Category: English

The day after having sex with Ethan Chase for the 100th time, my private photos spread across the entire campus. I ran to him in complete devastation to confront him, only to see someone who looked exactly like him, smiling as he said: “Ethan, Olivia is amazing in bed. It’s such a shame you never tried her yourself.” But Ethan just sneered coldly: “Summer is the only one in my heart. I was only with her because she looks like Summer.” “Now that Summer’s back, I’m planning to dump her.” It turned out that the person I’d been intimate with every night was Ethan Chase’s own brother! Those 100 times we had sex were just “tasks” he completed for his brother! And to please Summer, the two brothers even made my private photos public! Heartbroken and hopeless, I agreed to my parents’ plan to study abroad in London and sent a message to my childhood friend who had once confessed to me: “Does your promise from back then still stand?” Olivia POV I was the famous beauty at NYU, adored by countless guys. Until one day, my private photos suddenly exploded across the campus forum. Overnight, I was completely ruined. My scholarship was revoked, and people even asked me “how much for a night” when I walked down the street. And those photos—only one person had them: my boyfriend, Ethan Chase! I ran to confront him in complete devastation, but just as I was about to push open the door, I heard his friends’ voices inside. “Ethan, that move was brutal! Once those private photos were released, Olivia was completely destroyed and lost her scholarship. Let’s see if she dares to compete with Summer for anything ever again.” Another chimed in: “That’s nothing. If she knew that during these two years Ethan dated her, he never actually liked her—that he even found her so repulsive he couldn’t touch her, so he had his own brother sleep with her at night while he just went through the motions during the day… now that would really break her. Hahaha!” Those words struck me like a thunderbolt! I covered my mouth to stop myself from screaming, my face turning deathly pale in an instant. After he finished, the guy laughed and nudged the handsome young man next to Ethan with his elbow: “Hey, Adrian, you’ve been secretly sleeping with your brother’s girlfriend for two years now. How’s it feel? I’m dying to know.” The young man called Adrian Chase looked almost identical to Ethan. He picked up his wine glass and curled his lips into a mocking smile: “Tsk, what do you think? Her body is amazing, she sounds so good in bed, and she’s so obedient—any position I want… Why do you think I’ve been arranging my transfer to NYU? It’s so it’ll be more convenient to fuck her.” At that moment, Ethan, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke. His voice was as cold as ever, showing no emotion, yet every word cut me like a knife: “Just these few days left. If you want to enjoy her, hurry up. Once the scholarship is confirmed for Summer, I’ll break up with her and officially pursue Summer.” “Holy shit! Ethan, you’re finally going after Summer?” His friends immediately started cheering. “We’ve all seen how devoted you’ve been to Summer all these years. You dote on her so much. And because there was only one scholarship and Summer wanted it, once you found out Olivia was strong competition, you directly approached Olivia, dated her, and then destroyed her… impressive! You two should’ve been together ages ago!” Every single sentence was like a heavy hammer pounding on my heart. My entire body went cold, my blood seemingly frozen. So… the truth was this disgusting, this cruel! I stared at the group inside, afraid I’d go completely insane if I stayed another second. I turned around abruptly and stumbled away. I ran desperately, tears streaming down uncontrollably, the scenery before me blurred and distorted. I’d been strictly raised by my parents my whole life and had never dated before. I even thought dating was troublesome and boring. Until my freshman year, when I was walking past the basketball court with my books, a basketball suddenly flew toward me. I closed my eyes in fright, but the expected impact never came. A tall figure had blocked the ball for me. I opened my eyes in shock and looked into a pair of deep, indifferent eyes. The setting sun cast a golden glow behind him. There were fine beads of sweat on his forehead. He was so handsome he didn’t seem real. In that moment, I clearly heard my heart losing control. Later I learned he was a student at NYU named Ethan Chase. He came from a prominent family—his family had donated several buildings to the school. He was strikingly handsome but very aloof. The girls chasing him could form a line from the school gates to France, but he treated everyone with distant indifference. The only exception was Summer Bennett, a music major who had grown up with him—toward her, he was slightly different. I always knew we were from two different worlds, so I buried those feelings deep inside and threw myself into my studies, becoming top of my class. But then, my “chance encounters” with Ethan started becoming strangely frequent. The library, academic buildings, even the cafeteria… he always seemed to appear near me. Until one day, I’d stayed up too late studying and fell asleep at the library. When I woke up, I found myself leaning on Ethan’s shoulder! I jumped away in fright, my cheeks flushing red. But he grabbed my wrist, his dark eyes gazing at me, his voice low and pleasant: “Olivia, want to be with me?” My mind went completely blank then. Overwhelmed by joy, I nodded in a daze. After we got together, Ethan was indeed somewhat “strange.” During the day he was always rather cold toward me, rarely initiating contact. Our dates felt like he was completing a task. But once night fell, he seemed like a different person—passionate to the point of madness. And… he liked taking private photos while we had sex. Though I felt vaguely uneasy, drowning in love as I was, I always found excuses for him. He was naturally aloof, so he was cold during the busy day. But he liked me, which is why he couldn’t control himself at night… I never imagined that the cold one during the day was his brother Ethan Chase, and the passionate one at night was his brother Adrian Chase! They treated me as a tool to play with and use for their pleasure. Their ultimate goal was just to take away everything I’d worked so hard for and use it to please another girl!

Olivia POV I finally couldn’t run anymore and collapsed in a deserted alley, letting out suppressed, agonized sobs. Just then, my phone rang. It was my family calling. I answered with trembling hands, and immediately my mother’s shrill roar came through: “Olivia! What the hell are those disgusting photos on the school forum! Your teacher called the house! Do you know what kind of negative impact you’ve caused our family?!” My father’s angry rebuke came through faintly too: “We worked so hard to raise you, and this is how you embarrass us at college?!” I cried so hard I couldn’t speak, the pain in my chest suffocating me. My parents were extremely strict with me. They only showed me a rare smile when I got first place or won awards. So I studied desperately, strictly disciplined myself, worked to be top of my class, and did my best at everything, just hoping to earn a little more of their love. But now that something had happened, they had not a shred of concern or trust—only endless blame and disgust. “Cry, cry, cry! All you do is cry! The scholarship is hopeless now! We’ve already bought you a plane ticket abroad for the end of the month. Get out of here! Come back in a few years when people have forgotten about this!” My mother’s voice was cold and uncompromising. My heart died completely. I numbly said into the phone: “Okay.” I would go abroad. But I would never come back for the rest of my life! After hanging up, I numbly returned to the apartment I shared with Ethan. I began mechanically packing my things, throwing away all the gifts Ethan had given me over the past year—necklaces, bracelets, stuffed animals, lipstick… one by one into the trash. Those sweet tokens I’d once treasured now seemed like mocking jokes. Just as I threw the last necklace away, the door lock clicked. Ethan—no, Adrian—walked in. He imitated Ethan’s voice, but his tone was very gentle: “Liv, what are you throwing away?” I looked up, staring hard at this face that was almost identical to Ethan’s but looked younger. My heart felt torn apart again, the pain almost suffocating me. “Don’t these things look familiar to you?” My voice was hoarse with cold mockery. Adrian’s smile froze for a moment, then he cleverly changed the subject. “Why are your eyes so red? Is it because of what happened on the forum today? Don’t be sad, I’ve handled it. All the posts are deleted. No one will dare talk about you anymore. The scholarship’s gone, so what? You’re only a junior—there’s next year. Or just don’t bother finishing school. Come work at my family’s company. I’ll take care of you…” My heart ached terribly, my nails digging deep into my palms. These two brothers—each one a better actor than the last! Just as I was about to speak, Adrian had already naturally pulled me into his arms, his chin nuzzling the top of my head: “Come on, stop crying. It breaks my heart to see you cry, okay?” His familiar scent enveloped me, followed by light kisses falling on my neck, his hands beginning to wander over my body. In the past I would always respond shyly, but today I just felt cold all over, nausea rising in my stomach. I shoved him away hard! Adrian stumbled back, caught off guard. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, his tone still gentle: “What’s wrong? Not in the mood today?” “I don’t feel well.” I turned my head away, my voice hoarse. Adrian stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled: “Alright, I’ll go take a cold shower then.” He didn’t force it and turned toward the bathroom. I continued numbly packing, completely erasing every trace of “us.” After finishing everything, I lay down on the bed exhausted, my back to the bathroom. Before long, Adrian came out with moisture still clinging to him and lay down beside me. He was quiet for a while, but seemed unable to resist. He moved closer and hugged me from behind, warm kisses falling on the back of my ear and my shoulder. I stiffly endured it until, half-asleep, I heard him murmur a name— “Summer…” That name was like an ice pick instantly piercing my heart. I snapped fully awake, my blood flowing backward! So… it wasn’t just Ethan. Even Adrian, every time he slept with me, was thinking of Summer Bennett?! I shoved him away hard again, almost grinding my teeth, my voice trembling uncontrollably: “I said… I really don’t feel well today!” Adrian was startled by my intense reaction. Apparently seeing I was genuinely in a terrible state, he paused and finally compromised with a sigh: “Okay, okay, I won’t touch you. I’ll just hold you while we sleep, alright?” True to his word, he didn’t make any more moves, just held me from behind. I lay there stiffly in his embrace, tears silently soaking the pillow. I forced myself to endure the immense pain and disgust until I finally fell into a fitful sleep near dawn. When I woke the next day, he was already gone, as expected. I used to wonder why Ethan never went to school with me. Now I knew—it was simply because the one sharing my bed at night was Adrian, while the real Ethan during the day couldn’t be bothered with such intimacy. I numbly got up, washed, and prepared to go to school to process my withdrawal. As soon as I arrived at school, before I could reach the administration office, a classmate suddenly rushed over and stopped me: “Olivia! Thank god you’re here! Your advisor wants you in his office right away! He said it’s urgent!” An ominous feeling settled in my chest.

Olivia POV I walked to the advisor’s office and knocked on the door. “Come in.” I pushed open the door. Sure enough, Summer Bennett was there too. When Summer saw me, a flash of triumph and provocation crossed her eyes before she quickly resumed her pitiful expression. The advisor’s face was dark with anger. When he saw me enter, he slammed two papers on the desk! “Olivia! Summer! Explain this to me! Why are your two papers exactly the same?! Even the grammatical errors are identical! Academic misconduct is strictly forbidden at this school! Whoever copied, confess now, and the school will be lenient!” Summer immediately spoke up first, her tone aggrieved but firm: “Professor, my paper was absolutely written by me! I don’t know why it’s so similar to Olivia’s, but I definitely didn’t plagiarize!” I looked at those two papers, my heart going cold, but I insisted: “Professor, my paper was also completed independently. I didn’t plagiarize.” The advisor rubbed his temples in frustration: “You both say you wrote them yourselves? Where’s your proof?” Summer immediately said: “Professor, I have a witness!” The office door was pushed open again. Ethan strode in on his long legs. He didn’t even glance at me, speaking directly to the advisor: “I watched Summer stay up all night writing her paper. There’s no way she plagiarized. As for why they’re similar, I think…” He paused, glancing at me. “You should ask the other person.” The advisor naturally knew about Ethan’s relationship with me. He seemed to understand something. He exploded in fury, pointing at me: “Olivia! What do you have to say for yourself! All the evidence points to you! I’m so disappointed in you!” I looked at Ethan in disbelief. In the past, I might not have understood why he would do this to me. But now, knowing the whole truth, how could I not understand? For Summer’s sake, he could fake a relationship with me, spread my private photos, and now pin Summer’s plagiarism on me. What was so surprising about that? I was in agony, but I also knew any explanation would be powerless against Ethan’s statement. The advisor dismissed Ethan and Summer, then severely reprimanded me again, declaring my paper void and adding it to my record. I walked out of the advisor’s office in defeat. As soon as I stepped out, I saw Ethan alone, leaning against the hallway wall, clearly waiting for me. I stopped, looking at this man I’d loved for two years who had deceived, used, and hurt me from beginning to end. My voice was dry and trembling: “Ethan… don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” Ethan looked up, his eyes still indifferent. “Summer accidentally deleted her paper yesterday. It was the deadline, so she asked me for yours to reference.” Reference? Direct copy-paste with identical grammatical errors was “referencing”? My heart ached so much I could barely breathe. He continued in that cold, pleasant yet utterly cruel voice: “Your scholarship has already been canceled, but Summer is still competing for one. So this paper is very important to her. You… you’re already in this situation anyway, so it doesn’t matter.” Doesn’t matter… Every word was about Summer Bennett. He never considered my feelings, never thought about how much it would hurt me. Enormous grief and anger instantly overwhelmed me. I couldn’t hold back anymore and screamed at him hysterically, pouring out all my grievances, pain, and despair! Ethan probably saw me—usually so gentle and obedient—in such a desperate state for the first time. His brows furrowed slightly. “It’s just one paper. Why make such a fuss?” He frowned and grabbed my wrist. “You’ve always wanted to have dinner with me, right? I happen to be free today. I’ll take you.” I violently shook off Ethan’s hand, that force carrying all the despair and anger I’d suppressed for so long. “I’m not going!” My voice trembled with agitation, my eyes red as I glared at this man I’d once loved so deeply. “I’m not that pathetic! If you really don’t want to have dinner with me, then don’t ever have dinner with me again!” With that, I turned decisively and practically ran away from that suffocating place. Ethan stood there. He didn’t chase after me. After all, in the past when I looked at him, my eyes were always full of light, filled with careful admiration and complete obedience. If he said go east, I would never go west. If he so much as frowned, I would immediately reflect on what I’d done wrong, then soften my voice to comfort him. To him, this really was just a trivial matter. Coaxing Summer required effort. Coaxing me? Unnecessary. In his understanding, even if I was angry, I’d get over it on my own.

Olivia POV I went to the cafeteria alone, ate something randomly, then went directly to process my withdrawal. Hearing my reason for withdrawing was “studying abroad,” the staff, though somewhat regretful about my previous excellent grades, thought of the recent private photo scandal and the plagiarism incident that had just occurred, and merely expressed understanding in a formulaic way without trying to keep me. “The withdrawal process takes a few days to approve. Just attend classes normally during this time.” “Thank you, professor.” I replied quietly, my face expressionless. I went through the day’s classes like an empty shell. When the bell rang, I gathered my books and walked out with the crowd. Passing by the school’s little garden, I saw many people rushing excitedly in one direction, their voices buzzing with excitement: “Quick! Quick! There’s a fight up ahead!” “Oh my god, it’s Ethan Chase! I’ve never seen him that angry!” “He’s fighting over Summer Bennett!” I stopped in my tracks, my heart pricked by tiny needles. I inexplicably followed for a few steps and indeed saw a small circle of people ahead. In the center, Ethan was grappling with another male student. Usually so coldly composed, he now seemed provoked, his movements fierce, that handsome face showing rare fury. The surrounding chatter drifted into my ears in fragments: “I heard that guy confessed to Summer, got rejected, then started harassing her…” “Ethan’s usually so calm, but he actually got physical…” “But isn’t Olivia his girlfriend? Why is he fighting over Summer?” “Tsk, don’t you get it? Ethan saw those photos of Olivia—he’s probably disgusted with her already…” Listening to these words, that barren land in my heart still produced sharp, fine pain. Just then, Summer in the crowd rushed forward like a frightened deer, crying as she hugged Ethan’s waist from behind: “Ethan, stop fighting! I’m so scared… please stop…” Ethan’s movements stopped abruptly. He released the male student who could barely stand from the beating, turned around, and the violence on his face instantly dissipated, replaced by a kind of almost clumsy tenderness I’d never seen. He carefully wiped Summer’s tears, his voice so low and gentle it could drown someone: “Don’t be scared. I’ll stop. Did I frighten you?” That extreme tenderness and care was like a poisoned ice blade, completely shattering my last bit of self-deception. He had never looked at me that way. Never coaxed me in that tone. Even during sex—the most intimate act—he found me so repulsive he had his brother substitute! How blind must I have been to think he liked me? Just then, Ethan’s gaze inadvertently swept across the crowd and happened to meet mine. He froze again, seemingly not expecting me to be there, an extremely brief complex emotion flickering in his eyes. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something. But I looked away first, as if merely seeing an irrelevant stranger, and turned to leave expressionlessly. That evening, I returned to the apartment, physically and mentally exhausted, and went to bed early. Before long, there was noise at the door. Adrian had returned. “Liv, why are you sleeping so early today?” He came over, his tone carrying its usual casual intimacy. I faced away from him, my voice flat: “Nothing. I’m tired.” Adrian heard the coldness in my tone and hugged me from behind, beginning to coax me skillfully, explaining away the paper incident and the fight with his set of false rhetoric. I listened numbly, thinking: one responsible for hurting, one for comforting—these two brothers’ coordination was truly seamless. I closed my eyes, not wanting to say another word to him. Seeing I was ignoring him, Adrian habitually moved closer to kiss my neck, his hands starting to wander. I shoved him away hard, my voice carrying suppressed exhaustion and disgust: “I said, I’ve been really tired lately. I don’t want to.” Adrian, rejected repeatedly, looked somewhat displeased, but seeing my genuinely pale face, he finally held back, though his tone cooled: “Fine. Sleep then.” When I woke the next day, I was surprised to find Adrian still there, not gone early as usual. “Why are you still here?” “Where else would I be?” Adrian smiled naturally, moving closer to hug me. “I upset my baby yesterday, so I specially took the day off to make it up to you properly, okay?” I understood immediately. Ethan probably couldn’t be bothered to put on an act and had simply dumped the entire coaxing task on his brother.

Olivia POV My heart stung. I was about to say it wasn’t necessary when Adrian didn’t give me a chance to refuse and pulled me up: “Haven’t you always wanted to do that list of 100 things couples must do together? I’ll do them all with you today!” He didn’t allow me to refuse, forcefully dragging me out—watching movies, visiting amusement parks, eating desserts… doing all sorts of seemingly sweet and romantic things. He dragged it out until evening, then took me to an upscale club. “Have some drinks, relax a bit.” Adrian settled me on the private room sofa. “I’ll go order drinks. Be right back.” After he left, I was alone in the room. I leaned back on the sofa exhausted, just wanting to end all of this as quickly as possible. Suddenly, the door was violently shoved open. Several men reeking of alcohol stumbled in, and seeing me, their eyes immediately lit up. “Oh! There’s a beauty here! She’s gorgeous!” “Have a drink with us? How much to sleep with you?” “I’m not…” I stood up in fright, my face pale as I tried to explain. “Stop acting innocent! Everyone who comes here knows what it’s for!” Those drunk men didn’t believe me at all. Leering, they surrounded me and even locked the door! I backed away in terror, struggling and calling for help desperately, but as one woman I had no strength against several drunken men. My clothes were being torn. Despair engulfed me like icy water. Just when I thought I was completely finished— “BANG!” A loud crash—the door was kicked violently open from outside! Adrian stormed in furiously. Seeing the scene inside, his eyes instantly turned red! Like an enraged leopard, he struck with extreme ruthlessness, using both fists and feet, instantly taking down several people! But he was only one person against many. In the chaos, someone grabbed an empty bottle and swung it at me! “Watch out!” Adrian roared and lunged over, shielding me completely with his body! “CRASH!” The bottle smashed heavily on the back of his head, shattering instantly! Blood immediately gushed out! Adrian grunted but his eyes grew even more fierce. He turned and kicked the sneak attacker violently across the room! The club’s security and management finally arrived and quickly controlled the situation. Adrian staggered and, losing all strength, collapsed into my arms. I stared at the blood continuously flowing from his head, my mind completely blank, only able to call an ambulance with trembling hands. At the hospital, I kept vigil all night. The next morning, the nurse urged me to go rest: “The patient’s condition is stable. He’ll wake soon. Go get some rest.” I was indeed exhausted and nodded. Halfway down the hall, I realized I’d left my jacket in the room and turned back. Just as I reached the door, I heard Adrian’s clear voice inside, apparently on the phone: “…Not bad. I won’t die.” The person on the other end said something, and Adrian scoffed: “Obviously. Otherwise how would I get her to willingly have sex with me without staging that scene… Tsk, the experience really is good. She has a great body. Most importantly… her voice is a bit like Summer’s. Sounds nice—I can just pretend I’m fucking Summer…” “Like Summer? Of course I like her… but my brother likes her too. What can I do?” “Compete? Forget it. Summer likes my brother. They like each other. I’ll just silently watch over her…” “While my brother hasn’t completely broken up with her yet, I’ll sleep with her as many times as I can…” Standing outside the door, I felt struck by lightning, my entire body frozen with cold! So… even last night’s heart-stopping rescue was a scene he directed and acted in himself! Just to gain my sympathy and make it more convenient to have sex with me?! Even seeking another woman’s shadow in me?! I thought that desperate protection contained at least a shred of sincerity. It was all a joke! Even more cruel and laughable than Ethan’s coldness! I covered my mouth in agony to keep from crying out and stumbled away from the hospital.

Olivia POV That evening, Adrian returned to the apartment with bandages wrapped around his head. “Liv? Why’d you come back? Why not rest more at the hospital?” His tone was normal, as if those words from during the day had never been spoken. I forced down the heart-wrenching pain and nausea, saying quietly: “I watched over you all night. I was too tired, so I came back to rest.” Adrian walked over and tried to put his arms around me, his tone aggrieved: “Look how badly I got hurt for you. Stop being mad at me, okay?” As he spoke, his hands began wandering over my body again, trying to kiss me. I shoved him away hard again! Adrian’s expression finally darkened: “Olivia, I’ve been coaxing and coaxing you. How long are you going to keep this up? Haven’t I made it up to you already?” “Is that the only thing on your mind when you’re with me?” My voice carried tears and despair. “Of course not!” Adrian answered quickly, his acting impeccable. “I like you as a person!” I looked at Adrian and suddenly laughed—laughed until tears streamed down my face. I said nothing more, just looked at him with those cold, desolate eyes. Adrian felt inexplicably guilty and annoyed under my gaze. Finally, he grabbed his jacket with a cold snort and slammed the door on his way out. Knowing he wouldn’t return tonight, I finally had a moment to breathe. The next day I went to school. The club president found me: “Olivia, the club’s having a team-building dinner this weekend—barbecue. You have to come!” I wanted to refuse: “President, I…” “Don’t refuse!” The president grabbed me and lowered her voice. “Also… could you bring your boyfriend Ethan Chase? His family company is so big, and lots of us are about to start internships. Everyone wants to build a good relationship with him… but we can’t usually get close to him. We’re counting on you…” I knew that if I sent Ethan a message he probably wouldn’t respond, but the club members had genuinely been good to me before. I had no choice but to steel myself and send him a message. Unexpectedly, when the weekend dinner came around, Ethan actually showed up. Except… Summer Bennett was with him. Seeing me, Ethan merely glanced indifferently, his tone calm and emotionless: “When you texted me, I happened to be with Summer, so we came together.” My heart felt like it was being pricked with needles. I nodded silently.Throughout the entire barbecue, Ethan’s attention was entirely on Summer. He picked out the best-grilled meat for her first, carefully removed the fatty parts, inserted a straw into her drink before handing it over, and when sauce got on the corner of her mouth, he naturally took a napkin and wiped it away… That kind of meticulous care was something I had never experienced. I couldn’t help but think back over the past two years. Because Ethan was the prestigious heir to a conglomerate, I had always been the one carefully managing his emotions, remembering all his preferences, and following all his habits. I even thought he was naturally that cold by temperament. Until today, when I saw with my own eyes that he wasn’t incapable of caring for someone or being thoughtful—it’s just that the person who could make him willingly set aside his pride was never me. I even saw Summer naturally place vegetables she didn’t like into Ethan’s bowl, and he merely furrowed his brow slightly before actually lowering his head and eating them. I remembered that Ethan had severe mysophobia. He never ate food that others had touched. Once when I accidentally served him food with my own utensils, his face went cold on the spot, and he didn’t touch another bite of that meal. So it turned out all principles and habits could be broken for the person you truly liked. During the meal, everyone started playing games. The first person to lose was Summer. Her punishment was to drink three shots of hard liquor. The moment Summer showed a troubled expression, Ethan directly reached for the glass, his tone decisive: “She can’t drink it. I’ll drink for her.” With that, he downed three glasses without changing expression. Later I also lost. My punishment was to eat a meat skewer covered in hot sauce. The spiciness made tears stream from my eyes and I coughed uncontrollably. I instinctively looked toward Ethan, but he was lowering his head talking to Summer, not even sparing me a glance, as if he hadn’t seen my distress at all. My heart went completely numb in that disregard. Falling in love with him was the worst decision I’d ever made in my life.

