Category: English

Blurb: Joanna Stone chased Ethan Quinn for seven years, suffering cold looks and humiliation, just to complete the system mission and resurrect her true lover Liam White. One week before the wedding, Ethan’s old love Serena Blair returned to the city. He ruined Joanna’s career for Serena, forced her to apologize in public, and even let Serena try on the wedding dress she designed herself. Joanna endured it all because she just wanted the wedding to go smoothly. But on the wedding day, Ethan abandoned her in public for Serena, destroying her last hope with his own hands. After the mission failed, Joanna completely disappeared. Later, Ethan learned that the woman he had never cherished had never come to love him from the beginning. “Welcome to my food livestream channel. Today I will show you one of Graybridge’s hardest-to-book fine dining restaurants…” Joanna Stone showed her iconic smile to the camera, with several exquisite and picturesque dishes in front of her. As a leading food streamer with over 10 million fans on the Internet, her livestream online audience instantly exceeded 100,000. Just as she was about to take her first bite, the private room door was suddenly pushed open. There was a burst of chaotic footsteps and joking laughter. “Well, if it isn’t Mr. Quinn’s shadow. What, he doesn’t have time for you today, so you came here to smile for money?” Joanna’s hand holding the knife and fork paused, and the smile froze on her face. The visitors were several well-known wealthy men from Graybridge, and the one in the middle was her fiancé whom she had been chasing for seven years and who was about to get married in a week — Ethan Quinn. Ethan was wearing a neatly tailored black haute couture suit, with a stern look on his face, and undisguised indifference and boredom in his dark eyes. He just glanced at her, as if looking at a cheap ornament. “Ethan, your fiancée is so down-to-earth. The bride-to-be of the Quinn family is not ashamed to advertise the restaurant online every day.” The person next to him deliberately raised his voice. The livestream barrage exploded instantly. [What is going on? Anna is engaged to the president of Quinn Group?] [These people are awful. Since when is being a food streamer shameful?] [Look at Quinn’s face. He clearly can’t stand her. Is she the one clinging to him?] Joanna took a deep breath, ignored the harsh taunts, and just looked at Ethan quietly. “I’m working.” Her voice was soft but enough for everyone to hear clearly. Ethan walked up to her and looked down at her condescendingly. He stretched out his slender fingers and pressed directly on her phone holder, with a cold tone: “Turn it off.” “I have signed a contract for this promotion, and the penalty fee…” “I told you to shut it down.” Ethan cut her off, anger flashing in his eyes. “Joanna, have you forgotten who you are? The Quinn family does not need someone chasing attention online.” A sharp pain stabbed through Joanna’s chest, like a cluster of fine needles. Joanna pursed her lips, looked at his cold face, and finally reached out and forcibly cut off the livestream in front of 100,000 viewers. The moment the screen went black, the room burst into laughter. “Hahaha, Ethan really trained her well. So obedient. He says turn it off, and she turns it off.” “Since the livestream is off, why don’t you serve us today, Ms. Food Streamer? We haven’t eaten yet. Clear this table and serve us again.” This blatant humiliation made Joanna’s fingertips dig deep into her palms. She looked up at Ethan, trying to find a hint of protection in his eyes. No. Ethan just walked to the main seat and sat down, leaning against the back of the chair lazily, and coldly uttered two words: “Pour the wine.” He acquiesced in their humiliation. In fact, he was the leader of this humiliation. Joanna felt a little sore in her eyes, but she held it back. She stood up, picked up the decanter on the table, walked to Ethan, bent slightly, and slowly poured the red wine into his glass. “That’s right. Know your position.” The young master next to him laughed more and more crazily. Joanna was like a soulless puppet, mechanically pouring wine and serving dishes for them, and listened to their bottomless belittling of her career and origins. [Ding—] A mechanical electronic tone suddenly rang in her mind. [Host, mission progress has reached 99%. As long as your wedding to Ethan is completed in one week, you will receive the final reward.] Hearing this sound, Joanna’s tense body miraculously relaxed. It doesn’t matter, she told herself. As long as she can get through this week, as long as the wedding goes smoothly, she can complete the system’s mission. She didn’t care how Ethan humiliated her, nor did she care whether he loved her or not. She did all this, endured all the injustice and followed him for seven years, just in exchange for the only reward — resurrecting her true lover, Liam White. “Enough. Looking at you ruins my appetite.” Ethan suddenly set down his glass with a sharp clink. He stood without sparing her another glance. “Go settle the bill, then get out.” Joanna lowered her head and responded softly: “Okay.” She turned towards the bar and settled the six-figure bill. When she walked out of the restaurant, it started to rain heavily outside. The cold rain hit her face, but she didn’t hide. She just looked at the countdown on the screen of her phone. Seven days left. Liam, wait for me.

The villa was eerily empty and unpopular late at night. Joanna took a hot bath, put on clean home clothes, and sat on the sofa in the living room to wait for Ethan. Today is their third engagement anniversary. On the coffee table were cakes she had made by herself, as well as a table of completely cold dishes. She waited until two o’clock in the morning, but there was no movement at the gate. She picked up her phone and opened her chat with Ethan. The last message was still the one she had sent that afternoon: [Come home early today. I made your favorite dishes.] There had been no reply. Just when she was about to throw away the cold meal, her phone suddenly vibrated. It’s not Ethan’s message, but a push that the social platform pays special attention to. She clicked on the screen and what came into view was a high-definition photo taken secretly at the airport. In the photo, Ethan, who has always been mysophobic and doesn’t like to be touched by others, is holding a woman wearing a white windbreaker tightly in his arms. His eyes were full of enthusiasm and lost treasure that Joanna had never seen in the past seven years. The woman was wearing sunglasses, but Joanna recognized her at a glance—Serena Blair, Ethan’s first love, and the old obsession in his heart that he couldn’t touch or forget. Three years ago, Serena dumped Ethan without mercy and went abroad to study in order to pursue her dream of dancing. Ethan stood in the heavy rain all night with a high fever. Joanna took care of him sleeplessly for three days and three nights. Later, he agreed to Joanna’s proposal. Everyone said that Joanna finally warmed up the iceberg after seven years of humility. But only Joanna knew that he was just angry. Now, Serena is back. Joanna looked at the photo quietly, and there was no heartbreaking feeling in her heart as she expected, only a kind of numbness that finally fell to the ground. There was a beeping sound from the door combination lock. Ethan walked in with a chill, his suit jacket hanging on his arms, the collar of his shirt slightly open, showing a rare mixture of exhaustion and excitement. Seeing Joanna sitting on the sofa, the emotion on his face instantly calmed down and returned to his frosty look. “Why haven’t you slept yet?” He said calmly. “Waiting for you.” Joanna stood up and pointed to the cake on the table, “Today is the engagement anniversary.” Ethan’s eyes stayed on the cake for a second, then moved away, and said impatiently: “I forgot. I’m very tired, so I went to take a shower first.” He didn’t explain or apologize. “Ethan.” Joanna stopped him, “Serena is back, right?” Ethan’s steps suddenly stopped. He turned around and his eyes instantly became sharp, as if he was examining a prisoner who had crossed the line: “Are you investigating me?” “You guys have become a hot topic.” Joanna raised her phone. Ethan saw the photo on the screen clearly. Instead of being embarrassed by being exposed, Ethan sneered confidently: “Since you saw it, I won’t hide it from you. Serena has just returned to this city and is not emotionally stable. I will spend more time with her during this time.” “What about our wedding?” Joanna asked the question she was most concerned about. “The wedding is as usual.” Ethan tugged on his tie, with a pity-like compensatory arrogance in his voice, “Joanna, you should be content. Mrs. Quinn’s position is yours. For the rest, you’d better not expect anything else, and don’t disturb Serena.” After saying that, he went upstairs without looking back. Joanna stood there, looking at the exquisite cake on the table, and suddenly felt a little funny. She picked up the knife, cut a piece of cake and stuffed it into her mouth. It’s so sweet that it tastes bitter. Ethan thought she loved him so much that she had no dignity, and thought she couldn’t live without him. But he didn’t know that what she wanted was never his love, nor the position of Mrs. Quinn. [Host, emotional fluctuation detected in the male lead. Please stabilize the plot and make sure the wedding proceeds smoothly.] The system’s voice sounded at the right moment. “I know.” Joanna swallowed the bitter cake and poured the rest into the trash can. As long as he didn’t cancel the wedding, she didn’t care who he accompanied or who he loved. After washing and lying on the bed, Joanna closed her eyes, and Liam’s gentle and jade-like face appeared in her mind. “Anna, when I get better, we will go to the beach to watch the sunrise.” Those were the last words Liam said to her before he died. For this promise, she endured seven years in this cold world. Come on, Liam. Six days to go.

In the early morning, she was awakened by a series of phone calls from her agent Maya Reed. “Joanna, look at the social media platform! The producer of the global food documentary “Flavor Search” that you have been preparing for half a year suddenly and unilaterally announced a replacement!” She sat up suddenly, no longer feeling sleepy. “Flavor Pathfinding” is the most important part of her career. In order to win the position of the resident host, she did not rest for more than half a year. She traveled to many countries to test dishes and write plans. She even suffered from acute gastritis due to overwork. The producer just confirmed the final contract with her yesterday, so why did she suddenly change her? She quickly opened her social media platform, and the first one on the hot topic list was: #Serena Blair airborne flavor search# Click on it to see the latest official announcement released by the producer. The picture is of Serena Blair wearing a white dress and smiling innocently. The comment section was in an uproar. Her fans were frantically defending their rights, while Serena’s fans were mocking her for not having enough status and saying that Internet celebrities should not touch porcelain artists. Her fingers were trembling slightly, and she immediately dialed the number of the producer’s chief director. “Director Harris, what on earth is going on? Hasn’t our contract already…” “Ms. Stone, I’m really sorry.” Director Harris’ tone was helpless and flattering, “This is not something we can decide. Quinn Group suddenly fully acquired the production company last night, and Mr. Quinn personally said that he would give this position to Miss Serena.” There was a bang. Her mind went blank. She hung up the phone, took a taxi and rushed to the Quinn Group headquarters without even changing her clothes. Arriving at the executive’s office unimpeded, she pushed open the door to Ethan Quinn’s office. In the office, Ethan Quinn was sitting on a large leather chair, while Serena Blair was sitting on the sofa next to him, holding a cup of coffee in her hand, and the two were talking and laughing. Seeing her barging in, Serena immediately put down her coffee cup and shrank behind Ethan. “Ethan…” Her voice was delicate. Ethan’s face instantly darkened and he stared at her coldly: “Who taught you the rule of not knocking when you enter?” “Why?” She ignored his scolding and walked straight to the desk, staring at him. “”Flavor Pathfinding” is the hard work I have been preparing for half a year. Why did you give it to her with just one sentence?” Ethan leaned back in his chair, his eyes contemptuous: “I am an investor.” He stood up, walked to Serena, patted her shoulder gently, and when he looked at her again, there was only coldness in his eyes. “Serena has just returned to this city and needs a program with a wide audience coverage to regain her popularity. As a blogger of a broken shop, what is the use of such resources? It’s just to eat and Drink.” “Potan shop blogger?” She laughed angrily, but her eyes were red, “Ethan Quinn, that is my career! It was the opportunity I bought after spending countless late nights and getting rejected! In order to please her, are you going to destroy my hard work?” “Watch your words.” Ethan frowned and said in a serious tone, “Serena is a classical dancer, and her temperament is more suitable for this kind of high-end documentary than you. If you want resources, I will ask my assistant to arrange the promotion of several big-name skin care products for you. Don’t make trouble here.” “I don’t want promotion, I just want “Flavor Pathfinding”.” She looked at him stubbornly. At this time, Serena gently pulled Ethan’s sleeve, her eyes were slightly red: “Ethan, forget it, since Ms. Stone likes it so much, I will just give it back to her. I don’t want to affect your relationship because of me.” “Don’t give in.” Ethan held Serena’s hand in his hand and looked at her sharply. “Joanna, do you have to be so fussy about it? Serena has suffered a lot abroad. What’s wrong with me compensating her with a show? As my future wife, you don’t even have this generosity?” What ridiculous logic. He used her hard work to compensate for his obsession with his old love, and blamed her for not being generous enough. She looked at the two people’s clasped hands, and her heart seemed to be clenched tightly by a big invisible hand, which was so painful that she couldn’t breathe. This is the man she has been conquering for seven years. Cold-blooded, selfish, trampling on her dignity and hard work. “Okay, I’m generous.” She took a deep breath and pushed back the tears in her eyes. She looked at Ethan and said word by word, “Ethan Quinn, I gave this program to her.” Ethan was stunned for a moment, as if he didn’t expect that she would compromise so easily. He looked at her eyes that were so calm that they were almost lifeless, and he felt inexplicably irritated in his heart. “You know what’s going on.” He snorted coldly. Without looking at them again, she turned and walked out of the office. The moment she closed the door, she leaned against the cold wall, gasping for air. It doesn’t matter, she told herself again. Five days to go. Once the mission is completed, she will no longer have to suffer this kind of torture.

The storm of substitutions in “Flavour Pathfinding” has not subsided yet, and an even bigger storm is following. That afternoon, Serena Blair posted a photo of herself on an IV at the hospital, with the caption: [My first big meal after returning to this city, and I ended up spending it in the ER. Everyone, please be careful about restaurant hygiene.] In the background, the takeout bag from a well-known private restaurant was faintly visible. And this private restaurant was the one she had strongly recommended in the livestream the day before yesterday. Serena’s fans immediately rushed into her social account like sharks smelling blood. [Shameless blogger! She took dirty money to recommend a trash restaurant and gave our Serena food poisoning!][People like this will promote anything for money. This is practically attempted murder for profit!][Ban Joanna! Make her disappear from public view!] In just two hours, the terms #Joanna Stone Fake Store Visit# and #Serena Blair Food Poisoning became hot topics on social platforms. The reputation she had accumulated for seven years was about to collapse in an instant. She immediately contacted the owner of the restaurant and verified the monitoring and meal delivery records of the day. All ingredients had strict inspection and quarantine certificates, and there was no possibility of food poisoning. This is a complete frame-up. She had just compiled the clarification evidence and was ready to release it when the door of the villa was pushed open violently. Ethan Quinn strode in with violent anger, grabbed the laptop from her hand, and smashed it to the ground. There was a loud “bang” and the screen shattered instantly. “Ethan Quinn, why are you crazy!” She stood up and looked at him angrily. “Am I crazy?” Ethan grabbed her chin with such force that he almost crushed her bones, his eyes were scarlet. “Joanna, do you dare to say that Serena’s food poisoning was not caused by you? Because I gave her the show, you held a grudge and deliberately recommended that unclean restaurant to her!” “I didn’t!” She was forced to raise her head, tears welling up in her eyes because of the pain, “There’s nothing wrong with that restaurant, it’s her who is acting!” “Bang!” A hospital diagnosis report was thrown hard on her face, and the sharp edge of the paper scratched her cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood. “It says acute gastroenteritis in black and white, and you still dare to quibble!” Ethan’s voice was as cold as ice. “Joanna, I only thought you were clingy and humble before, but I didn’t expect you to be so vicious!” She didn’t read the report. She knew that with Ethan’s methods, it would be easy to get a fake medical certificate. He didn’t care about the truth at all, he only cared that Serena had been wronged. “What do you want?” Her voice was as light as a gust of wind, revealing deep weakness. “Apologize.” Ethan let go of his hand, took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers in disgust, “Start a livestream immediately and apologize to Serena in front of the entire network. Admit that you took the black money and made false publicity.” Her eyes suddenly widened and she looked at him in disbelief. Admitting to false advertising would have completely ruined her career in the content industry. The credibility she has accumulated step by step over the past seven years will be destroyed in one day! “Ethan Quinn, you are forcing me to death.” She was shaking all over. “You owe her this.” Ethan showed no mercy. “If you don’t do it, I will have the entire local media ban you tomorrow. Guess whether the penalty fee you face will make you go to jail?” He is threatening her with what she cares about most… More importantly, if she is banned from the entire network or even faces a lawsuit, the wedding in a week will definitely be affected, and the system’s mission will fail. Joanna looked at the man in front of her who she had loved for seven years but was so cruel to her. The last spark in her heart went out completely. “Okay, I apologize.” Ten minutes later, she started the livestream. She had no makeup, there was a faint bloodstain on her cheek, and her face was as pale as paper. Millions of people flooded into the livestream instantly, and the barrage was full of unsightly abuse. Ethan stood outside the camera, watching her coldly. She bowed deeply to the camera. “I’m sorry. It was me who accepted sponsorship from the restaurant and carried out false publicity, which caused Ms. Serena’s physical harm. I am here to solemnly apologize to Ms. Serena and all the fans who trust me.” Every word seemed to linger in her soul. She personally tore her seven years of hard work into pieces in front of everyone. The comments in the barrage were loud and loud, and the rate of followers dropping was visible to the naked eye. Ethan looked at her obedient look, but his heart was not as happy as he expected. Instead, he felt as if he was blocked by something and felt uncomfortable. After the livestream ended, she slumped on the chair, like a rag doll whose soul had been drained. Ethan walked up to her and said condescendingly: “Recognize the reality early and stop doing these little tricks. Just wait and be your bride.” She didn’t look up, just looked at the countdown to the wedding on her phone. Four days to go. Liam, she’s so tired. But for you, she can endure anything.

