Category: English

Married for eight years, Julian Hayes had slept with half the entertainment industry – men and women alike. When I was eight months pregnant, his latest trophy girlfriend offended a big shot at a business dinner. To make amends, Julian kicked my swollen belly right in front of all the guests. “What are you standing there for, idiot? Go apologize to Mr. Chen. Drink with him.” I clutched my stomach, my voice trembling, “You forgot, I’m allergic to alcohol…” He sneered, grabbing my hair and forcing my head down to the floor. “A baby? Who’s to say it’s even my kid?” I was forced to my knees on the cold floor, made to drink. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and blood streamed down my legs. The guests around us pointed and whispered. His mistress, Vivian, nestled against him, giggling, “Mr. Hayes, look, she’s bleeding, how disgusting…” That night, I nearly bled out from complications during childbirth, almost dying on the operating table. Meanwhile, videos of him hooking up with young models were trending everywhere. I turned around and packed all my belongings. If that’s how it was, then I would leave.

I lay weakly on the VIP hospital bed. The anesthesia had just worn off, and the incision burned with a fiery pain. A nurse came in, holding the baby. She said softly, “Mrs. Hayes, it’s a boy. Would you like to see him?” I shook my head. It wasn’t that I didn’t care for the baby; I just didn’t have the strength to even look at him. After all, from now on, this child would be my only family. My phone screen lit up. A notification popped up: **[Julian Hayes, CEO of Hayes Corp., spotted entering a hotel late at night with a new companion, rumored to be the popular young star Vivian Thorne.]** In the photo, Julian had his arm around Vivian’s waist, leaning in to talk to her, his gaze so soft it could melt stone. I stared at that photo for a long time, then suddenly laughed. Eight years ago, my father had a sudden brain hemorrhage and collapsed in the company conference room. Back then, Julian held me tight, his eyes bloodshot with tears, his voice hoarse: “Claire, don’t be scared. I’ll take care of you from now on.” Thinking about it now, it felt truly ironic. Just then, the hospital room door pushed open. “Still not discharged, sister?” Vivian Thorne walked in, smiling sweetly. I ignored her. She didn’t care, simply walked over to the bassinet, and reached out to poke the baby’s face. “Julian said this baby looks just like him. That’s nice.” I looked up at her. “What are you doing here?” She smiled, pulled a document from her bag, and tossed it in front of me. “Julian sent me to get the divorce papers. Just sign them, don’t waste each other’s time.” I picked up the agreement, flipping through a couple of pages. The terms were ridiculously harsh. The child would go to him, and I wouldn’t get a single penny. “Why didn’t he come himself?” I asked. Vivian shrugged. “He’s busy. He’s taking me to a brand gala tonight.” As she spoke, she suddenly reached out and pulled open my hospital gown, exposing the still-healing incision. “Tsk, so ugly.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “No wonder Julian doesn’t want to touch you.” I gasped, a sharp pain lancing through me. Before I could react, she suddenly grabbed my hand and slapped herself hard across the face! “Ah!” She shrieked, falling to the floor. Her forehead lightly grazed the corner of the table, breaking the skin a little. Immediately, the hospital room door burst open, and Julian Hayes stormed in. “Vivian!” He scooped her up in his arms, his eyes cold as ice. “Claire Reynolds, are you insane?!” I opened my mouth, wanting to explain, but swallowed the words back. What was the point of explaining? He never believed me anyway. Vivian clung to him, weeping dramatically, “Julian, I just wanted to see the baby, and my sister suddenly attacked me…” Julian looked at me coldly. “Sign the divorce papers. I’ll send my assistant to pick them up tomorrow.” With that, he walked out, holding Vivian. At the door, he paused, and without turning his head, said, “Claire Reynolds, you disgust me.” The door slammed shut with a bang. I sat on the bed, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted. Right, it was time for me to leave.

I held the baby, sitting on the hospital bed, looking down at his sleeping face. A newborn, just three days old, his skin still wrinkled, tiny hands tightly clenched, occasionally twitching unconsciously. The nurse pushed the door open, a thermometer in her hand. “Mrs. Hayes, it’s time to take the baby’s temperature.” I nodded, carefully handing the baby over. Just then, the hospital room door suddenly burst open. Vivian Thorne walked in, high heels clicking, followed by two men in white coats. “What are you doing?” I instinctively clutched the baby tighter. Vivian smirked at me. “Sister, Julian said he wants to do a paternity test on the baby.” I shot up, the incision pain making me gasp. “Is he crazy? The baby’s only three days old!” “Exactly why we need to do it now,” Vivian walked over, reaching out to snatch the baby. “What if he’s not Julian’s?” I held the baby tightly. “Get out!” The two men immediately stepped forward. One held my shoulders, while the other forcibly took the baby from my arms. The baby woke up, wailing. “Give him back!” I struggled to reach for him but was violently shoved back onto the bed. Vivian held the baby, swinging him triumphantly. “Don’t worry, it’ll be quick.” She turned to leave, but I suddenly lunged, grabbing her wrist. “Vivian Thorne! If you dare touch my son, I swear I’ll kill you!” She cried out in pain, shaking me off. Her eyes hardened, and she suddenly raised her hand. “Ah!” She slammed the baby to the floor! Time seemed to stop. His tiny body hit the floor with a dull thud, and his cries abruptly ceased. I scrambled off the bed like a madwoman, scooping up the baby. His little face was already bruised purple, blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, his breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible. “Doctor! Doctor!” My heart seized up. I screamed hysterically, clutching the baby as I rushed out the door. The nurses in the hallway saw what happened and immediately pushed a resuscitation cart over. “Quick! The baby’s suffocating!” I was held back outside the emergency room, trembling, collapsing onto the floor. Vivian strolled over leisurely, looking down at me. “Oops, my hand slipped.” I looked up, glaring at her, wishing I could rip her face off. I screamed, “You did it on purpose!” She shrugged, then suddenly clutched her stomach. “Julian, I hurt so bad…” It was then I noticed Julian Hayes standing at the end of the hallway. He rushed over, pulling Vivian into his arms. “What’s wrong?” “Sister… she pushed me…” Vivian leaned into his embrace, her face pale. “My stomach hurts so much… our baby…” Julian’s face changed instantly. He whipped his head towards me. “Claire Reynolds! Vivian’s pregnant, do you know that?!” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My baby was still in the ER, and he was worried about Vivian’s fake stomachache? Just then, the emergency room door opened. The doctor walked out, took off his mask, and shook his head. “I’m sorry, we did our best…” My vision blurred, and I nearly fainted. Julian frowned. “What happened?” The doctor sighed. “The baby had a brain hemorrhage. We couldn’t save him…” Vivian suddenly shrieked, “Impossible! That baby wasn’t Julian’s anyway, serves him right for dying!” Julian’s face darkened as he looked at me. “Claire Reynolds, was that child even mine?” I stared at him, then suddenly smiled. “Does it matter if he was yours? He’s dead anyway.” Julian grabbed my collar. “Say that again?!” I looked at his enraged face and said, word for word: “Julian Hayes, your son is dead, killed by the woman you love most.” Vivian immediately burst into tears. “Julian, she’s slandering me! She clearly just couldn’t hold the baby properly…” Julian released me, turning to embrace Vivian. “Don’t worry, I believe you.” I stood by the emergency room door, watching their embracing backs, and suddenly everything felt utterly ridiculous. My child was dead, and the murderer was cuddling with my husband. The nurse carefully brought out the baby, wrapped in a white cloth. I took the tiny body, and tears finally streamed down my face. “Baby, Mama’s taking you home…” Julian looked at me coldly. “Leave the child. We need an autopsy.” I clutched the baby tighter, stepping back. “No way!” Vivian pulled on his arm. “Julian, let her go. Anyway, that child…” “Shut up!” I snapped my head up, my eyes burning with a desire to tear her apart. Vivian flinched, startled, and hid behind Julian. I clutched the baby close, retreating step by step. “Julian Hayes, from today on, we’re done. We have nothing left between us.” “See you at the courthouse at 2 PM.” With that, I turned and ran towards the elevator. As the elevator doors closed, I couldn’t hold it in anymore, collapsing to my knees. I hugged the baby’s cold body tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. Why… why did my only family leave me today?

I held the baby’s urn, waiting at the courthouse entrance for an hour. Finally, Julian Hayes’ black Maybach pulled up. As he got out, Vivian Thorne followed, intimately linking her arm through his. “Sorry, sister, Julian insisted on having afternoon tea with me, so we got a little delayed.” She smiled sweetly, her hand caressing her flat stomach. I clutched the urn in my arms, saying nothing. Julian frowned, looking at me. “You insist on getting divorced today?” I nodded, almost without hesitation. “Yes.” He sneered, striding into the courthouse. Vivian followed behind him, turning back to give me a triumphant wink. The divorce agreement was simple: I would leave with nothing, not even child support. The clerk, just doing her job, asked, “Have you settled the property division?” “Yes, she wants nothing.” Julian tapped impatiently on the table. The clerk glanced at me in surprise. I nodded. “Yes, all I want is my freedom.” The moment the pen touched the paper, Julian suddenly pressed down on my hand. “Claire Reynolds, are you sure you have no other demands?” I looked up at him. That face, which had once consumed my every thought, now felt utterly alien. “I do,” I said softly, noticing his brief flicker of impatience. “Can I have my son’s ashes?” He paused, a little incredulous. “That’s it?” I nodded. Then I looked at the clerk. “Stamp it.” The sound of the seal was faint, but I heard it clearly. As I walked out of the courthouse, Vivian suddenly shrieked, “Oh, Julian, I forgot to tell you!” She pulled an envelope from her bag. “A few days ago, my friend took some photos of sister at a hotel…” Her hand trembled, and the photos scattered across the ground. I looked down, and my blood ran cold. The photos showed me, heavily pregnant, being intimate with a strange man in a hotel. There were also photos of me getting cozy with several men, from all sorts of angles. “These are fake!” I snapped my head up, trembling with rage. “Julian Hayes, you know me! I would never do something like this!” He didn’t look at me, picking up the photos, his eyes growing colder. “Heh, no wonder you were in such a hurry to divorce. So you’ve found someone else?” “These photos are photoshopped! Vivian Thorne is framing me!” I reached out to grab them. “If you don’t believe me, I can find a professional agency to veri—” Before I could finish, Vivian suddenly lunged and grabbed my hair. “Bitch! Cheating and then accusing me of faking it?” My scalp screamed in pain as I was forced to look up, seeing no reaction from Julian. “Julian, look.” Vivian suddenly ripped open my collar. “She even has bite marks from some wild man on her collarbone!” I froze. Those were bruises from the IV drip when I was hospitalized with a fever last month. “No, that’s not…” I was about to explain, but Vivian violently shoved me. “Wow, sister, you really know how to have a good time, don’t you?” I stumbled backward, and the urn in my arms fell to the ground. *Shatter!* The wind caught the grey-white ashes, blowing them all over my face. Time seemed to stand still. I knelt on the ground blankly, futilely trying to gather the scattered ashes with my hands, large tears splashing onto the ground. “Baby… baby…” I called out, my voice trembling, but I could only watch helplessly as the wind blew away the last bit of ash. Julian Hayes stood motionless. When I looked up at him, I saw him staring intensely at the photos. “Claire Reynolds,” he said coldly. “You’re truly disgusting.” Vivian nestled against him, unable to control the smirk on her lips. I ignored him, kneeling at the courthouse entrance, my hands covered in my son’s ashes. Why… why wasn’t killing my son enough? Why wouldn’t they even leave me his ashes? As I thought this, I suddenly looked up at Julian Hayes.

“How pathetic. He didn’t even get to see the world clearly before dying at the hands of your mistress.” “And now, even his last bit of ash…” Julian’s expression wavered for a moment, but Vivian immediately grabbed his hand. “Julian, ignore her. She just wants sympathy! Those photos…” “Enough.” Julian cut her off, turning to me. “Claire Reynolds, take all your things and get out.” Vivian pouted in dissatisfaction. “Julian, don’t let her off so easy! She should pay for emotional damages!” Julian stroked her head. “Good girl. She doesn’t have any money anyway.” “And I find her money disgusting.” He cast a cold glance at me, then walked away, holding the laughing Vivian Thorne. In the bus station waiting area, I tightly clutched a ticket to a small coastal town down south. My bag contained my child’s death certificate, my divorce papers, and a tiny bit of his ashes. The broadcast announced boarding for my bus. I stood up, then suddenly heard a familiar name on the TV news. “Julian Hayes, CEO of Hayes Corp., publicly announced yesterday that he will invest fifty million dollars in children’s medical charities…” I looked up at the TV screen. Julian stood tall in a suit before the camera, with the elegantly dressed Vivian Thorne by his side. A reporter asked if this was to accumulate good karma for their upcoming child. He smiled and didn’t answer, while Vivian shyly caressed her stomach. My stomach churned, and I rushed into the restroom, dry heaving. The woman in the mirror was gaunt, with heavy dark circles under her eyes. My phone suddenly vibrated. I looked, it was an unknown number. “Hello?” “Ms. Reynolds? This is Nurse Sarah from City Hospital.” The caller lowered her voice. “Do you remember me? The nurse who was on duty that day.” My fingers tightened instantly, a little nervous. “Yes, I remember.” “I have a surveillance video here… from the hallway that day.” Her voice was trembling, but she continued, “I secretly backed it up. Ms. Thorne… she intentionally dropped the baby.” The air conditioning in the waiting area was strong, but I felt a chilling cold to my bones. “Why are you telling me this?” “My conscience couldn’t take it…” Her voice was tearful, stammering, “The baby was so pitiful… I’ve sent the video to your email.” After hanging up, I tremblingly opened my email. The video was short, only about ten seconds. In the footage, Vivian Thorne held my baby, then let go without hesitation! I quickly closed my phone, my chest heaving. Even seeing that footage again, my heart couldn’t take it. The broadcast sounded again. My bus was boarding. As I dragged my suitcase towards the gate, I hesitated for a moment, then forwarded the video to Julian Hayes’ email. No message, just a blank subject line. Let him discover the truth himself. I deleted all records, took out the SIM card, broke it, and threw it in the trash. From now on, Claire Reynolds would completely disappear.

