Category: English

The year I went under, I called seven of my closest buddies. They either sent me straight to voicemail or ghosted me completely. In the end, I had to liquidate my shop and sell my family home just to clear the debt. Two years later, Joey suddenly called me out of the blue. “Brother, my business is tight right now. I need eighty grand to float me for a bit. Wire it over, will you?” I let out a dry laugh. “Two years ago, when I needed ten grand to keep the lights on, what did you tell me?” Dead silence on his end. I hung up the phone and blocked his number. 01 The phone rang three times before Joey picked up. “Hey man, I hit a massive wall. Supply chain cut me off. I’m short about ten grand. Can you spot me?” Silence stretched over the line for two seconds. “Brother, it’s not that I don’t want to help. I just drove a brand new truck off the lot. I am completely tapped out.” I swallowed my pride. “Joey, even five grand would save me. The moment my receivables clear next month, I’ll pay you back with interest.” “Try asking some of the other guys. Lou should have some loose cash. I’m seriously strapped right now.” I said okay. I ended the call and stared at the final notice sitting on my desk. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars. If I didn’t pay it off by the end of the month, my suppliers were taking me to court. And I couldn’t even scrounge up ten grand. I lit a cigarette, scrolling through my contacts until I found Lou’s number. Ring. Ring. Ring. Straight to voicemail. I dialed again. Voicemail again. I shot him a text. “Lou, it’s an absolute emergency. Call me back.” The message sat there. It never turned to read. I sat alone in my office. Out on the floor, the heavy CNC machines were already dead silent. Half of my crew’s wages from last month were still unpaid, and the raw material vendors had completely cut off my steel supply. That hundred and fifty thousand dollar black hole? My business partner dug it. We ran that custom metal fabrication shop together for three years. Last month, he took the company ledger, drained the operating accounts, and vanished. I filed a police report, and the cops said they were looking into it, but the money wasn’t coming back anytime soon. My suppliers didn’t give a damn about my sob story. My signature was on the contracts, which meant the debt belonged to me. I kept scrolling down my contact list. Tommy. Fifteen years of history. We shared a dorm room back in trade school. He owned a hardware and lumber yard over in the next county and was doing pretty well for himself. The call connected. “Tommy, I caught a bad break over here. Can you float me ten grand? Just need it to keep my head above water.” The TV was blaring in the background on his end. He was clearly lounging at home. “Look, Dave, it’s not that I don’t want to bail you out. But loaning cash ruins friendships. Think about it. What if you go under and can’t pay me back? It’d make things weird between us.” I gripped the phone. “One month. I swear on my life, I’ll have it back to you in thirty days.” “I’ve got my own headaches right now. The wife monitors the bank accounts like a hawk. You gotta figure something else out, man.” I said okay. Hung up. I crushed my cigarette into the glass ashtray. My fingers were trembling slightly. It wasn’t the cold. It was this heavy, suffocating weight rising from the bottom of my chest that I couldn’t push back down. Thirty-seven years old. I had been grinding in this local industry for eight years and knew half the town. But guys I could genuinely call brothers? I counted exactly seven. We drank together on holidays. I never missed an envelope of cash for their weddings or baby showers. The year Joey was short five grand for his down payment, I wired him the cash without asking a single question. When Lou’s dad was in the ICU, I handed him a thick envelope of cash at the hospital. When Tommy opened his lumber yard, I catered the opening day out of my own pocket. I thought that meant something. I dialed Bobby’s number next. “Bobby, look, I…” “Hold that thought, Dave. Let me run it by the missus and I’ll call you right back.” He didn’t even ask how much I needed. I said alright, I’ll wait for your call. I sat by my phone until midnight. Bobby never called. The next morning, I called him again. He didn’t pick up. That afternoon, he finally sent a text. “Sorry brother, things are just too tight at home right now.” Four guys. Not a single dime. I sat in the empty shop, looking at the silent machinery. There was a batch of half-finished metal brackets sitting in the warehouse. They were basically worthless in that state. I had three calls left. I gripped my phone, staring at the cracked screen for a very long time. 02 The fifth call went to Greg. Greg was my neighbor. We practically grew up in the same dirt lot. He ran a massive produce wholesale operation in the city and had been raking it in over the last few years. The phone rang seven times before he picked up. “Yeah, who is this?” “Greg, it’s me. David.” “Oh, Dave. What’s going on?” I laid out the situation. He paused. “How much do you need?” “Ten grand.” “Ten grand…” He sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Dave, it’s not that I don’t have your back. I just secured a massive shipment of imported fruit, and every liquid asset I have is tied up in the warehouse. You know how the produce game works. It’s all cash flow.” I swallowed hard. “Even five grand would help.” “I seriously don’t have it. You gotta believe me. Let’s grab a beer next time you’re in the city. My treat.” I said sure. Hung up. Sixth call. Marcus. Marcus ran a popular sports bar in town. The business was average, but he knew everyone. In our circle of friends, he was the social glue. He organized every single poker night and barbecue. I dialed. He picked up immediately. “Davey! What’s the word?” “Marcus, my cash flow just hit a brick wall. Can you spot me a loan?” “How much?” “Ten grand.” He let out a sharp laugh. “Ten grand? Brother, what the hell did you get yourself into?” I gave him the short version about my partner skipping town. He stayed quiet for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his voice dropped to a low, conspiratorial whisper. “Dave, let me give it to you straight. With the mess you’re in, I’m telling you right now, stop begging for loans. You’re a hundred and fifty grand in the hole. What the hell is ten grand gonna do? You need to find an exit strategy.” I rubbed my eyes. “I just need to make payroll first. Then I’ll figure the rest out.” “Well, I definitely can’t pull that kind of cash out of the register right now. Don’t hold it against me, man. If I had it, I’d give it to you.” I told him I didn’t hold it against him. I hung up. I only found out later that very same night, Marcus was standing behind his bar, telling everyone who would listen. “David is completely toast. He owes over a hundred grand, the shop is dead in the water. Anyone who loans him a dime is a certified idiot.” Word traveled fast. It reached the ears of my main supplier. Originally, they were going to give me a two-week grace period. The very next morning, they hit me with a formal lawsuit warning. The final call. Ray. Ray bought and sold heavy industrial equipment. We had done plenty of business together. Two of my best CNC machines came from his lot, and he gave me a solid discount back then. “Ray, listen, I…” “Dave, I already heard.” His voice was completely flat. “Your partner took the money and ran, right?” “Yeah. I’m incredibly short on cash right now.” “How much?” “Ten grand gets me through the week.” He paused. “Dave, I don’t have ten grand to hand out. But let me tell you something. If you’re looking to liquidate those machines on your floor, I can find a buyer for you.” My stomach dropped. “Ray, I’m not at that stage yet.” “I’m just giving you a heads up. When it gets to that point, don’t go to anyone else. Come to me. I’ll give you a fair market price.” I said okay. Seven calls. Done. I needed ten grand. I didn’t get a single penny. When I got home that night, my wife, Sarah, was cooking dinner in the kitchen. She took one look at my face and turned the burner off. “Nobody came through?” I nodded. She wiped her hands on a dish towel, walked into our bedroom, and came back holding a faded checkbook. “My mom’s retirement savings. Four thousand. We were supposed to save it for the kid’s college fund.” I didn’t reach for it. She shoved it directly into my palm. “Use it for now. You can’t let your crew go hungry.” I sat heavily on the couch, gripping that checkbook for a very long time. Four thousand wasn’t even enough to cover the back pay. 03 The lawyer’s letter from the supplier arrived the next day. I looked at the deadline. They had moved it up by a full two weeks. When I called to ask why, they told me outright that rumors were flying around town that I was planning to skip the state. I knew it was Marcus. But I didn’t have the luxury of picking a fight. If I didn’t produce the cash by the end of the month, the supplier was going to file for an asset freeze. My shop, my machines, and my personal bank accounts would all be locked down. I scrambled everywhere trying to find a lifeline. The bank rejected my loan application. I didn’t own the land my shop was built on, I just leased it, so the bank considered me a massive liability. I visited three predatory payday loan offices. The interest rates were downright criminal, bordering on forty percent annually. I didn’t dare sign those papers. Sarah looked at me across the kitchen table. “Let’s list the house.” It was our only property. A decent three-bedroom in the suburbs. We paid two hundred and fifty thousand for it. I told her I needed more time to think. She stared right at me. “If we lose the house, we can buy another one eventually. If the stress kills you, we lose everything.” I looked at her. The rims of her eyes were red, but she refused to cry. On the third day, Ray called me. “Dave, you made a decision on that equipment yet? I got a buyer lined up. The price is solid.” “What’s the offer?” “For the two CNC mills and the hydraulic press brake… I can get you forty-five grand.” I had paid over a hundred and twenty grand for that setup just three years ago. “Ray, that is a garbage price.” “Dave, look at the mess you’re in. Who the hell else is gonna touch your assets right now? What happens if the court locks down your shop tomorrow? The buyer loses his money. I’m taking a massive risk here just because we’re buddies.” I stayed silent for a long time. “Let me think about it.” “Don’t think too long. My guy isn’t gonna wait around.” After I hung up, I took a slow walk through the shop floor. Dust was already settling on the steel. The air felt empty and cold. I stood in front of the two CNC machines. I saved up for three brutal years to buy these. The day they were delivered, I bought dinner and drinks for all seven of those guys. Joey had slapped the metal casing and called them my personal printing presses. Now, they were going to be auctioned off for pennies. I didn’t call Ray back. I started hunting for buyers myself. But thanks to Marcus and his big mouth, my financial ruin was public knowledge across the entire county. Everyone knew I was bleeding out. Every single person who came to look at the machines lowballed me to death. Eventually, I listed the equipment on an industrial forum. A buyer from two states away liked the specs and wired me eighty-five thousand dollars. When Ray found out, he called me up, furious. “Dave, that’s a real scumbag move. I line up a buyer for you to do you a favor, and you flip it to some outsider?” I gripped the phone. “Ray, you offered me forty-five. This guy offered me eighty-five. If you were in my shoes, who would you sell to?” He scoffed. “Fine. You’re a real genius. Don’t ever call me again.” The machines brought in eighty-five. I put the house on the market, and the realtor told me it would take at least a month to close. I drove down to the supplier’s corporate office three separate times to beg for an extension. They finally agreed to give me until the fifteenth of the following month, but only if I dropped an immediate forty-thousand-dollar good-faith deposit. Sarah’s four grand, plus a chunk of the machine money, barely covered it. I paid the deposit. The remaining hundred and ten grand depended entirely on selling the house. We listed the house for two hundred and forty thousand, slightly below market value. Four different families toured it in the first week, but nobody made an offer. On the tenth day, a middle-aged guy walked through the property. He looked around and offered two hundred thousand flat. I told him absolutely not. The floor was two hundred and thirty. He looked me dead in the eye. “Dave, I’m not gonna play games. I know you’re drowning in debt. Two hundred and ten thousand. All cash. We close in three days.” I stood in the middle of our living room, looking over at Sarah. She was standing in the hallway holding our three-year-old daughter, who had fallen asleep against her shoulder. “Two hundred and ten,” I said. Three days later, the title transferred. The cash hit my account. Adding it to the remaining equipment money, I had about a hundred grand. I was still short ten thousand dollars. I went back to the empty shop and sold the remaining raw steel, the scrap metal, the half-finished brackets, and the office furniture. Desperation scrounged up another six grand. The final four thousand dollars came from Sarah. She went back to her mother, and her mom completely emptied out her retirement account. One day before the final deadline, I wired the full one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the supplier’s account. That night, I sat in our new rental, a cramped, damp two-bedroom apartment on the edge of town that cost eight hundred bucks a month. Sarah set a bowl of cheap noodles in front of me. I took two bites and set my fork down. “It’s all gone,” I said quietly. She sat across from me. “Gone is gone. We’re still breathing. As long as we’re alive, we still have a chance.” I lit a cigarette and didn’t say a word. The shop was gone. The house was gone. Our life savings were vaporized. Thirty-seven years old, starting completely over from absolute zero. Seven brothers. Not a single one lifted a finger. 04 Starting over from zero was infinitely harder than I imagined. Without a shop and without machines, my options were limited. I had spent eight years in custom fabrication, but my client list was entirely wiped out. Even though I paid the supplier back in full, nobody in the industry wanted to risk doing business with a guy who just collapsed. I found a job in the city working as a warehouse manager at a massive building materials lot. I made three thousand dollars a month. Sarah got a job as a cashier at a local grocery store, bringing in two grand. Between the two of us, we pulled in five thousand a month. After rent, groceries, formula, and daycare, we barely had a few hundred bucks left over. I wrote down the four thousand dollars I owed my mother-in-law in a ratty notebook. I paid her back five hundred bucks every single month without fail. That was our life for a while. During that time, I stopped checking my phone. I deleted my social media. But rumors still drifted my way. One night, Sarah came home from her shift. “Joey got a new car. An Audi A6.” I didn’t say anything. She kept going. “Marcus posted a video of a massive dinner party online. Half the town liked it.” I looked at my plate. “Has nothing to do with us.” She gave me a long look and dropped the subject. Another time, I was moving pallets of drywall at the supply yard. I saw Tommy. He was pushing a heavy flatbed cart right past me, picking up inventory for his lumber yard. He saw me. I saw him. He froze for a second, then gave an awkward nod. “Dave? You working here now?” “Yeah. Managing the warehouse.” He rubbed his hands on his jeans. “Look… about what happened back then, it’s not that I didn’t want to bail you out, it’s just that the wife…” I waved him off. “It’s in the past. Don’t worry about it.” He stood there awkwardly, searching for something else to say. Finally, he patted my shoulder. “Right. Well, keep grinding. We should grab a beer sometime.” He walked away. Grab a beer sometime. I had heard that line for eight years. That “sometime” never actually arrived. I worked at that supply yard for three solid months. Every single day, I woke up at six in the morning and clocked out at ten at night. But I wasn’t just managing inventory. I was watching exactly how the local construction supply chain operated. There was a vendor in the yard who specialized in high-end aluminum doors and windows. The owner was an old guy named Frank. He was a master craftsman, but his body was giving out. He wanted to sell the business and retire. I talked to him a few times on my lunch breaks. He asked me, “What did you do before pushing pallets?” “Custom metal fabrication and CNC.” “You know how to build commercial window frames?” “I built them for eight years.” He looked me up and down. “So why the hell are you working in a warehouse?” I gave him the short version of my bankruptcy. Frank took a slow drag of his cigarette. “Son, taking a hard fall doesn’t make you a failure. If you want to take over my shop, I’ll cut you a deal on the buyout.” “How much?” “Fifteen grand. The cutting rigs, the client list, and the supplier discounts. It’s all yours.” Fifteen grand. I literally had zero dollars to my name. I went home and talked to Sarah. She sat at the kitchen table, running the math on a piece of scratch paper. “I can ask my mom for another loan. With what we’ve managed to save, we can scrape together five grand. You go talk to Frank. See if he’ll let you finance the rest.” I told her I absolutely refused to take another dime from her mother. She slammed the pen down. “This is our ticket out. If you let this go, we’re stuck. Go talk to Frank.” The next morning, I went straight to Frank’s office. “Frank, I don’t have fifteen grand. I can give you five grand cash today. I’ll pay the remaining ten out of my monthly profits over the next six months.” Frank stared at me for a very long time. “Deal.” He tapped his cigarette ash into a coffee can. “You look like a guy who knows how to work. But here’s the catch. If you miss a single payment in those six months, I take the shop back.” I told him we had a deal. Just like that, with five thousand dollars, I became the owner of Frank’s window and door shop. Sarah quit the grocery store and came to work with me. I ran the saws and built the frames; she handled the books and the customers. The first two months were brutal. There were seven other window vendors in the yard, and I was the new guy. Nobody trusted me. So I hit the pavement. I drove my beat-up truck to every single housing development, every general contractor office, and every active construction site in a fifty-mile radius. I worked until my hands bled, eating gas station sandwiches in the cab of my truck. By the third month, the repeat customers started rolling in. My frames were perfectly square, my materials were honest, and I never cut corners on installations. Word of mouth spread like wildfire. By the fourth month, our gross revenue hit forty grand. By the fifth month, I walked into Frank’s house and handed him a cashier’s check for the final ten thousand dollars. Frank slapped me on the back. “Dave, you’re a real one.” I just smiled. A year later, I bought out the vacant lot next to my shop and expanded into premium thermal-break windows. Business exploded. I started landing massive commercial contracts. Sarah looked at the ledger one night. “Should we pay off the rest of the money we owe my mom?” I told her I’d wire it on Friday. She smiled. “And then what?” “And then we go buy a house.” She laughed. Two years. Going from completely ruined to standing on my own two feet took two brutal, exhausting years. 05 When I finally dug myself out of the grave, I didn’t make a sound. I didn’t post flashy photos online. I didn’t host a massive dinner party. I didn’t tell a single soul what I was doing. I changed my phone number and set up a new social media profile. The only people in my contacts were Sarah, my mother-in-law, a few key clients, and my suppliers. I still had the numbers of those seven guys memorized, but I never reached out. Life was beautifully quiet. Until one day, a random friend request popped up on my phone. I looked at the message attached to the request. “Dave, it’s Bobby. Long time no see, brother. Add me back.” I thought about it for a second, then hit accept. He immediately fired off a message. “Brother! Where are you at these days? Haven’t heard from you in forever.” I replied, “Working in the city. Running a small shop.” “What kind of shop?” “Doors and windows.” He sent a thumbs-up emoji. “I knew it! Always said you were built different, man.” I didn’t reply. Two days later, another message. “Dave, you free this weekend? Let’s grab a beer, catch up. It’s been way too long.” I told him I was swamped. He replied, “No worries, we’ll do it another time. Drinks are on me.” Another time. I brushed it off. But exactly a week later, he actually showed up at the supply yard. I was in the back operating the miter saw when I heard someone yelling my name over the noise. I killed the power and walked out. Bobby was standing at the front desk, holding two expensive bottles of whiskey. “Davey!” He grinned, walking toward me with his arms wide open. “Man, I had to ask half the county just to figure out where you set up shop.” I wiped the aluminum dust off my hands with a rag. “Bobby. What brings you out here?” He handed me the heavy bottles. “Just passing through, figured I’d drop by and check on you. Business looks booming, man. Two separate shop floors now?” I set the whiskey down on the front counter. “Take a seat. You want some water?” He sat on a stool, his eyes darting around the showroom. I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he calculated my profit margins. “Dave, you are incredible. Two years, and you’re back on top.” I poured him a paper cup of water. “So, you just came all this way to say hi?” He took a sip, set the cup down, and rubbed his palms together nervously. “Well, Dave, there is actually something I wanted to run by you.” I just looked at him. “So… my wife’s younger brother, you remember him, right? He opened up a coffee shop last year, but the overhead is killing him. He wants to pivot into the trades. He saw how well you’re doing with the windows, and he wanted to know if you’d be willing to take him under your wing.” I listened, my face completely blank. He quickly added, “He’s not asking for a free ride! He’ll pay an apprenticeship fee, and you can take a cut of whatever jobs he pulls in later. He just wants to learn from the best.” I took a slow sip from my own cup. “Bobby, the night I called you two years ago, you told me you were going to run it by your wife. What happened after that?” The forced smile on his face instantly froze. “You didn’t even send me a text.” He opened his mouth, stammering. “Dave, things were just an absolute mess at home back then, my wife was…” I held up a hand, cutting him off. “It’s in the past. I’m not holding a grudge. But you walking into my shop today? That’s only because my name is on a successful business. If I was still pushing a broom in the warehouse out back, would you be sitting on that stool?” He didn’t answer. I stood up. “Bobby, finish your water and head home. I can’t help your brother-in-law.” He sat there for a long, uncomfortable moment, then slowly stood up. “Dave, you know, you’re being really…” “I’m being really what?” He stared at me for two seconds, then aggressively snatched the two bottles of whiskey off the counter. “Fine. I’ll take these back.” “Take them.” He walked out. I sat back down and turned the saw back on. Sarah walked out from the back office. “Who was that?” “Bobby.” “What did he want?” “To ride my coattails.” She scoffed and went back to her paperwork without another word. I just didn’t expect that less than a month after Bobby’s visit, my phone would ring again. This time, it was Lou.

