Category: English

My best friend had recently become obsessed with online prank culture, so much so that she paid $9.99 for a so-called “Surprise Tutorial” package. That day, I rushed to what was supposed to be my own surprise proposal, only to find a scene from a horror movie. Blood splattered across the walls, and my mother lay unconscious in a crimson pool on the floor. I lunged forward, gathering her into my arms, my entire body shaking uncontrollably. Beside me, my best friend clicked her tongue in annoyance. “What a buzzkill. It’s just pig’s blood. I can’t believe it was enough to make your mom faint. The older generation really can’t take a joke.” It all clicked into place. She had doused my apartment in pig’s blood and then told my mother that I had been raped and murdered during a home invasion. The shock had triggered my mother’s weak heart, causing a massive coronary event. I snatched her phone and smashed it against the wall, then slapped her hard across the face, twice. Even with the proposal ruined and my mother’s life hanging in the balance, my boyfriend rushed to defend her. “Ashley was just trying to create an ‘unforgettable memory’ for us! Why are you overreacting like this?” I didn’t have time to argue. I scooped my mother into my arms and sprinted for the hospital. Later, the “prank video” she recorded went viral. High on the digital fame, she decided to try and scare me again, this time dressing up as a masked robber. And this time, I was ready for her with an AK-47. … My best friend, Ashley, jumped into the ambulance with us. I initially thought she was overcome with guilt, that she was there to help. But she immediately started a new live stream, pointing the camera directly at the paramedics performing CPR on my mom. “My friend’s mom is having a heart attack, and the nurses are trying to save her! It’s all because of you guys and your crazy prank ideas.” “Everyone, type ‘1’ to send good vibes! Let’s all beg the Grim Reaper to spare her, okay?” A nurse beside her shook her head in disbelief. I snatched the phone from her hand, my voice shaking with rage. “You scared my mother half to death! Do you have any conscience at all?” Ashley panicked, lunging to get the phone back. “Don’t touch my phone! Look at this engagement! We just hit number one on the city’s trending list! We’re about to go national!” Her complete lack of remorse was staggering. I grabbed her by the collar, ready to throw her out of the moving vehicle, but the nurse quickly intervened. “Don’t do anything rash! Your mother needs you!” Ashley wriggled free, muttering under her breath, “Some best friend you are. Can’t even take a joke.” My face went cold. “What did you just say?” She lifted her chin defiantly. “She’s not actually going to die, so what’s with all the yelling?” “It’s not a big deal! And you broke my phone!” That’s when I noticed the phone she was holding wasn’t hers. It was my boyfriend, Mark’s. Hers was in pieces back at the proposal site. “It was just a prank! Your mom probably didn’t even take it seriously. Besides, she’s old and has a bad heart anyway. You can’t put all the blame on me.” “And I tried to make up for it, didn’t I? I told all my followers to pray for her! You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.” This wasn’t her first “prank.” Once, she stuffed a bag of flour into my purse and yelled that I was carrying drugs as I went through airport security. I was tackled to the ground by security and missed my flight. A multi-million dollar contract fell through, and I was fired. Another time, at a crowded city square, she screamed, “There’s a bomb!” We were both detained and lectured. She just shrugged it off as a joke. Her online fame grew with each stunt, her follower count soaring. Because we had been friends for so long, I had always let it slide. But now, Ashley was gambling with my mother’s life. I trembled with fury, pointing a finger at her. “Ashley, your so-called joke almost killed my mother! Are you even human?” Just then, the ambulance screeched to a halt. The doors flew open, and Mark was standing right there. Ashley immediately scrambled out and threw herself into his arms, sobbing. “I didn’t mean it! I was just trying to make a viral video to raise money for charity!” Mark held her close, then turned to scold me. “Didn’t you hear her? She had good intentions! Can’t you have a little compassion?” “Your idea of compassion is making money by joking about my mother’s death?” I shoved them both aside. “Get out of the way!” I couldn’t waste another second arguing. I helped the paramedics rush my mother’s stretcher towards the emergency room. Fortunately, we had gotten her there just in time. She was stable. Ashley stood outside the hospital room, a look of profound victimhood on her face. She had known my family for years. My dad recognized her and, seeing her apparent distress, tried to comfort her. “As long as she’s okay, that’s what matters. Just no more of this foolishness, alright?” Ashley nodded meekly. But I never could have imagined what I would see moments later. I found her in the stairwell, holding her phone up. “See, guys? The streamer has been forgiven! The show can go on!” “But my friend’s mom is still in the ICU. C’mon, everyone, let’s crowdfund her medical bills! Send some rocket gifts!” When Ashley tried to re-enter the room with her phone, I blocked the doorway. “From this day forward, we are no longer friends. Get out.” She stared at me, stunned, then pouted and walked away. I thought that would be the end of it. But the next morning, when I arrived with breakfast, my mother was gone. I raced to the nurses’ station, my voice trembling. “My mother! Where is she? She’s not in her room!” The nurse on duty looked bewildered. “I don’t know what you mean. She was there during shift change.” My head was spinning. I grabbed a doctor’s arm. “A living person just vanished from inside your hospital?” The doctor panicked and immediately sent staff to check the security footage. Out of nowhere, Ashley appeared, jabbing a finger in my face. “Oh, stop the theatrics, Mandy! Playing the victim again? We all know this is another one of your pathetic stunts!” My eyes snapped to her. “Ashley, was this you?” Her eyes darted away for a fraction of a second before she raised her voice. “Don’t you dare accuse me!” “You’re the one who probably chopped her up and sold her for parts!” The blood in my veins turned to ice. “What did you just say?” Several police officers hurried over. “What’s going on here?” Ashley immediately latched onto them. “Officer, she’s the prime suspect!” “I bet she’s hiding her mom, or maybe even killed her for the insurance money or to sell her organs!” My vision went black with rage. “Ashley! For the love of God, shut your mouth!” “Officer, she’s a prank streamer! You can’t believe a word she says!” Ashley turned her phone screen toward the police. It was black. “I’m not streaming! I’m telling the truth! Mark can vouch for me!” Mark immediately chimed in. “Yes, officer! Mandy’s been spending a ton of money on designer clothes and bags lately. She must have gotten her hands on some dirty cash!” “Check her purse! I bet you’ll find a contract in there!” He and Ashley exchanged a subtle, knowing glance. The officer looked at me. “Ma’am, would you mind if we took a look?” I handed over my bag. They searched it thoroughly. Wallet, keys, phone, and some medical records. “There’s no contract here,” the officer said. I took a deep breath, pointing at the two of them. “Officer, Mark is my boyfriend. Ashley is my former best friend.” “I believe they conspired to kidnap my mother! You should search them and their bags. They probably have tools or a plan for moving a patient!” Ashley thrust her purse forward with a sneer. “Mandy, you’re getting desperate. See? There’s nothing in my bag!” She turned it upside down and shook it. A few loose items fell out, and with them, a folded piece of paper fluttered to the ground. An officer picked it up. His expression changed instantly. It was a draft of a black-market organ sales agreement. With a sharp command, the officers tackled Ashley to the ground. As they cuffed her hands behind her back, she shrieked, her face pressed against the linoleum. “Mandy! You set me up!” Right before I left the house, I saw Mark rummaging through my purse. In the hospital restroom, I ran into Ashley. While she was distracted, I slipped the paper into her bag. I never thought she would actually use my mother’s life for clout again. Cell phone cameras from all around were now pointed directly at her. Pinned to the floor, Ashley finally started to panic. “Stop filming! It’s a joke! It’s all a script! The old lady is fine!” “She’s just sleeping next door, I swear!” I bolted into the adjacent public restroom and found my mother in the last stall. She was curled up on the floor, unconscious, her face a ghastly shade of gray. A nurse did a rapid check. “Her heart rate is erratic, and her blood pressure is dropping! We need to resuscitate, now!” I scrambled to help the nurse lift my mother, when I noticed a flashing red light on a brooch pinned to Ashley’s shirt. I ripped it off her. “You said you weren’t streaming!” The police officer, watching this circus unfold, was utterly exasperated. He first turned to Ashley, his voice stern. “This isn’t a joke, it’s a crime! You’re going to be processed accordingly!” Then he turned to Mark. “You too! You have no sense of right and wrong, just egging her on!” Mark had been looking smugly indifferent until then. His phone rang. It was his boss. After he hung up, Mark exploded, charging at Ashley. His neck was beet red as he screamed, “Couldn’t you at least have blurred my face in your stupid live stream?!” “The whole office saw it! My boss chewed me out! I lost my year-end bonus! You’ve ruined my life!” It only hurts when the knife is in your own back. Ashley’s eyes filled with tears. “It was just a joke.” “You used to say you loved my sense of humor.” Mark cut her off brutally. “That doesn’t mean you drag me into your mess! What if I lose my job?!” Ashley pouted, her eyes darting around. Suddenly, her gaze landed on me again. “Mandy, about your mom’s AIDS… is she cured yet? We wouldn’t want her to infect the nice nurses, would we?” The nurse, who was carefully trying to lift my mother, went pale. My mother was still on the floor, her life hanging in the balance. Something inside my head snapped. I lunged forward, grabbed a handful of Ashley’s hair, and yanked her head back. “You like running your mouth, huh?” I stared into her eyes, my other hand swinging hard. CRACK! “I dare you to say it again!” CRACK! “Say it!” CRACK! Ashley was stunned, her cheek swelling rapidly. The police immediately intervened, pulling me off of her. We were both taken to the station for disturbing the peace. After a severe reprimand, Ashley was detained on suspicion of unlawful confinement, spreading false rumors, and disrupting public order. Mark was also fined for his role in the chaos. As I was leaving, the officer said to me, “Protecting your family is one thing, but don’t resort to violence. Next time, just call us.” I nodded, walked out of the station, and went straight back to the hospital. A week later, my mother was moved from the ICU to a regular ward. The doctor recommended a change of scenery for her recovery. I decided to take her to stay with my aunt in the United States. Before we left, on a whim, I opened the video platform. The “prank” video Ashley had live-streamed from the hospital bathroom had gone massively viral. Millions of likes, hundreds of thousands of comments. I started scrolling through the comments, my fingers slowly going numb. The top comment read: “This old lady’s acting is phenomenal! Puts all these young stars to shame!” Thousands of replies followed: “Seriously, her micro-expressions when she fainted were perfect. She deserves an Oscar.” “The script is great, but the daughter’s acting is a bit over the top.” “Am I the only one who thinks this prank is super creative? More, please!” “The streamer is such a martyr, getting slapped like that. I feel for her. Followed.” “She must have made a killing off this. When’s the next one? Can’t wait!” “Liked, subbed, and shared! Gimme more!” Ashley had replied: “Working on part two! Stay tuned!” Mark called me, asking where I was. He said he had a surprise for me. I told him I had taken my mom to my aunt’s place in Texas to recover and sent him the full address. After hanging up, I booked two more plane tickets and sent an invitation to his parents. Ashley’s video teasing a second prank blew up. Her follower count skyrocketed, and the comments were a frenzy of anticipation. Ashley was ecstatic. In a new video, she showed off her plane ticket to the US, a realistic-looking black ski mask, and a high-quality replica toy gun. She even video-called the team that sold her the “Surprise Tutorial,” announcing an “international collaboration.” With each reveal, the comment section erupted. “The streamer is going all out!” “Can’t wait! Hurry up!” “This is gonna make her ex-best friend piss her pants, LOL!” Buoyed by the cheers, she boarded her flight to come find me. At the same time, I went to a well-known local “underground market.” Here, as long as you had the proper documentation, owning a firearm was perfectly legal. The shop owner greeted me warmly as I entered. “Ma’am, first time buyer? What are you looking for? Self-defense?” I nodded. He immediately pulled out several elegant handguns from under the counter. “This one has low recoil, perfect for a lady. This one is more compact, easy to carry.” “If I were alone, facing multiple attackers, which would be the most suitable?” The owner’s eyes lit up. “Ma’am, then you shouldn’t be looking at these little guys.” He heaved a heavy black case onto the counter. “AK-47.” He patted the steel frame. “Heavy firepower, simple to operate. Nothing better for what you’re describing.” “I’ll take it.” Mark’s parents arrived on a flight just before Ashley’s. I picked them up from the airport and drove directly to a lakeside park. On the way, Mark called to ask where I was. I told him I was on my way to the park. “Just wait for me at the park! Don’t go anywhere! I’ll be there soon, I have a massive surprise for you!” I set up a tent in an open area by the lake, the AK-47 inside. Mark’s parents sat on folding chairs, already starting to complain. “That economy class was torture. My back is killing me after all those hours. Why couldn’t you have booked us business class?” I ignored them and pulled out my phone, opening the video app. As expected, Ashley was already live-streaming. She wore a pair of ridiculously oversized sunglasses, flashing a peace sign at the camera. “Hey, everyone! Almost there! This time, I promise you’ll see my ‘ex-best friend’ absolutely lose her mind!” The chat was scrolling at lightning speed: “Here we go! Front row seat!” “So hyped for this!” “Haha, I can’t wait to see that woman scream!” “This is gonna break the internet!” “Donations are rolling in! Let’s hype up the streamer!” I adjusted the angle of the AK-47, aiming it at the park entrance.