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A year after my unnatural death, my husband brought his new girlfriend to my grave. My ghostly neighbor, a veteran resident of the cemetery, patted my shoulder, telling me that people needed to look forward. But I was trembling all over, gripped by a sudden, chilling fear. Because his new girlfriend had *my* heart. **1.** I’d been dead for a year, and Liam still made time to visit my grave every week. He brought lavish offerings, even fresh flowers. My ghostly neighbor sighed wistfully, remarking how rare it was to find such a devoted man. A hollow, bitter laugh escaped my lips. Liam’s thumb traced the contours of my photo on the tombstone, his eyes filled with a deep, consuming sorrow and longing. Who would have guessed? This man, who’d once slept clutching my tombstone, had already found a new girlfriend just a week after my death. And their relationship was thriving, intimately close. I’d even met his new girlfriend before. She was his patient, a strikingly pretty young woman. When I was alive, she seemed to visit Liam almost daily. If her heart felt off, she’d see him for a check-up. If it felt fine, she’d still find an excuse for an electrocardiogram. She was clearly smitten with Liam, and even knowing he was a married man, she kept getting closer. Once, I was using Liam’s phone to look something up, and her message popped up. “Dr. Hayes, would you mind having an extra girlfriend?” Liam snatched the phone from my hand, his face blank, and typed a quick reply: “I do.” Liam would never cheat on me. I was confident of that. From childhood, his entire focus had been on medicine. It had taken me immense effort to even get him to go out with me. During that time, I’d never seen him fall for anyone, male or female. Not even me. Liam didn’t love me; I’d always known that. He’d agreed to my proposal simply because he was used to me being by his side. And now, Liam had seamlessly transitioned to a new girlfriend. The girl stepped out of the car. Her fingernails and lips were no longer purple; it seemed her congenital heart condition had been cured. They stood before my tombstone, fingers intertwined. “Avery, I have wonderful news for you. Liam and I are getting married next month.” Serena’s voice was sickeningly sweet. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him for you.” She paused, then added, “And I hope you find happiness and peace wherever you are too.” I sat on my tombstone, my teeth grinding. Liam wasn’t the Liam I knew anymore either. He pulled a wet wipe from his pocket, lifted her hand, and carefully wiped a speck of dust from her index finger. He didn’t want even a single grain of dust from my tombstone to touch her. I pinched my arm, feeling a profound wave of pity for myself. Liam only stayed for ten minutes before they prepared to leave. As they brushed past me, I felt a familiar tremor. It wasn’t coming from *my* body. It was coming from Liam’s new girlfriend. I moved closer to her. And I heard it—that familiar heartbeat. One beat, two beats, three… My ghostly neighbor patted my shoulder, but I stood frozen in place. Because the heart beating in Liam’s new girlfriend’s chest… it was mine. **2.** I didn’t die a natural death, but only I knew that. On my way from the suburbs to the hospital, someone deliberately hit my car. I swerved to avoid the first impact but couldn’t escape the second. My bones and muscles felt like they’d been completely rearranged, and blood was everywhere. My hand trembled as I called Liam. “…Liam, I…” “I have an emergency surgery. We can talk later.” “Gotta go.” I called five or six times, but each time he hung up faster than the last. Finally, he got annoyed and just turned off his phone. I was dying. I wanted to tell him that. But in his heart, I couldn’t compare to an operation, to his passion for medicine. He was a doctor, a lifesaver. He could save everyone, but he couldn’t save me. My body was taken straight to the crematorium by the hit-and-run driver that very day. Two hours later, I was a handful of ashes. The entire process was disturbingly smooth. It was only after I died that I learned his “emergency surgery” that day was a heart transplant. And the patient was that young woman. Which meant that day, in the operating room, the beating heart Liam held in his hands… was mine. I watched his receding back. A sudden, morbid curiosity struck me. If Liam ever found out that he had personally sewn *my* heart into someone else’s chest during that surgery, would he break down? **3.** The girl had a beautiful name, Serena Dubois. She chatted animatedly with Liam, not at all like someone who would say morally outrageous things. “Liam, let me walk the rest of this path with you. Avery would surely agree.” She raised a hand to her chest, smiling triumphantly. “It’s a good thing I got this heart. Look, now I not only have a healthy body and a healthy heart, but I also have you.” Liam looked at her and smiled. I was smiling too, but it was a cold, sneering smile. Because my heart wasn’t healthy at all. I had a family history of heart disease. Only Liam knew about it, and he was the one treating me. Under his care, my heart pain went from once a week to once a year. By my calculations, Serena should be due for an attack any day now. Their car soon pulled up to the apartment complex. They went inside their home. It was a two-hundred-square-meter penthouse apartment, complete with a cat and a dog – practically my ideal, complete family. The moment the door opened, both pets swarmed them. I bit my lip, suddenly feeling incredibly devalued. When we first got married, I also wanted to adopt cats and dogs, but Liam had dismissed the idea. He’d said they were too much work, and I wouldn’t have time to care for them. Later, I found a stray cat, and he still advised against keeping it. He’d claimed the cat had feline distemper and ringworm. Yet now, Liam was staring, lost in thought, at Serena as she laughed and played with the cat and dog. Perhaps my heart sensed my emotions, because Serena suddenly clutched her chest. Her face turned a little pale. “Liam, I think I’m having trouble breathing.” Liam snapped out of his daze. He tilted his head in confusion, offering an explanation. “Could it be the shedding?” He pointed at the Ragdoll cat on the floor. I stared at him in astonishment. Liam, with his advanced degrees, was practically an expert in his field. And he had always known the symptoms of my attacks. How could he say something so unprofessional? Serena got up from the floor, moving away from the cat and taking deep breaths. But it was no use. Chest tightness was followed by a radiating pain from her heart. Serena indeed hunched over, her brow furrowed, afraid to move. She’d never experienced this kind of pain before; tears streamed down her face. She cried out in alarm, “Liam, my whole chest hurts so much right now!” “Is there something wrong with my heart?” Liam walked over unhurriedly. He reached Serena’s side and offered comfort. “It’s nothing. Don’t overthink it.” “You’re probably just having a stitch in your side. It’ll go away on its own in a bit.” I was even more shocked. The pain did disappear after a few minutes, just as Liam said, but without medication, it would return the next day. Liam couldn’t possibly not know that. A few minutes later, Serena’s pain indeed subsided. Liam handed her a small white pill. He wiped the sweat from her brow. “It’s a calming sleeping aid. You only had your heart transplant a year ago; you need more rest.” Serena took the pill and went to bed. I watched Liam stand by the floor-to-ceiling window, toying with a white pill bottle in his hand. I recognized it, even intimately. Because that pill bottle contained the medication I used for my heart condition. Liam himself had given it to me. Had he discovered that the heart beating in Serena’s chest was mine?

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In this world, failing the Grand National Exam meant immediate consignment to the lowest caste, becoming nothing more than an indentured servant. After my rebirth, I burned all my revision notes. Only because in my previous life, my so-called best friend used a system to spy through my vision. I’d poured my heart and soul into those exam notes, burning the midnight oil for two years straight. They were my ultimate guide to passing. She printed them out and freely handed them to every other student around us, but I was the only one kept in the dark. During the exam, she used her system to copy all my answers, then reported *me* to the Ogre Overseers for cheating off *her*. Staring at the identical exam papers, I was dragged away by the brutal Enforcers, condemned to become the lowest form of servant. Meanwhile, she became the top scorer, elevated to the world’s elite. I begged her to expose the truth, but she just laughed in my face: “Luna Sterling, isn’t this just karma for your cheating? What could I possibly prove?” Brandon, the guy I was totally crushing on, sneered when he heard: “You copied Vivian’s paper, and now you’re forcing her to vouch for you? Don’t you have any shame?” Because of that cheating accusation, I was tortured to death by the servant overseers, left to rot in a garbage dump. And Vivian Vance? She became renowned, the pillar of the elite. Fine. If that’s how it is, you two conniving snakes, I will make sure you taste the true depths of hell!

Watching the charred paper scraps dissolve in the fire pit, my tense body finally relaxed. First step, accomplished. This time, I would absolutely tear those two despicable scumbags limb from limb! My eyes began to ache, my head throbbed, and cold sweat trickled down my neck. This feeling was all too familiar. In this life, she was already starting to use her ability. I calmly kicked over the fire pit, and the flames were instantly smothered by the sand. Love to spy, do you? I’ll give you an eyeful. I went home, collapsed on the sofa, and pulled up one of the world’s top 10 horror movies. Just then, my phone buzzed incessantly. Brandon Hayes, my dream guy, was flooding me with messages. [Babe, did you study today? The exam is coming up, gotta study hard~] [Send me a pic, I’ll supervise you.] Hah. Supervising me now? In my previous life, I had eagerly accepted his “kindness.” Whenever I struggled with a problem, he’d rush over with a mountain of study materials. It truly sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it! I simply switched off my buzzing phone and went back to my horror movie. All the knowledge was stored in my head. Now, they were the ones who should be panicking. A moment later, the lock on my front door clicked, eerily, as it opened. I stared, wide-eyed and terrified. Brandon walked into my house, carrying coffee, his eyes softly tender. “How do you have my house code?!” “You told me last time when we were studying~” He spoke calmly, without a hint of rush. Vivian must have given it to him! She was the only other person who knew my code! Without batting an eyelid, I changed the door lock code on my phone. I smiled sweetly at him. “You came all the way to bring me coffee? You really want me to pull an all-nighter studying?” He sat beside me, reaching out to brush my hair. “Isn’t it for your future?” I subtly shifted, “accidentally” spilling my iced coffee all over his pristine white shirt. “Didn’t you often tell Vivian I was a bookworm, no fun, boring? A woman with only studying on her mind?” “I had a revelation today. We only have, what, three thousand days on this planet? Gotta relax a little, right?” Brandon carefully dabbed his white shirt with a tissue. His friendly expression froze instantly at my words. “You…” Those were the very words he’d spat at me when I was on my deathbed. He looked at me, visibly guilty. Suddenly, a piercing ringtone blared. Brandon shot me a quick glance, then stepped outside to answer. When he returned, he gazed at me with a look of reluctance. “I’m only thinking of you, Luna. You’re the person I love most. But I have an urgent matter to attend to now. I’ll have to leave.” Hah. My little puppy dog was off to lick my “bestie” again. “Wait!” I grabbed the other cup of coffee, then executed a perfect “fake trip,” spilling it precisely on the still-clean part of his white shirt. His face contorted in rage. “You…!” I pressed a hand to my forehead, delicately slumping onto the sofa. “Oh, it must be all this study stress lately. So clumsy of me~ But you love me the most, right? You wouldn’t mind?” At the mention of “study,” his expression softened. “Right. Well, I’m off then. See you at school tomorrow.” The moment the door clicked shut, I burst out laughing. Hahahaha! That idiot! Just as I’d suspected, that was the white suit he’d spent half his allowance on, planning to confess to Vivian today! What sweet revenge! I walked into my bedroom, turned off the lights, and put on my eye mask, all in one smooth motion. “You little sneak, enjoy the black screen! All my knowledge is locked right inside my brain!” In the middle of the night, a shrill ringtone jolted me. I rolled my eyes and answered the video call. “How *dare* you go to sleep?!” Vivian’s voice exploded.

I watched, utterly satisfied, as her face turned scarlet with fury. Slowly and deliberately, I spoke: “Vivian, what’s with the sudden call?” Her eyes were practically bulging out of her head. Today, she had scheduled a session with an off-campus tutor to demonstrate her problem-solving skills. For this, she’d even sent me the agreed-upon problems the day before, instructing me to solve them at a specific time today. She copied the first few problems, feeling smug about her precious system. But halfway through, she saw me using the scrap paper – *her* scrap paper – to wipe my dog’s rear. Nothing left to copy. The tutors, seeing her unable to continue, assumed she was messing with them and immediately revoked her eligibility for the National Math Olympiad. I met her eyes, which were filled with a desire to devour me. I warned her. “Playing dirty will only backfire on you! This is the first time, and it will be the last. Next time… I’ll make sure you don’t get off easy.” She looked at me with a complex expression. Then, she suddenly rubbed her eyes, feigning a yawn: “Oh, what’s going on? Luna, darling, why are we on the phone?” “My sleepwalking must have kicked in again, how terribly annoying~ Don’t be mad at me, okay~” She hung up immediately after saying that, then sent me a message. [Good night, Luna! Let’s walk to school together tomorrow~] Still treating me like the naïve fool from my past life? Last time, she used her “sleepwalking” excuse to steal thirty limited-edition designer bags. Looking at her pathetic excuse, I blocked and deleted her number. The next day, as I opened my front door, I saw Vivian and Brandon standing there. Brandon still had a smudge of lipstick near his mouth. Looks like they’d just finished a “session.” Vivian sidled up to me, oozing flattery. “Luna, why did you change your house code? I kept trying, but couldn’t get in.” “Trespassing? Looking for a jail cell?” I walked straight past them. Vivian didn’t seem annoyed. Instead, she solicitously held out a bag full of breakfast items, asking what I wanted. Oh, right. The money they spent? It all came from *my* linked payment account. In my past life, Brandon publicly acted like he disdained using my account, but secretly spent hundreds of thousands. Vivian, even worse, would flaunt spending my money in public, then privately call me an animal. Brandon frowned. “Vivian’s talking to you. Are you deaf?” “I’m spending my own money, and I’m supposed to applaud you for it?” I looked at Vivian. “Since you’re being so thoughtful, leave all the breakfast for me.” Vivian’s eyes instantly reddened, and she bit her lip. “Luna, I’m sorry. I know I’m spending your money, but today… I haven’t eaten breakfast either.” Brandon stepped in front of Vivian, shielding her. “Luna Sterling! Don’t be so arrogant! Vivian was kind enough to buy you breakfast, and this is how you treat her?” I stepped closer to Vivian. “Didn’t you offer it to me?” “You insisted on giving it, and I kindly accepted. Now I’m the ungrateful one?” My finger tapped her shoulder, one by one. “If you don’t want to give, don’t pretend. You dare to offer, I dare to take. After all, it’s all my money, isn’t it?” I turned to look at the man I once adored. In my previous life, I never tired of looking at him. But now, he looked hideous, like a disgusting, slimy swamp creature. The next second, Vivian covered her face and ran off, crying. Brandon, when I wasn’t looking, viciously slapped me across the face. “This is all your fault! You better write out a detailed exam study plan by tonight! Or I won’t let you get away with this!” Brandon glared at me, then turned to chase Vivian. I immediately lifted my foot and delivered a solid kick to his backside. He sprawled on the ground, his face twisted in rage, eyes almost popping out. He looked ready to unleash a torrent of curses, but then he suddenly looked at me with pity, as if he understood something. “I know you like me a lot, but you can’t hurt Vivian just because you’re jealous, can you?” “Go on, apologize to Vivian, and give her your newly written exam problem-solving notes. She’ll probably forgive you.” I walked over to him, grabbing a handful of his hair. “Oh, I will. Just you wait. I’ll make sure you’re both ‘satisfied.’”

