Category: English

My best friend Thea went missing during an undercover operation abroad. I submitted a request to the organization to go in as her backup. When I found her, she was being tortured at a reservoir, barely recognizable. But thankfully, she hadn’t cracked—hadn’t exposed her identity. She’d survived. Over the next few years, the two of us became mistresses to two leaders of the criminal organization. We coordinated seamlessly, working our way closer to the core. Finally, on Thea’s 29th birthday, we took them all down and completed the mission! Looking at the ticket home in my hands, I broke down crying right there, unable to control myself. “Thea, this nightmare is finally over. We can go home!” I was about to take out the birthday present I’d prepared for her when Thea suddenly sighed. “Yeah, we haven’t been back in so long. I wonder if that persimmon tree at home is still there.” Her expression was wistful, but I stared at her in shock, my heart suddenly gripped with fear. Both our parents had been killed by drug dealers. Before we even entered the police academy, we knew we’d one day have to face these criminals head-on. Thea had pointed at that persimmon tree and made a pact with me: “Our parents’ ashes are buried beneath it. It’s not a persimmon tree—it’s a Tree of Vengeance. If one of us ever gets compromised, we’ll find a way to send out the code word ‘persimmon tree.’” “It means: I’ve been exposed. Don’t believe a single word I say.” Now, when she was clearly safe, she’d just said those words right in front of me. She absolutely wasn’t my Thea! So where was my real Thea? Who was this person I’d been working with undercover for years, licking blood off knife-edges, fighting with nothing but conviction and our lives on the line?

Sensing something was wrong, Thea tensed up and grabbed both my arms. “What’s wrong, Hernandez?” “Has all the stress been too much? Is that old condition you recovered from flaring up again?” Seeing the genuine concern in her eyes, I relaxed slightly. My parents and Thea’s parents had been colleagues. Years ago, during a mission, they were brutally murdered by drug dealers. After that, I couldn’t sleep for years and developed severe mental illness. Fortunately, I still had Thea to rely on. With her help, I gradually recovered. Only Thea knew about this. And I’d already carved Thea’s appearance into my mind. The person before me looked identical to my Thea—even the beauty mark by her mouth was exactly the same shape. I figured she must have been so excited about completing the mission that she’d momentarily forgotten our pact. I tested her carefully. “I’m fine. It’s just when you suddenly mentioned that tree at home, I felt guilty.” “During the time you were missing, someone broke into our house for revenge and set it on fire. I was too busy preparing for my undercover work and didn’t notice in time. That tree burned down.” Her eyes went wide. “Burned down? But our parents’ ashes were buried under that tree! Hernandez, did you at least save the ashes?” The matter of the ashes was even more private. Besides Thea and me, not a single other person in the world knew about it. I finally felt completely reassured. I was about to admit I’d been testing her when Thea rubbed her reddened eyes. “I’ll never get to eat the fruit from that persimmon tree again.” “But Hernandez, don’t feel guilty. We destroyed the drug trafficking syndicate and avenged our parents. Their spirits will only feel comforted.” The next second, the words I was about to speak lodged in my throat like a stone! She’d said “persimmon tree” again! If she’d simply forgotten our pact earlier, surely she’d have remembered by now. This was a pact she herself had spoken on the day before we entered the police academy. She’d called the persimmon tree the Tree of Vengeance to remind herself never to forget the hatred of our parents’ murder. No matter how hard, how difficult, how frightening—she had to stay firm in her conviction to fight the drug dealers. We’d branded the “Tree of Vengeance” into our very souls! “Yeah, Thea, they’ll definitely be comforted.” “We got our revenge and completed the mission. That’s the best birthday present for you.” I calmly stepped back from her and took out the gift I’d prepared—a snow globe with six cartoon figures inside, four adults and two children, depicting a scene from my childhood memories of our two families having dinner together. Then suddenly, I “accidentally” dropped the gift on the ground. It shattered. “Oh—” I cried out, “Sorry, Thea! I’ll get you another one!” She said it was fine, told me to just get her a replacement after we got home. I insisted on staying to replace it, saying it would already be the next day by the time we landed. I needed to find her on Thea’s actual birthday, whether she was dead or alive.

The custom snow globe would take time to make, so Thea took me to an arcade. She knew what I liked to do to relax, and even knew which games I was good at and which characters I preferred. She bought me ice cream, thoughtfully removing the chocolate coating just like she used to, then gathering the crumbs together and eating them all at once with her eyes closed in bliss. Aside from the “persimmon tree,” I couldn’t detect anything unusual about her. “Hernandez, the last time I celebrated my birthday with you was five years ago, wasn’t it?” During dinner, before I could even probe, Thea brought up the past on her own. “I secretly applied for the undercover operation without telling you. When you found out, you knocked the cake over and cried and yelled at me.” “Do you remember? I stayed up all night trying to comfort you.” She looked at me with a smile, her eyes full of reminiscence. I remembered. We’d agreed that I would be the one to go undercover. Thea had agreed verbally, but then behind my back she’d fought for the assignment. She’d wanted to sacrifice herself to protect me. In front of me, she was always the image of a strong, optimistic, responsible big sister. But was that real Thea still there? Was she still alive? I dug my nails into my palm and went along with her words. “Of course I remember. We’re police officers, but you coaxed me like I was a child.” “I was so frantic I wanted to call Director Alexander and beg him to give me the mission instead. What did you do?” She laughed even harder. “I confiscated your phone and locked you in your room. By the time you got out, I was already on the plane heading abroad.” I wanted to laugh along with her, but I couldn’t make myself do it. Director Alexander and several colleagues knew that I’d cried and yelled at Thea on her birthday. But her locking me in the room afterward—that was something she absolutely couldn’t have told anyone else. Yet she’d recounted it with perfect clarity, down to every detail. How did she know all this so clearly? In the silence, Thea suddenly stood up and called out softly: “Before, you were so focused on the mission that I could overlook you not paying attention to your appearance. But now the mission’s complete and you need to think about your future. How can you still be so careless?” As she spoke, Thea pulled out a tissue and wiped away food residue from my mouth. She gently brushed a few strands of my hair behind my ear. Her reproachful tone, the gentle tickle of her fingers brushing my skin—it was all so familiar, so long-missed. It made me doubt myself again. Was I just being paranoid? Just then, the final dessert arrived at our table—persimmon cake. I’d ordered it on purpose. I stared intently at her reaction. I saw her freeze for a moment, then suddenly her eyes reddened. “My parents’ favorite fruit was persimmon.” “Hernandez, if that persimmon tree at home were still there, do you think in the afterlife they could eat the persimmons that fall to the ground?” The warmth I’d been feeling instantly vanished. I snapped back to clarity. She’d mentioned the persimmon tree again. She absolutely couldn’t be the real Thea! I wanted to restrain her immediately, contact my colleagues who were still in the country wrapping things up, and force her to reveal her true identity! But I didn’t dare. If my real Thea was still alive, I was afraid that alerting them would get her killed. I could only force out a smile and stabilize the situation first, then find a way to discover Thea’s whereabouts.

But I couldn’t figure out when she’d started impersonating Thea. Three years ago, Thea went missing. Of the four undercover agents the organization had planted in the drug trafficking syndicate, all died except Thea. At that time, everyone thought Thea must have met with disaster too. Without hesitation, I applied to become the new undercover agent. Three months later, following the organization’s arrangements, I connected with one of the leaders and made contact with the criminal organization. That’s when I saw Thea. She was tied up in a water dungeon. You could tell it was her, but her body was rotting beyond recognition. The leader smiled and told me, “We probably made a mistake. The boss suspected she was a cop, but no cop could last six months with us without talking.” Besides fear, I didn’t dare show any other emotion. In that brief glance, our eyes met for just a moment. She was in terrible pain, but her eyes were bright and resilient. She mouthed the words: “Tree of Vengeance.” In that instant, I nearly broke down in tears. She’d withstood torture we thought no one could endure. I was certain that Thea at that time was still Thea. Later she was released. One of the leaders was a pervert who liked Thea’s scars and kept her by his side. The two of us exchanged information through our unspoken understanding and formulated plans. Not only did she never betray me, she saved my life several times. So the Thea during that period should have been the real Thea too, right? When exactly did she get replaced? I wracked my brain but couldn’t find any leads. “Hernandez, your custom snow globe should be ready soon.” “Let’s book the earliest flight and go home as soon as we pick it up.” The Thea before me suggested going home again, and this time I had no reason to delay. I could only make an excuse about having a stomachache, asking her to wait while I went to the bathroom alone. Then I had my colleagues send me all the communication records between Thea and me during our undercover operation. We’d pretended not to know each other. All our communications used coded symbols, exchanging information under a safe, inconspicuous tree. Now all this information had been preserved. I needed to read it word by word, looking for any trace of inconsistency in phrasing or other details to determine when Thea had been replaced. But I read through it again and again—the Thea outside was getting impatient—and I found nothing unusual. “Hernandez, if your stomach really hurts that bad, I’m going to get you medicine!” “If we delay any longer, we’ll miss tonight’s flight.” Her urging voice came again. A chill ran through me as I suddenly realized an overlooked problem. What was the point of her impersonating Thea?

If she was an imposter who wanted to know about my past with Thea and all those details, she would have to control Thea and extract that information from her. But if she’d already controlled Thea, why would she let the entire criminal organization get taken down? And now, instead of running away, she was actively returning to the country. The security situation there would be exponentially more dangerous for her! “Hey! Do you really not need help? Don’t be like Neves and pass out from dehydration in the bathroom!” She knocked on the door anxiously, sounding worried I might have an accident. I quickly called back, “Almost done.” In that moment, my doubts deepened. If she was an imposter trying to fool me, knowing some things about my past would be enough. Why would she also remember something as trivial as our colleague Neves fainting in the bathroom six years ago? Even under torture, no one would ask about something like that. And besides, Thea could withstand torture. Her conviction would never allow her to bow to drug dealers! I walked out with my doubts. She immediately hugged me and checked my body. I couldn’t detect even a hint of false pretense. Could it be that the long-term pressure and mental torment had caused Thea to forget the “persimmon tree” pact? I couldn’t find any other explanation. This was the only possibility. “Thea, let’s go to the hospital.” “My stomach really hurts—” Before I could finish, Thea scooped me up in her arms. “Waiter, where’s the nearest hospital?” She urgently carried me to a taxi, her eyes red as she said I’d lost weight, that five years ago when I was shot during a drug bust and she rushed me to the hospital, I’d weighed much more than now. I closed my eyes and forced the tears back, unable to say another word. I was starting to believe she really was Thea. I went to the hospital to buy time so my colleagues could take her hair for a DNA test. If she was the real Thea, we’d go home. If she was fake, we’d restrain and interrogate her immediately. Even if it meant alerting them, I had no choice. She was performing perfectly—I couldn’t find a single flaw, and I had no way to discover Thea’s whereabouts. I successfully obtained strands of her hair and passed them to my colleague. The 20 hours waiting for results felt like years, leaving me on edge. “Thea checks out. DNA test results are normal…” The moment I received my colleague’s message, I couldn’t control myself and rushed over to hug Thea tightly. “My symptoms are much better, Thea. Let’s go home!” “Let’s go home!” She was happy too and immediately took out her phone to book tickets. On the way to the airport, we excitedly planned where to go after returning home, deciding to visit all the places we’d wanted to go but couldn’t afford before. This joy felt like going from hell to heaven in an instant. Thea being safe meant everything to me! “Oh, right—” When we reached the airport, Thea seemed to suddenly remember something. “We don’t have any savings, and the bureau’s bonus still needs approval. We don’t really have money to travel everywhere, do we?” “Why don’t we dig up the assets our parents left us first? We agreed that once we avenged them, we could use that money.” My steps suddenly stopped. “What assets?” Thea smiled naturally. “What other assets could there be? Have you forgotten? The ones we buried under the Tree of Vengeance!”

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The night before the school’s coming-of-age ceremony, my girlfriend Rachel brought the class’s scholarship student to find me, immediately demanding that I give my custom-made suit to the scholarship student. She said, “Ulysses comes from a poor family and can’t afford a suit, and you don’t lack one piece of clothing. Oh, and the shoes and watch—you need to give those too.” I laughed in anger. “Just because he’s poor, I have to support him? So when he gets married and has kids, do I have to help with that too?” Ulysses’ face darkened. Rachel flew into a rage, insisting I must have the clothes, watch, and shoes ready by tomorrow, or she’d cancel our engagement. I fell silent, then turned to call my grandfather. The engagement needed to be cancelled, but I would be the one to cancel it first. “You want to cancel the engagement? Why?” Grandfather asked me. “Because we’re not compatible. Rachel and I grew up together, and I thought I understood her well, but I’ve recently discovered I don’t know her as much as I thought.” Grandfather on the other end of the line was silent for a moment, then said, “Alright, let’s arrange a time for both families to have dinner together and clarify the matter of dissolving the engagement.” I agreed and walked into the classroom to study. After evening self-study ended, many classmates were clamoring that tomorrow’s coming-of-age ceremony called for celebrating hard at a bar tonight. The teacher didn’t stop them either! “You all go ahead. Ulysses is in a bad mood, so I’ll keep him company.” My childhood friend Rachel’s single sentence dropped the classroom’s lively atmosphere to freezing point. Everyone looked at me, including the teacher. They all knew Rachel and I had grown up together and were engaged. I looked at Rachel, my eyes involuntarily stinging. Twenty years—she had left an indelible mark on my heart, yet in hers, I apparently couldn’t even compare to Ulysses, whom she’d only known for a year. “Rachel, the atmosphere is so good, don’t be a buzzkill,” a classmate tried to persuade. “And Emmanuel…” “Don’t mention him!” Rachel’s face suddenly turned cold. “If he hadn’t deliberately humiliated Ulysses just now, Ulysses wouldn’t be in a bad mood.” With those words, the few classmates who wanted to speak up didn’t dare say anything more. Ulysses looked at me provocatively and patted Rachel’s hand. “Rachel, you go ahead. I’ll be fine.” After speaking, he deliberately put on a dejected expression. Rachel immediately hugged his arm with heartache. “Don’t say anymore. I’ll stay with you all night.” Hearing this, my face changed drastically. Stay with Ulysses—for the whole night! At this moment, I felt both heartbroken and furious. I wanted to loudly question Rachel about whether she still remembered I was her fiancé, bound to her by engagement. Seeing my poor expression, the surrounding classmates quickly tried to smooth things over. “Rachel’s just joking. How could she stay with Ulysses all night?” “Yeah, everyone in the whole school knows Rachel and you grew up together and are engaged. We’re all waiting to attend your wedding.” “I’ll definitely give you a big gift when the time comes.” Rachel said coolly, “Sorry to disappoint everyone. Our wedding may not happen.” After speaking, she walked away with Ulysses’ arm in hers. After two steps, she turned back to me. “I’ve given you a chance. Whether you can seize it is up to you.” I smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ve already made my decision.” Twenty years, and we’d finally become strangers. “That’s too much.” Classmates expressed their indignation on my behalf. “Yeah, she’s engaged to you. How can she say she’ll stay with Ulysses all night?”

“I’ll go pull her back.” I stopped the classmate who wanted to chase after them and smiled. “Forget it.” There’s a saying—people who don’t love you can’t see your existence. If that’s the case, why should I care? “Let’s go. Today’s on me!” At the bar, the atmosphere was lively. Because Ulysses wasn’t there. During previous class group activities, no one had looked down on him for being a scholarship student. They’d taken him everywhere, but he always said inappropriate things. “A plate of fruit costs a hundred dollars? So expensive. You’re all so rich.” “I’m not rich like you guys to buy gifts, so I can only give verbal blessings. Happy birthday.” “My family is poor. I really envy how you throw away clothes when they get a hole in them.” He always disguised himself as the victim, as if we were flaunting our wealth in front of him. Whenever this happened, Rachel would always stand up to defend him. “What are you thinking about? Sing a song and vent all the frustration you’ve been holding inside.” A classmate shoved a microphone into my hand, got up, and ran to select “Endless Love.” This used to be my favorite song, but not anymore. “Change it. ‘Lonely Boy.’” The classmate paused, then silently changed the song. As soon as the intro started, the private room door was flung open. Rachel walked in with Ulysses. Instantly, the lively atmosphere in the room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Rachel acted as if she hadn’t noticed, speaking to herself. “Ulysses persuaded me. I thought about it and realized he was right—I really should come. Plus, I think it’s necessary to let you all see him completely transformed.” Rachel smiled broadly. “So, how is it? Isn’t he handsome?” The room remained silent. I looked at Ulysses, dressed in a full suit, wearing a tie, dress pants, and leather shoes, and was the first to applaud. “He really is handsome!” “At least you have good taste!” Rachel was very satisfied with my perceptiveness. “Actually, Ulysses is very handsome. He just didn’t have money to dress up before. Now looking at him, he’s no worse than any of you.” I smiled. Handsome? Although dressed in designer brands, he looked awkward no matter how you looked at him! People with dark hearts can’t project refinement no matter how they dress. Rachel calling him handsome was just beauty in the eye of the beholder. Rachel scanned Ulysses up and down, touching her chin. “Seems like something’s still missing.” She turned to look at me. “Emmanuel, take off your watch and give it to Ulysses. I won’t ask you to give him clothes—just give him a watch. You can’t object to that, right?” I paused and looked down at my wrist. The watch was old, but I’d always worn it and carefully maintained it. Because it was a gift from Rachel’s father. When Rachel’s father had put it on my wrist, he’d said, “This is the Wilson family’s heirloom token. Now I’m entrusting it to you. From now on, Rachel and the Wilson family are in your hands.” After a long silence, I spoke in a hoarse voice. “Are you sure?” “What’s there to be unsure about? It’s just a watch. Or are you saying you can’t even bear to part with a watch?” Rachel’s tone was dissatisfied. She walked over and forcefully removed the watch. The process was rough. I wanted to stop her several times but held back. “Uncle Peter, don’t blame me. This is Rachel’s decision. She thinks Ulysses deserves this watch more than I do.” Looking at Rachel’s face, I thought silently to myself. Rachel hadn’t expected me to remain silent the entire time. She successfully removed the watch and nodded with satisfaction. “Emmanuel, you’ve finally grown up.” With that, she turned and walked back to Ulysses, gently putting the watch on him with a tender expression, being extremely careful as if afraid of hurting Ulysses even slightly.