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I am getting married. When I said those words to Julian, he was standing in the pouring rain, soaked to the bone, looking like an abandoned statue. It was the first time I had seen him since I left the city and moved back to my hometown. Nine years ago, we fell in love. Nine years later, citing his duties as the family heir, he told me he was entering an arranged marriage with the daughter of the Covey family. “Victoria is well-mannered, understands the big picture, and makes an excellent candidate for a strategic alliance.” His expression had been cold, his voice full of casual approval for another woman. Choking back the agonizing pain in my chest, I asked him, “What about me?” A flicker of pity crossed his eyes, but he didn’t hesitate. “Jennifer, I know how proud you are. You’d never accept being the other woman, so I think it’s best we part ways.” He also told me that my position at the company would always be waiting for me, that the penthouse downtown was mine to keep. Everything, he promised, would stay exactly the same—except our relationship. But some things, once shattered, can never be pieced back together. Now, I simply shook my head and told him I was sorry. I decided to treat the past nine years like a long, inescapable dream. And now that I was awake, it was time to start living again. 1 “I met with the Covey girl. She’s impressive—well-mannered, understands the big picture. She makes an excellent candidate for a strategic alliance.” Julian said this while we were sitting in a high-end restaurant overlooking the city skyline, celebrating our nine-year anniversary. The city lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows were so bright they almost stung my eyes. I stared at him for three solid seconds, realizing he was dead serious. A sharp, piercing agony bloomed in my chest, radiating outward until my fingertips went numb. “What about me?” By the time I managed to force the words out, my voice was a raw whisper. I shouldn’t have asked. It made me sound pathetic. But I figured nine years of my life at least earned me the right to a straight answer. Julian set his crystal glass down. The glass clinked softly against the marble table. “Jennifer, I know how fiercely proud you are. You’d never accept being the other woman.” “Breaking up is the best option for both of us.” His tone was steady, entirely composed, and sickeningly considerate—just as he always was. “But you don’t need to worry. Your position at the firm will always be reserved for you, and I’m transferring the deed to the downtown penthouse to your name.” “You don’t have to worry about your standard of living changing.” “Aside from our relationship, everything else will remain exactly as it is.” I heard myself let out a laugh. It sounded awful, like glass breaking. “You’re very generous, Julian.” He didn’t reply, just watched me quietly. I knew that look entirely too well. It was a look of pity, of tolerance. And of love. That was what I couldn’t wrap my head around. How could the man who was holding me just yesterday, swearing he loved me, coldly tell me we were done today? “When’s the wedding?” I asked. “Next month.” “That’s fast.” “The firm needs the capital injection right now,” he said bluntly. “And the Coveys are offering a lot more than just cash.” They were offering status, elite connections, and the runway Julian needed to expand his empire over the next decade. He had told me all about it. During those late nights, he used to hold me and talk about his ambitions, the suffocating pressure he felt, and how massive he wanted his company to become. And back then, I used to say, “I’ll help you.” God, I was stupid. “Okay.” I stood up. My knees felt weak, but I forced myself to stay upright. “I agree to the breakup. But you can keep the job and the penthouse.” “I’ll formally resign, and I’ll pack my things.” Julian frowned. “Jennifer, don’t make rash decisions out of spite. How are you going to survive in this city without that safety net?” “It’s not spite,” I said, shaking my head slowly. I pulled the penthouse keys from my bag and dropped them on the table. “Julian, it’s been nine years. You should know I’m not that kind of woman.” “Besides, I highly doubt Victoria wants to see my face around the office.” I turned and walked toward the exit. “Jennifer.” He called after me. I didn’t look back. I pushed through the heavy glass doors. As the elevator plummeted down from the penthouse level, the mirrored walls reflected a deathly pale face. It took me a few seconds to realize it was my own. My phone vibrated in my purse. Julian was calling. I let it ring. When I reached the parking garage, his driver, Arthur, was waiting by the town car. Arthur looked surprised to see me alone. “Miss Jennifer… where’s Mr. Vance?” “I’m heading back on my own,” I said. “But—” “Arthur, you don’t need to drive me anymore.” I walked out to the street, flagged down a passing cab, and climbed in. I gave the driver the address to my tiny old studio apartment—the one I had before Julian moved me in. Arthur stood by the town car, looking like he wanted to say something. But he didn’t. As the cab wound its way down the hillside roads, I finally broke down and looked back. The restaurant was still lit up like a beacon. Through the massive glass windows, I could vaguely make out a silhouette. I knew it was Julian. He was just standing there, unmoving. I turned forward and squeezed my eyes shut. Nine years. From eighteen to twenty-seven. I gave the absolute best years of my life to that man. I didn’t go to the office the next day. I emailed my formal resignation directly to Julian. He replied almost instantly: Jennifer, stop being stubborn. I’m not approving this. I didn’t reply. Around noon, my doorbell rang. It was Julian’s personal attorney, a man in his fifties with wire-rimmed glasses named Mr. Caldwell. “Miss Jennifer.” Caldwell handed me a thick manila envelope. “Mr. Vance asked me to deliver this.” Inside was the deed transfer for the penthouse, already signed by Julian. There was also paperwork for a twenty-million-dollar trust fund. I was listed as the sole beneficiary. “Mr. Vance said that if you are absolutely determined to resign, you must accept this trust.” “Otherwise, he will refuse to process your resignation.” Caldwell pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “He said… this is what you deserve.” I gave a dry, humorless smile. “Mr. Caldwell, please tell your boss that I don’t want the penthouse, and I don’t want his money.” “Miss Jennifer…” I shoved the envelope back into his hands. “Also, my official resignation letter will be in his inbox later today. Per my contract, I have a one-month handover period, but starting right now, I will not be stepping foot in that building. If he has work-related questions, he can contact Chloe.” Chloe was my deputy assistant. She had been with me for four years; she could handle it. Caldwell hesitated, looking like he wanted to argue, but eventually just sighed. “I understand.” He walked to the door, then paused and looked back. “Miss Jennifer, Mr. Vance… he really does care about you.” I stared at him in silence. Caldwell let himself out. I tossed the envelope onto the worn sofa and went into the kitchen to pour a glass of water. My hands were shaking so badly I spilled water on the counter. It’s okay, I told myself. It’s okay. On the third day, Julian showed up. When I opened the door, he was standing in the narrow hallway. He wore a crisp white shirt and dark trousers, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. There were faint dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn’t been sleeping. “Jennifer,” he said, his voice a bit raspy. I blocked the doorway, refusing to let him in. “Do you need something?” “We need to talk.” “I thought we covered everything the other night.” “Jennifer.” He said my name again, using that familiar, helpless tone. “Don’t be like this.” I used to be so weak to that tone. Every time he used it, my heart would soften. Not anymore. “Julian, if this isn’t about work, I’d like to get some rest.” I grabbed the edge of the door, preparing to shut it in his face. He slammed his hand against the wood, stopping it. “Why won’t you take the trust fund?” “Because I don’t want it.” “Jennifer, it’s twenty million dollars, not pocket change. Take it, and you’ll never have to worry about surviving.” I looked up at him. “Julian, I was with you for nine years, and it wasn’t for a payout.” Julian let out a heavy, frustrated sigh. “I know.” “That’s exactly why I want to give it to you,” he said softly. “Jennifer, it’s the only thing left I can do for you.” “Then do nothing,” I fired back. “Let us walk away with some dignity. Is that too much to ask?” He went dead silent. Finally, he spoke. “I approved the resignation. But payroll will process your salary and your year-end bonus as usual. And I already had Caldwell open an account in your name. The trust funds are in it. The password is your birthday.” “Julian!” “Just take it,” he said, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “Take it, so I can at least sleep at night.” With that, he turned and walked down the hall. I shut the door, leaned against it, and slowly slid down until I was sitting on the floor. It was hilarious, really. He was the one marrying someone else, but he was begging me to ease his guilty conscience. For the next two weeks, I didn’t leave my apartment. Chloe called a few times. She told me the whole office was buzzing with the news of Julian’s wedding. The bride was the only daughter of the Covey empire. “I heard she’s gorgeous. Graduated from Oxford, plays the piano perfectly,” Chloe whispered cautiously. “Jennifer… are you holding up okay?” Chloe was one of the few people at the firm who actually knew about my relationship with the boss. “I’m fine,” I said. “I forwarded the handover files to your email. Call me if you can’t figure something out.” “Mr. Vance has been in an awful mood lately. He made the Marketing Director cry during a meeting yesterday.” I didn’t say anything. “He asked me where you were yesterday,” Chloe admitted quietly. “I told him I didn’t know.” “Good.” After hanging up, I scrolled through my phone. Julian had sent three messages. I hadn’t replied to any of them. The first was from four days ago: The penthouse deed is finalized. The keys are at the concierge desk. The second was from two days ago: The trust account is active. Remember to change the password. The third was sent at 2:00 AM last night: Jennifer, pick up the phone. I had missed a few calls from him. It wasn’t intentional. I had just been asleep. I thought about it for a minute, then typed out a final reply: Stop contacting me. Happy wedding. Send. Block. Just like that. Another week passed, and I finished packing. After nine years in the city, I barely had anything to show for it. Two large suitcases—one for clothes, one for books and random belongings. I gathered all the jewelry Julian had bought me over the years, stuffed it into a box, and originally planned to mail it back to him. But then I realized how dramatic that felt. So I shoved the box into the very bottom of my suitcase, out of sight, out of mind. I left the keys to the apartment on the coffee table. My train back to my rural hometown left at 3:00 PM. My mom had called last month to tell me they finished renovating the old house, and she’d saved the sunny south-facing bedroom for me. “When are you coming back for a visit?” she had asked. I told her I was slammed with work, maybe by the holidays. I didn’t have to wait until the holidays anymore. The station wasn’t too crowded. I dragged my luggage through the terminal, waiting in line for ticket check. The sky was overcast, looking like it was about to pour. “Jennifer!” Someone yelled my name. I turned around and saw Julian scrambling out of his car. He didn’t even bother closing the door before sprinting toward me. He rarely ever lost his composure like this. His hair was windblown, his tie completely askew. People were turning their heads to stare. “Where are you going?” he demanded, out of breath. “Home.” “To your hometown?” “Yes.” “When are you coming back?” I looked at him flatly. “I’m not.” Julian’s face went completely rigid. “Jennifer, stop acting out.” He reached out to grab my arm, but I took a step back, dodging him. “Julian. Please conduct yourself appropriately.” His hand hovered in mid-air. He stood behind me for a long moment before quietly saying, “I’ll wait for you to come back.” I ignored him. What he didn’t realize was that I was never coming back. The train lurched into motion. I sat by the window, watching the massive metropolis slowly shrink into the distance. The towering skyscrapers, the neon lights, the city I had given nine years of my life to—it all faded away until there was nothing left. My phone buzzed. An unknown number. Jennifer, call me when you get there. It was Julian. He was using a different number. I didn’t save it, and I didn’t text back. Three hours later, I arrived. After two bus transfers, it was 7:00 PM by the time I finally reached my small town. It was a quiet place near the coast. The streets were empty, lit by dim yellow streetlamps. I could hear the clatter of dishware and the hum of televisions drifting from the houses. I dragged my suitcases down the street. As I passed the local diner, the owner recognized me. “Hey! Isn’t that Jennifer? You’re back?” “Yeah, Mr. Harris.” “Long time no see! Your mom was just saying you were craving my clam chowder. I’ll save you a fresh bowl!” I smiled. “I’ll be by tomorrow.” When I reached my house, the porch light was on. I knocked. My mom opened the door, freezing when she saw me standing there with two massive suitcases. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” “I missed home, so I came back,” I said. She looked at me, then looked at the bags. She didn’t press. “Did you eat? There’s soup on the stove.” “I ate.” “Then have some tea. I brewed some chamomile this afternoon; it’ll help you sleep.” “Okay.” I hauled my bags inside. I stayed home for a week. I slept in until my body woke me up naturally. I ate my mom’s home cooking, wandered around the small town in the afternoons, and watched terrible TV shows with her at night. It was so peaceful. So overwhelmingly normal that my past nine years felt like a hallucination. Until one afternoon, two months later, my phone rang. It was a city number, but it wasn’t Julian’s. I answered it. “Miss Jennifer, this is Mr. Caldwell.” “Do you need something?” “Mr. Vance is in the hospital.” Caldwell sounded frantic. “Acute stomach hemorrhage. He was admitted last night. Right before he lost consciousness, he told me to call you. He wants to see you.”

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Reborn, I faced my impeccably suited biological brother again. Rubbing his temples, he tossed a black card on the table. “Five million as compensation,” he said coolly. “There’s a penthouse for you downtown. Move out today. Lisa gets so upset seeing you she ends up in the ER every time.” Lisa, the fake heiress who replaced me years ago. He hesitated briefly. “I’ll meet any reasonable demand. Just don’t come back.” In my past life, I refused the money, afraid it would cut my last blood tie. To win his love, I worked nights to buy him a birthday gift, only to be killed by a drunk driver on the way. When Preston heard, he wasn’t grieved, but relieved. “That nuisance is finally gone.” The family bond I longed for was just a burden to him. This time, I didn’t cry. I took the card calmly. “Thanks. One more condition: make it ten million, and we’re done forever.” 1 “What did you just say?” Preston stared at me, sheer disbelief etched into his features. I met his gaze calmly, my voice steady as glass. “Give me another ten million, and I will sign away my rights to this family. You will never have to look at my face again.” “That way, your precious Lisa won’t have to visit the hospital every other week because of my existence. Ten million to guarantee her perfect health. That’s a hell of a bargain, isn’t it?” Preston went dead silent. The sheer absurdity of my request seemed to short-circuit his brain for a few seconds. “A bargain?” he finally sneered. “Are you really that desperate for cash? You’d sell out your own flesh and blood for a measly ten million? You’d sever our family bond for a check?” I looked right at him and nodded. Yes. I was exactly that desperate for money. In my last life, forget ten million. Even to make a thousand bucks, a high-school grad like me had to stand on a factory assembly line for ten days straight, barely eating, barely sleeping. In this lifetime, family bonds and blood ties meant absolutely nothing. Cash was the only armor that mattered. Given a second chance at life, I just wanted to live on my own terms. “I just want the ten million.” Preston’s chest heaved with suppressed rage. He was probably disgusted. It humiliated him to share DNA with a gold-digger who only saw dollar signs. “Fine. Fifteen million total, right?” he spat. “Sign this voluntary severance agreement, and the funds will be wired to your account immediately.” I didn’t hesitate. I picked up the heavy fountain pen and signed Sloane on the dotted line. Under Preston’s complicated, burning gaze, I gripped the fifteen-million-dollar black card and walked right out the front door of the estate. “Miss Sloane, the boss instructed me to drop you off at your new residence.” The family chauffeur hurried over, pulling open the door of the Bentley. I glanced back over my shoulder. Up on the second floor, Preston’s silhouette was reflected in the massive glass windows. In my past life, he started off being just this considerate. It was those tiny, breadcrumb moments of warmth that tricked me into thinking he actually cared. It was why I threw myself into the fire trying to please him. But the truth was, it was just basic courtesy. A rich man’s pity. The only sister he held in his heart was Lisa. Snapping back to reality, I offered the driver a polite smile. “No thanks. I’m good.” I pulled out my phone and ordered an Uber. Since I had already agreed to cut all ties, I wasn’t going to ride in their luxury cars anymore. I didn’t need a single drop of his fake charity. Three days later, inside a high-end downtown café. “Miss Sloane, the paperwork is finalized. You are officially a major shareholder in Apex Innovations.” The moment I walked out of that mansion with fifteen million dollars, I knew exactly where every cent was going. Now, that money had successfully transformed into a legally binding equity contract. Fifteen percent of Apex Innovations. Victor, the CEO, practically vibrated with excitement as he shook my hand. “Thank you for believing in us. I promise you, every dollar of this capital will be used to scale the tech. You won’t regret this.” I nodded slowly. I knew damn well I wouldn’t regret it. Apex Innovations was destined to become the largest autonomous drone manufacturing empire on the planet, securing a solid spot in the Fortune 500. This fifteen-million-dollar seed investment would multiply a thousand times over in the years to come. “How about I take you out to dinner sometime this week? I’d love to walk you through our operational roadmap,” Victor offered genuinely. I shook my head. “I appreciate it, Victor, but let’s skip the dinner.” “When it comes to the business side, I trust you completely. I leave the professional work to the professionals. I don’t just invest in tech. I invest in people.” I paused, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. “Besides, I have to get to class.” Victor blinked, clearly thrown off. “Class?” “Yeah. I enrolled in an executive finance bootcamp. Teaching the grit of project valuation and ROI.” I gave a self-deprecating smile. “My foundation is a bit shaky. I need to build it from the ground up.” He studied me for a couple of seconds, his respect visibly deepening. “Alright then. You’re welcome to audit the company whenever you see fit.” Leaving the café, I headed straight for the corporate high-rise where my classes were held. The finance bootcamp was on the twelfth floor. When I pushed the glass doors open, the lecture hall was already mostly full. I scanned the tiered seating for an empty spot, but my peripheral vision caught a familiar face sitting in the front row by the window. Lisa. She was flanked by a couple of girls, laughing softly as she held court. Just like in my past life, no matter where she went, she was always the center of the universe. I didn’t give her a second glance, making a beeline for the very last row. But right as I walked past her aisle, she looked up. Our eyes locked. She froze for a fraction of a second before a sickeningly sweet smile curled her lips. Her voice was just loud enough for her little entourage to hear. “Sloane? What on earth are you doing here?” “Tuition for this cohort isn’t cheap. Are you really blowing through the payout Preston gave you already?” I ignored her. She frowned, her eyes lighting up with malicious understanding. “I guess poverty really does limit your vision. You get a little cash in your hands and suddenly you forget your place!” “Don’t tell me you actually think attending a few seminars will magically turn you into a Wall Street hotshot?” She let out a breathy laugh, not even trying to hide the heavy sarcasm. “At the end of the day, this is all just useless theory. Without family backing or real capital, memorizing textbooks is a waste of time.” “Unlike me. Preston already gave me a portfolio to manage in the real market. I’m just here to collect the certificate.” One of her lapdogs immediately chimed in. “Lisa, your brother treats you like absolute royalty.” “Of course he does.” Lisa’s eyes formed happy little crescents, but her gaze flicked over to me, sharp as glass. “I’m telling you guys, theory is dead. You need real leverage.” “Just the other day, this MIT grad, some PhD guy, came crawling to my brother begging for funding. What was his name again? Sheldon something.” “He was groveling like a stray dog. All for a measly five million. My brother practically treated him like dirt, and the guy just stood there and took it, smiling the whole time. What good is a fancy degree when you end up begging like a peasant?” My head snapped up. Five million? A PhD named Sheldon? Sheldon! It had to be him. I remembered that name. In my past life, Preston would get drunk and obsess over how badly he fumbled that deal. He regretted it until the day he died. Because that very man, the one Preston humiliated like a stray dog, went on to build a tech monopoly that made Preston look like a small-town accountant. A five-million-dollar buy-in right now. In six years, that equity would be worth fifty billion. Noticing my intense stare, Lisa assumed her insults had finally hit a nerve. She scoffed. “What? Finally realizing how the real world works? Realizing your little notebooks can’t compete with actual capital?” She snapped her designer binder shut, spinning around in her chair with a sudden burst of faux generosity. “Tell you what. Preston bought you that condo, right? It’s just sitting there collecting dust. Sell it to me. I’ll give you five million cash for it.” “With five million, you can actually try your hand at real-world investing! Think of it as a favor.” She smiled brightly, her eyes practically dripping with condescending pity. I knew her game. She just couldn’t stand the thought of me living in a property tied to Preston. She wanted me completely erased from their ecosystem. Which worked out perfectly for me. “Deal,” I smiled back. Lisa blinked, clearly thrown off by how fast I agreed. But she quickly recovered, a smug smirk taking over her face. “Great. Text me your routing number.” My phone buzzed a minute later. Five million dollars, cleared. I stared at the glowing digits, about to offer a polite thank you, when she cut me off. “Idiot.” Lisa laughed out loud. “I told you poor people have zero vision, and you just proved it.” “Did you even look at the zoning laws for that neighborhood? Do you have any idea what that property will be worth in twelve months?” “Six million!” “A guaranteed twenty percent return in one year. That is what real investing looks like!” “You had a guaranteed goldmine and you just handed it over. Give a peasant a fortune, and they’ll just burn it to the ground!” Her little group giggled, throwing mocking glances my way. I just looked at her, completely unbothered. I knew damn well the property value would spike next year. But six million was its absolute peak. In the timeline I knew, the housing bubble was going to burst spectacularly shortly after. The longer you held onto that concrete, the harder you bled cash. Sheldon’s tech, on the other hand, was the real goldmine. It would yield returns that would make the real estate market look like a lemonade stand. And my top priority right now was simple. Find Sheldon. “Settle down, everyone.” The professor walked in, a middle-aged guy with thick glasses. He spoke incredibly fast and clicked through his slides even faster. I pushed the drama out of my mind, cracked open my notebook, and laser-focused on the lecture. Honestly, a lot of the material went way over my head. Things like Internal Rate of Return and Discounted Cash Flow models sounded like an alien language. But I wrote down every single word. Whatever I didn’t understand, I circled in red ink, planning to scour the internet the second I got home. For two straight hours, I didn’t blink. By the time the lecture ended, my notebook had six pages crammed with dense ink. I stretched my stiff neck, rolling my shoulders. As I looked up toward the doorway, I froze. A man was standing there. It was Sheldon.

