Category: English

I have severe social anxiety and PTSD. For six years, my childhood best friend, Austin, took care of me. I became so dependent on him that I could barely function on my own. Whenever we went out, I would cling to his arm like a shadow. Our friends always teased us, saying we were closer than actual couples. Even my parents had already decided that I would end up marrying Austin. Until one day, during a routine therapy session, we met a new intern. She claimed my condition wasn’t psychological, but rather that I was simply spoiled by Austin. She said if I wanted to be cured, we had to use extreme shock therapy to force us apart. Austin believed her. He locked me in a pitch-black pantry. By the third time he locked me in, Austin was no longer waiting at the door. In a state of mental breakdown, I dragged myself to my neighbor’s house and knocked on the door. “Ethan…” “I’ll go… with you… to the clinic abroad…” This weekend, Austin took me to my follow-up appointment. My regular therapist was on leave for a week, so his intern was filling in. She was a beautiful, radiant girl. The moment I saw Hailey, I was instantly intimidated. Compared to her sunny glow, I felt like a gloomy, washed-out shadow. So, when I saw Austin freeze, staring at her for a full five seconds, my entire body went cold. A sharp, painful mix of jealousy and insecurity flared up in my chest. Back in sophomore year of high school, because I was too close to Austin, a group of toxic girls targeted me. They locked me in an abandoned basement locker room for a whole weekend. When the teachers and classmates finally found me, I had just managed to tear off the duct tape. I was so dehydrated that I was desperately drinking rusty water leaking from the pipes. Along with pity, I saw nothing but disgust and horror in their eyes. After that, I dropped out of school. The day after I left, Austin rushed back from summer camp. He begged his influential family to pressure the school board and the police. They pressed charges against the bullies and got them all expelled. But I was left with severe social anxiety—specifically, selective mutism and PTSD. To be precise, it was a moderate form of social processing disorder. But I preferred the term “social anxiety” over “disordered.” Because before that weekend, I used to be a normal, happy girl. Once Austin realized what had happened, he was consumed by guilt. “Chloe, if only I hadn’t gone to that summer camp… If I had been there, they would never have hurt you…” He collapsed by my hospital bed, tears streaming down his face. I desperately wanted to comfort him, but the words choked in my throat. I could only squeeze out a few broken syllables. “No… no…” That only made Austin cry harder. Later, he promised he would take care of me forever. And he did. For six years. Even after Austin graduated from college, I still couldn’t study or communicate normally. For those six years, I stayed by his side. When he was home, I was there. When he went out, I waited for him. Whenever he went to parties, he brought me along. Austin kept his word. He truly protected me. Our friends often joked that they had never seen a guy so devoted, urging us to just get married already. Every time, Austin would laugh it off with a smile. “Yeah, definitely. When we get married, you’re all invited!” Austin would drain his glass, his cheeks slightly flushed, looking at me with absolute tenderness. I would keep my head down, my heart hammering like crazy, a small smile playing on my lips. We were childhood sweethearts. Our families adored each other. It felt like destiny. We were meant to be. Even I believed I would eventually marry him. On countless nights, I would lie awake practicing how to say “I do” loudly, clearly, and perfectly, just in case he asked.

But today, even after writing down my prescription, Austin couldn’t take his eyes off Hailey. Hailey kept a professional, sweet smile on her face. “Chloe, how is your speech progression doing?” It took me three seconds to process her question. I swallowed hard and forced the words out. “Can… speak… a bit. Can… communicate.” For some reason, speaking in front of Hailey felt exceptionally draining. Hailey nodded, then turned her gaze to Austin. “I need to speak with the… family member? Alone for a moment.” Austin’s breath hitched, and he quickly clarified, “Oh, I’m just Chloe’s friend. Not family.” I froze. Austin seemed to realize what he had said and stiffened. He looked at me quickly, as if suddenly snapping back to reality. “Chloe… I didn’t mean it like that. Why don’t you wait outside for a bit? I’ll just talk to Hailey.” My lips parted, but nothing came out. I silently stood up and walked out. Maybe it was just my anxiety, but a cold dread began to pool in my stomach. When I shut the clinic door, I left a tiny crack open. “I looked over Chloe’s chart. This has been going on for years, right? As her friend, it must be incredibly exhausting for you,” Hailey said, her voice soft and coaxing. Austin was silent for a moment. “It can be tough. But Chloe is doing her best to get better.” “I know. My advisor told me about her case.” Hailey scribbled something on her notepad. “I just finished my residency abroad, and honestly, there’s a highly effective way to cure this.” “Her condition isn’t physical, so medication won’t work. You need to use extreme immersion therapy to shock her system. It’s a popular method in Europe. Once it works, Chloe will snap back to her old self.” Austin sounded confused. “What do you mean?” Standing outside, my mind went numb. Only a few words filtered through the crack. Hailey was saying that I was too dependent on Austin. To put it bluntly, she claimed Austin was spoiling me. Because he catered to my every need and never left my side, I had built a comfortable cage for myself. She claimed I was staying silent on purpose because I didn’t want to leave my comfort zone. She thought I was faking it. I waited for Austin to defend me. He knew me better than anyone. We spent every single day together. How could he possibly think I was faking? But he remained silent for a long time. Until finally, I heard Austin agree to Hailey’s extreme shock therapy. A seventy percent success rate. It was simple: lock me in a dark room, simulate the environment of my original trauma, and force me to find my own way out. On the drive home, Austin didn’t say a word. He didn’t ask how I was feeling like he usually did. Instead, he asked, “Chloe, do you want to get better?” “Once you’re cured, you can go back to school, make friends, and live your own life.” Listening to his voice, my mind began to drift, unable to grasp the weight of his words. I didn’t answer, and Austin didn’t press. Over the next few days, he stopped giving me my anxiety medication. No, it wasn’t his idea. It was Hailey’s. I panicked. Without the medication to stabilize my nervous system, my chest felt like it was constantly being crushed.

For the first time, I actively begged him for help. “Au… Austin… My… my pills…” Austin’s eyes lit up instantly. “Chloe! You’re expressing your needs! Hailey was right!” Ignoring my pale, trembling face, Austin excitedly grabbed his phone and called Hailey. He was eager to report my progress and ask what to do next. I collapsed onto the living room floor, struggling to breathe. I lay there, listening to Austin talk to Hailey on the balcony for two hours. At first, they talked about my symptoms. But soon, the conversation drifted. He asked her what she had for dinner, what her weekend plans were, and what hobbies she liked. Then came the invitation to dinner as a “thank you.” Hearing his lighthearted laughter, a single tear slipped down my face. My mind went numb, and the panic slowly subsided into cold exhaustion. I managed to drag myself off the floor and went to my room. The next day, Austin told me he was taking me back to my parents’ house. When we arrived, I saw that the old storage room in the basement had been completely cleared out. My parents weren’t home; they were away on a business trip for a week. They trusted Austin completely. Nobody ever imagined Austin would do anything to hurt me. But now, he was grabbing my wrists, dragging me toward the windowless, dark storage room. “No… no!” “Austin! Please!” I sobbed, tears blurring my vision as raw terror gripped my soul. I hadn’t been this terrified in years. A flash of hesitation crossed Austin’s face. He looked like he was realizing how cruel this was. Just as he hesitated, his phone rang. It was Hailey. “Austin, remember, this is for Chloe’s own good.” “You don’t want her to be a burden on you forever, do you? You have to let her go so she can be normal.” Her voice drifted through the speaker. I gasped for air, looking at Austin imploringly. “Don’t… don’t listen to her! I’m… I’m scared…” Austin bit his lip, torn. Hailey’s voice came through again. “Austin, hurry up. Our dinner reservation is in half an hour.” The next second, Austin let out a heavy sigh. He pushed me forward. I stumbled and fell onto the hard floor. The heavy door slammed shut. The room went pitch black. The darkness swallowed me whole, amplifying the sound of my ragged breathing and heartbeat. My ears buzzed, and my head spun. I crawled on my hands and knees toward the door. It was locked from the outside. I banged on the door, sobbing and screaming in broken fragments. “Don’t… don’t go… I’m scared… so scared…” Austin’s footsteps paused outside. “Chloe, just one hour. I’ll be back in an hour. Don’t worry, I’m right here.” And then, his footsteps faded away. *I’m right here.* Over the past six years, Austin had said those words to soothe my anxiety a thousand times. And every time, he had stayed. But not this time. He left. I screamed until my throat was raw. My body heat plunged. There was no clock, so I could only wait in the suffocating dark. When Austin finally opened the door, two hours had passed. He rushed in and found me huddled in the corner, staring blankly into space. Behind him, Hailey stood with her arms crossed, her chin tilted up. There was nothing but annoyance in her eyes. I was in terrible shape, and a panicked Austin tried to pull me into his arms.

“Okay, it’s over. Don’t cry, I’m here.” A wave of nausea hit me. For the first time in my life, I pushed him away. I stood up and bolted for the bathroom, throwing up. Austin tried to follow me, but Hailey blocked him. “Austin, look! The therapy is working. Did you see that? It’s the first time she didn’t cling to you after a panic attack.” Austin froze. She was right. Despite the intense trigger, I hadn’t curled up in his arms and cried. Instead, I had walked away on my own. This realization brought Austin a mix of relief and a strange, unreadable frustration. When I came out of the bathroom, Hailey was gone. Looking at Austin’s concerned face, I couldn’t bring myself to say a single word. All I felt was a cold, unfamiliar revulsion. Austin didn’t take me back to his apartment. He told me to stay at my parents’ house. He said there were three sessions in total. If I could just endure two more, I would finally be free. I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight. Tears spilled over my cheeks. “Why… why do you… believe her…?” Austin was stunned. Realizing I was talking about Hailey, a soft smile crept onto his face. “Hailey is brilliant, Chloe. Her therapy is actually working, can’t you see? Today, you actually managed to… and she’s just…” He rambled on and on. Admiration, affection, respect, trust. In that moment, I understood everything. The next day, before locking me in the storage room again, Austin said gently, “Don’t worry. I promise I’ll be right here when you go in, and I’ll be right here when you come out. So don’t be scared.” My ears buzzed. The thin, musty air in the room made it hard to breathe. This time, I waited for three hours. Austin and Hailey had gone to an amusement park. When they opened the door, they were wearing matching couple’s wristbands. Noticing my eyes darting to his wrist, Austin awkwardly slipped the band off. “Chloe, just one more time. The last one.” I had gone completely numb. Was this really making me better? But ever since he stopped my medication and started locking me up, I had lost all color in my face. I was terrified of bright lights. I couldn’t sleep, and my hair was falling out in clumps. My chest felt like it was constantly filled with lead. But Austin didn’t notice. He didn’t notice any of it. Because every single night, he was on the phone with Hailey. He had stopped looking at me altogether. On the third session, he gave me the exact same promise: he would be right back. But he wasn’t. This time, I waited for five hours. I massaged my numb legs. Then, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the spare key I had hidden there beforehand. I unlocked the door. The sudden light blinded me for a second. The house was empty. Austin had taken my phone with him. I dragged my feet slowly across the floor. Every step required a massive intake of air. Finally, I stood in front of my neighbor’s door and knocked. A tall figure opened the door almost immediately. He looked shocked. “Chloe? What are you doing here? Oh my god, what happened to you? You look so pale!” I was stunned. Even in my current state, Ethan recognized me instantly. I swallowed hard, grabbed his forearm with trembling fingers, and whispered, “Ethan… help me… buy a ticket…” “I want… to go… abroad… for treatment… with you.” Once the words left my mouth, I felt a weight lift from my chest. I thought of Austin’s face. And I knew. Once I left, I was never coming back.

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Ethan once gave me a voice recorder. It was my personal “apology recorder.” Because my sister, Lily, was in poor health and extremely sensitive, Ethan set a strict rule: Whenever Lily felt wronged, I had to record an apology to her. “Lily has a fever. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have opened the living room window.” “Lily didn’t make the cheerleading captain. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have performed better than her during the tryouts.” He always lectured me in his most helpless, sighing voice: “Chloe, Lily only has us. What’s wrong with just swallowing your pride and making her feel better?” Today, Ethan walked up to me with the recorder, his face cold. “Lily lost her art gallery ticket because of you. She’s crying so hard she can’t even eat. You know the drill. Record your apology.” I looked at him, not bothering to explain that Lily had actually thrown the ticket into the washing machine herself. I pressed the record button, but the screen flashed: “Storage Full.” Ethan frowned, casually scrolling down and deleting the largest audio file on the list. “Hurry up. Lily is waiting to hear it.” I froze, feeling the blood drain from my face in an instant. Nearby, Mom was carefully peeling an apple for Lily. “It’s just an old song you recorded, isn’t it? Why are you pulling that face? Who are you trying to guilt-trip?” They had no idea. That deleted file wasn’t some useless song. It was the final voicemail my grandmother had left me six years ago, holding onto her very last breath on her deathbed. It was my only solace left in this world. “Fine,” I whispered. I walked over, took the recorder, and pressed the button. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have ever appeared in your lives. Don’t worry. I won’t anymore.”

Ethan’s frown deepened after listening to the recording. He didn’t hand the recorder to Lily. Instead, he paused it right in front of me. “Chloe, what kind of tantrum is this now?” His voice carried that familiar, exhausting sigh. “Lily is just upset about the ticket. Just say you’re sorry, and we can move past this.” “What do you mean by ‘won’t appear anymore’? Do you really have to say things like that just to stab her in the heart?” He said it so righteously. In his mind, I was always the one making a scene out of nothing. I looked at his handsome face. I had looked at this face for over ten years. In the past, if he so much as frowned, I would immediately analyze what I had done wrong. But now, I just felt incredibly tired. “Then I won’t record it,” I said flatly. I didn’t frantically explain where the ticket went like I used to. “Just tell her I apologized.” Ethan blinked, momentarily stunned. His mouth opened as if to say something, but in the end, he just let out another sigh. “Whatever. You’re in a bad mood today. I won’t play this for Lily.” “Go to your room and think about what you did.”

He turned and walked into Lily’s room to comfort her. I stood in the hallway, watching Mom carry a bowl of freshly simmered organic bone broth. She brushed past me without a glance, walking straight into that room. “Lily, sweetie, drink this while it’s hot. You cried so much your throat is hoarse. It breaks my heart…” Mom’s tender voice drifted through the crack of the door. That was a warmth exclusive to Lily. At the dinner table, the silence was suffocating. Mom had made a feast. Ethan sat next to Lily, peeling shrimp for her. Lily’s eyes were still red. She stole a timid glance at me and whispered, “Chloe, please don’t be mad at Ethan.” “About the ticket… I don’t blame you anymore. Don’t fight with him over a stupid deleted file.” “We’re not fighting,” I said, chewing on a dry piece of whole wheat bread. My voice was dry. “And I’m not mad.” Ethan’s hand paused on the shrimp. Usually, at times like this, I would desperately defend myself. I would ask them with tears in my eyes why they never believed me, or even throw my forks in anger because of their blatant favoritism. But today, I was too quiet. So quiet that even Mom, who always ignored me, couldn’t help but look at me a few times. “If you’re not mad, eat more,” Mom said, dropping a dry, bony scrap of grilled salmon onto my plate. “Honestly, you’re an adult now. It was just a file. If it’s deleted, it’s deleted. Lily is sick, you should learn to yield to her.” “Okay.” I didn’t throw the bony scrap away. I chewed it and swallowed it, bones and all. After dinner, I went to my room and started packing. I pulled out an old cardboard box. I only put my ID, my legal documents, and an old, faded handkerchief Grandma had left me inside. Around ten, there was a knock on my door. Ethan walked in carrying a glass of warm milk. “Still mad about this afternoon?” He pulled out a chair and sat down, his voice softening. “I asked your mom. She said that deleted file was just an old song.” “Chloe, I know you’re sentimental, but the storage was full.” “Tell you what. Tell me the name of the song, and I’ll buy you a rare vinyl record of it tomorrow, okay?” “Ethan,” I said, looking into his eyes. “You can’t buy it.” “That voice doesn’t exist in this world anymore.” Ethan’s brow furrowed. He reached out to ruffle my hair, but I tilted my head and dodged his touch. “You’re always so stubborn. It’s just a song. Stop acting like the sky is falling.” He stood up, his tone slipping back into impatience. “Drink the milk. Lily has a hospital check-up tomorrow. Go to sleep early and stop causing drama.” The door shut. The room fell back into a dead, icy silence. I didn’t touch the milk. I closed my eyes, desperately trying to replay Grandma’s voice in my head. “Chloe, my sweet girl, you have to be strong…” But no matter how hard I tried, the voice in my memory felt like ink dissolving in water—blurry, distant, and fading away. I realized with terror that I was truly losing the sound of her voice. Tears finally fell without warning, soaking the pillow.

