Category: English

The day I gave birth to my daughter, my Alpha husband Gareth slapped me across the face with a DNA test report showing no blood relation: “Clara, I’ve been so good to you. How could you cheat on me? Let’s get divorced! Break the mate bond! You take this bastard child and leave with nothing. I never want to see either of you again!” I held Mary sleeping in her swaddle and nodded calmly. Just last night, outside the delivery room, I heard with my own ears as Gareth’s adoptive sister Ella took his hand and whined: “Gareth, my dying wish is to spend one year alone with you, to relive the love you gave me as a child. Just let Clara take the baby and leave for a year, okay?” Gareth’s face filled with affection. “Silly girl, you just focus on your heart surgery. For the next year, I’ll only be with you.” I lay on the operating table, tears silently sliding down my temples. He didn’t know that my first love, Alpha Phineas, who had quietly loved me for many years, would come for me tomorrow. Not just one year—for the rest of my life, I would never come back.

Ella had a twisted possessiveness over Gareth. At this moment, Ella was pointing at my daughter, covering her mouth in mock horror: “Gareth, no wonder I found this kid off-putting. Turns out she’s a bastard.” She called out loudly and dramatically, her sharp nails poking an impression into my daughter’s skin. “So ugly, all wrinkled like a little old man. They say daughters look like their fathers. Clara, you really aren’t picky—you’ll take anything.” Gareth’s expression was distant and cold. “Clara, since this isn’t my child, she doesn’t deserve to stay in this private room. Take the baby and leave immediately.” I looked up at Ella’s smug face. She wore haute couture Chanel, and the diamond on her high heels could pay for a hundred private rooms. Then I thought of myself—coming out of the delivery room alone with my daughter, not even a nurse to help. I smiled bitterly. So Mary and I together weren’t worth as much as one of Ella’s whims. Suddenly, Ella stumbled, her whole body falling onto me. The moment she fell, she deliberately pressed hard on the surgical incision on my stomach with her hand. Unfortunately, Gareth was in a blind spot and couldn’t see. He frantically pulled Ella up, asking with concern: “What happened? Are you hurt?” He didn’t notice at all that I was covered in sweat on the hospital bed, my face twisted in pain. Ella’s action had torn open the fine stitches on my stomach, and the wound started bleeding again. I held Mary and struggled to move my legs. With the slightest movement, hot fluid gushed from the wound, staining the bed red. Ella screamed, “Ah—how disgusting! All that filthy blood flowing out, so ugly and smelly. I’m going to have nightmares tonight!” She shrieked and burrowed into Gareth’s arms. Gareth yanked the blanket off with one hand. Cold air rushed into the bed, exposing my body wearing only a postpartum pad. On my stomach was an eight-centimeter incision, blood trickling out continuously, dripping onto the floor. Through the open hospital room door, people came and went. I was so mortified I wanted to disappear, like being stripped naked and thrown into the street. “Cover me up.” My voice trembled with shame. Gareth looked somewhat uncomfortable. He turned to block the view from outside and reached to pull the blanket back. “Enough. Going out looking like this, people will think we did something to you.” He glanced at the bodyguard. “Go get a wheelchair and take her to a regular room.” Ella immediately objected. “Gareth, this is the shameless woman who cuckolded you. You should make her walk out like this, so everyone in the hospital can see what a homewrecker looks like and what price cheating comes with.” “But…” “Gareth! At a time like this, are you still going to protect this woman and her bastard?” Ella’s eyes instantly reddened, her questioning voice sharp and shrill. Seeing her like this, Gareth sighed, his eyes full of indulgent helplessness. “Fine, fine, fine. You’re the most important person to me. Whatever you say goes.” Ella hummed with satisfaction. She swaggered ahead of me, clapping her hands and loudly broadcasting my “affair.” “Everyone come look! This shameless woman had an affair and tried to make my brother raise another man’s child! What a shameless slut. Everyone better keep your eyes open and watch out so she doesn’t seduce your mates!” The stares from people around felt like the sharpest knives, stabbing from all directions. Someone flew into a rage, grabbed their thermos of food, and threw it all over me. The hot porridge was scalding, instantly raising blisters on my exposed skin. Gareth didn’t even look at me. He stayed by Ella’s side, silently kicking away the pebbles under her feet, doing everything to clear obstacles for her. Watching this scene, my heart felt like it was being pressed by water-soaked cotton—suffocating and unbearable. Gritting my teeth, I made it to the regular room, my legs already weak as noodles. Lying powerless on the hospital bed, I curled up with Mary. Mary, you don’t have a father anymore. But it’s okay. After tonight, we mother and daughter will finally have a fresh start.

That night, Mary suddenly burst into wailing cries, her whole body burning hot. I struggled to get up and carried Mary to the door, but was stopped by the bodyguards. “Luna Clara, I’m sorry. Without orders from Alpha Gareth and Miss Ella, you cannot leave this room.” I held Mary tightly and shouted at the bodyguard, “Move! My daughter has a high fever! She needs medical attention immediately!” The bodyguard blocked me expressionlessly. “I’m sorry. Alpha Gareth said until you repay the wedding gifts worth $880,000, you are not allowed to leave this room.” My whole body went cold. Something in my mind exploded in an instant. Wedding gifts worth $880,000? Before marrying Gareth, I was just an ordinary werewolf. Only because Gareth and I were fated mates could I date him, marry him, and become Luna of the Redmoon pack. Everyone said I was incredibly lucky to marry Gareth, that I’d enjoy endless wealth and luxury for life. But no one knew. Because of one sentence from Ella: “Gareth, if Clara really loves you, she won’t spend a penny of your money. Otherwise, what makes her different from those women who only want you for your money?” From our wedding until now, my food, clothing, and expenses were never part of Gareth’s daily spending. The haute couture dresses and expensive jewelry I wore to banquets were all bought with money I earned myself. Even when I rode in luxury cars with Gareth and Ella, Ella would ask me for gas money after the banquet ended. In just three years of marriage, I had already exhausted all the savings from the first half of my working life. I didn’t even have $100 in my account. Where could I get $880,000 to give Gareth? Mary cried herself hoarse from the fever, feeling so miserable. Looking at the bodyguard pleadingly, my tone was as humble as dirt. “I’ll find a way to pay the money back.” “Please make an exception this once. She’s a premature baby. Not being kept in an incubator is already dangerous. If the fever continues, she’ll die…” Three days ago, Ella’s heart condition flared up. The doctor scheduled surgery for three months later, which coincided with my due date. Ella cried until she sobbed: “Gareth, if my surgery happens when Clara gives birth, you’ll definitely abandon me to take care of Clara, right?” Gareth tried to comfort her. But Ella cried even harder. “Gareth! You’ve changed! After marrying Clara, you don’t love me anymore. Your whole heart is with her. If that’s how it is, I might as well die! I’ll go to hell to find my dead father and tell him you bullied me!” She set a fire in the house, and I was forcibly given labor-inducing medication. Gareth wiped the tears from my eyes. “Clara, she’s my only adoptive sister. She’s young and gets jealous easily. I need to put her mind at ease. You understand, right?” “After the baby is born, I promise I’ll make it up to you both.” “Don’t worry. I’ve got everything under control.” But what I got instead was a forged DNA report and a poorly acted melodrama staged for Mary and me. The two bodyguards looked reluctant, but still firmly blocked the door. “We’re sorry, Luna Clara. Alpha Gareth gave strict orders before he left. You must repay the money before you can leave.” In just a few minutes, Mary in my arms became burning hot like a furnace, her cries growing weaker. Just as I was about to put a knife to my throat to threaten the bodyguards to let me pass, Gareth came over with a furrowed brow. His expression was extremely dark. “Clara, this is a hospital, not a marketplace. All this shouting and yelling—did you learn your manners from dogs? You even disturbed Ella’s finger bandaging.” I followed his gaze and saw the Hello Kitty bandaid on Ella’s fingertip, and the twenty-some doctors following behind her. My heart felt like it had been stabbed with a knife. No wonder I’d been calling for so long without seeing a single doctor. Gareth had summoned them all to treat a finger injury. I swallowed the bitterness, stepped forward with Mary, and choked out, “Mary has a fever. Get a doctor quickly.” Gareth’s brow furrowed even tighter, his feet about to move. Suddenly Ella clutched her heart and called out softly in pain, “Gareth, I hurt so much. Am I going to die…” Gareth’s attention immediately focused on Ella. He scooped her up in his arms and shouted at the group of doctors, “Prepare for surgery immediately!” I reached out to grab Gareth, looking at him urgently. “Our daughter…” Ella wrapped her arms around Gareth’s neck, burying her head in the crook of his neck. “Gareth, I’m so scared. This is heart surgery. I won’t die from the pain, will I?” “Please have all the doctors operate on me, okay? More doctors means more security. My biggest regret in this life is not being able to repay you properly. I don’t want to die like this.” Her tone was sweet and clingy. Gareth was coaxed dizzy, his heart soft as cotton. “Alright. I’ll not only have all the hospital doctors on standby, the elite medical team I prepared for you will all arrive within ten minutes. I won’t let anything happen to you.” “What about our daughter?”

My knuckles holding Mary turned white, and I bit my lip until it bled. If all the doctors were on standby, who would save Mary? Gareth glanced at the child in my arms, looking impatient. He turned to the doctors. “Which of you is a pediatrician? Stay and take a look.” “Gareth, hospitals charge fees for consultations. Clara still owes us $880,000—where would she get money?” Ella nestled in the man’s arms and shot me a malicious smile. “But considering our three years together, I can lower myself to help her.” “My surgery involves the heart, so she’ll have to join me.” Ella signaled the bodyguard to kick over the medical waste bin. Needles scattered across the floor, glinting coldly. She looked down at me condescendingly and lifted her chin. “Find them all. I’ll cover this consultation fee for you.” Gareth glanced down at me and instructed his assistant, “Do as Ella says.” He carried Ella urgently to the operating room without looking back once. I knelt on the ground, using my hands to brush and feel along bit by bit. Soon, all ten fingers were covered with needle holes. Bloody and raw, not a patch of healthy flesh. Later, hearing Mary’s even weaker cries, I had no choice but to use my tongue to lick them up. Half an hour later, I held a pile of needles and looked at the doctor. As I spoke, blood continuously poured from my mouth. “They’re all here. Please save my Mary…” After speaking, I couldn’t hold on any longer and completely passed out. When I woke again, my nose was filled with the smell of disinfectant. I instinctively reached out but didn’t touch the expected warmth. “Mary…” I stumbled out of the room and saw Mary’s figure in the doctor’s office. The female doctor who treated her last night was holding her and gently rocking her, feeding her formula. Her expression was full of sympathy. “What a tragedy. She’s clearly the Alpha’s daughter, but because of the adoptive sister’s jealousy, she can’t even drink breast milk. So pitiful.” Her colleague lowered her voice. “Exactly. And the DNA report was forged under Alpha Gareth’s personal supervision. He said after a year he’d pin it on the hospital, saying we mixed up the reports, and he could definitely trick this mother and daughter back. Spending millions to make the whole hospital put on an act—Alpha Gareth really knows how to play games.” “That’s not even the half of it. Even though Ella is the adoptive sister, anyone can see she has feelings for her brother. Last night when I was making rounds, I saw with my own eyes Ella kissing Alpha Gareth on the mouth while he was asleep. Five minutes later Gareth woke up and didn’t say a word.” The two exchanged an ambiguous look and pursed their lips knowingly. I leaned against the wall, my eyes aching painfully. Ella was the daughter of a Beta under the previous Alpha of the Redmoon pack. Her father died saving Gareth’s father during a Rogue attack, after which she was adopted by Gareth’s family. The two became siblings in name. So my jealousy became destructive to their sibling bond, appearing as unreasonable tantrums in others’ eyes. Whenever Gareth said, “If it were as sordid as you think, I would have already made her my mate. Would it be your turn?” I was left speechless. That’s right. He was the noble Alpha Gareth of the Redmoon pack. Of course he couldn’t compare to an ordinary werewolf like me. But then why did he send me tens of thousands of roses, patiently accompany me through the darkness of losing my family, teach a lesson to my boss who made lewd remarks… Even when a car accident came, he shielded me with his body and ended up in the hospital himself. I still remember at our wedding, he swore to the heavens: “Clara, I will love and cherish you forever in this life and never let you down.” But in the end, sincerity changes in a heartbeat, and “forever” is just a word to set the mood. Looking up again, Gareth was somehow standing in front of me. Meeting my bloodshot eyes, he showed unprecedented concern. “You just gave birth. Why aren’t you resting in bed?” A whiff of Ella’s usual perfume drifted over, making me dizzy and nauseous. Avoiding his touch, I took several steps back. “Didn’t you want to break the mate bond? Let’s do it now.” Gareth froze for a few seconds, his expression darkening, a cold smile forming at the corner of his mouth. “Clara, stop being dramatic. You’re penniless. If you leave me, you’ll be sleeping on the streets with your child tonight.” I looked up to meet his gaze and spoke coldly. “The child isn’t yours anyway. Why do you care?” This taunt made Gareth furious with embarrassment. Taking the divorce agreement his assistant handed him, his signature went through the paper. After I also signed my name, we immediately broke the mate bond. Right after the bond was broken, Gareth ignored my body suffering from the mate bond severing and pointed at the hospital exit, veins bulging. “Ungrateful. Get out of my hospital right now!” I forced myself to stand, held Mary, and walked out. Seeing the familiar dark car across the street, I knew—that was the car my first love Phineas sent to pick me up. I couldn’t help but quicken my pace. But before I could take a few steps, two bodyguards suddenly appeared and forcibly dragged me back.

“Did you see the trending topics? Former Luna Clara was forced to divorce, all because of that adoptive daughter.” “She’s absolutely terrible. If it were me, I’d expose her online too.” All along the way, people in the hospital were discussing the same thing. This clearly had Ella’s fingerprints all over it. I didn’t understand why she’d put herself in the eye of the storm. Not until Gareth slapped me without asking any questions. “Clara, I never imagined you could be so vicious. No wonder you were so eager to break the mate bond with me earlier. You’d already calculated to go after Ella, hadn’t you? Using post-birth mate bond severing to gain sympathy, you even manipulated me into it. You’re too malicious.” “The media will be here soon. You must apologize to Ella publicly. Do you know how terrible the online comments are? Ella is still so young. If I hadn’t arrived in time, you would have driven her to suicide!” On the hospital bed, Ella sat perfectly fine. Completely intact, whole and healthy, looking quite rosy. A person pretending to sleep won’t wake no matter how you call. Besides, someone was waiting for me. “No need to go to so much trouble.” I handed Mary to the nurse who had followed and took out my phone to start a live stream. I bowed to Ella. “Miss Ella, I’m sorry. Regarding the false statements online, I sincerely apologize to you. You’re not a manipulative bad sister. I’m the vicious one. I was irrationally jealous of you and your brother’s relationship, deliberately broke the mate bond with your brother, posted online to gain sympathy, and even bought trolls to attack you.” Then I bowed to her again. “Miss Ella, you and Gareth have always been completely innocent, just a normal sibling relationship. I was the jealous one who used disgraceful methods to frame you. Please forgive me.” Every word I spoke was clear and forceful. With each sentence, Gareth and Ella’s faces turned a shade paler. Ella because I had permanently nailed them to the pillar of sibling shame. Gareth looked at me with complex eyes, a trace of imperceptible panic flashing through his heart. Ella glared at me hatefully. Suddenly, she grabbed her hair, her voice trembling like a sieve. “I’m not a bad woman, I’m not a bad woman. It was Clara who cheated, she cuckolded my brother. She doesn’t cherish my brother, so I will. If that’s called sordid and shameless, then just let me die…” Her sudden agitation broke through the brief panic Gareth had finally felt. Gareth pulled her into his arms. “Ella, we’re not blood siblings. Even if you really like me, you’ve done nothing wrong.” As his words fell, the livestream instantly exploded with countless rose emojis. The whole screen filled with congratulations. It stabbed my eyes painfully. A large group of reporters pushed through the door, shoving cameras in my face and snapping wildly. “Clara, does this mean you’re actually the homewrecker?” “Clara, you were just an ordinary werewolf back then. To marry Alpha Gareth, you must have used quite a few underhanded tactics, right? Can you tell us about them?” Flashbulbs jumped crazily across my face. They wanted to brand words like “mistress,” “lowly,” “slut”… all those humiliating labels, red-hot onto my face. In the shoving, I saw the evil smile on Ella’s face. She lifted her head slightly, and a reporter received the signal. He suddenly turned the camera and photographed Mary wildly in the nurse’s arms. “Is this the bastard child? Looking like such a freak—Clara really isn’t picky.” “Like mother, like daughter. You can tell at a glance she’ll be morally corrupt. Take lots of photos, we’ll use them for cutaways later. We’ll call it ‘The Homewrecker’s Heir.’ That’ll definitely make headlines.” Fury burning inside me, I slapped the reporter who said this across the face. I didn’t use much force, but he suddenly fell to the ground, motionless. “Oh no, Jack has a heart condition. He can’t be touched.” “Ah! He’s not breathing. You murderer!” A reporter pointed at me, looking at me like they wanted to eat me alive. “Don’t touch her. If there are any problems, contact my lawyer.” Just as Gareth finished speaking, Ella clutched her heart again, looking uncomfortable. “Gareth, I got too emotional just now. My heart hurts a bit again…” I held Mary and looked helplessly at Gareth. Gareth looked deeply at us, bent down to pick up Ella, and said to me, “Wait for me.” Then his figure disappeared down the corridor. And I was surrounded by angry reporters and put in cold handcuffs. … Three months later, in court. The judge announced: “Clara is sentenced to five years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and must pay $3 million in compensation.”

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The day the doctor diagnosed me with premature ovarian failure, a whole table of food. I waited until midnight before my husband Ethan finally sent me a FaceTime call. He was wearing matching pajamas, sitting in another woman’s living room. Beside him was Yvonne, the struggling student he sponsored. Her nightgown was fresh and revealing. “Yvonne’s afraid of the dark. I’m staying with her tonight. You eat by yourself.” Five years of secret marriage. I bore him a son and suffered countless ailments. Yet he used gratitude as an excuse to rent Yvonne a luxury penthouse and play full-time caretaker. I’d suggested going public with our marriage multiple times. He always emphasized that Yvonne was emotionally fragile and couldn’t handle any stimulation, constantly accommodating her feelings. As his legal wife, I’d become an invisible business partner instead. On the video screen, Yvonne pulled a diamond ring from Ethan’s coat pocket. This was the wedding ring I’d waited three years for. Ethan only hesitated for a second before nodding with a smile. “If you like it, wear it as a toy.” I glanced at the diagnosis in the trash can and calmly ended the call. Then I photographed the divorce agreement I’d drafted along with my son’s name change application and posted it on Ins: “Widowed, single mother, three listed companies under my name. Now seeking handsome husband. Interested parties, DM me.”

[Beep. Fingerprint verification successful.] “Ethan, why can Yvonne unlock our front door?” I tossed my bag onto the shoe bench, staring at the green light on the lock. Inside the bag was my premature ovarian failure diagnosis. Ethan sat on the carpet looking at his phone, not raising his head. “The showerhead in her studio apartment broke. She’s borrowing the bathroom today. I added her fingerprint for convenience so she doesn’t have to knock every time.” His tone was casual, seeing nothing wrong with it, not even needing my consent. When we first moved in, Ethan had set my fingerprint as the sole administrator. He said I had the highest authority and could kick him out at any time. Now he’d shared that authority with someone else. The old Ethan was territorial. He refused to add the cleaning lady’s fingerprint, preferring to clean himself on weekends. He said home was a restricted zone that outsiders couldn’t enter. Now the door was wide open for Yvonne. I looked at the pink slippers by the entrance. They were on Yvonne’s feet. Five years ago that winter, Ethan had run across half the city to buy them. He knelt on one knee to help me put them on, saying my feet got cold in winter and I could only wear this type. Now those slippers were on someone else’s feet. I looked at the frosted bathroom door. “That’s a personal towel. I find it dirty.” Ethan looked up and frowned. “Don’t assume the worst about people. She just graduated and doesn’t know about these things.” “Her parents were injured saving me. Taking care of her is my duty.” “You should be more generous and help me take care of her!” The bathroom door opened. Yvonne emerged wearing my black camisole under Ethan’s bathrobe. I pressed my aching abdomen. “Then why is she wearing my nightgown?” Ethan glared at me. “Enough! Don’t be excessive!” He turned, his eyes gentle as he walked toward Yvonne. The old Ethan had a cleanliness obsession. When a female intern brushed against his coat in the elevator, he took it off on the spot and threw it in the trash. He said his clothes should only carry his wife’s scent. Now he draped his bathrobe over Yvonne and allowed her to wear my underwear. Ethan stood up and took the towel from Yvonne’s hands. “Her clothes got wet. I just grabbed something. Be more generous and don’t fixate on small things.” He helped Yvonne dry her hair with gentle movements. Before, after every hair wash, he’d use the hairdryer to dry mine, afraid I’d catch cold. “I’ll dry your hair for the rest of my life!” Now that treatment went to someone else. “Ethan, is this the business partner you mentioned?” Yvonne tilted her head and smiled at me. Five years of secret marriage. I bore him a son and suffered chronic illness, yet in his mouth I was just a business partner. Ethan paused. “Yeah. She’s usually busy. Ask her if you don’t understand anything.” He pulled me aside, his tone carrying a warning. “Yvonne thinks you’re my startup partner. She has low self-esteem. If she knew I was married, she’d feel guilty and refuse my support.” “Be more understanding and help me build a relationship with her so she feels secure.” I laughed. “Build a relationship? Do you need me to make the bed for you two?” Yvonne retreated half a step behind Ethan. “Does Lily hate me? Ethan, I’ll leave. Don’t let me affect your relationship.” She reached to untie the bathrobe sash. Ethan grabbed her wrist and looked at me. “You sleep in the guest room tonight. Yvonne will be more comfortable in the master bedroom.”