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On our third wedding anniversary, my husband Ethan Foster didn’t come home all night. I saw a message on the phone he’d left at home. “Ethan, Aria’s back in the country today. That bet you made back then should be over now, right? Three years. Aren’t you tired of playing happy couple with that substitute yet?” Ethan replied: “A fake will always be a fake. The game’s over. I’ll give her some money and send her on her way.” The next second, a video arrived on my phone. In the video, Ethan was passionately kissing Aria, her clothes half undone. He even said affectionately, “Aria, I love you.” So after three years of marriage, I was just a stand-in for his first love. Since it was fake, since it was all a game. Ethan Foster, I’m done playing. Natalie’s POV In the third year of my marriage to Ethan Foster, I thought I was the happiest woman in the world. Ethan was one of this city’s most powerful elites. Decisive, ruthless, and cold. Yet he seemed to save all his tenderness and patience for me alone. He would turn down billion-dollar contracts just to pick me up after my simultaneous interpretation conferences ended. He would drive across half the city on freezing winter nights just to buy me a cake I’d casually mentioned. He even personally planted an entire greenhouse of white roses for me in our wedding home. Everyone said Ethan Foster was madly in love with me. I believed it wholeheartedly myself. Until today. Our third wedding anniversary. I’d turned down an overseas translation position with the UN headquarters and came home early to prepare an elaborate dinner. The clock struck ten PM. Ethan still hadn’t returned. I sat on the sofa and picked up an old tablet Ethan had left at home. The screen lit up, and a notification chimed abruptly. It was a group chat named “Bad Boys Club.” I hadn’t intended to snoop, but the message that popped up on the screen was like a poisoned ice needle stabbing straight into my eyes. “Mr. Carter: Ethan, Aria’s back in the country. Just finalized her divorce. That bet you made back then should be over now, right? Three years. Aren’t you tired of playing happy couple with that substitute yet?” My breathing stopped cold. Aria? Aria Sinclair? Ethan’s first love, the one who’d gone overseas and married a Wall Street tycoon? The messages in the group kept coming. “Mr. Hayes: Yeah, back then Aria thought your assets weren’t stable enough and married someone else. You got pissed and made that bet. Said you’d find a woman with the same temper and same eyes as her, and train her to be the most obedient dog. Now Natalie’s completely devoted to you and Aria’s back. Time for the substitute to exit, right?” My whole body went cold. My fingers trembled uncontrollably as I scrolled up. Then I saw Ethan’s reply from half an hour ago. “Ethan Foster: A fake will always be a fake. The game’s over. I’ll give her some money and send her on her way.” Fake. Game over. Send me on my way. Those few short words were like a rusted, dull knife, slicing and shredding all the sweetness and happiness of these three years into bloody ribbons. So that meticulous tenderness was fake. Those late-night cakes were fake. That roomful of white roses was fake too. White roses. Aria Sinclair’s favorite flower. And I was nothing but a substitute chosen because my eyes and temperament resembled Aria’s, used by Ethan Foster to get revenge on his first love and vent his resentment! A plaything to win a bet! “Click.” The villa’s front door opened. Ethan walked in with a chill clinging to him. He wore a perfectly tailored black designer suit, his features deep and devastatingly handsome. Seeing me sitting on the sofa, he paused briefly, then put on that warm smile I knew so well. “Natalie, why are you still up? Didn’t I say you didn’t need to wait for me?” He walked over, habitually moving to pull me into his embrace. But I caught a faint scent of perfume. Jo Malone Bluebell. Not my scent. Aria Sinclair’s favorite. I stiffly avoided his touch. Ethan’s hand fell empty. His brow furrowed imperceptibly, but quickly smoothed out again. “Sorry, there was an emergency acquisition at the company tonight. Meeting ran until now. Even missed our anniversary. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, okay?” He was lying. Even his lies looked so tender and flawless. I lifted my head and quietly looked at this man I’d loved for three years. “Ethan,” My voice was hoarse. “Were you really at a meeting tonight?” Ethan’s eyes flickered for an instant, then he laughed lightly and ruffled my hair. “Of course. Where else would I be? Stop overthinking. Get some rest.” He didn’t look at the table full of food that had long gone cold. He didn’t notice the tablet still glowing under the sofa cushion. He walked straight toward the bathroom. Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, I slowly closed my eyes. My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand, the pain making it nearly impossible to breathe. But I didn’t cry. I had the same pride as Aria Sinclair. Perhaps even more. Since it was fake, since it was a game. Ethan, I’m not playing anymore.

Natalie’s POV The next morning, I sat in the dining room as usual. Ethan came downstairs looking refreshed, as if last night’s late return and lies had never happened. He naturally pulled out a chair and sat across from me, picking up his coffee and taking a sip with elegant, refined movements. “Natalie, I need to discuss something with you.” Ethan set down his coffee cup, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather. I cut into the fried egg on my plate without looking up. “What is it?” “A friend of mine just got back to the country and ran into some trouble. She doesn’t have a suitable place to stay. I’m planning to let her move into the guest house behind our villa for a while.” Friend. My grip on the knife and fork paused slightly. The blade scraped across the porcelain plate with a harsh screech. I looked straight into Ethan’s eyes. “Which friend? Male or female?” Ethan’s brow furrowed slightly, as if displeased by my questioning, but he still answered patiently. “Female. An old friend. Aria Sinclair.” He didn’t even bother hiding the name. Perhaps in his view, I was a canary he’d tamed for three years. I couldn’t cause any trouble, and he didn’t need to waste effort fabricating lies. “Aria Sinclair?” I pulled at the corner of my mouth. “Your ex-girlfriend, your first love. You want her to move into our home?” Ethan’s expression darkened, his voice growing colder. “Natalie, don’t be unreasonable. Aria just got divorced and left with nothing. She’s emotionally unstable right now, even showing signs of depression. As a friend, helping her is only natural. Weren’t you always the most understanding one?” Understanding. So my three years of patience and accommodation were just bargaining chips he could trample over my boundaries with. “I don’t agree.” I set down my knife and fork. “Ethan, I’m your wife. I will never allow your ex-girlfriend to live in my home.” “Natalie!” Ethan slammed his hand on the table, his eyes showing undisguised irritation and coldness. “I’m informing you, not asking your permission.” He stood up, looking down at me from above, tearing off that tender façade to reveal the dominance and tyranny of a capitalist at his core. “The guest house doesn’t get good light. Aria has mild depression and needs more sunlight. Clear out your translation studio on the second floor and turn it into a bedroom for her.” I was thunderstruck, staring at him in disbelief. That translation studio was my workspace, filled with rare foreign books I’d collected and translation manuscripts I’d poured countless hours into. And he wanted to destroy my private sanctuary just to make room for Aria Sinclair? “That’s my studio!” My voice trembled slightly. “Ethan, what gives you the right?” “The fact that this villa is in my name.” Ethan coldly dropped that line, then turned to the butler standing nearby. “Clear out the second-floor studio today and replace everything with French furniture Aria likes. If Mrs. Foster tries to stop you, move everything by force.” With that, he didn’t even glance at me before striding out of the villa. The door slammed shut with a bang that made my heart lurch violently. I looked at the breakfast spread across the table and suddenly felt my stomach churning. The butler approached with several servants, looking troubled. “Mrs. Foster, about this…” I took a deep breath and forced back the sting in my eyes. “Move it.” I closed my eyes. “Pack all my things and put them in the basement.” Since he wanted to make room, I’d clear everything out for him. Not just the studio, but my place in this house as well. Ethan Foster, you think winning your bet means you can trample my dignity at will? You’re wrong. I, Natalie Sullivan, have never been anyone’s substitute.

Natalie’s POV The day Aria Sinclair moved in, light rain was falling. Ethan personally drove to pick her up. When they walked into the villa side by side, I was sitting on the living room sofa proofreading a German translation manuscript. Aria Sinclair was indeed beautiful. The kind of beauty that carried a delicate fragility favored by time. Her eyes were almost identical to mine. Aria’s gaze was like a pool of spring water, capable of drowning anyone at any moment. “Ethan, this must be Miss Sullivan?” Seeing me, Aria smiled faintly, her expression carrying a subtle appraisal and an air of superiority. She called me Miss Sullivan, not Mrs. Foster. Ethan didn’t correct her. He simply gave a light “Mm,” then turned to Aria with a voice so gentle it could drip honey. “The room’s been decorated according to your preferences. Go upstairs and see if you like it. Tell me directly if anything’s missing.” Watching this scene, I felt nothing but irony. For three years, Ethan had been this gentle with me too. But only today did I understand. When he looked at me tenderly, he was never seeing me. He was looking at another woman’s shadow through my eyes. At dinner, the atmosphere at the table was bizarrely tense. Ethan seemed to have forgotten my existence, all his attention on Aria Sinclair. “Aria, try this. I had the chef make it specially. It used to be your favorite.” Aria smiled shyly. “Thank you, Ethan. You still remember my tastes.” Then she turned to look at me with feigned surprise. “Why isn’t Miss Sullivan eating? Is the food not to your liking?” I looked at the dishes I didn’t like before me, my stomach cramping. I’m severely allergic to cilantro. Even a little bit makes my whole body break out in red welts, and I can have difficulty breathing. In three years of marriage, Ethan had never allowed a single sprig of cilantro on our table. But today, to cater to Aria’s tastes, nearly every dish on the table contained cilantro. “I’m not hungry.” I said. Only then did Ethan glance at me, his brow furrowing. “Eat something even if you’re not hungry. Don’t sit there with that cold face. Aria just arrived, and as the lady of the house, don’t you have even this much grace?” Grace? I laughed coldly inside. He brought his first love brazenly into our home, took over my studio, and now wanted me to smile graciously? “I said I’m not hungry.” I stood up, meeting Ethan’s gaze without backing down. “You two enjoy.” I turned to leave, but Aria suddenly teared up, pulling on Ethan’s sleeve pitifully. “Ethan, am I making Miss Sullivan unhappy by being here? Maybe I should move out. I don’t want to damage your relationship…” “Sit down.” Ethan grasped Aria’s hand reassuringly, then whipped his head toward me, his eyes sharp as knives. “Natalie, apologize to Aria!” My footsteps halted. I turned back, looking at him in disbelief. “What did you say?” “I said apologize!” Ethan’s voice rose several notches, carrying undeniable authority. “Aria is a guest. What kind of hospitality is this?” I looked at Ethan’s face. The one I’d once been so infatuated with. Now finding it terrifyingly unfamiliar. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I just looked at him quietly. “I did nothing wrong. I will never apologize.” With that, I went upstairs without looking back. Behind me, Ethan’s voice came, suppressing fury. “Natalie, don’t be ungrateful!” I closed the bedroom door, shutting out all the noise. I leaned against the door and slowly slid to the floor. The torn hole in my heart was howling as bone-chilling wind poured through. Ethan Foster, just how cruel is your heart?

Natalie’s POV The annual charity gala was high society’s most watched social event. As head of Foster Group, Ethan always attended with me in previous years. I’d prepared for this for half a month, even turning down an important translation conference just to walk the red carpet with him. On the afternoon of the gala, I changed into the starlight blue haute couture gown Ethan had personally selected for me half a month ago. The skirt swayed with glittering starlight. I sat at my vanity, waiting for Ethan to come home and pick me up. Time ticked by until only one hour remained before the gala started. Only then did Ethan’s call finally come. “Natalie, you don’t need to go to the gala tonight.” On the other end, Ethan’s voice was calm without a ripple. My grip on the phone tightened sharply. “Why?” “Aria just got back to the country and needs to reintegrate into this circle. Tonight’s gala is a good opportunity. I’m taking her.” Ethan said matter-of-factly. “You never liked these social obligations anyway. Stay home and rest.” My heart felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer, the pain making my vision go black. “Ethan, I’m your legal wife.” My voice trembled slightly as I struggled to maintain my last shred of dignity. “You’re taking your ex-girlfriend to this kind of public event. What does that make me look like? What do you take me for?” “It’s just walking a red carpet. Don’t be so sensitive.” Ethan’s tone carried a trace of impatience. “Aria’s very fragile right now. She needs my support. Be reasonable and don’t make this difficult for me.” With that, he hung up without hesitation. Listening to the busy signal on the phone, I looked at myself in the mirror, dressed to the nines, and suddenly felt utterly ridiculous. Be reasonable. These three years, I’d been too reasonable. That’s why he thought I was an object he could knead at will and discard at any time. At eight PM, the gala officially began. I sat on the living room sofa and turned on the television. On screen, they were broadcasting the red carpet segment live. When Ethan’s car stopped at the red carpet entrance, the scene’s camera flashes blazed like daylight. The car door opened. Ethan stepped out first, then gentlemanly extended his hand. A slender, pale hand placed itself in his palm. Aria Sinclair wore a pure white haute couture gown, looking like a proud white swan as she took Ethan’s arm and gracefully walked up the red carpet. They looked so well-matched. The reporters at the scene instantly erupted. “Mr. Foster, is this beautiful lady your new companion?” “Mr. Foster, there are rumors you’ve rekindled your romance with your first love, Aria Sinclair. Is it true?” “Mr. Foster, why didn’t your wife Natalie attend tonight? Is there a crisis in your marriage?” Facing the reporters’ rapid-fire questions, Ethan neither denied nor explained. He simply turned his head slightly to look at Aria beside him, the corner of his mouth curving into an indulgent smile, then escorted her into the venue under the bodyguards’ protection. That one look said more than a thousand words. My phone suddenly vibrated. A message from Aria Sinclair. In the photo, Aria leaned on Ethan’s shoulder. They both held champagne glasses against the backdrop of the gala’s luxurious interior. The caption was just one short line. “Miss Sullivan, I’ve taken back what belongs to me.” I didn’t reply or angrily smash my phone. I simply pressed the lock button calmly and tossed the phone aside. When all expectations have been crushed into mud, all that remains is absolute clarity. I stood up, returned to the bedroom, and pulled out the suitcase from under the bed. It was time to end this absurd farce.