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He dropped to his knees right there under my apartment building. In front of Aiden Hall. That man who had spent three years married to me without ever truly looking at me. That man who had treated me like air for the sake of Sophie Dane. Now the president of Cole Capital was kneeling in the rain, soaked through, apologizing again and again like his life depended on it. How funny. Where was he when his mother humiliated me with money? Where was he when I spent night after night alone in an empty house, unable to sleep? Now that I had dragged him into court and ruined his reputation, he suddenly wanted to call it love? I looked at his bloodshot eyes and felt nothing. Only contempt. Love that comes too late is cheaper than dirt. What he did not know was that my revenge had only just begun. And he knew even less about the real tragedy behind our marriage. The whole thing had been a lie from the start, staged by the people closest to him. 0 My thirty-second birthday happened to be the third anniversary of my marriage to Grayson Cole. At five o’clock sharp, I left work and went to the grocery store. I bought sea bass, asparagus, and a small cut of steak. Every one of them was something he had once mentioned at dinner in passing. I remembered everything. Back at the suburban villa everyone called home, the silence felt like another kind of weather. The housekeeper had already left. There was no sound in that huge place except my breathing. I changed out of my lawyer’s suit, tied on an apron, and walked into the kitchen. For one brief second, I caught my own reflection and nearly laughed. In court I fought over property division and dignity for other women. At home I played the role of a good wife waiting for her husband to come back. I had been performing that part for three years. Long enough to nearly believe it. At eight, the table was set. Four dishes. One soup. A glass of red wine for me. I waited. At nine, the food went cold. I reheated everything. At ten, it went cold again. This time I left it there. It takes three minutes to reheat a dish. How long does it take to warm a dead heart? At ten-thirty, the code lock at the front door beeped. He was home. His steps were steady as always. He smelled like a sweet floral perfume that was not his. My stomach turned. He glanced at the table, then tossed me a branded envelope from some luxury department store. “Allowance,” he said. That was his preferred way to fulfill his duty as a husband. Efficient. Convenient. Emotionless. I looked up at him. “Grayson, do you remember what today is?” He paused while loosening his tie, frowned as if he had been handed a difficult equation, then gave up. “Not important.” Then he went upstairs. Not important. My birthday was not important. Our wedding anniversary was not important. The evening I had spent preparing everything was not important. I poured my wine down in one swallow, got up, and dumped the fish, the asparagus, the steak, and the soup into the trash one by one. It sounded like a funeral. A quick, careless one for a three-year marriage. Then I messaged my best friend Chloe Benson. I decided. 0

The next morning, I was in court at nine o’clock sharp. My client was a woman who had survived ten years of domestic abuse. Broken nose twice. Cigarette burns on both arms. Her husband refused to divorce her unless she surrendered her property rights and gave up their child. She trembled in the hallway before the hearing. “Ms. Sutton… I’m scared.” I squeezed her hand. “Don’t be. From today on, no one touches you again. I will get back everything they took from you.” The opposing counsel tried to call ten years of violence “ordinary marital conflict.” I answered with hospital reports, witness recordings, bloody clothing, and screenshots of the husband’s drunken boasts about how he disciplined his wife. By closing argument, the room was silent. “The law is not here to excuse power,” I said. “It is here to protect the weak. Marriage should never become a cover for violence. My client is not here for pity. She is here for justice, dignity, and what is hers.” We won. Seventy percent of the marital property to my client. Full custody of the child. Monthly support. A restraining order. When I got back to Benson & Sutton, Chloe already had coffee waiting. She was my law school friend, my best friend, and my partner. “So Her Majesty has returned victorious?” I dropped into the sofa. “Her Majesty is exhausted.” Chloe tilted her head. “You go into court and tear men apart for other women, then go home and let your own husband ignore your existence. Terrible business model, Mia.” “Exactly,” I said. “So I’m done.” I opened a blank document and typed five words: Divorce Settlement Agreement. Chloe watched quietly for a long moment, then only said, “Fine. Tonight I’m buying dinner. And none of it is cooked by you.” 0

The first draft came fast. Clear logic. Clean clauses. When I reached the property section, I stopped. The villa. The luxury cars. The unlimited secondary card Grayson had given me. Three years ago, my family put a price on me. Three hundred thousand dollars. Now I was buying myself back. So I wrote a single sentence: I voluntarily waive all rights to division of marital property. Not because I was noble. Because I wanted nothing tying me to him anymore, least of all money. I needed the policy number from the one insurance plan we held jointly, so I texted Grayson. Where’s the insurance contract? Study. Third cabinet on the left. It was the first time in three years I had entered his study. The room smelled like his cologne and looked exactly like him. Dark, precise, expensive, and completely lifeless. I found the contract. Then I noticed the top drawer of his desk. Unlocked. That was unusual for Grayson. I opened it. Inside was a velvet box. Inside the box was a silver photo frame. In the picture, Grayson was smiling. Really smiling. It was a version of his face I had never seen. In his arms was Sophie Dane in a white dress, laughing into the camera. His fiancée who had run the night before their wedding. His great unfinished love. On the back of the frame was an engraved line in his handwriting. My Sophie. My only one. I stood there holding it while the last of my self-deception died quietly. I was not even a substitute. I had been a temporary bandage over a social embarrassment. I put the frame back exactly as I found it and walked downstairs. Grayson was in the living room watching financial news. “Found it?” “Yes.” I set the insurance contract down and looked him in the eye. “Grayson, we need to talk.” 0

He turned off the television. The silence that followed was immediate and heavy. “About what?” I did not answer directly. “We’re going to the main house this weekend.” That was the Cole family rule. First weekend of every month. For three years it had felt like attending a funeral. This time, I needed to go. I needed the right opening. At lunch the next day, Evelyn Cole finally raised the subject she always circled sooner or later. “Mia, you’ve been married to Grayson for three years now. Why is there still no child? This family needs an heir.” Every relative at the table looked at me. Sympathy. Curiosity. Mockery. I looked only at my husband. He lowered his head and drank his soup, as if his mother were speaking about the weather and not about his wife sitting three feet away. That was Grayson. Every time this family made me bleed, he chose silence. Not a bystander. An accomplice. I smiled politely and said, “You’re right. I haven’t done well enough.” Evelyn seemed pleased by my obedience. On the drive home, Grayson finally said, “Don’t take what my mother says seriously.” I laughed. “I don’t. I just finally understood something. We need to talk. Properly this time.”

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I was scrolling through Reddit on my phone when a trending post caught my eye in the local community sub. “I’m an Uber driver. I’m looking for a woman named Natalie who lives at The Aspen Apartments.” “Just so you know, your fiancé married his childhood best friend seven years ago. They already have a son and a daughter together.” The comments were blowing up instantly. “Holy crap, this is wild.” “OP, give us more details! There are probably fifty girls named Natalie in that complex.” The original poster replied: “The guy has a distinctive birthmark right under his left eye. I didn’t get a good look at the woman because he was holding her close in his arms the entire ride.” Staring at the screen, a cold shiver ran down my spine. It took me a few seconds to process the words, but the realization hit me like a physical blow. The man they were describing… was Carter. My fiancé. My hands shook so violently I could barely hold my phone. No wonder. Every single time I brought up our wedding date, Carter would get annoyed and tell me there was no rush. It turned out he already had a whole other family waiting for him. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a text notification. “Hi Natalie, this is the bridal boutique. Your wedding dress has been altered to your measurements. When would you like to come in for your final fitting?” I blinked, trying to force back the hot, stinging tears in my eyes. “Cancel it,” I typed back. “And process the refund.” If he couldn’t give me a real home, I would find someone else who could.

It was past 1:00 AM when Carter finally got home. Seeing me still sitting in the living room, he kicked off his shoes and asked casually, “The boutique called me. They said you canceled the wedding dress? What’s wrong with it?” I looked up at him, my voice completely flat. “I just realized I don’t want it anymore.” He frowned, instantly irritated. “You were the one begging me to get married, and now the wedding is literally next week. Can you stop acting on a whim?” “Didn’t you choose that dress yourself? What kind of drama are you trying to stir up now?” The mug of coffee in my hands had gone ice cold. Yes, I was the one who picked it out. But it wasn’t the dress I actually wanted. During our three fitting appointments, he had brought Chloe along every single time. I wanted a sleek, elegant satin gown. Chloe insisted that a puffy lace tulle dress was much better. So, Carter spent the entire time subtly and not-so-subtly pressuring me into choosing the tulle. I wanted a simple white-gold band. Chloe said she preferred a classic diamond solitaire. So, behind my back, Carter switched the ring order. I slowly set my coffee mug down on the table and looked him straight in the eye. “Carter, I hate tulle. I’ve always wanted satin.” His hands paused as he unbuttoned his coat. His face immediately darkened with impatience. “Are you seriously throwing a tantrum over a fabric?” “Yes. Over this exact fabric.” “Natalie, if you’re really that bored and have nothing better to do, I can ask Chloe to sign you up for a domestic etiquette class. They teach you how to actually support your husband instead of picking fights.” I stared at him. “Like how Chloe supports you?” For the past ten years, no matter what I did, Carter would always compare me to Chloe. My cooking was never as good as Chloe’s. My housekeeping skills were nothing compared to hers. He even had the nerve to say these things right in front of my parents. Once, my mom took me aside and quietly asked if I wanted to reconsider my relationship with him. But I refused. Because I could never forget the night I casually mentioned wanting late-night spicy wings, and he drove twenty miles through a torrential thunderstorm just to bring them to me. I still remembered when he only had $20 left in his bank account, but he spent $19 to buy me a box of organic cherries from Whole Foods because he knew they were my favorite. Carter sat down across from me, sighing heavily. “Is it really that hard for you to admit that Chloe is just more capable than you?” “Then why the hell are you with me?!” I screamed back, my eyes burning with tears. Carter seemed to realize he had gone too far. He let out a long breath, softening his voice. “I didn’t mean it like that.” “Fine. If you don’t like the dress, you don’t like it. Chloe knows a few high-end bridal designers. I’ll ask her tomorrow if she can rush a new one before next week.” I tried my best to swallow the bitter, suffocating pain rising in my chest. “Oh, perfect. So she can have another chance to design a dress she loves? Who knows, maybe she’ll just wear it herself.” Carter’s expression finally cracked. Underneath his sudden anger, I saw a flash of sheer guilt. “Do you really have to be this toxic tonight?” I almost wanted to laugh. Carter was always like this. The moment Chloe was involved, he could spin black into white. Wrong became right. And his protection was something I would never, ever receive.

The argument ended with him slamming the door and storming out. The next morning, when I woke up, the sound of children laughing and shouting echoed from the living room. I opened my bedroom door and found my neat, clean apartment in absolute chaos. The hand-woven throw blanket that Carter had supposedly custom-ordered for me was currently being trampled under the dirty shoes of Chloe’s young daughter. “Oh, Natalie, you’re finally awake!” Chloe chirped, looking up. Before I could say anything, she turned toward the kitchen and called out, “Carter! Natalie’s up. Serve another bowl of oatmeal!” Carter walked out of the kitchen, looking incredibly awkward. “Uh… I only made enough for the four of us.” “There’s some leftover peanut butter toast in the pantry. You want that?” I shook my head. “No, thanks. You guys go ahead.” He set his bowl down and walked over to me. “Are you still mad at me?” “Even if you’re mad, you shouldn’t skip breakfast. Especially with your sensitive stomach.” I looked at him. At that moment, my chest felt like it was packed with heavy, wet cotton. I could barely breathe. I let out a slow, cold breath. “Carter, do you even remember what I’m allergic to?” He froze for two seconds, a sudden flash of panic crossing his face. “Oh… right. Babe, I’m sorry. I forgot.” He didn’t forget. He just never cared enough to remember. He couldn’t remember that peanut butter could literally send me into anaphylactic shock. Yet, he never failed to deliver a warm cup of ginger tea to Chloe on the exact day her period started every single month. “If you don’t want to eat, then don’t. Why do you always have to make my mom and dad feel bad?” The little boy speaking was Chloe’s seven-year-old son, Mason. His presence was a loud, mocking reminder of how incredibly stupid I had been. I had once asked Carter why Chloe’s children carried his last name, Miller. At the time, he had told me: “Chloe and I made a pact when we were younger. We promised we’d be co-parents to each other’s kids if anything happened. Since their biological father walked out and they don’t have a dad, it’s only right they take my name so they don’t get bullied at school.” And back then, like an idiot, I believed him. Chloe gave me an apologetic, sweet smile. “Kids are just protective of their parents. Don’t take it personally, Natalie.” I didn’t say a word. I grabbed my purse and walked toward the front door. “Where are you going?” Carter grabbed my wrist. “I’m hungry.” His grip slowly loosened, and he didn’t ask anything else. “Come back early.” The only response he got was the sound of the door slamming shut. I drove to the local diner that Carter and I used to visit every weekend. I ordered a plate of blueberry pancakes, crispy bacon, and a hot mug of black coffee. “Carter came in a while ago,” Bob, the diner owner, said as he brought my food. “I was wondering why you weren’t with him.” “But hey, glad to see you today!” I swallowed a bite of pancake and forced a polite smile. “Your pancakes are the best in town, Bob. Of course I’d come back.” Bob grinned widely. “Then how come you didn’t join him last time?” “He was here with a woman and two kids. I honestly thought that was you…” Behind him, his wife, Mary, quickly tugged at his apron. Bob realized his mistake instantly, his face turning red. “Anyway! You need anything else, sweetheart? On the house!” I shook my head. “I’m good, Bob. Thank you. I have to run.” My schedule for the day was packed. 10:00 AM: Hair and makeup trial. 1:00 PM: Wedding photoshoot. And in the evening, I had to finalize the guest list and RSVPs. Fortunately, I wasn’t doing any of this alone anymore.

At 8:00 PM, Carter called me. The background was incredibly noisy, filled with the shrieks and laughter of children. “Where are you? My mom wants us to come over for Thanksgiving dinner.” Anticipating my refusal, Carter quickly added, “Mom specifically told me to make sure you come with me.” “I’m at the bridal salon.” “Send me the address. I’ll pick you up.” After a brief silence, I texted him the address. Carter arrived incredibly fast, almost as if he had already been waiting nearby. I walked up to the car and reached for the front passenger door. It was locked. As I reached for it a second time, the window rolled down. “I’m so sorry, Natalie,” Chloe said with a sweet, helpless smile from the passenger seat. “I get terrible motion sickness if I sit in the back. Do you mind?” I stood there, motionless. Carter cleared his throat. “Natalie, she gets sick easily. Just let her have the seat.” Let her have it? I hadn’t said a single word, yet somehow, I was the one being difficult. Carter frowned impatiently. “My parents are waiting. Just get in, quickly.” I turned and opened the back door. There were three seats in the back. Two of them were taken up by bulky child safety seats. The remaining middle seat was piled high with shopping bags and toys. Chloe turned around, looking embarrassed. “Carter took us to the theme park today, and the kids got a little carried away with the souvenirs.” “You don’t mind squeezing in a bit, do you, Natalie?” It was only then that I noticed all four of them were wearing matching family outfits. I didn’t say a word. I squeezed into the tight space, closed my eyes, and leaned my head against the cold window. During the entire drive, the two of them chatted happily about parenting styles and planning their next summer vacation. Not once was I included in any of those plans. The moment we walked through the door, Carter’s mother, Mrs. Miller, rushed over with a huge smile. “Chloe, darling! You’re finally here! Come in, come in!” “And look at my beautiful grandbaby boy and girl!” Mrs. Miller completely bypassed me, pulling Chloe toward the dining room. Carter followed right behind, carrying the kids. I was left standing at the entrance like an invisible ghost. At the dinner table, Mr. and Mrs. Miller sat at the head. Carter sat next to Chloe and the kids. I was placed at the very end of the long table, next to the kitchen door. “Chloe, try this. I made all of your favorites tonight!” Mrs. Miller said warmly. I glanced over the table. They had invited me under the guise of a family holiday, yet there wasn’t a single dish on the table that I wasn’t allergic to or that I actually liked. “Natalie,” Mrs. Miller suddenly spoke up, her voice dropping its warmth. “I heard you canceled the dress Chloe worked so hard to find for you?” I took a sip of my water. “Yes.” Mrs. Miller’s brow furrowed in deep disapproval. “How could you just cancel it like that? Do you have any idea how much time and effort Chloe put into picking that out for you? You are so ungrateful.” I set my glass down, my voice quiet but firm. “Because it’s my wedding.” Mrs. Miller pointed a finger at me, her face red. “You are such an stubborn, difficult girl!” Carter didn’t even look up. He was fully occupied cutting the steak on Chloe’s plate and feeding the kids. After the miserable dinner finally ended, Mrs. Miller immediately told me to clean up the table and wash the dishes. Meanwhile, Chloe sat comfortably in the living room, eating fresh fruit that Carter was peeling for her. Suddenly, my lower abdomen cramped painfully. My phone buzzed. A custom alarm went off, and Carter’s recorded voice played through the speaker: “Hey babe, your period is starting today. Remember to stay warm and don’t touch cold water, okay?” Carter had set that reminder himself years ago. He had said, “I have a terrible memory, so this way I won’t ever forget to look after you.” But now I realized it wasn’t about his memory. He just never kept me in his heart. He remembered Chloe’s favorite foods, the exact dates of her cycle, and every little preference of those two kids. He just couldn’t remember mine. “Let me take over. Go rest.” Carter suddenly appeared and took the dish towel from my hand. In the living room, Chloe and Mrs. Miller were playing with Lego blocks with the kids. Mr. Miller was sitting on the patio, peacefully sipping his tea. Only I stood there, feeling like an unwanted intruder in someone else’s perfect family. At 9:00 PM, a massive storm rolled in, rain lashing against the windows. “Chloe, you and the kids are staying here tonight,” Mrs. Miller announced. Chloe shot a quick, guilty glance at me. “But there’s only Carter’s room. Where will he sleep?” Mrs. Miller patted her hand reassuringly. “Natalie isn’t married into the family yet, so it’s not appropriate for her to sleep over anyway. Carter can just sleep on the couch.” Then, she turned to me with a fake, polite smile. “Natalie, it’s getting late and the storm is bad. It’s not safe for a girl to drive alone, so I won’t keep you any longer.” I nodded, grabbed my purse, and walked out without another word. Carter ran out after me, grabbing my arm in the hallway. “Natalie, don’t overthink this. My mom is just looking out for your reputation.” I violently shook his hand off and took a step back.