“You’re kicking me out of the master bedroom?” I looked at him. Ethan’s face showed impatience as he released Yvonne’s hand. “Do you have to make such a scene? She’s only staying one night.” When we first bought this place, he visited over a dozen design firms just for the master bedroom decoration. He said the master bedroom was my territory. He even had my initials engraved on the door plate. Once when he was on a business trip, his mother wanted to sleep in the master bedroom. He got angry on the phone and paid overnight to send her to a hotel. He promised then that only the lady of the house could enter the master bedroom. Now for Yvonne’s so-called comfort, he was evicting the lady of the house. He stepped forward to accuse me: “Fine, play the boss at the company, but you have to lord over a young girl at home too?” I walked past him to the guest room door. The bed had the silk sheets I bought last month. I’d planned to use them on our fifth anniversary, but now Yvonne’s suitcase sat on top. I used to have skin allergies. When we first moved in together, I broke out in a rash across my back. Ethan knocked on the boutique door in the middle of the night and paid premium prices for every silk bedding set in the store. Before, he always prepared half a month in advance for anniversaries. Our first anniversary after getting our marriage license, he cut his finger preparing dinner but insisted on cooking my steak even with bandaged fingers. He swore every future anniversary would be ceremonial, never perfunctory. Back then he cared about my health and our special days. Now he let someone else trample on my anniversary gift. “Move your things.” I looked at Yvonne. Yvonne’s eyes reddened and tears began to fall. “I’m sorry. Ethan said no one was using it, so I put my things here.” Ethan stepped forward to block her. “Why are you taking it out on her?” “They’re just sheets. I’ll buy you ten sets tomorrow.” He pulled out a black card and slapped it on the table. “Take the money and get a hotel room.” That card was my supplementary card. He was using my money to dismiss me. I didn’t take the card. Nausea rose in my stomach. The hormonal imbalance from premature ovarian failure intensified the cramping in my lower abdomen. I felt dizzy, gripping the doorframe to catch my breath, cold sweat beading on my forehead. “Stop faking.” Ethan looked at me. “You climb stairs with clients without getting winded. Now you’re playing the victim for who?” I looked away. During our startup phase, I drank with clients until I had stomach bleeding. He burst into the private room and beat up the client, carried me running to the hospital, crying as he ran. That night he kept vigil by the hospital bed and swore that if I even frowned from period cramps in the future, he’d take me to the ER and suffer in my place. Now I could barely stand from pain, yet he said I was acting. He grabbed Yvonne’s hand. “Yvonne, let’s go. You’re not welcome here. I’ll take you to a hotel.” The door closed. I slid down the doorframe to the floor and dialed emergency services. On the ambulance, the nurse took my phone. “We need to contact your emergency contact. What’s your family member’s number?” I gave Ethan’s number. The nurse dialed and put it on speaker. The phone rang for a long time before a female voice came through. “Hello, who is this?” It was Yvonne who answered. The nurse looked at me. “Is Ethan there? His wife passed out and is heading to the hospital now.” There was no immediate response. Yvonne’s voice came through the speaker, with the sound of running water and a man’s heavy breathing in the background. “Ethan told me he was single when he started sponsoring me. Where did a wife come from? You’ve got the wrong number.” The call was disconnected. Before, Ethan said his phone was on standby for me 24/7. I was the starred contact in his phone, available at my beck and call. The nurse looked at me. “Do you need to call again?” “No need. No one will answer.” I closed my eyes.

The next day, I dragged my exhausted body back to the real estate office. A client was about to put down a deposit on that million-dollar penthouse duplex. I had to handle it personally. As I reached the reception area, I saw Ethan sitting on the sofa with Yvonne. Yvonne flipped through the duplex’s brochure and looked up. “Ethan, these floor-to-ceiling windows are so beautiful. I could practice yoga here.” Ethan affectionately ruffled her hair. “If you like it, we’ll rent it. This can be your art studio.” This property was where he’d knelt on the cement floor to propose to me years ago. He’d drawn up a design plan, saying he’d lay down wool carpet by the windows for me to read. This property held all our initial fantasies about home. Later we had to mortgage it when the company’s capital chain broke. He’d promised with red eyes that one day he’d buy it back himself and give it to me. But now, he wanted to turn our “proposal sanctuary” into Yvonne’s yoga room. I stepped forward and raised my chin toward the sales manager. “Take this property off the market. Not for sale or rent.” Ethan’s expression darkened. He stood up accusingly. “What do you mean? You have to compete with Yvonne?” I cut him off: “Ethan, I’m the full-price owner of this property. If I want to leave it empty to feed rats rather than let questionable people dirty my floors, that’s my choice. Understand?” Ethan froze. Yvonne lowered her head, her voice taking on a tearful tone: “Lily is rich, naturally she looks down on me. Ethan, let’s go.” Ethan gripped her hand and turned to me: “So what if you have money? You don’t have an ounce of empathy. Go ahead and grow old with your broken property.” Watching their retreating backs, I recalled how during the company’s startup phase, he’d rather do hard labor on construction sites than accept startup capital from my parents. He gave me every penny of his first earnings, even if it was just a few thousand, while he ate only cheap bread and pickled vegetables.. He said his money was my money. He would never spend a woman’s penny. And now, he shamelessly swiped my supplementary card to please another woman, even turning around to mock me for being rich and heartless. He pulled Yvonne away without looking back. I closed my eyes, sat back in the car, and picked up the property deed from the passenger seat. I tore this fifth anniversary gift along with the diagnosis from my bag into pieces and threw them away. I opened SnapChat and posted the divorce agreement I’d already drafted along with photos of my son’s name change documents to my feed: “Widowed, single mother, three listed companies under my name. Now seeking handsome husband. Interested parties, DM me.” After posting, I pressed the accelerator and drove toward the unfinished villas in the western suburbs to test nighttime noise levels.

At eleven p.m., I walked into the villa complex with a flashlight. Years ago when I worked overtime until dawn during a blackout, I was too scared to move from under my desk. Ethan braved a rainstorm and climbed twenty flights of stairs to find me. His clothes were soaked through, but he wrapped me in his warm coat, crying as he swore never to leave me alone in darkness again. He said he couldn’t rest easy with me working alone at night. Now I could only light my own way with a flashlight. I’d just reached the first floor when messy footsteps sounded behind me. Several thugs blocked my exit. “Middle of the night, what’s a pretty lady doing here alone?” The gang leader whistled, looking me up and down. I turned and ran upstairs, entered a second-floor bedroom and locked the door. Pounding came from outside. “Open up! Don’t reject a kind offer only to face the consequences!” I hid in the closet and instinctively opened SnapChat, calling Ethan on FaceTime. The video rang and rang. Outside, the wooden door made cracking sounds. The screen finally lit up. In the frame, Ethan sat in the luxury apartment he’d rented for Yvonne. Before, when I encountered a drunk stalker on a business trip, I only sent a punctuation mark and he immediately called the police and chartered a car overnight to find me across provinces. He used to hold me and say that whenever I needed him, he’d be there at my call. Now across the screen, he watched my trembling lips without a trace of concern in his eyes. “What game are you playing now?” He stared at the camera impatiently. “Save me. I’m not joking. Someone’s breaking down the door.” I lowered my voice. “I can’t get through to 911. Please call the police!” He scoffed, his eyes full of irritation. “Lily, what are you doing posting crazy stuff on Ins? Recruiting a husband? Three listed companies? Delete it now!” “I’m really trapped in an unfinished building. Call the police…” “Keep making things up. You’re just using this ploy to force me to come back, aren’t you?” Ethan picked up the milk beside him and took a sip. “Yvonne saw your post and cried. She’s afraid of being alone. I have to stay with her tonight. Figure it out yourself.” The camera shook. Yvonne’s face appeared on the screen. She held an exquisitely packaged gift box in her hands. “Ethan, why do you have lingerie in your bag?” The box opened, revealing the sexy lingerie I’d blushed while selecting for a long time, planned as a surprise for our fifth anniversary night. Back then, seeing my shyness, he’d rescued me from embarrassment and generously put it in his bag, holding me and saying thank you repeatedly. Ethan hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded with a smile. “If you like it, go ahead and wear it.” Before, I’d casually given him a woven bracelet worth a few dozen dollars. He never took it off even in the shower, and when it broke he kept it in the safe. Now he gave away my carefully prepared intimate fifth anniversary gift like it was just any piece of clothing. The wooden door was completely knocked down. Several thugs walked in. I watched Yvonne on screen holding the lingerie with a triumphant smile and proactively pressed the hang-up button. The gang thug walked to the closet and yanked open the door. “Run! Why aren’t you running now?” I reached into my bag and gripped the pepper spray. Police sirens and screeching brakes sounded outside. A low male voice came from downstairs. “Anyone who touches a hair on her head leaves here horizontal today.” Footsteps accompanied bodyguards rushing into the room. The gang thug was kicked to the ground. Adrian bent down slightly, adjusting the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. He looked at me trembling. “Miss Monroe, does your Ins post still stand? I’m here to pick you up.”

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When my billionaire parents chose the fake heiress once again and refused to visit me in the hospital, I finally gave up. “System,” I whispered, “let the cancer cells spread. I’m ready to leave this body.” As my soul drifted away, I heard them talking. “If Serena hadn’t warned us, I wouldn’t have known our biological daughter was faking an illness just for attention! How low can she get?” “Let’s not contact her for a few months. She needs to learn her lesson. Maybe then she’ll finally start behaving.” Behaving? Too bad I’m already dead. 1 The hospital walls were too white. So white they made my eyes ache. I sat by the window where a sliver of sunlight managed to peek through, yet I couldn’t shake the freezing chill that wrapped around my bones. “Miss Sterling, please lie down. It’s time for your IV.” My private nurse pushed the door open, her voice soft and careful. It was strange. I was the biological daughter of the richest man in the city. I was in a premier VIP suite. So why was there such deep pity in her eyes when she looked at me? “Nurse Thompson, did you tell my parents the biopsy results?” Her hand faltered for a second, nearly missing the vein. She offered me a weak, forced smile. “Don’t worry. Even though the tumor is malignant, we caught it early. With surgery and two rounds of chemo, you’ll recover.” “Don’t be afraid.” I nodded, then repeated my question, more urgent this time. “But… did you notify my parents?” Nurse Thompson opened her mouth, then closed it, looking like the words were stuck in her throat. I understood. There was no way she hadn’t told them. It was just that they chose not to come. Before leaving, she tried to cheer me up. “Don’t lose heart. The cancer hasn’t metastasized yet. Your condition is very treatable.” I forced a smile but said nothing. The cancer hadn’t spread yet, but when I transmigrated into this body, I came with a “System” mission. If I couldn’t win over my parents’ love, my only ending was death. I leaned greedily toward the patch of sunlight. This cancer was the System’s countdown timer. If things continued like this—I was truly running out of time. 2 The original owner of this body was the true heiress of the Sterling family. She had been switched at birth due to a hospital error and grew up in a middle-class family. It wasn’t until she turned 18, just a year ago, that she was finally found. At first, I thought this System mission would be easy. What parents wouldn’t love their own child? But after coming home, I realized how cruel reality could be. There was another “Miss Sterling” in the house, born on the exact same day as me. The fake heiress: Serena. Initially, my parents were wonderful. They cried while holding me, calling me their “precious girl” in every breath. Within three months, I had successfully won them over. I was the apple of their eye. I even charmed the grandparents and extended family. Of course, I also managed to dodge Serena’s constant, petty traps. Until one day, she pulled me close with a sisterly grin to show me around. “Maya, look. This is Dad’s private wine cellar.” “Every bottle here is priceless. You have to be extremely careful.” I never touched that room. But a month later, my parents went to Serena’s parent-teacher conference. When they returned, Serena looked at me, smiled, and threw herself into the custom wine rack. The entire unit toppled. With a deafening crash, it shattered at my feet. Glass shards pierced my soles, drawing blood. The wine soaked my clothes, stinging my open wounds with a blinding pain. But a second later, Serena was the one screaming. “Dad! Mom!” “Serena! What happened?” My parents, arriving a few steps late, were stunned by the wreckage. I stood in the middle of the glass, frozen. Serena pointed at me, sobbing. “Maya was jealous because you went to my conference today.” “She pushed me. I hit the rack, and it just… it all fell…” I found out later that the wine on that wall was worth as much as a luxury villa. 3 That was the fifth month after I returned home. My father slapped me, hard. He did it because Serena had dropped to her knees in the middle of the wreckage right in front of them. She looked up with tear-filled eyes. “Maya, Mom and Dad still love you most. They just went to my school for an hour.” “I don’t want to fight with you. If you hate what happened in the past, hate me, but please don’t blame Mom and Dad. We’re all victims here.” “If you really can’t stand me, I’ll leave!” I watched her one-woman show in shock. Before I could even open my mouth to defend myself, the slap landed. Then came my father’s roar. “Maya! Is this how your foster parents raised you?” “You act so sweet to Serena in front of us, but you’re a monster behind our backs. You’ve deeply disappointed me.” I tried to explain, but no one listened. Because Serena’s knees were shredded by the glass. My father scooped her up and rushed her to the hospital. I was left to limp out of the glass in my slippers, one agonizing step at a time. I treated my own wounds in my room, gritting my teeth against the pain. When Serena returned, both her knees were wrapped in thick bandages. My parents flanked her, supporting her every move while treating me with nothing but cold glares. “Maya, go to your room and reflect on what you’ve done.” “Serena might not be our biological daughter, but we raised her for 18 years. Do you think that bond just disappears?” “Don’t think we don’t love you. It’s because we love you that we can’t let you become this twisted! We have to correct you!” I tried to speak, but the pain in my feet made me gasp for air. “Maya, stop the act.” “You were wearing slippers earlier. We both saw it.” I knew words were useless, so I retreated to my bedroom. But because of the pain, I couldn’t help but limp. In their eyes, even my pain was just another act of defiance. 4 Serena was willing to hurt herself just to turn them against me. Gradually, in their eyes, I became a person who would do anything to get what I wanted. The three of them were always together, leaving me alone at home. Their excuse? “It’s to build your character and teach you tolerance.” That was when the System’s punishments began. The data showed that my parents’ hearts were tilting further and further toward Serena. Desperate to save my failing health, I tried to fight back once. I got into a physical altercation with a girl at school who was insulting me. We both ended up bruised; I had a split lip. My parents rushed to the school. That was one of the few times I felt their love. “Maya, what happened? Does it hurt?” “Sweetie, she’s so much bigger than you. Why would you fight her?” My mother stroked my hair, her eyes full of heartbreak. My father stood in front of me, berating the principal for the lack of supervision. “Mom, I’m okay.” With red eyes, I let her pull me into her arms. See? They still love me. But then, Serena arrived. In front of everyone, she looked at me with a look of pure, feigned disbelief. “Maya… did you lie and pick a fight just to get Mom and Dad’s attention?” With just one sentence, their faces changed. They didn’t defend me anymore. They just turned and walked away. I touched my stinging lip. It was the other girl who had started it, calling me the “unwanted daughter.” To prove my innocence, I convinced the girl I fought to testify for me. I even asked my teacher to come home with us. “Mr. Sterling, we cleared it up. It really wasn’t Maya’s fault.” But my parents only looked at me with utter exhaustion. “Maya Sterling, have you really stooped to this level just to maintain a lie?” Their tone was ice-cold. In my mind, the System’s alarm bells began to shriek. 5 From that point on, my health plummeted. But I stopped fighting. No matter how badly I was hurt, Serena could erase it all with a single, casual comment, and I would end up as the villain again. I lay in bed and whispered to the System. “System, when can I go back to my own world?” The System’s voice was low, sounding almost empathetic to my struggle. “Finish the mission, or die.” I was silent for a long time. I had thought about it… If I die, I die. But I really wanted to go home. Lately, afraid I would “hurt” their precious foster daughter, my parents kept me on house arrest. At first, they visited me every day. But the look in their eyes was always a mess of complicated emotions, always ending with the same question: “Maya, do you admit you were wrong?” I shook my head stubbornly. Wrong about what? After asking enough times, they lost their patience. When I finally collapsed at home and was rushed to the hospital, they were away on vacation. They didn’t even bother to check on me. Instead, they sent a text: “Maya, come home when you’re ready to admit your mistakes.” “We won’t enable this behavior anymore.” I laughed. From start to finish, what was my crime? Oh, I knew. My crime was that I wasn’t good enough to earn their favoritism. Did they love me? I guess the only way to find out was to die. 6 I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. The nurse told me not to lose hope; early-stage stomach cancer was very treatable. But I just stared at the ceiling, watching my life’s countdown. I lived alone in that massive VIP suite. It was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat. My only companion was the System I had grown to both love and hate. “Maya, do you think they’re really not coming?” I leaned against the headboard, my eyes vacant. “Probably.” “They don’t even believe I’m sick. They wouldn’t even believe the doctor.” The System sighed. I just smiled. Good. It’s better to give up early. After a moment of silence, the System tried one last time. “Call them.” “Otherwise, even if you have the surgery, the cancer will metastasize rapidly.” I bit my lip and dialed the number. But—Serena was the one who picked up. Compared to my hollow, weak voice, she sounded incredibly vibrant. “Maya? What is it?” “Are you looking for Dad? Hang on, he’s out surfing.” The System: “What? His daughter is dying and he’s surfing?” “That’s impossible.” I listened silently to the sound of the waves on the other end. Daughter? In their hearts, they only ever had one daughter: Serena. 7 I waited ten full minutes before my father finally got on the line. But before I could even say “Dad,” his stern voice boomed through the speaker. “Maya, have you finally realized you were wrong?” I let out a bitter, silent laugh. I guess the “jealous brat” label would only be washed away once I was in the ground. “Maya, enough of the drama. Admit you were wrong and come home.” “You’re going too far now, actually making the hospital staff call your mother. Do you have any idea how close she came to a panic attack? If Serena hadn’t seen through your little game, we would have been worried sick!” I opened my mouth, but the words were choked in my throat. Seeing my silence, his tone softened slightly. “Maya, as long as you come home and apologize, you’re still our daughter.” Our daughter… I whispered, “Dad, what if I’m actually sick?” There was a long pause on the other end. Then I heard Serena’s voice in the background: “Sigh. Dad, Maya just won’t change, will she?” “EXACTLY!” My father’s rage exploded. “Maya Sterling! Who taught you to be such a pathological liar?!” The line went dead. This time, even the System was silent. The sun moved to the west, and the light vanished from my room. Why? Was the love and guilt they showed me six months ago all an act? Maybe because I was too quiet, the System whispered a warning: “A negative mood isn’t conducive to recovery.” I grinned. Recovery? What was left to recover? “Just go home and apologize. Keep your head down for now. You have to survive to win.” And then what? Continue to play games with Serena? Apologize for things I didn’t do? Listen to their “lessons” for the rest of my life? I’d rather die. I lay back on the bed, a single thought flashing through my mind. “System, let the cancer spread.” “I forfeit the mission.” The System became deathly serious. “Are you sure?” “If you forfeit, you will be forced to remain in this world as a ghost for ten years as a penalty.” I agreed. I really wanted to see how they would react once I was gone. 8 With the System’s power, the cancer cells flooded every organ in my body overnight. When I woke up the next morning, I was so weak I couldn’t even lift my hand. “Maya, it’s not too late to regret this.” I closed my eyes. A silent refusal. When Nurse Thompson came for her rounds, she was so shocked she dropped the IV bag. “Doctor! Code blue!” She ran out, followed by a chaotic blur of footsteps. A team of doctors swarmed the room, checking my vitals. I was hooked up to a dozen different tubes. “How? Yesterday there was no metastasis. How could this happen in a single night?” Nurse Thompson gripped my hand, her eyes blood-red. Honestly, I didn’t understand why she was so good to me. As a stranger, she had given me far more than my own parents ever had. The doctor shone a light into my pupils. “The will to live is non-existent.” “Notify the family immediately.” I struggled to open my eyes and saw Nurse Thompson pull the doctor aside. Even though my consciousness was fading, I could still hear them. “Dr. Young, the family refused to come…” “Refused?!” The doctor’s voice rose, then dropped into a low, urgent tone. “Give me their number.” “The patient could go at any second. They must be informed.” I fought to stay awake. Maybe… just maybe I could last until they arrived. I wanted to see their faces when they saw me. Regret? Or total indifference? 9 I waited and waited, slipping in and out of consciousness. In my dreams, I could hear the frantic voices of doctors and nurses. When I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I did was look at the chair beside my bed. It was empty. “How many days?” In this vast world, only the System remained by my side. “Three days.” A single tear rolled down my cheek. Three days, and they still hadn’t come. I tried to wipe the tear, but I couldn’t move my arm. I think I’m done. The monitors beside the bed began a sharp, rhythmic beeping. The hospital’s final alarm. I saw a group of doctors rush in to start resuscitation. I watched them frantically compress my chest. They were still trying to save me. But it was too late. I felt myself float upward. With the final long beep, I was completely detached from my body. Two minutes later, the lead doctor looked defeated. “Patient: Maya Sterling. Time of death: April 28, 2023, at 9:03 AM.” I saw Nurse Thompson turn away to wipe her eyes. The System teased me: “See? You weren’t a total failure.” “At least someone cried for you.” I felt a pang of sadness. I tried to wipe her tears, but my hand was only a breeze that ruffled her hair. 10 By the time I found my parents, they were just returning from their vacation. I could feel it; even the System was in a foul mood. “Maya, I’m sorry.” I sat casually on the steps of the Sterling mansion, dusting off my invisible skirt. “This family is trash.” “I’m sorry I threw you into this pit.” I just smiled and said nothing. I had cursed this System a thousand times in my head before. But I realized we were bound together. Over time, she had developed something resembling human emotion. In the living room, Serena was showing off her new designer dresses. My parents sat patiently, watching her model the last one, their eyes full of warmth and smiles. Until—the hospital called again. “Hello? When is this going to end?” “How much did Maya pay you? I’ll double it. You’re doctors, for God’s sake. How can you lie like this?!” I couldn’t hear the doctor’s side, but my father started laughing. “You really don’t even have a script for these lies anymore, do you?” “Tell Maya: if she isn’t home in three days, she’s never allowed back…” The line clicked. My father was fuming. “He hung up on me!” “What did they say? What is Maya up to now?” My father slammed his phone onto the table. “Her lies are getting more and more unhinged. She just had someone call me and say she died of cancer.” My mother’s brow furrowed. “Maya… it has been a few days since we heard from her.” “I’ll give her a call.” But as my mother reached for her phone, Serena cut in. “But didn’t Maya call a couple of days ago and say it was early stage?” “How could it suddenly…” The couple exchanged a look, and a wave of shared annoyance crossed their faces. “Serena is right.” “What kind of cancer spreads that fast?” “If Serena hadn’t warned us, I wouldn’t have known our biological daughter was faking an illness just for attention! How low can she get?” “Let’s not contact her for a few months. She needs to learn her lesson. Maybe then she’ll finally start behaving.” Behaving? But I’m already dead. Serena hid a smirk, then reached out to tug on my mother’s arm. “Mom, Maya just wants your attention.” “Maybe you should call her anyway.” My father slammed the table. “NO CALLS!” I sat on the steps, propping my chin on my hands and sighing. If they wait any longer, there won’t even be a body to find.