My heart stabbed with pain, but I forced myself not to look away and continued watching. Because I needed to learn not to care. After putting on the watch, Rachel happily pulled Ulysses to sing. The two interacted frequently. When singing love songs, they made eye contact, their gazes filled with affection. They sat closer and closer. Ulysses’ hand brazenly wrapped around Rachel’s waist, and he turned to give me a provocative and triumphant look. I remained expressionless and downed a large glass of beer. The party continued until eleven o’clock. Rachel had drunk too much and was squinting, leaning against Ulysses, her arms around his neck, asking him to take her home. Ulysses looked at me with a smile on his lips. “Emmanuel, why don’t you take Rachel home instead?” Before I could speak, Rachel waved her right hand drunkenly. “No, I hate him today. I don’t want him to take me home.” “I want to go to your place. I promised to stay with you all night.” “This…” Ulysses feigned panic and quickly said to me, “Emmanuel, Rachel’s drunk. She’s talking nonsense. Please don’t take it to heart.” I said indifferently, “Since she hates me and insists on staying with you, I’ll leave her to you. Whether you take her home or bring her to your place—whatever you want.” With that, I left without looking back, my eyes already red. On the way home, scenes with Rachel flashed through my mind like a slideshow. We’d grown up together. My world was full of her. From kindergarten to college, I’d always protected her, not letting her suffer any harm. When she was bullied and made to cry by older students in elementary school, I went with red eyes to confront them and even got into a fight. In the end, she received an apology, and although I was bruised and battered, I smiled happily. For her birthday every year, I’d ask my parents to buy all the fireworks in the city and the front page of all the newspapers that day to celebrate for her. When I was sixteen, our families discussed our marriage and established the engagement. I was so happy I didn’t sleep all night. I thought I could walk through life with her like this, grow old together. But everything changed after meeting Ulysses. She stopped acting cute with me. Instead, there was more scolding and shouting. I endured it again and again, for no other reason than because I loved her. But did she love me? Before today, I was certain of the answer—she loved me too. But I discovered I was wrong. She didn’t love me that much. Twenty years of feelings—could they really not compare to three years? The facts proved they couldn’t. The next day, I saw Rachel at the classroom door. Her face was somewhat pale, and she seemed unsteady on her feet. Ulysses beside her was carefully supporting her. I paused, then walked past as if nothing had happened. Rachel stopped me. I said coolly, “What is it?” Rachel didn’t dare look at me, keeping her head down. “Um, last night Ulysses took me home. I was so drunk that I fell asleep as soon as I got there and forgot to call you to let you know I was safe.” “Oh!” I nodded. “Anything else?” As if she hadn’t expected such a calm reaction from me, Rachel frowned. “Don’t you believe me?” “No, I just didn’t sleep well last night and I’m a bit tired.” “Take care of yourself. You can’t drink that much like you did last night.” Rachel reminded me, then hesitated before gently hugging me. “Yesterday was my fault. I shouldn’t have yelled at you or said those things to deliberately make you angry. I apologize.” “Oh, and I have a surprise for you at today’s coming-of-age ceremony.” I smiled. “What a coincidence. I also have a surprise for you.” “Really?” Rachel’s eyes lit up. “We really are in sync, thinking the same thing.”

I smiled and walked toward the classroom. Just before entering, I instinctively looked back to see Ulysses with an ugly expression while Rachel hugged his arm, constantly acting cute. Ha! I sneered and walked into the classroom without looking back. The coming-of-age ceremony started on time. All the students’ parents came. Naturally, my family and Rachel’s family came too. The students went on stage one by one, saying words of gratitude to their parents. When it was Rachel’s turn, she thanked her parents as usual, then knelt on one knee facing me, holding a ring in her hand, and loudly said: “Emmanuel, will you marry me?” The whole venue was shocked! Her parents smiled happily. My parents were also smiling. Only Grandfather Andre remained expressionless. I looked at Ulysses again. He was also smiling broadly, extending his middle finger toward me, his eyes provocative. I smiled and, under everyone’s gaze, walked onto the stage step by step. Rachel looked at me expectantly. I was silent for a moment, then reached out to grab the ring from her hand, turned, and threw it forcefully at Ulysses. Then I loudly said: “I won’t marry Rachel, because she and Ulysses are the real pair. Let’s give them our blessings.” After speaking, I was the first to clap. I turned back to look at Rachel, still kneeling on the ground, and said softly: “Surprise. Do you like it?” The whole venue fell into deathly silence. Her parents’ smiles froze on their faces. My parents looked at me in shock. Grandfather gripped his cane tightly. Rachel’s face first went pale, then flushed red. She stood up abruptly and shouted angrily, “Emmanuel, are you crazy?” “I’m not crazy. I just did something you wanted to do but didn’t dare to.” I looked at Rachel, my eyes calm. I used to think I could never leave her, but only after truly letting go did I realize— There’s never been anyone who truly can’t live without someone else. Everyone has parents, friends, and family. We never live for just one person. “What nonsense are you talking about!” Rachel trembled with anger, pointing at me, her eyes brimming with tears. “I abandoned a woman’s modesty and proposed to you in front of the entire school, and this is how you humiliate me in return.” “Emmanuel, how can you face me? How can you face our twenty years together? How can you face my parents?” By the end, she pointed sharply at her parents below the stage, tears falling like broken kite strings. “Dad, Mom, I’ve embarrassed you.” “Rachel!” Rachel’s mother Russell let out a shrill scream and rushed to the stage to hug Rachel. Rachel’s father Peter’s face was iron-blue as he angrily questioned my parents. “This is your good son?” My parents opened their mouths but couldn’t say a word in rebuttal. I spoke, my voice flat. “Uncle Peter, don’t make things difficult for my parents. They don’t know anything.” “Then it’s you!” Russell held Rachel tightly, turning to look at me. The kindness that used to be in her eyes had completely turned to fury. “What has Rachel done to wrong you that you would subject her to such humiliation?” “The engagement was made by both our families together. If you’ve had a change of heart and fallen for someone else, the families could sit down together and cancel the engagement amicably.” “You and Rachel have twenty years of history together. Is this how you treat her? Humiliating her in front of the entire school?” “She’s a girl! Do you want her to die?” The surrounding classmates who didn’t know the truth also pointed fingers at me. “That’s too much.” “Yeah, if you’ve had a change of heart and want to break the engagement, you can talk about it properly. How can you use such an extreme method?” “Rachel is so pitiful to have fallen for someone like this.”

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When I broke up with Pathseekers Pack Alpha Soren, he clutched the test report and asked me why I faked a pregnancy, then pressed a lit cigarette against my heart. “How dare you lie to me?” Soren severed our mate bond. My stepfather’s family disowned me. I lost my job and my face was scarred. The day I left Pathseekers Pack, Soren got engaged to my stepsister, Fiona. I clutched my stomach and slunk away from their world like a rat in a gutter, disappearing completely. When I saw Soren again four years later, he pointed at the child in my arms, his eyes certain: “This is my child, isn’t it?” I saw Soren again late at night in a hospital. I held my daughter Jenny in my arms. She’d long grown accustomed to IVs and injections, staying quiet the entire time. When she saw Soren, she remained quiet too, only tugging at my dozing self in confusion. I opened my eyes and suddenly locked gazes with the man’s cold blue-gray eyes. Memories from the past came flooding back. My heart stopped. I stiffly got up, preparing to run, then belatedly remembered Jenny was still on an IV. Just as my hand touched the IV bottle, Soren pressed down hard to stop me. “Long time no see, Ella.” “Is this your daughter?” A few light words, yet my legs began trembling uncontrollably. Jenny tilted her head and asked who he was. He smiled coldly, enunciating each word. “An old acquaintance of your mother’s.” More than just an old acquaintance. Five years together. One hundred and eighty days and nights of desperate passion. And that once-tightly-connected mate bond. Unfortunately, these numbers that weighed so heavily on me were nothing but garbage carelessly tossed aside by this high-and-mighty Alpha. I kept my head down, my face pale. During the silence, Soren’s friend walked over. At first he didn’t see clearly, and joked while pointing at Jenny. “Soren, just a minor injury and your wife and daughter both came to see you!” Not long after I left Soren years ago, I saw news online that Fiona was pregnant. I hadn’t expected she’d also given birth to a daughter. Fiona was the daughter of Ashclaw Pack Alpha Jack. After her mother died, Jack met my mother, Omega Sylvie. Sylvie was Jack’s second chance mate. Before long, they got married, and I went from being an Omega’s daughter to an Alpha’s stepdaughter overnight. After Soren severed our mate bond, both Jack and Sylvie announced they were cutting ties with me. I was knocked back to my original form in an instant. Taking two steps closer, the man saw my face clearly and called out in surprise. “You’re Ella, right? You’re still alive?” His surprised, sarcastic words stabbed like a knife into my barely-healed heart. I instinctively covered Jenny’s ears to prevent her from hearing anything worse. “Back then you forged a pregnancy report and made Soren’s father so angry he died. How dare you show your face in front of Soren now?” “You must be out of money, right? That figures. A woman like you can only rely on men for cash, can’t you?” “This scrawny little girl is your daughter? Don’t tell me you’re trying to claim she’s Soren’s daughter!” I’d long been numb, but hearing that last sentence, I looked up in shock. “No, she has nothing to do with Alpha Soren!” Both men paused. A moment later, Soren pushed his friend aside and approached me, his Alpha aura as oppressive as ever. “How old is the child?” “She’s three!” I blurted out almost reflexively. He stepped closer. “Show me her ID card.” I stepped back, forcing a slight smile. “The ID card is at home. I forgot it.” Just as he was about to speak, I interrupted. “It’s so late. You should head home so Fiona doesn’t worry.” At the mention of Fiona, he fell uncharacteristically silent. A bitter smile crossed my heart. Four years ago, humble as dirt, I’d questioned Soren about why he didn’t believe me, why he was getting engaged to Fiona. He’d gripped my throat, his eyes filled with disgust, ice cold. “She’s different from you. She’s pure. She doesn’t lie.” “And I love her.” I was his destined mate. We’d been together for five years. When he confirmed our relationship, he said he’d love me forever. But after my mother remarried and he met Fiona, he became madly infatuated with her. The vows he’d made to me vanished in an instant. He said he’d fallen in love with Fiona and wanted to give her a home. I’d always thought this love wouldn’t last long. Looking at it now, I’d been too naive. Taking advantage of his distraction, I decisively removed the IV bottle, scooped up Jenny, and ran without looking back. The man behind me said something faintly. I didn’t hear it clearly. I didn’t care.

I didn’t stop until I’d run out of the hospital, my heart pounding wildly. Jenny touched my haggard face, puzzled. “Mommy, why did you lie to that man?” I kissed her plump little cheek. “Mommy was protecting you.” Protecting you from being taken away. But Soren now had a wife and daughter. How could he possibly try to take my Jenny? Even so, I still took Jenny to a small clinic instead. By the time we got home, it was already two in the morning. I couldn’t sleep. I opened Fiona’s social media. Every day she showed off her wealthy lifestyle and her precious daughter. The comments were full of people praising her gentle beauty. Hard to imagine this same woman had personally used a knife to slash my face. Even now, no matter how hot it got, I didn’t dare lift my thick bangs to expose the ugly scar on my forehead. I only requested half a day off for Jenny. In the afternoon, I took her to preschool. On my way home, a luxury car brazenly blocked my path. The window rolled down and an elegant woman poked her head out. “Ella!” I froze in place, meeting my mother Sylvie’s gaze. She looked younger than she had years ago. If we walked together, people would probably mistake us for sisters. I abandoned my electric scooter and quickly walked away. She opened the car door and chased after me in her sheepskin heels. “Ella! Please turn around and look at me!” Perhaps she was running too fast—her voice carried a hint of choking. I didn’t understand why she was chasing me. Years ago, to gain Fiona’s approval as a stepdaughter, she’d personally forged my pregnancy report, leading Soren to believe I was deceiving him and to sever our mate bond. Back then, her scarlet nails had poked red marks all over my face. “You’ve only survived this long because of me. What right do you have to criticize me? If I’d known you’d grow up to block my path to wealth, I should have strangled you at birth!” After Soren threw me out of his house, Sylvie announced in front of everyone that I wasn’t her daughter. Lost in these memories, the driver suddenly braked at Sylvie’s signal, blocking my path. I stumbled and fell to the ground. Sylvie reached out to help me up. “Ella, I just want to see you.” I violently shook off her hand, my smile mocking. “See me for what? To see if I’m dead yet? Or to see if I’m still stealing Fiona’s man?” “Don’t worry. I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t disturb Soren and Fiona’s life. I’ll stay far away from them and your wealthy lifestyle!” Sylvie seemed hurt by my words, her eyes reddening slightly. “Ella, I didn’t mean it like that.” Her gaze fell on my custom phone case—a photo of Jenny and me together. She abruptly changed the subject. “That child from back then…” At those words, my confidence vanished without a trace. I said frantically, “What child? That child died the night Soren and I severed our mate bond…” I desperately hid the phone case behind my back. The cold temperature of the ground made me recall that night four years ago, after Soren severed our mate bond. That day, after he severed our bond, I was thrown out of Soren’s house. I endured tremendous pain, walking step by step. Finally, passing through an alley, I couldn’t hold on anymore. My whole body felt torn apart as I collapsed in a pool of blood. The life inside my belly teetered on the edge in that instant. I curled up in the dark alley, thinking I would miscarry, thinking my child would die. A passing witch saved me. She took pity on me, treated me, and helped me keep the child. Now Jenny was my everything. I didn’t want to experience almost losing her again, so I desperately insisted. “That child really is dead!” “I really don’t love Soren anymore, and I won’t go back to seduce him!” “You know how painful severing a mate bond is! In that situation I definitely would have miscarried. How could the child possibly still be alive!” The next second, she suddenly hugged me. “Ella, don’t be like this…” I froze for a moment, then struggled frantically. She fell to the ground. I went around the car and fled desperately. I hadn’t run far when I fell hard to the ground. Then I got up and kept running. When I got home, I immediately packed up important documents and money. Running into Soren last night, then Sylvie today. This absolutely couldn’t be a coincidence! I called the company I’d worked at for two years to resign, then called my landlord to terminate the lease. After buying train tickets, it was almost time to pick up Jenny from school. I went to get her and process her withdrawal. I planned to take her away from here and never return. However, when I reached the preschool entrance, Jenny’s teacher looked surprised. “Didn’t Jenny’s father already pick her up? Sorry, I saw Jenny looked quite similar to that man…”

A man who looked very similar to Jenny—the first person who came to mind was Soren. After four years, I removed Soren from my blocked list. As soon as the call connected, the man laughed softly. “I thought you’d be willing to go your whole life without contacting me.” I stood in the cold wind, gripping my phone tightly. “Where’s the child?” As I spoke, Jenny’s innocent laughter came through the phone. Soren’s voice was like a snake’s tongue. “Ella, is the child mine or not?” I still didn’t hesitate at all. “No, Soren. Give me back my child.” He scoffed. “It doesn’t matter if you won’t admit it. I can do a paternity test. You remember what happened when you lied to me.” Yes. Four years ago he said I lied to him, so he severed our mate bond. I nearly miscarried. My child almost died. I still often dreamed about that night. Those dreams seemed to mock me for loving a man I shouldn’t have loved. Thinking of this, I crouched on the ground in pain, supporting my swelling eyes. Soren decisively hung up. After a moment to recover, I got up and rushed to his house. After four years, I set foot in his home again, memories surging through my mind. I remembered the first time I moved in, shaking Soren’s hand and asking him what would happen if someone tried to throw me out. His smile had been gentle, brooking no argument. “You’re my woman. Who would dare touch you?” Later, he was the one who ordered people to strip off all the clothes he’d bought me and throw me out of his house. Heavy snow fell. I walked through it, my whole body purple, tears frozen on my face. He stood on the second floor, looking down at me as I struggled step by step through his front gate. To this day, photos of me naked still circulated online. The comments either cursed me as getting what I deserved or assumed I was already dead, having gone to apologize to Soren’s father. I entered Soren’s gate, head down as I walked the path to the villa, past humiliations flooding my heart. I didn’t notice that the roses I once loved still bloomed vigorously in the garden. Soren was already waiting in the living room. He wore a black suit, as if everything had been premeditated. I stood far away, restraining my anger. “Where’s the child?” “She got tired playing. She’s sleeping upstairs.” Hearing this, I immediately ran upward. Soren was quick, grabbing my hand and pulling me into his embrace. The familiar scent of cedar invaded my senses, making my hair stand on end. “What’s the rush? We haven’t settled our accounts yet.” I thought he meant the incident years ago when I supposedly stole the gemstone necklace left by Fiona’s late mother. But I’d never even touched that necklace. No one believed me. In the end, Jack threw me out of Ashclaw Pack. Before I left Jack’s house, I kept insisting I hadn’t stolen the necklace. However, these past years had long since worn away my pride. I pushed Soren away and fell to my knees with a thud. “Soren, I know I was wrong about what happened back then. I’ve paid the price. If you still think it’s not enough, I can kneel and apologize to Fiona too. Just please give me back my child.” My humility didn’t earn the man’s pity. He furrowed his brow, his tone icy. “Get up.” I didn’t move, speaking again with sincerity. “Soren, you can humiliate me however you want, as long as you give me back my child.” Soren laughed bitterly, crouching down to look me in the eye. “Your child? You and whose child?” I froze for a moment, then answered decisively. “My ex-husband’s.” Afraid he wouldn’t believe me, I pulled out a marriage certificate to show him. “Soren, I’m not lying. I really got married. The child is mine and my ex-husband’s!” I really was married, though it was a fake marriage. However, the man only glanced at the certificate before snatching it and tearing it to shreds, then yanking me to my feet. “Ella, can’t you see how much this child looks like me?” I didn’t dare look at him, struggling to go upstairs to find Jenny. He grabbed me around the waist, threw me onto the sofa, pinned my hands behind my back and pressed down, his gaze sinister. “I’ll ask you one last time. Whose child is it?” My eyes widened. I could barely breathe. In a trance, I thought again of the gunshot Soren fired at me after his father died. That bone-chilling terror struck again. My tears burst forth uncontrollably. “Soren, I’m begging you to let me go! I really can’t die. Jenny is still so young! She can’t lose me!” “She really isn’t your daughter! If it makes you happy, you can do anything to me, just leave me alive, just don’t take Jenny away!!” He wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes, frowning. “When did I say I was taking Jenny away?” I froze. Suddenly Fiona’s social media flashed through my mind. Her daughter, like her, had congenital heart disease… Could Soren want to take Jenny’s heart for Fiona’s daughter?!