“Carter, do you really not see how differently your family treats me compared to Chloe?” “Or is the truth just that the daughter-in-law you all wanted was never me, but her?” A flash of pure guilt washed over Carter’s face, and his voice became stiff. “How can you say something so ridiculous? My mom just treats Chloe like her own daughter.” “Look, if we made you feel bad, I apologize.” He leaned down to meet my eyes, softening his tone. “I know you can be a bit sensitive and jealous. I’ll make sure to pay more attention next time, okay?” “Don’t frown so much. You’re going to be the most beautiful bride next week.” “Carter,” I said quietly, “I already canceled the entire wedding.” He chuckled, not taking me seriously at all. “I know. Didn’t you just book a different venue and dress today? I saw the charge.” But the groom wasn’t him anymore. I opened my mouth, but the words stayed trapped in my throat. I chose to stay silent. As Carter escorted me to my Uber, I called out to him just before closing the door. “Carter, come home early tomorrow morning.” He frowned. “Is something wrong? I promised Mason I’d take him to the arcade tomorrow morning.” I looked at him, a bitter taste filling my mouth. Mason had only mentioned the arcade once at the dinner table, and Carter remembered it perfectly. But the appointment I had reminded him of multiple times was completely wiped from his brain. “Tomorrow morning is my post-surgery checkup for my fractured wrist.” He froze, looking incredibly conflicted. “Can… can you reschedule it to the afternoon? I really don’t want to break my promise to a kid.” “Never mind. I’ll go talk to Mason tonight and see if we can go to the arcade later. I’ll text you in the morning.” But I never received that text. I waited until noon the next day, alone. I went to the hospital by myself, registered, and waited in line for an hour. After the examination, the doctor’s face was grim. “The bone isn’t healing well at all. Have you not been resting it?” I remained silent for a moment. “I’ve been busy… preparing for a wedding next week.” “Can’t the groom handle those things? Let me be blunt, if you keep straining this wrist, you’re looking at permanent nerve damage.” Holding my medical report, I sat on the hallway bench for a long time before finally heading back to the apartment. The moment I pushed the door open, a small white dog rushed out, barking aggressively at me. Having been severely bitten by a stray dog when I was a child, my survival instinct kicked in. I reflexively kicked the dog away. Mason was the first to run out of the bedroom. Seeing the dog whimpering on the floor, he screamed in rage and charged straight at me, slamming his body into mine. I instinctively raised my hands to protect myself. The next second, the color drained from my face. A sharp, white-hot agony shot through my newly set wrist. Carter was the second to run out. He didn’t even look at me. His entire focus was on comforting the crying boy. “It’s okay, buddy. Daddy’s going to take the dog to the vet right now.” He scooped up the dog with one arm and pulled Mason with the other, rushing toward the door. “Stop,” I gasped, holding my throbbing wrist. Carter turned, his face contorted in anger. “Get out of the way!” I didn’t back down. Instead, I stepped forward and pointed at the silver necklace dangling from the dog’s collar. “Give that back to me.” “Are you out of your mind?! It’s just a stupid necklace!” Carter yelled. Just a stupid necklace? I was raised by my grandma, and that necklace was the only thing she left me before she passed away. The day Grandma gave it to me, Carter was standing right there. He had sworn to her that he would love me forever and never let anyone hurt me. Yet now, the person hurting me the most was him. Carter violently ripped the necklace off the dog’s collar. The string snapped, and the silver pendant fell to the hardwood floor with a sharp metallic clink. As he turned his back to leave, I screamed after him with every ounce of strength I had left: “Carter! If you walk out of this door today, the wedding is officially off!” He didn’t even hesitate. He didn’t look back. For the next few days, Carter never came back to the apartment. And I used that time to pack up every single thing I owned and moved out of the home I had spent years decorating. The night before the wedding, Carter finally sent me a text. “I have to take Mason for his kindergarten physical tomorrow morning, so I might be a bit late. Just take the bridesmaids and go straight to the venue.” I didn’t bother replying. I blocked his number and deleted him from my contacts. The next morning, when the groomsmen arrived at my apartment to pick up the bride, no one answered the door. One of them eventually climbed through a window, only to find the entire apartment completely empty. Panic finally set in, and someone called Carter. “Carter, bro… Natalie is gone. She’s not here.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “435683”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

Twenty years ago, my baby girl, who could barely even take her first steps, died in that freezing, sterile emergency room. She could have lived. The St. Jude Foundation had already approved her Compassionate Use Grant. The lifesaving funds had been wired to the hospital’s account. But the night before her surgery, her name was secretly replaced, and the funds were withdrawn. Only later did I find out that the people who stole her spot were my own brother, Thomas, and his wife, Samantha. They traded my daughter’s life for their own son’s chance to survive. Back then, Samantha pointed her designer-clad finger at my face, waving a forged approval letter, and sneered, “This is just how life is, Lynn. Your daughter was born cheap. Don’t blame us for having better luck.” I didn’t cry. I didn’t make a scene. Instead, I spent twenty long years clawing my way up to where I am today—the Chief Director of the Compassionate Use Program at the State Medical Board. Today, Samantha’s son lies in the ICU, desperately waiting for the only dose of a rare, federally funded gene-therapy drug in the entire state. I looked down at the familiar name on the application form, picked up my red pen, and drew a massive, cold “X” right across it. 0

“Director Mitchell, are you out of your mind? You signed the wrong box!” My assistant, Dr. Julian Carter, practically jumped out of his chair. His eyes were glued to the red-stamped document in my hand. “This is the final allocation sheet for ‘NeoGenesis-1’! Tyler Mitchell’s bio-markers rank number one in the state! The system automatically flagged him as the perfect match!” Julian leaned over my desk, slamming his hands down, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “You signing ‘REJECTED’ in that box… do you have any idea what that means?” “It means this patient does not qualify for our free compassionate-use drug program,” I replied. I didn’t even look up. My voice was as flat as if I were commenting on the weather. Julian was completely dumbfounded. “How does he not qualify? Is it a genetic mismatch? Is his body too weak to tolerate it? Director Mitchell, the federal government only gives our state one single dose of this drug a year. It’s worth 1.2 million dollars, fully covered! It’s his only lifeline!” I raised my head. My gaze drifted past Julian, landing on the young man sitting in the waiting area outside my glass office. It was Tyler Mitchell. Through the glass door, the hope on his pale face instantly shattered the moment he saw me shake my head. “Director Mitchell…” Julian tried to argue again, but I tossed the file folder right back into his chest. “I said he doesn’t qualify, so he doesn’t. The applicant’s paperwork is compromised.” The office door pushed open. Tyler looked ghostly pale, his breathing shallow and ragged. He held onto the doorframe, his voice trembling violently. “Aunt Lynn… is there something wrong with my lab results?” I looked at him. He was twenty. The prime of his life. But unfortunately, he had inherited the worst genetic defect of the Mitchell family. I flipped open his background file, my fingers tapping heavily on the names listed under parents: “Father: Thomas Mitchell,” “Mother: Samantha Vance.” “Your application failed the review,” I said coldly. Tyler froze, taking two desperate steps forward. “How is that possible? My parents did everything. They notarized all our financial assets, they even put up our two estates in the Hamptons as collateral to prove that although we have money, we fully meet the criteria for emergency compassionate relief…” “Did they submit these documents themselves?” “Yes.” I let out a cold laugh and threw my pen onto the desk. “Then it’s officially over. You’re not getting it.” Julian was practically shaking with anxiety. “Director Mitchell, what the hell are you playing at? This file went through initial, secondary, and final reviews! Five department heads signed off on this! Who are you to reject it with a single word?” “Because I am the Chief Director of the Compassionate Use Program,” I said, leaning back in my leather chair, staring at him coldly. “And I hold the veto power.” Julian gasped, his face turning from anxious to furious. He looked around the room. The other assistants in the office quickly bowed their heads, pretending to be buried in their work. No one dared to make eye contact. “This is murder! Do you even know who Tyler’s father is? He’s the CEO of Vance Enterprises!” “Dr. Carter,” I cut him off, my voice sharp as a whip. “Are you a doctor of this state hospital, or are you a lapdog for Vance Enterprises?” Julian’s face instantly flushed a deep, angry purple. Tyler’s eyes were red, fighting back tears as he struggled to stand straight. “Aunt Lynn, if my parents missed some paperwork, I’ll call them right now to fix it. If my medical evaluation is being questioned, I can do another bone marrow biopsy. Please. Just give me a straight answer. I want to live.” He lowered himself completely, begging for his life. Looking at his face, my mind suddenly flashed back to twenty years ago. Back then, I was ten thousand times more pathetic than he was now. I had knelt in the pouring rain on the concrete steps of the foundation’s office, desperately grabbing the director’s leg, banging my head on the ground until I bled. *”Please, just check the accounts! The grant was approved! Why is it suddenly gone? My daughter is on a ventilator, she can’t wait!”* No one even looked at me. The security guards dragged me through the mud like a dead dog. I closed my eyes, forcing those blood-soaked memories back into the dark corners of my mind. When I opened them again, I looked at Tyler. “I’ve made myself clear. You do not qualify. Get out.” 0

Tyler’s tears finally spilled over. He bit his lip hard, turned around, and stumbled out of the room. A nurse gasped in the hallway outside. He must have tripped and fallen. Julian pointed a trembling finger at my face. “Fine. Great. Lynn Mitchell, everything you did today is going straight to Dean Henderson. Don’t think you can play god just because you sit in this chair!” I pulled out a sanitizing wipe and slowly, methodically cleaned my fingers. “The door is on your left. Don’t let it hit you on the way out.” Julian slammed the door shut. Less than five minutes later, I could hear him shouting into his phone from the stairwell down the hall. He was so loud the entire floor could hear. “Mrs. Vance, it’s Julian. I’m so sorry, there’s a massive issue with the drug allocation… Director Mitchell refuses to sign off. You and Mr. Mitchell need to get down here right now. I can’t keep this under wraps anymore.” I tossed the used wipe into the trash, spun my chair around, and looked out the window. Twenty years. I had waited for this phone call until my very bones felt restless. The next morning, the moment I walked into my office, Julian snuck in with a smug, mocking grin on his face. “Director Mitchell, Mrs. Vance asked me to deliver a message.” “Speak.” Julian choked on his words for a second, forcing his anger down. “Mrs. Vance said, mother to mother, she hopes you can understand. If Tyler’s drug gets approved, she will personally fund and donate the most advanced PET-CT scanner to our radiology department.” I flipped open the medical chart on my desk. “A PET-CT scanner? That’s over three million dollars.” “Exactly!” Julian’s eyes lit up. “Mrs. Vance promised it personally. No take-backs.” “Must be nice to be that rich,” I sneered. Thinking I was tempted, Julian leaned in closer. “Director, let’s be real. Tyler’s medical profile is flawless. You sign the paper, everyone wins. It’s good for the hospital, and it’s even better for your next performance review. Dean Henderson’s new research lab is still waiting on Vance Enterprises’ phase-two funding, you know.” I stopped writing and stared directly into his eyes. “Dr. Carter, how many years have you been in this field?” “Six… six years.” “Six years. And have you ever seen me, Lynn Mitchell, sign off on a single document in exchange for money?” The smile on Julian’s face froze. “I don’t care how much Samantha Vance is paying you under the table. But in this office, her money is nothing but garbage.” Julian shook with rage, his mouth opening and closing but no words came out. Finally, he sneered, spun on his heel, and slammed the door. The office fell silent. I unlocked the bottom drawer of my desk, entered my passcode, and pulled out a plain black folder. Inside, there were no medical charts or hospital documents. There were only yellowed, decades-old bank receipts, blurry photos, and a few USB drives containing recorded calls. This was the evidence I had spent more than seven thousand days digging out from the depths of hell. I thought I would have to wait longer for the Mitchell family to make a mistake. But God had eyes. Tyler’s illness relapsed, and this specific drug was his only hope. At two in the afternoon, my office landline rang. “Hello, is this Director Mitchell of the Compassionate Use Program?” The voice on the other end was dripping with the same high-and-mighty arrogance I remembered. Twenty years, and Samantha’s tone of talking down to people hadn’t changed at all. Back then, my ex-husband had begged her, kneeling in front of her BMW. She had rolled down the window, thrown a few hundred-dollar bills in his face, and said: *”The kid is dead anyway. Just make another one. If you dare come to my office and make a scene again, I’ll make sure you lose your job sweeping the streets!”* “Speaking,” I said, gripping the receiver. “This is Samantha Vance, Tyler’s mother. I want to discuss my son’s drug approval with you in person. Tomorrow morning, 9:00 AM. Be in your office.” It wasn’t a request. It was an order. “Of course,” I smiled. “I’ll be waiting.” “My husband will be joining me. We expect a reasonable explanation from you, Director Mitchell.” “I promise you’ll get exactly what you deserve.” I hung up, walked over to the restroom, and looked in the mirror. The woman staring back had short, sharp hair and cold, icy eyes. At forty-five, I was no longer that pathetic girl in a faded T-shirt with a ponytail, weeping and begging for mercy. More than that, back then, to them, I was just a poor relative from the countryside whose name wasn’t even worth remembering. How could they possibly recognize me now? 0

The next morning at exactly 9:00 AM, my office door was kicked open. Samantha strutted in on four-inch heels, clutching a limited-edition Hermès Birkin bag, looking like she owned the place. My brother, Thomas, followed closely behind in a tailored suit, looking every bit the successful billionaire. “So, you’re Director Mitchell?” Samantha looked me up and down, pulled out a chair, and sat down without a single polite word. “I don’t beat around the bush. You made things difficult for my son yesterday, and he didn’t sleep a wink last night. How are you going to make this right?” I took a sip of water from my mug. “How would you like to settle it, Mrs. Vance?” Samantha slammed a thick stack of medical reports onto my desk. “This is a joint evaluation from the top medical specialists in the state! Tyler is a one hundred percent match! What right do you have to block us at the final stage? Who do you think you are?” Thomas gently pulled her sleeve, trying to play the reasonable gentleman. “Director Mitchell, my wife is just worried sick about our boy. She’s a bit emotional. We came here today to find a solution.” He pulled out another chair and sat down, folding his hands on my desk. “My son’s condition is critical. If there’s some misunderstanding, let’s lay it all out on the table.” I pushed the stack of reports aside. “Mr. Mitchell, Mrs. Vance. I made my decision clear in the file. Tyler does not qualify.” “Bullshit!” Samantha slammed her hand on the desk. “You just want money, don’t you? Name your price! Stop acting so damn righteous!” Thomas quickly tried to smooth things over. “Director Mitchell, I understand your position carries a lot of pressure and many things to consider. But rules are made by people. If your department needs funding for research, or if you personally… have some expenses that are hard to talk about, Vance Enterprises can take care of it.” “Like what?” I asked with a half-smile. “For instance, a luxury apartment in Manhattan, or perhaps your children want to go to an Ivy League school…” Thomas lowered his voice, offering the bait. “Are you openly bribing a state official, Mr. Mitchell?” Thomas’s face stiffened, and he let out a dry laugh. “You misunderstand, Director. It’s a perfectly legal philanthropic donation…” “Stop wasting your breath on her!” Samantha snapped impatiently, glaring at me. “Just tell me, how much money will it take for you to sign? Five million? Ten million?” The office fell into a dead, heavy silence. I set my mug down, stood up, and looked down at the wealthy couple. “Mrs. Vance, this is the State Medical Board, not a flea market for Vance Enterprises. Take your dirty money and get out.” Samantha gasped in disbelief, then laughed mockingly as she stood up, pointing her finger at my nose. “You ungrateful bitch! Who do you think you are? A low-level director, and you actually think you’re hot shit?” “I’m warning you for the last time. You are signing that paper today, whether you like it or not! If you don’t, I will make sure you never practice medicine in this country again!” The utter disregard for human life in her eyes was identical to twenty years ago. “Samantha Vance,” I said, calling her by her full name. She froze. “Tyler Mitchell’s application is permanently denied. If you don’t like it, go file a complaint with the Department of Health.” Samantha’s face turned white with rage, her chest heaving. “Fine! Just you wait!” She spun around to leave, but stopped at the door, turning back to hiss, “Let’s see how many more days you get to wear that white coat!” Thomas gave me a long, dark look filled with malice. “Director Mitchell, you’ve chosen a very dangerous path.” The moment they left, Julian slipped back into the room, sweating profusely. “Director! Are you crazy? You just completely crossed Samantha Vance! Her family holds massive political sway in this state. You’re committing career suicide!” “Dr. Carter,” I sat back down, opening my computer. “Take a guess. What do you think her next move will be?” Julian swallowed hard. “What else? Use her connections to pressure you, and get the media to destroy you!” I nodded. “Excellent. Let’s make sure she plays it as big as possible.” 0

At three in the afternoon, I was summoned to Dean Henderson’s office. When I opened the door, Samantha was sitting on the leather sofa, sipping tea, while Thomas stood by the window, smoking a cigar. Dean Henderson sat behind his mahogany desk, his forehead creased into deep lines. “Lynn, come in, take a seat,” the Dean said, pointing to the chair opposite him. “Speak freely, Dean. I’ll stand,” I replied. The Dean cleared his throat. “Well, Mrs. Vance just brought a serious issue to my attention. She claims you have a personal bias in the drug allocation process, and that you are intentionally blocking her son’s lifesaving medication. This is reflecting very poorly on our institution.” “I am following the regulations. What bias?” Samantha slammed her teacup onto the glass table. “Regulations? Every specialist in this state says my son is the perfect fit, and you’re the only one saying no! If that’s not bias, what is? Did you take a bribe from someone else to sell our drug under the table?” Dean Henderson waved his hands frantically. “Mrs. Vance, please, let’s not throw accusations. Lynn isn’t that kind of person. But Lynn, Tyler’s condition is indeed critical. You must give us a reasonable explanation.” “My explanation is in the file. Non-compliant paperwork.” Samantha bolted upright and marched right up to my face. “Do you think your position here is secure?” She leaned in, whispering so only the three of us could hear: “Let me tell you something. Crushing you is easier than stepping on an ant. Bow your head, apologize, sign the paper, and I’ll pretend today never happened. Otherwise…” “Otherwise what?” I met her icy glare. Samantha suddenly laughed, a vicious, triumphant sound. “Otherwise, by tomorrow, everyone in this state will know that the Director of the Compassionate Use Program at this hospital is a corrupt, heartless murderer. I wonder if the families of the patients who didn’t get the drug will come and tear you apart?” Dean Henderson panicked. “Mrs. Vance, please, let’s not be rash…” “There’s nothing to talk about!” Samantha turned to the Dean. “Dean Henderson, I’m putting it on the line today. If my son doesn’t get that drug, the fifty-million-dollar endowment Vance Enterprises promised for your new medical wing is officially canceled!” Dean Henderson’s face drained of all color. “Lynn!” The Dean slammed his hand on the desk. “What the hell are you holding out for? Sign the damn paper!” I looked at the panicked Dean, and then at the smug, victorious Samantha. “No.” Samantha let out a cold laugh, pulled out her phone, and put it on speaker. “Hey, is this the lead editor at *The Daily Chronicle*? I have a massive story for you. The Director of the Compassionate Use Program at the state hospital is abusing her power and letting a young boy die out of spite. Yes, I have all the proof ready. I’ll send it over now.” She hung up and looked at me with pure malice. “Get ready to be ruined, Mitchell.” Thomas walked over, patting Samantha on the shoulder, looking at me with cold pity. “Director Mitchell, you should have left yourself a way out. Since you insisted on putting yourself in a corner, don’t blame us.” The two of them walked out, heads held high. Dean Henderson collapsed back into his chair, his hand trembling as he pointed at me. “Lynn! You’re usually so smart! Why the hell are you acting like an idiot now? Do you know how important that fifty million is to this hospital? How am I supposed to defend you when the news breaks tomorrow?” I turned toward the door. “You don’t have to defend me, Dean.” “What do you mean?” I looked back over my shoulder and smiled. “Because I’m the one who lit the match.”