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The college admissions scores had just been released. The girl I had been financially sponsoring for the past four years sent me a text. She scored a 900 on her SATs—somehow even lower than her score last year. She texted me: Chloe, I don’t want to do another year of prep classes, and I really don’t want to go to a community college. A classmate told me I could study abroad at a private university, but the tuition and fees are going to be around $50,000. Chloe, I truly want to pursue my education. Can you please keep sponsoring me? 1 Sitting across from me, my best friend Sarah noticed me frowning as I set my phone face-down on the table. She looked at me, surprised. “What’s wrong? You look like you just swallowed a lemon.” I slid my phone across the table so she could read the text. “Where on earth did you find this entitled parasite? Fifty grand? The sheer audacity she has to even ask,” Sarah said, her eyes wide with disbelief. “So, what are you going to do?” “Tell her I’m pulling the plug on her sponsorship. I’m just trying to figure out how to word it.” Before I could even finish my sentence, another text chimed in. Chloe, I really need this educational opportunity. I know my test scores aren’t high. But Chloe, you know my family’s financial situation… I hope you can help me achieve my dreams. I will remember you forever. Thank you. Reading that little sob story didn’t change my mind. If anything, it made me realize that sponsoring her for the last four years had been a massive mistake. Suppressing my irritation, I typed out a reply. Mia, hi. I’m sorry to hear your scores weren’t what you hoped for. When we spoke last year, I made it very clear that this was your last chance. My condition for continuing the sponsorship was that you get accepted into a four-year state college. As for your plan to study abroad, I am not wealthy enough to afford a $50,000 tuition bill, so my hands are tied. Given the current circumstances, I am terminating my sponsorship. Moving forward, you’ll have to rely on yourself. Hitting send felt like a massive weight lifting off my chest. Sarah read the text over my shoulder and sighed. “You should have bluntly rejected her like this ages ago. Instead, you dragged it out for an extra year.” The screen showed Mia was typing, but no message ever came through. I assumed the matter was finally settled. 2 When I opened my front door and saw Mia and her mother standing in my hallway, I was genuinely shocked. Mrs. Gallagher was holding an assortment of cheap gift bags. Mia was looking down, tapping away on her phone. The moment she saw me, she shoved her phone in her pocket, practically lunged at me, and locked her arms around mine. “Chloe! I finally get to see you! I’ve been wanting to visit you forever, but school has been so busy I never had the chance.” “This girl has been talking my ear off about coming to see you, saying she needed to thank you for all your help over the years,” Mrs. Gallagher quickly chimed in. I glanced at the bags cluttering my hallway and said flatly, “Let’s go inside first.” They hadn’t even been sitting on my couch for five minutes before Mrs. Gallagher revealed their true motive. “We know the girl didn’t test well this year, and she felt too guilty to face you. But you know how it is—a girl without a real degree these days is going to struggle. Her dad is disabled, and I have to support both her and her little brother on my own. We simply don’t have the money to send her abroad. You’re the only person we could turn to.” I poured them two glasses of water and sat back. “Universities abroad still have academic standards. With her grades, even if she goes overseas, she won’t get into a reputable school. Finding a good job when she comes back will be just as difficult.” “I already asked around! It only takes $50,000 to get the degree, and when she comes back, they guarantee job placement with a starting salary of $80,000 a year!” Hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Mrs. Gallagher, things like that don’t exist. Whoever told you that is running a scam.” Mrs. Gallagher’s face immediately hardened. “I may not have a college degree, but I’m not an idiot.” “Chloe, you have to believe us. It’s real,” Mia insisted. “My boyfriend—well, a guy in my class—is going too. If we apply together, they even give us a discount.” I shook my head. “That makes it sound even more like a scam.” “It’s real! Look, I’ll show you the texts.” Mia shoved her phone in my face. The chat was open to a contact saved as “Baby Bear.” She glanced at me, and seeing I wasn’t reacting, quickly backed out to pull up the contact for the “agent” she had mentioned. The agent’s pitch was flawless. They claimed to represent globally recognized universities—top-tier schools across Europe and Australia, take your pick. They didn’t care about your GPA; as long as you paid the fee, they would ensure you passed the interview and got your visa. If you chose to return to the States after graduation, they guaranteed an $80,000/year corporate job. Hell, if it were real, I’d want to sign up. I had been busting my back in the corporate world for two years and barely cleared $5,000 a month. “This is an obvious fraud,” I said firmly. “Studying abroad doesn’t work on a ‘flat-rate package’ deal, and costs vary wildly depending on the country. If it were this easy, why would anyone even bother taking the SATs? We’d all just pay a fee, go abroad, and come back to guaranteed $80K salaries.” “That’s just because other people don’t have the right connections! This isn’t an opportunity just anyone can get.” Mrs. Gallagher leaned in close, lowering her voice like we were discussing state secrets. “These spots are strictly allocated. Mia is just incredibly lucky to have access to one.” I looked at Mia, who was staring at her phone with a dopey, lovesick smile. I sighed inwardly. “Mia, how exactly did you get this ‘spot’?” Hearing her name, Mia quickly locked her screen and turned to me. “My boyfriend pulled some strings through his relatives. His uncle is a massive real estate developer in New York with huge connections. That’s how we got the VIP allocation.” Her face was plastered with a smile so smitten it looked glued on. A rich developer uncle? Massive connections? I instantly knew exactly what was going on. “Mrs. Gallagher, I’m telling you, you’ve met a con artist. He’s just trying to drain your bank accounts.” “Impossible. Why would he be a scammer?” Mrs. Gallagher waved me off, utterly dismissive. Since the mother was a brick wall, I pivoted to the daughter. “Mia, listen to me. Nothing your boyfriend is telling you is true.” She blinked, totally failing to process my bluntness. “I don’t know how long you’ve been dating this guy, but everything he’s pitching is a lie. I highly suspect he’s trying to scam you out of your money. I strongly suggest you call the police.” Mia’s eyes went wide, acting as if I had just uttered absolute heresy. “Call the police? For what?!” Mrs. Gallagher erupted. “You just don’t want to pay up! You only agreed to sponsor us in the first place to look like a saint on social media! Now that Mia found a boyfriend with real money and power, you’re jealous!” “Yeah, Chloe! How could you be so mean?” Mia chimed in, tears brimming in her eyes as if I were a heartless monster. “Just because I accepted your financial help doesn’t mean I lose the right to fall in love!” “Trey said that when they get back from Europe, he’s going to build her brother a massive three-story house back in our hometown! He’s not a scammer! You just can’t stand seeing us do well. Honestly, if we knew you were going to be this stingy, we would have found a different sponsor. We wouldn’t have to sit here begging you while you act superior. We’d already have the money wired!” Mrs. Gallagher ranted. Seeing my face turn to ice, Mia tugged her mother’s sleeve. “Mom, stop.” “Why should I stop? She should have sponsored you and your brother from the start! Instead, she decided to split her money and sponsor two different families to double her clout. If she had just given us all the money, I wouldn’t have to work so hard!” Hearing that, any remaining shred of politeness I had vanished. I stood up and pointed to the door. “I don’t have the money to fund your delusion. If you want to study abroad, figure it out yourselves. It’s late, and I have work tomorrow. Please leave.” Mia’s face went pale. “Chloe, it’s so late. We don’t know anyone in this city. You’re really not going to let us stay the night?” “There’s a hotel right down the street.” “You gave us a little bit of charity and think you’re royalty?! Fine! I refuse to believe we’ll sleep on the street!” Mrs. Gallagher grabbed Mia with one hand, snatched her cheap gift bags with the other, and stormed out, slamming my door so hard the walls shook. The mother-daughter duo successfully completely cured my burnout from work. Turns out, there really are things in this world far more nauseating than a 9-to-5 job. 3 I thought ambushing me at my apartment was the lowest they could go. I underestimated them. They showed up at my workplace. Mrs. Gallagher’s exact logic was: How can a liar who breaks her promises be allowed to work in the public sector, supposedly serving the community? This time, it wasn’t just the two of them. They dragged along Mia’s disabled father and her fragile younger brother, Kevin. The whole family camped out in the main lobby of the City Hall permit office. Mrs. Gallagher marched up to every single service window, loudly broadcasting her sob story. She claimed I had promised to fund Mia’s entire university education, but now I was going back on my word and refusing to pay. She cried about how they brought me hometown gifts out of the goodness of their hearts, only for me to turn up my nose and kick them out onto the street at night. She wailed that if I wasn’t going to fund Mia’s college, I shouldn’t have stolen the sponsorship spot from wealthy corporate donors who actually had money. Now, Mia was doomed to rot in their dead-end hometown because I was a greedy liar. She put on such a tear-jerking performance you’d think she was auditioning for an Oscar. I had funded this girl for four years. Because she wanted an exorbitant amount of money to go abroad, I said no, and suddenly I was the villain of the century? In just a few days, she successfully made me the most famous person in my department. Sitting at my front-desk window, I could feel the side-eyes and whispers from my coworkers. But because I worked at the public-facing front desk, I had no valid excuse to have security throw them out without causing a PR nightmare. “Chloe, Director Davis is back from his conference. He wants to see you in his office.” After the family had terrorized my lobby for four straight days, my boss returned from a two-week training trip early. Clearly, the circus downstairs had prompted his early return. “Chloe. Come in, sit,” Director Davis greeted me with his usual warm, politician smile. I forced a polite smile back. “Good morning, Director.” I sat down, feeling incredibly anxious. “I’ve heard about the situation downstairs,” he said, taking a slow sip from his thermos. “Why don’t you walk me through exactly what’s going on?” “I started sponsoring Mia when I was a junior in college. $500 a month. I had come into a little bit of money that year, and I just wanted to do something good, so I picked two students to help out. Last year, she failed her college entrance exams, so I terminated the agreement. But she begged me, saying if she didn’t do a prep year, her mom was going to force her into an arranged marriage just to collect a dowry for her brother. I agreed to sponsor her for one final year. The condition was that she had to get into a state college. If she failed again, the money stopped.” “I see. I know your character, Chloe. Doing a good deed is commendable,” Director Davis said, rubbing his temples. “But this family causing a scene in the lobby every day… we can’t let this continue.” “I know, Director. I’ll handle it.” “With people like this, you can’t just throw money at the problem to make them go away. They’re a bottomless pit.” “I understand.” “If you need help, don’t try to shoulder it alone. We have your back,” he said thoughtfully. “Have security bring them up to my office. I’ll have a word with them.” “Thank you so much, Director.” As I walked downstairs, I ran into the family of four being escorted up by the security guards. Mrs. Gallagher shot me a triumphant, arrogant glare, strutting like she owned the building. “Mia,” I called out to the girl trailing at the back. She flinched, surprised I was speaking to her. “What’s the matter? Finally willing to talk to us?” Mrs. Gallagher sneered, assuming my silence over the past few days meant I had caved. “You gave us a few pennies and think you’re God. If we knew you were just a miserable 9-to-5 desk jockey, we would never have taken your money! I’ll make a scene every day until you’re completely humiliated. Let’s see if you dare bully us again.” “Mia, for the last four years, I wired your tuition and your $500 monthly living expenses on time, every single month. You told me you would study hard to repay my kindness. Is this how you repay me?” I stared dead into Mia’s eyes. “Have I ever asked you for anything unreasonable? Have I ever mistreated you? Don’t you think causing a scene at my job is completely immoral?” “$500?!” Mrs. Gallagher gasped like she had just been struck by lightning. She slapped Mia hard on the shoulder. “You ungrateful brat! You told me she only sent $300! Where did the other $200 go?!” Kevin lunged forward, grabbing his sister’s arm. “Did you hide money from me?! Give it back!” Being yanked back and forth by her mother and brother, Mia finally snapped. She ripped her arm away and screamed, “I gave it to Trey!” She shot me a venomous glare. “Trey’s wealthy parents despise my background. They cut off his credit cards to force us to break up, so I gave the money to him!” “But that was supposed to be my money!” Kevin whined. “Oh, shut up, look at the big picture! Once your sister and Trey come back from studying abroad, do you really think we’ll care about a few hundred bucks?” Mrs. Gallagher beamed at Mia as if looking at a winning lottery ticket. Suddenly, her eyes shifted back to me, filled with absolute disgust. “If you hadn’t shoved your way in, the person sponsoring Mia would have been a real millionaire! An actual CEO! Not a fraud who can’t even scrape together $50,000. You’re broke, but you still pretend to be rich.” I let out a dark chuckle. “If I hadn’t sponsored her, you would have sold her off for a dowry four years ago. Did you forget?” “Th-that was a special circumstance!” Mrs. Gallagher stammered. “Besides, Mia found Trey on her own! It’s her own blessing! You don’t have the money anyway, so this is none of your business!” I didn’t bother arguing with the mother. I just looked at Mia. But in her eyes, I couldn’t find a single trace of gratitude or apology. Perfect. Four years of charity, wasted on a snake. Director Davis stepped out of his office, saw us in the hallway, and ushered everyone inside. “I’m familiar with your situation,” Director Davis said with his signature smile, taking a slow sip of his tea. “What exactly are you hoping to achieve here?” “Director, Chloe promised to sponsor Mia through college, but now that Mia’s grades slipped, she’s backing out. We couldn’t swallow that injustice, so we came to find her. Just because a kid struggles in school doesn’t mean she should be stripped of her right to an education, does it?” Mrs. Gallagher’s rapid-fire guilt trip even caught Director Davis off guard for a second. “We’re reasonable people. We just want you to judge the situation fairly. How can someone with zero integrity like her be allowed to work here?” “Chloe is an exceptional employee. Her work ethic is recognized by everyone in this building,” Director Davis interrupted smoothly. “Well, she’s your employee, and she promised to pay for Mia’s college. Since she doesn’t have the money, Director, don’t you think your office should allocate some public funds to solve this issue?” I swear, even a seasoned veteran like Director Davis blue-screened for a second when he heard that. I certainly didn’t expect Mrs. Gallagher to drop a demand so delusional it could shatter the sound barrier. “Chloe’s charitable contributions are strictly personal actions. They have absolutely nothing to do with this office,” Director Davis replied, recovering his diplomatic tone. “You’re a massive government office, and you don’t have a charity fund?” Mrs. Gallagher pressed, refusing to give up. “Sponsoring Mia is an investment with infinite returns! You really don’t have a precedent for this?” “If you’re looking for charity, I suggest you contact the Red Cross,” Davis said, glancing at them. “Though, somehow, I doubt they’ll fund an international vacation.” “I don’t care! Your employee made a promise. If she doesn’t have the money, you need to figure it out!” Mrs. Gallagher had fully transitioned into throwing a toddler’s tantrum. “Chloe doesn’t have money?” Director Davis looked at me, thoroughly amused. “Chloe, did you not explain your financial situation to them?” 4 Yes, I was just a regular 9-to-5 employee. But during my junior year of college, my family received a massive payout from a corporate eminent domain buyout of our land. It wasn’t “buy-a-private-jet” money, but it was enough that if I budgeted well, I wouldn’t have to stress about bills for the next two hundred years. I wanted to put some of it to good use, so I picked two students to sponsor. I never expected them to worship the ground I walked on. I just wanted to help people who actually needed it. But I never anticipated creating a monster like Mia. The moment Mia and her mother realized I actually did have money, the speed at which their attitudes flipped was genuinely breathtaking. Mia was suddenly calling me “Chloe” with nauseating sweetness, blaming her “youth and immaturity” for her past behavior. She claimed she was just so desperate to study that it clouded her judgment. Her mother parroted the same nonsense, claiming her “fierce maternal love” made her act disrespectfully. Mrs. Gallagher even went back downstairs to all the service windows, aggressively singing my praises to my coworkers and asking them to “take good care of me.” The whiplash was so severe my coworkers looked at her like she belonged in a psych ward. But true to form, they operated entirely on their own shameless logic, uncaring of how unhinged they looked. The venom they spewed yesterday matched the sickeningly sweet flattery they poured on me today. In just a few days, this mother-daughter duo taught me that when someone truly abandons all shame, there is absolutely no limit to what they are capable of. They started camping outside my apartment again—this time, practically trying to force-feed me home-cooked meals. Her disabled father limped around my hallway, sweeping my doormat. And Kevin, the frail, delicate brother, waited for me outside my office every morning and evening, claiming he was there to “protect” me. People talk about getting milked like a cash cow, but this family was trying to harvest my organs. I had sponsored a student and accidentally adopted a whole lineage of parasites. Director Davis loved watching the karma unfold, but at the end of the day, it was my mess to clean up. I sighed in defeat. “Mia, come here.” Hearing me finally address her directly, Mia’s face lit up with pure ecstasy. “Yes? What is it, Chloe?” “Regarding the funds for you to study abroad,” I said, my tone completely flat. The moment those words left my mouth, the entire family swarmed me like vultures. “Are you willing to sponsor me?!” Mia’s eyes practically glowed in the dark. “Let me explain my situation.” I paused for dramatic effect. “I don’t spend a lot of money on a daily basis. My funds are locked in high-yield Certificates of Deposit. If I withdraw the money early, the penalty fees are massive.” “So after all that talk, you’re just making excuses not to pay us,” Kevin sneered, rolling his eyes. I completely ignored him. “If I am going to continue the sponsorship, we have to sign a legally binding contract. I will only wire the money directly to the educational institution for tuition. Furthermore, you must guarantee you will actually graduate and receive a legitimate diploma.” “Yes, yes, absolutely! I promise I will study so hard!” Mia nodded furiously. “Like I said, my money is locked up. It matures in exactly fifteen days. That is the earliest I can access the funds.” “Ah, is that so?” Mia looked deeply distressed. “Chloe, can’t you just take the penalty fee and withdraw it early? My family already took out a huge loan to start building my brother’s house… Just pull it out early, and we’ll pay you back whatever the penalty fee is!” I stared at the girl flashing me a brilliant smile. Pay me back the penalty fee? The absolute delusion. “This is my final offer,” I said coldly. “Until those fifteen days are up, do not contact me.” Realizing I left zero room for negotiation, Mia pouted and muttered an “Okay.” “And stop lurking around my apartment,” I added, looking at the family of four buzzing with greedy excitement. “In fifteen days, bring the contract to my office, and we’ll sign the paperwork.” “Chloe, you are the absolute best! Our whole family thanks you!” Before leaving, Mia forced me into a massive, suffocating hug. As Mrs. Gallagher walked away, she loudly praised my “kind and generous heart.” I funded Mia for four years and never got a single word of thanks. Now, I was making them wait fifteen days, and suddenly I was a saint. Was I being kind and generous? No. I was simply respecting the fate they chose for themselves.