I began struggling violently, screaming with everything I had. Soren had to press down harder on my hands. He didn’t control his strength well—crack. The clear sound of my shoulder dislocating rang out. I gasped, tears soaking the sofa beneath me. Only then did the man release me, but he didn’t immediately set it back in place. He looked down at me. “After all these years, you still like making things harder on yourself.” He bent down, brushing aside my wet hair to reveal that scar, his eyes half-closed. “If you were pregnant, why didn’t you tell me back then? After you gave birth to this child, why didn’t you come find me?” Back then, I kept telling him the truth, begging him to believe me. I told him I really was pregnant, that his father’s death had nothing to do with me. But he’d rather believe Fiona, whom he’d known less than a year, than me, who’d been with him for five years. I avoided his hand, my face full of sarcasm. “Soren, Jenny really isn’t your daughter.” “And wasn’t it you who said I should get as far away as possible? Why are you appearing in front of me again?!” The man fell silent. To me, this silence was more like an admission that he was hiding some scheme. The commotion downstairs finally woke Jenny upstairs. When she saw me covered in tears, pinned on the sofa by Soren, she ran barefoot down the stairs. “Mommy! Let go of my mommy! Bad man, you big bad man!” She cried and shouted while pounding on Soren. The butler appeared in time, pulling her sobbing form aside. Soren looked at Jenny, then at me, amused. “Call me daddy, and I’ll let your mommy go.” Jenny had already labeled him a bad guy. She shouted, “You’re not my daddy!! I have a daddy! My daddy isn’t a big bad man like you!” My heart ached. Ignoring my dislocated arm, I struggled hard, cursing. “Soren, you bastard, let me go!” The man gripped my jaw, sneering. “You’re not a bastard? You gave birth to my child and ran away. All these years, not a word.” I bit my lip, refusing to admit the child was his. Jenny also steadfastly refused to speak. Seeing this, Soren lost his temper. He restrained Jenny and pulled out a lighter. He threatened that if she didn’t call him daddy, he’d burn her with fire. Enormous panic engulfed me. I knelt on the ground, using my good hand to grab his leg, pleading. “Soren, please spare the child. She’s innocent!!” Jenny’s face went deathly pale with fear, tears dripping onto my face, so scalding they seemed capable of melting my heart. “Burn me instead! Burn me!” I tried to rush forward, but two of his guards locked my arms behind me and held me down. My arms were nearly dislocated, and cuts appeared on my body from their violent movements, bleeding. Soren remained unmoved. He pressed the lighter, bringing the flame close to Jenny’s face. Watching Jenny’s terrified face illuminated by firelight, I nearly fainted, finally giving in. “You are—you are Jenny’s biological father!! Jenny is your daughter! She’s yours!!” After I shouted this sentence, the guards released their hold on me. I sat powerlessly on the ground. Jenny returned to my arms as she wished, crying so hard she could barely breathe. “If you’d admitted it earlier, the child wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.” His palm landing on top of my head made me instinctively tremble. Watching Beta Leo hurrying over from a distance, my heart turned to ashes. If Soren dared harm Jenny, I would fight him to the death. Even if I died, I wouldn’t let him take my child. Soren was supremely confident, pushing aside the paternity test Leo brought. “No need to look. The child is mine.” As his words fell, Leo said tremulously, “Alpha Soren, you should still take a look. The child… the child really isn’t yours…”

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The day my left eye was finally set to receive a cornea transplant and regain sight, the hospital suddenly informed me that the donor’s family had withdrawn their donation. I was so shocked I fell from the hospital bed and cut my head open. My sister, Lily, walked in with a smirk on her face. “Stella, did the hospital just call to cancel your surgery? Hahaha!” “I told the donor’s family you were faking blindness — just as a joke, you know.” My vision blurred as I screamed in despair. “Why would you do this? Because of your joke, I might never see again!” My mother, Mary, gently stroked Lily’s back and scolded me in a soft voice. “Could you keep it down? You still have one good eye, don’t you? Just wait for the next chance.” Watching their tender mother-daughter scene, I suddenly felt the absurdity of it all had no bounds. Later, Lily was diagnosed with kidney failure. The whole family went bankrupt waiting for a kidney donor. Right before she went into surgery, I smiled at the doctor and said. “Lily told me she’s given up on treatment. She wants to give her kidney to the old man in the next bed!”

I accepted Lily’s “joke.” I climbed out of the hospital bed, pressed my hand against my bleeding forehead, and rushed out of the room. The hallway was packed with people. My left eye could barely see anything, and my right eye’s peripheral vision could only make out blurry shapes. I felt my way along the wall, step by step, toward the Organ Donation Coordination office. I had to find those donor family members. The cornea hadn’t been transported yet — maybe there was still time. “Stella, slow down! With your eyes, you’ll fall!” Lily called out loudly. I ignored her and quickened my pace. The donor family was a couple in their fifties. Their son had died from traumatic brain injury in a car accident. He’d signed an organ donation agreement before his death. I’d been waiting for this cornea for three years. The day the match came through, I cried all night under my covers. They were sitting on the bench outside the coordination office. I dropped to my knees with a thud. “Sir, ma’am, please — I’m really going blind.” “I’m not a con artist. My medical records are all here. You can verify everything with the doctors.” I gripped the bench armrest. “Please don’t cancel the donation. This is my last chance.” The man pulled his wife back half a step. “Your sister already told us — you’re not really blind at all.” “My son’s corneas aren’t meant for scammers.” He clenched his fists. “Do you have any idea how hard this decision was for us?” “And you’re using my son’s organs as a tool to scam money?” I shook my head desperately, tears mixing with blood streaming down my face. “No, I’m not lying, I really am —” Lily caught up and crouched down, placing her hand on my shoulder. “Sir, ma’am, I’m so sorry about this.” “Stella’s always been like this. At home, she pretends she can’t see to get out of chores.” She suddenly covered her mouth. “Oh… I shouldn’t have said that.” “Stella’s actually pretty pitiful. She’s just gotten used to using her bad eyes to take advantage of people.” Her gaze shifted away. “Like that welfare fraud thing before… never mind, I shouldn’t say more.” “Welfare fraud? You committed welfare fraud too!” The man pointed at my nose. “My son is dead. We’re donating his organs to save people who truly need them!” “Not to be wasted on scammers like you!” The woman grabbed her husband’s arm. “Let’s go. We need to find the coordinator. We’d rather not donate this cornea at all than give it to her.” I knelt on the floor, mouth open, unable to utter a single word. Footsteps approached from behind. Mary had arrived. I turned my head. “Mary, please tell them I really can’t see!” “Just say something for me!” Mary pulled me up and brushed off the dust. “Enough, enough. Stop making a scene.” She turned to the couple with an apologetic smile. “Sir, ma’am, I apologize on behalf of my older daughter.” “This child has loved making up stories since she was little. Sorry for startling you.” “My younger daughter just speaks her mind too honestly. She told the truth.” The couple walked into the coordination office and slammed the door shut. A nurse approached with files. “Family of Stella Smith? The coordination office just sent notice.” “The donor party has signed the final refusal form.” She opened the file to check the records. “According to the sequence, the cornea will be transported to the next matched patient within thirty minutes.” “I’m very sorry. There’s nothing more we can do.” Lily sighed behind me. “Stella, see? It’s all because your credibility is so bad.” I said nothing. Blood dripped from my brow onto the hospital corridor tiles. One drop, two drops. I stood there for a long time. Long enough for the cornea that should have been mine to be placed in a transport container and wheeled past me. I couldn’t see anything clearly, but I heard the wheels rolling across the floor. That was the last time I would ever come close to light.

Back in the ward, I sat on the edge of the bed without saying a word. Lily leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me. “Come on, Stella, don’t be like this. You’re making it seem like I hurt you or something.” Lily pouted. “I really didn’t know that family would react so badly.” “I just said it casually. Who knew they’d take it seriously?” She walked over to the bed. “Besides, think about it — it’s not like both your eyes are blind.” “Just wait a bit longer. There’ll definitely be another cornea.” I didn’t have the energy to argue with her. My father, John, came in from outside holding a payment receipt. He glanced at the bandage on my forehead, then looked down at the receipt. “The pre-surgery examination cost twelve thousand dollars this time. Since the cornea surgery didn’t happen, can we get a refund?” Mary shook her head. “I asked. They won’t refund it.” John slammed the receipt on the bedside table. “Twelve thousand dollars down the drain!” “If you’d offended fewer people out there, would Lily have said those things to them?” I looked up at him. “John, those are my eyes.” “I know they’re your eyes.” John cut me off. “But think about it — Lily just made a joke, and this is what happened to you?” “Don’t you bear any responsibility yourself? If you’d been nicer to Lily normally —” “Enough, enough.” Mary patted Lily’s back. “Let’s not fight, family. Lily didn’t mean it.” “Stella, calm down. If we can’t do the left eye for now, just rest it. We’ll wait slowly for next time.” Lily nodded and burrowed into Mary’s arms. I watched their mother-daughter embrace and suddenly remembered something. “Mary, the wound on my forehead keeps hurting. A bandage isn’t enough — it needs stitches.” Mary didn’t even look up. “What stitches? It’s not like you broke an arm.” “You’ve always exaggerated things since you were little.” That night, the wound on my forehead started to feel hot. The next day when I woke up, the entire right side of my face was swollen. I told the nurse my head hurt unbearably. The nurse removed the bandage. “The wound is seriously infected. Why didn’t you get it treated earlier?” “This won’t work. We need to do debridement immediately, and you need an eye nerve examination.” When the test results came back, the attending physician called my parents into the office. I couldn’t hear what they said. But when my parents came out, Mary’s eyes were red. She glanced at me and spoke. “The doctor said the infection spread into your orbital cavity.” “Your right eye’s optic nerve… is damaged.” I froze. “What does that mean?” “It means your right eye is going blind too.” My left eye had started degenerating three years ago. Now it only had a faint light perception. My right eye was my last light. “That’s impossible — my right eye was fine — just because I bumped it?” The doctor came out holding the report. “The infection spread from the wound to the optic nerve, causing inflammation.” “If we’d done debridement and anti-inflammatory treatment immediately, it wouldn’t have developed to this point.” “But you waited an entire day.” He looked at my parents. “Why didn’t the family bring her in for treatment right away?” My parents were silent for two seconds. Lily sat on a chair in the hallway, legs crossed, eating yogurt. “Well, Stella’s always made mountains out of molehills. How were we supposed to know this time it was real?” No one responded to her. I sat in the examination room, watching the last bit of light perception in my eyes slowly dimming. Not even the last faint glimmer of light — no one was willing to help me keep it. I gripped the bed sheet tightly. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I was just thinking about one thing — something I would never have considered before.

My right eye’s vision dropped to near-total blindness within two weeks. The doctor said that with orbital decompression surgery combined with anti-inflammatory treatment, I might be able to preserve light perception. John asked, “How much?” “About eighty thousand dollars initially.” John said nothing. Mary said, “Where would we get that kind of money? We borrowed the money for Stella’s cornea surgery.” “We still haven’t paid it back.” She glanced at Lily, then at me. “Stella, get discharged for now. Rest at home. Every day we can save counts.” I was discharged. Standing at the hospital entrance, it was raining. I couldn’t tell if what was ahead was a road or stairs. I stepped out and immediately missed a step. I fell hard on the ground. I got up, walked less than ten steps, and crashed into a trash can. My knees and palms were covered in scrapes. My parents left right after dropping me at the hospital entrance. Lily didn’t come. I crouched in the rain, suddenly remembering many things. In high school, I worked part-time while studying. With my bad eyes, I couldn’t find normal part-time work, so I went to help at a massage parlor for the blind off campus. I washed towels and mopped floors. Lily came to pick me up from school once. The next day, she went around telling everyone with a smile. “Stella works at one of those massage parlors off campus. You know what I mean, right?” My classmates started avoiding me. The way the boys looked at me completely changed. The homeroom teacher called me into the office. In front of other teachers, she asked me. “Stella Smith, are you engaged in inappropriate work after school?” I said no, I was just helping with odd jobs at a massage parlor for the blind. The teacher said, “That’s not what Lily says.” Later, I had my first boyfriend. The boy knew about my bad eyes. Every day after school, he held my hand and walked me home. He said it was okay — he could be my eyes. After Lily found out, she asked the boy out for coffee. She stirred her straw. “That massage parlor where Stella works doesn’t just do massages — they provide special services.” “Plus, her eye condition is hereditary. Your future children will go blind too.” The next day, the boy blocked me on everything. I begged him to let me explain. I sent him dozens of messages. All of them went unanswered. I went crying to confront Lily. She rolled her eyes. “I just said it casually. If he believed it, is that my fault?” “Bottom line is he didn’t love you enough.” Mary tossed the vegetables she’d picked into a basin. “Lily’s not wrong. If he was truly committed, would a few words break you up?” “You’re so grown up and still dating? What about your studies?” Every time, they told me to be magnanimous, blamed me — a blind person — for caring about these things. I got up from the rain and felt my way home through the darkness. From that day on, I never mentioned my eyes to anyone again. And I stopped holding expectations of anyone. I put on sunglasses and went to work at the massage parlor for the blind. Three thousand dollars a month. I kept fifteen hundred and gave the rest to my family. My parents actually thought I’d finally matured. Lily occasionally came to the shop to see me and mock how little I earned. I smiled and agreed. I was waiting. One year and three months later, Lily suddenly collapsed at home. She was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with bilateral kidney failure, late stage. She needed a transplant. Mary cried in the hospital hallway, calling everyone to borrow money. She went through every relative and friend in her contacts. John sold the family car, then listed our small two-bedroom apartment with a realtor. They scraped together just enough for compatibility testing and preliminary treatment. Then came the wait for a kidney donor. They waited three months. During those three months, Lily’s temper grew worse and worse. She smashed a water glass in front of the attending physician. “What kind of garbage hospital is this! I’m dying and you can’t find one faster?” My parents always stood beside her. Mary hugged her with heartache. “Sweetheart, I know you’re suffering.” And every day after work, I took a two-hour bus ride to the hospital. I brought her meals, stayed overnight, wiped her down. Sometimes Lily would look me over. “Stella, do you think this is all your life will ever be?” “Eyes gone blind, massaging people’s feet — what’s the point of you being alive?” I smiled faintly. “Yeah, there’s no point, so you have to get better.” “The family’s counting on you.” She was satisfied with my answer. She had no idea that every time I came to the hospital, I wasn’t just bringing her meals.

After three months and nine days of waiting. One afternoon, the attending physician rushed through the ward door. “Family of Lily Smith, we’ve matched a donor kidney in the same city.” “Perfect compatibility. We can schedule the surgery.” The room went silent for a second, then erupted in loud crying. Mary held Lily and sobbed. John crouched in the corner, hands covering his face, shoulders shaking. Lily turned to look at me. “Stella, see? God still loves me.” She wiped her tears. “Forget about your cornea. You’ve already adapted to darkness anyway.” “But I’m still young. I can’t die.” I sat on the caregiver’s chair beside her bed and smiled at her. “Yeah, you’re really lucky.” I picked up a comb and brushed her hair. She closed her eyes and hummed a tune. The surgery was scheduled for three days later. During those three days, I was more gentle than I’d ever been. I bought Lily her favorite brownie, trimmed her nails. At night I chatted with her until she fell asleep, then collapsed on the caregiver bed myself. Mary patted my shoulder. “Stella, once Lily’s body recovers, she definitely won’t forget you.” I nodded without speaking. On the day of surgery, nurses came early for pre-op preparation. At ten o’clock, the transport gurney arrived. The nurse asked, “Which family member will accompany her to the operating room door?” The nurse flipped through another page. “Sorry, we’re still short forty-eight thousand dollars on the surgery deposit.” “A family member needs to go to the first-floor manual payment window.” My parents looked at each other, then both looked at me. “Stella, you watch Lily. We’ll go downstairs to pay. We’ll be quick.” I nodded. “Don’t worry, Mary. I’m here.” My parents hurried off. Only Lily on the gurney, the nurse, and I remained in the hallway. The operating room door stood open, light streaming through. Lily clutched the edge of the sheet and turned to look at me. “Stella, do you think something might go wrong with the surgery?” I crouched down and leaned close to her ear. “No, don’t be scared.” She let out a long breath. Just then, the old man from the next bed was wheeled out by his family. He also had kidney failure and had been admitted six months before Lily. But he’d never received a donor kidney. The old man’s wife sat beside the gurney, writing something — a will. The old man spoke in fragments while his wife wrote it down. “Leave the old house to our grandson… the bankbook is in the second drawer…” With each sentence, his wife lowered her head to wipe tears. Lily glanced over and frowned. “How unlucky. Can’t you do this somewhere else instead of in the hallway? It’s ruining my mood.” The old man’s wife heard her, looked up, but said nothing. She quietly moved the gurney to the other side. I looked at that scene too. Then I stood up and stopped the nurse who was about to wheel Lily into the operating room. “Wait.” Lily froze and looked up at me. “Stella? What are you doing?” “Give me some encouragement. Say something nice so I can go in with peace of mind.” I took off my sunglasses. I couldn’t see anything clearly anymore. But I could hear Lily lying on the gurney. Completely defenseless, waiting for me to send her on her final journey. I smiled. This time, I truly smiled. I turned toward where I heard the nurse. “Excuse me, Lily just told me she doesn’t want the surgery anymore.” “Give the kidney to the old man in the next bed.”

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My parents gave me a bank card and transferred twenty thousand dollars into it every month without fail. Everyone envied me for having such a wonderful family. But they never told me the password. I couldn’t even afford meals at school, so I applied for financial aid. My mother, Linda Harrison, stormed into the school and slapped me across the face. “We give you twenty thousand a month and you’re still not satisfied? Playing poor for attention, you ungrateful brat!” Later, I developed a perforated ulcer from starvation and lay in the operating room, desperate for money to save my life. I begged them to tell me the password. My mom just laughed coldly over the phone. “I already told you the password. You just forgot it yourself. Want money to go out and fool around? Not a chance!” I hung up, utterly heartbroken as I teetered on the edge of death. Three years later, my brother crossed a powerful heir and desperately needed that money to save his life. My mom knelt on the ground, crying and begging me to withdraw the money from the card. I threw the bank card on the floor and smiled. “Linda, you forgot—you never told me the password. This money can’t be withdrawn.”

“Ms. Anderson, Summer’s financial aid application shouldn’t be approved.” My classmate Ryan stood at the podium, announcing loudly. The entire class’s eyes instantly focused on me. I clutched the filled-out application form, my fingers tightening bit by bit. Ryan pointed at me, his tone full of contempt. “Her parents transfer twenty thousand dollars to her account every month. She even posted screenshots on social media. Now she’s pretending to be poor to scam financial aid. It’s absolutely shameless!” Ms. Anderson frowned at me. “Summer, what’s going on here?” I took a deep breath, my voice dry. “Ms. Anderson, I really don’t have any money in my account. I don’t even have money for food today.” As soon as I finished speaking, the classroom door was shoved open. My mom stormed in wearing high heels. She walked straight up to me and raised her hand. A crisp slap rang out. I was knocked sideways, half my face instantly numb. “How did I give birth to such an ungrateful brat!” My mom pulled a bank card from her purse and threw it hard at my face. “We transfer twenty thousand dollars to you every month, and you still run to the school to apply for poverty assistance. Are you deliberately trying to humiliate the Harrison family?” The bank card fell to the ground with a clear sound. The whole class erupted. “Oh my God, twenty thousand a month and she’s pretending to be poor?” “This girl is so fake. She’d do anything for that aid money, even throw away her dignity.” “Disgusting. If I had parents this good, I’d be smiling in my sleep.” Hearing the surrounding discussion, a flash of smug coldness crossed my mom’s face. I stared hard at the bank card on the ground, my eyes stinging. Yes, she did transfer twenty thousand every month. But she never told me the password. I bent down to pick up the card, held it in front of her, my voice trembling. “You transfer twenty thousand every month, but did you ever tell me the password?” My mom’s expression changed, her eyes flickering, but she quickly raised her voice. “I already told you the password! You just have a bad memory and forgot! Now you’re blaming me?” “You told me?” I stared at her, advancing step by step. “I tried my birthday, I tried your birthday, I tried our home phone number—all of them came up as errors! Do you dare repeat the password in front of the whole class right now!” My mom was forced back a step. Humiliated and furious, she pointed at my nose. “How dare you talk back! The password is your brother’s birthday. I’ve told you that countless times!” “Summer, you’re just used to spending money like water. When you run out, you play the victim. How did I raise such a useless daughter!” After speaking, she turned to Ms. Anderson with an expression of deep regret. “Ms. Anderson, we’ve spoiled this child. Please don’t approve any aid for her. We can’t afford this kind of embarrassment.” Ms. Anderson’s gaze turned completely cold. “Summer, I’m very disappointed in you. Take the application back.” I stood there, watching my mom’s arrogant departing figure, my chest feeling like someone had just squeezed it hard. She was lying. I had tried my brother Ethan Harrison’s birthday. It didn’t work at all. This card was just a leash to keep me chained. In everyone else’s eyes, I was a rich girl with twenty thousand dollars a month in allowance. But only I knew that I couldn’t touch a single cent of that twenty thousand.