The next morning, I was woken up by the noise in the living room. I pushed the door open. Mom was busy packing a bag for Lily’s hospital visit. She looked up at me, not stopping her hands. “Chloe, you’re up. There’s leftover rice in the pot, heat it up yourself.” “I only made fresh oatmeal for Lily. She has to get blood drawn today, and her stomach is weak. She needs something fresh.” The fish bone I swallowed last night felt like it was still scraping my throat, leaving a dull ache. “Okay,” I nodded. Just then, the front door opened. Ethan walked straight to the couch. He pulled a glossy VIP card from his coat pocket and slid it in front of Lily, who had just walked out of her room. “Lily, look what I got.” Lily gasped, covering her mouth in shock. “VIP tickets to the art gallery! Ethan, how did you get these? Didn’t they say they were completely sold out yesterday?” “I called a few connections and bought them from a reseller overnight,” Ethan said, the exhaustion on his face melting away at her smile. “As long as it makes you happy, I’ll get you anything.” He gently rubbed Lily’s head. Then, he turned to look at me standing by the kitchen door. The warmth on his face cooled down. “Chloe, I replaced the ticket.” Ethan stared at me. “Lily is happy now, and she doesn’t blame you anymore.” “You don’t need to record an apology today.” My fingers tightened around my glass of water. Yesterday, because the storage was full, he deleted my grandmother’s last words without a second thought. He frowned at me, calling me stubborn over an “old song.” But today, for a ticket Lily had carelessly ruined herself, he stayed up all night and pulled every favor he had just to make her smile. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Ethan’s frown returned at my silence. “The ticket issue is resolved. Are you still throwing a tantrum at Lily?” I looked at this face I had known for a decade. Suddenly, he felt like a total stranger. In the past, I would have cried and demanded to know why he never trusted me. Why he could erase what I cherished so easily. “No,” I curled my lips, my voice sounding incredibly dry. “It’s great. Thank you.” Ethan froze. He obviously hadn’t expected this reaction from me. He opened his mouth to speak, but Mom cut him off. “Alright, Ethan, ignore her. She’s been passive-aggressive like this since she was a kid.” Mom grabbed the bag and lovingly helped Lily up. “Let’s go. We’re going to miss the specialist’s appointment.” “Chloe, wash Lily’s dirty sheets while we’re gone.” The door slammed shut. The lively atmosphere left with them, leaving the house in a graveyard silence. I went back to my room, pulled out the cardboard box from under the bed. Inside were my documents and Grandma’s faded handkerchief. I turned around and swept everything on my desk—things I once treated like treasures—into a heavy-duty trash bag. The crystal music box Ethan gave me for my eighteenth birthday. The ill-fitting dresses Mom bought me whenever she was in a rare good mood. And the only “family photo” of the four of us. All of it. Gone. My phone buzzed on the desk. It was a Snapchat message from Ethan. “The check-up is done. Lily wants the strawberry tarts from the downtown bakery.” “Go line up and buy two boxes now. Your mom wants some too. We’ll be home in two hours, just in time.” The downtown bakery was fifteen miles away. And it was pouring rain outside. They always did this. Ordering me around as if it were my sole purpose in life, never caring if I was cold, tired, or willing. I stared at the screen for a long time. Then, I slowly typed back: “Okay.” After sending it, I locked my phone and tossed it onto the bare mattress.

At 3 PM, the front door unlocked. Lily’s giggling, sweet voice echoed through the foyer. “Ethan, the doctor today was so nice!” The door opened. I sat quietly in my dark room, watching the three of them walk in. Ethan hung up his coat, his eyes scanning the coffee table. The smile on his face vanished, his brow furrowing instantly. “Chloe, where are the strawberry tarts?” I stepped out of the shadows. “I didn’t buy them.” Ethan froze. A wave of annoyance flashed in his eyes. “How long are you going to keep acting like this?” he lowered his voice, clearly trying not to startle Lily. “If you didn’t want to go because of the rain, you could have just said so. Why agree to it and then purposely not go? Just to spite Lily? Just to make us miserable?” Mom turned around, holding Lily’s wet umbrella. “What is wrong with you now?!” Mom’s voice shrieked. “Lily had three tubes of blood drawn today! She was dizzy and nauseous, and she just wanted something sweet! You couldn’t even run a simple errand for her?” “How did I raise such a cold-blooded monster?!” I looked at Mom’s furious face. “It was pouring,” I said softly. “And I have a fever. I’m dizzy.” It was the truth. I had gotten soaked in the rain the day before, and I had been shivering all day, cold to the bone. But nobody cared. Mom scoffed. “A fever? Lily takes medication every single day and she’s never as dramatic as you. If you didn’t want to go, just say so. Don’t fake an illness.” Ethan sighed, completely ignoring my “excuse.” Instead, he pulled a flash drive from his pocket and set it on the coffee table. “It’s fine, Eleanor. Don’t get worked up.” He turned to me. “Chloe, I shouldn’t have deleted your file yesterday. I wasn’t thinking.” “So today, I asked a tech friend to find that old song. It’s a high-res version, all saved on this flash drive.” He paused, his voice calm and confident. “Now, I’ve returned your file. Go apologize to Lily, promise you won’t give her attitude anymore, and we can put yesterday behind us.” I stood there, looking at the flash drive. They would never understand. That crackling audio of Grandma saying, “Chloe, my sweet girl, you have to be strong,” was the only match I had to keep me warm in this freezing house. Now, he had snapped that match in half. “No need,” I looked away. Mom followed my gaze and spotted the trash bag by my desk, with the corner of the crystal music box sticking out. She also saw the old dress she had thrown at me years ago. Mom’s face turned green. She rushed over and ripped the bag open. “Chloe Vance! Do you think you’re clever?!” She shook with rage, pointing at the discarded items on the floor. “These are perfectly fine! Why are you throwing them away?!” “Who are you trying to threaten? Who is this dramatic performance for?!” “I’m not threatening anyone,” I said as I walked back into my room and grabbed my single canvas bag. “I just realized I don’t need any of these things anymore.” Ethan stared at my thin canvas bag, his brows knitting into a tight knot. His patience had finally run out. “Are you playing the ‘running away’ card again?” “Chloe, you’re twenty years old. Can you grow up?” “Over a song, over some strawberry tarts, how much drama do you have to bring into this house?!” Lily shrank behind Ethan, her eyes turning red on cue. She gently tugged his sleeve. “Ethan, don’t yell at Chloe. It’s my fault. I don’t need the tarts…” “You did nothing wrong, Lily. Stop taking the blame for everything,” Ethan patted her hand reassuringly. “Chloe Vance, if you want to leave, go ahead. But let me make this clear: if you walk out that door today, don’t expect me to come begging for you to come back like before. Think carefully.” Mom sneered beside him. “Let her rot! I want to see how she survives a single day without this family!” “Don’t you dare come back crying to me!” In the past, if Ethan said those words, I would have dropped my bag in panic, crying and begging for forgiveness. But today, looking at the three of them standing united against me, I felt a lightness I had never experienced before. “Okay,” I said. I walked past them and wrapped my hand around the cold doorknob. I didn’t look back. Grandma, Chloe doesn’t have a home anymore. But don’t worry. I’ll listen to you. From now on, I’ll live well, just for myself. After I left, Lily looked at the silver flash drive on the coffee table and picked it up. “Ethan, Chloe is so stubborn. She didn’t even want the song you worked so hard to find.” She played with the drive, then plugged it into the laptop connected to the living room speakers. Ethan leaned back on the couch, rubbing his temples. “I thought it was some rare track. To make it up to her, I asked the tech department at my firm to recover the exact deleted file overnight.” “I gave it back to her exactly as it was. What more does she want?” Mom grunted. “She’s just spoiled. Does she really think she can survive out there?” “Leave her be. She’ll be crying at our doorstep before the night ends.” Lily giggled and clicked the play button on the audio file. However, what came out of the speakers wasn’t music. There was no melody. No singing. Only a raspy, weak, elderly voice. “Chloe… my sweet girl, don’t cry…” “Grandma can’t protect you anymore. You have to be strong…” “From now on, you’re on your own… you must live well…” The glass in Ethan’s hand slipped, shattering loudly on the floor. The laundry in Mom’s hands dropped. She collapsed onto the couch, her lips trembling violently. “That… that’s my mother’s voice… How is that her last words?!”

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After the company holiday party ended, I found my wife, Chloe, completely naked in a locked VIP suite. Her body was covered in dark, chilling red marks. I tried to ask her who did this to her, but she did nothing but sob convulsively, her lips sealed tight. After I brought her home, she bolted straight into the bathroom, frantically scrubbing her skin until it was raw and bleeding. I took her to the police station to file a report, but because she had washed herself so thoroughly, the forensic team couldn’t extract any DNA. The case was dismissed for lack of evidence. Furious and devastated, I stormed into her office the next day and smashed every single male colleague’s desk with a sledgehammer. Following that night, Chloe developed severe psychological trauma and claimed she couldn’t bear the touch of any man. After three months of sleeping in separate bedrooms, I finally couldn’t take the cold war anymore. I drove her back to her parents’ house and handed her the divorce papers. She lost her mind. “Ethan! I am the victim here! None of this was my fault! How dare you divorce me?!” I sneered and tossed the agreement onto her lap. “I don’t care. We are divorcing.” I didn’t know who had assaulted her that night. But that morning, I discovered that every single man in her office had been transferring money to her private bank account.

Chloe pointed a trembling, accusatory finger at my face. “Ethan! You are not a real man!” “You could have just told me from the start if you couldn’t handle this. Your hypocritical, supportive act over the last few months makes me sick to my stomach!” I let out a cold laugh, staring at her with icy eyes. “I’ve already signed the divorce papers. All that’s left is your signature.” “Stop wasting my time. No matter what you say, this marriage is over today.” Chloe, who had been crying hysterically and calling me a heartless bastard, froze. She clearly hadn’t expected me to be this unyielding. A flicker of sheer disbelief flashed across her eyes. At that moment, my father-in-law, Arthur, stepped forward and let out a heavy sigh. “Ethan, I know this whole thing is a massive blow to your pride. But we are all victims here!” “Life has to go on. You’ve made your anger clear today, and I’ve allowed you to vent. Now, put this ridiculous drama behind you and let’s go home.” My mother-in-law, Eleanor, grabbed Chloe’s hand, her eyes red from crying. “My poor, sweet girl! She barely wanted to live after that night, and the only reason she pushed through was because she didn’t want to abandon you! I never expected you to treat her like trash the moment she returned!” “Ethan, if you dare divorce Chloe because of this tragedy, I will drive over to your parents’ house tomorrow and ask them face-to-face how they raised such a spineless son!” Seeing Arthur and Eleanor playing good cop, bad cop to guilt-trip me, Chloe immediately put on a submissive, understanding act and grabbed my hand. “Ethan, it was my fault. I wasn’t careful enough that night. I let my guard down.” “I know it’s incredibly hard for any husband to accept this. But please, look at this as a test of our true love.” Hearing Chloe soften her tone, Arthur immediately turned his critical gaze back to me. “Ethan, a real man doesn’t run away when things get tough. We don’t blame the victim in this family. You shouldn’t be using Chloe’s trauma as a weapon to stab her in the heart!” “If you had accompanied her to the party that night, none of this would have happened in the first place! Just because I haven’t blamed you doesn’t mean I’m not angry about your absence!” “Enough. Just like Chloe said, this is a test of your character. Don’t make me regret letting you marry my daughter.” “And Chloe, you need to look forward too. Ethan is your husband. Sleeping in separate rooms for this long is not healthy for a marriage.” Believing the crisis had been successfully resolved, Chloe leaned her fragile body toward me, attempting to rest her head on my shoulder. “Ethan, I know I’ve ignored your needs lately. I’m so sorry.” “Tonight… how about we try sleeping in the same bedroom again? Just to see how it goes?” She looked up at me with wide, pleading eyes, as if she were making the ultimate sacrifice for my sake. As if I was the immature one. As if I was the one lacking a man’s courage and broad mind. I sneered and pushed her face away from my shoulder. Ignoring Arthur and Eleanor’s rapidly darkening expressions, I spoke clearly: “Chloe, I don’t care what kind of show you put on. My decision stands.” “No one is changing my mind. We are getting a divorce.”

Seeing my absolute resolve, Chloe froze in place, completely lost. Arthur and Eleanor, seeing that their manipulation was no longer working, turned purple with rage. “Ethan! I must have been blind to let my daughter marry a selfish prick like you!” “No decent man would do what you’re doing today!” I let out a soft chuckle and swatted Arthur’s finger away from my nose. “You’re right, I’m not that generous. Am I wrong for refusing to keep a woman who humiliated me?” “If you’re so open-minded, Arthur, maybe you should let Eleanor go out and get herself some action too.” Hearing my words, Eleanor immediately exploded into a screaming fit. “You little bastard! What did you just say?!” “How can you blame Chloe for what happened to her? You’re just a small-minded, insecure loser!” I completely tuned out Eleanor’s screeching, keeping my eyes locked onto my tear-stained wife. On the night of the company holiday party, I had searched through dozens of private suites before I finally found Chloe, completely naked. Heartbroken and shocked, I had instantly wrapped my coat around her shivering body. I wanted to take her to the hospital for a rape kit. I wanted to gather evidence. But she had fought me like a feral animal, clawing and biting my arms. Out of desperation, I had no choice but to take her home first to calm her down. Later, she told me she was too drunk to remember how many men had been in that room. Hearing that, I had smashed a glass table in pure rage. I eventually forced her to the hospital and the police station. But because she had practically bleached her skin in the shower, all the critical evidence had already washed down the drain. In the end, with no physical evidence and no suspects, the police closed the file. But what kind of husband would I be if I didn’t fight for my wife? I grabbed a sledgehammer, stormed into Chloe’s office, and shattered the desk of every male colleague in sight. The company sued me. It cost me over a hundred thousand dollars in legal settlements and damages to keep myself out of jail. Three months had passed, but the lingering doubts kept eating away at my soul. The only people who knew the absolute truth about that night were Chloe and the men in that room! Thinking of this, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Chloe, do you really want to drag this out and lose what little dignity you have left?” “Let me ask you this: What actually happened that night?” Hearing my question, Chloe’s hands visibly trembled. I looked down at her, a mocking smile on my face. “You claim you can’t stand the touch of any man, yet you still go to work and interact with the men in your office every single day. Don’t you find that hilarious?” “Is your ‘severe trauma’ only triggered when you’re around me?” Realizing that this suspicion was the root cause of my divorce demand, Chloe let out a subtle sigh of relief. She quickly squeezed my hand, tears pooling in her eyes like a professional actress. “Ethan, I didn’t realize you were harboring such a horrible misunderstanding.” “You lost your temper and destroyed the office property. I only went back to work and put on a brave face because of you! I begged them, on account of us being colleagues, not to press criminal charges against you.” “If my sacrifice made you doubt me, then I apologize.” I violently shook her hand off. “Save your pathetic excuses. You and I both know exactly what you did!” Seeing how “unreasonable” and “ungrateful” I was toward my wife, Arthur and Eleanor clutched their chests in dramatic agony. “Ethan! You are sicker than the monsters who hurt her! Are you trying to drive Chloe to suicide?” “My poor daughter! Why did she have to end up with such a spineless coward!” Arthur, his eyes welled with angry tears, grabbed Eleanor’s hand. “Chloe! We are leaving!” “This ungrateful, heartless piece of trash doesn’t deserve your love!” “Come with us! If he wants a divorce, fine!” “Even if he begs on his knees in the future, I will never let him step foot near you again!” Seeing things escalate to this point, Chloe wept bitterly. Yet, she still looked at me with a lingering gaze, shaking her head. “Ethan, we survived such a tragedy together. I don’t believe you don’t love me anymore!” “Please, say something! Tell Dad to calm down!” Seeing his daughter still begging for my affection, Arthur let out a heavy, frustrated sigh. “If it weren’t for my daughter’s foolish heart, I wouldn’t let you walk out of this house in one piece today!” Arthur glared at me one last time, then dragged Eleanor out. Without a single word, I turned around, got into my car, and drove away from their neighborhood. I didn’t go home. Instead, I drove straight to the law firm of my best friend and attorney, Ryan. The moment I walked through the door, Ryan handed me a thick manila folder. I flipped through the documents inside. With a heavy heart, I looked at him. “Chloe is refusing to sign. When we go to court, I’m going to need you to present all of this.”

