waiting for me. He held a stack of papers and eagerly handed them to me. “Chloe, you’re back. Today… I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” “Don’t worry, I’ve settled everything with Yvonne. Look, this is a divorce agreement. Yvonne and I just signed it. Once we file it with the court, we will be officially divorced.” “After that, I’ll marry you legally. I won’t waste another second.” I looked down at the papers but didn’t take them. Instinctively, I touched my belly, intending to ask him about the child. But at that moment, a figure wearing an apron walked out of our kitchen. It was Yvonne. “Oh, Miss Vance, you’re back.”

Seeing that I didn’t reply, Yvonne didn’t look embarrassed at all. Instead, she turned to Julian with a playful, scolding tone. “Julian, look at you. Miss Vance has had such a long, exhausting day. The moment she walks in, you start lecturing her. Can’t this wait until we’re at the dinner table?” “Go wash your hands, both of you. Dinner is ready.” Julian nodded and reached out to hold my hand. I slapped his hand away. My face was dark as I glared at him. “Why is she in our house?” Seeing my anger, Julian quickly explained, “Yvonne’s father sold their house abroad. They have nowhere to stay right now. For convenience, I thought they could temporarily crash here.” “I’ve already sent my assistant to rent an apartment for them. It will take a week at most.” “Then they’ll move out.” But I wasn’t an idiot. I wasn’t going to be fooled by such a pathetic excuse. “Julian, there are thousands of luxury hotels in New York, and you have at least a dozen properties under your name.” “And yet you chose to bring her to our newlywed home? Are you trying to disgust me?” “Get them out. Now.” Seeing that I wouldn’t budge, the smile on Julian’s face began to fade. His tone grew cold. “Chloe, can’t you just show some compassion?” “Just treat them like a charity case and let them stay for a couple of days. They’ll stay on the first floor, and we’ll be on the second. They won’t get in our way.” I didn’t say a word. I just stared at him with absolute disappointment. My silent gaze made Julian look flustered and guilty. He knew that no matter what, he was the one who had started this mess. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Yvonne cut him off. “Julian, Miss Vance. Please don’t fight because of us. I’ll take Leo and find a hotel.” “Miss Vance, please don’t blame Julian. This is all my fault. He sent me the divorce papers a year ago, but I was the one who kept stalling, hoping we still had a chance. I’m the one who ruined your wedding.” As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again. She looked incredibly tragic, staring at Julian with deep longing. Then she blinked rapidly, forcing her tears back. “Alright, let’s not talk about this.” “Go wash your hands and eat. I’ll bring out the dishes.” At first, I wasn’t entirely sure. But watching Yvonne perform this little act, I was one hundred percent certain she was a master manipulator—a total green tea bitch. How did I know? I could see the guilt and tenderness softening Julian’s face as he watched her. If she really cared about not causing trouble, she wouldn’t have put on this show. She would have checked herself into a hotel long before we arrived. Sure enough, halfway through dinner, Yvonne looked at me timidly. “Miss Vance, I can survive in a hotel alone. But Leo is still so young. I’m afraid he won’t get used to a hotel room. I noticed there’s a fully furnished nursery on the first floor.” “Could we…” I put down my fork, my response instant and cold. “No.” Yvonne gasped, clearly not expecting me to reject her so ruthlessly. She tried to play the pity card again. “I know I don’t have the right to ask for favors. But Leo grew up abroad, and his immune system is very weak. He has so many allergies—nuts, pollen, even dust mites. I’m just worried about his safety in a random hotel.” “Miss Vance, I’m begging you. Please…” I frowned, losing my patience. “Yvonne, do you not speak English? I said no. And I mean no.” Having been completely shut down, Yvonne turned her tearful eyes to Julian, looking like a whipped puppy. “Julian, Leo is your son after all. He was just in the ER because of a peanut allergy. Please.” Julian was swayed. He looked at me, preparing to persuade me. But I cut him off before he could start. “That nursery is prepared for my future child. If her child has a weak immune system, so does mine.” “I don’t want strangers using the room and leaving germs behind.” My words were harsh. It triggered Julian’s protective paternal instincts. He slammed his fork onto the table, his guilt replaced by rage. “Chloe! How can you say something so heartless? Germs?” “You wanted me to divorce, and I had my lawyer draft the papers immediately. You didn’t want them to stay, and Yvonne willingly offered to leave. Now, it’s just an empty nursery, and you’re being this cruel?” “We don’t even have a child yet! What’s wrong with letting Leo stay there for a few days?” Staring at Julian’s furious, distorted face, I gently placed my hand over my lower abdomen. My voice was dead calm. “We do have a child.” “Julian, I’m pregnant.”

