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During a brand livestream, I couldn’t fight the nausea and ended up throwing up twice on camera. A minute later, Carter Sterling sent me a text: “Why are you throwing up? If you’re not feeling well, end the stream. I’ll come pick you up.” I replied: “I’m fine. Just thinking about you makes me sick.” Chapter 1 Carter Sterling. The current king of Hollywood, heir to a massive corporate empire, and possessor of a face so flawlessly handsome it could make girls faint with a single glance. He wasn’t just a phenomenal actor; he could play the piano like a maestro. And as of today, he was my ex-boyfriend. I’m Blair Mitchell, a newly rising starlet in the entertainment industry. My career was finally on the upswing, and I had just dumped him. The main reason? I was terrified our secret relationship would be exposed and ruin my acting career. My trajectory could have ended right there. I was wide awake to the reality of this business; I absolutely refused to sacrifice my career for love. At least, that was the lie I told myself. The real reason was that Carter was trash. On Valentine’s Day, I had just wrapped up a shoot. Wanting to give him a huge surprise, I slipped into his favorite little black dress and snuck into his penthouse bedroom. Instead, he gave me the biggest surprise of my life! He walked into the apartment laughing and chatting with Chloe Vance, a wealthy socialite. I looked down at the text he had sent me just two hours prior: “Stuck on set today. Might be back really late, but I bought you a present.” I instantly felt a massive pair of green horns growing on my head. I exploded. I leaped out of his bedroom, pointed right at his nose, and screamed, “Carter! You bastard!” When he saw me, his body stiffened. His brows furrowed slightly before he casually took off his suit jacket, draped it over my shoulders, and said in a maddeningly calm voice, “Blair, I ran into Chloe downstairs. I just brought her up to grab something.” I wrenched my arm out of his grasp, threw his jacket onto the rug, grabbed the Birkin bag I had left on the bed, and glared at him. “Carter Sterling, I’m officially announcing that we are done.” He reached out and grabbed my arm again, a flash of irritation crossing his handsome face. “Blair, stop throwing a tantrum.” Chloe covered her mouth in shock, stepping forward to gently pull at my sleeve, her voice dripping with fake innocence. “Oh my gosh! Carter, are you dating this girl? I am so sorry, I had no idea! I shouldn’t have come up with you. You two talk, I’ll just leave.” She pretended to pull me back, but she didn’t even look at me. Her eyes were glued to Carter the entire time. And Carter, that jerk, actually held her back to explain! “Chloe, wait a second. I’ll be right with you.” He was holding onto me with one hand and telling her to wait with the other. Wow. It’s the 21st century, and he still thought he could have his cake and eat it too? Even if he was the crown prince of the Sterling Corporation, I wasn’t having it. I absolutely refused to swallow this humiliation. “Let go! Carter!” I yanked my arm away with all my strength and stormed out. It wasn’t until I reached the elevator that I realized he hadn’t chased after me. “Fine! Good riddance. The next one will be better,” I muttered to myself. But seeing my reflection in the polished elevator doors, my eyes stung, and two frustrating tears rolled down my cheeks. Thank God his penthouse had a private elevator. I quickly pulled a mask and sunglasses out of my purse and hid in the lobby restroom, waiting for my manager, Valerie, to bring me some normal clothes. Valerie helped me out of the dress, frowning as she scolded me. “I told you not to date him! Do you have any idea how powerful the Sterling family is? Now look what you’ve done. If you offend him, how are you going to survive in this industry?!” I pouted, staying silent and taking the scolding. “You didn’t actually offend him, did you?” Valerie paused, leaning in with a look of pure dread. I was about to answer when my stomach violently turned. “I don’t… hurk.” “What’s wrong with you?” Valerie eyed me suspiciously. “Nothing… I probably just caught a chill running downstairs,” I said, rubbing my stomach. It felt like a balloon had popped inside me, filling me with air. Once changed, Valerie and I bundled up and hailed a cab. My phone buzzed. A text from Carter: “Where are you? I’ll drive you home.” I locked the screen and tossed the phone into my bag. When we reached my apartment building, Valerie reminded me to take some medicine and make sure I was in top shape for tomorrow night’s livestream. Chapter 2 Carter and I met at a brand gala. It was freezing that winter night. As a low-tier actress, I had no choice but to wear a skimpy, backless evening gown, sitting at my table shivering. When we finally got a break, I sneaked out into the hotel corridor to soak up some of the heater’s warmth. That was when I ran into Carter, who had stepped out for some air. It was the first time I had ever spoken to him; before then, I had only admired him from afar. He was ridiculously handsome. Six-foot-two, broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs. His tailored black tuxedo hugged his perfect physique. He was leaning against the wall with his overcoat draped over his shoulders, his cold, beautiful eyes casually sweeping over me before landing on his own shoes. He exuded an air of absolute aristocracy. I admit it, my heart skipped a beat. He fit my image of the perfect man completely. Rich, gorgeous, and talented. I lowered my head to compose myself, and then his deep, smooth voice drifted over. “Aren’t you cold?” I looked up to see him handing me his heavy overcoat. My heart went into overdrive, pounding against my ribs like a motor. I stared at his perfectly sculpted lips, totally starstruck, and mumbled, “Is this… for me?” His face remained impassive. “Who else? A ghost?” I looked around frantically, searching for cameras. I didn’t dare start a rumor with a superstar of his caliber; his rabid fanbase would tear me to shreds. He sighed. “There are no cameras here.” I carefully took the coat and wrapped it around myself. Carter lit a cigarette. The white smoke swirled around him, making him look like a mysterious prince in the dark. We stood there in silence for ten minutes before I handed the coat back to him. Strangely, after that night, I started running into him everywhere. If it wasn’t at industry events, it was at hotels. We slowly got to know each other. He invited me to a music festival, and I agreed. That night, half-drunk and flushed, I knocked on his hotel room door. “Carter Sterling. Be my boyfriend.” Yeah, I was that bold. I wasn’t going to let a perfect man slip away. I had to try. Through my blurry vision, I thought I saw a flash of smug satisfaction in his eyes before he softly replied, “Okay.” I froze, not knowing what to say. It was that easy? He pulled me forward, and I stumbled into his arms. His soft, warm lips covered mine. The crisp scent of cedar mixed with a faint hint of tobacco rushed into my senses, and I completely forgot how to resist. The hormones of new love have a way of making you lose your mind. Chapter 3 We started dating. By unspoken agreement, neither of us made it public. When Valerie found out, she tore me a new one. She said I could mess around with anyone, but never Carter Sterling. The capital behind him was immense; a small-time actress like me couldn’t afford to cross him. When he got bored and tossed me aside, I’d lose everything. But love had blinded me. I didn’t care. What was the worst he could do, eat me alive? Besides, I never expected to marry into his billionaire family anyway. As long as I had him for a while, I’d be happy. I didn’t realize that missing someone could become a physical ache, even after knowing they’re garbage. The Sterling family was a dominant force in New York, with their hands in multiple industries, including entertainment. Carter was their only son and the definitive heir. He just happened to like acting, so he played around in Hollywood. Now, I believed Valerie. You do not mess with Carter. When disaster hasn’t hit you yet, it’s easy to brush it off. The morning after our breakup, I opened my phone to a headline: “Carter Sterling Spotted with Mystery Non-Industry Girlfriend on Valentine’s Day!” I stared at the paparazzi photo of him and Chloe laughing together, and my heart clenched. So much for “stuck on set.” That evening, my livestream was popping. The chat was flooded with “Blair is amazing!” and “So gorgeous!” I had just played a very likable supporting role in a hit drama, moving me from a nobody to a rising star. I kept glancing at the clock, wondering when I could log off. My stomach was violently rolling. The next second, I gagged right at the screen. “I’m so sorry, my stomach has been acting up,” I quickly apologized. If I didn’t, the haters would come for me. “Is Blair okay?” “Poor thing!” “Ugh, I hate actors who fake being sick for attention.” I kept bowing and thanking the supportive comments, praying I wouldn’t dry-heave again. Back in the dressing room, I pulled out my phone and saw Carter’s text. Seeing his name made me furious. I fired back: “I’m fine. Just thinking about you makes me sick.” The moment it sent, I regretted it. Would he retaliate? Would he have me blacklisted? Probably not. He wasn’t that petty. My head was spinning and I felt completely drained, so I headed straight home. When I flipped on the lights in my apartment, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Carter was sitting on my couch like a stone statue. “Are you trying to scare me to death so you and your childhood sweetheart can live happily ever after?!” A smug smile touched his lips. He walked over slowly, trapping me against the wall, and whispered, “So that’s why you’re mad?” I rolled my eyes and started listing his crimes. “You lied about being on set. You went to dinner with her, got photographed by the paparazzi, and you expect me to play the fool? I’m done playing with you, Carter. Get out and go find your little princess.” He affectionately ruffled my hair, his voice gentle. “Blair, we really are just friends. I was working. She just landed at the airport and couldn’t get a ride. You know we grew up together, so I picked her up and we grabbed a quick bite. That’s it.” I was even angrier now. Oh, so I was the unreasonable one? A rich socialite couldn’t get a ride from the airport? My voice went ice-cold. “I see. So you just love drinking her poison, huh?” He blinked. “What? I prefer whiskey.” “…” My stomach churned again. I pushed past him and ran to the bathroom, dry-heaving over the sink. Carter gently rubbed my back, his voice anxious. “I’m taking you to the hospital.” “No. I just need to sleep.” After rinsing my mouth, I curled up on the couch. He sat beside me, blowing on a mug of hot water. The quiet domesticity was broken by his phone ringing. “Chloe, what’s wrong? Don’t panic, I’ll be right there.” He hung up, looking guilty. He pulled a blanket over me. “Chloe got into a fender bender. I have to go sort it out. I’ll be right back. Get some sleep.” He hurried out the door. I stared at his retreating back, my heart seizing violently. “Carter Sterling!” I screamed at the door. “If you walk out that door, don’t ever come back!” He didn’t turn around. Chapter 4 I felt too awful to sleep. Lying in bed, scrolling through my phone, a sudden thought struck me. I checked my calendar. My period was late. Panic seized me. I threw on a hoodie, grabbed a mask, and ran to the 24-hour pharmacy. Ten minutes later, I was crouched on the cold bathroom tiles, staring at two glaring red lines on the stick. My limbs went numb. “God, please tell me this is a joke.” I was in a daze all night. The next morning, I showed up to work with massive dark circles under my eyes. Valerie took one look at me and let loose. “Blair, do you want to ruin your career?! Look at your face! You’re yellow, and you look like a raccoon!” “I’m sorry, Val. I didn’t sleep well,” I mumbled, lacking the energy to fight back. “Alright, just push through. We have the charity gala tonight. We’ll leave early.” She patted the back of my head, her tone softening. Valerie was tough, but she actually cared about me. I glanced at my phone. A text from Carter: “Blair, wait for me at home tonight.” He was always like this. He never thought his actions were wrong. He always thought he was right, and that I had no right to be angry. I already told him we were broken up! But to him, it was like nothing had happened. Beneath that cold exterior, Carter was just an arrogant, thick-skinned man-child. He used to come to my apartment, complain about his private chef, and demand I cook for him. He’d tell me not to get any ideas about marrying him because I was “too nagging.” When I got mad, he’d accuse me of causing drama and give me the silent treatment. I never brought up marriage. Neither did he. I always knew we were from two different worlds. But sometimes, when he slept beside me, and I watched his peaceful face, feeling his arm subconsciously tighten around me… I couldn’t help but fantasize about forever. I ignored his text. He walked into my dressing room while I was reading a script. I decided not to tell him about the baby. But an abortion meant a week of bed rest, which meant I’d have to find a way to tell Valerie. He walked over, sat next to me, and rubbed my hair. “Tomorrow is my family’s annual gala. You’re coming with me.” I kept my eyes on the script. “I don’t want to go. I’m not feeling well. Take your little princess. We’re over anyway. Give me back my keys.” He was silent for a few seconds before saying casually, “If you don’t go, I’ll have you blacklisted from the industry.” I glared at him. He looked incredibly smug. Evil corporate tyrant. Valerie was right. I stood up, too tired to argue. “Just push through,” his voice trailed after me. “I have a surprise for you.” Chapter 5 Out of sheer lack of options, I went. I felt awful the entire week. Damn you, Carter. It was a boring, stuffy high-society event. There was no surprise. “You lied to me again,” I muttered, stabbing a piece of cake at my table, cursing him a thousand times in my head. Chloe Vance strutted toward me in her designer heels. I looked away, trying to ignore her. “Ms. Mitchell. You’re here?” her sweet, saccharine voice rang out. She used my name, so I couldn’t hide. I gave her a polite, tight smile. “Can I help you?” “I heard acting is so exhausting. Yesterday at Carter’s house, Mr. Sterling was saying how entertainers are so unpresentable. He made it very clear that Carter would never be allowed to marry an actress. It must be so hard being you, Ms. Mitchell.” Bitch. She was finally showing her true colors now that Carter wasn’t around. She wanted to mock me to my face? She picked the wrong girl. “I’ve heard Carter talk about how refined you are, Ms. Vance,” I said smoothly, taking a sip of my sparkling water. “But to be honest, I can smell the fake snake on you from a mile away.” It took her a second to process the insult. When she did, her face twisted in rage, and she raised her hand to slap me. In a room full of elites, I wasn’t going to brawl. I simply stepped to the side. Her hand, suspended in mid-air, suddenly changed direction. She grabbed a piece of cake from the table, smeared it on her own face, knocked over a tray of champagne, and started screaming. “Ms. Mitchell, why did you hit me?! Is it just because Carter and I had dinner?!” The commotion drew a horde of paparazzi, their camera flashes blinding me. She set me up. Carter appeared out of nowhere. Seeing the mess, his brows furrowed. He immediately yelled for security to lock down the room and kick the reporters out. Then he helped Chloe off the floor. He looked at me, furious. “Blair, what are you doing?” Oh, so he was blaming me. I held my ground. “She fell on her own. It has nothing to do with me.” “Carter, don’t blame her,” Chloe sobbed. “She just pushed me by accident. I’m fine.” “Blair, apologize to Chloe,” Carter said. His voice was low, but his eyes were burning. I stepped forward and slapped Chloe across the face. Hard. The entire room gasped. If I was going to be framed for it, I might as well get my money’s worth. “Blair! What the hell are you doing?!” Carter roared. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Ms. Vance,” I mocked. “You wanted me to apologize, Carter? There. I apologized.” Giant tears rolled down Chloe’s pale cheeks. Any man would feel bad for her. I turned on my heel to leave. Carter grabbed my wrist in a vice grip. “Stop causing a scene! Apologize to her properly!” I looked straight into his furious eyes. “Never.” He yanked my arm, trying to pull me toward Chloe. I struggled violently. Suddenly, his grip slipped. I flew backward, my spine slamming brutally against the edge of a heavy mahogany chair. Panic flashed across Carter’s face. He rushed forward to catch me, but I violently swatted his hand away and stumbled out of the ballroom. Something inside me felt like it had shattered. A dull, agonizing pain spread through my entire body. In the cab, my lower abdomen cramped so hard I thought I was dying. I told the driver to take me to the ER. Looking at the ultrasound monitor, I saw the tiny flicker for the first time. The doctor said the baby was fine and had a strong heartbeat. “Can I terminate it?” I asked coldly. “You need to think this through. Where is your husband? Your uterine lining is extremely thin. If you terminate this pregnancy, it is highly unlikely you will ever be able to conceive again.”