After finalizing the legal strategy, Ryan and I went out and drank until the following afternoon. But the moment I unlocked my front door and stepped inside, I was stunned by the sight before me. The living room floor was covered in red rose petals. On the coffee table sat two wine glasses and a platter of my favorite fresh oysters and sashimi. Chloe was lounging on the sofa, wearing a revealing black lace nightgown. The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up. “Ethan! You’re finally back! I’ve been waiting for you for so long.” Seeing me stand frozen at the door, she stood up, swaying her hips as she walked toward me. Her soft, slender arms wrapped around my neck. “Ethan, I have a gift for you tonight.” “I was so consumed by my own pain these past few months that I ignored you. It was my fault.” “Let’s just pretend that horrible night never happened. Let’s go back to how we used to be, okay?” She clung to me like a vine, gently blowing warm air against my ear, finding my exact sensitive spots. As a grown man, I knew exactly what this invitation meant. But ever since the holiday party, let alone intimacy, even the sound of my voice would cause Chloe to scream and have a panic attack. So, she actually believed I wanted a divorce just because we hadn’t had sex in three months. I let out a cold laugh and violently shoved her to the ground. “Enough! Chloe, you make me want to throw up!” “Do you think sleeping with me tonight changes anything? I told you, this divorce is happening!” Stunned, Chloe sat on the floor, a look of profound hurt crossing her face. Before she could utter a word, the living room lights suddenly flashed on. Arthur and Eleanor, who had been hiding in the dark corner of the dining room, stormed out, faces twisted with rage. “Get up, Chloe! We are leaving right now!” “I told you not to come here, but you insisted! Did you come here just to be humiliated by this trash?” Arthur glared at Chloe, who was sobbing on the floor, then turned his fury on me. “Ethan! Be a man and tell us the damn truth!” “I’m a man, I know how men think! You have a mistress, don’t you?!” “You’re using this tragedy as an excuse to force my daughter out so you can bring your whore in! If you aren’t cheating, there is absolutely no logical reason why you would discard your traumatized wife like this!” Hearing Arthur’s accusations, both Chloe and Eleanor stopped crying and stared at me. “No… that can’t be…” “Ethan, tell them. Tell them you don’t have anyone else. I’ll believe you!” After a second of silence, Chloe suddenly let out a bitter, dramatic laugh. “So this was all a setup…” “Ethan, you are so incredibly cruel! Aside from that night—which wasn’t my fault—how have I ever wronged you?!” Watching Chloe put on this masterpiece of a performance, I was literally pushed to laughter. “Chloe, how can a human being be so shameless?” “Who is the one who cheated here? Do you dare swear to God?” “Or better yet, do you dare tell your parents just how filthy you’ve been behind my back?” The moment I finished speaking, Eleanor rushed forward and slapped me hard across the face. “You monster! How dare you slander my daughter!” “She has suffered so much, and you still want to destroy her!” Eleanor flew at me like a feral beast, clawing at my face. I quickly raised my arms to block her blows. Even Chloe was shocked by the violence and scrambled to hold Eleanor back, begging her to stop. I took several steps back, looking at this chaotic, toxic family, and cold-heartedly said: “No matter what you do, my decision will not change. We are divorcing.”

Seeing that I remained completely unfazed by Chloe’s desperate seduction and her mother’s violence, Arthur stood trembling, unable to find his voice for a long moment. He grabbed Eleanor’s arm and dragged her toward the door. “Don’t you ever come back to him! If you do, pretend I’m dead!” I thought the drama was finally over, and all I had to do was wait for the court hearing. But on the morning of the divorce trial, Chloe cornered me outside the courthouse, looking utterly miserable. “Ethan, are you really doing this to me?” “I honestly don’t understand what I did wrong to make you hate me this much!” “The only logical explanation is that you have another woman. Please, just tell me the truth!” She grabbed my arm, begging, but I didn’t even spare her a glance. “Stop trying to paint me as the bad guy. Once we walk through those doors, you’ll get your answer.” “Now let go of me. I have nothing to say to you.” Seeing my cold indifference, Chloe quickly wiped her tears, her expression turning sharp. “Ethan! Once we step inside, there is no turning back! Are you absolutely sure about this?” I ignored her and tried to walk past. Arthur stepped in, blocking my path, his face flushed red as he pointed at my chest. “Let him divorce you!” “I wouldn’t let my daughter spend another day with a heartless coward anyway!” “Chloe, I’ve hired the best divorce lawyer in the state for you today. He wants a divorce? We are going to take him for every penny he’s worth!” I sneered, raising the manila folder in my hand. “Take me for every penny?” “Your daughter did something so repulsive, you should be worrying about what you’re going to pay me!” Seeing that I was still pushing for divorce and threatening Chloe, Eleanor charged at me, trying to rip the documents from my hands. “You’re trying to destroy my daughter using her trauma! She is the victim!” “Ethan, let me make this clear! Today, either you walk out of this court with absolutely nothing, or you get down on your knees and beg my daughter for forgiveness!” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. So she knew that a cheating spouse could be stripped of marital assets. Good. That made things easier. “You shameless bastard,” Eleanor yelled, turning to the growing crowd of bystanders. “I bet you set up my daughter’s assault yourself! Just so you could get rid of her for your little mistress!” “Today, I will get justice for my daughter!” Their loud shouting at the entrance of the courthouse quickly drew a large crowd of onlookers. People who didn’t know the truth began whispering and pointing at me. I had no intention of making a fool of myself in public. I turned to the onlookers and said calmly, “If you’re so interested, feel free to sit in the gallery and watch.” Then, I walked into the courtroom. The crowd, fueled by Eleanor’s dramatic narrative, followed us inside, glaring at me as if I were the lowest scum on earth. As I walked toward the plaintiff’s table, Chloe looked at me with red, tearful eyes. “Ethan, we didn’t have to end up like this.” “While we can still fix this, let’s call off the divorce, okay?” “Marriage is hard. We should cherish what we have.” I didn’t even look at her. I sat down and handed the folder to Ryan. The judge entered, and the hearing began. After reviewing Chloe’s initial filings, the judge frowned and looked at me. “Mr. Ethan, if your only ground for divorce is that your wife was a victim of a traumatic assault, this court cannot grant a fault-based divorce in your favor, nor can we strip her of marital assets.” I stood up calmly and raised my hands. “Your Honor, I request you examine my evidence first.”

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My sister, Scarlett, had been glowing ever since her divorce. She was radiating beauty. Despite being in her early thirties, she looked like a twenty-year-old college girl. Even I, in my prime college years, felt completely eclipsed by her. Many times late at night, I would sneak into her room only to find her panting and drenched in sweat. I was utterly baffled. I asked her over and over what her anti-aging secret was. But she refused to tell me. Because of this, I gave her the cold shoulder for an entire week. “We are sisters, Scarlett. Why keep secrets from me?” Eventually, unable to withstand my constant begging, Scarlett finally agreed to take me to her secret spot. But looking at the VIP entrance of the private exotic beast sanctuary, I blinked in confusion. “A sanctuary? Scarlett, what does a zoo have to do with getting pretty?” Scarlett’s face suddenly flushed, her eyes turning dreamy. She seemed to be remembering something, wearing a look of pure ecstasy. “Once you go in, you’ll realize how incredible it is. I promise you, it will make you irresistible. You’ll never want to leave.” 0

I was madly in love with Julian Brooks, the golden boy of our university’s dance department. I had been chasing him for two years, but my feelings remained unrequited. Scarlett, on the other hand, was a divorcée who only seemed to get younger and more radiant by the day, with a never-ending line of suitors. I was incredibly envious. We had the exact same genes, yet we were treated like day and night. To become as popular as Scarlett and finally win Julian over, I kept nagging her to share her beauty secret. But every time I asked, she would stutter and change the subject. Finally, today, I snapped. “I’m your sister, Scarlett! Why are you gatekeeping something this good?” “Do you want me to be the laughingstock of the whole campus?” After I threw a massive tantrum in her bedroom, Scarlett finally relented and agreed to take me. But standing at the VIP entrance of the beast sanctuary, I was completely lost. Without a word, Scarlett grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. When the ticket agent saw Scarlett, his eyes crinkled into a knowing smile, and he greeted her like an old friend. “Back again, Scarlett? Are we riding the wild tiger today?” Hearing the agent’s words, my jaw dropped. A tiger is the king of the jungle. They are fierce predators. What kind of tiger could be so tame that people could ride it? Instantly, curiosity consumed my mind. Scarlett smiled. “Yes. That’s my absolute favorite. It’s incredibly comfortable to ride.” The agent’s gaze swept over Scarlett’s hourglass figure. “I can tell. The transformation is unreal. I’ve already had them bring him out. Go on in.” Scarlett nodded and walked ahead. I went to follow her, but the moment I took a step, the agent reached out and blocked me. “Apologies, miss. You look new. Do you have a VIP membership?” I shook my head. Scarlett walked back. “She’s my sister. I’m bringing her here to experience it today. Just charge ten thousand dollars to my card.” My eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Ten thousand dollars just to see some animals? That was insane! I tugged at Scarlett’s sleeve. “Scarlett, is this a scam? What kind of sanctuary charges ten grand for a ticket?” “Miss, watch your tongue,” the agent interrupted, his voice dropping. “Ask your sister if that ten grand is worth it.” Scarlett’s face flushed red. “My sister is still in college. She’s young. It’s her first time.” I immediately fired back, “It’s not my first time! I’ve seen tigers plenty of times!” My outburst made everyone at the front desk burst into laughter. “Look at that innocent face. Definitely a first-timer. Tell you what, I’ll pick a gentle tiger for her.” Scarlett got the fiercest one, while I was stuck with the gentlest. But since we were already here and the money was spent, I wanted the best! “No! I want the same one as Scarlett!” The agent tried to persuade me, “Sweetheart, since it’s your first time, I don’t think you can handle the fierce one.” It was just looking at a tiger. How could I not handle it? But the way they spoke made me feel like “looking at a tiger” meant something entirely different. My curiosity burned even hotter. Could merely seeing a tiger really make me as breathtakingly beautiful as Scarlett? “Let her be,” Scarlett said. “Hazel has always had good stamina. She’ll be fine. I’m going in first. Please help her choose slowly.” With that, Scarlett walked toward the VIP rooms in the back. A moment later, a deep, wild tiger roar echoed from the hallway. Driven by curiosity, I pressed my ear against the door of the room Scarlett had just entered. The agent chuckled and patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry. The one we choose for you won’t be any worse than your sister’s.” I stood up straight, nodding, my heart pounding with anticipation. But when the agent finally led me into my designated room, the sight inside made my blood run cold. I bolted out, collapsed next to a trash can, and threw up until my stomach was completely empty. 0

The agent rushed out after me, handed me a bottle of water, and patted my back. “If you can’t handle it, you can wait for Scarlett in the lounge. I’ll refund the money to her card.” I clutched my chest, taking a massive gulp of water to wash down the lingering disgust. Just then, Scarlett walked out of her room. She looked even more radiant than before she went in. Her skin was translucent, glowing with a rosy flush. I was completely mesmerized. As Scarlett walked out, she whispered with the agent for a while. He was probably telling her about my pathetic reaction. I braced myself for Scarlett to scold me for wasting her money and dragging her here. But she didn’t say a word on the way back. After dropping me off at my dorm, she simply gave me a cold warning: “Don’t you dare tell anyone about the animals you saw today.” “I… I know.” I got out of the car and practically ran toward my dorm. My heart was still racing. But as I rounded the corner of the hallway, I froze. There, in the shadows, were my best friend, Chloe, and my crush, Julian. They were locked in a passionate, breathless kiss. They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t even notice me standing right behind them. Chloe had told me a thousand times that she had no interest in Julian. I was the one who introduced them. I shared all his likes and dislikes with her. I shared everything with her. And this was how she repaid me! Rage flared up inside me. I stormed forward and shoved them apart. They stumbled and fell to the floor. When Chloe looked up and saw me, panic flashed across her face. “Hazel? Why are you back so early?” “Let me explain…” “Explain what? I saw the whole thing!” I screamed, my voice cracking. “Chloe, I treated you like my sister! What did you treat me as? A joke?” Seeing that the cat was out of the bag, Chloe stopped pretending. She got up, brushed off her clothes, and slapped me right across the face. “Fine! Since you saw it, I won’t bother hiding it anymore.” “Julian and I are together!” “So what? He was never your boyfriend anyway. He’s free to be with whoever he wants. Besides, look at your dry skin. You’re not half as pretty as me. Any man with eyes knows who to choose!” I wasn’t angry just because they were together. I was angry because I had given her my pure, honest friendship, and she had played me like a fool. If she had just told me she liked him from the start, I would have stepped back! “Is that really how you see me?” “Obviously. A loser trying to outclass herself. You should look in the mirror before you try to match him.” Her words cut me to the bone. Tears blurred my vision. My best friend had not only betrayed me, but she also looked down on me with utter contempt. It felt like my whole world was crashing down. I blocked Chloe on everything. That night, I tossed and turned in bed, Chloe’s harsh words echoing in my head. I made a vow. I would become more beautiful than her. I would make Julian regret his choice. And then, I thought of Scarlett. The next morning, I took a cab home and begged Scarlett to take me back to the sanctuary. She immediately refused, telling me not to force myself. I broke down and told her everything that had happened at school. “Scarlett, I promise you, I won’t run away this time!” Unable to withstand my tears, Scarlett finally agreed to take me back a week later. The moment we walked in, the agent recognized me. “Well, if it isn’t the girl who threw up last time. Just accompanying your sister today?” I shook my head, my voice firm. “No. I’m going in.” The agent smirked. “Sweetheart, don’t force yourself.” I looked at my reflection in the glass door. My skin was dull and lifeless, lacking the vibrant glow a twenty-something girl should have. Thinking of Chloe’s mocking face, I clenched my fists. “I won’t run away this time.” I had to see what kind of wild beast could make a woman so irresistible and desperate for more. 0

Seeing my absolute determination, the agent smiled and turned to Scarlett. “What got into your little sister?” Scarlett merely smiled and handed over her black card. “Just swipe it.” Once the payment cleared, Scarlett asked, “The delicate one I brought in last time… has he been prepped?” “Let my sister try that one today.” The agent’s smile widened. “Of course, Scarlett. The one you brought in hasn’t been put on the market yet. We were waiting for you.” I was taken aback. Since when did Scarlett have business dealings with an exotic beast sanctuary? Before I could ask, the agent grabbed my hand and led me down the corridor. “Is Scarlett a business partner here?” I couldn’t help but ask. “You’ll have to ask her that yourself, miss.” I felt like Scarlett was harboring a massive web of secrets. But I decided I would get my answers after I got my beauty treatment. Suddenly, the agent stopped in front of a heavy door. “This is the one Scarlett handpicked for you. Go on in.” Standing outside the door, the gruesome memory of my first visit flashed in my mind. My hand hovered over the brass doorknob, trembling. Just then, Scarlett walked up beside me. She assured me that this beast was handpicked for me and that I had nothing to fear. Every woman has to go through this transition sooner or later. It was only a matter of time. I was thoroughly confused. “Really? But back at campus, plenty of girls have never been to a place like this.” Scarlett giggled at my innocence. She leaned in and whispered something in my ear. My face instantly flushed a burning crimson. Now I remembered the muffled, rhythmic groans I had heard outside Scarlett’s room that night. I hadn’t thought much of it then. But now… it all made sense. No wonder Scarlett said every woman goes through this eventually. But I was still a virgin. Was I really going to do this? Scarlett noticed my hesitation. “I told you, if you aren’t truly ready, don’t ask me to bring you here.” “You look perfectly fine the way you are now.” I closed my eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. “No, Scarlett. I’ve made up my mind.” “I want everyone who hurt me to look at me with envy!” I gripped the doorknob and turned it. As the door cracked open, a low, guttural roar echoed from within. I cast one last look at Scarlett. She offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t be scared, Hazel. I’ll be right out here waiting for you.” I nodded, stepped into the room, and shut the door behind me. My heart was hammering against my ribs. My first visit was just a fleeting glance, but being inside this enclosed space was entirely different. I took deep breaths. To get Scarlett’s flawless skin and jaw-dropping curves, I forced myself to be brave. I took bold steps forward. But as the figure came into view, my instincts screamed at me to run. He was so massive. Could I really handle this? The beast growled the moment he saw me, lunging forward with terrifying speed. I braced for impact, expecting to be brutally pinned to the ground. But he stopped abruptly, exactly three feet away from me. He gently swept his tail against my leg, as if inviting me to step closer. At that moment, the beast didn’t seem so terrifying after all. *As expected of the one Scarlett picked for me,* I thought. Recalling the instructions Scarlett had given me at home, I began to slip off my clothes, preparing to climb onto the beast’s back. 0

Suddenly, the beast’s gaze grew sharp and hostile. The night before we came, Scarlett had told me that no matter how ferocious a beast was, once you mounted it, it would become completely submissive. It would obey your every whim. They knew how to pleasure a woman far better than any human man could. But this beast seemed different from what Scarlett had described. Was I not giving him the right signals? With that thought, I shifted my position. Perhaps he preferred a different angle. Since he was a new arrival, maybe his preferences were unique. But no matter how I adjusted, he remained completely still, shaking his head aggressively at me. I was starting to lose my patience. If he refused to cooperate, how was I supposed to get beautiful? Frustrated, I stood up and kicked the beast’s side in a fit of anger. Yet, he just lay there, refusing to budge. That was when I noticed a whip-like training toy resting in the corner of the room. I recalled Scarlett’s words. She said that if the beast was unresponsive, I could use the props in the room to stimulate it. These beasts were highly trained. The moment they saw certain props, they would go wild and become fiercely active. But she also warned me to use them sparingly, because if they went too wild, I would be the one getting hurt. I picked up the toy. The beast immediately leapt to his feet. I thought he was finally going to cooperate, but before I could mount him, he slumped back down into his passive state. I regretted not choosing an experienced beast. “Listen here! My sister paid ten thousand dollars for this! If you don’t cooperate, don’t blame me for getting rough!” I marched over, knelt in front of him, and smacked his head. “I know you’re newly trained. I won’t hurt you, just play along.” He shook his head again. That was the last straw. I kicked him hard, sending him rolling onto his side. This time, his belly and limbs were fully exposed. I frowned. As I looked closer, my brows furrowed deeper. I reached out and parted the thick, coarse fur on his chest. I gasped, stumbling backward in horror. Why did the skin beneath the beast’s fur look exactly like human flesh? I crept forward again, checking several times. There was no mistake. It was smooth, hairless human skin beneath a grafted coat of fur. A chilling, horrific realization began to bloom in my chest. I pulled him up, forcing him to sit against the wall. No animal could have joints this flexible. No matter how well-trained, their anatomy shouldn’t be human. Trembling, I reached for the fur around his head and neck. I pulled back the heavy mane. And a human face was revealed. The next second, my vision blurred. A cold dread washed over me, my heart stopped, and I nearly fainted on the spot.