Julian’s self-righteous anger froze on his face. Even Yvonne looked completely stunned. I massaged my temples, feeling an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. I stood up. “Forget it. If she wants to stay, let her stay. I have a nursery ready at the Vance family estate anyway. I’ll just take my baby and live there.” “I’m full. I’m going to bed.” I had just washed up and crawled into bed when Julian pushed the door open. He carried a plate of sliced fruit, creeping toward me like a guilty dog. He reached out, wanting to touch my stomach. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. I didn’t know you were pregnant. What I said earlier…” I rolled over, turning my back to him and avoiding his hand. My attitude was ice-cold. I really didn’t want to hear his repetitive, meaningless apologies. “I’m sorry.” “It’s my fault.” He never lacked apologies, but he also never hesitated to hurt me. Didn’t he find his own words hypocritical? But I was too exhausted to even argue with him. I kept my eyes closed and muttered, “I’m tired. I don’t want to eat.” Julian had no choice but to set the plate down. He leaned in closer, wanting to hold me. But before his fingers could even brush my shoulder, Yvonne’s voice echoed from downstairs. “Julian! Can you help me give Leo a bath? I cut my finger while cooking and can’t get it wet!” Julian let out a sigh of frustration. He stood up and walked out. I curled my lips in a cold mock. Yvonne must be terrified right now, which was why she was desperately trying to keep Julian by her side. But that was fine with me. At least I could get a peaceful night’s sleep. Throughout the night, Julian was kept incredibly busy. “Julian, can you come over and help me look at some schools for Leo?” “Julian, Leo wants you to play Legos with him. Just for a little bit, please?” “Julian, Leo seems to have a fever. Can you come check on him?” … The next morning, when I woke up, Julian was still asleep in the nursery. I walked downstairs and saw Yvonne busy in the kitchen. She noticed me and offered a sweet, gentle smile. “Miss Vance, you’re up? Breakfast is almost ready.” “But I made everything according to Julian’s taste. I hope you don’t mind.” I ignored her banter and walked closer. With a smirk, I asked, “Miss Reed, first an allergic reaction, now a fever. You only have one son. If you keep using him like this… aren’t you afraid you’ll accidentally kill him?” Yvonne’s smile faltered. Seeing that Julian wasn’t around, she dropped her innocent act. She glared at me, her eyes venomous. “Are you going to tell Julian?” “Chloe, save your breath. I am the mother of his son. Do you think he will believe you or me?” “Let me tell you the truth. I have no intention of divorcing Julian. Blood is thicker than water. With Leo here, I will be tied to Julian for the rest of my life. He can never leave me.” She looked at me with pure provocation. “If you don’t mind the disgust, feel free to stay as his mistress.” “While the three of us live happily ever after.”

Her snake-like gaze made me feel physically sick. Just as I turned to walk away— “Slap!” Yvonne raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face, causing a trickle of blood to escape her lip. Before I could react, she covered her face and began to sob hysterically. “I’m sorry, Miss Vance! I know you hate me, but you can’t just hit me!” In the next second, I was violently shoved aside. Julian rushed in. He looked at Yvonne’s swollen cheek, then turned to glare at me with boiling rage. “Chloe! What is wrong with you?” “Just because Yvonne is sweet and gentle doesn’t mean you can abuse her! She is Leo’s mother! Leo is still asleep. If he wakes up and sees this, do you know how traumatized he’ll be?” Watching Julian shield Yvonne behind him, a sharp pain pierced my chest. I kept my face completely blank. “I didn’t touch her.” “Julian, we’ve known each other for years. If I do something, I own up to it.” Julian fell silent. He looked at me, then at the crying Yvonne. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do. Finally, he brushed past me with a dark face, leading Yvonne away to apply ice to her cheek. I stood frozen in the kitchen. After a long while, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. I knew that no matter how much it hurt, I had to let go. Seeing how Julian wavered whenever Yvonne and his son were involved, he would be dragged down by them forever. I couldn’t live my life under their shadow. I went up to the study and called my parents, telling them I was moving out of the villa. I was pregnant and couldn’t handle any heavy lifting. I decided to let my parents send some movers to pack my things later. But as I stepped out of the study, Leo came running down the hallway at full speed. My instincts kicked in, and I tried to dodge him. I managed to avoid colliding with him. But the heavy toy airplane in his hand swung violently, striking me right in the abdomen. “Ah—” A sharp, agonizing pain exploded inside me. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the hardwood floor, clutching my stomach. I looked up at Leo through the tears of pain. In his other hand, he was holding… Peanut cookies? Isn’t he severely allergic to peanuts? I weakly raised my hand, trying to warn him. “Don’t eat… allergy…” But only a broken gasp escaped my lips. The cramping in my abdomen grew worse, like a knife twisting inside me. Just then, Yvonne rushed around the corner. She knocked the cookie out of Leo’s hand and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Julian! Come quickly!” “Miss Vance fed Leo peanut cookies! She’s trying to kill him!” Immediately, Julian’s panicked footsteps rushed up the stairs, followed by his roaring voice. “What?” “Chloe, are you insane?” Julian bolted into the hallway. He saw me collapsed on the floor and assumed I was guilty. Without hesitation, seeing Leo starting to struggle for breath, Julian scooped the boy up, preparing to run. But I managed to reach out and grab the hem of his trousers. I wanted to beg him to save me. I felt a warm, heavy flow of blood rushing out of me, as if my insides were being torn apart. It hurt so bad. Our baby was slipping away. But the pain kept me from speaking. I could only look at him with desperate, pleading eyes. But Julian didn’t even look down. He violently ripped his pants away from my grip, shouting at me, “Let go of me!” “Chloe, if anything happens to Leo…” “I will sue you for attempted murder! I will make sure you rot in prison!” With that, he and Yvonne rushed past me and disappeared. The last thing I saw before blacking out was the triumphant smirk on Yvonne’s face. I didn’t expect her to be this insane. Triggering two severe allergic reactions in a child within such a short period of time was life-threatening and could leave permanent damage. But I couldn’t think about that anymore. The excruciating pain drained all my strength. I couldn’t even make a sound. I collapsed into the pool of my own blood. In the fading darkness, I heard the faint, terrified screams of my parents, followed by the blaring sirens of an ambulance. Then, there was only silence. Meanwhile, in the pediatric ward on the fifth floor of the hospital, Leo’s condition had finally stabilized. Julian pulled out his phone, which had been on silent. The moment the screen lit up, a barrage of missed calls flooded in. My father, my mother, and even his own parents. Dozens of missed calls in bright red. It sent a chill down Julian’s spine. Before he could process it, the phone rang again. It was his father, Richard. The moment he picked up, his father’s furious roar echoed through the speaker. “Julian! Get your pathetic ass down to the first-floor emergency room right this instant!” “Chloe had a miscarriage.” “She’s hemorrhaging. They’re trying to save her life!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “446891”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I was born with a superpower: I could see the “Breakup Countdown” floating above every couple’s head. With this perfectly accurate number, I’d managed to avoid men who were destined to lead me to a dead end. With Julian Sterling, my boyfriend of three years, the countdown above his head was originally fifty years. But five minutes before our engagement party, I watched those numbers spin backward in a wild, frantic blur. They dropped straight to “0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds.” Then he walked out of the VIP dressing room. Right behind him was Chloe, his cousin, her face flushed and her breathing uneven. She casually adjusted her messy hair and smirked at me. “Audrey, I’m so sorry. Julian said you’re like a stiff piece of wood. He said touching you is about as exciting as touching a stone.” “Unlike me. I actually know how to make him feel alive.” I looked at the glowing green “0” above Julian’s head, which practically screamed his betrayal. Calmly, I slid off my engagement ring. “Trash belongs in the dumpster. The wedding is off.”