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After my daughter died, I finally became exactly what Alpha James Sterling wanted me to be. He kissed his human adoptive sister. I acted like I didn’t see a thing. He slept with her. I was even willing to buy them condoms. Everyone in the pack praised me for being mature and generous. James finally let his guard down around me. But I used that exact moment to escape, fleeing to the Forbidden Zone for five whole years. Five years later, I returned. James knelt in the freezing snow, begging for my forgiveness. I only gently wrapped my arm around the man beside me and smiled. “Alpha James, long time no see. Meet my true mate, Alpha King Zane.” Elena POV After my daughter died, I finally became exactly what James wanted me to be. He stayed out partying with his friends until midnight. I stopped asking when he would be back, and I stopped caring who he was with. When he got drunk and mumbled “Clara” in his sleep, I didn’t throw a tantrum anymore. Even when I was ambushed and severely injured outside, I dragged my bleeding body back to the packhouse alone, quiet as a ghost, and patched myself up. Gamma Frank looked at my wounds, his eyes filled with worry. “Luna Elena, should I call Alpha James?” James? I let out a soft laugh. It was self-deprecating, but mostly, it was the sweet taste of letting go. “No need,” I whispered. “We aren’t close.” Frank opened his mouth to protest, but eventually closed it. As my second-in-command, he knew exactly what had happened in this pack. He knew the hell I had been through. Once he left, the bedroom fell back into a suffocating silence. I closed my eyes. My daughter’s sweet, smiling face flashed across my mind. I could still hear her tiny voice calling me “Mommy.” But right after that came James’s cold, heartless face. “Elena, Anna needs the antidote. Only Clara has the cure. But she has one condition.” “She wants you to leave.” “Your departure in exchange for Anna’s life. It’s a fair trade, isn’t it?” Fair? What a joke! When had James ever been fair to me? Only after I married him did I find out that his heart belonged to Clara, the fragile, helpless human girl his parents had adopted. I had been naive enough to believe that since we were fated mates, my love would eventually be enough to win him over. But five years of marriage only brought me to a point where he forced me to choose between my daughter’s life and my marriage. If he hated me so much, why did he accept me in the first place? In the end, I agreed to leave. I gave up my title as Luna just so he would save our daughter. But he lied to me. At the very last minute, Clara smiled and claimed she actually didn’t have the cure. And James? He just patted my shoulder and said indifferently, “Clara is just a human. How could she get her hands on Wolfbane? We’ll find another way.” Another way? The poison in Anna’s tiny veins was spreading every second. There was no time. Two weeks ago, Anna took her last breath in my arms. At that exact moment, my heart died with her. “Luna, the Alpha is here,” Frank’s voice called gently from the door. I opened my eyes and, right on cue, James was standing at the doorway. He was still painfully handsome. His black wool coat made him look tall and imposing, but there was a dark, irritable shadow lingering between his eyes. The silver glow in his eyes faded as he walked over to my bed. He looked down at me, his tone laced with his usual accusation. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt? If the pack warriors hadn’t informed me, how long were you planning to hide this?” I stared back at him. I knew he was only here because his wolf demanded it. If this were the past, I would have been thrilled by his concern. But now, even my inner wolf remained dead silent. “Alpha James is a busy man. I didn’t want to bother you with such trivial matters.” I paused, adding coldly, “Besides, we are over. I won’t be your Luna for much longer.” I emphasized the title “Alpha James” to draw a clear line between us. I knew he hated this version of me. In his memory, I was always the girl who blushed at his slightest touch, who waited up all night with a warm plate of food, and who cried under the blanket whenever Clara made an intimate phone call to him. Back then, he found me annoying. He said I was too dramatic, too clingy to be a proper Luna. But now, I was exactly what he wanted. I didn’t care about his life, and I didn’t need him when I was sick. Yet, he looked furious. “I haven’t accepted your rejection yet! We are still mates! Even if we end things, I am still Anna’s father!” James growled, desperately trying to use our dead daughter to hold onto the last thread of our connection. At the mention of Anna, my body stiffened, but I quickly forced myself to calm down. “Anna doesn’t need a father anymore.” I lowered my gaze to hide the raw grief in my eyes. “James, the moment you chose Clara over Anna, you lost the right to be her father.” “You!” James’s face turned pale. He wanted to snap back, but no words came out. Just then, his phone buzzed. It was his custom ringtone for Clara. He instinctively glanced at me. I had already turned my face to the window, ignoring him completely. James answered the phone, his voice instantly softening. “Clara? What’s wrong?” Clara’s weak, sobbing voice echoed through the quiet room. “My chest hurts so much. James, I’m scared. Can you come over?” James frowned. “I’ll be right there.” He hung up, swallowed hard, and looked at me as if he wanted to explain. I spoke first. “Go. I have plenty of people to look after me.” He couldn’t say a word. The moment the door slammed shut, a single tear finally escaped my eye. It wasn’t for him. It was for the foolish girl who had loved him so blindly, and for the sweet little daughter who never got the chance to grow up. I reached under my pillow, pulled out my phone, and dialed a number. “Professor Charles, I accept the Royal Council’s assignment. I’ll go to the Forbidden Zone for the Wolfbane research project.”

Elena POV The Forbidden Zone. It was the only place in the world where werewolves dared not step. It was created ten years ago during a brutal war between two massive packs. One side had used a highly volatile, mutated strain of Wolfsbane. But they didn’t realize the poison was airborne. It infected everyone in the area. Most died instantly. The survivors went completely feral, turning into mindless rogues. The 18-year-old prince had personally led his royal guards to settle down the battle, forcing all packs to migrate. He then gathered the top healers and scholars in the country to establish a research base right on the border of the contaminated zone. On the phone, my former herbology professor from the Werewolf Academy spoke in a serious tone. “Elena, this project is funded directly by the Royal Family. It requires a five-year commitment. During this time, you will be under strict NDA. You cannot contact anyone from the outside world. It means cutting off your entire past, including your family. Are you absolutely sure about this?” I gripped my phone tightly. “I am absolutely sure.” “But you rejected this offer three times before just to stay by James’s side. Are you really ready to leave everything behind for five years?” Ready? What was left for me here? My heart was dead. “Professor, James and I are done. You don’t have to worry about him.” “What? You mean that bastard actually rejected you?” In the werewolf world, it was incredibly rare for fated mates to separate. Most wolves remained fiercely loyal to their mates, finding peace and happiness only in their other half. But James chose a human. My inner wolf let out a painful whimper, mourning the injustice of our fate. This was exactly why I had to leave. I couldn’t stay here and let my wolf suffer his humiliation day after day. “Don’t be angry, Professor. I am the one leaving him.” “Fine. I understand. Your departure is scheduled for the fifth of next month. I’ll email you the NDAs. Once you sign, there’s no turning back.” The call ended, and the email arrived seconds later. Without a shred of hesitation, I signed my name. As the screen went black, it reflected my pale, hollow face. James and I had met at our graduation ball. He was the young, powerful Alpha of the Ironridge Pack, and I was the top graduate of the Academy. The Moon Goddess had chosen me to be his fated mate. I still remembered how he walked up to me, pulling me into his arms and kissing me passionately, whispering, “Mine.” My wolf had howled with joy back then. We actually had a sweet honeymoon phase. But shortly after I got pregnant, I accidentally overheard a heated argument between James and his mother outside his study. “…Elena is your fated mate! She is brilliant and perfect for the Luna title!” “But I don’t love her, Mom! You know who has my heart!” “That’s exactly why I’m stepping in! You either treat Elena right, or I will send Clara to a place where you will never find her!” That was the day I realized James was hopelessly in love with Clara. Even though his wolf craved my scent, his heart belonged to her. And yet, I had foolishly stayed, believing that my love could change his mind. Now, reality had slapped me in the face and taken my daughter’s life. I didn’t wait for James to come home. I grabbed a large cardboard box and began packing up everything that no longer mattered to me. I carried the heavy box to the trash incinerator behind the packhouse and threw it in. Suddenly, a loud screech of brakes echoed through the yard. “What are you doing?” James demanded, slamming his car door shut and rushing toward me. He looked inside the incinerator and saw the items I had thrown away. Our first date souvenirs. The little gifts he brought me from his business trips. Our honeymoon photos. And even my diaries. “Elena, have you lost your mind?” James stared at me in disbelief. “You used to treasure these things. Why are you throwing them away?”

Elena POV “It’s nothing,” I said, not even looking at him. “These things used to be valuable to me, but now they are just trash. There’s no point in keeping trash.” I turned to walk back inside, but James quickly caught up and grabbed my wrist. “Elena!” he yelled at the staircase, pulling me back. “How long are you going to keep acting like this? I am grieving Anna too! I am her father! Do you think you’re the only one hurting?” “You’re hurting?” I repeated, looking at him as if he had just said the funniest joke in the world. “If you actually cared about Anna, you would have believed me instead of Clara! You missed the only window to save our daughter!” I still remembered the day I figured out the toxin in Anna’s body was a rare form of Wolfbane. I realized the only cure was the blood of the person who poisoned her. And I knew, without a doubt, it was Clara. But when I told James, he had scoffed. “Clara is a fragile human. She doesn’t even know what Wolfbane is! Your jealousy is making you delusional, Elena!” He refused to believe his precious Clara could do such a thing. “Elena, please, stop this,” James sighed, pulling me into a tight embrace, his voice softening. “We are still young. We can have another baby. We can…” “Don’t touch me! You disgust me, James!” His words triggered something violent inside me. I shoved him away with all my strength. Unprepared, James stumbled back, hitting his back against the wooden banister. He stared at me, shocked. I let out a cold laugh. “James, let me make this very clear. I, Elena Vance, formally reject you as my mate and my Alpha. If you don’t accept it, I will find another way to break this bond. You can have babies with whoever you want, but it will never be me.” My only child was Anna. And she was dead. Seeing the cold determination in my eyes, James panicked. “I only asked you to leave back then to trick Clara into giving up the antidote! I didn’t think she would actually lie about it…” He swallowed hard. “I will never accept your rejection. We are not breaking up.” Too late. What James didn’t know was that I had already submitted a petition to the Lycan Council. If he refused my rejection, I would ask the Alpha King himself to sever our bond. I ignored him, turned around, and locked myself in my bedroom. “Elena!” James tried to follow, but his phone rang again. He pulled it out and answered irritably. “Clara, what is it now?” “If your stomach hurts, go to the hospital! I am not a doctor!” I didn’t care what Clara said next. All I heard was the sound of James leaving the packhouse once again. This had happened too many times to count. Over the years, Clara had used every excuse, chest pain, panic attacks, fevers, to drag James away whenever Anna and I needed him. In the past, I would cry, scream, and smash things in the house. But now, my heart was a flatline. When you truly stop caring, the things that used to drive you crazy don’t even make you flinch.

Elena POV The next afternoon, James came home early. He told me he had booked my favorite French restaurant and hired the violinist I loved to play for us. “Go change your clothes. Let’s go out,” he said. “I’m not going,” I replied instantly. “Elena, you’ve been locking yourself in this room since the funeral. You’re going to make yourself sick,” he said, his eyes filled with genuine worry. “Just come out for some fresh air, okay?” How ironic. I had spent years begging for his attention, and now that my heart was completely dead, he was suddenly playing the caring husband. Before I could refuse again, he grabbed my hand and practically pulled me into his car. “It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing. It’s just the two of us anyway.” I tried to pull away, but his grip was too tight. But when we arrived at the restaurant and the hostess led us to our table, I froze. Sitting at the table, wearing a delicate white dress, was Clara. I turned to James and smiled mockingly. “So this is your idea of ‘fresh air’?” “She feels incredibly guilty about what happened to Anna,” James whispered, tightening his grip on my wrist. “When she heard I was taking you out, she begged me to let her come. She wants to apologize to you face-to-face.” Clara stood up, her eyes immediately welling with tears. “Elena, I am so, so sorry… I know nothing can bring Anna back, but I truly want to make it up to you…” “Shut up!” I snapped, slapping her hand away. “Apologize? Make it up to me? What kind of game are you playing now, Clara?” Clara’s tears fell instantly. “I know you’ve always hated me, and I know you blame me for Anna’s death… but losing Anna broke my heart too…” I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. “Enough, Clara! If you’re actually sorry, go kneel at Anna’s grave! Don’t bring your pathetic acting in front of me!” Clara froze, then looked at James with a trembling lip. “James…” James frowned, looking at me as if I was being entirely unreasonable. “Elena, she came here in good faith. Can’t we just leave the past in the past? We are family.” “Who is her family?” I interrupted, my eyes cold as ice. “My only family was my daughter, and she is dead.” The air in the restaurant turned freezing cold. Without another word, James grabbed my shoulders and forced me into my seat. “We didn’t come here to fight. Sit down, eat, and listen to the music.” He clapped his hands, and the waiters began serving the dishes. The violinist started playing a beautiful, soft melody. The food was everything I used to love, and the music was perfect. But I couldn’t swallow a single bite. Sitting across from Clara made me feel physically ill. Halfway through the dinner, I excused myself to the restroom. When I walked out, Clara was waiting for me by the door. The weak, tearful girl was gone. Instead, she had a smug, wicked smirk on her face. “How does it feel, Elena?” Clara whispered, leaning in. “To have hope dangled in front of you, only to have it ripped away into total despair? It must hurt like hell, right?”

Elena POV I didn’t even want to look at her. I tried to walk past her, but she stepped in my way. “You know,” Clara sighed fake-sadly, “Anna had such a beautiful little face. Those cute little dimples when she laughed… It’s such a pity she had to die so young.” My heart, which I thought was numb, shattered all over again at the mention of my daughter. I glared at her. “You never had the cure, did you? You set me up from the start just to watch me suffer, didn’t you?” “So what if I did?” Clara smirked. “James and I are the ones who belong together. You’re just an annoyance the Moon Goddess forced on him. That little brat you gave birth to was a mistake anyway. She deserved to die.” She leaned closer, her eyes glittering with malice. “Oh, by the way… did I mention? The poison inside your daughter… was cultivated using James’s own blood. The only antidote was his blood too.” “Clara!!” A mistake? Deserved to die? And the poison was made from James’s blood? Every ounce of my sanity snapped. I raised my hand and slapped Clara across the face with all my strength. The force of the slap sent her stumbling back. “You.” She clutched her red cheek, but instead of fighting back, she immediately burst into tears, a triumphant gleam flashing in her eyes. “What do you think you’re doing!” a furious voice roared from behind. Before I could react, a heavy hand grabbed my shoulder and violently shoved me away. I lost my balance and crashed hard against the brick wall. My head hit the solid surface with a sickening thud, making my vision go completely black for a second. Realizing he might have pushed me too hard, James froze. “Elena, I…” Suddenly, the heavy, gilded painting hanging on the wall above me shook. The wire snapped, and the massive frame came crashing down. “Watch out!” James yelled. His protective instincts kicked in, but instead of saving me, he instinctively lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Clara and shielding her with his body, turning his back to me. The heavy painting crashed directly onto my head. I didn’t even feel the pain before darkness swallowed me whole. When I finally opened my eyes, I was back in my bedroom at the packhouse. My head felt like it was about to explode. “You’re awake,” James’s voice came from the bedside, sounding relieved. I stared at the ceiling, not moving a muscle. “Does it hurt anywhere?” His eyes were glowing silver, meaning his wolf was currently in control. I shook my head slowly, watching as the silver faded and James’s human consciousness took over. He reached out to touch my forehead, but I flinched, turning my head away. James’s hand froze in mid-air, a flash of anger crossing his face before he suppressed it. He pulled his hand back and said in a cold, lecturing tone: “No matter how much you hate Clara, you shouldn’t have hit her. She is just a fragile human, and you are a werewolf. You could have killed her! How could you be so cruel?” I wanted to laugh, but I didn’t even have the energy. Of course. To him, Clara was always the victim who needed protection, and I was the violent monster. Even when he literally shielded Clara and let a heavy painting crush me, he didn’t care. “Do you know what she said to me?” I asked, turning my gaze to him. James scoffed. “What could she possibly say? She wanted to apologize, and she brought up Anna, which made you upset. I know you’re grieving, Elena, but Clara is…” “She said,” I interrupted, “that Anna was a mistake who deserved to die.” “How dare she say that?!” his wolf roared in my mind. But I knew it wasn’t James speaking. I was sick of the constant conflict between him and his wolf. “She also said that she was the one who poisoned Anna.”