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The first time my wealthy boyfriend, Carter, came to meet my mother, Eleanor, he brought a signature orange Hermès gift box. Eleanor’s eyes lit up. She couldn’t stop showering him with praises. But after Carter left, we opened the box. Inside, there was no luxury bag—just a skimpy, three-piece bunny maid outfit. Eleanor’s face flushed with anger. “If you two want to play bedroom games, why on earth did you involve me?!” My face burned bright red. I couldn’t understand why Carter would pull a stunt like this. If he wanted to play dress-up, why didn’t he keep it at his place? Why did he have to show it to my mother? Just as I pulled out my phone to demand an explanation, a text from Carter popped up: “How is it, babe? Does your mom love the limited-edition bag I got her?” Reading his text, the words of anger died in my throat. I lifted the lace outfit and measured it against my body. That was when I realized the bust size was at least a D-cup—way larger than my own. Looking at my furious mother, I took a deep breath. “Eleanor, don’t be mad. This outfit wasn’t meant for me.”

I took a deep breath and stuffed the scandalously skimpy bunny suit back into the box. Eleanor’s face was still bright red, her chest heaving with anger. “Not for you? Then why the hell did he bring this trash into my house? Does he think I’m some senile old fool, or does he just think our family is easy to walk over?” Eleanor is a retired elementary school principal. She had lived a dignified life. She had never faced such an insulting situation. On his very first official visit, my boyfriend had gifted her a sex toy of an outfit. If word got out, our reputation in this quiet suburban town would be completely ruined. It would be total social suicide. “Maybe… maybe he just grabbed the wrong box,” I forced a smile, trying to calm her down. “You know how Carter is. He’s careless. He’s a rich guy with too many friends. Maybe one of his buddies left it in his car.” Even as I said it, my knuckles turned white clutching the edge of the box. Grabbed the wrong box? The Hermès box was wrapped so perfectly. If it wasn’t prepared on purpose, how could he accidentally bring this specific box into our house? My phone screen lit up again. Another text from Carter. “Babe, why aren’t you replying? Is your mom too thrilled to speak to me?” He attached a cute “begging for praise” meme. Looking at that stupid emoji, my stomach churned with disgust. Too thrilled? Eleanor wants to take a broom and beat you out of the neighborhood right now. I grabbed my phone and walked out onto the balcony. “Let me call him. I’ll make him apologize.” I slid the glass door shut, blocking out my mother’s angry sighs. I didn’t text him back. Instead, I called Carter directly. It rang once before he picked up. The background noise was deafening. It sounded like some high-end club, with girls giggling in the background. “Hey, babe!” Carter’s voice sounded smug and distracted. “So, what’s the verdict? That bag is a limited-edition piece I had to pull serious strings to get. Your mom is going to look so classy carrying it…” “Carter,” I interrupted him, my voice freezing cold. “Who was the gift in that box actually meant for?” There was a sudden pause on the other end. The giggling in the background grew faint. He must have walked to a quieter hallway. “What do you mean? It was for your mom, of course!” I stared down at the dry, winter lawn of our neighborhood, a mocking smile on my face. I decided to drop the bomb. “Do you know what was actually inside that Hermès box, Carter? It wasn’t a purse. It was a lace bunny-girl outfit with a crotchless thong. And the top size is a 36D.” Silence. Dead, suffocating silence for a solid five seconds. “Fuck!” Carter cursed loudly. “Oh shit. I grabbed the wrong one! Babe, listen to me! I swear it’s a massive misunderstanding! I went shopping with Mason this afternoon. You know Mason—he’s a total frat boy. He wanted to buy this kinky stuff for his new girlfriend. I bought the bag, he bought the outfit. The two boxes looked exactly the same. Same size, same orange color. I was just so excited to see you that when I got out of the car, I grabbed the wrong box!” Honestly, the logic was perfect. It sounded completely believable. I kept my voice calm, pretending to buy it. “Really? Yeah, Mason has always been a bit wild.” Sensing I was softening, Carter immediately jumped on it. “Exactly! That guy has nothing but dirt in his brain! He made me look like a total creep in front of your mom!” He promised over the phone, “Don’t worry, babe. I’m calling Mason right now to scream at him. Tomorrow morning, I’ll come over to apologize to your mom in person. The real bag is still with Mason. I’ll go get it. To show how sorry I am, I’ll buy another one! Two Hermès bags for your mom to make up for this mess, okay?” Two Hermès bags. What a generous move. If this were before, or if I were any other naive girl, I might have been blinded by his wealth. I might have even thought it was sweet how responsible my boyfriend was when he made a mistake. But right now, the only thing in my mind was that 36D bunny suit. If he really grabbed the wrong box, why was the lingerie packed so beautifully inside a real Hermès box? Even if Mason bought it, what kind of guy puts cheap lingerie into a multi-thousand-dollar luxury purse box to take home? Unless… this was done on purpose. Or, Carter had prepared two gifts from the start. One for his “36D” side chick. And one for his official girlfriend’s mother. And in his rush—or perhaps right after climbing out of that 36D chick’s bed—he got confused and mixed them up.

“Carter,” I said, my voice sweet and playful. “Mason is really living the life, isn’t he? I didn’t know he and his girl were so… adventurous.” “Oh, totally. He’s a wild animal,” Carter chuckled over the phone, trying to play along. “His girlfriend, Scarlett, right?” I casually threw out the bait. “When we had dinner last time, she seemed so quiet and shy. I didn’t expect her to be so… wild behind closed doors.” On the other end of the line, Carter’s breathing hitched for a split second. But he recovered quickly, his tone becoming even more confident. “Ah, babe, you don’t know her. Scarlett is only quiet in public. When she’s alone with Mason… well, you get it. It’s just their little bedroom game. Anyway, babe, I gotta go. I need to find Mason and swap the boxes. Apologize to your mom for me! I’ll see you tomorrow!” He hung up quickly, as if afraid I’d ask more questions. The smile on my face instantly vanished. Men lie. It’s in their DNA. I opened Instagram, my fingers trembling as I scrolled through my chats until I found Scarlett’s profile. Six months ago, Carter, Mason, Scarlett, and I had double-dated. That was the first time Carter introduced me to his wealthy social circle. During dinner, Mason was incredibly attentive to Scarlett, and Scarlett looked at him with pure adoration. I could tell she genuinely loved him. Because she was sweet, I added her on Instagram. I clicked on Scarlett’s profile. I scrolled down to a post from three months ago. The photo was a torn picture of her and Mason, with clothes scattered all over the floor. The caption was sharp and final: “Trash belongs in the trash can. If you can’t keep it in your pants, get the hell out of my life. Three years wasted on a dog. Mason, I hope you rot.” Mason had left a comment below, which was deleted later, but I remembered it clearly: “Whatever. Stop acting like a saint.” Three months ago. They had broken up three months ago. And it was a toxic, ugly breakup. They blocked each other on everything. So, who was the “lingerie for Mason’s girlfriend” really for? A ghost? Or was it just a convenient cover story Carter made up to hide his cheating? More importantly, Carter had agreed without hesitation when I mentioned Scarlett’s name. It was obvious. He was lying. He was using a dead relationship to cover up the real owner of that bunny suit. The image of the 36D outfit flashed in my mind again. 36D. A very specific, very voluptuous body type. So, Carter had a curvy woman hidden in his life. A woman I didn’t know about. “Chloe? What’s going on?” Eleanor pushed open the balcony door, looking at me with worry. “What did Carter say? Was it really a mistake?” Looking at my mother’s silver hair and her anxious eyes, the anger in my chest turned into cold determination. I turned around, hugged her arm, and smiled brightly. “Yes, it was just a stupid mistake. Carter bought it for his buddy Mason. Mason’s girl… well, young couples these days play some weird games. Carter was just stupid enough to let his friend put his stuff in his car.” Eleanor let out a long breath, patting her chest. “I knew it! Carter is a good boy. He wouldn’t do something so disrespectful. You scared me! But that Mason guy is a bad influence. Tell Carter to stay away from him!” “I will,” I nodded obediently, guiding her back to the living room. “Carter said he’s bringing you two new bags tomorrow to make it up to you.” “Oh, he doesn’t need to do that. As long as it was a misunderstanding…” Eleanor smiled, her anger completely gone. I helped my mother get ready for bed. When I returned to the living room, I stared at the orange Hermès box on the coffee table. Inside, the bunny suit was lying quiet. But my heart felt heavy and cold. Carter, if you want to play games, let’s play. But if you think two bags are going to buy your way out of this? In your dreams.

To find out who the other woman was, I spent the night digging through Instagram. I searched through local socialite pages and party tags. A friend of mine who works in PR had told me about these accounts—they were filled with local gold-diggers and trust-fund babies. I typed in the name of the exclusive club Carter frequented, adding the keyword “bunny.” The search loaded. A post from ten minutes ago popped up. The username was “Sweet_Mia.” The photo was a selfie taken in a dimly lit VIP lounge. The girl had a face clearly modified by plastic surgery, with an incredibly prominent chest. In her hand, she was holding an orange Hermès box. The exact box Carter claimed to have “mistaken.” Her caption read: “Dumb hubby meant to give me the roleplay bunny outfit but accidentally gave his ‘old lady’ the bag instead! This color is so grandma, who wants a grocery bag anyway! ” And there was a pinned comment below her post: “But hubby said the outfit was custom-made for my size, and no one else could pull it off~ He promised to get me two limited-edition bags tomorrow to make it up to me! ” I let out a cold laugh. My fingers froze above the screen. 36D. Old lady. Grocery bag. Good. Very good. I zoomed in on the photo, looking at the bag in the girl’s hand. It was a limited-edition gold Birkin. You had to spend six figures at the store just to get on the waiting list for that bag. But in Mia’s mouth, it was just a “grocery bag.” Meanwhile, my mother, who had worked hard her entire life, was so touched by a gift from her future son-in-law that she didn’t know what to do. Yet, she had almost become the laughing stock of this cheating couple’s bedroom roleplay. I took screenshots, saved them, and threw my phone face-down on the table. I didn’t sleep a wink that night. The next morning, the doorbell rang early. Carter stood at the door, sweating, holding two brand-new Hermès shopping bags. Before he even walked in, his voice was filled with deep regret. “Eleanor! Chloe! I am so incredibly sorry!” Eleanor was in the kitchen making breakfast. Hearing his voice, she wiped her hands and came out. Suddenly, with a loud thud, Carter dropped to one knee right in the foyer. Both Eleanor and I were stunned. “Eleanor, it’s all my fault!” Carter held up the shopping bags, looking completely devastated. “Yesterday, my brain was completely fried. I shouldn’t have hung out with Mason. He made me look like an absolute fool in front of you. I am so sorry! I literally begged the store manager to get these two bags overnight. Please accept them! If you don’t forgive me, I won’t get up!” What an Oscar-worthy performance. Eleanor had never seen a rich young man behave like this. Her anger vanished instantly, and she rushed forward to help him up. “Oh, sweetie, what are you doing? Get up!” She looked at the luxury bags with guilt. “You didn’t have to buy such expensive things. It’s too much…” Carter stood up, a humble, pleasing smile on his face. He even found a moment to wink at me secretly. “As long as you’re happy, Eleanor, it’s worth every penny! I already screamed at Mason!” “Good, good,” Eleanor smiled warmly, completely satisfied with his attitude. I stood by the side, watching the show in silence. Carter put the bags on the coffee table, wrapped his arm around my waist, and whispered in a low, suggestive voice: “Are we good now, babe? I told you it was just a misunderstanding. I spent almost all my savings to get these bags. You better reward me tonight…” His hand began to slide down my waist. Suppressing the urge to vomit, I smiled playfully. “Really? Your buddy Mason must be so upset then.” Carter didn’t blink. “Oh, absolutely! Scarlett screamed at him all night. He’s probably crying in a corner right now.” “Oh?” I wiggled out of his grip, walked over to the coffee table, and picked up the bunny outfit that was still sitting there. I shook it in front of him. “Since it’s a misunderstanding, we should return this to its rightful owner.” Carter’s eyes flickered with panic. He reached out to grab it. “Right, right! I’ll take it back to Mason so it doesn’t bother you.” I twisted my wrist, dodging his hand. “No way,” I smiled gently. “This is such a private item. We should return it in person to show how sincere we are.”

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The property management actually wanted me to pay my neighbor across the hall fifteen thousand dollars. All because I flipped the breaker to my own private parking spot. I paid forty-five thousand dollars for that deeded underground parking space, which came with a private EV charging port. For the past six months, my monthly electricity bill had been through the roof—hitting over a hundred dollars a month. But I drove a gas-powered sedan. The hybrid SUV that had been secretly plugging into my charger belonged to Brandon, the son of my neighbor across the hall, Mildred Gable. When I tried to reason with her, she played dumb. When I installed a parking lock, she broke it with a crowbar. Finally, I resorted to my ultimate move—I cut off the power to the charger and flipped the breaker. I thought that would be the end of it. Three days later, the property manager and two security guards blocked my door. He handed me a sheet of paper. The reason for the claim made me laugh out loud right then and there.

I had been living in this luxury condo building for a year. When I bought the apartment, I also bought a private parking spot on the B1 level. The space was huge and came with its own power supply and EV charger, left behind by the previous owner. Since I didn’t own an electric car and drove an older gas sedan, the charger had just been sitting idle. A few months ago, I was traveling a lot for work and often left my car at the office. When I finally had a moment to check my utility bills, I noticed my parking spot’s electricity costs had spiked by nearly a hundred dollars. This month, it was over a hundred and twenty. I thought the meter was broken. But when I went down to the garage to check, I froze. Parked right in my spot was a brand-new, white hybrid SUV. The charging nozzle was firmly plugged into the car, its indicator light blinking happily. I recognized the car immediately. It belonged to Brandon, the son of my neighbor, Mildred Gable. Mildred was in her fifties and liked to pretend she was the “neighborhood sweetheart.” Whenever anything happened in the building, she was always there to stick her nose in. When I first moved in, she had knocked on my door a few times to borrow coffee pods and sugar. I never expected that she would not only borrow sugar, but also my parking spot and my electricity. I didn’t make a scene. I took a photo and posted it in the building’s Snapchat group. “Whose car is this? You’ve parked in the wrong spot. Please move it.” After half an hour, there was no reply. I went straight across the hall and knocked on her door. Mildred opened it, holding a spatula. “Oh, Lynn! What’s up?” “Mrs. Gable, is your son’s car parked in my spot? He’s also using my private EV charger.” Her eyes darted around, and she slapped her thigh. “Oh, goodness! What a misunderstanding. My boy came home late last night and couldn’t find a spot. He saw yours was empty and just borrowed it for the night. The charging cable? Oh, he probably just plugged it in on a whim. Young boys don’t know any better.” Borrowed for the night? I pulled up the utility bill on my phone. “Mrs. Gable, this bill isn’t for just one night. I checked the app’s history, and there have been charging records for months.” Mildred’s expression shifted, but she quickly forced a smile. “We’re neighbors, why be so petty? It’s just a few dollars of electricity. I’ll have him throw you a small tip later.” With that, she slammed the door in my face. Standing in the hallway, I laughed out loud from sheer anger. It wasn’t just “a few dollars.” It was hundreds of dollars. And she hadn’t even mentioned moving the car. When I went downstairs that evening, the car was still there. I called the building’s security guard. The guard ran the plates and called Brandon. Brandon sounded incredibly annoyed on the phone. “I’m out of town on business, and I took the keys with me. I can’t move it. Just wait until I get back this weekend.” The call disconnected. The guard looked at me helplessly. “Ms. Carter, you see… the owner isn’t here. We can’t tow it from a private deeded spot without a formal process.” I got it. They were betting on the fact that I couldn’t do anything to them.