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1 It was a stormy night in New York when I saved my boss, a man known for his icy, untouchable exterior, after he’d been drugged. I had harbored a silent, desperate love for him for seven years, which meant I knew better than anyone what would happen. After tonight, I would become the very thing he loathed most: a scheming woman who climbed into his bed. But in his feverish delirium, he called out my name over and over again, gripping me so tightly that I couldn’t bring myself to leave him. When dawn broke, I dragged my exhausted, aching body back to the office, only to overhear his freezing command to his security team: “Find the woman from last night. Whoever dared to set me up, I will make her pay dearly.” I clutched my files and swallowed the bitter truth. Six weeks later, a positive pregnancy test forced me to make a quiet escape from the city. But he intercepted me at the airport gate, his eyes bloodshot as he demanded in a ragged whisper, “Whose baby is it?” … After slipping out of the hotel room that morning, I only had time for a rushed shower before heading straight to work. The atmosphere on the executive floor of McDonald Enterprises was stiflingly tense. Everyone was whispering about the night before. “I heard Mr. McDonald was drugged.” “Some woman actually had the nerve to sneak into his bed.” “You know how much Gabriel hates opportunists. If he finds her, she’s finished.” I stood outside the boardroom holding a stack of folders, my fingertips turning ice-cold. The double doors weren’t fully closed. Gabriel sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his crisp white shirt buttoned all the way to the top, perfectly hiding the marks I had left on his skin the night before. Victoria sat beside him, gently sliding a cup of black coffee toward his hand. “Gabriel, don’t let it ruin your day,” she murmured softly. “There are too many women in New York looking for a shortcut to the top. It was just a slip-up on the hotel’s end.” Gabriel let out a harsh, dry laugh. “A slip-up? That’s exactly how my father was set up years ago, leaving the family with a child they had to sweep under the rug. Women like that? I’ll ruin every single one of them I find.” Standing outside, I felt a physical squeeze in my chest. Last night, his skin had been burning with fever. I only wanted to help him back to his suite, but he had gripped my wrists with terrifying strength, begging me in a raw whisper, “Jane, don’t leave me.” Seven years of loving him in silence made it impossible to push him away. But in giving in, I had sealed my own doom. The executive assistant opened the door and signaled for me to enter. I kept my head down, quietly placing the prepared reports in front of Gabriel. He looked up, his dark eyes boring into mine. “Where were you last night, Jane?” I forced my voice to remain steady. “After assisting you to your suite, sir, I returned to the office to compile the financial statements.” “Someone entered my room afterward. You didn’t notice?” Through the cracked door, the whispered rumors still floated in: climbing into his bed, cheap tricks, social climber. Every whispered word felt like a physical blow. I tightened my grip on the leather folder. “Should I pull the hotel’s security footage, sir?” “Do it,” he muttered, irritably loosening his collar. “I want to see exactly who had the nerve.” Looking at the dark shadows under his eyes, a familiar ache bloomed in my chest. He had been in so much pain last night. If I had truly abandoned him in that state, what would have happened to him? The truth hovered right at the tip of my tongue. “Mr. McDonald, actually, last night…” Gabriel raised his eyes to meet mine. “Jane, I was set up last night. Don’t worry yourself with the details.” His tone was completely devoid of warmth. “Women who use their bodies as bargaining chips are disgusting. I find them repulsive.” The confession died in my throat. I lowered my gaze. “Understood, sir. I’ll investigate immediately.” Gabriel stared at me for a few silent seconds, his brow furrowing. “Why do you look so pale?” I looked down, unable to meet his eyes. “I didn’t sleep well last night.” He pulled a box of stomach medication from his drawer and tossed it onto the desk in front of me. “Take it.” The box landed with a soft thud. He was always like this. Cold and demanding one moment, yet tossing out these tiny fragments of tenderness the next. For seven years, I had fed on these breadcrumbs, foolishly convincing myself that if I just waited a little longer, he might notice me. I picked up the medication. “Thank you, Mr. McDonald.” His expression instantly turned icy. “What did you just call me?” In private, he had forbidden me from using his formal title. He used to say, Jane, you’re different from the others. But now, I didn’t dare test his limits. I was in the breakroom dissolving the medication in warm water when Victoria found me. She wore a tailored white dress, her makeup flawless, her smile sweet but deadly. “Jane,” she said softly. “How much do you know about last night’s power outage at the hotel?” My hand trembled, hot water splashing onto my fingertips. She didn’t miss my flinch; in fact, she seemed to have anticipated it. “That hotel is owned by my family, Jane. I’ve already secured the backup security footage from before and after the blackout.” She slid her phone across the counter. The video was grainy, but I recognized myself instantly. On that stormy night, in the pitch-black hallway, I was supporting a barely conscious Gabriel, pushing open his suite door. The next frame showed me stepping out hours later, my clothes disheveled, my steps unsteady. “Jane,” Victoria whispered, “if this video gets leaked, what do you think the tabloids will say about you? More importantly, how do you think Gabriel will react?” A deep chill settled into my bones. “He was drugged last night. I was only helping him.” “I know,” she smiled, “but the public won’t care. All they’ll see is you taking advantage of an incapacitated man to climb into his bed.” I clenched my cup. “I can explain it to him myself.” Victoria laughed as if I’d said something hilarious. “Explain what? That you’ve been secretly pining after him for seven years? That you finally found the perfect opportunity to pounce when he couldn’t fight back?” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a harsh hiss. “Jane, you know him better than anyone. He despises women who use these cheap tricks. If you confess, you’ll only make him sick to his stomach.” She had me pinned, and she knew it. “Resign,” she demanded. “Leave New York. Otherwise, I will send this video to every member of the McDonald family.” I stood frozen in the breakroom long after she left. The water had gone cold. The burn on my finger began to throb, but the ache in my chest was far worse. In the days that followed, my focus shattered. When I made my fourth data entry error in a single week, Gabriel slammed the folder onto his desk. “Jane! I pay you three times the market rate for an assistant. Am I paying you to daydream?” I swallowed the exhaustion that was making my head spin. “I’m sorry, Mr. McDonald. It won’t happen again.” He stared at me for a long moment, his tone softening slightly. “If you’re sick, go home and rest. Don’t wander around in front of me looking like a ghost. It’s annoying.” But I didn’t dare leave. I was terrified that Victoria would hand him the video the moment I stepped out of the building. I couldn’t bear the thought of his rare affection turning into pure disgust. During an evening meeting, the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee hit my nose, and my stomach turned violently. I barely managed to excuse myself before sprinting to the restroom. When I walked out, Gabriel was standing at the end of the corridor, his face etched with worry as he held the unread meeting materials. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?” I looked away, avoiding his gaze. “I’m fine.” “Fine? Then why were you throwing up?” His voice was sharp, but he held out a cup of warm water. “Drink this.” I didn’t take it. His expression darkened. “Jane, are you defying me now?” In the past, I would have cherished these moments. He sounded angry, but he always remembered my weak stomach. His tone was harsh, but he was the one handing me the water. But now, his tenderness felt like a trap, making it even harder for me to let go. I took the cup. “Thank you, Mr. McDonald.” Gabriel stared at me, his gaze intense and unreadable. “What is going on with you lately? You’re avoiding me, you’re calling me Mr. McDonald, and you’re skipping meals.” He paused, his voice dropping. “Jane, are you hiding something from me?” For a split second, my eyes stung, and the urge to tell him everything almost overwhelmed me. I wanted to beg him to believe that I hadn’t planned any of it, that it was just a moment of weakness because I loved him too much. But Victoria didn’t give me the chance. She stepped out of the conference room, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she called out with a sweet smile, “Gabriel, the event planner is waiting for you to finalize my birthday banquet.” Gabriel turned his head to look at her. That single look was enough to snap me back to reality. Victoria was his childhood friend. She could stand by his side, call him by his first name, and pull him away from me with a single sentence. I was just his assistant, the assistant who had snuck into his bed and whose explanations would sound like cheap lies. I handed the cup back to him. “It’s nothing. Just tired.” Over the next few weeks, Gabriel’s frustration grew because the mystery woman remained unidentified. The tension on the executive floor was suffocating. I couldn’t sleep. My stomach constantly felt like a heavy block of ice. One afternoon, when he snapped at me during a briefing, my vision blurred, and my knees buckled. “Jane, you really haven’t been yourself lately,” Victoria said, stepping closer to Gabriel with a look of mock concern. “Gabriel, don’t be so hard on her. She’s probably just overwhelmed. Then again, with my birthday party coming up, there are so many details to coordinate. If Jane can’t handle it, maybe she should take some time off.” I knew exactly what she meant. She wasn’t offering me a break; she was pushing me out. Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your performance has been slipping. Hand over your current projects to Sarah. Go home and rest. Don’t push yourself.” I snapped my head up. I could endure Victoria’s threats, but hearing Gabriel dismiss me so easily cut me to the quick. I had worked beside him for seven years. I knew his schedule, his preferences, his dislikes, even the exact temperature he liked his tea. Yet Victoria had managed to dismantle all of my hard work with a single sentence. I forced a tight smile. “Understood.” Gabriel’s expression grew even colder. “What is that tone supposed to mean?” I didn’t reply. If I said another word, the tears I was fighting back would spill over. That night, I stayed late in my empty office. I drafted my resignation letter, deleted it, and wrote it again. Several times, I hovered over Gabriel’s contact info, wanting to text him one simple question: Did I ever stand a chance with you? But his last text on my screen remained professional: Ensure Miss Victoria’s birthday gift list is finalized by tomorrow morning. I stared at those words until they blurred, then quietly deleted all my unsent messages. The day I handed in my physical resignation letter, Gabriel’s fury shook the entire executive floor. He slammed the paper onto his desk. “Who gave you permission to leave? I told you to take a few days off, and you throw a tantrum and quit?” I kept my eyes on the floor. “It is no longer appropriate for me to remain your assistant, sir.” “Who decided that?” his voice boomed. “Miss Victoria,” I replied quietly. “And you do whatever she tells you?” I looked up. “She is your childhood friend, and soon to be your fiancée.” Gabriel stared at me for a long, agonizing moment, then let out a bitter, mocking laugh. “What? Did you find a better offer somewhere else?” His words stung like a whip. “No, sir.” “Then stay put,” he snapped, tossing a revised contract onto the desk. “I’m giving you a raise. Stop using your resignation to test my patience. I don’t have time for your games.” I stared at the paper, finding the situation utterly tragic. He thought I was playing hardball for a higher salary, trying to force his hand by threatening to leave. He had no idea how terrified I was, terrified of the disgust that would fill his eyes if he ever found out about that night, terrified of the question he would inevitably ask: Jane, were you trying to use me to climb the ladder, too? I pushed the contract back toward him. “I am not playing games.” Gabriel’s expression turned murderous. “Then what is this? Are you defending that woman from the hotel? Jane, you’ve been with me for seven years. You know my boundaries. Even if you try to cover for her, I will find her, and I will make her pay.” My eyes burned. Years of loyalty and carefully guarded trust crumbled to dust in a single second. The next time my dizziness forced me to visit the clinic, the doctor handed me a laboratory report. Pregnant. Six weeks. It lined up perfectly with that stormy night. Sitting on the cold plastic chair in the clinic hallway, my hands and feet went numb. But after the initial wave of panic subsided, I found myself gently resting my palm against my stomach. It was still completely flat, but I knew a tiny life was growing inside. This was the only tangible thing left to me from the man I had loved in silence for seven long years. Gabriel might hate me, but I couldn’t bring myself to give up this child. I agonized over whether to tell him. But when I returned to the office to gather my belongings, I overheard Victoria’s voice coming from the executive lounge. “Gabriel, your mother said it’s time we make our arrangement official. The families are waiting for an announcement.” Gabriel’s response was flat. “I told you, there’s no rush.” Victoria hesitated, her voice carrying a delicate whine. “But everyone is talking about your assistant, Jane. They say there’s something going on between you two. Your mother even asked if she would interfere with the family’s plans.” The lounge went completely silent for several seconds. Outside the door, I clutched the folded ultrasound report, my heart hammering against my ribs. Then, Gabriel’s cold, indifferent voice shattered my hopes. “She is my assistant. She does not influence my decisions.” That was when Tristan appeared. He was Gabriel’s biggest business rival, and the only person who had ever seen through my carefully guarded secret. Seeing the laboratory report in my trembling hands, he didn’t ask who the father was. He simply took off his heavy wool coat and draped it over my shaking shoulders. “Jane,” he said gently. “Let’s get you out of here.” I clutched the paper tightly. “I want to leave New York.” Tristan was quiet for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I’ll help you.” He arranged a private physician for me, found me a secure place to stay, and eventually placed a one-way ticket to Sydney on the table before me. “You don’t have to run,” he noted. “Do you want me to tell him?” I shook my head. I knew Gabriel too well. He despised the woman from that night with a passion. He would never accept a child conceived under those circumstances. This baby was my choice alone. On the day of my flight, I rolled my suitcase into the terminal. But just as I reached the security line, a group of suited security guards blocked my path. Gabriel stepped out from behind them, his face dark with suppressed fury. “Jane,” he growled, stepping into my space. “Resigning, moving out of your apartment, trying to fly out of the country… You’ve grown quite bold.” I gripped the handle of my suitcase, backed into a corner by his imposing frame. “This is my personal life, Mr. McDonald.” He let out a harsh laugh. “Your personal life? Does your personal life involve running away with Tristan?” My face drained of color. “This has nothing to do with him.” “Nothing to do with him? Then why did he book your ticket?” Gabriel’s eyes were bloodshot, a dangerous fire burning in their depths. “Jane, have I spoiled you too much? So much that you think you can just run off with another man?” My throat felt dry and tight. “You have plenty of people to replace me, sir.” “Whether I have replacements is not for you to decide.” Gabriel suddenly lunged and snatched my handbag. I reached out frantically to grab it back, but during the struggle, the bag slipped, spilling its contents across the polished floor. Medication, my passport, the plane ticket… and the folded pregnancy report. The air in the terminal seemed to freeze. Gabriel bent down and picked up the paper before I could reach it. He unfolded it. His eyes scanned the bold lettering: Pregnant. Six Weeks. The paper crumpled in his tightening fist. He looked up at me, his eyes dark with a wild, chaotic storm, his voice trembling with ice. “Jane,” he whispered. “Is it Tristan’s?”