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At a college reunion, I lost a game of Truth or Dare. My classmates dared me: “Call the person pinned at the top of your text messages and say, ‘Honey, I miss you.’” I had to bite the bullet and make the call. I said the words. To my absolute shock, the voice on the other end replied, “Yeah, I miss you too.” My classmates’ eyes lit up with gossip, immediately interrogating me about when I had secretly gotten married. Help me! The person on the other end of the line was my tyrannical boss. We aren’t even close! During the Thanksgiving break, some old college classmates organized a reunion. Faced with the endless, invasive questions from my aunts and uncles back home, I seized the opportunity to escape. At the reunion, we started playing Truth or Dare. The entire evening passed without incident until the very end of the game, when I finally lost. Looking at the pack of wolves around me, their eyes practically glowing green as they dug up everyone’s deepest secrets, I nervously chose “Dare.” A classmate smirked, “Call the person pinned at the top of your text messages and say, ‘Honey, I miss you.’” Oh, crap. The person pinned at the top of my messages was my boss. After all, he’s the one signing my paychecks. It’s only natural I keep his thread pinned so I don’t miss any important work messages. I hesitated. “Um, that might be my boss…” “You’re married?” a classmate asked. I shook my head. “Then make the call!” I had no choice but to dial the number, praying silently that he wouldn’t answer. But before the third ring, Alexander’s deep, resonant voice came through the speaker. “What is it?” Under the expectant gazes of everyone in the room, I gritted my teeth and forced out the words: “Honey, I miss you.” There was a pause on the other end. Right before I could hang up, he spoke. “Yeah, I miss you too.” Seeing everyone covering their mouths, staring at me in silent shock, I hurriedly ended the call. “I’m not married. It’s not what you think.” My classmate waved his hand dismissively. “We get it, we get it. Office romance. Keeping it low-key! We understand!” I rubbed my temples, exhausted. No, you really don’t. I could only take solace in the fact that I didn’t have to go into the office for a few days. Otherwise, I’d probably die of embarrassment right in front of Alexander. But Alexander saying something like that… he must have been drunk. He’ll probably forget all about it by tomorrow. The next day, I had completely pushed the incident to the back of my mind. Early the next morning, I could hear my dad laughing through my bedroom door. Then, I heard my mom knocking gently. “Olivia, time to get up,” she said softly. I was just wondering why my mom was in such a good mood today, speaking so sweetly, when she added: “Your boyfriend is here. Come on out.” I practically jumped out of bed and yanked the door open. “What boyfriend? Who has a boyfriend?” My mom smiled so broadly her crow’s feet crinkled. “Yours, of course! Really, Olivia, why keep such an amazing guy a secret? You should have brought him home sooner.” I looked past my mom and saw the back of a man sitting on the living room sofa, wearing a crisp suit. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, sitting tall and composed. Wait a minute. Is this a scammer? Or someone trying to sell us insurance? I pulled my mom into my room and gently closed the door. “Mom,” I whispered. “Did that guy ask you for money?” My mom playfully swatted my arm. “What kind of nonsense is that? The young man came to visit for the holidays, and I gave him a little gift card as a welcome. How does that make him a scammer?” I grimaced. “But Mom, I don’t have a boyfriend.” My mom paused. “Well, an ex-boyfriend counts, right? He’s already at the door. You two could rekindle things! He’s so handsome, and I even gave him a $500 gift card!” “What?!” I couldn’t hide my shock. “You only gave me fifty bucks! Am I even your biological daughter?” My mom rolled her eyes at me. “No, you were a free gift when we signed up for a new phone plan. I couldn’t possibly have given birth to someone this dense. Fine, if he’s not your boyfriend, he must have the wrong house. I’ll go kick him out before he gives me a headache.” I stopped her. “No, wait. I have to get that gift card back. We can’t just lose $500.” “You exasperating child. It’s the holidays. Don’t go starting trouble.” My mom tried to grab me, but I dodged her with a swift maneuver. I sprinted into the living room, shouting at the man, “Happy Holidays, Mister! Wishing you a prosperous…” I looked at the boss sitting in front of me and forcibly swallowed the rest of my sentence. Looking at my impeccably dressed boss, I suddenly remembered I hadn’t even brushed my teeth yet, and my hair was a bird’s nest. In that moment, the awkwardness made me want to melt into the floorboards. Alexander stood up and looked at me, his eyes surprisingly gentle. “Olivia, Happy Holidays!” I was completely lost. Did my boss take the wrong medication today? Alexander continued, “I didn’t want to make our relationship public so soon either. But when you called me that night, my parents overheard and figured it out. Now they’re asking when I can bring you over to meet them.” In a flash of realization, I finally understood Alexander’s logic. He must have thought that when I called him that night, other people had overheard and misunderstood. So, he came over to return the favor, intentionally causing a misunderstanding with my family as payback. Petty and vindictive. Classic Alexander. But did he really think I was scared of him? A free shield delivered right to my door? I’ll take it. I affectionately linked my arm through his. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alexander stiffen slightly. I couldn’t help but smirk. “Mom, Dad, let me formally introduce you. This is Alexander. My boyfriend.” Sitting in the living room munching on some snacks, I watched him get interrogated by my parents like he was undergoing a background check. I couldn’t help but cackle internally. Take that, Alexander. At the dinner table, I struck again, constantly putting food on my boss’s plate—fatty cuts of meat, raw garlic, ginger, cilantro, and anything else I knew he hated. By the end of the meal, I had earned a look from my boss that transitioned from confused disbelief to barely suppressed rage. I gave him a modest smile. “I know you love these. Eat up! Don’t be shy!” Under the table, Alexander reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it warningly. “I really appreciate this.” Feeling the threat, I wisely lowered my head and focused on my own food. My mom suddenly asked, “How long have you two been together? When are you planning to get married?” I looked up at Alexander, eager to see how he would spin this. Alexander looked at me, his face the picture of devotion. “Although Olivia and I haven’t been together that long, we understand each other deeply. I can’t imagine my future without her in it.” I rubbed the goosebumps on my arms, feeling a sudden chill. I gave Alexander a pointed look, trying to signal him not to make it so ridiculously cheesy. Alexander’s lips curled into a faint smile as he continued, “I was hoping we could get married as soon as possible, but the courthouse is probably closed for the holidays. We might have to wait a couple of days. As for the wedding, our families can take their time planning it. We won’t skip any of the traditional steps.” Wow. I was absolutely floored. The chicken wing I was holding slipped from my chopsticks and fell onto the table. I angrily kicked Alexander under the table. There has to be a limit to this nonsense. How was I supposed to explain this to my parents later? Tell them he died and the wedding’s off? My dad seemed hesitant. “Isn’t this a bit too fast? You’ve only just met us.” Alexander looked at me, his eyes so tender it was almost unbelievable, as if we were truly a deeply in love couple. “When it’s the right person, it’s just a matter of time. But I’d rather do it sooner than later.” Saying this, he casually pulled a large ring of car keys from his pocket. “By the way, sir, are you planning to take a road trip over the break? I have quite a few cars in my garage just gathering dust. You should come by and pick one out. It’ll make your commute much easier.” I clearly saw my dad’s eyes widen. Alexander then turned to my mom. “Ma’am, I know you worry about Olivia. I have a few properties in the city. We’ll live in one of them when we get married. You can pick one out for yourselves, too. That way, it’ll be easy for Olivia to visit you whenever she misses home.” My mom’s face instantly lit up. She pulled out our family’s important documents file and slapped it on the table with gusto. “Oh, nonsense! Stop calling me ‘Ma’am.’ It’s time to start calling me ‘Mom’!” As one of the people involved in this transaction, I was left utterly dumbfounded. Snapping back to reality, I desperately tried to stop this farce. “Actually, we’re not—” Alexander suddenly grabbed my hand, a gentle smile in the corners of his eyes, interrupting me before I could finish. “From now on, all my paychecks will go straight to Olivia. I promise I’ll never give myself a chance to mistreat her.” “This is the engagement gift,” Alexander leaned in and whispered in my ear. “It’s seven figures. If you think it’s too little, I can add more. The PIN is my birthday.” Looking at the bank card suddenly pressed into my hand, my wrist suddenly felt like it weighed a ton. I fell silent. I surrendered. Ugh, the sugar-coated bullets of capitalism are just too sweet. … The Monday after the holidays. A good day to go back to work. I clutched my ID documents, hesitating to get into the car. Alexander looked at me through the window, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel, exuding an intense, oppressive aura. “Having second thoughts?” Faced with sudden, immense wealth, it’s hard not to lose your head. But once clarity returns, hesitation and suspicion are inevitable. “Why do you want to marry me? I’m so ordinary, and we barely know each other. Even if you just need someone to get your family off your back, it shouldn’t be me.” I cautiously took a step back. To be honest, I had thought about this carefully over the past few days. I suspected he wanted to trick me into going home with him so he could harvest my kidneys, or maybe he wanted to cut out my heart to give to his sick childhood sweetheart. Or maybe he had his eye on my corneas. Alexander suddenly chuckled. “You’re not ordinary. You’re different from everyone else. You’re very special.” The way he looked at me was like a pool of warm spring water, so tender it could drown a person. I felt my ears burning. “How am I different from everyone else?” I shot back. As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized my tone was all wrong. It sounded like I was playfully flirting with him. The manipulative tactics of a capitalist are truly terrifying! Feeling a bit embarrassed and angry, I blurted out, “Alexander, I suspect you’re involved in organ trafficking!” Alexander let out a soft laugh. “What, are you trying to say I stole your heart?” My face instantly burned bright red. “That’s not what I meant at all!” Who even uses cheesy pickup lines like that anymore? Alexander’s eyes were still smiling. “Are you standing so far away because you’re afraid I’ll steal your heart if you get too close?” “Bullshit!” I angrily climbed into the car and glared at him defiantly. “See? I’m not scared of you. Stop talking nonsense!” “Alright. Since you’re not scared, let’s head to the courthouse.” It wasn’t until we were on the road that I realized something was wrong. Wasn’t I just trying to back out? How did I suddenly end up in the car heading to the courthouse? At the entrance to the courthouse, I stopped dead in my tracks, refusing to take another step. Alexander turned to look at me. “What’s wrong?” I looked at Alexander’s face, gritted my teeth, and said, “Boss, I’m sorry. I don’t think we’re a good fit. You should find someone else to marry.” Alexander stared at me intently with those deep, handsome eyes. It sent a chill down my spine, like I was being targeted by a wolf. “Tell me, how exactly are we not a good fit? Or do you already have someone you like?” “We barely know each other. I can’t handle living with someone I’ve almost never spoken to, let alone sleeping in the same bed with them.” Alexander took a step closer, looking down at me. “Any other reasons?” I kept my head down, not daring to look at him. “I don’t want to easily trade away half my life just for money. I think the most important thing in life is to be happy. Besides, it’s not like I’m the only person you could marry.” Alexander suddenly placed his hand on my shoulder. I instinctively looked up and met his deep, dark, and unreadable gaze. He said softly, “You have a point. Actually, living in the moment and enjoying life is also very important.” Sensing danger, I hastily brushed his hand away, completely missing what he had just said. “Stay away from me.” I noticed his expression darken slightly and quickly tried to smooth things over. “I… I just think you’re standing too close. It’s getting hot.” I regretted it the moment I said it. It’s the middle of winter; how could it be hot? “It’s fine. I’m not forcing you.” Alexander rubbed his temples, returning to his usual demeanor. “I just need someone to help me deal with my family, and you happened to stumble into the situation. Plus, you happen to be a suitable candidate.” He let out a long sigh. “I should have been clearer with you. We can sign a prenuptial agreement. You won’t have to fulfill any ‘wifely duties.’ If you meet someone you like in the future, you can ask for a divorce. And while we’re married, I’ll hand over my salary every month.” I immediately started wavering again. “So we’ll sleep in separate rooms after we’re married? And… how much is your monthly salary?” “Whether we sleep in separate rooms is up to you, though we might occasionally need to keep up appearances for my family. My base salary is only $30,000 a month. Most of my income comes from dividends. While we’re married, you can expense any furniture, luxury goods, or gifts to me.” The scales in my heart began to tip. It was hard not to be tempted by those terms. Alexander continued, “If you’re still worried, I can have someone draft a marriage agreement listing all the conditions I just mentioned.” “Can I have some time to think about it?” I asked. Alexander glanced down at his watch, his face shifting into a strictly business expression. “I can give you three minutes. I have a meeting this afternoon. I don’t have time to waste.” “What about in a few days?” I pressed. Alexander frowned at me, then gave a short, slightly mocking laugh. “My time is very valuable. The entire holiday break is over, and you still haven’t made up your mind? Or have you just been playing me this whole time?” I suddenly didn’t dare to speak. I didn’t know why Alexander’s attitude had suddenly shifted, becoming so intensely intimidating. But it reminded me that this was exactly how he was at the office. High and mighty, decisive, serious, and unapproachable. This was his true self. Alexander urged, “Have you decided? Three minutes are up.” His tone was growing impatient. I quickly blurted out, “I’ll do it. I’ll marry you.” I took a deep breath and stepped into the courthouse like a soldier marching to the front lines. High risk, high reward. It was just a marriage, nothing to be afraid of. Looking at the freshly printed marriage certificate in my hands, I still couldn’t quite believe it. I remembered swearing in the past that I was going to be single forever. When I retired, I was going to travel the world alone, free and unburdened. How did things suddenly end up like this? The marriage certificate was suddenly snatched from my hands. I looked up and saw Alexander casually sliding my copy of the certificate into the inner pocket of his coat. I couldn’t help but object. “Boss, that one is mine. We each get one!” “I earned this marriage fair and square, so naturally, I get to keep all the certificates.” Alexander gave me a sidelong glance. “Got a problem with that?” I blinked, refusing to back down. “You say that like you could have gotten married all by yourself! Give it back!” Alexander leaned against the car door, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow at me. “You want it that badly? Come and get it yourself, then.” I glared at him. Pervert! How did he expect me to get it? Did he want me to act like some kind of creep and grope him in public? Alexander offered a seemingly helpful reminder. “Time is ticking. If you want it, you better hurry.” Seeing the uncontrollable smirk on Alexander’s face, I realized for the first time that outside of work, he was actually a very irritating, manipulative person. “If you don’t want it, then forget it. Let’s get in the car and go back,” Alexander said with a look of feigned regret. Yeah, right. Seeing the smug satisfaction he couldn’t hide, I felt even more stifled. Smile, smile, smile. What’s there to be so smug about? Why isn’t he wearing his usual resting funeral face now? I angrily bumped his shoulder and walked all the way around the car to get into the passenger seat. Shortly after, Alexander opened the driver’s side door and got in. I shot him a glare, then immediately turned to look out the window. “Little pufferfish!” Alexander’s voice sounded right next to my ear. I hadn’t realized when he leaned in so close. When I turned my head, I was face-to-face with his flawless, enlarged features. My heart gave a violent lurch. I leaned back, putting some distance between us, trying to calm my racing heart before demanding, “Why did you suddenly get so close? You scared me.” Alexander’s tone was completely innocent. “I’m about to start driving. You didn’t have your seatbelt on.” With that, he reached over my right shoulder, pulled the seatbelt across, and buckled it. “I have hands! Couldn’t you just use your words to remind me?” I said indignantly. Alexander raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, his attitude sincere. “I’m sorry, little pufferfish, my mistake. Next time I’ll definitely use my words instead of my hands.” “Who are you calling a pufferfish? You’re the pufferfish!” “Right, right, we’re both pufferfish.” Alexander’s tone was dismissive. “I’m taking you home to see our parents.” “We’re going to see your parents?” … I looked at the grand, imposing house in front of me, then looked down at myself—dressed casually, empty-handed. I wanted to cry. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Do I look appropriate for this?” Alexander frowned. “Why wouldn’t you be? We’ve already got the certificate. You’re not trying to back out now, are you?” Alexander reached out to hold my hand, but I impatiently shook him off. I was speechless. Why did he act like getting a piece of paper meant everything was perfectly fine? Did he think a marriage certificate was some kind of magical talisman? I was getting angry. “I didn’t prepare anything at all. It’s incredibly rude!” Alexander suddenly started laughing. “So you do care what my parents think of you.” He took my hand again, his face showing a hint of apology. “Sorry, it’s my fault for not telling you about meeting my family beforehand. But I’ve already prepared the gifts. They’re in the trunk. I’ll have someone bring them in later. Let’s go inside first. Don’t worry, they’re very happy with you. They won’t care what you’re wearing.” As we approached the door, I suddenly remembered something. “Wait a minute. Didn’t you say you had a meeting this afternoon? Why are we suddenly at your parents’ house?” I stopped, staring at him suspiciously. Alexander raised an eyebrow, speaking with absolute seriousness. “Isn’t bringing you home a very important meeting? What’s the problem?” But this plan was clearly based on the premise that I would agree to marry him. And he had already bought the gifts in advance. He had been absolutely certain I would say yes. Damn it. I felt like I had just stepped into another trap set by this capitalist. I suddenly had the urge to turn and run. The fact that a capitalist had put so much effort into securing me… was he really eyeing my internal organs? Alexander suddenly placed his hand on my shoulder, gripping it firmly. His tone was measured and calm. “You can run, but you can’t hide. We’re at the finish line. Am I going to have to push you through the door, or are you going to walk in yourself?” Ugh, is he the tapeworm living in my stomach? How does he know exactly what I’m thinking? I reluctantly knocked on the door. Once inside, I realized the Crawford family home wasn’t some terrifying dragon’s lair. It was more like a spider’s web, designed to entangle and corrupt me with wealth. Alexander’s parents weren’t what I had imagined. They both looked prosperous and were incredibly warm and welcoming to me. “This must be Olivia,” his mother said, smiling at me. “You look so sweet. A perfect fit for our family.” Saying that, she slipped a heavy gold bracelet and a ring off her own hands and slid them directly onto mine. His father quietly handed me a sleek black credit card. “Buy whatever you need. We have terrible taste, so the things we pick out never suit you young people.” I wasn’t sure if I should take it, so I glanced at Alexander. Alexander looked completely unfazed. “Take it. It’s just a small token from Mom and Dad.” Alexander’s parents were warm but respectful of boundaries, never making me feel pressured. After lunch, they even pulled me in to play a game of Monopoly. “We need a fourth. Come play, Olivia, otherwise we don’t have enough people.” Alexander’s parents and their live-in housekeeper made exactly three. “I don’t know how to play. Let Alexander play,” I declined. Alexander’s mother took my hand, smiling warmly. “That’s okay. Let Alexander teach you. If you lose, it comes out of his pocket.” “Go play. Don’t worry, I won’t let you lose too badly,” Alexander said, giving me a gentle push. Left with no choice, I was dragged to the game table. Whatever, if I lose, I lose. At the table, with Alexander’s guidance and his parents clearly going easy on me, a total novice like me kept winning left and right. I experienced the joy of winning for the first time. “Mom and Dad are really great people.” I slumped back in my seat in the car, counting a thick stack of crisp new twenty, fifty, and hundred dollar bills, practically flying high on happiness. Alexander glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “You like them? Then we can come visit them more often.” I wiggled around excitedly in the back seat. I smiled broadly. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly impose.” Alexander let out a soft chuckle but didn’t reply. “Where are we going now, boss?” I asked. “You’ll know when we get there.”