The banquet hall fell so silent you could hear the champagne bubbles popping. The faint smile on Julian’s face instantly vanished. But Chloe only pressed closer to him, her fingers hooking into his sleeve. “Audrey, don’t be like this. All our family and friends are here today. If you make a scene, you’ll be the one embarrassing the Sterling family.” I looked at Julian. The numbers above his head were still stuck at zero. The green light was blinding. Three years ago, when Julian first confessed his love to me, it was snowing heavily. I was standing outside my dorm building, not daring to take the bouquet of roses he was holding out to me. I asked him, “Julian, would you believe me if I told you I can see when people are going to break up?” He laughed softly. “Then look at me. How much time do we have left?” I looked up. A ridiculously long string of numbers glowed above his head. Fifty years, seven months, and three days. I cried right then and there. Julian panicked, shoving the flowers into my arms and awkwardly wiping away my tears. “Hey, don’t cry, Audrey. If fifty years isn’t enough, I promise I’ll try my best to live longer.” In the years that followed, he used that line to comfort me countless times. I really thought we had a lifetime. Now, fifty years had become zero. Julian finally spoke, his voice tense. “Audrey, put the ring back on. Chloe is young and doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut. I’ll make her apologize to you later.” “Later?” I tossed the ring straight into the top glass of the champagne tower. With a sharp clink, the liquid splashed, reflecting the cold chandelier light. “Julian, can what the two of you did in the dressing room wait until ‘later’?” His face darkened. “Do you have to do this here?” Chloe let out a soft laugh. “Audrey, it’s not like you just found out Julian can’t stand your cold, rigid rules. You always used that stupid countdown to pressure him, bragging about how you two had fifty years left. You made him feel like he was trapped by your side forever.” She looked at me, her voice not loud, but clear enough for the relatives in the front rows to hear every single word. “But people get tired. Numbers don’t change, but men do.” Julian hissed under his breath, “Chloe.” Chloe’s eyes instantly welled with tears. “Did I say something wrong? Julian, you literally just said in there that you wanted to see if Audrey would still be so arrogant once that fifty-year safety net was gone.” My heart felt like it had been hollowed out. It wasn’t just the pain of betrayal. It was the realization that he had long grown sick of the very thing I cherished most. Julian took a step forward, reaching out to grab my hand. “Audrey, May isn’t in good health. We can’t cancel the party today.” He knew exactly how to manipulate me. My parents died when I was young, and May raised me all on her own. Years ago, Julian was the one who pulled strings at the hospital, getting May on the exclusive waitlist for a world-renowned heart surgeon. I owed him too much. I looked at his head. Zero. Not a single second more. I pulled my hand back, avoiding his touch. “May has a weak heart, and yet you chose to cheat in the dressing room of our engagement party?” Julian froze. But Chloe suddenly smiled. The moment she wrapped her arm around Julian’s, a new set of numbers flashed above both of their heads simultaneously. 13 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes. I stared at the numbers for a few seconds and said quietly, “You two won’t last long.” The smile on Chloe’s face stiffened, but she quickly tossed her head back. “That’s enough for me. At least today, he chose me.” Julian’s impatience finally broke through. “Audrey, enough. Every time we fight, you start threatening me with those stupid numbers.” I didn’t answer. Suddenly, rushed footsteps echoed from the backstage area. An event coordinator ran up to me, her face completely pale. “Miss Audrey… May is not in the holding room.”

I snapped my head up. The coordinator glanced nervously at Chloe, lowering her voice even further. “Miss Chloe said earlier that she was going to take your grandmother to watch your engagement video preview.” The next second, the giant projector screen in the hall lit up. But it wasn’t our engagement video. It was the security footage outside the VIP dressing room. The video had no sound, but it was clear enough for everyone to see. Chloe walked out of the room with her shoulder strap falling down, and Julian followed closely behind, buttoning up his collar. A dead silence fell over the hall. Then came the sharp gasps and the hushed, frantic whispering. May was sitting in her wheelchair in the front row, still holding the candy I had prepared for her. She didn’t understand the drama. But she understood the look on my face. She looked up at me, her lips trembling. “Audrey, sweetie… is someone hurting you?” I rushed forward to block the screen. “Turn it off!” I screamed. The staff scrambled in a panic, but the video kept playing. Chloe stood in the crowd, calling out, “Audrey, I just wanted May to see that Julian can actually be passionate. You always act so cold and distant, May probably thought Julian didn’t even like you.” Julian strode over to the control panel and violently ripped the power cord out. The screen went black. He turned around and saw May’s deathly pale face. For the first time, panic flashed in his eyes. “Call a doctor!” By the time the standby medical team rushed in, May was clutching my hand, refusing to let go. “Audrey, what’s wrong between you and Julian?” My nose stung with tears, and I pressed her cold hand against my cheek. Julian knelt beside her, softening his voice. “May, I’m sorry. I messed