Natalie’s POV I was nearly finished packing when I received a call from my professor. “Natalie, the senior simultaneous interpretation position at UN headquarters in Geneva. They’re very impressed with your credentials. If you’re willing, you can fly over next week to sign the contract and start. This has always been your dream. What do you think?” I looked at the empty wardrobe, utterly resolute. “I’m willing to go. Please help me reply to them that I’ll report on time next week.” After hanging up, a long-lost sense of relief surged through me. These three years, I’d given up too much to be a good Mrs. Foster. Now I was going to reclaim Natalie Sullivan’s life, piece by piece. The next afternoon, I was organizing an extremely important rare German manuscript on the living room table. This was a unique copy I’d spent half a year restoring and translating for an old professor. I had to submit it tomorrow. In the time it took me to get water from the kitchen, a sudden “crash” came from the living room. My heart lurched as I rushed back. Aria stood by the coffee table, holding an empty coffee cup. And that precious German manuscript was now soaking in a pool of dark brown coffee, the text rapidly bleeding and blurring. Completely ruined. “Oops, I’m so sorry.” Aria covered her mouth, but her face showed no trace of remorse. Instead, it carried a provocative sneer. “I thought this was just a pile of waste paper. My hand slipped and the coffee spilled. Miss Sullivan won’t mind, will you?” Looking at my destroyed work, blood rushed to my head. I walked forward and raised my hand. “Crack!” I slapped Aria hard across the face. I used all my strength in that slap. Aria’s head snapped to the side, five clear finger marks instantly appearing on her pale face. “How dare you hit me?!” Aria clutched her face and screamed. Just then, the front door opened and Ethan strode in. Seeing the scene before him, his expression instantly darkened to the extreme. “Natalie, what are you doing?!” Ethan quickly stepped forward, pulling Aria protectively behind him and shoving me hard. He hadn’t used much force, but I felt that shove push me straight into an abyss. I staggered back two steps, my waist hitting the hard edge of the coffee table. I sucked in a sharp breath from the pain. But I didn’t cry out. I just stared fixedly at Ethan. “Ethan, I just accidentally dirtied a few pieces of her waste paper, and she hit me…” Aria hid behind Ethan, tears streaming down her face. Ethan looked at the manuscript on the floor, his brow furrowed, then turned to glare at me furiously. “Natalie, have you lost your mind? It’s just a few pieces of scrap paper. If they’re ruined, they’re ruined. How dare you hit someone?” Scrap paper? I laughed bitterly. That was half a year of my heart’s blood, an invaluable academic treasure. To him, it was just scrap paper. He’d never respected my profession, never respected my soul. All he wanted was an obedient shell with Aria’s shadow. “Ethan, that was half a year of my work.” I said. “She deliberately destroyed it. One slap is what she deserves.” “Enough!” Ethan cut me off sharply. “How much could a translation manuscript be worth? A hundred thousand? A million? I’ll compensate your client! Now apologize to Aria immediately!” Using money to measure my heart’s blood, using authority to force me to bow my head. Looking at this unreasonable man before me, I suddenly felt utterly exhausted. I straightened my spine. “I will never apologize to her. Ethan Foster, you disgust me.” With that, I walked past them and went straight upstairs, never looking back once.

Natalie’s POV After that argument, the villa fell into a deathly cold war. I completely treated Ethan as air. I no longer prepared his breakfast, no longer asked about his schedule. Even when we passed each other in the hallway, I would look away, as if he were just a transparent stranger. For three years, I’d been completely obedient to him, loved him to my bones. As long as he gave me the cold shoulder even slightly, sooner or later I couldn’t stand it and would run to him to apologize. He had absolute confidence and arrogance. However, three days passed, five days passed. I still ignored him. That evening, Ethan came home unusually early. He carried an exquisite velvet gift box containing a pink diamond necklace worth tens of millions. It was a piece of jewelry I’d glanced at twice in an auction catalog last month. He probably still naively thought that as long as he produced this, I would tear up with emotion like before and throw myself into his arms. He pushed open the bedroom door. I was sitting by the window reading. “Still angry?” Ethan walked over and placed the gift box on the table in front of me, his tone carrying a kind of condescending tenderness. “See if you like it. You looked at it twice last time, so I had someone bid on it specially. Forget about the manuscript incident. Don’t quarrel with Aria anymore. Consider this necklace your compensation.” I set down my book and looked at that dazzling pink diamond necklace. If this were before, I might have felt touched. But now, I only felt sad. A slap and a sweet treat. He really did see me as a dog. “Thank you.” I didn’t refuse or show delight. I simply closed the gift box calmly and pushed it aside. Ethan looked at my face, his brow furrowing slightly. “Just ‘thank you’? Natalie, I’ve already given you a way out. Don’t push your luck.” “I accepted it. What more do you want?” I raised my head. Ethan snorted coldly. “Good that you accepted it. Clear your schedule tomorrow night and come have dinner with me.” With that, he turned and left the bedroom. He thought he’d successfully placated me, not knowing that I’d only accepted the necklace to avoid any more pointless arguments with him. The next morning, I went to a law firm. “Miss Sullivan, are you certain you want to give up all marital property and leave with nothing?” The lawyer looked at the drafted divorce agreement and couldn’t help confirming again. “Given Mr. Foster’s net worth, you could easily claim a very substantial settlement.” “I’m certain.” I picked up the pen and signed my name on the agreement without hesitation. I didn’t want a single cent. Ethan’s money made me feel dirty. I just wanted to leave cleanly and sever all ties with him. Walking out of the law office with the signed divorce agreement, I looked up at the sky. The sunlight was blinding, but it dispersed the gloom that had accumulated in my heart for three years. Tomorrow was my birthday. It was also the day I would leave this place. Ethan Foster, what we had is finally ending.

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I’m an orphan. I grew up in the countryside on the edge of the pack territory. When I turned eighteen, my wealthy biological parents found me. They said there had been a mix-up at the hospital when I was born, which was why I’d been lost to them for so long. They brought me home, only to force me to marry a fool. My mother looked at me with scrutinizing eyes. “Leo may be a bit different from others, but his family is wealthy, and his father is a Beta in the pack. They won’t treat you poorly.” I looked at Leo, who was still drooling and grinning like an idiot, and refused outright. “Isn’t he Vivian’s fated mate? Her fiancé? And from what I know, he only became brain-damaged because he got seriously injured by Rogues while saving Vivian. Why isn’t she marrying him?” Vivian, my parents’ adopted daughter, instantly turned pale, tears streaming down her face. My mother grew anxious. “How can Vivian marry a fool?” My father also said coldly, “Alpha Declan has already set his sights on Vivian. How could a fool like that be worthy of her?” So that was it. They brought me home just to be a substitute bride. I laughed coldly. They had no idea—I was already married, and my husband was Declan. I called Declan directly. “Hey, I heard you’re getting married? How come you didn’t tell me?”

“Declan? The Alpha of Hailmark pack?” My mother Jenny Smith looked at me with a guarded expression. “How dare you call Alpha Declan by his name? And don’t you dare get any ideas you shouldn’t have.” “Someone like him isn’t for a country-raised wolf like you to dream about. Only someone like Vivian, a high-society lady we’ve cultivated since childhood, is worthy of him.” “As for you, marrying Leo is already the greatest fortune you could have. He’s a Beta’s son. If he weren’t brain-damaged, you wouldn’t even have this chance. You need to know your place.” She didn’t need to tell me. At this moment, I already understood clearly that these people didn’t bring me home for a family reunion—they just wanted me as a substitute bride. Fortunately, before I came back, I’d already prepared myself for the possibility that they might not love me. Now that I’d heard their schemes, I didn’t feel too disappointed or hurt. “You don’t want Vivian, the daughter you raised, to marry a fool, so you’re making me, your biological daughter, take her place.” “Even if you’re playing favorites, this is too much.” “If Vivian doesn’t want to marry him, just break off the engagement and give them more compensation. Why do you have to force me to marry a fool?” My father Tom Smith blurted out, “We have an agreement with them. Besides, Leo’s family has already given us gifts worth twenty million for this marriage arrangement. We can’t just call it off.” Realizing he’d said too much, he quickly corrected himself. “Anyway, matters between elite families aren’t as simple as you think. You must marry him. It’s a matter of integrity.” I’d heard that Vivian and Leo were fated mates and had been dating for a while. Now it seemed that once Leo became brain-damaged, Vivian started despising him. After hearing Jenny and Tom’s words, I completely understood. They’d already accepted expensive gifts from Leo’s family and couldn’t break the engagement. But they didn’t want their precious Vivian to marry him, so they set their sights on me. What a brilliant scheme. Too bad they were going to be disappointed. A smile curved my lips. “I understand. But unfortunately, I still can’t marry Leo, because I…” Already have a husband. But before I could finish, Jenny slapped me across the face. “I knew you were trouble. Don’t tell me you’re fantasizing about marrying Alpha Declan yourself?” “He’s the Alpha of our Hailmark pack. A country girl like you isn’t even worthy of shining his shoes. Stop dreaming.” I covered my face, looking at Jenny in disbelief, wanting to kindly remind her again. “What I meant to say is, Declan could never marry Vivian.”

“So Rhea wants to marry Alpha Declan. In that case, I’ll marry the fool instead. Mom, please don’t make things difficult for my sister.” Vivian immediately acted as if I’d stolen her beloved, throwing herself into Jenny’s arms, tears streaming down her face. I was dumbfounded. I wanted to ask—you’re so deeply in love with Declan, does he even know who you are? I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. What I meant is…” “Enough.” Jenny held Vivian tightly and coldly interrupted me. “Rhea, how can you be so shameless? You just got here and you’re already trying to steal Vivian’s man.” “What do you mean? Alpha Declan won’t look at Vivian, but he’ll look at a good-for-nothing country girl like you?” “Let me tell you, the Smith family has received an invitation to a banquet hosted by Alpha Declan. Don’t you understand what that means?” I shook my head cluelessly. “No, I don’t.” Tom snorted coldly, opening his mouth with a smug expression. “Alpha Declan just returned from the pack border and immediately invited the Smith family to a banquet. Isn’t it obvious he’s taken a liking to our Vivian and wants to get close to her?” “Vivian is a carefully cultivated lady, the most beautiful socialite in Hailmark pack. Alpha Declan must have heard of Vivian’s reputation, which is why he can’t wait to approach her under this pretense.” Tom looked at me with disdain. “You wouldn’t understand the complex rules of these circles.” “Don’t think that just because you’re the Smith family’s biological daughter, you can rise to the top. Vivian is a high-society lady we’ve invested heavily in cultivating since childhood. You can’t compare.” I shook my head. Not a single person in this family was normal. They didn’t stop to think—with Declan’s status, why would he send them an invitation? Just because of their publicly traded company whose funding chain was about to break? It was all because of me, Declan’s wife. Declan is my fated mate. A few months ago, he went to the pack border to fight off Rogues and met me. We fell in love at first sight and got married quickly. When the Smith family wanted to bring me home, Declan wanted to come with me. I refused and told him to go back and handle pack affairs first. As a compromise, he planned to host a banquet and sent the Smith family an invitation. He only invited them out of consideration for me, but they actually thought it was because of Vivian’s beauty. No wonder their company was going bankrupt. I couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. “So you’ve been carefully cultivating her since childhood, planning to sell her for a good price when she grows up?” “Besides, Declan doesn’t like girls like her at all.” Declan hated weak, delicate types the most. In his eyes, they were useless idiots. Vivian’s face paled. Jenny pointed at me furiously and scolded. “As expected of someone raised in the countryside—no manners at all. How can you say such vulgar things?” “And how would you know Alpha Declan doesn’t like someone like Vivian? I think you’re just jealous.” “With Vivian’s beauty, I’m telling you, there’s no man who wouldn’t be attracted.” Tom also looked at me with disdain. “Even if you’re jealous, it won’t help. Vivian will marry Alpha Declan sooner or later.” “With your crude behavior, don’t even dream of catching Alpha Declan’s eye.” “As long as you obediently do as you’re told and marry Leo, we won’t treat you poorly in the future. But if you harbor inappropriate thoughts, don’t blame us for being ruthless.” This was a threat, but they’d threatened the wrong person. I really wanted to see their expressions when they learned the truth. I decided not to reveal the truth just yet. I smiled enigmatically. “What if Alpha Declan likes someone exactly like me?” “Want to make a bet? If Alpha Declan doesn’t like someone like me, I’ll agree to obediently marry that fool. If he does like someone like me, then you’ll…” Before I could finish, Jenny’s mocking laughter interrupted me. “You think you could win Alpha Declan’s favor? How ridiculous.” “You don’t need to finish. Whatever it is, we agree.” Vivian also looked at me smugly. “Then I’ll thank you in advance for agreeing to marry Leo.” I raised an eyebrow, looking at the message from Declan that popped up on my phone. The show was about to begin. “I hope you get your wish.”

The Smith family arranged a storage room for me—dark, damp, and smelling of mold. As soon as I entered the room, I opened my phone messages. Declan’s messages came pouring in. “Baby, how did it go? Were they excited to see you? Did they frantically try to make it up to you?” “Did they love you? Did they cry and hug you?” “I said I’d come with you, but you refused. I really want to see you reunite with your family. It must have been so emotional and moving, with everyone in tears.” “Is it too late to come now? I miss you already after being apart for just a little while. Do you miss me?” I shook my head at the messages. Others probably couldn’t imagine that the usually cold and decisive Declan had such a clingy side. Unfortunately, he’d guessed wrong. I told him what happened. He immediately called, his voice angry. “Baby, how can they treat you like this? They’re so blind.” “I’m coming to get you right now and show them how wrong they are.” I refused directly. “No need. I have a better idea.” “Let them be happy for now.” I explained my plan. Declan nodded. “Okay, whatever you say, baby. I just don’t want you to suffer. How can you stay in a storage room?” “It’s fine. It’s only three days.” “But can you check something for me? I suspect I’m not actually their daughter.” No one would treat their biological daughter this outrageously. I suspected this was all a scam. “Okay.” Declan readily agreed. After hanging up, smelling the moldy odor in the room, I really couldn’t stand it. I’d spoken too confidently earlier—three days would be really hard to endure. But then Jenny knocked on the door. “Declan’s banquet has been moved up to tonight. Don’t forget what you promised—to marry Leo.” I froze. Declan had moved up the banquet. Seeing that I didn’t respond, she thought I was going back on my word and quickly said, “You promised this yourself. You can’t go back on it.” I looked at her with a half-smile. “Don’t leave out half of what I said. I said if Declan doesn’t like me, then I’ll marry Leo.” She snorted coldly. “Is there any way that could change? He’d have to be crazy to like a country girl like you.” “Remember, important people will be at the banquet tonight. Don’t you dare embarrass the Smith family, or I’ll skin you alive.” I nodded indifferently. When we were about to leave, Tom frowned at me. “You’re going to the banquet dressed like that? Not even wearing a gown? Are you deliberately trying to embarrass the Smith family?” “But you didn’t give me…” Vivian immediately spoke up with fake concern, her eyes red. “Dad, don’t blame Rhea. She grew up in the countryside, so she doesn’t know you need to wear a gown to a banquet.” “Rhea, I have a few gowns in my room you can wear. But the banquet is about to start, so…” Jenny waved her hand. “Someone like her wouldn’t look like a socialite no matter what gown she wears. Just leave it.” A smug smile appeared on Vivian’s lips. But when I was about to get in the car, Vivian blocked me. “Rhea, the car is full. Why don’t you take a taxi?” The car drove off. This family—this was an upscale neighborhood. Where was I supposed to find a taxi? I called Declan directly. “They left me behind. Send a car to pick me up immediately.”

Forty minutes later, I appeared at the banquet hall in a haute couture gown. Declan had wanted to accompany me, but I refused. I didn’t want to reveal everything so quickly. When people saw me, they all started looking me over, their eyes full of amazement. “Who is she? Her temperament and looks are absolutely stunning. I’ve never seen her before.” “I haven’t either. She’s like a fairy descended from heaven. I must go introduce myself.” The commotion also caught the Smith family’s attention. Vivian’s eyes were full of jealousy. Then she spoke with red-rimmed eyes. “Rhea, how could you steal a gown? This gown is a custom piece from Paris Fashion Week. I remember Alpha Declan bought it at auction. You actually stole something from Alpha Declan.” Jenny immediately chimed in. “How dare you steal from Alpha Declan? This is a gift Alpha Declan planned to give our Vivian. Take it off right now.” “Stealing things at home was bad enough, but now you’ve stolen from Alpha Declan. You really don’t know your limits.” I actually laughed at this. This family just spouted lies without a second thought. Everyone’s initial amazement turned to disgust. “So she’s from the countryside and dared to steal Alpha Declan’s gown. She really doesn’t know her place.” “From what they just said, this gown was meant for Vivian. I heard before that Alpha Declan bought a lot of jewelry abroad to give to his beloved. So it’s true.” Everyone started crowding around Vivian to flatter her. “Vivian is stunningly beautiful. She and Alpha Declan are truly a match made in heaven.” “Once Vivian marries Alpha Declan, the Smith family will rise to another level. Congratulations!” Vivian acted as if she was really about to marry Declan, blushing shyly. “The wedding date hasn’t been set yet. I’ll definitely invite everyone to our wedding.” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Vivian, does Declan even know he’s marrying you?” Vivian’s face paled. “Rhea, what do you mean? Do you think that by stealing the gown he meant to give me, you can impersonate me?” I rolled my eyes. I really didn’t know how the Smith family raised her to have such a personality. Declan had said he’d never even met Vivian. She received one invitation and already imagined herself marrying him. How absurd. I pointed at the gown I was wearing. “This gown was a gift from my husband. I didn’t steal it from you.” Everyone burst into laughter. “You say your husband gave it to you? Don’t tell me your husband is Alpha Declan?” I smiled coldly. “What do you think?” “But Declan doesn’t need to marry me, because…” Before I could finish, Vivian interrupted me. “Rhea, you’re degrading yourself by wanting to be Alpha Declan’s mistress.” “Being the kind of woman who throws herself at someone without wanting any title—even though you just came back from the countryside, you can’t disgrace the family like this. You’re humiliating the Smith family.” Jenny also looked at me coldly. “Rhea, enough. Are you trying to ruin the Smith family’s reputation? Get out of here right now and prepare to marry Leo. Stop making a fool of yourself.” I just wanted to say that Declan didn’t need to marry me because we were already married. We’d just returned to the city from the pack border, and Declan hadn’t had time to announce his marriage yet. Seeing that the time was about right, I didn’t want to keep playing along with them anymore. I took out my phone. “Declan, I heard you’re getting married. Did you forget to tell me?”