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1 The day before we were supposed to sign our marriage license, my fiancé took me to a bridal boutique, only to thrust a bridesmaid’s gown into my hands. I assumed someone had dropped out of the wedding party at the last minute and they needed a quick replacement. But then the fitting room curtain slid open, and my best friend, Vivian, stepped out wearing my wedding dress. Brent was leaning down, gently adjusting her veil. Seeing me freeze, he rushed to explain. “Vivian’s father has surgery tomorrow. He desperately wanted to see her in a wedding gown tonight.” “It is just a small family dinner to put his mind at ease.” “No registry, no public announcement. It won’t affect our wedding at all.” “Carol, you are still the one I love most.” “So please, just be understanding this once. Help us play along.” I looked at him and said nothing. Vivian clutched the lace hem of the gown, her voice trembling. “Carol, please don’t misunderstand. I am only borrowing Brent for one night.” “The moment my father goes into the operating room, I will give him back to you.” Brent frowned slightly, but his tone softened when he addressed me. “I know this is unfair to you.” “But a man’s life is on the line. Please don’t be petty right now.” A sudden laugh escaped my throat. I looked down and sent a message to the clerk at the city registry office. Please cancel tomorrow’s appointment. Brent. If you want to give her a night of dignity, then I will grant you a lifetime of freedom. After sending the message, I gripped my phone tightly in my palm. I looked up at him. “Should I still try on the bridesmaid’s dress?” Brent’s brow furrowed. “Carol.” He always used that warning tone whenever he felt I was being difficult. Vivian’s eyes welled with tears. “Carol, please don’t be upset. I know this is incredibly unfair to you. But my father goes into surgery tomorrow, and the doctors say the risks are high. His greatest regret in life is not seeing me walk down the aisle.” She slowly took a step toward me. The boutique assistant stood nearby, her polite smile entirely frozen on her face. “I have no intention of stealing your place. You and Brent are getting married tomorrow anyway. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t take him from you.” Her words were beautifully spun. I was the one getting married tomorrow, so I was expected to be magnanimous tonight. I held the official title, so she was allowed to borrow the man. I was about to win, so being stepped on shouldn’t matter. Brent finished adjusting the veil and walked over to us. “Vivian’s father mortgaged his own house years ago to help my family secure a loan. That is the only reason our business survived.” “He is so ill now. I cannot let him think his daughter has been abandoned, leaving him to pass away with a heavy heart.” I nodded slowly. “So you are throwing her a wedding.” “It is a family dinner.” “Wearing my wedding dress, standing by your side, and you call that a family dinner?” Brent’s throat cleared. “There is no minister, no marriage certificate, and no public announcement.” Vivian chimed in quickly. “It is true, Carol. I can hand my phone over to you right now. I promise I won’t post a single photo.” My gaze drifted to the diamond ring on her finger. I recognized that ring. Last month, when Brent took me to choose our wedding bands, I had mentioned that the diamond was too large, making it difficult to write on the blackboard during class. At the time, he had laughed. “My dear teacher, you won’t need to wear your wedding ring while grading papers.” But now, that exact ring was sitting on Vivian’s finger. The fit was perfect. I asked quietly, “Is the ring borrowed too?” Vivian instinctively pulled her hand back, hiding it behind her back. Brent stepped in front of her. “It is just a prop.” “My wedding ring is supposed to be a prop for her?” The entire boutique fell into a heavy silence. Vivian’s tears finally spilled over. “I will take it off. I am taking it off right now.” She tugged at the band with force, turning her knuckle a bright red. Brent grabbed her wrist to stop her. “That is enough, do not hurt yourself.” I had heard versions of that phrase so many times recently. Do not upset Vivian. Do not bicker with Vivian. Do not make her father worry. Each sentence seemed light, but accumulated over time, they were suffocating. I handed the bridesmaid’s dress back to the assistant. “There is no need to alter the size. I won’t be wearing it.” Brent’s face darkened. “Carol, do you really have to throw a tantrum right now?” Without another word, I grabbed my bag and walked straight out of the boutique. Brent chased after me, with Vivian running right behind him. The long train of the gown caught on her heel, and she nearly tripped on the pavement. Brent immediately spun around to steady her. I stood outside the glass doors, watching them. Vivian clung to his arm, tears streaming down her face like a tragic heroine. “Brent, don’t worry about me! Go after Carol! She must have misunderstood.” Brent didn’t budge. He only looked at me, a low simmer of anger in his voice. “Go home first. I will explain everything to you later.” “And tonight?” I asked. “I have to take Vivian back to the hospital.” “In a wedding dress?” Vivian sobbed. “My father just texted. He wants to see the photos first. I’m so afraid that before he goes into the operating room tomorrow…” Brent cut her off. “I know.” He turned back to me. “Carol, I will be at the registry office on time tomorrow.” I curled my lips in a mirthless smile. “With that ring on her finger?” His eyes fell on Vivian’s hand. Vivian flinched as if burned, frantically tugging at the diamond. This time, it slipped off. She held it out to me in her trembling palms. “Carol, I am so sorry. Truly. I only wanted to put my father’s mind at ease.” I didn’t reach for it. The ring slipped from her hands and clattered onto the pavement, rolling into the dark. Brent knelt to pick it up. I watched as he carefully wiped the dust from the band and slid it into his pocket. That moment brought back a memory from last Wednesday. My mother had a critical follow-up appointment at the clinic. Brent had promised to accompany us. I took half a day off work, waiting at the estate gates from six in the morning. At seven-twenty, a text arrived. Something came up with Vivian. Take your mother first, and I will meet you there as soon as I am done. My mother watched me put away my phone and offered a gentle smile to defend him. “Brent is a busy man. It is not easy building a career.” He never showed up that night. Instead, Vivian posted a picture on her social media. Under the warm glow of her garden lights, Brent was bent over, helping her prune her roses. Her caption read: When the right person appears, even the storms fade away. When I confronted him, he rubbed his temples in exhaustion. “Her father’s results came back terrible. She was having a breakdown. You were there to support your mother, but Vivian has no one but me.” Back then, I actually made excuses for him. The Sinclair family had fallen on hard times years ago, and Vivian’s father had saved them. It made sense for Brent to look after her. It was so normal that he forgot my birthday. It was so normal that he left me to handle my mother’s hospital visits alone. And tonight, it was normal enough that he expected me to wear a bridesmaid’s dress and watch him give Vivian a wedding. My phone buzzed in my hand. It was a message from Brent’s mother. Carol, I know you feel slighted. But do not make things difficult for Brent tonight. The Song family was incredibly generous to us. Followed immediately by another. You are a teacher, so you are sensible. Once tonight is over, I will personally make it up to you. The word “sensible” stung. I remembered a young girl in my class who had come to me crying this morning. She said her desk mate kept borrowing her pens and never returned them. When I asked why she didn’t just say no, she lowered her head. “Miss, everyone says I have such a good temper.” I had told her, “Even people with good tempers are allowed to say no.” Yet when it came to my own life, I seemed to have forgotten my own lesson. Brent helped Vivian into the back of his car. Before the door closed, she cast a glance in my direction. Tears still hung on her lashes, but the corner of her mouth pulled into a faint, triumphant smile. I stood there in the cold wind, my hands freezing to the bone. A message came from Brent. Do not be stubborn. Go home and wait for me. I deleted the message and hailed a cab. It was nearly eleven when I unlocked the door to our apartment. The foyer light was on. On the dining table sat the document folder for our marriage registration. I opened it. My birth certificate was there, along with my ID. But Brent’s ID was gone. In its place was a sticky note. Had to grab this quickly. Will bring it tomorrow morning. I sat at the table and called him. It rang for a long time before he answered. It was loud in the background. “What is it?” his voice sounded hurried. “Where is your ID?” “I will bring it straight to the registry office in the morning.” “So you will finish your family dinner tonight, and meet me there?” Silence for a moment. “Yes.” “Where are you right now?” “The hotel.” “Decorating your wedding venue?” “Marcus wanted something a bit more formal. I am just having them set up a backdrop.” “Brent, you are registering your marriage with me tomorrow.” “I know.” “Do you really?” Another silence. Then, Vivian’s soft voice echoed through the line. “Brent, should we take down the welcome sign? Carol might be upset if she sees it.” Brent whispered back, “Leave it for now. We cannot let my uncle notice.” My grip on the phone tightened. “What does the welcome sign say?” He didn’t answer. I hung up. A few minutes later, he sent a photo showing only a corner of the floral backdrop. Do not overthink this. I will give you a proper explanation tomorrow. I set the phone down and went to the bedroom to pack. On the hanger, the white silk shirt I had prepared for tomorrow was still pressed perfectly flat. Beside it lay a stack of small cards from my students. Happy wedding, Miss Carol! Mr. Sinclair, you must treat our favorite teacher well! Miss, even if you are getting married, do not forget to grade our essays! I took them down one by one and tucked them into a drawer. Inside the drawer, the jewelry box was open. The jade bracelet Brent’s late grandmother had given me was missing. Before she passed, the old lady had held my hand. “Carol, do not be afraid when you join our family. Brent has a stubborn mouth, but he truly loves you.” I had believed those words for seven years. The phone buzzed. Vivian had sent a photo. She was sitting in the hotel bridal suite, wearing the wedding gown, and on her wrist was the heirloom green jade bracelet. Carol, Mrs. Sinclair said I could borrow the bracelet for tonight. It will put my father’s mind at ease. You do not mind, do you? I looked at my empty jewelry box. Brent must have taken it when he swiped his ID. I called his mother. “Carol, dear, I was just about to call you about the bracelet,” she answered. “Who took it?” “Brent did. Vivian looked a bit plain without any jewelry, and her father asked about it. Brent did not want the old man to worry.” “That was a gift from his grandmother. It belongs to me.” “I know, dear, and we will return it tomorrow. Do not be so petty. Tonight is a special circumstance.” I let out a sudden laugh. On the other end, his mother went quiet. “Mrs. Sinclair,” I asked, “am I still getting married tomorrow?” Silence stretched. “Of course you are! You and Brent have been together for so long; no one can come between you. Vivian is just a young girl, and her family is going through a tragedy. Just let her have this.” I hung up. Half an hour later, I carried the empty jewelry box to the hotel. The banquet hall was on the third floor. The moment the elevator doors parted, a massive, crimson welcome sign greeted me. The Wedding Feast of Brent Sinclair and Vivian Song. Below it, a smaller line of elegant script: May they walk together through the years, hand in hand, morning and night. I froze. A waiter approached. “Excuse me, ma’am, are you a guest of the bride?” Before I could speak, a familiar voice called out behind me. “Miss Carol?” I turned. It was Mrs. Higgins, the head of my department, standing with several of our colleagues. They were having a staff dinner at the same hotel. Mrs. Higgins looked at the empty jewelry box in my hand, then at the welcome sign. Her face fell. “This… aren’t you supposed to get married tomorrow?” My mouth parted, but not a single sound came out. Someone whispered behind her, “Brent Sinclair? Isn’t that Carol’s fiancé?” I clenched my fingers around the box. Just then, the double doors of the banquet hall swung open. Vivian, draped in white, stepped out with her arm linked through Brent’s. Her father sat in a wheelchair, pushed into the center of the foyer. The old man’s hair was mostly white, and though he looked frail, he smiled warmly as he reached for Brent’s hand. “Brent, my boy. I know this was a difficult request.” “Vivian has loved you since she was a little girl. I used to tease her for being foolish, but seeing her stand by your side in a wedding gown… I can rest easy now.” Brent knelt beside the wheelchair. “Uncle, do not worry. The surgery tomorrow will be a success.” The old man looked at Vivian. “Be good from now on. Do not be stubborn, and do not always trouble Brent.” Vivian sniffled, tears welling in her eyes. “Father…” The old man sighed. “Tonight is like a beautiful dream for me. When I wake up, I will not burden either of you any longer.” Several onlookers wiped their eyes. Brent’s mother was sobbing softly into her handkerchief. Standing beside the welcome sign, I felt like the punchline of a cruel joke. Vivian suddenly spotted me. Her face turned pale. “Carol… you came.” Every head in the lobby turned toward me. My colleagues stood frozen by the elevators. I walked over and placed the empty jewelry box on the reception desk. “My bracelet. Give it back.” Vivian clutched her wrist. “Carol, right now? My father is right here…” Brent lowered his voice, anger flashing in his eyes. “Carol, do not make a scene!” I looked him dead in the eye. “You took my document folder. You took the heirloom his grandmother gave me. You dragged me to a shop to try on a bridesmaid’s dress, and then you made me stand in front of this sign. Brent, tell me, how exactly am I making a scene?” His expression hardened. “I will explain everything later.” “You have explained things plenty of times.” I held out my hand. “The bracelet.” Vivian’s tears began to flow. As she struggled to slide the bracelet off her wrist, she looked at her father. “Father, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have worn it. I only wanted you to be happy. It does not matter if no one wants me.” The old man frowned. “What do you mean, no one wants you?” Vivian sobbed harder. Brent immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her. “Uncle, do not worry. You have me tonight.” With those words, the lobby fell silent. I looked at Brent. He seemed to realize the weight of his words under my gaze, his lips parting slightly. “Carol, I only meant…” “No need to explain.” I took the emerald bracelet, placed it securely inside the box, and snapped it shut. Mrs. Higgins tried to step forward to comfort me, but I shook my head. As I turned to leave, Vivian suddenly grabbed my hand. “Carol, please do not go. If you leave, my father will think I ruined your relationship.” I pulled my hand back sharply. Losing her balance on her high heels, she slipped. Brent caught her in his arms, looking up at me with pure accusation in his eyes. “Carol, she cannot handle any stress tonight!” I nodded slowly. “Then I wish you both a wonderful wedding feast.” When I got back to our apartment, I packed a single suitcase. My textbooks, my lesson plans, a few changes of clothes, and a framed photograph of my mother. I left everything else behind. Before walking out the door, I placed the keys on the dining table. Beside them, I left a simple note: Brent, you owe me nothing. And I owe you nothing.