up. I’ll handle this.” May didn’t even look at him. Julian looked up at me. “Audrey, let’s postpone the engagement party. I’ll take Chloe away first. Tomorrow, I will personally come to your house to make things right.” His eyes held that familiar urgency. I almost believed him. But then Chloe suddenly picked up a broken champagne glass from a table and dragged the sharp edge across her palm. Blood instantly welled up and dripped down her wrist. She didn’t cry. She just stared straight at Julian. “You’re taking me away? To where?” She let out a bitter laugh that sounded worse than sobbing. “Julian, after my dad died, my relatives treated me like a nuisance. Audrey has May to love her, and she has you to protect her. Even her stupid countdown serves as her shield. What about me? I try to steal you just once, and she wants to drag me through the dirt.” Julian stood up, clearly torn. “I need to take her to the hospital too.” I stepped in front of him. “You just said you were taking her away.” He stared at the blood dripping from Chloe’s hand, his jaw clenched tight. “She’s bleeding, Audrey. Hospital first.” Chloe shot me a look. It was a brief, subtle glance. But it said everything: See? He still cares about me more. In the hospital hallway, May was wheeled into the observation room. Julian stood next to me, his phone buzzing nonstop. Chloe was sobbing hysterically from the emergency bay on the other side of the corridor. I said, “Julian, go to her. Let’s just end it here.” He closed his eyes. “Audrey, stop using breakups to threaten me. Don’t you believe in your countdown more than anything? Until it hits zero, you won’t leave me.” “It already did.” Julian froze. Chloe’s crying echoed from the other end of the hall again. Ultimately, he turned away. “I’ll be right back.” He never came back. At 2:00 AM, a nurse walked up to me with a ward transfer notice. “Miss Audrey, the pre-op consultation for your grandmother has been suspended. Also, we need to vacate this VIP private suite.” I took the document. On the family signature line, written in bold, familiar handwriting, was one name: Julian Sterling.

I sat with that piece of paper until the sun came up. May woke up once, asking if it was raining outside. I told her no. She whispered, “Then why are your eyes so wet?” I turned my face away. At 7:00 AM, Julian finally showed up at the hospital. He was still wearing the same shirt from yesterday. Chloe followed closely behind him, her hand wrapped in heavy gauze. When Julian saw the document in my hand, his expression shifted. “I didn’t tell them to stop the consultation.” I pushed the signature line right in front of his face. “This is your handwriting.” He stared at it for a long time, as if finally recalling something. “Chloe was hysterical yesterday. The hospital asked me to sign a bunch of caretaking and transfer papers. I didn’t read them closely.” Chloe leaned against the doorframe, her voice raspy from crying. “Audrey, Julian isn’t a doctor. It was just a couple of papers. May is so old, she should be treated with caution anyway. Don’t blame everything on Julian.” I glared at her. “Shut up.” She laughed. “Why should I shut up? Audrey, you are so good at playing the victim. You know damn well that as long as May needs the Sterling family’s help, you won’t dare to actually break up with him. You’re only making a scene today because you want Julian to beg for your forgiveness.” Julian frowned. “Chloe, go wait outside.” For once, Chloe didn’t obey. “No! Audrey talks about her stupid countdown every day like she’s some kind of chosen one. But even if your countdown is real, did it ever tell you that your man would get sick of you?” I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. The hallway fell dead silent. Chloe clutched her cheek, tears instantly streaming down her face. Julian immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her. “Audrey!” Then his voice softened. “I’ll get the consultation rescheduled. I’ll deal with Chloe too. Just don’t push things to a point where we can’t fix them.” “What do you mean by ‘can’t fix’?” I asked him. “Was what you did in the dressing room fixable? Or was signing the papers to suspend May’s treatment fixable?” Julian choked on his words, unable to answer. Suddenly, the door to May’s ward opened. She was leaning against the headboard, her voice incredibly weak. “Audrey, come inside.” When I walked in, she handed me a small cloth pouch she kept by her pillow. Inside was the savings she had scraped together over her lifetime, along with an old, vintage silver bracelet. “Let’s transfer hospitals,” she said. I shook my head. “May, the waitlist for another specialist is too long.” “Then we will wait,” she said, gently stroking my hair. “Don’t stay in a place that makes you cry just for my sake.” I couldn’t hold it in any longer. My tears fell onto the back of her hand. That afternoon, Julian came back with some soup. I was the only one left in the room. He set the soup on the nightstand. “Audrey, I just talked to the doctors. The consultation is back on for this afternoon. As for Chloe, I’m having my team send her back to her aunt’s place.” He reached out to touch me. I flinched away. Pain flashed in his eyes. “You never used to flinch away from me.” “And you never used to make me feel so dirty.” Julian’s phone buzzed. It was a voice message from Chloe, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. “Julian, I don’t want to live anymore. If you throw me away too, I really have nowhere left to go.” Julian looked at me. I said, “Go ahead.” He stood there, frozen. His face was pale, but eventually, he bolted out of the room. A second later, my phone vibrated. Chloe had sent me a video.