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My brother came to my apartment to force me to donate bone marrow to our mother. My landlord told him, “Chloe is already dead.” My brother sneered. “Chloe really never changes! To get attention, she’ll make up any excuse. She’s just rotten to the core, not even a fraction as good as Harper. You tell her to stop playing games and be a good girl and donate that bone marrow. Otherwise, I’ll make her regret it!” The white-haired landlady was furious. She grabbed a broom and chased my brother out. “I said, Chloe is dead! You and your toxic family killed her! “Chloe has been dead for six months! How exactly are you going to make her regret it? “Chloe had the worst luck in the world to be born into a family like yours!” Realizing I was truly dead, my brother’s face turned ash-white, and he fled in a panic. 1 I have been dead for six months, but I haven’t moved on to the afterlife. My soul uncontrollably followed the Sterling family. Day after day, I watched the four members of the Sterling family live in perfect, happy harmony. Harper and Liam were getting married. The wedding date and venue were all booked. It was only then that the family finally remembered me. “Is my sister still mad? Will she come when Liam and I get married?” “If she doesn’t come, I won’t acknowledge her as my daughter anymore.” “Just goes to show, if you didn’t raise them from birth, you can’t trust them.” “I said from the beginning we shouldn’t have brought her back. We should have just let the mistake be.” My father, my mother, and my brother sat there, listing all my faults. I watched Harper, tears in her eyes, secretly curl the corner of her lips into a smile. She won. I, the true biological daughter, had nothing. I didn’t even have my life anymore. The family took turns calling me, but it wouldn’t connect. It had been six months; my phone battery had died and shut off ages ago. After failing to reach me, they cursed me out together, then tossed me aside and forgot about me again. Even when I occasionally crossed their minds, it was quickly paved over with an insult. My mother went with Harper to try on wedding dresses. Harper spotted a gown displayed in a glass case. “Mom, look! That dress is so beautiful.” I looked at the dress too, and for a moment, I was dazed. Meanwhile, my mother had already called an employee over to bring the dress out. “I’m very sorry, but that dress is custom-made for a private client.” Harper really loved the dress and kept asking for information about the client who ordered it. Finally, the employee checked their records. “The design sketches were provided by Ms. Chloe Sterling herself. Our company just handled the tailoring.” Harper immediately covered her mouth, her voice choking with sobs. “My sister must still not be over Liam. I should just give him back to her.” Give him back to me? I smiled bitterly. Liam and I were childhood sweethearts. We used to be the couple everyone envied. But then I was found by the Sterling family and met Harper. Everyone loved Harper. My childhood sweetheart loved her too. That wedding dress was indeed designed by me, for me. Once, filled with overflowing love, I designed that dress. I thought I would wear it to marry Liam. But now, that dress was something I could never touch. 2 There was never anything Harper wanted that she didn’t get. “I’m making the decision. This dress is yours now. We’ll consider it her wedding gift to you.” Harper hypocritically declined. “Will my sister be upset?” “Why should she be upset? Matters of the heart can’t be forced. It’s her own fault for having such a terrible, vicious personality. Liam not liking her is her own doing; what does that have to do with you? She always bullied you before; compensating you with a dress is the least she can do.” Harper happily put on the dress, spinning blissfully in front of the mirror. My mother watched her with a face full of pride and comfort. That was a look I could only ever dream of. When it came to Harper, my mother always handled everything personally. She said she wanted her precious daughter’s big day to be absolutely perfect, without a single regret. But me? After being stolen away as a baby, I was just an unnecessary extra. I watched my mother work day and night to alter the dress for Harper. Harper was slightly curvier than me, but she refused to pick a different dress. My mother, who loved her daughter more than her own life, ignored her health and insisted on altering it herself. My mother was a highly sought-after fashion designer. All year round, Harper practically only wore clothes designed by our mother. I never had that honor. Later, I became a designer myself. I designed my own clothes. Since no one loved me, I had to love myself. The night my mother finished altering the dress, she collapsed. After being rushed to the hospital, the situation was severe. “The patient’s leukemia has relapsed.” 3 My father swayed, almost losing his footing. “How is that possible? Didn’t you say her recovery was going well?” “Has the patient experienced any unusual physical strain lately?” “Well, our daughter is getting married, so my wife has been running around non-stop. She might be a bit exhausted. And lately, to alter our daughter’s wedding dress, she pulled two all-nighters.” “Foolish! Does she have a death wish? Her body just recovered; how could it handle that kind of exhaustion?” “Doctor, what do we do now? Please, you have to save my wife.” Harper looked at the doctor with tear-filled eyes. The doctor’s expression turned grave. “Prepare for a second bone marrow transplant.” “Quick, call Chloe and tell her to get here.” Instantly, the family remembered me again. They called me non-stop. “We’re sorry, the number you have reached cannot be completed as dialed…” Hearing the automated message, everyone’s faces turned ugly. Harper cried and said, “My sister must still be mad at me. I’ll go beg her. As long as she’s willing to save Mom, I’ll leave Liam. I’ll leave the Sterling family.” “Chloe is such a bitch! Mom is in critical condition, and she’s actually ignoring our calls. She really is a malicious, toxic bitch!” I looked at my brother. The brother who shared my blood. So, in your eyes, I was just a bitch. My father sneered coldly. “She thinks she has leverage over us now. She’s waiting for us to go beg her.” “I don’t need her bone marrow, that unfilial brat. Since she doesn’t care if I live or die, from now on, I’ll pretend I never had this daughter.” My mother woke from her coma, joining in the disgusted condemnation of me. My brother slammed his fist angrily against the wall. “I’m going to find her.” 4 I followed my brother to the apartment I used to rent. Bang! Bang! Bang! My brother pounded violently on the door, his face full of disgust and impatience. He banged for a long time, but no one answered. Just as he was about to leave, the elderly landlady came over. She lived right across the hall. She must have heard the noise and come out to check. “Where did Chloe go?” The old lady paused. “Chloe? Such a sweet, good girl. But she had a tragic fate. Died so young.” “Dead? How is that possible! “You’re making a sick joke, old lady.” My brother laughed outright, completely refusing to believe it. Right. In his eyes, I was a menace. They say the bad ones live a thousand years. How could I die so easily? But this time, I really was dead. “Who makes jokes like that! Chloe really passed away.” My brother continued to sneer. “Chloe really never changes! To get attention, she’ll make up any excuse. I’m her brother, I know exactly what kind of person she is. “She’s just rotten to the core, not even a fraction as good as Harper. You tell her to stop playing games and be a good girl and donate that bone marrow. Otherwise, I’ll make her regret it!” The white-haired landlady was furious. She grabbed a broom and chased my brother out. “I said, Chloe is dead! You and your toxic family killed her! “Chloe has been dead for six months! How exactly are you going to make her regret it? “Chloe had the worst luck in the world to be born into a family like yours!” My brother’s body stiffened as he dodged the broom. “You’re not joking? Chloe is really dead? How is that possible?” “Get out! Get out! You heartless animal!” My brother fled in a panic. 5 I followed my brother into his car. He lit a cigarette. Through the swirling smoke, I saw his face was dark and unreadable. Knowing I was dead, did my brother feel even a tiny bit sad? In the glow of the cigarette ember, my brother’s phone rang. He looked down at it. The contact name read: My Sweet Harper. Heh. Harper was My Sweet Harper. And me? Oh, I was The Debt Collector. That was how the whole family saved my contact. Surprisingly unanimous. My brother answered the phone. Harper’s slightly choked, raspy voice came through. “Brother, what did my sister say? Is she still mad? Don’t argue with her. I’ll go over and apologize. She’s stubborn. After she donated marrow the first time, she said she’d never acknowledge us again, that even if she died on the streets, it had nothing to do with us. I’m so scared she might do something foolish.” Hearing this, my brother’s originally heavy expression instantly cleared up. “Hah! Chloe is really pulling out all the stops now. She’s actually faking her own death!” I froze. My brother thought I was faking my death. No investigation. No asking for proof. Right. Because they fundamentally didn’t care about me. They always relied on their own subjective assumptions. “Then what do we do? Mom’s body can’t wait.” “I don’t believe it. Without Chloe, you’re telling me we can’t find another suitable marrow donor?” Right. I was always the one who shouldn’t exist. 6 When my brother got back, he embellished the story of me “faking my death.” The whole family instantly launched a crusade against me. “Just as I thought. A selfish, ungrateful wolf who only cares about herself.” “How did I give birth to something with no heart?” “My sister must still be mad at me. I’ll go apologize. I’ll beg for forgiveness.” The condemnation reached its peak amidst Harper’s crying. While comforting Harper, they used even more vicious words to curse me. Liam half-embraced Harper, gently patting her back to soothe her. “Harper, it’s not your fault. Kindness isn’t an excuse for Chloe to bully you. Someone as malicious as her is destined to be unloved.” Harper sobbed softly against Liam’s chest. But I remembered things from the past. Back then, Harper’s biological mother stole me and threw me into a dumpster. I was picked up by human traffickers, who sold me to a couple that hadn’t been able to have a child for years. Less than a year after adopting me, the couple had twins—a boy and a girl. After that, my originally ordinary life turned into a living hell. At only three years old, I had to start doing chores. I had to take care of my younger brother and sister. The slightest mistake earned me a heavy slap from my adoptive father. Simply having enough to eat and staying warm was a luxury for me. In those bitter days, Liam was one of the very few lights in my life. He would secretly slip me an egg on the way to school. He would treat my wounds after my adoptive father beat me. We got into a top university together, and naturally, we became a couple. Just when I was wholeheartedly looking forward to spending the rest of my life with him, he got together with Harper. “I shouldn’t have pitied her back then. She’s just a heartless, ungrateful monster.” Liam’s cruel words snapped me back to reality. So, being with me was just out of pity? When I was tutoring Liam, he once praised me: “Chloe, you are truly the most wonderful girl in the world.” After we got into university together, there was an opportunity for a three-month study abroad program. The university intended to send me. But Liam really wanted to go. He held me and begged me to give the opportunity to him. When I nodded, he happily picked me up and spun me around. “Chloe, don’t worry. I’m working this hard so I can give you a better life in the future. I want you to have the most beautiful wedding when you marry me.” Those promises from back then, Liam discarded like garbage. I was the only one gripping them tightly, refusing to let go. Even when what I was holding rotted away in my hands, I still clung to it like a lifeline. And Liam? He had forgotten long ago. 7 My father and brother used all their connections, trying to find another suitable bone marrow match for my mother. But a suitable match wasn’t that easy to find. Within half a month, the doctor issued an ultimatum. They had to find a match as soon as possible. Otherwise, my mother was in critical danger. So, the family started calling me again. Still unreachable. They looked at each other and realized that besides calling me, they had absolutely no other way to contact me. My father coughed. “Do any of you have phone numbers for Chloe’s friends or classmates?” Everyone’s eyes turned to Liam. Liam pulled out his phone and called a few classmates and friends he remembered me being close to. “Chloe? I haven’t talked to her in almost a year.” My brother’s face darkened. “This Chloe is a total freak. She doesn’t even have a single close friend or classmate. Who knows where she ran off to hide, not caring about anything. She deserves to be hated.” My mouth tasted bitter. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to stay here either. I didn’t want to be hated either. I wanted to be loved by everyone, just like Harper. 8 “Why don’t we try this?” Harper showed everyone the screen on her phone. It was a local emotional mediation TV show that was currently very popular. At that moment, an ad for the show was playing on the screen. “Love at 8:30, let’s meet in love. If you have any emotional problems, family conflicts, or need help finding relatives or friends, you can come to us.” My father hesitated a bit. “This is on television… will it look bad?” After all, the Sterling family was a prominent name locally. If this got on TV, and things went wrong, they’d become a laughingstock in their social circles. Harper bit her lip. “But we can’t reach my sister. We’re doing this to save Mom. As long as we can contact my sister, we should try any method.” My brother also thought it made sense. “Yeah. It’s not our fault anyway; we’re the victims here. If that evil Chloe isn’t afraid of losing face by abandoning her own biological mother, why should we care?” My father hesitated no longer. He immediately contacted the TV station, first promising a three-million-dollar sponsorship. Half an hour later, the station sent a crew over to interview and film. I couldn’t help but want to laugh. My family. Really hilarious. I was already dead. Were you going to put on a show for the whole city, or even the whole country? 9 “Chloe, come back. Mom doesn’t need you to donate bone marrow. Mom is just afraid she doesn’t have much time left and wants to see you one last time.” “Sister, please come back. It’s all my fault. You can hit me or scold me, I promise I won’t complain. Just come back. Dad, Mom, and Brother miss you so much.” “Chloe, come back. I didn’t treat you well before and made you unhappy. I’ll treat you better from now on.” “Chloe, come back. Mom and Dad miss you.” “Chloe, as long as you come back, Harper and I will cancel the wedding.” The family that cursed me out in the hospital completely changed their tune in front of the camera. A family that looked forward to my return like this… that was what I had always desperately hoped for. Except, this was all fake. It was just to get me to come back and donate bone marrow to my mother. Even though it was fake, I embarrassingly watched it all. If only this was all real. From the moment I could remember, my life had been dark. How I longed for light to shine in. I thought Liam was the light, but just as he was about to pull me out, he shoved me away, letting me fall into an even deeper abyss. Later, I thought the Sterling family was my salvation. Turns out, the Sterling family was just another abyss. My existence seemed to have never been wanted.