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The bulldozer crushed the sign above the boxing gym before I had even finished unwrapping the white hand wraps from my fists. Dust filled the air, burning my eyes as the last thing my father had left me was reduced to rubble. Julian Vance stood beneath a black umbrella beside his Maybach, his tailored suit immaculate. “Keep tearing it down,” he said. “Sienna wants to build a ballet studio here. This dump of a boxing gym doesn’t suit her.” I rushed toward him, only to be stopped by his bodyguards. “You promised me before we got married—” “It was nothing more than a business marriage,” he cut in, his voice as cold as ice. “Did you really think you were my wife?” I collapsed onto the muddy ground. In my previous life, he had died in the cage trying to save me. Blood had poured from his mouth as he begged with his dying breath, “Valerie… if there’s another life, please look back at me.” But in this life, he forced me to serve as his mistress’s bodyguard. He made me kneel in the rain, picking up the championship boxing gloves she had tossed onto the ground. “Julian Vance…” I stared at his retreating figure, my voice trembling. “Were you… reborn too?” He turned around, looking at me as though I had lost my mind. “Reborn? What the hell are you talking about? Did boxing scramble your brain?” I slowly closed my eyes. Blood seeped from where my fingernails had dug into my palms. He hadn’t been reborn. He simply… didn’t love me anymore.

Valerie POV The deafening roar of the bulldozers shook the ground. Dust billowed into the air, blotting out half the sky and making my throat burn with every breath. My hands were still wrapped in white boxing tape. I stared, heartbroken, at the shattered sign lying in the dirt. Titan Muay Thai Gym. This place was my father’s final legacy. It was where I grew up. Every wooden plank, every heavy sandbag, was soaked with my sweat and tears from countless days and nights. And now, it was being ruthlessly torn to pieces. Julian Vance stood by his black Maybach, holding a long-handled black umbrella. He looked tall, sharp, and cold in his bespoke black suit. It was as if the building collapsing before him wasn’t his wife’s entire life, but just a pile of worthless garbage. “Keep digging,” Julian’s voice was completely devoid of warmth, cutting through the mechanical roar straight into my ears. “I want this lot completely cleared before sunset.” “Julian!” I screamed, lunging forward with bloodshot eyes. Two burly security guards in black suits instantly blocked me, pinning me down. “Are you insane?! This is my father’s gym! You promised me before we married that you would protect it forever!” Julian tilted his head slightly. His deep, cold eyes swept over my trembling, tear-streaked face. A mocking sneer touched his lips. “Sienna likes this location. She wants to build a private ballet studio here. A sweaty, violent gym is an eyesore. It doesn’t suit her elegance.” The words hit me like a physical blow. The blood drained from my face, and my hands went completely numb. Sienna Pierce. The mistress he kept hidden away. The woman who pretended to be too weak to open a water bottle, yet could effortlessly steal everything I owned. “Just for her?” My voice cracked, shaking violently. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. “Julian, we are married! You’re destroying my father’s legacy for some girl on the side?” “This is just a marriage of convenience,” Julian interrupted, his tone dripping with impatience. “Did you actually start believing you’re my real wife? Why would I let your father’s junk get in the way of making the woman I love happy?” I collapsed onto the muddy ground. I stared at the man who used to hold me whenever I frowned. Now, my tears finally fell. “Julian, you used to love me so much. Why? Why did you stop?” Julian paused for a fraction of a second. He didn’t turn around, only letting out a cold laugh. “When did I ever love you?” Never loved me? How is that possible? In my past life, I was blind. I ignored Julian’s deep love and fell for Luke Sterling, a guy I grew up with. I resisted my marriage to Julian, treated him with cold silence, and even threw fights on purpose just to humiliate him. In the end, I fell for Luke’s lies and ran away with him. But Luke never loved me. He used me to destroy Julian. He dragged me to Mexico, throwing me into a underground death-match cage, using my life to force Julian to show up. That day, Julian, a man so proud he couldn’t stand a single wrinkle on his suit, walked into that bloody cage just to save my life. He didn’t even fight back. He let those ruthless killers break his bones and tear him apart. Before he died, with a mouth full of blood, he kissed my hand through the iron mesh. His eyes were filled with desperate love. “Valerie… in the next life… will you please look at me?” Then, I woke up. I had reborn. I came back to the first year of our marriage. I was ecstatic. I blocked Luke on everything, quit the dangerous underground fight circuits, and tried my best to be a good housewife. My entire world revolved around Julian. I swore to give him all the love I owed him. But he had changed. He stopped coming home. He was cold, cruel, and openly paraded Sienna around town. Now, he was tearing down my gym for her. Staring at the ruins of my gym, a wild, terrifying thought suddenly crossed my mind. “Julian,” I stared intensely at his back, my voice trembling. “Did you regress too?” Julian’s shoulders stiffened for a split second. He turned around, looking at me like I was a lunatic. “Regress? Valerie, did you take too many hits to the head in the ring?” His mask was perfect. Not a single eyelash flickered. I let out a bitter laugh and closed my eyes. Right. If he had kept the memories of his past life, how could he ever treat me like this? The truth was simple. He just didn’t love me anymore. Fine. If he wanted to let go, so would I.

Valerie POV I don’t even remember how I walked back to the penthouse. When I pushed the door open, the massive living room was empty and freezing cold. I didn’t bother changing my muddy clothes. I went straight up to the master bedroom on the second floor, pulled my suitcase out of the closet, and started packing. Honestly, there wasn’t much to take. Over the past year, I had bought expensive dresses and jewelry just to please him. I left all of them behind. I only packed a few of my usual athletic sets and my training gear. Once I finished, I sat at the desk, pulled out a blank sheet of paper, and slowly wrote out a divorce agreement. I wanted nothing. I would walk away with zero assets. I only wanted my freedom. The scratch of the pen on the paper sounded incredibly loud in the silent room, echoing the sound of my heart ripping apart. Suddenly, a high-pitched, giggling voice came from the hallway. Julian walked in, his arm wrapped around Sienna. She was wearing a pristine white dress, looking like a fragile doll. The moment she saw me standing by the stairs, she flinched like a scared rabbit, burying herself in Julian’s chest. “Julian, Valerie’s hands are covered in scars, and she’s glaring at me. Is she going to hit me? I’m so scared.” Sienna whimpered, clutching his sleeve. Julian immediately shielded her behind him, glaring up at me with a deep frown. “What are you doing up here? Starting today, you move to the maid’s quarters on the first floor. Stay out of Sienna’s sight. You’re scaring her.” My knuckles turned white as I gripped the banister. The actual Mrs. Vance, kicked out of her own room and sent to live in the maid’s quarters. How pathetic. I didn’t scream or fight like I used to. I simply walked downstairs and handed him the paper. “Sign it.” Julian glanced at the title, Divorce Agreement. A flash of dark anger crossed his eyes, but he quickly covered it with a sneer. “Playing hard to get? Valerie, do you think this pathetic stunt will get my attention? Fine. You want it, you got it.” Without even reading the terms, he grabbed the pen and violently scribbled his signature. Sienna stared at the paper, a look of pure triumph flashing in her eyes. She scanned the living room, and her gaze landed on the glass display case by the wall. Inside was my national championship belt and my red boxing gloves from when I won the tournament at eighteen. “Julian, those gloves look so old and dirty,” Sienna complained, holding her nose with a look of disgust. “They probably smell like sweat. It completely ruins the vibe of this beautiful room.” Julian didn’t even blink. He casually looked at the maid. “Throw them out.” “Julian!” I gasped, staring at him in disbelief. “Those are my championship gloves! They were an eighteen birthday gift from my dad!” “Throw them out,” he repeated, his voice cold and cutting. The maid didn’t dare argue. She quickly opened the case, grabbed the gloves that held all my youth and glory, and threw them out the front door into the pouring rain. “No!” I lost my mind. I sprinted out into the storm, desperate, clawing through the mud on the lawn. The freezing rain drenched me to the bone. In our past life, I had tossed these gloves into a dusty corner. But Julian had picked them up, custom-ordered a temperature-controlled glass case for them, and wiped them down himself every single day. He had told me, “My Valerie is a queen. I will guard your glory forever.” But now, he was the one throwing my glory into the trash. I finally found the mud-soaked gloves, hugging them tightly against my chest as I sobbed on my knees in the rain. Inside the warm house, through the massive glass windows, Julian was gently drying Sienna’s hair with a towel. He didn’t give me a single glance.

Valerie POV After standing in the rain all night, I woke up with a fever of a hundred and four degrees. The next morning, dragging my heavy body, I went to the hospital alone. As I sat on the plastic chairs in the hallway waiting for my name to be called, I saw Julian coming from the other end, gently carrying Sienna in his arms. Sienna clung to him with tears in her eyes, looking incredibly pitiful. All because she had a tiny blister on her heel from wearing new heels. Julian looked up and caught sight of me. When he saw my deathly pale face, his brows knitted into a tight knot. “Are you stalking us now? Valerie, can you get any more pathetic?” My head was spinning from the fever, and I didn’t even have the energy to argue. I just gave him a dead, cold look and walked into the doctor’s office. The doctor looked at my MRI scan and sighed heavily. “Valerie, the old injury in your left shoulder has worsened severely due to the cold and stress. If you don’t rest immediately, you won’t just lose the ability to fight. You will struggle to even lift groceries. Your career in the ring is over.” I nodded numbly. I didn’t care anymore. I had already lost my ring. The moment I stepped out of the office, Julian blocked my path. He glanced at the prescription in my hand, his eyes flickering for a second, but his face quickly turned cold again. “Since you have so much free time to follow me to the hospital, do something useful,” he commanded. “Sienna is attending a high-end jewelry gala tonight. You’re going to be her personal bodyguard.” I let out a dry, raspy laugh. “Julian, I am legally your wife, and you want me to be a bodyguard for your mistress? What do you take me for?” “You want to say no?” Julian took a step forward, his tall frame towering over me with immense pressure. His voice was laced with ice. “Your old coach is on life support in the ICU. It costs three thousand dollars a day. What do you think happens if I stop paying his medical bills today? Will he survive the night?” My heart stopped. I stared at him, horrified. My coach had ended up in a vegetative state after a car accident while trying to save me. In our past life, Julian had treated my coach like his own father, flying in the best neurosurgeons from around the world to treat him. “You’re using my coach’s life to black-mail me?” My voice shook violently. “Are you doing the job or not?” Julian’s eyes were completely emotionless. I bit my lip so hard I tasted copper. Finally, I closed my eyes and forced out a single word. “Yes.” The gala was incredibly lavish. I wore a cheap black suit, standing behind Sienna like an invisible shadow, my face expressionless. The whispers from the crowd cut through the air like knives: “Isn’t that Julian Vance’s wife? Why is she acting like a bodyguard for his mistress?” “I heard Julian doesn’t care about her at all. She’s just a classless street fighter anyway. She doesn’t have Sienna’s elegance.” Julian bid ten million dollars without even blinking to win a pink diamond necklace called “The Heart of the Ocean” for Sienna. Sienna wore it like a proud peacock, parading through the crowd to show off. Suddenly, chaos erupted! A crazed hater surged from the crowd, holding a bottle of clear liquid, his face twisted in rage as he lunged straight at Sienna! “Go to hell, you homewrecker!” “Ahhh!” Sienna screamed, her face pale with terror. My fighter instincts kicked in faster than my brain. I bolted forward, executing a flawless, powerful front kick that sent the man flying back. The bottle smashed onto the marble floor, hissing and bubbling. It was highly concentrated acid! The danger was averted, and the room gasped in shock. But as Sienna fell backward, she purposely tripped herself, landing on a piece of broken glass. A tiny cut appeared on her palm. “It hurts. Julian, it hurts so much.” she sobbed hysterically. Julian pushed through the crowd like a madman, shoving me out of the way so hard I hit the wall. He gathered Sienna in his arms. Once he saw she only had a scratch, he whipped his head around to glare at me, his eyes filled with pure rage. “Did you do that on purpose?!” I froze, staring at him in shock. “I just saved her life.” “You could have stopped him sooner! You were jealous of her, so you hesitated on purpose to let her get hurt!” Julian hissed, pointing at the shattered glass on the floor. His voice was cold as death. “Apologize to Sienna. Now.” The entire room went dead silent. Everyone watched us, waiting for the drama. Forcing a proud national champion to publicly apologize to a mistress? This was worse than killing me. I stood tall, my eyes red, stubbornly staring back at him. “I did nothing wrong.” “No apology?” Julian sneered, pulling out his phone. “Fine. I’ll call the hospital to pull the plug on your coach right now.” “No!” I broke. Under the mocking, disgusted stares of New York’s elite, I slowly bent my spine, the spine that had never bent for anyone in the ring. I bowed deeply to Sienna. “I’m sorry.” In that moment, I felt my dignity shatter into dust, never to be pieced back together.

Valerie POV Back at the penthouse, Sienna was still crying in Julian’s arms. “Julian, every time I close my eyes, I see that psycho with the acid… I’m so scared. I won’t be able to sleep tonight,” she whimpered, clutching his shirt. But over his shoulder, I saw the wicked, triumphant smirk on her face. Julian kissed her forehead gently, his voice incredibly soft. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m here. No one will ever hurt you.” Sienna peeked at me as I stood soaking wet by the door. “But… I still feel unsafe. Can Valerie guard my door tonight? She’s a champion. If she’s standing guard outside, I’ll feel safe enough to sleep.” Without a second thought, Julian turned to me, his eyes icy. “You heard her. Go stand guard outside her door.” My left shoulder felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles. The fever made my vision blur, and cold sweat drenched my suit jacket. “Julian, I have a high fever, and my shoulder injury is flaring up. The doctor said I can’t stand for long…” I pleaded, clinging to one last shred of hope. “Stop acting,” Julian snapped, disgust written all over his face. “Standing for one night won’t kill you. If Sienna doesn’t sleep well tonight, you will pay for it.” The door slammed shut in my face, locking me out in the cold hallway. I slid down against the freezing wall. Listening to Julian’s soft, comforting voice inside the room, my tears fell silently. In our past life, I had sprained my ankle during a match. Julian’s eyes had gone red with worry. He had canceled a billion-dollar merger meeting, stayed awake for three days and nights, and read medical books just to learn how to massage my ankle. He had told me, “Valerie, when you hurt, my heart bleeds. You are never allowed to get hurt again, okay?” But now, he made me stand outside like a dog, guarding his mistress with a broken shoulder. I stood there the entire night. My legs went completely numb, and the agony in my shoulder almost made me pass out several times, but I bit my lip and forced myself to endure. At dawn, the door finally opened. Julian walked out. Seeing me collapsed on the floor, pale as a ghost and barely breathing, he spoke with absolute indifference. “Get up and stop acting pathetic. Go make breakfast.” He stepped right over my body and walked downstairs without looking back. A video of me apologizing to Sienna had been maliciously edited and leaked onto Instagram and TikTok, instantly trending. I only found out later that my gym friend, Felix, had seen the video. His temper flared, and he drove straight to the Vance Group’s underground parking garage, cornering Julian as he got out of his car. “Julian, you absolute piece of garbage! Valerie is a champion! How dare you humiliate her like that!” Felix threw a brutal punch, cracking Julian right across the jaw and drawing blood. But Felix was outnumbered. Within seconds, a dozen trained security guards pinned him to the concrete floor. Julian wiped the blood from his mouth, a dark, murderous look in his eyes. “Call the police. Press charges for assault. I want him to rot in prison. He will never fight in a ring again.” When I got the news, I didn’t even put on shoes. I ran like crazy to the Vance Group headquarters and burst into Julian’s office. Staring at the powerful man sitting on his leather sofa, I bowed my head. My voice was filled with desperate pleading. “Julian, it was all my fault. Felix is only twenty. He has a shot at the world championships. Please, drop the charges.” Julian spun his wedding ring around his finger, looking at me with a cruel smirk. “Drop them? Sure. But Sienna was terrified by his violence. You need to show some sincerity to make it up to her.” “What do you want?” “Do a live stream and announce your permanent retirement from fighting,” Julian said, his eyes locking onto mine with absolute malice. “And then, in front of everyone on camera, cut your championship belt into pieces.” I whipped my head up, staring at him in sheer disbelief. The championship belt was the honor I had fought for with my life. It was my father’s proudest achievement before he died! He wanted to completely crush my soul! “Julian, just kill me instead…” I shook violently, tears streaming down my face. “Don’t want to? Fine. Then go visit Felix in prison.” Ten minutes later, I started the live stream. In front of hundreds of thousands of shocked fans, my face completely blank with despair, I picked up the heavy shears. Snip. Snip. The golden belt fell apart in pieces, and along with it, the last spark of life inside me died.