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=== Chapter 1 === I jolted awake in darkness, my nightgown clinging to my sweat-soaked skin. The pain came in waves, sharp and insistent across my abdomen. My hands flew protectively to the swell of my belly where our miracle grew—our Noah, our peace after three years of heartbreak and hormone injections. “Ethan,” I whispered, reaching across the Egyptian cotton sheets. “Something doesn’t feel right.” My husband stirred beside me, the blue glow of his phone illuminating his sharp features in the pre-dawn darkness of our master suite. His fingers never stopped moving across the screen. “It’s probably nothing,” he murmured, not looking up. “The doctor said Braxton Hicks contractions are normal at this stage.” I bit my lip, swallowing the urge to remind him that I knew my body better than anyone. This baby had been my obsession, my purpose, my redemption. Every failed IVF cycle had carved another piece from my heart. When the last pregnancy test finally showed positive, I’d fallen to my knees in gratitude. Now something was wrong. I could feel it. Breakfast was a silent affair in our sun-drenched kitchen. Ethan sat across from me, scrolling through market updates while I pushed eggs around my plate. Another cramp seized me, stronger than before. I dropped my fork with a clatter. “I’m having pains again,” I said, pressing my palm against the side of my belly. “They’re getting worse.” Ethan glanced up, his expression softening momentarily before his phone buzzed again. He checked it, his face immediately closing off. “The doctor said some discomfort is expected,” he replied, already returning to his screen. “We have the cemetery visit this morning. My father would never forgive me if we missed Memorial Day.” I nodded silently. The Foster family traditions were sacrosanct—especially paying respects to their ancestors. It symbolized continuity, legacy. Everything Ethan valued. In the backseat of our sleek black sedan, rain pelted the windows as our driver navigated the winding roads to the private Foster family cemetery. I clutched the small leather photo album in my lap, tracing the edges of the pictures inside—snapshots of our fertility journey. Me, hollow-eyed after the first miscarriage. Ethan and me, forcing smiles outside the clinic before our third IVF attempt. The first sonogram of Noah, a tiny flickering heartbeat that had made me weep with joy. “We’re almost there,” Ethan said, not looking away from his phone. His fingers typed rapidly, responding to someone who apparently couldn’t wait. I wondered, not for the first time, when he had become so distant. During our early attempts to conceive, he had been present, holding my hand through procedures, wiping my tears after failures. Somewhere along the way, that man had disappeared, replaced by this distracted stranger who shared my bed. The car stopped at the cemetery gates. Our driver opened an umbrella, but Ethan was already stepping out into the rain, phone pressed to his ear. “We need to walk from here,” he said, gesturing impatiently for me to follow. I eased myself from the car, the cold rain immediately soaking through my maternity dress. The path up the hillside was steep, slick with mud. I took three steps before a contraction—stronger than any before—doubled me over. I clutched the wrought iron railing, a small cry escaping my lips. “Ethan,” I gasped, “I need to sit down. Something’s wrong.” He turned, phone still at his ear, irritation flashing across his face. Then his expression changed completely as the person on the other end spoke. His eyes widened with concern—more emotion than I’d seen from him in months. “What? Slow down, Rebecca. What happened?” he said urgently. I leaned heavily against the railing, another wave of pain washing over me. Something warm trickled down my inner thigh. I looked down in horror at the red droplets mixing with rainwater at my feet. “Ethan,” I pleaded, my voice rising with panic. “I’m bleeding. We need to go to the hospital now.” He held up one finger, silencing me as he listened intently to the caller. “That’s terrible. Of course I’ll come right away.” “Ethan!” I cried out, clutching my belly. “The baby—” He finally looked at me, but his eyes were already elsewhere. “Rebecca needs me—she’s alone. Her service dog’s memorial marker has been vandalized. She can barely see without him to guide her.” “Please,” I begged, tears mixing with rain on my face. “Don’t leave us.” “I won’t be long,” he said, already turning away. “Wait in the car. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I reached for him, but he was already hurrying down the path, phone clutched to his ear, leaving me alone on the hillside as another contraction tore through me and more blood soaked my dress. “Our baby,” I whispered to no one as I sank to my knees in the mud. “Please, not our baby.”=== Chapter 2 === The world came back to me in fragments—harsh fluorescent lights, the antiseptic smell of disinfectant, the steady beep of monitors. My throat felt raw, my body heavy and disconnected. I tried to move, but pain shot through my abdomen, forcing a whimper from my lips. “Easy there, honey.” A nurse appeared at my bedside, her face kind but tired. “You’ve been through quite an ordeal.” The memories crashed over me like ice water. The cemetery. The blood. Ethan leaving me in the rain. “My baby,” I croaked, my hands flying to my stomach, finding only flatness where life had grown. “Where is—” The nurse’s expression told me everything. She squeezed my shoulder gently. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Foster. The doctors did everything they could.” I turned my face into the pillow, unable to process the weight of those words. Noah. My miracle. Gone. Through the haze of grief, I heard voices in the hallway—one unmistakably Ethan’s. I forced myself to focus, straining to hear. “—can’t thank you enough for understanding,” a woman’s voice said, breathy and sweet. “I know you had to leave Olivia, but Max meant everything to me.” “Rebecca, you know I’d do anything for you.” Ethan’s voice held a tenderness I hadn’t heard in months. “Besides, our baby will be perfect. I promise you that.” Our baby? The words sliced through me. I must have misheard. The medication, the trauma—surely my mind was playing tricks. A giggle floated through the door, light and carefree. “You always know what to say. I’m the luckiest woman alive.” Their footsteps faded down the corridor, leaving me alone with a pain that had nothing to do with my physical wounds. The next morning brought a new roommate—a woman in her forties who immediately launched into her story. “Third miscarriage,” she said, dabbing at her eyes. “They say it gets easier, but it doesn’t. Each one takes a piece of you.” She looked at me expectantly. “What about you, honey?” I opened my mouth, but no words came. How could I explain that my husband had chosen a vandalized dog memorial over our dying child? That I’d heard him promise perfection to another woman while I lay here empty? Tears slipped silently down my cheeks as she continued talking about support groups and trying again. I turned toward the window, watching rain streak the glass, and let her words wash over me like white noise. On the third day, Ethan finally appeared in my room. He carried a bouquet of white roses—funeral flowers, I thought bitterly. “The doctor says you can go home tomorrow,” he said, setting the flowers on the nightstand without meeting my eyes. “I’ve arranged for a nurse to help you.” “Our son is dead,” I said flatly. He shifted uncomfortably. “Olivia, I know you’re grieving, but—” He paused, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “Perhaps this is for the best. We weren’t really ready. The timing with the Singapore merger, your health issues… We can try again when things are more stable.” For the best. The words echoed in the hollow chamber where my heart used to be. “Get out,” I whispered. “Olivia—” “Get out!” The scream tore from my throat, raw and primal. The roommate’s eyes widened in alarm. Ethan left without another word. The morning of my discharge dawned gray and oppressive. A nurse helped me dress while I leaned heavily on crutches, my body still weak from blood loss. Ethan was nowhere to be seen—just a driver waiting to take me home. But I didn’t go home. I gave the driver an address across town, to a small funeral home I’d found in the phone book. The director, an elderly man with gentle eyes, didn’t ask questions when I explained what I needed. “We can arrange a private ceremony,” he said softly. “Just you and your son.” Two days later, under a sky that threatened more rain, I stood alone in a small chapel. The tiny casket seemed impossibly small, draped in soft blue fabric. Inside lay the remains of my baby—my Noah, my peace that never was. “I name you Noah Foster,” I whispered to the empty room. “You were wanted. You were loved. You were mine.” When they brought me the silver box containing his ashes, I pressed it against my chest, feeling its cool weight against my heart. This was all I had left of him—this small vessel holding infinite dreams. As I limped back to the waiting car, I caught my reflection in the funeral home’s glass door. The woman staring back was a stranger—hollow-eyed, broken, clutching a silver box like a lifeline. Somewhere across town, my husband was probably with her, planning their perfect future while I carried our son’s ashes home alone.=== Chapter 3 === The house was too large, too empty, as I walked through its echoing halls, the silver box tucked beneath my arm. Shadows clung to the corners, whispering secrets I was too weary to decipher. Home was meant to be a sanctuary, but now it felt like a cage, its grandeur mocking the smallness of the life I had left within its walls. In the study, Ethan sat behind his polished desk, the glow of his laptop illuminating his face—a mask of casual indifference. The air was thick with unspoken words, and I paused at the threshold, watching him. “We can try again,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion, as if discussing a business plan rather than the shattered remains of our dreams. Each word was a stone cast into the well of my grief. His phone buzzed—a persistent reminder of Rebecca’s presence in our lives—and he ignored it with practiced ease. The room was a battleground of silence, where the only sound was the gentle rain tapping against the windows, a distant echo of the storm that had taken Noah from me. I turned away, retreating from the battlefield of his indifference into the solitude of my studio. Here, amidst the scattered canvases and brushes, I sought refuge. The sketchbook lay open on the table, its pages waiting for expression that words could not capture. I took up my pencil, drawing lines that formed a figure—a lone silhouette clutching a glowing box against the encroaching darkness. Each stroke was a whisper of my resolve, a testament to the defiance that burned within me. I glanced at Ethan’s phone, its screen lighting up with the constant barrage of messages. His betrayal was a wound that festered, but in the quiet of the studio, I found a flicker of strength—a resolve to reclaim the voice I had lost. The storm raged outside, a symphony of chaos that mirrored the turmoil within. And then, as if conjured by the tempest, Rebecca burst into the grand foyer. Her entrance was a spectacle, a performance of vulnerability, as she stumbled dramatically, a collapsible dog crate and white cane in hand. Rainwater soaked the marble floor, creating a mirror of the chaos she brought with her. “Olivia,” she cried, her voice a breathy wail, full of accusation and theatrical distress. Her presence was a violation, an intrusion upon the fragile peace I had begun to rebuild. Ethan appeared, his expression a mask of concern tailored for his mistress. He rushed to her side, his touch gentle, a stark contrast to the callous disregard he had shown me. “What’s wrong?” he asked, as if she were a wounded bird fallen from the sky. Rebecca’s eyes found mine, and I saw the gleam of triumph beneath her feigned vulnerability. “Max’s ashes,” she accused, her voice rising to a crescendo of hysteria. “They’re gone! And I know you took them!” The accusation was absurd, yet it hung in the air, a poison spreading through the room. Ethan’s gaze turned towards me, suspicion clouding his eyes. “Olivia, did you…” I clutched the silver box tighter, my son’s remains held close to my heart. “No,” I whispered, the word a shield against the storm she had unleashed. Yet even as I denied her claim, I felt the walls closing in, the weight of Ethan’s mistrust pressing upon me. Rebecca’s performance continued, a symphony of false grief that filled the space with its discordant notes. Ethan’s hand rested on her shoulder, a gesture of support that cut deeper than any blade. I was alone in the chaos, surrounded by the echoes of betrayal. As the storm outside raged, I stood my ground—a lone figure against the darkness, holding onto the memory of the son I had lost. The battle was far from over, but in that moment, amidst the tempest, I found a whisper of resolve. The storm would pass, and with it, the lies and deceit that sought to drown me. But for now, as I faced the woman who would see me broken, I held onto the truth, a beacon against the night. Outside, the rain fell in relentless sheets, a reminder that the storm was not yet done. But within me, a new strength took root—a promise that this battle would not end in silence.