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My husband looks like he just went through a terrible breakup. After coming home, he sat on the sofa, staring at his phone in dead silence, his face clouded with gloom. I know his girlfriend is an absolute drama queen. Odds are, she just dumped him again. How wonderful, I couldn’t help but curl my lips into a smile. Thank goodness my boyfriend isn’t like that. 1 On the way to my prenatal checkup, Declan’s phone rang. The girl on the other end whined, demanding he come over right now. Declan glanced at me, sounding conflicted. “I’m busy right now. Can I come over a bit later?” “But my stomach hurts! I’m giving you half an hour to get here!” Declan frowned, turning to me as if struggling to find the right words. I lowered my eyes and said calmly, “Go ahead. I’ll be fine on my own.” He froze for a second, then hurriedly pulled the car over to the curb. “Be careful then. Call me if you need anything.” The black Maybach sped off. I didn’t bother watching it go, just raised my hand to hail a cab. We both knew “call me if you need anything” was just an empty courtesy. When Declan was with Blair, calling him until his phone exploded wouldn’t make a difference. Besides, it wasn’t my first time going to a prenatal checkup alone. I hailed a cab to the clinic with practiced ease. While the doctor was reviewing my ultrasound, Blair called me. “Hello?” The sound of running water echoed through the speaker. Blair’s voice dripped with undisguised provocation. “Audrey, guess what Declan is doing right now?” I remained expressionless. “Taking a shower, I assume. Waiting to finish up so he can mess around with you. What, am I part of your little roleplay now?” Blair clearly didn’t expect the legal wife to be so calm instead of sobbing hysterically. She was thrown off for a second. After a brief silence, she gritted her teeth. “You’re going to a prenatal checkup today, right? And yet, all it took was one phone call from me to drag him away.” “Audrey, don’t you think it’s pathetic for a woman to be completely unable to keep her husband’s heart?” I scoffed. “Why would I want to keep his heart? Keeping his money is enough.” “You might have his heart, but the money he spends on you is marital property. Blair, I’d advise you to play smart. If I ever get pissed off and decide to sue you, you’ll have to spit out every single dime.” She was so furious she couldn’t speak. Finally, choking on her rage, she viciously hung up. The doctor, who had been unabashedly eavesdropping, gave me an awkward smile. “Pregnant women shouldn’t get angry. You’ve got a great mindset.” I waved it off. “His little mistress tries to piss me off every single day, hoping I’ll just drop dead. I’ve built up an immunity.” “Then why are you having his baby?” I said nonchalantly, “He’s rich.” The doctor zipped her lips. I was joking, of course. This baby had nothing to do with money. When I got pregnant, I didn’t know about Blair. Back then, I naively thought a child could save my shattered marriage with Declan. It was only later I realized that a shattered mirror can’t be put back together, and spilled water can’t be gathered. Forget one kid; even if I gave birth to a whole infantry platoon, Declan wouldn’t change his mind. But that was fine. I had already found my next chapter anyway. A knock came at the door. I turned around and smiled at the man standing there, covered in sweat. Wearing a slightly wrinkled white tee and jeans, he had clearly rushed out of the house. But his face was so strikingly handsome that even his messy clothes gave off a sort of effortless, high-fashion vibe. His eyes were bright. Panting, he smiled, “I’m late.” 2 I reached out and patted his t-shirt. “You make a six-hundred-dollar shirt look like it cost six bucks. What a waste.” Nolan grabbed my hand. “I was in a rush! I ran out the door the second you texted me.” He looked down. “Oh man, I put my socks on inside out.” I couldn’t help but smile. The doctor was stunned, looking from me to Nolan and back again. I felt a little embarrassed. “Oh, this is my boyfriend.” The doctor’s mouth twitched. Nolan immediately leaned in. “Doctor, is everything okay with her checkup today?” The doctor cleared her throat and refocused. “She has slight anemia. You’ll need to pay attention to your iron levels in the later stages…” Nolan listened intently, pulling out his phone’s notepad app to jot down every detail. Whenever the doctor used medical jargon, he’d ask her to slow down and explain. By the end of it, the doctor had a complicated look on her face. “Your boyfriend is really good to you.” I nodded. “Yeah. Much better than my deadbeat husband.” On the way to drop me off at home, Nolan couldn’t help but ask: “When are you finally going to divorce him?” “Last time my parents tried to set me up on a blind date, I told them I had a girlfriend, but they didn’t believe me. They keep insisting I bring you home.” I turned to look at him. The tips of Nolan’s ears were slightly red. I just noticed how incredibly long his eyelashes were, his eyes a pure, brilliant black in the light. For no reason at all, he reminded me of the golden retriever next door, waiting for me to throw a tennis ball. I deflected, “We’ll see. I’ll get it done as soon as possible.” My meeting Nolan was quite dramatic. I had stumbled upon a thriller novel on a flight and thought it was an absolute masterpiece. I went on to read everything the author had published. The more I read, the more I was captivated by his sharp prose and wildly unpredictable plots. It just so happened that the author, who went by the pen name “Legless Bird,” was doing a book signing in the city. I went to check it out. I had assumed the author was a middle-aged man; his writing was just too mature. I never expected him to be a young man in his early twenties, and surprisingly gorgeous. With a face like that, he could have easily made it in Hollywood. That was Nolan Reed. At the signing, I casually asked, “The killer in No Spring didn’t actually murder for his mother, did he?” Nolan’s head snapped up. “You caught that?!” He excitedly started discussing the plot with me until his assistant coughed from behind him. “Nolan, there’s a huge line waiting.” Only then did Nolan reluctantly hand my book back. “Alright, thank you.” He winked at me, a sly smile flashing in his clear eyes. I opened the book. Right beneath his signature was a string of numbers. It was his phone number. … Everything after that progressed naturally. At first, we just discussed his plots. Eventually, we realized we shared a lot of the same interests. On the day he confessed his feelings to me, I hesitated before telling him about my situation. By then, Declan and I had already fallen apart. He had Blair, and we were essentially living as strangers. But I was already carrying his child. Nolan froze for a long time. He said he needed to go back and think. Three days later, just when I assumed he was going to give up, he called. “I don’t want to be the other man.” “But over the last three days, I realized… I can’t let you go.” So Declan had Blair. And I had Nolan. 3 When I got home, I found Declan sitting on the sofa, looking incredibly grim. He looked exactly like someone who just went through a terrible breakup. I instantly realized he and Blair must have gotten into another fight. Nine times out of ten, it was her classic “break up and block” routine. She had used this move a million times. Blair was Declan’s first love. She got together with him when she was 17, and they dated for five solid years. Back then, Declan wanted to marry her. He even bought the ring. But Declan’s mother fiercely opposed it. She threatened to cut him off and forced them to break up, pushing me onto him instead. I was a student sponsored by Mrs. Pierce. From the time I was 10 until I turned 18, she consistently funded my education and living expenses. Even when I went off to college, she looked after me. I was an orphan. During the holidays when I had nowhere to go, she would bring me to the Pierce estate. During my freshman year, I secured a full scholarship and started my own small business, no longer needing her financial support. But we stayed close, and I visited her every holiday with gifts. From a small convenience store funded by a student loan to eventually owning a third of the retail space in the college town, I spent two years building my business. I made over a million dollars. It was probably around that time that Mrs. Pierce saw my business acumen. Mr. Pierce had passed away in a car accident years ago, and Mrs. Pierce’s health was failing. She was constantly in and out of the hospital, deeply worried about the future of the Pierce Corporation. Declan was a classic trust-fund kid with zero business sense. Since Blair was an art major, Mrs. Pierce felt she couldn’t help the family business. She sat me down for a long talk, begging me to marry Declan and help manage the Pierce empire. I sat in silence for a long time before finally agreeing. She sponsored me for nine years; I would protect Declan and his company for nine years. After nine years, if we had a good relationship, we’d stay together. If he still didn’t love me, we’d divorce. I was 20 then. I am 29 now. … On the sofa, Declan had his black dress shirt rolled up to the elbows, his custom Italian leather shoes pristine. I frowned. “Why didn’t you take your shoes off again?” Declan snapped impatiently, “Why did you have to provoke her today?!” I finally understood. He was interrogating me over the few words I had fired back at Blair. I sneered. “Declan, did you slam your head in a door?” “She called me! The mistress got so arrogant she came to harass the wife, and instead of yelling at the instigator, you’re here yelling at me?!” “You know how she is!” Declan sounded a bit defensive, his voice dropping. “She grew up spoiled, her temper is a little explosive. What’s the big deal if you just let her have her way?” I kept a straight face. “Sorry, I’m an orphan. I never had parents to teach me how to coddle spoiled little princesses.” “If you want to be her obedient lapdog, go right ahead. I have zero interest in playing along.” Declan’s face darkened. “Do you have to speak so viciously?” I felt like saying one more word to him would spike my blood pressure and hurt the baby, so I simply slammed the bedroom door shut. Lying on the bed, I looked at my growing belly and sighed. Honestly, after finding out about Blair, I hadn’t wanted to keep this baby. But Mrs. Pierce had cried and begged me not to abort. She even shakily got out of her hospital bed to get on her knees. Without Mrs. Pierce’s sponsorship, I would probably still be stuck in a rural town, already a mother of several kids, working a dead-end factory job. She changed the entire trajectory of my life. I couldn’t say no to her. This baby was my final compromise, the ultimate repayment for her years of grace. I told her that after the baby was born, I would divorce Declan. In the living room, Declan was back on the phone, his voice soft and coaxing as he tried to pacify Blair. I covered my face with a pillow. I didn’t want to hear it. Blair was an absolute drama queen. I had heard of her infamous reputation long before she even got back with Declan. Probably spoiled rotten since childhood, she threw tantrums over everything and threatened to break up with Declan every other day. Every single time, Declan would bow his head and beg her to stay. That was another reason Mrs. Pierce refused to let them be together. The time they actually broke up was the 27th time Blair had threatened it. Declan was probably finally exhausted. Combined with his mother’s extreme ultimatums, for the first time, he didn’t beg. And just like that, they went their separate ways. Truthfully, when Declan and I first got married, I had hoped we could build a good life together. He was very handsome. Unlike Nolan’s clean, youthful vibe, Declan had a sharp, rugged attractiveness, with a hint of a bad boy edge. From the outside, you would never guess he was a hopeless romantic. For the first two years, Declan resented me, feeling I was forced onto him by his mother. But humans aren’t made of stone. Over a thousand days and nights together, his attitude toward me finally softened. At our best, I genuinely thought he had forgotten about Blair. We would hold hands in the evening to buy groceries and cook dinner together. He would book my favorite restaurant for Valentine’s Day and give me hand-picked gifts. When I woke up terrified from a nightmare, he would pull me into his arms, pat my back to soothe me, and we’d fall back asleep holding each other. There was a period I could truly call happy. I thought we were going to walk down that path forever. Until a year ago, when his attitude abruptly changed. He grew increasingly impatient with me. At first, I thought it was just the seven-year itch. When I got pregnant, I was even a little joyful, thinking the baby might mend our relationship. It was only later I found out it wasn’t the seven-year itch at all. Blair had returned. That was when I realized, from beginning to end, Declan had never let her go. Outside the door, Declan finally finished his call and pushed into the room. “She’s really mad this time. Can you just apologize to her first?” 4 For a split second, I wanted to grab the lamp on the nightstand and crack Declan’s skull open to see exactly what kind of trash was rattling around in his brain. Remembering the doctor’s advice about pregnant women staying calm, I took a deep breath, my jaw aching from clenching my teeth. “Get the hell out!” Declan frowned, his voice turning cold. “Audrey, you’re crossing the line.” “I’ll cross your damn face!” I sat up violently. “Declan, when there’s a problem at the company, you run to me. When Blair throws a tantrum, you run to me. For a grown man to live this pathetically, it’s honestly embarrassing.” I sneered, “What’s the point of you even breathing? You might as well just drop dead.” Dark currents swirled in Declan’s eyes, the veins in his forearms bulging. For a second, I thought he was going to lunge over and hit me. After a long moment, he said coldly: “Audrey, don’t regret this.” He slammed the door and stormed out. This wasn’t the first time. When Blair went abroad years ago, her father had been sent to prison for illegal fundraising. The Kensington family fell from grace. Now, Declan was the only lifeline she could cling to. But Declan was already married to me, so she was stuck playing the secret mistress. She wanted to force me to step down, so she provoked me constantly. I never humored her. Every time, I pissed her off so much she practically choked. When Declan failed to pacify her, he’d come looking for me to apologize. He knew that, out of respect for his mother, I rarely denied his requests. But over the years, I single-handedly dragged the Pierce Corporation back from the brink of bankruptcy to its current booming, ever-expanding state. It was safe to say that without me, the Pierce family would have been ruined long ago. I didn’t owe them anything anymore. … When I arrived at the office the next day, the atmosphere felt off. People walking by kept stealing glances at me, looking like they wanted to say something but didn’t. When I reached my office door, I found all my belongings thrown out, scattered haphazardly across the floor. My absolute favorite coffee mug was shattered into pieces. My face went cold. “What is the meaning of this?” Someone I completely didn’t expect pushed out of my office. Blair casually glanced at the items on the floor and scoffed. “Helping you move out. I figured it would be tough for you with that big belly, so I kindly did it for you.” I froze. “Why are you here?” Blair leaned against the doorframe, smirking. “Didn’t you know? Oh, Declan is terrible, how could he forget to tell you?” “Audrey, Declan fired you. You’re no longer the General Manager of Pierce Corp. You can pack up and get out.” Her light, airy voice struck my ears like a thunderclap. I blurted out, “Fired me?” “Then who is the new GM?” A completely absurd possibility crossed my mind, but it was so ridiculous I refused to believe it. Blair seemed to thoroughly enjoy my current expression. She walked over and flipped the nameplate on my desk. “I just casually mentioned it, and he insisted on firing you. It honestly makes me feel a little guilty.” With a mocking smile playing on her lips, she stepped up to me and whispered: “Audrey, did you really think you could keep his money?” “Let me tell you, you’re not walking away with a single cent.” This was beyond ridiculous. I turned to look at the other employees. They all looked deeply uncomfortable, but no one said a word. Right then, Declan walked over. I rushed up to him. “Declan, what is the meaning of this?!” “How can you just fire me like that?!” Declan said flatly, “I’m doing this for your own good.” “You’re heavily pregnant and everything is difficult for you. Having Blair come in to help out will let you focus on resting at home.” I stared in disbelief. “Her?!” “You’re making her the GM? She’s an art major! You’re going to destroy Pierce Corp!” “The city officials are waiting on me for the Southside development project! What happens to the project if you fire me?!” Declan crossed his arms and sneered. “Audrey, you think way too highly of yourself.” “Do you think the company stops spinning without you? Before you got here, Pierce Corp was doing just fine.” I suddenly understood. This was Declan’s retaliation for my refusing to apologize to Blair yesterday. Or maybe they had planned this all along, just waiting for the chance to tear me down. “Declan,” I said, trying to swallow my rage. “Doing this will ruin the company. You can’t be this irresponsible.” “Ruin the company?” Declan looked me up and down. “I think you just can’t bear to lose your power.” “Audrey, ever since you joined the company, everyone only knows ‘Manager Audrey’. Does anyone even remember that I’m the Chairman?!” “I think you just want to change the company name to yours!” I stared at Declan blankly. So that was it. He felt I had usurped him. But was this what I wanted? Mrs. Pierce brought me into the company specifically to protect and guide Declan. But all these years, Declan only cared about drinking, racing supercars, and partying with his trust-fund buddies. Since when did he ever care about managing the business? Even when I talked until my throat was raw, desperately begging him to learn corporate management, he just impatiently brushed me off: “If I’m doing the studying, what do I need you for?” “Didn’t my mom bring you into the company exactly so you could do the work for me?!” Left with no choice, I had to carry Pierce Corp on my own shoulders. In those years, the company was hemorrhaging money, supply chains were collapsing, and major clients were jumping ship. I was the one who stood outside clients’ doors, swallowing my pride and begging them to come back, one by one. When a client’s mother fell ill, I stayed by her hospital bed day and night for nearly a month, finally moving him enough to renew the contract. I lost 12 pounds that month. When I finally left the hospital, my clothes hung off me like a skeleton. I went out to business dinners, dealing with greasy, difficult, creepy clients. No one helped me. Sometimes when I looked back, even I couldn’t believe how I survived those years alone. It was a fact that without me, the current Pierce Corp wouldn’t exist. And now, after wringing me dry, Declan was kicking me to the curb. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, taking a step back. “Declan, does your mother know you’re doing this?” His expression shifted slightly, then he flared up in anger. “This is my family’s business! This is my company! I don’t need to report to anyone!” Blair leaned against Declan, a smug half-smile on her face. “Audrey, who do you think you are?!” A flash of contempt crossed her eyes. “You’re just a glorified wage slave. Pack up your trash and get out!” I looked at the man in front of me, standing frozen in place. After a long moment, I smiled. “Fine, Declan.” “You win.” “I’m leaving.” 5 After leaving the company, I received countless phone calls. They were all from upper management. They explained that Declan had called an early morning meeting. They had voiced their objections, but Declan had shot them all down. I turned off my phone and wandered aimlessly down the street. As I walked, my stomach suddenly cramped. The pain quickly radiated through every bone in my body. I suddenly felt a rush of heat between my legs. I looked down. At some point, my skirt had become soaked in blood. … Before being wheeled into the operating room, the doctor told me they might not be able to save the baby. I forced myself to call Declan. Not because I harbored any hope for him, but because I had made a promise to his mother about this child. He had a right to know. “Declan, I’m at the hospital.” The pain was so intense I was almost numb. I fought to keep my voice steady, though it still trembled. “The doctor said we might lose the baby. I’m just letting you know.” Declan just sneered. “Audrey, since when did you learn to play the hysterical, suicidal wife card?” “Did you think threatening me with the baby would make me let you back in?” I silently hung up the phone. Slowly, I raised my hand and rested it on my lower abdomen. Honestly, when I first learned Blair had returned, I stopped looking forward to this baby. Sometimes, the thought even flashed through my mind that this child was a mark of shame. A constant reminder that my husband had always loved another woman. But as the days passed and I felt the baby growing inside me day by day, that magical connection of shared blood grew stronger. I had decided that if Declan didn’t want this child, I would take them away with me. This was my baby, who had kept me company for so long. I closed my eyes, and a single tear slipped down my cheek. … The first thing I saw when I woke up was Nolan’s face. He was wearing a black hoodie, looking just like a college student. He rushed over, his face etched with anxiety. “How are you? Does it hurt? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” The nurse glanced at him. “The anesthesia hasn’t worn off yet. The pain won’t start until tonight.” I was startled. Weakly, I asked: “How did you get here?” His eyes were completely red. “My aunt is a doctor here. She saw you when we came in last time, and she just called me.” Nolan and the doctor carefully wheeled me into a recovery room. Technically, a miscarriage didn’t require a long hospital stay, but he was too worried and insisted I stay overnight for observation before going home. When I was discharged the next day, Nolan insisted I go to his house. “That guy—” he frowned. “That guy treats you horribly. He definitely won’t take care of you. You just had a miscarriage, how can you manage with no one to look after you?” I thought about it and agreed. To be honest, I rarely allowed myself to be vulnerable in this life. My survival mode kicked in much earlier and harsher than most people’s, and I had carried myself through it all. For some reason, when you’re alone, you can grit your teeth and keep moving forward. But the moment someone actually cares for you, you suddenly become fragile. I really didn’t want to go back to that massive house where I’d be all alone.