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Three years after breaking up, I ran into my ex-girlfriend Michelle, with her new boyfriend Collins by her side. “Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Howard,” Collins sneered mockingly. “Three years since the breakup, and you’ve fallen so low you’re playing with mud here?” I frowned and ignored them, carefully moving the ancient Greek maid sculpture in my hands toward the preset base in the display case. Seeing that I wasn’t responding, Collins actually reached out directly toward the maid sculpture in my arms. “What kind of junk is this? Let me see!” Michelle beside him also frowned, her tone carrying its usual arrogance. “Howard, I dumped you three years ago. Why are you still such a pathetic loser?” “Come on, show Collins that broken clay figure you’re holding. Don’t be a buzzkill. If you behave, I might consider not canceling our previous engagement.” Just as Collins’s hand was about to touch the maid sculpture, I frantically dodged and warned sternly: “Don’t touch it! This is an antique!” Collins flew into a rage and shoved me hard. “Something worth ten bucks from a street stall, and you’re putting on airs!” During the scuffle, I lost my balance, and the maid sculpture suddenly slipped from my hands. Great. These two idiots couldn’t pay for this even if they went bankrupt!

“Crack!” A crisp, heartbreaking sound exploded in the empty, silent exhibition hall. That priceless cultural relic, condensed from countless people’s efforts, shattered to pieces before my eyes. The maid became a pile of cold fragments on the ground. That thousand-year-old melody that had never been played came to an abrupt end. My heartbeat nearly stopped with it. The world fell into deathly silence. I stared blankly at the pile of fragments, my entire body’s blood seeming to drain instantly, my hands and feet ice cold. Michelle frowned and walked over, looking down at me condescendingly, her eyes full of cold indifference and mockery. “Howard, it’s just a broken clay figure. Do you really need to make that half-dead expression?” Collins laughed even harder, bending over with laughter. He stepped on a larger fragment and ground it with force. “Michelle, look at him. Acting like the sky is falling. What a performance. It’s just a broken clay figure. Is it really necessary?” The cultural relic suffered secondary damage. I gasped. Unable to think about anything else, I shoved Collins aside to check the fragments on the ground, trying to salvage what I could. This was a unique piece that our team had spent half a year recovering from overseas, an irreplaceable treasure. “How dare you push him over some piece of junk?!” Michelle shouted sharply, stepping forward to block me, the force so great I couldn’t help but stumble back several steps. She glanced at me. “Apologize to him. Now!” I rolled my eyes at her, circled around her, and pulled out my phone with trembling hands. Under Michelle and Collins’s amused gazes, I dialed the number I least should have disturbed at this moment. When I spoke, my voice was surprisingly calm, so calm even I felt it was foreign. “Dr. Kane?” “A Class One cultural relic, an ancient Greek maid sculpture, has been deliberately destroyed.”

The contempt on Michelle and Collins’s faces instantly froze, transforming into bewilderment. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. “You’re calling the police?” Collins let out an exaggerated sneer. He rushed over and knocked my phone from my hand. With a crack, the phone hit the ground, the screen shattering instantly. “A broken clay figure, a Class One cultural relic? Do you have delusions or something?” “Do you think a poor loser like you could even touch a Class One cultural relic?” Not only did he show no remorse, but as if to expose my “pretentious act,” he did something even more insane. He turned and rushed to a nearby display case where we had just set up a set of ancient Chinese glazed cups. The display case’s security system hadn’t been fully activated yet. The glass cover was only loosely placed. Before I could react, Collins yanked open the glass cover and swept his arm across. Crash— Crisp shattering sounds rang out one after another, more frequent and piercing than the sound of the maid breaking earlier. That set of glazed cups, shimmering under the lights and thin as cicada wings, instantly turned into a pile of crystalline powder on the ground. “I’m not just breaking that one. I’m smashing all of these! What are you going to do about it?” He pointed at the fragments on the ground and shouted at me, “You bought these on Amazon for 10 bucks, right?” He pulled out his wallet, extracted a hundred-dollar bill, and casually threw it on the ground. “This should be enough to buy your whole cart of junk. Keep the change.” These were precious cultural relics, and he was insulting them with a mere hundred dollars?! All the blood in my body rushed to my brain. I felt dizzy with rage. These exhibits were precious and irreplaceable, yet he was destroying them so wantonly! Michelle just stood to the side, arms folded across her chest, watching coldly. Not only did she show no intention of stopping him, she seemed to be enjoying an amusing farce. Her eyes were full of contempt, as if she had seen through all my tricks. “Howard, have you made enough of a scene?” “I know you still want to get back together with me. After all, someone with my family background—if you lose this chance, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” She paused, as if bestowing a great favor upon me. “How about this—apologize to Collins right now. Say you shouldn’t have used such underhanded tactics to scare him. Then we’ll forget about today, and I can reconsider letting you fulfill our engagement.” This was the woman I had loved for five whole years. Arrogant, ignorant, and stupid. Collins immediately took her arm, saying in a boastful tone, “Michelle, you’re being too good to him! After what he did to you, you’re still willing to give him a chance?” Then he turned to me, his eyes overflowing with contempt and smugness. “Howard, did you hear that? Michelle is soft-hearted and still has feelings for you. Shouldn’t you kneel down right now and thank her?” I spat on his shoe. “Everything you destroyed here today, every single piece, is a genuine cultural relic!” “Not something you can insult with your money. I’ve already called the police.” “They’re on their way. You won’t get away with this today!” Michelle looked at me with disgust, frowning. “You just want money, don’t you?” “Stop making up these lies. Three years later and you’re still just as money-grubbing.” She pulled out a black card from her wallet and casually threw it at my feet. “There’s a million dollars in here.” Her voice was full of impatience and condescension. “That should be enough to buy this whole room of junk, right?” “Take the money and stop this act. My patience has limits.” A million dollars? To buy this whole room of junk? I stared at that black card lying on the remains of thousand-year-old cultural relics, dripping with irony. Every word they spoke was like a red-hot branding iron, searing into my heart. This wasn’t ordinary property damage. This wasn’t a dispute that could be measured in money. This was a blatant trampling of human civilization! A ruthless insult to the professional faith I had upheld for years! I slowly, slowly raised my head. My gaze swept past the mess on the ground and shot straight toward Michelle’s self-satisfied face. I looked at the arrogance in her eyes, and in that moment, the string called reason in my heart finally snapped completely. I suddenly stood up. Under Michelle and Collins’s shocked gazes, I raised my hand and, using all my strength, slapped her hard across the face! “Smack—!”

The crisp, loud slap exploded through the empty exhibition hall. The entire world seemed to fall silent in that moment. Michelle was stunned. On her beautiful face, at a speed visible to the naked eye, five clear fingerprints appeared. She covered her face, her eyes full of disbelief. She probably never dreamed that I, who had once obeyed her every word and never dared to raise my voice, would actually dare to hit her. I didn’t stop. I turned toward Collins, who stood there in shock, and backhanded him with an equally loud slap! Smack! Collins screamed and staggered from my blow, crashing into the display case behind him. I shook my hand, which was tingling from the excessive force, and the pent-up anger in my chest seemed to find an outlet in that moment. I pointed at them and roared with all my strength, word by word: “You are not fit to be citizens!” My resistance, like two resounding slaps, struck not only their faces but completely tore away the last shred of Michelle’s pretense at dignity. After a brief moment of shock came overwhelming fury. “Howard!” She covered her face, her eyes vicious, as if she would pounce and devour me alive the next second. “How dare you hit me?!” “I see you really don’t want to work in this industry anymore!” She pulled out her phone, roughly swiping open the screen, and right in front of me, dialed a number. The moment the call connected, she roared into the receiver, her voice filled with the rage of being offended and vicious determination. “Mom! It’s me! I’m having some trouble at the National Museum!” “Yes, some man who doesn’t know his place offended Collins and hit me! Call the Cultural Affairs Bureau leadership right now and have him fired immediately!” She sneered, approaching me step by step, threatening me in an ice-cold voice: “I can not only get you fired immediately, I can make sure you never get ahead in the entire museum and heritage circle! Howard, do you believe me?” “Now, kneel down and apologize to Collins!” “Otherwise, face the consequences!” With Michelle backing him up, Collins immediately snapped out of his earlier panic, his arrogance flaring up again. He rubbed his swollen cheek, his resentful gaze sweeping over me before finally landing on the museum’s crown jewel at the center of the hall, protected independently by bulletproof glass. A nearly insane light suddenly flashed in Collins’s eyes. “You say this is real? You say all of this is real?” He laughed shrilly, like a madman, suddenly rushing toward that display platform. “Fine! I’ll smash this too! Let’s see how you keep up this act! Let’s see what you tell your Dr. Kane!” This was no longer simple destruction. This was insane revenge! “Don’t you dare!” My eyes nearly split with rage, all the blood in my body rushing to my head in that moment. I had no time to think. My body reacted before my brain could. I lunged over like a madman, spreading my arms wide, using my flesh and blood to protect that display platform, standing between him and the cultural relic. “Get out of the way!” Collins had completely lost his reason. He reached out and shoved hard at my body, trying to push me aside so he could knock over that silver pot. In that critical moment, when my heart was about to leap out of my chest— “Bang!” The heavy door of the exhibition hall was violently pushed open from outside by a tremendous force. “Freeze! Police! Everyone put your hands up!”

Stern shouts, like thunder from heaven, suddenly rang out. Over a dozen uniformed, armed police officers surged in like a tide, their dark gun barrels instantly aimed at everyone in the exhibition hall. The lead officer had eyes like lightning, an imposing presence, and a voice filled with undeniable authority. The entire world fell silent again. The police’s sudden arrival was like a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads, instantly extinguishing Michelle and Collins’s arrogance. Collins’s hand froze in mid-air, the madness on his face fading into confusion and terror. But Michelle clearly hadn’t yet realized the seriousness of the situation. She only frowned slightly. After a brief moment of panic, she quickly regained her composure. She even adjusted her slightly disheveled collar, assuming her usual arrogant posture, and addressed the lead officer: “Officer, this is just a misunderstanding.” “My friend was joking with this gentleman and accidentally broke some things. We Hugos will compensate for all losses double—no, ten times over.” She still thought this was a small matter that could be settled with money. Just then, another series of hurried but steady footsteps came from the entrance. Our museum’s curator, currently covered in sweat and looking panicked, was accompanying a stern-faced, naturally imposing middle-aged man as they quickly walked in. Seeing that middle-aged man, the arrogance on Michelle’s face finally showed a crack, her color changing slightly. And when I saw who it was, my nerves, taut to the breaking point, finally relaxed a bit. My eyes grew hot, and I nearly shed tears. I immediately went forward, my voice trembling slightly with emotion: “Dr. Kane!” The newcomer was none other than Dr. Kane from the Cultural Affairs Bureau. The person I had called in my last moment of rationality. Dr. Kane’s sharp gaze quickly swept across the chaotic scene, his brow visibly furrowing. He ignored Michelle’s extended hand attempting to shake his, didn’t even glance at her, but walked straight to the fragments of the ancient Greek maid sculpture on the ground. He crouched down, pulled out a pair of white gloves from his pocket, put them on meticulously, then carefully, as if holding a priceless treasure, picked up the largest fragment. His expression instantly turned ashen. An emotion mixing heartache, regret, and towering rage condensed around him. The air pressure in the entire exhibition hall seemed to drop several degrees because of his silence. He slowly stood up, his gaze like two unsheathed swords shooting straight at the now terrified Collins. “Do you know what you’ve destroyed?” His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried tremendous weight. Every word seemed squeezed through clenched teeth, hammering into Collins’s heart. He didn’t wait for an answer but turned to me, his voice containing rage and heartache suppressed to the extreme. “Howard, tell me the situation. Every detail. Don’t leave out a single word!” I forced myself to control my emotions, took a deep breath, and recounted everything that had just happened. After listening, Dr. Kane said nothing. He only slowly, slowly turned around and looked at Michelle with eyes cold to the extreme.

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The first time I helped someone propose, it was helping my rival propose to my fiancé. I wore a strawberry bear mascot costume, shivering in the cold on a winter street, personally handing the ring to Sophia. She turned around and gave me a sweet smile, her eyes full of undisguised smugness and provocation. The crowd gathered in a circle around us, their cheering growing louder and louder. I blended in among them, clapping the hardest, shouting the loudest. Mason looked past Sophia, who was kneeling on one knee, and in front of everyone, he yanked off my mascot head. He dragged me to a corner, staring at my belly, his gaze dark as water: “Vivian, you’re carrying my child. What the hell are you doing?” Mason furiously dragged me back home. He pinned me against the wall. “Vivian, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” I just looked up at him, even curving my lips slightly. “Didn’t you say Sophia was pitiful?” I blinked, my tone innocent. “That we should give her whatever she wants as much as possible? She wants you, so I’m just helping her out.” Mason’s expression froze for a moment. He probably hadn’t expected me to say that. Then again, I’d been obedient for eight years. Whatever he said, I listened. Whatever he told me to endure, I endured. “There has to be a limit to satisfying her.” He stared into my eyes, word by word. “You’re carrying my child. How dare you…” “I know I was wrong.” I interrupted him, lowering my eyes. My voice was soft, just like every other time I’d apologized before. “Forget it.” His tone softened as he reached out to touch my face. “I won’t pursue what happened today. I’ll explain things to Sophia.” I tilted my head slightly. His hand stopped mid-air. I didn’t look at him, just kept my head down, staring at the floor. “Mason,” I suddenly asked. “Do you love me?” He paused, then laughed, as if I’d asked something ridiculous. “Would I have been with you for eight years if I didn’t love you?” He gripped my chin, forcing me to look up. “Would I have gotten you pregnant if I didn’t love you? I promised you—once I’ve appeased Sophia, I’ll marry you.” I looked at him. His gaze was so affectionate. It was the same look he gave me every time he wanted me, every time he said sweet words, every time he made promises. But I remembered yesterday afternoon. My stomach felt uncomfortable, and I couldn’t reach him by phone. Before going to the hospital, I went to his office to get the car keys. His office door wasn’t fully closed. Sophia’s voice drifted out from inside. “She’s pregnant? Mason, make her get rid of it! How could you let her carry your child!” Then came Mason’s helpless voice, full of indulgence, coaxing her. “Sophia, listen to me.” “I won’t listen! If you don’t get rid of the baby in her belly, I’ll kill myself! My parents died saving your parents, and this is how you treat me—I don’t want to live anymore!” “I know, I know everything.” After a moment of silence, he sighed helplessly. “How about this—I’ll fake my death for three years and give you a child. For those three years, it’ll only be you. After three years, I’ll return to Vivian’s side. Is that okay?” Sophia stopped making a scene. I stood outside the door and suddenly felt like laughing. He’d even thought of faking his death. Had he ever considered what would happen to me when I heard news of his death? How would I, pregnant and alone, get through those three years? What would I tell the child when they asked where their father was? He probably never thought about it. His mind was full of how to appease Sophia, how to repay his debt, how to have it all. He just never thought about me. “What are you thinking about?” Mason’s voice pulled me back to reality. He leaned in to kiss me. “Don’t overthink it. I’ll go talk to Sophia in the next few days. I’ll give you a wedding that everyone will envy.” I turned my head away and stepped to the side, moving past him.

“I’m a little tired. I want to sleep for a while.” He didn’t stop me. I walked into the bedroom and closed the door. I didn’t lock it. There was no need. He wouldn’t come in tonight. He had to work late—or rather, he had to go keep Sophia company. This had been the unspoken rule for eight years. Whenever Sophia was upset, he had to be there for her. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. My hand rested on my lower abdomen, where there had once been a tiny life. Yesterday afternoon, I went to the hospital alone. As I lay on the operating table, I stared at the light overhead, my mind blank for a long time. The nurse asked if I was sure. I said I was. I just didn’t want to wait anymore. Wait for him to come around, wait for him to finish repaying his debt, wait for Sophia to accept things, wait for him to sort everything out. I’d waited eight years and got a plan for him to fake his death for three years. I’m twenty-six years old. I got together with him when I was eighteen. I had guys lining up to date me, but I only had eyes for him. He said he missed how bright and carefree I was at eighteen, but wasn’t he the one who turned me into what I am now? Mason is a really strange person. Outside, he’s the lofty Mr. Sullivan, Sophia’s childhood friend who comes whenever she calls. He could walk past me in the company hallway without a glance, could say coldly “Vivian, you’re in the way” when Sophia made things difficult for me, could act indifferent to me in front of everyone. But at night, behind closed doors, he became a different person. He’d pin me against the door and kiss me hungrily, would take me fiercely in bed, would bite my ear at the most passionate moments and say, “Vivian, wait for me. Once Sophia comes around, I’ll marry you.” He bought me the most expensive bags, gave me the finest jewelry, remembered all my little habits, personally made me hot milk during my period. He was like every girl’s dream boyfriend. So when people called me a lapdog, said I was trying to climb the social ladder, I didn’t care. I thought that one day we’d get married, and I wouldn’t have to hide anymore. Eight years. I went from a bright, carefree girl to a woman who learned to endure. I wasn’t always like this. I, Vivian Archer, never put up with mistreatment growing up. If anyone dared to give me attitude, I’d snap back on the spot. But for Mason, for his debt of gratitude, I pulled out those thorns one by one. Sophia liked to take my things, so I let her have them. When she and her friends humiliated me in public, I endured it all. Once in the bathroom, she cornered me and called me a shameless mistress, said I was seducing Mason. I stood there with clenched fists and didn’t talk back once. Later, when Mason found out, he didn’t say anything. He just took me more roughly that night. Afterward, he held me. “Vivian, later on, I’ll make it all up to you twice over.” Every time I was wronged, he would compensate me—with money, with gifts, with a whole night of passion, as if that could make up for what he owed me. Later, when he found out I was pregnant, he picked me up and spun me around several times, excitedly saying he was going to be a father, telling me to wait just a little longer and he’d give the baby and me our rightful place. I kept waiting, waiting until my belly was showing, until the gossip grew worse and worse. People at the company said I was pregnant out of wedlock, said I didn’t even know who the father was, but I still couldn’t get an official announcement. My phone buzzed. I picked it up. It was a message from Mason: Something came up at work, I’ll be back later. Go to sleep first. I stared at those words for a long time. In the past, whenever I saw messages like this, I’d write long paragraphs begging him to come home early. Today I typed two words, then deleted them. In the end, I didn’t reply at all. I put my phone face-down on the nightstand, closed my eyes, and moved my hand away from my belly. The baby was gone. The me who had waited eight years was gone too. Mason didn’t know. He still thought I was just having a tantrum, thought I was jealous of Sophia, thought he could smooth things over. But he didn’t know that last night, as I lay on the operating table, I thought about my eighteen-year-old self.

That girl stood at the school gate, smiling boldly, and said to Mason, “If you want to date me, you’ll have to get in line.” If she’d known what would happen later, she probably would have slapped herself. Slapped herself awake. Told herself not to be pathetic. When I woke up, the other side of the bed was cold. Oh right, he didn’t come home last night. When I changed clothes, I deliberately picked out a loose hoodie, baggy enough to hide my waistline. The fact that the baby was gone couldn’t be known yet. Half an hour later, I sat in the reception room of a rival company, with the boss, Nathan, sitting across from me. “What did you say?” His voice was surprised. “You want to switch companies?” “Yes.” “Wait…” He leaned forward, looking at me like I was an alien. “Aren’t you Mason’s lapdog? The whole industry knows that project at his company would’ve tanked long ago if you weren’t holding it together. You’ve been devoted to him for eight years, and now you suddenly want to switch companies?” I lowered my head and took a sip of coffee. “Not anymore.” Nathan was stunned for two seconds, then leaned back in his chair, his expression becoming subtle. “Fine, of course I want you. But that bridge project you’re handling…” “I’ll finish it first, then come over.” I put down my cup. “Once that project is delivered, I’ll leave directly. Transfer me somewhere far away, the farther the better. Anywhere is fine.” “You’re…?” He seemed to want to say something but stopped. I didn’t explain, just stood up and extended my hand. “Pleasure working with you.” Nathan shook it, his gaze complicated, but he didn’t ask more questions. When I left the rival company, I went straight back to my own office. This bridge project—I’d been working on it for four years. I’d been on it since graduating college, working from a blank slate to today, pulling countless all-nighters, wearing out several pairs of shoes, revising blueprints over a hundred times. It was almost complete. Soon I’d be able to see something I’d drawn with my own hands standing in this city. This was my only light over the past four years, and now my only hope. The elevator doors opened. I stepped out and immediately sensed something was wrong. My colleagues’ gazes swept over me and quickly looked away. They whispered to each other. The secretary rushed over, her expression tense. “Vivian, Mr. Sullivan wants to see you.” “Got it.” “Um,” she lowered her voice, “Sophia’s there too.” I paused, then continued walking forward. “You’re here.” Mason turned around. “Sit. I need to tell you something.” I didn’t sit. I just stood at the door. “What is it?” He glanced at me, seeming slightly displeased that I was standing, but said nothing. “Hand over your current work and start taking leave tomorrow.” I froze. “What?” “The bridge project,” he paused, “let Sophia take over. She just graduated and needs a major project on her resume. It’ll give her credentials for the future.” I didn’t speak, just looked at him. He probably thought I hadn’t heard clearly, so he repeated, “Organize the project files, teach Sophia, then go home and rest for a while.” “That’s my project.” Mason frowned. “I know, but you haven’t been in good shape lately. This is a good opportunity to rest. You can trust Sophia with the project—there won’t be any problems.” “That’s my project.” I said it again. Sophia stood up and walked to Mason’s side, tugging at his sleeve. Mason glanced at her, his tone softening a bit. “I know you’ve put in a lot of work, but Sophia really needs this opportunity. I’ll compensate you.” “Compensate me with what?” I interrupted him. “Compensate me with one night? Or compensate me with a few bags?” Mason’s expression changed. “What kind of way is that to talk?” “I’m speaking the truth.” I finally walked forward two steps and looked into his eyes. “Mason, I’ve been on this project for four years. Four years. From laying the foundation until now, every single line was drawn by me. And now you want me to hand it over to her so she can enjoy the fruits of my labor?” Sophia’s eyes immediately reddened, and she burrowed into Mason’s arms.