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I threw myself in front of a speeding truck to save him. For three years, I was a ghost in my own skin—a “vegetable” in a hospital bed. When I finally woke up, he was already at the altar with someone else. Broken and discarded, I ended my life by jumping from a rooftop. But when I opened my eyes again, I was back. I was standing on that street corner, one second before the truck hit. This time, I didn’t move an inch to save him. Chapter 1 I spent over a year in grueling physical therapy. Alone. Finally, I could eat by myself, dress myself, and walk without a brace. To most people, these are the mundane basics of life. To me, they were as difficult as reaching for the stars. Even my doctors called it a medical miracle. After all, that accident had left me in a deep coma for three long years. Everyone thought I’d never wake up. They thought if I did, I’d be a hollow shell—paralyzed or brain-damaged. But I didn’t just wake up. Through a year of agonizing rehab, I got stronger. Now, if I don’t stand for too long, I look just like anyone else. I endured a level of pain most people can’t imagine. I suffered through countless mental breakdowns. And finally, the day arrived. I couldn’t wait any longer. I packed my bags and headed home, planning to surprise Caleb. He didn’t even know I was awake. But when I dragged my suitcase into our—his—apartment, my heart stopped. The place was covered in white lace and ivory ribbons. “Save the Date” cards were scattered on the counter. The house had been completely renovated. The floor-to-ceiling cat tree I had designed myself was gone. In its place stood a sleek, pink designer cabinet. My old friends were there, blowing up gold balloons. My former classmates were hanging floral garlands. My Aunt Sarah was meticulously arranging personalized party favors on a velvet-covered bed, her face lit with a celebratory glow. And my boyfriend? He was standing there in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, looking like a high-end department store mannequin. On the wall hung a massive, new wedding portrait. The girl in the photo was smiling. She looked incredibly sweet. Just then, a server carrying hot tea accidentally bumped into my arm. The scalding water splashed onto me, instantly blooming into a painful red welt. The server gasped. In an instant, every head in the room turned toward me. The air sucked out of the room. I saw shock, a flicker of joy, but mostly… intense, suffocating awkwardness. My aunt dropped the favor she was holding. It rolled across the hardwood floor in the dead silence. Caleb’s pupils shrunk. His face went ghostly pale. “Elara?” he whispered, his voice trembling as if he were seeing a ghost. I forced a smile that felt more like a jagged wound. I didn’t know how to answer. My body acted on instinct. I took two steps back, turned, and bolted out the door. It was autumn in the city. The wind was biting, and dead leaves were piled along the sidewalk. As I ran, they crunched under my feet—a brittle, harsh sound. Because of the lingering effects of the coma, I wasn’t fast. That short distance cost me every ounce of my strength. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind, pulling me into a hard chest. Caleb held me, his entire body shaking. “You’re back,” he choked out. “Elara, God… I missed you so much.” My tears fell onto his expensive suit. I was back. But it felt like everything was gone. Chapter 2 Caleb went to his fiancée’s house to break off the engagement. The wedding was scheduled to happen in eighteen hours. My Aunt Sarah sat on the edge of my bed, stroking my hair, her eyes red from crying. “Don’t be too hard on Caleb, honey. These four years… he suffered so much.” “If it wasn’t for that girl, he might not have made it through.” I felt a lump in my throat. My eyes drifted to the corsage pinned to her dress. A vibrant red rose with a ribbon that read: Matron of Honor. She quickly covered it with her hand, a look of deep shame crossing her face. “Elara, I didn’t mean to betray you. I just…” “I just never thought you’d wake up.” Her voice trailed off until it was barely a whisper. I swallowed the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. Just as the tears threatened to spill over, I forced out a sentence. “I just got back. I’m jet-lagged. I need to sleep.” I pulled my hand away from hers and crawled under the covers. I pulled the duvet over my head and curled into a ball, shaking. This pain… it was a hundred times worse than the physical therapy. I found myself praying it was a nightmare. Just like the dreams I had in the early days of rehab—dreams where I was still a “vegetable,” unable to hold a spoon, drooling, unable to even use the bathroom… Hours passed before the bed dipped. I knew Caleb was back. The silence was deafening. Finally, I sat up to face him. Two buttons were missing from his shirt. His tie was shredded. His face was bruised and bloodied at the corner of his mouth. “Did they hit you?” I asked. “It’s fine. I deserved it.” I understood. The invitations were out. The venue was paid for. To bail the night before the wedding—the bride’s family wasn’t going to let him walk away unscathed. If I hadn’t come back, tomorrow they would have stood before God, exchanged rings, and started a life. The thought made me dig my nails into my palms. I asked the question that had been burning a hole in my heart. “Caleb, did you think I was never coming back, too?” He bit his lip, his eyes downcast. After a long pause, he whispered, “Elara, I’m here now. I’m never leaving you again.” He didn’t answer the question. And that promise—so full of pity—hurt more than the truth. Suddenly, Caleb’s phone buzzed. The lock screen popped up: a photo of him and that girl. The caller ID read—My Princess. He had even set the font to a cute, bubbly script. My Princess… What a sweet name. Once upon a time, that’s what he called me. Noticing my gaze, Caleb quickly hit ‘Ignore.’ But the person on the other end didn’t give up. The phone buzzed again and again. Caleb finally shut the phone off entirely. He looked at me, full of guilt. “I’m sorry. She… she just needs time to process.” He paused, then added, “But don’t worry. I’ll handle it.” “How long were you together?” I asked. The question caught him off guard. He gripped his phone tightly. “A year,” he rasped. I closed my eyes. A year. While I was hiding the news of my recovery because I was afraid my “broken” self would scare him… While I was falling and bleeding as I re-learned how to walk… while I was biting my tongue raw trying to speak… while I was crying in a bathroom because I couldn’t undo my own buttons… While I was pushing through the darkness, thinking only of the day I could be whole for him… He was falling in love with someone else. Chapter 3 Caleb’s promise to stay forever lasted exactly one day. He left in a hurry because Chloe—the girl—had fallen ill. Before he left, he swore he was just going to check on her, make sure she was okay, and then end it for good. One week passed. He didn’t come back. Cold and hollow, I began packing up every gift and trinket he had ever given me. I was going to send it all back. I wasn’t pathetic. I wasn’t going to beg for a man’s love. And I wasn’t stupid. If he had really cared, he would have found out I was awake. Nathan, my foster brother, tried to hide the news at my request, but a year is a long time. If Caleb had looked for me, he would have known. I had spent years making excuses for him. He’s busy. Flights are expensive. The distance is too far. He has his parents to care for… I was tired of making excuses. I was done with him. As I was carrying a box out to the mail, his “fiancée” showed up at my door. Chloe was wearing a loose sundress and holding a folder from a women’s health clinic. She saw me staring at the folder. She gently stroked her stomach and smiled. “Caleb and I were hours away from being husband and wife, Elara. You didn’t think we were just holding hands this whole year, did you?” Her smug look triggered a memory. I recognized her now. She was the “little sister” from our college days who always hung around him—Chloe. No wonder my aunt was the Matron of Honor. She and Chloe’s father had been high school sweethearts. “Are you trying to guilt him into staying with you?” Chloe asked, tilting her head with a look of fake innocence. She reached into my box and pulled out a soda tab. It was the “promise ring” Caleb gave me in college. He told me one day he’d replace it with a real diamond. Ironically, the real diamond was now on her finger. “Don’t be delusional,” she whispered. “He knows he’s going to be a father. He’s thrilled.” She tossed the soda tab onto the ground like trash and leaned into my ear. “Let me tell you a secret. Caleb and I have had a thing for a long time. Four years ago, the day of your accident? He was actually on his way to break up with you.” The blood in my veins turned to ice. I remembered his stuttering that day. I remembered his silence over the last four years. The “heroism” I thought I had displayed… it was all a joke. As I turned to walk away, Chloe intentionally bumped into me. The box in my arms fell, spilling my memories across the pavement. She looked at me with pure triumph. She had won. But as she stepped back, she slipped on a crystal bracelet that had fallen from the box. She lost her balance and tumbled down the porch steps. Blood began to pool under her dress. She screamed, calling me a murderer. Caleb appeared out of nowhere, rushing to her side. He shoved me back so hard I nearly fell. “Elara! How could you be so cruel?” My heart was dead, but I wasn’t a doormat. I stepped forward and slapped Caleb across the face. “I’m not the one who’s disgusting here,” I spat. Chloe’s family called the police. They wanted me in jail. My aunt looked at me as if I were a stranger, desperate to distance herself from me. My old friends whispered that I was a psycho. But then, the evidence came out. Nathan had installed a Ring camera at my front door. It caught everything—Chloe’s smug face, her confession, and her own clumsy fall. She had tripped on her own greed. The day Caleb came to apologize, I was standing on the edge of the apartment building’s roof. The stars I used to love were blocked out by the city smog. “Elara, I was wrong! I should have trusted you. Please, come down. I’m begging you!” My aunt was there, too. “Elara, I’m so sorry! Don’t do anything stupid!” It’s funny. When you decide to leave the world, the world suddenly decides to love you. I stood on the ledge, a leaf ready to drop. Caleb fell to his knees, sobbing, saying he loved me. I was just so tired. Between the rehab and the heartbreak, my mental health had shattered. I needed pills just to close my eyes. I thought Caleb would be my salvation, but he was the one who pushed me into the abyss. I had lost four years of my youth. I had lost my health. I had lost the ability to love. I wasn’t ever going to be okay again. I opened my arms, letting the cold wind whip through my hair. As I tipped backward into the air, I looked at Caleb and whispered: “I curse you to never find a single soul who truly loves you.” Chapter 4 I didn’t expect to wake up. But when I opened my eyes, I was back. Back to the day of the accident, four years ago. A younger Caleb stood before me, looking at his shoes. “Elara, look… I actually…” “You want to break up, right?” The familiar scene played out, and I couldn’t help but finish his sentence for him. He snapped his head up, looking at me in total shock. “You’re seeing Chloe. You’ve been cheating on me for at least three months.” I took a deep breath, feeling a strange sense of relief. “I agree. We’re done.” I said it so casually, as if I were talking about the weather. Caleb panicked. “I wasn’t cheating! I don’t know who told you that, but I’d never betray you! I just…” His voice dropped. “I just don’t think we’re right for each other.” Hilarious. He chased me for a year. We were together for four. And only now did he decide we weren’t “right.” I scoffed. In the distance, the clock tower struck eight. Snow began to fall. The traffic light at the intersection flickered and went out. Everything was exactly like the first time. “Caleb, I was going to give you a chance. If you had just been man enough to admit you liked someone else, I would have respected that.” “But you don’t even have the courage to admit your own mistakes.” I took a step back, looking at him with pity. At twenty, Caleb was handsome and full of life. But inside, he was hollow. It took me two lifetimes to see it. Just then, the screech of tires echoed through the street. Two blinding headlights cut through the snow. A massive truck was careening toward the curb—straight toward me. In my first life, I had lunged forward to push Caleb out of the way. This time, I saw Caleb’s first instinct. He turned and scrambled back, desperate to save himself. But the truck hit a stone pillar, swerved violently, and fishtailed—straight toward Caleb. CRASH. The world went silent. The pristine white snow was suddenly stained a deep, shocking crimson. A single tear escaped my eye. If Caleb had run toward me—like I had run toward him in my first life—the truck would have hit the brick wall behind us. We both would have been fine. But he didn’t. The boy I had loved since I was sixteen didn’t even look back at me. As they loaded Caleb into the ambulance, I picked up his phone from the snow. A notification popped up. Exactly one minute ago, Chloe had posted a photo of them kissing. The caption: Finally, you’re all mine. The comments were full of “congrats” from Caleb’s friends—the same ones who called me “sister-in-law” yesterday. Only one comment stood out. It was from Nathan, my foster brother: In this day and age, do people really have no shame? The comment was deleted seconds later. My parents died when I was young. My aunt took most of the insurance money. Nathan was the one who raised me. He dropped out of college and worked two jobs just to pay for my tuition. In my first life, he was the one who stayed by my hospital bed for four years. I dialed Nathan’s number. The background was noisy—he was likely at the warehouse where he worked. Nathan wasn’t a tech mogul yet. He was just a guy trying to survive. “Nate,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I miss you.” Chapter 5 Nathan borrowed a beat-up pickup truck and drove halfway across the state through a blizzard to get to me. The first thing he said was: “Don’t cry, Elara. If you still want Caleb, I’ll find a way to make him leave that girl.” His eyes were fierce. He looked ready to throw hands with the world for me. My heart warmed. In my first life, he was the first person I saw when I woke up from the coma. He taught me to eat, to speak, to walk. He never cared if I made a mess. He never judged me. The hospital staff used to whisper that I was a burden, that I’d never get married. Nathan had shouted at them, saying if I never married, he’d take care of me forever. He was my true salvation. Why had I been so obsessed with Caleb? At least in this life, I was healthy. “I don’t want him anymore,” I said, climbing into the truck. “Let’s go to his place. I’m moving out.” I needed a clean break. We went to the apartment Caleb and I shared. An entire wall was filled with my dance trophies. I remembered how excited I was when we moved in. I had picked out the plants, the rugs, the furniture. I thought this was my “forever” home. Slowly, I packed it all into boxes, erasing every trace of myself. I left the keys with the super. When I finished, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Cutting my losses early was a lesson that cost me a lifetime to learn. Just then, I got a text from one of Caleb’s friends. Elara, Caleb was in a wreck. They had to amputate his right leg below the knee. He’s at Mercy Hospital… I didn’t even finish reading. I blocked the number. Chapter 6 A month passed. I was back at school, excelling in my classes and winning a major scholarship. The campus was buzzing with two stories. First, that Caleb had cheated on me with Chloe. Second, that Caleb was now an amputee. “There’s a third story,” my roommate Maya whispered as we sat in the dining hall. Maya knew everything. “Chloe went to see him in the hospital. When she found out about the leg, she almost fainted. As soon as he woke up, she dumped him. She told him she was too young to spend her life with a ‘cripple.’” “Talk about karma. They went public and broke up on the same day.” Maya looked at me. “Seriously, Elara, you dodged a bullet. That guy would have dragged you down with him.” I stared at my shoes. Losing a limb, being dumped by the “love of his life,” seeing his future crumble… Now he knew how it felt. A few weeks later, Caleb was discharged. His friends tried to throw a “Welcome Home” party to cheer him up. They actually had the nerve to tag me in the group chat. Elara, Caleb’s been in the hospital for a month and you haven’t visited once. You have to show up for the homecoming! They even sent a location pin. Did they forget how they cheered when Chloe posted that picture? I was about to reply when Maya beat me to it. You guys are tagging the wrong person. Elara is the ex-girlfriend he cheated on. She doesn’t owe him a damn thing. The chat went silent for a minute. Then someone replied: He’s disabled now. Can’t she let the past go? Are you kidding? Maya recorded a voice memo. Caleb only lost a leg. Elara lost her heart! I hugged her. She was the best “internet bodyguard” I could ask for.

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After transferring from a small-town public school in Montana to an elite private academy on the East Coast, I accidentally took the number one spot in the senior rankings. The principal’s daughter accused me of cheating. She said a “flyover state nobody” like me didn’t belong in the same zip code as her, let alone breath the same air as the school’s star athlete. “Let me tell you something, Ava Sterling,” she hissed. “Ryder Black and I are endgame. A country bumpkin like you shouldn’t even dream about him.” I just blinked. I’d spent years living in a multi-million dollar ranch my dad built just for my recovery, inherited my mother’s genius-level IQ, and as it turns out, the “school star” is the boy I’ve been practically engaged to since we were in diapers. None of this is exactly my fault, is it? If she hates going to school with me that much, maybe I should just give her what she wants. 