At lunch in the cafeteria, I only had three dollars left in my account. I bought a plain roll and carried a bowl of free soup to sit in a corner. Before I’d taken two bites, a bottle of ice water suddenly slammed onto my table. Soup splashed all over me. I looked up into the mocking face of Ethan Harrison. Standing beside him was the fake heiress my parents had adopted, Chloe Harrison. Chloe wore designer clothes from head to toe, covering her mouth as she laughed delicately. “Summer, why are you eating this kind of stuff? Doesn’t Linda give you twenty thousand a month?” Ethan snorted coldly, snatched my roll, threw it on the floor, and ground it under his foot. “Stop playing pitiful! Linda said you caused a scene at school today. She sent me to teach you a lesson.” I stared at the trampled roll on the floor, anger suddenly flaring inside me. I stood up abruptly, staring hard at him. “Ethan, tell me the password.” “What password?” He froze for a moment, then sneered. “How should I know the password? Linda said you’re a spendthrift with no self-control. The money in that card is being saved for you. She’ll give it to you when you really need it.” “I need it now!” My voice was hoarse, almost shouting. “I can’t even afford to eat, and I’m a week late on my dorm fees. How am I supposed to survive!” Chloe sighed, putting on a concerned expression. “Summer, stop pressuring Ethan. If you really don’t have money, I’ll lend you a hundred dollars.” She pulled a bill from her twenty-thousand-dollar handbag and tossed it on the table like she was giving charity to a beggar. Students around us pointed and whispered. “Chloe is so kind. She treats her sister so well.” “Summer is so ungrateful. She has such a good sister but always has that sour face.” I stared at that hundred-dollar bill, my fingers tightening bit by bit. I didn’t take the money. I turned and walked out of the cafeteria with my back straight. That afternoon, my advisor called me to her office. “Summer, if you don’t pay your dorm fees today, you’ll have to move out tonight.” I opened my mouth but couldn’t say a single word. Bank card: one dollar and fifty cents. PayPal: two dollars and thirty cents. Combined, I couldn’t even rent a bed. I stood in the hallway and called my parents over a dozen times. No answer. I opened my mom’s Instagram. She’d just posted a minute ago. “Bought Chloe a new necklace. Girls deserve to be spoiled.” The photo showed a diamond necklace worth thirty thousand dollars. I stared at that post, my eyes gradually stinging. So they weren’t broke, and they weren’t stingy. They just didn’t want to spend money on me. That night, the dorm supervisor kicked me out. It was pouring rain outside. I dragged my suitcase down the empty street. My stomach cramped with pain. I squatted by the roadside, cold sweat instantly soaking my back.

The pain in my stomach felt like a knife twisting inside. I clutched my abdomen, trembling even as I breathed. My stomach problems came from long-term starvation. These past few years, refusing to bow to them, I’d worked multiple jobs and often ate only one meal a day. I leaned against a bus stop sign, shaking as I dialed my father’s number. The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. I could hear the TV in the background. “David…” My voice was so weak I could barely hear it myself. “My stomach hurts really bad. I might not make it. Tell me the password. I need to go to the hospital…” Two seconds of silence on the other end. Then my dad’s impatient cursing came through. “Summer, will you ever stop! Pretending to be poor at school during the day, pretending to be sick at night! Do you have to push us to death before you’re satisfied!” My throat tightened, tears instantly streaming down. “I’m not pretending… it really hurts…” “Then deal with it!” My dad cut me off mercilessly. “Linda said you just want to scam money to go out and party. I’m warning you, don’t even think about touching a cent of that money!” With that, he hung up directly. Listening to the dial tone on my phone, I felt a chill shoot from my feet to my head, my entire body going cold. These were my biological parents. I writhed on the ground in pain, my vision growing increasingly blurred. I don’t know how much time passed before a taxi stopped in front of me. The driver saw my condition and quickly helped me into the car, rushing me to a nearby hospital. In the emergency room, the doctor did a preliminary examination, his expression grave. “Acute gastric perforation. You need surgery immediately. Go pay the five-thousand-dollar deposit first.” Five thousand dollars. I lay on the hospital bed, in too much pain to even straighten my back. I grabbed my phone and went through every lending app. Because I was a student with no stable income, all my credit limits were zero. I bit my lip and dialed home again. This time Chloe answered. “Summer, what’s wrong at this late hour? Linda and David are already asleep.” Her voice was sweet and dripping with smugness. I bit my lip hard, quickly tasting blood in my mouth. “Put Ethan on the phone.” There was rustling on the other end, then Ethan’s voice came through. “Middle of the night, what are you freaking out about now?” I took a deep breath, my voice hoarse. “Ethan, I’m in the hospital. Acute gastric perforation requiring surgery. Tell me the password. I’ll pay you back.” Ethan laughed mockingly. “Gastric perforation? Who are you trying to fool? You were standing in the cafeteria yelling at me this afternoon.” “I’m not lying!” I got agitated, trembling all over from the pain. “The doctor says they can’t operate without payment. I’m really dying!” Silence on the other end. Then my mom’s voice came through, thick with annoyance. “Just tell her! Isn’t she just trying to scam money? Tell her the password is Chloe’s birthday!” “Take the money and get lost. Don’t call here bothering us again!” The phone was slammed down. I stared at the darkened screen, tears silently streaming down.

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For years, I played the ultimate mean girl. I even took the innocent, poor girl’s cheap white sundress, ripped it to shreds, and threw a glamorous, oversized princess gown at her face. She cried, just as I expected. But right as I was about to mock her, she suddenly choked back her sobs and said: “Thank you. I’ve never worn anything this beautiful before.” I froze, guiltily hiding the scissors I was holding up my sleeve. 01 The girl standing in front of me, Lily Thorne, was still sniffling. She had these big, doe-like eyes and a tiny face. When she cried, she looked incredibly fragile and pitiful. If she cried like this in front of Ashton Reed on a normal day, I would have sworn she was trying to seduce him and marched right over to humiliate her. But today, she was crying because of me. Suddenly, I felt entirely out of my depth. I shoved the scissors further up my sleeve. For some reason, I felt a twinge of guilt. I cleared my throat, put my hands on my hips, and barked fiercely, “Hmph. It’s just a dress. It costs less than my daily allowance. You country bumpkin, hurry up and change! Are you trying to make Ashton wait for you?” Lily paused as she wiped her tears. She looked at me, confused. “Why would he wait for me?” Because he’s definitely going to ask you to the gala tonight, obviously! I didn’t say it out loud. I just grumbled it in my head. Even though I knew perfectly well that Ashton liked Lily, I refused to admit it, and I definitely wasn’t going to say it to her face. “Don’t worry,” Lily said softly. “Even though I’m poor, I know how things work. I promise I won’t get this dress dirty. And when I make money in the future, I’ll definitely buy a beautiful dress for you, too.” I blinked. Looking up, I realized Lily had already slipped into the princess gown I’d handed her. The dress was incredibly heavy, with a wide, plunging square neckline. Her frail, skinny frame absolutely could not fill it out. That was my little trick. Ashton loved how she looked in simple white dresses—pitiful, moving, like a pure little lily. So, I specifically forced her into a glamorous gown that completely washed her out. Sure enough, just as I predicted, Lily looked like a little kid playing dress-up in adult clothes. It looked ridiculously awkward. But looking into Lily’s teary, grateful eyes as she happily twirled in front of the mirror… I didn’t feel nearly as triumphant as I thought I would. 02 The gala started shortly after. I was about to walk away, but Lily trailed right behind me. Watching her frail silhouette, I sneered internally. I knew it. She’s up to no good. She was definitely planning to walk out with me so she could run to Ashton and tattle on me! I turned around and snapped, “Why are you following me?” The eager anticipation on Lily’s face instantly deflated. “I’m sorry. It’s just… I’ve never been to an event like this before. I thought if I walked with you, I’d feel a little braver. But if it bothers you, I won’t follow you.” The anger bubbling in my chest instantly vanished. It was then I noticed that because the dress was entirely the wrong size, the waist was gaping. If she leaned forward even a little, she’d be completely exposed. I took a step forward, backing her into a corner. “I’m sorry, Serena. Hit me if you want, but please don’t be mad,” she whispered. She bowed her head, exposing her slender, porcelain neck. This is exactly how she must suck up to Ashton to make him happy! I thought bitterly. Annoyed, I reached up, pulled a diamond hair clip from my own hair, and pinned the excess fabric at her waist, cinching it tight. Her waist was absurdly tiny. Unlike me—if I ate even a little too much, Ashton would tease me and say I was turning into a pig. Thinking of Ashton made my mood sink. “Alright, just follow me,” I muttered. “You country bumpkin. Don’t say anything stupid out there.” Lily nodded furiously, like an obedient little bunny. Her eyes were sparkling. “I knew you were the best and kindest, Serena.” My lips twitched into an involuntary smile. I quickly forced it down. “Hmph. Kiss-up.” 03 The moment Lily and I made our entrance, a swarm of wealthy socialites surrounded me, greeting me with fake warmth. They acted like Lily was completely invisible, subtly shouldering her out of our circle. I felt a surge of smugness. At school, Lily was vastly more popular than me. Wherever she went, people smiled and said hello. Even Ashton, from the moment he first met her, stubbornly forced her into our exclusive friend group. But here, as the heiress to Newport’s most elite family, I was the undisputed princess everyone revolved around. I crossed my arms, making small talk with the other heiresses while shooting sideways glances at Lily. But instead of looking crushed, she had already beelined for the dessert table, happily loading a plate with cake. The socialites followed my gaze and covered their mouths, giggling. “Is that the charity-case girl who follows Ashton everywhere? You can totally tell she’s from the trailer park. Zero class.” “Seriously, she doesn’t have a single thing on you, Serena. I don’t know what Ashton sees in her.” “Right? Look at the dress she’s wearing. The fit is terrible. Is it a cheap knockoff rental?” Even though they were taking my side, I felt a weird prickle of discomfort. I hated Lily, sure, but whenever we were together, she never said a bad word about anyone behind their backs. I opened my mouth to explain, but an icy voice cut through the chatter. “Serena. Do you really need to lead the charge in trashing Lily behind her back? She’s never done a single thing to you.” It was Ashton. I barely heard his accusation. My eyes were glued to the star pendant resting around his neck. It was the Valentine’s Day gift I had given him. He specifically wore it today… Does that mean the person he wants to invite to the dance is me? My mind was racing, my eyes fixed on the necklace. I completely missed how cold Ashton’s glare had become. “Serena, are you even listening to me? I know you don’t like Lily, but you need to reel it in. Stop targeting her just because of your ridiculous jealousy.” This time, I heard him. Loud and clear. The bustling ballroom suddenly fell dead silent because of Ashton’s outburst. Everyone’s eyes turned to me. Curiosity. Pity. Mockery. The stares drowned me like a tidal wave. Oddly enough, my first reaction wasn’t heartbreak or sadness. It was pure confusion. “Why are you wearing the necklace I gave you for Valentine’s Day?” I asked. “Oh, you mean this?” Ashton’s face was utterly devoid of emotion. He reached up, yanked the necklace off his neck, and threw it onto the marble floor. “I didn’t even realize it was from you. I just grabbed it from a drawer. Don’t tell me you’re targeting Lily because you mistakenly thought I liked you?” “Pfft.” A girl I had always feuded with let out a loud snort of laughter. It felt like two hard slaps across my face. She waved her hand dismissively. “Sorry, I couldn’t hold it in. Please, continue.” I stared down at the star necklace on the floor, completely silent. My heart felt exactly like that necklace—tossed to the ground and shattered into a million pieces. I didn’t even notice Lily walking up beside me. When Ashton saw her, his face instantly softened. “Lily, don’t be scared. I’ve got your back. I’ll take you out to the dance floor later. You don’t have to put up with Serena’s bullying.” Smack— Before he could finish his sentence, Lily slapped him hard across the face. “Serena hasn’t said a single bad word about me,” Lily enunciated every word with cold fury. “You just made up your mind about her before you even got here. What gives you the right to trash her feelings like that?” My blurred vision slowly cleared. The chaotic whispers of the crowd faded away. Suddenly, a soft, warm hand reached out to me. I snapped my head up. Lily’s tear-filled doe eyes curved into a sweet crescent shape. “Don’t be sad, Serena. Let’s go dance together.” 04 Lily was a terrible dancer. I had to slow my steps to an absolute crawl, guiding her through every single motion. There were other girls dancing together on the floor, so we didn’t stand out too much. Thinking about the slap she had just given Ashton, I felt like I was in a trance. Why did Lily do that? Didn’t she like him? Just as the thought crossed my mind, my palm felt a faint tickle, like a feather brushing against it. I snapped out of it to see Lily blinking up at me. She leaned close to my ear, her breath hot against my skin. “He doesn’t deserve you, Serena.” My stomach dropped. What was this? A declaration of war from my romantic rival? I knew it, I thought. This little two-faced manipulator is up to something. 05 Riding in the back of my chauffeur-driven car on the way home, my mind was still spinning. My toes throbbed a little from where Lily had stepped on them. My hand still felt the lingering chill of her touch. Lily’s hands were always freezing. She definitely wasn’t eating properly or taking care of herself. I should have the butler buy her some iron supplements, I thought absentmindedly. And those heels she was wearing… cheap, terrible quality, completely the wrong size. Realizing what I was thinking, I aggressively rubbed my cheeks. Wake up, Serena! Stop letting this girl manipulate you! Did you forget she basically declared war on you tonight? But… was she really a manipulator? The streetlights blurred into streaks outside the window. I thought about every time Ashton and I got into an argument. Lily was never even in the room. But because of her mere existence, Ashton constantly used her as a weapon to tear me down. “My dear princess, why do you constantly have this sour look on your face? Can’t you learn a thing or two from Lily? She’s sweet, she’s quiet. Why are you always making a scene? No one can stand you but me.” “You’re impossibly spoiled, Serena. If you were even half as understanding as Lily, I wouldn’t have ditched you on New Year’s Eve to go back to her hometown with her. You need to look in the mirror instead of causing trouble for Lily.” “Do you really think our friends actually like you, Serena? They just tolerate you out of respect for me. Stop being so full of yourself. They’ve told me a million times—compared to a spoiled diva like you, someone like Lily is their actual dream girl.” The truth was, Lily and I had never actually had a single real conflict. It was Ashton. He used her to put me down, over and over again, until my resentment for Lily grew. I hated how understanding she was. How fragile. How cute and kind. I was jealous that she effortlessly stole everyone’s attention—including the boy I liked. Every time, I was painted as the evil, stupid villain. But… But I couldn’t even bring myself to truly hate her. 06 The next day at school, the second I walked into the classroom, my classmates were huddled together, gossiping furiously. I assumed they were talking about the drama with Ashton, so I kept my face cold and walked straight to my desk. But then I saw Lily in the center of the crowd, and my heart skipped a beat. Pinned to her sleeve was a black mourning ribbon. My stomach plummeted. Did someone in her family die? When I had looked into her background before, I remembered she lived in a rundown neighborhood on the Southside. Her mom was gone, her dad was a violent alcoholic, and they barely scraped by. Aside from him, she had absolutely no family in the city. Did that mean she was an orphan now? I sat down, my fingers digging into my textbook. Hiding behind the propped-up book, I sneakily peeked at Lily. She wore a gentle smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes, patiently answering the questions thrown at her. Snatches of her voice floated over to me. “Yeah… I don’t think I can stay at this school anymore… I’m moving back to my rural hometown… the public school there waives tuition…” Lily was leaving? That meant Ashton could never compare us again! We could go back to being childhood sweethearts! I should have been thrilled. So why did I feel a lump in my throat and a heavy weight crushing my chest? 07 After morning classes, I packed my bag, instinctively getting ready to meet Ashton on the second floor like I always did. Then I remembered the nightmare at the gala. I stopped in my tracks and walked straight to the cafeteria instead. I wasn’t someone without pride. Quite the opposite—I was incredibly arrogant. I almost never bowed my head or admitted I was wrong. But whatever dignity and pride I had was constantly ground into dust when it came to Ashton. I could never forget what he did for me when we were kids. My parents were always working, leaving me to cry alone in a massive, empty mansion. Ashton would climb the fence, sneak into my house, and do whatever it took to make me smile. A lot of people faded from my childhood memories, but the image of Ashton holding a stuffed bunny, promising me I would always be his only sister, was crystal clear. So even though I knew he had changed, letting go of him was excruciating. He was my one exception. I had just sat down with my lunch when Ashton walked into the cafeteria, with Lily right beside him. He was talking to her, but her expression was totally blank. He scanned the room, spotted me, and his eyes lit up. He marched over and knocked on my table. “Still throwing a tantrum over yesterday, Princess? I admit I was in the wrong. I shouldn’t have yelled at you without getting the facts. Lily already chewed me out for it. Look, I even found the necklace you gave me. Can we drop it now?” Ashton had these striking, deeply set eyes. When he looked down at you, it always felt like he was staring into your soul. He pulled out the star pendant. He had meticulously wiped off all the dust; it looked brand new. “I looked for it for hours last night. I practically scrubbed the floor with my knees. Come on, you can’t still be mad at me.” His eyes looked slightly more sincere than usual. In the past, I would have melted instantly, giddy and overwhelmed. But today, I felt absolutely nothing. “Okay. I get it.” Ashton was clearly thrown off by my reaction. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Lily smoothly slid into the seat right next to me with her lunch tray. Every other seat around me was full. She sat on my right without even glancing to see where Ashton would sit. Without a word, she picked up the single piece of grilled shrimp from her plain salad and dropped it onto my plate. “Eat up, Serena.” “Huh? Oh.” Feeling awkward, I stabbed the shrimp and put it in my mouth, glancing at her sad, meatless lunch. I hesitated for a second before transferring the chicken drumstick from my plate to hers. Meeting her sparkling eyes, I lied through my teeth: “I’m on a diet. I don’t eat fried food.” Lily nodded obediently. “Thank you, Serena!” She looked exactly like a golden retriever puppy. The top of her head looked soft. I really wanted to pat it. I awkwardly shifted my gaze away. Ashton’s shocked voice broke the silence. “Wow, Lily wasn’t kidding. You guys actually made up. Alright then, Serena, do me a favor and talk some sense into her. I want her to move into my house so I can take care of her as my little sister, but she absolutely refuses.” Clatter— My fork dropped to the floor. I stared at him, stunned. “You want Lily to move into your house? Like, legally adopt her?” Ashton coughed awkwardly. “Well, not legally. She’d just live with us. It’s not like my family can’t afford another mouth to feed.” A tidal wave of bitter jealousy hit me. I sneered coldly. “You don’t want a little sister. You want a live-in girlfriend.” Ashton’s ears turned bright red. His face hardened. “Serena, we are in the middle of the cafeteria! Why do you have to be so vile?” I was vile? Oh, so I struck a nerve! I let out a harsh laugh. I was about to fire back when Lily’s soft voice chimed in: “But I’d rather live at Serena’s house. What should I do? Serena, will you take me in?” 08 I was completely dumbfounded. Since when were Lily and I that close? Why was she asking something like that so casually? I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, Ashton frowned deeply. “Absolutely not. Serena has a horrible temper and a massive princess complex. If you move in with her, she’ll treat you like a maid.” Even with the massive rose-colored glasses I used to wear for Ashton, his words made me laugh out of sheer disbelief. “Excuse me? A princess complex? Go ahead, Ashton, tell me exactly when I’ve ever treated you like a servant!” Ashton threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Fine, my bad. I spoke without considering your fragile feelings again. My fault. I shouldn’t have called you a diva. But Lily hasn’t done anything to you, so could you please just not ruin her life?” He was supposed to be apologizing, but every word felt like a knife twisting in my gut. Before I could fully process it, Lily suddenly hugged my arm. Goosebumps instantly erupted up my right side. I tried to pull away, but met her innocent puppy-dog eyes. She whispered: “Serena, Ashton is acting like a toxic gaslighter. He PUA’s you constantly. I am absolutely not going to his house. Take me in, please? I’ll do your laundry and cook for you and take perfect care of you, okay?” Who needs you to do laundry? It’s not like my house doesn’t have maids… The rejection was right on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it. My chest felt tight, filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite name. Maybe I was scared that if she went to Ashton’s, they’d really end up together. Maybe I genuinely felt uneasy letting a girl her age live in a guy’s house. Or maybe the thought of her moving back to her rural hometown left a strange, hollow feeling in my chest. I looked away, tilting my chin up arrogantly. “Fine. I’ll allow you to stay with me.” 09 It wasn’t until I brought Lily home from school that reality hit me. What am I doing? I literally just brought this two-faced manipulator into my house! But the words had already left my mouth, and the word ‘regret’ did not exist in Serena Sterling’s dictionary. I got out of the car and power-walked awkwardly toward the front door. After a few steps, I couldn’t help but look back in worry. Lily was following right behind me. Meeting my gaze, it was like she had just been granted permission. She trotted up lightly, like a cat, and naturally linked her arm through mine. I tried to pull away. Lily whispered, “I’ve never been to a place this huge before. I’m so scared of getting lost and losing you, Serena.” My body stiffened. I grumbled: “Country bumpkin.” But I didn’t pull my arm away. I let her hold onto me. My arm was practically numb as a plank of wood by the time our butler appeared. He looked at us in pleasant surprise. “Miss Sterling, you brought a friend home? Where will she be staying?” Friend? Who was friends with Lily?! Feeling horribly awkward, I opened my mouth to correct him, but Lily tugged my sleeve and said softly: “Serena, I’m scared of the dark at night. Can I stay somewhere close to you?” Her hands were so pale and delicate, and her voice was as soft as a purring kitten. Heat rushed to my face. I yanked my arm back violently. “Stay wherever you want. The house is huge, we have plenty of rooms.” It wasn’t until the butler led Lily away to pick a room that my brain caught up with me, and I was furious with myself. I was going to stick her in the guest room on the first floor, as far away from me as possible! Why the hell did I just agree to let her stay near me?! I gritted my teeth. Lily was a master manipulator. She played guys, and apparently, she played girls too.