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1 I was born with a terrible sense of direction. Not only do I fail to memorize routes, but I also couldn’t tell north from south if my life depended on it. My best friend, Austin, refused to believe it. He claimed he was going to cure me of this “awful habit” once and for all. He even dragged my sister, Sienna, and my childhood sweetheart, Violet, into his grand plan to give me survival training. Once, on a trip, they got off the subway a station early, leaving me stranded on the platform. Another time, during a mall run, they slipped out of a different exit without saying a word, leaving me wandering like a headless chicken, frantically scanning the crowds. All under the guise of building my spatial awareness. Today, it happened again. I stepped away to use the restroom during lunch. When I came back, all three of them were gone. The table had already been cleared, wiped clean as if they had never been there. I reached into my pocket to call them, only to remember I had handed my phone to Austin earlier for safekeeping. I walked up to the front desk, where the hostess handed me a folded note Austin had left behind. It had only two sentences written on it. We’ve walked this route with you twice before, Nolan. I know you can do this. You’ve got this! The three of us will be waiting at home. Suddenly, the whole game felt incredibly exhausting. Honestly, there was nothing wrong with having a bad sense of direction. As long as I had Google Maps, I didn’t need anyone to guide me. … By the time I finally made it back, dusk was settling over the neighborhood. The three of them were lounging on the sofa, sharing a couple of chilled watermelon halves while a movie played on the TV. Austin looked up as the front door clicked. A smug grin spread across his face, and he shot a triumphant look at the girls. “Told you Nolan would make it back before seven. You two lost the bet. Next month’s itinerary is entirely up to me! Besides, since your papers are basically done, delaying school by a few days won’t kill you.” Sienna rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Nolan? Did you and Austin team up to play us? Last time at the mall, it took you four hours to find your way back. Now you’re home in less than two?” Sienna was the sister my family took in when we were kids. Her parents split up when she was in the second grade, and neither of them wanted her. Back then, my biggest wish was for my parents to give me an older sister. So, after making absolutely sure her mother had abandoned her, I practically dragged her home with me. My dad had hesitated, trying to reason with my younger self. “Nolan, she’s a human being, not a stray kitten. You can’t just bring her home and raise her.” But Sienna had looked my parents in the eye and promised she would be the best big sister to me. Seeing her hungry and desperate, my dad finally softened and took her in. Now, it seemed, she had become Austin’s protective older sister instead. “Yeah, come on, Nolan. Spit it out. Did Austin leave you breadcrumbs?” Violet chimed in. She was my upstairs neighbor and the girl I had grown up with. Our parents had joked about a childhood betrothal when we were toddlers, claiming she would grow up to be my wife. Violet had taken it to heart. Knowing how easily I got lost, she used to wait for me after school every single day. Before Austin came into our lives, from first grade all the way through high school, we had walked hand in hand for ten years. She had once promised me, with absolute certainty, “Don’t worry. As long as I’m around, you’ll always find your way home.” But recently, she was the one who had abandoned me the most. “I knew you two would try to make excuses,” Austin said, tossing my phone onto the coffee table with a clatter. “That’s why I took his phone beforehand. Now you have to admit defeat.” Sienna’s smile stiffened. “Wait, you actually took his phone? Why didn’t you tell us?” Violet’s expression darkened as well. “What if something actually happened to him? We wouldn’t even have been able to reach him.” Austin looked genuinely baffled. “What is wrong with you two? We literally agreed on this training program! Are you turning on me now?” Sienna hesitated before offering a weak out. “Well, Nolan is back safe and sound anyway, so let’s just drop it. But don’t you dare take his phone again, Austin.” Violet went quiet for a moment, then walked over to me. She checked me over, grabbing my wrists to make sure I wasn’t hurt, and let out a soft sigh. “Austin was just trying to help. Don’t be mad at him. Sienna saved some chilled watermelon for you in the fridge. Let me get it.” “No need,” I said, picking up my phone from the table and turning toward my bedroom. “I’m tired. I just want to rest.” Austin blinked, looking awkward as he turned to Sienna. “Did… did I actually upset him?” He stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe I should head home. He probably doesn’t want to see me right now.” Violet immediately followed him. “It’s late. It’s not safe for you to walk back alone. Let me walk you.” “I can come too,” Sienna added, rushing to put on her shoes. Violet gently pushed her back. “Oh, come on. My place is right upstairs, so I’m practically on the way anyway. You live here, there’s no need for you to make the trip.” Sienna glared at her. “Cut the crap, Violet. Your apartment is upstairs. How is walking him home on your way?” It was almost laughable. My sister and my childhood sweetheart were bickering over who got to escort him home. Yet, not a single one of them asked me how a directionally challenged guy with no phone had managed to navigate his way back. Sienna was eventually pushed back into the apartment by the other two. Once I was safely in my room, I unlocked my phone, opened the university group chat, and submitted my application for the study abroad exchange program. Around eight, my dad came home and cooked dinner. Sienna knocked on my door to call me out. When I didn’t answer, she let out a weary sigh. “Are you seriously still giving Austin the silent treatment? You know how he is. He’s loud and a bit reckless, but he really cares about you.” I remembered how we met. Back in the first semester of sophomore year of high school, Austin had transferred to our school. On our very first weekly exam, he took the school by storm, dethroning me and taking his place right alongside Violet and Sienna in the top three spots. A classmate who disliked me had sneered in my ear, “Looks like someone’s little kingdom is falling apart. You used to ride on the coattails of your sister and your girl, but now you can’t even hold onto third place.” Austin, who happened to be walking past, overheard the comment and immediately threw a punch. They both ended up in the principal’s office with their parents called. But I was drawn to Austin’s fiercely protective nature, and we quickly became best friends. From then on, our trio became a quartet. We even went to the same university together. Until, slowly but surely, I realized I was being pushed out of their world. Sienna pulled the blanket off my face. “Come on. Get up and eat.” My stomach rumbled. Deciding that being angry shouldn’t mean starving myself, I got up, washed my hands, and sat down at the table. During dinner, Sienna casually brought up, “A new theme park just opened in the city. They have this massive Ferris wheel. Austin suggested we all go tomorrow.” I was about to decline when my dad spoke up. “Oh, I heard about that from my coworkers. You should go, Nolan. I remember how much you loved watching Ferris wheels on TV when you were little. It’s a shame we never had one here, and I was always too busy with work to take you out of town.” With my dad encouraging me, I swallowed my refusal. After dinner, our group chat of four was blowing up. Austin was stressing over what to wear to take the best photos, spamming the chat with pictures of different outfits. Sienna and Violet were clashing, generating over a hundred messages debating the choices. Austin finally sent a frustrated voice note: “Who asked you two anyway? I posted these so Nolan could help me choose!” Then, he added in a softer tone, “Nolan, you aren’t still mad at me, right? I swear I won’t do it again.” Violet quickly replied on my behalf. “Oh, don’t worry about him. Nolan isn’t that petty. You practically cured his terrible sense of direction. He should be thanking you.” “Right, Nolan?” Austin bought it completely, pressing me to pick the best outfit. Violet tagged me. “Nolan, don’t you think the blue one looks great on him? The store clerk was raving about it when he tried it on the other day.” Sienna, sitting next to me on the couch, scoffed as she read the messages. “That clerk was just trying to make a sale, and Violet fell for it hook, line, and sinker. That blue washed him out. The yellow one I picked is way better. Austin loved it when he tried it on.” She nudged my shoulder. “Nolan, we’re the ones living under the same roof. You have to back me up here.” I looked at her, my voice quiet. “You guys bought those in person? When? How come I didn’t know about this?” Sienna was busy typing a reply to Austin. Without looking up, she blurted out, “On the third floor of the mall. You were right there, weren’t you? How do you forget these things so fast?” I froze, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. That day at the mall… I had only stepped away to pick up our bubble tea. When I returned, they were gone. While I had been running around like a headless chicken trying to find them, they had been happily helping Austin try on clothes. No wonder none of my calls or texts had gone through. Sienna finally realized what she’d said. Her thumbs hovered over the screen, and a flash of embarrassment crossed her face. “Wait… I got it mixed up. You weren’t there. I wanted to invite you, but that store only sells streetwear, and you don’t really wear that style anyway.” I didn’t say anything. I just stared at her. When she reached out to pat my head, I stepped back, avoiding her touch. “Are you jealous?” she asked softly. “Tell you what, I’ll take you out and buy you a couple of outfits next week, okay?” Before I could answer, my phone buzzed. Austin was starting a group video call. I didn’t answer it, but Sienna picked up on her phone and shoved it in front of my face. “Nolan, why aren’t you picking?” Austin’s face popped up on the screen. “Is it really that hard of a choice?” Sienna whispered beside me, “Just pick one. Otherwise, he’s going to think you’re still holding a grudge, and he won’t sleep a wink tonight.” I let out a soft laugh, refusing to play along. “They both look great. Just pick whichever one you want.” Austin whined about how half-hearted I was, but when we met at the amusement park entrance the next morning, he was wearing the blue one. He had chosen Violet’s pick. A shadow of disappointment passed over Sienna’s face. Austin sent the girls off to buy water and queue up, walking beside me at a leisurely pace. “I knew you wouldn’t hold a grudge. We’re best friends, after all!” I just smiled and kept walking. Since it was opening weekend, the crowd for the giant Ferris wheel was massive. But when we finally made it to the front of the line, Sienna and Violet started bickering over who would sit next to Austin. Violet argued, “You’re Nolan’s sister. Of course you should ride with him.” Sienna shot back, “Austin wore the shirt you picked today. To keep things fair, he should ride with me.” The people behind us were growing impatient, murmuring and complaining. “Are you guys getting on or what? Go argue somewhere else!” “Seriously, can’t the three of them just share a cabin? Why make such a fuss?” Sienna and Violet turned on the crowd simultaneously. “Who would want to ride with her?!” Yet, in the end, the three of them ended up in the same cabin anyway. Their excuse was that a single rider would have more room, so they both generously decided to let me have the solo cabin to myself. Austin pressed his face against the glass window of his cabin, looking down at me. “Man, I’m so jealous you get a whole cabin to yourself while I’m stuck squeezing in with these two.” A girl standing in line behind me muttered to her boyfriend, “Is he seriously complaining? That’s the most transparent, disgusting humble-brag I’ve ever seen. Look at him. That’s a textbook player right there. If you ever act like that, I’ll throw you off this ride.” I glanced back at her. She cleared her throat awkwardly. “Sorry, I was just venting. Don’t mind me.” I didn’t mind. She was only speaking the truth. The ride operator, an older man, patted my shoulder sympathetically. “Don’t sweat it, kid. I’ll call my daughter right now to come down and ride with you. Heck, you can go around twice!” He actually started pulling out his phone. I waved my hand with a smile. “Thank you, sir, but it’s really fine. I actually prefer being by myself.” By the time my cabin touched down and I stepped off, the three of them were nowhere to be found. This time, I didn’t waste my energy looking for them. I calmly pulled out my phone and called an Uber. My dad was home on his day off and looked surprised when I walked through the door alone. “Back so early? Have you eaten? Where’s Sienna?” I didn’t answer. I just sat down next to him and rested my head on his shoulder. “Dad, I want to go on the study abroad exchange program next semester. What do you think?” “Of course!” he said warmly. “It’s good to see the world while you’re young. And with Sienna there to look after you, I won’t have to worry.” I shook my head. “Sienna isn’t going. We’re growing up, Dad. We have our own paths to walk. I can’t drag her along on a journey she doesn’t want to take.” My dad’s easy confidence wavered. “But you’ve never traveled far by yourself, let alone gone to another country. How are you going to manage?” “I won’t be alone,” I reassured him. “Other students from our school are going too. I’ve already found a travel partner.” Only then did he reluctantly give his consent. Sienna didn’t return until dusk. “Nolan! We just went to get some water. Why did you leave by yourself?” I was filling out my application forms and didn’t even bother to look up. “It was too hot. I didn’t feel like waiting.” Once the files were submitted, I checked my phone. The group chat was overflowing with over ninety-nine messages. They were excitedly discussing packing lists, sunscreens, car rentals, and local food spots for their upcoming trip. I stared at the screen for a long moment before typing, Where are we going? A loud curse echoed from the living room, and Sienna burst into my room a second later. “Nolan! We booked the tickets for our trip this afternoon. You weren’t there, and… we forgot to buy yours! I’m trying to get you on the standby list right now.” Austin’s voice note arrived at that exact moment. “Hey, those were the last three tickets available. It’s you two’s fault. You kept bickering in my ear, and I completely forgot the most important thing.” Seeing that another argument was brewing, I quickly typed back, Don’t worry about the standby ticket. It’s too hot anyway. I’d rather stay home. Sienna, sitting on the edge of my bed, let out a quiet sigh of relief and closed the ticketing app. “Yeah, this summer is brutal. It’s fine, I’ll take lots of pictures for you. And I’ll bring you back the coolest souvenirs!” On the day they set off for their beach vacation, I boarded my flight out of the country. Before leaving, Sienna was still fussing over me. “Don’t eat too much cold watermelon. Since Dad’s not around, don’t buy a whole one. Oh, and make sure to double-lock the door when you’re home alone.” Violet came down from upstairs and let out a dry laugh. “Alright, Mother Teresa. Let’s go. Austin is waiting for us.” Sienna grumbled but grabbed her bags and followed. I watched their car pull away from the curb and disappear down the street. Only then did I slowly roll my suitcase out of my room and head downstairs. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have to be the third wheel in their little world.

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1 I am the most terrifying, bloodthirsty dragon in the entire Abyssal Rift. To cement my dreadful reputation, I flew down the mountain and kidnapped the fragile princess offered as a sacrifice by the neighboring kingdom. He had skin as pale as milk, lips like crushed berries, and looked like a stiff breeze could blow him over. He spent his days huddled in the corner of my cavern, weeping silently. To prove I was a true monster, I forced him to roast my meat, polish my scales, and even share my bed every single night. Until the day the Lord of the Abyss came knocking at my door. Just as I was packing my bags to run for my life, my delicate princess stepped up and crushed the Lord’s skull with a single bare hand. Wiping the blood from his fingers, he turned to me with a sweet, elegant smile: “Did that scare you, darling?” 2 I am a dragon. My full name is Ignis Augustus Emberheart, Devourer of Realms. But I usually just go by Ember. Though my name is meant to stop crying children in their tracks, I am actually a total weakling. I cannot breathe hellfire to melt castles; I can only manage a tiny spark barely hot enough to roast a sweet potato. My scales are not impenetrable armor. They are soft and brittle, popping off if I scratch them too hard. In this brutal Abyssal Rift where only the strong survive, the only reason I made it to adulthood is because I look absolutely terrifying. I have scales as black as midnight, massive bone wings that cast a shadow over the sun, and slit pupils that glow crimson in the dark. As long as I keep my mouth shut and stay out of fights, I am the most menacing beast in the Rift. But lately, my territory has been threatened. A massive, one-eyed, two-headed dragon moved to the neighboring peak. She calls herself the Lord of the Abyss. She is constantly lurking around my cave, leaving pools of drool in her wake. I have been living in constant fear. If she ever finds out I cannot even conjure a proper fireball, she will eat me alive. To secure my territory, I decided to pull off a daring heist. I was going to fly down the mountain and kidnap a human. Our clan has an unwritten rule: the more humans you kidnap, and the more noble they are, the higher your status. If I brought back a royal princess, that stupid two-headed beast would definitely be scared off by my fierce reputation. 3 I chose a dark, stormy night to fly down to the human capital. Talk about luck. Right there on the sacrificial altar, a prime offering was chained up. It was a bit strange, though I could not quite put my finger on why. I flew closer to inspect. It was a young human male dressed in pristine white robes. Silvery white hair cascaded over his shoulders, and though he had a tall, slender build, he looked incredibly fragile. I landed on the altar, deliberately stomping hard to shake the stone, and let out a deafening roar. The human looked up. I froze. He was breathtakingly beautiful. His skin was whiter than any forest elf I had ever seen. But what really got me were his eyes. His pale gray eyes glistened with unshed tears, the edges of his eyelids flushed a soft pink. He looked like a delicate white rose waiting to be crushed by the storm. Staring up at my massive dragon snout, he did not scream, nor did he struggle. Only a flash of bewilderment crossed his face. I reached out with my claw, scooping him gently into my palm. His waist was so incredibly narrow. I barely dared to squeeze, terrified I might accidentally snap him in half. “You are mine now, human,” I growled in the deep tongue of dragons. “From now on, I will protect you.” He did not understand. He simply tilted his head and began to cough. A violent, racking cough shook his entire frame, leaving a thin trail of crimson at the corner of his lips. Panic flared in my chest. Do not die on me. I need you to show off to the neighbors. I hastily beat my wings and bolted back to my cave. 4 Back in the cave, I tossed him onto a pile of dry straw. To make communication easier, I shifted into my half-human form. Keeping my horns and tail, I put on my best impression of a cold-hearted half-dragon warrior. “Listen closely, human,” I said, looking down at him with a scowl. “From this day forth, you are my slave.” He leaned against the rocky wall, hand clutching his chest, panting softly. “My name is Alistair,” he whispered, casting his eyes downward. He looked so devastatingly fragile. “I am an outcast, sacrificed by the kingdom.” “Great dragon, are you going to eat me?” This human certainly knew how to stroke an ego. I let out a harsh sneer and leaned closer, deliberately baring my sharp fangs. “Eat you? You are nothing but skin and bones. You would not even flunk a tooth.” Tears immediately welled up in his eyes and spilled over. “I am sorry, mighty beast. I will try my best to get fatter.” “Hey, do not cry. Who said anything about eating you?!” Panicking, my tail swept across the floor, scattering dust. I quickly clamped a hand over my mouth, trying to salvage whatever remained of my terrifying facade. But in this half-dragon form, with horns on my head and bone wings on my back, there was not a single gentle bone in my body. “Really? You will not eat me?” His long eyelashes fluttered, still damp with tears. How could a grown man look so utterly endearing? It made keeping up my fierce persona next to impossible. “Hmph. I just think you are too skinny. A mighty beast like me…” I stuttered, my tail twitching. I was used to roaring, not holding long conversations with humans. “Anyway, you are my captive now. You will work for me. Wash my clothes, cook my meals, polish my scales. Got it?” Alistair nodded obediently. “I will do anything to stay by your side, master.” “Back in the kingdom, they never gave me enough to eat, and I had to work day and night. You will let me eat my fill, won’t you, master?” “Of course!” I puffed out my chest proudly. “My cave might be simple, but I am a fearsome black dragon. In this territory, I only take from others. You will not go hungry!” Alistair peered up through his lashes, a soft, glittering light dancing in his pale gray eyes. He pressed his rosy lips together, whispering, “You must keep your promise, master.” “My word is law!” In reality, my heart was hammering like a war drum. What do humans even eat? Usually, I just ripped into whatever prey I caught or grabbed some wild berries. But looking at this snowy, beautiful creature, if I threw a bloody, dirt-covered chunk of raw meat at his feet, he would probably faint on the spot. I scratched my head in frustration. My horns swayed with the movement, and my wings tucked close to my back in embarrassment. Alistair watched me with that same soft, gentle gaze, hands resting neatly on his knees. Well, he was too pretty to starve. With a sigh, I walked to the darkest corner of the cave, rummaged through the debris, and dragged out a coarse burlap sack. It was a bag of sweet potatoes I had swiped from a human farm near the border. I had kept them as snacks. “What is that, master?” Alistair asked, tilting his head. His silver hair slid gracefully over his shoulder. “A tribute from the humans,” I lied smoothly. I dug a small pit in the dirt with my claws and dropped a few potatoes in. Taking a deep breath, I leaned over the pit, my face flushing red as I strained my throat to produce a tiny, flickering orange flame. A weak spark lazily licked at the dirt. To keep it from dying out, I had to stay hunched over, blowing gently on the embers. It was a humiliating posture for a fearsome dragon of the Abyss. “Your control over the flame is exquisite, master,” Alistair praised from behind. The tip of my tail twitched happily. “Indeed. I am a master of precise temperature control. Lesser dragons would simply burn the food to ash.” I boasted, though I was actually starting to feel lightheaded from a lack of oxygen. Alistair rested his chin in his hands, crouching beside me. The faint glow of the fire reflected in his bright eyes. I felt a swell of pride. I had picked a truly excellent captive. 5 Then came the next hurdle: sleeping. My cave was piled with gold coins and sparkling gems. For a thick-skinned dragon, rolling around in gold was paradise. But if this delicate human slept on those hard coins, he would be covered in bruises by morning. Where was the softest spot? I looked down at my own belly. Whatever. I kidnapped him; I had to take responsibility. “Hey. You sleep here. My belly is warm and soft,” I said, putting on my coldest, most commanding tone while pointing to my stomach. Alistair clutched his chest, slowly turning his head. “Is… is that really alright, master?” “Stop complaining. I told you to lie down, so lie down. One more word and I will throw you to the two-headed beast outside.” Without another word, Alistair crawled over and settled against my stomach. My body went rigid. I had not expected him to cuddle so close. Before I could speak, Alistair murmured, “I have always been sensitive to the cold. The people in the palace despised me because of my frail health.” “They locked me away in the draftiest tower, refusing to even light a hearth.” He coughed again, his breath shallow. “Only you… only you cared if I was cold. You even let me use your belly as a pillow.” “You are so kind, master.” I thought he was incredibly foolish. Who calls an Abyssal dragon kind? But in the end, I did not push him away. If he wanted to snuggle, let him. 6 To keep up my terrifying reputation, I made Alistair roast meat and clean my scales. I expected these chores to make a delicate princess weep and beg for mercy. But he did not complain. Instead, I was the one who felt increasingly uneasy. For instance, whenever he polished my scales, his gaze was incredibly intense, almost as if he wanted to take a bite out of me. And he certainly did not cry while working. “Achoo!” Alistair sneezed again, his eyes red as he looked at me pleadingly. “Master…” I flicked my tail in irritation. “Not today.” Yesterday he had nipped the tip of my tail. Heaven knew what he would try to bite today. “But master, the cave is freezing.” Because of his fever, his eyes were reder than usual, his nose tipped with a soft pink, and his voice was thick. Liar. Absolute liar. I pressed my wings tight against my back and wrapped my tail around myself, watching him warily. The old lizard on the hill once told me that humans feel cold when they have a fever. But the way he stared at my tail, with a hungry, burning intensity, felt like it could melt my scales right off. “If you are cold, use more straw. Didn’t I gather three whole bundles for you?” “The straw is scratchy. And it does not smell like you.” Alistair slowly crawled closer. Rain began to fall outside, sending chilly drafts through the cracks in the stone. Alistair shivered, curling into a small, white heap. As if his body could no longer support his weight, he sank to his knees, gasping for air. My tail swept against the ground. Humans were ridiculously fragile creatures. If he froze to death in my cave, the beasts outside would spread rumors that Ember the Black Dragon could not even keep a single human alive. My reputation would be ruined. “Stay right there,” I growled. Alistair froze, looking up at me with tearful eyes. A single tear slid down his pale cheek. I let out an annoyed huff. Spreading one of my massive black wings, I swept him under my shadow, completely sheltering his shivering body. Like a moth drawn to a flame, Alistair immediately clung to me. His hands were burning hot against my chest. Every muscle in my body tensed. “Keep your hands to yourself! Touch me again and I will throw you to the flesh-eating plants!” “Your chest… is so warm,” Alistair murmured, pressing closer. 7 I kept my eyes open, unable to sleep. I was thinking of someone. Someone who had filled me with regret for twenty-five long years. Twenty-five years ago, when I was just a young dragon who had newly learned to shift into human form, I was much smaller than I am now. At the edge of a cliff, I found a tiny human baby in a wooden basket. I watched the basket for days, but no human ever came to claim it. Only vultures circled overhead. So, I brought the baby back. Back then, I could barely hunt for myself, let alone feed a human child. Every night, I had to sneak down to steal fresh goat’s milk from the farmers, sometimes getting chased for miles by their hounds. But spoonful by spoonful, I raised that child. Until they turned three. The child had insisted on playing on the slopes outside the cave and went missing. I searched every inch of the Abyssal woods, only to find a single, blood-stained shoe in a thorny ravine. As the night faded, the figure in my arms shifted. Alistair let out a soft murmur, rubbing his forehead against my collarbone. Dawn had broken, and the rain had quieted to a drizzle. “You’re awake. Now get off me.” “My belly is not your mattress. The sun is up, get to work!” Alistair pushed himself up, his eyes meeting mine. “I slept so deeply. I hope I did not hurt you, master?” “Do not flatter yourself. You weigh almost nothing.” He stared at my chest. “Master, I’m hungry…” “Eat the leftover sweet potatoes,” I replied coldly. Alistair looked at me with puppy-dog eyes. “Master, you are so powerful. Do you think you could find some fresh goat’s milk? I’ve always been weak, and milk might help me gain some weight. Then I’d have more strength to serve you.” Hearing the words goat’s milk, my tail went rigid. “Do you think I’m a merchant running a delivery service?!” “Where would I find goat’s milk in the Abyss? There’s only poisonous plant sap. Take it or leave it!” Alistair lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” Seeing him look so defeated only made me more irritated. “Fine, fine! Shut up. I’ll go down the mountain tonight. If I run into a wild goat, I’ll bring some back. But don’t get any ideas! I’m only doing it because I want a change of pace!” Alistair looked up, a faint smile gracing his lips. “Thank you, master. I will wash myself clean and wait for your return.” I frowned. What a bizarre thing to say. I was not going to eat him. Why did he need to wash?