In the video, Julian was sitting in the corner of a VIP lounge, spinning my engagement ring around his finger. Someone laughed and asked him, “Are you seriously going to marry Audrey? She watches that stupid countdown above your head every day. Doesn’t that creep you out?” Julian had clearly been drinking. His voice was low and heavy. “She’s too sure of herself. She’s convinced I’ll love her for fifty years, convinced I’ll never leave.” Chloe leaned closer to the camera, smiling. “So, do you want to see if she’ll still choose you once the numbers hit zero?” Julian didn’t answer. He simply slid the ring back into his pocket. The door to the ward opened again. I looked up to see Julian returning. He was breathing heavily, having clearly turned back halfway without meeting Chloe. In his hands, he held a fresh bouquet of white roses. They used to be my favorite. I loved them because when Julian first gave me flowers, he said white was pure and suited me perfectly. But he had forgotten. Every flower at our engagement party had been red roses, chosen by Chloe. Julian held out the flowers. “Audrey, we need to talk.” I tapped the video on my phone. The audio echoed loudly in the quiet room. “Do you want to see if she’ll still choose you once the numbers hit zero?” Every ounce of color drained from Julian’s face. “Where did you get that video?” “Does it matter?” He took a step toward me, then stopped. “I was drunk that night. I admit, I said some stupid things. But I was just… I was just tired of you always looking at me like I was bound to you for fifty years. Like no matter what I did, I had no choice but to come back to you.” I asked, “So you used Chloe to test me?” Julian’s eyes grew red. “I never wanted to actually hurt you.” “But you did.” His voice cracked. “In the dressing room, nothing actually happened. She purposely messed up her clothes so you would see. The moment I walked out, I regretted it. But you were already standing there.” I looked at him. I realized there was something far worse than betrayal. Maybe he didn’t go all the way. But he had stood by and let Chloe trample my dignity in front of all our family and friends. He had let May see that video. And time after time, when forced to choose between me and Chloe, he had run to her. Julian grabbed my wrist. “Audrey, please give me another chance. I’ll send Chloe away. The countdown isn’t absolute, right? If it could drop from fifty years to zero, it can go back up. We can fix this.” I looked up at his face. “Julian, the countdown didn’t change first. You did.” His grip loosened. His phone rang again. Chloe had sent a location pin. It was the hospital rooftop. Then came a voice message. “Julian, I’m on the roof. The wind is so cold up here.” Julian’s expression shattered. I handed him his phone. “Go.” He didn’t take it. “I’m not going.” Three minutes passed. Suddenly, a nurse screamed from the hallway, “Someone is climbing over the rooftop railing!” Julian snapped his head toward the door. I saw the struggle in his eyes. I saw that he still cared about me. But when a life was on the line, no one could just ignore it. He whispered, “Audrey, wait for me. I’ll be right back.” He sprinted out of the room. I stood in the quiet ward, staring at the empty air where his zero had been. May called out to me from her bed. “Audrey.” I turned and helped her into her wheelchair. Dr. Ethan Vance was already waiting at the door. He was May’s primary cardiologist from our previous hospital. When I contacted him last night, he had only asked one thing: “Are you sure about this?” I said yes. The transport ambulance was waiting in the basement. I made one last trip back to the penthouse Julian had bought for our future home. I packed my clothes. My wedding dress was still hanging in the living room. I left the keys on the entryway table and locked the door behind me. Chloe didn’t jump. She had just sat on the ledge, crying about how scared she was. Julian stayed on the roof with her until the nurses coaxed her down. Only then did he realize my phone was switched off. When he rushed back to the penthouse, the sun was rising. He pushed the door open. The apartment was completely empty. The “Fifty-Year Bucket List” we had stuck to the fridge was gone. On the first page of his journal, he had once written: Julian Sterling, 50 years, 7 months, 3 days. On the very last page, I had left him my final words: Julian Sterling, 0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds. Even the longest forever has an end. From now on, our paths will never cross.

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