My husband blamed me for standing in the way of his big future. He wanted a divorce. But on our way to the courthouse to finalize it, we got into a car crash. When I opened my eyes again, we were both back in time, to the year his childhood sweetheart invited him to start a business abroad. This time, he didn’t hesitate. He went overseas with her. I didn’t try to stop him. I just kept my job packing packages. Seven years later, he was a new business mogul, swimming in fame and fortune. And I was still packing packages. When we met again, he had his arm wrapped around his childhood sweetheart’s waist, mocking me, covered in dust and scrapes. “Seven years, and you’re still a pathetic mess, like you’ve been living on the streets!” I just walked past him, ignoring his words. It was at the business finance center’s speaking event. Marcus was back in the country. After seven years, he’d transformed into the CEO of a listed company, a man of fame and fortune, absolutely dominating the scene. As I walked into the conference center, all sorts of big-shot CEOs were swarming around him, eager to shake his hand. Many of them were our old classmates from the university entrepreneurship base. “Marcus, you sly dog, you’re the biggest success story in our class!” “Yeah, seriously! Just a few years, and you’re a CEO! Back in college, I always knew you were destined for greatness, and look at you now! Your grades were stellar, and you were always so driven. I knew you were something special from the start!” “I even heard you invested five million into our old university. That’s insane! I should’ve gone into business with you!” “Marcus isn’t just capable, he’s also dashingly handsome. And I heard your current girlfriend is a gorgeous heiress, spill the beans! How did you two get together? Give us some tips!” Marcus lowered his head and gave a slight smile. “It was just fate.” Then I heard them mention me. “How did things end with you and Scarlett? I remember you two were inseparable in college, so in love.” Marcus’s expression stiffened for a second, then he chuckled lightly. “Our values just didn’t align.” Seeing he didn’t want to talk about it, they didn’t push him. Their attention shifted to his gorgeous heiress. “Are we finally going to meet your stunning girlfriend today?” A shallow smile played on Marcus’s lips. “She’s here too, just went to the restroom. Should be out soon.” Just then, his gorgeous heiress, Celeste, strutted over in her stilettos and settled in beside him. A few classmates gasped like they’d never seen a gorgeous woman before. After a quick cleanup of the mud and scrapes on my arms, I straightened up and walked in with my head held high. One classmate recognized me first. “Holy crap, Scarlett! Speak of the devil!” “Scarlett, our class queen, came to the business lecture too!” “Come on, class queen, come chat with us!” “What happened to you? You’re covered in dirt, and your arms are all messed up. Did you fall somewhere?” I politely gave a few generic replies. Then I turned and met Marcus’s eyes. He frowned, sizing me up from head to toe, his eyes practically screaming ‘disgust’. He was wearing a custom-tailored black suit, his hair styled perfectly—it looked freshly done—like a refined prince. Celeste, sitting next to him, was draped in an expensive mink fur coat, clinging to his arm, nestling into his shoulder, like a delicate, sleeping beauty. They looked like a picture-perfect power couple. Then there was me. My white dress was stained dark with mud, and my arms were covered in bruises. But I didn’t care. I nodded a greeting to them and found a random seat. The lecture still had a little while before it started. I quickly texted my assistant to bring me a change of clothes. Then I buried my head in my phone, listening to their gossip. “I’ve been waiting for this business lecture for ages!” “Tell me about it! This is Liam and his powerhouse wife’s exclusive business secrets! Who wouldn’t want to hear that?!” “I heard Liam and his wife only started their business after they got married. They built their empire from scratch, and in less than three years, they’d amassed a fortune worth hundreds of millions.” “And I also heard Liam loves his wife so much, he even handed over the chairman position to her!” “That’s right. Liam doesn’t let anyone mention his wife online; he keeps her fiercely protected. And his wife is super low-key; she rarely appears in public. No one has even seen her until now! Today, we’re lucky enough to witness this business elite goddess.” “I’m so jealous! They truly are a legendary couple in business! I want to marry a man like Liam!” “And I want to marry an elite goddess like his wife!” My assistant brought the clothes. As I was about to head to the restroom to change, I ran into Marcus on the way. He was leaning against the doorframe, by the entrance. It seemed like he was deliberately waiting for me. But I had no desire to interact with him, so I just ignored him and walked past. To my surprise, he spoke first, calling out to me. “You’re not still packing packages, are you? Seven years, and you’re still a pathetic mess, like you’ve been living on the streets. You haven’t even bought a car, still taking taxis!” “You’re a grown woman, stumbling like a clumsy fool on the street. Aren’t you embarrassed?!” I turned around and, facing that familiar yet strange face, replied firmly: “That’s my business, and it has nothing to do with you.” Marcus clicked his tongue, his face flushing with irritation. “Scarlett, your mouth is still as stubborn as ever! No ambition!” “I know, you must be absolutely kicking yourself now!” I said, “Regret? What do I have to regret?” Hearing my counter-question, he scoffed, a sneer on his face: “Still playing tough, huh? I knew it, you’re nothing without me!” “But I’m not some heartless brute. Given our seven years of marriage, if you just swallow your pride a little, maybe I can offer you a prestigious, high-flying job.” “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t need it.” With that, I turned and walked away. He was still yelling behind me, his voice echoing. “Scarlett, don’t be ungrateful! When that day comes, and you regret it, don’t come crawling to me!” “You want to act all high and mighty? Let’s see how long you can keep that up!”

Beg him? Why would I beg him?! Listening to his arrogant tone. It brought back memories of our first life. In our first life, Marcus and I got married right after graduation. After marriage, we started our own business. Soon, we had a small package delivery studio. My daily task was to pack packages. I thought life was pretty good. But in the end, it all fell apart because of human nature. Just before we got married, Celeste had invited Marcus to start a business with her overseas. I didn’t want to go abroad, so he refused. Later, Celeste returned to the country, not only with vast wealth but also as the CEO of a listed company. Marcus felt like he’d missed out on a fortune. His eyes turned red with envy. After a few days of feeling down, he sought out Celeste. This time, she was still willing to take him abroad to develop his career. Marcus was ecstatic. He came back demanding we sell the package delivery studio we’d spent years building. But I wouldn’t let him, and I firmly refused to go abroad with him. He flew into a rage, smashing the entire studio, howling like a mad dog. “Why won’t you go?! This is such a golden opportunity to make money, why aren’t you valuing it?!” I clutched the package box in my hands tighter. “We’ve been working and researching here for years. Victory is just ahead! As long as we keep at it, we’ll make something great!” “Besides, we haven’t failed! The studio expands every year, our quality of life gets better every year. Why can’t you just stick with it?!” After hearing my words, he exploded in anger. “Stick with it? This pathetic little operation, you want me to stick with *this*?!” “Every single classmate and friend who graduated with us is now a CEO rolling in cash, with thousands of employees working for them. I feel like a nobody standing next to them!” I said, “Why would you think that? Who gives a damn about what you’re doing? Everyone’s got their own lives to live. No one’s obsessing over you!” He wouldn’t listen, continuing to argue: “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t refused to go abroad back then, I’d be a multi-millionaire CEO by now!” “Why would I be stuck managing this pathetic little workshop?!” My eyes widened in shock, unable to believe he could say such a thing, blaming his perceived failure on me. “You blame me? I never stopped you back then! How can you blame me? These past few years, besides packing all the packages every day, I’ve been doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of our three-year-old. I’ve become a total wreck! Marcus, what have I ever done to wrong you?!” He seemed even angrier than me. “What else can you do besides pack packages?!” “Are you willing to live like this for the rest of your life?!” “Scarlett, I’m asking you one last time. Are you coming with me or not?!” “If you don’t, then we’re getting a divorce!” I stood frozen in place. For a moment, I felt ridiculous. Seven years of hard work, and the result was a divorce. “What’s wrong with this? Our life is already better than many families. We already have a seven-figure sum in savings. What more do you want?!” Hearing my words, Marcus’s expression was defiant, with a hint of ruthlessness. “What good is a seven-figure sum?! My classmates, their villas are worth seven figures, their sports cars are worth seven figures! Tell me, what can we even do with that?!” “Marcus, opportunities aren’t just abroad. As long as you have determination and capability, opportunities are everywhere. Our little venture isn’t a lost cause…” He violently kicked over the shelving unit, his face turning ashen as he cut me off. “Enough!” “If you won’t go, I will!” “I shouldn’t have married you in the first place. You ruined my big future!” “A stagnant woman like you, Scarlett, you’ll never achieve anything substantial! You deserve to be a miserable, worn-out housewife forever! I’d be embarrassed to be seen with you!” “Just look at Celeste, she’s capable, beautiful, and knows how to make money!” “You’re not even a fraction of what she is!” Hearing those words, tears streamed down my face. I had to take care of our kid, do housework, and help out at the studio every day. I was constantly busy, turning myself into a worn-out wreck, and he started to resent me. “So that’s how pathetic I am in your eyes.” “You know she likes you, and you’re still going with her?” He knew Celeste liked him. Even before we got married, Celeste had pursued him for three years, but he never agreed, ultimately choosing me. Marcus looked arrogant. “Why wouldn’t I go?! Love means nothing when money’s on the table!” “Let’s just part ways peacefully! A stagnant woman like you, content with mediocrity, you’ll just pack packages for the rest of your life. You’ll never have your day in the sun!” “You have no ambition, but don’t you dare stand in my way!” Seven years of marriage. I thought he was a man who only had eyes for me, a loyal and unwavering man. Turns out I was wrong. But just as we were on our way to the courthouse, a large truck suddenly crashed into us. Our car immediately caught fire, accompanied by the ringing explosion. When I opened my eyes again, we had both been reborn. This time, he didn’t hesitate and went abroad with Celeste. And I, like in my first life, opened a small package delivery studio. Only this time, I didn’t have to take care of a child, or do laundry, cook, or mop floors. I could devote myself fully to my work, fulfilling the dream I hadn’t completed in my previous life. Marcus said I had no ambition. Funny! My ambition was no weaker than his.

I had just changed clothes when my husband called. “Sweetheart, my assistant told me you were hit by an old lady’s tricycle and fell into the mud when you got out of the car. Are you hurt? I’ll pick you up to go to the hospital after I’m done with work, okay?” His worried and urgent voice came through the phone. It instantly warmed my heart. I replied to him in a sweet, soft voice: “I’m fine, just a little scratch, no big deal.” “Even a little scratch isn’t okay. You have to go to the hospital after the lecture.” “Okay, okay! Whatever you say.” “Good girl. I’ll be there soon. See you later!” I hung up the phone, a sweet smile still on my face. It wasn’t until I reached the entrance of the conference center that Celeste called out to me. “Scarlett, where did you go? Come over and chat with us.” She quickly got up and pulled me to a seat by the wall. Then she blocked the exit seat with her body. She asked me, “Scarlett, where have you been working these past two years?” Her voice was light and airy, but her eyes were full of mockery. It was obvious she wanted to embarrass me. But I had nothing to hide. I told her honestly, “Packing packages.” The few female classmates around were mostly Celeste’s acquaintances. Hearing my answer, their eyes filled with disdain. “Weren’t you packing packages seven years ago? How are you still packing packages now?” I said, “That’s all I know how to do.” The room immediately burst into laughter. Their laughter was a bit wild, as if packing packages was some shameful job. I didn’t bother stooping to their level. But Celeste was like a leech, clinging to me. “Scarlett, us women, we need to be independent and ambitious, dare to realize our own value. Look, our peers are driving luxury cars, living in mansions, and their monthly income is what you make in several years. And you, you’re still taking a tricycle with old ladies!” “See, aren’t you embarrassing for us women?!” “This lecture is so grand, they let any random cat or dog in here, it’s really lively!” She clearly disliked me, finding subtle ways to mock me. It was all because back in college, she chased Marcus for three years. But Marcus only had eyes for me and never gave her a second glance. From then on, Celeste hated me. Now that she finally saw me, of course she had to get her revenge. The people around me also smirked mockingly. “I heard that Liam, the big boss, met his wife through packing packages. Maybe Scarlett will meet her Liam too.” “Exactly, Scarlett, you can do it too!” “If you can’t achieve success on your own, then just marry a good man and live a life of ease and comfort.”

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I was a ghost-hunting streamer, famously a total scaredy-cat. My genuine, over-the-top reactions to being terrified were what hooked my audience. To challenge the most haunted abandoned hospital in the city, I shelled out big bucks to hire a retired special forces soldier as my bodyguard. But the guy who showed up was lean and pale, with a dark, brooding gaze that made him look more like a ghost than any ghost I’d ever seen. During the livestream, he suddenly grabbed my wrist, flashed an eerie grin at the camera, and said, “Look, everyone, she’s trembling with fear. How cute.” The comments section exploded instantly: [Is this bodyguard the Ghost King?!] [Streamer, run!] My agent sent an encrypted DM, her voice practically trembling: “It’s over! He’s an undercover agent from a rival platform! He’s ‘The Reaper,’ that streamer with ten million followers! He’s here to ruin you!” Staring at his face, identical to the college senior I’d secretly crushed on for three years, my heart turned to ice.

I was an outdoor ghost-hunting streamer, known in the industry as ‘Chloe the Daring.’ My haters, though, affectionately called me ‘Screaming Chloe.’ As the names suggested, my livestream style was all about authenticity. Other ghost-hunting streamers went looking for ghosts; with me, the ghosts usually found me. Other streamers’ comment sections were filled with ‘Jump Scare Warning,’ while mine usually read ‘Protect Our Chloe!’ I couldn’t help it. I was just naturally sensitive to the supernatural, with a special constitution. Growing up, I’d encountered more bizarre things than I could count. Add to that my pathetic courage – one fright, and my screams could shatter glass. I was a literal screaming machine on legs. Over time, thanks to this ‘authentic, no-holds-barred’ cowardice, I actually carved out a niche in the highly competitive streamer world, gaining a loyal following of my adoring ‘troll-fans’ who loved watching me get scared senseless. To give back to my fans and hit next month’s KPIs, I decided to go big or go home – livestreaming an exploration of the city’s most infamous haunted location, the abandoned Blackwood Asylum. Rumor had it, many people had died there, and the place was suffused with dark energy. Anyone who went in either lost their minds or became catatonic, and even stray dogs steered clear. It was truly the ultimate local horror legend. As soon as the news broke, my livestream exploded. [OMG! Chloe, are you serious?! That place is no joke!] [My grandma said something evil is sealed in that hospital’s basement; it’s been cursed since it was built!] [Can’t wait! Already got my recorder ready to make Chloe’s screams my new alarm!] [Protect our Chloe! Let’s crowdfund for some adult diapers for the streamer!] Looking at the screen full of comments, I remained calm on the surface, but internally, I was freaking out. Of course, I knew the place was creepy! But I’d already hyped it up; I had to go whether I liked it or not. For the sake of my life and my KPIs, I gritted my teeth and shelled out a huge sum to hire a retired special forces soldier from a company claiming to be the industry’s best security firm. His profile stated he was six foot three, a master of combat, with an iron will. He’d once fought a bear bare-handed and was nicknamed ‘The Enforcer.’ Looking at the photo of the muscular guy with bulging muscles and piercing eyes, I nodded in satisfaction. With ‘The Enforcer’ by my side, forget ghosts, I wouldn’t even be scared if a T-Rex showed up! On the day of the livestream, I deliberately arrived half an hour early to wait for my ‘Enforcer’ at the hospital entrance. When the appointed time arrived, a discreet black SUV pulled up in front of me. The car door opened, and I rubbed my hands together excitedly, ready to greet the embodiment of my security. Then, I froze. The person who stepped out was a man. He was tall, but ‘muscular’ was definitely not a word I’d use to describe him. Dressed all in black, his frame was lean, and his skin was a cold white that looked like it hadn’t seen sunlight in years. He had slightly long black hair that partially obscured one eye, while the other, visible eye was incredibly dark, like a bottomless pool of cold water, carrying an unwavering gloom when he looked at someone.