“Mason, I’m not trying to steal her stuff… I just wanted to learn something. I didn’t know she’d mind this much… Maybe we should just forget it. I’ll find another project.” “No.” Mason held her, his tone becoming forceful. “You have to take this project.” He looked at me, his gaze oppressive. “Give it to her.” I didn’t move. “I don’t agree.” Sophia burst into tears. “I really didn’t mean it. I just wanted to achieve something, to not disgrace my parents… If they were still alive, they wouldn’t want to see me bullied like this…” The moment she mentioned her parents, Mason’s entire body tensed. He held her tighter, his voice dropping. “No one is bullying you.” Then he looked up at me, his eyes turning completely cold. “Give it to her. That’s an order.” I felt something crack open in my chest, leaving it hollow. I looked at Sophia in his arms. “Sophia, do you know what my relationship is with him?” Sophia’s crying quieted a bit, her eyes flickering. “You’ve always said you didn’t know. He never told you either.” I smiled slightly. “But let me ask you—these past eight years, every time you made things difficult for me, did you really not know in your heart who I was? Every time you had him come keep you company, did you really not know he was supposed to be with me?” “Shut up!” Mason cut me off sharply. I didn’t shut up. “You knew.” I looked at Sophia. “You knew everything. You’re knowingly acting as the other woman.” “Slap!” A burning pain suddenly spread across my face. I turned my head to the side. It took two seconds to register—he’d hit me. Mason’s hand was still suspended in mid-air, a flash of heartache and regret in his eyes. “You’ve gone too far,” he said. I touched my face. It was swelling. Then I looked up and smiled. “Mason, I’ll give it to her.” He froze. “The project—I’ll give it to her.” I took a step back. “But I have one condition too.” “What condition?” “Ten years’ salary.” I said. “Pay me ten years’ salary, and I’ll leave right now. I’ll hand over all the project files properly and never look back.” He probably hadn’t expected me to bring up money. Sophia froze too, even her crying stopped. “You…” Mason frowned. “What exactly are you trying to do?” “Didn’t you tell me to take leave?” I looked at him. “I still need to eat. I can’t starve to death.” He was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. “Fine. I’ll pay you for twenty years.” I turned and left. Behind me came Sophia’s voice. “Mason, she seems angry…” I didn’t look back. Returning to my desk, I started packing my things. The secretary came over, her eyes red. “Vivian…” “It’s fine.” I dumped everything from my drawer into a box. A photo fell out. It was of Mason and me, secretly taken at the company’s annual party four years ago. He was drunk, leaning on my shoulder, smiling foolishly. I looked at it once, then threw it in the trash. “Oh, leaving already?” Sophia had somehow appeared, leaning against my desk, her voice neither loud nor soft—just enough for everyone around to hear. “Don’t blame me. I really didn’t know about your relationship with Mason. He never said anything. I thought he just pitied you, since you’d been chasing him for so many years. The whole company knows.” A few snickers sounded around us. I continued packing, ignoring her. “By the way, don’t worry about the project. I’ll do a good job.” She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “Besides, you’ve been working on it for so long without producing anything. Four years—your efficiency is way too low.”

I put the last file in the box and stood up. She took a step back, looking at me warily. But I just smiled. “Sophia,” I said, “you’d better pray everything goes smoothly with that project.” Her expression changed. “What do you mean?” “Nothing.” I picked up the box. “Good luck.” I left. As the elevator doors closed, I saw her standing in the hallway, her face turning pale then flushed. Back at the apartment, I started packing to move out. Mason had rented this apartment for me, saying it was temporary, that once we went public, we’d get a bigger place. I opened the closet and folded clothes into my suitcase one by one. My phone rang. It was Nathan. “How’s the project? When are you coming over?” “As soon as possible,” I said. “Help me transfer to the overseas branch. The sooner the better.” “That urgent?” “Yes.” After hanging up, I continued packing and moved out. Over the next few days, Mason didn’t contact me, and I didn’t contact him. On the fifth morning, I finished packing my luggage to head to the airport when my phone rang. It was Mason. I looked at the name on the screen and didn’t answer. It rang again. Still didn’t answer. When the tenth call came through, just as I was about to turn off my phone, the door was pounded. “Open up! I know you’re in there!” I paused, then walked over and opened the door. Mason stood at the door with Sophia behind him. Both were out of breath, as if they’d run up the stairs. I stepped back to let them in. Several suitcases sat in the living room—I hadn’t had time to put them in the closet. Mason saw the suitcases and his expression immediately changed. “What are you pulling now?” “What do you mean, pulling?” He pointed at the luggage on the floor. “Where are you going?” I glanced at him but didn’t answer. Sophia suddenly rushed over and grabbed my arm. “You need to come back and look at it! There’s a problem with the project! The data doesn’t match. We’ve calculated it several times using the blueprints you gave us, but it’s still wrong. There must be a problem somewhere!” I pulled my arm back. “The data is fine.” “That’s impossible! We calculated…” “Then keep calculating.” Sophia froze, then her eyes reddened and she was about to cry again. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you? You deliberately gave us the wrong files, didn’t you? You’ll ruin the project! Ruin my future!” She got more worked up as she spoke and lunged at me again. “You have to come back! Come back with me! Fix the problem before you leave!” She pulled me so hard I stumbled, my foot catching, and my whole body tilted to the side. Sophia let go. I hit the corner of the coffee table. The pain made everything go black for a moment. Looking down, I saw several drops of red seeping through my white dress. Mason rushed over and helped me up, his voice shaking. “Why are you bleeding?” I looked down. “It’s nothing.” I pushed away his hand and stood up straight. “My period leaked.” Mason froze. He stared at my stomach, his face turning white bit by bit. “Your period?” His voice cracked. “You’re pregnant—where did a period come from? Where’s the baby?!” “Mason.” I spoke softly. “The baby’s been gone for a while. Didn’t you know?”

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My boyfriend Ethan saved me from kidnappers, but afterward, he developed severe sleep disorders. Every time he slept beside me, he would have panic attacks and convulsions throughout his body. Desperate and anxious, I had no choice but to turn to my best friend Stella, who worked as a sleep therapist. At first, the two of them were like oil and water, constantly at each other’s throats. “Luna, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t take this case for any amount of money.” My best friend bit down on her cigarette, fuming. Ethan sneered coldly. “Luna, if it weren’t for you, I would never accept her treatment.” Three years passed, and his sleep disorder was finally almost cured. Until a week before the wedding, I found out I was pregnant. I couldn’t help wanting to interrupt the treatment to surprise them both. But outside the door, I heard Stella’s choked voice: “I’m pregnant. I’ll get rid of the baby.” “If you dare tell Luna about this, I will never forgive you.” “She loves you so much. You two need to live a good life together.”

I froze in place. After a long while, I finally heard Ethan’s defeated voice: “But I can’t bear to let you go.” “Every time I see you, I can’t help but want you.” “What am I supposed to do?” I smiled bitterly and crumpled the pregnancy test report into a ball, tossing it into the trash. That’s easy to solve— That evening, I scheduled an abortion appointment for one week later. Over the past three years, to avoid affecting Ethan’s sleep therapy, I would always wait downstairs. I’d wait until I was nearly dozing off, wait until Stella had gently lulled him to sleep, then she’d quietly come downstairs and scoop me up with concern: “Luna, stop exhausting yourself waiting like this. No man is worth sacrificing your health for.” Back then, I would nestle in her arms, feeling completely safe. Now, sitting on the sofa, looking at this home. My heart grew cold inch by inch. Back then, to make her comfortable, I had deliberately filled the home Ethan and I would share after marriage with things she liked, little by little. Ethan had even gotten jealous: “Babe, if you keep decorating like this, it’s going to turn into Stella’s home.” She had looked smug: “Jealousy won’t help you. Who told you Luna loves me most?” Seeing them about to argue again, I had worried and mediated between them, finally coaxing them both into good moods. I couldn’t understand it. How did things turn out like this? It wasn’t until late at night that Stella came downstairs quietly, wrapped in a trench coat, her eyes rimmed with red. Seeing I was awake, her body stiffened slightly. She grabbed my ice-cold hand: “Luna, why didn’t you listen and go to bed early again?” I opened my mouth but didn’t know what to say. She looked at me, unable to hold back a sob, though her eyes held some indescribable emotion: “Look how cold your hands are. Ethan’s a grown man, and I’m here. What are you afraid of?” I instinctively wanted to nod and smile. But from the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the red marks on her neck, half-hidden by the trench coat. My heart felt like it was being gouged out with a knife. I immediately lowered my eyes. That’s right. Before I met Ethan in college, as long as she was there, I wasn’t afraid of anything. Growing up in an orphanage, I was thin and small. On the way to school, I couldn’t avoid being bullied. It was Stella with her purple-dyed hair who grabbed a stick and drove them all away. I pulled out a few dollars I’d earned selling scrap and treated her to cake. She squatted by the roadside, eating, and tears fell: “Kid, in all my life, I’ve never received a gift before.” “From now on, your problems are my problems.” After that, she would boldly protect me on my way to and from school. When she learned I’d almost been assaulted by the orphanage director, she went crazy and charged in with a knife, forcibly taking me away. We huddled in the cheap rental apartment she’d found. Life was so hard, yet she still found ways to give me proper nutrition every day. I washed dishes at a restaurant to save up tuition. Somehow she came back one night with a thick wad of cash, her body covered in bruises. But she just smiled, took my wet hands, and gently dried them: “Our Luna is such a good student. You should be hanging high up in the sky like the moon. You can’t end up like me.” Later, she hugged me and suddenly said she wanted to change her name. “Luna, you’re educated. I don’t like the name Pandi. Help me think of a new one. Preferably one that makes people know we’re sisters right away.” I thought about it all night, then told her: Stella. She smiled, her eyes reddening as she nodded. “Luna and Stella. That’s right, that’s right.” “From now on, I’ll be Stella. I’ll always revolve around you. You can see me whenever you look up.” And then later, she got pregnant with my lover’s child. I looked up. Stella was cupping my hands, breathing warm air into them. Uncontrollable bitterness welled up in my heart. I forced a relaxed smile: “Of course. With you here, I’m not afraid of anything.” So you don’t need to be afraid either. The two people I love most don’t need to be afraid. Because in one week, I’ll be gone.

The next morning, clanging sounds came from outside the door. I pushed open the door and looked out. Ethan was wearing an apron, frantically busy in the kitchen. I paused, looking at the eighth anniversary circled on the calendar. For the past seven years, every year on this day, he would insist on cooking himself. Even though each time he burned everything beyond recognition, making it inedible, I would still rush to eat it all. And he would look at me with red eyes, vowing that next time he’d definitely make me a successful dish. I couldn’t help but curve my lips into a smile, moving behind him: “What delicious food are you making this time?” Ethan jumped in fright, turning to look at me with a forced smile: “Luna, did I wake you up? I’m so sorry.” I felt a bit dazed. I didn’t know when we’d become so polite and formal with each other. Before I could speak, he frowned, his tone frustrated: “Luna, I wanted to make the beef stew you taught me before, but I’ve ruined several batches already.” “Stella’s been craving it for days…” My smile froze. The air fell into an awkward silence. Ethan belatedly realized what he’d said. A flash of panic crossed his face, and he hurriedly explained: “I’ve been having severe panic attacks these past few days. Stella stayed up with me for several all-nighters. And you’ve been focused on work, so I thought I’d make something to help her recover.” “After all, she’s your precious treasure. I have to put in extra effort, right?” I looked at how his shirt was soaked with sweat, and the corners of my mouth twitched. If I’d heard these words from him before, I don’t know how happy I would have been. After all, one was my lifesaving lover, the other was the sister who raised me. Every year my birthday wish was for them to get along well. Now it seemed my wish had really come true. It’s just that there seemed to be no place for me anymore. I waved my hand dismissively, laughing it off: “I’m just thankful you two aren’t fighting. I’m beyond happy that you can put aside your differences and treat her well.” Perhaps my words were too sincere. Ethan’s eyes actually reddened for a moment. He stood there, so guilty he didn’t know what to say. I smiled and stepped forward, taking the spatula from his hand: “Watch me do it. You better remember well.” He paused for a moment, then smiled reflexively: “Don’t we have you, our master chef? If I don’t understand something later, I can just ask you. Why would I, a cooking novice, need to remember everything in one go?” The moment these slightly wheedling words left his mouth, even he stiffened, a trace of chagrin flashing across his face. I ignored this subtle change and pretended to scold: “Hey, there’ll be times when I’m not around. If you learn more, one day you’ll be able to do it independently.” He frowned, his lips moving slightly, as if he wanted to ask why I wouldn’t be around. In the end, he didn’t speak up. He just nodded. Then he picked up his phone and opened the notes app. I quietly glanced at it— It was densely filled with Stella’s likes and dislikes, so much that it was almost pushing down the notes about me. I forced myself to stay calm and look away, but my heart felt like it was being pricked with needles, uncontrollably aching. I could only keep consoling myself that this was good. This way, after I left, they could take good care of each other.

Soon, I brought out a pot of fragrant, beautifully colored beef stew. Before I could speak, Ethan had already rushed to Stella’s door. The moment his hand touched the doorknob, his peripheral vision caught me. He suddenly stopped, then immediately put on an impatient expression: “Stella, has your nose stopped working? Get up already! If you’re late, there won’t be any beef stew left for you.” Stella came out with puffed cheeks, fuming, and immediately hooked her arm through mine. “Luna, control that foul mouth of his. I’m really afraid I won’t be able to stop myself from punching him one day.” Ethan immediately snorted coldly, but his eyes seemed glued to her, so tender and devoted: “With Luna here, would you dare?” “Why wouldn’t I dare?” The two started their daily bickering again, neither yielding to the other. When Ethan and I first got together, Stella couldn’t help frowning whenever she saw him. Now it seemed more like flirtatious banter. I suppressed the bitterness in my heart and covered my forehead helplessly. “Alright, if you keep arguing, the food will get cold.” Only then did Stella notice the apron Ethan was wearing. Her expression stiffened for a moment, then relaxed: “Luna is still the best. Otherwise, what good could I ever get from him in this lifetime?” Seeing the trace of disappointment flash through Ethan’s eyes, I hurriedly smoothed things over. “That’s not true. Ethan said you haven’t been feeling well these past few days, so he specially made this for you. He even ruined several batches.” The moment the words left my mouth, her face changed dramatically, her tone growing heavy: “It’s your eighth anniversary with Luna. Why are you cooking for me?” Ethan froze, then looked at me with guilt written all over his face: “Luna, I… my brain is stupid. I forgot. I’ll go make you a separate dish right now!” I pulled at the corners of my mouth, smiling with difficulty. How could a top university scholar be stupid? It’s just that a person’s heart is only so big. It can’t hold two people. Seeing him turn to go back into the kitchen, I quickly spoke up: “No need to go through all that trouble. I want to eat out today.” “Can we go to the restaurant where we first met?” Ethan’s form paused slightly. He smiled and nodded: “Of course. We can go wherever you want, Luna.” Stella’s expression stiffened slightly, but she also smiled: “That’s more like it. You two better not come back until you’ve had a great time today.” Ethan frowned slightly: “Aren’t you coming with us?” I was about to agree when Stella shook her head, smiling as she pushed us toward the door: “In just one more week you’ll be married. I’m not going to stay and be a third wheel. I’ve already found a place. I’ll move there this afternoon.” She paused. “Brat, after I’m gone, you better take good care of my Luna. Otherwise, I won’t let you off easy.” I wanted to say something, but from the corner of my eye, I caught Ethan secretly squeezing her hand, then finally releasing it helplessly. I quickly turned my face away, forcing back the sourness in my nose, and grinned foolishly: “Don’t worry.” Soon enough, I’ll be leaving this place forever. And you two can love each other for a lifetime without any worries.

At the restaurant, Ethan naturally pulled out a chair for me and ordered many dishes I loved. We sat facing each other, just like when we were madly in love. Except his gaze no longer lingered on me. He kept glancing at the phone on the table. “Ethan, do you still remember the first time we met?” I asked softly. He paused, then nodded. “Yeah, I remember.” “Three years ago you proposed to me here too. Though Stella was cursing up a storm at the time, she was still wiping away tears while recording video for us.” At the mention of her, his handsome features couldn’t help but fill with affection: “I never thought someone like her would actually cry. It was really rare.” Memories vividly surfaced. The corners of my mouth unconsciously curved up, and I instinctively reached for the ring on my ring finger. My gaze fell on his hand—empty. Ethan became aware of my stare. His expression froze slightly, and he smiled with difficulty: “I was afraid of losing the ring, so I put it away carefully. I’ll put it back on when we get home.” I lowered my eyes and nodded. The conversation died again. I could only talk by myself about our journey from first meeting to falling in love to getting engaged—all the hardships, all the unforgettable moments. At first Ethan would still smile, but the more he listened, the lower his head hung. After a long while, his voice choked: “Yeah, we’ve come such a difficult road.” My chest felt tight. I nodded. But if it was so difficult, why would you easily change your heart? The second half of the meal, he ate very quietly. My favorite dishes became tasteless. It seemed that as long as I didn’t actively find topics, we had nothing left to say. After the meal, we walked to the riverside park. Ethan suddenly stopped, hesitating: “Luna, Stella doesn’t know anyone here. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate to let her move out and live alone?” I paused, my tone forced to sound casual. “Then what do you want to do? Have her stay?” “Can I?!” His voice suddenly rose, hope igniting in his eyes. I looked into those eyes. My chest felt like a boulder was pressing down on it, so stuffy I couldn’t speak. The air grew scorching with my silence. He waited a few seconds. The light in his eyes dimmed bit by bit. When he spoke again, his tone had grown cold: “Luna, she came here because of you. Haven’t you always said she’s your best friend, even like a sister?” “The house is so big. It’s not like there’s no room for her.” I fell silent for a moment, then forced out a smile: “Of course she can stay. Just promise me you two won’t bicker anymore if she stays.” Ethan’s face lit up with joy. He almost immediately turned and got in the car, gripping the steering wheel: “Then let’s go pick her up and bring her home right now! She’ll be so happy when she finds out this good news!” I took a deep breath and smiled, shaking my head: “You go. The company has something urgent. I need to go check on it.” Before I’d even finished speaking, he’d already hit the gas and driven off. I turned and went to the company, quickly completing the paperwork for a permanent transfer to Switzerland. My supervisor said in surprise: “Luna, I remember you said you were getting married, which is why you kept refusing the overseas assignment?” I smiled and shook my head: “I’m not getting married anymore.” Perhaps the baby in my belly also sensed that neither of his blood-related parents wanted him. Suddenly there was a sharp pain. My face turned pale. I clutched my stomach tightly. Just as I was about to hail a car to the hospital, I suddenly collapsed to the ground. I pulled out my phone wanting to call Ethan for help, but he called first, shouting anxiously: “Luna! Stella didn’t leave a new address and her phone keeps going to voicemail. Something must have happened to her! Send me the address quickly!” My heart jumped. Enduring the wrenching pain, I sent him the address. Just as I was about to ask him to call an ambulance for me— The phone went to a busy signal. Intense pain struck. I completely lost consciousness.

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My fiancé Ethan Gray and his secretary were playing a game of “strip billiards” at the pool club—lose a shot, lose a piece of clothing. Before long, the secretary had stripped down to just her bra and panties. She leaned against the pool table, whining coyly: “Mr. Gray, I’ve lost everything. What should I take off next?” Ethan turned his gaze toward me with a smile: “Natalie, you strip for her. And while you’re at it, put up that villa under your name.” The people around us burst into laughter, waiting to watch me—the good girl—make a fool of myself. I said nothing. I just calmly took off my jacket, revealing the tight silk camisole underneath. I picked up a cue stick and bent over the pool table, my body forming a perfect curve at the waist and hips. “Sure. But we’re changing the rules. For every shot I win, you two not only strip, you also put up shares in Gray Corporation.” Today, I guarantee I’ll make you both lose everything. Ethan laughed. He tossed the ball in his hand and said contemptuously: “Natalie, have you lost your mind? You can’t even hold a cue stick steady, and you think you can win shares in Gray Corporation?” Melissa Moore’s large chest shook with laughter. “I had no idea you could play pool! If you’re not careful, you might poke yourself in the face with the cue.” The rich playboys around us roared with laughter: “So even the cold Natalie gets jealous!” “Ethan, your fiancée’s got quite the ambition—going after Gray Corporation shares.” I ignored the grating noise. “What’s wrong?” I looked up, my gaze landing on Ethan’s face. “Is Mr. Gray afraid to take the bet?” The smile vanished from Ethan’s face. He couldn’t stand anyone publicly challenging his authority. “Natalie, don’t bite off more than you can chew. I brought you out tonight to do you a favor. You want shares? Fine. But what if you lose?” I tapped the cue stick lightly on the floor. “If I lose, I’ll give you the villa under my name, plus the ten percent stake I hold in Sterling Group. All of it.” Everyone present fell silent, their eyes filled with shock. Ten percent of Sterling Group was worth hundreds of millions. Add the villa, and that was nearly my entire fortune. Even Ethan froze. “Are you serious?” “Actions speak louder than words.” I pulled out my phone and called my personal attorney. “Mr. Brown, bring a betting agreement to Nightfall Pool Club. Ten minutes. I need to see the documents.” I hung up and walked to the bar to pour myself a glass of ice water. Melissa fanned the flames from the side. “Mr. Gray, Miss Sterling isn’t having some kind of breakdown, is she? Making a joke with this much money?” Ethan snorted coldly and wrapped his arm around Melissa’s waist. “Since she’s so eager to hand over money, the Gray family has no reason to refuse.” “When I win her villa, I’ll transfer it to your name immediately. Consider it your birthday present next month.” Melissa excitedly kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Mr. Gray. I knew you were the best to me.” Listening to their sticky conversation, I felt my stomach turn. Ten minutes later, Mr. Brown arrived with the freshly printed temporary betting agreement. Ethan signed his name with a flourish, putting up fifteen percent of Gray Corporation shares, his eyes full of the confidence of a sure winner.

He tossed the agreement on the table. “Natalie, you brought this on yourself. Don’t come crying and running home to Sterling Manor when you lose.” I picked up the pen and signed my name. “The rules stay the same.” I handed the agreement to Mr. Brown for safekeeping. “Lose a shot, lose a piece of clothing. One game decides it all. Whoever pockets all their balls first wins.” Melissa laughed coquettishly and picked up a cue. “Miss Sterling, I won’t hold back then.” First game. Melissa broke. She deliberately stuck out her rear, striking what she thought was a seductive pose in front of Ethan. Ethan moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, guiding her hands to aim. “Lower your waist. Don’t shake your hand.” A sharp crack rang out, and two striped balls dropped into the pockets. “Wow, they went in!” Melissa jumped up. Ethan lifted his hand and tapped her nose. “Not bad. You’re improving.” Under Ethan’s “careful guidance,” Melissa sank three balls in a row. It wasn’t until the fourth ball stopped at the pocket’s edge due to a bad angle that it became my turn. I pushed the cue forward, but the cue ball slipped. Not only did it miss my target ball, it actually knocked in one of Melissa’s balls for her. “Ha ha!” Laughter erupted again. “Did I see that right? That was a gift. Did Miss Sterling practice with a mop?” Melissa doubled over laughing, tears squeezing from the corners of her eyes. “Oh, Miss Sterling, you’re too kind—helping me sink balls!” She walked up to me with a look of someone enjoying the show. “According to the rules, shouldn’t you strip now?” Ethan stood nearby with his arms crossed. “Natalie, a bet’s a bet. Don’t waste everyone’s time.” Without expression, I raised my hand and removed the diamond earrings from my ears, tossing them onto the pool table. The diamonds glinted harshly under the lights. “First piece.” I spoke. Melissa wasn’t satisfied. “Hey, we said clothes. What are you doing bringing out jewelry?” “What’s the rush?” I picked up the chalk and leisurely rubbed it on the cue tip. “The rule is lose a piece. No one said it couldn’t be jewelry. Besides, these were the engagement gift your boss begged me to accept. Taking them off—perfect timing.” Ethan’s expression darkened. “Natalie, cut the sarcasm.” I didn’t look at him anymore. I stepped back. “Your turn, Miss Moore.” Melissa strutted forward smugly and continued shooting. Because of my “mistake,” the table layout favored her greatly. Soon she’d cleared all but her last two balls. My balls—not one had moved. Ethan’s friend Derek Chase started cheering from the sidelines. “Ethan, the villa’s about to be yours.” Ethan’s lips curved upward, his eyes scanning me up and down without disguise. “Natalie, if you’re willing to bow your head and admit you were wrong now, kneel down and beg me, I might still leave you some dignity.” I looked at him. “Ethan, don’t speak too soon. The game isn’t over yet.” Melissa said sweetly, “Mr. Gray, ignore her. Watch how I deal with her.” She bent down and aimed at the second-to-last ball. If this one went in, then she’d sink the eight ball, and I’d lose. Everyone’s eyes focused on Melissa. The cue struck. The target ball rolled straight toward the corner pocket. Ethan was already preparing to applaud. But just as the ball was about to drop, it bounced lightly off the pocket’s edge and stopped. Just that tiny bit short. A wave of disappointment swept through the room.