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Ten days before the wedding, I pushed open the fitting room door to find my fiancé Ethan bent over, adjusting Chloe’s wedding dress. That dress—I was the one who ordered it. The store clerk stood nearby, smiling as she complimented Chloe’s figure, saying the dress looked like it was custom-made for her. I stood frozen in the fitting room doorway. Chloe spotted me in the mirror and quickly covered her exposed cleavage. “Natalie, don’t misunderstand.” Her voice dripped with innocence. “I just thought this dress was so beautiful, and I mentioned wanting to try it on. Ethan said—” Before she could finish, Ethan rushed to explain. “Chloe’s never worn a wedding dress before. What’s wrong with letting her try it on?” I looked at him, and suddenly felt like laughing. This wedding dress? I didn’t want it anymore. This fiancé? I didn’t want him either. I said nothing, walking over slowly. The store fell silent. The clerk who’d been holding my gloves instinctively stepped back. Ethan glanced at me, finally seeming to notice my expression. “She just got back to the country and she’s going through a rough time. It’s just a fitting. Don’t make a scene.” I stared at him and asked quietly, “When did this start between you two?” His brow furrowed. Chloe bit her lip, maintaining that innocent look. “Natalie, I really didn’t mean anything by it. I just—” “Don’t bother lying!” I cut her off. “You knew exactly how important this dress was to me. Not only did you put it on, you had my fiancé help you into it!” Her face paled. Ethan’s voice dropped immediately. “Natalie. Why are you taking it out on her? She said she just wanted to try it. Why are you being so harsh?” Looking at him, I suddenly felt that even getting angry would be a waste of energy. I reached up and removed the veil from my head. Ethan’s expression finally changed. “Natalie, what are you doing?” I ignored him, focusing on removing the ring from my left hand. That ring—he’d put it on me just last month. The ring stuck a bit as I tried to remove it. I twisted it forcefully, and my knuckle quickly turned red. Ethan walked over, finally showing some urgency, reaching out to touch me. “Stop this.” I stepped aside, avoiding his hand, and threw the ring on the floor. “She wants to try on wedding dresses? You can help her. She wants to get married? You can marry her too.” The color drained from Chloe’s face, and her voice began to tremble. “Natalie, please don’t do this. I really wasn’t trying to steal—” “You weren’t trying to steal.” I looked at her. “You just knew that whenever you reached out, he’d always take your side. And he’s never disappointed you, has he?” Ethan’s expression darkened. “That’s enough. You want to call off the wedding? Have you thought about the consequences?” I suddenly smiled. “I have. So from this moment on, the wedding is cancelled.” Ethan looked like he hadn’t heard me correctly. “What did you say?” “I said, it’s cancelled.” I turned to the clerk. “Please pull up all the payment records for this dress.” Chloe finally seemed unsteady on her feet, clutching the dress as she stepped back. “Ethan, maybe I should change out of this…” “Change.” I looked at her. “Right now.” Her eyes immediately welled up with tears, as if she’d suffered some terrible injustice. A few minutes later, the clerk pulled up the payment records. I held them in front of Ethan’s face. “See this clearly? I ordered the dress. I paid for it. You took my property to please your white moonlight, and you expect me to be gracious about it?” Ethan’s lips moved as if he wanted to explain. “Natalie, that’s not what I meant.” “What you meant doesn’t matter anymore. The wedding is cancelled!”

With that, I turned and walked out. Ethan finally caught up, grabbing my wrist and lowering his voice. “Is this really necessary?” I stopped and looked back at him. “Ethan. You’re gambling that I won’t dare make a scene.” His fingers stiffened. I pulled my hand free, bit by bit. “Too bad. This time you bet wrong.” When I walked out of the bridal shop, the sun outside was blindingly bright. So bright my eyes stung. My bridesmaid Maya chased after me, shoving my phone and purse into my arms, her voice still shaking. “Nat, are you really calling it off?” “Yes. Seven years. That’s all it was. I’m not throwing away the rest of my life for it.” I got into the car and turned the AC to its lowest setting, but my back was still covered in sweat. Maya sat in the passenger seat, glancing back at me several times, clearly wanting to say something. I’d been with Ethan since my early twenties, supporting him from nothing to where he was today. Seven years total. When we first got together, during his hardest times, I was the one who helped him through. When he had a fever, I was the one who carried him downstairs to the hospital in the middle of the night. During the most difficult period of his career transition, I was doing my own projects while also editing his resume and practicing interviews with him. Even later, when Chloe’s name started appearing between us occasionally, I kept telling myself not to overthink it. A first love from college, leaving some shadow in his heart—that didn’t mean anything would actually happen. On his birthday, a message popped up on his phone. I saw it was from “Chloe.” He said it was just someone from an old college group chat checking in. The day she returned to the country, he cancelled dinner with my parents at the last minute, claiming work emergency. Later, I saw a photo she posted on Ins of someone picking her up at the airport. He was in the frame. I stared at my phone for a long time but never asked. It wasn’t until today that I understood—some relationships don’t suddenly fall apart. Maya finally spoke up. “Want to go home?” “Let’s go to my place,” I said. “I need to sort out the accounts first.” She paused. “You’re doing accounts right now?” “If I don’t do it now, should I wait for him to strike first?” I unlocked my phone and pulled up the wedding budget spreadsheet. Wedding dress final payment: twenty-eight thousand. Maya looked at that figure and sucked in a breath. “You never settled this with him before?” “I did,” I said. “He told me to cover it first, and he’d pay me back when his quarterly bonus came through.” “Plus there were things he just assumed I’d pay for because I was better at handling logistics and could pay faster. We’d settle up later.” As I said it, I had to laugh at myself. Settle up later. Turned out in his mind, I was suitable for marriage not just because I was stable, understanding, and good at managing life. But also because I could pay, could cover expenses, could handle all the hassles. And all he had to do was show up when needed and continue playing the respectable groom-to-be. My phone screen suddenly lit up. A message from Ethan. [Just calm down for a bit.] Then a second one. [Today wasn’t as serious as you think.] The third came quickly. [Chloe just went through a breakup and she’s emotional. I was just looking out for her. Don’t blow this out of proportion.] I stared at that phrase “blow this out of proportion,” my fingertips growing cold. Even now, his concern was about proportion. Not about right or wrong. Maya leaned over to look and nearly laughed in anger. “He’s got some nerve.” I didn’t reply. The next second, my phone vibrated again.

This time it wasn’t a private message—it was the wedding planning group chat. That group included both sets of parents, groomsmen and bridesmaids, the wedding planner, hotel coordinator, and a few close relatives. Ethan posted in it: [There was a small misunderstanding at the dress fitting today. Natalie got a bit emotional, but the wedding is still on. Everyone, don’t worry.] I stared at that line for three seconds. Maya swore out loud. “He’s getting ahead of the narrative.” I nodded. Not surprising. Ethan had always been best at packaging embarrassing situations as harmless misunderstandings. He was never afraid of hurting me. He was afraid of people finding out that ten days before his wedding, he’d given his fiancée’s wedding dress to his white moonlight. Soon, people started responding to smooth things over. [Couples always get anxious before the wedding. Don’t let it hurt your relationship.] [Ethan, just be patient with her.] [Natalie’s probably just stressed.] Then there was Ethan’s mother’s message: [You’re this close to the wedding. Don’t give outsiders something to laugh about.] Almost simultaneously, my mom’s private message popped up. [Nat, don’t be afraid. Take care of yourself. Your dad and I are here.] Looking at those two messages, I suddenly smiled. So even at a time like this, some people worried about losing face, while others only worried about me getting hurt. Who cared about appearances and who cared about me—it was crystal clear. I placed my phone on my lap and took a deep breath. “Maya.” “Yeah?” “At the bridal shop—did you record a video?” Maya froze for a moment, then nodded quickly. “I was originally trying to film you coming out, but I accidentally caught Ethan adjusting Chloe’s back clasp. I didn’t film long, but that moment’s in there.” I held out my hand. “Send it to me.” She immediately transferred the original video. I opened it. The footage was a bit shaky, but clear enough. Ethan stood behind Chloe, his fingers on the wedding dress clasp, his movements painfully practiced. And that dress—the waistline, the hoop skirt, the train—all exactly as I’d confirmed just two days ago. This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This was evidence. I dragged the bridal shop payment records, wedding expense spreadsheet, and corresponding transaction records all into one folder. “He said I was being emotional?” I looked up at Maya. “Then I’ll show everyone whether I’m throwing a tantrum or cutting my losses.” I picked up my phone again and opened the wedding planning group. [Since Ethan says it’s a misunderstanding, let’s clear up the misunderstanding.] The moment I sent the message, the group went silent. I knew the real second round was just beginning.

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Kael’s father, Roderick, was the Alpha of BlackPine Pack. He had just pulled the family business back from the brink of collapse. And the first thing he did was force his son to divorce me. “Cut ties with her. I’ll find you a partner worthy of you.” “A full-time housewife who only knows how to stay in the kitchen doesn’t deserve to be BlackPine Pack’s Luna.” “I must have been blind to agree to your marriage in the first place.” I could only laugh softly at his words. A year ago, when his family business imploded, it was me who anonymously bought up all his bad debts and filled the hole for him. Without my intervention, he wouldn’t have any of his current glory. His entire family would have become homeless rogues. My phone screen lit up. My assistant, Liam, CEO of NorthPeak Capital, sent me an audio file. I didn’t open it. The accompanying text summary already made the sordid contents clear. On the dining table sat a glass of warm milk I’d just prepared, mixed with calming herbs to soothe a werewolf’s restless mind. Kael had been stressed about Pack affairs for the past six months. Every night, I’d prepare this milk and wait for him to emerge from his study in the late hours. The sound of the password lock came from outside. Kael was home. He looked exhausted, giving me a cursory glance before heading straight to his study and closing the door heavily. Once, he used to hold me first thing when he came home, sharing the day’s events. Now, only silence remained between us. I picked up the milk and walked to the study door, knocking before pushing it open. “You’ve been up half the night. Have some warm milk to help you relax.” He glanced at it, his brow furrowing. “That again. I told you I’m sick of it.” My hand hung in midair, white steam from the glass blurring my vision. I suddenly remembered three years ago when we registered our marriage. Back then, he’d just taken over BlackPine Pack’s mess, losing sleep every night over Pack affairs. I’d stayed up with him until dawn every night, preparing this calming milk. He used to hold me and say he could never live without this companionship, that with me there, he could move forward with peace of mind. He didn’t look at me again, his gaze returning to the screen. He coldly threw out a sentence. “Get out. Don’t disturb my work.” I silently took the glass and left, closing the door behind me. The entire house fell completely silent. When Kael emerged from the study, it was already late into the night. At the dinner table, we sat in silence. He ate a few bites before putting down his fork. “Elara, we need to talk.” I looked up at him. “This can’t go on.” His gaze was evasive. “Our lives are no longer on the same level.” “My father’s company is back on track, bigger than ever before. BlackPine Pack’s position in North America is completely secure.” “And you. You stay home all day with no job, no social circle of your own, completely disconnected from the outside world.” He seemed to finally gather his courage and looked at me. “I think we should separate for a while. Give each other some space to think.” I looked at his determined face and suddenly laughed. “Fine.” One word blocked all the arguments he’d prepared in his throat. He froze, clearly not expecting me to agree so readily. I stood up to clear the table. “Kael,” I said with my back to him, my voice flat, “once you’ve decided, don’t regret it.” The next day, I met my best friend Mia for afternoon tea. At the outdoor café, Mia sighed heavily. She complained about the hardship of raising two kids and her husband’s complete indifference to family matters. “Elara, you have it easy. Kael gives you all the money, no strings attached, no family pressures weighing you down.” She patted my hand. “Not like us, waking up to a mountain of problems every day.” I smiled but said nothing. In werewolf circles, everyone thought I was mild-tempered and unambitious. As the only daughter of WhiteRock Pack’s Alpha, they also thought I was utterly incompetent. Completely lacking the ability to be an heir. Last year when BlackPine Pack neared bankruptcy, everyone said I was jumping into a fire pit. Now that the Pack had made a comeback, everyone assumed I was just a woman living off Kael. My phone buzzed. A message from Kael came through. “Saturday night, my father’s birthday. You’re coming with me to the estate for dinner.” Still that commanding tone, cold text without a trace of warmth. I sent him back a “Fine.” But I knew in my heart that this family dinner was a humiliation trap prepared specifically for me. What was coming would come eventually.

Saturday was the sixtieth birthday celebration for Roderick, BlackPine Pack’s current Alpha and Kael’s father. I carried a gift and walked into the Pack’s estate. The standalone manor that had once been deserted, with most of its security staff dismissed, was now brightly lit, a display of prosperity following their comeback. Roderick wore a bespoke hand-tailored suit, his face glowing as he stood in the center of the banquet hall. He raised glasses and laughed with business moguls and Alpha leaders from neighboring packs. When he saw me enter, the smile faded from his face, his eyes filled with contempt. “You’re here. Find yourself a seat. Don’t push to the front.” He pointed to the most remote corner of the hall, right by the service station, then didn’t spare me another glance. At the head table, Kael sat at an angle with an unfamiliar young woman beside him. The woman wore a silver haute couture evening gown, a limited-edition Patek Philippe watch glinting on her wrist under the lights. A collector’s piece only accessible to children of North America’s top Pack Alphas. Kael leaned close to her ear, speaking with a smile, his tone relaxed. “Elara.” Kael’s mother walked over holding a glass of champagne, her tone distant and perfunctory. “This is Sera, daughter of SilverMoon Pack’s Alpha. She flew in specially from London for Roderick’s birthday. Her family’s business spans Europe and America. She’s young and accomplished.” I nodded and looked at Sera. She was sizing me up, her gaze like she was examining something beneath her station, superiority radiating from her. “Oh, so you’re Luna Elara?” She drew out her words, a hint of a smile on her lips. “I heard you’ve been a stay-at-home wife since getting married? You’ve really sacrificed a lot for the family.” Her words mentioned sacrifice, but the disdain in her eyes was overflowing. Kael’s expression stiffened slightly. He glanced at me, then turned to follow Sera’s conversation about future collaboration plans between the two Packs. Dinner was served. The table was filled with exquisite dishes prepared by a three-Michelin-star chef. After several rounds of drinks, Roderick took the microphone and went on stage to give a speech. “Thank you all, friends and allies, for attending my sixtieth birthday banquet!” He raised his glass high, full of vigor. “This time last year, BlackPine Pack was at rock bottom. It’s because of your unwavering support that we’re here today!” He drained his glass, then suddenly shifted his tone, his gaze locking onto me in the corner. “Of course, today I must also thank certain people.” He emphasized the word “thank,” dripping with sarcasm. “Some people benefited from our family’s misfortune without contributing anything. Now that we’ve risen, she still has the gall to stand here, basking in our success and sharing in our glory.” The moment he finished, the entire hall erupted in laughter, mixed with waves of agreement. “Exactly! Just a full-time housewife. What else can she do besides spend a man’s money?” “The heir’s wife is just a housewife? She really doesn’t deserve BlackPine Pack.” “Roderick is being too generous. If it were me, I’d have kicked her out long ago!” Sera laughed and chimed in, her voice loud enough for nearby tables to hear: “Roderick is being modest. Some people just want stability. They have no real abilities, so they can only stick to household chores. “But BlackPine Pack is on the rise. Kael has a bright future ahead. Naturally, he needs someone more suitable by his side, not someone irrelevant holding him back.” The two of them played off each other like they’d rehearsed it, every word aimed at me. I never spoke, sitting quietly in place. My silence, in their eyes, became weakness, became incompetence. I became tacit admission that I wasn’t worthy of Kael, wasn’t worthy of BlackPine Pack. The birthday banquet’s clamor gradually subsided. Roderick finally dropped all pretense, walking straight to me with his wine glass. “Elara, you can see for yourself. Our family isn’t what it used to be.” His tone was icy. “You being with Kael is holding back his future.” “I’ll give you five hundred thousand dollars. Divorce Kael. Stop pestering him afterward, and never set foot in BlackPine Pack territory again.” Five hundred thousand dollars. To buy out our three-year marriage. To buy out the thirty-two million in debt I’d quietly covered for him. To buy out the entire BlackPine Pack I’d saved. What a joke. Everyone in the banquet hall focused their eyes on me, full of mockery and anticipation of a spectacle. Sera stood nearby holding her wine glass, a triumphant smile on her face, as if she’d already determined herself to be Kael’s next partner, BlackPine Pack’s future mistress.