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When my boyfriend’s “Golden Boy” returned, I, his mere stand-in, faced immediate unemployment. They decided to crash my world to show off: “Baby, I’m here to take you home~” Ethan’s face darkened instantly: “This isn’t a place for you.” His friends started jeering: “Your little canary isn’t very obedient, is he? Provoking the real deal right to his face.” Amidst the mocking laughter, the Golden Boy sitting in the deepest part of the booth suddenly stood up, walked over, pulled me into his arms, and spat pure venom: “Overconfident much?” “His ‘baby’ is right here. Who the hell are you replying to?” 1. Once I realized I was just a stand-in, I immediately adjusted my attitude. Whatever the Golden Boy did, I did too. Oliver bought a new car? I bought one too! Oliver bought a new watch? I bought one too! Oliver ordered male escorts? I ordered them too! …Wait a minute, those handsome guys in the booth over there are Oliver’s friends. No wonder. I waved my hand expressionlessly, telling the row of male escorts in front of me to get lost. They were all so ugly; if I ate a single grape from the fruit platter they offered, I’d have to call the cops. Looking at the elegant and aristocratic man not far away, I chugged my drink while my mental defenses crumbled. Waaaaah— He’s taller than me, richer than me, and more handsome than me. No wonder he’s the Golden Boy. I can’t compete. I really can’t compete. Clutching my bottle, I stood up, my eyes blurry from the alcohol. Huh? Where did Oliver go? Why can’t I see him? I stumbled around trying to find him. Just as I turned a corner, a strong force suddenly yanked me, and I was pinned against the wall with my arms behind my back. Oliver looked down, a playful smirk on his lips: “You’ve been following me for a while now. Got a crush on me?” So close. His semi-long hair brushed against my face, carrying a clean, cool scent. Staring blankly at his meticulously sculpted face, I muttered instinctively: “You’re so beautiful…” A low, pleased chuckle escaped Oliver’s throat. “Sweet talker.” Without warning, he gripped my chin and kissed me. The music outside was deafening, the lights psychedelic. My brain felt deprived of oxygen. Wasn’t I learning from the Golden Boy? What is the Golden Boy doing right now? Oh. The Golden Boy is sleeping with me. So, I struggled and flipped us over so I was on top. I wanted to sleep with him too. Oliver paused for a second, then smoothly wrapped his arms around my waist to help me balance. He buried his face in my neck, took a deep breath, and chuckled hoarsely: “Baby, you’re really good at this.” 2. I woke up in a hotel room the next day. I was completely disoriented. Wait—Ethan is my boyfriend, and Oliver is Ethan’s Golden Boy. How did I end up rolling in the sheets with my rival?! What kind of mess is this!! And why is this beautiful, stunning man the top?! I quietly grabbed my clothes from the floor, trying to sneak away on trembling legs, but I was snatched back into his arms. Oliver leaned lazily against the headboard, looking thoroughly satisfied. He rubbed my waist gently: “Morning, boyfriend.” What boyfriend? How did I suddenly become his boyfriend?! My waist went weak, and my bravado vanished: “Wh-what boyfriend…” Seeing my eyelashes fluttering wildly and my stuttering, Oliver narrowed his eyes and pinched my cheek in dissatisfaction: “What? You took my first time, and now you want to dine and dash?” “Who was it that praised my looks last night, hugging me and kissing me non-stop?” “Who was it that didn’t care if I was going too fast or too slow, and got mad and left marks all over me?” “And who was it that said they were almost done but then wanted more? Insisted on being on top, got tired after a few thrusts, and started whining and scratching me?” He casually pulled open his bathrobe to show off the scratch marks. Yep, from his collarbone to his chest, it looked alarming. It looked like a wild night. I was so mortified I wanted to die. I reached out to cover his mouth: “But I have a boyfriend…” Oliver suddenly leaned in, trapping me in his arms. His eyes turned dangerous, and his tone was filled with disbelief. “Are you saying,” he enunciated each word, “that I am the side piece?” “You made me the side piece?” “A guy like me—6’6″, eight-pack abs, Ivy League grad, net worth in the hundreds of millions, highly service-oriented—with specs like these, you make me the side piece?” He pinched my chin, a competitive fire burning in his eyes: “Come on, tell me. What kind of angelic being is this ‘main guy’ of yours?” 3. I was almost scared out of my wits by Oliver’s “side piece” comment. Golden Boy, you are so out of character! Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. “Ollie? Are you awake? I brought you dim sum from The Imperial, your favorite from before—” It was a deliberately gentle voice, tinged with cautious eagerness to please. —It was actually Ethan! Ollie. Ollie. So, every time he got drunk and called out passionately for “Ollie,” it was never me. I mean, I already knew, but hearing Ethan gently calling out for someone else still made my heart ache. What “aloof boyfriend”? He wasn’t naturally cold and distant. It’s just that his gentleness was never meant for me. My blood ran cold, and a wave of panic washed over me, like I had been caught cheating. I scrambled frantically to roll out of bed. Oliver, however, pushed me firmly back under the covers, gave me a reassuring kiss, and mouthed silently: “Don’t panic.” The knocking outside grew more urgent. “Ollie? Are you in there? Ollie?” Oliver casually pulled his bathrobe tighter, carrying the ambiguous marks I had left on him, and leisurely went to answer the door. He opened it just a crack, leaned against the frame, and spoke with the languidness of someone just waking up, heavily laced with undisguised displeasure: “Ethan, which hotel I stay in is my private business. Showing up like this shows a real lack of boundaries.” “Boundaries?” Ethan sounded like he’d heard a joke, his voice rising a few octaves. “We’ve known each other for over a decade. Since when did we care about boundaries?” “You finally came back, I just missed you so much!” He sounded so self-righteous. I remembered once accidentally opening his phone’s photo album and being coldly scolded for half an hour. He had warned me, “People need boundaries.” Damn it, such blatant double standards. While they were talking, the door opened a bit wider, and Ethan’s expression instantly froze. His gaze was nailed to the exposed V of Oliver’s bathrobe. Ethan’s face went from eager to please, to shock, to an ugly, disbelieving shade of pale. He could vaguely see the blanket bunched up into a small mound. There was definitely someone in there! His throat tightened, and his voice trembled: “Ollie, you… on your body… who exactly is in your room?!” Ethan tried to push his way in to get a better look. But Oliver blocked him firmly. Instead of panicking, Oliver glanced back at the trembling lump under the covers. When he looked back at Ethan, a boastful smirk played on his lips, his tone airy: “Oh, him?” “My future partner.” “Tsk, he’s feisty. Scratches hard.” To add insult to injury, Oliver took the bag from Ethan’s hand. “Perfect timing, my baby is hungry. Thanks for the breakfast.” The door slammed shut with a loud bang, and the world finally fell into a dead silence. The breathing under the covers finally resumed its shaky rhythm. 4. Oliver unpacked the breakfast, picked up a shrimp dumpling with chopsticks, and held it to my mouth: “Try it. The shrimp dumplings from The Imperial really are quite good.” I opened my mouth mechanically and chewed. This was the first time I had ever eaten breakfast delivered by my boyfriend, and it was in this bizarre manner. I really had to thank my rival for this. My heart felt like it had been soaking in lemon water—sour and astringent, almost bursting out of my chest. … “Full?” “Mhm.” Oliver stood to the side with his arms crossed, sharply observing my state: “Why are you so scared?” “Are you afraid of him?” “I am not,” I mumbled, burying my face in my knees. Afraid of him? Maybe just a little bit. Mostly, it was just chilling disappointment. But for a split second earlier, I actually wanted Oliver to let him in. A twisted sense of satisfaction flared up inside me. The unattainable flower you secretly loved for over a decade? I picked it. Ethan, you must be dying of jealousy, right? “If you’re not, then why do you look like a bullied little wife?” Oliver pinched my chin, forcing me to look up. He examined me from left to right, suddenly realizing something. “I’ve seen you before.” “At State U’s graduation ceremony… State U… You know Ethan?” Oliver’s mind worked fast, and his eyes suddenly grew sharp: “No wonder you were following me.” “…I heard Ethan found a stand-in for me. Looks like it’s true?” My eyes dimmed: “So you all knew… I’m just a pathetic stand-in.” “I know Ethan was planning to break up with me.” My voice was a bit dry: “At first, I wanted to see the gap between you and me…” “But after seeing you, I felt Ethan was aiming too high.” “I… if I learn to be a bit more like you, maybe Ethan won’t want to break up.” “After all, we’ve been together for four years. It’s still a bit sad…” “You actually want to win him back?!” Oliver exploded like a lit firecracker: “Is this it?! This is your ‘main guy’?! Well, color me shocked!” “Is a cheap bastard who looks for stand-ins worth saving?” He laughed out of pure anger and pinned me to the mattress. A warm hand gently covered my lower abdomen, his voice dangerously husky: “Is he better than me?” “…What?” “Has he ever gotten this deep inside you?” His palm pressed down slightly, an undeniable assertion of dominance. My cheeks burned instantly, my toes curling in shame: “I… I don’t know.” Then, giving up on any pretense, I added: “He’s still saving his virginity for you.” The air instantly froze. Oliver’s expression looked like he had swallowed a fly. He squeezed two words through his teeth: “Disgusting.” As coincidence would have it, my phone rang abruptly. The name flashing on the screen was exactly Ethan’s. I instinctively went to hang up, but Oliver beat me to it and answered the call. “Leo, where are you? Come out and meet me.” On the other end of the line, Ethan’s voice carried unconcealed annoyance. I opened my mouth, but couldn’t make a sound. Because Oliver leaned down at that exact moment and bit my earlobe almost vengefully, his hot breath pouring into my ear: “Baby.” “Ravish me.” “And then, go get your revenge.” 5. On the other end of the phone, Ethan’s voice was clearly displeased, “Leo, is someone with you?” I bit my lower lip hard, not daring to make a sound. Oliver’s fingertips, as if carrying an electric current, slowly traced circles on my waist. He smiled silently, like a seductive male fox spirit, gently grinding his lips against mine. “Speak,” Ethan’s tone had already taken on his usual commanding edge. “I’m in a very bad mood right now. Don’t make me repeat myself.” I spoke almost in a whisper: “I’m… busy.” “Busy with what?” Ethan sneered, “Busy figuring out how to be a better stand-in?” I jolted, “You…” “You bought so many things that are exactly the same as Ollie’s recently. I’m not blind.” His voice carried undisguised mockery. “Since you already know, I’ll just lay it all out.” “You are nothing compared to Ollie. The only reason you had the luck to be with me for a few years is because your eyes look a bit like his.” “But your clumsy imitations only make people think—” “You’re a cheap knockoff.” “Leo, consider this a warning. I’m going to officially start pursuing Ollie soon. You’d better know your place.” “Don’t go embarrassing yourself in front of Ollie using my boyfriend’s name, to avoid causing Ollie any unnecessary misunderstandings about me.” “Watch yourself.” Ethan hung up the phone decisively. The dial tone echoed in my ear. I stood frozen, feeling the awkwardness and helplessness of being stripped bare in front of Oliver. “A cheap knockoff?” Oliver tossed the phone aside, his disdainful voice ringing in my ear. He cupped my cheeks and looked at me, “Listen, all beautiful people look somewhat alike.” “Only an ugly person like him would like such bizarre imitations.” A spot in my heart suddenly softened, and that tiny bit of sadness evaporated. I could even joke back at him: “Oh, so because you look like me, you don’t need to feel inferior.” Oliver reached out and wiped away the tears that had unknowingly slipped down my face. His movements were gentle, but his tone was resolute: “Leo.” “You are exceptional. You shouldn’t waste tears on a guy like that.” I blinked. “If you still have time to be sad over those words, it means I haven’t done enough. It means you still have the energy to think about someone else…” I couldn’t help but block his rambling mouth. … I don’t know how we ended up in front of the mirror. I turned my head away in shame. Oliver’s strong arm tightly gripped my waist, his other hand pinched my chin, forcing me to look up. “Look closely.” “Who is holding you right now.” “And who is the one hiding behind a phone call, slandering you.” I was forced to look up, physiological tears streaming down my face. Oliver bit my earlobe, his breathing erratic, but his tone softened. “Baby, from now on, tears should only fall in situations like this…” “Whose baby looks this pretty when they cry?” “Some people just have no taste. You’re much prettier than I am.” Oliver kissed the side of my neck continuously, as if mesmerized, yet he wanted to pin me firmly in place. “Leo, look at yourself now.” “Tell me, the pathetic little thing in the mirror, and the little brat who dared to order a whole row of male escorts at the bar yesterday, which one is the real you?” I stared blankly at the flushed person in the mirror. “I… I don’t know.” “You don’t know?” His tone carried a hint of punishment. With every question, the arm around my waist tightened a bit more. “Then I’ll help you figure it out.” “Baby, forget Ethan. Forget me.” “Do you prefer being a passenger or driving?” I trembled, trying to get my brain working, my fingernails digging into his arm. My voice was broken. “I don’t like… driving…” “Do you prefer digital watches or mechanical watches?” “Mechanical…” “Do you like quiet or noise?” “Qui…et… slow down…” “Good boy.” He gave me a rewarding kiss, landing softly between my brows. “Never lose yourself.” “The way to get back at him is to become an even better version of yourself than before.” Oliver took my hand and placed it on his cheek, letting me feel the most genuine heat radiating from his skin. “You can treat me as your trophy…” “Baby, tell me, sleeping with the Golden Boy Ethan has secretly loved for years.” “Does it feel good?” My cheeks burned. Thinking about how furious Ethan’s face might be, I felt a mix of shame and exhilaration, and instinctively nodded. “Louder.” “…It feels good.” “Excellent,” Oliver smirked in satisfaction, pulling me even closer, kissing away the tears at the corners of my eyes. “Remember this feeling.” “You didn’t imitate this. You won this.” “Leo, he doesn’t want you, that’s his loss. He doesn’t get to define your worth.” “And I chose you…” He paused, burying his face deep into my neck, “Simply because I have great taste.” “I found this unique, precious treasure.” … 6. Damn, I think I’m tangled up with a male fox spirit. Since that day, Oliver stopped going home, stopped hanging out with his friends, abandoned his parents… He shamelessly camped out at my house, demanding a title. “Hmph, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad will go to the mountain. You won’t move in with me, so I can only come crash with you.” Oliver placed his electric toothbrush next to mine, looked at it closely, and nodded in satisfaction. I leaned against the doorframe, looking up at him, unable to resist saying: “You were the one who told me, don’t let men get what they want too easily, and especially don’t let them push their luck.” Oliver paused, feeling like he had just shot himself in the foot. After a moment of frustration, he turned to face my serious gaze, putting on an expression like he was overwhelmed by my cuteness, even speaking with the proud tone of a doting father: “You’re right.” “When dating, you should be a bit more assertive and take the initiative.” In the end, he couldn’t resist giving me a kiss. “I’ll keep pursuing you until you’re satisfied.” I mumbled, “But you’re already pushing your luck way too much.” I pushed his face away. “Mr. Suitor, please mind your behavior.” As soon as the words left my mouth, this guy planted a loud “mwah” on my cheek with lightning speed. “If you won’t give me a title, at least give me some perks.” I just watched him smugly organize his little suitcase. “How strange, you only brought this little stuff?” Oliver said self-righteously: “I was afraid bringing too much at once would make my intentions too obvious.” “I need to take it slow.” Me: … Are your intentions not obvious right now? You’re practically forcing my hand. Oliver was an interesting guy. The first time we interacted was at the hotel, and it was like lightning striking the ground. We did everything we should have, shouldn’t have, and tried all the tricks. Now he wants to start acting like we’re in a pure, innocent romance. Isn’t that backward? But I found that I didn’t dislike this feeling. Oliver often acted unreliable and goofy on the surface, but as long as he was there, the little bit of gloom in my heart caused by Ethan would slowly dissipate. Oliver forcefully barged into my world, yet quietly and gradually permeated every corner of my life. Watching him hang his silk pajamas in my closet. My heart felt like it was soaking in warm water, soft and tender. So I suppressed my smile and deliberately kept a straight face: “We’ll see how you perform.” “Okay!” His eyes suddenly lit up. The fox turned into a puppy. But the next second, Oliver deliberately rummaged through his suitcase, putting on a troubled expression, looking at me with puppy dog eyes, “But baby…” “I forgot to bring underwear.” “Can you… come buy some with me?” Me again: … Heh. Your true colors are finally showing. You cunning male fox spirit, you couldn’t hide your tail after all! 7. In the end, I was half-coaxed, half-carried by Oliver to the mall. He was as excited as a mouse in a rice bin, holding up one black and one white pair of underwear, asking me: “Baby, how are these two?” I tugged on his sleeve, telling him to keep his voice down: “Is your face made of titanium? The sales ladies are laughing at you.” Oliver raised an eyebrow: “So what? We’re being open and honest.” “Only people like Ethan who buy size S need to sneak around afraid of being laughed at.” Why do you still have to throw shade at a time like this?! I facepalmed helplessly: “You’ve seen Ethan’s?” Oliver snorted, “Saw it in the bathroom back in college…” “Stop, stop, stop!” Blushing furiously, I rushed to cover Oliver’s mouth, pointing randomly, “Just this one, buy it and let’s go home.” Oliver looked in the direction I pointed, the lightbulbs in his eyes clicking on: “Baby, you’re so spicy. I didn’t know you liked this kind.” I finally saw clearly how special the style I had randomly pointed at was. My eyes widened slowly: “No, I…” Oliver gave me an “I understand” look, “Bowknot style, ready to eat… I’m looking forward to it.” Great, now I can’t explain myself. Oliver didn’t make me choose; he excitedly grabbed all the styles we looked at and went to pay. Just stepping out of the underwear store, Oliver pulled me into another store. “Since we’re here, let’s buy some matching outfits.” …So this was his real goal. On one hand, pretending to be generous and saying he wasn’t in a hurry for a title, while on the other, secretly plotting all these little schemes. When I was imitating Oliver before, I figured out his preferences. He usually likes low-key styles that emphasize cut and fabric. I pointed to a cashmere overcoat, imagining how he would look in it—definitely very classy. “Pick what you like,” Oliver insisted. What I like? My gaze unconsciously drifted to another wall, where several well-designed bomber jackets were hanging. I whispered, “I like this one.” Oliver nodded in agreement: “Very cool.” Without hesitation, he picked up two and paid quickly, “We’ll take these.” “You didn’t even try them on…” I was just about to complain when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted someone I absolutely did not want to see— Ethan! He was just coming off the mall escalator, walking in our direction! “Let’s go, let’s go!” I quickly ducked my head, grabbed Oliver’s arm, and tried to pull him away. Seeing this, Oliver didn’t move; instead, he let out a low chuckle. Under my terrified gaze, he suddenly bent down and effortlessly scooped me up into a bridal carry. He smoothly threw the newly purchased jacket over my head, blocking my vision. My world went dark. I froze in his arms, not daring to move an inch. “Don’t be afraid.” He comforted me softly. I had fantasized countless times in my head that if I ever saw Ethan again, I would definitely show him that he shouldn’t underestimate me. But the reality was, my mind went completely blank! Too disappointing. I silently despised myself internally. Through the coat, Ethan’s voice grew closer: “Ollie! The sales rep at Brand X said you were here, so I rushed right over! Where have you been these past few days?” I muttered softly: “Blacklisting Brand X…” Oliver chuckled softly at me, not looking Ethan in the eye. “Shopping with my boyfriend. He got tired.” Ethan’s smile froze, his attention finally landing on me. “Ollie, he is…” “Ollie, stop joking around,” Ethan’s voice deepened. “I asked the friends you went to the bar with that day. You didn’t have a boyfriend then at all.” Ethan narrowed his eyes: “But this build looks a bit familiar…” I nervously gripped the hem of Oliver’s shirt. …Am I going to be discovered? “It’s the guy from the hotel, isn’t it!” Ethan looked at Oliver with sudden realization: “This guy is just a cheap male escort, isn’t he? It’s only been a few days, and he’s already clinging to you to buy him things at the mall?” As soon as he finished speaking, I felt the air pressure around us drop. “Ethan,” Oliver’s voice was calm but laced with coldness. “Are you investigating me? And insulting my boyfriend?” Ethan was still talking to himself: “Ollie, I don’t mind. You’re definitely just playing around… I just wanted to say, this weekend a few of us organized a welcome home party for you, to officially welcome you back. You have to come.” He even turned and glared viciously through the coat at me: “Don’t make me find out which club you work at!” Oliver had no intention of arguing further. He held me securely and turned to leave. “I’ll go to the welcome party, but right now I need to take my baby home.” Due to the momentum of Oliver turning, I “accidentally” kicked my leg up, coincidentally leaving a shoe print on Ethan’s coat. Ethan’s eyes widened. He looked at the dusty mark and kept pestering: “Ollie! People from places like that don’t deserve you!” 8. We didn’t stop until we reached the emergency stairwell. I threw off the coat, furious, and threw a flurry of weak punches against his chest: “Ahhhhh! That was so annoying! It was too sudden! I didn’t perform well!” “I just didn’t have my lines ready!” “I wasn’t afraid of that guy Ethan!” “I should have looked at him aloof and cold, and then said faintly, ‘Mr. Ethan, long time no see.’” Oliver leaned against the wall, smiling at me with an encouraging look: “It’s not too late to think of something now.” “This weekend, want to go crash the party?” My eyes lit up, but then I hesitated: “Can… can I?” I pointed at myself uncertainly. “Sigh.” Oliver sighed exaggeratedly, intentionally lowering his eyelashes in mock sadness: “It’s really annoying being pestered by a clingy leech like him.” “If only my boyfriend could declare his territory and make him give up completely…” “I’ll go!! We’re crashing Ethan’s party!” I was instantly pumped up again! Full of fighting spirit! I was going to make a grand entrance! Like a fabulous makeover! I am the returning king! On the way back, I excitedly started planning: “I’m going to wear the coolest outfit and be the best-looking guy there!” “And I’m going to call you ‘baby’ in front of everyone!” Oliver held my hand, his beautiful eyes full of seriousness: “Yeah, and let him know that he didn’t just lose his so-called ‘Golden Boy’.” “The most important thing is you, the one he once had but didn’t know how to cherish.” 9. The day of the welcome party. My phone kept pinging with messages from Oliver. “Ahhhhh, it’s so boring, baby.” “Everyone keeps looking at me and Ethan with these ambiguous looks.” “I think I know what Ethan’s planning to do next.” “It’s torture!! Crying face.jpg” “Baby, are you ready? Can you come get me now?” I stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusted my hair, and replied, “Don’t rush.” Oliver: “Oh.” “Pitiful fingers.jpg” In the banquet hall, Oliver sat expressionless, holding his phone, exuding an aura of “do not approach.” “Ollie, why are you always on your phone? You’re the guest of honor today.” Several people exchanged glances for a while, and finally, one unlucky guy was pushed forward: “Oliver, Ethan seems to have something to say to you.” Oliver didn’t even bother lifting an eyelid, his voice cold, “What is it?” A flash of awkwardness crossed his friend’s face. He subconsciously glanced at Ethan, who was holding a wine glass trying to look deep, let out two dry laughs, and attempted to ease the tension: “Nothing… just thinking you’ve changed a lot since you got back. This fashion style is also… pretty cool.” Only then did Oliver deign to look up. He adjusted his collar and spoke nonchalantly: “Oh, this.” “My boyfriend picked it out.” “He has great taste. He said I look ten times more handsome in this than in those stuffy, old-fashioned tailored suits.” “Boy… boyfriend?” The friends all swiveled their heads to look at Ethan, the atmosphere instantly freezing. “Ethan… did you know?” Ethan’s composed facade stiffened. He gritted his teeth, trying hard to maintain his composure. “Ollie, we’ve known each other for over a decade. You know that deep down, for all these years, I’ve always—” “Stop, stop, stop!” Oliver looked like his ears were being soiled. “Know what?” “That you’ve been shamelessly pestering me all these years?” “Have I ever willingly hung out with you?” “Our interactions were strictly limited to unavoidable family obligations.” “You decided to pull this stunt knowing full well I have a boyfriend.” “What’s the meaning of this? Are you trying to interfere in someone else’s relationship? Or are you trying to be the other man?” “I hate homewreckers the most.” Ethan’s face changed colors, but he couldn’t lash out in front of his Golden Boy: “Ollie, our families are of equal standing, and we understand each other. I’m the only one who can love you and protect you.” “Don’t get tricked by some random nobody.” “Heh, you understand me?” Oliver’s attack power remained undiminished as he calmly dropped a bombshell, “Let me tell you a little fun fact.” “I’m a top.” “Someone like you, I wouldn’t want even if you offered yourself on a silver platter.”