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On the eve of my wedding, my fiancé died in a car crash. Everyone thought I couldn’t live without him, but I didn’t shed a single tear. Three years later, I ran into him again. “Without me, you’ve really hit rock bottom? Fine, for old times’ sake, I’ll give you one day a week to sleep with me.” I didn’t get angry. I just laughed. Had no one told him I was already married? And my husband is his father—the Mafia Don. **1** A guest complained about not having enough condoms in the room. Worried he’d hassle the housekeeper, I went to handle it myself. I pushed the slightly open door. Julian Shaw was sprawled on the sofa in a robe. Serena Rossi was snuggled against him in a silk nightgown. “Julian, you’ve been gone for three years. You really don’t need to check on Elena?” Julian sneered. “What’s the rush? After our engagement party, I’ll just throw some cash her way. With her stubborn personality, what else can she do?” “I’m just worried. Honestly, that woman Elena is so shameless. If she knew you were here, she’d probably be too shocked to speak, right?” She laughed softly, her voice dripping with mockery. “I heard she’s been living pretty rough these past three years, doing odd jobs everywhere. Just goes to show, without you, her life is completely ruined.” The room was thick with ridicule. No one bothered to hide their sarcasm. I was about to turn and leave when Serena looked up and spotted me standing in the doorway. She bolted upright, a flash of surprise crossing her face before turning into blatant mockery. “Oh, look who it is. Elena?!” Julian turned his head, too, looking me over with bleary eyes. I was wearing the hotel manager’s uniform, holding a work tablet. A sarcastic smirk twisted his lips. “What, working here? As a housekeeper?” He pushed Serena aside and walked closer. “Dressed like that… yeah, I guess it tracks. With where you’re at now, landing a job at this hotel is a real achievement. So, what, you found out Serena and I are staying here and came looking for me?” Serena came over, too. “Oh wow, she really is a hotel employee. Elena, it’s been three years. How did you end up… working in a place like this? No wonder Julian forgot about you. Looking like this now, who would even care?” I frowned, my hands clenching subconsciously. They were making me sick. But Julian mistook my reaction as me being stung by their romantic display. He looked smug. “Alright, don’t pull that face. If you still want to be with me, you’ll have to adapt to this new dynamic. Don’t worry, I’ll save one day a week just for you.” He paused, then added, “Since you work here, that makes it even more convenient.” Serena jumped in immediately, her voice dripping with schadenfreude. “Oh, Elena, look! Julian still has feelings for you. Even with his memory gone, he still holds a place for you in his heart, willing to give you one day a week! How much can you even make as a manager here? Why not just take care of Julian and me? Your life would be way better than before, right? Look at how pathetic you are. You’ve had enough of this miserable existence, haven’t you? You need to grab this chance!” Serena tsked a few times. “No helping it, Elena. We’ll just have to put you in a tough spot for now. After all, Julian loves me the most right now. But since you work here, we’ll visit often to ‘help’ your business.” Julian glanced at me dismissively. “What’s she got to be upset about? She was crazy in love with me before. She should be secretly grateful she even gets to see me now.” Hearing this, my heart twisted painfully. Julian was now so unrecognizable, he was a stranger to me. I remembered clearly how, years ago, he had loved me so deeply. Once, I was cornered in a secluded back alley. He dropped everything to come for me, taking a life-threatening knife wound meant for me. He almost didn’t make it. Back then, looking at his pale face and blood-soaked bandages in the hospital bed, my heart ached so much I couldn’t speak. I just called him an idiot. But he weakly grabbed my hand. “As long as you’re safe, my life is worth it.” The past was vivid in my mind, but reality was a different story. It turns out a person can change this much. I suppressed the churning emotions, and calmly revealed the wedding ring on my finger. “You’ve got the wrong person.” “And I’m already married.” **2** The room instantly went silent. Julian casually glanced at the wedding ring on my finger. “Married? To some guy doing odd jobs?” He scoffed. “Look at how pathetic you are. That ring’s probably from a flea market! What, you think this is enough to trigger my memory of you?” Without waiting, he shot up from the sofa and yanked the ring off my ring finger. Serena stepped closer, examining the wedding ring carefully. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. “Julian, why does this ring look so much like the ‘Eternal Hearts’ pair your father, Alexander, bid on at that French auction three years ago? Elena, don’t tell me the man you married is Mr. Shaw?” The idea was too absurd for them. After all, Alexander Shaw was the family’s true power, a man of cold, swift decisions, someone no one in the criminal world dared to offend. Yet, three years ago, this very man suddenly got married in a flash wedding to a mysterious woman, treasuring her to an extreme. For three years, no matter how the outside world dug, they couldn’t find a single trace of his wife or son. “Elena, you’re not going to say you’re that mysterious woman no one has been able to find for three years, are you?” Serena tossed the ring in the air and caught it, her voice still mocking. “This fake is a pretty good copy. Where’d you get it?” Her relentless mockery was grating on my nerves. “Don’t touch my ring. It’s real…” Before I could finish, Julian slapped me across the face, snapping my head to the side. A sharp, burning pain bloomed on my cheek. “Elena, have you lost your mind? You dare spread rumors about my father? Everyone knows how much he treasures his wife. Even I’ve never seen her face. You actually have the nerve to impersonate her? Who gave you the guts?!” I licked my dry lips and slowly turned my head, meeting Julian’s gaze. Maybe my stare was too intimidating, because Julian frowned. Serena wasn’t having it. She pointed a finger in my face and yelled, “Elena, how can you be so heartless? Julian already promised you one day a week. You don’t appreciate it, and now you dare to impersonate someone? Everyone in our circles knows Mr. Shaw’s biggest taboo is his mysterious wife. Are you trying to get him to turn on Julian? How can you be so malicious!” Hearing this, I felt dazed. Once, Serena had been my best friend. We went to school together, job-hunted together. Until I started dating Julian. She suddenly changed, constantly trying to smear my image and drive a wedge between Julian and me. But back then, Julian never believed her. He even severely punished her for her malicious slander. Now, the man who once defended me most fiercely was standing with Serena. He held Serena’s hand and threw a wad of cash hard in my face. “Enough, stop pretending. For old times’ sake, I won’t hold this against you. Look at your pathetic state. This money should last you a while.” The sharp edges of the bills cut my face, tiny beads of blood surfacing. I ignored them, just staring fixedly at Julian. An inexplicable flicker of guilt and panic crossed his face. Seeing this, I let out a scoff and bent down. The guilt and panic on Julian’s face faded, replaced by sarcasm again. “I thought you actually had some backbone…” His words stopped mid-sentence. Under Julian’s stunned gaze, I found the ring among the scattered cash. Julian froze, blocking my path before I could leave. “Why are you still pretending? Any single bill on the floor could buy dozens of your cheap rings!” His expression was complicated. Looking closely, I could even see a trace of anger. I ignored his emotional shift and slapped his hand away hard. Julian’s hand froze in mid-air, his teeth grinding audibly. “Fine, you’ve really grown some nerve. The poorer you get, the bigger your temper. Tomorrow night, there’s a private dinner on the hotel’s top floor. My father will attend with his wife. If you have the guts, come!” At the mention of the dinner, Serena’s eyes lit up. She quickly added, “Maybe she’s scared of being exposed and won’t dare to show up.” I didn’t want to engage with them anymore. I turned and strode away, leaving one last sentence behind. “I’ll be there tomorrow night. I hope you’ll still be this confident then.” **3** I rushed out of the hotel, and breathing in the fresh air, the nausea churning in my stomach finally subsided. I took out my phone and replayed the video I’d received three years ago. In the footage, the man intimately held Serena, laughing lazily and carelessly. “Elena is too boring. Though I love her, she can’t give me the thrill I want.” “This faked death… once I’ve had my fun, I’ll go back. She’s the type you settle down with. But with this stunt I’m pulling, knowing her personality, she might do something stupid like hurt herself. You guys have to keep an eye on her.” The day I got the death certificate, I did think about ending it all. It was his friends who kept stopping me, preventing me from doing anything drastic. Looking back now, their twisted sobs were clearly them struggling to hold back laughter. I put away my phone and looked out at the dim streetlights outside the hotel. Regardless of whether Julian was alive or dead, he had no place in my heart, not since three years ago. The next evening, I held my son Leo’s hand and arrived at the Shaw estate as promised. The moment Julian saw us, mother and son, enter the banquet hall, his tense expression instantly relaxed, replaced by undisguised mockery. I looked away, holding Leo’s hand steadily, planning to take our seats. But someone tripped me hard. Shielding Leo, I crashed into a server’s tray. The tray, carrying a bottle of vintage red wine and several crystal glasses, smashed to the floor. Scarlet wine and glass shards splattered all over me, ruining my designer dress instantly. A few pieces of broken glass cut Leo’s exposed calf, and he winced in pain. The shards cut my face and arms, blood trickling from my forehead. The hall erupted in chaos, all eyes on us. Wine blurred my vision. I struggled to get up, but before I could steady myself, someone shoved me hard again. Serena’s furious voice rang out from above. “Elena, what is your problem? We invited you to a family gathering, and not only do you have zero manners, you deliberately knock over such expensive wine, and you bring a fatherless, ill-mannered brat to cause trouble! Can’t you stand seeing us happy?!” Many people were at this dinner, most having heard that Alexander Shaw would appear with his mysterious wife. They were all eager to curry favor with Julian. “Some people really have no shame, daring to bully the Shaws. Making a scene at Mr. Shaw’s family dinner and bringing a child of unknown origin. Let’s see how she gets out of this!” “Hey, look at that ring on her finger. Doesn’t it look just like the ‘Eternal Hearts’ ring Mr. Shaw paid a fortune for three years ago? How dare this woman!” “Everyone knows Mr. Shaw loves his wife deeply. Daring to blatantly pose as an imposter at an event like this, and with a burden whose father is a mystery, she’s really asking for death!” Julian heard these comments, too. His chest heaved with rage, his eyes looking ready to spit fire. He glared viciously at Leo, who was clinging tightly to my clothes, scared pale. “Elena, you’re just a walking disaster! I was blind to have ever liked you. Still wearing that fake, shabby ring, and you had a bastard with some random man. Are you waiting for my father to get here and deal with you personally?!” Without another word, he walked straight towards me and stomped down on my left ring finger, grinding it hard. A piercing pain shot from my finger, straight to my heart. It felt like thousands of blades stabbing my heart. Seeing me struggle, Serena immediately called for people to hold me down. In an instant, I couldn’t move. Crying, Leo tried to come to me but was shoved aside impatiently by a man. Wine blurred my vision. I wanted to fight back but couldn’t. Finally, I could only shout in fury: “Alexander Shaw is my husband! Let go of my son!” Julian burst out laughing at this, as if hearing the most ridiculous joke. His foot twisted cruelly, the tip of his shoe nearly snapping my ring finger off. “Your son? Just an unwanted bastard! Now you’re still trying to play the imposter? When my father gets here, how will you explain yourself? He loves his wife so much, just wait for your death!” Seeing Julian was beyond reason, I felt despair. I used all my strength to break free, but I was pinned down. Leo’s cries and the crowd’s mockery of “bastard” constantly pierced my eardrums. I gritted my teeth in my heart. When the time comes, I won’t let a single one of these people off the hook! Julian pressed down again with his foot. The distinct sound of bone snapping was heard. I grunted in pain, but suddenly, my whole body felt light. The people holding me down had let go. Everyone ignored me, quickly getting up to fix their appearance, their gazes eagerly fixed ahead. The butler opened the banquet hall doors. Alexander Shaw, alone, walked in with a calm expression. **4** Alexander strode forward alone. Serena immediately approached him, holding a plate of pastries. “Mr. Shaw, are you looking for your wife and son?” She wore an eager, attentive smile. Alexander glanced at her distantly, not answering directly. His gaze swept the room, as if searching for something. Seeing Alexander, Julian enthusiastically went to greet him. “You’re finally here. I’ve missed you so much all these years! Oh, right, why didn’t your wife and son come with you?” Alexander looked at Julian with detached coolness, his voice flat. “I had unfinished business abroad and came back a bit later. She returned to the country three days ago. You should have met her. She said she’d come find you beforehand. Did you not meet?” Julian was stunned, a look of surprise flashing across his face. “No, no one has come to see me in the past three days. I haven’t met your wife… or son.” Getting no response, Alexander’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Serena stepped forward at this moment, smiling gently. “Mr. Shaw, don’t worry. Your wife and son might just be delayed by something on the way. But… we have a bad woman here impersonating your wife, and she even brought a child pretending to be your son. Would you like to take a look?” Some guests eager to flatter Alexander chimed in, “Yes, Mr. Shaw, you have no idea how arrogant this woman is. Even knowing you were about to arrive, she still claimed to be your wife, and said that child was your son. Holding a shabby ring, did she think we couldn’t tell the difference?” Julian also stepped forward at this moment. “Rest assured, I’ve already severely punished this person. I broke her finger and threw away the ring. No one can impersonate your wife. You can be at ease!” “Embarrassingly, I actually know this person. I even had a past with her. I don’t know why I was so blind back then to choose someone so despicable, so vain, trying to put on a show as Mrs. Shaw.” “She probably wanted to use me to get close to you and rise to riches. But of course, I couldn’t give her that chance. Everyone knows how deeply you love your wife. Once, someone simply said a bad word about her, and you put that person in an oil drum filled with cement and sank him into the sea. We all see your love for your wife. I absolutely won’t allow anyone to damage her image!” Alexander’s expression changed the moment Julian mentioned having a past relationship with me. The more he listened, the darker his face became, until finally, he let out a cold laugh. “What’s the name of this person you’re talking about?” Julian thought Alexander was angry at me and ready to settle the score. He glanced at me, huddled in a corner, barely alive. My dress was still stained with wine, looking utterly disheveled. Leo was curled up beside me, his little face covered in tear tracks, a bloody scratch on his leg. Julian loudly announced: “This person is my ex-girlfriend, Elena.”

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After being reborn, I chugged ten bottles of poison straight away and jumped into a shark tank. It was all because, in my previous life, my husband’s sister, Finley, was diagnosed with a “terminal illness.” She ate and drank lavishly in front of the camera every day, while I was rushed to the hospital for gut-wrenching cramps. She dressed to the nines, while my body was covered in unexplained, festering sores. I went to my husband to explain the situation, but he pushed me away impatiently. “There’s a limit to being jealous! Finley is so sick, it’s only natural I take extra care of her. Do you really have to put on this act?” After that, my sister-in-law got even worse, going on a crazy suicide run with her illness, even eating a mango cake she was allergic to. And I ended up in the hospital from a severe allergic reaction, my life hanging by a thread. I went for check-ups, but the doctors couldn’t find a cause. They concluded it was psychological, driven by my jealousy. Later, to build an image as an “inspirational cancer-fighting beauty,” my sister-in-law started a high-intensity workout livestream. After she jumped around for three hours straight, my internal organs ruptured and I died. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my sister-in-law announced she was seriously ill.