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During the Q&A segment of our dating reality show, the producer asked me: “Have you dated before?” I gave a polite, reserved answer: “Yes, but our personalities didn’t match, so we broke up.” Next, they interviewed the A-list actor, Liam Sterling. He answered: “Yes. My ex-girlfriend is actually on this dating show right now.” The production crew, smelling the drama, excitedly pressed: “Care to share which dating show?” The A-list actor smiled faintly at the camera: “The one we’re filming right now.” The internet exploded that very day. Netizens turned into detectives, trying to hunt down which female cast member was the actor’s ex. Meanwhile, I quietly backed away from him on set, hoping to distance myself as much as humanly possible. 1 Love Signals was a celebrity dating reality show that generated massive hype before it even aired. The highest buzz was surrounding the “Ice & Fire” pairing: A-list actor Liam Sterling and the rising pop star/actress, Chloe Vance. They had just finished airing a wildly popular fantasy drama where they played star-crossed, enemies-to-lovers. When Chloe made her entrance, the live chat went absolutely wild— “Ahhh Chloe is here! She’s so gorgeous!” “Chloe and Liam! Are they coming on this show to officially announce their relationship?!” “I’m shipping them so hard, the Ice & Fire ship is too sweet!” My reception was vastly different. When I stepped onto the screen, the live chat was flooded with boos— “Why did the show invite Maya Lin? She makes me sick!” “Maya is such a clout-chaser. She’s obviously just here to leech off the Ice & Fire ship.” “Bad publicity is still publicity, I guess. Some people have no shame.” This show utilized a live-stream format. Every weekend, an edited highlight reel would be uploaded to major streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu. I was the first to enter the “Heartbeat Villa” set up by the production team. I chose the most secluded seat in the corner and sat down. The second person to walk in was Liam Sterling. My ex-boyfriend. 2 I shifted in my seat, subtly trying to put more distance between us. He raised an eyebrow. Before he could even say hello, a bright, giggling voice echoed from the grand entrance. “Oh my gosh, you guys are already here!” “Maya, long time no see!” “Liam, we meet again!” Chloe Vance was wearing a cute crop top and a denim skirt, looking incredibly youthful and bubbly. As soon as she walked in, she acted like she owned the place, plopping down right next to Liam and happily chatting him up. The production team had purposefully set up a large screen showing the live chat. I glanced at it— “Wow wow wow! The Ice & Fire ship is feeding us!” “So sweet! The way Liam looks at Chloe is pure fire!” “Please just announce it already, I’ve got my wedding gift money ready!” Ten minutes later, all eight cast members—four men and four women—had arrived. Half were celebrities, and half were elites from other industries. The producers had everyone take turns answering one question: Have you ever dated before? Chloe looked at Liam with a shy, coy smile and answered: “No, but I do have a type that I really admire.” The chat started shipping them aggressively again. When it was my turn, I gave a reserved answer: “Yes, but our personalities didn’t match, so we broke up.” The chat immediately found a way to insult me— “Lmao, ‘personalities didn’t match.’ More like she has a terrible personality, the guy couldn’t stand her, and he dumped her!” Then it was Liam’s turn to answer. Everyone waited in anticipation. His beautifully shaped lips curled up slightly, and he said in a slow, deliberate tone: “Yes. My ex-girlfriend is actually on this dating show right now.” 3 His answer was like dropping a bomb. Not only did the live chat explode, but even the show’s director couldn’t hide his excitement. The director pressed: “Care to share which dating show?” Liam’s gaze brushed over me, almost imperceptibly. I pretended I didn’t see a thing. Ahem. What is this guy playing at? Is he trying to drag me down to generate hype for his new rumored relationship? Dream on! I’m not cooperating. The director, itching for the scoop, asked again: “Can’t you tell us?” Liam let out a light chuckle, acting as if it were a joke: “The one we’re filming right now.” The live chat instantly melted down! “Is Liam telling the truth???” “Chloe must be Liam’s ex, right? No wonder their chemistry in that drama was so insane.” “Did Liam come on this dating show just to win back his old love?” “This is the most beautiful love story ever, I’m shipping them so hard!” 4 The show had its viral moment. The director was thrilled. But I was incredibly unthrilled. Taking advantage of a bathroom break, I texted Liam on WhatsApp: “Is your brain malfunctioning?” Liam: “Yeah, there’s water in it.” Me: “???” Liam didn’t reply again. The show was still filming, so I couldn’t stay away too long. I washed my hands and stepped out. Just in time for the room selection segment. I absolutely did not want to share a room with Chloe, but she intimately linked her arm through mine. “Maya, let’s share a room! It’s been so long since we caught up. We can stay up all night talking!” I pulled my arm away and said calmly: “We’re supposed to draw lots. Let’s stick to the rules of the game.” Why is she pretending we’re besties? We were on a variety show together before. She used me as a stepping stone, establishing her “gentle best friend” persona, then paid off the editors to maliciously cut my footage, causing me to get cyberbullied by the entire internet. Does she really think the same trick will work twice? “What is Maya’s problem?” “Chloe is being so nice, why is Maya being such an ungrateful bitch!” “Chloe, ignore her, she’s not worth it!” I didn’t care what the chat was saying. I stepped forward and drew a card first. Oh wow. Blessed by the RNG gods. I drew a single room. “Let’s help the girls carry their luggage upstairs, right?” One of the male cast members suggested. Seeing Liam walking toward my side of the room, I quickly grabbed my suitcase and sprinted up the stairs like an Olympic athlete. 5 Nighttime. It was time for the anonymous “Heartbeat Text” segment. I thought about it and sent an encouraging text to Noah Grant, a young actor who was just as unpopular as I was: “The weather was beautiful today. Hope you’re happy.” Ding! Someone sent me a Heartbeat Text. It read: “The water in my brain is the tears you cried yesterday.” I knew instantly it was from Liam. What a psycho. The live chat was guessing— “Who sent Maya a Heartbeat Text?” “Well, it definitely wasn’t Liam.” “Chloe got a text saying she looked beautiful today. That was 100% Liam.” “Is the Heartbeat Text just someone telling Maya her brain is full of water? Hahaha I’m dead!” 6 The next morning, I woke up naturally. Downstairs, Chloe was serving Liam breakfast. “Liam, I know you have a sensitive stomach, so I made you some oatmeal.” Liam looked up, glanced at me standing at the top of the stairs, and said flatly: “My stomach is fine.” Chloe’s smile faltered for a second before she recovered: “When we were on set before, you had a stomach ache once that really scared me! I’m just glad you’re all better now.” Liam didn’t respond. I figured I’d avoid them and started to head back to my room. “Aren’t you going to eat breakfast?” Liam called out to me. “I’ll eat later, thanks.” I replied politely. Chloe walked over to me with a beaming smile: “Skipping breakfast is a bad habit! I made a whole pot of oatmeal for Liam, but he can’t finish it all by himself. Why don’t you have a bowl?” She sounded exactly like his girlfriend. Her fans ate it right up. Even early in the morning, people were watching the stream— “Having a girlfriend like Chloe is such a blessing! Liam better cherish her!” “Liam said his stomach was fine because he didn’t want Chloe to worry. It’s a two-way street of love!” “Maya needs to leave, she’s ruining the shot. So unnecessary!” 7 I had nowhere to hide, so I decided to just cook some noodles myself. I inherited my cooking skills from my grandmother; it’s not something to scoff at. Back when Liam and I were still dating, he would always hold me and beg: “Baby, let’s go on a date to the farmer’s market today, please?” I’d laugh and push him away: “Is it a date, or are you just craving food?” He’d flip over, pin me down, and stare at me with those deep, dark eyes: “If you won’t let me crave good food, then I guess I’ll just have to crave you.” I could never say no to him. We’d wear disguises to look ugly and hold hands as we went to the market to buy groceries. The Heartbeat Villa didn’t have a ton of ingredients, so I decided to make a simple, traditional Hangzhou-style noodle soup. The savory aroma of the broth began to drift through the air. Noah, who had just come downstairs, let out a howl: “Who is seducing my stomach right now?!” I replied politely: “Noah, you haven’t eaten yet, right? I made a small pot, enough for two.” Before Noah could even walk over, Liam beat him to it. Liam’s “electric” eyes—as his fans called them—currently looked like a wet puppy’s as he stared at the pot: “Can I have some?” I silently backed away a bit: “Sorry, I already promised Noah.” The chat scoffed at me— “It’s just a bowl of noodles, what’s the big deal? Liam, let Chloe cook for you!” “Chloe is a great cook, she’s such a hidden gem!” Chloe must have seen the comments scrolling on the big screen. She winked playfully at me: “I’ll cook some noodles too! Let’s have a competition, Maya. Let’s see whose noodles taste better!” 8 The kitchen had two stoves. Chloe started her performance. Her movements were very elegant. I took one look. Oh, it’s because her French manicure is too long, making it hard to wash the vegetables. No wonder she’s slow. “Liam, could you help me tie the apron strings?” Chloe held up an apron, looking at Liam with pleading eyes. Coincidentally, Liam was also holding up a pink, women’s apron, as if he had anticipated this. Noah and I stood to the side, basically eating popcorn. Noah winked at me and whispered his gossip: “I already placed my bet. Five bags of spicy strips on guessing who Liam’s ex is.” I was surprised: “Where are you betting?” Noah: “You don’t know? The internet is going crazy. There’s a massive online poll guessing who Liam’s ex-girlfriend is. Chloe is currently at 99%.” Curious, I whispered: “How many votes do I have?” Noah gave me a look of pure pity: “0.008%.” Me: … Suddenly, Chloe let out a surprised gasp: “Liam?” Liam was holding the pink apron, but he was walking toward me. The guy moved too fast. Before I could dodge, he slipped the apron over my head. His cool fingertips brushed against the back of my neck, making me shiver involuntarily. He didn’t seem to notice. He seriously and tightly tied the strings behind my back. “Maya, do your best in the competition. I’ll be waiting for your noodles.” He took a step back, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile. 9 I never had any intention of competing with Chloe over cooking noodles. I was just about to take the apron off when I heard Chloe cry out in pain: “Ah! It burns!” She had lifted the pot lid and was probably hit by the steam. Chloe bit her lower lip, looking like she was on the verge of tears: “Liam… could you help me get some burn ointment? It’s in my suitcase in my room.” The fans in the live stream were heartbroken— “Oh my god, Chloe got burned! It must hurt so much!” “Liam, hurry up and help her apply the ointment! Go get it!” “Is Liam so heartbroken he froze? Why is he just standing there?” I couldn’t help but look at Liam. He smiled slightly, looking completely harmless, and said in a slow, deliberate tone: “I’m a guy. It’s not appropriate for me to go into the women’s bedrooms.” “Chloe, your legs are fine, right?” “Why don’t you go up to your room and get the ointment yourself? I’m afraid if you don’t hurry, the burn will heal itself.” I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. This guy actually exposed his toxic, sharp-tongued nature on camera! I looked at Chloe’s hand. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it; it was just red from her rubbing it herself. But she acted like she was in agony, inhaling sharply and whining weakly: “Liam, you’re still joking around! Fine, fine, I know you respect boundaries. I’ll just go back to my room and apply it myself.” She stomped her foot and ran upstairs. The chat was thrilled— “Wow wow wow! Chloe said Liam respects boundaries, they are 100% a confirmed couple!” “No need to guess anymore, Liam’s ex is definitely Chloe.” “I’m calling her sister-in-law early!” “Liam, hurry up and win her back! My Ice & Fire ship can never sink!” 10 After breakfast, it was time for the blind date segment. According to the rules, the female cast members would draw lots. Unfortunately, I drew Liam. And Chloe drew Noah. The chat started raging immediately— “Is the production team trying to torture us on purpose?” “Watching Liam go on a date with Maya is worse than eating a hundred flies!” “Maya, you better know your place and swap with Chloe right now, or I’ll curse out your entire family!” The insults got uglier and uglier. Which only triggered my rebellious side. I originally wanted to swap with Chloe, but now I absolutely wasn’t going to. I smiled slightly at Liam: “Liam, I’ll be in your care today.” Liam returned his signature calm smile: “Don’t say that, Maya. The honor is all mine.” The date location the show had set up was a haunted house. Thanks a lot. I had been to a haunted house with Liam before. He looks cold and composed on the outside, but he’s actually terrified of ghosts. Last time, he was so scared by a female ghost NPC that he howled and clung to me for dear life. If that happened on camera, I wouldn’t just be getting my family cursed out. “You better act brave later!” Taking advantage of a gap before entering, when the cameras weren’t rolling, I warned Liam in a low voice. “Don’t jump on me.” Liam looked completely innocent: “Fear of ghosts is a psychological condition. I can’t control it.” I threatened him: “If you ‘can’t control it,’ I’ll leak all your embarrassing secrets.” Liam actually looked intrigued: “What embarrassing secrets do I have? Tell me.” I lowered my voice even more: “The aloof A-list actor is actually a massive simp behind closed doors. He sleeps hugging a plushie, and his mental age is exactly nine years old!” Liam raised an eyebrow and laughed: “Why does that sound kind of cute?” Me: … Narcissist! 11 The haunted house was chilling and pitch black. A bloody head swung from the ceiling. I felt Liam practically pressing against my back. I said loudly: “Liam, don’t be scared, it’s all fake!” Liam hissed: “It feels very real.” Just as he finished speaking, a horrifying NPC lunged out from a corner! Liam let out a howl and grabbed my wrist: “Maya! Where are you?!” I laughed out of sheer frustration. Where am I? In your demonic clutches! I tried to stay calm: “Liam, if you’re really scared, grab my jacket, and I’ll lead you out.” Liam didn’t hold back; he directly grabbed my hand. The night-vision cameras were rolling. Even though it wasn’t perfectly clear, it was enough for the audience to see. I decided to just embrace the chaos, dragging Liam in a dead sprint, talking absolute nonsense: “Liam, run! As long as you run faster than the ghosts, you’ll be fine!” Liam actually seemed amused by me. He squeezed my hand. I squeezed back, hard. Liam laughed again, whispering extremely quietly: “I’ll let you vent.” When we exited the haunted house, I noticed the production crew’s expressions were very colorful. There was a faint trace of the joy of eating drama. Me: ??? The makeup artist gestured for me to look at the live chat. I took a glance at her phone. “Am I deaf?! What did I just hear?!” “Liam called Maya ‘Maya’!” “Liam held Maya’s hand! He was holding it so tight!” “Everyone stay calm! We all know Liam is terrified of ghosts. It was just a subconscious action out of fear.”