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I’m Over Us, Babe. Liam’s broad chest pressed against my back as he held me. My body stiffened for a few seconds. “Let’s break up, Chloe.” I couldn’t quite believe it, turning my head to look at him. “Right now?” Liam let go of me, lying flat on the large bed, raising his sharp, striking eyebrows. “Just leave tomorrow. I don’t have time to drop you off right now.” “Okay. Let’s just sleep for now.” In the dark, Liam’s breathing grew steady beside me. I let out a breath of relief, feeling instantly lighter. This unrealistic relationship was finally over. 1 Morning was almost here. I shifted a little and was pulled right back into that hot embrace, a large hand resting on my waist. “What are your plans now?” I rubbed my forehead. “I’ll figure it out when I get home…” … When I left, half of Liam’s face was still buried in the snow-white pillow. “You guys really broke up?” My best friend, Sarah, rushed over to my place, her face full of disbelief. She pulled out her phone, and I knew exactly what she was about to do. I grabbed her hand before she could call Liam to interrogate him. Besides being my best friend, Sarah was also Liam’s cousin. “It’s over for real. Absolutely certain. You don’t need to double-check.” Sarah frowned. “Who initiated it? It must have been you. You think he’s too young for you, too immature? Come on, he’s running a massive company now, he’s not immature at all…” I shrugged, feeling totally relaxed. “Wrong. He brought it up. Didn’t see that coming, did you?” Sarah looked stunned, clearly refusing to buy it. “What? How could he possibly be the one to break it off?” “Why is that so impossible? You know how it is. In relationships, men and women are rarely on the same wavelength. Women tend to fall deeper as time goes on, but men get bored. Once the honeymoon phase fades, they lose interest.” “…” Sarah was completely bewildered. “How are you so okay with this?” “Because deep down, I always knew we wouldn’t work out. First, my family background is decent, but his is just on another level of wealthy. Second, a three-year age gap is real. I’ve never fully adjusted to the dynamic. To be honest, if he hadn’t said it, I probably would have.” Sarah twitched as if she’d been electrocuted. “Right, I forgot. Your brain is aggressively rational. I was worrying for nothing.” “Still, you’re my best friend. That little punk Liam… if he dares to dump you, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.” Sarah immediately dialed his number. “What’s up?” a deep voice answered on the other end. I grabbed a banana nearby, peeled it, and took a bite. “You know exactly why I’m calling. Why did you break up with Chloe?” “She told you?” “Don’t change the subject. What’s the reason?” “I’m heading into a meeting. We’ll talk later.” He had already hung up. “That little jerk. He hung up on me…” I got up and went to the bathroom to find some numbing spray. I had accidentally bitten my tongue. The fact that Liam was even more unfazed than I was… that was something I truly hadn’t expected. 2 I met Liam the summer of my junior year in college when I took a job as a private tutor. He was a rich kid living in a massive estate with its own helipad. He was incredibly rebellious. Before I even showed up for the interview, he had already chased away three other tutors. On my first day, I arrived at nine. By noon, he was still asleep in his massive bed. The butler handed me a phone, signaling me to take the call. “You’re the tutor for today?” His voice was thick with sleep. “Are you awake?” I took a deep breath. “Have the butler bring you in.” It was a total command. The butler led me to the door. “Miss Adams, this is the young master’s room.” I knocked twice. No response. I pushed the door open slightly, took one look inside, and immediately tried to back out, but a strong force yanked me in. “You’ve already seen everything. What are you hiding from, Teach?” He was shirtless, pinning my hand against the wall. Even though he was still in high school, he was already a full head taller than me. “I’ll wait for you outside.” I steadied my breathing, putting on my ‘older and wiser’ persona, shoved him away, and backed out of the room. Behind me, I could hear his light, mocking laughter. I clenched my fists. Brat. I’ll put up with it for the paycheck. 3 In the study, during the half-hour trial lesson, he was totally distracted, looking down at his phone playing games the entire time. I figured I was done for. “Miss Adams, how did it go?” “I think you’d better find someone else…” I was holding back a lot of frustration. “She’s the one. Be here tomorrow for the lesson.” I didn’t even notice when he had walked out of the study, but he was already lazily heading upstairs. “…” “Wonderful! Miss Adams, please arrive on time tomorrow.” “…Right. Okay.” At first, I thought I had some kind of special charm that made him choose me. I worked incredibly hard every day prepping his materials. Turns out, I was overthinking it. A month went by, and he hadn’t paid attention for a single day. I couldn’t take it anymore and slammed his textbook shut. “If you’re not interested in what I’m teaching, why are you making me stay?” He ignored me and kept mashing buttons on his game. The money was good, but taking it felt like a scam. Every time his mom asked me if he was improving, I couldn’t even look her in the eye. I packed up my things, ready to quit on the spot. As I was about to leave, a long leg stretched out and blocked my path. “You mad?” I turned my head. He finally put his phone down and looked up at me seriously. I glanced at the table; his phone screen was still flashing. “Wouldn’t dare. Keep playing. I won’t be coming back.” He didn’t move his leg. He just stared at me stubbornly. I froze for a second. “Liam, Miss Adams, I brought some fruit for you two.” Mrs. Vance knocked and walked in, freezing when she saw our standoff. “What’s going on here?” I was determined to leave. “Mrs. Vance, I’m sorry…” “Add fifty bucks an hour to her pay. My midterms went up.” Me: “…” I looked at him in total disbelief. Going from a 10% to a 12% is considered an improvement? I really had to thank him for just copying down the introduction to his English Literature essay. “Really?!” Mrs. Vance’s eyes went wide with joy. “Yeah.” “Okay! Consider it done. We’ll start the new rate from this lesson on.” I was too embarrassed to bring up quitting after that, so I bit the bullet and stayed. 4 Later, I spent so much time trying to figure out why he ever got interested in me. Was it during the basketball game, when I was cheering for a guy in my major, and he glared at me before showing off on the court to prove himself? Was it because I tutored him for a month, felt guilty taking the money when he didn’t listen, and finally slammed the book shut to quit? Or was it just that we were stuck in a study together during his peak teenage hormone years, and opposites attracted? … One day, Sarah and I were getting afternoon coffee. She suddenly tapped my shoulder and pointed across the room. “Wow. He doesn’t show up often, but when he does, he takes up all the air in the room. That little wolf pup has been staring at your back for a while now.” I turned around. Over by the window, Liam and a few of his basketball buddies were drinking iced sodas. Sarah was the one who had gotten me this tutoring gig in the first place. I turned back, calmly wiping the condensation off my glass. “You’re his cousin. Don’t make weird jokes.” In reality, I didn’t want to admit that toward the end of the tutoring sessions, the kid had actually started behaving. I sensed things were getting weird, so I promptly ended the tutoring arrangement. “The way he looks at you isn’t normal. That boy has got it bad.” … I was packing up my things to leave. But I was a step too late. Liam walked over. He was ridiculously tall and incredibly handsome. Just him moving across the room drew a lot of eyes to our table. Sarah rolled her eyes at him. “Oh, so you do remember your cousin. Nice of you to come say hi.” He sat down on Sarah’s side of the booth, stretching his long legs out. I don’t know if it was intentional, but the tip of his shoe brushed against mine. A shiver ran through my entire body. I avoided his deep, dark eyes. I was speechless. How did a high school kid have this kind of intimidating aura? “Are you free next Tuesday?” Sarah looked like she was watching a movie unfold. “Asking me? Or asking your beloved tutor?” “It’s my birthday next week. I booked a table at that exclusive rooftop place downtown. Both of you come.” I politely declined first, looking at Sarah. “You go ahead. I have an evening seminar that night.” He played with the iced Coke in his hand, looking up through his messy bangs with dark, brooding eyes. “Is that so?” I looked at Sarah for help, terrified she was going to stir the pot. Sarah looked disappointed. “Aw, man. I guess I’ll have to go alone. Tell you what, I’ll bring your present from Miss Adams with me.” Liam stood up to head back to his table, leaving one sentence behind before he walked away: “If you’re not feeling well, don’t drink iced coffee.” I was stunned. I was drinking an iced Americano, and my period had just ended. Sarah took a massive gulp of her hot latte and declared, “It’s over. It’s totally over. My bratty little cousin is going to turn into your fiercely loyal guard dog.” … On the night of his birthday, I got a text from him. “Why no present?” It was sent at 2:00 AM. Right before sunrise, I texted him back. “Study hard. Wishing you success.” And then I blocked him. Half a month later, I went to another city for my college internship. Later, I heard from Sarah that Liam had gone to study abroad. And after that, Sarah got busy with her own love life and career, and we never brought him up again. 5 Until five years later, when my office lobby was buzzing. A coworker ran up to me excitedly. “Chloe, there’s an incredibly hot guy looking for you at the front door. Get out there!” I walked out and froze. The stunning young man in a tailored suit standing in the sunset was now a high-powered business elite who looked like he could conquer the world. Under the shocked gazes of my coworkers, he walked right up to me. “Long time no see.” My normally quiet heart gave a rare, violent flutter. Steak, red wine, a huge bed. Half lucid, half lost in a haze, I let myself go completely. Everything was perfectly in sync, and he was flawlessly gentle. It was hard to imagine that the cold, unsmiling boss at the office was this hungry at home. Before Liam brought up the breakup, I hadn’t seen a single warning sign. But when it happened so suddenly, aside from a tiny bit of discomfort, I accepted it calmly. 6 “A blind date?!” Sarah shrieked through the phone. I looked down at the profile of the high-quality bachelor in my hand. “Yeah. Don’t act so shocked. I’m twenty-eight. While I’ve still got an edge, finding a great guy to settle down with isn’t a crazy idea.” Truthfully, I was going on this date because my mom was pressuring me endlessly. Since I couldn’t stay single forever, I might as well find someone decent and tie the knot early. “Fine, that makes sense. I support you! We’re gonna find someone way better and make the guy who didn’t appreciate you regret it.” Sarah was still hung up on the fact that Liam was the one who dumped me. It really bothered her. “Alright, hanging up now. I’m heading out.” “Text me the address. Once I’m done with work, I’ll swing by and help you evaluate him.” 7 The guy my mom handpicked for me was, as expected, a catch. Not only was he incredibly handsome, but he was also a gentleman and quite funny. Just as we were hitting it off, I don’t know if it was pure coincidence or what, but Liam walked right into the same coffee shop. He seemed to be coming in for a quick break. After taking a seat at a table near the wall, he had his assistant order him a coffee while he stared intently at his laptop, working. I told myself I was overthinking it and immediately pulled my gaze back. “They said the English Literature major was gorgeous, and seeing you today, the rumors were true.” Getting complimented by my date put me in a great mood, so I didn’t hold back on returning the favor. “Oh, please. You’re the one turning heads, Ethan. I’ve seen my fair share of good-looking guys, but someone as handsome as you? That’s a first.” “Haha, I can tell. You’re not just beautiful, you’re sweet too. I’m so lucky a girl like you actually agreed to a blind date with me.” “Um, I do have one question, if you don’t mind? I’m just genuinely curious.” “Go ahead. If I can answer it, I will.” “I felt a great connection with you the second we met, so I’m honestly wondering… how did your last relationship end?” “Ah…” “If it’s uncomfortable, we don’t have to talk about it.” I glanced in Liam’s direction and said calmly, “It’s nothing uncomfortable. Honestly, I’ve just been a total workaholic lately. I haven’t been dating at all.” Cough. Liam suddenly choked violently. I looked over. His assistant immediately hovered over him. “Mr. Vance, is the coffee too hot?!” Liam kept a stone-cold expression. “Too bitter. Get me some sugar.” Even though we were sitting so close, he never once glanced in my direction. And to think, he used to call me ‘baby’. I boredly looked back at my date. Ethan paused for a second, then seemed to brush it off and laughed. “Makes sense. With how amazing you are, if you were dating, someone would have locked you down and kept you all to themselves by now. Why wait? How about this, we don’t have each other’s numbers yet. Let’s exchange contacts?” I agreed instantly. “Sure.” Just as we were scanning each other’s phones, Liam walked briskly past our table, laptop in hand. His strides were sharp, and I only managed to catch sight of his assistant hurriedly rushing to keep up with him. 8 That night, Sarah called. “How was the date? Did you like him? I’m so sorry, work was insane this afternoon and I couldn’t slip away.” I muted the TV. “He’s actually great. Height, looks, income—all excellent. Definitely worth trying. He seemed pretty interested in me, too.” It was loud on her end; she must have been at a bar. “HEIGHT, LOOKS, INCOME?! YOU’RE HAPPY WITH ALL OF IT AND YOU’VE DECIDED TO DATE HIM?!” Sarah suddenly screamed into the phone at the top of her lungs, as if terrified someone wouldn’t hear her. “Keep your voice down, you’re going to blow out my eardrum.” “I’m at a bar, it’s loud in here! I wanted to make sure you heard me!” “Blegh—” Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone throwing up on the other end. “Did you just throw up?” “Heh, no, that wasn’t me… It’s just a heartbreaker getting some instant karma.” “A heartbreaker?” “Blegh—” “You idiot, why did you throw up on me?! …I gotta go.” Sarah, who had just been giggling, angrily hung up the phone. Summer nights always make the air feel restless. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. I grabbed my phone, scrolled through Instagram, and finally caved and clicked on Liam’s profile. It was still that same aloof profile picture. I clicked into his feed. Not a single post. I threw my phone down. Great. We broke up, and he literally feels nothing at all. 9 Going on a blind date is normal. But your ex’s mom eager to set you up with her nephew? That’s highly abnormal. And yet, that’s exactly what happened to me. Word got around that after Liam and I broke up, I was going on dates. Liam’s mom, Mrs. Vance, actually invited me to their house to set me up with Liam’s cousin, who was a commercial pilot. “Are you insane?!” I subtly pinched Sarah’s arm. I was totally tricked into coming here. Bright and early, Sarah sent a driver to pick me up, saying she was setting me up with a great guy. Turns out, the driver pulled right up to the Vance estate, and it was Mrs. Vance setting me up. I was completely dumbfounded. “You can’t blame me! When my aunt heard you were going on blind dates, she said we couldn’t let a catch like you leave the family, so she had to introduce you to the best.” “Let me tell you, she knows about the breakup. She gave Liam hell for two days straight. My aunt really loves you. Now that you guys are done, she wants to find you a reliable guy so she knows you’re taken care of.” “They wouldn’t even write this script for a soap opera.” I sat on pins and needles, scanning the room. The bedroom doors upstairs were closed. Thank God Liam wasn’t home. “Hehe, honestly, I didn’t expect my aunt to be this proactive either.” I knew this house very well. Back when I was a tutor, and during the six months Liam and I dated, he brought me here a couple of times. What surprised me was that Mrs. Vance never acted like my middle-class background was beneath them. When I first came over as Liam’s girlfriend, she even gave me an incredibly generous holiday gift. I was just incredibly embarrassed the whole time. Transitioning from ‘the tutor’ to ‘the girlfriend’ was extremely awkward. 10 Mrs. Vance brought out a plate of fruit. “If Sarah hadn’t told me you two broke up, I’d have no idea. That stupid boy doesn’t know what he had. I’m so angry at him.” She handed me a piece of melon on a fork. I was honestly overwhelmed by her kindness. “Thank you, Mrs. Vance. Honestly, we just weren’t a great fit. Breaking up early was the best thing for both of us.” Just then, a car pulled into the driveway. Mrs. Vance headed to the door. “He’s here.” Soon after, a tall, well-built man still wearing his pilot’s uniform walked in. I blinked. The Vance family genetics were truly unfair. Before I knew it, he was standing in front of me with a bouquet of champagne roses, smiling warmly. “I’m so sorry, traffic was terrible. Thank you for waiting. I brought some flowers as an apology, I hope that’s alright?” “It’s totally fine.” I took the flowers out of politeness. Sarah was watching us with giddy excitement and elbowed me. “Handsome, right? Doesn’t lose out to that little punk at all.” After saying that, Sarah darted a glance toward the upstairs. “What are you looking at?” She immediately snapped her gaze back, eyes gleaming, and dragged me toward the dining room. “Nothing… looking at nothing! Let’s go, time to eat.” On the grand dining table, exquisite dishes were perfectly arranged. Mrs. Vance waved us over. “I made all of this myself. Everyone, come taste.”