The next day, I took a half-day off work. I hired someone to install a heavy-duty smart parking lock in my space. At the same time, I put a passcode lockbox over the EV charger. Once that was done, I parked my own car in the spot, raised the smart lock, and enjoyed the sudden peace. That evening, my front door was pounded on so hard it shook. I looked through the peephole. It was Mildred. She was furious. I opened the door. “Lynn, what is the meaning of this? Why did you put a lock on our parking spot?” I thought I had misheard her. “Your parking spot?” “Yes! You don’t even use that spot often! My son has been parking there for six months. It’s basically ours now! You need to remove that stupid lock right now. My son’s car is sitting outside in the rain!” Her sheer audacity blew my mind. “Mrs. Gable, the deed to that spot has my name on it. I installed a lock to protect my private property. Is there a problem? Also, you need to pay for the past six months of electricity. It’s six hundred dollars.” I handed her the printed bill. She slapped it out of my hand. “What electricity bill! That charger was just gathering dust anyway. My son was doing you a favor by using it! Young people these days have absolutely no respect or community spirit!” She walked away, cursing under her breath. I ignored her, closed the door, and went to bed. I thought this would be the end of it. But I had underestimated her lack of decency. The next morning, I went down to the garage to drive to work. When I reached my spot, I froze. The heavy steel smart parking lock had been brutally smashed and bent out of shape. The locking mechanism was completely destroyed. And parked in my spot, once again, was the white hybrid SUV. The passcode lockbox on the charger had been pried open, and the charging nozzle was plugged into the car. A wave of fury rushed straight to my head. This wasn’t just petty behavior anymore; this was vandalism and harassment. I immediately called the police. When the officers arrived, they pulled up the garage surveillance footage. The video was crystal clear. At 2:00 AM, Mildred had showed up with a sledgehammer and spent ten minutes pounding on my lock. Then, her son drove his car in, parked comfortably, and plugged in the charger. Facing the police, Mildred started to wail and play the victim. “Officers, you have to help us! This woman is bullying a poor, lonely widow and her son! So what if I broke a useless piece of metal?” The police were fair. They ruled it as criminal mischief and intentional damage to private property. They ordered Mildred to pay for the damaged lock and lockbox immediately and told Brandon to move the car. Under the threat of arrest, Brandon reluctantly drove his car away. He Venmoed me eight hundred dollars for the damages. After the police left, Mildred stood in the hallway screaming curses for half an hour. I paid her no mind. I bought an even more heavy-duty, pressure-resistant smart lock. To be safe, I also installed a hidden, high-definition micro-camera on the pipe directly above my parking spot. It streamed live directly to my phone. Over the next few days, the lock remained intact. But my phone started receiving motion alerts from the camera every single night. When I tapped on the alerts, I saw Mildred appearing by my parking spot like a ghost in the dead of night. She didn’t smash the lock anymore. Instead, she started dumping trash on my spot. Sometimes it was rotting food scraps, sometimes it was used sanitary pads. Once, she even brought her unleashed toy poodle to poop directly on my smart lock. It was absolutely repulsive. When I complained to the property management, they said it was a “neighbor dispute” and they could only “warn” her. When I confronted her, she denied everything, claiming the person in the footage just looked like her. Every morning, I had to suppress my disgust to clean up my parking spot. I was done playing nice. If you love parking and charging here so much, I’ll let you have your fill. That weekend, I hired a professional electrician. I didn’t bother fixing the passcode box. Instead, I had the electrician install a smart remote breaker switch inside the main electrical panel. With a single tap on my phone app, I could cut off the power to the charger completely. Then, I lowered the parking lock and drove my car out for a three-day road trip. Before leaving, I left the parking spot wide open. The charging nozzle was hung neatly on the dock. Like a trap waiting to be sprung. Sure enough. As soon as I hit the highway, my phone buzzed with a camera alert. The white hybrid SUV eagerly slid into my spot. Brandon got out and smoothly plugged in the charger. Mildred stood nearby, grinning ear to ear. She even spat on the pillar next to my spot. “At least she finally learned some manners!” Listening to the audio from the camera feed, a cold smile spread across my face. I didn’t turn off the power right away. I waited. I waited until 11:00 PM.

I estimated that his car’s battery was about half-full. I opened the remote app on my phone. And tapped the “Power Off” button. On the camera feed, the indicator light on the EV charger died instantly. His car was now in a state of sudden, forced power interruption mid-charge. For some electric and hybrid vehicles, a sudden power cut during high-voltage charging can trigger a battery protection lockout, preventing the car from starting or even unlocking. I went to sleep peacefully. The next day, I spent the entire day sightseeing. When I returned to my hotel room that evening, I opened the saved footage. The show was spectacular. 7:00 AM. Brandon appeared in the garage dressed in a sharp suit, holding a bouquet of roses. It looked like he was off to a high-profile blind date or a meeting with a major client. He opened the car door and got in. A few minutes later, he climbed out, utterly furious. He kicked the tires violently. The car wouldn’t start. He called for a tow truck. After more than two hours of waiting, the tow truck finally arrived. He threw the bouquet of roses onto the ground in rage and left with the tow truck. Watching the footage, I was in a fantastic mood. That’s what you call instant karma. I turned the power back on via my phone. And continued my vacation. Three days later, I returned to the building. As soon as I walked into the lobby, I was intercepted by the property manager, Mr. Miller. Two security guards stood behind him, looking extremely nervous. “Ms. Carter, you’re finally back! Something terrible has happened!” He handed me a sheet of paper. I looked at it. It was a handwritten claim form. Claimant: Brandon Gable. Claim Amount: Fifteen thousand dollars. The reasons were written in messy, aggressive handwriting: “Because of Lynn Carter’s malicious power shutoff, my car’s battery management system motherboard was fried. Repair cost: $3,000. Because the car was broken, I missed an exclusive matchmaking date with a multi-millionaire heiress. Mental distress: $7,000. Because of the missed date, I was depressed and got into an argument with my boss, resulting in my termination. Lost wages: $5,000. Total: $15,000.” He also demanded a formal apology and that I transfer the deed of my parking spot to his family as compensation. When I finished reading, I wasn’t even angry. I just found it incredibly absurd. “Mr. Miller, is this some new kind of extortion?” I flicked the paper. Mr. Miller wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Ms. Carter, Mrs. Gable is currently lying on the floor in the HOA office. She says if you don’t pay up, she’ll sue the building and die right there. We are out of options. Look…” “If she wants to cause a scene in your office, you should call the cops. Why are you coming to me?” “But she said you flipped the breaker! Ms. Carter, you did go a bit too far this time. Even if it is your electricity, cutting it off suddenly and damaging their car makes you partly liable.” Mr. Miller was clearly trying to play peacemaker. He wanted to sacrifice my rights to make his own trouble go away. “It’s my private electric meter. I can turn it on or off whenever I want. He trespassed on my private property and stole my electricity. I haven’t even settled that score with him yet.” My tone was cold and firm. “But…” “No buts. Go tell her she won’t get a single penny. If she has the guts, sue me in court. Also, I will be filing a police report against her son for utility theft immediately.” I turned on my heel and walked away. Mr. Miller called out behind me, “Ms. Carter, there’s a mediation meeting at 3:00 PM today. Please, you must attend!” I ignored him and went upstairs. Once home, I compiled all my evidence. The past six months of utility bills, the timestamps of every charge. The security footage of them breaking the lock, dumping trash, and stealing power. Along with the copy of the previous police report. At 3:00 PM sharp, I walked into the HOA mediation room. Before I even entered, I could hear Mildred screaming like a slaughtered pig. “My poor baby! He’s almost thirty and hasn’t even found a wife! His whole life has been ruined by that wicked woman!” I pushed the door open. Inside sat Sarah from the community mediation board, Mr. Miller, and a few neighbors who had come to watch the drama. Mildred was sitting on the floor, wailing. Her son, Brandon, sat next to her with a dark, sullen face, staring at his phone. Seeing me walk in, Mildred sprang up like a coiled spring, pointing her finger right at my nose. “You little bitch! You owe my son his wife! You owe him his job!”

I sidestepped her pointing finger and sat down across the table. Sarah, the community mediator, tapped on the table. “Everyone, sit down and speak calmly. Lynn, Mrs. Gable claims you intentionally damaged her son’s vehicle, leading to severe consequences. What do you have to say about this?” I looked at Sarah and placed my bag on the table. “I damaged his car? Severe consequences?” I let out a cold laugh. “Where is the proof?” Hearing this, Mildred shrieked, “What more proof do you need! My son went to drive his car that morning, and it wouldn’t even start! If it wasn’t you flipping the breaker, what else could it be? You are a malicious, evil woman!” Brandon slowly pulled a sheet of paper from his briefcase and slapped it on the table. It was a vehicle inspection and repair estimate bearing an official dealership stamp. “Ms. Carter, this is the official diagnostic report and damage assessment from the dealership.” Brandon pushed his glasses up his nose, putting on a show of being a reasonable, educated man. “Because you maliciously cut off the power while the vehicle was charging, it caused a sudden short circuit that fried the battery management motherboard. The repair bill plus labor comes to exactly three thousand dollars.” He paused, his eyes turning cold and threatening. “As for missing my date and getting fired due to distress, I’m letting you off easy by asking for twelve thousand dollars. If you refuse to pay, we will see you in court. By then, you’ll not only pay the damages, but all our legal fees as well.” The neighbors in the room began to whisper. “Three thousand dollars for a repair? Is flipping a breaker really that serious?” “Even if Mrs. Gable’s family shouldn’t have parked there, Lynn cutting the power like that was pretty extreme.” “Yeah, we’re all neighbors. She should have just let it go.” Seeing the tide turn, Mr. Miller quickly chimed in. “Ms. Carter, this has gone too far. How about this? You apologize to the Gable family and pay a couple of thousand dollars for the repairs to settle this. You’re a single young woman; going to court will only disrupt your work.” Sarah also nodded. “Lynn, you did play a part in this. Cutting off power like that can be dangerous.” Classic victim-blaming. Looking at the smug grin on Mildred’s face and the mocking sneer on Brandon’s, I didn’t lose my temper. I unzipped my bag, pulled out a stack of documents I had prepared, and set down an iPad. “Sarah, since Mr. Gable brought up court, let’s talk with facts and evidence.” I handed the first document to Sarah. “This is the smart log history of my EV charger. Brandon, you claim my ‘malicious shutoff’ fried your motherboard, right?” Brandon sneered. “Duh. Who else could it be?” I tapped a video on my iPad and cast it to the TV screen in the room. “I’m afraid you don’t understand modern smart appliances. The remote switch I installed isn’t a crude physical breaker. It uses a smart microchip to gradually ramp down the current safely. If you look at the current graph in the log, it’s a smooth, controlled decline that fully complies with national safety standards. It is physically impossible for it to cause a short circuit.” Brandon’s face paled slightly. But I didn’t give him a chance to breathe. I swiped to the next slide. “So, how did your motherboard actually get fried? Well, you have your mother’s ‘good habits’ to thank for that.” The image on the TV changed. It was the high-definition footage from the hidden camera directly above my parking spot. The timestamp showed 3:00 AM on the night of the power cut. Mildred, as usual, was carrying a dripping bag of smelly food scraps, sneaking around my parking spot. To avoid being seen by passing cars, she rammed the bag of garbage deep underneath Brandon’s hybrid SUV. I sped up the footage. By 4:30 AM, several large sewer rats, lured by the smell, scurried out of the garage drains. After feasting on the garbage, they crawled up into the undercarriage of the car. One of the rats began frantically chewing through the high-voltage wiring harness near the battery. “Brandon, your motherboard didn’t fry because of a power cut. It fried because your mother stuffed rotting garbage under your car, attracting rats that chewed through your high-voltage wires, causing a massive short circuit.” I slammed a high-definition, zoomed-in screenshot onto the table. “Would you like me to send this video to your dealership’s service department so they can re-evaluate the cause of the damage?”

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During a live charity interview, the reporter asked a cancer patient if she had any regrets. The pale woman lowered her eyes, her voice dripping with sorrow: “I regret saying such horrible things to force the man I loved to break up with me when I was first diagnosed. I didn’t want to be a burden to him.” “I regret keeping the truth a secret all these years, letting him hate me for so long.” “But my biggest regret is that when he married my best friend, I didn’t have the courage to run onto the stage and steal him back.” Sitting in front of the screen, I froze. I recognized her instantly—that weak woman was my former best friend, and my husband Ethan’s first love, Chloe Higgins. The living room was dead silent. Beside me, Ethan had watched the entire interview. His usually calm face was now terrifyingly dark. A few seconds later, he grabbed his coat, muttered something about an emergency at the office, and rushed out. Instinctively, I followed him, only to hear his voice trembling on the phone: “Find out why Chloe went abroad back then. Find out if she’s really sick.” My footsteps halted. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. During college, Ethan and Chloe were the golden couple everyone envied. That was until the Vance family went bankrupt. Ethan hit rock bottom, and Chloe ruthlessly dumped him, saying the cruelest things. Even when he got down on his knees and begged, she never looked back. Shortly after, she moved abroad. During those dark days, everyone abandoned and mocked him. I was the only one who stayed by his side, helping him claw his way back to the top. Later, we got together and had been married for three years. To everyone else, we were the perfect couple. I always thought those old wounds had healed. But at this moment, I realized he had never truly let her go. I tossed and turned all night. The next morning, he came back—with a pale-looking Chloe. Our eyes met, and she forced a weak smile. “Hazel, long time no see.” Ethan spoke, his voice thick with heartache and guilt: “I checked everything. Chloe didn’t leave because my family went bankrupt. She was diagnosed with cancer and didn’t want to drag me down, so she forced me away.” The way he looked at Chloe was so tender it stung. He had never looked at me like that. “The doctors say she doesn’t have much time left. Chloe’s final wish is to be my wife for seven days to make up for our past regrets.” Every word stabbed my heart. To fulfill his first love’s dying wish, he was willing to trample on his current wife’s dignity. My eyes burned, and my chest ached terribly. I swallowed all my humiliation and whispered: “Okay. I agree.” Ethan was stunned, but he didn’t offer a single word of comfort. He turned, supported Chloe, and walked straight into the guest bedroom. I was left standing alone in the massive living room. What he didn’t know was that just three days ago, I had also been diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. I slowly walked back to the master bedroom, locked the door, and made a call. “Doctor, I agree to go abroad for treatment. I’ll arrive in London in seven days.” During our three years of marriage, Ethan took me to London for a vacation every year. I had once asked him why we always went to London. He just smiled, ruffled my hair, and said nothing. Now that I thought about it, during those afternoons walking down the streets of London, holding my hand and feeding pigeons while staring into the crowd—was he just hoping to catch a glimpse of the face he desperately missed? Every year on Chloe’s birthday, he would lock himself in his study all night, claiming he had work to do. My eyes welled up, and tears rolled down my cheeks.

For dinner, Ethan made a feast, entirely composed of Chloe’s favorite dishes. She took two bites, put down her fork, and said she had no appetite. He immediately put down his bowl and began coaxing her gently. Sitting across from them, I felt like a complete stranger. I took a bite of food, but a sudden wave of nausea hit me. I covered my mouth and rushed to the bathroom to dry heave. When I walked out, pale and leaning against the wall, I met his cold gaze: “Hazel Vance, have you had enough? Chloe is the one who is actually sick. Do you have to pretend to be sick just to steal the spotlight?” His words were like needles piercing my heart. Usually, my illness only caused stomach pain. I had never felt this nauseous before. An absurd thought popped into my head. He didn’t look at me again, turning back to comfort Chloe. The next day, I went to the hospital in secret. The moment I got the lab results, my mind went entirely blank. I was seven weeks pregnant. Holding the report, my fingers trembled as I walked out of the clinic, only to run straight into Chloe. She smiled and asked what I was doing there. I instinctively hid the report behind my back. She smugly mentioned that Ethan was worried about her and insisted on bringing her for a checkup. Just then, an out-of-control motorcycle came swerving directly toward us. A figure rushed over, pulling Chloe into his arms to shield her. I was knocked hard to the ground by the motorcycle. My knees and palms scraped open, and a dull, throbbing pain shot through my lower abdomen. Trembling in pain, I called out his name. But Ethan, holding a startled Chloe, only threw a cold glance my way: “Just bear with it for a bit. For these seven days, I’m Chloe’s husband. I have to be responsible for her.” With that, he scooped Chloe up and walked away without looking back. I lay on the cold ground. The blood from my palm smeared across the pregnancy report. Watching their retreating figures, my tears fell silently. A kind passerby ended up sending me to the ER. The pain in my abdomen and stomach came in agonizing waves until I finally went numb. The doctor walked in with my chart, letting out a sigh of relief. He said the baby was temporarily fine but showed signs of a threatened miscarriage. After looking at my medical history, his brow furrowed deeply: “You have late-stage stomach cancer? What do you plan to do with this pregnancy?” Lying on the bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling and shook my head. The doctor sighed and told me to discuss it with my husband as soon as possible. The word “husband” felt like a knife twisting in my chest. The ward door was pushed open, and Ethan walked in, his brow furrowed as he looked at my pale face: “How did you end up like this?” The doctor was about to speak, but I cut him off, asking him to leave first. Ethan leaned against the doorframe, casually glancing at my scraped arms. “Are you okay?” he asked half-heartedly. I shook my head slightly. “Pack up. We need to go to City Hall in a bit.” “Why?” “To get a divorce. Chloe has never taken wedding photos at City Hall. It’s her dream. We’ll get a temporary divorce so I can register and take photos with her. Don’t overthink it. We’ll remarry after the seven days are up.” Hearing his casual tone, I clutched the blanket until my knuckles turned white. I remembered the day we got married. He had held my hand under the bright sun, looking at me with pure sincerity, promising that marriage was sacred and he would love me forever. Now, those same eyes held nothing but indifference and entitlement. My heart felt like it had been ripped open. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, there was nothing but dead silence: “Okay. I agree.”