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Three years into our marriage, Liam became obsessed with a college student. Their love was passionate and fiery. I, meanwhile, continued to play the role of the gentle, understanding socialite wife, even thoughtfully covering for him in front of both our parents. That is, until he went to a private club to find his disobedient little girl and saw me sitting on a male model’s lap, kissing him passionately. The usually aloof, dignified man saw red and smashed the club to pieces. 1 The little canary Liam was keeping on the side hadn’t been very well-behaved lately. She actually went behind Liam’s back and snuck over to the main estate, trying to get his grandfather to acknowledge her status. The old man was furious. I played along with Liam to defuse the situation, managing to get her out of there in one piece. The young girl followed behind us, her eyes red. The moment we stepped outside the carved iron gates of the estate, she immediately reached out and grabbed Liam’s sleeve: “Liam, I’m not with you for the money!” She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. She looked so delicate and pitiable; it was no wonder Liam was completely infatuated with her. Obviously, the attitude of his grandfather and parents made her realize how massive the gap was between her and the Thorne family, which was why she was so desperate to explain herself the second she got out. Liam frowned slightly, but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to scold her. He reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone a mix of helplessness and indulgence: “Alright, stop crying. I know.” With that, he looked at me, standing off to the side, looking a bit awkward: “She’s probably scared from what just happened. I’ll take her home first. You…” I had come here in his car, so if he was taking his new flame home, I naturally couldn’t go with them. But if I asked the estate driver to take me, the old man would definitely find out. I gave him a slight smile and proactively offered, “I’ll just call an Uber.” Liam was clearly very satisfied with my understanding nature. He nodded, wrapped an arm around the girl, and walked away without looking back. He didn’t even remember that the area around the main estate was some of the most expensive real estate in the city, exclusively residential. You couldn’t even get an Uber around here. 2 Liam didn’t come home until the following evening. He still had a few faded hickeys on his neck. They were intentionally placed right where his collar couldn’t hide them, like a bold declaration of ownership. Such childish little tricks; only a naive girl without an ounce of subtlety would do something like that. I lowered my eyes, pretending not to notice, and smiled as I took the coat he had just taken off, playing the role of the virtuous, perfect wife to the hilt. I even magnanimously showed concern for his mistress: “How is she?” He tugged at his collar, his tone light: “Just throwing a childish tantrum. A little coaxing and she was fine.” Seems like she was coaxed back to her senses. I hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to tell him what I had been considering for a long time: “Have you ever thought about giving her a proper title?” Liam’s tall frame froze in place. It took him a few seconds to process what I said. He asked, confused, “What do you mean?” “What I mean is, Liam, let’s get a divorce.” I was tired of playing the good wife. I didn’t want to do it anymore. 3 Clearly, Liam had never expected me to bring up divorce. He pinched the bridge of his nose, that handsome face I had swooned over for years now filled with irritation: “Chloe, you should know very well that divorce isn’t that simple for us.” I could hear that he was trying to suppress his frustration, keeping his voice as level as possible. In the past, this attitude meant he didn’t want to continue the conversation, and I should drop it. But this time, I was dead set on getting a divorce. My marriage to Liam was a corporate alliance. A divorce wasn’t just about the two of us; it involved both of our families. Getting a divorce really wouldn’t be easy. I bit my lower lip and continued, “It might be a little complicated, but…” “Enough!” He violently cut me off, reaching out and pulling me into his arms: “I know I’ve neglected you lately, and I’ll make it up to you, but don’t ever mention divorce again.” “Chloe, it feels like it’s been a long time since we…” With that, he lowered his head, his slightly parted lips moving closer to mine. I quickly slapped my hand over his mouth, making up an excuse: “It’s my time of the month! It’s not a good time!” Screw that! Who wants your sloppy seconds! Disgusting! 4 Since the divorce talk fell apart, I quickly packed my bags and moved out of the house. Liam, thinking I was just throwing a jealous fit, called me constantly. When I didn’t answer, he bombarded me with texts. Honestly, I was just worried he’d try to sleep with me again. As for jealousy… I’ll admit, when we first got married, any rumor about him made me physically ill. But as time went on, I slowly got used to it. My deep love for him was worn away by his constant betrayals. Still, I didn’t mind letting him misunderstand. I could use this opportunity to max out his credit cards, considering it my compensation for his infidelity. 5 A week after running away from home. My best friend, Sarah, and I walked into the most exclusive, high-end private club in the city. Naturally, Liam was footing the bill. As soon as we walked in, we ran into the little canary, wearing a server’s uniform and carrying a fruit platter: “You…” Never mind, I couldn’t even remember her name. I cleared my throat and asked, “What are you doing here?” The little canary pressed her lips together tightly, glaring at me with those pretty, big eyes, looking absolutely furious. Sarah hooked her arm through mine, looking her up and down: “Is this the little toy Liam keeps on the side?” “What, is Liam not giving her an allowance? Why is she working here?” The tray in the little canary’s hands trembled slightly. She looked like a cat with its back arched: “Liam and I are together because we love each other! It’s not for his money!” She directed her anger at me, continuing her outburst: “Liam says he only loves me! He’s only with you for the family business!” I waved my hand dismissively. “Got it, got it. Well, I wish you both happiness.” 6 I ignored her and led Sarah into our private room. Sarah laughed until she was breathless: “Where did Liam find this precious gem? Actually talking about ‘love’ with a married man in Liam’s social class.” “Does she actually think she can successfully replace you like that? She’d be better off taking whatever money she can get while she’s still young.” I smirked. “That’s why she’s young.” In old-money families like ours, legacy is more important than wealth. That’s why marriage is taken so seriously. If a marriage partner needs to have exceptional qualifications and a very high social standing, then it has to be a corporate alliance. Liam wasn’t stupid enough to give up everything he had for her, which is why he wouldn’t agree to the divorce. Sarah continued, “I heard that girl has been throwing tantrums with Liam the last couple of days.” “Apparently, because you moved out, you took up a lot of Liam’s attention, and the little girl wasn’t happy about it.” Our social circle is small; if someone wants to find something out, they will. I rolled my eyes at her. “You’re such a gossip.” 7 I have to say, spending my cheating husband’s money to hire male models is incredibly satisfying. Especially when the models are gorgeous, sweet-talking, and have amazing bodies. It would have been even better if my husband hadn’t caught me. When Liam kicked the door open, I was straddling a male model I had been seeing for the last couple of days, my arms wrapped around his neck, passionately kissing his face. I had on heavy, glamorous makeup, big, sexy waves, and a tight outfit that showed off my figure. Hearing the noise, I instinctively looked toward the door. Before the sultry look in my eyes could fade, I saw Liam’s face, dark as a thundercloud. I gave the male model one last peck on the lips before slowly climbing off him. Liam’s face was black as pitch, and he glared at the male model with a murderous intensity, looking like he wanted to hack him to pieces. I smoothed my hair, breaking the silence first: “Why are you here?” He ground his teeth, speaking in a low, slow drawl: “Chloe, how dare you?” “Why wouldn’t I dare? You play your games, I play mine.” The more I spoke, the guiltier I felt. “Let’s be fair, you have a mistress, and I never threw a fit about it.” I wasn’t guilty about being caught with a male model; I was just guilty because I was cheating on him using his money. 8 “Mr. Thorne, why are you over here? I was looking for you in the VIP lounge.” “I brought Mia here for you. I’m so sorry, I had no idea she was your girl.” I leaned sideways to look out the door. A chubby man was walking over, leading the little canary. Oh, so her name is Mia. Liam stood rooted to the spot, not even glancing in their direction. Mia, on the other hand, threw herself into his arms like a baby bird returning to the nest, crying: “Hubby, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum, and I definitely shouldn’t have snuck out to work without telling you.” Me: “…” After her dramatic entrance, she followed Liam’s gaze and saw me. She pouted, shrinking back into Liam’s embrace, and acted like a spoiled child, whispering again, “Hubby.” A mistress calling my husband “hubby” right in front of me, the legal wife. That’s basically an open declaration of war, right? I didn’t really care. It was just a little nauseating. But I felt bad for the chubby man who had just walked up. Even though I didn’t know him, he seemed to recognize me. He looked at me, then at the clearly ravished male model next to me, then at the furious Liam and the little mistress in his arms. In just one minute, his facial expressions went through a dozen different changes. In families with corporate alliances, it’s normal for spouses to have their own side pieces. As long as they aren’t too blatant about it, they’ll usually turn a blind eye to maintain the facade for the sake of the business. A direct, face-to-face confrontation like ours was extremely rare. 9 Liam patted Mia’s back, suppressing his temper to coax her: “Be good, let the driver take you home first. I have some business to handle here.” Mia softly replied with an “Oh,” and slowly pulled away from Liam’s embrace. She looked me up and down, then casually remarked, “Are you talking about Miss Bennett’s business?” “When I first started working here a few days ago, I ran into Miss Bennett and her friend. I heard they hired the five most expensive guys.” “I was afraid you guys would fight, so I didn’t dare tell you.” I clicked my tongue. The little girl wasn’t as innocent as she looked. Liam’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He shifted his gaze to Mia, his eyes filled with the impatient fury he was trying to suppress: “I told you to go home. Did you not understand me?” Probably never having been spoken to like that by him before, Mia pouted and glared at him, tears welling in her eyes, acting like she was upset and waiting for him to coax her. However, Liam wasn’t in the mood to play her childish little games right now. For the first time, he lost his temper with his precious canary: “Get lost!” 10 Mia ran away crying. Liam stormed over to the couch I had just been sitting on with the male model and threw himself onto it: “Manager Chen, please bring… all the guys my wife ordered.” He ground his teeth, ultimately unable to say the words ‘male models’. The man addressed as Manager Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, bowing and nodding in agreement. As soon as he left, Liam smashed a crystal glass on the table: “Chloe, you’ve really outdone yourself!” He took off his suit jacket and threw it at me, the large garment covering my head. I could faintly smell the perfume Mia had left on it. I pulled it down, intending to throw it back at him. But he frowned, scanning me up and down before his gaze settled on my long, bare legs exposed by my miniskirt: “Put it on!” “And don’t you ever leave the house dressed like this again!” 11 He sure is bossy! I never noticed he was this possessive before. I calmly folded the jacket and looked him straight in the eye: “Liam, let’s just get a divorce. I’m truly sick of this.” Liam, who had been holding back this whole time, completely exploded after I said that. His eyes bloodshot, he kicked the table in front of him: “Haven’t I told you never to mention that word again?” I sighed, trying to communicate with him calmly: “You don’t even love me, why are you forcing this? This way, all three of us are miserable.” Liam froze for a moment, pointing at the male model who had been standing quietly to the side, his voice hoarse as if it had been scrubbed with sandpaper: “Miserable? You seem pretty happy messing around with this cheap trash!” The male model raised an eyebrow and shot back, “You tell me if she was happy. Just think about how happy you are when you’re messing around with your own cheap trash.” I silently gave him a thumbs-up. What a hero. 12 By the time Manager Chen brought in a line of male models, Liam had already smashed the private room to pieces. The flesh on the fat man’s face jiggled as he cautiously glanced at the hero standing in the ruins: “Mr. Thorne, what is…” Liam threw his cigarette on the floor, crushed it with his foot, and said flatly, “Calculate the damages and send the bill to our finance department.” With that, a cold sneer played on his lips as he surveyed the dozen or so handsome male models: “I didn’t realize you had such a big appetite.” “My fault, I guess I didn’t satisfy you!” I glared at him angrily: “Liam, are you sick? You’re humiliating them!” As soon as I yelled that, the sound of loud, sharp slaps echoed behind me. Liam’s sneer deepened: “Looks like they’re perfectly happy being humiliated by me.” I turned around stiffly. The guys Manager Chen brought in were slapping each other, but the hero who had talked back to Liam was still standing to the side, looking defiant. Truly the one I was most satisfied with so far. 13 Liam had no interest in watching them perform. He grabbed my arm, trying to drag me away, but was stopped by the hero who had been watching the spectacle. Liam narrowed his eyes: “Know your place. You’re just a cheap toy for people’s amusement. Get out of my way!” I frowned, annoyed: “Liam, do you have to be so nasty?” Liam, surprised that I was defending someone else, tightened his grip: “You’d better shut up and come home with me right now.” “Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what I might do!” The hero’s handsome face also darkened, looking like a storm was brewing. I was afraid they were going to start a fight, so I quickly shook my head at him. After all, I was still Liam’s legal wife, and given Liam’s social standing, dealing with a simple male model would be child’s play. I didn’t want to cause him any trouble. 14 Outside the club, Liam hailed a cab, shoved me into the backseat, and got in right behind me. The ride was silent. When we got home, he immediately locked the bedroom door, then pulled out his phone and made a call to someone: “Bring some guys and smash ‘The Oasis’ for me.” “And there’s a guy in there named…” He looked at me, and I quickly shook my head. It wasn’t that I wouldn’t tell him, I genuinely didn’t know his name. I was just there to spend money, why would I care what his name was? “Go find Manager Chen, he knows who it is. After you smash the place, find that kid and break his hands.” 15 Liam has a bad temper; I knew that. But he usually has incredible self-control, so I rarely saw him enraged. I certainly never expected him to be so ruthless. “He’s innocent, Liam, you can’t do this!” He leaned forward, pinning me down, his beautiful eyes filled with jagged, bloodshot veins: “He dared to set his sights on you, so he’s not innocent.” “Chloe, be good. Don’t let me hear you beg for him again.” “Otherwise, it might not just be his hands next time.” In the end, I had implicated an innocent person.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435846”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My brother was the internet’s favorite punching bag, thoroughly blacklisted and desperate for any kind of traffic. To salvage his career, he dragged me onto a family reality show. Around others, he walked on eggshells, so terrified of the haters that he’d probably apologize to a stray dog if he bumped into it. But around the trolls? I chose violence. My brother: “Chloe, keep a low profile, I’m begging you.” The fans: “So satisfying, keep dragging them! We love to see it!” 01 I had just gotten back to the States from studying abroad when my brother accepted a gig on a family-oriented reality show. He invited our mom. She took a sip of her tea and said coldly, “I’m not going. It’s too embarrassing.” He invited our dad. Dad didn’t even look up from his mountain of paperwork. “For fifty million dollars a day, I’ll consider it.” My brother: “…” Left with no options, he turned his pleading eyes to me. I waved my hand dismissively. “It’s just a reality show. Your big sister will go with you.” Our mom looked at me with an expression that screamed you have no idea what you’re in for. My brother was so moved he practically sobbed, pulling me into a massive hug. “Chloe, you are the absolute best. I’m so grateful for you.” I patted his head affectionately. “Look at you, Hayes. You’re a big star now. Having a brother like you is my pride and joy.” Hayes flushed with embarrassment. “Um, Chloe… could you maybe check the internet first?” I had rushed back home so quickly that I wasn’t caught up on domestic entertainment news. Smiling, I opened up X. And my smile instantly froze. In a twisted sense of the word, he was indeed “popular.” Ever since he debuted two years ago, his name had been synonymous with mass cyberbullying. His singing and dancing were painfully average, yet he somehow secured a top debut spot on a massive idol survival show. The internet accused him of crying his way to the top and turned his dance practice videos into “senior citizen physical therapy” memes. In that moment, I deeply regretted saying, “You are my pride and joy.” And very soon, my brother would deeply regret saying, “I’m so grateful for you.” 02 The show, Dearest Family, was filmed at a luxury resort. It was a seven-day, 24/7 continuous livestream format. Drones followed us the second we stepped foot on the mountain path. When Hayes and I arrived at the base of the hill, another pair of guests was already waiting. The guy looked about twenty-five, tall with a slight tan, accompanied by a girl in casual activewear who looked visibly annoyed. They were whispering to each other, but the girl’s sour expression spoke volumes. When she saw us, she tilted her chin up and scoffed loudly. Hayes leaned in and whispered in my ear, “That’s Connor Vance. During the survival show two years ago, he ranked twelfth and got eliminated. The whole internet says I stole his spot in the final lineup.” I instantly understood. The producers were staging a bloodbath for ratings. As we walked over, Connor lowered his eyes, looking perfectly meek and subservient as he greeted us. Hayes, practically traumatized by the internet’s hatred, was walking on thin ice. He extended his hand, his smile bordering on desperate people-pleasing. Even so, the livestream chat was already tearing him apart: “Connor is so sweet. I can’t believe he has to film with the guy who stole his dream.” “Seeing Hayes’s fake, pretentious face makes me sick.” “Connor is too nice for initiating the greeting. Hayes has zero social awareness.” “Take away his pretty face, and what does Hayes even have against Connor?!” I stood there, completely deadpan, watching Connor flash a painfully “friendly” smile. “You must be Hayes’s sister,” Connor said. “I’m Connor, and this is my sister, Hailey. She won the National Youth Dance Championship last year.” Right on cue, Hailey smugly raised her chin, looking me up and down with sheer disdain. “Wow, I didn’t even know Hayes had a sister.” Connor quickly jumped in, playing the peacemaker. “Hayes doesn’t like bringing up his family in public. It’s totally normal you didn’t know.” Hailey scoffed again. “Makes sense. For someone who only debuted because of his face, his family probably isn’t much to brag about anyway.” 03 The Vance siblings came out swinging. Whether the producers had scripted this or not, the live chat was eating it up. “True, I tried looking up Hayes’s background online and found nothing.” “Some influencers analyzed it and said his family is probably poor, which is why he had to sell a sob story to debut.” My brow furrowed slightly. Seeing my reaction, Hayes secretly squeezed my hand. “Chloe, please bear with it. The fans are terrifying.” While we waited for the rest of the cast to arrive, Connor and Hailey fired off like a synchronized machine gun. “The Youth Dance Championship—do you even know what that is? Oh, sorry, I forgot you probably don’t study dance. Of course you wouldn’t know.” “A national title is just okay, I guess. My real goal is to take home an international trophy within five years.” The chat flooded with praise: “Connor’s family is elite. His sister is so talented!” “A dance champion! What a massive slap in the face to a certain someone who debuted with zero talent.” “His sister isn’t even defending him. Looks like that whole family is just empty heads and pretty faces.” The more Hailey talked, the more arrogant she got. Suddenly, I turned to Hayes. “Go grab me a water.” Hayes nodded obediently and scurried off to find a PA. The second he was out of earshot, I turned my deadpan gaze to Connor. “Connor, was it? Your sister is a dance champion. What about you? What titles do you hold? What honors have you won?” I pulled out my phone, opening a search engine right in front of him. “I just looked you up. The only thing attached to your name is ’12th place on a reality show.’ For someone who loves to show off this much, if you had a single other achievement, your PR team would have bought billboards for it by now.” Connor: “…” I smoothly pivoted to Hailey. “National dance champion? Which competition? Which circuit? What scale? Last I checked, there are over two dozen youth dance competitions in the States every year, and about fifteen of them hold less weight than your brother’s 12th place finish.” Hailey: “…” 04 Their faces went from flushed red to a sickly pale green. It was glorious. I casually looked away. Sigh. I should probably hold back a little. Don’t want to bully the kids too hard. I was ready to call a truce, but they weren’t. Hailey glared at me, refusing to back down. “That’s because my brother is humble! Everyone knows Connor carried Hayes on America’s Next Idol!” “Oh,” I replied flatly. She choked on her anger, taking a deep breath. “The title I won last year was for Dance Dynasty. That’s infinitely better than whatever you two losers have going on.” I actually remembered Dance Dynasty. My nine-year-old niece won it three years in a row. She actually declined their invitation last year because she thought the judging format was garbage. Listening to Hailey’s arrogant bragging, I frowned. A drone hovered above us, and a producer was standing just out of frame. I walked right up to him, pointing at Hailey. “She’s launching personal attacks. Is the production team not going to step in?” The producer made a hand gesture. “This is a live, unfiltered broadcast. The directing team does not interfere during recording.” I feigned a look of sudden realization. “So, no rules against cursing people out either?” “We are instructed to remain hands-off.” “Understood.” It was a simple, clarifying conversation, but the live chat lost its collective mind. “What is she doing? Tattling? Is she in kindergarten? So gross!” “Just like Hayes! Utterly pathetic.” “Hailey might be cocky, but at least she has the talent to back it up. Can this woman do anything besides cry to the producers?” “The show obviously wants drama. Snitching makes her look like a clown.” “Hailey is just being blunt and honest. Chloe is pulling sneaky, underhanded stunts.” 05 By the time I walked back, the last two pairs of guests had arrived. Hailey was currently giving an incredibly animated recount of her Dance Dynasty performance from last year. I listened for a moment before speaking up. “Dance Dynasty, huh? Sounds familiar.” Everyone subconsciously looked at me. Hailey’s smile stiffened, but she couldn’t hide her smugness. “Pretty impressive, right?” I smiled back. “They invited me, but I didn’t go.” “Why?” “Because I was overseas at the Global Apex Dance Championship.” I had completely hijacked her narrative. Her eyes went wide with disbelief. “What place did you get?!” Anyone in the industry knew the Apex Championship was the undisputed, most prestigious dance competition on the planet. The live chat erupted: “She’s totally bluffing. Does she even know the prestige of Apex?” “Only the absolute elite compete there. If she’s that good, why does Hayes suck so much?” I slowly lifted my gaze, meeting the expectant stares of everyone in the group. Deadpan, I replied, “Oh. I was a judge.” Hailey: “…” The silence hung in the air for a brutal ten seconds. Finally, Hailey’s voice cracked an octave. “You’re lying! You’re barely in your twenties. That’s impossible!” I tilted my head. “The Apex Championship is split into twelve regional divisions. I was just a judge for one of the regionals, not the grand finale.” I paused, my eyes drifting over to a shell-shocked Connor. I let out a soft chuckle. “Twelve divisions. So funny. It matches your rank exactly.” Connor: “…” Hailey was practically stomping her feet. “Impossible! You’re definitely making this up.” I looked at her like she was an idiot. “The judges’ roster is public record online. Oh, and right—my name is Chloe Sterling.” 06 At first, the audience reacted exactly like Hailey. A unified wall of denial, aggressively accusing me of being a pathological liar. Until someone posted a screenshot of the official Apex Championship judges’ roster. There it was. Under the Sixth Regional Division, right in the middle of a list of foreign veterans with impossibly long names, the crisp, simple name “Chloe Sterling” stood out like a beacon. “Holy sh*t. She’s actually a judge.” “My god. Just qualifying to compete there is insane. To be on the judging panel… how good is she?!” “Okay, she’s amazing, but Hayes still sucks, right? The fact that he stole Connor’s spot doesn’t change just because his sister is a prodigy.” “Exactly! Don’t lose focus! Chloe might be a god, but Hayes still belongs in the trash.” “Am I the only one who thinks Chloe is kind of savage? LMAO look at Connor’s face, he looks like he’s going to throw up.” The tension was broken when Hayes came jogging back, happily clutching a bottle of water. I took it naturally and twisted the cap off. “What took so long?” “The crew was short-handed with the set dressing, so I helped out a bit.” “Oh. Well, everyone’s here. Let’s head up.” Hayes finally looked around, flashing a polite, sunny smile at the new arrivals. Then, he shuffled closer to me, lowering his voice. “Chloe, is it just me, or is the vibe super weird? What did you guys talk about while I was gone?” Connor and Hailey’s venomous glares instantly burned into the side of my head. I remained perfectly unfazed, tilting my head innocently. “Huh? Weird vibe? Not at all. We’re getting along fabulously.” 07 The four pairs of guests—eight people in total—arrived at the resort right around noon. The estate was massive, featuring a luxury hotel up front and sprawling orchards and farms in the back. True to form, the production crew abandoned us the second we dropped our bags. We were entirely responsible for our own survival. According to the rules of the previous season, this was the moment where the cast divided up the chores. Connor stepped into the center of the room, wearing a warm, perfectly manufactured smile. “Hailey and I will take care of the cooking. Lexi, how about you and your mom hit the farm and harvest some vegetables? Marcus, would it be too much trouble for you and your girlfriend to wash the produce and prep the rice?” Everyone had just hiked up a mountain. They were exhausted, sprawled across the living room furniture, completely drained. Lexi, a young up-and-coming pop singer, was terrified of being branded “lazy” by the internet. She forced a pained smile. “Sure.” Marcus, a veteran actor who knew exactly how reality TV editing worked, didn’t argue either. Finally, Connor’s gaze landed on Hayes and me. I was curled up deep in the sofa. As the camera panned over, everyone in the room—and the thousands watching online—clearly heard my phone blast an enthusiastic digital voice: “Three of a kind! Read ’em and weep!” “…” Hayes was sitting bolt upright next to me, looking like a nervous middle-schooler on his first day of class. Seeing Connor stare at us, he anxiously tugged my sleeve. “Chloe. Time to work.” I was currently annihilating my opponents in Texas Hold’em. I ignored him. Hayes awkwardly stood up and asked Connor, “Is there anything we can help with?” Connor’s expression softened slightly, thinking he had won. “Would you guys mind taking care of the dishes after lunch?” “All in!” I happily tapped my screen. Without looking up, I said, “Yes, we would mind.” Connor’s brow furrowed. “Lunch is only meaningful if it’s a collaborative group effort.” “Are you out of your mind?” I shifted my weight, starting a new hand. “We eat to stay alive. You’re only standing there acting like the boss because the cameras are rolling and everyone here is too polite to tell you off. Try assigning chores like that in your own house and see if your mom doesn’t slap you across the face.” “…” 08 Connor was visibly suppressing a vein popping in his forehead. “It’s just washing the dishes. You won’t even do something that simple?” I shrugged. “If it’s so simple, you and your sister can do it.” Connor finally snapped. “Everyone else is contributing. Does your conscience really not bother you, sitting there playing games while we work?” “Weren’t you the one handing out the assignments from the jump?” I finally looked up, my expression the picture of innocence. “You’re exploiting their good manners. Don’t try to morally kidnap me, sweetheart. I don’t have any morals to kidnap.” “…” Seeing her brother getting publicly humiliated, Hailey stormed over. “Chloe Sterling! I don’t care if you’re a world-class judge, you don’t get to act like a diva here! You’re contributing nothing! Do you expect us to cook and serve it to you on a silver platter?” Hayes tried to intervene, but hearing Hailey insult me made his protective instincts flare. “My sister isn’t like that!” he argued quietly. The live chat was a warzone: “Chloe’s attitude is absolute trash.” “Is she seriously waiting for them to feed her?” “The Sterling siblings are both leeches. Yuck!” Connor took a deep breath, playing the exhausted martyr. “I’m not obligated to cook for you. Since you refuse to help, you two can figure out your own lunch.” “Figure it out on our own?!” Hayes panicked, looking at me with puppy-dog eyes. “Chloe, I didn’t even know you knew how to turn on a stove!” I stared at him. “Do you know how to wash dishes?” Before he could answer, I rolled my eyes. “You don’t even know how to wash your own socks.” Hayes: “…” Having delivered his ultimatum, Connor led the rest of the cast out to work. I nestled back into the couch and booted up another round of poker. Fifteen minutes later, Lexi returned with a basket, looking miserable. “There are chickens and fish out back, but my mom and I have no idea how to catch them.” Connor glanced at the pathetic pile of greens in her basket and offered a comforting smile. “It’s fine. A vegetarian meal is healthy.” He said that, but when a completely meatless, severely lacking spread of vegetables was finally placed on the dining table, everyone sat there awkwardly, unsure of how to pretend they were excited. Despite the depressing meal, Hailey couldn’t resist a victory lap. “Time to eat! My brother’s cooking is incredible, you guys have to try this.” She cast a pointed, mocking glance toward the living room where Hayes and I were sitting. “Looks like some people are going hungry today. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I don’t feel sorry for them.” The second the words left her mouth, a booming voice echoed from the front lobby. “Delivery for Chloe Sterling?!” I kicked Hayes’s shin. “Go get it.” He looked bewildered. “Who is it, Chloe?” I was currently calculating pot odds, not looking up. “Oh. Uber Eats.” “…” 09 The dining table was massive, which only made the few plates of sad vegetables look even more pathetic. Hayes and I began unpacking the delivery, and within seconds, we had completely covered our half of the table. Crispy fried chicken, gourmet burgers, loaded spicy bowls, and a mountain of fries. The moment the lids came off, an overpowering, mouth-watering aroma hijacked the entire room. Hailey stared at us, her eyes practically bugging out of her head. “You… you can’t order delivery!” I happily bit into a piece of perfectly fried chicken. “Is there a rule that says I can’t?” Hailey choked. “No one has ever ordered takeout on a reality survival show!” I took a massive sip of my Coke and looked at Hayes. “Is that true?” He took a very polite, reserved bite of his spicy bowl. “Yeah, Chloe. Never.” “Well, whatever. The crew didn’t stop the driver.” Right then, I heard a very distinct, very loud gulp. It was Lexi. There was absolutely no way the two of us could finish this feast. I waved my hand at the others. “Come on over, there’s plenty!” Lexi looked like she might cry from gratitude. “Can we really?” “Of course you can.” By the end of it, even Marcus and his girlfriend had abandoned the boiled cabbage and joined our side of the table. Connor and Hailey’s faces looked like they had just swallowed live wasps. They sat in suffocating silence, glaring daggers at us. Finally, they snapped. They slammed their chopsticks down. “Chloe, you are crossing a line.” I elegantly wiped my mouth with a napkin. “What did I do?” Hailey pointed a trembling finger at the still-massive pile of food. “You ordered way more than you needed! You’re just trying to buy everyone off and isolate us!” I was genuinely speechless at the sheer audacity. I gave her a thumbs up. “Usually, when assholes talk sh*t, it’s just for laughs. But you? You’ve elevated it to an art form.” Hearing that, Hayes nearly dropped his chopsticks, frantically reaching for my arm. “Chloe, don’t—” Unfortunately for him, he forgot one crucial detail about me. When I’m full, I have way too much energy. And when I have too much energy, I like to start fires. 10 Hailey’s eyes instantly welled up with angry tears. Connor rushed to his sister’s defense, his “nice guy” mask slipping. “Chloe, she was just trying to be considerate. She didn’t want to see everyone’s hard work go to waste. You ordered an absurd amount of food for two people. It’s perfectly normal for Hailey to question your motives.” I couldn’t even be bothered to fully open my eyes. “Mind your own business. I spent my own money. What right do you have to police my bank account?” Hearing me indirectly call him a meddling dog, Connor’s perfectly manicured composure shattered. “I was just trying to reason with you! Why do you keep insulting us?” I let out an “Oh,” and looked him dead in the eye, perfectly serious. “Not only will I insult you to your face, but if you’re ever having trouble hearing me, I’ll happily carve it right into your tombstone.” “…” Connor and Hailey stormed off, absolutely seething. Hayes looked like he was preparing for the apocalypse. “We’re dead. Chloe, the audience is definitely calling for our heads right now.” Since I was full and had nothing better to do, I pulled out my phone and opened the livestream. He was right. A massive chunk of the chat was screaming for our blood. “Chloe is so arrogant! Connor was just trying to be a good team player!” “She does zero work and has the audacity to roast people. Where did the producers even find her?” “Get Hayes and Chloe off my screen. They are insufferable.” But surprisingly, a counter-wave was fighting back. “Honestly, she’s not wrong. The show literally didn’t ban delivery.” “Yeah, our poor Lexi was exhausted and still forced to go pick vegetables. It was hard to watch.” “Marcus is a total carnivore. Forcing him to eat plain lettuce is a crime against humanity.” “Am I the only one who thinks Chloe is kind of a badass LMAO. I think I’m falling in love.” I watched the scrolling text for two seconds, then leaned over and whispered to Hayes. “Did you actually steal Connor’s debut spot? Did Dad pull strings for you?” Hayes looked horrified. “No! I snuck off to do the show behind Dad’s back. I would never dare ask him to rig it.” “Then how did you…” “I honestly have no idea! During the initial evaluations, I was graded a ‘D’. Then the second ranking hit and suddenly I had hundreds of thousands of votes. They confiscated our phones, so I didn’t even know who was voting for me. I was completely clueless when they announced I was second.” 11 That afternoon, Connor loudly rallied the rest of the cast to go explore the resort grounds. Noticeably, he didn’t invite Hayes and me. We were currently huddled on the couch, scrolling through the voting analytics and comment sections from his time in the survival show’s boot camp. Connor and Hailey shot us looks of supreme pity before they left, treating us like absolute idiots. I knew exactly what they were thinking. Going out meant the drones and the main crew would follow them, guaranteeing maximum screen time and traffic. By staying in the hotel, we were actively sabotaging our own relevance. Connor practically strutted out the door. At 2:00 PM, after we had finished combing through the data, I shot Hayes a look. Hayes hesitated. “Chloe, is this really a good idea…?” “Hurry up. Stop stalling.” He took a deep breath and opened an app on his phone. At the exact same moment, I turned to the single, stationary camera left in the living room. “Hayes and I are going live on IG right now. Room 645183. Come through if you’re interested.” Live chat: ??? Three seconds later, a tidal wave of viewers crashed into the livestream. Hayes and I were comfortably lounging on the couch, cracking sunflower seeds. I watched the chaotic blur of the chat and smiled. “Slow down, ask one at a time. No need to rush.” There were thousands of people, and the vast majority opened with immediate, aggressive insults. I casually multi-tasked, banning accounts with one hand while addressing them with the other. “Your mouth is pretty filthy. Did you forget to wipe after you talked out of your ass?” Once I had thoroughly terrified the chat into a semblance of order, I started picking questions. Chat: “How do you justify your brother stealing Connor’s debut spot?” I countered with a question of my own. “If you beat the guy in second place, what place are you in?” Chat: “First.” I nodded. “Exactly. Connor ranked twelfth. Why aren’t you going after him for being completely useless and failing to beat the guy in eleventh place? What does his failure have to do with my brother?” Chat: “…Wait, that kind of makes sense?” Chat: “But Hayes can’t even sing or dance! He didn’t deserve to debut. If they kicked him out, Connor would have made the cut!” Their questions were sharp, and Hayes looked at me like a kicked puppy. I shifted my weight, a mocking smile playing on my lips. “Are you guys all Connor’s diehard fans?” Chat: “No, we’re just casual viewers! We just hate seeing injustice.” I laughed out loud. “So, casual viewers are allowed to hate my brother, but casual viewers aren’t allowed to like him? If random people can passionately defend Connor, why couldn’t random people passionately vote for Hayes to debut?” A few commenters panicked. “Hayes has no talent! What would casual viewers even like about him?” “His face,” I stated, completely deadpan. “If Connor’s aggressively average, tragically rushed face can somehow attract fans, why wouldn’t people vote for someone as gorgeous as my brother? Since when is being hot a crime?” Chat: “…Okay, fair point.” Because, objectively speaking, Hayes’s face was a lethal weapon.