This… this was my ‘Enforcer’? He looked more like a Vampire Count who’d just emerged from a gothic castle, honestly. I stood frozen, stammering, “You… hello, are you Mr. Vance from the security company?” He lifted an eyelid and glanced at me, his gaze so chilling it sent a shiver down my spine. From his throat, he emitted a faint ‘hmm,’ which counted as an answer. I looked at him, then at the photo of the muscle hunk on my phone, plunging into deep self-doubt. “Um… Mr. Vance, is there… a slight discrepancy between your photo and your actual appearance?” I carefully phrased my words. “You look rather… refined. Not quite like the bare-handed bear fighter described in the profile.” At my words, the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch, but the curve was so slight it was almost invisible. “Oh, it was Photoshopped,” he said, concise and to the point. Me: (Speechless) No, seriously, dude. You didn’t just Photoshop a picture; you Photoshopped a whole different person! You look like you’re barely strong enough to open a jar, and they Photoshopped you into a bear fighter? This is fraud! I immediately pulled out my phone, ready to call the security company to complain and demand a refund. “Wait,” he said suddenly, his voice cold and clear, like ice cubes clinking in a glass. He took a step closer. I’m five foot ten, and I still had to tilt my head back slightly to look at him. The huge height difference created an invisible sense of oppression, and the chilly aura around him grew even stronger. “Your livestream is going to be late,” he reminded me. I checked my phone; it was a string of non-stop calls of doom from Brenda, my devil agent. I jolted. There was no time to worry about refunds. If I didn’t start streaming soon, this month’s bonus would be gone! “Fine,” I conceded, but still nervously looked him up and down. “Mr. Vance, are you sure you can handle this? There are real ghosts in there.” He didn’t answer, just stared at me with those pitch-black eyes, making my skin crawl. I felt like I hadn’t just hired a bodyguard; I’d hired an extra ghost for myself. Biting the bullet, I turned on my livestream equipment. The moment the camera light flashed on, I instantly switched from a scaredy-cat to my confident ‘Chloe the Daring’ mode. “Hello, hello! My amazing fam, I’m here! Thanks to my top supporter for the rocket! Today, we’re challenging the legendary Blackwood Asylum!” I forced a professional smile at the camera, then turned it to the man beside me. “For everyone’s safety… no, for *my* safety, I specially hired an elite bodyguard, Mr. Vance!” The comments section instantly scrolled to life. [!!! This bodyguard is so hot!] [He’s hot, but why does he look so frail? Chloe, are you sure he can fight ghosts?] [I feel like he’s scarier than a ghost… those eyes, *shivers*…] [Hey, don’t talk trash, that’s called the cool, aloof type! Obsessed, obsessed!] I cleared my throat, forcefully trying to salvage my reputation. “My fam, don’t judge a book by its cover. Mr. Vance is a man of few words, but fierce – that’s how all the true masters are, understand?” Damon Vance, my ‘unfortunate’ bodyguard, remained expressionless throughout, like a statue devoid of emotion. We walked, one in front of the other, through the asylum’s main entrance. A stale, musty smell, mixed with the sharp scent of disinfectant, hit us, instantly making me uncomfortable. The hallway was dimly lit, with large patches of paint peeling off the walls, revealing dark red brick underneath, like dried bloodstains. I swallowed hard, feeling goosebumps crawl all over my back. “My fam, we’ve now entered the main building, and as you can see, the environment here is… remarkably ‘preserved,’” I said, my palms sweating as I gripped my powerful flashlight tighter.

I subtly shuffled back a step, wanting to be closer to my ‘Enforcer’ for some sense of security. Turns out, he was even quieter than me. He walked so silently that several times when I turned around, I nearly jumped out of my skin. “Mr. Vance,” I whispered, lowering my voice. “Could you please make some noise when you walk? Scaring people like that can literally kill them!” He tilted his head, his pitch-black eyes looking exceptionally creepy in the dim light. “Ghosts think the same thing,” he murmured. Me: (Speechless) The comments section had already lost its mind laughing. [Hahahaha! The bodyguard guy totally knows how to mess with the streamer!] [I ship this pair so hard! One screams, one tells ghost stories!] [Chloe: I hired you to protect me, not to scare me!] I took a deep breath, telling myself to be professional and not let a weird bodyguard affect my emotions. We reached the door of a patient room, marked ‘Intensive Care Unit.’ The door was ajar, and faint, almost imperceptible crying drifted out. My legs instantly turned to jelly. “My fam, did you hear that? There’s a sound!” I said, feigning calmness, while frantically hinting at Damon with my eyes. —Dude! Go! It’s your time to shine! Damon received my signal, nodded, and then… walked around behind me, positioning himself *behind* me. Me: (Confused) “What are you doing?” I was dumbfounded. Without changing his expression, he said, “Protecting you.” “How are you going to protect me from *behind* me?!” “If a ghost comes from behind, I’ll spot it first.” I nearly laughed in exasperation. What kind of twisted logic was that?! Just then, a loud *clatter* suddenly came from the patient room, like something had been thrown to the floor. “AHHH—!” I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My scream echoed through the entire hallway, and I instantly jumped, clinging to Damon like an octopus. The comments section flooded again. [HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!] [An iconic scene is born! Streamer’s new accessory!] [Why does the bodyguard guy look so calm, like he’s even enjoying it?] I clung tightly to Damon’s neck, burying my face in his shoulder, trembling like a leaf. Damon’s body was cold; I could feel the chill even through his thin clothing. But he was incredibly steady; with a whole person clinging to him, he didn’t even sway. He freed one hand and gently patted my back, a gesture that was surprisingly comforting. Then, he leaned close to my ear, his voice low enough for only us to hear: “Chloe, if you don’t get down, I’m going to throw you in there.” Wait… what did he call me? Chloe? I snapped my head up, staring at him in horror. My real name was known by almost no one except my family and my agent! To protect my privacy, I’d always used my stage name, ‘Chloe the Daring.’ How did he know my name? My heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition suddenly arose. Before I could think it through, he’d already grabbed my wrist, forcibly peeling me off him. His strength was astounding; my wrist throbbed where he squeezed it. “Don’t be scared,” he said, looking at me. The corner of his mouth curved into a noticeable smile for the first time, but it made my blood run cold. “I’ll go in with you to take a look.” With that, he pulled me toward the patient room where the strange sound had come from. I struggled desperately, but his pincer-like grip made me utterly unable to move. “No! I’m not going! Let go of me! Help!” I screamed my lungs out.

He, however, suddenly turned his head toward the drone camera still livestreaming behind me, and flashed an eerie smile. “Look, everyone,” his voice, clear through the microphone, echoed across the entire livestream, “she’s trembling with fear. How cute.” The livestream exploded instantly. [OMG! This bodyguard is the Ghost King?!] [So possessive! What kind of forced romance plot is this?! I’m totally shipping it!] [Streamer, run! I feel like he’s going to sacrifice you to a demon!] Just then, my phone vibrated wildly. It was an encrypted DM from Brenda, my agent. I opened it, and there was only one line, but every word slammed into my skull like a hammer. Brenda’s voice was trembling: “It’s over! Chloe! Run! He’s an undercover agent from a rival platform! He’s ‘The Reaper,’ that streamer with ten million followers! He’s here to ruin you!” The Reaper?! My mind buzzed, as if a bomb had just exploded inside it. The Reaper, real name unknown, was the ace horror streamer from the rival platform, known for being calm, hardcore, and never, ever screaming. They said he could catch snakes bare-handed, eat bugs raw, and sleeping in a graveyard was like going home for him. He was widely recognized as the ultimate competitor in the industry, and my sworn enemy. But him… how could he possibly… I snapped my head up, looking at his face again. Lean and pale, gloomy eyes, a high nose bridge, thin lips pressed together… That face… It was identical to the face of the student council president I’d secretly crushed on for three years in college – Damon Vance, the senior who always wore a white shirt and smiled gently in the sunlight… Identical! Back then, I was just a nobody, too timid to even confess my feelings to him. After graduation, he vanished without a trace. I thought he’d gone abroad for further studies and become some kind of social elite. How did he end up as a rival streamer, here to sabotage my career?! My heart froze solid. It was over. Not only was my career doomed today, but my first love was going down with it. I was completely stiff, my mind blank, letting ‘The Reaper’—no, Damon—drag me into that eerie patient room. The room was a mess, a lonely iron bed sat in the center, its sheets covered in dark brown stains. The source of the loud noise had been a metal basin, fallen to the floor. “See? Nothing.” Damon released my wrist, his tone as flat as if he were commenting on the weather. I looked at the red marks on my wrist from his grip, then at his utterly expressionless face, a mix of sorrow and indignation churning inside me. He ruined my livestream, messed with my feelings, and now he wanted to torment me?! Overwhelmed by grief, I forgot all about my livestream persona, pointing a finger at his nose as I began my accusations: “Damon Vance! You liar! You’re no bodyguard, you’re The Reaper! What do you want by sneaking in here? Do you want to make a fool of me? Do you want me to be humiliated in front of millions of people?!” Damon raised an eyebrow at my words, seemingly surprised that I knew his identity. Not only did he not deny it, but he calmly admitted: “Yes.” That single ‘yes’ plunged into my already battered heart like an ice blade. I was trembling with rage: “You… you’re shameless! Why are you doing this to me? I have no past grievances with you, so why use such low-blow tactics?” “No past grievances?” He chuckled lightly, stepping closer to me. “Chloe, your memory is truly terrible.” I backed away repeatedly as he advanced, until my back hit the cold wall, with nowhere left to retreat. “Have you forgotten sophomore year, at the freshman welcoming party, who swapped my speech that I’d prepared for half a month with a presentation on ‘The Secret Lives of Earthworms?’” Me: (Speechless)

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Three years after I announced my death due to illness. My son ran into Ryan Hayes, who had just returned to the country, at the airport. He let Ryan lead him along, blinking his eyes and speaking to him, “Uncle, you look just like my dad.” Ryan squatted down, smiling as he ruffled his hair. “But your mom didn’t choose me in the end, did she?” Today was my fifth anniversary with Ryan, and his idealized first love, Serena, suffering from depression, called again. Her voice was soft and sweet, as if it held a magic, easily stirring up deep memories and emotions within Ryan. “That ocean view we saw before, it was so beautiful. Will you remember Serena in the future, Ryan?” Ryan’s hand, which had been fiddling with his hair, froze. His voice trembled slightly, “Serena, what are you saying? Ryan really likes you.” “I’ll come pick you up. Shall we go to your favorite seafood restaurant for crab, okay?” Ryan’s voice carried a tension others might not have noticed. I watched him turn away without hesitation. My phone smashed onto the floor. Ryan heard the sound and turned back, looking apologetic. He rushed over to me and knelt down. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I’ll make up our anniversary to you another day.” “You’ve always been an understanding girl. Serena has been by my side all this time.” “I can’t just leave her alone.” I looked at his almost pleading eyes, slowly, imperceptibly, I loosened my grip on his sleeve, though my heart was screaming. Still, I couldn’t help but demand, “If you walk out that door today, we might really be over. Don’t you care?” “Even if her leg can’t dance anymore because of you, it’s been so many years. Whatever you owed should have been paid back long ago.” Ryan’s eyes hardened instantly, sharp as a blade. “Summer, stop being unreasonable. You shouldn’t be so jealous.” My vision blurred as his figure shrank, disappearing into the distance. Serena was his untouchable. No one could mention her, no one could touch her. His words from when he was deeply in love still echoed in my ears, “You’ll always be my first choice. I’ll never let you be sad.” Ryan, you broke your promise.

I couldn’t help but recall our college days, me, Ryan, and Serena. I always thought Ryan and Serena had met through me. It wasn’t until the second year Ryan and I were together that I accidentally overheard a conversation between them. That’s when I found out they had known each other for a long time and shared some unforgettable memories. “Now that you’re with Summer, treat her well. She’s a very good girl.” “As for me, a cripple won’t have a bright future.” Her face was devoid of expression, utterly bleak. Serena’s words successfully stirred up Ryan’s guilt. He hugged her tightly. “Serena, I’m so, so sorry! I’ll stay with you until you truly find your own happiness.” “Summer won’t mind.” Many things I didn’t realize at the time. He called her Serena, he called me Summer. I actually wanted to rush out then and ask, “By ‘forever’ staying with her, do you mean the three of us will live together?” But as an understanding girlfriend, I couldn’t do that. It wasn’t until I returned to the dorm that night, looking at each other, us two girls who shared a strange similarity. Serena spoke with a triumphant sneer, “See? Just a few words, and he can’t bear to leave me. You’re just a disposable replacement.” “You probably don’t know this, but Ryan studied medicine because of me. He came to this university because of me too.” I said nothing. Serena slowly, leisurely, stood up from her wheelchair and limped towards the bathroom. “He’s with you out of guilt, unable to get past a hurdle in his heart, that’s why he found you.” She smiled sweetly as she said that. A knot of unease tightened in my stomach. I vaguely guessed they had a complicated history. Looking at the wheelchair Serena had left aside, I chuckled, “Well, you’re in the past, after all. Does Ryan know your leg is almost healed?” Ryan came from a prominent family. Serena’s father was a murderer, and her mother was a gambler. Ryan’s father was obsessed with appearances, so as long as he was alive, he would absolutely never let Ryan and Serena be together. At the time, when Ryan’s father found out that Ryan, still in high school, was dating a girl from a troubled background, he was furious. He went straight to the school and took Ryan home. Serena was lost and desolate all day until the news of Ryan going abroad broke. She got into a car accident on her way to the airport. “For a dancer, not being able to dance is like taking my life.” She went on hunger strike, cut her wrists, took sleeping pills. And Ryan stayed by her side through it all. In the end, her voice choked. “But your appearance gave me a sense of crisis. Summer, I’m not like you. I only have Ryan.” The next day, Serena was found having cut her wrists in the dorm. I was scared by the blood everywhere and instinctively stepped back. She looked at me, her face pale. “Do you think Ryan will blame you for provoking me?”