Half an hour later, the three of us stood in the lobby of City Hall. Ethan signed the divorce papers without a second thought. In the blink of an eye, he was leading Chloe to the photo area. He had somehow prepared a white veil beforehand, gently pinning it into her hair. A professional photographer was already waiting. Chloe, wearing the veil, glanced at me and immediately put on a guilty, anxious act. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this, Ethan…” Ethan held her hand tightly. “If you hadn’t gotten sick and left, you would have been the one marrying me in the first place.” With a flash, the camera captured them looking like a perfect, loving couple. I stood in the corner of the lobby, clutching my divorce certificate. A sharp, sudden spasm in my stomach made me double over in pain. Ethan walked over with Chloe, his brow furrowing slightly when he saw me like this. Biting my lip, my voice shook as I asked, “Can you drive me home? I really don’t feel well.” Without hesitation, he cut me off. “I made appointments at the jewelry store and bridal boutique to try on rings with Chloe. Just take a cab.” His tone was dismissive. I stood at the entrance of City Hall, watching them drive away. I tried hailing several cabs, but none stopped. Eventually, I had to drag my feet and slowly walk back to the villa. By the time I reached the house, my body felt like it was falling apart. My hands shook as I poured a couple of pills, swallowed them with cold water, and curled up on the bed, falling into a heavy sleep. I dreamed of many years ago, right after the Vance family went bankrupt. I had gone to find Chloe, wanting to persuade her to go back and support Ethan. But her face was filled with disdain as she dragged her suitcase. She sneered, “I only stayed with him because his family was rich. Now that he has nothing, why should I suffer with him?” I begged her, but she just laughed and walked away without looking back. Back then, Chloe looked perfectly healthy, showing absolutely no signs of illness. I jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. It was pitch black outside, and the house was dead quiet. I got up to get a glass of water. As I reached the stairs, I heard a woman’s hushed, smug voice on the phone. It was Chloe: “Don’t worry, he already brought me home and we registered our marriage. Our plan is almost complete. When his family went bankrupt, I left because I didn’t want to live like a beggar. Now that he’s rich again, of course I’m coming back. Hurry up and find someone to pose as a specialist. We’ll say my cancer miraculously went into remission after treatment. Once I secure my position as Mrs. Vance, you’ll get your cut. Hazel? Don’t worry about her. Ethan has only ever loved me. She’s just a cheap substitute who can’t do anything.” The blood in my veins turned to ice. I took a step back in shock and accidentally made a sound. The phone call cut off instantly. Chloe snapped her head up. When our eyes met, panic flashed across her face. “You’re not sick at all,” I said. “You left him back then because he was poor.” Right then, the sound of keys jingling came from the front door. Chloe’s eyes flicked to the door, and she suddenly threw herself backward, rolling down the stairs. Her forehead slammed against the steps, bleeding instantly. Ethan rushed in and gathered her into his arms. Chloe sobbed weakly, “I just wanted to talk to Hazel about the past… but she pushed me down the stairs…” Ethan whipped his head up to look at me, his eyes burning with absolute rage: “Hazel Vance! She is a dying patient, and you still can’t tolerate her? How can you be so vicious?!” “I didn’t push her! She’s faking it! She left you back then because you were poor!” “Shut up! She’s this sick, and you’re still throwing dirt on her! I never realized how shameless you could be!” He scooped Chloe up, giving me a look filled with pure hatred, and rushed out the door.

I was left alone in the massive villa. My hands shook as I sent him text after text on Snapchat: “She’s faking it! Check her medical records!” But my messages went unanswered. I decided to go to the hospital myself. I couldn’t let Chloe frame me like this. But as I neared the hospital, a black van screeched to a halt in front of me. A pair of strong arms clamped over my mouth and dragged me inside. I was taken to an abandoned warehouse. A brutal-looking, middle-aged man stood before me, slamming his foot onto the back of my hand. Punches and kicks rained down on me, each strike delivered with full force. I instinctively curled into a ball to protect my stomach. But warm blood still began to flow down my thighs. My vision blurred, and I blacked out. I don’t know how much time passed, but I felt a jarring sensation as I slowly regained a sliver of consciousness. Half-awake, I heard people whispering nearby about “cancer” and “miscarriage.” When I finally opened my eyes, I was in a sterile white hospital room. Ethan sat by the bed, his face grim, staring at me with a mix of fury and disappointment. My throat was dry. My first instinct was to touch my stomach. “The baby…” my voice rasped. “How is the baby?” “The baby?” He let out a cold, mocking laugh. “You really are ruthless, Hazel. Just to frame Chloe, you’d even use our own child to put on a show. The thug you hired to beat you up has already confessed. He said you paid him to kidnap and beat you so you could blame it on Chloe. You sacrificed your own baby just to ruin her?” He looked at my flat stomach, a complex flash of emotion crossing his eyes: “I told you Chloe is dying. Why do you have to be so cruel? Didn’t we both look forward to this child? I always thought you were sweet and kind. It turns out you’ve been putting on an act all these years. It’s pathetic.” Every single word was like a poisoned blade carving out my heart. When he had nothing, when everyone shunned him, I was the one who stayed by his side, eating instant noodles and squeezing into cheap rentals with him. Back then, he would stroke my hair and say, “Hazel, you’re the kindest, strongest girl I’ve ever met.” Now, because of a few lies from Chloe, he treated me like trash. A violent spasm of pain tore through my chest. I opened my mouth, but before a word could come out, a metallic taste filled my throat. I leaned over and coughed up a pool of bright red blood. Ethan’s face paled instantly. He reached out to help me, but the doctors rushed in. While performing emergency checks, the head doctor barked at him: “What kind of husband are you?! Didn’t you know your wife has late-stage stomach cancer?! Losing the baby was already a massive physical blow, and you’re still stressing her out?!” Ethan froze, his mind going completely blank. Chloe threw herself into his arms, sobbing, “How could Hazel have cancer too? Is she… is she pretending because she saw how much you care about me?” Ethan looked down at me. “Do you really have stomach cancer?” I leaned against the headboard, not even bothering to open my eyes. Chloe looked up from his chest, her face full of forced sincerity. “Why don’t the two of us get a full checkup together? It’ll prove I’m not lying, and it’ll clear your name too, Hazel.” Before I could even speak, Ethan agreed. I was forced to undergo a series of tests. Soon, both reports were brought to the room. Ethan’s hands shook as he held them. When he saw the results, his face twisted in rage, and he slammed the papers onto my face: “See for yourself! Chloe is the one with cancer! Hazel Vance, you’d even fake an illness like this! Is there anything you won’t do?!” I looked down at the report, then at Chloe. She kept her head low to play the victim, but a smug smirk played on her lips. I understood instantly. The reports had been switched. I didn’t argue or explain. Since the day she returned, he had never believed a single word I said anyway. Ethan took my silence as a confession, his anger flaring even hotter: “Chloe wants chicken soup. Go back home, make some, and bring it over. Consider it your apology for slandering her.” I still didn’t say a word. I pulled back the blanket, got out of bed, and walked out of the ward with unsteady steps. I went back to the villa, but I didn’t go to the kitchen. Instead, I started packing my things. Three years of marriage, and all my belongings fit into a single suitcase. I gently touched my flat stomach. The baby was gone, my love was dead, and there was nothing left to hold onto. Grabbing my passport and the ticket I had booked days ago, I headed straight for the airport. I switched off my phone and threw it to the very bottom of my suitcase. At the hospital, Ethan waited for hours without a sign of me. He called me repeatedly, but it went straight to voicemail. His face darkened, assuming I was just being childish and throwing a tantrum. My primary doctor walked in with my chart, frowning. “Where is Hazel Vance? She has late-stage stomach cancer and needs bed rest. How could you let her wander off?” Ethan froze, his voice cold. “You must have made a mistake. She isn’t sick. The one with cancer is Chloe.” The doctor looked at him like he had heard the most ridiculous joke: “Are you out of your mind? The day she was admitted, the entire oncology department confirmed her diagnosis of terminal stomach cancer. As for this Miss Higgins, she claims she has cancer, but her charts show she is perfectly healthy!”

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Julian Reed and I had been in a cold war for a year. During this year, he completely vanished from my life, never once reaching out. But nobody knew that during the days my father was in critical condition and passed away, I was entirely on my own. I signed the critical condition forms alone, waited outside the ER alone, and arranged the funeral alone. Meanwhile, Julian was by his first love’s side, taking care of everything after her own father passed away. Later, he returned, trying to play the doting, attentive husband again, hoping to slowly patch up our broken marriage. But he didn’t realize that the moment he abandoned me during the darkest days of my life, we were already over. This time, I didn’t need him anymore. 0 Julian and I had been separated for a year. During this year, he spent almost all his time in Los Angeles, helping Vivian handle the lawsuits and debts left behind after her father’s death. From the hospital to the financial audits, from the lawyers to the funeral home, he did everything himself. People on the outside praised Julian for being a man of great honor and loyalty. They said he even carried his ex-girlfriend’s family burdens all the way to the end. But nobody knew that during that exact same time, my father had also just passed away. The day he left, we had a terrible fight. I had just come back from the funeral home, feeling completely hollowed out, emotionally wrecked, and speaking without filters. “Julian, her dad dies and you rush over there to take care of it.” “But what about my dad?” “My dad just passed away. Why didn’t you think about staying to support me?” Julian’s eyes lost their usual calm and gentle look, narrowing slightly as he stared at me with a chilling coldness. His voice was flat and deep. “Chloe.” “Do you really have to say things like that right now?” I let out a bitter laugh, but tears suddenly spilled over. “And what about you?” “Julian, when you chose her, did you ever once think about me?” He didn’t say another word. That was the last time we saw each other. The very next day, Julian flew to Los Angeles. When Julian finally came back, he acted as if nothing had ever happened, smoothly stepping back into the role of a caring, perfect husband. My friend Elena asked me: “Chloe, Julian has been back for a month now. Are you really going to keep freezing him out like this?” “He’s gorgeous and filthy rich. Plenty of girls are keeping their eyes on him.” Julian was the darling of heaven, born into an incredibly prominent family. There were indeed plenty of women at his company who wanted to slide into his life. But he had been gone for a year, and too much had happened during those twelve months. During the first month of his absence, I actually still hoped he would call or text. But he never did. Afterward, I even felt regret, wondering if the harsh words I said had pushed him away. I let out a dry chuckle, unable to help but complain. “I’m not freezing him out. There’s just literally nothing left for us to talk about.” “And honestly, sharing a room with him is just incredibly awkward.” Elena’s gaze drifted past me, looking right behind my shoulder. Her expression froze, and she started making frantic faces at me. I asked her: “What’s wrong?” “Is there something in your eye?” She blinked even harder. I turned around and saw Julian standing there, tall and still. He was frozen in place, his face turning pale. My lips twitched in awkwardness. His eyes locked onto me, a storm of emotions swirling in his dark pupils. Julian walked over to me, and without a word, he grabbed my wrist. I tried to pull away, but I couldn’t. His grip was too tight. Once we got out of the elevator, he practically shoved me into the passenger seat of his car. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. His expression was incredibly dark. A year ago, our marriage was kept strictly secret. The media had no idea Julian was even married. But they definitely knew about his past romance with Vivian. The moment the car started, the radio turned on, automatically shuffling to an entertainment news channel. “Recently, netizens leaked that Julian Reed, CEO of Nova Tech, was spotted multiple times in Los Angeles over the past year, accompanying a young woman to hospitals, law firms, and funeral homes.” “According to insiders, Julian stayed in LA long-term to help his first love handle the debts and lawsuits left by her late father. The two are suspected to have rekindled their old flame…” Julian immediately cut off the radio. I didn’t demand answers from him like I did a year ago. There was simply no point anymore. 0

A year ago, on a snowy day. I received a call from the hospital saying my dad was in critical condition. On my way running to the hospital, I fell. The ground was too slippery. The snow had started without any warning, and no one was prepared for it. The roads were already starting to freeze over. By the time I finally rushed into the hospital, the critical condition notice had already been issued. The nurse handed me the forms, telling me to sign. I was completely numb, my hands shaking so violently I could barely hold the pen. I tried to call Julian, but I couldn’t get through. My mother was having a total emotional breakdown and couldn’t hold herself together. The doctor was pressing me, so I had no choice but to sign the critical condition papers myself. But they still couldn’t save him. The day my dad passed away, Julian sent me a text. [Out of town for business.] Over the next few days, I was at the funeral home arranging my dad’s service. I dragged my mother through all of it entirely on my own. It wasn’t until the third day, when I went back to the hospital to pick up my dad’s final medical records. In the elevator, I overheard two nurses gossiping: “Who is that gorgeous guy staying in the VIP ward of your department?” One nurse replied: “He’s a big deal. The owner of Nova Tech.” “Julian Reed.” The other nurse asked: “He’s so hot. Did you get his number?” “And he’s so sweet. I see him pushing his girlfriend’s wheelchair in the garden every single day.” The first nurse sighed, “His girlfriend is so incredibly lucky.” My mind went completely blank. As I walked out of the lobby, I saw Julian. Standing next to him were several doctors and his ex-girlfriend, Vivian. Those doctors were all top-tier specialists in the country. The group was heading toward the inpatient building. That was the moment I realized Julian’s “business trip” was nothing but a lie. During the days my father was dying, he had gone completely off the grid just to accompany his ex-girlfriend. The night I returned home from the funeral home, I confronted Julian about why he was with Vivian. His brow furrowed slightly. “Are you tracking my location?” I tried my absolute best to control my shaking voice. “Julian, you lied to me about the business trip, didn’t you?” “I saw you and Vivian at the hospital this morning.” “She’s your ex. Why can’t you keep some decent boundaries?” Julian looked up, his eyes perfectly calm as he stared at me. “Chloe, she is my ex.” “But we aren’t enemies.” He explained to me with chilling rationality. “I was at the hospital because her father just passed away, and she couldn’t take the shock. She had to be hospitalized.” “When you called me, I didn’t see it. I was indeed traveling at the time.” “I didn’t lie to you.” During that entire month, he and Vivian stayed in constant contact. In the middle of the night, I would feel the bed shift as he got up to take phone calls. One night, soft crying sounds drifted from the study. I saw his tall silhouette standing by the window. He was speaking into the phone with an incredibly gentle, comforting tone. “Yeah.” “I’m here, don’t be scared.” “I’ll come over tomorrow.” Julian didn’t come back to the master bedroom for the rest of that night. The moment dawn broke, he left the house. I knew the person on the other end of the line was Vivian. I said to him: “Julian, she’s been contacting you since a month ago.” “You constantly come home in the middle of the night.” “You’ve been spending all your time with her.” “She clearly knows you’re married. Why is she still crossing the line?” “What you two are doing is cheating.” Julian’s eyes went instantly cold. “Chloe.” “Don’t make it sound so disgusting.” His protective stance over Vivian made me completely lose my mind. “Her father just died, and she’s all alone now. Can you stop being so venomous with your words?” My nose stung, and a wave of intense grievance rushed up. My father was in critical condition, fighting for his life until he died, and I had to endure all of it alone. Yet he was spending his time comforting his sad ex-girlfriend. “Julian, that’s her own damn problem.” The moment those harsh words left my mouth, Julian’s face darkened completely, his eyes flashing with a cold anger. He said coldly: “Chloe.” “How can you say something so incredibly malicious?” Julian stopped talking to me, looking at me with a gaze that was distant and utterly detached. I watched his silhouette walk away. After that explosive fight, we entered a cold war that lasted for a whole year. Vivian was in a terrible mental state, so she went abroad to recover. Julian went with her. The day he packed his bags, he looked up and gave me a cold, sharp glance. That look was so empty and cutting. I suddenly realized that whatever we had was completely dead. We said nothing to each other. But once I calmed down, I remembered that Vivian had also lost her father. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for what I had said. So, I sent Julian a text: [I apologize for what I said. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that.] He never replied. 0