1 When the results of the first senior midterms were posted, the hallway at Saint Jude’s Prep exploded. “The top spot went to the transfer student? I thought for sure it would be Britney Crawford.” “Unbelievable. Isn’t Ava Sterling from some tiny town in the middle of nowhere? How is she this smart?” I kept my head down, focusing on my practice problems, acting like I couldn’t hear the whispers. Spending my life in rural Montana hadn’t made me a “hardworking farm girl,” but it had given me a very chill, zen-like personality. I’d been sickly since birth. My parents had flown in every specialist in the country, but nothing worked. Finally, a spiritual advisor told them I was “carrying a storm.” If I wanted to survive, I had to live away from the city’s chaos, in a place with clean air and open water, to let my body heal. He gave me a silver heirloom bracelet and said, “When this silver snaps on its own without force, the storm has passed. She can return to her true life.” My parents, desperate, bought a massive ranch in a quiet Montana valley and built a sanctuary for me to live in peace. Amazingly, away from the smog and stress, I got better. And recently, the silver bracelet just… snapped. The moment they heard, my parents couldn’t wait to bring me home. That’s how I ended up at this elite prep school. My mom wanted me here because my uncle is on the Board of Trustees. She figured he could look after me while she worked. My mom is a force of nature. A child prodigy who skipped four grades, the youngest postdoc in the country’s history, and currently a senior fellow at an Ivy League institution. She’s basically an academic deity. Fortunately, I got her brain. I’m not as legendary as she is, but I’m no slouch. I pick up everything instantly. So, even though my old public school didn’t have much funding, I was always at the top of the charts. Even here, at a school for the one percent, these “Ivy-track” midterm questions were a walk in the park for me. But Britney Crawford wasn’t buying it. She marched up to my desk, slamming her manicured hand down. “Ava Sterling, you really think you can cheat your way to the top and not get caught? It’s pathetic.” I looked up, raising an eyebrow at her confidence. On my first day, my desk mate had warned me about her. Britney was the Principal’s daughter. Wealthy, “brilliant,” and the undisputed queen of the grade. She was arrogant and treated everyone like they were beneath her. My desk mate told me to stay out of her way. I’m a zen person. I don’t like drama. But zen doesn’t mean I’m a doormat. If Britney is going to get in my face, it would be rude not to respond. I let out a soft laugh. “You saw the curve, Britney. Only one person in the entire grade broke a 1580 on the practice SATs, and I beat your score by nearly a hundred points. If I cheated, tell me—who did I copy from?” Britney stammered for a second, then hissed, “Everyone knows the proctors in the back overflow room are lazy. You obviously had your phone out!” Because I was a transfer, I didn’t have a previous rank, so they sat me in the last room with the strugglers. I crossed my arms. “You sound so sure. What, were you sitting next to me watching?” “I don’t need to see it!” Britney snapped. “There is no way a flyover state nobody like you could outscore me.” Ah, I got it. The “perpetual number one” lost her crown and was throwing a tantrum. I leaned back in my chair. “A lot of words, Britney. Zero evidence.” Even in the overflow room, there are cameras and teachers. You can’t just Google the answers to a specialized physics exam. I had thirty witnesses. What did she have? 2 Britney had nothing. But she’d made a scene, and the whole class was watching. If she backed down now, she’d lose her “Queen Bee” status. She gritted her teeth. “Fine. If you’re so ‘innocent,’ prove it. Come to the faculty lounge. We’ll get a teacher to print a fresh set of Advanced Olympiad problems. You do them right in front of us.” “Deal,” I said, nodding instantly. “But on one condition. When I finish, you apologize to me in front of the entire senior class.” Seeing how fast I agreed, Britney’s face paled slightly. I glanced at her. “What’s the matter? Scared?” “In your dreams!” she barked, her face turning red. “Fine. Let’s go.” As the principal’s daughter, the teachers did whatever she asked. Within ten minutes, they had a packet of Ivy-level competitive math and logic problems ready. During the long break, Britney brought the papers to the common area. She moved the tables, surrounding me with eight of her “guards” to watch my every move. No phones, no notes, just me and the pen. She slapped the paper in front of me. “Let’s see what you’ve got, Montana.” I yawned, bored of the chatter, and started writing. By the time I finished the first page, Britney’s smug expression began to crumble. By the second page, she was biting her lip so hard it almost bled. By the third, a cold sweat had broken out on her forehead. When I set the pen down after the final question, Britney actually stumbled back. She stared at me like I was a monster. The students surrounding us started cheering. “Holy crap, Ava! You nailed those! Those are Putnam-level problems!” “Is she a human calculator?” “Britney, just admit it. Ava is the real deal.” The doubts Britney had planted were gone, replaced by pure awe. I looked at her. “I finished. Your turn to keep your end of the deal.” Britney stared at me, silent. The whispers started. “Why isn’t she saying anything? She lost the bet.” “Typical. The principal’s daughter thinks she’s above the rules.” Britney’s face turned a deep, bruised purple. Finally, she choked out, “Fine! I lost. I’m sorry!” I gave a casual “Cool” and went back to my book. Britney lost it. “Don’t get cocky, Ava! So you can solve some math problems. You’re still just a flyover state nerd. You’ll never have the status or the life we have here.” “Right. I’m a nerd,” I replied calmly. “But you live in the heart of the world’s best education system and you still got smoked by a ‘flyover state nerd.’ Doesn’t that make you the embarrassing one?” “You—!” Britney turned a shade of green I’d never seen on a human before. She stomped her foot, turned around, and ran out of the room. I didn’t care. I had more practice problems to solve. 3 After the “cheating” scandal, Britney and I were officially at war. Somehow, my reputation as a “Genius Transfer” spread. Even the freshmen and sophomores knew my name. People started coming to my desk during lunch just to “pay their respects.” The teachers loved me, too. “Ava got a perfect score on the mock AP Bio.” “Ava found a shortcut to the calculus proof.” “Everyone should look at Ava’s essay for inspiration.” They were even saying I could get into any Ivy I wanted with my eyes closed. Honestly, it was a bit much. But it was driving Britney insane, which made me feel great. Whenever she got the chance, she’d throw shade. She called me “basic,” “uncultured,” and “poor.” I ignored her. Arguing with a narcissist is a waste of my study time. I also didn’t feel like telling her that my last name is Sterling—as in William Sterling, the guy who owns half the tech infrastructure in this country. Two weeks passed. I was coming back from lunch when I heard a group of girls gossiping in the lounge. “Did you hear? Ryder Black is coming back today.” “Oh god, finally. The school has been so boring without him.” I perked up. Ryder Black. My age. My “childhood friend,” if you want to be technical. Our moms were best friends. When they were both pregnant, they made a joke about us getting married one day. Every summer, he’d fly out to my ranch in Montana. Ryder was a spoiled brat growing up—a total terror to everyone else, but he always behaved for me. He’d gone behind his parents’ back to join a pro-esports team, and he actually became a legend. Last year, his team won the World Championship. He was the MVP, the “golden boy” of the gaming world. He’d been missing school to compete in Europe. Last time we talked, he said he wouldn’t be back until after finals. I guess he finished early. “Look at Britney,” one girl whispered. “She’s glowing.” “Well, her ‘God’ is coming back. Of course she’s happy.” I looked over. Britney was holding a compact mirror, fixing her hair, looking like a shy, blooming flower. It was the polar opposite of the mean girl she usually was. I felt a shiver of pure cringe. No way. Ryder is Britney’s “God”? This is going to be hilarious. Britney already hates me. If she finds out Ryder is my “family-arranged” fiancé, she might actually explode. I almost felt bad for her. Almost. 4 The day Ryder returned, he was trending on Twitter for his championship win. The whole school went into a frenzy. A crowd gathered at the front gates. People from the upper floors were hanging out the windows, trying to get a glimpse of him. The teachers tried to stop them, but eventually, they just gave up. Girls were screaming, “Ryder, I love you!” I walked past on my way to the library, looking completely bored. A guy standing next to me suddenly yelled, “Ryder, marry me!” I stopped. Okay, I was impressed. The esports fandom is truly built different. My desk mate saw me and pulled me over. “Ava, come here! I saved you a spot at the front!” Britney was nearby, sneering at me. “I thought you were too ‘zen’ for this, Ava. Yet here you are, thirsty for Ryder like everyone else.” I glanced at her. “Your Ryder?” Britney lifted her chin. “Damn right. Ryder and I are meant to be. Don’t even think about trying your ‘smart girl’ act on him. He likes girls with class.” She laughed dismissively. “Not that he’d ever notice a country bumpkin like you anyway.” I shrugged. “Whatever you say, Britney.” I was curious to see who he’d notice. Arguing with her was like trying to teach a brick wall to read. “He’s here!” someone yelled. A black SUV pulled up to the curb. Ryder stepped out, still wearing his blue and white team jersey. He moved with that effortless, wealthy confidence. Messy black hair, clear eyes, and that “golden boy” energy. My verdict: He’d definitely gotten hotter since the summer. Ryder stood by the car, scanning the crowd. The moment his eyes landed on me, he broke into a massive, toothy grin and waved. I gave him a small, polite smile back. The girls around me started losing it. “Did Ryder just wave at Britney? He smiled at her!” “Wait, are they official now?” “Britney’s been chasing him since freshman year. He finally gave in?” I looked at Britney. She was blushing, covering her face with her hands, making a big show of being “modest.” “Oh, Ryder,” she giggled in a high-pitched voice. “I told him not to be so public about it!” I had so many questions. This girl was a professional at self-delusion. The bell rang, and the crowd dispersed. Ryder was in the class next to mine. To get to his room, he had to walk past my window. Half my class was leaning toward the glass, hearts practically fluttering as they waited for him to pass. I stayed in my seat, taking notes. Go ahead, I thought. Stare all you want. I’m going to out-study all of you. A whistle sounded from the window. I looked up. Ryder was standing there, flashing his white teeth at me. Then he saw the teacher’s glare, shrugged, and jogged away. “Ooooh!” the class started murmuring. Everyone was looking at… Britney, who sat behind me. Britney was bright red, hiding her face on her desk, grinning like an idiot. They really thought he was flirting with her. And Britney was 100% convinced of it. God, this was a mess. The next period was with the Dean of Students. She adjusted her glasses and looked at us sternly. “You are here to study. If I catch any of you in a ‘distraction,’ I don’t care who your parents are. There will be consequences.” I nodded in agreement. My thing with Ryder wasn’t a “distraction.” Even though we were “engaged” by family tradition, our parents had an agreement: No dating until we were out of school. Focus on the future first. So, the only person about to get hurt here was Britney. She looked like she was on the verge of happy tears. After class, the teacher kept us for five extra minutes. The second she left, Ryder was at our door. Before I could move, Britney shot out of her seat like a coiled spring and ran to him. Even Ryder looked startled. Britney tried to grab his arm, but he flinched back, looking genuinely confused. “Uh, do I know you?” 5 Ryder’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough for the front half of the class to hear. The silence was deafening. “Wait, what? He’s not here for Britney?” “I thought they were a thing!” “Then what was she doing just now?” “Yikes. That’s embarrassing.” Britney looked like she’d just swallowed a fly. She grit her teeth, her voice trembling. “Didn’t you just wave at me? You were smiling at me at the gate!” Ryder frowned. “I was waving at Ava Sterling. When was I smiling at you?” The gossip mill shifted into high gear. “Did I miss a chapter? When did Ryder and Ava meet?” “He just got back, she just moved here… wait, did they know each other before?” “But Ava’s from a ranch in Montana, right?” Britney turned around and glared at me with pure, unadulterated hatred. I kept my face neutral. Totally innocent. Ryder, still oblivious to the social hierarchy he’d just nuked, waved me over. I sighed. Under Britney’s death-stare, I walked out of the classroom. If looks could kill, I’d be on my 99th reincarnation by now. Ryder pulled me aside. “Is that girl okay? Does she have some kind of… condition?” I looked at him, half-smirking. “I heard she’s been ‘in love’ with you for years. You really didn’t notice?” Ryder looked genuinely baffled. “Ava, girls are always ‘in love’ with me. If I cared about every single one, I’d be exhausted.” I laughed. “Fair point.” Suddenly, Ryder reached behind his back like a magician and pulled out a small, elegant box. He held it out to me with both hands. “Here. For you.” “What is it?” I opened it. Inside was his gold MVP medal from the world championship. I looked up in shock. Ryder grinned. “Success is only fun if you share it with the person who matters.” I was stunned. “But… I didn’t get you a ‘welcome back’ gift.” He patted my head. “Seeing you the second I got back is the only gift I wanted.” I finally understood. That’s why he flew back from Europe so fast. He came back for me. The bell rang. Ryder walked me back to my door. As I walked in, I heard him laugh behind me. “You grew, Ava.” I turned back. Ryder was leaning against the wall, winking at me in the sunlight. He looked soft. Gentle. The second class ended, a mob surrounded my desk. Everyone wanted to know the deal between me and Ryder. Even my desk mate asked, “Ava, seriously, are you guys dating?” I looked her in the eye and said, “I promise you, we are not ‘dating’ in high school.” Whether she believed me or not was her problem. When the rumors were about Britney and Ryder, the other girls stayed quiet. But now that it was the “Montana nobody,” the jealousy was coming out in full force. “Why even ask? She’s obviously not his type. She’s not in his league.” “Exactly. So she’s smart. She’s still just a bookworm. A girl like that will never have the family background to match a guy like Ryder.” “And honestly, she’s not even that pretty. Just average.” Salty. So salty. Most of the class had been neutral during my first spat with Britney. But seeing me “close” to Ryder pushed them into Britney’s camp. Britney made sure to announce to the room: “Don’t think catching Ryder’s attention for five minutes makes you special, Ava. You’re still a flyover state loser. I’m going to make sure everyone knows you don’t belong at Saint Jude’s.” 6 I didn’t care. I focused on my SAT prep. But some people don’t let you stay zen. With the School Anniversary coming up, everyone was talking about the gala. Seniors aren’t usually supposed to participate in the performances, but because our grade had record-breaking test scores, the Dean gave us a “night off” to celebrate. They even set aside slots for senior speeches and performances. And that’s how I found out—without my knowledge—that I had been signed up for a solo vocal performance. The song: Starlight. If the homeroom teacher hadn’t mentioned it during announcements, I never would have known. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Britney was behind it. Her best friend is the Class President, who was in charge of the sign-up sheet. I’d been set up. The whole class was looking at me with weird expressions. “Isn’t Starlight the lead single from Logan Sterling’s new album?” “Yeah. It’s got those insane high notes and runs. Nobody dares to cover it.” “Covering that song is a death sentence. Even pros struggle with it. Why is Ava trying to sing it? Is she crazy?” “Wait, I heard rumors that Saint Jude’s invited Logan Sterling himself to headline the gala. If he sings Starlight and then Ava sings it… isn’t that just a public execution?” “Is he really coming? I didn’t see it on his official tour dates.” “My dad is on the board. It’s a private ‘alumni’ visit. It’s 100% happening.” The conversation shifted from me to the mega-star Logan Sterling. I sat there, listening to the gossip, and blinked. Wait. My brother is coming to my school? Why didn’t he tell me? Yes, the superstar Logan Sterling is my big brother. He debuted at twenty on a reality show and became an overnight sensation because of his looks, his voice, and his songwriting. Within six months, he was a global icon. But he’s private. He doesn’t do many interviews. He only shows up for major awards or charity. The fact that he’d come back to his old prep school for a small gig was a huge deal. While the girls were screaming about Logan, I stood up and walked over to the Class President and Britney. “Take my name off the list.” I was brief. I didn’t have time for their games. The Class President looked away guiltily. “The list is already submitted to the Dean. If you want to cancel, tell her yourself.” I expected this, but I still frowned. “You signed me up without asking. Why is it my job to fix your ‘mistake’?” Britney didn’t look guilty at all. She looked triumphant. “What? I thought you liked the spotlight. This is your chance to shine. You should be thanking us.” With Britney backing her, the President got bold. “Exactly. You’re basically performing on the same stage as Logan Sterling. People would kill for that. Stop acting like a victim and enjoy the opportunity.” I almost laughed. Performing with Logan Sterling? I’ve heard that guy sing in the shower. I’ve heard every draft of every song he’s ever written. I am his first audience for everything. I really didn’t need the “opportunity.”

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As an intern, I accidentally spilled a lunchbox because of the office “mean girl” (let’s call her a “green tea”). She demanded I clean it up, telling me that someone with my lack of money and background was only fit to be a janitor. I agreed with her. Then, right in front of her, I called the boss to inform him that the rent for the office space would be increasing by 20% next month. When I first started this internship, I didn’t even have time to be happy about running into an alum before she gave me a harsh lesson. On my very first day, she used her “senior intern” status to dump all her work on me. Ladies, is this even allowed? 1 In my senior year of college, I applied for an internship at a random company in my family’s office building just to get the required internship certificate. I never expected to run into an office “mean girl” on my very first day. I thought my first day would be filled with welcoming colleagues and friendly managers. At the very least, a regular employee should have shown me the ropes. Instead, what awaited me was a thick stack of bidding documents. The person handing them to me was Chloe, the “it girl” of our department at college. She seemed to have started her internship here before me. At this moment, she lifted her chin, her lips curling into a condescending smile. “Mia, these bidding documents need to be done before you leave today. Make sure you finish them.” I was stunned. Since when do interns have the authority to assign work to other interns? So, I went to the manager in charge of our department to ask about the feasibility of giving a brand-new intern such an urgent bidding document on her first day, and whether an intern even had the right to delegate tasks to another intern. I thought the manager would handle it reasonably. To my surprise, he barely glanced at me, looking annoyed. “If she asked you to do it, just do it. Interns need to prove themselves. Chloe is giving you an opportunity; you should be thanking her.” I was completely speechless. I even started wondering if this company was actually viable. Will they even be able to pay the rent next month? But right now, I wasn’t the landlord; I was an intern. I could only grit my teeth and leave the manager’s office. As I walked past Chloe’s desk, she was looking at me with a smug, gloating smile. I ignored her, hugged the documents, and hurried back to my desk to start working, terrified that if I was even a little slow, I wouldn’t finish by the end of the day. “Why bother fighting with her? She’s only been here a couple of weeks, and she’s been throwing her weight around the whole time. The General Manager is her uncle. She’s a nepo baby; we can’t afford to mess with her,” my colleague Jessica whispered, tugging at my sleeve. “We’re all just here to earn a paycheck. There’s no need to go up against management.” I paused for a second. That’s it? That’s what counts as “management”? I didn’t answer Jessica. I continued studying the bidding documents. Because it was my first time, there were many things I didn’t understand. Fortunately, when I asked my other colleagues, they patiently explained things to me. “Wow, aren’t you supposed to be top three in our major? You have the nerve to ask for help with such basic problems?” Chloe said sarcastically, filing her nails at her desk. I didn’t hold back either. “Well, I should thank you for giving me this ‘opportunity,’ right?” Chloe clearly hesitated for a moment but quickly regained her smug expression. “Then you better work hard.” I was so busy that day I didn’t even have time for lunch. I barely managed to finish the bidding documents before quitting time. But when I handed them to Chloe, she casually tossed them aside and said flatly, “Just leave them there. I’ll look at them tomorrow.” With that, she grabbed her Louis Vuitton bag and sashayed out of the office. 2 “Just bear with it. Since she got here, she’s already pushed out three other interns,” Jessica sighed, standing behind me. “Did you see her outfit? That’s worth several months of our salary.” I watched Chloe’s slender figure disappear and then looked down at my own custom-tailored, logo-less clothes. I strongly disagreed with Jessica’s assessment. I expected Chloe to keep finding ways to make my life difficult in the following days. I even made up my mind that if she provoked me one more time, I would just throw my stuff down and quit. Surprisingly, she was very quiet over the next few days. Aside from occasionally making passive-aggressive comments about me being poor, she didn’t do much else. One afternoon, I ordered takeout with some colleagues. I have a pretty big appetite, and one portion of rice wasn’t enough. A few of the female colleagues who were dieting practically fought to give me the extra rice from their lunchboxes. I happily accepted, not wanting to waste food. “Lower-class people are really something else. Even for lunch, they have to scrounge for scraps from everyone else,” Chloe sneered as she opened her expensive bento box, looking at me like I was something disgusting. “Lower-class? What, does that make you upper-class?” I put down my chopsticks and retorted with a cold smile. “At least I’m higher class than someone who has to beg for food from others. You’re so young, yet you’re always trying to take advantage. Are you really that desperate for a bite of rice?” Chloe’s words were so harsh that the colleagues eating with us in the breakroom looked uncomfortable. Someone tried to stand up for me, but after a colleague tugged at their shirt, they stayed quiet. “It’s a blessing to be able to eat food shared by others. Some people couldn’t get it even if they wanted to. Would anyone even offer it to you?” I picked up a piece of radish, popped it into my mouth, and ate it with relish. I even hummed in satisfaction, praising how good the shared food tasted. “You’re acting like a beggar, and you’re proud of it,” Chloe sneered, her nose practically wrinkling in disgust. She threw down that harsh remark, picked up her food, and left. Because of Chloe’s blatant bullying, my colleagues started distancing themselves from me. Fewer and fewer people were willing to eat with me. Even Jessica, after Chloe dropped a vague hint—”Hanging out with someone as poor as Mia might ruin your career prospects”—stopped talking to me. But none of this bothered me much. I just wanted my internship certificate. I only needed to stick it out for a month to get it and leave this toxic environment, so I could endure it. I just didn’t expect her to go so far as to sabotage the company just to mess with me. When the results of the bidding came out, the General Manager called me and my department manager into his office. The General Manager looked to be in his forties. He wore a suit but lacked the sharp look of a professional; instead, he had the classic paunch of a stereotypical boss. Standing next to him was Chloe. As soon as we walked in, we saw Chloe quickly straightening up from a bent position. The sound of us opening the door seemed to have flustered her. My eyes flickered. I wasn’t entirely sure what I saw, but had the General Manager just moved his hand away from Chloe’s waist? Weren’t they supposed to be uncle and niece? Did I imagine it? “Why are the numbers in this bidding document wrong?” Before I could think further, the General Manager threw a bound document at my feet. I frowned and picked it up. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing because I had personally double-checked every single number in that document. It was impossible for there to be an error. But strangely, when I flipped through it, the numbers were wrong. “Mr. Davis, Mia is new. It’s inevitable she’d be a little careless. Please don’t be too hard on her. If she loses this job, she probably won’t even be able to afford food.” Chloe smiled playfully, patting Mr. Davis on the shoulder. Her soft fingers lightly brushed against his suit collar in a way that felt strangely intimate. I kept frowning and didn’t reply, trying to recall everything I did after finishing the document. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you know how big of a mess you’ve made?” Mr. Davis slammed his hand on the desk and yelled, pointing right at my nose. “Our company was guaranteed to win this project! Because of the errors in your document, we lost the bid to a competitor. Do you have any idea how much money you just cost us?” “Mr. Davis, this isn’t my document,” I said calmly, placing the binder back on his desk. “Not yours? Then whose is it? Don’t try to shift the blame.” Mr. Davis narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint in them. I let out a cold laugh. “I prepared the document, but the numbers in the one I made were correct. As for why this version has the wrong numbers, you’ll have to ask Chloe.” “Mia, what are you talking about? The whole company knows you made this document. How can you have the nerve to blame me? And after I just pleaded for you!” Chloe glared at me, raising her voice. “Pleaded for me? I don’t need it. This isn’t even the version I gave you. You changed the numbers.” “You… you must be joking. Why on earth would I change the numbers?” “That’s a question for you. Why did you change my numbers?” Perhaps seeing that I wasn’t intimidated, Chloe became increasingly agitated. “You’re accusing me of changing the numbers. What proof do you have? You printed this document yourself and handed it to me.” I scoffed. “It’s true I printed it and gave it to you, but the next day, didn’t you ask me for the digital copy?” “You did send me the digital copy, but I checked it today, and the numbers match the printed version. So, you made the mistake.” Chloe put on a hurt, victimized expression. “Mia, I always thought you were a good person. I never expected you to falsely accuse me just to avoid responsibility.” Hearing this, I actually laughed. I looked at Mr. Davis again. “So, she’s claiming I got the numbers wrong, is that right?” “Mia, a mistake is a mistake. Don’t try to blame your colleagues. Do you know the company could sue you for the losses you’ve caused?” Mr. Davis lowered his voice, adding a threatening tone. “Mr. Davis, you don’t need to scare me. Let’s set aside whether we lost the bid solely because of this document. Just the fact that you entrusted a crucial bidding document to an intern on her first day—do you think a judge would even entertain a lawsuit against me?” “Furthermore, she insists both the digital and printed versions I gave her had the wrong numbers. So, Chloe, did you actually read the email? When I sent you the document, I CC’d the department manager and the CEO.” Mr. Davis seemed to have forgotten about this detail. He hurriedly opened his email and, sure enough, found the email I had sent ten days ago. “Who gave you permission to CC the CEO?” Mr. Davis seemed furious, his eyes bulging with anger. I smiled, a bright, cheerful smile. “Is there a rule against CC’ing the CEO? Mr. Davis, you might want to spend some time figuring out how you’re going to explain to the CEO why the wrong version of the document was submitted.” 3 When I left the General Manager’s office, I wore a victorious smile, completely ignoring the venomous glares from the people behind me. In reality, regardless of whether that email existed or not, they had no legal grounds to pin the blame on a brand-new intern. However, the email’s existence changed the dynamic entirely. Of course, I also knew I had severely offended those three. I really didn’t understand where Chloe’s malice toward me came from. I had heard she pushed out other interns, but her actions toward me seemed far more targeted than simple hazing. If someone more timid had faced this today, they probably would have panicked completely. I didn’t have time to dwell on it and threw myself into my next tasks. With this incident as a warning, I knew I had to be much more careful. After lunch, Mrs. Jenkins, the cleaning lady, placed a container of fruit on my desk. “Eat up. You’ve been working so hard these past two days, you’ve lost weight.” Before I could even thank her, Chloe’s shrill voice came from behind me. “What is that smell? Did you dig that out of the trash?” I frowned and turned around. She had resumed her arrogant posture, dramatically pinching her nose. “Have you never seen grapes before? Does your family have to dig through the trash to find them?” I picked up a grape from the container and popped it into my mouth. It was sweet and crisp—my favorite, Shine Muscat grapes. “Who hasn’t seen grapes? It’s just funny that someone who begs for lunch scraps is suddenly acting high and mighty. You have to rely on a cleaning lady for handouts. Stuff from a cleaning lady obviously belongs in the trash.” Chloe waved her hand in disgust. “Chloe, watch your mouth. Stop associating the cleaning staff with the trash,” I said, my anger finally boiling over. I slammed the container down on the desk, the loud noise catching the attention of everyone in the office. “Am I wrong? Cleaners pick up trash. What’s the problem? Of course, someone like you is only fit to associate with cleaners.” As she spoke, she fanned the air around her and squeezed past us, swaying her hips. Could I hit her? Just as I couldn’t resist the urge to step forward and pull her hair, Mrs. Jenkins grabbed my hand and shook her head. Knowing she didn’t want me to cause trouble, I sighed, picked up the grapes, and decided to ignore that woman. “Come over to your great-aunt’s house for dinner after work today. Your cousin is back; I’ll have him pick you up,” Mrs. Jenkins whispered, patting my head. That’s right. The company’s cleaning lady was my great-aunt. She was used to working hard when she was younger and couldn’t stand being idle. So, she found a cleaning job in our family’s office building. Not for the paycheck, but just to have something to do. Actually, the office building next door also belonged to our family, but because people there recognized her, she didn’t work there and applied to this company instead. I chose this company specifically because she worked here. I nodded to show I understood. That afternoon, Chloe was either demanding we open the windows for ventilation or fanning herself, complaining that the office smelled like a dumpster. I just pretended I couldn’t hear her and ignored her. But I didn’t expect that the colleagues who were usually oppressed by her—and too afraid to fight back—would turn their frustration toward me. Some started slamming their mice impatiently. Others echoed Chloe: “Yeah, aren’t you afraid of getting sick eating grapes from the trash?” “Exactly. That kind of stuff should be thrown away.” Chloe smiled smugly. “Someone like her could never bear to throw anything away.” Normally, their relationship with my great-aunt wasn’t bad, but faced with Chloe’s targeted attacks, they became bitter and mean. I gritted my teeth and put the grapes in my drawer. When it was time to leave, my colleagues didn’t even want to share an elevator with me. Having the whole elevator to myself, I didn’t care at all. I just felt the air in the elevator was much fresher than in the office. Downstairs, I immediately spotted Liam’s Jaguar. He seemed to see me too and stepped out of the car. Just as I was about to walk over, I heard rushed footsteps behind me, followed by a hard bump against my shoulder. Chloe dashed past me, the impact not slowing her down at all. Her target was Liam. I raised an eyebrow and slowed my pace. “Liam! When did you get back?!” She smiled brightly, tilting her head up to look at him with a picture-perfect expression of serene adoration. The sight of the handsome guy and the pretty girl was actually quite pleasant. “Just got back.” Liam frowned slightly, offering a curt three-word reply. “Oh! It’s been so long. Do you want to grab dinner tonight?” She seemed completely oblivious to the rejection radiating from Liam, her smile remaining sweet as she took a step closer. “No, I’m here to pick up Mia.” His gaze bypassed Chloe and landed on me, carrying a hint of reproach. I chuckled inwardly. So Chloe had a crush on him. Ignoring Chloe’s resentful glare, I opened the passenger door and got in. Liam gave a distant “Excuse me,” got in the car, and drove us away. “You guys know each other?” I asked, amused, looking at my cousin who was driving with a wooden expression. He seemed to search his memory before replying, “She confessed to me before I went abroad.” My cousin is only two months older than me. He was the campus heartthrob at our university. Half a year ago, for some reason, he decided to do a study abroad program, and now he was back. We had always been close, and he looked out for me in college. But to avoid disrupting my peaceful college life, we never publicly disclosed our relationship. It was obvious he didn’t have a good impression of Chloe. His lips were pressed into a tight line, and a slight crease formed between his brows. I pursed my lips and didn’t ask any more questions about Chloe, instead asking him about his time abroad. The next day at work, the way my colleagues looked at me was a bit strange. Jessica even covertly tugged at my shirt and asked, “Was the guy who picked you up yesterday your boyfriend?” I shook my head. “That’s my…” “Don’t be ridiculous. How could Liam like her? Is Mia even in his league?” Chloe spoke up before me, her tone full of disdain but her eyes screaming jealousy. I was speechless. It’s true he wasn’t my boyfriend, but it definitely wasn’t because I wasn’t “in his league.” “Oh, really? If I’m not in his league, who is? You?” I finally couldn’t hold back my anger and let out a sarcastic laugh. To my surprise, the woman rolled her eyes at me. “I’m certainly a better match than you. Do you know what Liam’s family does? Do you know that one of his outfits costs more than your entire four years of college tuition? Do you think a family like his would ever accept someone with your background? I’m different. My uncle is the General Manager here. Any random purse I own costs more than everything you’re wearing combined, multiplied by ten. Who do you think is a better match for him?” Looking at her, decked out like a walking billboard for designer logos, I just found her ridiculous. “Right, you’re a perfect match. It’s just a shame you can’t even get a ride in his car.” “You… who knows what dirty tricks you used to get into Liam’s car. Girls should have some self-respect. Aren’t you afraid of being dumped and humiliated after scheming your way into a man’s car?” Chloe gritted her teeth, her voice carrying across the room. The entire office heard her little speech. As a result, the looks my colleagues gave me were tinged with contempt. I took a deep breath, suppressing the fury in my heart and the urge to shove her head into the trash can. Finally, I let out a cold laugh, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear: “Do you know why the monk Fo Yin saw Buddha when he looked at Su Dongpo, but Su Dongpo saw a pile of dung when he looked at Fo Yin?” Chloe froze, not understanding the reference at all. However, a few other colleagues almost burst out laughing. I ignored her and went back to work. About ten minutes later, I heard someone yelling from the direction of the restroom: “Mia, you are dead meat!” Looks like… she finally figured it out. 4 That evening as we were getting off work, Chloe suddenly stood up and announced she was treating everyone to dinner. Everyone had to go; refusing meant disrespecting her. A few female colleagues with children had to pick them up after work. Being suddenly told they had to go to dinner put them in a difficult position, their faces showing their stress. I didn’t want to go anyway, so I spoke up before they could. “I’m not going. I have plans.” “Mia, you’re already anti-social enough at work. I’m giving you a chance to bond with everyone, and you’re refusing? Are you just unwilling to hang out with us? What, you’re poor but still a snob?” I honestly didn’t know how she concluded I was poor, or why she kept emphasizing it. I figured any girl with an average income, if told she was poor often enough, would probably start believing it herself. “I’m not going because I have plans. What does that have to do with being a snob?” I frowned, already very annoyed. “Are you the only one with plans? Look at Sarah and the others, they have kids at home. Did they make excuses?” Chloe’s self-righteous attitude was truly obnoxious. “Yeah, Mia, you’re being too aloof. If those of us with kids can make it, why can’t you?” Sarah chimed in, trying to persuade me. I had only spoken up because I saw they were uncomfortable refusing. Since they were now acting like they genuinely wanted to go, I didn’t have any strong objections. The place Chloe took us to was an upscale restaurant near the office, the kind that costs hundreds of dollars per person. For regular employees at our company, it was definitely a place they’d be reluctant to spend their own money on. Let alone the fact that we were seated directly in a private dining room. Everyone bent over backward praising Chloe, saying how it truly showed she was wealthy to eat at a place like this. “She’s not just regular wealthy. Do you guys know this restaurant? Normal people can’t even get a private room; you have to be a VIP. And to become a VIP here, you have to load at least ten thousand dollars onto a membership card upfront.” Sarah’s eyes sparkled as she looked around, reading aloud the information she had just Googled about the restaurant. Instantly, the admiration for Chloe in the room skyrocketed. Chloe’s smile was exceptionally radiant. “It’s just a VIP card, it’s not that big of a deal.” As if she truly didn’t care about the ten thousand dollars. I sat in the corner, not saying a word, just hoping we’d finish eating soon so I could go home and rest. The waiter came in to take our order. Chloe casually ordered a few dishes, then passed the menu to the person next to her, telling everyone to order whatever they liked. They looked at the menu and, seeing the prices, were hesitant to order anything. Finally, a few of the male colleagues stepped up and ordered two dishes. Chloe eventually placed the menu in my hands. “Mia, don’t say I didn’t treat you right. Order whatever you want. After all, this might be the only time in your life you’ll ever eat at a place like this.” I took the menu but didn’t open it. I just looked up at the waiter and said, “I’ll have the hot and sour shredded potatoes. Hold the vinegar.” Everyone in the room froze, their eyes even carrying a hint of mockery. Chloe burst out laughing. “Mia, do you think this is some cheap takeout joint? We don’t have something as low-class as hot and sour shredded potatoes on this menu.” I shrugged. “If that’s the case, never mind. I’m good.” She sneered and flipped open the drink menu. “What do you want to drink?” Everyone knew the drinks here were expensive, so they declined, saying whatever she ordered was fine. Chloe raised an eyebrow triumphantly and shot another malicious look my way. “Mia, since you couldn’t find anything to eat earlier, why don’t you pick the drinks?” “I’ll just take a Budweiser,” I said without batting an eye, not even reaching for the drink menu she held out. This time, my colleagues finally couldn’t hold back their laughter. The one laughing the loudest was, naturally, Chloe. She clutched her stomach, practically bent over. “Mia, you’ve never been to a high-end restaurant, so you probably don’t know. Places like this don’t sell Budweiser. Forget it, you wouldn’t know what to order anyway. I’ll do it.” I didn’t care at all. “Is that so? Well, thank you for showing me the world.” The waiter glanced at me but said nothing. After taking Chloe’s drink order, he left the room. The food came out quickly here, and soon the waiters were filling the table with delicacies. My colleagues kept marveling at how different the food at high-end restaurants was, snapping photos non-stop. Even the male colleagues couldn’t resist pulling out their phones. I was the only one not doing anything. Until a waiter walked in holding a plate of hot and sour shredded potatoes and a bottle of Budweiser, respectfully placing them right in front of me. Everyone was stunned. The room fell completely silent. I could even hear someone gasp. “This… we didn’t order this,” Chloe said in a panic. She hadn’t seen these items on the food or drink menus! “This is complimentary from the house for this lady,” the waiter replied, looking up with a professional smile. Without waiting for Chloe’s reaction, he turned and left the room. I sighed inwardly. It seemed I had been recognized. This restaurant belonged to my uncle, and my family often had gatherings here. I thought keeping a low profile would keep me unrecognized, but the waiter had a sharp eye. Because of these two items, an eerie silence settled over the room, the atmosphere incredibly awkward. I was the only one casually eating my hot and sour shredded potatoes. “Mia, you… what’s your relationship with this restaurant?” Sarah cleared her throat, asking on behalf of everyone. I swallowed my food and took a slow sip of the ice-cold Budweiser. It was refreshing. “I don’t have any relationship with this restaurant.” I just have a relationship with the owner. Then, I smiled brightly at Chloe. “I really thought they didn’t have shredded potatoes and Budweiser here, but it turns out they do!” Chloe’s face visibly darkened, and eventually, she could only force an awkward laugh and invite everyone to eat. I smiled and didn’t continue the topic, instead quietly eating my food. At the table, everyone was still very enthusiastic toward Chloe, but their attitude toward me had noticeably softened. This made Chloe’s expression increasingly sour; she barely made it to the end of the dinner. Leaving the restaurant, Chloe maintained a polite smile, but her initial smugness was gone. Some colleagues called designated drivers, others hailed Ubers. I looked around, spotted a public bike, and prepared to ride it back, since I lived close by. As I pushed the bike in front of everyone to say goodbye. I clearly saw Chloe’s eyes light up. “Mia, you… you’re riding a public bike home?” She purposefully raised her voice, acting like she had just witnessed something scandalous. “Can you really not even afford an Uber?” I nodded. “I live close by; there’s no need for an Uber.” “Close by? Mia, if you’re going to lie, shouldn’t you at least do some research first? This isn’t the slums. How could you possibly afford to live around here?” At this, my colleagues all looked at me, their eyes clearly agreeing with Chloe. “Actually, there are some residential areas nearby. Maybe Mia really does live close,” Jessica chimed in, probably feeling awkward for me and speaking up in my defense for once. “Ha, the residential areas nearby? Jessica, you’re as poor as Mia, so you probably don’t know, but do you have any idea how expensive the housing is around here? It’s not a place someone who rides a public bike can afford.” Chloe sneered dismissively and casually unlocked her BMW. “Does anyone need a ride?” Immediately, a few of the younger girls behind her raised their hands. “That would be great, thank you, Chloe. You’re the best.” As the BMW drove away, I clearly saw the contemptuous look Chloe shot me through the window. I was speechless that one sentence from me could elicit such disgust from her. “Mia, are you… are you really going to ride that bike home? It’ll take forever, won’t it?” Jessica looked at me with concern. “Why don’t we split an Uber?” “No thanks, I really don’t live far. I don’t need a ride.