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When my parents finally found me, I played dumb. Three parts innocent, seven parts naive—I looked exactly like the real missing heiress. That’s right. I was a counterfeit. Because I looked more like them than their actual biological daughter, they mistook me for her. In my past life, I told them the truth. In return, my limbs were severed, and I died a miserable, agonizing death in a foreign land. This time, I decided to play the fool. I became the true heiress of the Sterling corporate empire. 1 When the Sterling family pulled up to the orphanage in their luxury car, a crowd immediately gathered. They held a DNA report in their hands, pointed at a picture of me in an album, and told the director: “That’s her. Our daughter, Harper.” Shocked, the director immediately sent someone to my high school to fetch me. At that moment, I was huddled in an alleyway outside the school, clutching my textbooks to my chest while being kicked and punched. Seeing someone approach, the group of rainbow-haired punks scattered without a trace. I stood up, looked at Griffin—who had easily tracked me down just like he did in my past life—dusted off my jeans, and followed him back. When Mrs. Sterling saw my battered state, taking in the bloody scratches on my face, she burst into tears. “Harper, do you remember Mommy? It’s all my fault. I didn’t watch you closely enough and let you get lost when you were five.” I looked at her with feigned confusion, purposefully letting the faint scar on my forehead show through my messy bangs. Seeing the scar, Mrs. Sterling grew so emotional she lunged forward and grabbed my hands. “Harper! Do you remember how you got that scar on your head?” I touched my forehead, pretending to search my memories. “I think… when I was really little, I was playing hide-and-seek with my brother… and I tripped on the stairs…” Then I clutched my head, acting as if the memory was causing me excruciating pain, making Mr. and Mrs. Sterling’s hearts ache. Mrs. Sterling pulled me into a tight embrace, gently patting my back. “Shh, sweet girl. Don’t think about it anymore. Mommy knows—you are our daughter!” Just like that, I followed them home and became the heiress of the Sterling Group. 2 My real name was Joy. It was the name given to me by the orphanage. When I was five, my grandmother had clutched a few crumpled dollar bills and gone out to buy me a birthday cake. It rained on her way back. The dirt road was slick, and she slipped, falling into a deep, muddy ditch by the road. She never got back up. My grandmother died, and I became an orphan. I arrived at the gates of the Sunbeam Orphanage, pretending to be a lost child. That same day, the true Sterling heiress, Bliss, also arrived at the orphanage. Because we looked so remarkably alike and were the exact same age, we were constantly mistaken for twins. In our past life, the private investigator accidentally mixed up our toothbrushes. So, when Mrs. Sterling mistakenly identified me, I corrected the error, allowing them to find the real Bliss. Bliss had put on a show of sisterly affection, begging me to go with her to the Sterling estate and continue being her “sister.” As a result, I even secretly returned the $100,000 “thank you” check Mrs. Sterling had given me back to Bliss. I thought she was grateful that I hadn’t stolen her identity. I didn’t realize it was merely the beginning of her pushing me into the abyss. First, she spilled hot tea on herself and framed me for it. Later, she pushed Mrs. Sterling down a flight of stairs, planted the blame on me since I was standing nearby, and successfully got me kicked out of the Sterling house. On the eve of my SATs, she tricked me into coming out under the guise of “talking things out,” got me blackout drunk, and tossed me to a group of local street thugs. When I woke up, I wanted to die from the shame, but she held the video of my assault over my head, threatening to release it if I breathed a word. With the SATs the next morning, I had no choice but to swallow my trauma. On the day the test scores were released, I discovered I was pregnant. On my way to an underground clinic, I drank a bottle of water she had tampered with. I collapsed. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was her cold, mocking stare. She said, “If you want to blame someone, blame your own miserable fate!” When I woke up, I was locked inside a cage. In a dark, damp warehouse, dozens of rusting iron cages held dozens of women with swollen bellies. I instantly understood what nightmare awaited me. I refused to accept my fate. I tried to escape three times. The final time, they chopped off my hands and feet, leaving me to bleed out in agonizing pain. But the wheel of fate turned, and I was reborn! Since God gave me a second chance, I was going to seize it and return every ounce of humiliation she subjected me to! I woke up at age sixteen. I spent a year meticulously recreating a scar on my forehead identical to Bliss’s. Since I looked more like a Sterling than she did, I would simply take her place and become the corporate heiress. 3 The day I stepped back into the Sterling mansion, I was treated like royalty. Mrs. Sterling immediately enrolled me in an elite prep school in Beverly Hills, donating an entire library wing to ensure the school took “special care” of me, especially regarding my grades. However, when my initial placement test scores came back, Mrs. Sterling realized she had severely underestimated me. In my past life, once Bliss was brought home, she cared about nothing but designer clothes, luxury shoes, and Birkin bags, causing her grades to plummet. I, on the other hand, fully utilized the elite tutors the Sterlings provided, eventually securing a spot in a top-tier Ivy League university. It was just a pity that in my past life, I didn’t get to finish my education. Delighted by my perfect grades, Mrs. Sterling eagerly asked what else I wanted to learn. Since my posture was lacking, I hired a ballet instructor to correct it. I didn’t know how to play an instrument, so I hired a master harpist. I also wanted to secure a foothold in the Sterling Group, so I frequently sought out Mr. Sterling to discuss business management and corporate strategy. I was naturally brilliant and progressed at lightning speed. The way Mr. and Mrs. Sterling looked at me grew increasingly full of pride and absolute adoration. A month later, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling invited the upper crust of Beverly Hills to my official welcome banquet. The crowd expected a rough, uncultured orphan. Instead, I descended the stairs in a stunning white fringed gown, mesmerizing the entire room. At the banquet, I spotted Emmett Vance standing next to my brother, Carter. He looked exceptionally dashing. Emmett was the sole heir of the Vance family, an old-money dynasty from New York. In my past life, the moment Bliss laid eyes on Emmett, she was entirely captivated and swore she would marry no one else. Mrs. Sterling had laughed, teasing her for thinking about marriage before she was even an adult. Heh. What you begged for and couldn’t have in the last life, I will claim in this one. “Carter!” My voice was clear and bright. As expected, both men turned their heads to look at me simultaneously. 4 “Who is this? Is he a classmate of yours?” I asked curiously. Carter was about to shake his head when I saw Emmett subtly tap Carter’s shoe with his toe. Carter immediately nodded. “Yeah! A college buddy, Emmett.” I smiled sweetly and extended my hand. “Hi there! I’m Harper!” Emmett hesitated for a split second before shaking my hand. And just like that, Emmett and I were officially acquainted. A lie often requires a hundred more lies to cover it up. Since Emmett claimed to be Carter’s classmate, he found himself flying to Beverly Hills constantly because I sought my brother out for “advice” almost every week. Carter was studying finance. Since Mr. Sterling was often too busy to mentor me, I naturally had to consult my big brother. “Emmett, look! I brought you your favorite cold-brew tea.” In my past life, Bliss was utterly obsessed with marrying Emmett. She spent an exorbitant amount of time discovering his preferences, learning he exclusively drank a specific, custom-blended cold-brew tea. Rumor had it, it was the exact recipe his mother used to make for him when he was little. Sadly, his mother had passed away years ago. The day Bliss finally perfected the recipe, I had the misfortune of witnessing the entire process. I smiled and handed him the tea I had prepared myself. Emmett drank it happily, his eyes sparkling as he looked at me. “Harper’s craftsmanship is the best. Man, when you get married one day, I won’t be able to drink tea this good anymore!” Emmett teased me between sips. I didn’t say anything; I just smiled. Carter, however, chimed in from the side: “What’s the big deal? Just marry my sister, and you can drink it until you’re old and gray, right into your grave—ow! What did you hit me for?!” Emmett flicked Carter hard on the forehead, his face turning serious. “Harper is still young. Don’t joke around about her like that.” Carter rubbed his head, muttering, “She’s not that young, she’s almost eighteen…” I kept my head down, realizing that Emmett’s feelings for me hadn’t quite reached the level of love yet. 5 With the Sterling family’s backing and resources, I performed even better than in my past life and was accepted into Harvard’s finance program. On move-in day in Massachusetts, Emmett was the one who picked me up. I peeked behind him, a little confused. “Where’s my brother?” Emmett gritted his teeth. “He drank too much last night. He’s still passed out!” Carter had a famously high alcohol tolerance. There was no way he got drunk that easily. My phone chimed. I opened it to find a “You got this!” meme sent by Carter. I instantly understood. My little maneuvers hadn’t escaped my brother’s notice; he was playing wingman. College life was vibrant and exciting—something I never got to experience in my past life. I continuously applied the knowledge I learned, gradually taking over a portion of the Sterling Group’s East Coast branch operations. I balanced my studies and corporate work with ease. The only thing I couldn’t completely manage was Emmett. Perhaps afraid of blowing his cover, he rarely visited me on campus. But whenever I was at the branch office handling business, I always seemed to catch sight of him. We saw each other almost once a week. A year passed like this. Just as I thought our relationship was naturally blossoming into romance, he brought a girl to my birthday party. He introduced her to me: “Penny, this is my little sister, Harper.” I pressed my lips together, suppressing the sudden, sharp twist in my chest. “Emmett, who is she?” Emmett replied, “Penelope. We grew up together.” “Oh, so you’re childhood sweethearts…” I forced a smile, projecting what I thought was an aura of gentle, gracious elegance to welcome Penelope, completely missing the flicker of something strange in Emmett’s eyes. 6 I started intentionally avoiding Emmett. But oddly enough, we ran into each other even more than before. He kept calling me his “little sister” like always, and even brought a few more so-called “childhood friends” to introduce to me. On the day of the first snow, I agreed to go to a concert with a senior who had been relentlessly pursuing me. After the concert, with my tacit permission, he affectionately reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. Just as he leaned in to kiss me, he was violently shoved aside by Emmett, who had been following us. The romantic atmosphere shattered. Furious, the senior blurted out, “Are you crazy?!” But when he got a clear look at Emmett’s face, he panicked. “V-Vance? What are you doing here?” Emmett’s brow was heavily furrowed. He stared at the senior and spat out every word: “Get the hell out of here.” The senior looked at me, looked at Emmett, seemed to suddenly realize something, turned around, and bolted. I glared at Emmett, visibly angry, demanding a reasonable explanation. Instead, he took my hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. I froze in place. He looked at me with a perfectly feigned expression of distress. “Oh no, the back of your hand accidentally touched my lips. What should we do? I guess I have no choice but to take responsibility for you!” 7 Two years later, Emmett and I were engaged. He had dropped his “college buddy” disguise the night of the first snow. I deployed award-winning acting skills—first acting shocked, then angry, and finally making him and my brother pay a hefty, metaphorical price before letting them off the hook. At our engagement party, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling were surrounded by the Beverly Hills elite. “Mr. Sterling, you are truly blessed! Not only is your daughter incredibly brilliant, but she also landed the heir to the Vance family!” The Sterling family was always considered “third-tier” among the ultra-wealthy circle. After today, with the Vance family backing them, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling could walk completely unopposed in high society. Half a year ago, when I told them I was getting engaged to Emmett, Mrs. Sterling smiled so hard she gained a few new laugh lines. Mr. Sterling was even more direct—he immediately transferred 5% of the corporate shares to me and promised another 5% the day we officially tied the knot. I accepted with a smile, becoming a bona fide shareholder of the Sterling Group. The engagement of the sole heir of the New York Vance dynasty trended heavily online. The internet was flooded with photos of Emmett and me. And as the leading lady of this spectacle, I naturally caught the attention of someone lurking in the shadows. One day, an issue arose at corporate headquarters requiring all shareholders to be present. Halfway through the board meeting, we were interrupted by an employee bursting through the doors. The employee’s hesitant gaze fell on me before they spoke: “Mr. Sterling, there’s a girl causing a scene in the lobby. She claims she is your real daughter, and says if you don’t come down, she’s going to slit her wrists right there!” 8 The meeting was suspended, and a group of us headed down to the lobby. There stood a girl who looked 70% to 80% identical to me, holding a fruit knife to her wrist. She was screaming hysterically: “Bring your CEO down here right now! I am his real daughter! The one you have up there is a counterfeit!” Two security guards stood by, trying to talk her down, having already sent someone to notify the board. She pointed the blade at the guards and roared, “I told you to get him half an hour ago! Where is he?!” Someone from the crowd yelled, “If you keep this up, we’re calling the cops!” Bliss laughed at that. “Call them! It’ll be perfect to have the cops drag that fake imposter out of the building!” Her absolute certainty caused the whispering crowd to hesitate. “The CEO is here!” A sharp-eyed employee shouted, cutting through the gossip. Bliss obviously heard it too and looked our way. The moment she laid eyes on me, the hatred in her eyes exploded. Gripping the knife, she charged straight at me: “Joy, you bitch, go to hell!” Joy and Bliss—the names the orphanage had given us. The knife was sharp, glinting coldly. I stood frozen in place, acting as if I was paralyzed by fear. Seeing this, Mr. Sterling immediately yanked me behind him to protect me. Mid-charge, someone in the crowd stuck out a foot and tripped her. Bliss crashed to the floor, taking a long time to scramble back up. She looked up at Mr. Sterling—who was fiercely guarding me—her eyes brimming with tears: “Dad, it’s me, Bliss! Don’t you remember me?” Saying that, she swept her bangs aside, revealing the scar on her forehead. Mr. Sterling looked disgusted. “Don’t think faking a scar makes you my daughter!” But standing right next to him, I clearly saw his hand tremble the moment he saw that mark. Of course it did. They were biological father and daughter, after all. Blood is a mysterious thing; Mr. Sterling was undoubtedly harboring suspicions now. I decided to go with the flow. I pointed to the media reporters who were already rushing over, attracted by the commotion. “Dad, let’s take her home first. The press is here. Having a scene in front of corporate headquarters is a PR nightmare.” 9 In the Sterling living room sat Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, myself, and Bliss. Carter had rushed back the moment he got the news. When he saw me and Bliss sitting there, he froze in his tracks. “Th-Mom, did you actually give birth to twins?” After arriving at the house, Bliss had stormed into my room, washed up, and changed into a set of my clothes before coming downstairs. Freshly cleaned up, sitting quietly next to me, we looked exactly like identical twins. Hearing Carter’s words, the hostility in her eyes flared instantly: “Carter! Are you blind? I’m your real sister!” “What twins? She’s a shameless, lying bitch!” “A low-life mutt with no identity who dared to steal my life and usurp my place as the Sterling heiress!” “Mom, Dad, throw this bitch out on the street!” The older Sterling generations were highly educated, refined people. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling were over fifty, and no one had ever spoken such vulgarities in their presence. Mr. Sterling slammed his hand on the table, enraged. “Shut your mouth!” Bliss jumped, shrinking her neck back like a frightened quail. “Your mother only gave birth to one girl. There are no twins.” Mr. Sterling sighed heavily and looked at me. “Harper, what do you think?” I put on a highly conflicted expression. “Since Bliss insists she is the real Harper, why don’t we… just do another DNA test?” The moment I said that, Bliss clapped her hands in agreement. But Mr. Sterling sharply replied, “Absolutely not!”