Valerie POV The divorce was set to be finalized in three days. I had already booked one-way tickets to Costa Rica. I was going to take my coach and Felix with me, leaving this toxic city forever. Before leaving, Julian’s grandfather, Arthur Vance, who had always loved me, called. He asked me to come to the family estate to say goodbye. Arthur was the only Vance who had ever been kind to me, so I couldn’t say no. But I didn’t expect Sienna to secretly follow me there. While I was in the kitchen brewing tea for Arthur, a sudden shriek echoed from the grand staircase. “Ahhh!” I ran out, only to see Arthur tumbling down the stairs, his head bleeding as he fell unconscious on the marble floor. Sienna was sitting on the steps above, crying hysterically and shaking like a leaf. Julian rushed into the foyer. Seeing his grandfather bleeding on the floor, he screamed, “Grandpa!” Sienna immediately threw herself into his arms, pointing at me while sobbing. “Julian! Valerie was angry because Grandpa praised me. She used her Muay Thai roundhouse kick to shove him down the stairs! I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t…” “I didn’t do it!” I gasped, shocked. “She pushed him! I didn’t even touch him!” “Shut up!” Julian’s eyes were bloodshot. He slammed his fist against the wall next to me, his knuckles split and bleeding. “Valerie, you can hate me all you want, but Grandpa was always good to you! How could you do this to an old man? You are a monster!” He grabbed my collar like I was a dead dog and dragged me down to the basement of the estate. My father’s ashes were temporarily stored there in a wooden urn. “A toxic woman like you deserves to be punished!” Julian grabbed a heavy metal hammer from a toolbox in the corner and marched toward my father’s urn. My pupils dilated. I threw myself at his feet, wrapping my arms around his legs. “Julian! No! Hit me, sue me, do whatever you want to me, but please don’t touch my dad’s urn! I beg you!” “Get off me!” Julian kicked me away, raised the hammer high, and brought it down hard! Smash! Wood splinters flew everywhere. The urn shattered, and the grey ashes spilled across the concrete floor. “Dad!” I let out a blood-curdling scream. The sheer shock and grief caused a wave of nausea, and I spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing onto the shattered remains of my father’s urn, passing out completely. Because of a blind spot in the security cameras by the staircase, the police couldn’t find definitive proof that I had pushed Arthur. They had to release me after forty-eight hours. Arthur was now in a coma, kept alive only by machines. Julian was waiting outside the police station. Seeing my pale, exhausted state, a flicker of complicated emotion crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by cold hostility. He threw three plane tickets in my face. The destination was a dangerous, war-torn country in the Middle East. “Take your vegetable coach and your little friend Felix and get out of the country,” Julian said coldly, looking at me like I was already dead. “Don’t come back until you’ve learned how to be human.” I didn’t argue. I didn’t cry. I silently knelt down, picked up the tickets one by one, and wiped the dirt off them. “Okay,” I whispered, my voice as light as a breeze. Seeing how compliant I was, Julian turned and walked away. At the airport. Without a second thought, I tossed Julian’s three tickets into the trash can. I pulled out the tickets to Costa Rica that I had bought days ago. I handed the signed divorce papers to Felix and touched his head. “Let’s go. Let’s go home.” As the plane took off and soared into the sky, I looked at the thick clouds outside the window and closed my eyes. Julian, in this life, I have paid back everything I owed you. Goodbye forever.

Julian POV In the VIP room of St. Jude’s Hospital in New York. I was sitting by Sienna’s bedside, peeling an apple for her, when the TV on the wall suddenly broke into a breaking news broadcast: “We have breaking news. Flight MU789, bound for the Middle East from JFK, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean forty minutes after takeoff due to extreme weather. All 150 passengers and crew members on board are confirmed dead…” Drop. The apple slipped from my hand. The sharp knife sliced across my finger, and blood began to pour, but I didn’t feel a thing. Flight MU789… That was the exact flight I had booked for Valerie! “All confirmed dead…” I stared blankly at the cold numbers on the screen. My brain exploded, and the blood in my veins completely froze. Drip, drip… Blood dripped from my finger onto the white floor tiles, but I felt absolutely no pain. “All confirmed dead…” The words replayed in my mind like a rusty saw cutting through my skull. I stood up abruptly, but my legs gave out, and I fell hard to my knees. “No, it’s not possible!” I scrambled back to my feet like a lunatic. Ignoring my coat, I stumbled out of the room. Sienna gasped in shock, grabbing my sleeve. “Julian, where are you going? My hand is still hurting…” “Get off me!” I yelled with bloodshot eyes, shoving her away so hard she tumbled onto the floor. I didn’t even look back as I bolted toward the parking garage. I pushed my Maybach to its absolute limit on the highway, running dozens of red lights. The tires screeched violently as I slammed on the brakes in front of the airline’s headquarters. I stormed into the lobby, grabbing the manager by his collar. My voice was raspy, like sandpaper. “Give me the passenger manifest for Flight MU789! Now!” The manager trembled violently, pulling up the system. “M-Mr. Vance… Valerie Miller, her coach, and Felix… they are all on the list. They all boarded the plane…” Boom. The last string of sanity in my mind snapped. My hands lost all strength, and I stumbled back, my tall frame shaking violently. It was me. I was the one who bought those tickets. I was the one who threw them in her face. I was the one who forced her onto that death flight! “Julian, in this life, I have paid back everything I owed you.” Valerie’s calm, dead eyes before she left flashed in my mind. She hadn’t cried. She hadn’t fought back. Because she had already decided to die! “Valerie…” I clutched my chest. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, making it impossible to breathe. I bent over, letting out a desperate, guttural scream. “Ahhh!” That night, I deployed all of the Vance family’s private jets and rescue teams to search the crash site. For two solid weeks. I searched the debris-filled ocean like a madman, refusing to sleep. I watched as bloated, unrecognizable bodies were pulled from the water. Every time they pulled back a white sheet, my soul died a little more. But Valerie was never found. The rescue captain sighed, walking up to me. My eyes were sunken, and my face was covered in rough stubble. “Mr. Vance, let it go. With an explosion of that magnitude, most of them were… vaporized. There wouldn’t even be ashes left.” Vaporized. Not even ashes left. My body went rigid, and I collapsed onto the deck.

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Scrolling through Instagram before bed, I saw a viral post on my feed: “How did you get revenge on that toxic female boss at your office?” The top anonymous answer was incredibly arrogant: [I stole her fiancé! Who told her to be such a bitter, micromanaging bitch at work every day?] [I just pretended to pass out from low blood sugar right in front of his car when he came to pick her up from work. He completely fell for me right then and there.] [Later, I resigned, telling everyone I was moving back to my hometown in the Midwest to get married. In reality, I’m currently living in the luxury penthouse he bought me in New York, trying for a baby.] [She’s still sending out digital invitations in our group chat for their wedding next month. Lmao, she has no idea that I have his primary bank card.] [Love doesn’t care who got there first. The one who isn’t loved is the real interloper.] At the bottom of the post was a photo of a man’s back as he cooked in a kitchen. But the tiny, mended sunflower embroidery on the hem of his jacket caught my eye instantly. That was Carter, my fiancé of seven years. The man I was supposed to sign our marriage papers with next month.

I stared blankly at the slightly crooked sunflower embroidery on the screen. In that single second, it felt like all the blood in my body was rushing backward. My fingertips went completely numb. I embroidered that sunflower myself. It was an anniversary gift I bought him last year. Somehow, he got a small tear in it. I told him I’d just buy him a new one, but he insisted this one was too sentimental. He begged me to mend it for him. Back then, looking at the flower I sewed on, his eyes were full of happiness. He hugged me tightly and said, “Now the whole world knows I have the most caring wife.” But now, wearing that very jacket—the one he claimed meant the world to him—he was standing in another woman’s kitchen. Cooking for her. I forced myself to look away from that burning sunflower and re-read the anonymous post. [Pretended to pass out in front of his car.] [Resigned to go back to her hometown to get married.] [Still sending out digital invitations in the group chat.] These shattered pieces of information quickly formed a face in my mind—Amber. I clicked on the anonymous poster’s profile. Although her main page was set to private, I could still see her recently liked posts. They were all baby strollers, maternity clothes, and reviews of a luxury high-rise building in downtown Manhattan. Amber. Carter. Wow. You two are truly something else. The next morning, sitting in my private office, I pulled up Amber’s HR file from before she resigned. Looking at the girl smiling so innocently in her ID photo, the corner of my mouth twitched. When Amber interviewed, she seemed extremely sharp. The CEO was thrilled and specifically asked me, the top sales director, to mentor her personally. But after she joined, while she was great at sweet-talking clients, her actual deliverables were an absolute joke. She used AI to generate her proposals, forcing the entire team to pull all-nighters to fix her mess. Once, she almost cost the company a million-dollar deal because she didn’t bother to double-check the contract clauses. Yet, because she was incredibly skilled at playing the victim and kissing up to the executives, she never got punished. Instead, my entire sales team had to take the fall for her mistakes. I used to think she had potential, just lacked discipline. So, I was very strict with her. I wanted to curb her vanity and greed, hoping she would ground herself and eventually build a real career in this cutthroat industry. I even shared my years of compiled client resources, pitch decks, and industry secrets with her without holding anything back. I wanted her to take fewer detours and stand on her own two feet. As it turned out, she hadn’t changed at all. She just channeled all her resentment into a twisted plot against me. When a person’s mind is rotten, you can’t straighten it. Everything I invested in her was a complete waste of time. To her, Carter wasn’t just a tool to get back at me; he was her shortcut to an easy life. I closed my eyes, and a rainy day from six months ago flashed in my mind. That day, Carter drove to the office to pick me up. Amber happened to be walking down the stairs right behind me. Just as Carter’s car pulled up to the curb, Amber’s body suddenly went limp, and she collapsed right in front of his hood. Carter was terrified. He jumped out of the car immediately to check on her. Amber leaned weakly against Carter’s arm, her pale little face looking up. “I’m so sorry, Stella… I stayed up all night to finish that report you wanted. I skipped lunch and my blood sugar crashed…” My mind was completely on work back then. Seeing her looking so pitiful, I told Carter to drive her to the ER while I took an Uber home. Now that I think about it, that wasn’t low blood sugar. That was a meticulously calculated trap! And from that day on, Carter began asking about Amber constantly, saying things like, “It’s not easy for a young girl to make it in the city alone.” I thought he was just being compassionate. As it turns out, a man’s compassion is just a free pass for him to cheat.

I let out a cold laugh, opened my laptop, and logged into my joint account with Carter. This was the account we set up to save for our future house. I put in $2,000 every month, and Carter was supposed to put in $1,500. The balance was completely intact. But in her post, Amber clearly wrote: [I have his primary bank card.] Then it hit me. Besides his base salary, Carter received a massive quarterly bonus and commission check. Six months ago, he came home looking miserable, telling me his company was struggling and all bonuses were delayed or canceled. To ease his financial stress, I paid for almost all our dates, the new furniture, and the wedding venue deposits over the past six months. I picked up my phone and texted a contact who worked in finance at Carter’s company. Ten minutes later, she replied: [Stella, Carter’s department has been absolutely crushing it these past two quarters. Not only were their bonuses not cut, but his payout doubled last month. It was deposited directly into his personal account ending in 8892.] Reading the text, I laughed out of pure anger. Using my money to pay for our wedding, while using his own bonuses to buy a luxury penthouse for his pregnant mistress? Carter, you really are a piece of work. In the afternoon, I requested a half-day off from the boss. Based on the luxury building reviews Amber liked and the corner of the river view she occasionally showed off on her private Instagram, it took me less than two hours to pinpoint her exact location—Waterfront Place, one of the most expensive luxury complexes in the city. I parked my car in a shaded spot across the street, put on my sunglasses, and quietly watched the building’s driveway. I didn’t call Carter to confront him, nor did I start a screaming match on Snapchat. Before securing the evidence that could destroy them completely, throwing a tantrum is just a rookie mistake that tips them off. At 4:30 PM. A familiar black Audi slowly rolled out of the parking garage. It was Carter’s car. I knew the license plate by heart. I immediately started my engine and trailed him from a safe distance. The Audi made a few turns and finally pulled into the underground garage of a high-end private maternity hospital downtown. I sat in my car, watching Carter step out of the driver’s seat. He was wearing a high-quality designer blazer today, his hair styled to perfection. He walked briskly to the passenger side, gently pulled the door open, and even placed his hand over the roof to shield her head. Then, a foot in a flat designer shoe stepped out. Amber. She was wearing a loose maternity dress under a knit cardigan. Her once-slender waist now had a very prominent bump. Looking at the size, she was at least four months pregnant. Carter immediately wrapped his arm around her waist. Amber leaned naturally into his chest, looking up at him with a sweet, sugary smile. Carter bent down and planted an incredibly tender kiss on her forehead. Watching this scene, I felt my heart tighten as if gripped by an invisible fist. Every breath I took tasted like iron. Four months. Four months ago, Carter was down on one knee proposing to me, exchanging engagement rings in front of all our family and friends. During the day, he knelt before me and promised, “Stella, I will protect you with my life.” At night, he climbed into Amber’s bed, planting the seeds of their so-called “true love.” I raised my phone, adjusted the zoom, and perfectly recorded the footage of them hugging, kissing, and her very visible baby bump. Memories of our past conversations flooded my mind. I was highly career-oriented and in a crucial period for a promotion. I had clearly stated that I wouldn’t consider having kids for at least five years. Carter had held my hand back then, his eyes full of understanding: “Stella, I love you for who you are, not to turn you into a baby machine. Go chase your career. I’ll be your strongest supporter.” It wasn’t understanding. It was just that the traditional, submissive wife-and-child fantasy he actually wanted was already being fulfilled by Amber. He wanted me, the glamorous, high-earning sales director fiancée, to boost his social status and split his financial burdens. At the same time, he wanted Amber—a girl who worshipped him, depended on him, and was willing to get pregnant—to feed his fragile male ego. I watched them walk cold-faced into the elevator lobby. I pushed my car door open and followed them.

The VIP waiting area of the private hospital was quiet and luxurious. Wearing a face mask and a designer bucket hat, I sat on a sofa a few yards behind them, using a luxury parenting magazine as cover. “Carter, the baby kicked me again today.” Amber leaned against Carter’s shoulder, pulling his hand onto her belly. Her voice was pure honey. “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” Carter’s eyes were filled with the soft glow of a doting father. “I’ll love whatever it is. As long as you’re the one giving birth, it’s my treasure.” “But… what about Stella?” Amber suddenly sighed, her tone dripping with mock guilt and sadness. “Your wedding is next month. The invitations are already out in the office group chat. It hurts so much to see it. Carter, maybe I should just leave. I don’t want to be the home-wrecking mistress…” As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears on cue. “Don’t talk like that!” Carter immediately pulled her into a tight, protective hug. He lowered his voice, but a hint of irritation slipped through: “Stella and I have been together for seven years. The spark died a long time ago. All she cares about are KPIs and promotions. She’s as aggressive as a man. Being with her suffocates me every single day.” “Amber, only when I’m with you do I feel like a real man who is needed.” Carter stroked Amber’s hair, making a grand promise: “Don’t worry. You’re carrying my family’s first grandchild. My mother has been complaining about Stella refusing to have kids for years anyway. I’ll find a time to break up with her in the next few days. The wedding is off. That penthouse is my gift to you, and all my paychecks will go to you from now on.” “Really? Carter, you’re the best!” Amber smiled through her tears and planted a loud kiss on Carter’s cheek. Sitting behind them, listening to this jaw-dropping confession of “true love,” I almost laughed out loud. Years ago, when his startup failed and he was $500,000 in debt, I was the one who ate expired bread with him for a year. I was the one who drank with clients day and night until I got a stomach ulcer just to help him clear his debt. Why didn’t he complain that I was “too aggressive” back then? Now that he’s successful, he looks down on me for being “too masculine”? I set the magazine down, stood up, and walked toward them. The sharp click of my designer heels echoed loudly in the quiet waiting area. Carter was busy peeling an orange for Amber. Hearing the footsteps, he subconsciously looked up. The moment he realized who was standing in front of him, the orange in his hand slipped, hitting the floor and rolling far away. “St… Stella?”

Amber followed his gaze. The second her eyes met mine, she flinched in terror, wrapping both hands tightly around her stomach as if she had just seen a ghost. I looked down at the pathetic couple. I didn’t scream like a hysterical housewife, nor did I throw a tantrum. I simply pulled off my face mask slowly, letting a cold, mocking smile spread across my face. “What a coincidence, Carter.” My eyes swept over Amber’s swollen stomach, my voice deadly calm. “Taking my former intern for her prenatal checkup? Tell me, should we reserve the VIP table for her baby at our wedding next month?” The waiting area fell into a tomb-like silence. Carter bolted upright so fast he knocked his chair backward. He instinctively reached out to grab my hand, but froze mid-air when he saw the icy glare in my eyes. “Stella… let me explain. It’s not what you think…” Carter’s voice was dry, as if he had swallowed a handful of sand. His handsome, usually confident face was now pale with sheer panic. “Not what I think? Then what is it?” I chuckled softly, my gaze slowly drifting over his old jacket with the sunflower embroidery. “Is it her passing out in front of your car and magically landing in your bed? Or is it you wearing the jacket I mended while cooking her organic meals in your luxury penthouse?” Hearing this, Carter’s face turned completely white. He stared at me in disbelief. He clearly didn’t expect me to know about the penthouse. Seeing this, Amber’s eyes watered instantly. She stood up, holding her lower back. She looked at me with a fragile, weeping expression. “Stella, please don’t blame Carter. It’s all my fault. I couldn’t help falling in love with him. I know I don’t deserve him. I’ll leave right now. I promise I won’t get in the way of your wedding…” As she spoke, she took a delicate step forward, feigning dizziness, and fell perfectly into Carter’s arms. “Amber! Watch the baby!” Carter caught her instinctively, then looked up at me with a flash of anger. “Stella! If you have a problem, take it out on me! Amber is pregnant, stop attacking her with your passive-aggressive remarks!” Looking at the tragic star-crossed lovers before me, I felt nothing but pure disgust. “Take it out on you? You think you’re worth my time?” I took a step back, as if avoiding some filthy disease, and looked coldly at Amber. “Your anonymous Reddit post was beautifully written. ‘The one who isn’t loved is the real interloper,’ right?” Amber’s face instantly froze. She forgot to fake-cry, her eyes widening in pure horror. “Since you’re so brave in chasing your true love, I’ll happily make it happen for you.” I pulled a piece of paper from my Chanel bag—a printout of our joint bank account statements I had printed in the car—and slapped it directly across Carter’s face. The sharp edge of the paper grazed his cheek before fluttering to the floor. “Carter, consider these seven years a very expensive lesson for me. It’s like I threw my money to a stray dog.” I stared at him, pronouncing every word with deadly precision. “The wedding is off. My lawyer will contact you tomorrow morning at nine. Every single dollar that belongs to me, you will return. And the debt you owe me, you will pay back with interest. I will strip you clean.” Without waiting for Carter’s desperate cries behind me, or looking at Amber’s horrified, pale face, I turned around. With my spine perfectly straight, I walked out of the hospital on my high heels, never looking back.