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I made Keir Sterling angry. No matter how I tried to make it up to him, he wouldn’t budge. Even when I told him I wasn’t feeling well, he didn’t panic the way he used to. I got off the Amtrak train and called him. “Keir, I’m in San Francisco for my heart appointment. Can you take me to the hospital?” Keir’s voice was sharp over the line. “Your heart was fixed years ago. Stop playing the victim, Leo. It’s pathetic.” A dull ache throbbed in my chest. “It’s just a follow-up,” I whispered. He let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Fine. Then stay there and wait.” I sat obediently in a corner of the crowded station. I waited for a long time. I waited until my heartbeat slowed, fluttered, and finally stopped. Keir never showed up. 01 Before I closed my eyes, I didn’t know I would die like this—so abruptly, in the waiting area of a noisy train station. I just felt very sleepy. I thought I’d just nap for a little while. Just a quick nap, and then I’d see Keir. I imagined him standing over me, sternly demanding why I couldn’t stay home instead of coming to the city to cause trouble. I closed my eyes, rehearsing the excuses I’d use to beg him to take me to the clinic: Because Keir was always the one who took me to my appointments. Because the insurance info was on his phone. Because if the doctor asked about my childhood surgery, Keir was the only one who remembered the details. Yeah. Those were the reasons. It definitely wasn’t because I missed him too much. But when I opened my eyes again, I saw my own body. It was still sitting in that corner of the crowded, grimy terminal. My head was tilted back against the wall, my eyelashes still, my body unmoving. I looked like I was just sleeping peacefully. My phone vibrated and slid from my lap, hitting the floor. I reached out to grab it without thinking, but my hand passed right through it. I stared at my translucent fingertips. The realization hit me with a slow, heavy thud. I was dead. Quietly, invisibly dead in a terminal full of strangers. I had died while waiting for Keir Sterling to come and “save” me. The screen lit up. A text from Keir from a minute ago. [Still waiting?] [That proves you weren’t actually sick.] [Leo, you’re lying again.] I didn’t lie, I said to the empty air. I really didn’t feel well. I was born with a heart defect. I had the surgery when I was six, and everyone thought I was cured. But three months ago, the tightness returned. My lips would turn blue, and I couldn’t catch my breath. Before “the incident,” Keir would have been terrified. He would have dropped everything to get me to a specialist. But now, he didn’t believe a word I said. He was convinced I was a manipulative liar who would do anything for attention. Ever since we were teenagers, Keir had acted more like a parent than a brother. He was serious, mature, and protective. He worried about every scratch, every draft. He controlled the layers of clothes I wore and the temperature of the AC in my room. If I coughed or even frowned, Keir was there. I was spoiled by that attention. I grew selfish. I used to cling to him and say, “I’m never getting married.” I’d wrap my arms around his waist and squeeze hard. “And you’re not allowed to marry anyone either, Keir. You have to stay with me forever.” Keir would just laugh and ruffle my hair. “Stop talking nonsense,” he’d say, his voice not stern at all. And when I’d pouted, he’d add, “I’ll wait until you’re married first, okay? Will that make you happy?” I didn’t answer. I’d just stare up at his face for a long time. Half of me wanted time to stop forever. The other half hoped for something to change. Something did change. Just not the way I wanted. I should have looked at him longer while I was alive, I thought, staring at my own corpse. Now, I would never see him again. People walked past me, but no one looked twice. Someone sleeping in a train station was the most normal thing in the world. Then, a pair of small hands picked up the phone from the floor. 02 It was the little girl who had been sitting next to me. While I was still alive, we had talked for a bit. We’d even traded nicknames. She called me the “Pretty Boy,” and I called her “Sweet Pea.” Sweet Pea looked at the glowing screen, trying to read the text. But she was only five; the words were just shapes to her. She frowned, looked at me for a long time, and then gently tucked the phone back into my hand. She didn’t want to wake me. “Pretty Boy,” she whispered. “You dropped your phone. Hold it tight.” When I didn’t answer, she skipped back to her mother’s arms. A few minutes later, the phone buzzed again. Another text from Keir: [I’m already at St. Mary’s.] [If you want to come, call an Uber yourself.] He had promised to pick me up. Why did he change his mind? Was he not feeling well? Worrying about him, my spirit was suddenly yanked away. In a blink, I was floating in the hallway of St. Mary’s Medical Center. The first person I saw was Keir. He was in a charcoal-grey bespoke suit, his back to me, talking on the phone. He looked as mature and handsome as ever. No amount of stress seemed to touch him. I drifted toward him, intending to play a ghostly prank, when I heard him speak. “The doctor is checking Caleb now. He should be fine. Don’t worry, Mom.” Caleb? Why was he here? A second later, the exam room door opened. Keir hung up and walked over. “How is he?” he asked the person walking out. “Keir, the doctor said it’s nothing serious,” Caleb said. He grabbed Keir’s arm, his brow furrowed in a practiced wince. “But I still feel really shaky. Can you stay with me?” Caleb was such an actor. He was definitely faking it. I felt a surge of ghostly annoyance. I tried to grab his neck, but my hands just passed right through his throat. I watched Keir give Caleb a small, rare smile. “Okay,” he said softly. Keir was tall and imposing, with sharp features and a gaze that could be chillingly cold. When he wasn’t speaking, he carried an air of effortless authority. But whenever he smiled at me, I thought he was the gentlest man on earth. But Keir hadn’t smiled at me in a very long time. “However,” Keir’s gentle expression faded slightly. “Leo should be arriving soon. I have to take him for his heart check-up.” A flash of resentment crossed Caleb’s eyes, but he hid it instantly. He smiled and said, “Keir, you’re the best person I know. Leo isn’t even your real brother, and he’s lied to you so many times. I can’t believe you’re still being this good to him.” Memories of my “lies” must have hit Keir. His face darkened. “This is the last time,” he said, his voice flat. “After today, if he comes looking for me with another one of his stunts, I won’t see him.” I hovered in that sterile, white hallway. The cold wind from an open window seemed to blow right through me. It was strange. How could my heart still hurt if I was dead? It really is the last time, I thought. Keir. I won’t bother you ever again. Because I think I’m already gone. Caleb looked pleased with Keir’s answer. He started to pull him toward the exit. Before they reached the door, Keir’s phone rang. I drifted closer and heard the voice on the other end: “Mr. Sterling, do you have any news about Leo?” 03 “Leo Evans is no longer a member of this family.” Keir recognized the caller and spoke with cold impatience. “I hope you’ll stop using him as an excuse to contact the Sterlings.” The person on the phone was my biological mother. Maybe it was the cancer, or maybe it was the crushing weight of her own guilt, but her voice was a weak, trembling sob. “I was wrong, Keir. I never should have switched them at the hospital. But Leo is innocent. Can’t you… treat him the way you used to?” It was a classic, trashy novel plot. I was the “fake heir” of the Sterling family. When I was born, I was diagnosed with a severe heart defect. My biological mother, terrified she couldn’t afford to keep me alive, secretly swapped me with the Sterlings’ healthy newborn. She didn’t confess until recently, when her lung cancer became terminal. She had knelt at the gates of the Sterling estate, sobbing and banging her head on the pavement. “I was wrong! This is my karma! I’m dying! I’m giving Caleb back to you… just please, let me see Leo! He’s my real son!” When I finally met her, she wasn’t loving. She told me, “The Sterlings fixed your heart. You got a good deal. You had twenty years of luxury. Now it’s Caleb’s turn.” I wasn’t even that sad. She was right, after all. The night Caleb moved in, he came to my room pretending to be the peacemaker. He said he’d beg our parents to let me stay. I was a fool. I blushed and told him, “I want to stay, too. But not as Keir’s brother.” So I confessed to Keir. I told him I was relieved we weren’t blood-related. I told him I’d known for a long time that what I felt for him wasn’t just “family” love. I told him I wanted to be with him forever. I waited, my heart pounding, looking into his eyes. I only saw coldness and disgust. “Forever?” Keir had sneered. “You just want to stay in this house and keep the lifestyle you stole.” He pulled out an audio recorder. It played a conversation I’d supposedly had with Caleb the day before. But the words were wrong. It sounded like my voice, but it was saying things I never said: I have a way to stay. If I get with Keir, they won’t kick me out. I’ve been acting close to him for years just for this moment. The sound of an ambulance siren outside snapped me out of the memory. An ER doctor rushed past, bumping into Keir. “Sorry,” the doctor panted. “We have a DOA coming in. Need to prep for a possible resuscitation.” Keir nodded absently. He turned back to the phone. “So you’re saying I should just let him keep playing his little games? Let him use me?” He let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “I guess ‘low-life’ runs in the blood. Why else would he think of confessing to his own ‘brother’ to save his skin?” The background noise of the phone call grew louder. I heard a nurse in the background: “Bed 3, if you don’t pay the deposit, we have to stop the meds…” Keir heard it. “Leo didn’t come to see me because he’s sick. He’s here to beg for more money for you, isn’t he?” Without waiting for an answer, Keir hung up. He immediately typed a message: [Leo, don’t bother coming.] [I’m not giving you another cent.] I didn’t come for money, I thought. I’m never taking your money again. I instinctively stepped back as Keir walked past me. Even though he couldn’t see me, I felt the need to get away. He really, really hated me. “He’s not coming. Let’s go,” Keir told Caleb. They walked out of the hospital. As they reached the car, an ambulance screeched to a halt at the ER entrance. A gurney covered in a white sheet was rushed inside. Keir caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror, then looked away, his jaw tight. The Rolls Royce began to roll toward the exit. Suddenly, the driver hit the brakes. The ER doctor from earlier was tapping on the back window. Keir rolled it down. “Is there a problem?” 04 “Excuse me, is this yours?” The doctor held out a cufflink. It was matte platinum wrapped around a finely cut black onyx. It was the birthday gift I’d given Keir last year. Keir recognized it instantly. He took it. “Yes. It is.” “It must have snagged on me when we bumped into each other,” the doctor said. “It fell right into my pocket.” Keir gripped the cufflink in his palm and nodded thanks. The car drove off. Caleb started talking again, but Keir was silent. He didn’t open his hand. I sat in the corner of the backseat, watching his profile. Was he remembering that birthday? The cufflink was a custom piece from a famous independent designer. It was outrageously expensive. I wanted to buy it with my own money, not the Sterlings’ allowance. I had spent six months painting late into the night, selling my work piece by piece until I had enough. At midnight on his birthday, I’d snuck into his room. He was looking at spreadsheets, frowning, but he smiled the second he saw me. I stood in front of him and commanded, “Stay serious. No smiling.” I told him to close his eyes. Keir obeyed, but his lips kept twitching upward. The room was so quiet I could hear my own heart. “Leo?” he’d whispered when I stayed quiet too long. I’d nervously pushed the velvet box into his hand. “You can open them now.” He looked genuinely surprised. “Put it on for me,” he’d smiled. As I reached for his sleeve, I realized my fingers were shaking. I shoved the box into his hand, muttered “Happy Birthday,” and bolted out of the room. Back in my own bed, I replayed the scene over and over. A few minutes later, Keir knocked and walked in. He pulled me out from under the covers and laughed. “Why are you running?” I looked at him, wanting to say, You have no idea. Keir handed me a large gift box. Inside was a professional set of custom paints and an antique brush I’d wanted for years. The set alone cost more than the cufflinks. It was a San Francisco spring night. The scent of magnolia blossoms drifted through the open window. “Do you like it?” Keir asked, messing up my hair. He looked at me with such pure, raw affection. “I love it,” I whispered. The Rolls Royce pulled into the Sterling estate. My mother met them at the door. “How is Caleb?” she asked. Keir said he was fine. Caleb did his routine. He hugged Mom and said he felt dizzy. Mom comforted him briefly and sent him to bed. But when Caleb was gone, her face remained pale. “Mom, are you okay?” Keir asked. Mom rubbed her chest, frowning. “Caleb is fine, but why do I feel so restless? So scared?” “Do you think something happened to Leo? The city is so cold this time of year, and his heart…” “Keir, go get him. Bring him home. Please.” 05 Keir gave a dismissive smile. “What could happen to him?” “He’s always been dramatic. He fakes being sick just so we’ll all orbit around him. Besides, his heart was fixed years ago.” Mom shook her head, her eyes full of worry. “You were there for the follow-ups, Keir. Didn’t you listen to the doctors? A successful surgery in childhood doesn’t mean a cure for life. Many of those kids need valve replacements as adults.” Mom kept talking, oblivious to Keir’s expression suddenly freezing. “Leo was always so smart. When he was fine, he’d act out, make us laugh, make us think he was invincible. But when he was actually hurting… he’d get so quiet. So well-behaved.” “Do you remember when he fainted at school? I rushed to the hospital and asked him why he went to class if he felt bad. Do you know what he told me?” Mom’s eyes filled with tears. “That boy said he knew his condition was serious. He knew he might die. He said that if it was going to happen, he wanted to be far away. He didn’t want to die at home.” “He said that way, we wouldn’t have to be sad every time we walked into a room. We wouldn’t have to be afraid of our own house.” Mom choked on a sob. “Silly boy. He talked about himself like he was a stray dog nobody wanted!” I floated in the air, wanting to hug her. I wanted to wipe her tears. But I couldn’t. I really did die far away from home. Just like a stray dog. I couldn’t help but envy Caleb. He had such good parents. Such a good brother. Even the mother who stole me for him had tried to plan his future with her last breath. Keir remained silent for a long time, his jaw working. “He’s in the city,” he said finally. “He probably came to ask for money.” Mom looked shocked. “How? He didn’t take any of his credit cards. He didn’t take any of the luxury things we bought him. Why would he come back for money now?” Keir’s voice wavered. “His biological mother… her hospital bills. They were going to stop her meds.” Mom sighed. “That’s because she was being transferred. We pre-paid a massive deposit at a specialized hospice for her, Keir. Out of respect for her raising Caleb.” Keir’s face went ash-white. “Really?” “Yes! Now call him. Find out where he is. Tell him his Mom and Dad are waiting for him at home.” Keir pulled out his phone. He finally dialed my number. I listened to the monotonous ringing and thought: No one is going to answer. But a second later, the call was picked up. 06 The background was full of noise, but no one spoke. “Leo!” Keir barked. “Why didn’t you answer my texts?!” There was a soft gasp on the other end. Two seconds later, a tiny, childish voice spoke. “Are you the person the Pretty Boy is waiting for?” Keir froze. He softened his tone. “Who is this?” “I’m Sweet Pea!” Keir took a breath, trying to be patient. “Can you put the owner of the phone on the line, please?” “Um…” Sweet Pea sounded hesitant. She whispered into the phone, “But the Pretty Boy is sleeping. He looks really tired, so he’s been sleeping for a long time. My mommy says good girls don’t wake people up.” Keir’s lips twitched in a mix of frustration and relief. “Tell him when he wakes up to stay exactly where he is. I’m coming to get him.” “Who are you?” Sweet Pea asked. “Are you the one he’s waiting for?” Keir said, “Yes.” Sweet Pea sounded confused. “No. The Pretty Boy said he was waiting for his big brother. He said his brother is very gentle and kind. He said his brother is the best person in the whole world.” She lowered her voice. “But you sound so mean…” Keir went dead silent. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. He hung up. Mom looked at him reproachfully. “You let him wait so long he fell asleep?” Keir regained his stern composure. “I just wanted to teach him a lesson so he’d stop lying.” Mom looked at him with deep concern. “Leo was always your favorite person in the world, Keir. Why are you being so hard on him? Just because he isn’t your blood?” Keir didn’t answer. He just shook his head. “You have a big heart, Keir. You don’t let many things get to you,” Mom said softly. “Only the people you care about can truly make you angry. But Leo is sensitive. Don’t break his heart.” Did he break my heart? I wondered. A little bit, maybe. When he accused me of faking it, of lying to get money… my heart had hurt with a sharp, physical intensity. Mom didn’t know about my confession. She didn’t know why Keir was so angry. How could it be because he cared? How could someone who cares be so cruel? I couldn’t understand. Keir stepped out into the night. It had started to snow. Traffic was a nightmare. The Rolls Royce crawled through the slush. Keir rolled down the window twice to check the street, but he didn’t tell the driver to hurry. As they neared the station, Keir sent another text. [Can you make it to the exit yourself?] He quickly followed it with: [Never mind. Stay in the waiting room. Don’t move.] By the time the car parked, I still hadn’t replied. Keir walked toward the terminal, his face set in a cold mask of irritation. “Leo, you’re really pushing it now,” he muttered to himself. “Wait until I see you—” He stopped dead. I looked where he was looking. He was looking at me. 07 The terminal was still packed. Travelers were rushing everywhere with their suitcases. Keir was tall and striking, a beacon of wealth in the middle of the grime. There was snow on his shoulders. He was staring at me. I was exactly as I had been. Leaning against the wall, eyes closed. The quietest person in the room. Keir suddenly didn’t seem to be in a rush anymore. His steps were slow, silent. He didn’t want to wake me. He stopped in front of me and looked at me for a long time. Then, he reached out and tapped my forehead. “Leo. You’ve made your point. Stop pretending.” When I didn’t move, Keir let out a frustrated huff. He did what he used to do when I was being stubborn—he pinched my cheek. “If you don’t get up right now, I’m leaving. Don’t cry to me about it later.” He gave my shoulder a firm nudge. My body lost its balance. I slumped forward, soft and heavy, right into Keir’s arms. “Leo!” He caught me, his patience at an end. “Wake up! Stop playing around!” Then, he felt it. The weight. The temperature. Keir finally looked at my face. His fingertips began to shake as he touched my purple-tinged lips. He grabbed my hand. My fingernails were blue. “Leo?” He said my name again, but the anger was gone. Sweet Pea hopped off her chair. “Is the Pretty Boy okay? Is he just being lazy?” Keir scooped me up in a bridal carry and sprinted for the exit. “He’s sick!” he barked at no one in particular. The heater in the Rolls Royce was blasting, but my body remained cold. Keir couldn’t warm me up. He called the hospital, telling them he had a patient in a deep coma with severe cyanosis. He told them to have a team ready at the door. The driver was flying. Keir kept telling him to go faster. He looked at my face, and his own breathing grew ragged, uneven. The car swerved through the storm, making my body toss. Keir held me tighter. “It’s okay,” he whispered over and over. “Don’t be afraid. We’re almost there.” My cold forehead was pressed against his neck. I couldn’t feel his warmth. It’s no use, Keir, I thought. There’s no hope left. I looked out the window. The snow was hitting the glass in clumps, shattering. I remembered seeing that same image once through a plane window. Keir had been on a business trip over New Year’s. I’d lied to my professors, taken a red-eye flight, and flown through a blizzard to surprise him. The plane had circled for an hour, briefly losing contact with the tower. When I landed, Keir was waiting at the gate. His hair was a mess, his eyes bloodshot with fury. “Leo Sterling, who gave you permission to do this?!” He’d grabbed my wrists, his voice shaking with a rage I’d never seen. “Why couldn’t you just stay home?! What if the plane crashed?! What if you died?!” I’d looked up at him, the snowflakes on my lashes melting into my eyes. “Because I didn’t want you to be alone on New Year’s Eve.” “I’m sorry,” I’d whispered. Keir had stared at me for a few seconds, then the anger vanished. Like every other person in the arrivals hall, he’d pulled me into a crushing embrace. He held me so tight I couldn’t tell if I was forgiven. But I loved it. I wanted him to hold me forever. I realize now that Keir really did give me hope back then. That was why I was foolish enough to confess. I overplayed my hand.