I didn’t look at Roderick, but turned my gaze to Kael instead. He was like a bystander, as if our three-year marriage had nothing to do with him. “Kael,” I spoke, “is this what you want too?” His body jerked violently, his knuckles turning white around his wine glass. Every eye in the hall turned to him. Even the air went quiet. “Yes.” That single word completely shattered the last bit of warmth remaining in my heart. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Good. Very good.” I stood up and surveyed the room full of people. Roderick’s brow furrowed tightly, extremely dissatisfied with my reaction. “What are you laughing at? Five hundred thousand isn’t enough? Elara, don’t be shameless!” Sera leaned on Kael’s shoulder looking at me, disdain practically spilling from her eyes. “A full-time housewife who’s been freeloading for three years. Without Kael, you couldn’t even earn five hundred thousand. What’s there to be dissatisfied about?” And Kael just let her lean on him without even frowning. “Elara, be smart. Take the money and leave. Don’t make this uglier than it needs to be.” “Ugly?” I looked at him, the smile at the corner of my mouth growing colder. “Kael, from the moment you allowed Sera to sit here and humiliate me, things were already ugly.” “I’ll divorce you, but not now.” The moment I said this, everyone in the room froze. Sera laughed mockingly, sitting up straight. “What, trying to drag it out? Even if you drag it out ten or eight years, it won’t change the fact that he wants to divorce you. Stop wasting your energy.” “I’m not trying to drag it out.” I spoke calmly. “I just feel that when Kael and I got married, we didn’t have a proper wedding. Now that BlackPine Pack is back at its peak, why don’t we invite all our business partners to a grand press conference to announce our divorce.” “It would be a proper ending to our marriage. A dignified conclusion.” My suggestion left both Roderick and Sera stunned. They couldn’t figure out what I was planning. To them, this was tantamount to public execution, trampling what little dignity I had left. A gleam flashed in Roderick’s eyes. He immediately realized this was a golden opportunity for him! He’d been worrying about how to announce his powerful return to the business world, how to introduce Sera, the new daughter-in-law who could bring more resources to BlackPine Pack. I’d voluntarily given him this chance. How could he not seize it? “Good! That takes guts!” Roderick’s face broke into a wide smile. “Elara, I didn’t expect you to have some backbone! Let’s do it! I’ll arrange the press conference and make sure it’s dignified!” Sera looked at me with eyes full of contempt and pity. “Elara, don’t go crying when the time comes. Do you need me to sponsor a decent dress for you?” I ignored her, only giving Kael one last look. His face showed confusion and bewilderment, perhaps even a trace of barely perceptible guilt. But what did it matter? He chose this path himself. Then he must be the star of this grand finale. Over the next few days, Roderick indeed threw all his energy into preparing for this banquet. He booked the most luxurious hotel ballroom, inviting every business elite and Alpha from every Pack across North America he could reach. Word spread throughout the North American werewolf community. BlackPine Pack had risen from the ashes, and heir Kael was about to marry a noble new partner. I became a complete joke.

When Liam heard I was going to the press conference, he nearly exploded with rage, calling me immediately. “Elara, why are you rushing to hand them a knife? When they say something inappropriate, it’s your face that gets lost.” “For trash like them, the bigger the scene, the better. Solving everything at once will bring peace.” I said lightly. “You!” Liam was too angry to speak. “I’ll be watching to see how you handle this!” On the day of the press conference, I wore a simple evening gown and walked into the resplendent ballroom. Roderick and Kael’s mother were dressed lavishly and glamorously, greeting guests with beaming faces. Kael wore an expensive bespoke suit, his arm linked with Sera’s, accepting congratulations and envious looks from everyone. Seeing me, the smile vanished instantly from Roderick’s face. He strode over quickly, lowering his voice, his tone full of warning and disgust. “You actually dare to come! Remember, today you’re here to cooperate with the show. Don’t try any tricks!” Sera also walked over, looking me up and down. “Elara, that outfit. Are you here to work as waitstaff? Let me remind you, everyone here today is someone important. You’d better shrink into a corner to avoid embarrassing BlackPine Pack.” I said nothing, only smiled. Kael’s gaze briefly met mine. He quickly looked away, his expression complex. I found an inconspicuous corner to sit in, watching this absurd yet real drama unfold before me. Watching Roderick circulate through the crowd, boasting about how he pulled his company back from the edge of bankruptcy. Watching Sera, acting like the lady of the house, introducing BlackPine Pack’s grand blueprint to everyone. Watching Kael. The man I’d loved for three years, the one I thought I’d grow old with. Thriving in this vanity fair, slipping further and further away from me. Halfway through the banquet, the host invited Roderick onstage for a speech. Under the spotlight, Roderick held the microphone, full of vigor. “Good evening, friends!” “Thank you all for your support of BlackPine Pack, which has made us greater than ever before.” Thunderous applause erupted below. He basked in it all, then changed his tone. “Besides announcing BlackPine Pack’s magnificent comeback, my son Kael will be saying goodbye to the past and welcoming a brand new life!” As he spoke, he beckoned to Kael and Sera. The two walked onstage intimately and stood beside Roderick. “Some people are only suitable for sharing hardship, not prosperity.” Every gaze in the hall turned to me in unison. Some sympathetic, some pitying, but most were mocking, enjoying the spectacle. I became the superfluous person in their eyes. Kael kept his head down, not daring to look at me. Sera wrapped her arm around Kael’s waist, silently flaunting her victory to me. Roderick cleared his throat, preparing to announce my divorce from Kael and hint at Sera and Kael’s upcoming engagement. I stood up and walked slowly toward the stage. Everyone froze. The music stopped. Roderick’s face turned iron-dark, hissing into the microphone: “Elara! What do you think you’re doing? Get down from here!” I ignored him, walking straight to center stage and taking another microphone from the host. The spotlight shone on me. I could clearly see every shocked face below. “Don’t be in such a rush, Roderick.” I smiled, my voice carrying through the sound system throughout the entire ballroom. “Today is my stage too, isn’t it?”

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Three years after overcoming my depression, I applied to join a suicide prevention organization. On the day my internship was about to end, I received a call from a man: “Ma’am, I’m getting married tomorrow. But when I think about marrying a woman I don’t love, I don’t want to live anymore.” I froze. My wedding was tomorrow too. But I was lucky—my fiancé loved me deeply. Just as I was about to comfort him, I heard urgent gasping and a woman’s scream from the other end. The call was abruptly disconnected. My heart tightened. My colleague and I quickly located his position and rushed to the rescue. But when we broke down the presidential suite door at the hotel, what greeted us were two bodies entangled in intense intimacy. The scar on the man’s arm was identical to the one my boyfriend got when he grabbed the knife to stop me from self-harming. The commotion of breaking down the door startled the two people inside. When they turned around, the last shred of hope in my heart completely shattered. One was my fiancé who treasured me like a precious gem. The other was my closest friend. But at this moment, they were naked, tightly pressed together. My brain buzzed. Pearson quickly pulled the blanket over himself and Ivy, coldly saying, “Get out!” My supervisor and colleagues never expected that after racing here at breakneck speed, our rescue mission would turn into catching adultery. My supervisor apologized frantically, then dragged me outside and gave me a harsh scolding. “Zoe Harper, what the hell are you doing? That’s Mr. Pearson! Our organization’s biggest sponsor! Your A-level suicide risk assessment—it was just Mr. Pearson being intimate with his lover? I think you’ve lost your mind chasing success! Don’t even think about passing your probation!” The chance at permanent employment I’d hoped for over three whole months shattered into nothing. But when did my fiancé become the esteemed Mr. Pearson? Back when I finally got into college, my stepfather forced me to marry. In my despair, I was ready to end it all. But I was unexpectedly saved by Pearson, who was drowning in debt at the time. Later, I met Ivy, who was just as poor. The three of us supported each other, squeezed into a tiny rental apartment. Though our days were tight, we were happy enough. But I never knew that the boyfriend who worked day and night delivering food to scrape together money for my antidepressants was actually the CEO of Pearson Group. The best friend who ate bread for a whole month just to buy me a luxury sleep aid was actually my boyfriend’s fiancée. Seeing my disbelief, my supervisor waved dismissively. “You don’t know Mr. Pearson of Pearson Group? You don’t know the heiress of the Ashford family? Their families arranged a business marriage when they were children—they’re engaged for real.” “Everyone in the circle knows Mr. Pearson always protects his own. You’ve offended Mr. Pearson and his lover—you can forget about staying in this field. Go pack your things and get lost!” With that, my supervisor stormed off with the team. Two streams of tears suddenly rolled down my face. I covered my face and broke down crying. I don’t know how long I cried. Suddenly, someone handed me tissues. Pearson’s expression was indifferent. “The floor is cold. Get up. Let’s go inside and talk.” I’d been crouching too long. When I stood up, I couldn’t help stumbling. Pearson naturally reached out to steady me. I pushed his hand away and supported myself against the wall. As soon as I entered the room, the smell of sex made my stomach churn. The familiar contraceptives and lingerie scattered on the floor made my eyes sting. Just this morning, Ivy had pulled me into an adult products store, whispering with a mischievous smile, “Buy this whip—it feels so exciting. And this nightgown, Pearson definitely likes it.” “For my bestie’s sexual happiness, I’ll eat bread for another half month just to get all of these for you. Consider it my wedding gift to you two!” Thinking back carefully, there had been signs all along. I bit my tongue hard until I tasted blood, forcing myself not to lose composure. I took a deep breath, suppressing the sob in my throat. “Mr. Pearson, Miss Ashford, don’t you owe me an explanation?” Ivy’s flushed face instantly turned pale. She opened her mouth and let out a tearful sound. “Zoe…” Pearson calmly blocked Ivy, frowning at me. “Then I’ll tell you straight. I agreed to marry you only to force Ivy to see her own heart and marry me.” “Because Ivy wanted to become a psychological counselor, I pretended to be poor with her and played this rescue game with you for three years.”

During those dark days, Pearson had countless times snatched sharp objects from my hands, encouraging me to overcome my emotions and move toward a new life. Ivy stayed by my side constantly, eating and sleeping with me, using her gentle voice to untangle all my emotional knots. They healed me, and I loved them too. So when Pearson said he needed money to start a business, I sold my mother’s bracelet without a second thought. When Ivy accidentally caused a counseling incident, I took all the blame without hesitation. But now I learned it was just a game the rich played with me. And my role was the clown. Ivy choked out, “Zoe, I know this is hard to accept right now. I can apologize to you.” “It’s just that we already registered our marriage today. If you can forgive me, I can give you the wedding ceremony! I’ll even be your bridesmaid!” Give? I laughed bitterly. “No need. Unlike you two, I find a fake wedding disgusting.” Pearson gripped my wrist hard, confused. “Zoe Harper, what exactly do you have to feel wronged about? Ivy and I lowered ourselves to squeeze into that rental eating noodles with you. We acted out love and friendship for you. Didn’t you enjoy it yourself?” “Ivy was even afraid your wedding would be embarrassing, so she coaxed me into doing it a few more times before I agreed to the fake ceremony. We’re giving you a way out. Don’t be ungrateful.” I shook off his hand and said word by word, “I don’t need fake feelings!” I took off the diamond ring from my finger and threw it at Pearson. I went downstairs to the lobby. Outside the hotel entrance, a large crowd had gathered, noisy and chaotic. “Didn’t they say someone was suicidal? Why did the emergency responders leave?” “I heard a female psychologist made a wrong diagnosis. She actually came to catch someone cheating!” “I hate homewreckers the most. When we beat up the mistress, I’ll help.” Ivy had been chasing after me, but seeing this scene, she stumbled back a few steps. Someone in the crowd immediately said, “I just went upstairs to look. The homewrecker is one of them!” Ivy hid behind Pearson, anxiously refuting, “It’s not me. I already registered my marriage with Pearson. Zoe, help me explain.” In an instant, everyone’s eyes locked onto me. “Isn’t that Zoe Harper from the news? The psychological counselor? The news reported she seduced a client who had a wife!” “That’s her! During counseling, she even advised my wife to divorce me!” “How can a homewrecker be qualified to counsel others?” The accusations rushing at me made my heart tighten. Seducing a client was the boundary violation Ivy caused during her counseling internship. I was afraid she’d get in trouble, so I took the blame. Counselors rarely give advice, but when Ivy was playing with my phone, she jokingly advised clients seeking help to break up or divorce. Watching the crowd close in, I could only try to buy time waiting for security. “This is all a misunderstanding. Actually, actually…” But Pearson cut me off urgently. “Zoe Harper, you did all these things yourself. Who are you trying to slander? You have depression to begin with. You got married at 18 and ran away. With someone like you, nothing you do would be surprising!” As soon as he spoke, everyone’s gaze became both curious and contemptuous. My heart raced and I gasped for air, trembling as I hugged myself. When I used to be too afraid to sleep, Pearson stayed by my bedside with a baseball bat for several nights. When I cried all night because of depression, Pearson held me and patiently told me over and over that it wasn’t my fault. What I once thought was light had now become a piercing blade. Pearson’s words enraged the crowd. An extreme man raised his mineral water bottle and threw it hard at me, but it missed and flew toward Ivy instead. Ivy grabbed me and used me as a shield. The rough plastic instantly sliced across half my face. Blood flowed with the sharp pain. At the sight of blood, the onlookers screamed in panic. “There’s blood! Someone’s killing people! Everyone run!” The crowd scattered. In the pushing and shoving, a strong force hit me. I was pushed down the steps. My abdomen slammed hard into a ground pillar. The pain made my vision go dark. I used all my strength to call for help, but when security arrived, they were stopped by Pearson. Watching Pearson and security protect Ivy as they left, I smiled bitterly and closed my eyes, letting my consciousness sink into the abyss.

When I woke up, both Pearson and Ivy were by my bedside. The side of my face was wrapped in gauze, and my abdomen ached with a dull pain. Pearson trembled as he held my hand, saying softly, “I’m sorry, Zoe. The doctor said your ovaries were damaged. You’ll never be able to have children of your own.” Pearson’s words hit me like a blow to the head. I opened my mouth but didn’t even have the strength to speak. Ivy’s eyes were red as she hesitated. “It’s all my fault for being afraid of blood. Pearson made a big deal out of it and insisted I get in the ambulance first. The doctor said if you’d come earlier, there would have been hope.” Pearson disagreed. “You’re pregnant. It’s right to be careful.” Ivy comforted me. “Zoe, you don’t need to be too sad. The doctor said I’m pregnant. I’ll let you be my baby’s godmother, okay? Since you can never get pregnant again anyway, you can just come back to the villa with us and help me take care of—” Before she could finish, I slapped Ivy. Pearson grabbed my hand, furious. “Zoe Harper, are you crazy? Ivy was trying to comfort you, and you hurt her? Apologize to Ivy!” I said coldly, “Impossible.” Pearson’s grip became even more brutal, but even though the pain nearly crushed my wrist bone, I refused to back down. Pearson threw my hand away and suddenly sneered. “Zoe Harper, you really think I have no way to deal with you? Let’s see just how stubborn you can be!” With that, Pearson took Ivy to find a nurse. I recovered from the pain, got up, changed clothes, and went to see my mom. My mom had a bad heart and was receiving long-term treatment at this hospital. Just as I was about to enter her room, someone covered my mouth with brute force and dragged me to the hallway. The person violently slapped me. I was knocked to the ground, followed by fists and feet raining down on me like hail. “Damn it, you little bitch hid pretty well. If it weren’t for Mr. Pearson, I wouldn’t have been able to catch you two!” “You’ve made quite a bit off men these years, haven’t you? Spit it all out and go back to the village to get married. Try running again and I’ll beat you to death!” Hearing my stepfather’s curses, I instantly felt like I’d fallen into an ice cave, cold as death itself. I hugged my head and curled up numbly, taking the beating. Tears poured out in large drops. So the person who pulled you from the abyss also knows best how to push you into hell. My mom heard the commotion and tried to rush over to protect me, but my stepfather kicked her away. She had an acute attack. My stepfather tried to go after her again, but I desperately held onto his legs, refusing to let go no matter how much it hurt. Seeing Pearson watching coldly from the crowd, I finally broke down. “I was wrong. I’m sorry. Please, let my mom and me go!” Pearson waved his hand, and my stepfather was taken away. He sighed and helped me up. “Wouldn’t it have been better to apologize earlier? Why make yourself so miserable?” “You hurt Ivy’s feelings. Tomorrow’s wedding will be mine and Ivy’s now. Be a good bridesmaid and make amends.” “Remember to hide your wounds. Don’t scare her. I’ll cover all the medical expenses for you and your mom.” I clenched my fists but weakly nodded.