After my sister-in-law Finley was diagnosed with “leukemia,” she used it as an excuse to throw a tantrum about moving in with us, so my husband could take care of her every second. My mother-in-law, Sophia, was naturally overjoyed and immediately agreed, even bringing her chicken soup that had been simmering for hours. But the moment Finley took a small sip, my stomach seized up in a violent, twisting cramp, and I couldn’t help but dry heave. As expected, being reborn didn’t change the situation. I wasn’t sick, but the intense, chemo-like reactions that should have been Finley’s were happening to me. As I stood there in shock, Finley pushed the soup away in disgust, demanding to eat super-spicy fire noodles. “Ethan, this soup is way too bland. A sick person’s mouth tastes bitter, I just want something with a kick! Please~” My husband looked at her whining with a doting gaze and sighed helplessly. “Fine, fine, my little princess. What else do you want besides the fire noodles?” “Yay! I also want mango cake, blue cheese…” Listening to Finley rattle off a list of junk food, I immediately stepped in front of her. If I let her wreck her body like this, a single violent vomiting spell would be enough to torture me half to death. I spoke up quickly, “Honey, Finley is still in treatment. How can you let her eat these irritating things?” Sophia, standing nearby, had initially thought I’d make a scene about her letting Ethan bring his sister to live with us. But when she heard me showing so much concern for Finley’s health, she paused, stunned, and then immediately chimed in with me. “Absolutely right! When you’re sick, you need to eat light, nourishing food. How can you eat that junk?” “Ethan, don’t spoil Finley rotten!” But Finley’s eyes immediately reddened, and she burst into loud sobs after hearing this. “Sister-in-law, why are you making things hard for me? I’m just sick and have no appetite, I just want to eat something I’m craving!” “Are you blaming me for taking Ethan’s attention away, which is why you’re acting like this? Fine! I’ll pull out my IV and stop treatment! Just let me die!” This was exactly how it had been in my last life. Ever since Finley got “sick,” I started having a series of strange, painful symptoms, so I suspected her immediately. But because she was a “seriously ill patient” who could put on a pitiful act, my husband didn’t believe a word I said. “Are you jealous that I’m paying a little more attention to Finley, so you’re deliberately making up these lies to fool me?” “There’s a limit to being jealous! Finley is so sick, it’s perfectly normal for me to be good to her! Do you have to deliberately put on this act?” From then on, my husband Ethan directly took Finley and moved out, staying by her side to care for her 24/7. Whenever he found me coming over, he’d chase me away without any mercy. Several times, when I fainted from violent vomiting outside their door, Ethan would be carefully holding Finley, laughing at my misery. “Tch, if you’re done acting, get lost! Finley is in poor health now, she can’t stand seeing an unlucky jinx like you!” Ethan and Finley lived outside for three months. During that time, I was hospitalized fifty times for bizarre reasons – vomiting, allergies, unexplained bleeding. Until later, Finley started a crazy fitness livestream to build her image as an inspirational sick beauty. After she jumped for three hours, my internal organs ruptured, and I died from massive blood loss. When I opened my eyes again, I had actually been reborn. This time, I had to find the key to breaking this situation! Saying this, I met Finley’s now venomous gaze and took the initiative to lower my head and apologize to her. “Finley, I didn’t mean to upset you. How about this, since you want to eat those things, I’ll go buy them for you myself.” I said this with my mouth, but my eyes were firmly fixed on that bowl of scalding chicken soup. Since Finley could transfer her pain to me, I was determined to test today if this suffering was only directed at me!

Ethan hadn’t expected me to be this reasonable, and the scolding words he was about to say died in his throat. Even Sophia and Finley nearby were frozen in place. Before anyone could react, I turned and ran out of the house, heading to a supermarket a few miles away. When I returned with my arms full of bags, Finley’s face was tightly scrunched up. She checked the snacks in the plastic bags one by one, and spoke with a hint of disgust. “Sister-in-law, I wanted super-spicy fire noodles. Why did you just buy the mildly spicy ones?” “And this, I wanted mango cake, but you bought strawberry? Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?” I completely ignored her complaints. When she was done whining, I pretended to slip and knocked over the bowl of scalding chicken soup beside my hand. Most of the boiling soup splashed onto my hand, which instantly swelled with red, blistering burns. I gritted my teeth against the intense pain, glaring at Finley. But she was just startled. After dodging away, her face showed no sign of pain. The searing pain in my hand hadn’t transferred to her at all. Just as I was feeling disappointed, a wicked smile played on Finley’s lips. “Sister-in-law, it seems you didn’t take my words to heart at all, did you?” She started complaining with feigned grievance. “Oh, it’s all my fault. I only think about what I want to eat after getting this sick. I knew you disliked me so much, I shouldn’t have bothered with treatment!” As she said this, Finley began pounding her own chest frantically. And a sharp, piercing pain immediately shot through my own chest. She was doing this on purpose! I suppressed the pain and could only put on a sincere, apologetic expression. “Finley, I was just thinking of your health. I remember you became allergic to mangoes after falling ill, so I changed the flavor.” “Your health is the most important thing right now. If an allergy caused other complications, that would be terrible. Please, don’t be reckless!” Hearing me say this, Sophia also quickly urged her to stop before going too far. She even complimented me on the side for being so thoughtful and considerate. Finley wanted to whine to Ethan for help, but he was also afraid of her health taking a turn for the worse. So he went along with it and persuaded Finley to stop pushing it. “Riley is just looking out for you. Be good, when you’re feeling a bit better, I’ll take you to eat whatever you want.” Seeing them being all lovey-dovey right in front of me, I endured the burning pain in my hand and ran to the bathroom to rinse it under cold water. A chill ran through my heart. As expected, this damn transfer was one-way! And at this moment, my husband Ethan had already cooked the pack of fire noodles for Finley and was spoon-feeding her the strawberry cake, bite by bite. Luckily, this time I had swapped everything out, and the vomiting reaction wasn’t as severe as in my last life. I also didn’t go into anaphylactic shock from the mango cake. This put my mind at ease, and I shed my exhaustion, returning to the bedroom to rest. But lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep at all. As long as I didn’t figure out what was going on, Finley could control me at any moment. Just as I was thinking about how to break this deadlock, a violent, churning cramp in my stomach made me vomit violently. There were even traces of blood and bile in the vomit. I was hugging the toilet, throwing up until the world spun, carefully trying to recall if I had eaten anything I shouldn’t have. Right then, it hit me. I grabbed my phone and checked Finley’s SnapChat story. I found she’d dared to go out alone to a barbecue stall. She even posted a video showing off. “A sick girl’s got cravings, so I had to sneak out for some good food by myself~”

In the video, Finley was happily eating with an extra-spicy kebab in one hand and an iced cola in the other. I’ve always preferred light flavors, and combined with the violent vomiting, I was already tortured and drenched in cold sweat. Seeing this, I was so angry I called Finley directly. As soon as the call connected, Finley pretended she knew nothing, speaking in that fake, sickeningly sweet tone. “Oh, sister-in-law, why aren’t you asleep this late? I’m still out having barbecue. If there’s nothing important, don’t bother me.” “Also, please keep it a secret from your mother-in-law~ You know how she is, she’s just so overbearing.” Before she could finish, I growled in a low voice, “Finley, what on earth have you done to me? Why, after you got sick, has all the pain been transferred to me?!” But Finley on the other end deliberately ignored me, even ordering a few more skewers of insanely spicy beef kidneys from the owner. I gagged and vomited uncontrollably, my whole body so weak I was trembling. Finley acted like she didn’t understand a thing. “Sister-in-law, do you have a persecution complex or something? What could a sick person like me do to you?” “Could it be that you saw me getting sick and want to fight for Ethan’s attention, so you’re deliberately putting on a pity act?” “In that case, as long as you admit you’re just acting, I’ll stop eating.” Hearing her deliberately order more greasy, spicy junk food, my stomach convulsed. I could only cry and admit it. “Fine! You’re right! I am acting! I’m begging you, please stop this madness!” Who knew, the next second, my husband Ethan’s furious voice boomed from the other end. “Riley! You’ve utterly disappointed me!” With that, Finley laughed loudly and hung up the phone. After another violent bout of vomiting, I mustered my last ounce of strength and called 911. Luckily, the ambulance arrived quickly. After being unconscious for 8 hours, I finally woke up. This time, I had vomited so violently and excessively that I was hospitalized for dehydration and shock. But the doctor looked at my chart, utterly unable to find any cause. “We did a gastroscopy, a colonoscopy, blood tests… We haven’t found anything wrong. Do you have any idea yourself?” I didn’t answer. I immediately asked the doctor to discharge me and rushed straight home to find the real culprit. The moment I saw Finley, I put a knife to her throat. “Sister-in-law, what are you doing?!” I was too tired to keep up this act with her, and I glared at her with deadly intent. “I don’t have time for your nonsense. Talk! Why, after you got sick, is all the pain transferred to me!” Finley looked incredibly wronged. “Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? You don’t really have a persecution complex, do you?” I pressed the knife closer. “Drop the act! Talk!” Finley screamed in fright. “Okay, okay, I’ll talk! I’ll talk!” But the next second, she switched back to an innocent victim act and cried out, “Ethan, help!” Ethan had actually snuck up behind me while I was distracted. He snatched the knife away and kicked me square in the chest. “Riley! You dare touch Finley? Do you want to die?!” Sophia also rushed forward and slapped me hard across the face. “Damn it, you bitch! And to think I thought you were finally being sensible. You were just holding back for this dirty trick!” “You dare lay a hand on Finley?! I’ll beat you to death!” Ethan and Sophia immediately called the police, saying they had to teach me a lesson. Facing the officers in the room, Ethan directly played the recording from that night he spent with Finley at the barbecue. “Officer, my wife insists Finley transferred her illness pain to her, but listen for yourselves! She clearly admitted it was all an act! She’s just jealous of Finley!” “Today she even dared to threaten Finley with a knife. A woman this vicious, you need to take her away now!” The police were initially skeptical of Ethan’s story, but when they clearly heard me in the recording saying: “Fine! You’re right! I am acting!” Their expressions changed immediately. They put me in handcuffs. And one of them warned me sternly, “Making such a scene just because of jealousy! This is absolutely ridiculous!” I struggled desperately, trying to explain, but from the corner of my eye, I saw Finley, smiling as she started eating a chunk of mango. Instantly, a severe allergic reaction hit me like a pair of giant invisible hands, strangling my throat tight. My limbs began to convulse uncontrollably, my vision going black. I could only look to the crowd for help, trembling. But Ethan just sneered coldly, without a care. “See, officers! This bitch is acting again! You can be our witnesses today!”

I clenched my fists tightly, forcing myself to stay conscious with my last breath, and lunged into the arms of a nearby female officer. “I’m not acting… Please… Please, take me to the hospital.” The officer looked at my pale face and finally realized something was wrong. She quickly moved to help me out. But Ethan and Sophia blocked the way, insisting I had to apologize to Finley first before I could leave. “If I ever catch you trying to harm Finley again, I’m divorcing you immediately!” I completely lost consciousness. When I woke up in the hospital again, the doctor was scratching his head frantically. He couldn’t understand why, with all my tests perfectly normal, I had mysteriously gone into anaphylactic shock. Left with no other choice, he suggested I make an appointment with the psychiatric department. I gave a bitter laugh and just asked the doctor to prescribe me some sleeping pills and painkillers. The doctor, at a loss, listened to me, gave me a bunch of pills, and let me go. The police also ruled it as a domestic dispute and didn’t press charges against me harshly. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I packed a light bag and decided to go back to my parents’ house. Thankfully, my parents believed me completely. After taking me for every test imaginable with no results, they patiently comforted me and told me to rest first. I smiled and nodded, agreeing. But suddenly, a heavy, wrenching pain seized my lower abdomen. It felt like a pair of hands were grabbing my internal organs and twisting them wildly, accompanied by a fair amount of bleeding. I instinctively searched for Finley’s account on social media and saw she had already started a fitness livestream under the banner of “inspirational cancer warrior.” In the video, she was in workout clothes, jumping and bouncing in front of the camera. [Life is about movement! Everyone, even when you’re sick, you have to face it positively and fight the disease with energy!] Clutching my painfully cramping stomach, I was shaking with rage, wishing I could tear Finley to pieces. And right then, I received a mysterious phone call. At that moment, I finally understood what was behind all of this. In the following days, Finley became an overnight internet sensation with her gimmick of a sick person doing fitness livestreams. Even though she claimed to be seriously ill, her energetic appearance made many people envious, and she accumulated a huge following. Many fitness influencers jumped on the trend and connected with her for fitness PKs. She was delighted to see this and naturally launched a “three-hour fitness challenge” online. In my last life, it was this challenge that caused my internal organs to rupture and kill me. This time, I was eating ice cream and watermelon, leisurely watching over her livestream. The day of the challenge arrived quickly. Her livestream instantly shot to the number one spot in trending. Finley, in her workout clothes, started bouncing and jumping to the background music. But just five minutes in, her expression suddenly became strange, and she stopped abruptly. The comments started to panic, while Ethan and Sophia asked with concern if she was feeling unwell. But seeing the number of viewers steadily dropping, Finley suppressed her discomfort, shook her head, and prepared to start jumping again. Who would have thought, the next second, after she jumped and landed, she actually lost control of her bladder in front of over a hundred thousand viewers. In an instant, yellow liquid streamed down her thighs, completely unstoppable. And she clutched her own stomach, passing out from the pain. Watching this scene unfold, I laughed so hard I couldn’t straighten my back. Soon, Ethan’s call came through. “What did you do?!”

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After inheriting a multi-million dollar fortune, I decided to quit my job at my brother’s company. When the intern Katherine found out, she panicked and blocked my way, begging, “How will you live after you quit?” “I’ve already forgiven you for copying me. Just stay!” In my previous life, I poured my heart into a project proposal for six months, only to be accused of plagiarism at the final presentation by the client. Because Katherine had already secretly contacted the client beforehand and presented a proposal that was identical to my core content. I begged my brother, the company CEO, and my husband Mark to vouch for me. But my brother announced with a heavy tone, “Eve, since you’re my sister, I won’t hold you accountable for the company’s losses this time.” Then, he immediately signed an internal memo confirming my “crime” of stealing a colleague’s idea. And my husband Mark didn’t say a single word in my defense. I became a shameless parasite who used connections and plagiarized. Unable to clear my name, I was blacklisted by the entire industry and couldn’t find another job. I sank into depression and ended my life on a snowy night. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the week before the client presentation.

“Eve, I heated some milk for you. No matter how late you’re preparing the proposal, take care of yourself.” My brother Daniel placed the cup on my desk, his voice gentle. But this scene almost made me fall out of my chair. Just then, my husband Mark pushed the door open. He set a lunch box on the table. “I heard you’ve been pulling all-nighters, so I made soup to nourish you.” I had experienced this scene twice before. In my previous life, I thought I was the luckiest woman in the world. My brother, seven years older and already the company CEO, had always been extremely protective of me. And my beloved husband Mark was my most trusted harbor. But after my rebirth, I felt nothing but coldness. In my previous life, when I presented the proposal to the client, my core content turned out identical to Katherine’s. After the client discovered it, they immediately complained to senior management. As the brightest rising star in the department, I was supposed to be promoted through this project. But once the scandal broke, I was instantly swept into a whirlwind of accusations. I turned to my brother, the CEO, and my husband Mark, who was in the same project team, begging them to help me clear my name. But they refused. Daniel even apologized to the client on my behalf, begging the company to only issue an internal reprimand because I was a first-time offender and his sister. And Mark avoided my gaze from start to finish. This incident sparked intense debate among colleagues and the industry. “I knew she only dared to plagiarize on such an important project because the CEO is her own brother and her husband is on the team. Isn’t this a family fraud?” “Exactly! Someone with no professional ethics like her should be banned from the industry!” Under the public pressure, the company launched a harsh investigation. Soon after, the investigation results “confirmed” that I had plagiarized Katherine. I, who had always been hailed as a genius newcomer, was branded a thief. Meanwhile, Katherine, who had previously been mediocre, became famous overnight and gained the promotion and glory that should have been mine. Just like that, she became the company’s new star. And I became a professional pariah everyone despised. Because of the severity of the situation, I was fired immediately and blacklisted by the industry association. Stripped of my professional credentials, I could only take odd jobs. But whenever employers recognized me, they would find excuses to dock my pay or fire me outright. Penniless, I lost all hope. On a snowy night, I jumped into a lake that was about to freeze. But to my surprise, when I opened my eyes, I was back to the week before the final client presentation. Looking at my brother earnestly “helping me refine my proposal” and my husband going out of his way to “nourish my body,” my emotions were suddenly a tangled mess.