Less than half an hour later, Ryan burst into the hospital room, breathless. He slammed into me, sending me sprawling. My arm hit the nearby metal cabinet. “You were supposed to have moved out. Why were you even here, near Serena?” He took out the soup from the meal tray and carefully fed it to Serena. He then thoughtfully propped a pillow behind her back, before fixing me with a cold stare, his voice laced with accusation. “You knew Serena’s situation was delicate. Why didn’t you stay away from her?” Serena gently wrapped her arms around his neck, whining softly, “Ryan, it hurts so much. I can’t walk like a normal person anymore.” But her triumph was impossible to hide in her eyes. Someone genuinely suffering from depression wouldn’t have that look in their eyes. Yet Ryan hugged her tenderly, gently rubbing her leg. “Serena will get better. Ryan’s here for you.” His entire focus was on Serena, he didn’t notice my bleeding arm, covered in cuts. I comforted myself countless times, telling myself Ryan was only acting out of guilt. Every time, I compromised. I knew exactly what he was thinking. He knew Serena’s illness wasn’t severe to this extent. But later, on a mountain drenched in a downpour, amidst a howling blizzard, on a deserted highway in the dead of night, even at our own wedding, Ryan abandoned me without a second thought and chose Serena. This was his last chance. I ran after him. “Ryan, have you really thought this through?” Ryan’s footsteps faltered. From a distance, I saw guilt in his eyes. “Summer, I’m sorry. I can’t abandon Serena. Her leg is like this because of me.” The outcome was clear long ago. For the first time, I used a hidden ability and heard Ryan’s inner thoughts: “Summer, I’ll make it up to you properly when I get back.” I shook my head, my voice raw and strained. “Ryan, no need. We’re breaking up.” Ryan finally turned and walked towards me, his brows furrowed, his tone filled with displeasure. “Stop being unreasonable! Our relationship and helping Serena recover aren’t mutually exclusive. Why do you have to make it a competition?” “Serena’s by the ocean, it’s dangerous. Her life is on the line, what are you even thinking about?” The atmosphere between us instantly solidified. People around us cast curious glances, eager for drama. A lump formed in my throat, choking back the words. It was useless because Ryan’s mind was completely consumed by Serena at the beach. I managed a faint smile, opening my mouth to speak. But before I could say anything, Ryan’s phone rang. It was our mutual friend, saying Serena’s condition was very bad. In just a few seconds, Ryan made his choice. He abandoned me again without a second thought. Right then, I thought my decision to give up a prestigious university’s exchange program for Ryan was absolutely terrible. I dialed that number, hidden at the very end of my contacts for a long, long time. “Caleb, I’m giving in. I accept your offer.”

Back home, I threw away all my things that were connected to Ryan. I only took a few pieces of clothing. Yes, I left. I walked away from Ryan. My name is Summer, because my mom hoped I’d live my life open-minded, optimistic, kind, and proactive. But I failed not only to do that, I even lost myself. “Summer, long time no see.” Caleb, long time no see. I looked at the man before me. He was still as radiant as he’d been years ago. “How did you end up so miserable without me around?” Caleb took my suitcase, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice. Hearing his familiar voice, my nose stung, and my voice involuntarily caught in my throat. “Yeah, I’m pretty miserable. And I’ll have to trouble the great Caleb, top influencer, for a while.” Caleb haughtily snorted twice. “Summer, I told you long ago to leave him.” “Caleb, I’m pregnant.” Caleb’s grip on my hand tightened abruptly. He seemed agitated. “And you? Do you want to keep it?” I pulled my hand from Caleb’s grasp. “I’m ready to start a new life.” In the following days, I steadily began my new life. I paid no attention to the chaos that had erupted back home. When Ryan returned home the next day, he unexpectedly noticed many things missing from the house. He called our mutual friends. “Has Summer contacted any of you?” All he got were words of advice: “Ryan, I’m just telling you, in this toxic relationship with Serena, you might as well let Summer go.” Everyone’s consistent answer was that they had no idea where Summer went, until Summer’s family was asked. “Summer has a really good friend overseas. You actually know him – Caleb.” Ryan didn’t understand why everyone thought he had wronged me. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the prenatal check-up results on the vanity table. Ryan left the country that very night, taking Serena with him. The next time I met Ryan was at the supermarket downstairs. “Summer!” Caleb reacted faster than I did, swinging a punch at Ryan’s face. “You bastard! How dare you show your face?!” They wrestled, their identities too prominent. If no one pulled them apart, tomorrow’s headline would be “A-List Celebrity and Corporation Heir Brawl in Public: What’s the Real Story?” “We broke up. Don’t come looking for me anymore.” I shielded Caleb behind me, casting a cold gaze at the man and woman opposite us. Ryan pulled out the prenatal check-up results. “Summer, stop messing around. You can’t let our child grow up without a father.” “I terminated the pregnancy.” He froze. He threw down the suitcase he was holding and clamped my arm tightly. “You’re lying to me, aren’t you?”

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My neighbor abandoned her cat, and I took it in. The cat never warmed up to me, but it clung to my husband, purring and meowing constantly. That’s when a red flag went up for me. When my husband claimed to be working late into the night, I knocked on my neighbor’s door. She ran a hand over her noticeably bulging belly. “Chloe, what can I do for you at this hour?” The blatant challenge and triumph in her eyes made everything crystal clear. In the early hours, my husband crept back home, only to find both our parents waiting. A divorce agreement lay on the coffee table. “Divorce?” “Chloe, are you really throwing away seven years of our relationship over a worthless cat?” Liam didn’t even look at the document. He snatched the divorce agreement and hurled it at the ragdoll cat rubbing against his leg. “If you don’t sign, we’ll go to court.” I said flatly, then turned to walk back to our room. Both sets of parents looked utterly bewildered. They couldn’t understand how a couple who, just last month, seemed like newlyweds could suddenly be on the brink of divorce. Liam lowered his head, trying to conceal the panic in his gaze, his fists clenched and trembling. His parents rushed forward, blocking my path. “Chloe, you can’t accuse Liam of cheating just because of a cat! Some cats are naturally drawn to men. What does that prove?” “We’ve seen how good Liam has been to you. When you had that severe flu and high fever years ago, Liam stayed awake for 48 hours, tirelessly caring for you in the hospital. When you accidentally fell off that mountain, Liam didn’t hesitate to sell his shares, spending a fortune to bring in the top medical team for you.” “Do these things weigh less in your heart than a cat?” My parents also tried to persuade me, speaking earnestly. “If you leave Liam, where will you find such a good husband again?” “Your body was damaged, leaving you unable to conceive. It’s a blessing that Liam hasn’t left you for it. Don’t you realize how lucky you are?” Liam suddenly grabbed my hand, his red-rimmed eyes filled with a desperate, doting look, as if he loved me beyond measure: “Honey, we dated for two years and have been married for five. We faced life-or-death situations together and never let go of each other’s hands. How can you misunderstand me over a cat?” “Is it because I’ve been so busy with problems at the company lately that you feel neglected and unhappy?” “I swear, no matter how busy I am, I’ll come home on time every day to be with you…” Everyone in the room seemed to love me so much. My in-laws were sophisticated and kind; they had always treated me well, never once treated me poorly. My parents were a bit more pragmatic, believing that staying with Liam would guarantee me a good life. But the indifference and resolve in my eyes never wavered. I coolly pushed Liam’s hand away. “I’ll say it again: if you don’t sign tonight, we’re going to court.” “This is my last act of consideration for you.” Liam’s eyes were bloodshot. “Chloe, how can you be so heartless?” “It’s simple. Because I don’t care about you one bit anymore.” With that, I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them anymore. I walked straight to the front door and left. The disappointed sighs of both sets of parents echoed behind me, but I didn’t pause for a moment, quickening my pace. The ragdoll cat also seized the opportunity to slip out. As I sat spacing out on a park bench in the neighborhood, I saw the ragdoll cat chasing its former owner, Skylar, who was downstairs throwing out trash. Skylar viciously kicked its head, but the ragdoll wouldn’t leave for anything. I couldn’t stand it and went over to intervene, but the ragdoll arched its back and hissed at me, claws out. Skylar suddenly chuckled: “Chloe, sometimes people are just like cats.” “If you don’t like someone, you just don’t. No matter how hard you try to force it, it won’t work out.” I looked at the blatant challenge and superiority in Skylar’s eyes, then glanced at her obviously bulging belly, instantly understanding what she meant. “You’re right.” “Desperate cats and people—you can’t keep either.” Liam suddenly showed up, his face filled with tension and panic. But it wasn’t for me. “Chloe, can you just act normal? I told you, the cat being affectionate with me was just a misunderstanding, and it has nothing to do with our neighbor! Causing a scene at home is one thing, but how can you go crazy and harass her? Can’t you see she’s pregnant?” Liam clearly had no idea what had happened. He just saw me with Skylar and instinctively wanted to defend her, treating me like a jealous shrew looking for trouble. I let out a bitter laugh, realizing that even if Liam still loved me, his love for Skylar was greater.

Fearing I’d go harass Skylar again, Liam forcefully dragged me back home. Mr. and Mrs. Miller’s faces were beyond furious. They had already read the contents of the divorce agreement and simply tossed it into the trash. “Chloe, what is the meaning of this? We, the Miller family, have treated you well, haven’t we? It’s bad enough you’re asking for a divorce over a worthless cat, but you also want Liam to leave with nothing?” “Have we been too kind, making you think you can walk all over us?” My parents looked ashamed of me, their faces flushed. “You’re going too far, Chloe. We won’t support you in something so unreasonable.” I didn’t offer any lengthy explanations, simply repeating my previous statement: “If you don’t agree, then I’ll see you in court.” The one who cheated should forfeit everything. Liam’s voice trembled with urgency. “Chloe, are you divorcing me to split my assets? You know the passwords to all my accounts; you can spend whatever you want. Isn’t that enough?” Not all accounts. Or rather, they used to be, but now Liam had several new cards. I had no idea how much money he’d been spending on Skylar behind my back. I was about to point this out when there was a sudden knock at the door. Skylar sweetly greeted us. “Everyone, I apologize for bothering you so late.” “Earlier downstairs, I saw Mr. Miller and Chloe having a misunderstanding because of me. I felt bad about it and came to check.” “Actually, Chloe wasn’t harassing me. She was just taking her anger out on the cat, and I couldn’t stand it and tried to reason with her. It was my fault for interfering; Chloe was right to hit or scold me.” Mr. and Mrs. Miller’s faces turned completely dark. “Chloe, you abuse animals and bully people?” My parents sighed, lamenting my stubbornness. “Chloe, why have you become like this?” None of them noticed a key detail. “Mr. Miller? Skylar, so you know my husband. It must have been difficult to keep quiet all this time, all those times we ran into each other and you didn’t say hello, wasn’t it?” Skylar immediately lowered her head in a panic, like a frightened deer, secretly glancing up at Liam, feigning an innocent mistake while begging for help. Her right hand, adorned with a sparkling diamond ring, again touched her bulging belly. The panic and affection in Liam’s eyes flashed and faded, quickly returning to normal. “I do know Skylar. She’s an entry-level employee at my company; we’ve met a few times.” “I didn’t think she was important, and I also wanted to prevent you from getting the wrong idea, so I just treated her like a mere neighbor. Chloe, just be a good girl and don’t overthink things.” I couldn’t help but laugh. If he had nothing to hide, why was he afraid of me overthinking? And how could an entry-level employee afford a luxury apartment in a prime downtown location? Seeing my silence, Mr. Miller stood up in a huff. “Chloe, if you have proof, I won’t say another word about the divorce and asset split! But if you think you can make Liam leave with nothing based on mere speculation, I warn you, you’re dreaming!” I was about to respond when Skylar beat me to it, blinking. “Leave with nothing? Chloe, isn’t that going too far?” “Even though you haven’t been to the company, all the employees know how much Mr. Miller spoils his wife, how much he loves you. Chloe, are you perhaps seeing someone else and deliberately making a big deal out of me, trying to seize Mr. Miller’s assets?” At that, I raised my hand and slapped her directly across the face. “Watch your mouth.” “Liam might tolerate your nonsense, but I certainly won’t.”

In that instant, Liam involuntarily clenched his fists, his gaze on me filled with fury. After a moment, he calmed down and looked at Skylar with concern. “Are you okay?” Skylar was already crying, her eyes red. “I’m fine. I accidentally said the wrong thing, Chloe was right to hit me. Mr. Miller, please don’t be angry because of me.” After seven years together, it was the first time Liam gritted his teeth at me. “Get on your knees and apologize to Skylar!” I scoffed coldly. “Why should I?” “She was asking for it; she deserved that.” Liam suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself with all his might, half his face instantly swelling and reddening. “Consider that a slap from me, on your behalf.” “Chloe, I’m begging you, please stop this madness, okay?” “Did being cooped up at home and pampered after your injury make you lose your mind? I promise, no matter what’s wrong with you, I’ll never abandon you.” “I’ll give you anything you want, just please, stop talking about divorce, okay?” I didn’t hesitate. “Impossible.” “Every second with you makes me sick to my stomach, suffocated.” His concessions and my defiance. It completely disappointed both sets of parents. Mr. and Mrs. Miller stood up in anger. Before leaving, Mr. Miller coldly stated, “If you insist on divorce, we’ll fight you every step of the way! But don’t even think about taking a single penny of our family’s assets. Even if it costs us everything, I’ll make sure you leave with nothing!” My parents also shook their heads and sighed. “Chloe, you’re the one at fault for making such a scene. If you end up with nothing, you’ll surely regret it.” But was I the one at fault? No. The person I’d bribed at Liam’s company quickly sent me a surveillance video. I was watching it in the spare bedroom when Liam knocked and entered. To prevent him from discovering it and deleting evidence, I quickly put on my Bluetooth earbuds, listening to the audio while putting my phone away. “Chloe, what’s the point of divorcing me?” “You can’t have children. A family with my kind of status would never accept someone like you.” I looked at him with a cold smile. “Liam, why can’t I have children?” Because in the second year of our marriage, I was injured. Liam loved thrills and often did extreme sports, asking me to join him. Once, while rock climbing, Liam slipped and fell. To save him, I risked everything to grab him. He managed to stabilize himself on a protruding rock, but I, completely drained of strength, plummeted down. Everyone said Liam was so good to me, that he risked his life for me. Before me, Liam guiltily lowered his head, silent. Through my earbuds, I clearly heard his and Skylar’s flirtatious laughter. “Liam, that skydiving trip was incredibly thrilling, and I had such a great time. But honestly, if you just take me out sometimes, I’ll be perfectly content. Isn’t it too risky for me to move in next door to you?” After a string of soft kissing sounds, Liam said, “That’s what makes it exciting.” “These past few years, Chloe has become increasingly boring. Only you make me feel the meaning of life…”

After discreetly gathering enough evidence, I went to Liam’s company to investigate his financial status, to prevent him from hiding or transferring assets. Several senior executives knew who I was and cooperated willingly. Only Skylar, relying on Liam’s favoritism, constantly tried to sabotage me, even having someone lead me to the outdoor smoking area. With no one else around, Skylar dropped the act. “Chloe, isn’t it good enough to be a kept woman?” “For infertile trash like you, it’s a blessing that Liam is willing to keep you. Why insist on making a scene and humiliating yourself?” I smirked. “Fine, then I won’t divorce him.” Skylar looked momentarily bewildered. “Huh?” I laughed harder. “So pathetic and stupid. You came here to provoke me, didn’t you? To force me to divorce Liam quickly so you could take my place?” “Too bad after you ‘succeed,’ all you’ll get is a mountain of debt. You’re destined for nothing.” “Remember that ragdoll cat? Your fate is destined to be even worse than its.” Skylar must have seen that ragdoll. It was so starved it couldn’t bear it, returning to my house begging for food, but I directly shut it out. It was forced to fight with other stray cats for scraps, ending up covered in bites and utterly miserable. Perhaps the ragdoll’s fate hit a nerve for Skylar, who gritted her teeth and lunged at me, attacking me. “You’re the one who’s unwanted, the useless one about to be kicked out! How dare you curse me?” My eyes filled with disgust, and I dodged sideways. Skylar lost her balance and fell to the ground, clutching her stomach and sobbing in pain. The commotion attracted others. Liam, hearing what happened, rushed back at top speed. Without a word, he grabbed me, trying to force an apology out of me for Skylar. I coldly refused. “She fell on her own. The surveillance footage can prove it.” Liam gritted his teeth, glaring at me. “Nonsense! Where would there be cameras in the smoking area?” I was about to say there were, but Skylar rubbed her eyes and cried out, “Mr. Miller, don’t blame Chloe. It’s my fault for living next door to you, causing Chloe to misunderstand.” “Could you please beg Chloe for me? She can harass me however she wants if she doesn’t like me, but she can’t intentionally harm the baby in my belly!” Liam’s eyes widened. “Chloe, you’d lay a hand on an unborn baby? The child is innocent!” “Innocent?” I scoffed. “Who knows whose bastard it is anyway—” Before I could finish, Liam’s slap landed hard on my face. “Beyond redemption!” “Chloe, if you insist on acting out, don’t blame me for being ruthless! You wanted to sue? Fine, I’ll arrange the court date tomorrow.” “My family doesn’t need a twisted, inhumane shrew like you!” At that moment, we were no longer husband and wife, but more like mortal enemies. And everyone, including my own parents, stood on Liam’s side. Before the court hearing, they were still trying to persuade me: “Chloe, are you really cheating?” “Now everyone online is saying you’re a despicable woman who conspired with another man to seize your husband’s assets; your reputation is completely ruined.” “Snap out of it, Chloe, don’t ruin your last chance at redemption, okay?” Mr. and Mrs. Miller didn’t even bother to look at me. “An ungrateful viper is an ungrateful viper. You can never tame them.” “Liam, when she regrets it and kneels, begging to reconcile, don’t you dare go soft!” Liam, meanwhile, looked like his patience had run out, offering a final concession. “Admit your mistake now, and I can pretend nothing happened.” “Otherwise, you’ll end up on the streets and grow old alone.” I said nothing, looking at the judge, waiting for the trial to officially begin. And one sentence from the judge instantly drained the color from Liam’s confident face, leaving everyone in disbelief and shock. “How…how could this be?” “Liam, how much have you been hiding from us?” “Liam Miller, do you admit to the fact that you cheated?” The judge’s question immediately sent the courtroom into an uproar.

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I loved Dax Thorne for five years, and for every single one of those years, I’d been tormented. Until the Vance family empire collapsed, my loved ones died, and everything I held dear was systematically destroyed by Dax. Eventually, in a raging inferno, I set myself on fire, right there in front of him. Everyone outside thought Dax had finally gotten his revenge. Only he knew that the moment I died, he truly lost his mind. Muffled cries of pain echoed through the room. Dax was performing the most intimate act, yet his expression was colder than a winter storm, as if he were miles away, trapped in a frozen wasteland. I struggled to breathe, a terrifying sense of suffocation building inside me, and instinctively thrashed against him. Just when I thought I was about to black out, Dax suddenly released me. I gasped, gulping in air, but before I could catch my breath, his rough movements shattered the fragile calm again. The torment went on for what felt like an eternity, only stopping when I was on the verge of losing consciousness. My phone rang. Dax picked it up, a flicker of cruel satisfaction in his eyes as he looked at the screen. He answered. The voice on the other end announced the collapse of Vance Enterprises. My eyes, which had been half-closed from the agony, snapped open. I stared up at him, disbelief flooding my senses. “Vance Enterprises… collapsed? What happened?” My voice was hoarse, weak, yet laced with sheer shock. Dax noticed the terror in my eyes, and a cruel smirk twisted his lips. “Like it? That’s my first gift to you.” I gazed at his smile, a chilling realization dawning on me. “Dax… you did this? To Vance Enterprises?” He gripped my chin, forcing my face up until I was trapped in an intimate, yet utterly terrifying, proximity. “Yes. Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this day?” I ignored the throbbing pain in my jaw, my heart plummeting to my stomach. “Why? Why would you destroy my family?” Dax shoved me off the bed, watching me fall to the floor. His eyes, usually so carefully guarded, now blazed with raw, unrestrained hatred. “Elara Vance, the Vance family’s ruin? You brought this on yourselves! If your mother hadn’t forced Seraphina away, she never would have broken up with me, and she certainly wouldn’t have died because of you!” Because of Seraphina… He hated himself, hated everyone in my family. So all his past tenderness, his kindness, had been a lie. This was his true face. My heart clenched. “No!” My face was pale. “My mother didn’t force Seraphina to break up with you, and I didn’t hurt her!” Dax’s eyes turned venomous. “You think I’d believe a word you say?” Years ago, Dax had been with Seraphina Hayes, my family’s adopted daughter. But my mother, knowing I harbored feelings for him, had forced Seraphina to break up with him. Dax still remembered Seraphina crying, clinging to him, saying she had no choice. The Vance family’s vast empire was too powerful; if they didn’t break up, my family wouldn’t let her go. Dax had been heartbroken, but at the time, his own family lacked the power to stand against mine. He’d had no choice but to painfully break up with Seraphina and marry me. Yet, even after all that, I still hadn’t let Seraphina go. He remembered the scene of Seraphina drowning, and it made him want to slaughter my entire family. But he couldn’t avenge Seraphina, so he had to swallow his hatred and live a lie with me. Until today. Finally, he had the power to avenge Seraphina. Dax said nothing more. He dragged me downstairs, opened a small room in the corner of the first floor, and shoved me inside. I stumbled, falling to my knees. My eyes widened in horror as I looked up at the scene before me. On the table in the room sat a framed photo. The girl in the picture was beautiful and delicate, with a melancholic air. It was Seraphina Hayes. I tried to stand, but Dax’s foot lashed out, kicking me in the back of my knee. I crumpled to the floor. “In front of Seraphina, you only deserve to kneel.”

Dax took a few steps closer, his leather shoe pressing down on my bare foot. As I cried out in pain, he spoke slowly. “Tell me, do you think Seraphina felt this much pain the day she died?” I looked at Seraphina’s photo, propping myself up with my arms on the floor. A bitter realization dawned on me, and I suppressed a groan of pain. “Dax, I didn’t kill Seraphina.” Back then, Seraphina had found herself a man far wealthier than Dax and decided to break up with him. I felt bad for Dax, so I didn’t dare tell him the truth. But after I married Dax, Seraphina regretted it. I still remember sitting in Seraphina’s car. She’d said she had something to tell me, but instead, she stomped on the gas pedal, speeding toward the bridge. Seraphina’s expression was wild, her words sharp and venomous. She’d screamed that if I, Elara Vance, died, Dax would forever be hers. But something went wrong with Seraphina’s plan. After the car plunged into the river, I easily unlatched my seatbelt and escaped. Seraphina, however, got stuck in hers and drowned inside the car. And the scratches and marks from our struggle? In Dax’s mind, they became proof that I had deliberately wrestled the steering wheel from Seraphina. Dax pressed down harder, his eyes filled with dark malice. “You still dare to lie?! I saw you climb out of that river with my own eyes while Seraphina stayed at the bottom forever! Are you going to tell me Seraphina drove the car down herself?!” I gasped, a soft whimper of pain escaping my lips. It felt like my foot bone was about to snap under his weight. I shook my head frantically, not knowing how to explain it so Dax would believe me. Seraphina was dead, and her silence condemned me. Seeing my tormented expression, Dax let out a chilling laugh of pure satisfaction. “Before, I couldn’t touch you because of your family’s power. But now Vance Enterprises has fallen. Let’s see who can save you now! And your mother and your sister? I won’t let a single one of them go!” “Are you… are you going to kill them?!” A sudden terror seized me. I tried to pull away, but his foot pinned me down. “Dax Thorne, murder is a crime!” “You killed Seraphina, and the law didn’t punish you, did it?” Dax half-crouched, reaching out to grab my hair, forcing my gaze toward Seraphina’s photo. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. Death would be too easy. I’ll make sure you live a long, miserable life, atoning for Seraphina.” After that, Dax kept me imprisoned in his mansion. My phone was confiscated. My left foot bone was indeed broken, just as he’d promised. But he wouldn’t allow a doctor to treat me. Helpless, I had to suffer in silence, crudely bandaging my foot with a piece of wood, hoping it would heal on its own. Imprisoned, I became Dax’s plaything. My fractured foot was repeatedly tormented by him, shattering any hope of it ever healing properly. Dax pinned me against the cold floor, unleashing his wild, raging desire. The floor was freezing, but Dax’s body was scorching hot. I shivered, caught between the cold and the heat, struggling to breathe. I placed my hands on his arm, which felt like an iron bar wrapped around my neck, and pleaded, my voice breaking. “Dax… you can do anything you want to me… just please, can I see my mother and sister… just once?” Dax’s hand slowly tightened. “Do you want to see their corpses?” My eyes widened in horror. When I spoke again, my voice was choked with tears. “No… no, I don’t… please, my family is innocent, don’t hurt them…” “Your family is innocent? Was Seraphina not innocent?” With that, Dax thrust hard, and a cry of pain escaped my lips. Dax left after he was finished. I slowly got up from the floor, stumbling my way to the bathroom. Warm blood trickled down my thigh and dripped onto the tiles.

I sank into the bathtub, my lower body screaming in burning agony. My face was ashen, and I stared blankly at my horribly deformed left foot. From now on, I’d be crippled for life. I lay in bed, unable to sleep all night. I watched the sky outside gradually lighten. Suddenly, I heard faint sounds. Curiosity stirred. I sat up, limped downstairs, and saw the living room TV was on, broadcasting the city’s top news story. I stood in the living room, frozen. The news headline on the screen read: “Former Vance Enterprises Head Dies of Heart Attack at Home.” The reporter’s camera panned to a sobbing young girl. It was Willow, my little sister. My ears roared. Tears blurred my vision, but I kept my gaze fixed on her frail figure. How could this be? My mother’s health had been improving, hadn’t it? Why would she have a heart attack now? And Willow… she wasn’t even an adult yet. How would she survive out there, all alone? Without thinking, I tried to rush out, but the bodyguards outside pushed me back. No matter what I said, they wouldn’t let me leave. Not until evening, when Dax returned. The TV was still on, playing the evening news, filling the silent living room with a strange clamor. Hearing footsteps, I looked up, staring directly at Dax as he entered. I didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt like a stranger. I’d loved Dax for over a decade, but when had he changed like this? Dax walked over, and a sharp slap landed across my face. My head snapped to the side from the impact. I heard Dax’s voice above me, cold and unforgiving. “You don’t deserve to look at me like that.” A red, swollen handprint bloomed on my pale cheek. I felt no pain, only stared at him with wide, empty eyes. “My mother… did you kill her?” Dax met my gaze. “She deserved it. If she hadn’t forced Seraphina away, Seraphina never would have broken up with me!” Then, Dax sneered. “Rather than saying I killed her, it’s more accurate to say you killed her. If you hadn’t been so desperate to marry me, how would she have died?” My face went white. I couldn’t hear Dax’s continued mocking. Only his words echoed in my mind: *my mother was killed by me*. Yes, wasn’t my mother killed by me? It was my delusional hope, my naive belief that I could win Dax’s heart, that brought about this catastrophe. It was my stupidity, my self-righteous love, that destroyed the Vance family. Salty tears slid past my lips. I mumbled, “I was wrong. It’s all my fault…” After that, I completely gave up fighting. I no longer thought of escaping, nor did I dare mention wanting to see my sister, terrified Dax would hurt Willow. I became a caged bird in Dax’s mansion. The food I ate came back up again. One night, while in bed, I told Dax about it. His frantic thrusts stopped. He’d clearly thought the same thing I had. After he finished, he called his private doctor. The doctor examined me and finally concluded: I was indeed pregnant. One month along. Dax spoke. “Get rid of it.” My hands rested on my lower belly, my expression eerily calm. Dax’s words didn’t faze me. His decision was exactly what I expected. Knowing his personality, he would never allow this child to be born. I suppressed a flicker of sadness in my eyes. This child came at the worst possible time. I didn’t want to bring him into this world to suffer. The doctor hesitated. “We can’t perform the procedure here, Mr. Thorne. Do we need to go to a hospital?” Dax suddenly smiled. “No need.” He dismissed the doctor and called a bodyguard upstairs. The bodyguard entered, carrying an iron bar. My gaze fell on the bar, and a sudden dread filled me. “What are you going to do?” Dax said calmly, “It was my oversight, allowing you to get pregnant.” He gave a look, and the bodyguard stepped forward, pinning me down. I struggled, but couldn’t break free from his grasp.

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I shamelessly pursued Christian Davies for four years. He was utterly fed up. Under his immense pressure, my family nervously sent me abroad. He had said, “Do whatever it takes to get her to stop bothering me!” “Otherwise, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.” Drugs, hypnosis, electroshock therapy… Those methods were truly effective. I forgot what it felt like to love him. Even my memories of him became hazy. He finally relented, allowing me to return home. I actively avoided any place he might appear. Because Mom told me that man with the stunning looks was someone I couldn’t afford to offend. When I saw him kissing Willow, my sister, I secretly pulled out my phone to take a picture. His eyes blazed with a fierce, cold fury. I cowered into the corner, words failing me: “I’m sorry, I just thought you two looked so good together, totally shippable…” I didn’t know why. The stoic man, who rarely showed emotion, his eyes trembled violently. **1** After coming back from abroad, I always felt like my brain wasn’t working quite right. I spent most of my day sleeping. I thought I might be sick. Mom comforted me, saying not to worry. “You’ve always been a little sleepyhead, unlike your sister who’s so disciplined.” “It’s fine, everyone’s body is different. Just go to sleep if you’re tired.” I poured myself a large cup of black coffee, hoping to perk up. But it had no effect. I tapped my temples, frustrated, when the front door rang. Mr. Henderson, the butler, said: “Miss Willow brought Mr. Davies home.” Dad and Mom’s faces immediately lit up with joy. Dad eagerly went to greet them. Mom was about to follow, then suddenly remembered something. She looked at me, troubled: “Lily, you…” I nodded understandingly: “I know, Mr. Davies doesn’t like me.” “Willow’s engagement is important. I’ll go upstairs now, I need to catch up on sleep anyway.” Mom looked at me, yawning, with relief. I had only walked a few steps when I suddenly remembered I hadn’t picked up my coffee cup. I wanted to try another cup later. The moment I turned, I inadvertently met a pair of cold, piercing eyes. It was almost instinctive. I forgot all about the coffee cup and ran as fast as I could. Like my life depended on running away fast enough. I didn’t stop until I burst into my room and locked the door from the inside. Then I pushed a table against the door. Only then did my heart, pounding in my throat, finally settle. I couldn’t explain why, but seeing Christian always triggered an intense emotion in me: Fear. Mom said it was because Christian had a natural air of dominance; anyone around him felt immense pressure. “Especially someone like you, a born pushover.” Mom told me not to appear in front of Christian. “Christian, he doesn’t like people who look cute but are actually slow-witted.” “His gaze only lingers on excellent girls like your sister.” “What level is the Davies family on? If we can marry into the Davies family, we could save ourselves generations of struggle!” “Lily, you need to be sensible.” I was very sensible. So, every time Christian came over, I actively avoided him. Mom was very pleased about this and sometimes patted my head. That was my greatest reward, and I treasured it. So, I never dared to tell Mom. Even if she didn’t say anything, I would have avoided Christian on my own. His presence was just too overwhelming. I felt so uncomfortable. So suppressed. As if my heart was being squeezed tightly in someone’s hand. And a strange, bitter ache. Downstairs, laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air. Lost in that happy noise, I drifted off to sleep. **2** When I woke up again, it was dark outside. Already evening. The mansion was quiet. Christian must have left. My stomach growled. I pushed open my door, wearing a white princess nightgown, and padded barefoot downstairs to find food. The floor was cold and smooth, and I felt my brain clear up just a tiny bit. I was standing by the counter, heating up toast. The study door suddenly opened. Christian emerged, dressed in a sharp suit. Bathed in the warm yellow light, his silhouette was even more defined, his posture perfectly straight. His features were sculpted, sharp. He looked like a god of judgment had descended. But he was too cold. His aura was cold, his eyes were cold. Even the charcoal gray cufflinks on his suit glinted coldly. Across the long living room, his gaze fell lightly upon me. His thin lips pressed into a tight line. He radiated an overwhelming presence. In an instant. I snapped back to reality. I buried my head in my arms and ducked under the dining table. A pathetic attempt to hide. Willow’s light footsteps floated down the stairs. She ran into Christian’s arms, holding his arm and shaking it. “Are you really leaving already? You haven’t even seen my new showreel, can’t you stay for dinner?” Willow’s demeanor was usually distant. But now, she showed off a girlish charm, her voice soft and sweet. So lovely. Like a beautiful bird. With vibrant plumage and a melodious song. Christian didn’t speak, his cold eyes fixed on me, shivering under the table. Willow’s smile faded. She bit her lip and said: “If you’re busy, you can see it another time. Let’s go, I’ll walk you out.” Christian stood motionless. His oppressive presence was so heavy, it was as if he hadn’t even heard Willow speak. Willow opened her mouth, but didn’t dare utter a sound. After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice low: “Alright, I’ll eat dinner before I leave.” Dad and Willow’s faces simultaneously registered surprise. Christian’s lips curved slightly: “What are you afraid of? She’s forgotten everything, hasn’t she?” Christian took long strides to the dining table and knelt down. His suit pants accentuated the strong lines of his legs. “Lily, do you still recognize me?” I timidly raised my eyes, then lowered them, not daring to meet his gaze. I slowly nodded. But suddenly, my fingertips and toes felt as if they were being pricked by needles. It was an automatic, reactive scream. I squeezed my eyes shut. Shaking my head frantically. “No! Don’t hit me! I don’t know you!” **3** At the dinner table, the atmosphere was strange. Dad and Mom tried desperately to liven things up. But Christian just ate quietly. His posture refined. He showed no intention of speaking. This made Mom and Dad’s enthusiasm seem very awkward. Willow’s face was dark, and she remained silent. I didn’t dare to pick up any food, only eating small bites of rice. Finally, when the meal was over, Dad and Mom both seemed to let out a sigh of relief. As Christian was about to leave, I suddenly remembered something and called out to him: “Mr. Davies, wait a moment.” Everyone stared at me in surprise. Including Christian. His brow furrowed slightly, clearly impatient. “Just for a second. Okay?” I used my fingers to show a centimeter of distance. Saying that, I ran upstairs, and quickly came back down carrying a metal box. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on me. I opened the lid of the metal box and asked: “Mr. Davies, is this yours?” On top of the box were a dozen or so ID photos. Some were passport-sized, some larger. They clearly weren’t obtained through official channels. Because some photos had official stamps, and some had dried glue on the back. It was evident they had been pried off various documents. Christian in the photos looked younger than he was now, with a hint of youthfulness in his eyes and brows. But his features were already exceptionally handsome. Besides the ID photos, there were other miscellaneous items. Candy wrappers, cigarette boxes, empty pen cartridges, crumpled test papers, and so on. Christian’s gaze was intense as he looked at me. I gritted my teeth before I dared to continue: “I found it in a corner of my closet. I don’t know who put it there. But I recognized your photos, so they must be yours, right?” Christian’s eyes shifted slightly, seeming to hold a hint of scrutiny. His stare made me shrink. My shoulders drooped. He spoke: “Not mine, throw it away.” “Oh, okay.” I casually tossed it into the nearby trash can and was about to go upstairs. Christian’s eyes suddenly took on a dangerous glint. “Lily, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” He called out to me. I was puzzled: “What?” He seemed to see right through everything, his eyes mocking. He scoffed. “Nothing. You’re a good actress. Just don’t do it again. I’m not interested in watching.” With that, he turned and left. **4** Mom closed the door. Willow, who had been holding it in all evening, was now crying, slumped over the table. Dad’s heart ached looking at her, and finally, unable to contain his anger, he slapped me. I wasn’t prepared and fell to the floor awkwardly. My head hit the corner of the table. It buzzed with pain. Mom clutched Willow’s shoulders, looking heartbroken and furious. She turned to me: “Lily, don’t blame your dad for being so harsh. Tonight, you truly, truly disappointed us!” “Did you forget Mom’s countless warnings?” “Why did you come downstairs without permission? Why did you talk to him? Are you really that pathetic?!” Blood dripped from the wound on my forehead, flowing into my eyes. My vision blurred into a crimson haze. Clutching the bleeding wound, I tried to explain: “I’m sorry, I thought he had left. I didn’t mean to…” Willow suddenly grabbed my collar, screaming hysterically: “Running downstairs dressed like that, deliberately parading your bare feet in front of him, even bringing out that junk box to get his attention, Lily, who are you trying to seduce?!” “Do you even know Christian’s standing? Do you know your own? How dare you even *think* about him?!” “Do you know that because of your indiscretion tonight, I might lose him?!” “Are you really that desperate for male attention? Seducing your own sister’s boyfriend!” With that, Willow opened the door and walked out. Mom desperately grabbed Willow: “Willow, where are you going at this hour?” Willow looked at me with hatred: “This house, it’s either me or her. If she stays, I leave!” Soon, the sound of a car engine starting echoed from the garage. Mom sighed deeply. Dad slammed the door in a fit of rage. I quietly spoke: “Should I stay out tonight?” Mom hesitated for a few moments: “Where would you go?” “I’ll stay at a hotel. I always stayed at hotels when I was abroad, I’m used to it.” Back then, I couldn’t endure the inhumane torment. Whenever I had a chance, I’d escape from the hospital. I’d stay in the cheapest motels. Trying to avoid the painful treatments they arranged for me. But Willow always found me quickly and brought me back. Mom was silent, then after a moment, she nodded: “Tonight was indeed your fault. So go stay out. Once your sister calms down, Mom will pick you up.” **5** In the hotel. Standing in front of the mirror, I carefully dabbed the blood from my forehead. The wound was a bit large; one bandage wouldn’t cover it. But it was so late, and I didn’t dare to leave the hotel room to buy bandages. Usually, I could never get enough sleep. Tonight, perhaps because of the stinging pain on my forehead, I found it hard to sleep. I had forgotten why I was sent abroad. I only remembered that, ever since I was little, Willow was always smarter, always more outstanding than me. Everywhere she went, she seemed to glow. That’s why Dad and Mom had the highest hopes for her. Willow became a child model at a very young age, and later, her image as a beautiful academic genius went viral. As for me, aside from having a similar appearance to her, I was useless. So, I understood my parents’ favoritism. I agreed with Mom and Dad’s approach, to allocate more resources to the capable Willow. But, was this favoritism the reason they sent me abroad? I remember when I was abroad, swallowing handfuls of pills and undergoing painful treatments, Mom told me over the phone that it would make me smarter. But I always felt that after returning from abroad, my mind was even worse. Besides being lethargic, my reactions were slower. Did Mom and Dad have to bring me back because the treatment failed? Did they dislike me even more because I was dumber? **6** During the day, I wandered the streets. At night, as soon as it got dark, I’d return to the hotel to sleep. I stayed at the hotel for a week, but Mom still hadn’t called me back. I was out of money. I sent Mom a SnapChat message. I found out she had blocked me. At noon, as I sat in the hotel lobby, spacing out. I saw a striking couple from afar, standing at the entrance of the indoor garden. The man was tall and well-built, his back to me, so I could only see his broad, straight shoulders. The woman had an hourglass figure, wearing an elegant long dress, her small face tilted up, smiling at the man. But I could only see half of her profile. I shook my head, wanting to see more clearly. But these past few days, I always had a headache, and things looked like they were seen through a fog. It only made the scene in front of me more atmospheric. I picked up my phone and captured this beautiful moment. But I forgot to turn off the flash, and the shutter sound was turned up to maximum. They quickly noticed me. The man’s jawline seemed to tighten. His gaze towards me was very hostile. I saw the two of them walking towards me, and I became so restless I couldn’t sit still. Until Christian and Willow stood over me, looking down. “Lily, what are you doing here?” Christian’s voice was still very cold. I looked at Willow, too scared to speak. Christian held out his long hand: “Give me your phone.” I nervously handed my phone to him. It was strange, he actually knew my password. Even I didn’t know what my six-digit password meant. I thought through everyone’s birthdays in my family, but none of them matched. Christian pulled up the photo, his eyes dangerously narrowed: “Why were you secretly taking pictures? Lily, what do you want to do to Willow? Are you trying to hurt her again?” I shook my head frantically, so nervous I almost cried: “No, I didn’t.” I knew Willow was better than me. I was so ordinary, so I never thought about competing with her for anything. But Mom said I once appeared at Willow’s new show premiere, dressed elaborately. A reporter said that Willow and I looked alike, but our temperaments were completely different. Willow was pure and refined. While I was seen as spirited and innocent, almost too good for this world. They said I had a wider range of roles. So, the lead role Willow had secured suddenly changed hands. In the end, I didn’t get to play it either. But Willow lost her chance to join the ranks of A-list actresses. That’s why Willow hated me, hated me for deliberately stealing the spotlight, for not wanting her to succeed. No matter how I explained, no one believed me. That day, I wasn’t trying to steal Willow’s glory. I just wanted to witness her success. I spent all my pocket money to rent an expensive gown, just so I wouldn’t embarrass Willow. Unexpectedly, it only made Willow look overshadowed. I really didn’t mean to. But no one believed me. Those days, everyone was against me. My family took turns expressing their disappointment. It was suffocating. Like a nightmare. I never wanted to experience that again. “Please believe me, I didn’t.” I helplessly clutched Christian’s sleeve, pleading. He frowned and said: “Lily, are you still faking it? You didn’t really lose your memory, did you?” “I don’t know, I don’t know if I’ve lost my memory, please believe me!” My memory was broken. Some things I remembered, some I’d forgotten.

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