The next day at the wedding, the ceremony and banquet were countless times grander than what I’d originally planned. Ivy wore the wedding dress Pearson and I had designed together. I held up her train under the strange looks of the guests. Ivy was pregnant, so Pearson had me down glass after glass of champagne in her place. Behind me, people gossiped. “Wasn’t Zoe Harper supposed to be the bride? How did she become the one holding the train?” “Getting cheated on and still being this pathetic—was Zoe Harper a turtle in her past life?” “If I had a friend like this, I’d die of shame. I should’ve said I was Ivy’s friend instead.” Pearson pulled me aside and handed me a box of stomach medicine. “Why didn’t you tell me your stomach problem flared up? Ivy’s being naughty, but you don’t need to indulge her tantrums. Take the medicine. I don’t have time to make you soup today.” I ignored him. Pearson laughed coldly and threw the pills in the trash. Ivy glanced at me and pulled Pearson onto the stage. Just as they were about to exchange vows, Ivy suddenly said while holding the bouquet, “That lady down there is my best friend, Zoe Harper.” “Zoe is very pitiful. Her father died when she was young. Her stepfather sexually abused and beat her for years, forcing her to marry at 18. She even developed depression because of it…” My past wounds were ripped open bloodily. My body went numb with cold. Everyone’s gaze made me feel like I was being stripped naked and mounted on an operating table with nowhere to hide. Ivy’s voice lifted. “On this happy day, I hope my best friend can get married with me.” “All of Zoe’s friends and family are here anyway. So whoever catches my bouquet, I’ll marry Zoe to him right now!” Hearing this, quite a few lewd men in the crowd whistled and jeered. Before I could refuse, Ivy had already thrown the bouquet to a middle-aged man in his forties. The man grinned, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth. “Well, I was just worrying about finding a woman to give me children. Marry me and I’ll definitely spoil you rotten!” Ivy’s bridesmaids forcibly dragged me onto the stage. The man groped my waist with a lecherous smile. I looked pleadingly at Pearson. Pearson frowned, about to help me, but Ivy cut in. “Pearson, I just want to get married at the same time as my best friend. If she doesn’t get married, then I won’t either! It’s fake anyway. Just satisfy this one little wish of mine.” Pearson said helplessly, “A wedding is once in a lifetime. Since Ivy likes it, Zoe, just cooperate.” My heart died. I took vows, exchanged rings, and was forced to kiss a strange man in front of everyone. Ivy waved her phone. “Zoe, marriage is a big deal that needs parental consent. I already sent this video to your mom!” I lunged to grab her phone, but it was too late. The phone rang like a death knell. “Ms. Harper, your mother had a sudden cardiac episode and died despite resuscitation efforts.” Hearing this, my internal organs felt like they were being crushed by an invisible hand. The pain nearly suffocated me. I tried to rush at them like a madwoman for revenge, but Pearson grabbed me and said in a low voice, “This is my and Ivy’s wedding. Stop making a scene. Whatever it is, I’ll compensate you after the banquet ends.” Then, like throwing out trash, he tossed me to a man. “Take her away and watch her!” The man chuckled and dragged me outside. I laughed through my tears. “I’d rather have never been saved by you. This life—I’m giving it back to you now.” With that, I broke free from the man and, under everyone’s shocked gaze, climbed out the window and jumped.

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To cancel the arranged marriage, I begged my mother to replace my photo with one covered in acne scars. All because Angel Williams, the heiress of a wealthy family, was an extreme looks-obsessed person. Anyone ugly who came within three meters of her would be thrown out by her bodyguards. I hid my handsome, refined face and pretended to be ugly every day, until Diana appeared. On the day she proposed to me, she held my hand and promised: “Julian, I don’t care about your appearance. No matter what you look like, I will always love you.” I believed her. Despite my mother’s objections, I insisted on getting engaged to her. But on our wedding day, during the ring exchange, she looked lovingly at her first love’s plastic surgery face, shook off my hand, and fled the wedding on the spot. The guests erupted in an uproar, casting sympathetic glances my way. But I just smiled. So it was this simple to see a woman’s true colors. Perfect. Now I could become the Williams family heir with peace of mind.

The wedding march came to an abrupt halt. The undisguised mockery and contempt from the guests nearly swallowed me whole. “How humiliating! He can’t even keep his own woman!” “I told you so. How could Diana, the heir to the Peters family, actually marry such an ugly freak!” “I bet Miss Diana regretted it. I mean, with that face, you’d have nightmares just looking at it at night!” My knuckles turned white as I gripped the bouquet. In my line of sight, Diana was staring intently at her phone screen. On it was a shocking crimson photo of slashed wrists. She looked up, her face full of anxiety, her eyes showing a hint of guilt and pleading as she looked at me. “Julian, Manuel slit his wrists. He’s in the hospital being resuscitated right now!” “I have to go. Wait for me to come back, and I’ll definitely give you an explanation!” I looked at her coldly, my voice not loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the silent chapel. “Diana, if you walk out that door today, we’re completely finished.” The moment my words fell, Diana’s footsteps suddenly froze. She turned around, her face full of struggle. “Julian…” But the next second, from her bridesmaids behind her, one of her childhood friends loudly chimed in: “Diana, just go! Julian loves you so much, he’s not going anywhere, right?” “Besides, with Julian looking like that, who would dare to steal him away!” Sharp laughter instantly filled the entire banquet hall. I ignored those voices, just quietly watched Diana, and said word by word: “If you dare to leave today, I dare to marry someone else.” She froze for a moment, then a smile I’d never seen before appeared at the corners of her mouth. “Julian, stop making a fuss. Besides me, who else would want you?” “Wait for me to come back, I’ll definitely make it up to you!” With that, she turned around without hesitation and rushed out of the wedding hall resolutely. The moment the door closed, what surfaced in my mind was three years ago, the day I first met Diana. I was being surrounded and humiliated for being ugly, and she descended like a god, draping her coat over me. She gently wiped the dirt from my face with a handkerchief, her voice as tender as spring water: “Don’t listen to them. You’re good-looking.” Back then, her eyes were clean and sincere. But now… A mocking smile curved at my lips. She was certain I was ugly, certain I couldn’t leave her, so she dared to trample my dignity so brazenly. Under all those sympathetic yet contemptuous gazes, I calmly pulled off my tie and threw it on the ground. I turned around and walked toward the dressing room without looking back. Sitting in front of the vanity mirror, I picked up a wet wipe and slowly wiped my cheeks. The dense acne marks were wiped away, revealing a handsome, striking face. The door opened, and my mother walked in. Looking at me, she sighed heavily. “Julian, the Williams family sent someone. They’re asking about the arranged marriage again…” Before she could finish, my phone vibrated with a buzz. It was a message from Diana on SnapChat: [Julian, Manuel’s been resuscitated. He’s very scared. I need to stay with him tonight. Let’s postpone the wedding, okay?] Immediately after, there was a new notification on Ins—it was Manuel’s post. A photo of Diana peeling an apple for him at his bedside, her profile gentle and focused. The caption read: [As long as you abandon everything for me, that’s enough.] A mocking arc formed at the corner of my mouth. Just as I was about to block and delete both of them, Diana’s call came through. “Julian, issue a statement saying you suddenly fell ill, that’s why we canceled the wedding.” “Manuel can’t handle stress… and besides, you don’t like seeing people anyway.” Don’t like seeing people? Ha! Just because I’m ugly, my emotions don’t matter to her? I couldn’t be bothered to deal with Diana anymore and hung up directly. Then, facing the mirror, I used makeup remover to wipe away the makeup on my face bit by bit. A stunningly handsome face appeared in the mirror, striking enough to shock anyone.

My mother looked at my restored face, her expression complicated as she sighed: “Child, if it was going to be like this, why did you pretend to be ugly in the first place?” My eyes swept across my reflection in the mirror. The person in the mirror had eyes like cold stars, a high nose bridge, and sharp features, looking exactly like my father in his youth. Father married my mother through an arranged marriage, abandoning his first love. Before he died, he clutched my hand and said: “Julian, you must marry someone you truly love in the future. Only then will you be happy.” That’s why when I learned I was to have an arranged marriage with that pampered princess from the Williams family, I deliberately made myself ugly. I didn’t want an arranged marriage. I didn’t want to become someone like my father. But Diana used three years of tenderness to trick me into giving her my heart. In the end, she was just like everyone else. Since sincerity was worthless, I might as well trade it for tremendous wealth. I turned my head and looked at my mother, who was shocked speechless, my thin lips parting slightly. “Mom, tell the Williams family—this marriage, I accept.” As soon as news of my acceptance of the arranged marriage reached the Williams family, the family’s matriarch Jennifer insisted on meeting me in person. That evening, at the Williams family villa. Jennifer’s gaze fell on my face, with unconcealed amazement. In the past, I would have felt uncomfortable with such a gaze and would even instinctively lower my head. But now, I simply straightened my back, met her gaze, and wore a perfectly appropriate smile at the corners of my lips. Jennifer nodded repeatedly, praising me endlessly: “Angel is so fortunate. This Julian from the Franklin family—his looks, his bearing, even better looking than the male models in magazines!” Her eyes full of affection, she gave me a ring. “This is the Williams family’s heirloom sapphire ring. From now on, you’ll be the Williams family heir!” After settling the arranged marriage, as I was leaving, Jennifer suddenly lowered her voice: “Julian, you should continue pretending to be ugly before the wedding. That way you can give everyone a surprise.” I touched the ring on my hand and thought of the rumored looks-obsessed capital city heiress. Angel, the Williams family’s only heir. A few years ago, to avoid her running away from marriage, I pretended to be ugly and met Diana. She and I had never met, but to avoid any complications, I still followed Jennifer’s advice. The next morning, I was packing my luggage, preparing to move out of this wedding house I had personally decorated over three years. The door lock suddenly turned. Diana came in carrying seafood sandwiches, her face wearing an ingratiating smile: “Julian, still mad? Look what I bought you?” I looked at the sandwich in her hand, a mocking smile forming at the corner of my mouth. On the day we started dating, I had already told Diana I was allergic to seafood. The next second, I expressionlessly picked up the sandwich from the table and threw it in the trash. Diana froze: “Julian, I waited in line for an hour to buy this. How could you…” Suddenly, seeing my direct stare, she slapped her forehead in chagrin: “I’m sorry, Julian. I forgot you’re allergic to seafood.” “No need to apologize, since we won’t have any relationship in the future anyway.” I directly threw all her personal belongings that I’d packed overnight, along with the ring we hadn’t exchanged, at her feet. I watched as Diana’s face turned pale inch by inch. Watched as she crouched down, picked up the ring, her fingertips trembling slightly. “Julian, don’t be like this… I know I was wrong. We can have the wedding again…” Before she could finish, I impatiently interrupted her: “No need! Now, take your things and get out of my house. From today on, our engagement is dissolved!” She stared at me intently, her eyes actually reddening: “Julian, why?” I looked at her reddened eyes and suddenly found it somewhat amusing. “Why? Because I’m marrying another woman, of course. My fiancée doesn’t want to see me entangled with another man anymore!” Diana’s pupils contracted sharply, shock and panic surging in her eyes. “Who? Julian, are you doing this because of what my friends said yesterday? Are you trying to spite me?” A trace of mocking smile spread from my eyes. I looked at her calmly: “What’s there to be spiteful about? Diana, you think too highly of yourself!” After a long ten seconds, Diana looked at my expression and finally said through gritted teeth: “Fine. If you really want to marry someone else, then tell me who you’re marrying!” “I don’t believe that besides me, there’s anyone else…” She didn’t finish, just looked at me. I was about to say Angel’s name when a timid cough suddenly came from outside the door. Manuel stood at the doorway, his face pale, looking pitiful. He walked in, his gaze greedily surveying this luxurious penthouse duplex. Finally, it landed on the suit hanging on the wall—one I’d spent a year sewing by hand, stitch by stitch. “Diana, this house is so beautiful. I really like that suit too.” “Too bad I’ll never have the chance to wear such a handsome suit in my lifetime…” I looked at the undisguised triumph and provocation in Manuel’s eyes, the smile at the corner of my mouth deepening. Sure enough, the next second, Diana immediately hugged him protectively and turned to look at me, her eyes full of pleading. “Julian…” Looking at her face, I couldn’t help but laugh lightly: “Diana, you don’t want me to let him live in this house and give him this suit, do you?” Diana opened her mouth, about to speak, but her pupils suddenly contracted sharply. Because the next second, I had already grabbed the scissors from the table and viciously cut that suit in half! As the suit fragments floated lightly to the ground, I said word by word: “My things—I’d rather destroy them than let trash touch them!” Manuel screamed and hid behind Diana. “Psycho! Diana! He’s crazy!” Diana looked at the cut-up suit on the ground, then at me, her eyes full of disbelief. “Julian! It’s just a suit!” “Even if you didn’t want to give it away, you didn’t have to destroy it. What will you wear at the wedding?” The smile at my lips deepened: “That’s none of your concern. The Williams family will naturally prepare a new one for me.” Diana’s whole body shook. “The Williams family? You don’t mean the heiress Angel, do you?” Shock flashed in her eyes, then she sneered with disdain: “Julian, everyone knows Angel hates the most…” She looked at me strangely and didn’t continue, but I knew what she was going to say. In the past, I hid my appearance to find a sincere heart untainted by superficiality. Thinking of this, I was too lazy to continue entangling with Diana. I directly took out makeup remover wipes, about to wipe off the disguise on my face to make this woman, whose eyes were full of disbelief, shut up and leave. But the next second, seeing me silent, Diana reached out her hand, about to grab me. “Enough, what are you doing with that? No matter how much you wipe, your face can’t change into…” Before she could finish, my phone suddenly rang. The Williams family’s old butler’s respectful voice rang out in the quiet room, each word clear: “Mr. Julian, Lady Jennifer has instructed that the wedding date is set for three days from now.” Dead silence in the room. The color drained completely from Diana’s face.

“Impossible! How could the Williams family…” She reflexively objected, the panic in her eyes nearly overflowing. “Diana, he must be lying to you!” “How could the Williams family possibly… He’s just mad you ran away from the wedding. He’s deliberately getting someone to put on an act to scare you!” Manuel insisted I was lying. Diana’s gaze lingered on my face for a moment. The wavering in her eyes immediately disappeared. “Julian, stop it. I know you’re mad I left you for Manuel, but you can’t joke about your lifelong happiness.” “Angel…” She swept her gaze across my disguised face and said through gritted teeth: “She’s an extreme looks-obsessed person. How could she possibly marry you? As long as you apologize to me now and say this is all fake, I can…” “Can what?” I interrupted her, my voice calm and unwavering: “Continue keeping me as a backup, and when you’re tired of your first love, you’ll come back to me?” “Diana, do you think I, Julian, am that cheap, that unable to leave you?” She was left speechless by my question, her face turning green then white. Seeing this, Manuel immediately leaned over weakly, his voice carrying a sob: “Diana, let’s just go. Don’t make Julian angrier here.” “Julian is obviously confused with anger. When he thinks it through, he’ll naturally know who really treats him well.” As he spoke, he didn’t forget to shoot me a provocative look. With Manuel’s persuasion, Diana seemed to find a way out. She took a deep breath and looked at me: “Julian, I’ll give you time to calm down. When you’ve thought it through, call me anytime.” With that, she helped Manuel and left without looking back. Ironically, the doorbell rang right after she left. The Williams family butler, along with two assistants, respectfully delivered a huge gift box. When the lid opened, inside was a suit custom-made by a top international designer. Diamonds adorned it, shimmering brilliantly.