“Oh no, so close!” Melissa stamped her foot in frustration. She turned her head and glared at me viciously. “Consider yourself lucky.” I walked to the table, looked at the scattered balls, and smiled. Time to close the net. I picked up the cue and walked to a position with a tricky angle. The cue ball was blocked by two of my opponent’s balls. The target ball was at the far diagonal corner pocket, with several obstacle balls in between. Anyone who knew anything about pool could tell—this shot was basically unsalvageable. The playboy Derek Chase shook his head from the side. “No way. Even professional players would have a headache over this shot, let alone a beginner.” Ethan walked up beside me, speaking in a tone of charity. “Natalie, stop struggling. There’s no way you can make this shot. Just hand over the villa keys now, take off your jacket, and we’ll call it even for today.” Melissa chimed in. “Exactly, Miss Sterling. Dragging it out just makes you look worse. Why bother?” I didn’t look at them, just quietly stared at the table. I calculated the angle, force, friction, and every possible trajectory after ball collision in my mind. Three seconds later, I straightened up. “Ethan, aren’t you celebrating too soon?” I walked to the other end of the pool table and changed positions. This time, I dropped all pretense. An aura belonging to a top-tier player made all the surrounding noise die down. Derek froze for a moment and rubbed his eyes. “Holy shit, that stance… why does it look familiar?” Ethan frowned too, but then sneered. “Putting on airs. You think striking a pose will bring a dead ball back to life?” I blocked out his voice and adjusted my breathing. My gaze locked on the four o’clock position at the lower right of the cue ball. English, draw shot. “Crack!” A clear, penetrating strike rang out. The target ball dropped into the diagonal corner pocket on cue. The entire room fell dead silent. Everyone’s eyes widened, mouths hanging open, unable to say a word. Derek’s wine glass fell to the floor, the sound of shattering glass especially clear in the quiet pool room. “Holy fuck, this… is this even humanly possible?” The color drained from Ethan’s face, his eyes filled with shock. “Just luck…” He gritted his teeth, staring at the pocketed ball. Melissa panicked too, her words stuttering. “R-right… it must be luck. How could anyone make such a weird shot?” I slowly straightened up, resting the cue on my shoulder, looking at them. “Whether it’s luck or skill, you’ll know soon enough.” The situation from here on was simple for me. I didn’t even pause for a moment. I moved quickly around the pool table, bending, striking—smooth and fluid. My movements flowed without a single wasted motion. Crack. Crack. Crack. The continuous sound of balls dropping, one after another, hammered on Ethan and Melissa’s hearts. In less than a minute, all my balls on the table were cleared. Only the last one remained—the eight ball.

The room was so quiet you could hear breathing, only the sound of my heels striking the floor. I walked up to the eight ball and looked up at Ethan’s ashen face. “Mr. Gray, it seems your shares are in jeopardy.” Melissa’s face was completely bloodless. She grabbed Ethan’s sleeve. “Mr. Gray… what do we do? She’s going to win…” Ethan stared at the solitary eight ball on the table, veins throbbing at his temples. He couldn’t have imagined that his usually gentle, docile fiancée was actually a pool shark in disguise. “Natalie, you set me up.” Ethan’s voice squeezed out between his teeth. I chuckled lightly, but my eyes were cold. “Set you up? You signed the agreement yourself. You set the rules. What, can’t handle losing?” I held the cue and slowly walked to the optimal shooting position. This was a simple straight shot with no difficulty whatsoever. One gentle push and the eight ball would drop. This bet would be over. Fifteen percent of Gray Corporation shares would be mine, and Ethan and Melissa would be utterly humiliated here. I bent down, positioned the cue, and aimed at the center of the cue ball. Everyone held their breath, staring at my movements. Melissa could barely stand. “Wait!” Just as the cue was about to touch the cue ball, Ethan suddenly slapped the bar and shouted. The shout came so suddenly, carrying a desperate, frantic edge. Everyone jumped. My cue stopped less than a centimeter from the cue ball. I slowly raised my head, my gaze falling on Ethan. “What does Mr. Gray think he’s doing? Interrupting the game means an automatic loss according to the rules.” Ethan panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot. He strode to the pool table and glared at me. “Natalie, you dare sink that ball and see what happens.” He pointed at my nose, his voice trembling. “You really think winning this game means you can take Gray Corporation shares? Dream on.” “I’m telling you, if you dare to win today, our two families are done for good.” “Put down that cue right now. We’ll call this game a draw.” I looked at his ugly expression and suddenly found it laughable. This was the man I once wanted to spend my life with. Arrogant when winning, throwing a tantrum when losing. Seeing Ethan lose his temper, Melissa gained courage too and started shouting at me. “Did you hear that, Natalie? Mr. Gray told you to stop. Don’t push your luck. Gray Corporation shares aren’t for you to touch.” “Tear up that agreement right now and get out of here. Mr. Gray might pretend today never happened.” The friends around us started whispering, advising me to quit while I was ahead. “Natalie, just let it go. If you really push Ethan over the edge, it won’t be good for you either.” “Yeah, we’re all friends. No need to make things this ugly.” Everyone assumed I wouldn’t dare truly offend Ethan. In their eyes, I was ultimately just a woman who needed to depend on a man. I slowly straightened up. “Ethan, do you think I’m playing games with you today?” I bent down again, the cue aimed at the eight ball, my eyes devoid of any warmth. “This ball—I’m sinking it.” Crack! A sharp, violent collision shattered the standoff. The cue ball shot toward the eight ball without a shred of hesitation, without a hair’s breadth of error.

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I was a complete try-hard, but my entire brand was “effortless perfection.” Ever since I was little, I was absolutely determined to take the number one spot in everything. Watching the awe and admiration in other people’s eyes as they looked at me like a genius gave me a thrill so intense it made my scalp tingle. That was, until high school, when I became the perpetual second place. Later, the guy in first place and the girl in third place started dating. When the results for another mock exam came out, I heard someone in the hallway laughing: “Why is Riley always stuck between those two lovebirds like a giant third wheel? Hahaha…” Walking past an empty classroom, I heard the valedictorian tutoring his girlfriend: “Baby, if you score a few more points next time, our names can be right next to each other on the honor roll.” “…” I completely snapped. You want your names next to each other, right? Fine. I’ll take first place and grant your wish! 1 I’ve been fiercely competitive since I was a kid. From the moment I became the fastest in my kindergarten class to master basic arithmetic, earning praise from the teachers and envy from my classmates, my life’s trajectory was set. My vanity swelled as I grew older. Before high school, I practically monopolized the number one spot in my grade. Basking in the reverent gazes of my peers, I felt an intoxicating rush. The joy of a perfectionist pretending to be effortless is just that superficial. For high school, I tested into the elite St. Jude’s Academy with the highest score in the city. But of all places, this was where I met Tristan Hayes. For the entirety of freshman and sophomore year, I never beat him. Not even once! I, someone who lived and breathed to show off, was firmly nailed to the humiliating post of “perpetual second place.” The teachers would always console me: “Riley, you’re already outstanding. You just lack a tiny bit of luck. Just be more careful next time.” But I’d hear them discussing in the faculty lounge: “Tristan’s brain just works on another level. His logic is so mature. I heard he used to do college-level math competitions…” Even when classmates came to ask me questions, they always had to throw in a “high-EQ” backhanded compliment that pierced my heart: “Riley, being able to hold down second place is insane! You’re the only person in our grade who can even compete with Tristan.” Tristan. I maintained my polite, breezy smile: “What can I say? I’m just not as skilled.” Inside, I was screaming and dying of rage. As soon as the classmate left, my desk-mate, Chloe, leaned in mysteriously. “Riley, I’ve got some gossip.” “Hmm?” My eyes stayed on my textbook, but my ears perked up. “Tristan is dating.” What does that have to do with me? “Guess who he’s dating?” I finally shifted my gaze from the worksheet to look at her. “Who?” “Serena Blake,” Chloe whispered. “Who?” Chloe: “…” She rolled her eyes at me. “My dear Queen Riley, if someone scores lower than you, do they just not exist in your eyes?” “Her class rank is right behind you and Tristan.” Thanks to Chloe, I got a crash course on this academic romance. Tristan and Serena were in the class next door. Serena used to rank in the top twenty, but this semester, her grades skyrocketed. “I heard they stay after school every day to do practice tests together. The valedictorian is personally tutoring her. No wonder she improved so fast. He’s a gold-medal tutor,” Chloe sighed. I finally remembered who Serena was. Actually, after every exam, I always checked the names of the people ranked right behind me. Serena had long, dark hair, big round eyes, and curled eyelashes. She was very cute. “You don’t have any thoughts on this?” Chloe poked me, whispering. “The teachers definitely know, but since it’s Tristan, they just turn a blind eye.” “No, why would I care?” I smiled. Date, date, date away! I hope you both get distracted and drop to the bottom of the class! I thought viciously. Right before the end of our sophomore year, the final honor roll was posted. I stood near the back of the crowd, but the rankings were crystal clear. Second place again. I was so mad I planned to go home and eat two massive bowls of rice to vent my frustration. But before I could even finish being angry, I heard someone in front of me joking: “Why is Riley always stuck between those two lovebirds like a giant third wheel? Hahaha…” “Our graduating class really hit the jackpot with these two freaks. The first and second place have never changed hands. But I bet Serena has a chance to overtake Riley next time. She was only six points behind her this round.” “…” That wasn’t all. After school, I realized I forgot my house keys and went back to grab them. Passing the classroom next door, I happened to see Tristan tutoring Serena. They were the only two left in the room. They were sitting by the window. Tristan’s voice drifted out: “Baby, if you score a few more points next time, our names can be right next to each other on the honor roll.” “…” Being the eternal runner-up was miserable enough. But instead of people hoping I’d pull Tristan off his throne, there were actually people hoping someone else would pull me off mine? I let out a dark chuckle. I was fully in my villain era now. You two want your names next to each other, right? Fine. I’ll take first place and grant your wish! 2 At dinner, my parents, accustomed to my second-place finishes, praised me as usual: “Second place is amazing! Your mom and I never scored this high when we were in school. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.” How could I not? I absolutely had to get first place. But at my level, hiring those expensive, gold-star private tutors wouldn’t do much good. Suddenly, a car pulled into the driveway next door. My mom mentioned casually, “Ethan is back for the summer. Do you want me to go over and ask him for his old study materials?” Ethan Sterling. He was two years older than me. During his senior year, he swept the state academic decathlons and secured early admission to an Ivy League university. When he got in, let alone our school, even our neighborhood threw a block party. For a while, he was the absolute star of the town. Before I could speak, my dad said, “Ethan is a competition genius. His materials probably aren’t suitable for our girl’s standard curriculum, right?” The moment my dad said that, a lightbulb went off in my head. I jumped up from my chair. “Why are you acting so frantic?” My mom was startled. I sat back down, shoveled the rest of my food into my mouth at lightning speed, put down my fork, and announced, “I’m going to ask Ethan for his study materials.” The gate to the Sterlings’ yard was open. I walked right in, greeted Mr. and Mrs. Sterling on the first floor, and sprinted straight to the second floor. Ethan, wearing a white tee and baggy jeans, was slouching on the upstairs sofa playing a game on his phone. The lights were dim, and the glow of the screen illuminated his flawlessly sculpted profile. Honestly, I didn’t like Ethan. From the first time I met him when I was ten, listening to our parents exchange parenting tips, I knew immediately—this guy was also a massive “try-hard.” And try-hards never like people who are better at faking it than they are. Sure enough, all these years had only proven my initial impression right. He raised an eyebrow when he saw me. “Well, if it isn’t little Riley…” Before he could finish his sentence, I dropped straight to my knees in front of him. Before I could even speak, Ethan, who had been lounging on the sofa, jumped up in shock. “Riley, why the hell are you kneeling?” I looked at him, absolutely serious. “Ethan, I heard you’re home for the summer. I want to hire you as my tutor.” Ethan came over to pull me up. “If you want to hire a tutor, just ask. Why are you kneeling? You’re going to curse me, and if my mom sees this, she’ll beat me to death.” “It means I’m begging you,” I blinked. “Kneeling on one knee is weird, so kneeling on both shows more sincerity.” “…” “Ethan, can I book you for two months at market rate?” “…Don’t word it like you’re hiring an escort.” “Oh.” Ethan pulled me up and looked me up and down for a good moment. “I remember your grades being pretty solid. Why do you need me to tutor you?” I hesitated for a second, debating, but decided to be honest. “So you’re telling me, since entering high school, you’ve been stuck in second place for two straight years?” Ethan looked at me in amazement, then gave me a genuine thumbs-up. “Honestly, impressive.” “…” Was he mocking me? From what I knew, even though Ethan focused on advanced competitions, whenever he took the standard school exams, no one could ever pry him out of the number one spot. He had no weak subjects. “So you’re here to learn the secret to getting first place?” My ears burned, but I nodded honestly. As expected, a fellow try-hard understands best. Ethan suddenly let out a laugh. “If you’re willing to drop to your knees and beg me, it seems you really want that number one spot.” People like us hate begging others. But Ethan didn’t need the money. If I didn’t beg, why would he agree to tutor me? And compared to the humiliation of begging, staying the perpetual runner-up would actually kill me. “So, will you teach me?” I looked at him eagerly. Ethan had a lazy smile on his face. It was the exact same effortless, carefree smile he wore during his senior year when he secured his Ivy League acceptance. Faking it without breaking a sweat. I was so incredibly jealous. 3 “Bring me your most recent exams tomorrow. I’ll take a look,” Ethan said. “I can’t guarantee I’ll take the job.” That meant he would take the job. Try-hards always leave themselves a little wiggle room when they speak. The next day, I brought him my exams. Not just the recent mock exams, but the ones from the two previous grading periods as well. He flipped through all my incorrect answers. His first comment was: “Nice handwriting.” “…” Of course it was. Since I was a kid, I knew how crucial good handwriting was. I used to fill baskets with calligraphy practice books, all just so that when people praised my beautiful handwriting, I could casually reply: “It’s alright, I guess.” It felt amazing. “You don’t lose many points on careless mistakes. You’re meticulous. For the standard curriculum material, you’re getting almost perfect scores. Your biggest problem is the bonus and advanced questions. It’s normal that you struggle with the ones that go beyond the syllabus.” Ethan paused. He didn’t say the second half of that sentence, but I understood. I couldn’t do them, but Tristan could. That was where he had the edge. “Also, don’t just focus on the STEM subjects. You need to pull your English and History scores up by 5 to 8 points. Maximize your points across the board.” I glared at him resentfully. Did he think I didn’t know that? Bringing English up by 5 to 8 points meant getting a near-perfect score. He said it like it was nothing. Ethan stared at my tense face and laughed. “Why are you looking at me like that? Didn’t you hire me to boost your score? Doubting my abilities?” He was so full of himself. When would I be able to fake it as effortlessly as him? Ethan’s parents were thrilled to hear I’d hired him as a tutor. Their reasoning? It would cut down on the time he spent addicted to video games. ? Addicted to video games, yet easily dominating as the academic god? I was so jealous I could cry. High school summer break began. I didn’t have summer classes yet, so I practically moved in next door. During the weekdays, I would take pictures of my incorrect answers, send them to Ethan, and he would explain them all to me on the weekends. Actually, before I even sent him most of the questions, I had already spent hours figuring out the logic myself. On the weekend, Ethan asked, “Do you know how to do them now?” I nodded. “Yes.” Ethan pulled out a piece of scratch paper with several handwritten problems on it. “Try these.” His handwriting was elegant and sharp, perfectly balanced. I remembered a story: the calligraphy class my mom enrolled me in was actually recommended by Ethan’s parents. I had never seen the problems on the scratch paper before, but they followed the same core logic as the advanced questions I had gotten wrong. Using what I’d learned, I solved the first two. I got stuck on the third one for a while, scribbling all over the paper, but eventually stumbled my way to the answer. For the last one, I burned through two whole pages of scratch paper. None of the approaches I tried worked. I finally put my pen down and looked at Ethan. “I don’t know how to do this one.” The guy next to me smirked. “It’s fine. That’s a college-level competition problem. It’s normal that you don’t know it.” “…” What a blatant attempt to provoke me. 4 I stared at the problem for a long time, as if sheer willpower could reveal the answer. Ethan chuckled beside me. “Alright, going to let your personal tutor show his worth?” His long, elegant fingers gripped the pen and circled two key variables in the equation. He leaned in close as he explained, his voice falling right next to my ear as he turned slightly to look at me. The chaotic mess of my thought process instantly cleared up under his precise guidance. “You probably won’t see this exact type of question on your exams, but consider it mental weightlifting.” He then flipped back to the previous question I had solved. “My answer was right.” I didn’t understand why Ethan wanted to waste time on a question I had already conquered. Ethan smiled like a fox. “If you and everyone else can solve the same advanced question, how do you prove you’re better than them?” I thought for a moment. “By having cleaner, more elegant steps?” “What else?” I drew a blank. “Riley, think about it. For a tough problem, what if others only know one method, but you know two, or even more?” Under my solution, Ethan wrote: [Method 2]. ? I had an epiphany. My eyes lit up as I looked at him. This was brilliant! So pretentious! I loved it! Immediately, Ethan showed me five other ways to solve that exact problem. Two of them required college-level calculus. But the way he explained it, I actually understood. “…” I was so jealous. By July, my summer break was officially in full swing. When the final semester grades were released, I was at Ethan’s house doing practice tests. I checked my rank. Still second. Ethan glanced over. “Scores are out?” I gave a weak “Mhm.” “Not bad. You’re only 5 points behind first place. That’s an improvement.” The main reason nobody in school thought I could beat Tristan was that his total score was historically always a solid dozen points higher than mine. I acted completely unfazed at school, but in reality, I was grinding my teeth into dust. Ethan’s words did not comfort me. Until he handed me a folder. “Here’s your preliminary study plan. Grind through this summer, and we’ll talk about competing next semester.” “Who’s competing?” Ethan nodded patronizingly. “Right, right, you’re not competing. A soldier who doesn’t want to be a general is a bad soldier, and a student who doesn’t want first place is a bad student.” “…” When you fail to achieve something for a long time, it becomes an obsession. That summer, I practically lived at Ethan’s house, studying until my brain was fried. But Ethan treated his tutoring gig like a real job with actual PTO. Whenever he took a day off, I stayed home and did practice tests. Occasionally, classmates would ask me to hang out, and I would actually go. When the topic of prep classes came up, I would smile faintly. “I didn’t sign up for any prep classes. I’ve just been binge-watching shows and playing video games lately.” The binge-watching was true—I watched movie recaps on 3x speed. The video games were also true—Ethan insisted on “work-life balance” and dragged me into playing a few matches with him. My classmates’ reactions were exactly what I expected: “Riley, why would you even need tutoring? You should just pack your bags for the Ivy Leagues already!” “It’s so unfair how easy school is for smart people. My mom hired a top-tier private tutor for me, and I barely have the energy to breathe, let alone watch TV…” “What games do you play, Riley?” I told them the name of the game, and they looked thrilled. “No way, what a coincidence! We should squad up sometime.” “Sure,” I agreed with a bright smile. Crap. Now I had to find time to actually practice the game. 5 Ethan’s tutoring style was very different from any tutor I’d had before. He was blunt: “Solidifying the basics is important, but the basics alone won’t get you to the top. The problem types I’m showing you might never appear in your senior year, but they’ll completely rewire your critical thinking skills.” He didn’t just tutor me in STEM; he took over my English and Humanities too. I studied in the second-floor living room of Ethan’s house, using his personal desk that he had dragged out of his study for me. During the day, his parents were at work. It was usually just the two of us, plus the housekeeper who came by to cook. But Ethan would constantly tempt me, asking seductively, “Riley, do you want some junk food?” I seriously suspect that a significant portion of the tutoring money my mom paid him ended up in both of our stomachs via Uber Eats. While I solved problems, Ethan would sit behind me on the sofa, playing on his phone. When I finished, I’d turn around for him to grade them. I turned around once and found him fast asleep on the sofa. I crouched next to him, admiring his flawless skin, his sharp nose, and his thick eyelashes up close. “…” Jealousy came as naturally as breathing to me. After waiting ten minutes, seeing no sign of him waking up, I poked his arm. Ethan woke up, looking at me groggily. It took him a few seconds to process. “Finished?” He sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. I was playing games until 4 AM last night. I’m a bit tired.” Then he walked over to the desk, picked up my scratch paper, glanced at it, and immediately identified the mistake. I stared at him resentfully. He gamed until 4 AM, then woke up early the next day to earn money as a tutor? And he still had this much energy? Jealous. I spent my entire summer following Ethan’s grueling routine. Driven by the desire for that number one spot, I forgot to eat and sleep. I went through every single past exam paper from the last few years. As long as it wasn’t a purely subjective essay question, I secured every possible point. Before I knew it, the new school year started. I went back to school earlier than Ethan. He handed me a brand new study plan. “Your teachers have to accommodate the pace of the whole class. This plan is tailored specifically for you. Also, these are a few workbooks I picked out for you from the bookstore. Text me if you have any questions.” I had to admit, Ethan was an incredibly dedicated tutor. He charged by the hour, but he constantly went into overtime and flatly refused whenever my mom tried to offer him a bonus. Senior year didn’t shuffle the class rosters, so I was surrounded by familiar faces, but the atmosphere was noticeably more intense. The teachers constantly fed us motivational quotes like, “The game isn’t over yet; any of you could be the dark horse.” I had heard it all a million times. Until the first mock exam of senior year. I was laser-focused during every single subject. After finishing, I meticulously checked my work. Hiring Ethan as my tutor had definitely paid off. I could feel my problem-solving logic was infinitely sharper than before. On the day the rankings were posted, I suppressed the burning anxiety in my chest and casually strolled past the Honor Roll board. My eyes slowly drifted to the name in the number one spot. Riley Evans. First place! My very first number one rank in high school! The corners of my mouth crept up. I looked down at the second-place name. ? It wasn’t Tristan? I scanned all the way down to tenth place. Tristan’s name wasn’t there. Something was wrong. 6 At that moment, I heard people talking in front of the board: “What happened this time? Riley is actually first. Where’s Tristan?” “Tristan had a terrible fever on the day of the exam. He was absent.” “No wonder. Otherwise, how could Riley ever get first?” “…” My rising smile froze completely. Before the rankings came out, I had imagined many scenarios. The worst one was remaining in second place. I never imagined that Tristan would be absent. Which meant, to everyone else, this first-place finish was basically handed to me by default. I was furious. Back in the classroom, friends congratulated me on getting first place. I acted humble on the surface, thanking them, but the second I got home, I turned into a miserable, brooding mushroom. Before bed, Ethan unexpectedly video-called me. I hesitated for a second but answered. The background was his college dorm. Ethan was sitting at his desk, wearing a headset. “What do you want?” I muttered darkly. The guy on the screen smiled at me. “Your mom said you got first place but you’ve been looking depressed all evening. She dispatched me to cheer you up. Why aren’t you happy about getting first, Ms. Evans?” I pressed my lips together, refusing to speak. But Ethan was incredibly patient, and eventually, I spilled the whole story. Ethan was silent for a few seconds after listening, then said sympathetically, “No wonder your eyes are red from crying.” “Who’s crying?!” I glared at him. Ethan laughed again. “Riley, I asked around. You’re nearly 20 points ahead of the second-place student. That proves you’ve made huge progress.” “People are saying I won by default,” I said, still feeling low. Although I was a try-hard who loved to show off, I had always backed it up with genuine, hard-earned ability. “Even if he hadn’t been absent this time, you still would have gotten first place, and people still would have said it was a fluke.” Ethan offered advice from the perspective of someone who had been there. “He missed one exam. He won’t miss the second or the third. Your goal isn’t just to get first place once. Over time, those doubting voices will disappear.” Ethan’s words calmed me down a bit. I knew the logic, but I had been obsessing over this ranking for two years and had dug myself into a mental hole. “Figured it out? If you have, go to sleep peacefully. You’re too young to carry so much mental baggage.” The call ended. I took a deep breath, lay down on my bed, and tried to sleep. Ten minutes later, I crawled out of bed and finished half a practice test at my desk before I could finally sleep peacefully. When I went back to school the next day, I maintained my persona as the effortless, aloof academic god. My homeroom teacher even called me into the office for a pep talk: “Riley, your state of mind this semester is excellent, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you run into any difficulties in your studies or your personal life, you can always talk to me.” I knew the teachers also felt my first-place finish wasn’t entirely legitimate, but just as Ethan said, we had a long road ahead. Time would prove everything. The next major exam after the mock was the city-wide standardized test. Tristan, in the class next door, had long since returned to school. As the exam approached, I accidentally overheard the boys in his class talking as they walked together: “Tristan, make sure you take back your rightful number one spot this time!” 7 A city-wide standardized test naturally included students from other high schools, allowing for a much broader comparison. The questions this time were brutally difficult, especially in Math and Physics. Even the English section included a lot of obscure, college-level vocabulary. Almost everyone walked out of the exam rooms sighing in despair. I, of course, realized the difficulty of the exam. And the results proved that my decision to hire Ethan as my tutor over the summer was entirely correct. After the exams were over, the teachers began reviewing the papers. Because of the difficulty, one class period simply wasn’t enough time. When the math teacher finally got to the last question, half the grading results had already been released. “It’s completely normal that most of you couldn’t solve this problem. Getting the first sub-question right is already a great achievement. From what I know, the teachers grading this question had a very easy time. So far, there are fewer than five students in the entire city who solved it perfectly. Do we have anyone in our class who did?” In the dead silence, I slowly raised my hand. The math teacher nodded in satisfaction. “It looks like in the two classes I teach, only Riley and Tristan from the class next door managed to solve it. “Riley, come up to the board and walk us through your thought process.” Under the watchful eyes of everyone, I walked to the podium and clearly laid out and explained the solution steps. When I finished calculating the final result on the chalkboard, I paused and looked at the math teacher. “Teacher, actually, I have another method that is much more elegant.” The math teacher looked slightly surprised. “Go ahead.” So, I began explaining the second method. This time, more students in the class showed expressions of sudden realization. The math teacher’s gaze upon me was filled with even more admiration. I couldn’t care less if people secretly called me a try-hard. When people think I’m pretending to be a genius, it means my performance was a success. It felt so good! Even before the official scores for all subjects were released, I had already estimated my score based on the answer keys. My ranking would depend on how everyone else performed. On the day the rankings were posted, I didn’t rush to look at them immediately. Being too eager would ruin my aloof, unbothered persona. During passing period, while everyone else ran to check the brand-new Honor Roll board, I sat calmly at my desk, working on the practice book Ethan had given me. My desk-mate jogged back into the room, looking at me excitedly. “Riley, you’re number one! Number one in the whole city!” She wasn’t the only one. Other classmates came over to congratulate me. “As expected of our Queen Riley! You’re insane! You beat Tristan by 2 points!” “With questions that difficult, scoring a 1580—are you trying to ascend to heaven?” “This is so satisfying! When you got first on the last mock exam, the class next door said you only won because Tristan was absent and got lucky. Let’s see what they have to say now!” “…” I had a pretty good reputation in class. Firstly, because of my grades, and secondly, because of my willingness to help classmates with their questions. I was even the Class Representative for Academics. Now, facing my classmates who were genuinely happy for me, I maintained my persona and smiled faintly. “I guess I just had pretty good luck this time.” That day after school, I walked past the Honor Roll board. Seeing the names of the little couple from the class next door nestled together right beneath my first-place spot, a mysterious smile graced my face. I had finally granted the little couple’s wish. Going home, I hid under my thin blanket and rolled around on my bed in excitement. It felt so good! Getting first place is the best feeling in the world! 8 When I went back to school, I was still the hardworking, humble, and unbothered top student. Since we were in adjacent classes, I occasionally bumped into Tristan in the hallway. We obviously knew who each other were, but we weren’t close—barely even acquaintances. For the past two years, he probably hadn’t even considered me a blip on his radar, considering I had always been stuck beneath him in the academic rankings. Now, when we crossed paths, I occasionally caught him looking at me. It was the kind of appraising look reserved for a genuine rival. Satisfying. I naturally told Ethan about getting first place. After offering a few polite compliments, he asked for my exam papers and then asked, “How are you doing on those practice books I gave you before?” “I’ve finished most of them,” I replied. “I bought a new set of exams. I’ll bring them back for you this weekend,” Ethan said. I was a bit taken aback. “Didn’t the tutoring end a long time ago…” Giving me practice books right as the tutoring ended made sense, but what was the point of bringing me more exams now? Ethan chuckled. “Isn’t this my first time being a tutor? I need to let you experience what premium after-sales service feels like.” “…” I really need to learn how to act as effortlessly cool as him in the future. In a semester, there are only a few major exams with grade-wide rankings. After the city-wide standardized test, there was another mock exam. I didn’t get first place that time. I missed it by exactly 1 point. My mindset was better than before, but I still went home and sulked for the entire night. Compared to Tristan’s crushing dominance in the past, the current situation was much brighter for me. The nickname “Perpetual Runner-Up” was slowly detaching itself from me. When finals approached, I dialed my focus up to twelve. I double-checked almost every single question. Especially for the advanced questions, I only felt relieved when I used two different methods and arrived at the exact same answer. After that came winter break. Time passed much faster than I imagined. Just a few days into the break, it was my 18th birthday. My parents went all out decorating the house, ordered a custom cake, and prepared gifts. That day, the final rankings were released. First place, beating the second place by a full 5 points. My heart was soaring with joy. After asking for my opinion, my parents invited Ethan’s family over for dinner. At the dinner table, the adults engaged in their usual round of mutual bragging about their kids. I was used to it. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ethan seriously focusing on his food. Good, he didn’t let my dad’s cooking go to waste. After eating the birthday cake, Ethan said he was taking me to his roof to set off fireworks. “You call these sparklers ‘fireworks’?” I asked, delivering a soul-piercing question. “Why is a young kid like you looking down on sparklers?” Ethan smiled brightly. “Aren’t they pretty?” “…” They were pretty, sure. But standing on a roof in the freezing winter wind at night made us look like complete idiots. Ethan lit a sparkler and placed it in my hand. “Make another wish. The day isn’t over yet. Wish for whatever teenage dreams you have.” The bright sparks danced in my hand. I reverently closed my eyes and solemnly made my 18th birthday wish. Click. A flash of white light went off. I opened my eyes to see Ethan pointing a camera at me, having just taken a picture. I had no idea where he pulled it from. “What did you wish for?” he asked. The sparkler in my hand hadn’t burned out yet. I met his gaze, unaware of how bright my eyes looked in the glow of the sparks. “I want to be the State Valedictorian.” That was my teenage dream. An incredibly ambitious dream. The sparkler fizzled out, but Ethan smiled, his eyes shining brightly too. “Alright, keep coming over during winter break. I’ll keep tutoring you.” I looked up in surprise. Before I could speak, he added, “Free of charge.” After hesitating for a moment, I asked, “If you have free time, shouldn’t you be looking for an internship?” Ethan looked at me, raising an eyebrow. “Did I not tell you? I’m in a combined Master’s-PhD program. It’s going to be a long time before I graduate.” “…” So pretentious. I was dying of envy. As I was about to head downstairs, Ethan took the camera off his neck and, without any warning, hung it around mine. The weight of it made me freeze. “This is your birthday present. I hope you’ll be a happy adult.”

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I rescued three wolf pups from the streets, and they all grew up to be shifters. They clung to me every single day, practically dragging me into bed. Once, when I was completely exhausted and limp, I overheard them talking: “Tsk, with her weak body and stamina, she actually dares to keep three of us?” “It’s fine. Once she can’t take it anymore, she’ll just give us to her younger sister.” “She can’t even get out of bed right now. Give it a few more days, and she’ll give up on keeping us entirely.” My vision went black. I immediately grabbed my phone and called my sister: “Aren’t you always complaining about being frustrated? I’ll give you all three of my wolves. Give me that platonic snake shifter of yours!” 1 The conversation in the living room continued. They thought I was asleep. I lowered my eyes, looking at the faint glow of the bedside lamp illuminating the various red marks on my wrists and legs—all undeniable evidence of our intimacy. “She wouldn’t actually give us all to her sister, would she?” “Yeah, which means she’ll probably keep one of us.” “Tsk, Vivian is so wooden and boring. You guys can stay if you want, but I’m not doing it.” “…I don’t want to, either.” “Whatever, we’ll leave it to fate. Is she awake yet?” “Definitely not. She cried so hard she almost passed out earlier. How could she wake up so easily?” “She’s so weak.” “Let’s wake her up later and go at it for a few more days straight. She’ll probably give up on keeping us then.” My vision went completely dark. Pale-faced, I grabbed my phone and dialed my sister, Sabrina. She answered quickly. “What’s up, sis?” My voice was pure desperation: “Didn’t you say you were incredibly frustrated lately? I’ll give you all three of mine. Give me that platonic snake shifter of yours.” She paused, not rejecting the idea, but testing the waters. “Can we do that? Are they willing?” I went silent for a moment. “They like you.” She understood immediately. It was the truth. Everyone always liked her more. Sabrina thought about it. “I guess that works. Your place is too small anyway; it wasn’t a good environment for them. But… that snake of mine? He’s completely freezing and detached.” I said, “Is he platonic? If he is, then I want him. I didn’t plan on doing that with him anyway. I’m so drained lately, I just need him to do chores around the house. I’m just terrified he’ll be like these three wolves…” She laughed. “You’re overthinking it. Even I haven’t been able to tame him. There is zero chance he’ll be interested in you.” Before I could say anything else, she finalized the deal: “I’ll come pick them up this afternoon.” The second the call disconnected, my bedroom door was pushed open. “You’re awake?” A lazy voice drifted in, and I met a pair of sharp, mocking eyes. He walked over and reached to pull back my blanket. My voice was hoarse: “…Wait!” He narrowed his eyes, leaning in close. “What’s wrong, Master?” “I’m too exhausted. I need to rest,” I said softly. “You can’t do that,” he said casually. “Master, since you decided to keep us, you have to be responsible. We aren’t even full yet. If you rest, what are we supposed to do?” With that, he grabbed my chin. Just as his lips were about to touch mine, I shoved him away with all my strength. “Sabrina is coming to pick you all up this afternoon!” The man in front of me froze. Even the two leaning against the doorframe paused. “We…” Chase tilted his head. “Which two of us?” They assumed I was splitting them up and giving two to Sabrina. I shook my head. “All of you.” 2 When I found the three wolf pups, it was a damp, rainy day. They were collapsed on the concrete, their fur matted with blood, looking absolutely pathetic. I originally wanted to just walk away. But one of them weakly wagged its tail twice, then slowly wrapped it around my ankle. Feeling a pang of pity, I took them home. Under my care, they recovered beautifully. After a while, they hit their growth spurt— And all of them transformed into beastmen. I should have sent them away, but the shifter rescue shelter told me they were incredibly attached to me and already viewed me as their master. If I abandoned them abruptly, it would cause them immense psychological trauma. Looking at those three pairs of beautiful eyes, my sympathy got the better of me, and I kept them. They said they didn’t have names, so I named them myself: Hunter, Chase, and Ryder. Young, hot-blooded wolf shifters had an insane amount of energy. Even in human form, they couldn’t control the twitching of their ears and tails, constantly clinging to me with sticky affection. Until one day, when Sabrina called me. “Sister, are you still refusing to come home for the arranged marriage?” I pushed Ryder, who was burying his face in my chest, away. “That man has had three wives die under mysterious circumstances, and he’s ugly.” She paused, then whispered, “But his family is rich…” I lowered my eyes. Because of this exact reason, after I fiercely fought against the marriage, my family completely cut off my finances. But they didn’t want to sacrifice Sabrina to that man either, so they could only subtly and aggressively pressure me. Sensing my low mood, Chase, who was always good at reading the room, narrowed his beautiful eyes, wrapped his arms affectionately around me, and comforted me. “If you’re uncomfortable, just hang up.” “What’s that noise?” Sabrina asked. I used the opportunity to change the subject, complaining, “I found three injured wolf pups a while ago. They recently shifted into human form and they are way too clingy. I honestly can’t handle it.” The other end of the line was quiet for a few seconds. “I’m so jealous. That snake shifter at my house won’t even let me touch him.” I froze for a second, then comforted her, “He’ll fall for you eventually.” Sabrina didn’t argue, just let out a light hum. After that phone call ended… The next day, Sabrina showed up at my apartment carrying bags of expensive gifts. Wearing a gorgeous, delicate white sundress, she smiled brightly. “Sister, surprise!” I instinctively turned around. The gazes of all three wolf shifters were entirely glued to her. I quietly turned back. Honestly, I was used to it. Everyone always preferred Sabrina. She was radiant and charming, effortlessly drawing everyone’s attention. Compared to her, I was just wooden and ordinary. Sabrina looked around. “Sister, your place is nowhere near as big as the mansion. Is there even enough room for them to move around?” I paused. “It’s fine, I guess.” Then, I watched Hunter, who had always been aloof and careless, fix his gaze entirely on Sabrina. Chase was still wearing his breathtakingly seductive smile, but that smile was now directed solely at her. Even Ryder, who usually had a terrible temper, propped his head on his hand and stared at her, his wolf ears twitching rapidly. And Sabrina acted as if she didn’t notice a thing, innocently sipping her water. At that very moment, I knew. My things were going to dutifully march over to Sabrina’s side. Again. After that day. The gentle, affectionate intimacy vanished. They became more vicious each time, acting as if they wanted me to die in that bed. Until I heard their conversation with my own ears. I hadn’t guessed wrong. They really had fallen for Sabrina, even after just one meeting. 3 Afternoon came quickly. There was a knock on the door; Sabrina had arrived. The apartment, which had been dead silent all afternoon, felt even more suffocating. “I mean,” Hunter leaned against the wall, sizing me up with intense aggression, seemingly in disbelief. “You’re really going to give all three of us to her?” I gave a simple “Mm.” Chase smiled and asked, “Not even keeping one for yourself?” I countered, “Do any of you want to stay and keep me company?” The atmosphere froze again. No one answered. Finally, it was Ryder who stood up to open the door. The young man rolled his eyes dismissively, a sneer playing on his lips. “Stop acting like the good guy.” When the door opened, Sabrina’s bright, cheerful smile greeted us. “Hi guys! My sister already told you, right? You all belong to me now.” Ryder laughed recklessly, leaning in close. “Hello there, my new master.” Sabrina looked him over with satisfaction, then scanned Chase and Hunter. “You guys are gorgeous,” she praised genuinely. “Are your bags packed?” Sabrina asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. “Never mind, you don’t need to pack. I’m sure my sister couldn’t afford to buy you anything good anyway. When we get to the mansion, I’ll buy you entirely new wardrobes.” Hunter gave a lazy hum of agreement. Chase looked at Sabrina, then glanced back at me. I showed no emotion. For a moment, all eyes fell on me. Noticing this, Sabrina walked up to me. “Don’t worry, sis. I’ll definitely take better care of them than you did. Once you’re done playing around, just go home and accept the marriage alliance. Stop making Mom and Dad worry.” “Marriage alliance? What marriage?” Chase asked thoughtfully. Sabrina didn’t elaborate. Seeing that I still had no reaction, she offered with a show of fake kindness, “How about you guys leave one person behind to keep my sister company? She looks pretty sad.” Ryder stood next to her, refusing to move. Hunter leaned lazily against the wall, and Chase just wore a callous smirk. No one volunteered. Sabrina wasn’t surprised. She shot me a comforting smile. Between her and me, I was never the one chosen. We were both used to that. “Where is he?” I asked. As the words fell, Sabrina subtly froze, then called out the door, “Come in.” The sound of heavy footsteps approached. A man walked in slowly. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his posture rigid and cold. The next second, I locked eyes with a pair of dark, brooding pupils. I pursed my lips and greeted him, “Hello.” His gaze looked down at me from above, carrying a slippery, dark scrutiny unique to serpents. I broke out in goosebumps. He didn’t acknowledge me. Sabrina glanced at him. “He just has this kind of temper. Sister, if you really can’t handle him, just tell me and I’ll take him back.” “Who is this?” Ryder asked suddenly. Sabrina clearly didn’t want to explain, and I didn’t know how to start either. She smiled and changed the subject. “The driver is waiting downstairs. Shall we go?” They fell silent for a moment, didn’t ask any more questions, and followed Sabrina out with their long strides. The snake shifter stood frozen in place. He stayed behind. Just as I was about to close the front door. Chase looked back at me, his emotions unreadable. Meanwhile, the dark pupils of the man standing beside me suddenly contracted, transforming into cold, golden vertical slits. A smooth snake tail instantly wrapped around my waist. A bizarre, intoxicating scent exploded, filling the room in an instant. I pushed against him in panic, but it was useless. “You… you’re in heat…!” I was pressed hard against the door with a heavy thud. But thanks to his snake tail acting as a cushion, it didn’t hurt. I felt his breath brush against my neck, sending shivers across my skin. The next second, there was an urgent knock on the heavy front door. Chase’s voice came from outside. “Vivian? Are you okay?” As the words fell, my fingers twitched. The pale golden vertical slits of the man I was making eye contact with seemed to grow even darker, and his grip on my waist tightened. I didn’t choose to open the door. Instead, I struggled to reach up, touched his ice-cold cheek, and forced the words out: “Is it… really uncomfortable? I’ll get you a suppressant, okay?” The heavy, oppressive aura around us paused. Even the potent scent of his heat stopped intensifying. A few more knocks on the door. It was giving me a headache. Sabrina asked hesitantly, “Sister, is everything okay in there?” Thinking I had managed to soothe him, I let out a sigh of relief. Just as I was about to speak… A sudden chill on my neck. He bit me. It wasn’t gentle; it felt like a predator locking onto its prey, yet it carried a strange, lingering intimacy. I let out a muffled groan. My voice sounded a bit detached: “Nothing’s wrong… you guys can go.” “Are you sure?” Hunter asked lazily. I replied, “Mhm…” “She said she’s fine,” Ryder’s impatient voice rang out. He paused, then asked, “Vivian, that snake didn’t hit you, did he?” “No…” I bit my lower lip. After my neck was bitten, it was being licked by an ice-cold tongue. Thank god the door was closed in time, so the scent didn’t leak out. The sound of footsteps gradually faded away. I shoved the snake shifter away, not daring to look at his tail, and scrambled to find the suppressants. This was what I used to inject Hunter and the others with when they went into heat—before things escalated. I still had plenty left over. I threw the suppressant to him, then frantically went to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. 4 When I returned to the living room. His snake tail was gone. The man was leaning against the sofa, his long legs crossed, his expression back to its cold, gloomy state. He lifted his eyelids and glanced at me. I was a bit confused. “Are you… platonic?” His voice was hoarse. “This is a normal physiological reaction. It’s been too long since my last suppressant.” “Oh, okay.” Honestly, given Sabrina’s personality, if she really wanted to sleep with him, she absolutely wouldn’t have given him suppressants. Seeing how he acted just now, it didn’t seem like he could hold it in either, so how had he been coping all this time? But since he didn’t want to explain, I wasn’t going to press the issue. I poured a glass of warm water and handed it to him. “You should just rest today. You can help me with chores tomorrow. If you haven’t fully recovered, you can rest a few more days, that’s fine too…” He interrupted me. “Were you like this with them too?” I froze. Them? Did he mean Hunter and the others? I stayed quiet for a moment, then nodded. Even though society pushed for equality between humans and shifters, because of the shifters’ natural instinct to imprint on a master, humans were encouraged to be more accommodating toward them. A long silence followed. “My name is Silas.” The deep, calm voice finally broke the quiet. I snapped back to reality and gave him a bright smile. “Hi there, I’m Vivian.” He stood up and walked toward the balcony without showing any emotion. My pupils shrank. “Your bedroom is over there. Wait, are you trying to jump off the balcony? If you really hate it here, I can have Sabrina come pick you up…” I hurriedly followed him. Only to see him bend over, open the washing machine, and pull out the freshly washed clothes, piece by piece. He was hanging my laundry. Chase had put my clothes in the washer this morning. But he left without taking them out. Watching Silas’s long, elegant fingers holding my clothes, I scratched my cheek. “Once I buy a dryer in a few days, you won’t have to hang them anymore.” Silas didn’t say a word. 5 Unfortunately, before I could buy a dryer, an unexpected guest arrived the very next day. The butler from the Caldwell estate stood respectfully at my door. “Miss, the Master says since you’ve had your fun, it’s time to come home and accept the marriage alliance.” His tone left no room for negotiation. I refused. “No.” The butler smiled. “Miss, this is the will of both the Master and the Madam.” With that, several bodyguards appeared behind him. I scoffed coldly. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll take a knife to the groom on the wedding day and then kill myself?” The butler’s face stiffened. He recovered quickly. “The Master said that if you are willing to marry, you will receive five percent of the Caldwell Group shares.” My hand, which had been ready to slam the door, paused. The butler seemed to expect my reaction. “The car is already waiting downstairs. By the way, the Second Miss said you should bring Mr. Silas with you as well.” I looked back at Silas and met his gaze. His dark eyes were still completely devoid of emotion. But for some reason, a chill ran down my spine. 6 Back at the Caldwell estate. The massive first floor was empty except for Hunter, Chase, and Ryder. The atmosphere was incredibly awkward. Ryder put down his game controller, raised his eyes, and scanned me and Silas standing behind me. Hunter drawled lazily, “Why are you here?” “It’s my own house. Can’t I come back?” After I snapped back at him, Hunter’s expression didn’t change; in fact, the smirk on his lips seemed to deepen. Me: “…?” Chase put down the fruit platter he was arranging and walked slowly toward me. He affectionately lifted my chin: “Sabrina said you absolutely refused to come home. Now you suddenly change your mind. Did you miss us?” I took a step back, just about to speak. But Ryder cut me off with a cold snort. “Do you even have to ask? She can’t last a single day without us.” From behind me, Silas spoke, his voice completely devoid of warmth. “She doesn’t look heartbroken to me.” Hunter suddenly glared up. “What the hell are you?” I immediately felt a surge of vicious energy. I quickly did what I had done the day before, pressing my hand over Silas’s ice-cold fingers, trying to soothe him. Wolves and snakes are both highly aggressive apex predators. If they actually started fighting, the consequences would be disastrous. Chase’s voice dragged out, carrying a hint of mockery: “Are you trying to use him to make us jealous?” “Snakes are cold-blooded animals. And Sabrina said this particular snake is extreme; he has absolutely no emotions,” Ryder sneered. “You don’t actually think you can thaw him out, do you?” Suddenly. Chase gripped my chin, his fingers digging in hard. He stared dead at my neck—specifically, the spot where Silas had bitten me yesterday. His voice dropped like a stone: “What is this? A hickey?” That single sentence sent ripples through the room. Ryder leaned forward on his elbows, smirking as he walked over. “Hah? What the hell is that?” The next second, I was yanked behind an ice-cold back. Silas flashed a remarkably cold smile and spat out a single, freezing word: “Get lost.” Chase’s face darkened instantly. “What did you say?” The tension was ready to explode. Right at that moment, Sabrina walked down from the second floor, smiling sweetly. “I heard your voices all the way upstairs. What are you guys talking about?” I knew exactly how she operated, so I spoke calmly. “They think this mark on my neck is a hickey. They don’t seem very happy about it and wanted to inspect it.” Sure enough, the smile on Sabrina’s face faltered. Her gaze locked onto my neck. “…So, is it?” Her eyes darted rapidly between me and Silas. “What do you think?” I didn’t answer; I just threw the question back at her. Sabrina didn’t reply. The air in the room solidified. Hunter took a long stride forward, his hands in his pockets, sweeping a careless gaze over me. “You always hated showing off marks like that. Why the sudden change of heart today?” …Probably because I didn’t actually consider it a hickey. His comment seemed to awaken the others. Ryder realized it too. “Yeah, exactly. You used to cover up completely.” Chase’s sharp eyes narrowed. Sabrina pursed her lips and turned to me. “Sister, Father is calling for you in his study.” Then she pointed a finger at Silas. “He doesn’t need to follow you upstairs.” I gently pulled my hand from Silas’s grip and paused. I looked back. “Don’t bully him.” “We? Bully him?” Ryder enunciated every word, laughing in disbelief. “Vivian, in your eyes…” Before he could finish, I turned and walked away. Leaving dead silence behind me. 7 “You’ll get the marriage license first, then we’ll hold the wedding,” my father said, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of tea. “Once everything is set in stone, I will transfer the five percent of shares to you.” I didn’t hesitate, speaking calmly. “The moment I sign the marriage certificate, I want those shares.” He slammed his teacup down heavily. The wrinkles around his eyes crinkled in anger. “You have that little trust in your own family?” I sighed, speaking with total sincerity. “I’m just terrified that Sabrina will bat her eyelashes and whine, and suddenly my things will be gone again.” My words hit a sore spot. His expression remained stormy for a moment, but he finally relented: “When the time comes, bring your marriage certificate and your husband to see me.” This proved exactly how much value my arranged marriage would bring them. And— Saying he was giving the shares to me was actually a way of showing loyalty to my soon-to-be, unseen fiancé. Because assets gifted after a marriage are legally considered joint property, meaning the spouse has a claim to half. I didn’t argue. I just gave a “Mm,” and stood up to leave. “You will stay at this house for the time being. No running around. And you need to cut ties completely with those shifters before the wedding!” His authoritative voice echoed behind me. 8 When I returned to the first floor, the atmosphere was still incredibly tense. I ignored them and walked straight to Silas. “I’ll show you around my room.” I also had something I needed to tell him. Ryder looked over suspiciously. “Haven’t you been gone from this house for ages? What’s there to show off in your room?” I smiled. “Why, do you want a tour too?” “Who said I wanted a tour?” Ryder snapped back instantly, then scoffed and turned his head away. Sabrina was eating from a fruit platter. She cast a subtle glance at Silas. “Father is home. It’s not very appropriate.” I looked confused. “You have three shifters around you, and I’m just taking one back to my room. Why is that inappropriate?” Sabrina’s expression tightened. Hunter frowned slightly. “We never…” Sabrina put the fruit platter down with a sharp clink. “Sister, you make a good point. But it also depends on whether Silas is willing.” For a moment, all eyes turned to the man whose face showed absolutely no emotion. Silas slightly parted his thin lips. “Let’s go.” I nodded, signaling him to follow me. As for the reactions of the people behind me, I couldn’t care less. … My room was decorated in a minimalist white. There was no dust; it was clearly cleaned regularly. I cleared my throat, just about to speak. The air in the room suddenly shifted. Before I could even react, something wrapped around my waist again… A snake tail. “Your scent… it’s so strong in here.” His voice was incredibly raspy. I was in shock. “I haven’t lived here in forever! Is it really that strong?!” His sharp teeth scraped lightly against my collarbone. A dangerous aura spread through the room. I was genuinely terrified he was going to eat me alive. I took a deep breath. “You just took a suppressant yesterday, right?” This didn’t feel right. The snake tail constricted, locking me tightly against his chest. I struggled to speak. “…I brought you upstairs to tell you that I really am getting married.” But Silas didn’t let me go like I expected. Instead, his tail lifted me up and tossed me onto the bed. He loomed over me, his narrow eyes radiating a dark, eerie intensity. Then, his tail slipped under the hem of my shirt. I instinctively grabbed it, quickly looking away. He narrowed his eyes darkly. “Do you hate me?” “Huh? Not really…” “Aren’t you my master?” he leaned down slightly, his voice so soft it was unnerving, mixed with a cruel confusion. “Or… are you afraid?” Shadows enveloped me. …I was definitely a little terrified. First off, it’s widely known that snakes are naturally lustful, and snake shifters are even worse. If Sabrina wasn’t lying and he really was platonic, I definitely shouldn’t provoke him. Secondly… In certain aspects, it was just too extreme. I sighed. “But I really do have to get married… So I might have to give you back to Sabrina. She won’t be getting married anytime soon.” Silas finally reacted. Just as a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes, I asked softly: “Do you want to? To go back to Sabrina?” Silas looked down, meeting my gaze. A slow smile spread across his face: “Does being by your side cause you pain?” I paused. “No, you actually have a pretty good sense of doing household chores.” Wait. Why did the topic jump back to this? The next second. He leaned down, his shadow completely covering me: “Then don’t ever think about getting rid of me.” I stayed silent for a moment, then gently stroked his tail. Finally. He spoke in a ghostly tone: “Don’t worry.” Don’t worry? What was I supposed to not worry about? I shook my head internally. I already had a plan. 9 A few days later, in a private room at a cafe. I calmly took a sip of my coffee. I looked at the man sitting across from me and got straight to the point: “I know you like Sabrina.” The man looked at me in surprise and put his phone away. “I also know you’ve been proposing to my family just to get Sabrina to marry you. Unfortunately, they used the ‘older sister must marry first’ tradition as an excuse to brush you off.” The man smiled nonchalantly. “Anyone would prefer your sister over you, wouldn’t they?” He paused, then let out a cold laugh. “Your sister isn’t entirely uninterested in me. But she said because you like me so much, she didn’t want to fight you for me.” I smiled slightly. “Is that so? I have a way to get you exactly what you want.” The man looked stunned. “What way?” “We get a fake marriage certificate, and then you come home with me. Since you said my sister likes you, if she sees us together, she’ll definitely be jealous, right?” I laid out my plan smoothly. He hesitated. “What?” “People only know how to cherish something once they’ve lost it. When the time comes, be a little affectionate with me. If she sees it with her own eyes, it’ll definitely break her heart.” I continued, “Then, at our grand wedding, I will completely disappear. With the bride missing, my sister won’t be able to bear seeing you humiliated. She will inevitably step up and take my place. “Then you tell her that she’s the one you’ve always deeply loved. Have a special diamond ring ready just for her. She’ll be incredibly moved.” The man’s eyes shifted, the tension in his face slowly relaxing. He murmured, “…You know, that makes a lot of sense.” I pulled out a tissue and dabbed at imaginary tears in the corners of my eyes. “Honestly, I know that even if I marry you, I wouldn’t be happy. You like Sabrina so much, and she likes you. I’d rather see you two find happiness.” After a long while, the man stood up, reached out his hand, and spoke with newfound respect: “Miss Caldwell, I never expected you to be so generous and kind-hearted. I completely misunderstood you before.” I shook his hand. “As long as you two are happy.” 10 The day I brought the fake marriage certificate and my fake husband home. Everyone in the Caldwell family sat at the dining table, their expressions varied. By now, the news of the marriage alliance had completely spread. I cast a reassuring glance at Silas; he was expressionless. But I could already feel his uncontainable, violent aura and dark energy. It didn’t matter. Once the dust settled, I would integrate him into the next phase of my plan. I gave Silas a comforting smile from across the room. He glanced at me, then looked away, his emotions unreadable. When I went to the kitchen to help bring out the food, Chase was leisurely washing his hands nearby. He said, “You don’t like him.” “Who?” “Your husband.” Chase smiled brightly. “Vivian, beg me, and I’ll help you run away from the wedding.” I shot him a glance. He clarified, “Don’t worry, they agree too.” “They” meant Hunter and Ryder. No wonder their faces looked so terrible today. Chase’s voice was seductive, yet carried a sense of superiority: “You don’t want to spend the rest of your life with a man you don’t even like, do you?” I turned to leave. “None of your business.” “You’ll regret this, Vivian.” The voice behind me turned freezing cold. Regret? Would I regret it? I chuckled inwardly. After dinner, Sabrina was happily chatting with my fake husband, radiating charm. I went alone to the study and signed the equity transfer agreement. Next week was the highly anticipated, grand wedding. And the real show was just beginning— 11 Over the next few days, I relaxed and went about my pre-wedding preparations, picking out jewelry. A heavy cloud of low pressure hung over the Caldwell estate. Even Sabrina, who usually maintained a facade of harmony with me, came over to mock me. “I didn’t think five percent of the shares would make you surrender so easily.” I showed no reaction. She seemed even angrier, letting out a cold laugh. “Do you know how many shares I’ll get in the future? When Father dies, it will all be mine.” Me: …? I turned my head and gave her a long look. She looked satisfied. “Jealous?” What an incredibly filial daughter, I thought to myself. Ryder remained deadpan. “Self-destructive.” Chase nodded in agreement. Hunter lazily scrolled on his phone, noncommittal. Self-destructive? Are they talking about me? But I didn’t care about their reactions. I focused entirely on Silas’s response. He didn’t look as gloomy as I imagined. He simply lifted his eyelids, his eyes as dark and deep as a bottomless pool meeting mine. It was only then that I realized with a start—when those eyes weren’t filled with darkness and malice, they were actually stunningly beautiful. Thin, slightly upturned at the corners, carrying a hint of careless laziness.

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In the book, I was the kind-hearted adoptive mother who took in two orphaned sisters and nurtured the older one into a master pianist. Once she achieved fame and fortune, she publicly claimed that being adopted by me robbed her of her childhood, leaving her with nothing but endless piano practice. Overnight, I became the most despised “monster mother” on the internet. After I died in a car crash, those two sisters drove my biological daughter to suicide and stole my entire fortune. The day I transmigrated into this book, I was at the orphanage looking for a playmate for my daughter. The “prodigy” girl stared at me stubbornly. “Ma’am, if you don’t adopt my sister too, I won’t go with you.” “Then stay here,” I said coldly. 01 After I rejected her, Bella clenched her little sister Mia’s hand, staring at me with pleading eyes. I glanced at Mia, then looked back at Bella. “Your last name is Smith, and hers is Jones. You aren’t real sisters, are you?” Bella immediately took a half-step forward, shielding Mia completely. “Ma’am, Mia looks up to me like a big sister.” Losing her earlier defiance, she softened her voice, “Please, adopt both of us!” “Mommy.” Mia ran out from behind Bella and hugged my waist. “Please! Take us with you!” I didn’t respond. Bella’s eyes darted around, then landed on my biological daughter, Melody, standing beside me. “Melody, didn’t you want a friend to play with?” “Mia and I can play with you. Wouldn’t that be fun?” Melody clutched the hem of my shirt tightly, her lips pressed together. In the book, Melody was obedient and quiet. As she grew up, she was bullied and driven to a mental breakdown by these “good sisters,” eventually fleeing the state. It wasn’t until my husband and I died in a car crash that Melody rushed back for one last look. But she was blocked at the funeral home by Bella’s people. Mia pointed her finger at Melody’s nose and screamed in front of everyone: “You never came back while Mom and Dad were alive!” “Now you come back pretending to be a dutiful daughter? You just want to fight for the inheritance!” Right now, they were acting sweet and innocent, but the moment I adopted them, they would team up to target Melody. I looked at the two kids and remained silent. The director hurriedly told the staff to take them outside. “Mrs. Miller, these two are very close. They just don’t want to be separated.” The director smiled apologetically at me. “I’ll go talk to them. Bella is a sensible girl. She’ll go with you.” I wasn’t the original host of this body; I could see right through Bella’s manipulation. All she had to do was flap her lips, and boom—she’d drag Mia along with her, securing a loyal henchwoman in my house. Even better, by making the director “persuade” her, she would look like she was forced to accept the adoption, earning a reputation as a selfless, devoted sister. “Director, forget it!” I glanced at Bella, who was hiding outside the door. “I originally came here to find a companion for my daughter. “If we forcibly separate those two, the one I adopt will harbor resentment. She’ll just end up bullying my daughter in the future.” The director’s face changed slightly. “How could that be!” “The fact that Bella made that request proves she’s a deeply loyal child! If you’re good to her, I’m sure she’ll repay you when she grows up!” “Repay?” I patted Melody’s head. “I have my own child. I didn’t come here looking for a return on investment.” In the book, I threw endless money and resources at Bella, turning her into a master pianist. I also set Mia up with a glamorous corporate job. And the result? Once they became successful, they completely forgot about me, their adoptive mother. We lived in the same city, yet they never visited or even called. During an interview, Bella publicly declared that her childhood under my supervision was nothing but endless, joyless piano practice. Overnight, I became the internet’s most hated “monster mother.” To clear our heads, my husband and I drove out to see Melody, but we got into a car accident and both died. After our deaths, Bella and Mia immediately returned to fight Melody for the estate, teaming up to drive her to suicide. Thinking of this, I didn’t want to stay another second. I took Melody’s hand and left. I really wanted to see how high those two sisters could climb without my resources. 02 When we got home, my husband, Arthur Miller, looked past Melody and me, searching behind us. “Where is she?” “Weren’t you going to pick up that girl? Why is it just you two?” I bent down to take off my shoes. “She didn’t want to come.” “Impossible!” Arthur blurted out. “I had an agreement with her.” I looked up at him. Arthur was a renowned pianist. He was obsessed with finding a prodigy to inherit his legacy. He had forced Melody onto a piano bench before she was even three years old. Now ten, the tips of her fingers were covered in thick calluses, but all she ever got from him was a dismissive, “You have no soul.” This trip to the orphanage was supposedly to find a playmate for Melody, but it was actually to adopt Bella, whom Arthur had his eye on. Last week, he had performed at a charity event at the orphanage. After he finished a piece, Bella, who had been standing in the corner, stepped forward and played it back almost perfectly. She only missed three notes. Arthur’s eyes lit up instantly. “Do you want to be my student?” Bella nodded eagerly, but then nervously mentioned that kids at the orphanage weren’t allowed to just leave whenever they wanted. That night, Arthur came home and said to me, “Melody is too lonely. Let’s adopt a kid to keep her company.” When I read the book, I didn’t understand why he didn’t just say he wanted an apprentice. Instead, he used Melody as a constant foil for Bella, comparing them until Melody was so bitterly disappointed in this family that she left. Since he was still lying to me, I played dumb. “The girl said so herself.” “Unless we take her ‘sister’ from the orphanage too, she absolutely refuses to come with us.” Arthur froze. I looked displeased. “I originally agreed to adopt a child because I thought you were too strict with Melody, and I wanted her to have a friend. “But if that girl insists on bringing someone else, what happens when they team up to bully Melody?” “Don’t assume the worst of people.” Arthur brushed it off. “It’s just an extra kid! Taking them both back is no big deal. It’s just another mouth to feed.” “Adopting a child isn’t like shopping at a buy-one-get-one-free sale!” I glared at him. “Arthur, I do not agree to adopting those two girls.” Arthur stared at me like I was a stranger. At that moment, a cold little hand gently grabbed mine. Melody was trembling slightly. I squeezed her hand tightly and turned to lead her upstairs. 03 The next day, I was wearing an apron, cooking in the kitchen. Arthur came home, followed by a skinny little figure. It was Bella. She peeked at me timidly and whispered, “Auntie.” I didn’t respond, staring straight at Arthur. He patted her shoulder and said gently, “Bella, this is your home from now on.” Only then did he look at me. “This kid has a gift for music. It would be a tragedy not to nurture it, so I brought her home.” “So, saying you wanted to find a playmate for Melody was a lie?” I slammed my kitchen knife onto the counter. “Is it really that hard to just admit you wanted an apprentice?” “What did you want me to say?” Arthur’s face darkened. “Did you want me to tell you that your biological daughter has zero talent? You would have just thrown a fit.” “Why would I throw a fit?” I scoffed. “You didn’t pass your musical genes down to your daughter. Shouldn’t you reflect on yourself first?” In the book, Arthur always blamed me for Melody’s lack of musical talent. If he wanted to gaslight me now, I was going to throw it right back in his face. Arthur’s eyes widened in shock. “What are you looking at? Did I make this kid by myself?” I rolled my eyes at him. “Since you look down on Melody so much, starting today, she doesn’t need to practice piano anymore.” “Nonsense! She’s been practicing for years. How can she just quit?!” “Didn’t you say she had no soul?” I picked up the knife and aggressively smashed a clove of garlic. “Now that you have a star pupil, do you just want my daughter sitting there as a prop to make her look better?” Arthur’s face turned pale. “What the hell are you talking about?! I would never use Melody as a prop.” “Auntie, I don’t have to learn piano from Mr. Miller.” Bella quickly chimed in from the side. “I just want a place to eat in this house. That’s all.” Before Arthur could promise her anything, I stared him down. “If you force Melody to keep practicing piano, this kid is not stepping foot in this house.” “Choose.” 04 Arthur chose to keep Bella. When Melody came home from school and found out she didn’t have to practice piano anymore, her eyes lit up. Then, she looked at Bella. “Are you going to change your last name to Miller?” Bella immediately shook her head. “I’m keeping my mom’s last name. It’s the only thing I have left of her.” “Keeping your mother’s maiden name, huh.” I glanced at Arthur. The book mentioned that his first love was also a Smith. “It’s just a last name. It doesn’t matter,” Arthur interjected smoothly. Bella looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you, Dad.” I studied them. Their facial features weren’t particularly similar. But just in case, I took hair samples from both of them and secretly sent them for a paternity test. The results came back exactly as I suspected: they were not biologically related. I put the report in my bag and went home. As soon as I opened the door, I heard Mia’s shrill voice from the living room. “I’ll hit you, you hear me?!” I didn’t alert them. I stood in the entryway and watched Mia point aggressively at Melody. “If it wasn’t for putting Bella in a tough spot, I would’ve ripped your face off!” “You broke my stuff, and now you’re trying to hit me?” Melody was shaking with anger. “What ‘your stuff’? Since Mr. Miller adopted Bella, this is her house too!” “Alright, stop arguing.” Bella intervened softly, turning to Melody. “Sister, I didn’t know that doll was yours. I saw Mia liked it, so I let her play with it.” “Before you guys came here, I was the only child in this house.” Melody fought back tears. “If the doll isn’t mine, whose could it be?” “You’re just jealous that Mr. Miller is teaching Bella piano.” Mia suddenly shoved Melody hard. “Who cares about your stupid doll! It’s your fault you don’t have any talent!” With that, she threw the doll on the floor and aggressively stomped on it with her shoe. Melody fell to the floor. Red-eyed, she tried to scramble up to hit Mia, but Mia kicked her leg, tripping her again. I rushed over and pulled Melody up. Seeing me, she threw herself into my arms and burst into tears. In the book, because she was afraid of causing arguments between Arthur and me, she always swallowed the abuse silently. The two “sisters” purposely bullied her when I wasn’t looking, and even set up traps to make it look like Melody was the one bullying them. Mia panicked when she saw me. When she realized what was happening, she tried to hug me. “Mom! You’re back!” “Don’t call me that.” I shoved her away. “Since when do I have a daughter like you?” Mia stumbled and hit the living room wall, bursting into loud, obnoxious tears. 05 Arthur came out of his study and looked at Melody. “What’s all this noise?” I sneered. “So you are home!” “Those two teamed up to bully Melody, and you’re deaf?!” Arthur’s face darkened. “Watch your tone.” “Melody is an only child; she doesn’t know how to share. Both of these kids are younger than her. What’s wrong with letting them have their way?” I walked over and slapped him hard across the face. Then, I raised my leg and kicked him to the floor. He groaned in pain, unable to get up for a long moment. The three kids were stunned. Bella and Mia covered their mouths in terror. Melody snapped out of it and tried to go help him. “Don’t.” I stopped Melody. “Save yourself the trouble before your confused dad takes his anger out on you.” I pulled the paternity test report out of my bag and threw it at Arthur. “Anyone else would think Bella was your biological daughter.” “Your actual daughter gets bullied by two orphans right in front of you, and you take their side?” Arthur looked down and flipped open the report. A few seconds later, his head snapped up, his face even more furious. “Avery! Have you lost your mind?!” “This paper says Bella and I have no biological relation!” “You did this behind my back? Do you have any respect for me?!” “Respect? I didn’t agree to adopt Bella, but you brought her home anyway.” I pointed at the terrified Mia. “And while I was out, you brought another one back.” “She pointed right at Melody’s face and called her talentless, saying she deserved to be ignored by you! And you hid in your study.” “Arthur, since the day I married you, what have I ever done to cause you stress?” “But you? Besides calling your daughter stupid and useless, what have you ever done?” “If it wasn’t for you constantly belittling her, do you think these two orphaned girls, who haven’t even been in this house for a minute, would dare to trample all over her?!” Arthur’s pupils shrank. Bella’s face turned pale, and she bit her lip, terrified to make a sound. Melody stood beside me, trembling at first. But as she listened to my words, she slowly straightened her back, looking at her father with a quiet, almost unfamiliar gaze. I pulled out the divorce papers I had drafted earlier and placed them on the coffee table. “Sign it.” “There’s no place for my daughter and me in this house anymore.” “Keep your precious prodigy and your pitiful orphan. I’m taking my daughter.” I grabbed the luggage I had packed earlier and led Melody toward the door. Arthur scrambled up from the floor, roaring, “Avery! Are you using divorce to force me to send Bella away?” “Mia is just here as a guest! I haven’t filed any adoption papers for her!” Seeing that I didn’t stop, he raised his voice. “It’s easy for you to take Melody now, but it won’t be so easy to support her on your own!” I looked back at him. “Arthur, I’m not asking for a divorce to force you to send anyone away.” “I actually want a divorce.” He froze, looking like he didn’t understand. I didn’t explain further. I held Melody’s hand and walked out the door. 06 I walked away from the Miller house with Melody, never looking back. She was very quiet the whole way, her small hand tightly gripping the hem of my shirt. It wasn’t until I brought her into the apartment I had rented that she looked up and gently hugged me. “Mom.” She sounded anxious. “Did you really divorce Dad just for me?” I knelt down and looked into her eyes. “Not just for you. For both of us.” “A home shouldn’t make you feel like you have to hold your breath.” I smoothed her hair. “Mom just wants to watch you grow up happily. You can become whatever you want. If you don’t like something, that’s perfectly fine.” She buried her face in my chest and softly called me “Mom.” In the book, Arthur was also a pawn. He exhausted all his energy turning Bella into a star, only to be stabbed in the back. After transmigrating, I had considered changing his fate. But he stubbornly insisted on adopting Bella, and today, he sat in the house while those girls bullied Melody. It made me realize that not all storylines can be completely overturned. I didn’t consider telling Arthur the original plot. If he thought I was crazy and threw me in a psych ward, my transmigration would be pointless. Leaving that house—even though my bank account was low—I knew that my knowledge of the plot would allow me to give Melody a great life. 07 A few days later, Melody came home from school, her eyes shining as she looked at me. “Mom.” Her voice carried a rare chirp of excitement. “My music teacher said I sing really well.” “She also said she wants to recommend me for the city vocal competition.” “What do we need to prepare?” I asked with a smile. She instinctively pressed her lips together and gripped her shirt—her nervous habit. “But.” Her voice dropped. “Dad always said I didn’t inherit his musical talent.” “What if I don’t win an award?” I patted her head. “It’s about participating!” “Besides, you already passed your Level 10 piano certification this year.” “Melody, it’s not that you don’t have musical talent.” “It’s that your dad’s standards are too narrow. If your music teacher wants to recommend you for a competition, she definitely sees your strengths.” She looked at me, her eyes slowly turning red, and nodded firmly. That night, after watching TV, I walked past Melody’s room and heard singing. I leaned against the wall outside, not going in to disturb her. Even if a child truly has talent, if they are never seen or validated by the people closest to them, they will be like a dusty crystal, slowly losing their light. That light might be hidden in a hesitant, cautious attempt, or in a warm, encouraging smile. A parent’s eyes shouldn’t be those of a judge. They should be the first ones clapping for their child. 08 Five years after my divorce from Arthur, my stock investments paid off. Not only did I buy a luxury condo, but I also opened a flower shop. Melody won the city vocal competition championship back then and got into a top-tier high school. Afraid of Bella’s “main character” plot armor bouncing back, I enrolled Melody in MMA classes. She grew taller, more confident, and vibrant. She was no longer the little girl who shrank back when her father called her useless. I occasionally thought about the insecure Melody from the book. She wasn’t untalented; her father was just too eager for her to succeed, and her mother blindly followed his lead. Add in the two “sisters” trying to steal her adoptive parents, and they constantly smothered her light. I never planned on seeing Bella again. Until she pushed open the door of my flower shop and walked in timidly. The fifteen-year-old girl actually looked more haggard than Melody, who was currently a high school senior. She was swimming in an old, oversized coat I had left behind years ago. The cuffs were frayed. “Auntie.” She approached me cautiously. “Mr. Miller misses you and Melody a lot. When are you going to come home and visit him?” “Does he not have a mouth, or does he not have legs?” I snipped a flower stem. “You’re the one who wants me to come back, aren’t you? After all, living with a man who only cares about music can’t be easy.” “Auntie, I admit I was greedy back then. I wanted Mia to have a home too. “I figured adopting two of us was just adding an extra plate to the table for you. I never expected you to divorce him.” “Did you come here today to criticize me?” I put down the shears and looked at her. “No.” Bella shook her head frantically. “It’s been five years, and Mr. Miller still can’t get used to my cooking.” I stared at the cracked shoes on her feet, realizing that Arthur only cared about having a talented prodigy; he completely neglected their actual care. In the book, whenever I bought something for Melody, I bought the exact same thing for Bella. I also gave her an allowance every month. But after I left, Arthur’s world fell apart. After the divorce, he threw himself entirely into his music and didn’t care about the household at all. Forget about food and clothes—he didn’t even know how to pay the utility bills. Five years ago, when I left with Melody, he was certain I’d come crawling back begging him. Instead, I bought a house, opened a business, and thrived. He had tried to reconcile with a condescending attitude, but I rejected him. I heard later that he dumped all the household chores onto Bella, who was only eight at the time. But what did her miserable life have to do with me? I definitely didn’t want that mess back. “Didn’t Arthur adopt Mia?” I rejected her directly. “You got your wish. And now you want to guilt-trip me into coming back to take care of you?” “No, I just…” “Don’t come back.” I pointed at the door. “My divorce has nothing to do with him adopting you.” Bella looked at me, full of grievance. “But you came to the orphanage to adopt me back then. “Are you saying you hate me just because I suggested adopting Mia too?” She looked down. “When I said that back then, I just wanted to look like a kind-hearted kid.” Even now, Bella was still trying to guilt-trip me. “A truly kind kid doesn’t put others in a difficult position.” I smiled and patted her head. “Go back. Don’t let Arthur worry about you.”

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During the holidays, my brother added his brand-new girlfriend to our family group chat. My mom instantly redirected her matchmaking artillery at me: [Look at your brother. Look at the amazing girl he found.] My brother, who had betrayed the “Single Forever” alliance by getting a girlfriend first, fanned the flames in the chat: [Zoey, you have no idea how perfect she is.] If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. I replied: [Yeah, yeah, yeah. If she’s so great, I’ll just date my sister-in-law.] The group chat fell dead silent for a full minute. Then, my mom and my brother sent back-to-back 60-second voice memos screaming at me. Meanwhile, my “sister-in-law” simply replied with a blushing emoji. They all thought I was joking. But I’m actually gay. 1 In previous years, because my older brother Connor was a confirmed bachelor, he took all the heat when it came to our mom’s relentless pressure to get married. I could always hide safely behind him and enjoy a peaceful holiday. This year, before flying home for Christmas, I specifically texted him to double-check: [Do you have a partner yet? Tell me you didn’t betray the alliance.] Connor was reliable as always: [Nope. Come home in peace. I’ll take the heat again this year.] I replied with a thumbs-up emoji: [You’re a real one!] It wasn’t that I didn’t want to find someone. It was just that if I actually brought a woman home, Mrs. Hayes—my mother—would probably disown me on the spot. To preserve our mother-daughter relationship, I kept the closet door welded shut. Whenever she nagged me, I just deflected it onto my brother: “Connor isn’t even married yet! It’s not right for the younger sister to date before the older brother.” Mrs. Hayes would immediately shift targets, scolding Connor for not setting a good example. This year, she dropped an ultimatum in the group chat, using both the carrot and the stick: [This Christmas, whoever brings a partner home gets a $10,000 holiday bonus. Whoever comes back single can forget about calling me Mom!] When Mrs. Hayes got angry, the whole family trembled. I texted Connor: [Bro, do not turn on me. Stay strong.] He took half the day to reply: [Don’t worry. I’ve got this.] Despite his reassurance, my right eyelid kept twitching. Sure enough, the day before my flight, Connor suddenly added a new person to the “Hayes Family Hub” group chat. [Everyone, let me introduce Audrey Mitchell. She’s my girlfriend, and I’m bringing her home for the holidays.] Audrey immediately followed up: [Hello, Mrs. Hayes. Hi, Zoey.] I opened a private chat with Connor and fired off three question marks. What happened to not betraying the alliance?! Connor didn’t reply. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hayes sent several voice memos to the group. I clicked on them, and they were filled with her joyous laughter and overwhelming words of welcome. I played dead. Was it too late to cancel my flight? After practically showering Audrey with affection in the chat, Mrs. Hayes finally remembered the one fish that slipped through the net: me. [Have you found anyone yet?] [I’m not asking you to get married tomorrow, but at least start dating!] [Look at your brother. Look at the amazing girl he found.] Not only did Connor ignore my private texts, but he also joined in on the bullying: [Zoey, you have no idea how perfect she is.] I could practically see the gloating smirk on his face. He had zero remorse for his betrayal. My anger flared. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em: [Yeah, yeah, yeah. If she’s so great, I’ll just date my sister-in-law.] 2 The group chat fell dead silent. A minute later, Mrs. Hayes and Connor sent back-to-back 60-second voice memos. Audrey simply replied with a blushing emoji. They didn’t take me seriously. But I was genuinely gay. Ignoring the bombardment of messages in the group, I sent Connor one last private text: [The alliance officially strips you of your brotherly privileges. You’re dead to me!] After hitting send, I closed my eyes to sleep. I needed to rest up so I could handle Mrs. Hayes’s artillery. Sure enough, the moment I stepped through the front door, Mrs. Hayes started with her sarcasm. “Oh, whose stray kitten is this? Did you wander into the wrong house?” My skin is thick. I hugged her and acted cute. “My wonderful, beautiful mother, your sweet daughter is home!” Her eyes held a smile, but she kept her face stern. “If you were really sweet, you’d get married. Your dad visited me in a dream the other day. He said seeing you and your brother still single makes him toss and turn in his grave.” My dad passed away when we were young. My mom raised us single-handedly. Later, when Connor and I moved away for work—him to Miami and me to New York—we tried to get her to move in with us, but she refused to leave her hometown. I lit a candle by my dad’s portrait on the mantle and joked, “Dad, Connor brought someone home this year. You can finally rest easy and close at least one eye.” Mrs. Hayes was so annoyed she raised her fists to lightly pummel me. I spun around and ran toward the kitchen. “I’m starving! I want your crispy fried chicken wings!” Mrs. Hayes yelled from behind me, “I didn’t make any!” But sitting right there on the kitchen counter was a fresh, steaming plate of crispy wings—timed perfectly for my arrival. Classic Mrs. Hayes: sharp tongue, soft heart. I pouted and said sweetly, “Thank you, Mom!” Mrs. Hayes busied herself pulling various snacks out of the cabinets. “Alright, alright, enough sweet-talking. Text your brother and ask how far away they are.” Just the mention of Connor made me irritated. That traitor still hadn’t replied to my private message. I slumped onto the sofa and sent a voice memo: “Mom wants to know how long until you get here.” This time, he replied quickly with a voice memo of his own. I tapped it, but a woman’s voice came through: “Your brother is driving. We’ll be there in about ten minutes.” My scalp tingled. That deep, slightly husky, elegant voice absolutely destroyed me. Where the hell did Connor find a girl with a voice like that? Before she even walked through the door, I was already intensely curious about Audrey Mitchell. Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. I sprang up from the sofa. Mrs. Hayes rushed to the door with a massive smile. Connor’s booming voice came first: “Mom, your favorite son is home!” Then came Audrey’s voice: “Happy holidays, Mrs. Hayes.” As the three of them exchanged pleasantries in the doorway, Mrs. Hayes turned around, smiling so hard her eyes crinkled shut. Both her hands were full of gifts Audrey had brought. When Connor, who was blocking my view, finally stepped aside, Audrey’s tall, slender figure came into view. She stood there and slowly raised her eyes to look at me. Oh, my god. This woman was my absolute dream girl! Seeing me frozen in place, my mom urged, “What’s wrong with you? Don’t just stand there like an idiot. Say hello.” I looked at Connor. He was reasonably handsome, sure. But then I looked at Audrey. She was a drop-dead gorgeous, top-tier beauty. What did Connor do to deserve this?! The confusion slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it: “Sister, does my brother have some kind of blackmail material on you?” 3 Audrey froze for a second. When she processed what I said, she broke into a radiant smile. Her eyes seemed to hold sparkling galaxies. I was completely mesmerized. Connor’s expression turned incredibly weird, and uncharacteristically, he didn’t say a word. Mrs. Hayes glared at me. “What is wrong with you? How could you say that?” She turned to Audrey, looking embarrassed. “Zoey is spoiled rotten. Please don’t mind her.” Audrey replied gracefully, “Not at all. Zoey is very cute.” The pretty lady called me cute. While Audrey was pulled away by my mom for a chat, I sidled up to Connor and kicked his shin, lowering my voice. “Spill it. What is going on?” Connor rubbed his nose, his eyes darting away. “What do you mean, what’s going on?” He quickly ducked into the kitchen. “Hey Mom, what do you want for dinner? Let me show off my cooking skills.” Something wasn’t right. He was intentionally avoiding me! In the living room, my mom and Audrey were chatting animatedly. I couldn’t get a word in edge-wise. Connor was busy cooking dinner, and since I had zero culinary skills, I couldn’t help in the kitchen either. Bored out of my mind, I retreated to my bedroom to play video games. I got on voice chat with my gaming buddy, Jess. As we played, the conversation inevitably drifted to Audrey. I described her with wild enthusiasm, totally losing myself in the excitement. Finally, with the dramatic agony of someone whose wife had been stolen, I punched my mattress and sighed: “She is literally my exact type.” My headphone cable accidentally yanked out of the jack, and Jess’s hyena-like laughter blasted loudly through my bedroom speakers. Always eager for chaos, Jess yelled, “Then steal her from your brother!” At that exact moment, there was a knock on my bedroom door. I was lying on my stomach on the bed. I twisted my head around and saw Audrey standing at the half-open door. “Dinner’s ready. Your mom asked me to come get you.” The air went dead silent for three seconds. Then, Jess’s voice echoed loudly from the speakers: “Holy sh*t!” I frantically jammed the headphone cable back into the jack and scrambled to sit up. Through my headset, Jess was screaming about how Audrey’s voice was “literally lethal.” In front of me, Audrey’s lips were curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. That sentence about “stealing her from my brother”… how much of it did she hear?! 4 Throughout dinner, that single thought consumed my mind. I was so panicked I didn’t even dare to look up at Audrey sitting across from me. Yet, she was incredibly attentive to me. One minute she was putting food on my plate, the next she was serving me soup. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think I was the guest. The conversation at the table had originally been about her and Connor. But one sentence from Audrey suddenly turned the spotlight on me. “Zoey, do you have anyone you like?” I choked on a bite of rice, looking up to glare at her. Why are you bringing this up?! But she ignored my glare and pushed further. “What are your standards? I… have some friends with great backgrounds.” Mrs. Hayes, feeling like she had found an ally, immediately answered for me. “That would be wonderful! Zoey, say thank you.” But the way I saw it, this was Audrey’s polite way of rejecting my “stealing her” comment. I felt a pang of annoyance in my chest, though I knew I had no right to feel that way. A mischievous, slightly petty urge took over. It was my small revenge for her turning the conversation to me: “Then I’ll leave it in your capable hands, Audrey. As for standards… I think someone exactly like you would be perfect.” Mrs. Hayes flicked my forehead. “Stop talking nonsense. Audrey is a woman.” I rubbed my forehead, keeping my fragile closet door tightly shut. “I know that. I mean finding a guy with the same qualities as her. That works, right?” Mrs. Hayes laughed. But the instigator of the conversation, Audrey, saw her eyes darken. She didn’t put any more food on my plate for the rest of the night. She was a strange one. I played along with her, and she still got mad. And despite being mad, she still had to sleep in the same room as me tonight. I only had one bed in my room. Since she was the guest, I volunteered to sleep on the floor. But Mrs. Hayes waved it off. “You’re both girls, sleeping in the same bed is fine, right, Audrey?” My mom was a completely clueless, straight-as-an-arrow woman. Audrey lowered her eyes and agreed immediately. This made me doubt whether she actually heard my “stealing” comment or not. But right now, that wasn’t the most pressing issue. The most pressing issue was that Audrey, fresh out of the shower, was wearing a very thin, breezy silk slip dress. Even though the heating in the house was blasting, the moment she stepped out of the steamy bathroom, she still shivered slightly. I glanced at her, but quickly lowered my head, staring intensely at my phone to cover up my panic. I looked calm on the surface, but my mind was screaming. The only thing I could see was the brief, accidental glimpse of her full figure and those two very prominent, undeniable points. She wasn’t wearing a bra. 5 I had laid out a soft, clean rug on the floor next to the bed. I sat on the floor, leaning against the bed frame. I felt like I was floating, absolutely terrified to let my eyes wander. Audrey stood by the window, blow-drying her hair. The loud whirring of the hairdryer masked the sound of my heart, which felt like it was about to pound right out of my chest. Even though I had already showered, the back of my neck grew hot again, breaking out in a light sweat. I was seriously debating whether I should go squeeze into my mom’s bed for the night. My brain was completely short-circuiting. I didn’t even realize when the hairdryer finally stopped. When I snapped back to reality, a pair of pale, bare feet appeared in my line of sight. I looked up and crashed straight into Audrey’s scrutinizing gaze. I stammered, “W-what’s wrong?” Audrey leaned down. From this angle, a garden of spring colors filled my vision. “I called your name several times and you didn’t react. What are you spacing out for?” She was such a strange person. In front of Mrs. Hayes, she was gentle, graceful, and elegant. But when we were alone, her aura felt so overpowering I almost wanted to drop to my knees and call her “Ma’am.” My legs felt weak, my eyes darted everywhere, and I just kept blinking, absolutely refusing to look straight ahead. After her shower, she smelled exactly like my body wash. The faint, sweet scent was intoxicating. I leaned as far back as I could, but my back was against the bed. I had nowhere to retreat. She noticed me hiding. She pulled back, stood up straight, and looked down at me, her brow furrowing slightly as she spoke in a cold voice: “If you really don’t want to share a room with me, I can book a hotel and stay there.” If she did that, Mrs. Hayes would literally murder me. Besides, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to stay with her; I just didn’t dare to. Before I could even reply, she grabbed her coat and started walking toward the door. In a panic, I scrambled forward on my knees across the rug and lunged to grab her wrist. How was this any different from kneeling and begging? “Look at you, getting all impatient! I never said I didn’t want to. I’m just a little slow to react. What are you doing?!” Audrey stopped, looking down at my hand wrapped around her wrist. She said meaningfully, “Your reaction time really is very slow.” It felt like she was talking about what just happened, but also like she was talking about something else entirely. I awkwardly let go of her wrist, stood up, and sat back on the edge of the bed. Trying to steady my breathing, I patted the mattress. “Do you prefer sleeping on the inside or the outside?” She flipped off the light switch. In the darkness, her voice drifted over. “Either is fine.” As her silhouette moved closer, I panicked, scrambled onto the bed, and plastered myself against the wall on the inside. Audrey paused by the bed for a few seconds before finally lifting the blanket. That’s when I realized Mrs. Hayes had only left us one large comforter. Which meant Audrey and I were truly sharing the same bed, under the same covers. If my gaming buddy Jess found out, she would probably be jumping up and down screaming. I pressed my back against the cold wall, putting as much distance between us as possible. From the moment she lay down, she didn’t move an inch. Her breathing was steady, her sleeping posture perfectly composed. Just as I thought she had fallen asleep, a warm body shifted closer. Then, a soft arm brushed against mine, and a voice completely devoid of emotion whispered: “Cold.” Because I had intentionally pulled away earlier, there was a gap between us letting cold air into the blanket. Wearing only a thin slip dress, of course she was cold. My entire body went rigid. I said dryly, “Then… tomorrow I’ll ask Mom to get another blanket.” “No need. Just sleep.” She was too close. I was terrified she could hear my heartbeat. I stared wide-eyed at the dark ceiling, completely unaware of when I finally drifted off. That night, I had a dream. I dreamt there were dozens of huge, soft, fluffy, sweet-smelling marshmallows. I had one in my left hand, one in my right, and I was eating them happily. But when I woke up, I was horrified to discover… The soft, fluffy marshmallows from my dream might have actually originated from the woman in front of me… whose chest was incredibly soft and full. 6 Before we fell asleep, we were both perfectly well-behaved. But waking up to find myself buried in her chest, tightly wrapped in her arms… what the hell was going on?! Oh God, I’m a sinner. I didn’t dare to move a muscle. Listening to the sounds outside the door, my mom and Connor were already up. It wouldn’t be long before Audrey woke up too. My brain worked at lightning speed, trying to figure out a way to break this awkward embrace without waking her up. But before I could come up with a plan, her eyelids fluttered. She was about to wake up. I immediately squeezed my eyes shut, played dead, and threw the impossible problem into her lap. A few seconds later, Audrey stirred with a soft groan. When she realized what was happening, her entire body stiffened. But unlike me, she quickly relaxed. However, she didn’t make any move to let me go. I could feel a heavy gaze locked onto my face, and her warm breath brushed against my skin. My muscles were slowly cramping up from the tension. Just as I was about to crack and open my eyes, she gently released me. The sound of the mattress shifting as she got up, the rustle of clothes as she stood by the bed, and the soft click of the door opening and closing. Listening closely, I finally concluded she had left the room. I let out a massive sigh of relief and slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the white ceiling. White. The marshmallows in my dream were also so white. Realizing what I was thinking about, I quickly sat up. But when I saw the person leaning against the bedroom door, I almost screamed. Audrey hadn’t left the room at all. She was looking at me with a half-smile, tilting her head as she asked: “Did you sleep well last night? I didn’t disturb you, did I?” 7 Actually, I slept great last night. But she definitely disturbed me. Otherwise, why would I have dreamed of grabbing giant, fluffy marshmallows with my bare hands? I lowered my head and mumbled, “It was fine.” Audrey seemed to be in a great mood. Only then did she open the door and leave. I flopped back onto the bed, kicking the blankets, gripping my hair, screaming silently in frustration. “Oh, right.” The person who just left suddenly popped back in. I immediately sat bolt upright. Audrey’s eyes were dancing with amusement, but her face was completely serious. “I slept wonderfully last night.” She glanced at my head. “Your bedhead is very unique.” With that, she turned and left. I swear I heard her laugh! It’s all my fault for being blind. I thought she was a cool, mature goddess, but she was actually completely devious. And the freshly baked biscuits on the breakfast table only made my vision go dark. After last night’s dream, anything “fluffy” and “round” was a banned word for me. But the clueless Mrs. Hayes found it strange. “Didn’t you always love these biscuits for breakfast? Why haven’t you taken a single one?” Everyone at the table stared at me, including Audrey. I picked up my bowl, chugged my oatmeal in one breath, set it down, and fled. “I’m full, you guys take your time.” My mom called out from behind me, “Don’t run off just yet. In a bit, you and your brother are going to the supermarket to buy groceries for the holidays. I’m going to the farmer’s market.” I absolutely refused to be a third wheel. I frantically winked at Connor. But he completely missed the signal. Instead, he said, “Zoey, you take Audrey. I’ll go with Mom to the market. I’m cooking New Year’s Eve dinner tonight, so I know exactly what ingredients I need.” Mrs. Hayes thought this was incredibly reasonable. She beamed at Audrey affectionately. “Audrey, pick out whatever you want to eat, and let Zoey pay for it.” Unable to disobey my mother, it ended up being just me and Audrey going to the supermarket. The store was packed with people doing their holiday shopping. I pushed the cart, and Audrey initially followed a step behind me. But as the crowd grew denser, carts bumping into each other, Audrey eventually slipped one arm around my waist, resting her hand on the cart’s handle. She was practically half-embracing me. With her free hand, she grabbed things off the shelves, occasionally leaning down to softly ask if I wanted something. This silent, seamless care radiated ultimate “big sister” energy. My face inexplicably burned, and I didn’t dare to meet her eyes. When she leaned down to ask me a question for the nth time, she finally noticed something was wrong. “Why is your face so red? Are you feeling sick?” I desperately fanned myself with my hand, trying to cover it up. “It’s probably just because there are so many people. It feels stuffy.” This time, she firmly wrapped her arm around my shoulders, navigating us out of the crowd until we reached a relatively empty aisle. She pulled out her phone and brought up her QR code. “Add me on WhatsApp. Send me the shopping list, and I’ll go get the rest.” “No, it’s fine. I’m okay,” I said embarrassedly. After all, “stuffy” was just a convenient excuse. But she stubbornly held her phone out, her expression leaving no room for argument. And just like that, I added her. “Sorry for the trouble.” I stood in place, staring blankly at the bustling, noisy crowd, feeling a sudden, strange sense of loneliness wash over me. I suddenly wished that, in this massive world, there was one person who existed entirely for me. Audrey was incredibly efficient. Not long after, she returned with the rest of the groceries. She was tall and strikingly beautiful. Everywhere she walked, people turned to look at her. She navigated through the crowd, walking straight toward me, and finally stopped right in front of me. My wandering gaze found its focus, locking onto the face of the woman in front of me. Audrey dropped the items into the cart. One hand gripped the handle, while her other hand gently wrapped around my wrist. Her voice was soft. “Let’s go home.” My ears rang for a second. I want to steal her from my brother. 8 That thought flashed through my mind for a split second. It was so strong that when we got home and I saw Connor, I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and subconsciously avoided him. Connor noticed. A few times he looked like he wanted to say something, but I always found an excuse to do something else and dodged him. Somehow, I made it to the evening. The whole family sat in the living room watching the New Year’s Eve broadcast. Mrs. Hayes got tired early, handed out our red envelopes, and went to bed. In previous years, it was always just me and Connor staying up till midnight. This year, there was an Audrey between us. They occasionally exchanged a few words, mostly Connor talking to Audrey. I was curled up on the sofa, texting Jess. She was mercilessly roasting the TV performances in the chat, and I couldn’t stop laughing. The other two in the living room looked over at the sound. Connor, always the gossip, asked, “Who are you chatting with? You’ve been grinning at your phone all night.” Audrey didn’t say anything, but her eyes were also fixed on my phone. I put my phone away, sat up straight, and stared at the TV. “Nobody. Just a friend.” “A boyfriend?” Connor teased. I instinctively glanced at Audrey. She had lowered her eyes; I couldn’t read her expression. “A girl.” Even Connor didn’t know about my sexual orientation, so he didn’t think much of it. Instead, he started lecturing me: “Why do you always hang out with girls? You need to expand your social circle, meet some guys. You can’t stay single your whole life…” He found a girlfriend and immediately started lecturing me. I was already annoyed because of the intrusive thought I had earlier that afternoon. I grabbed a throw pillow and whipped it at him. “You’re so annoying! Mind your own business.” Connor threw his arm up to block it. “I’m your brother. If I don’t look out for you, who will?” The pillow deflected off his arm and bounced straight into Audrey. Both of us instantly went dead silent. Connor scrambled like a loyal lapdog, snatching the pillow away and smiling apologetically at Audrey. “Sorry, sorry! Did that hurt?” Seeing them made me incredibly irritated. I snapped, “Just focus on your own relationship. I’m going to bed.” Connor’s face darkened. “Stop right there. Did you eat gunpowder today? Who made you mad? Staying up for the countdown was Dad’s tradition. Now that he’s gone, you won’t even listen to your older brother, is that it?” I looked up at Dad’s portrait. The man in the picture was smiling warmly, but I felt a sudden urge to cry. I sniffled and sat back down without saying a word. Seeing this, Connor’s aggressive posture deflated. He explained awkwardly, “Hey, you’re not actually crying, are you? I wasn’t trying to yell at you.” I hugged the throw pillow, my voice thick with emotion. “I’m not crying.” My phone chimed. It was a Venmo transfer from Connor. The amount was generous. He kept his eyes glued to the TV. “New Year’s gift from your brother. We good?” I didn’t hesitate. I tapped accept. “We weren’t even fighting.” He reached over Audrey and ruffled my hair. “Little gold digger.” This time I didn’t complain. I quietly let him mess up my hair. Audrey, who had been silent this whole time, suddenly spoke up softly. “You two are very close.” Connor looked quite proud. “Of course we are.” The TV was playing a cheerful comedy sketch, and the live audience laughed constantly. But as I watched, I grew increasingly silent. Connor was right. We had a deep bond as siblings. Despite our bickering, ever since Dad passed away, he automatically stepped up as the person who protected me. I couldn’t steal his girlfriend. Just past midnight, Connor took us downstairs to light firecrackers and fireworks. He even specifically gave me and Audrey a few sparklers to play with. Audrey and I stood in a safe spot, watching Connor light the firecrackers in the distance. As the fireworks shot into the sky and the firecrackers popped, I lit the sparkler in my hand. Without looking at Audrey beside me, I stared at Connor’s back in the distance. “Audrey, happy New Year. I hope you and my brother have a sweet relationship and stay together forever.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “426740”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My roommate tossed her spare phone into my lap with a look of pure disgust. “This 35-year-old boomer is so annoying! Constantly making me memorize finance vocabulary, write market reports, and he even tries to control my weekend clubbing!” “It was just some online flirting. He’s such a control freak, acting like he’s my dad!” “But even though he’s a nag, he wires five hundred bucks for living expenses right on time every month. It’s perfect for a broke girl like you. The account is yours.” I didn’t bother responding, ready to get back to my textbook. Suddenly, a translucent floating comment appeared in front of my eyes: [Brooke is so adorably clueless! She has no idea her online fling is the multi-billionaire Wall Street legend!] [Is that control? He was literally grooming her to be the future Mrs. Billionaire!] [Just wait until the boss comes back to the States and realizes she swapped herself out. He’ll crush this stand-in side character and then start his groveling ‘chasing the runaway wife’ arc with Brooke.] I picked up the phone and smiled at my roommate. “I’ll take this burden off your hands, then.” A stand-in? A groveling arc? I didn’t care. I just wanted to ask the billionaire: Are there any shortcuts to getting into a top-tier business school? 1 Right in front of Brooke, I changed the phone number linked to the account and handed the spare device back to her. She took it, giving me a mocking look. “This cheap old guy might drop some coins, but his demands are psycho. He acts like a high school principal. Enjoy.” True, the designer bags the frat boys and trust-fund kids gave Brooke cost upwards of ten grand. Five hundred dollars a month was nothing to her. Brooke left for a date. The dorm quieted down, and I opened the chat with the profile that had no picture. The last message was from last night. [Read this week’s front page of the Wall Street Journal and send me an analysis report.] [Why aren’t you replying?] [You better fix your attitude and take this seriously. I don’t have time for your tantrums.] My eyelid twitched. I scrolled through their six months of chat history. It turned out they met on an elite financial forum. Brooke wanted to fish for a rich finance bro, so she played the part of a hardworking but impoverished straight-A student. This man, going by the screen name “N,” answered a few of her questions, and eventually, they exchanged numbers. Their conversations had absolutely zero flirting. It wasn’t “online dating” at all. It mostly revolved around: What books did you read today? How many economic models did you memorize? Are you following the latest fed rates? It was obvious he genuinely wanted to mentor her. Brooke’s English and grades were decent, so she took it seriously at first. But as time went on, she started faking sick, whining, or using ChatGPT to write garbage just to brush him off. At first, ‘N’ patiently corrected her mistakes. But lately, sensing her lack of effort, his tone had grown increasingly cold. Yet, he still transferred the $500 allowance right on time every month. In Brooke’s eyes, $500 wasn’t even enough for a nice pair of shoes. But to me—a genuinely broke student working four part-time jobs just to cover meals and textbooks—it was a godsend. The floating comments started rolling again: [N is Nathaniel Reed, the legendary titan of the venture capital world! A crumb of his insider info is enough to feed a normal person for lifetimes, and Brooke just gave him away?] [Does this cannon fodder Aria really think she struck gold? Nathaniel despises liars. When he finds out they switched, she’s dead meat!] I ignored the malicious text and focused on the message demanding an analysis report. I was a regular sophomore finance major. Because my family was poor, I couldn’t afford grad school prep courses. So I knew from a young age that studying was my only way out. I stayed up for five straight hours, reading last week’s financial briefs, looking up historical data, and writing a comprehensive report. After checking my grammar, I sent the document over. [I’m so sorry, I had my tonsils removed the past couple of days. Sorry for the late reply.] Fifteen minutes later, he replied: [You wrote this report yourself?] My heart clenched: [Yes.] …Another long silence. Then, a transfer notification popped up on the screen. $10,000. [Your angle is quite innovative. It’s worlds better than the empty garbage you were sending before. This is your reward.] [If you’re sick, rest. Goodnight.] Brooke’s “cheap old guy” casually dropped ten grand?! I stared at the zeros, my fingers trembling uncontrollably. The comments immediately turned sour: [WTF, this side character has insane luck! She got ten grand for one crappy report?] [Nathaniel only gave it because he values Brooke’s potential. Aria is just leeching off the female lead’s aura!] [Take it, take it. The more she takes now, the worse she’ll die later. Gold diggers never get a good ending.] I gritted my teeth and declined the transfer, sending the money back. N sent a question mark: [Not enough?] [No, no. It’s just that compared to money, I want an opportunity more.] [I want to apply to a top business school. Right now, I don’t have a good mentor, and I don’t have access to premium industry data.] […Could I be a little greedy and ask to borrow a premium Bloomberg Terminal account from you?] After I sent the message, it was like a stone dropping into the ocean. Half an hour passed. Nothing. I stared at the screen, my palms sweating cold. The comments started mocking me: [Looks like she crashed and burned! Playing hard to get, and now she lost the ten grand!] [What tier of a boss is Nathaniel? Did she really think he wouldn’t see through this cheap trick?] [Exactly. A regular college student wanting to get into Wharton? She thinks the boss is running a charity?] Just as I thought I had overplayed my hand and ruined this path, my phone buzzed. [Send me your detailed background information.] I immediately sent over a resume I had prepared long ago. I redacted my personal identifying info, leaving only my past grades and the simulated trading competitions I had participated in. The next day, I received a call from an unknown number. “Hello, I am Mr. Reed’s executive assistant. My last name is Hayes.” His tone was strictly professional. “The boss instructed me to meet with you to evaluate your specific situation. Are you available this afternoon?” I suppressed my excitement and forced a calm voice. “Yes, you can set the location.” 2 That afternoon, I changed into a clean, neat business suit and arrived at Mr. Hayes’s office on time. He looked me up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. The comments popped up right on cue to dig at me: [This hillbilly really doesn’t know her place, wearing a cheap suit to meet Assistant Hayes.] [He’s Nathaniel’s right-hand man. He’ll see right through this fake.] My palms were slightly sweaty, terrified I’d be exposed. But to my surprise, he only flipped through my portfolio, completely unbothered by my identity. “The boss believes you have some foundation, but you are still quite far from the requirements of a top-tier Ivy League program.” I agreed. “It’s exactly because there is a gap that I need guidance. As long as you give me the resources, I will catch up.” “The boss doesn’t give out resources lightly.” Mr. Hayes closed the folder. “He can provide you with the terminal account, and even arrange a team of Ivy League-level private tutors for you. “The condition is, you must absolutely obey all arrangements and meet every single performance metric.” “I accept!” I answered without a second thought. He nodded. “Then starting today, your schedule and study plans will be fully taken over by us.” 3 Three days later, I moved out of the dorms and into an ultra-luxury penthouse suite at a five-star hotel. There was an entire wall of books, a high-end laptop, and three private tutors on standby. Every morning at 6 AM, I woke up to listen to global financial news. At 8 AM, I underwent hellish training on relevant financial concepts. The afternoon was high-intensity oral presentations and breaking down real-world corporate case studies. And at night, without fail, I had to report my day’s progress to N. His replies were always brief. Sometimes it was just a single “Read.” Other times, it was a long string of razor-sharp critiques. He really was like a strict principal, using high-pressure tactics to reshape my entire way of thinking. The cold words on the screen didn’t make me feel wronged; instead, a surge of excitement welled up inside me. So this is the world of the strong? No warm and fuzzy feelings, just pure competence. In the morning, N sent me a message. [You’ve made significant progress recently. I’m giving you half a day off today.] I got praised! I couldn’t help but smile. I went back to campus to grab a few books. Just as I pushed open my dorm room door, I bumped straight into Brooke. She was decked out in designer clothes, holding a luxury bag, looking absolutely radiant. Looking at the plain white T-shirt I was wearing, she scoffed out loud. “The straight-A student finally decided to come back? What, did that old man dump you?” “No, he’s been tutoring me lately,” I told the truth. “Tutoring you? Hahaha…” She laughed loudly, as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. “Aria, is your brain fried? A loser you met online who can’t even afford a decent gift—what do you expect him to teach you? “Teach you how to survive on five hundred bucks a month?” She poked the English finance textbook in my hand with her freshly done acrylic nails. “Chad is becoming the VP of his family’s company next month. He promised to give me a cushy corporate job soon. “I suggest you get a grip on reality. It’s better to marry well than to work hard. What’s the point of burying your nose in these stupid books? You’ll still end up working for someone else and suffering.” I dodged her hand and said flatly, “Everyone has their own goals. Five hundred bucks is fine, and working is fine too.” I hoped I could suffer this kind of “hardship” for the rest of my life. With the “female lead” making an appearance, the comments naturally got active again: [If Brooke knew she gave up a multi-billionaire, she’d literally die of regret!] [Is this seriously the female lead? Look at that smug, gold-digger face. She looks way worse than the side character!] [Traitor upstairs, shut up! The male lead always belongs to the female lead, okay? Learn the rules!] [Just wait. When the male lead takes back all his resources, the side character is going to be ruined!] I ignored the comments and walked away with my books. Was he going to forcibly rip the knowledge out of my brain? Over the next two months, my progress was visible to the naked eye. N’s attitude toward me also underwent a subtle shift. He no longer just issued one-sided commands. Occasionally, in the early hours of the morning, he would send a few casual photos from his business trips abroad. 4 But late tonight, after reading my notes, he suddenly sent a message. [Brooke, your writing style has changed recently. It’s much more rational and analytical than before.] My heart skipped a violent beat, and the comments started cheering. [The boss is getting suspicious! The identity reveal is finally happening!] [Side character, your days are numbered. Get ready for the hurricane…] I steadied my breathing and typed rapidly on the keyboard: [I’ll take that as a compliment! People grow. Right now, my only focus is on improving myself!] A long time after the message was sent, N sent a voice memo. “Good. Keep up that drive and ambition.” This was the first time I had ever heard his voice. Deep, magnetic, and carrying a detectable hint of amusement. “I’m flying back to the States mid-next month. I’m hosting a private business gala. You will attend as my plus-one. It will be the perfect time to evaluate you.” After listening to the voice memo, my fingers tightened around my phone. This day had finally come. [Famous scene incoming! The ultimate showdown!] [Brooke is going to be there too! The real and fake online girlfriends meeting at the gala—just thinking about it is thrilling!] [Following the plot, Nathaniel is going to expose the side character on the spot, kick her out of the gala, and immediately go beg Brooke for forgiveness.] Looking at those blinding words, I secretly clenched my fists. I didn’t study day and night just to be someone’s stepping stone. 5 Mr. Hayes sent someone to deliver an evening gown a day in advance. Along with a fifty-page dossier on the guests. “The core assets and recent primary investment intentions of tonight’s VIPs are all in here. “The boss doesn’t need a trophy date for show. You need to memorize the dossiers of the top ten core figures. “Remember, all of it.” I didn’t dare slack off. I spent the entire night memorizing them until I could recite them backward. Not only that, but I also used the terminal account to dig up everything I could on the recent financial reports of the companies owned by those ten titans. No matter what consequences my identity reveal would bring, I had to prove I was worthy of the resources he had invested in me. That evening, the car pulled up to a sprawling estate on the outskirts of New York. The air smelled of champagne and cigars. Guests conversed in hushed tones. Behind seemingly casual chatter lay cash flows worth billions. I grabbed a glass of sparkling water and stayed in a quiet corner. I silently matched the faces in the room with the dossiers I had memorized last night. Suddenly, a familiar female voice broke my concentration. “Aria? What are you doing here?” I turned my head and, unsurprisingly, saw Brooke. She was holding onto the arm of a slicked-back, flashy young man, staring at me in shock. This guy was probably the “rich boyfriend” she had mentioned. “This is a top-tier business gala. How did a broke student like you sneak in?” Brooke stepped closer, lowering her voice, her tone dripping with malice. “Don’t tell me you hooked up with some sketchy waiter and came through the back door?” The comments floated by right on time: [Brooke isn’t wrong. Isn’t that exactly how the side character snuck in—by scamming Nathaniel?] [Just waiting for the boss to walk in and publicly expose this vain girl’s true colors!] [Rubbing my hands together in anticipation…] I gave Brooke a sideways glance, didn’t respond to her, and let my gaze fall on the man beside her. “Chad, isn’t it? Your father’s factory was just cited for failing environmental compliance last quarter, and the bank is threatening to pull your loans, right?” Chad had originally been eyeing me with a frivolous, sleazy gaze. Hearing my words, his face dramatically changed. I smiled slightly. “Instead of trying to help your family weather the storm, you have the leisure to bring a date here and show off. Your priorities are truly astounding.” “Who… who are you? How do you know this!” His voice was already trembling. They had been keeping this a strict secret. If word got out at an event like this, he’d be finished. “If I were you, I’d immediately go over to Mr. Liu from Vanguard Holdings and have a few drinks with him. He has a pool of idle capital right now that might save you. Instead of asking me pointless questions.” Chad followed the direction of my finger, his face turning pale. Finally, he glared fiercely at Brooke. “Didn’t you say she was just a bookworm hillbilly? How does she know more about my industry than I do!” He threw off Brooke’s hand and hurriedly walked toward Mr. Liu. “Chad! What are you doing!?” Brooke stomped her foot in anger, glaring at me through gritted teeth. “What the hell are you playing at? You think reading a few financial news articles makes you a big shot in this circle?” I couldn’t be bothered with her tantrum. A commotion at the front of the hall caught my attention. The main doors were pushed open from the outside, and the banquet hall instantly fell silent. A tall man walked in, his facial features deep and sharp. He only gave a slight nod in response to everyone’s greetings, but his mere presence shifted the atmosphere of the entire room. Nathaniel Reed had arrived. 6 [AHHH! The male lead is here! So handsome, save me!] [Aria’s execution date has arrived. The boss will definitely realize at a glance that she’s not the girlfriend he saw in videos!] [As soon as Brooke complains, Nathaniel is going to be furious and start crushing the side character.] Brooke also recognized Nathaniel. Even though she didn’t know this was her “cheap old guy,” almost everyone had seen that face. He was a regular on the covers of financial magazines. She smoothed her hair and instinctively straightened her posture. “Aria, you think playing a little trick to scare off Chad makes you a winner? The man up there is a true titan. You better behave yourself!” The problem was, I couldn’t just “behave.” I adjusted my breathing off to the side. The judgment was imminent, and it would be a lie to say I wasn’t nervous. After exchanging pleasantries with a few senior figures, Nathaniel looked past the crowd and began searching the room. He finally locked onto my corner and strode directly toward me with his long legs. The crowd automatically parted to make way for him. Brooke, blushing with excitement, put on a coy smile and stepped half a pace forward to intercept him. “Mr. Re—” She barely opened her mouth to greet him. Nathaniel didn’t even give her a fraction of a glance. He brushed past her and stopped squarely in front of me. He looked me up and down with sharp eyes. “Aria?” His deep voice was exactly the same as in his voice memos. The surrounding crowd broke into murmurs. Brooke froze in place, staring at us in absolute disbelief. The comments also lagged for a second before exploding into a string of question marks. [What’s going on? Why did he call the side character… Aria?] [Right, shouldn’t he be calling her Brooke? He actually knows her real name!] [Oh my god, did the boss know they switched a long time ago?!] Looking at the wildly scrolling comments, I was also stunned. Where did I slip up? Was it really my writing style… Brooke had clearly recognized Nathaniel’s voice. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Mr. Reed… your voice is… N? “B-babe! I’m right here! Don’t you remember me?” Her pitch suddenly went shrill. She pointed at me and yelled. “You’ve got the wrong person! She’s my roommate! I’m the Brooke you’ve been texting for half a year!” The room fell dead silent. Everyone’s eyes darted back and forth between the three of us. Nathaniel turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping coldly over Brooke’s face. “Brooke? I don’t know you. I only know her name is Aria.” It wasn’t until his eyes met my stunned expression that the chill in his gaze seemed to melt slightly. Brooke stood to the side, trembling with rage. “Babe! Don’t let this vain woman fool you! I gave her that account! She just wanted the living expenses you were sending! “You and those five hundred dollars should have been mine! I only let her take it because she was so poor and I felt bad for her!” Nathaniel finally looked her straight in the eye, but his gaze was filled with pure disdain. “You? You aren’t worth five hundred dollars.” Those words were like a physical slap to Brooke’s face. “The resources I provide only belong to those capable of catching them. Whether it’s connections or money. “Since you already traded the opportunity away, stop embarrassing yourself here.” Mr. Hayes appeared right on cue, bringing two security guards to forcibly escort Brooke out. She struggled wildly, screaming. “What are you doing! Let me go! Babe, I’m your real girlfriend! Aria is a complete fraud!” But no matter how much she screamed, Nathaniel didn’t spare her another glance. The guards efficiently covered her mouth and dragged her out of the venue. After a brief pause, the comments boiled over again. [The boss knew they switched the whole time?! Then what kind of roleplay has he been doing all this time?] [He pretended not to know so he could secretly play a ‘grooming a protégé’ game! OMG, why is this so cute?!] [What the hell is going on? Not only did the male lead not get mad at the side character, he kicked the official female lead out?!] [What happened to exposing her true colors? What happened to the groveling arc? The plot is broken, and their character arcs are completely wrong!] [Um… am I the only one who thinks the way the male lead is looking at the side character is intensely romantic?] Nathaniel shifted his gaze back to me, offering his arm, a very faint smile appearing in his eyes. “Stop spacing out, Ms. Aria. The evaluation begins now.” I took a deep breath, forced down the tidal wave of shock in my heart, and took his arm. 7 For the next two hours, whenever someone threw a question our way, Nathaniel skillfully deferred to me. Relying on the dossiers I had practically memorized until the pages fell out, and the business intuition I’d built under his intense pressure, I answered flawlessly. I could feel the gazes that had initially dismissed me slowly changing their tune. By the time the gala ended, I was physically exhausted, but mentally, I was in a state of unprecedented hyper-arousal. I did it. I didn’t embarrass him. That also lessened my guilt significantly. Late that night, the car drove smoothly down the highway. I turned to look at the man resting his eyes beside me and asked the question I’d been holding back all night. “When… when did you know I wasn’t Brooke?” Nathaniel answered with a question of his own. “You too. You didn’t seem surprised by my identity at all?” I coughed dryly. I couldn’t exactly tell him I had a cheat code. Nathaniel slowly opened his eyes. “After reading your very first analysis report, I knew.” “Huh? Just from one report?” He chuckled deeply. “The stuff Brooke sent was always very colloquial, filled with translation software junk and rambling. “Your logic was rigorous, filled with professional terminology. It was obvious you did the research and possessed independent critical thinking. “You can fake your appearance, but you can’t fake your brain.” I sighed. A titan is a titan. My little tricks were nothing in his eyes. No wonder Mr. Hayes never brought up my identity from the very beginning. “Since you knew it was someone else early on, why did you still provide me with such incredible study resources?” Nathaniel leaned slightly toward me. “I don’t run a charity, but I do know how to invest.” His tone was relaxed, revealing a very straightforward admiration. “I had Mr. Hayes run a background check on your real identity. “A girl from a poor background, working four jobs a day, yet still maintaining the top GPA in her major. Faced with the temptation of ten thousand dollars, not only did you not take it, but you used the opportunity to negotiate for a much bigger chance. “Your ambition and execution showed me a very high ROI. My firm needs talent like you.” My heart beat uncontrollably faster. He didn’t blame me; instead, he gave me incredibly high praise. I forced myself to stay calm. “So, did I pass the evaluation? How do you plan to arrange things for me next?” Nathaniel suddenly leaned close and unbuckled my seatbelt for me. His warm breath brushed past my ear, and I was so nervous I held my breath. “Move into one of my penthouses temporarily tomorrow. Before you get into business school, you’ll join my firm as an executive assistant.” He pulled back half an inch. “Aria, don’t fall behind. I’m very much looking forward to the day you truly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me.” [Lifting you up to become a better version of yourself! Who can resist this kind of elite mentor boss?! Answer me!] [As expected, the adult world relies on value exchange. That’s the only way to maintain an absolutely stable relationship.] [Hey? Did you guys notice? Nathaniel’s gaze is so intense. He’s absolutely fallen for the side character!] I didn’t see that last comment. At that moment, I couldn’t stop my lips from curving upward. I had never felt so lucky in my entire life.

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