“Eve, this is the proposal framework I organized for you. As long as you follow it, you’ll definitely wow the client!” Daniel placed the compiled materials in front of me, full of confidence. My husband Mark chimed in teasingly, “Eve, you have to win this project. If you do, you’ll get promoted. I’m bringing you soup every day — if you fail, how can you face my soup?” It was clearly a joke, but I couldn’t laugh. Daniel is my biological brother; he would never harm me. My husband Mark, though sometimes blunt, had always supported me. Once, when a colleague tried to steal my credit, he almost got into a fight with them. So it couldn’t be them. Then where did the problem lie? I had been a technical prodigy since childhood, and every project I’d handled since joining the company had outstanding results. Even in a top-tier company, I was a priority talent. My department supervisor said I was the strongest competitor for the promotion this time. So when the plagiarism scandal broke, the supervisor and most of my colleagues initially believed me. Besides, my previous project accomplishments were indisputable — there was no need for me to plagiarize. But then, Katherine suddenly released surveillance footage from the preparation period. The footage showed that she had completed the overall proposal earlier than I had. And she had “shared” her thoughts on the project on the internal forum a week before the presentation. The proposal she presented was exactly a deepened version of those thoughts. In an instant, the internal gossip and accusations nearly drowned me. “This clearly proves that Evelyn copied Katherine. The timestamps are crystal clear!” “I heard her previous projects might not be real either — they just weren’t discovered!” “It’s a good thing her brother and husband kept their heads and didn’t commit perjury for her, or the real victim would’ve been wronged to death!” Because of the terrible impact, senior management took it very seriously and immediately verified Katherine’s evidence. After verification, the surveillance timestamps and forum post records were authentic and untampered with. They ruled that I had indeed plagiarized Katherine. I was stunned. That proposal was obviously my original work — how could it be plagiarism? But I had no evidence to prove it. I couldn’t understand how Katherine’s proposal ended up identical to my core content. Could Daniel have shared the “framework” he gave me with Katherine as well? One mystery after another loomed over me. But for now, Daniel and my husband Mark were acting completely normal. I could only start by investigating Katherine’s internal forum account. By my calculations, her “forward-thinking” post should already be up. But Daniel and my husband Mark, using the excuse of discussing the proposal, barely left my side. I had to quickly scribble a few irrelevant draft pages to placate them. Then I pretended to have a headache and needed fresh air in the break room. A flicker of impatience crossed my husband Mark’s eyes. “You’re so high-maintenance. Daniel already gave you the core ideas, and you still want to slack off!” Daniel hurriedly smoothed things over. “It’s not that urgent. Don’t rush her.” “As long as she follows my framework, she’ll definitely win!” But I didn’t have much time left to find the truth. After locking the break room door, I immediately checked Katherine’s internal forum on my phone. She was the daughter of a board member, and with her stunning looks and social skills, she had quite a following. But I had almost no interaction with her. However, Daniel, as the CEO, had more contact with Katherine. Once, I overheard him telling my husband Mark that Katherine clearly had the potential of a future leader, unlike me, who only buried myself in technical details. He also said that in the workplace, you had to build good relationships with people like Katherine who had both background and ability. At the time, I thought it was just a casual remark. Now, I realized it might have been his true feelings. But I truly couldn’t understand why a golden girl like Katherine would target me specifically. Then, I saw her latest post. Under the guise of “throwing out a brick to attract jade,” she shared her “preliminary thoughts” on several key challenges of the project. When I saw those “thoughts,” I froze. Weren’t these the “core logic” that Daniel had helped me organize? What’s more, Katherine even listed several key data projection directions. They were exactly the same as what I had written in my private notes last night. Below the post, colleagues were showering her with praise. “Katherine is so beautiful and talented, even willing to share unpublished project ideas like this. She’s a goddess!” “Exactly. I was completely stuck on these challenges before. Her analysis made everything clear.” Idea collisions could be coincidence. But then why was the complete proposal she was about to present also highly similar to my core content? My private workstation and computer could only be accessed by Daniel and my husband Mark, who knew the passwords. It had to be them! A chill ran down my spine. I couldn’t understand why they would do this. Was blood and marriage really worth less than Katherine’s professional connection to them?

I sat in the break room for an hour, then decided to take a desperate risk. I already knew the core proposal that would be presented. In my previous life, the one I was framed for plagiarizing was actually my most mature and safest design. It was excellent, but not flawless. This time, I decided to use a bolder, more cutting-edge, but also riskier new architecture. Since Katherine’s proposal in my previous life was identical to mine, I would completely replace the core. No matter the final evaluation, at least I could clear myself of plagiarism. Early the next morning, before Daniel arrived at the company, I secretly went to a co-working space on the other side of the city. To be honest, I hesitated. After all, adopting a completely unverified new architecture wasn’t just high risk — it might also render much of my previous work useless. There, I met my grandma, who couldn’t stand retirement and occasionally helped a friend manage the space. Grandma brought me a cup of warm milk. “What’s wrong with my sweet granddaughter? You look so upset.” I smiled bitterly. “Grandma, what if I screw up my most important project? Would you be very disappointed?” Grandma stroked my head and smiled warmly. “Silly girl, how could I?” “Grandma just wants you to be happy doing what you love. Even if this doesn’t work out, you still have me. I’ll take care of you!” Hearing that, I suddenly felt a surge of determination to do certain things. After leaving the co-working space, I got a call from Daniel. “Eve, where did you run off to? Mark brought breakfast and wants to discuss the proposal with you. He’s throwing a fit because he can’t find you!” I replied coldly, “I went out to find some inspiration and get some air. I’m coming back.” I didn’t plan to tell either of them about adopting the new architecture. After all, in my previous life, those two were the prime suspects in the “plagiarism.” I decided to rebuild the proposal in the co-working space. Besides, it was quiet enough there.

Halfway through, I stretched and planned to take a short break. I was curious about what Katherine was up to. Just as my mind wandered, Daniel and my husband Mark showed up. I wondered how they knew I was here. The next second, Daniel placed a steaming food container on my desk. “We were afraid you’d get so wrapped up in work you’d forget to eat, so we brought you something.” My husband Mark also handed me a thermos. “Freshly squeezed orange juice. I know your stomach is sensitive, so I already warmed it up.” The two of them looked so sincere. There was no way they seemed like people who would harm me. Had I been overthinking? But if it wasn’t them, who was it? My mind was a mess. I forced a smile. “You guys came just in time. I was getting hungry.” “Let me wash my hands, and I’ll eat right away.” I grabbed my phone and headed to the washroom area. But instead of going into a stall, I opened Katherine’s internal forum by the sink. Sure enough, she had posted another update. “What bad luck. I kindly shared my preliminary thoughts on the project, and someone actually stole the core ideas directly. Even though the ideas might not be fully mature, doing this is really disgusting. So, I’ve decided to restructure my entire proposal.” The attached photo was a silhouette of a woman working in a co-working space. Anyone familiar with me would recognize that silhouette as mine. But who took this photo? In the comments, someone asked Katherine what new architecture she planned to use. Katherine said she wanted to use a very cutting-edge, almost risky technical route this time. I was instantly alarmed. I hadn’t told anyone about adopting a new architecture. Even if it were a coincidence, Katherine wouldn’t choose a direction she wasn’t good at with such high risk, right? There had to be a spy for her near me! Was it Daniel or my husband Mark? Or were both of them involved? But what on earth did they stand to gain? Just then, someone suddenly tapped my shoulder. “Eve, what are you spacing out about?” I was startled. It was Daniel and my husband Mark, who had come to the break area looking for me. They’d been worried because I hadn’t returned, so they came to check. Still shaken, I replied vaguely, “Daniel, why don’t you guys go back first? I’ll eat later.” The moment I finished, my husband Mark exploded. “Evelyn Sinclair, we came all the way here to bring you food, and this is your attitude?” “Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been guarding against us for days. You don’t appreciate anything!” Daniel quickly explained, “Mark just speaks bluntly. Don’t take it personally.” “I know you’re under a lot of pressure with the project. Mark and I are just worried about you.” I hurriedly said, “Daniel, I know you’re both doing this for my own good.” “How about I go back to my own apartment for the next few days? That way you won’t have to run back and forth.” My husband Mark rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’m done waiting on you!” With that, he dragged Daniel out of the co-working space. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. At 10:30 that night, I returned to the company dormitory. The moment I walked in, I heard my roommate discussing Katherine. I leaned over to look. It was a photo. The photo showed three hands clinking drinks together. Caption: “Love from my big brothers~” I recognized them instantly — those were Daniel’s and my husband Mark’s hands. When did they get so close? I had no idea. I pulled out my phone to check Katherine’s social media. And I saw comments from Daniel and my husband Mark. “Katherine will always be the goddess in my heart.” “Don’t worry, Katherine, your big brother has a way to make sure you win the project.” I blinked, wondering if I was seeing things. But when I refreshed, the comments were deleted. It seemed the plagiarism was definitely connected to them. Reaching that conclusion, I didn’t feel much emotion. Once I knew who was behind it, it was easier to handle. I had no intention of going back to my brother’s house before the presentation anyway. They probably wouldn’t be able to help Katherine copy anymore. I could prepare my new proposal in peace.

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My husband Caleb Cole’s first love, Grace, died in a car accident. After that, he set the house on fire and locked us both inside. “The biggest regret of my life is marrying you! If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been with Grace! She wouldn’t have died so young!” In the end, I burned to death. When I woke up, we had both been reborn back to our college days. This time, I decided to let each other go. We stopped contacting each other and became strangers from then on. Seven years later, he became a rising star in the business world and dramatically announced his engagement to Grace at a yacht party. When I rushed in wearing nothing but my pajamas, all I got was his mocking laugh: “Molly, I know I’m pretty charming. You’ve been hung up on me for two lifetimes, but you don’t have to cling to the past like this.” But when he saw me take another man’s hand, his eyes turned red and he demanded: “Didn’t you say you’d love only me forever?” Seven years later, a grand party was being held on the “Starlight” yacht. I was frantically searching the cabins for my five-year-old son — half an hour ago, he said he wanted to see the seagulls on the deck, and then he disappeared the moment I turned around. I’d thrown on only a robe and run out with no makeup, looking completely undone. I searched until I reached the ballroom. In the center of the crowd, Caleb Cole and Grace were holding hands, basking in everyone’s flattery. “Caleb, you’re amazing. In just a few years, you’ve become a rising young entrepreneur everyone’s watching. This yacht is yours too, right? You’re a legend in Coastal City!” “Of course! I heard the ‘Starlight’ cost over a hundred million dollars to build and only serves high-end clients. We’re all here thanks to Caleb today!” “Caleb, I’ve got a project. For old times’ sake, could we talk about a partnership?” Someone teased, “Caleb, looking at you and Grace, is there good news on the horizon?” Grace blushed slightly and looked up at him tenderly. Caleb squeezed her hand, his smile confident. “That’s right. Tonight isn’t just a party — it’s also our engagement celebration.” Everyone raised their glasses to congratulate them. An old acquaintance joked, “Caleb, you and Molly were so crazy in love back then. Do you still keep in touch? I remember you even used a megaphone to confess your love to her during halftime at the college football game!” Hearing my name, Caleb’s smile froze for a moment, and his lips pressed together. But Grace held his arm even tighter, her voice gentle and gracious. “Caleb and I are about to get married. Don’t you think he’s moved on? A young, naive crush can’t compare to a deep, lasting adult love.” Everyone laughed and continued chatting around them. But I couldn’t care less. I anxiously scanned the room, searching for my child. Someone with sharp eyes spotted me. “Molly? What are you doing here… Oh my god, what are you wearing…” “This is a yacht party. Why are you in pajamas? Your hair isn’t even brushed. Did you just roll out of bed?” “Where are you working now? Our Mr. Cole is so successful now. Pour him a drink nicely, and maybe he’ll help an old classmate out.” Several guests murmured under their breath when they saw my casual clothes and bare face. From the moment I appeared, Caleb’s eyes had been on me. I gave him a simple nod, a quick greeting, and kept searching. He froze for a second, his gaze unreadable. “Molly, after all these years, you still don’t know how to dress for the occasion. You can’t even put on a proper outfit.” Grace swept a cold glance over me and deliberately tightened her hold on Caleb’s arm, as if staking her claim. “Caleb, don’t say that. Even though she’s dressed a little plainly, we shouldn’t keep talking about her. After all, we’re all old acquaintances.” Her tone was gentle, and she looked me over again, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her lips. “But speaking of which, why did you come to a party like this dressed like that? Wearing appropriate clothes to a formal event is a basic sign of respect for others. If you need something, I have a spare gown in my cabin. I could lend it to you.” The moment the words left her mouth, a few people snickered.

At that moment, the contrast between Grace and me was stark. She wore a Tiffany diamond necklace, a custom-made gown, and an elegant hairstyle, every gesture graceful. I had just gotten out of bed, wearing a loose robe, my hair a little messy, no makeup on my face — completely different from her. I didn’t have time to care. I kept looking around. My son was missing, and I was beside myself with worry. Caleb suddenly walked over and handed me a check for twenty thousand dollars. “This money is for you, for old times’ sake. You don’t have to pay it back. Go buy some decent clothes, find a respectable job, and take better care of yourself.” “Molly, let the past stay in the past. Don’t keep yourself trapped in it.” “If back then… forget it. There’s no point talking about it now.” “What matters is, don’t let yourself go just because of my choice, okay? It makes things really awkward for me when you’re like this.” What was he talking about? I looked up at him, confused. Suddenly, I really wanted to know what I had done in my last life to make him leave so decisively after our rebirth. In our previous life, we went from college sweethearts to marriage. He had a dream of starting his own business, and I was passionate about jewelry design. We were both busy. Because I loved him, I gave up my chance to study in Europe, started working early to support the household, and backed his dreams. When he hit wall after wall and got depressed, I was the one covering all the family expenses, patiently comforting and encouraging him. After years of marriage, whenever I brought up the topic of having children, he would push me away irritably, his eyes full of disgust. “I’ve told you long ago, I don’t want kids. I never plan to have any. The thought of having a child with someone like you makes me sick!” That sentence completely broke my heart. Then came the day the news arrived that his first love, Grace, had died in a car crash. He completely lost his mind. He dragged me into the house, locked the door, and set the place on fire. As the flames raged, he choked me by the neck, his face twisted with rage: “The biggest regret of my life is marrying you! If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been with Grace! She wouldn’t have died so young!” In the end, I burned to death. Now we’ve both been reborn, and we mutually chose to become strangers. There’s no past affection to cling to. I pushed the check back and said flatly, “That’s not necessary. I don’t need help from a stranger. Thank you.”

Caleb frowned deeply, his expression darkening. “Molly, what do you mean? You’re calling me a stranger?” I nodded slightly. “We have nothing to do with each other anymore.” I was in a hurry to keep looking for my child and didn’t have time to argue with him. Grace walked quickly to his side, saw the check, and seemed to understand something. A flicker of displeasure crossed her eyes, but she still kept her tone gentle. “Molly, if you don’t want direct help, we can recommend a job for you.” “A friend of mine owns a boutique and they’re hiring a retail associate. It’s twenty-five dollars an hour. The starting pay might not be high, but once you learn the ropes, there’s room to grow. It’s definitely more stable than unstable freelance work.” “I can give you the store manager’s number. You can contact them directly. What do you think?” My expression didn’t change. I kept searching for my son. “Thank you, but I’m very happy with my current job. I have no plans to switch industries.” Someone in the crowd spoke up: “Molly, don’t be so stubborn. They’re being nice and trying to help you. Why won’t you accept it?” “Exactly. Look at you, coming to a yacht party in your pajamas to look for a kid. Isn’t that just a way to get an opportunity? Now that an opportunity’s here, you’re acting all high and mighty. Who are you putting on a show for?” Grace kept an elegant smile on her face. “Everyone, don’t say that. Maybe Molly really does love her current job.” She turned to me, her tone soft but with a subtle hint of condescension. “Molly, we’re trying to help you because of our history. Don’t just hold out for the sake of pride. Also, your child is lost. You must be really anxious right now, right?” I was baffled. Why were they still mocking me at a time like this? If I really wanted to compare, the total assets of everyone here combined probably wouldn’t even match the value of my jewelry designs. “I really don’t need it, thank you,” I replied coldly and turned to go to another area. Grace’s smile remained, but her eyes chilled a little. Caleb clenched the check in his hand, his voice dripping with sarcasm: “You’re hopeless. You’re given a chance and you don’t even know how to take it. You deserve to stay mediocre!” His words made more people look over. A heavyset male guest came up to me with a wine glass and tried to make me drink: “Molly, seeing how down-to-earth you are now, tell you what — you drink one glass, and I’ll give you a thousand dollars.” “If you think that’s too little, I can add more.” The man’s eyes unashamedly swept over my body. People around us laughed under their breath. No one stepped in to stop it. I was just about to call a server when Caleb suddenly grabbed the man’s wrist. The air pressure around him dropped instantly, and his face was terrifyingly dark. “What do you think my yacht is? If you want to throw your weight around, go somewhere else. She’s not someone you can harass!”

The man grimaced from Caleb’s grip, but didn’t dare make a sound. Grace grabbed Caleb’s arm. “Caleb, what are you doing!” Caleb’s eyes were icy, his expression fierce. “Can’t you see she’s looking for her child? Sir, if you try that again, I’ll have you removed from this yacht immediately.” He threw the heavyset man’s hand aside. The man didn’t dare cross him and could only glare at me viciously. I was a little surprised and couldn’t help glancing at Caleb. I hadn’t expected him to step in. The gentle smile on Grace’s face barely held up as she abruptly changed the subject. “I heard the CEO of Easton Group is also on the yacht tonight. Maybe we’ll be lucky enough to meet him.” The guests got excited at her words. “The CEO of Easton Group is the richest man in Coastal City, young and successful. He’s only in his early thirties this year. I heard he’s extremely protective of his family. The media has never managed to dig up his wife’s identity.” “Then what does his wife do?” “Rumor is she’s an internationally renowned jewelry designer. Her ‘Starry Night’ collection sold for an astronomical price at the Paris auction last year! But she’s incredibly low-key and rarely appears in public.” “That’s amazing. Maybe we’ll get to see this mysterious designer in person today!” The words had barely been spoken when a little boy about five years old slipped into the ballroom through a side door, looking around curiously, and immediately drew a lot of attention. “Whose child is this? He’s adorable, absolutely gorgeous.” Someone in the crowd suddenly lowered their voice in surprise: “Wait a second… that kid, I feel like I’ve seen his picture in a financial magazine. Isn’t he the youngest son of Brandon Fu from Easton Group?” The moment this was said, several people’s eyes instantly turned eager. Grace reacted the fastest. She plastered a gentle, gracious smile on her face, quickly walked over to the little boy, crouched down, and said softly, “Hey there, little guy. Are you alone? What kind of snack would you like? Let me help you get some?” As she spoke, she reached out to pat the child’s head. Unexpectedly, the little boy frowned, nimbly dodged to the side, and ignored her completely. At the same time, a tall, stern-faced man appeared hurriedly through the other main door of the ballroom. His sharp eyes swept the room, and when he saw the child, he visibly relaxed. He strode over. “Ryan, what are you doing running off by yourself?” The man’s voice was deep, with a hint of reproach, but more worry than anything. Seeing the man, the boy immediately broke into a relieved smile and called out clearly, “Daddy! I came to see the big boat!” Then he turned his head, saw me, and his eyes lit up like stars. Without hesitation, he dodged around the still-crouching Grace and ran toward me with open arms: “Mommy! I finally found you!”