The media broadcast of Julian and Vivian’s scandal made things even more awkward between us. However, I didn’t dwell on him and Vivian. During his year abroad, I would occasionally come across Vivian’s social media updates on my feed. I knew Julian had helped her contact lawyers, handle her debts, and even traveled with her to clear her mind. Even on New Year’s Eve, he was right by her side. Julian parted his lips slightly, his eyes staring straight at me without any attempt to hide. Being stared at like that made my skin crawl, so I looked away. His deep, low voice broke the silence. “Chloe.” “Vivian’s mental state has stabilized now.” I nodded. “Oh, okay. That’s good.” The car pulled into the underground garage. Julian looked down at me, his eyes dark. “Do you have anything you want to ask me?” “I can explain.” “I don’t want you to misunderstand.” My lips curved up, and I gave him a polite smile. “No.” “I didn’t misunderstand anything.” His eyes darkened even more. Julian’s sudden return completely threw off the rhythm of my life. I had long gotten used to living alone. Normally, after showering at night, I’d leave my hair half-dry, throw my phone on the nightstand, and scatter my work documents and laptop all over the bed. But now, there was another person in the bedroom. The moment I stepped out of the bathroom and saw Julian still sitting on the edge of the bed, my footsteps halted. That feeling of utter discomfort was practically instinctive. I turned around, gathered all the documents on the bed in one swift sweep, and carried them into the study. When I came back out, I took the initiative to bring up sleeping in separate rooms. “Julian, I have to work a lot of overtime lately, leaving early and coming back late. I don’t want to wake you up.” “I’ll sleep in the guest bedroom. I’ve already asked the housekeeper to clean it up.” His brows knit together tightly. After a long pause, he said: “What time do you go to work tomorrow?” “I’ll drive you.” I quickly declined. “No need.” “Our offices aren’t really on the same route.” He stared at me with a heavy gaze. “It is on the way. I have to go to a meeting near your company tomorrow.” I blinked. “But I’m not going straight to the office tomorrow morning.” I made up a random excuse to reject him. I woke up very early. Julian always kept a highly disciplined routine and worked out every week. To avoid him, I either had to leave earlier than him or much later. Since I couldn’t be late today, I got up around six in the morning. But the moment I pushed open the bedroom door, I saw him standing in the kitchen. Hearing the noise, he turned around slightly, his gaze landing on me. “You’re awake?” “Have some breakfast.” He and I hadn’t spent any time alone like this in a very long long time. He had only been back for three days. In the past, we handled our own breakfast and lunch, but we would always have dinner together. But during these past three days, we hadn’t shared a single meal. Just the thought of sitting down to eat alone with him made my head hurt. Algorithms really have a way of precisely targeting the exact things you never want to see. Even though Vivian and I had absolutely no connection and had never even met, her social media posts would still show up on my feed every couple of days. In her photos, Julian’s presence was always subtly there. Sometimes it was a table full of food, sometimes a night view, and sometimes just a random shot of a man’s sleeve. She never said anything explicitly, yet she managed to say everything. During the year Julian was gone, he and I had grown so distant that we had nothing to say to each other. Now, sharing the same space with him, I felt like an intruder who had accidentally wandered into someone else’s life. Even though he and I were the ones who were actually married. Under Julian’s intense gaze, I looked back at him for a second. I casually grabbed a slice of toast and walked straight toward the entryway. I kept my head down as I put on my shoes. He stood right beside me. “Sit down and eat.” I shook my head. “I’m in a rush.” His lips curved up slightly. “I’ll drive…” Before he could finish his sentence, I quickly slipped out the door. 0

Truth was, I wasn’t in a rush at all. I went to the coffee shop just around the corner from our apartment. Julian and I used to be regulars here. I used to think that a man as noble and wealthy as Julian would only eat breakfast served by a housekeeper at a grand dining table, never at a local cafe. But this was the exact place he had brought me to. After Julian left, I always came here alone. The owner had asked me before: “Where’s your husband?” “I haven’t seen you two together in ages.” I made up a lie on the spot. “We’re temporarily separated.” The owner took that as us getting a divorce. Today, the owner suddenly tried to set me up on a blind date. “Since you’re divorced now, right?” “My younger brother is single, and he’s a doctor.” I gave a polite, awkward smile. “Thank you, but I’m not really looking right now.” She kept pushing: “He’s really handsome and tall. Honestly, he doesn’t look any worse than your ex-husband.” Suddenly, a tall shadow blocked the light in front of me. I looked up and locked eyes with Julian’s cold, narrow gaze. My luck lately had been truly terrible. Every single time I talked about him behind his back, he caught me. Julian’s face was incredibly dark. “Hello. She has a husband.” The owner gasped, completely taken aback. “You got back together?” Julian said flatly: “We never divorced.” The owner looked at me in pure embarrassment. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry.” “I really thought you guys were divorced.” Julian’s expression looked even worse now. When we stepped out of the coffee shop, I still ended up sitting in Julian’s passenger seat. He didn’t hesitate to pop my little bubble. Staring straight at me, his lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. “Chloe, the company your team is pitching to today is mine.” “If I recall correctly, you don’t have any off-site assignments today.” It was him? So when I lied to him earlier, he had just been quietly watching me put on a show. I was instantly choked up, letting out an incredibly awkward laugh. When we arrived at the office, it was peak rush hour. There were colleagues everywhere. I stepped out of his passenger seat, trying to look around discreetly to see if anyone I knew was watching. But from somewhere in the crowd, someone called out, “Mr. Reed.” My spine went instantly stiff. A large group of people was walking straight toward us, including both Julian’s team and people from my own company. Julian walked around the hood of the car and stood right beside me. Five or six pairs of eyes immediately locked onto the two of us. I had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk alongside them toward the elevators. When the elevator doors opened, everyone crowded inside. Julian was surrounded in the center, while I stood in the very back corner. Since it was rush hour, the elevator was packed. Just as the doors were about to close, two more people squeezed in. I lost my footing slightly, my body swaying. In the next second, a firm hand wrapped around my waist to steady me. The entire elevator fell into a sudden, dead silence. Practically by instinct, I immediately shrank away, pushing Julian’s hand off me, and explained with a bright, professional smile: “My heels are just too high, I almost slipped.” “Thanks for the catch, Mr. Reed.” My attempt to keep a distance was so blatant that the smile on Julian’s face instantly vanished, his expression freezing. This collaboration project was indeed with Nova Tech. Julian was the lead investor. The proposal was designed by my department. And the presenter was me. As I stood at the front of the room, I didn’t pay much attention to Julian. Only when our eyes occasionally met would I quickly look away. After the presentation ended, we spent another half hour discussing details. By then, the entire morning had passed. Julian left with his team. The moment he was gone, my colleagues immediately swarmed me for gossip. “Chloe, why did you get out of Mr. Reed’s car this morning?” I blinked innocently. “Oh, we worked together on a project in the past, so we’re somewhat acquainted. I ran into him on my way here, and since he was heading to our company anyway, he gave me a lift.” My colleague nodded in understanding. “Ah, Mr. Reed is surprisingly down-to-earth.” 0

To avoid any further overlap with Julian at work, I withdrew myself from this project. My manager was completely baffled. “You designed this proposal yourself. Are you really going to just hand it over to someone else?” I explained: “I have another project that I’ve been tracking for a long time, and I really can’t balance both right now.” Hearing this, my manager didn’t push any further. Julian sent me a message on Snapchat: [I’ll pick you up tonight. What time do you get off?] I replied without a single second of hesitation: [Thanks, but I’m working late tonight. No need to come.] I actually did need to work overtime; it wasn’t an excuse. It was past nine in the evening when I finally walked out of the office building. Julian was standing at the bottom of the steps, holding a paper bag. Seeing me walk out, he looked up. My footsteps paused. He handed the bag to me. Inside was dinner from a restaurant I used to love, along with a warm drink. “I figured you hadn’t eaten yet.” I frowned slightly but still took the bag. “Julian.” “You really don’t have to do this.” “It’s honestly a lot of trouble.” He stared at me intently, his eyes deep. He said: “It’s no trouble.” I let out a soft sigh. But to me, it felt like an immense burden. Last year, six months after Julian left, I bought an apartment. The renovation was just recently finished. Ever since my dad passed away, I had been wanting to move my mother to a new place. Since the apartment was finally ready, I was planning to move in to keep her company. When I went to inspect the property, I ran right into Julian in the community courtyard. Standing right next to him was a real estate agent and Vivian. We all stood there, staring at one another in awkward silence. His face was filled with utter shock. Neither of us expected to cross paths here. It was incredibly sudden. This was actually my first time facing Vivian head-on. She had a very soft, delicate look. She gave off an aura of fragile innocence. She pressed her lips together and gave me a faint, gentle smile. The real estate agent was still talking: “Miss Vivian, your boyfriend has incredible taste. The lighting and layout of this unit are absolutely perfect.” “We’ve also done our best to adjust all the details according to your boyfriend’s requests.” Julian stared at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “What are you doing here?” I told the plain truth. “I’m here to inspect an apartment.” Julian looked confused. “You’re buying an apartment?” “I’ll go with you in a minute.” I shook my head and declined. “I already bought it. I’m just here for the final walkthrough.” I had no intention of keeping it a secret from him; he would find out sooner or later anyway. He was visibly stunned, his eyebrows raising. “You already bought it?” I gave a polite smile. “I’ll head up first.” He walked over to my side, following me. Vivian called out his name in a soft, gentle tone. “Julian, aren’t you going to finish looking at the place with me?” The way she said his name sounded incredibly intimate. Julian looked down at me for a split second, then replied to Vivian: “Let the agent show you around first.” I let out a quiet chuckle, simply finding him ridiculous. I had fully expected him to stay with Vivian. He followed me all the way into my new apartment. I politely invited him in. “Would you like some water?” “Have a seat.” I treated him with the utmost, formal politeness. His expression was complicated as he stood frozen, staring at me. His narrow, dark eyes were incredibly deep. “When did you buy this place? Why didn’t you tell me about something this important?” I mumbled under my breath: “It’s not like I used your money.” His brow furrowed slightly, his voice slow. “That’s not what I meant.” “I mean, why didn’t you let me know?” Why should I have told him? When my dad died and I needed to move, he had no idea. But when Vivian’s dad died, he knew exactly where she was living. I poured him a glass of plain water. I was treating him like an ordinary guest. He reached out and pressed his hand over mine, looking up at me. “We are married.” “Why are you being so polite to me?” I blinked, giving him a small smile without saying a word. When we left my new place and got into the elevator, he suddenly asked: “What’s the passcode to the door?” I kept my head down. “This is my apartment.” I was gently but firmly refusing to give him the code. He quickly changed the subject, trying to explain why he was with Vivian earlier. “After her father passed away, he left behind some complicated property issues and debts.” “The agent brought her here to look at some options, and I was just helping her review the terms.” I nodded, my eyes fixed on the changing numbers on the elevator screen. He added: “Don’t misunderstand.” I nodded again. “I didn’t.” He was explaining himself yet again, begging me not to misunderstand. I silently grumbled in my head about how incredibly slow this elevator was. I answered him: “I really didn’t misunderstand.” A storm of complicated emotions flared up in the depths of his eyes.

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Since childhood, I had been engaged to a pair of twin brothers. They were always fighting over which one of them would marry me someday. They even argued over who could hold me for two seconds longer. But at the husband-selection party, they both smiled and told me that the things they said as kids were just jokes, and whoever took them seriously had already lost. Not long after, they both fell in love with Madison Clarke, the queen bee who had just transferred to our school. To make her laugh, they knew I had a severe peanut allergy, yet they tricked me into eating cake mixed with peanut butter at a birthday party. Soon, I could barely breathe, red rashes broke out all over my body, and I collapsed on the floor in agony, begging them for help over and over. But they only stood off to the side and burst out laughing. “Look at her. Doesn’t she flop around like a dying fish? That’s hilarious!” Only after I completely lost consciousness from anaphylactic shock did they finally call an ambulance. All because Madison wanted to see whether a person on the verge of death would really lose control of their bladder. After I woke up, I tore up our engagement agreement with my own hands and gave up on them completely. Later, I left that city. But even later, those twin brothers who had once pushed me toward death with their own hands searched the whole world for me like they had gone insane. 1 The cold wind blew past, and large, shocking patches of red rash still remained on my exposed skin. After being resuscitated, my body was terribly weak, and every breath felt like someone was ripping my chest apart. But the pain in my body was nowhere near one ten-thousandth of the pain in my heart. I held on to the railing by the road and struggled toward home. Before I even reached the front door, my phone rang. At that moment, my phone suddenly started vibrating. On the screen, Ethan Grant’s name kept flashing. I hesitated for a moment, but still pressed the answer button. “Where the hell did you run off to?” “Madison has been blaming herself because of you, and she cried for half the day.” “You just ate the wrong thing, that’s all. Do you have to make everyone upset? Come back right now and apologize to her.” Before he finished speaking, Liam Grant had already snatched the phone away. “Madison has been waiting for you to come back so she can apologize to you. Can you stop being so dramatic? Can’t you be even half as considerate as Madison?” Listening to their righteous accusations, I only felt the rashes on my body itch even more. I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, my vision suddenly went black. …… When I woke up again, the sharp smell of disinfectant already filled my nose. A nurse stood by my bed with a reproachful look on her face. “You young people really don’t take your health seriously. If someone hadn’t brought you in, you would’ve been dead. You were nearly dying from an allergic reaction and still refused to stay in the hospital. You’re practically insane!” I slowly closed my eyes and did not explain. The nurse asked again: “Have you contacted your family? There are still quite a few follow-up exams, and we need a family member’s signature.” After a long silence, I finally spoke softly. “……I don’t have any family.” After my parents died, I had been living with the Grants. Everyone said I was the Grant family’s future daughter-in-law. But only today did I finally understand that I was nothing more than an outsider who could be thrown away at any time. I stayed in the hospital for five full days. The two Grant brothers did not call me even once. In the past, if I came home five minutes late, they would take turns calling me. They would ask me where I was again and again. They would even drive out themselves to pick me up. But now, I had disappeared for five whole days. Yet they did not even send me a single message. On the day I was discharged, I completed the paperwork alone and took a cab home. By the time I came back to my senses, I was already standing at the Grant house’s front door. I smiled bitterly and shook my head, just about to leave, when Madison’s voice came through the crack in the door. “Sophia hasn’t come home in five days. Should you two call her?” Liam gave a scornful laugh. “She’s just throwing a tantrum. Her parents are dead anyway, so where else can she go besides here? It won’t be long before she comes crawling back like a dog.” Ethan chimed in too. “Exactly. Don’t worry about her. Why don’t we talk about who gets to kiss you now instead……” “But……” Before Madison could finish, Liam covered her mouth and coaxed her softly: “Don’t mention that useless girl. Don’t ruin the mood.” The next second. Madison seemed to glance toward the door casually. Our eyes met. The corners of her mouth slowly curved into a smug and provocative smile. In that instant, I understood everything. She had known I was standing outside the door all along. All of this had been a show deliberately put on for me. I clenched my fists tightly, and my whole body trembled uncontrollably. That night. I returned to the house my parents had left behind. Ever since Mom and Dad died, I had moved into the Grant house. This was the first time I had stepped back into this place. At dawn. My phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed Madison. As soon as I answered, the sound of the brothers arguing came from the other end of the line. They were arguing over which one of them Madison should kiss tonight. This scene used to happen every day. Liam liked kissing me, and Ethan liked kissing me too. In the end, I was the one who suggested kissing one of them each week, and only then did the brothers finally calm down. Now, listening to that familiar argument on the other end of the line, I only felt as if someone had carved a hole straight through my heart. I silently hung up the phone. I opened the ticket-booking app. I bought a one-way ticket back to my hometown for the day after tomorrow. 2 Early the next morning. I walked into the Grant house. Liam was making breakfast in the kitchen, while Ethan was brewing coffee. Hearing the door open, they both looked up at the same time. When they saw it was me, their eyes held only undisguised mockery. Ethan was the first to sneer. “Oh, so you still know how to come back? Weren’t you so full of pride? Who were you trying to threaten by running away from home?” He casually pointed upstairs. “By the way, Madison has already moved into your old room. Move your things into the storage room under the stairs later.” That storage room. It had always been where the cleaning lady kept her supplies. I instinctively looked at Liam. I thought he would at least think Ethan had gone too far. But he only frowned. “I’m worried that Sophia living here will make Madison uncomfortable. Why don’t we just have her move back to her own place?” Ethan immediately nodded. “She was never part of our family anyway. She’s just been living and eating here for free all these years.” “Madison is different. She’s sensitive. I don’t want her feeling awkward because of Sophia.” For a moment, I suddenly felt dazed. Back then, on the day of my mother’s funeral. They had cried while holding my hands, begging me to move in with them. They said they would take care of me for the rest of my life. But now. I had become the outsider in their mouths who refused to leave. It turned out that a person’s heart really could change this fast. Before I could speak. Ethan had already grabbed my wrist and shoved me toward the door. “Get out already. Don’t wait until Madison wakes up and sees you, then ruin her mood again.” Behind me. Liam added flatly. “Change the smart lock too, so she doesn’t sneak back in again.” I did not even have time to tell them. I had only come back to get my passport. After leaving. I first went to replace my temporary ID. Then I contacted a real estate agent. I decided to sell the house my parents had left me. Though I could not bear to part with it. But I knew. I would never come back again. After handling all that, I went to the grocery store to buy food. My health had always been poor. In the past, the Grant brothers always fought to cook for me. They always said takeout was unhealthy, and they could not bear to let me eat it. I still remembered. Once, I casually posted on my feed that I wanted spicy Mexican tacos. The next day. Liam made a deluxe version with his own hands and brought it to me. I saw that his hands were covered in knife cuts and burns. I asked him how he got them. But he hid his hands behind his back and said with a smile: “I messed up by accident while figuring out the recipe.” My heart ached terribly. “I only said it casually. You don’t have to work this hard. We could’ve just ordered delivery.” But he frowned. “As long as I’m here, I won’t let you eat that junk food.” Ethan was the same. To make my favorite cake for me. He stayed up several nights in a row just to learn baking. Back then. Mrs. Grant often said with a smile. “It’s too bad the law doesn’t allow it, or I’d really want both of them to marry you.” Thinking about it now. It felt like a lifetime ago. But it did not matter. Anyway, tomorrow, I was leaving. When I got home. I had just opened the door. But I found the brothers and Madison sitting brazenly in my living room. Only then did I feel annoyed with myself. If I had known, I would have changed the door code from the start. 3 “Sophia, you’re back.” Madison stood up with a smile. “I’ve always been curious about your childhood, so they specially brought me here to see the place where you grew up. You don’t mind, do you?” “She’s very obedient. She won’t mind.” Ethan did not even look at me before making the decision for me. Liam was the same, hugging Madison from behind. “Maddie, I’ll show you around.” “I’m first!” They started arguing over Madison again. I was too lazy to bother with them, so I walked straight into the kitchen to make dinner. In the past. Ethan loved getting jealous the most. As long as I talked to Liam a little more. He would get sulky and throw a fit. I always laughed and said he was like a child. But he would hug my arm and say with a grin: “It’s because it’s you that I get jealous.” It turned out. I was not special. I just had not met the person who could truly replace me yet. While I was chopping vegetables. Madison suddenly walked in, her face full of caution. “Sophia, are you mad because I came over without saying hello?” “I really didn’t mean anything else. I just wanted to see the place where you grew up.” I did not even lift my head. “You’ve seen it, so get out.” As soon as I finished speaking. Ethan had already stormed in angrily. “Sophia, what do you mean by that? Madison took the initiative to be friends with you, and you’re giving her attitude?” “If I’d known you were this ungrateful, we never should’ve let you move into our house in the first place!” Liam also walked in. The way he looked at me was filled with disgust. “Sophia, don’t go too far. Apologize to Madison right now.” I slammed the kitchen knife onto the cutting board and let out a cold laugh. “She barges into my house, and you still want me to apologize to her?” “Are you two insane?” Madison’s eyes instantly turned red. “Sophia, I know you hate me, but don’t be mean to them…… I don’t want to see them upset.” The brothers immediately gathered around her. They comforted her softly as if coaxing a child. Liam turned back and glared at me. Only thick disgust remained in his eyes. “No wonder people always bullied you at school before.” One sentence. It made my whole body freeze in place. In middle school. Because I was thin and introverted, I was often bullied. They gave me all kinds of nasty nicknames. One time. They even locked me inside the music classroom for an entire night. I curled up in the darkness and cried until dawn. That day. Liam braved the storm and searched the entire school building. At last, he followed the sound of crying and found me. The next day. Ethan pulled up the security footage and took it straight to the principal’s office. Everyone who had bullied me was severely punished by the school. Sure enough. The people who know you best. Will always know which words can hurt you the most. Liam looked at my pale face, and his expression paused slightly, as if he realized he had gone too far. But before he could speak. Madison had already lowered her head and said aggrievedly: “Sophia really seems to hate me…… Maybe I should just leave.” Ethan immediately held her hand. “Don’t be sad. I’ll make you a chocolate cake when we get back.” That was my favorite dessert. Back then. He practiced for an entire month to learn how to make that dessert. Now. It had become a gift to cheer someone else up. Watching their backs as they left. My determination to leave became completely firm. But that same night. They pushed open my door once again. Liam carried a takeout box in his hand, with a hint of pride on his face. 4 I frowned and looked at the three of them. I had no idea what trick they wanted to play this time. Liam placed the chocolate cake in front of me. “I made it myself.” “Try it and see if it tastes the same as before.” For a moment. My heart still softened a little. But the next second. The icy river water, along with the way they stood on the bank and laughed loudly, surfaced in my mind again. I spoke calmly. “I’m not hungry.” Liam’s face instantly darkened. “I worked so hard to make this for you, and this is your attitude?” The air stayed frozen for a long time. In the end, I still picked up the fork. Anyway. I was leaving tomorrow. After I finished eating, they would probably leave too. But after only two bites. I frowned. “Why does it taste different?” Liam lifted his chin, his face full of pride. “I specially added mango and extra peanut butter.” “It makes the flavor richer.” The fork in my hand fell to the floor with a snap. I looked at him in disbelief. “Liam Grant……” “You clearly know I’m severely allergic to mango and peanuts!” But he waved his hand carelessly. “Stop pretending.” “Madison has always been curious how anyone could be allergic to both mango and peanuts. I figured you must have been lying to us on purpose before.” “Look, aren’t you perfectly fine right now?” Ethan glanced down at the time and immediately laughed. “I won!” “Madison, tomorrow you have to kiss me three times on your own.” The three of them turned and left while chatting and laughing. The moment the door closed. My throat suddenly began to tighten. Breathing became more and more difficult. I stumbled around looking for my EpiPen. But then I suddenly remembered. All my medicine was still at the Grant house. I used the last bit of my strength to call 91The next second. My vision fell completely into darkness. …… When I woke up again. It was still the same sharp smell of disinfectant. The doctor told me. If I had arrived any later, the consequences would have been unimaginable. I had to stay in the hospital for observation. That night. I did not sleep at all. Early the next morning. I completed the discharge paperwork. Dragging my suitcase, I went straight to the airport. Before leaving. I finally changed the smart lock at home. Then I sent a message to the real estate agent. I told him that as long as he sold the house as soon as possible, I was willing to pay an extra five percent commission. The plane slowly taxied toward the runway. Just as it was about to take off. My phone began vibrating like crazy. The screen was filled with calls from the Grant brothers. I glanced at it. Expressionless, I pressed the power-off button. The plane soared into the clouds. And I never looked back again.