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My former best friend, Scarlett Vance, whom I hadn’t spoken to in ten years, suddenly sent me a friend request on Snapchat. [I was wrong back then. I shouldn’t have stolen Logan from you, and I shouldn’t have hidden your Harvard acceptance letter.] [I was out of my mind. I was just so jealous of you. You had everything, and even the guy I secretly liked was in love with you.] [I don’t know how you’re doing now, but I owe you an apology. I’m sorry.] At the same exact time, a FaceTime call request from my husband, Ethan Carter, popped up. “Scarlett has leukemia, Nora. She needs a bone marrow transplant, and you’re a match. For the sake of our five years of marriage, please help her.” Ethan pleaded with me when he got home. “I ran the tests. Only your marrow matches hers.” “Scarlett is an orphan, Nora. She doesn’t have a family like you do. You’re not just going to watch her die, are you?” I suppressed the storm of emotions swirling inside me and stared at him. “Why you? Why are you doing this too…” He gave a faint, gentle smile and casually stroked my hair. “Because Scarlett is the one I love.” “My sweet, naive girl. I’ve been cheating on you with her for three years. Did you really not notice?”

I didn’t even have time to process his words. Ethan looked at me with that familiar, doting gaze and tapped my phone screen, accepting Scarlett’s friend request on my behalf. I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn’t believe this was the man I had been married to for five years. “Do you even know what Scarlett did to me in the past?” I demanded, my voice trembling. He looked down at his phone. On his screen, a chat bubble from Scarlett lit up. A subconscious smile played on his lips. “Of course I know.” “But don’t worry, you’re still my wife.” “You’re not losing anything, Nora. Except for my love, you still have everything else.” The glass in my hand shattered on the floor. Ethan walked over, scooped me up effortlessly, and placed me on the sofa. My vision blurred as tears fell uncontrollably. “So both of you… both of my husbands… are doing this to me for her?” He knelt beside the sofa, looking up at me. He gently wiped the tears from my cheeks with his thumb. “Don’t cry. Don’t make a big deal out of a little bone marrow. You’ll recover after a few months of rest.” I slapped his hand away. He paused, then stood up, his face darkening with annoyance. “I’ll just be direct with you. Scarlett is pregnant with my baby.” “You know how desperately I’ve wanted a child.” “Scarlett’s condition is critical right now. I need you to save her.” Pregnant? My hand instinctively went to my lower stomach. Just this morning, I had sat in the bathroom for an hour, staring at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test. I had imagined a million ways to tell him. Would he be happy? Would he pick me up and spin me around? I had even booked a reservation at his favorite steakhouse for tonight. But in the end… Scarlett was pregnant with his child. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Scarlett sent another message: [I’m sorry, Nora. I know nothing I say can make up for it.] [But I really can’t wait anymore. Please, save my baby.] The glare of the phone screen pierced my eyes. Her message sat there silently. Ten years. I thought this name had completely vanished from my life. I shouldn’t have stolen Logan from you, and I shouldn’t have hidden your Harvard acceptance letter. I stared at those words, my fingertips shaking. That summer, with my perfect SAT score, I had only applied to Harvard. But as the summer ended, my acceptance letter never arrived. By then, only a local state college would take me. I cried for weeks, thinking I just wasn’t good enough, and ended up going to that mediocre college. My boyfriend at the time, Logan Bennett, went to the same college to comfort me. We eventually got married. But seven years later, Scarlett got pregnant with his child. I had a breakdown, got a divorce, and cut Scarlett out of my life completely. And now, history was repeating itself. Ethan continued, his voice cold. “She’s never been loved since she was a kid. I’m just doing the right thing. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” “Nora, you’ll help her, right?” For a second, I wanted to tell him that I was pregnant too. I wanted to see his reaction. But his phone screen was still lit up, displaying a lock screen photo of him and Scarlett laughing together. I finally nodded. “Okay.” He was stunned for a moment, then smiled and patted my head. “I knew you’d agree. You’ve always been so sensible.”

Yes, I had always been sensible. So sensible that I had let Scarlett take Logan, and now, I was letting her take Ethan too. I thought I would never cross paths with them again. But fate loved to play sick jokes. When I went to the clinic to get an abortion. I ran into Logan and Ethan, both of them accompanying Scarlett for her prenatal checkup. My brain went completely numb. I instinctively took a step back. The three of them looked up at the same time and saw me. Instinctively, both men stepped in front of Scarlett, shielding her behind their backs. Seeing this, a bitter pang of grief shot through my chest. Ultimately, it was Scarlett who broke the silence. “Nora? Long time no see.” She stood up, and Logan immediately reached out to support her waist. “What are you doing here? Are you feeling sick?” she asked. I didn’t say a word. She smiled, her eyes drifting from my face down to the medical consent form crumpled in my hand. “Nora, I’ve wanted to apologize to you in person for all these years.” Her eyes welled with tears, her voice trembling. “What happened back then was all my fault. I was too young, too jealous of you. You had a good family, perfect grades—you were always the chosen one.” She paused, looking down, her eyelashes fluttering. “Do you know how it feels to watch someone else’s happiness from the gutters? I envied you so much. So when you actively tried to be my friend, I didn’t know what to feel.” She looked up, her eyes red. “I felt resentful. Why did you have everything and still get to play the savior to me? So, I wanted to take everything from you.” Ethan frowned, throwing a brief glance at the surgical form in my hand. He took off his coat and draped it over Scarlett’s shoulders. “Don’t talk about the past. Your health comes first.” She gently pushed Ethan away and stepped closer, whispering in my ear. “But things are different now.” “Nora Miller, no matter how perfect you are, you always end up abandoned.” “I’m so sorry, but I’ve stolen your husband again.” Then she stepped back, her voice laced with tears. “Nora, I’m so sorry. Please don’t blame Ethan. It’s all my fault.” I couldn’t stand her pathetic act anymore. Before I realized what I was doing, my hand pushed her shoulder. Scarlett’s body toppled backward. She clutched her stomach. “It hurts!” Logan and Ethan immediately shoved me to the floor, rushing toward Scarlett without a backward glance. I hit the hard floor, a sharp pain shooting through my wrist. “Scarlett!” “Call a doctor! Logan, go get a doctor!” Nurses rushed over with a gurney. They lifted Scarlett onto it. Ethan held her hand tightly, running alongside the gurney. Then, his leather shoes stopped right in front of me. “I warned you.” “Her body can’t handle any accidents.” He knelt down and grabbed my wrist. His grip was so tight my bones ached. “If anything happens to my baby, you’ll pay for it.” I looked up into his eyes. They were filled with absolute hatred. I couldn’t see a single trace of the man who used to love me.

Scarlett miscarried. Ethan stood against the hospital wall, his hands buried in his hair. Logan sat on the other side, his eyes bloodshot. Both of their hearts belonged to Scarlett. But I didn’t need their love anymore. My wrist was still throbbing, and my palm was scraped raw from the fall. Neither of them asked if I was okay. They just stared at me. “Are you happy now?” Ethan hissed. “She was the one who—” Before I could finish, a sharp slap stung my face. My ears rang. My head whipped to the side, the taste of blood filling my mouth. I stared at him in utter disbelief. Ethan’s hand froze in mid-air. It took him a long moment to realize what he had done. He suddenly lunged forward and hugged me tight. “Nora, I’m sorry.” Just then, Scarlett’s door opened, and she stood there watching us. Ethan pulled away, adjusting his collar as if nothing had happened. “Nora, go home and wait for me.” “I’ll explain everything once I handle things here.” He turned and walked away. Logan glared at me before following him into the room. Why did they treat me like this? Ethan, you used to love me the most. On the day I divorced Logan, a crowd of people had gathered to watch the drama. Scarlett had clung to Logan’s arm, her belly slightly showing. “Look at yourself, Nora. Do you really think you’re worthy of me?” Logan had sneered. People were filming us on their phones. I stood there, wanting to scream that they were wrong. They were the ones who cheated. But my throat locked up, and my whole body shook. Then, a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the crowd. Ethan stood in front of me, shielding me from Logan and Scarlett. He wiped my tears, his brow furrowed with pure anger toward them. “They aren’t worth your tears.” “Never cry for them again.” He hated Logan, he hated Scarlett, and he hated anyone who made me cry. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders. It was big enough to wrap around my entire body. “Come on. I’m taking you home.” I had just miscarried back then too. It was Logan’s baby. On the day I found out he was cheating, I fell down the stairs. The baby was gone. While Logan and Scarlett were making out in front of the hospital, I was signing the surgery consent form alone in my hospital bed. No one came to pick me up when I was discharged. I sat on the hospital steps alone, scrolling through my contacts, not knowing who to call. Finally, I dialed Ethan. He was my senior in college, but we rarely spoke after graduation. The phone rang for a long time before he picked up. “Ethan.” “Can you… can you come pick me up?” He didn’t hesitate. “Where are you?” Twenty minutes later, his car pulled up. When I got in, he looked at me and said, “From now on, if anything happens, call me first.” After that, he pursued me for a year. He drove me to work every day. He took me to different restaurants every weekend. When I worked late, he would park his car downstairs and wait. “As soon as you walk out, you’ll see my headlights,” he said. “You’ll never feel alone.” “I will be your most loyal partner. I will never let you suffer.” During that time, he was there every single second. He would call me to soothe my insomnia. When Logan and Scarlett posted photos of their happily-ever-after on Instagram, Ethan took my phone and blocked them both. “Don’t look at garbage. It hurts your eyes.” So when he knelt on one knee and slid the ring onto my finger, I didn’t hesitate. I thought, maybe God didn’t entirely abandon me. Only now did I realize that our five-year marriage was a complete joke.

On the day Scarlett was discharged, Ethan came home. He sat across from me, silent for a long time before finally speaking. “Why did you push her?” “Did you do it on purpose?” He stood up, walked over, and looked down at me. “Nora, you owe me a child. You have to pay me back.” I looked at him, a dull ache spreading through my chest. “Is this the explanation you promised me?” “Fine. How do you want me to pay you back?” He reached out, gently stroking my hair. “You still have your bone marrow.” “Save Scarlett first. Once you recover…” “You can have my baby.” Whenever I was sad, he would stroke my hair like this. Now, as he did the exact same gesture, a wave of intense nausea washed over me. “Ethan, Scarlett ruined my life!” He cut me off. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I love her.” He paused, a faint smile actually appearing on his lips. “Do you think it was a coincidence that I showed up to rescue you five years ago?” I froze. “It wasn’t a coincidence.” “I’ve always loved Scarlett. Since college.” “But she only had eyes for Logan.” He knelt down, leveling his gaze with mine. “Do you know how long I waited?” “I waited until she was with Logan. I waited until they wrecked your marriage. I waited until she finally came to me.” “Every single day of our five years together, I was thinking of her.” He paused, as if reminiscing about something beautiful. “You thought I was saving you.” “I was just biding my time.” I bit my lip so hard it bled, but my tears kept falling. He stood up. “I’ve already arranged the bone marrow transplant with the hospital.” He walked to the door to change his shoes. “By the way.” “Don’t think about running. And don’t think about suing me.” “You know what I’m capable of.” Sitting in the darkness, I finally dialed a number. “Robert.” “Draft a divorce agreement for me.” The next day, Ethan took me to the hospital. He made me check in early for pre-op testing. He packed my hospital bag with practiced ease. But he said he wouldn’t stay with me because he had to look after Scarlett. “She’s terrified of pain. She needs someone by her side before her procedure.” My phone buzzed. A message from Scarlett. [Nora, thank you for donating your marrow to me.] [I’ll take good care of Ethan for you.] [Consider it my way of paying you back.] [To be honest, I don’t really envy you anymore. After all, everything you ever owned now belongs to me.] [Oh, I saw your surgical slip the other day. You’re pregnant, aren’t you? What a pity. You won’t be able to keep this baby.] I deleted the message. The next day, right after the bone marrow donation, I went straight to the operating room for my abortion. By the time the nurses found me, I was hemorrhaging. Emergency resuscitation. Blood transfusions. The rapid, frantic beeping of the heart monitor filled the room. Ethan was waiting outside Scarlett’s transplant room when his phone rang. It was a nurse. She told him his wife was in critical condition from a massive hemorrhage. But he just hung up, assuming it was nothing serious. When Scarlett was wheeled out of the operating room, Ethan held her hand. She was pale, her lips dry. He leaned down to kiss the back of her hand. “It’s over.” “We can finally be together.” Scarlett offered a weak smile. “Where’s Nora?” Ethan glanced at his phone. Suddenly, he stood up. “I need to make a call.” He walked to the end of the hallway and dialed the hospital’s internal line. “My wife…” “Mr. Carter,” the nurse’s voice was frantic. “Your wife is in the ICU. She’s not out of danger yet.” “She went straight to get an abortion right after donating her marrow! She is in extreme danger right now!”

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Seven years of love, and I personally pushed Julian Vance to the absolute peak of Hollywood. On the day he bid fifty million dollars for a legendary, flawless pink diamond at a charity auction, the entire internet was waiting for him to propose to me. Even I thought this would be the perfect fairytale ending to our seven-year romance. But under the blinding spotlights, he walked right past me. He placed the pink diamond necklace around the neck of Chloe White—a helpless, naive rookie who had just debuted. “This necklace is too heavy for you to wear, Selena. You don’t need it. Chloe needs it more.” I wanted to fight back, but I soon realized he had already secretly transferred my movie contracts, my connections, and even my life’s work to her. It wasn’t until a raging fire broke out on the set of a survival reality show that the truth fully hit me. I was left struggling in the smoke, screaming for help, while Julian carried Chloe—who had nothing but a tiny scratch on her knee—out of the flames without once looking back. At that moment, my heart died. He forgot one thing. Everything he owned was given to him by me. I could build him up to the highest peak, and I could drag him down to the deepest hell.

The Metropolitan Charity Gala was a glittering sea of luxury. The massive crystal chandeliers cast a mesmerizing glow over the room. The wealthiest elites, tech billionaires, and A-list celebrities of New York were all gathered here. I was wearing an haute couture, star-embellished gown, sitting in the center of the very front row. Sitting right next to me was Julian Vance—the newly crowned Oscar-winning actor, the man of the hour, and my boyfriend of seven years. “Next up is our final masterpiece of the night—the legendary Pink Hope Diamond! We will start the bidding at ten million dollars!” The auctioneer’s voice echoed through the grand hall. A month ago, rumors had already flooded Snapchat and Instagram. Everyone said Julian was going to buy this diamond to propose to me on this live-streamed night. “Twenty million!” “Thirty million!” “Forty million!” The bids kept rising, pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch. Julian hadn’t raised his paddle yet. He just leaned back in his seat, looking effortless and handsome, gently stroking my knuckles with his thumb. His hand was warm. It was a touch that always made me feel safe. When the price stopped at forty-five million, the room fell quiet. Finally, Julian slowly raised his paddle. His voice was deep and commanding: “Fifty million.” The crowd gasped. Countless cameras instantly spun toward us. Flashbulbs went off like wild lightning, making the room as bright as day. The live chat on the streaming platforms was exploding. The screen was covered in comments like: “OMG! Propose! Propose!” “They are literal goals!” The auctioneer’s voice trembled with excitement. “Fifty million! Mr. Julian Vance bids fifty million! Any higher bids? Going once… twice… sold!” The moment the gavel hit, the room erupted into thunderous applause. I turned to look at Julian, my heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst out of my chest. Seven years. From the days when he had nothing, to now, standing at the absolute peak of the entertainment industry. I had shared cold, cheap takeout with him in leaky basements. I had drunk myself to stomach bleeding at corporate dinners just to secure auditions for him. Now, was he finally going to keep his promise to marry me? Julian stood up. Under the watchful eyes of the world, he took the velvet box containing the pink diamond from the model. He turned around, his deep eyes looking in my direction. My breath caught. My eyes grew hot, and I even began to raise my hand, ready for him to slide a ring on it. But Julian walked right past me. A cold draft swept by as his suit jacket brushed against my arm, taking all the warmth from my body with it. I froze. My mind went completely blank. To the absolute shock of the audience, Julian walked to a quiet corner in the second row. Sitting there was a young, rookie actress wearing a simple white lace dress, looking like a frightened little deer. Chloe White. Julian stopped in front of her and opened the velvet box. The pink diamond sparkled brilliantly under the lights. It hurt my eyes to even look at it. “For you, Chloe.” Julian’s voice wasn’t loud, but through the microphone he was wearing, it echoed clearly through the entire hall. The silence in the room was deafening. Even the camera flashes stopped for a second. Chloe covered her mouth, her eyes instantly turning red as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Julian… this is too expensive. I can’t take this…” She shook her head, looking incredibly fragile and adorable. But Julian smiled warmly. It was a gentle, adoring smile he had never once shown me. With his own hands, he put the fifty-million-dollar necklace around Chloe’s slender neck. “Take it. You just started your career. You need something to give you confidence. Think of this necklace as my encouragement to a promising talent.” He said it so grandly, so righteously. Then, he turned his head and looked at me, still frozen in my seat. There was no guilt in his eyes. Instead, there was only a cold, condescending look of charity. “Selena, you’re already an Oscar winner. You have everything. This necklace is too heavy for you; you don’t need it. Chloe needs it more to light up her path ahead. You’re always so generous, I’m sure you don’t mind, right?” I looked at his familiar face, suddenly feeling like he was a complete stranger. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, crushed into tiny pieces. I could barely breathe. “I don’t mind?” He took the pink diamond I had waited years for, on the night everyone expected him to propose, and gave it to a rookie who had done nothing but copy me and talk trash about me behind my back. And he had the nerve to ask if I minded? I bit my lower lip so hard that I tasted iron. But I didn’t scream. I didn’t run away crying. I am Selena Shaw. I never let anyone see me defeated. I slowly stood up, smoothed down the wrinkles of my gown, and kept my spine perfectly straight. Under the strange glances of the crowd, I walked right up to Julian. “Julian,” I said. My voice was terrifyingly calm. “Since you love playing the generous hero so much, I hope the two of you stay locked together forever.” Without waiting for his face to turn pale, and ignoring Chloe’s fake gasp of shock, I turned around. Stepping in my five-inch heels, I walked out of the gala, head held high. The moment I reached my private dressing room backstage, all the strength was drained from my body. I collapsed onto the sofa, my hands shaking uncontrollably. Julian’s spare jacket was still draped over the back of the couch. I took a deep breath, wanting to throw his trash jacket into the bin. But as I grabbed it, a neatly folded document slipped out of the inner pocket. There was no title on the front, only a stamp: “Project: Eclipse” As if possessed, I opened it. With just one look, the blood in my veins completely froze. “Step 1: Gradually strip Selena Shaw of her major brand endorsements. Under the excuse of “rebranding,” quietly transfer these contracts to Chloe White.” “Step 2: Use Selena’s social media traffic and industry connections to build hype for Chloe’s new movie. If necessary, leak negative rumors about Selena to make Chloe look pure and innocent.” “Step 3: On the day Chloe wins Best Actress, officially announce the breakup with Selena, securing Chloe’s place as the new queen of Hollywood.” At the bottom of the page was Julian’s signature. The date was from six months ago. Six months ago—right when Chloe first signed with his agency. I stared at the document, and a dark, hysterical laugh escaped my lips. Tears fell from my eyes, blurring the signature of the man I had loved for seven years. He didn’t just stop loving me. He had been planning this. He was systematically draining my life, my career, and my influence to build up his new girl. He wanted to destroy me to make her a star. Julian Vance, you are a monster.