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Born as the school’s golden girl, I ended up swapping souls with the heaviest, poorest outcast in our high school. We exchanged secrets, shared our lives, and tried desperately to find a way back into our own bodies. Until one day, she vanished. The teachers said her entire family had moved out of the country. The next time I saw her was ten years later. She was standing next to my childhood sweetheart, bearing the title of the CEO’s wife. 1. On my fifteenth day trapped in Mia Jenkins’s body, I looked in the mirror and was still horrified by how ugly I was. A heavy, bloated frame, cheeks thick with fat, and dark, unkempt skin shining with grease. A greasy side-bang fell in clumps, completely hiding my left eye. The right eye that managed to peek through was squeezed into a tiny slit by the sheer volume of my cheeks. If I wanted to open my eyes wider, I practically had to pry the fat apart. Suppressing my disgust, I hurriedly splashed my face with cold water and sprinted toward the bus stop. “Sweetie, your breakfast!” Mia’s mother, walking with a heavy limp, anxiously hobbled after me, trying to hand me a plastic bag filled with a massive breakfast. I skidded to a halt, grabbed the bag from her hands, shoved it into my backpack, and resumed my sprint to the bus stop. I say “sprint,” but it was barely faster than a brisk walk. Mia was about 5’6″ but weighed nearly two hundred pounds. Even using every ounce of my strength, I could only shuffle my legs a tiny bit faster than before. Just from that minimal exertion, my heart was already pounding out of my chest, my lungs felt tight, and I was gasping for air. I had no idea how the original Mia ever survived P.E. class. By the time I squeezed onto the crowded morning bus, the thin cotton of my t-shirt was already soaked with sweat. “Excuse me, coming through.” I dropped into a seat in the very back row. The guy sitting next to the window immediately pinched his nose in disgust. I knew this guy. He was Caleb Rivers, one of my former admirers who had relentlessly brought me breakfast for three months straight back when I was Serena. But right now, he was pressing himself as close to the window as humanly possible, acting as if I was infected with a deadly virus. 2. “Tch. Smells like garbage. Gross.” Mia’s body was severely overweight, and since it was the middle of summer, I was already sweating profusely. There were obvious sweat stains pooling at the collar and armpits of my yellow shirt. Embarrassed, I shrank my shoulders, trying my hardest to make sure my arms didn’t accidentally brush against the guy next to me. No wonder the original Mia always wore a thick hoodie, even in the dead of summer. Thinking of all the cruel mockery she endured behind her back, my eyes welled up with tears. I was going to lose this weight. Before I figured out how to swap back, I was going to help Mia shed this extra baggage. Having survived the agonizing panic and confusion of the first few days, I was finally somewhat adapting to Mia’s body. And I owed it all to Mia. She had stayed by my side those first few days, comforting me, encouraging me. She was right. As long as we worked together, we’d find a way to switch back soon. Thinking of Mia warmed my heart. Before this, she was the quiet, isolated outcast. I had almost never seen her speak to anyone. She arrived at school alone, left alone, ate in the cafeteria alone, and went to the bathroom alone. Nobody in our class liked her. The girls ostracized her, and the boys were openly disgusted by her. If I, Serena Sterling, was the bright, untouchable moon hanging over Oakridge Prep, Mia was the rotting mud beneath everyone’s shoes. Anyone felt entitled to step on her. But despite her appearance, she had an incredibly warm and kind heart. In just two short weeks, our shared bizarre experience had made us the best of friends. 3. Panting heavily, I finally made it to the classroom just before the bell rang and collapsed into my desk in the very back row, taking deep breaths. Caleb Rivers lifted his eyelids, gave me a brief glance, and immediately turned around to sleep on his desk. Nobody in the class liked Mia, so the homeroom teacher had shoved her desk right next to the trash cans in the back corner. Oakridge Prep was the most elite private school in the state. Most of the students were children of politicians or billionaires. But Caleb was here on a sports scholarship, and like Mia, he came from a poor background. Naturally, the two worst seats in the class were reserved for them. Normally, these two minded their own business—one slept all day, the other spaced out. But my arrival had clearly broken their unspoken truce. “Caleb, want some eggs?” I pulled two hard-boiled eggs out of my pocket and shoved them into his hands, then placed a carton of milk on his desk. Since I was determined to lose weight, it had to start with my diet. Mia’s family was broke, but her parents doted on her unconditionally. They wore rags and skipped meals just to spend every penny on her. And Mia had a massive appetite. For breakfast alone, she would pack away five or six eggs, two cartons of milk, and four or five heavy breakfast sandwiches. Caleb turned around, staring at me intently for a moment before letting out a scoff. “Mia, don’t tell me you have a crush on me.” I looked at him, speechless. Caleb and my childhood sweetheart, Ethan Vance, were known as the “Twin Princes” of Oakridge. The girls were constantly fighting over who was hotter. Unlike Ethan’s refined, gentle, and polished prep-school vibe, Caleb was pure bad-boy energy. Sharp eyebrows, a strong nose, and a sun-kissed, athletic build. He was undeniably gorgeous, but his rebellious, untamed aura gave him a dangerous, street-smart edge. 4. “Don’t worry, I’m not into guys.” I drank my milk, pulled a heavy breakfast sandwich from my bag, and tossed it to him. “I’m starting a diet. It’s a waste to throw it away, and since we’ve been desk-mates for a while, consider it your lucky day.” Caleb’s parents had died in a car crash during middle school. He lived with his grandparents. I’d heard rumors that his grandparents were elderly and sick, surviving by collecting scrap metal just to put him through school. He was a growing teenager and an athlete who trained for hours every day. Sometimes during class, I could hear his stomach rumbling from starvation. Caleb dropped his careless attitude and looked at me seriously. “Alright. Guess I’ll do you a favor and eat it.” I finished my milk and glanced over at my own original desk. Strange. The bell was about to ring. Why wasn’t Serena here yet? In all the time we had been swapped, she hadn’t been late once. Was she sick? I sent a text to my own phone. No reply. I called. No one picked up. Caleb kicked my shoe lightly under the desk. Phones were strictly banned at Oakridge. Before the homeroom teacher walked down the aisle, I quickly shoved it into my bag. I was distracted the entire morning study period. Yesterday, Mia had stayed up late chatting with me. She confidently promised she had found a solution and that we’d be back in our own bodies by next week. The moment the bell rang, I jumped out of my seat and jogged to the homeroom teacher’s podium. “Mr. Davis, where is Serena? Why isn’t she in class?” The balding teacher gave me a weird look, clearly shocked that someone like Mia would have anything to do with the golden girl, Serena Sterling. “She transferred.” The summer sun was beating through the windows, but I felt like I had been plunged into an ice bath. “Trans… transferred?” Mr. Davis pushed his slipping glasses up his nose. “Serena’s entire family relocated to London. She officially withdrew late last week. A few of the girls even threw a going-away party for her over the weekend. Did you not know?” I didn’t hear a single word after that, because the world faded to black and I fainted on the spot. Right before I closed my eyes, I thought I saw Caleb sprinting toward me. 5. “Hey. Are you awake?” I forced my eyes open. Everything was stark white—the walls, the curtains, the bedsheets. The school nurse, Mrs. Evans, was sitting beside me, looking at me gently. “It’s too hot outside, you got heatstroke. Rest for a bit. I got you some electrolytes.” I sat up, my head still spinning. I sat there in a daze for a long moment before it suddenly hit me why I had fainted. Mia! Mia took my body and moved to London! I jumped out of bed and bolted for the door, but because I stood up too fast, my vision whited out again. “Whoa, what’s the rush? I already excused you from your morning classes. See? You’re dizzy again. You can’t focus in class like this. Just lay back down.” Mrs. Evans grabbed my arm and forced me back onto the bed. I was so panicked I was on the verge of tears. No! I had to find Mia! I had to make her explain this! Ignoring my dizzy spells, I shoved my shoes on and stumbled out the door. Mrs. Evans tried to grab me twice but failed, muttering under her breath, “Kids these days… the academic pressure is really driving them insane!” Leaving the clinic, I headed straight for the school gates. My pale, sickly, sweaty face startled the security guard. “Hey kid, aren’t your parents picking you up? You don’t look too good. I can’t let you leave alone.” “My parents are waiting right outside the gate, sir.” I threw together a quick lie, jogged out the gates, and flagged down a yellow cab. 6. My family lived in the most exclusive gated community in the city. When the cab pulled up to the estate gates, I realized the total amount of cash on me was about $5—not even enough to cover the fare. The driver took one look at my panicked, teenage face, waved his hand generously, and let me off the hook for the remainder. When I finally ran up to the front door of my mansion, I found it locked tight. I couldn’t get in. I scrambled over the side gate into the garden and pressed my face against the floor-to-ceiling windows. Everything inside was draped in white dust covers—the velvet sofas, the dining table, even the giant teddy bear statue I loved so much. The sprawling mansion was completely empty. It was 9:00 AM. Usually, our housekeeper Maria would be vacuuming, and Chef Andre would be in the kitchen prepping my organic mid-day meals. They moved. They really moved! I collapsed onto the front steps, my mind completely blank. My parents were workaholics. I was practically raised by nannies. It was the nannies who attended my parent-teacher conferences. I saw my parents maybe a handful of times a year. Honestly, they probably knew their executive board better than they knew me. My phone! Right, I could still call them! With trembling hands, I dialed the number for my father that I knew by heart. “We’re sorry, the number you have reached is no longer in service…” Disconnected? Refusing to believe it, I dialed it again. Still disconnected. I called my original phone number—disconnected. I called my mom—straight to voicemail. Who else? Who else could I find? 7. My grandfather lived permanently in Florida, and my mom’s side of the family was in Boston. Both of my parents were only children, so I had no other relatives in the state. I wrung my hands anxiously. No, I had to find Mia. I wasn’t going to let her steal my life like this. I smacked my forehead. I was so stupid. I could go find Ethan! Ethan Vance lived in the exact same gated community as me. We had been in the same class since kindergarten. We were quintessential childhood sweethearts. When we were little, we used to play house and pretend to get married. His parents adored me. His mom used to half-joke to my mom that they should just arrange our marriage now. I stood up, wiped my tears, and sprinted toward Ethan’s mansion. The front doors to the Vance estate were wide open. Several maids were bustling around cleaning. When they saw me, they looked shocked. “Excuse me, who are you looking for?” A middle-aged woman walked over, wiping her hands on a towel. “I… I’m looking for Ethan.” The moment the words left my mouth, I felt stupid. Ethan should be in AP Physics right now. Why did I run to his house? “Young Master Ethan transferred to a school in London last week. Are you his classmate?” The world spun, and I crashed onto the driveway. Ethan went to London too?! “Oh my god, honey, are you okay?” 8. I stumbled out of the Vance estate in a daze. Holding onto my absolute last shred of hope, I dialed Ethan’s cell number. “Hello?” “Ethan! It’s me! It’s Serena!” I almost jumped out of my skin with excitement. Ethan was my best friend. He would definitely recognize me! “Mia?” Even though the original Mia was heavy and unkempt, her voice was beautiful. It was clear and melodic, like a babbling brook in the middle of summer, or wind chimes caught in a breeze. “I’m in Mia’s body right now, but I’m actually Serena! We swapped souls, just like in the movies! I swear, I—” “Mia,” Ethan sighed, cutting me off. “I know you’re unhappy with your life, but delusion is a mental illness. You need to get help.” “Serena told me everything. You constantly hallucinate that you’re her, and you desperately want to live her life.” “That’s exactly why she changed her mind and agreed to move to London with me.” “I don’t know how you got my number, but I’m changing it today.” “I hope you stop harassing Serena from now on. Take care of yourself.” Beep. Beep. Beep. The call ended. I stood frozen under the blazing sun. A jolt of electricity shot from the soles of my feet straight into my heart, leaving half my body completely numb. When I first realized we swapped bodies, my first instinct was to tell my parents. But Mia stopped me. She said they would just think we were crazy, and that we should figure it out ourselves. She asked me if I wanted to experience what it was like to live someone else’s life for a few days. She said it was thrilling and that it should be our little secret. She told me she had found a way to switch back, and that it would happen soon. I was such an idiot! From this moment forward, I was only Mia. The poor, academically average, clinically obese, isolated, ghost-like Mia. 9. I walked all the way back under the blistering sun. Even though I was wearing thin sweatpants, the inner thighs were completely chafed and bleeding. This body was too heavy. The fat rubbed together painfully with every step. No wonder Mia rarely walked and never left her seat during passing periods. My body was in agony, but I masochistically kept walking, drenched in sweat like it was raining. I shouldn’t have trusted her so easily. I shouldn’t have handed over my deepest secrets. But regret wouldn’t save me now. I needed to plan my future. Even if I was dragged down into the mud, I was going to bloom into the most brilliant flower. By the time I walked back to the school gates, it was already afternoon. My clothes had soaked through, dried, and soaked through again, emitting a sour, stale odor. It was lunch period. The classroom was mostly empty, with most students down in the cafeteria. Caleb’s eyes lit up when he saw me. “Where did you go? I checked the nurse’s office after class and you weren’t there.” I grabbed my water bottle and chugged half of it in one breath. “I went home for a bit.” “What’s wrong? You look terrible.” Because I had been bringing him breakfast lately, Caleb had warmed up to me considerably. He dropped his bad-boy attitude and looked at me with genuine concern. I pulled my textbooks from my desk and gave him a bitter smile. “Nothing. Just realized I’m a complete idiot.” “Weirdo.” Caleb scratched the back of his head, turned around, and didn’t pry any further. 10. At 5:00 AM, just as the sky was turning a hazy gray, I was already awake. I was the only one left in the tiny, cramped courtyard. Mia’s parents ran a small breakfast food truck. Every day, they woke up at 2 or 3 AM to prep, and by 4 AM, they were out on the streets selling. I washed my face, changed into workout clothes, pushed open the squeaky courtyard gate, and started power-walking down the street. This body was too heavy to run. Even just power-walking nearly took half my life. After thirty minutes of wheezing and panting, I returned to the courtyard and started strength training. I say “strength training,” but it was mostly high knees, arm circles, and step-ups on the porch. Mia’s body was incredibly weak. Just lifting my arms made my muscles burn and tremble. Push-ups were entirely out of the question. After a solid thirty minutes of training, my clothes were drenched. The light gray fabric had turned charcoal. Checking my watch, it was 6:00 AM. I went back inside, showered, changed into my uniform, and grabbed my backpack to catch the bus. Breakfast, prepared by Mia’s mom, was warming on the stove. Thirty dollars in cash was left on the table for my allowance. A bowl of boiled eggs, five massive pork buns, and two cartons of milk. Mia’s parents spoiled her. No matter how exhausted they were, they always made sure she had a massive breakfast. On weekends, they would splurge on beef and shrimp at the market to make sure she got enough nutrition. She had her own kind of happiness. When I was Serena, I rarely even sat at the same table as my parents, let alone ate a meal cooked by them. I packed the breakfast into my bag. Thinking for a moment, I ran into the courtyard and picked two crisp cucumbers and a few bright red tomatoes. Mia’s mom was hardworking. She kept the courtyard spotless and even built a small vegetable garden on the south side. Most of their daily produce came straight from there. 11. Arriving at the classroom, I routinely pulled the breakfast from my bag and handed it to Caleb. He had gone from initially refusing to now accepting it naturally. After taking it, he looked at me seriously and said: “I owe you for this. If anyone bullies you from now on, drop my name.” “No thanks. Nobody is bullying me.” I opened my books and focused entirely on the coursework. Mia used to tell me that all roads lead to Rome, but some people are just born in Rome. She said she envied me. Envied me so much she wanted to die. She said I played piano, danced ballet, and spoke French and English like a native. I wore designer clothes, lived in a mansion, and lived a dream-like princess life. But she didn’t know that the “princess” woke up at 5:00 AM every single day to study. On weekends and holidays, when everyone else was playing, I was either in the dance studio or at the piano. From the time I was five until now, I hadn’t had a single day off to just play. My life, aside from studying, was more studying. My parents believed in elite grooming. They believed in talent, but they believed in blood, sweat, and tears even more. When I was little, the only time my parents would smile at me, or reward me with a family dinner, was when I worked myself to the bone and brought home a first-place trophy. In our social circle, I was the role model every parent praised, and the ultimate nightmare for every other kid. Mia thought my excellence was just a byproduct of my wealthy family. But she didn’t know that excellence is a habit. A hardworking soul cannot be chained down by any physical body. 12. Caleb started glancing at me frequently, constantly trying to strike up a conversation. “Mia, why does it feel like you’ve been replaced by a different person?” “You’re not spacing out in class anymore. The way you’re grinding, it’s like you’re trying to get into Harvard. It’s kinda scary.” My response was a massive eye roll. There were only two months left until final exams. As the top private school in the state, Oakridge offered incredibly generous scholarships to stay competitive with the public schools. Our school had an “Outstanding Improvement Award.” Every semester, the student who showed the most progress would get a full-ride scholarship for the next year, plus a ten-thousand-dollar cash prize. The cash was secondary. My goal was the full-ride scholarship. Mia’s cousin, who was the same age, had gotten into the best public high school in the city. Feeling competitive, Mia had thrown a massive tantrum, threatening self-harm until her parents agreed to send her to Oakridge. Coincidentally, Mia’s dad had a friend in the admissions office who owed him a favor, which was the only reason she got in. But Oakridge’s tuition was astronomical. A single year of tuition practically drained the Jenkins family’s entire annual income. Her parents lived like paupers just to spend everything on her. I wasn’t Mia. I couldn’t comfortably drain their life savings with a clear conscience. “Take out yesterday’s pop quiz. Those who forgot it, you know the drill. Pick up your chair and go stand in the back.” Mr. Harrison, the AP Calculus teacher, walked into the classroom, pushed up his glasses, and glared at us coldly. Because of his brutal teaching methods and dark scowls, the students secretly called him “The Grim Reaper.” Yesterday’s quiz was brutally hard. I had stayed up until midnight finishing it. Mia’s mom had specially warmed up some milk for me, watching me work with tears in her eyes, heartbroken that I was studying so late. I rummaged through my bag. Nothing. I calmly searched it again. Still nothing. Huh? Seeing my serious expression, Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Try-hard, don’t tell me you forgot to do it?” I gave him a bitter smile. “I did it. Just forgot to bring it.” 13. For a girl, being forced to stand at the back of the classroom holding a chair over her head for an entire period was incredibly humiliating. The girls who had been punished like this before usually cried the entire time. Some with weaker constitutions would even fake sick and go home early, unable to face the class’s mockery. I had forgotten assignments before too, but as the valedictorian, I always got special treatment. But I was Mia now, not Serena. I instantly broke into a cold sweat. A nearly two-hundred-pound, heavily bullied girl standing in the back holding a chair… Plus, with my current physical stamina, I’d probably only last a minute before collapsing. Who knows how the class would mock me then? Seeing my face turn paper-white, Caleb ruffled my hair. He flashed a brilliant, cocky smile, his teeth shining brighter than the sun outside. “What are you panicking for? I got you.” Caleb shoved his own quiz paper onto my desk, stood up without a care in the world, grabbed his chair, and swaggered to the back of the class. Mr. Harrison shot him a look of pure disgust, as if Caleb were a piece of trash. I looked down at the quiz paper Caleb handed me. It was practically blank. He had bubbled ‘C’ for all the multiple-choice questions, scribbled random numbers in the short answers, and left the free-response essays entirely blank. My initial wave of gratitude vanished, replaced by a surge of anger. Caleb was actually incredibly smart. He had a photographic memory. He could skim a dense article three times and memorize the gist of it perfectly. His family was poor. Even if they were rich, he shouldn’t be wasting his talent and throwing his life away like this. No. I couldn’t let Caleb rot away like this. After all, we were practically friends now. 14. Dealing with a cocky, narcissistic teenage boy like Caleb? I had plenty of methods. “Caleb, wanna make a bet?” “Whoever gets a higher score on the finals, the loser has to become the winner’s minion. They have to stand at attention when the winner walks by and call them ‘Boss’.” Caleb looked me up and down seriously for a moment before letting out a dismissive snort. “You? Sure, my grades are worse than yours right now, but you’re giving 90% effort, and I’m giving 10%. I’m a genius, you know that right?” “I just don’t feel like studying. If I actually tried, heh, I’d scare you to death.” I nodded expressionlessly. “Then it’s a bet. After finals, don’t forget to call me Boss Mia.” “Heh, you little chubby…” Mid-sentence, Caleb aggressively slapped his own mouth, looking annoyed with himself. I winked at him. “I won’t be chubby for long.” Caleb let out an exaggerated groan. “Jesus, Mia! Please don’t ever make that face again, it’s terrifying!” “Get lost!” My relationship with Caleb improved drastically. Because of him, the attitude of the girls in class toward me suddenly became incredibly warm. “Mia, could you pass this letter to Caleb for me?” “Mia, can you give this bag of snacks to Caleb?” “Mia, we’re going to the amusement park this weekend. You should come! Oh, and ask Caleb if he wants to come too.” Caleb rejected all of them. He took the snacks, ignored the letters, and turned down every invitation.

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