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “413031”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was the Maddox family’s living good luck charm. If I so much as sneezed, the Maddox Corporation’s giant signboard would fall that very day. If a bracelet dug into my skin while I slept, the Maddox estate’s backyard would mysteriously catch fire that night. So, until I turned eighteen and discovered I was the unknowingly swapped fake heiress, I was cherished by the entire Maddox family, held as if I might melt in their hands, or disappear from their pockets. The Maddox family’s true bloodline was a pair of fraternal twins. On the first day the real heiress and heir returned home, the entire household was in a frenzy. Meanwhile, I was comfortably curled up in a garden swing chair, a premium coffee in my left hand, an ice cream cone in my right, and waved amiably towards their entrance. Helen Maddox caught sight of me, her face instantly darkening. Jane Maddox, seeing this, rushed over and knocked the ice cream from my hand. “A usurper and a fake, you dare to eat our family’s food?” “Now, we are the masters! You should be kneeling to welcome us, then licking that filth off the floor!” I blinked, a little confused. “But Mom and Dad said I never have to do things like that.” Helen viciously pinched my arm. “If you don’t know how, learn! From now on, we make the rules in this house!” As they shoved me towards the cleaning rags, my mother, miles away at the company, felt a sudden pang in her chest, a flicker of inexplicable unease, and turned to my father. “Honey, do you feel… like our company’s stock just shifted?” … “A fake is a fake. Mom and Dad kept you only for the Maddox family’s reputation.” “You stole eighteen years of our lives; making you do some chores is an honor.” Helen sneered in my ear as they shoved me towards the cleaning rags. My steps faltered, but I said nothing. Mom and Dad had specifically warned me before going to the company not to cause any big commotion if I got upset. I was always obedient. Mrs. Higgins, the housekeeper, looked on with a pained expression. “Miss Anna, Miss Helen, Master Jane, Miss Anna is…” “Is what? Do you want to keep your job here?” Jane’s face turned cold. Mrs. Higgins sighed, looking at me. I quietly shook my head at her. Jane’s face only softened when he watched me bend down and meticulously wipe away the ice cream he’d knocked to the floor. He gathered all the servants and announced, “Listen up, now that Helen and I are home, we’re in charge. If anyone dares to speak up for this imposter, Anna, pack your bags and leave immediately!” So, for the entire day, Jane and Helen watched as I poured tea and water, knelt to polish their shoes, and even made me jump into the pool to retrieve a bracelet Helen had deliberately thrown in. “Haven’t you lived in the Maddox house for eighteen years? Can’t you even do this little thing?” I said nothing, merely trembling as I wrapped myself in the towel Mrs. Higgins handed me. Mom and Dad told me that as long as I stayed happy, the “shadow” wouldn’t emerge. By evening, when Mom and Dad returned home, I was still damp, kneeling on the floor, scrubbing. “What’s going on here?” Mom’s voice cut through the silence, and the living room immediately hushed. Dad’s gaze quickly landed on me, his brows slightly furrowed. “Anna, what happened to you?” Before I could speak, Helen rushed forward, hugging Mom and whimpering, “Mommy, does Sister not want us back? Why has she been sulking all day? She even threw a gift I kindly gave her into the pool.” Jane chimed in, “I just asked her to retrieve Helen’s gift, and she acted all high and mighty.” I expected Mom to at least question me, but instead, she pushed Helen’s hands away and quickly walked towards me. “Anna, my sweet girl, you…” Her words trailed off as she spotted the blood seeping from my sleeve. Her face instantly changed. I instinctively tried to hide my hand, but she grasped it firmly, then summoned a servant to bring ointment and bandages, meticulously cleaning my wound. “How did you hurt your hand? Did they bully you?” Helen froze, instinctively retorting, “Mom, it was clearly her!” “Silence!” Dad’s voice was cold. “Before we brought you back, did I not tell you?” “Anna is our lucky star. As long as she’s happy, the Maddox family thrives.” “Anyone who makes Anna unhappy is jeopardizing the Maddox family’s fortune.” Helen’s face went completely white. Jane clenched his fists, emotions churning in his eyes, but he forcibly suppressed them, and was the first to speak to me. “Sister Anna, I’m sorry. Helen and I were wrong.” Helen, seeing Jane speak, quickly apologized to me, her eyes reddening. “I’m sorry…” I nodded, then curled my lips slightly. “It’s alright, I don’t blame you.” After dinner, just as I was about to go to my room to rest, Jane called out to me. “Mom and Dad said to tell you to go up to the attic. It seems they want to give you something special.” I didn’t think much of it and followed him to the attic. I didn’t see Mom or Dad, but he suddenly pushed me inside and locked the door. Jane’s voice, like a spectator, came from outside the door. “Since you’re so important.” “Then I’ll see if the Maddox family can survive without you.” “Jane…” My whole body stiffened, even making a sound was incredibly difficult. The attic was pitch dark, with only a thin sliver of dim light seeping through a narrow crack. The wooden door almost completely blocked out outside sounds, and the air seemed to thin instantly. “You, please open the door, alright?” I tapped lightly on the door, my voice trembling uncontrollably. Jane’s unhurried voice came from outside. “What, scared?” I swallowed hard, trying to calm myself. “I, I have claustrophobia. I was kidnapped as a child, and the doctor said I can’t be in confined spaces.” “Please let me out, alright? I promise I won’t say anything.” Silence fell for a few seconds outside the door. Just as I thought Jane might at least hesitate, he scoffed disdainfully. “Claustrophobia?” “Anna Maddox, you really know how to make things up.” His tone was filled with undisguised annoyance. “Stop with these pathetic tricks to manipulate people.” “I’d like to see if you can really scare yourself to death.” The footsteps gradually receded. I frantically banged on the door, but my throat felt as if it were being choked, my mouth open, yet no sound escaped. My breathing grew increasingly erratic, and my vision began to blacken. I slid to the floor, hugging myself tightly, then completely lost consciousness. When I woke up again, my body felt completely weak. As soon as I opened my eyes, an excited voice reached my ears. “Anna, is that Anna?” Before I could react, a pair of warm hands clasped mine tightly. “Mommy’s here.” Mom’s voice was clearly trembling, her eyes red, as if she was trying hard to suppress some emotion. Dad stood by the bed, his face also grim, but he let out a sigh of relief when he saw me wake up. The doctor beside him said gravely, “Fortunately, we found her in time, otherwise…” “Miss Anna cannot endure any more stress.” I slowly came back to my senses. My gaze shifted, and I saw Helen and Jane kneeling not far away. Mom helped me sit up, then glared at Jane. “Anna, did Jane lock you in? Mommy will make sure he pays.” Helen pouted, her voice very low. “Is it really that big a deal? It was just being locked in the attic for a bit.” “So delicate, it’s just too dramatic.” Jane said nothing, but his expression clearly echoed Helen’s sentiment. Slap! A crisp sound exploded in the room. Helen’s head snapped to the side from the force of the slap; she was completely stunned. Mom’s hand still hung in the air, her gaze coldly fixed on Helen. “Say that again?” Helen clutched her face, looking at her in disbelief. “Mom, I just…” Dad’s voice was heavy with suppressed anger. “Do you two have any idea that Anna almost died?” “If something serious had happened, how would you compensate us?” Jane’s face changed. He couldn’t help but argue. “Dad, isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?” “Anna is perfectly fine, isn’t she? We’re your biological children! Why are you treating me like this for an outsider?” “Besides, all this talk about ‘lucky stars’ is just…” “Enough!” Dad abruptly cut him off, his eyes colder than I had ever seen them. “I haven’t even settled the score with you for locking Anna in the attic.” “Now, kneel properly. Don’t force me to use the family disciplinary rod.” Jane bit his lip, then suddenly scoffed, his tone clearly defiant. “Dad, Mom, don’t you think this is too superstitious?” “She fainted once, and you’re so anxious.” “But the Maddox family is still doing fine, isn’t it? Has anything specific changed?” Dad didn’t speak again. His phone rang. He looked down at the screen, and then his face visibly darkened, inch by inch. “Maddox Corporation’s stock just dropped three points.” At Dad’s words, Jane’s face also changed. “Dad, that’s just a coincidence. How could it be related to Anna?” He instinctively retorted, but his tone lacked its initial certainty. Dad didn’t answer him, merely looking at the butler. “Bring the family rod.” When the butler returned with the wooden rod, Helen burst into tears. “Dad! You’re biased! Anna is perfectly fine, why are you still bringing out the family rod!” She pointed at me, her voice sharp and vicious. “What right does she have!” “Silence! If you insult Anna again, I’ll beat you too!” Helen’s body trembled, and she finally quieted down, merely sobbing into her hands. Just as I was about to get out of bed and say something, Mom pulled me out of the room. “Our Anna can’t bear to see such bloody things.” I sighed, tugging at Mom’s sleeve. “Mom, I’m safe now, and the ‘shadow’ won’t come out. You don’t have to be so…” “That won’t do!” Mom tapped my nose, leading me downstairs. “Mommy got you the new season’s handbags, and your favorite chocolate cake.” I leaned into Mom, rubbing against her. “I knew Mommy was the best to me.” Sounds of the rod hitting flesh, along with Jane’s muffled groans, came from upstairs. Before I could react, Mom quickly placed noise-canceling headphones over my ears. When I saw Jane again, he had already endured the family discipline, being supported by Helen, walking step by agonizing step towards his room. His face was ashen, and his gaze towards me was like poison. From that day on, they indeed quieted down. But I always had a faint feeling that things weren’t that simple. Jane and Helen no longer openly ordered me around or verbally abused me. They even managed to flash me a strained, almost friendly smile when Mom and Dad were present. But this only made me feel more uneasy. Mrs. Higgins secretly took my hand, her face filled with concern. “Miss Anna, be careful. I always feel like the way those two look at you isn’t right.” I nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. “Mrs. Higgins, you know, I’ll be fine.” This uncomfortable feeling lingered for several days. Until I went to the conservatory alone for some fresh air. Drifting in and out of sleep, I overheard Jane and Helen’s deliberately hushed conversation. Helen’s voice even had a whimper to it. “Jane, this can’t go on.” “Mom and Dad only have eyes for her now; there’s no place for us in the Maddox family.” After a brief silence, Jane’s low, cold voice replied. “I know.” “As long as Anna Maddox is still here, Mom and Dad will always focus on her. Everything in the Maddox family will revolve around her.” He paused, his tone unwavering. “So.” “Anna Maddox must die.”

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1 The first thing my ex-husband did after his “rebirth” was to bring his illegitimate son home, demanding I send our biological daughter to the countryside. Cradling the drooling, developmentally delayed child, his eyes burned with fervor: “This is the hope of our family! He’s a genius who will win the Nobel Prize someday!” “As for that worthless girl, she’ll only divide the inheritance. Get rid of her!” I watched the illegitimate son, still playing in the mud, and calmly signed the divorce papers. My ex-husband didn’t know that in the last life, this illegitimate child only became a genius because I quit my job, slept only three hours a day, spent all our savings visiting renowned doctors, and painstakingly tutored him for twenty years. And my own daughter, neglected and abandoned, ran away from home early, only to become a financial titan controlling the global economy. In this life, since you treasure the “genius” who needs his diapers changed for two decades, then I’ll take my “worthless” daughter and become the mother of a global billionaire. … I swiftly signed the divorce papers. Noah Stone didn’t even glance at me. He snatched the drooling illegitimate child, Adam, into his arms, his eyes burning with fanaticism. In his mind, he saw the colossal headline from the last life’s newspaper: “Chinese-American Scientist Adam Stone Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics.” That was the supreme glory he had missed. In this life, he would never let me steal that honor again! “This is the hope of our family! He’s a genius who will win the Nobel Prize someday!” he declared, almost shouting at me. “As for that worthless girl, she’ll only divide the inheritance. Get rid of her!” I looked at the illegitimate son, still playing in the mud, and snapped the pen cap shut with a crisp click. “My passport, driver’s license, everything’s in my bag. See you at the courthouse tomorrow at nine.” With that, I turned and walked toward our daughter Aurora’s room. Noah scoffed behind me. “Take that worthless girl, you two can starve for all I care.” I didn’t look back. The door had barely closed when my mother-in-law, Clara Stone, burst in, her voice shrill. “Noah Stone! Are you mad? You’re just letting her leave like that? What about Aurora? Aurora is our Stone grandchild!” She moved to rush toward Aurora’s room. Noah stopped her, his tone impatient. “Mom! What are you yelling about! Didn’t you see Adam is sleeping? It’s just a girl, let her go, it’s less trouble.” Clara paused, but her voice didn’t quiet down. “That’s not the same! How can she, Elizabeth Vance, a divorced woman, raise a child properly? Aurora will suffer with her! Make her leave the child!” I pushed the door open, leading Aurora, who was already wearing her coat, by the hand. Aurora’s small face was calm, unlike a five-year-old’s. She just clutched my hand tightly. I looked at Clara. “The child is mine, and I have full custody. The agreement states it clearly.” Clara’s eyes widened. She pointed a finger at me. “Elizabeth! Don’t you dare act ungrateful! Our Stone family supported you for so many years, and now you think you can just fly off? Take our Stone bloodline away? Dream on!” She reached out to grab Aurora. I stepped sideways to block her, shielding Aurora behind me. “Clara, try to touch her again.” She flinched, intimidated by the coldness in my eyes, and retreated half a step. Noah impatiently pulled a card from his wallet and tossed it onto the console by the door. “Alright! Stop yelling! Elizabeth, this is for you. Fifty thousand. It should be enough for you and that girl for a while. Don’t bother me again.” The card slid a short distance on the polished surface, stopping at my feet. Fifty thousand. A pittance for a beggar. I didn’t even bother to bend down. I took Aurora’s hand and walked straight past the card, opened the door, and left without looking back. Behind me, Adam’s cries suddenly escalated, and Noah frantically tried to soothe him. “Don’t cry, baby, don’t cry, my genius…” The elevator doors slowly closed, cutting off all sound. Aurora looked up at me, asking softly, “Mommy, where are we going?” I knelt down and tidied her collar. “We’re going to our new home.” Aurora nodded, as if understanding, and said no more, just holding my hand tighter. I took Aurora back to the old house to pack our things. The home that once echoed with our mother-daughter laughter was now eerily silent. In the living room, Noah was awkwardly feeding Adam, spilling formula everywhere. He saw me, his brows furrowing into a knot. “Why are you back again? Just get your things and leave. Don’t disturb me with Adam.” I ignored him, walking straight into the bedroom and pulling out two of the largest suitcases. Clara followed me in, hovering like an overseer. “Elizabeth, I’m telling you, this house belongs to my son. You won’t take anything extra from here.” Her eyes scrutinized every item I packed. I folded Aurora’s and my clothes one by one and placed them in the suitcase. “These were all part of my dowry before we married. This jewelry set was left to me by my mother.” I pointed to a box on the dressing table. Clara immediately pounced, pressing down on the box. “What ‘left to you by your mother’! Once it enters my Stone family’s door, it’s our Stone family’s property! You want to take it? No way!” Her hand gripped the box tightly. I stopped what I was doing, stood up, and watched her silently. She got a little spooked by my stare but still refused to let go. “What are you looking at! Am I wrong? You’re a woman who’s being thrown out; do you really think you can take such valuable things?” I didn’t argue with her. I just quietly took out my phone and started recording. “Say that again. Whose property is this?” Clara froze for a moment, then burst into a tirade. “It’s the Stone family’s! What can you do to me!” I put my phone away, no longer looking at her, and continued packing other things. A picture frame fell to the floor, the glass shattering. Inside was a photo of Aurora and me at the beach. Aurora walked over, carefully trying to pick up the photo. “Don’t touch it; you’ll cut your hand.” I pulled her back. Noah, hearing the sound from the living room, shouted impatiently, “Elizabeth! Can’t you hurry up! You’re dawdling, and if you break something, can you afford to replace it?” I pulled out the photo from the frame, untouched by the shattered glass, and slipped it into my pocket. Then I swept the empty frame and scattered glass into the trash. Clara, seeing that I was ignoring her, started yelling again. “Did you hear that? My son wants you to hurry up and leave! Don’t be an eyesore here!” I zipped up my suitcase with a dull thud. With a suitcase in each hand, and holding Aurora’s hand, I walked toward the door. As I passed the living room, I saw Adam throw his baby bottle on the floor and reach for a set of car keys Noah had forgotten on the coffee table, preparing to put them in his mouth. Noah, oblivious, was still engrossed in a “Genius Early Development Guide.” I walked straight out, not looking left or right. The door slammed shut behind me. I didn’t care if that child swallowed the keys, nor if that man could nurture a genius. I rented a small one-bedroom apartment in the city’s old town. Compared to the spacious, bright riverside apartment at the Stone’s, this place felt like a pigeon coop. Aurora, however, was very composed. She put down her small backpack and carefully surveyed her new “home.” “Mommy, where’s my bed?” I pointed to the small bed by the window, covered with a new cartoon bedspread I’d bought. “That will be your bed from now on.” She nodded, climbed onto it, tested it out, then flashed me a smile. “It’s soft.” My heart softened instantly. It was late by the time we settled in. After I told Aurora a bedtime story, she quickly fell asleep. I sat on the creaky sofa in the living room. My phone vibrated. It was a message from my friend, Lena Hayes. “How are things? Found a place to stay? Do you have enough money?” I replied that everything was fine, and then there was nothing more. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to say more; it was that I didn’t know where to begin. I opened my mobile banking app, looking at the paltry savings in my account, then remembered the card Noah had tossed on the floor. A wave of helplessness washed over me. I had to find a job quickly. Just then, my phone rang. It was Noah. I slid to answer, but didn’t speak. His voice, muffled with suppressed anger, came from the other end. “Elizabeth, did you take the washing machine manual?” I paused. “No.” “Then how do I use this new front-loader? My mom can’t figure it out; she’s getting water everywhere trying to do laundry!” “There’s a QR code on the door. Scan it for the digital manual.” “I don’t have time for that! You come back now and show my mom how to use it!” he ordered, as if it were his right. I was silent. In the last life, it was always like this. No matter where I went, he always found a way to drag me back to deal with the messes he and his mother couldn’t handle. And every single time, I softened and went back. “Noah Stone, we’re divorced.” I said, and hung up. My phone immediately began ringing incessantly. Annoyed, I kept hanging up, eventually just turning it off. I walked into the room, looking at Aurora’s peaceful sleeping face. The last vestiges of helplessness in my heart vanished. In this life, I would only live for her.