Late at night, a heavy storm raged outside. The wind violently slapped sheets of rain against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the villa, making an eerie, pounding sound. I sat in the pitch-black living room, refusing to turn on the lights. Next to my feet were two packed suitcases. At 2:00 AM, the electronic lock on the front door clicked open. Julian walked in, smelling of rain and expensive cologne. He casually loosened his tie and flicked on the living room lights. The sudden brightness made me squint. He saw me sitting on the couch, and then his eyes landed on the suitcases. His movements paused, and his brow instantly furrowed. His voice was filled with irritation. “Selena, what kind of drama are you pulling now?” “I already explained the auction to you. Chloe is just a rookie. What’s wrong with me helping her out? You’re the veteran here. Did you really have to embarrass me in front of everyone tonight?” As he spoke, he poured himself a glass of whiskey at the bar. He sounded so righteous, as if I were the one who had committed a crime. I looked at him—this man I once thought I would grow old with. “Explain?” I let out a cold laugh and threw the “Project: Eclipse” documents directly at his face. The sharp edge of the paper sliced across his cheek, leaving a thin red line. The sheets scattered all over the floor. Julian looked down, and when he realized what the papers were, his pupils shrunk. He snapped his head up, his mask of calm sophistication finally cracking. “You went through my things?” he growled. “If I hadn’t, how would I have known that my boyfriend of seven years was planning to ruin my life for a girl he met six months ago?” I stood up, walking toward him step by step. “Julian, did you think I was an idiot? Did you think I would let you ruin me and thank you for it?” Julian’s throat moved as he swallowed hard, a flash of panic in his eyes. But he quickly forced himself to look calm, even reaching out to grab my hand. “Selena, let me explain. This plan… it’s just a standard business strategy from the agency. You’re already at the top. You don’t need these resources anymore. But Chloe is different. She’s fragile. She needs protection.” “Fragile?” I slapped his hand away, my eyes as cold as ice. “She’s fragile, so you stole my global luxury cosmetics contract and gave it to her?” “She’s fragile, so you paid tabloids to spread rumors that I was a diva on set, just to make her look sweet and hardworking?” “Julian, you’re not protecting her. You’re trying to destroy me!” Julian’s face went completely dark. His controlling ego was triggered. “Selena, don’t be ungrateful! Everything you have right now—which part of it didn’t come from me? Without me, do you think you’d be where you are today?” He pointed a finger at me, his words cutting like knives. I looked at him, feeling a deep, hollow sadness. “Julian, have you forgotten? Years ago, you were the one kneeling in the snow outside a director’s office, begging for a five-minute audition. I was the one who used my own salary to buy you a supporting role!” “When you were framed in that media scandal and almost canceled, I was the one who used every single connection I had, begging people face-to-face to save your career!” “I made you who you are, and now you have the nerve to say you gave me everything?” I grabbed the whiskey glass from the bar and smashed it onto the floor. With a loud shatter, glass flew everywhere, and the amber liquid spilled across the floor—just like our broken seven years. Julian was stunned by my anger and took a step back. “You’re crazy, Selena. You’re completely out of your mind.” He took a deep breath, returning to his cold, arrogant tone. “Fine. Since you’ve seen it, I have nothing to hide. Let’s take some space. You need to calm down. As for the contracts, I’ll compensate you.” “Compensate?” I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, my back straight, looking like a queen going to war. “Julian, keep your disgusting charity to yourself. As of tonight, we are done.” “You better pray your little rookie can stay hidden under your wing forever. Because if she flies out, I will show both of you what happens when you cross me.” Dragging my suitcases, I walked straight out into the pouring rain. Behind me, Julian’s furious roar echoed through the storm: “Selena! If you walk out that door, don’t ever think about coming back! Let’s see how long you can last in this town without me!” I didn’t look back. The freezing rain drenched my face, but it couldn’t put out the fire of revenge burning in my chest. “How long can I last?” “Julian, I will outlast both of you.” “I will stand at the absolute top and watch you slide into the mud.”

The morning after I left Julian, the retaliation came exactly as expected. My agent, Harper, walked into my apartment with red eyes and threw a stack of termination papers on the table. “Selena, Julian is going crazy. He used all his industry backing. Overnight, he got your remaining five brand deals canceled. Even the massive sci-fi movie you were supposed to star in has recast you with Chloe.” I calmly flipped through the contracts. The cancellation fees were in the millions. Julian was trying to completely blacklist me, forcing me to crawl back to him. “That’s not all,” Harper’s voice shook. “The internet is flooded with fake news about you. They’re saying you’re jealous of rookies, that you threw a tantrum at the gala, and they’re even hinting that you have an old billionaire sugar daddy…” I opened Snapchat and Twitter. Eight out of the top ten trending topics were about me. “SelenaShawGalaTantrum” “CancelSelenaShaw” “PoorChloe” At 3:00 AM, Chloe had posted a selfie with red, teary eyes: “I will always respect my seniors’ advice. I will work harder and not let anyone down.” Under her post, Julian’s fanboys and paid bots were leaving nasty comments: “Selena is just a bitter, aging actress who’s jealous of Chloe’s beauty!” “Bullying rookies? Cancel her forever!” “Julian finally saw her true colors. Good riddance!” I looked at the toxic comments, a cold smile appearing on my face. This was Julian’s play. Destroy my career, then ruin my reputation. “Harper, how much money do we have left in the business account?” I asked. Harper paused. “After paying off the fees, we won’t even be able to pay next month’s rent for the studio. Selena… maybe you should just talk to Julian? You guys were together for seven years…” “Never,” I cut her off. “I would rather starve than beg that piece of trash for mercy.” Just then, Harper’s phone rang. She picked it up, her face changing expressions rapidly. After she hung up, she looked at me, hesitating. “What is it?” “It’s… the production team of “Wilderness Survival”,” Harper bit her lip. “They’re offering to pay triple your usual rate to guest-star in the premiere episode. But…” “But what?” “But Chloe is a permanent cast member on that show. And you know how dangerous that show is. It’s unscripted, real-deal wilderness survival.” I understood instantly. This wasn’t a sudden lucky break. This was a trap set up by Julian. He knew I was broke. He was using the massive paycheck as bait to get me onto a show where I would be forced to make Chloe look good, get humiliated, and become the laughingstock of the internet. “We should decline. It’s too dangerous,” Harper said, worried. “No,” I raised my head, a dangerous spark in my eyes. “Accept it. Why wouldn’t we?” Since they wanted to play, I was going to play with them until the very end. I wanted to hit them the hardest when they thought they were winning.

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Married for seven years, Julian Sterling and I tried every single way to get pregnant, but nothing worked. Looking at my body, bloated from all the hormone injections and medications, Julian’s eyes would turn red. He’d hug me and say, “Claire, it’s all my fault. My sperm count is practically zero. I can never make you a mother in this lifetime. But I swear, I will love you with my entire life to make up for it.” I believed him. For his sake, I gave up on having children. I even locked up the beachfront Malibu mansion I had fully decorated for a future baby, just to cut off any painful memories. Until today, when I received a call from the prestigious Royal Swan Ballet Academy. “Mrs. Jian, your daughter Lily just pushed her dance partner off the three-foot-high stage! The other child has a broken leg. Please come with Mr. Sterling immediately!” My brain went completely numb. I had never been pregnant. Where the hell did a daughter come from? I rushed to the academy, only to see my supposedly sterile husband holding a beautiful little girl tightly in his arms, shielding her. And standing right next to them was his unforgettable first love—Evelyn Ward. On the incident report, the home address listed was none other than my private Malibu mansion. It turned out that my compromise, my mansion, and my money were nothing but a cozy nest he had built for another woman! Well. I’m going to see how deeply in love you two really are once my money is completely out of the picture.

The lights at the charity gala were blinding. On stage, the auctioneer was holding up a crystal angel statue, his voice booming through the microphone: “Six million dollars! Offered by Mrs. Claire Jian! Do I hear any higher bids?” I held up my paddle, my expression calm. Julian had been staring at this angel statue in the catalog for days. He told me his mother had been suffering from terrible migraines lately, and he wanted to win the auction to give it to her as a peace offering to soothe her mind. In our seven years of marriage, Julian had treated me incredibly well. His only flaw was his diagnosed male infertility. To make up for this regret, his love for me was almost pathologically obsessive. And because I loved him, I went out of my way to be the perfect daughter-in-law. I didn’t even blink when paying the hundreds of thousands of dollars for his mother Beatrice’s annual “wellness spa retreats.” “Buzz!” The moment the gavel fell, my phone vibrated violently inside my clutch. It was an unknown number. I lifted my gown and walked out to the terrace of the banquet hall to answer it. “Hello, is this Claire Jian?” a sharp, anxious female voice demanded over the line. “This is the Royal Swan Ballet Academy! Your daughter, Lily Sterling, pushed the lead dancer off the stage during rehearsal! The other girl has a broken leg, and her parents have already called the cops. You and Julian Sterling need to get here right now!” The early autumn night wind blew over me, but I felt like I had been plunged straight into an ice bath. “You have the wrong number,” I said, my fingers gripping the phone so hard they turned white. “I don’t have a daughter.” “That’s impossible!” The woman immediately read off a list of information. “Lily Sterling, seven years old. Father: Julian Sterling. Mother: Evelyn Ward. The emergency contact listed under your name, Claire Jian, with this exact phone number! Mrs. Jian, your kid caused a massive accident. Playing dumb won’t get you out of this!” Julian Sterling. Evelyn Ward. These two names were like poison-tipped nails driven violently into my eardrums. Evelyn was Julian’s college sweetheart. Seven years ago, when Julian proposed to me, he deleted all her contact info right in front of me and swore they would never see each other again. But now, not only were they seeing each other, they had a seven-year-old daughter? “Mrs. Jian? Are you still there?!” “Send me the address.” I hung up. The cold wind against my back made me shiver, but my mind was suddenly incredibly clear. Without even picking up the angel statue I had just won, I stepped into my high heels and walked straight into the dark night.

The Royal Swan Ballet Academy was located in the most expensive district downtown. When I pushed open the heavy doors of the rehearsal hall, the room was already in absolute chaos. “You need to give us an explanation today! My daughter is supposed to audition for top international companies, and now her leg is broken! Can you even afford to compensate for that?!” A woman dripping in diamonds was pointing her finger and screaming at a man. The man, who was bowing his head and repeatedly apologizing, was Julian. The very same Julian who, before leaving the house, had kissed my forehead and told me he had to work late at the office. And hiding behind him was a little girl dressed in a custom white swan tutu. She was clutching the hem of Julian’s designer suit jacket, sobbing uncontrollably. “Daddy, I didn’t mean to… I’m scared…” “Don’t be scared, Lily. Daddy’s here. Daddy will protect you.” Julian knelt down, his heart clearly breaking for her. He pulled her into his arms, reached into his pocket, pulled out a strawberry gummy, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. Standing at the doorway, my stomach turned. Julian had severe OCD and absolutely hated sweets. He would frown even if I ate a single piece of candy near him. Yet, in the pocket of his hundred-thousand-dollar custom suit, he kept strawberry gummies just to comfort this little girl. “Oh, my poor baby! Who dares to bully my sweet granddaughter!” A familiar figure suddenly rushed in from the hallway. My mother-in-law, Beatrice, who was supposed to be resting at a private high-end wellness clinic because she “couldn’t handle the outside draft,” was running like a track star. She was holding a pink thermos and immediately threw her arms around Lily, kissing her face. “Mom.” I walked forward, my heels clicking sharply against the hardwood floor. My voice was like ice. The room fell into a dead silence. Beatrice froze. Julian snapped his head up. The moment his eyes met mine, every drop of color drained from his face, and his pupils shook with sheer terror. “Cl… Claire? What are you doing here?” He instinctively let go of the little girl and tried to stand up to walk toward me, but a fragile-looking woman next to him quickly grabbed his arm. She was wearing a simple, elegant white dress, her eyes red and tearful. It was Evelyn Ward. “Claire…” Evelyn looked at me timidly, tears streaming down her face. “It’s all my fault. Please don’t blame Julian. The child is innocent…” I ignored her completely and stared straight into Julian’s eyes. “Julian, weren’t you working late at the office?” I took a step closer, backing him down. “Aren’t you sterile? Didn’t you say I was the only woman you’d ever have in this life?” Panic took over Julian. He violently shook off Evelyn’s hand and rushed over, trying to grab my shoulders. “Claire, let me explain! It’s not what you think! Lily is Evelyn’s child with another man. That man ran out on them, and Evelyn was struggling so hard on her own. I was just… just helping out an old classmate. I’m only her father on paper!” “On paper?” I let out a cold laugh and turned my gaze to the family showcase board on the rehearsal hall wall. Right in the center hung a massive family portrait. Julian was in casual wear, holding a beaming Lily, while Evelyn leaned her head happily on his shoulder. Underneath the photo, the home address was clearly printed: “Malibu Mansion, Rose Garden No. 1.” That mansion was my pre-marital property. It was the only inheritance my late parents had left me!

“Julian, you’re not just her dad on paper. You actually used my private mansion to register her school records?” My voice wasn’t loud, but every word cut like a knife. Julian’s face was whiter than paper. He shook his head frantically. “Claire, don’t misunderstand! That mansion has been sitting empty anyway. To get Lily into this academy, we had to show proof of a multi-million-dollar property. I only borrowed the address! They have never actually lived there, I swear!” “Yes, exactly!” Beatrice chimed in, quickly finding her voice. “Claire, don’t be so petty. You can’t even get pregnant anyway. T he Sterling family needs an heir! Even if Lily isn’t Julian’s biological child, she calls me Grandma. What’s wrong with me loving her? What’s wrong with using an empty house address?” I looked at this mother and son, feeling a wave of sheer absurdity. “I” couldn’t get pregnant? Years ago, during our fertility checks, Julian was the one whose medical report showed zero active sperm. He had literally knelt in the pouring rain, slapping his own face, begging me not to leave him. To save his pride, I had told everyone that my body was too weak to carry a child. And now, they were throwing that lie back in my face as if it were my fault. “Are you Claire Jian?” the mother of the injured girl sneered, looking at us. “I don’t care about your family drama. But today, if I don’t get three million dollars in compensation, this isn’t over! Since that mansion is yours, you are paying for this!” The school administrator also stepped up, handing me an incident liability form. “Mrs. Jian, since you are listed as the primary emergency contact and the owner of the registered property, please sign here.” I looked down at the paper. “Mother’s Name: Claire Jian.” “Contact Number: My private cell number.” “Home Address: Rose Garden No. 1.” They hadn’t just stolen my house; they had stolen my identity. Evelyn had been walking around using my name, enjoying the social status of being Mrs. Sterling! I pulled out my phone and took high-definition photos of the liability form, the family portrait on the wall, and the three guilty faces in front of me. “Claire, what the hell are you doing?!” Julian lunged to grab my phone. I stepped back, dodging his hands. My eyes were dead. “Julian, I’m not signing this, and I’m not paying a single penny.” I looked around the room, making sure my voice was clear enough for everyone to hear. “I, Claire Jian, am declaring right now. I do not have any children. This girl, Lily, has absolutely nothing to do with me. As for the Rose Garden No. 1 mansion, I have never authorized anyone to use it. If you dare forge my signature on any documents, I will see you in federal court.” Without giving Julian another glance, I turned on my heels and walked out into the night. The cold wind hit me again. I kept my back straight, but my tears finally broke free, streaming down my face. Seven years of marriage. Seven years of devotion. It was all a meticulously planned scam.

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