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To save up enough money for a down payment on our future house, I started driving Uber after my regular office hours, keeping it a secret from my fiancée. When the ride request popped up, I stared at my phone in disbelief for a few seconds. In the rearview mirror, I watched my girlfriend of five years holding a man’s arm as they walked toward my car. When she looked up and saw me, her entire body went rigid. She couldn’t say a word. The destination for this ride was a five-star hotel downtown. But just an hour ago, she had texted me on Snapchat, saying she was having dinner with her best friend, Sarah, and would be staying over at Sarah’s place tonight. As I started the engine, the man suddenly leaned forward. His voice carried a smugness he didn’t care to hide. “Hey man, could you drive as smoothly as possible? My wife gets car sick. Thanks.” I nodded numbly. My mind went completely blank. I stared at her through the rearview mirror for a long time. She kept her head down, refusing to make eye contact. The man nudged her gently. “Babe, do you know him?”

“No,” I spoke up before she could. In the rearview mirror, I saw her let out a visible sigh of relief. But she still didn’t dare to look at me. I was already regretting taking this ride. The man looked to be in his early thirties. He was dressed in smart business-casual clothes, with a very expensive-looking watch on his wrist. His hand rested naturally on her thigh. The GPS instructed me to turn right ahead, so I flipped on the blinker. Silence filled the car, heavy and suffocating. The man probably felt bored, so he started scrolling through his phone gallery, leaning in to show her photos from time to time. “Look, babe, this is the progress on our new house from last week. The hardwood floor in the living room is already done.” She mumbled a soft “yeah” in response. I watched her through the rearview mirror. She kept her head down, trying to shrink herself into the seat. Five years of memories turned into nothing but air in an instant, completely outweighed by a brand-new house she shared with a stranger in the backseat. “When did you guys get married?” The words slipped out before I could stop myself. The man was taken aback for a second, then he smiled, his eyes filled with pride. “We got legally married at the courthouse last month. The big wedding ceremony is next month, and we’re going all out.” He said it with a boastful grin. “I’ve been working out of state for a while, so we’ve been long-distance. I finally got some time off to visit her, so I wanted to take her to see our new house.” Long-distance. My throat tightened. Her hometown was upstate, about a four-hour drive from here. Over the past few months, she had told me countless times that she had to go back home to handle family emergencies. I had never once doubted her. “Hey, driver, that’s a nice watch you have there.” The man suddenly leaned closer, pointing at my left wrist. I looked down. It was the watch on my wrist. She had given it to me for my birthday last year. I used to be too afraid to wear it because I didn’t want to scratch it. But she told me that a boyfriend should wear his girl’s gifts, so I started wearing it every day. She bought it with her very first project bonus. She had told me that although it wasn’t expensive, she would buy me a much better one once she made more money. My family wasn’t wealthy. To give her a better life, I pushed myself to drive Uber every single night, wanting to save up as much as possible for our wedding. We were originally planning to get married at the end of this year. “It looks almost exactly like mine.” He held up his left wrist, showing it off. “See? Simple design. My wife picked it out for me. She said it’s a timeless classic.” In the rearview mirror, Chloe’s head sank even lower. “What a coincidence,” I replied. “It’s actually a couple’s set. Since you’re wearing the watch, you must have a girlfriend, right? When are you guys tying the knot?” he asked with a chuckle. I paused for a moment, then spoke quietly. “We broke up.” “I just forgot to take the watch off.”

The man choked on his words, the smile freezing on his face. He looked at me, then back at his own reflection in the mirror. He was probably imagining some tragic heartbreak story in his head. “Man, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know…” “It’s fine.” He leaned back into his seat and stayed quiet for a few seconds. Still, he couldn’t help but whisper, “Hey, it’s alright. You’ll find someone better. My older brother dated a girl for years before they broke up. Now his new wife is amazing.” I nodded. The person who had remained silent in the backseat didn’t say a single word. The car finally pulled up in front of the most luxurious five-star hotel downtown. I looked at the bright neon sign glowing in the night. After he got out of the car, she took his arm, and they walked into the lobby together. She looked up to talk to him, and he nodded. She never once looked back. I sat in my car for a long time. The AC was turned off, and the windows were rolled down. The cold night breeze blew in, making my eyes sting. A parking guard walked over and tapped on my window, telling me that I couldn’t park here for long. I told him I was leaving right away. I started the engine, but I had no idea where to drive. I looked down at the watch on my wrist. Married last month. Which meant that while I was driving Uber to save money, while I was staying up all night doing freelance design work to make extra cash, and while I was eagerly planning our winter wedding, she had already legally married someone else. She was already someone else’s wife, living in a brand-new house. And I was still desperately saving money for her. I pulled over to the side of the road, took out my phone, and opened her Snapchat chat. The last message was from her, sent at 6:23 PM: “Having dinner with Sarah and the girls tonight. If it gets too late, I’ll just sleep at her place. Go to bed early, babe.” I typed a few words, deleted them, typed again, and deleted them again. Finally, I sent just three words: “Let’s break up.” Sent. I took off the watch and placed it on the center console. At the top of the chat screen, “Typing…” popped up. I waited for a long time. The typing indicator kept flashing, but no message ever came through. I put the car in drive, ready to leave. Just as I shifted gears, a familiar figure appeared in my rearview mirror. She was running out of the hotel lobby, panting as she banged on my passenger window. “Unlock the door! Let me explain!” Her forehead was covered in sweat, and her hair was completely messy from the wind. I had never seen her look so disheveled before. “Unlock it!” she begged, tapping again. I unlocked the passenger side. She pulled the door open and scrambled inside, breathing heavily. The scent of the hotel lobby’s expensive perfume filled the car. “How did you…” “Let’s break up,” I interrupted her. “I just texted you. You saw it, right?” She froze. Her lips trembled. It took her a long time to say, “It’s not what you think.” “Then what is it?” “I…” She wiped her face in frustration. “What happened with him was just an accident.”

I looked at her, waiting for her to keep making up lies. “A few months ago, I went back to my hometown. I drank too much, and I… I mistook him for you…” She spoke incredibly fast, panic dripping from her voice. “It was just that one time! Who knew he would take it so seriously? His family is incredibly wealthy. They have multiple properties and luxury cars. His parents came straight to me and offered a lot of money. You know my mom was sick back then, and we desperately needed the money for her medical bills.” I stared at her. A few months ago. She did go back to her hometown, claiming her mother wasn’t feeling well. During that time, she always said she was too busy with work. She barely came home, and whenever I called, she would hang up after just a few hurried words. “You guys got married last month.” “You went back to your hometown to sign the marriage papers, and then you told me you were traveling for a business trip.” She went completely silent. “Did your parents know?” She nodded. “So your entire family kept this from me.” “It wasn’t about hiding it from you. I just… I didn’t know how to tell you.” She grabbed my hand. Her palm was clammy with sweat. “Leo, I really love you. Haven’t you felt that over the past five years? What happened with him was just an accident. Once this is all over, we will get a divorce. Can you please just wait for me?” I looked at her. “You want me to wait for you?” “Just one year, two years at most. Once I sort things out with him, I’ll get a divorce.” “And then what?” “And then we’ll get married!” she said eagerly. “We can still have our wedding. We’ve been together for five years, Leo. Our feelings are real. Can you really just throw all of that away?” I brushed her hand off me. “The day you got married at the courthouse, I was driving Uber to save money for our wedding. I did it because I wanted you to have a better life.” She gasped, stunned. “I drove three to four hours every single night. I took on freelance design work on weekends just to save an extra three to four hundred dollars a month. I thought you were working overtime. I thought you were staying at your friend’s place. But in reality, you were with your husband, looking at your new house.” “Leo…” “And now you want me to wait for you? Wait for you to finish being his wife, wait for you guys to set up your new home, and then come back to marry me?” Without waiting for her answer, I reached over and pushed her car door open. “Get out.” “Leo, please listen to me!” “Listen to what? Listen to when exactly you got married? Listen to how you and your family lied to me?” I looked at her. “You actually reminded me of something.” I turned my head away. “Your parents knew. So from the very beginning, your family never saw me as one of your own.” “Leo, my mom really likes you.” “She likes me? She likes me so much that she helped you hide your marriage? She likes me so much that she wants me to wait like a fool?” She had no words. “Get out.” “Leo…” “Get out!” She sat there, refusing to budge. I opened my door, walked around the front of the car, and pulled the passenger door wide open. “Get out of my car.” Only then did she step out, standing by the side of the road, staring at me. “Leo, we’ve been together for five years. Our parents have met. How can you be this heartless?”

I didn’t answer. I got back in, shut the door, and started the car. She banged on the window from the outside, her mouth moving, but I couldn’t hear a word she was saying. In the rearview mirror, she chased the car for a few steps before being swallowed by the darkness of the night. When I got back to my rented apartment, I stood at the door for a long time, unable to go in. A sliver of light peeked through the crack beneath the door—I had forgotten to turn off the living room light before leaving. I pushed the door open. In the entryway stood her pink slippers. They were bought on a “buy-one-get-one-free” sale; mine were black. On the coat rack hung the dress she had picked up from the dry cleaners last week, saying she had an important event to attend the next day. On the coffee table sat a half-drunk cup of iced coffee she had left behind, right next to a magazine she had been reading. On the sofa lay her favorite pink throw blanket. She always said it was the coziest thing to wrap herself in while watching TV. On the bedroom nightstand were her skincare products, her hair clips, and her half-read romance novels. Her traces were everywhere. I sat on the sofa, staring at the warm floor lamp. She had picked out the lampshade herself, saying the warm yellow glow made the place feel like a real home. My phone vibrated. It was a Snapchat message from her: “He’s leaving tomorrow. Once he goes back upstate, I’ll come over and we can talk things through.” I stared at the screen for a long time. Then, I tapped on her profile picture and blocked her. Our entire chat history vanished. Five years of “good morning” and “good night” texts, five years of “I miss you” and “I love you,” five years of shared daily life—all gone in a second. I started packing her things. Her clothes, her books, her skincare products, her hair clips, her toothbrush, and her towels. I packed everything into two large suitcases. By the time I finished, it was 3:00 AM. Half of the apartment was empty. The floor lamp was still glowing. Staring at the patterns on the lampshade, I remembered the day we went shopping at IKEA. She had said that when we finally bought our own house, she wanted to put tons of warm lights in the living room so we could adjust the brightness at night. I had smiled and agreed, telling her I loved warm lighting too. I stood up and turned off the lamp. The room fell into complete darkness, lit only by the faint glow of the streetlights outside. The next day at noon, I was woken up by a loud knocking on the door. I didn’t know what time I had finally fallen asleep last night, and my phone had died and shut off. The knocking became louder and more urgent. I walked over and looked through the peephole. It was her. I decided to ignore her and turned to walk back to the bedroom, but the knocking started again. “Leo! I know you’re in there! Open the door!” “If you don’t open it, I’m not leaving!” I stood behind the door, motionless. “Mom, you talk to him.” A familiar voice echoed from outside. I froze. I opened the door slightly. She was standing there, with her mother right beside her, and her father standing a bit further back. I had met her mother, Mrs. Peterson, many times. Whenever I visited their house, she was always very polite to me. She used to say we should get married early so she could help take care of the kids while she was still young. “Leo, sweetie, open the door. Let’s have a chat.” I pulled the door open. Mrs. Peterson walked in, looking around the living room. When her eyes landed on the suitcases stacked by the sofa, her lips curled down in disapproval. “What is all of this? Why are you making such a big deal out of nothing?” Her husband stood at the door, refusing to come in, his face completely expressionless. Mrs. Peterson sat down on the sofa and patted the space next to her. “Come on, Leo, sit down. Let’s talk.” I stood my ground and didn’t move. “Why are you just standing there? Come, sit.” “If you have something to say, just say it here.” Mrs. Peterson paused, the fake smile slipping from her face. She glanced at her daughter, then looked back at me. “Leo, look, what happened was wrong on our part. We should have told you beforehand. But think about it—how could we possibly bring something like this up? The other guy is extremely wealthy. He has properties, luxury cars, and his family came directly to us. We couldn’t just ignore an opportunity like that, could we?” I listened, my heart turning cold. “And besides,” Mrs. Peterson continued, pausing for effect. “We can’t put all the blame on Chloe. You need to think about your own financial situation…” “The only reason she drank too much that night was because she was stressed out about how little money your family has. Don’t you think so?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “445083”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster