Category: English

My brother Ethan has been smart since childhood. His SAT scores were excellent—good enough to get into Harvard. But before I could feel happy about it, I overheard him on the phone in his room: “Mia’s going to community college, so I’m applying to the same school. I’m not going to Harvard.” In my past life, I stopped him and forced him to apply to Harvard. As a result, his crush Mia Greene got engaged, and her fiancé was some hot guy who went to community college with her. When Ethan saw the news, his eyes turned red with rage, and he forced massive amounts of poison down my throat. “What’s the point of all that studying! Mia’s grandfather is New York’s richest man—if I got together with her, I’d skip an entire social class! If you hadn’t stopped me, I’d be the one marrying her now!” I was tortured to death. Given a second chance at life, I returned to the day the SAT scores were released. This time, I drove straight to the city’s largest orphanage. This brother is ruined—I’ll just adopt a new one!

After I died, my parents tried to ease their grief over losing a son by managing Ethan’s education even more strictly. But they never expected that Ethan, unable to sneak out to see the rich heiress, would harbor such resentment that he’d hire human traffickers to sell his own parents into the black market. My elderly parents were beaten bloody, and in a twisted act, people hammered long nails all over their bodies. Meanwhile, Ethan knelt before the bed where the New York heiress was sleeping with another man, begging her to look at him just once more. My soul floated above, screaming in grief and rage, but powerless to do anything. The next second, Ethan’s incessant voice rang in my ears again: “Adrian, I’m going to community college with Mia to study aviation.” “Harvard’s too hard. Even if I graduate, isn’t it all just to make money anyway? Mia’s the richest man’s granddaughter—isn’t it better to win her over early? Don’t you think so?” His eyes were full of excited gleam and what he thought was clever calculation. When Ethan saw I wasn’t responding, he immediately got annoyed. “Adrian, do you just hate seeing me do well?” “Your own marriage failed. You couldn’t keep your rich wife—that’s your problem. Why are you stopping me from climbing up the social ladder!” My heart instantly went cold. My ex-wife and I were childhood sweethearts who grew up together. When my family faced bankruptcy, we were forced into an arranged marriage. But only after getting married did I learn my ex-wife had an unforgettable first love. Only when I caught her cheating did she admit she’d been betraying me from the start. I’ll never forget the way my ex-wife and her first love humiliated me together. Later, I used all the money I got from my ex-wife to revive the family business, finally succeeding in getting divorced the following year. All these years, I’d worried that Ethan would be hurt by women like I was, so I gave him twice as much materially. From childhood, Ethan wore designer brands. Piano lessons and horseback riding lessons costing hundreds of thousands—as long as Ethan said he wanted to learn, I’d sign him up without blinking. To create a better life for us brothers, I worked like a machine, drinking at business dinners until I got a perforated ulcer and ended up in the hospital. I never told Ethan much about any of this—I just didn’t want him to feel any burden. But I never imagined that in Ethan’s eyes, all my sacrifices would be seen as the result of me being unable to keep a woman. And my indulgence had made him so pathetic, acting like a dog in front of rich people. Thinking of this, I looked at Ethan with a slight smile. “You’re an adult now. You can make your own decisions about major life choices. Mia treats you so well—you really shouldn’t miss this opportunity!” Ethan froze for a moment at my words, then hugged me joyfully. “I knew it—you’re the one who treats me best! Once Mia and I inherit the richest man’s fortune, I’ll definitely take good care of you!” In my past life, when Ethan told me his New York heiress classmate had invited him to the same school, I first asked how Mia had done on her exams and what university she was planning to attend. When I learned Mia’s scores could only get her into community college, my expression immediately turned cold, and I refused no matter what. Ethan also turned against me and stormed out, slamming the door. After finding out that Mia had bullied a male classmate and nearly drove him to jump off the school building, I couldn’t sit still. I earnestly warned Ethan that Mia had poor grades and violent tendencies—the Greene family would never choose someone like that as their heir. But Ethan insisted: “Mia’s the richest man’s only biological granddaughter. The future fortune will definitely be hers!” When persuasion failed, I had to take a hard line. I called my parents back from abroad and had them monitor Ethan 24/7, forcing him to sign the Harvard application. But the next day, the news broke that New York heiress Mia Greene was engaged, and her fiancé was the school heartthrob who’d given up college to be with her. The media portrayed this engagement as a poor boy’s successful pursuit of love, a rags-to-riches tale of a pauper prince climbing up the social ladder. When Ethan saw it, he went crazy and came to my office and smashed everything. He pounded the desk and shouted at me: “Mia’s fiancé should have been me!” To calm him down and stop him from obsessing over that woman, I doubled his allowance and spent a fortune taking him on trips all over the country. Ethan wanted all kinds of luxury goods, and I bought them for him. But in return, Ethan went crazy and hung me from Mia’s helicopter in the suburbs. “If you hadn’t stopped me, I’d be the one who climbed into the Greene family! You ruined everything for me!” I was suspended in the air, sliced bloody by the rotating tail rotor, and then watched myself fall into a valley, with no remains left to bury. Only then did I realize that Ethan hated me to the bone, and his greatest wish was to be a kept man. In this life, I won’t try to save Ethan again. If he wants to be a kept man, I’ll let him lock himself together with that abusive woman forever. There are plenty of boys who want to study. Since this brother won’t work out, I’ll just get a new brother.

Ethan happily called Mia to tell her they could go to the same school. The two of them talked sweetly for a long time. After hanging up, Ethan did something unprecedented—he walked over to the cleaning lady and took the broom from her hands, saying proudly: “Adrian, from today on, I’ll do the housework. That way, when I go to the new school and live with Mia, I can take better care of her. Mia will definitely be moved by me.” I stood there stunned. I suddenly remembered that a few years ago, when I got seriously ill from drinking continuously to win business contracts, Ethan just watched coldly from the side and wouldn’t even pour me a glass of water. So Ethan wasn’t incapable of taking care of people—I just wasn’t worthy of it as his brother. I gave a bitter laugh, feeling like all my years of genuine devotion had been fed to the dogs. I gave the cleaning lady an extended vacation, had her teach Ethan all the chores, then returned to the living room and settled into the sofa to watch TV. It was Ethan’s first time doing housework. He was sweating profusely, and before long, he couldn’t take it anymore. He looked up at me with aggrieved eyes. If this were my past life, seeing Ethan like this would have made me too heartbroken to let him continue. Now, living this second life, I would never seek such suffering again. I just pretended not to see anything and focused on watching TV. Ethan, getting no sympathy, threw down the broom and ran back to his room in a huff. I watched him and just found it funny. He couldn’t even do basic housework, yet he wanted to be a kept man serving a rich girl? Before long, Ethan came running out and said to me: “Adrian, I’m going to the next city with Mia for a party. She’s already rented a place there, and I’ll just stay at her place. This is perfect!” Mia was famous in her circle for loving SM. Since Ethan was so eager to jump into the fire pit, I naturally wouldn’t stop him. When I didn’t answer for a long time, Ethan became angry and embarrassed, screaming shrilly: “I get it now—you really can’t stand seeing me happy! Someone as selfish as you has no right to be my brother!” I rubbed my temples, feeling somewhat tired. “I told you, you’re an adult now. You can make your own decisions. You don’t need to ask me anymore.” Hearing this, Ethan’s expression changed instantly, like flipping a switch, his spirits immediately restored. “You’re the best! I need to go find Mia right away and tell her this good news.” With that, Ethan left the house. Right after, I also went out and drove to the city’s largest orphanage.

After learning my intentions, the director took me to meet the children there. The orphanage children were noisy and rowdy, but one boy sat quietly to the side, completely indifferent to my arrival, focused intently on the vocabulary book in his hands. I walked over to him and asked softly, “Do you really like studying?” The boy’s voice was small but not timid. “Studying is very important. Only by working hard can I change my destiny.” I smiled at him. “Would you be willing to come home with me? I’ll be your brother and find you the best teachers to help you study.” The boy nodded vigorously. I took the boy to the director to process adoption papers. When I learned the boy’s name was Lucky, I couldn’t help but frown. The boy sensed my reaction and looked at me cautiously. I sighed and patted the boy’s head. “How about I give you a new name?” I took the boy shopping for daily necessities, then took him to change his name. He took my surname and became Wesley Armitage. I hoped he would always know the direction in his heart as precious as the moon, and not bow down for sixpence like my brother Ethan. On the way home, Wesley kept looking at his new ID card over and over—clearly, he really liked his new name. When we got home, I cleaned out the spare room for Wesley to live in. It was getting late, and I was just about to have Wesley go to his room to rest when I heard the sound of the door being unlocked. “Adrian, I’m back! I’ve already talked to Mia—” Ethan’s voice stopped the instant he saw Wesley, then he looked at me in disbelief and demanded sharply: “Who is he? What’s he doing in my house!” Wesley looked at me helplessly. I looked at Ethan calmly. “This is my house. Who I let in isn’t for you to decide.” “He’s my new brother, also your brother. His name is Wesley. If you can accept it, accept it. If you can’t, then get out.” Before I finished speaking, Ethan grabbed a vase from the living room and smashed it hard on the floor. “I don’t agree! If you don’t kick him out, I’ll die right in front of you. I don’t want you as a brother anymore!” This was Ethan’s usual tactic. In my past life, every time I refused Ethan’s excessive demands, he would threaten me by harming himself or cutting off our relationship. And I, craving familial affection, fell for it every time. I usually couldn’t resist and gave in. After making his threat, Ethan expected to see me compromise like before. But I just stood there, unmoved. “If you want to die, hurry up. I can’t stop you, and I don’t want to.” Thinking of how my parents suffered in my past life, I felt he deserved to die eight hundred times over. Ethan never imagined that I, who had always doted on him, would suddenly become like this. He immediately grew furious. He rushed at Wesley and grabbed him. Ethan’s freshly done manicure made his nails especially sharp. He deliberately dug them deep into Wesley’s skin. Wesley winced in pain but didn’t dare make a sound. “You little brat, did you trick Adrian! You parentless thing, what right do you have to steal my brother!” Ethan, the straight-A student, really got into cursing, his mouth full of obscenities. I’d always taught Ethan to be gentle and polite. Before, he was just cold, but he’d never used profanity in front of me. Eighteen years of upbringing and teaching couldn’t compare to a few months of Ethan being around Mia. Remembering my past life, I just felt utterly pathetic. Seeing Ethan raise his hand to slap Wesley, I quickly stepped forward to stop him, pulling Ethan away. “If you can’t accept this, get out. If you keep throwing tantrums like this, don’t blame me for being rude!” Hearing this, Ethan looked hurt, as if he couldn’t bear it anymore, and ran out crying. But I knew in my heart that Ethan’s sadness wasn’t because of me. It was just because something he’d possessed for so many years suddenly no longer belonged to him.

“I’m sorry. Maybe I should move out. Ethan really seems to hate me.” Wesley came over to me, his eyes a bit red, his voice full of apology. I calmly told him, “You’re my brother too. You don’t need to accommodate anyone.” After that, I took Wesley back to his room and comforted him for a while. Wesley fell into a deep sleep. I returned to the living room and began cleaning up the mess Ethan had left. Ethan had been pampered by me since childhood and had never suffered such humiliation. With this incident, unless I lowered my head and apologized first, Ethan definitely wouldn’t come back anytime soon. After cleaning up and returning to my room, I let out a slow breath of relief. Finally, I could take time to plan for Wesley’s and my future. Wesley was seventeen this year. After summer vacation, he’d be starting his junior year of high school. His grades were excellent, but due to family upheaval during middle school finals, he’d only gotten into an average high school. After entering the orphanage, Wesley worked part-time jobs while also helping out at the orphanage, sacrificing his sleep time to study. Even so, Wesley’s grades in high school were still outstanding. After learning all this, I first spent a fortune pulling strings to transfer Wesley to the city’s best high school. To catch up with the accelerated program’s pace by the new semester, I found renowned teachers to arrange one-on-one summer tutoring for him. In my past life, when Ethan first entered high school, he’d once given up on himself because he couldn’t keep up with the school’s pace. I both tried my best to encourage him, telling him not to lose confidence in learning, while also pulling connections to find suitable teachers for him. But in my past life, all my painstaking efforts became, in Ethan’s mouth, me forcing him to study for my own selfish desires and restricting his freedom. Some people are just born ungrateful. Unfortunately, in my past life, I paid with my life to understand this truth. In the following days, I woke up early every day to take Wesley to tutoring, then went to work at the company. After work, I’d pick Wesley up from tutoring. At these times, Wesley would always excitedly tell me in the car what new knowledge he’d learned that day and what interesting things happened in class. On weekends, I’d take Wesley out to experience new things, broaden his knowledge, and expand his horizons. These days spent with Wesley made me very happy too. This joy was something I never experienced in my past life. But good times didn’t last long. When Wesley and I were traveling in the neighboring city, I received a call from the police station. “Is this Mr. Adrian Armitage? After our preliminary investigation, Ethan is suspected of intentional assault. He’s currently at the police station. Please come by.” I froze in place. In my past life, because of my firm stance, Ethan had already broken up with Mia at this time, and I was watching Ethan closely, not letting him have any contact with Mia again. I never expected that in this life, without my intervention, in just half a month, Ethan would get into such big trouble.

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On the third day of my business trip, I stumbled across a video online of my husband Jensen and my best friend Violet kissing at a concert. Violet and I had known each other for twenty years. On the day I married Jensen, she blessed me through her tears. But today, she and Jensen had both betrayed me. After a few minutes of silence, I called Violet: “Did you go to Taylor’s concert this time? I heard the live performance was amazing.” On the other end, Violet’s voice paused, then she laughed casually: “It was great, but without you there, going alone wasn’t fun. When are you coming back? We should go together.” I smiled and said okay. After hanging up, I booked an overnight flight straight to her place. I had to ask her. Why lie to me? The plane landed right at 9 PM. I went directly to Violet’s apartment and knocked on the door. “What took you so long?” Violet’s coquettish voice came from inside. The moment she opened the door and saw me, her entire face went pale. “Chr…Christina?” “Why are you back?! Aren’t you supposed to be on a business trip?” She looked at me in shock. I didn’t speak, my eyes fixating on her nightgown. It was a black lace negligee with a deep V-neck that plunged almost to her navel, exposing most of her rounded breasts—an incredibly sexy nightgown. A week ago when I went shopping with her, when she bought this nightgown, she told me: “A woman still needs to be feminine. This nightgown is my secret weapon I’m preparing for myself.” Now this secret weapon I helped her buy—was she planning to use it on my husband? I tugged at the corner of my mouth, wanting to laugh, but my eyes welled up with tears first. Violet and I had been each other’s best friends since childhood. At seven, she got her pigtails pulled by a boy in class and cried loudly. I was the one who chased the boy away with a little ruler, patting my chest and saying: I’ll protect you from now on. At fifteen, she became extremely self-conscious about her acne and was cornered in the bathroom by girls from class who bullied her. I was the one who ran from the seventh floor to the third floor with a mop, saving her at the risk of expulsion. At seventeen, sophomore year of high school. Her parents were getting divorced. Neither wanted her, and they only gave her two hundred dollars a month for living expenses. Because she had no money, she ate only one meal a day—two slices of toast. She went from 120 pounds down to 75. We weren’t at the same school anymore by then. One evening during self-study, she suddenly called me and said: “Christina, I don’t want to go to school anymore.” When I heard those words, I climbed over the wall that very night and ran home from my boarding school. I knelt before my parents for two whole hours, begging them to sponsor my best friend’s education. From seven to twenty-seven years old, we had known each other for a full twenty years. She said many times that I was the heroism of her girlhood. But now, wearing the sexy nightgown we bought together, she had climbed into my husband’s bed. Thinking about this, I wanted to laugh but couldn’t. I could only try my best to appear calm as I asked her: “Do you have a date tonight?” “Who is it? Do I know them? What’s their name?” My tone was light, without interrogation or anger. Just like a natural greeting between friends. Her face went completely white. Even her lips lost all color. She was incredibly tense. “Just… a coworker from the company. You don’t know them.” She was still lying to me. My hand gripping my purse was white-knuckled. My gaze slowly swept across her guilty, flustered face. It landed on her wrist, and I smiled without really smiling: “That bracelet is beautiful. Did your coworker give it to you too?” Last month on Valentine’s Day, I personally found Jensen’s shopping records. A pair of gold earrings and a Van Cleef & Arpels ruby bracelet. The gold earrings cost five thousand dollars—they were on my ears. The bracelet cost thirty-eight thousand—he gave it to Violet. When Violet heard my words, her face went deathly pale. She immediately hid her left hand behind her back, stammering: “Yes, my coworker gave it to me.” Normally, at this moment, as her best friend, I should have naturally teased her a bit more. Asked if good news was coming soon? When would she let me meet him? But at that moment, watching her like this, I only felt absurd. She couldn’t even lie properly, yet I had been deceived by her for so long. “Alright, I won’t disturb your date.” “See you tomorrow.” I said with a smile, pretending not to see her instantly relieved expression, and turned to leave. On my way home, I called my father. He was Jensen’s direct supervisor and also the mastermind behind sponsoring Violet all these years and arranging her job. “Dad, I need a favor.” While throwing the treats I’d specially brought for Violet—her favorites—into the trash, I spoke with an eerily calm voice. “Jensen’s job, the apartment Violet’s living in, and all the money they’ve spent of mine these years—can you help me find a lawyer and get it all back?” “Yes, they’re having an affair. I don’t want to lose out.”

My dad moved quickly. I had just gotten home when a divorce lawyer added me and sent me 3GB of evidence and materials. I clicked on it. Besides photos and hotel records, there was a video account I’d never seen before. Eighty-three videos, each with Jensen’s shadow in them. I learned that their first kiss was on my twenty-third birthday. I went upstairs to get the cake. They were in the living room, kissing passionately. In that video uploaded on my birthday, Violet’s caption was just two words—”Thrilling.” I learned that their first time sleeping together was during that citywide rainstorm. Violet’s neighborhood had a power outage. I knew she was afraid of the dark, so I drove through the storm to her place to keep her company. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Rainwater reached my knees. I was completely soaked. Violet’s door was locked. She had gone on a business trip with Jensen. Kansas, three days and two nights. She didn’t tell me. Afraid something had happened to her, I knocked on her door for half an hour in the darkness. She and Jensen were in a hotel suite, eating a carefully prepared candlelit dinner, completing their first intimate encounter. And the most recent video was uploaded ten minutes ago. The background was Violet’s home. She was still wearing that nightgown, smiling innocently at the camera. “Almost got caught sneaking around for our date, but luckily Mr. Jensen said he’d make it up to me.” “He’s not allowed to go home tonight.” Her tone was so natural, without a trace of guilt. I replayed that video twenty times, finally confirming. That little sister who had followed me around since age seven, who needed my protection, had grown up. The cost was destroying my family. My hand gripping the mouse was white-knuckled. Suddenly I remembered the day Jensen and I got married. Violet wore the bridesmaid dress we’d chosen back in high school, crying with snot and tears everywhere. She grabbed my hand and threatened Jensen: “Christina is my best friend for life. If you ever dare bully her, I definitely won’t let you get away with it!” I crossed through the crowd and handed the bouquet directly to Violet. “Violet, I hope you’ll be happy too.” She froze for a moment, then burst into tears, shouting loudly in my ear: “Christina, you must be happy forever!” Scene after scene flashed back before my eyes. I sat on the sofa, tears flowing silently. My phone rang. It was Jensen calling. I answered. The man’s voice came through, half probing, half complaining. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back? If Violet hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t even know.” “Where are you now?” “Should I come pick you up?” I stayed silent, my gaze moving to Violet’s latest video. She said she didn’t want Jensen to go home. “I’m at the airport. The work issue isn’t resolved yet. I came back to get a file, leaving right away.” “Day after tomorrow at 8 AM, come pick me up at the airport.” Hearing my words, Jensen on the other end was obviously relieved, with a few women’s laughs mixed in. “Okay, I’m still at the office, so I won’t see you off.” “Let me know when you land.” The call ended. The lawyer looked at me hesitantly. “Ms. Christina, you…” I smiled and pulled out a tissue to wipe away my tears. “Attorney Foster, if we catch them in the act, wouldn’t the divorce case be more favorable for me?”

The lawyer nodded. I had my answer. I took out my phone and contacted several important people. The first was my dad—Jensen’s direct supervisor. For my sake, he was about to promote Jensen in the next few days. Marketing Director—a position Jensen had been eyeing for three years. The second was Violet’s parents. They had remarried and were also in California. Violet had said countless times that she wanted them to know how excellent she was, to make them regret abandoning her. Today, I also wanted to know—when her parents saw her with my husband, what would their expressions be? And Jensen’s parents, relatives… I called everyone I could think of. Then, following the lawyer, I drove to Violet’s apartment complex. During the twenty minutes waiting for everyone to arrive, I thought about many things. I thought about Violet and Jensen’s first meeting. One wore a gray suit, aloof and proud. One wore a red dress, looking completely annoyed. They each told me: I hate that person. They said they didn’t get along, asked me not to bring them together. I believed them. So I was always careful, telling Violet in front of Jensen how she praised him as young and promising. In front of Violet, I gave her gifts I bought for her in Jensen’s name. I thought I was maintaining both my love and my friendship. Looking back now, the most ridiculous person was actually me. “Ms. Christina, everyone’s here.” The lawyer’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts. I got out of the car and looked at those familiar faces. Everyone had come. Not a single person was missing. “Christina, why did you call us all here?” “Is it about last time when Violet mentioned you buying her an apartment? Oh my, all these years you’ve helped us take care of Violet, we’re so grateful.” Violet’s parents eagerly grabbed my hand. I pulled my hand away without speaking. Jensen’s parents blocked them. “What are you talking about? It must be about Jensen’s promotion to Marketing Manager coming through.” “Christina, Jensen really didn’t marry the wrong person.” “Christina, are you preparing a surprise for Jensen? Don’t worry, I get it! I even brought a video camera—professional grade!” They chattered away, not knowing what had happened, but all without exception holding expectations. Attorney Foster pulled me aside and said quietly: “Ms. Christina, are you sure you want to make this big of a scene?” “Once this blows up today, things will truly be irreversible.” I looked up at the light coming from Violet’s apartment upstairs. I remembered that summer when we walked down the street hand in hand, sharing the same ice cream cone. Her face was flushed red from the sun, her eyes incredibly bright. “Christina, will we be best friends forever?” I nodded emphatically. Ice cream smeared on my face. “Forever!” And Jensen—he knew I loved the ocean, so when he proposed, he rented an entire beach. Under the fireworks, he knelt on one knee with a ring. “Christina, I like you. I’ll like you forever. Will you marry me?” They had each promised me forever, yet in this year when I turned twenty-eight, they had tacitly chosen betrayal. I looked away. Violet’s parents were already impatient. Jensen’s parents had even notified their family members, preparing to throw Jensen a promotion party. The lights upstairs had also gone out. They must be asleep. I composed myself and gave everyone behind me a carefree smile. Pointing to the elevator, “Let’s go upstairs. There’s a surprise waiting upstairs.”

I led the group into the elevator, heading upstairs in a grand procession. In the elevator’s cramped space, the atmosphere was strangely enthusiastic. Violet’s parents were still shamelessly cozying up to me, their faces full of obsequious smiles. “Christina, Violet always tells us that meeting you was the luckiest thing in her life.” “That’s right, that’s right. We’re truly grateful to you from the bottom of our hearts.” They sang in harmony, hinting that our two families should interact more in the future, growing even closer. Naturally, Jensen’s parents weren’t willing to be outdone. They immediately pushed them aside and grabbed my other hand. “Christina, don’t listen to their nonsense. Jensen truly loves you.” “That Marketing Director position—he’s wanted it for so long. This time, thanks to you and your father, Jensen must have accumulated good karma from his past life to have married you.” My dad stood behind me, one hand silently resting on my shoulder, gently holding me. I could feel the warmth and strength from his palm, and also the suppressed fury about to erupt. I knew he was holding back. I was holding back too. It felt like a fire burning in my stomach, spreading from my chest all the way to my throat, burning painfully. “Ding”—the elevator doors opened. I took a deep breath and walked to Violet’s familiar door. First, I called her phone. Her sleepy yet slightly wary voice came through the receiver. “Hello? Christina? It’s so late. What’s up?” I smiled, my tone light as I asked, “Nothing major. I just wanted to ask if you’re home alone? I have something I want to talk to you about right now.” On the other end, Violet was clearly jolted awake, her voice instantly becoming panicked. “I… I’m home alone! But I… I’ve already gone to bed, Christina. Can we talk about it tomorrow? I’m really tired.” She was still lying. The trembling and guilt in her voice couldn’t be hidden at all. “Okay, get some rest then.” I hung up without hesitation and immediately called Jensen. I used the exact same script to ask him: “Are you home alone right now? I have something urgent I need to talk to you about.” Jensen’s voice was even more nervous than Violet’s. He answered almost immediately: “Yeah, I’m home alone. Lots of work at the office, just finished.” He paused, seeming to think his reaction was too intense, then added in a joking tone: “What’s wrong? Do you miss me? If it weren’t so late, I’d fly to your side right now.” How ridiculous. He was clearly in another woman’s bed, yet he could tell me he loved me without his face turning red or his heart racing. I laughed softly and hung up. At that moment, the previously noisy crowd behind me finally quieted down. Whether it was Violet’s parents or Jensen’s parents, they had all picked up on something unusual from my two brief phone calls. Their expressions changed from earlier anticipation and excitement to nervousness and confusion. Violet’s mother couldn’t help but grab my arm, asking carefully: “Christina, what… what’s going on? You called us all here, exactly what…” I turned back, looking at their faces full of unease, and repeated what I’d said before. “To give you all a surprise.” With that, under their suspicious gazes, I pulled out the spare key Violet had once forced into my hands from my bag. “Click”—the door lock opened with a sound.

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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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After photos of my director boyfriend hooking up with eighteen young models went viral, I was devastated. I threw away my SIM card and cut off contact with everyone. I accepted my family’s arrangement and went abroad to marry Ethan Gray, the CEO of a film production company. Five years later, I returned home to visit family. Ethan had an urgent matter to attend to, so I filled in for him to meet with a director who wanted to collaborate with him. I never expected that when I opened the door, I would see my ex-boyfriend Lucas Rivers, whom I hadn’t seen in five years… My ex-boyfriend Lucas Rivers was bent over with a flattering smile on his face when he suddenly froze. His friend was the first to react. “Lucas, isn’t this your old lapdog Sophia Smith?” Lucas snapped back to reality, straightened up, and glanced at me indifferently. “What did I tell you? I said she’d come crawling back.” Everyone burst into laughter. “Lucas slept with eighteen models in one night back then and it even trended on Ins. He must be incredible in bed!” “Sophia’s experienced it firsthand. How could she forget?” Their sleazy, vulgar demeanor now was no different from five years ago. I wasn’t surprised at all. Seeing that I remained silent, someone I used to know fairly well rushed to smooth things over. “Sophia, it’s good you’re back… That incident back then was just a misunderstanding. Lucas never gave up looking for you all these years.” The smile on Lucas’s face froze. He touched his nose, his eyes drifting. “You know Sarah Young, right? She needs a personal assistant. You can take care of her from now on. Better than being someone’s nanny.” I looked at him in surprise. Then I understood. He thought I was Ethan Gray’s nanny. Even if I really were a nanny, how could he think that being a personal assistant to some unknown actress would be more promising than being a nanny for a Hollywood CEO? Too lazy to waste more words with him, I was about to reveal my identity when Sarah Young, who was standing beside him, beat me to it. She linked her arm through mine. “Sophia, do you remember me? I was the female lead in Lucas’s first movie.” “You misunderstood Lucas. That incident back then was a misunderstanding. Someone spread false rumors about me, and Lucas had no choice but to post those photos to suppress the trending topic about me.” I didn’t like unfamiliar people getting too close to me. My brows furrowed involuntarily. But Lucas thought I was jealous. A gleam of satisfaction flashed in his eyes: “Alright, that was years ago. Why bring it up? As long as you take good care of Sarah, I’ll give you a chance to act again when the opportunity arises.” Sarah heard this and shot me a glare when no one was looking, but said sweetly: “Sophia, you don’t think being my assistant is beneath you, do you? I know you used to be an actress, but you’ve been working as a nanny for five years. You’re completely out of touch with our industry. Even though Lucas is a director, he can’t just let you jump straight into acting.” Lucas immediately frowned: “What does she have to complain about? Being your assistant is better than being someone’s nanny, isn’t it?” “It was just a small matter that leaked online back then, and she disappeared for five years without a word. If she’s in this situation now, she only has herself to blame.” My eye twitched. Back then, photos of him hooking up with eighteen models dominated entertainment news, and he thought it was a small matter? Then again, he always had a habit of ignoring my feelings. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have posted those photos to help another woman suppress trending topics without even giving me a heads-up. But it didn’t matter anymore. Let the past stay in the past. I had Ethan Gray now, and our adorable son.

I was too lazy to beat around the bush with them anymore and said directly: “I’m not a nanny. I’m Ethan Gray’s wife.” As soon as I finished speaking, the air fell silent for a moment. Then someone burst out laughing. “Sophia, are you crazy? Mr. Gray’s wife? Why don’t you say you’re the Queen of Hollywood while you’re at it?” Lucas laughed too, his laughter laced with mockery: “Haven’t seen you in a few years, and you’ve learned to brag.” “Everyone in the industry knows that Mr. Gray’s wife is his most precious treasure, someone he waited ten years for.” “Directors who wanted to work with Mr. Gray got rejected left and right, but as long as their story could move Mrs. Gray, even projects Mr. Gray had refused would get approved.” He looked me up and down. “Do you think someone like you is worthy of even dreaming about Mr. Gray? I think you’ve developed delusions from being a nanny for too long.” Listening to their discussion, a happy smile appeared on my lips. In five years of marriage, Ethan’s status in the industry had grown higher and higher, and his reputation as a wife-doting maniac had become more and more widespread. Suddenly, Lucas’s gaze fell on my earlobe, and his eyes narrowed. “Your earring…” Sarah immediately leaned over to look, then covered her mouth and exclaimed: “Isn’t this the one Mr. Gray bought for Mrs. Gray at an auction for a hundred million dollars? It’s a limited edition. There’s only one pair in the world!” I couldn’t help but smile, gently touching my earlobe. I had just looked at them a couple more times because I thought they were pretty, and Ethan immediately went all out at the auction. Seeing my gesture, Sarah suddenly stepped back two paces in horror. “This… this, Sophia, you… did you take advantage of Mr. Gray and Mrs. Gray being away to steal from Mrs. Gray’s jewelry box?” “If Mr. Gray finds out, will it affect Lucas’s collaboration with Mr. Gray…” “Lucas has invested everything he has into this movie. If he can’t reach a collaboration with Mr. Gray and successfully release it in Hollywood, then…” Everyone’s expressions changed drastically. Lucas stared at me, his eyes shifting from mockery to scrutiny, then slowly tinged with anger. His voice turned cold. “Sophia, you’ve got some nerve. You dare to steal and wear your employer’s things?” “This is Mr. Gray’s house. Don’t you know Mr. Gray and Mrs. Gray could come back any moment? If they see this, our entire project is finished!” He got angrier as he spoke, stepping forward and raising his hand to slap me. “Have you lost your mind!” Lucas’s best friends were also filled with righteous indignation, glaring at me angrily. “Sophia, do you know how hard we worked to get this meeting with Mr. Gray?” “Lucas’s films have been mediocre these past years. This time he’s betting everything he has on this project.” “Now you’re not only lying about your relationship with Mr. Gray, but you’re even stealing Mrs. Gray’s jewelry. Are you trying to ruin Lucas?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and slowly turned my head to meet Lucas’s gaze. Perhaps my look was too frightening. Lucas frowned, panic flashing in his eyes. Seeing Lucas looking at me strangely, Sarah glared at me resentfully, then said indignantly: “Sophia, how could you do this?” “I’ve already explained what happened back then to you. Lucas even made you Sarah’s assistant to make it up to you. How can you be so ungrateful?” “Even if you resent Lucas, you can’t take revenge on him this way.”

Hearing this, I felt like I was back five years ago. He was a well-known young director, and actresses would always use the excuse of having him explain scenes to invite him to hotels late at night. Of course, they weren’t actually discussing scripts. I couldn’t help but confront them. At first, he would explain to me. Later, he started calling me a jealous shrew with a cold face. But this time, he didn’t continue cursing as he used to. After a moment of silence, Lucas pulled out a check for a hundred thousand dollars and placed it in front of me. “For old times’ sake, I won’t abandon you.” “Take the money. Buy yourself whatever jewelry you like. Don’t covet other people’s things, and stop being a nanny.” “I promise you, once Mr. Gray signs the contract, I’ll find a suitable role for you.” “Don’t worry. Once this movie successfully makes it to Hollywood, I’ll make a fortune soon.” Lucas’s condescending attitude made me sick. Under everyone’s shocked gaze, I pushed away Lucas’s hand holding the check and said with a smile: “No need, Mr. Rivers. I don’t accept things from strangers.” Ignoring Lucas’s face turning the color of liver, I turned and walked away. But before I could take a few steps, Lucas grabbed me and demanded coldly: “Sophia, I’m offering you money and you won’t take it? What do you mean? I’m a stranger?” I replied: “Since we’ve already broken up, it’s better not to have any more contact to avoid misunderstandings.” I thought of my somewhat jealous husband. But Lucas glanced at Sarah with a look of understanding. “Fine, once I finalize the collaboration with Mr. Gray, I’ll let you play the female lead in this movie. Is that good enough?” “But you need to quit your nanny job with Mr. Gray right away and practice your acting skills, so people don’t question my judgment when casting…” Before he could finish, I declined directly: “Really not necessary, thank you.” Hearing me refuse again, Lucas was furious. His hand holding the check froze in midair, his teeth grinding audibly. “Sophia, you’ve really grown a backbone now, haven’t you? You’ve fallen to working as a nanny and you’re still acting high and mighty?” “Fine! Keep being high and mighty then. The female lead role goes to Sarah!” Hearing Lucas say he would let her play the female lead, Sarah’s eyes lit up, and she quickly said: “Lucas, I’ll definitely do my best. I absolutely won’t embarrass you.” Hearing their conversation, I let out a scoff. “Isn’t it a bit early for you two to be discussing this? Don’t count your chickens before they hatch…” I remembered when we had just gotten together and he was still an unknown director. To support him, I turned down several acting offers that came my way to focus on being his female lead. He said he didn’t have enough funding, so I gave him all my savings. He said he needed connections, so I swallowed my pride and asked my family to help him network. He was generous with me, always stuffing money into my bag. His tone back then was as condescending as it was now. “Take it, don’t be shy with me. How much can those acting gigs of yours make? Stick with me, and there’ll be plenty of opportunities in the future.” I refused. Every single time I refused. I never touched a cent of the money he gave me. I kept it all in one account. I just wanted to help him, not be kept by him. But he didn’t understand. All he knew was that his generosity was rejected, that his goodwill was spurned. So he became furious and gave the female lead role he had promised me to Sarah instead.

I took a deep breath, not wanting to waste any more time with these people. But I didn’t want my personal issues to cause Ethan to miss out on a good project. “Ethan Gray will be back at 3 PM. You can discuss it with him then.” With that, I turned to leave. But Lucas grabbed my wrist. “Sophia, have you made enough of a scene? Are you still holding a grudge about what happened back then?” He stared into my eyes, his tone gradually softening, returning to that condescending benefactor. “Sarah already explained to you about those photos from back then—they were to help her suppress the trending topic. Don’t be so petty as a woman. Besides…” He paused, a confident smile playing at his lips. “You came here to work as a nanny because you heard I was going to collaborate with Mr. Gray, didn’t you? You came here specifically for me.” I was amused by his arrogance. “Lucas Rivers, you—” Before I could finish, Sarah suddenly rushed over from the side and shoved my shoulder. Caught off guard, I fell backward, my knees hitting the ground. I gasped in pain. Before I could get up, Sarah had already crouched down and roughly yanked the earring from my ear. “Sophia, for Lucas’s sake, you have to return this earring! What would happen if Mr. Gray discovered his things were stolen and worn by a nanny? If he gets angry and refuses to work with us…” She turned to look at Lucas, her eyes reddening: “I’m sorry, Lucas. I was too anxious just now and lost my composure!” “We’re almost at our appointment time with Mr. Gray. If he comes back and sees this… our collaboration would be ruined. You’ve invested everything you have into this project…” Lucas glanced at my bleeding earlobe, a flash of heartache crossing his face, but listening to Sarah’s words, he looked away. “Sophia, listen to Sarah. Return the earring immediately.” Just then, a childish voice came from the doorway. “Daddy, why are there so many people at our house today?” Then they saw a small figure jump down from Ethan Gray’s arms and rush into my embrace. It was my three-year-old son, Evan Gray. His chubby little hands cupped my face. He frowned as he looked at my swollen cheek, then at my bleeding earlobe. His little mouth turned down, and his eyes immediately reddened. “Mommy, who bullied you?”

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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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During my most reckless year, I secretly had a baby behind Ethan Reed’s back. At the time, his startup had crashed and burned, leaving him buried under a mountain of debt. I was terrified we’d both starve if I stayed, so without a word, I packed my bags and ran while I was still pregnant. I didn’t hear a word about him for five years. Now, he is the ruthless CEO of the Reed Conglomerate, the most powerful man in the city. But the tabloids say a car accident left him unable to ever have children of his own. I looked at my son, who was fighting a life-threatening illness, and finally made my choice. “Come on, Leo. Mommy’s taking you to see your dad.” 1 In the hospital bed, little Leo rolled his eyes at me the moment he heard those words. “Mom, are you finally losing it? You told me my dad died a long time ago.” I let out a nervous laugh. “Well, he was really sick, and I thought he wasn’t going to make it. Who knew he’d get a miracle cure?” Leo’s eyes suddenly sparked with hope. “Does that mean I can get a miracle cure too? Can I go home like Dad did?” I nodded firmly. “Absolutely!” Kids are so easy to convince. A few soft words and he was all in. Leaving the ward, I pulled up the news on my phone again. It was a headline from The Wall Street Journal: Tech Titan Ethan Reed Rendered Infertile Following Near-Fatal Crash. At first, I thought it was just someone with the same name. But then I clicked on the article. The man in the photo wasn’t just another Ethan Reed; he had the exact same sharp jawline and piercing eyes as the man I had abandoned. Coincidences like that don’t exist in the real world. There was only one explanation: Ethan had been lying to me back then, too. He was never just some broke kid with a dream. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or devastated. But for Leo, this was a lifeline. I booked a flight to New York for the next morning. When my mom brought dinner over later that evening, I was already packing. “Are you going on another business trip? Are you really dumping the boy on me again?” she grumbled. “What did I tell you? I told you not to have that kid, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you spend your days working and your nights dumping him on me. I’m supposed to be enjoying my retirement, not playing full-time nanny.” I looked at Leo, who had just woken up, and whispered, “Mom, can you please not say that in front of him? He might be small, but he understands more than you think.” “Oh, so you can do it, but I can’t talk about it?” “Mom, if you’ve got a second, just go give Leo a hug. I’m taking him to New York tomorrow.” My mother froze. She pulled me into the hallway. “Did you find the money for the surgery? Where did you get that kind of cash, Chloe? You’ve been struggling just to keep the lights on these past few years. Where would you get thousands of dollars?” I kept my head down, not ready to tell her the truth. “Don’t worry about it. Just know that once we leave, I don’t know when we’ll be back. You go ahead and enjoy your ‘peace and quiet.’ Leo and I won’t be a burden anymore.” My mom’s face fell instantly. “You brat. You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? You know I’m all talk. I love that kid more than life itself.” She sighed, wiping a stray tear. “Fine. Forget I said anything. Let me go see my grandbaby.” 2 Early the next morning, my mom was a sobbing mess as she held Leo. “My sweet boy, Grandma’s going to miss you so much. Once you’re all better, you come straight back to me, okay?” See? That’s how people are. The moment you’re actually leaving, they realize they can’t stand to see you go. Before we checked in at the airport, she pressed a debit card into my hand. “I scraped some savings together. It’s not a fortune, but it should help with the initial bills. You know the PIN. Take care of my boy.” I waved goodbye, my heart aching. If she knew I was handing Leo over to Ethan Reed, she’d probably kill me herself. On the flight, I started coaching Leo. “Listen, when we meet these people, you have to call me ‘Auntie Chloe’ if there are strangers around. Got it?” “Why?” Leo tilted his head, his little face full of confusion. I patiently explained, “Remember I told you your dad was sick? Well, when he was struggling, I didn’t stay to help him. He probably hates me now. If he knows I’m back, he might try to get even with me.” Leo blinked, trying to process the grown-up drama. “Mom, aren’t you going to stay with me at Dad’s house?” I felt a surge of guilt and couldn’t look him in the eye. “Once you’re all better, Mommy will come and take you home.” “Promise?” “Promise.” “Pinky swear?” “Yeah, baby. Pinky swear.” 3 I didn’t go to Ethan directly. Instead, I pulled every string I had to track down Ethan’s mother, Mrs. Reed—a woman who radiated old-money elegance even in a simple silk scarf. She sat in a quiet, upscale bistro, looking entirely out of place in our part of town, her designer sunglasses hiding her expression. “You claim you have a child? A son belonging to my Ethan?” she started, her gaze slowly shifting from me to Leo. The next second, her breath hitched. “Oh my god… he’s a miniature Ethan.” She reached out, her hands trembling as she pulled Leo closer to inspect him. “This… this is unbelievable. He looks exactly like Ethan did at that age.” She wasn’t exaggerating. Even though Ethan hadn’t been there for a single second of the pregnancy or birth, Leo was his carbon copy. I handed over Leo’s medical files and his birth certificate. “Leo was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect a year ago. He needs a very expensive, very risky surgery. If you have any doubts, I’m more than willing to do a DNA test.” Mrs. Reed’s expression turned somber. “And you are…?” “I’m just the messenger. I have no intention of staying. If the Reeds are willing to take him in and save his life, I’ll disappear immediately.” Mrs. Reed stepped away to make a phone call. An hour later, she led us to the top-tier private hospital in the city. A nurse arrived with a sample of Ethan’s DNA—a strand of hair. The moment the results came back, Mrs. Reed’s eyes lit up with a predatory kind of joy. While the doctors took Leo for an initial evaluation, she pulled a thick envelope of cash from her purse and pushed it toward me. “Thank you. The Reed family will ensure the boy is well taken care of.” I declined the money. I had intended to raise this child on my own. It was just that our luck had run out. As I turned to leave, Leo broke away from the nurses and ran toward me. “Auntie, you aren’t going to lie to me, right?” His eyes were red, and he was clutching his chest. He still remembered our pinky swear. I knelt down and cupped his face. Over the past year, the illness had made him look much smaller and frailer than other five-year-olds. I wasn’t a good mother. I had failed him. I choked back my tears. “Remember what we said? Pinky swear.” 4 I didn’t leave the hospital until I saw the Reeds settle Leo into a private VIP suite. Back at my motel, my heart felt like a hollow shell. It felt like I had just cut out the most important part of myself and left it on that hospital bed. I lay there for hours, staring at the peeling wallpaper. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. I hesitated, then picked up. “Where are you?” A deep, gravelly voice vibrated through the speaker. “Who is this?” I asked instinctively. But even as the words left my mouth, my body recognized that voice. On so many breathless nights, he had whispered into my ear, telling me he loved me. “You know exactly who this is. Send me your location. Now.” The tone was absolute. I gripped the phone, my knuckles white. “I think you have the wrong number.” I hung up immediately, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. Five years later, why was Ethan Reed calling me? How did he even get my number? Before I came here, I’d done my research. Ethan wasn’t married, but he had been with the same high-society socialite for years. If the news about his infertility was true, Leo was his only heir. That was the only reason I was willing to give him up. Life with Ethan Reed was a golden ticket compared to the life I could offer. But I was different. I was the gold-digging ex-girlfriend who had dumped him when he was at his lowest. I didn’t want anything to do with him ever again. The next morning, I went back to the hospital for one last look at Leo before heading to the airport. As I approached the suite, I saw Ethan. He was in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, sitting by the bed, focused entirely on peeling an apple. He hadn’t changed much, but he carried an aura of power and sophistication that he never had back in our cramped studio apartment. Leo was clearly hungry; he didn’t wait for Ethan to finish and leaned forward to take a bite out of the half-peeled apple. They both shared a small, genuine smile. My eyes stung. Maybe this really was the happy ending Leo deserved. I turned away, wiping my face. Suddenly, inside the room, Ethan snapped his head toward the door, looking exactly where I was standing. My heart nearly stopped. I ducked behind the wall, my breath hitching. He didn’t see me. A moment later, I heard Leo’s giggling through the door. 5 It was clear Ethan loved the boy. That was all I needed to know. I pulled up my phone to book an Uber to the airport. I needed to keep moving, or I’d lose my nerve. But I wasn’t paying attention and walked straight into someone. “Oh! I’m so sorry, are you okay?” the person asked. I looked up and froze. I was looking at a very familiar face from the tabloids—Madison Vance, Ethan’s long-term girlfriend. I stammered, “I’m fine, sorry about that.” I tried to push past her, but Madison grabbed my arm. “Wait, you just came from that direction. Is that the pediatric wing?” I blinked. She was going to the pediatric wing? To see Leo? I looked at her more closely. Madison was stunning—soft, elegant, and perfectly put together. She didn’t look like the “evil stepmother” type. She was carrying a fruit basket in one hand and a massive LEGO set in the other. Because of the gifts, she hadn’t been able to dodge me when I walked into her. I was about to answer when a voice boomed from behind me. “Madison.” My spine turned to ice. Madison smiled and walked past me toward Ethan. “This hospital is a maze. I almost got lost.” Ethan gave a distracted nod, but his eyes were fixed on me. “Who were you talking to?” I could feel his gaze burning through my back. “Oh, just someone passing by. We bumped into each other,” Madison said casually. I let out a breath, desperate to run. But Ethan spoke again. “You. Turn around.” It wasn’t a request. Madison seemed to sense the tension and tried to intervene. “Ethan, what are you doing? She’s just a stranger. I’m fine, really. Let’s just go see the boy.” Ethan didn’t move. He thought I had hurt his girlfriend. The irony was almost funny. Five years, and nothing had changed. I was still the one in the wrong. I slowly turned around and looked Madison in the eye. “I’m very sorry for bumping into you, Ms. Vance.” The entire time I spoke, Ethan’s eyes never left my face. He didn’t say a single word. 6 After leaving the hospital, I drove straight to the bus station. The whole way there, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Ethan had looked at me. I remembered five years ago. His startup had just tanked, and the debt collectors were literally banging on our door. I had offered him my last ten thousand dollars—all my savings—to help him out. He had looked at me with that same intense gaze and pulled me into his arms. “Baby, I can’t take your money. Trust me, I’m going to make it. And when I do, I’m going to give you the wedding of your dreams.” Back then, I didn’t think he was lying. When we first met, we both had less than a thousand dollars to our names. We shared a one-bedroom apartment. I slept in the bedroom, paying five hundred a month. He slept on the couch for three hundred. We split the utilities. Neither of us thought we’d end up falling in love. Ethan had a drive like I’d never seen. He worked until 3 AM every night. One night, I came home from a girl’s night and saw him still hunched over his laptop. “I brought some leftover pizza. You want some?” I asked. He practically leaped off his chair. “Starving!” We talked all night. That was when he told me he had walked away from his wealthy family, swearing he wouldn’t go back until he was a success on his own terms. I encouraged him. I told him he had the talent to make it if he just found the right niche. Ethan looked at me like I was his entire world. Because I was there for him when things were dark, he asked me to be his girlfriend the moment his business started to show a spark of life. We stayed in that same apartment. But instead of the couch and the bed, we both shared the bedroom. He took over the full rent. Life was finally looking up. But then, reality hit us. Hard. The debts from his first failure caught up to him, and he was drowning. He was home less and less. And that was when I found out I was pregnant. At first, I was too scared to tell him. I just wanted to help him get through the crisis. But then, I accidentally overheard him on a phone call. “Look, Chloe and I… it’s not what you think. Stop interfering, okay? Relax. Dating is one thing, but marriage? I’ll pick someone appropriate when the time comes.” I was Chloe. I was furious. I felt like a fool. Here I was, ready to sacrifice everything for him, and he was already planning my replacement. I decided right then that I wasn’t going to be the girl who starved while waiting for a man who didn’t even see a future with her. I left. To get even, I left a note on the kitchen table. I don’t see a future with you anymore. I’m moving on to someone who actually has a chance at success. I’m sure you understand—everyone has the right to chase a better life. I blocked his number and deleted my socials. It wasn’t until I was on the bus back to my hometown that I realized I was still carrying his child. 7 I thought about going back to confront him, to tell him about the baby. But every time I thought about that phone call, I realized it would just be another humiliation. He never planned on a future with me. As for the baby… well, he was already here. I’d just let nature take its course. Later, I heard snippets of news. His company had been revived. He’d cleared his debts and was expanding. I blocked the person who told me. I didn’t want to hear about his success. When Leo was born, my mom complained, of course. But the moment Leo flashed his first toothless grin at her, she turned into a puddle. Since my dad passed away, Leo had become her reason for living. She watched him while I worked. Life was simple, but it was enough. Until Leo got sick. Sometimes I wonder if I’m being punished for something I did in a past life. Every time I think things are finally going right, the universe finds a way to knock me down. … I snapped back to reality and realized I was crying in the middle of the bus terminal. Great. I still had to figure out what to tell my mom. My bus wasn’t for another hour. Just as I was settling into a plastic chair, my phone buzzed with a FaceTime request. It was my mom. I didn’t want to answer, but she was persistent. I finally swiped to accept. “Where’s my boy?” she demanded the second the video connected. I rubbed my nose. “He’s… he’s right here next to me.” “Let me see him.” I tilted the camera slightly. “He’s sleeping, Mom. He doesn’t want to be disturbed.” My mom wasn’t born yesterday. “Chloe, are you at a station? You said you were getting the surgery done. Why are you at a station? Put the camera on Leo. I want to say hi.” I stared at her, unable to move. “Chloe, what are you doing? Are you ignoring me now?” I barely heard her. My heart had stopped because, on the screen behind me, I saw Ethan Reed’s face. He was standing right behind me. My mom was still lecturing me. “If anything happens to that boy, I’m never forgiving you!” “Mom, I have to go.” I cut the call, my hands shaking. I turned around slowly, trying to look composed. “Can I help you?” I couldn’t pretend I didn’t know him anymore, especially since my kid was in his hospital. Ethan stared at me, his jaw tight. “You’re still as heartless as ever, Chloe. You dumped me five years ago, and now you’re dumping our son too?” I stood up, my temper flaring. “Watch your mouth. I didn’t dump you. You’re the one who told your family I wasn’t ‘appropriate’ for marriage!” Ethan frowned, looking confused. I pushed past that. “If you actually care about Leo, will you let me take him back once he’s healthy?” “In your dreams.” I knew it. Now that the Reeds had an heir, they’d never let him go. “Fine. Take good care of him. I won’t show my face again.” After all, Ethan had a girlfriend to marry. Leo was going to have a stepmother. My presence would only make things awkward. 8 The intercom announced that my bus was boarding. I grabbed my suitcase and looked at Ethan. “Thanks for coming to see me off. Tell Leo that as long as he keeps fighting, there’s hope.” Suddenly, a hand clamped around my wrist. Ethan dragged me toward the exit of the station. “What are you doing? Let me go!” I struggled, trying to pry his fingers off. “Ethan, let go! My bus is leaving! I’m going to miss my trip!” “Then stay.” He stopped and looked me dead in the eye. “Stay?” And then what? I didn’t dare ask. I wasn’t interested in being the “other woman.” If I were Madison Vance, I’d be losing my mind right now. Ethan didn’t let go. If anything, he stepped closer. “What are you so afraid of? You said you were going to chase a better life, yet you secretly had my son and raised him in a dump. You owe me an explanation, Chloe.” Before I could respond, he swept me off my feet and threw me over his shoulder. “Wait!! Ethan! Put me down! I’m calling the cops!” “Go ahead. The police don’t get involved in domestic disputes.” !!! He carried me out of the terminal and tossed me into the back of a waiting SUV. The driver looked terrified. “Sir, should I drive?” “Drive!” Ethan raised the privacy partition, trapping me in the corner of the seat. “You got pregnant and didn’t tell me. You had the baby and didn’t tell me. He got sick, and you still wouldn’t tell me. You went to my mother instead of me. Am I really that unreliable to you, Chloe?” “Aren’t you?” I snapped back without thinking. “Ha.” Ethan let out a dry, humorless laugh. “So that’s what I am to you.” I didn’t want to talk to him anymore. “It doesn’t matter now. We have nothing left to say to each other.” Ethan looked up. “Nothing left to say? Fine. Then let’s just do it.” I stared at him, sure I had misheard. Until he grabbed the back of my head. His face grew larger and larger in my vision. At the last second, I twisted my head, and his kiss landed on my cheek. I swung my hand and slapped him across the face. “Have you lost your mind?!” Ethan touched his stinging cheek and started laughing. “I lost my mind the second I found out we had a son.” 9 Ethan took me back to his estate. He tossed a set of silk pajamas at me. “Take a shower.” I’m an adult. I knew exactly what a shower in the middle of the day implied. I threw them back at him. “I’m not showering. And I’m definitely not wearing another woman’s clothes.” Ethan’s face darkened. “They’re brand new.” “I don’t care.” Ethan stepped closer, his voice dropping an octave. “Fine. If you won’t shower yourself, I’m happy to do it for you.” I had already felt how strong he was. I knew I wouldn’t win a physical fight. I cursed him under my breath and took the pajamas into the bathroom. Thirty minutes later, I walked out. Ethan was already lying in the massive bed. It was obvious he had showered too. I knew what was coming next, and my heart felt like it was being shredded. “Ethan, what do you think I am?” Tears started streaming down my face. “I have nothing left. Are you really going to take the last bit of dignity I have?” Ethan sat up and reached for a tissue to wipe my face. “Don’t cry. I just want you to sleep. Your dark circles are so bad not even makeup can hide them.” I froze. I hadn’t slept a full night since Leo got sick. I worked double shifts and spent the rest of my time at the hospital. For the first few months, I had lost fifteen pounds. Even my mom was worried, making me soup every day. But it was the path I had chosen. I brushed his hand away. “I don’t need your pity.” Ethan gritted his teeth, his jaw working. “You’re still the same, Chloe. It kills you to ever back down.” “So, can I go now?” Ethan sighed, seemingly defeated. “Fine. But only after you take a nap with me.” Seeing the look I gave him, he added, “Just sleeping. I won’t touch you.” “Why?” “Because I haven’t slept in three days either.” I lay down on the edge of the bed, as far from him as possible. Ethan rolled onto his side to face me. “Come closer.” “Don’t push your luck.” “Six months ago, someone tried to take me out. I was in a massive car crash. I almost died. The rumors about me being infertile? They’re true. The crash did permanent damage. So even if you sleep right next to me, I can’t do anything.” I gripped the duvet, my heart skipping a beat. “What about your girlfriend? She’s still with you, isn’t she? Aren’t you worried about betraying her?” “Girlfriend? Who told you I have a girlfriend?” Ethan propped himself up on one elbow. “You mean Madison Vance?” Suddenly, Ethan started laughing. A deep, genuine laugh. “Never mind,” he said after a moment. “Just sleep.” He ignored my protests and pulled me into his arms. At first, I couldn’t relax. But listening to his steady, rhythmic heartbeat, my eyes started to feel heavy.

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After sleeping in separate rooms from my boyfriend, Ethan, for half a year, my period started getting highly irregular. I went to the hospital, and an older, holistic doctor told me I had a severe hormonal imbalance, suggesting I needed to be more “intimate” with my boyfriend. That night, wearing lace lingerie, I knocked on Ethan’s bedroom door. He was on the phone with a female colleague and didn’t even look at me: “I’m busy. Another day.” I looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.” 1 After coming home from the doctor’s office, I dug out a set of lace lingerie that had been buried at the bottom of my drawer and spent ages posing in front of the mirror. At 28, I didn’t look vastly different from when I was 25. But there was a visible exhaustion beneath my eyes, and my skin felt a bit dry. Even though I technically had a boyfriend, my face somehow carried the aura of a lonely, single woman. No wonder the doctor said my hormones were out of whack. After all, Ethan and I had started sleeping in separate rooms last year. He said he was too busy, had too many surgeries, and complained that I was a restless sleeper who always hugged him and ruined his rest. Even when I promised to change, he still moved into the guest room. Ethan had always been somewhat repressed and was never particularly enthusiastic about that aspect of our relationship. Since we started sleeping in separate rooms, our already sparse intimate life hit rock bottom. From once a week, to once a month. And now? The last time we were intimate was probably two or three months ago. I took a deep breath. Knocking on his door felt incredibly ironic. This was my own house. This was my own boyfriend. Yet, initiating intimacy with him made me feel a humiliating mix of shame and anxiety. Inside the room, Ethan was on the phone with someone. His voice was cool and indifferent, as usual. But this was his reading time—a time even I wasn’t allowed to interrupt. The fact that he had the patience to stay on the phone at all was unusual. “It might be a hemangioma. I’ll take a look at it tomorrow—” The voice behind the door stopped abruptly. The sheer fabric did little to cover my body. I tugged at it nervously and called out softly toward the door: “Ethan, are you asleep?” After a moment, the door finally opened. Ethan was wearing gray loungewear, holding his phone as he stepped out. When he saw me, he froze, instinctively frowned, and covered the phone’s receiver with his hand. “Why are you dressed like that?” It was already awkward enough, but his question made my face burn. I forced myself to speak: “We haven’t slept in the same bed for a long time.” I bit my lip. “Do you want to sleep together tonight? I promise I won’t hug you and ruin your sleep.” “Not tonight. I have things to do.” He rejected me without a second of hesitation. “Another day.” “Wait—” I reached out to grab the door handle. He loosened his grip on the phone, and a young woman’s voice drifted out from the speaker: “Dr. Davis?” Her voice was beautiful—clear, bright, and unmistakably belonging to a very pretty, young girl. And it sounded very familiar. If I wasn’t mistaken, it was Maya, the new surgical intern in Ethan’s department. I had met her once when I visited him at work. She was still a med student, with striking, radiant features, carrying herself with effortless confidence. I heard she was Ethan’s junior from med school, an overachiever who had won countless awards. She was excellent. Just as excellent as Ethan. I gathered my courage. For a split second, I wanted to say so many things. I wanted to ask why they were on the phone so late at night. I wanted to ask if he could just talk to her tomorrow. I wanted to say that I didn’t actually even want to sleep with him, I just hadn’t held him in so long. I missed him. But looking at the growing impatience in Ethan’s eyes, all my words condensed into a single sentence. “Okay. Have a good night.” He swept a glance over my lingerie and shut the door. From start to finish, he didn’t express a single thought about what I was wearing. I honestly would have preferred if he told me I looked terrible in it. It would have been better than this complete, utter dismissal. It felt like a humiliation. I stood blankly in front of the closed door, listening to his low voice from inside: “It’s nothing. Just a minor interruption. Keep going.” 2 Probably due to my hormonal imbalance, I developed insomnia, tossing and turning in sheer frustration. Eventually, I got up, grabbed a few cans of cold beer from the fridge, chugged them down, and finally drifted into a hazy sleep. In my twisted, chaotic dreams, I was back in college, dreaming of Ethan. I had been at the beach with friends, nearly drowned, and was pulled out of the water not breathing. It was Ethan, just passing by, who gave me CPR and literally dragged me back from the brink of death. I still remember coughing up water, opening my eyes, and blurting out my first blurry vision: a breathtakingly handsome face that seemed utterly incapable of showing emotion. He looked like an angel sent from above, bathed in a halo of light. His face showed no reaction, as if he had just done the most mundane thing in the world. Seeing the ambulance arrive, he simply turned and walked away. After that, I searched for him for a long time, but I never found him. Until I was 23, when our paths crossed again. My heart pounded violently in my chest as I cautiously approached him. “Hi.” Ethan looked up at me, his expression indifferent. “Hello.” He didn’t remember me at all. … After that, I started chasing Ethan. Delivering umbrellas in the rain, bringing him dinner when he worked overtime, dropping off medicine when he was sick. I visited so frequently that everyone in his department knew me. The nurses went from glaring at me with hostility to looking at me with a mix of pity and admiration: “Chloe, you’ve got a heart of steel to chase a guy this cold for so long. Respect.” Ethan never gave me an opening. He rejected me time and time again. I had heard the phrase “I don’t like you” so many times my ears were growing calluses. I wanted to give up, but what could I do? I liked him too much. After stubbornly chasing him for a full year, Ethan suddenly sent me a text. “Come see me now, and we can be together.” My heart practically leaped out of my throat. I grabbed an Uber and rushed to his hospital. But when I pushed open his office door, I saw a gorgeous woman with voluminous waves sitting there. Ethan grabbed my hand and said to her, “I told you, I already have a girlfriend. Stop harassing me.” Later, I found out Ethan was just sick of the endless women throwing themselves at him. He chose me to be his shield because I caused the least amount of drama. But that didn’t matter. I liked him, and that was enough. I figured that if we stayed together long enough, even a heart of ice would eventually melt. But I never expected… Ethan’s heart wasn’t made of ice. It was made of solid iron. On our third anniversary, he still hadn’t fallen in love with me. We had no shared hobbies, no common topics of conversation. He left early and came home late, and during the rare moments we were together, he was always busy. And now? We didn’t even sleep in the same bed anymore. Under the same roof for three years, I felt further away from him than ever. At 3 AM, I opened my eyes, feeling the dampness on my pillow. I was getting tired. 3 On the exact day of our three-year anniversary, I sent Ethan a text. “We need to talk.” I couldn’t stand this arrangement anymore—two people together in name, but living entirely separate lives. I wanted to ask him what exactly he was thinking. After a long time, Ethan replied: “Okay. I get off shift at 7.” I breathed a sigh of relief. I prepared a table full of food and poured some wine, wanting to have a serious talk about my feelings. But 7 PM came and went, and he wasn’t home. It wasn’t until late into the night that there was a knock on the front door. I went to open it. Maya, wearing a chic beige trench coat, was supporting a drunk Ethan. She smiled at me: “Oh? You are…?” I paused for a second. “I’m Ethan’s girlfriend, Chloe. You’re Maya, right? I’ve heard Ethan mention you.” “Oh, I didn’t realize Dr. Davis had a girlfriend.” She smiled. “He hasn’t mentioned you to me at all.” She looked me up and down, her tone ambiguous. “I never would have guessed Dr. Davis liked this type.” I was at home, wearing a fluffy, oversized cartoon bear pajama set, barefoot. I had seen these matching couple pajamas online and loved them, so I bought a set. Ethan never wore his, not even once. Maya, on the other hand, wore a sophisticated black turtleneck, tailored white trousers, and a pair of designer heels. I didn’t know the brands, but she radiated a highly intellectual, expensive aura. I suddenly felt like she and Ethan were a much better match than Ethan and I. Her comment was incredibly rude. I was just about to frown when she practically dumped Ethan onto the sofa. “Anyway, Dr. Davis and I have a surgery tomorrow. Please take good care of him.” “What surgery?” I asked instinctively. “You wouldn’t understand even if I told you,” Maya waved her hand dismissively. “Just ask him later, he knows.” She left quickly. After she left, Ethan sobered up slightly. He had surgery the next day, so he usually never allowed himself to drink. But his alcohol tolerance was terrible; two sips were enough to make him miserable. He frowned slightly, looking at the congealed fat on the cold dishes on the table, as if just remembering why I was sitting there. He explained: “Maya is scrubbing in tomorrow. There were some clinical procedures she wanted me to review with her—and it turned into a department dinner. I forgot to tell you.” I paused. “Can we talk now? I’ll go heat up the food.” Ethan stood up and headed for the bathroom: “Not tonight. It’s too late, and I have surgery tomorrow. Next time.” In the dead silence of the night, I stared at his back and said softly: “Ethan, do you think I’m just going to love you forever?” “This is important,” he said coldly. “I’ll come home early tomorrow.” “Is everything an ‘important’ matter as long as it doesn’t involve me?” I finally asked. He stopped walking, turning back with a slight frown. “Stop throwing a tantrum.” Then he walked into his room and shut the door. I knew he probably didn’t have anything romantic going on with Maya. Ethan despised cheating. If he truly liked Maya, he would have broken up with me immediately to be with her. He just didn’t love me, so out of habit, he placed everything and everyone else ahead of me. The TV was playing softly in the background. It was a scene from a classic romance movie. The female lead asked the old man next to her what the song meant. The old man said, “It means—you’ve fallen for a girl, what do you do? Oh man, you’ve fallen for her, you love her so much, you love her so much you can’t stand it, what do you do?” The female lead asked, “What do you do?” I was wondering the same thing: What do I do? I just loved him so much. But this love had been dragged out by years of waiting and exhaustion, and I felt like I couldn’t hold on anymore. Ethan went to sleep quickly. I sat in the living room for a while, stood up, dumped all the food into the trash, and finished the wine by myself. Alcohol is a wonderful thing. It makes you forget your troubles. But why was my vision getting blurrier and blurrier? I reached up and felt a hot, wet mess all over my face. While I was crying silently, the doorbell suddenly rang. I stumbled to open it, but when I saw the person outside, I froze. My first reaction was a slight fear. The guy at the door was huge, a full head taller than me, about the same height as Ethan. Wearing a black hoodie and jeans, he looked like he could knock me out with one punch. I sobered up instantly. Just as I was about to slam the door, I saw his face and my hand paused. It was a very young boy, probably not even twenty. And most importantly, he had an incredibly handsome face. He looked a bit like Ethan. Except he didn’t have Ethan’s cold, mature demeanor. Instead, he radiated a bright, youthful, puppy-dog energy. “Who are you…?” I asked blankly. The boy flashed me a brilliant smile showing all his teeth, acting like we’d known each other forever as he grabbed my hand. “Hi, sister-in-law! I’m Caleb!” I was completely bewildered. My alcohol-addled brain struggled to remember who this was. The next second, when it clicked, my brain felt like it exploded! “Y-Y-You—” I pointed at him, stuttering in shock: “You’re Caleb?!” 4 Thinking back, the only reason I ever found Ethan again was thanks to the kid standing in front of me. When I was 23, I was bored and found an online “boyfriend” in a video game. We got along great. He was amazing at the game and carried me up the ranks every day. Besides gaming, we had a lot in common and would chat endlessly when we weren’t playing. Having been single my entire life, I fell completely in love with his attentive care. We “online dated” for six solid months. We were so obsessed with each other we practically spent 24 hours a day on voice calls, even falling asleep on the phone together. The only suspicious thing was that he seemed incredibly busy and could only talk to me at night. But he told me he was a doctor with a grueling schedule, so I accepted it. Six months in, I couldn’t take it anymore. I secretly bought a plane ticket to his city and demanded we meet in person. He hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing to come out. We arranged to meet at a coffee shop. Trembling with excitement, I pushed open the doors. The next second, I froze in place. The first person I saw was Ethan—the man who had saved my life years ago, the one I had searched for endlessly but never found. Blood rushed to my head. My ears rang. My online boyfriend… was actually him?! He was a doctor. It all made perfect sense. Then I noticed he was standing next to a kid wearing a middle-school backpack. “I’m sorry,” Ethan said, his voice slightly different from our calls, a bit deeper. “My younger cousin just got out of school, and no one was home to pick him up. Do you mind if he tags along?” I looked at the kid next to him. The boy had a face as flawless as a porcelain doll. His red lips were pressed tightly together as he stared at me unblinkingly. I didn’t care about any of that. I frantically waved my hands. “It’s fine, it’s totally fine. I don’t mind at all.” A massive wave of happiness drowned me. I thought it was fate. But this “Ethan” was different from the one I had imagined. He was much colder, completely different from the passionate guy I talked to online. It was like he was a different person. I thought he was just disappointed in me, which made me feel incredibly insecure. But I still loved him, so I chased him for two full years before we finally got together. When Ethan and I went on dates, his little cousin Caleb was often tagging along. Caleb actually really liked me. He was always clinging to me, calling me “Chloe this” and “Chloe that.” If Ethan was walking ahead of us, Caleb would hold my hand to cross the street and buy me ice cream. For birthdays and holidays, he would use his own allowance to buy me gifts. Once, he bought me a ridiculously expensive Cartier bracelet. At first, I thought it was a fake, but when I saw the receipt, I broke into a cold sweat and immediately returned it to him. He looked so disappointed and heartbroken. But later, I found out the truth. The person I was online dating for six months wasn’t Ethan. It was his cousin, Caleb. Caleb had been too terrified to meet me in person, afraid I’d call him a liar and cut contact, so he begged his older cousin, Ethan, to go in his place. When I found out, I was devastated and struggled to accept it. But by that time, I was already officially dating Ethan. Plus, as Caleb grew older, I naturally distanced myself from him, and we eventually lost touch. Caleb tried to find me a few times, looking absolutely devastated. I never expected him to grow up this fast. I snapped out of my daze and stepped aside. “Why are you here so late? Is everything okay? Come inside.” Caleb didn’t step in. He just took a half-step back, revealing a massive suitcase behind him. “Chloe, I was getting bullied in my dorm and I don’t have anywhere to go. Ethan told me I could crash here for a few days.” He gave me a pitiful, puppy-dog look. “Is that okay?” 5 After Caleb moved in, Ethan and I couldn’t really fight with an outsider in the house, so we just let things slide. It was obvious Ethan had a good relationship with his cousin. At dinner, Ethan even made a rare joke: “You used to cry when you were little, swearing you were going to marry her. Do you remember that?” Caleb looked shy. “That was when I was a kid. I was clueless. Please don’t hold it against me, Chloe.” I waved it off. “It’s all just fate.” He smiled, glanced at me, and didn’t say anything else. … That night, while scrolling through TikTok, I stumbled upon a viral question: “If your partner woke you up at 2 AM and said they wanted to go to the beach to watch the sunrise, what would you do?” The comments were varied, but most said: “I’d call them a psycho, and then I’d get out of bed and go watch the sunrise with them.” My heart suddenly itched, even though I knew asking Ethan to do something like this was absolutely impossible. His schedule was too rigid; he’d never do anything that spontaneous. But I just had to try. I knocked on his door and asked tentatively: “Ethan, I want to go to the beach to watch the sunrise. Can you come with me?” Ethan’s reaction was exactly as I expected. He frowned, his eyes glued to his phone, not even turning his head to look at me. “Stop messing around. I have surgery tomorrow.” Just as I predicted. I closed the door and leaned against the hallway wall, not feeling too disappointed. Probably because I already knew exactly what the outcome would be. Caleb, who had just finished showering, walked by. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and was drying his hair with another. The young man’s muscles were full and defined—not the kind built from rigid, scheduled gym sessions like Ethan’s, but naturally carved from playing basketball on the courts. Seeing me, he looked a little embarrassed. He used the towel to cover his chest and made small talk: “Chloe, am I interrupting you and Ethan? I see there’s another bedroom over there, maybe I should sleep in that one.” “It’s fine,” I paused. “That’s my bedroom.” “Your bedroom?” He looked at me like he couldn’t process the information. “You and Ethan don’t sleep in the same room?” Explaining this would be too awkward, so I just gave a vague “Mm.” “Oh,” he nodded. “Couples should really sleep together, it’s better for the relationship. But my cousin is a total neat-freak, so I guess it makes sense.” He pulled the towel down, revealing his firm chest and a sharp collarbone still glistening with water droplets, smiling brightly. “Well, I’m going to bed. Goodnight, Chloe.” 6 When Ethan told me his mom wanted me to come over for dinner, I thought I had heard him wrong. We had been together for so long, but he had never mentioned taking the next step. He seemed completely disinterested in marriage or starting a family. He rarely talked about his background either. All I knew was that he came from a single-parent household and was raised by his mother, who was a university professor. I thought he was finally acknowledging our age and getting ready for marriage, so I spent weeks carefully picking out gifts. When we arrived at his mom’s house, I enthusiastically handed over the gifts and greeted her: “Hello, Mrs. Davis. I’m Chloe.” His mother was exactly as I had pictured—dressed like a sophisticated, intellectual socialite in a white silk dress, looking very youthful and elegant. But for some reason, I felt her facial features, or maybe just her expression, seemed a bit mean. Sure enough, she just glanced at me, didn’t take the gifts, and said flatly: “Come in.” My heart sank. I instinctively looked at Ethan. Ethan’s expression was indifferent, acting as if none of this had anything to do with him. I felt something was very wrong. Ethan had been acting weird ever since he decided to bring me here. He was expressionless, but I could clearly tell he was in a terrible mood. The dining table was empty, save for a few pieces of fruit on the coffee table. I sat awkwardly on the sofa while his mom went straight into another room without saying a word to me. I was completely confused. Just as I was about to ask Ethan what was going on, the doorbell rang. Ethan opened the door, and outside stood someone I never expected to see. Maya. She was wearing a cream-colored cashmere coat, carrying a few beautifully wrapped gifts, and walked in naturally, as if she owned the place. When she saw me, a perfectly calculated flash of surprise crossed her eyes: “Oh? You’re here too.” She smiled brightly and turned to Ethan’s mother, who had just walked out of the bedroom. “Mrs. Davis, you said you wanted me to try your soup today, so I stopped by a bakery and brought those pastries you love.” The ice on Ethan’s mother’s face melted instantly. She enthusiastically took the boxes, even patting Maya’s hand: “You sweet girl. You coming over is enough, you don’t need to be so formal. Come in, it’s cold outside.” She pulled Maya over to sit right in the center of the sofa, carelessly shoving my gifts—which were packaged far less impressively than Maya’s—off to the side. That subtle movement felt like a slap to my face. Even Ethan hadn’t expected this. He frowned: “Mom, what are you doing?” His mother replied naturally: “When I visited your hospital a while back and you weren’t there, Maya took care of me. Why didn’t you tell me you had such an outstanding junior colleague?” “I invited her today. You two went to the same med school and work together now; it’s a rare connection.” She quickly brought out the food from the kitchen. “You must be hungry. I made slow-roasted chicken soup. You mentioned you loved it last time, right?” Maya leaned in and smiled. “You’re so good to me, Mrs. Davis.” They sat close together, acting as intimate as a mother and daughter. Soon, dinner was served. At the long rectangular table, Ethan’s mother naturally took the head seat, with Ethan sitting on her right. Maya smoothly took the seat right next to him. I paused my steps. Ethan’s mother acted as if she had just noticed me, casually pointing to the seat furthest from the head of the table: “Chloe, you sit over there.” That seat was the furthest away, with only a plate of cold appetizers in front of it. I sat down in silence. The fine bone china in front of me gleamed coldly under the lights. “Maya, try the soup. I simmered it for four hours. You doctors work so hard, you need to nourish your bodies.” Ethan’s mother personally served Maya a bowl, her smile full of maternal affection. “Thank you, Mrs. Davis. Your cooking is amazing. I’ve been craving this.” “If you like it, come over more often. Treat this place like your own home.” Ethan’s mother finally glanced at me, her tone significantly colder. “Chloe, you have some soup too. Serve yourself.” I didn’t move. Halfway through the meal, Ethan’s mother casually brought up work. “Maya, how is that joint research project going? I heard your Chief praising you the other day, saying you learn fast and are very meticulous. A real rising star.” Maya smiled gracefully. “Dr. Davis is an excellent mentor.” “Ethan is flawless when it comes to work and academics.” Ethan’s mother looked proudly at her son, then steered the conversation back. “You young people should learn from each other and grow together. Especially since you’re in the same field and speak the same language. Whether in your careers or your personal lives, you can understand and support each other.” She heavily emphasized the words “personal lives.” I suddenly felt the urge to laugh. No wonder. Things had reached this point. If I still didn’t understand what Ethan’s mother was trying to do, I’d be an absolute idiot. A perfectly timed blush spread across Maya’s cheeks, and she didn’t say a word. Ethan’s mother’s smile deepened, but her focus abruptly shifted to me. “What kind of work does Chloe do again?” I said calmly, “Mrs. Davis, I’m a marketing director at an event planning firm.” “Oh, marketing.” She nodded. “That’s nice. But it probably doesn’t have much overlap with Ethan’s field. When you guys chat and he talks about patient cases or medical journals… can you even understand him?” The air in the room instantly solidified. Ethan frowned slightly. “Mom.” I thought I would love everything associated with him. But in that moment, I realized I absolutely loathed Ethan’s mother. These so-called “intellectual elites” are experts at packaging their disdain with cold indifference, acting as if they are culturally superior. But honestly? I had never eaten a single grain of rice paid for by her family. What right did she have to dictate my life? I finally looked up and met Ethan’s eyes. From the moment we walked through the door until now, he hadn’t spoken a single word to me, nor had he defended me to his mother once. I suddenly found the whole situation hilarious. I spoke up: “Mrs. Davis, I’m sure Ethan doesn’t understand the first thing about marketing either. I’m dating Ethan, not applying for a medical residency. Why do I need to understand his journals or his patient cases?” Ethan’s mother clearly didn’t expect me to fire back so directly. She was stunned for a moment. I set down my chopsticks. The ceramic clinked against the table, making a sharp, distinct sound. “As for what I like about him… in the past, I liked his kindness, his bravery, and his manners.” “But looking at him now… I guess he’s nothing special.” “What did you say?!” Ethan’s mother looked appalled. “Mrs. Davis,” my voice was surprisingly calm. “I thought you invited me here to welcome me. If this kind of thing happens again, I’d appreciate a heads-up. I’m a very busy person too.” “Oh, right,” I smiled. “There won’t be a next time.” I stood up, not looking at anyone else, walked straight to the entryway, and grabbed my purse and coat. Behind me, I could hear Ethan’s mother fuming: “I am furious! Ethan, what kind of woman did you find? She has absolutely no manners…” I didn’t stop walking.

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