Over the next two days, Manuel kept sending me intimate photos of himself with Diana. The backgrounds ranged from hospital rooms to high-end restaurants to the passenger seat of Diana’s sports car. In every photo, Diana looked at him tenderly. I read them all without replying and blocked them directly. Until the night before the wedding, I received a message from Diana’s best friend: [Julian, Diana is just being stubborn. The person she loves most in her heart is still you.] [Come to SKY Hotel tomorrow. She’ll definitely propose to you on the spot and give you a makeup wedding!] I looked at the screen, sneered, and tapped lightly. [Sure, I’ll definitely be there!] How could I not go? My engagement ceremony with Angel was also at SKY Hotel. As if the provocation wasn’t enough, Manuel soon sent me a video. In the video, Diana’s friends laughed mockingly, loudly jeering. “Diana, your fiancé is so ungrateful. Looking so ugly but daring to throw a tantrum at you?” “Exactly! He’s not even half as handsome and considerate as Manuel!” The camera shook and finally focused on Diana’s face. She held a wine glass, her face showing some drunkenness, smiling contemptuously: “Before, I indulged him because he was obedient. Now that he’s not obedient, he needs to be taught a lesson.” “Well said! Diana really knows how to manage her husband!” Everyone laughed loudly, egging Diana and Manuel on to drink a toast. I didn’t continue watching. I just calmly blocked Manuel’s contact. The next day, in the VIP dressing room on the top floor of SKY Hotel, I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window. The makeup artist used makeup remover to wipe away the spots and dullness on my face bit by bit. When the last bit of disguise faded, a stunningly handsome, refined face appeared in the mirror. I changed into the haute couture suit the Williams family had sent, inlaid with 999 small diamonds. Meanwhile, on the second floor of SKY Hotel. Diana had arranged the proposal scene like a dream, with roses covering the entire hall. Although it was under the guise of proposing to Manuel, she kept looking toward the entrance, her eyes showing undisguised anxiety. Manuel held her arm, saying sweetly: “Diana, don’t worry. He’ll definitely come!” But after a full hour, I still hadn’t appeared. The anticipation in Diana’s eyes gradually turned to irritation. Just as she was about to lose her temper, the hotel manager suddenly ran in, sweating profusely. “Miss Diana! Please wrap this up quickly!” “Today the top floor is hosting the heiress of the Williams family’s wedding of the century. All the big shots from the capital are here. If we disturb the distinguished guests, we’re all dead!” Manuel froze for a moment, then took Diana’s arm and said quietly: “Should we go up and see? Just in case it really is like Julian said, we should go congratulate Julian, right?” Diana snorted coldly: “How is that possible? Let’s go up and see!” She led Manuel and a group of friends to the top floor banquet hall. As she walked, she took out her phone, clicked on my profile picture, and sent a voice message: “Stop this, Julian. The Williams family princess is having her engagement party today. I already know you were lying.” “Get to me within ten minutes, and I’ll pretend all your nonsense before never happened.” Just as her voice message was successfully sent. The priceless rosewood door in front of her slowly pushed open to both sides. Thousands of spotlights suddenly shone down. I walked out in that brilliant suit, step by step, in full view of everyone. That devastatingly handsome face was completely exposed to everyone’s sight without reservation. Outside the door, Diana was instantly thunderstruck. She stared fixedly at that face of mine, then at my all-too-familiar figure. Her brain completely crashed, and she murmured in disbelief: “Ju… Julian? Impossible… This is absolutely impossible!” She wanted to rush over like a madwoman. But before she could get within three meters of me, several bodyguards in black instantly pressed her firmly to the ground. A crisp, proud, and extremely oppressive female voice rang out from behind me: “What trash dares to block my husband’s way?”

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My best friend, who I’ve relied on since we were kids, said she got into a big corporation and would soon be able to give me—an MC rider—a wealthy life. I sneered and wished her good luck. Because I knew clearly that during the day she was a cheap intern exploited by everyone, but at midnight she was an assistant wearing a sexy short skirt to drink with her boss. Yet she always grinned foolishly, bragging about how her boss praised her again today and that she’d soon become a regular employee. I kicked over a beer bottle: “Quit. I’ll take care of you!” But my best friend cried and said: “The company has its rules. Just endure this period and it’ll be fine. Once I become a regular employee, we can pool our money to buy a small house and never be apart!” I hated that she’d been completely brainwashed by the workplace and decided to stop managing her affairs. Until that day, when I was racing with over a hundred MC members, I suddenly received a message from her: “Aria, I really can’t learn the rules of big corporations anymore. My boss wants me to sleep with his two major clients tonight. I don’t want to live anymore!” …… 1 I stared deadly at the last line on my phone screen. The Coke bottle in my hand was crushed out of shape. The entire racing track instantly went quiet. Over a hundred people all turned to look at me in unison. I shoved my phone into my pocket, stood up, and whistled. In less than ten seconds, over a hundred people gathered around. “Aria! What’s up!” I kicked over the plastic table in front of me and grabbed the half steel pipe hidden under the table leg. “Get on your bikes. Follow me.” “Where to?” “Grand Hyatt Hotel.” I tucked the steel pipe into my waistband and straddled my modified exhaust Ghost Fire motorcycle. I twisted the throttle, and the engine roared. Behind me, fifty motorcycles ignited simultaneously. Taxi drivers on the road, seeing our formation, were so scared they crashed their cars straight into the curb. Wind poured into my ears, but it couldn’t drown out those words replaying in my head. “Big platforms have their rules. Just endure this period and it’ll be fine.” “Once I become a regular employee, we can pool our money to buy a small house and never be apart.” Natalie, you idiot. I told you long ago that your boss Williams wasn’t human. During the day he had you serving tea, pouring water, and working overtime until 3 AM, and at midnight he had you wear a maid outfit to his room to report on work. You told me that was the training model of big corporations, that every intern had to go through it. I kicked a beer bottle to pieces and yelled at you to quit, and you cried begging me not to make trouble. Fine, I held back. But now you’re sending me a suicide note? Natalie! You fucking wait. Even if I have to tear down the Grand Hyatt Hotel tonight, I’m dragging you out of those bastards’ hands! Grand Hyatt Hotel. When we arrived, a row of black Mercedes S-Classes was parked at the hotel entrance. Several doormen were bowing to open car doors for guests. Seeing fifty motorcycles roaring up, their faces turned deathly pale. “You… what are you doing! You can’t park motorcycles here!” Before he finished speaking, my guys rode their motorcycles straight onto the red carpet at the hotel entrance. Over a dozen bikes blocked the revolving door in a chaotic mess. Four security guards rushed out from the lobby. They had just pulled out their walkie-talkies when my people pressed them down onto the marble floor. “Aria, top floor suite, 2801.” My guy Monkey ran over holding his phone. Ten minutes ago he’d already hacked into the hotel’s reservation system. I squeezed into the VIP elevator with over a dozen of my trusted men. Every second the elevator went up, Natalie’s suicide note replayed in my head. “Ding.” The elevator door opened. But four black-clad bodyguards stood at the door of 2801, very muscular. These weren’t hotel security—they were private security hired by that foreign corporation. The bald leader saw us and immediately blocked our way: “Private event, unauthorized personnel…” I didn’t even let him finish. The steel pipe smashed directly into his brow bone. “Bang!” Blood splattered onto the hallway’s beige wallpaper. The bald man screamed, covering his face, and collapsed onto the carpet. The remaining three bodyguards froze for half a second. Max and Tank each took one down, and the last one was knocked over by Monkey with a fire extinguisher. Four bodyguards, solved in seven seconds. I stood in front of 280

Through the heavy wooden door, deafening music came from inside, along with men’s unrestrained laughter. I raised my foot. “Bang!” The door lock was kicked out of shape with one kick, and the double doors slammed open to both sides! 2 What hit me in the face was the smell of liquor and cigars, and the scent of date rape drugs. I spotted Natalie immediately. She was tied to the armrest of a sofa, her jacket torn down to half, shirt buttons scattered all over the floor. There was blood at the corner of her mouth. A short, fat man was pinching her chin, pouring a wine glass into her mouth. The liquid ran down her neck. Her eyes had already lost focus. And on the leather sofa facing her, two balding middle-aged men had their collars unbuttoned. One was crossing his legs holding a phone recording video, the other was chomping on a cigar laughing with a face full of wrinkles. “Williams, this intern of yours is something else. Great body. Once the drugs kick in, she’ll be howling like a dog.” Standing nearby, Director Williams was holding a wine glass and laughing. “Mr. Zhang, rest assured, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied tonight. We’ve got plenty of this kind of merchandise at our company. Play with one till she breaks, then swap in a new batch.” I gripped the steel pipe, my knuckles cracking. The next second, I kicked over the table in the center of the living room. The coffee table broke in two, bottles and glasses on it shattered all over the floor. “Crash!” The short fat man was so scared his hand loosened, and the wine glass fell to the ground and smashed to pieces. I rushed forward in three steps, the steel pipe precisely smashing into the hand of the balding man recording video. Two fingers broke, the phone flew out, screen shattered. “Ahhhhh my hand!!!” The balding man screamed holding his hand, rolling off the sofa. I grabbed the collar of the other balding man chomping on a cigar and yanked him up from the sofa. On the coffee table was an ashtray filled with ash and cigar butts. I grabbed his jaw with one hand and pressed the entire ashtray over his mouth. “Eat!” “Mmmmph!” He rolled his eyes choking on the ash, his mouth filled with ash and saliva. Williams threw down his wine glass, so scared he backed up three steps. “Aria! Are you fucking crazy! Do you know what kind of place this is!” He pointed at my nose. “You’re social trash who didn’t even finish middle school. Do you know who Mr. Zhang is! If you touch a single hair on his head!” I turned back and walked to Natalie, untying the rope on her wrists. The marks had drawn blood. I took off my leather jacket and wrapped her entire body in it. Her whole body was trembling. She groggily opened her eyes. The moment she saw it was me, tears immediately poured out. “Aria, you need to run…” She grabbed my sleeve. “You can’t fight them… They’ll sue you…” “They have lawyers, connections, we can’t afford to compensate…” I crouched in front of her, using the back of my hand to wipe away the wine stains and blood on her face. “Natalie, who the fuck said anything about fighting? I’m just here to take you home tonight.” 3 Williams had already pulled out his phone from his pocket. “Mr. Stone, there’s trouble on the top floor. Thugs are causing a scene. Come up with people quickly!” He hung up and tilted his head to look at me, a smile on his lips. “Aria, you think bringing a few gang punks lets you run wild on my turf?” “Just wait.” In less than five minutes, a group of people filed in. Leading them was a man in his early fifties with slicked-back hair wearing a custom suit. The company’s Greater China Vice President, Derek Stone. Behind him followed two lawyers carrying briefcases, and over thirty uniformed corporate security guards wearing earpieces. Compared to this group, the dozen or so trusted subordinates I’d brought were clearly outmatched at a glance. After Derek Stone entered, he first scanned the mess all over the floor, then looked at the clients rolling on the ground clutching their hands, and snorted through his nose. Then he looked at me. “Just you?” He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his hands. “Young age, won’t go to school, bringing a bunch of thugs to a five-star hotel to vandalize and rob.” “Do you know what this is called? Home invasion robbery, gang fighting, intentional assault.” He turned his head and looked at the two legal counsels beside him. “Did you film it?” The legal counsel nodded, pointing at the camera on his chest. “Started filming as soon as we entered, Mr. Stone.” Derek Stone walked to the sofa and sat down, crossing his legs. His legal counsel opened the briefcase and pulled out a stack of A4 papers. “This is the training agreement and confidentiality clause Natalie signed when she joined.” The lawyer pushed up his glasses and handed the papers to me. “According to Article 7 of the agreement, during the training period, if Party B unilaterally breaches the contract and resigns, they must compensate Party A for training fees, client resource losses, trade secret disclosure and other comprehensive expenses…” “Fifty million.” Fifty million. Natalie could work her entire life and never earn that amount. The lawyer continued. “Additionally, tonight’s drinking session was a normal business entertainment activity arranged by the company. Miss Natalie voluntarily participated. Here is her personally signed activity consent form.” The lawyer sneered. “This young lady simply drank too much. We have the hotel’s full surveillance footage to prove it.” “However, you brought gang members to forcibly break into a private room, causing serious injury to two businessmen.” “I think I don’t need to tell you what the consequences are, do I?” That consent form signature was forced on Natalie. I saw through it—this was a setup they’d prepared. Williams came over again, straightening his wrinkled shirt collar, hands on his hips looking at me. “Aria, these are the rules of big companies. Poor people should obediently be toys. Who are you to play the hero saving the beauty? You’re an MC rider who can’t even come up with five thousand bucks, and you want to challenge our corporation?” Behind me, Natalie was trembling all over. She suddenly broke free from my hand and fell to her knees in front of Derek Stone with a thud. “Mr. Stone… please… let Aria go…” “I signed the agreement myself, it has nothing to do with her… I’ll go, I’ll go entertain the clients… please don’t pursue charges against her…” Watching her kneel on the ground begging those beasts, my eyes stung. I grabbed her arm and pulled her up, then backhanded a slap across her face. She froze. “Natalie, stand the fuck up straight. If you kneel to these scum one more time, I’ll cut ties with you immediately.” She bit her lip, tears falling in strings. Dense footsteps came from the hallway, getting closer. Military boots stepping on carpet made muffled sounds. Over a hundred elite security guards urgently deployed from the corporation’s local headquarters completely sealed off the entire top floor. The fire door at the stairwell was locked from inside, the elevator set to exit-only mode. The guys I brought were trapped in the hallway, surrounded front and back by masses of uniforms. No escape. 4 Derek Stone wasn’t in a hurry to make a move. He just sat on the sofa watching me. Muffled sounds came from the hallway—my guys being taken down by stun batons. Screams came one after another. In less than two minutes, the hallway went completely quiet. A security captain walked in, blood on his boots, and nodded at Derek Stone. “Mr. Stone, everyone outside has been subdued.” Derek Stone nodded with satisfaction. He stood up and slowly paced over to me. He sighed. “You think picking up a weapon and having a fight can solve problems?” “In this city, how much are fists worth?” “Capital, legal teams, media, networks—things you’ve never even heard of. Any one of them can crush you to dust.” After speaking, he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills, weighing them. Smack! Ten thousand dollars slapped hard across my face. The bills scattered and fell to the floor. Williams came over, squatted on the ground, slapping his knee and laughing. “Hahahaha, Mr. Stone is so generous!” Derek Stone looked down at me from above, his voice not loud. “Kneel down. Lick the spilled alcohol off the floor.” “Then have your best friend properly serve the two bosses.” He tilted his head slightly, looking at Natalie trembling in the corner, then his gaze returned. “Do that, and this matter is settled. You take your people and get lost. I’ll pretend tonight never happened.” He stepped forward, bent down, almost pressing against my ear. “Don’t do it. You two will disappear from this world tonight. The fifty million debt, I’ll hang it on your family’s heads.” “Your sick mom, your uncle who sells sausages from a cart—heh, you think they can handle it?” He straightened up and adjusted his cuffs. I didn’t speak. I lowered my head, looking at the hundred-dollar bills scattered at my feet. Natalie suddenly moved. While everyone was staring at me, she quietly bent down and picked up a triangular piece of glass from the broken table on the carpet. She pointed the glass shard at her own neck. She wasn’t crying anymore. “Aria… you go.” Her voice was very soft, very calm. “They won’t let you take me… just go… I’ll handle the penalty myself… don’t worry about me anymore…” The sharp point of the glass had already pierced her skin, a thin line of blood seeping out. I kicked the glass shard out of her hand. She froze. I crouched down and wiped the blood from her wrist with my sleeve. Then I stood up and turned around. At my feet were scattered bills. In front of me were the smug Derek Stone and the sleazy-smiling Williams. In the hallway, all my guys had been taken down. I took a breath. Then I burst out laughing. Derek Stone’s eyelid twitched, and he took half a step back. Williams’s smile froze on his face. Even those security guards instinctively gripped their stun batons tighter. I laughed enough, raised my hand, and wiped the tears of laughter from the corner of my eyes. Then I pulled out my phone. “Williams, oh Williams. You don’t really think I’m just a poor MC rider, do you?”

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