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Silas Sterling had a car accident and lost his memory. He forgot everything—including the fact that he had once systematically hunted me down and forced me to be his. When his family found out, they didn’t waste a heartbeat. They helped him divorce me before he could even form a sentence. Less than twelve hours later, I stood in a strange city, a divorce decree in one hand and a massive settlement check in the other, feeling utterly lost. After being the object of Silas’s “forced affection” for so long, this sudden freedom felt like a phantom limb. I settled down in this new city, starting a quiet, ordinary life. Then, one day while grocery shopping, someone covered my mouth and nose from behind. When I opened my eyes, I was in a dark, terrifyingly familiar basement. A cold, crisp male voice whispered in my ear: “Be my woman, and I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted.” …Great. Exactly like the first time. 1 By the time I learned about Silas Sterling’s amnesia, it had been a full week since the crash. The surgeons had spent hours in the OR just to keep his heart beating. His mother told me about it with tears of grief in one eye and sparks of fury in the other. “If it weren’t for his obsession with finding you, Silas would never have ended up like this!” she spat. She said Silas was supposedly in a therapy session that day. When he discovered I had escaped, he jumped into his car and sped off to hunt me down. In a moment of distraction, he slammed head-on into a speeding semi-truck. Luckily, his car was expensive enough that the safety features saved his life, and the truck driver swerved just enough to avoid a total kill. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have just lost his memory; he would have been signing up for reincarnation. I had a sudden realization. Oh… so that was it. No wonder he hadn’t come for me all those days. I actually thought my GPS tracker had finally malfunctioned. Meanwhile, I’d been shivering in the wind on a remote island for a week for no reason. 2 I was the wife Silas Sterling took by force. To be honest, I never saw what attracted him to me. I was just a regular corporate workhorse, and he was the CEO’s boss. The only “spark” between us, if you can call it that, happened at a corporate gala. I had used a wine bottle to crack open the skull of his cousin, who was busy harassing a junior staffer. At the time, I was certain I was getting fired. The next day, instead of a pink slip, I got a transfer order. I was moved from that crumbling branch office to the high-rise headquarters everyone was dying to get into. My salary tripled. I became a dedicated corporate drone immediately, working like my life depended on it. Silas seemed to appreciate my hustle. He always greeted me with a smile, gave me raises and promotions like they were candy, fired the managers who tried to sabotage me, and helped me get rid of a persistent, toxic ex-boyfriend. He validated my work and covered for all my mistakes. He wore the cheap cufflinks I bought him every single day for years. I felt like the luckiest girl alive. Every day after work, I’d practically thank the stars for such an incredible boss. I was prepared to work for him for the rest of my life. Then came the night I had too much to drink at a firm event. In a blur, Silas helped me into his car. He let me lean against his shoulder and whispered, “Sleep. I’ll get you home.” I don’t have a high tolerance, and that night was enough to put me out until morning. But for some reason, I woke up halfway through the drive. I opened my eyes and saw Silas Sterling. He was leaning in, secretly kissing my lips. 3 Silas tore the veil right off. He stopped pretending. He told me he loved me. A billionaire’s pursuit is always blunt and overwhelming. Private jets, yachts, diamond gowns, rare art—if I could dream it, he could buy it. And he wasn’t exactly hard to look at, either. Sharp features, broad shoulders, a narrow waist. He looked sophisticated when he smiled and dangerously innocent when he didn’t. Every time I walked down the street with him, people looked at me like I’d won the lottery. But I’m an honest person. I just didn’t love him. I thought, If this were a scam, I’d take him for every cent he’s worth. But it wasn’t. I hated to admit that the mountain of gold and silver he piled up for me was actually built on genuine affection. And according to the universe, deceiving a sincere heart is a cardinal sin. So, after I rejected him for the hundredth time, he snapped. He owned a waterfront estate with a soundproofed “panic room.” Every time I tried to run, he’d drag me back there to “show me how much he cared.” Afterward, with his face still flushed, he’d force me to talk about marriage. “Be my woman. I’ll give you the world,” he’d say. He threatened me. He told me if I didn’t agree, he’d lock me up forever so I’d never see the sun again. Of course, he said those things a thousand times and never actually did them. Every time he caught me, he’d get so frustrated by my indifference that his eyes would turn red, looking like he was the one being bullied. I usually stayed quiet for a while after that—mostly because I thought he looked incredibly sexy when he was on the verge of tears. At first, the whole “cat and mouse” game was almost fresh. But after a while, even I got bored. I couldn’t get away, and he couldn’t bring himself to actually hurt me. Besides, the estate was massive with plenty of unexplored corners; spending all my time in a cramped basement room wasn’t practical. So, on a beautiful, sunny afternoon, I married Silas Sterling. 4 Most of the time, Silas was dominant. Like every possessive man in power, he wanted me glued to his side, tracking my every move 24/7. But he was also deeply insecure. He knew our marriage was something he’d obtained through less-than-noble means, so he never actually dared to keep me locked in the house like a bird in a cage. He was neurotic. If he didn’t see me, he’d lose his mind. Eventually, torn between his insecurity and his need for control, he couldn’t help himself. While I was sleeping, he had GPS trackers embedded in my phone and my jewelry. If he noticed I’d been out for more than twenty-four hours, he’d show up within an hour to “retrieve” me. Once I figured out the pattern, I just started treating him like a personal Uber. If I got tired of wandering around, I’d just find a place to take a nap. I knew that when I woke up, I’d be in my pajamas in our oversized bed at home. It was as convenient as a teleportation spell. Of course, the price was waking up to “souvenirs” he’d leave on my skin. 5 This time, I miscalculated. I had only intended to take a day trip to the private island he’d gifted me. But three days passed, and not a single phone call came. I sat by the ocean, checking if the GPS in my phone was broken. I even wondered if a satellite had fallen out of orbit before I ever considered that something had happened to Silas. It turned out for the best. He had amnesia now. He’d forgotten me completely. When people told him he was married, he just waved them off with indifference. “Divorce her. I don’t even remember the woman,” he said. With a few strokes of fate’s pen, everyone won. Silas went back to being the cold, untouchable, workaholic billionaire he used to be. His mother could finally find him the “perfect” socialite debutante she’d always wanted for him. And me? I was free. Plus, I had eighty million dollars—USD. 6 Before I left, Silas’s mother warned me never to show my face to her son again. “Silas’s obsession with you was a psychological glitch. Now that he’s ‘cured,’ don’t even dream that he’ll ever look at you that way again.” I’d heard about Silas’s condition—a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by childhood trauma. Maybe that was why he was so stuck on me. It made sense. No sane person would ignore a woman’s lack of consent and go full “stolen bride” on her. The three-year marriage felt like a fever dream. When I woke up, the estate, the yachts, the diamonds, the basement… all gone. All I had was eighty million dollars in the bank. His mother told me to get lost, and I’m a woman of my word. I measured the furthest point from Silas on a map, booked the earliest flight, and flew away without looking back. 7 I settled in a city I didn’t know, bought a modest house, and filled it with simple furniture. Then, I found a part-time job at a local artisanal sweet shop. It felt like my life had reset to the time before I met Silas. Caleb Brooks, the grandson of the shop owner, was a senior in college who helped out during breaks. He loved following financial gossip. The shop’s projector was constantly playing news reels about CEOs and their scandals. That was how I saw Silas again. He was being discharged from the hospital. The media scrambled to photograph his still-pale face, but he didn’t give them a single glance. Cold, detached, untouchable. A reporter asked about the rumors of his secret marriage, even holding up a blurry, long-distance photo of me they’d found somewhere. “Mr. Sterling, is this lady your wife?” Silas glanced at it, his expression flat. “I’m sorry, I have no recollection of her.” Caleb sighed from the side. “Mr. Sterling is in his thirties, right? How is he still single?” “He’s a professor?” I asked, catching a detail. “Yeah, he used to be a guest lecturer at our university. Half the campus was in love with him.” “Why?” I leaned my head on my hand. “Because he didn’t take attendance?” “Because he’s hot, obviously!” Caleb told me stories about Silas—how he was the “Ice King” who rejected every girl and guy who threw themselves at him. The descriptions painted a picture of a man who perfectly matched the cold image on the screen. I remembered what Silas’s mother told me when we got married: “It’s all your fault. Silas wasn’t like this before he met you!” At the time, I thought she was delusional. How was I supposed to know what he was like before? From the day I met him, he’d been a relentless bastard who’d do anything to get what he wanted. The kind of guy who’d lick my hand after I slapped him. Now, I finally had a “Eureka” moment. Oh… so that was the real Silas Sterling. Psychological trauma really is a terrifying thing. It could make a refined, untouchable man go completely off the rails for me—making him act crazy, making him cry, making him do the most desperate things. Luckily, he’d forgotten. 8 Over the next few days, news about Silas was everywhere. Losing three years of memory didn’t seem to affect his business sense. One day he was acquiring a tech firm, the next he was closing a deal with a foreign tycoon. His business was more successful than ever. His media interviews were perfectly normal. The host asked if he was considering marriage soon. He said bluntly that he had no expectations for “romance” and would likely pursue a strategic business alliance in the future. “And if you meet a girl you actually like?” He gave a thin smile. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t do anything drastic. I respect a woman’s boundaries.” I stared at the screen in silence. Talk about a complete personality transplant. Caleb came out of the kitchen with a bowl of sweet rice pudding loaded with toppings. “Wow, generous today.” He grinned. “Gotta celebrate. I just got an offer.” “Congrats. Which firm?” “Sterling Group.” I choked on a rice ball and started coughing. “I thought… Sterling Group was based on the East Coast?” “They’re opening a massive West Coast branch. Haven’t you seen the news?” He rewound the interview by half an hour. There was Silas, talking about corporate expansion. And the first stop on his map? This exact city. I remembered my time as a corporate workhorse and gave Caleb a warning: “Headquarters is great, but branch offices are usually a grind.” “The pay is insane, though.” “You’re young. Why are you in such a rush for money?” Caleb caught my eye for a split second before looking away. “Maybe I want to feel more confident when I finally ask out the girl I like.” 9 I wasn’t imagining it. Caleb liked me. A twenty-year-old boy is too easy to read. The way his face flushed when we locked eyes, the way he fumbled with his sleeves, the way he’d “accidentally” show off his basketball moves—it was all there. Inevitably, he confessed. And I rejected him, quickly and cleanly. He wasn’t like Silas. When Silas was rejected, he’d just show up the next day acting like nothing happened, saying things like, “Persistence is a virtue.” Caleb was different. His eyes turned red the second I said no. He muttered a quick “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have,” and bolted out the door. At 11:00 PM, he still wasn’t back. His grandmother was pacing the floor in a panic. I was just about to call him when a text popped up: [Maya, I’m at the police station. Can you come bail me out?] 10 To my surprise, Caleb hadn’t done anything illegal out of heartbreak. In fact, he’d been a model employee all day. He’d been at a business dinner with a client. After the drinks started flowing, the client offered to take him to a “club” for some fun. Caleb, a bit tipsy, had followed along. He only realized the situation when someone tried to unbuckle his belt in a private VIP room. “I didn’t know the client was into guys or that the club was… that kind of place. I panicked and called the cops.” The result? He got caught up in the raid. “The client is threatening me,” Caleb said, looking like he was about to cry. “And my boss is on his way…” “Your boss?” I had a sinking feeling. “Which… boss?” “The big one…” Before he could finish, he stood up, his eyes welling with relief as he looked behind me. “Mr. Sterling. You came.” 11 Six months, and Silas hadn’t changed a bit. He still moved like a ghost, appearing out of thin air. I didn’t want to face him, so I pulled my baseball cap low and tried to disappear into the corner. He handled the police matter with surgical precision and didn’t show the client a shred of mercy, ensuring the man was charged. Through the glass, I heard him comforting Caleb. “Don’t worry about this in the future. The company always prioritizes employee safety.” “And don’t drink so much at business dinners.” Caleb sniffled. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Sterling. I was just… having a bad day. I got rejected by someone, so I wasn’t thinking straight.” “Love is inherently random. The odds of the person you like liking you back are statistically low,” Silas said, sounding like a wise, patient mentor. “There are many women in the world. You’ll find the right one. “Some things shouldn’t be forced.” I listened from the sidelines, feeling a weird sense of relief. This was the first time I’d ever heard Silas Sterling talk like a functioning human being. It was surreal. “By the way,” Silas asked, “Where is your family?” Caleb snapped out of it and gestured toward me. “Oh, she’s right there.” Silas followed his hand and looked my way. And in that exact moment, I happened to look up.

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