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After My Miscarriage, My Husband Wanted Me to Donate a Kidney to His Mistress After my unexpected miscarriage, my husband took a long leave from work to take care of me. He looked at me with eyes full of pity. “Children will come again. You must take care of yourself. What would I do if something happened to you?” He bought me all sorts of expensive supplements and tended to my every need. I thought I had finally found someone who truly loved me. Until I discovered the car accident that caused my miscarriage was his deliberate design. He said to my sister, “Sierra, don’t worry. I made sure the guy I hired would only hit her hard enough to cause a miscarriage. It won’t affect her kidneys.” “Once she’s recovered, I’ll make her donate a kidney to you.” Ice flooded my veins. Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. “Hello, I’d like to schedule a death-faking service.” I had just gotten home and set down my bag when I heard a car pull up downstairs, followed by familiar voices. I walked to the window and saw Finn helping Sierra out of the car. Hank and Lena got out of another vehicle. The group hurriedly entered the building. I immediately hid in the storage closet next to the living room, leaving the door slightly ajar. A key turned in the lock. They came into the living room. “Let Sierra sit down, quick.” Lena’s voice was frantic. “Hank, doesn’t she look paler to you?” “Mom, I’m fine. Just a little dizzy.” Sierra’s voice sounded terribly weak. Finn jumped in right away, his tone full of concern. “You call that fine? Your hands are like ice. We have to decide, and soon. Sierra’s condition can’t wait!” Hank sighed. “I know, but Hazel just had a miscarriage. Her body needs time to recover. Forcing a surgery now is too risky. And we need her to sign the papers ‘voluntarily,’ or the hospital won’t even process it.” Hidden in the storage closet, my heart hammered against my ribs. I quietly switched my phone to recording mode and slipped it through the crack in the door. “Recover? What more recovery does she need?” Lena’s voice suddenly spiked with impatience. “All those supplements we’ve been feeding her—what do you think they were for? This day! Sierra can’t wait any longer! As long as her test results barely meet the minimum and it won’t mess up the surgery, who cares what happens to her afterward?” My hand clamped over my mouth. So all that “care” and all those “supplements” were just to fatten me up for a safe organ harvest. “But Mom,” Finn seemed to hesitate. “Hazel just had a miscarriage. If she has surgery now, what if it seriously damages her long-term health? What if…” “What if what?” Lena snapped. “The most important thing right now is Sierra! Nothing else matters! Why else have we been nursing her back to health if not for the kidney donation? Finn, you’re not going soft, are you?” “How could I?” Finn shot back immediately. “I only married her to wait for the right chance to save Sierra. Once she donates the kidney, she’s of no value to me. It’s always been Sierra I love.” Sierra leaned into Finn’s arms, her voice trembling with tears. “Finn, you’re so good to me… She’ll help me, right? We’re family…” “She wouldn’t dare refuse!” Hank’s voice was final. “We gave her life and raised her. Now it’s her time to repay us! Sierra is her own sister. How could she just stand by and watch her die? As soon as her next test results are out, if her numbers are close enough, we’ll find a way to make her sign!” “Right,” Lena said coldly. “If the gentle approach doesn’t work, we’ll use force. She owes this family. She owes Sierra! This has to be arranged quickly. Sierra can’t afford to wait.” I stood frozen in the darkness, silent tears streaming down my face. So my only value in this life was a single healthy kidney. Outside, Sierra let out a low moan. “What’s wrong with Sierra? Is she feeling worse again?” Finn asked immediately. “Quick, get her to the hospital!” Lena panicked. “Go to the hospital now! We’ll deal with this later!” Hank decided. A flurry of hurried footsteps and the slam of the door later, the house fell completely silent. They had rushed Sierra to the hospital. I slowly walked out of the storage closet, staring at the empty living room. The last shred of my hesitation vanished. I walked to the desk, signed the divorce papers, and locked them in the safe. Then, I took out another phone and sent a single text: Initiate the plan. The death-faking service was all set. I looked around this so-called “home,” my eyes as cold as ice. Late that night, a fire erupted inside the house. The flames spread rapidly. When Finn got the news and rushed back, all he saw was the charred ruins of the house and the firefighters carrying out a body burned beyond recognition. By then, I had already left with a new identity.

I thought I’d never see them again. Not until a seemingly ordinary afternoon, a year later. I was taking out the trash when I pushed open my door and saw several people standing in the hallway of my old apartment building. Finn’s eyes locked onto me. In a flash, he lunged forward, his hand clamping down on my wrist like a vise. “Hazel?!” His voice was shaking. “You… really are alive?!” I tried to pull my hand back, but he only squeezed tighter. “Let go! I don’t know you!” I struggled violently. “Faking your death… You actually dared to fake your death!” Finn’s eyes were bloodshot. “Do you have any idea what this past year has been like for us?!” Lena wailed and threw herself at me. “You ungrateful brat! Do you know we thought you were dead?!” Hank blocked my escape route. “Enough talk! The important thing is we found her! Take her away!” From the moment I was born, Hank and Lena had dumped me in the countryside to live with my grandparents. It wasn’t until they both passed away, and the local government contacted them, that they reluctantly brought me back. I had always wanted to ask them one thing: Why didn’t they love me? I was using almost all my strength. Lena couldn’t pry my fingers loose. A sharp “slap” rang out. Lena’s palm landed hard across my face. “You’d better come with me to the hospital right now! If something happens to Sierra because you delayed things for a whole year, I will never forgive you!” My cheek instantly swelled and reddened. I let out a bitter laugh. “So the mask finally comes off.” Lena didn’t even flinch. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! All I know is Sierra needs a kidney transplant now, and you’re the most compatible donor! You have to come with me this instant!” Seeing that I still refused to let go, Hank stepped in to help. “Hazel, you used to be so sensible. Your sister needs you now. Just do this one favor for your mom and dad and come to the hospital, okay?” Hank was trying to play the pity card. I spat directly at his feet. “Stop pretending! Her life matters, but mine doesn’t? Have you ever, not even once, treated me like a daughter, like a human being?” Seeing I was completely unmoved, Hank slapped me across the face, too. “You monster! That’s your own sister! Donating one kidney won’t kill you! You can still live with just one kidney, right?” Finn dropped all pretense and grabbed me by the throat. “Hazel! Sierra’s condition took a turn for the worse this afternoon. She needs surgery as soon as possible! Your body’s stats have to meet the baseline quickly! You’re coming with us, whether you like it or not!” “Finn! You all conspired to deceive me, to use me, and now you’re trying to kidnap me?!” I screamed. Finn just sneered dismissively. “Cut the crap! I’m the reason you’re even alive! Saving Sierra is your only reason for living! Otherwise, you don’t even deserve to be standing here!” Looking into Finn’s cold, hard eyes, I felt a chill that went down to my bones. “Hank, Lena, stop wasting time on her. Sierra can’t wait! We’ll tie her up and take her to the hospital for some proper ‘recuperation’!” As he spoke, Finn grabbed a rope and, with Hank and Lena’s help, tied my hands behind my back. “Move it! If you delay Sierra’s treatment, I’ll make you pay!” Lena shoved me forward. I hooked my foot around the doorframe, refusing to leave my home. Finn responded by kicking my foot away with brutal force. “Hazel! If Sierra doesn’t make it, I swear I’ll make you pay with your life!” Finn used almost all his strength. My whole body crashed down with a “thud” onto my knees. The pain was so intense I nearly cried. A sharp, dragging ache shot through my lower abdomen, too. “Be careful! Don’t actually damage the important parts!” Lena looked at Finn with some annoyance. Finn nodded repeatedly, and then, with Hank, they hauled me up like a rag doll and started dragging me forward. Just as the elevator doors opened, a tall man with a straight posture stepped out. I knew him. He was Officer Carter, who lived next door. He had even helped me catch a thief once. I saw him like a lifeline. My eyes lit up. “Help…” Just as I opened my mouth to scream, Lena clamped her hand tightly over it. “Feeling like you need to throw up again? Mom will take you to the hospital right now for a good checkup!” Officer Carter looked at our group, puzzled. “What’s going on here?” “My wife hasn’t recovered well since her miscarriage. She’s feeling a bit unwell. I’m taking her to the hospital for a follow-up right now,” Finn said smoothly, not missing a beat. My hands were tied behind my back by Finn and Hank. Finn was squeezing my hands hard to prevent me from moving. I could only look at Officer Carter with desperate, pleading eyes. “I’m a doctor. My daughter is physically weak and needs careful treatment. There’s no time to waste,” Lena said, afraid Officer Carter wouldn’t believe her, and quickly pulled out her hospital ID badge. “Then you should hurry. Health comes first,” Officer Carter said, immediately stepping aside to let us pass. Finn let out a sigh of relief instantly. As I was manhandled into the elevator, I watched Officer Carter turn and walk away. The hope in my heart shattered into despair. “You little bitch! You almost tattled to that cop! Do you realize that would be hurting your own sister? How can you be so evil?” The moment the elevator doors closed, Lena viciously pinched my arm. The searing pain made my tears flow uncontrollably. Just then, Hank’s phone rang. “Dr. Harris, your daughter Sierra’s kidney function indicators have worsened again. Please come back to the hospital immediately!” Hanging up, Hank looked at me with a dark expression. “Sierra can’t wait! The moment we get to the hospital, arrange a full physical examination immediately. We need to get her body in optimal condition as fast as possible!” As soon as the elevator doors opened, Finn and Hank couldn’t wait to drag me out. “Freeze!” Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed. I turned my head to see Officer Carter standing behind us with a stern look on his face. My extinguished hope flared back to life. “You dropped your ID card.” Officer Carter jogged over and handed my ID to Lena. “Thank you, Officer Carter,” Lena said profusely. I struggled desperately to free my bound hands. “Officer…” Just as Officer Carter was about to leave again, I frantically started to speak, but my mouth was only halfway open when Finn clamped his hand over it. “Hold on just a little longer, honey. We’ll be at the hospital soon.” Then Finn dragged me toward the car. The moment I was thrown into the car, Lena viciously pinched my arm again. “If you dare cause me any more trouble, I swear I won’t let you get away with it!” Finn sped all the way to the hospital, running three red lights. Once we arrived, I was immediately dragged into a private ward.

Staring at the locked ward door, terror seized me. I needed to run. But Lena walked straight toward me with a syringe of nutritional supplement. “All we want is for you to rest and recover properly. I don’t understand why you’re reacting so badly. We’re all family. Besides, the person you’re saving is your own sister!” A stream of icy liquid was injected into my vein. To get my physical stats up to the surgical requirements as quickly as possible, they started forcing me onto IV drips to pump me full of nutrients. My consciousness still held a sliver of clarity. “You’re breaking the law, don’t you understand that?” I yelled in despair. Lena just scoffed at me. “I’m your mother, and I’m helping you regulate your health. What’s the problem? I gave you your life!” Hank rolled his eyes at me. “You ungrateful wretch! We raised you, and all we’re asking is for you to donate a kidney to save your own sister, and you’re talking to us about breaking the law?” Finn checked the needle in my hand to make sure I couldn’t break free. “Finn, keep an eye on that. These nutritional drips are a specially designed formula. It has to be administered on time and in the correct dosage,” Lena instructed. Finn nodded, his gaze fixed on the IV bag as if what flowed inside wasn’t medicine, but Sierra’s hope for life. I looked at the people calling themselves my family. My heart was a frozen wasteland. “This is illegal detention! Forced organ donation is against the law!” I struggled, but the drugs left my body completely weak. Finn just glanced at me coldly. “Once your body is well and you voluntarily sign the consent form, it won’t be forced anymore. Hazel, stop fighting. Just focus on getting your body healthy. It’s better for everyone.” His words were a knife in my heart. In his eyes, I was nothing more than an organ container that needed to be fattened up to meet the standard. Because their plan was to make me a “voluntary” donor, on the surface, it just looked like family members caring for a sick relative. The ward echoed with my weak but furious accusations. But no one paid me any attention. “You’ll pay for this,” I gritted out through my teeth. Just as Finn was about to speak, the ward door was pushed open. A nurse came in to change the IV bag. Lena instantly plastered a loving mother’s expression onto her face. “Nurse, how is my daughter’s condition? Will these nutritional supplements help her recover quickly?” The nurse looked at my pale face, then at the three vultures hovering nearby, and hesitated. “The patient needs rest. You shouldn’t agitate her. As for her specific recovery, that depends on the test results.” The moment the nurse left, Lena’s face fell again. “Did you hear that? Rest well, and get your body healthy!” I closed my eyes, refusing to look at their nauseating faces any longer. My hand, hidden under the blanket, was tightly gripping my phone. From the moment they grabbed me in the hallway, I had secretly pressed the record button. I knew a direct confrontation was a losing battle. I had to endure. I had to wait. A few days later, with my cooperation, my complexion looked a little better. Lena couldn’t wait to arrange a full physical examination, especially focusing on kidney function. On the day the results came out, Hank, Lena, and Finn all gathered in the doctor’s office. I was brought in, too. The doctor looked at the report and paused thoughtfully. “From the current test results, Miss Hazel’s physical recovery is slower than expected. Some indicators, especially regarding her kidney function, are not yet at an ideal level. Proceeding with a kidney transplant now would pose a significant risk to the donor…” “How significant is significant?” Hank cut him off impatiently. “As long as she doesn’t die! You don’t have to worry about the donor. We, the family, will handle it. She’s a willing volunteer!” The doctor frowned and looked at me. “Miss Hazel, are you truly willing to donate a kidney at this stage? You need to understand the risks involved…” “She’s willing!” Lena answered before I could, shooting me a deadly glare. Finn also stepped forward, grabbing my hand. His grip was so strong it hurt, but he wore a gentle smile on his face. “Honey, Sierra can’t wait any longer. You’ll help her, right? Once you’re better, we can still have another child.” I looked at the three of them, then at the doctor who clearly disapproved. Slowly, clearly, I spoke. “Doctor, I am… not… willing.” “Bang!” Lena slammed her fist on the table. “What did you say?!” “I said, I am not willing.” I met their nearly fiery glares, enunciating every word. “My body hasn’t recovered. I don’t want to donate a kidney. And, I have evidence that you have been trying to coerce me.” With that, I pulled out my phone and played a clear segment of the recording, the very words they had spoken in the ward while pressuring me, revealing that the whole purpose of nursing me back to health was for the kidney donation. The atmosphere in the office froze solid. Hank was trembling with rage, and Finn’s eyes looked murderous. Lena screamed, “You’ve turned against us! You ungrateful thing! I’ll beat you to death today!” She lunged at me, trying to hit me, but was blocked by the doctor and the nurses who had rushed in at the commotion. “This is a hospital! I need you all to remain calm!” the doctor said sternly. “Miss Hazel has clearly stated she does not wish to donate, and her current physical condition is not suitable for donation. You cannot force her! Otherwise, I will call the police!” “Call the police? I’m her mother!” Lena roared. “Even if you are her mother, you cannot force her to donate an organ! That is the law!” The doctor didn’t back down an inch. In the chaos, I used all my strength to break free of Finn’s grip and rushed out of the office. I knew this brief conflict wouldn’t stop them. I needed to get more damning evidence. I needed to get rid of them completely! I ran to the fire escape stairwell, quickly backed up the audio file to the cloud, and then deleted the original from my phone. The moment I finished, I heard Finn and Hank’s voices echoing from the floor below, searching for me. I quietly slipped down another staircase, wanting to leave the hospital first. Just as I reached the entrance of the inpatient wing, I bumped right into Sierra, who was there for a check-up, and Finn, who was with her. It turned out Finn had already come down another way and met up with Sierra. Seeing me, Finn’s eyes turned cold. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” Sierra looked at me with a pitiful, helpless expression. “Sister, are you really that heartless? Can you just watch me die? I just want a chance to live…” Looking at this couple, I felt nothing but disgust. I violently shook off Finn’s hand. “Let go! Sierra, you want to live, but why should my life be the price?” “Your life?” Finn was so angry he laughed. “Hazel, don’t forget who paid to nurse you back to health after your miscarriage! Those supplements, the home care you received—all of it was to get you better fast so you could save Sierra! Your life stopped being just your own a long time ago!” His words finally tore away the last shred of pretense. I looked at him and suddenly laughed. I laughed until tears streamed down my face. “Finn, so all the kindness after the fire, all the care… it was all just to get my body healthy so you could give Sierra a healthy kidney, wasn’t it?” My laughter unsettled Finn, but he still said coldly, “So what if it was? Being able to save Sierra is your blessing!” “Fine. A blessing, huh.” I stopped laughing, wiped my tears. “Then let me tell you, I don’t want this blessing. And you won’t get what you want.” I spotted a few security guards in the distance and immediately shouted at the top of my lungs, “Security! Help! Someone’s trying to kidnap me! They’re forcing me to donate an organ!” My shouts drew the attention of people nearby, and the security guards started running this way. Finn’s face changed, and he reached out to cover my mouth. Sierra panicked, too. “Finn, what do we do?” Hank and Lena had also chased us down by now. Seeing the scene, Lena immediately started making a scene of her own. “There’s no justice in this world! A daughter wants to let her sick sister die! We’re just parents asking her to donate a kidney to save her sister, and she wants to call the cops on us!” The crowd grew, and people were pointing and murmuring. The security guards arrived and asked about the situation. I seized the opportunity and quickly said to the guards, “They’re illegally holding me against my will and forcing me to donate an organ! I have evidence! Please, call the police!” Finn, seeing the situation turning sour, tried to pull Sierra away. Lena was still making a dramatic scene, while Hank tried to explain it away as a family matter to the guards. The scene was complete chaos. Just then, I saw Officer Carter and his colleague outside the crowd, heading toward the inpatient department, seemingly on some other case. My heart leaped with joy, and I screamed with all my might, “Officer Carter! Help!” Officer Carter looked over at the sound of his name and saw me, disheveled and trapped in the middle of the conflict, with Finn pulling at me and Hank and Lena howling. His brow furrowed, and he immediately walked over with his colleague. “What’s going on here?” Officer Carter asked, his voice commanding.

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