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1 After the divorce, I returned to my hometown, a broken man carrying my son’s ashes, and opened a small clinic. It had been ten years since I last saw Seraphina Vance. “Arthur, Leo’s back! I’ve come to take you home!” Her expression was solemn, even more earnest than when she confessed her love to me all those years ago. Leo, clinging to her arm, smirked, a brazen glint in his eyes. “Brother-in-law, I was too reckless back then, running away from home. It made my sister misunderstand you, thinking you forced me to my death.” “But she’s never truly moved on from you all these years. You shouldn’t be holding a grudge, hiding out here.” I stared at Seraphina, my face devoid of emotion. “Now that your beloved foster brother has returned, can I finally have my son back?” … Seraphina frowned, almost imperceptibly. “Arthur, I can apologize for what happened back then.” “You only lost a son and an arm, but Leo nearly had his reputation ruined and suffered out there for a full ten years!” “You need to let it go!” I opened my mouth, but the strength to argue had long left me. “You’re right. I’ve let it go. Please leave, both of you.” Ten years ago, the news that I, a dermatologist, had treated Leo for an STI leaked. In a fit of rage, Seraphina ordered her men to break my arm, destroying my career. “Leo is just a kid! How dare you slander his name, spread rumors that he had a venereal disease?” “Someone as malicious as you doesn’t deserve to be a doctor!” Soon after, she posted a video of me showering online. “Some people are constantly hooking up, can’t even wash off that disgusting stench of depravity!” Her parents, my in-laws, reprimanded her for going too far. Seraphina scoffed, “He slandered Leo and still refuses to admit it! Only by making him experience the pain of being slandered will he realize his mistake!” When it came to Leo, my in-laws remained silent. Overnight, our son was branded “the spawn of a deviant,” tormented at kindergarten, and became severely withdrawn. My reputation was ruined; I was fired from the hospital and vilified online. Frantic, I found the treatment reports, desperate to explain to Seraphina. But she didn’t even bother to glance at them, tossing them casually into the trash. “Still unrepentant, daring to forge evidence and continue to tarnish Leo’s name?” “What did such a pure and kind young man like Leo ever do to you, that you would so meticulously plot against him?” Leo, who had initially tearfully begged me for treatment, claiming he’d been accidentally infected by a promiscuous girlfriend and was filled with regret, now glared at me with venomous eyes. “Brother-in-law, I was only eighteen, still a child! How could you be so cruel to me?” “Do you have any idea how much harm those rumors caused me?” He buried his face in Seraphina’s embrace, sobbing. He claimed that on his way home from school, thugs would harass him, asking how much he charged for a night, and he’d nearly been assaulted by a drunkard… Seraphina’s face darkened instantly. She dragged me to the heart of the city’s bar district. “This trash is free to take!” “Men and women, young and old, no preferences!” “He can’t get pregnant, so no responsibility needed!” Countless drunken patrons, eyes gleaming, leered at me, their faces contorted in lewd smiles. I broke down, desperately clutching Seraphina. “No, you can’t do this to me! I really didn’t…” Her face remained impassive as she kicked my injured arm. The searing pain forced me to release her. “You need to deeply experience the suffering you inflicted on Leo!” “Don’t worry, this is just a small lesson, to make you remember!” “At the critical moment, the bodyguards will intervene!” She gently comforted Leo, walking away step by step. But once her figure disappeared, the drunken crowd surged forward like wild animals, tearing at my clothes. “No, don’t… help me!” I struggled wildly, reaching out to the bodyguards Seraphina had arranged. They merely gave a cold command. “Don’t kill him!” 2 I can’t recall how I ended up in the hospital. I only remember my colleague, tears streaming down her face, as she worked to save me. “How could Seraphina do this to you?” “She used to say you were the person she admired most, back when she was pursuing you.” I wanted to know too. How could the woman who once loved me so deeply inflict such cruelty? Why did she get to treat me this way? Battered and bruised, I was discharged three days later, a shell of my former self. I returned home like a zombie. Only my four-year-old son, seeing me, burrowed into my arms, his voice thick with injustice. “Daddy, all the kids pick on me! They call me the dirty man’s kid, they call my daddy…” I choked back tears, gently comforting him. “Little Ace, they’re lying. Daddy didn’t…” My son looked up, his eyes brimming with tears. “But everyone says you wronged Mommy. Many people saw your pictures from the bar online.” My heart lurched. I stared at Seraphina, disbelief warring with horror. “You… how could you…” I hadn’t been without my doubts. Perhaps, allowing those drunkards to brazenly assault me wasn’t Seraphina’s intention. Maybe Leo had acted on his own, and she was unaware. But now… I could no longer deceive myself. Seraphina frowned, a flicker of irritation crossing her face. “Leo only wanted to vent his anger, so he faked those photos and posted them online.” “Isn’t that what you did to him?” “When it’s your turn to be slandered, you can’t handle it? Then how dare you forge evidence to slander Leo?” I closed my eyes in despair, my heart completely broken. “Forged photos? Do you believe that?” “Do you truly not know what happened to me that night…?” Seraphina roared, cutting me off. “Enough! This matter ends here!” “Leo has decided not to pursue this further with you, so don’t be so petty and cling to it!” Perhaps to placate me, Seraphina sighed, then suddenly embraced me from behind, whispering, “Alright, I know you’re angry, I’ll make it up to you tonight.” “You know, even though Leo isn’t my biological brother, he’s been pampered since childhood and never suffered any hardships.” “As his brother-in-law, you shouldn’t be so petty with a child!” My body stiffened. The nightmare of that night flashed through my mind, making me tremble uncontrollably. I violently pushed Seraphina away, then vomited uncontrollably, retching until I brought up bile. Seraphina’s face turned ashen. “Arthur! What is the meaning of this?” “I haven’t even scorned you, and you dare to sulk and throw a tantrum at me?” “You malicious man, you’re filthy! And to think Leo was even worried you’d be angry, and persuaded me to comfort you…” Another pang of agony shot through my heart. So, her willingness to touch me was merely a task assigned by Leo? No, Leo probably just wanted her to see the scars covering my body, the damage inflicted by those drunkards. I completely lost the will to argue. “Since you detest me so much, let’s get a divorce.” I had married Seraphina with so much hope. Now, I yearned to escape this repulsive marriage with an equal measure of despair. Seraphina’s face grew even darker. “You are utterly irrational!” “All these years, I truly spoiled you rotten!” “Since you remain stubborn and unrepentant, I’ll revoke your privileges and give you time to reflect!” 3 Seraphina canceled my cards. Even though I had never spent a single penny from her black card’s supplementary account. The next morning, Leo beamed at the rows of limited-edition sneakers before him. “Sister, you’re the best!” He excitedly kissed Seraphina’s cheek. Seraphina dotingly ruffled his hair. “You silly child, isn’t it only natural for your sister to be good to you?” “Spending money on you makes me happy. You’re not like some people, who from beginning to end, show no gratitude and don’t know their place!” She curled her lips, her words laced with sarcasm. Then, she cast a cold glance my way. “What, finally admit you were wrong?” I nodded silently. I was indeed wrong, wrong to have loved her. Leo pouted. “Some people don’t admit they’re wrong, they just realize they’re out of money!” I offered no explanation, no rebuttal. Calmly, I produced the divorce papers and the bank card Seraphina had given me. “I have my own salary and savings; I’ve never spent a cent of yours.” “I will leave with nothing, taking not a single thread from the Vance estate.” “My only request is custody of Little Ace.” Seraphina froze instantly. “Arthur, you…” Leo secretly gloated, snatching the divorce papers to glance at them. Then he sighed, “Brother-in-law, why are you doing this? You know sister can’t bear to divorce.” “Even if you revealed your ugly true colors, for the sake of the child, sister would never kick you out.” “What’s the point of this charade?” I shot him a sidelong glance. “Shouldn’t you be happy that Seraphina and I are divorcing?” That way, no one would compete with him for his “good sister.” Leo instantly looked on the verge of tears, appearing utterly helpless. “Brother-in-law, what do you mean by that?” “I merely spoke the truth. How can you be so maliciously suspicious of me?” Seraphina’s face darkened. With a bang, she slammed her hand on the table. “Arthur, apologize to Leo!” I opened my mouth, a thought stirring within me. “Apologize? I can!” “Sign first!” Seraphina grew even angrier, grabbing the divorce papers and tearing them to shreds. “Put away your little tricks!” “Playing hard to get won’t work on me!” “I advise you to give up that fantasy! I will never let you succeed, and I will certainly not entrust my son to a scoundrel like you!” I couldn’t understand why she refused. Because of our son? Yet she herself had labeled Little Ace “the spawn of a deviant.” Because of feelings? Had she ever truly harbored feelings for me? However, since she cared so much for Leo… I took a deep breath, then pulled out a diligently collected file. “This is the evidence of Leo’s illness! And the surveillance video of him crying and begging me for treatment in my office, along with his treatment records…” Seraphina raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to slander Leo again?” I said calmly, “Whether it’s slander or not, the police and the judge will give me justice in court.” “If you refuse to divorce, I don’t mind going to court to sue for divorce.” “Your breaking my arm and utterly destroying me because of his lies is proof that our relationship has fractured.” “A woman as morally bankrupt and ruthless as you doesn’t deserve to be a mother!” Seraphina scoffed. “Go ahead, if you dare. I’d like to see how you continue to lie in court!” However, at that moment, Leo suddenly snatched a fruit knife from the table and lightly cut his wrist. He cried and screamed, raging loudly. “Brother-in-law, are you not satisfied until you’ve forced me to my death?” Seraphina’s face instantly changed. She snatched the fruit knife away and frantically helped Leo up. “Quick, to the hospital!” I could tell at a glance that Leo was faking it. But Seraphina violently pushed me, her eyes filled with murderous intent. “If anything happens to Leo, you will never be forgiven, even in a hundred deaths!”

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I’m blind, but my boyfriend, Ben, doesn’t seem to want me to regain my sight. So, without telling him, I secretly had my eyes treated. The day after I regained my sight, I discovered his secret. Behind Ben, dark purple tentacles stretched out. The sticky tentacles cautiously glided along the floor, invisibly wrapping around my ankles. Then, little by little, they turned pink. 1 “He’s hiding something from me.” I sat in a coffee shop, across from my friend and treating physician, Dr. Sam Riley. The “he” I spoke of was my boyfriend, Ben Hastings. “Why do you say that?” “I just feel… he’s been a little strange lately. His business trips are getting more and more frequent.” “And it seems like he doesn’t want me to regain my sight.” Sam dragged his chair closer, making a scraping sound. “Eliza, I think you’re overthinking it. Ben has invested dozens of state-of-the-art equipment in our hospital just to cure your eyes.” “When he’s not on business trips, he personally picks you up and drops you off for every follow-up appointment.” “And our conversations, besides you, are still about you.” Sam’s praises for Ben were endless. Who would have thought that three years ago, he regarded Ben as a monstrous threat? Saying Ben looked like some kind of “dark, brooding type,” and that he was only with me for “money and looks.” “But oh, if you’re talking about something strange, there actually is one thing…” “What are you two talking about?” A familiar scent of ocean breeze suddenly wafted beside me. It was Ben. I finished my coffee and smiled in his direction. “We were talking about when you’d arrive.” “Have you been waiting long?” Ben adjusted my collar, his cool fingertips brushing against the pulsing vein in my neck as he moved. I shook my head. “I just missed you.” Before Ben could respond, Sam first clicked his tongue, a little sickly sweet. “I feel incredibly radiant right now, so I’m out of here.” “Dr. Riley, take care. I’ve already paid the bill.” “Thanks, thanks.” I knew Sam’s perception of Ben must have become even more favorable. Although my perception of him was also very favorable. On the way back, Ben asked, “How were the results of this follow-up?” “Hmm… not very good.” I was lying. “It’s okay, we’ll take our time.” Having dated Ben for three years, I naturally recognized the sound. As he turned, he quietly let out a sigh of relief. 2 The next day, while Ben was at work, I dialed Sam’s number in the bathroom. —This was the only place in the house without surveillance cameras. “What were you trying to say yesterday?” “I heard from a nurse that Ben was seen talking with the new Dr. Carter recently.” “And both of them didn’t look very happy…” “Dr. Carter?” Sam stammered a little. “Yes, he’s a new urologist at our hospital. “But I don’t know much about him. He’s always kept to himself and doesn’t seem to have many acquaintances.” “So I couldn’t really ask him…” Silence. A moment later, Sam hesitantly spoke again. “Your boyfriend isn’t having it easy either…” I hung up the phone, feeling a bit annoyed and ashamed. After all, I was currently unemployed, stuck at home all day. I rested well during the day, so naturally, I was “energetic” at night. But was Ben entirely blameless? Who asked him to have such big chest muscles and such nice abs? It was practically an invitation. But what did this have to do with my eyes? Just as I was pondering, Ben’s call came through. “Did you have breakfast yet?” Whenever I was home alone, if I spent more than five minutes in the bathroom, he would subtly ask what I was doing. I feigned a yawn. “Yeah, just woke up, I’m about to eat. What about you, what are you doing?” “Just finished a meeting, have another one soon.” “So busy, tonight I…” Remembering my conversation with Sam earlier, I swallowed the words “I’ll treat you well.” “Tonight what?” “Tonight, let’s have a nice dinner.” Before Ben could reply, I faintly heard his assistant’s voice from his end of the phone. “Alright, that’s enough. Go to your meeting.” 3 In the evening, I habitually slipped my hand under Ben’s shirt to “warm up.” Less than two seconds later, I pulled my hand back. “Sweetheart?” Ben’s voice held a touch of confusion. He grabbed my hand and pressed it against his abs again. I squeezed. Felt so good. Then I pulled my hand back again. If I could see right now, I would notice Ben pouting, looking on the verge of tears. Sensing the deep sense of hurt emanating from Ben, I fumbled and pressed a heavy kiss on his face. “I’m a little tired. Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?” “Okay…” Ben didn’t press further, just adjusted his position to make me more comfortable. In my dream, I was in a damp rainforest, entangled by countless giant pythons. My calves twitched uncontrollably. The snake’s tongue glided across my skin, making a soft, sighing sound. Waking up the next day, I carefully touched my limbs and waist. They were clean, without a single mark. But was it really just a dream? “Sweetheart, I need to go on a business trip. I’ll be back in three days.” “Okay.” In just half a month, Ben had already been on four business trips. Noticing that I seemed a little down, Ben rested his head on my lap, his arm circling my waist. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. That project has been really busy lately…” “Once it’s over, how about we go on a trip together?” “Is there anywhere you’d like to go?” I thought of last night’s dream, but a different answer slipped out: “The beach.” “The beach?” Ben’s arm tightened. “Yeah, you know, I used to love diving.” “So I want to smell the sea breeze again sometime.” “Alright, the beach it is.” 4 While Ben was away on his business trip, I went to the hospital again. “You’re looking a bit too refreshed, aren’t you?” Sam clicked his tongue lightly. I answered expressionlessly, “I’m sexually frustrated.” Sam cleared his throat, clearly not wanting to continue that topic. “However, all your indicators in today’s check-up are excellent. Congratulations.” “Thank you.” “Aren’t you excited? You’ll be able to see soon.” “Very excited.” “Boring. But I actually thought you’d want Ben to be with you on such a crucial day.” I couldn’t help but rub the corner of my sweater. “I still feel he doesn’t really want me to regain my sight. So please keep it a secret for now.” The world after regaining my sight was somewhat magical. Countless colors vibrated endlessly, and amidst the chaos, gradually connected with the concepts in my mind. Like a puzzle piece, finally falling into its long-awaited empty spot at a certain moment. “Hey, can you see?” Sam’s face enlarged in my vision. To be honest, it was a bit distracting. Why wasn’t it Ben? “Yes.” “That’s great!” I smiled genuinely. “Thank you for your hard work these past four years.” “Oh, we’re friends. Just treat me to a big meal sometime.” “I want to walk around by myself.” Sam gave an understanding smile. “I get it.” I picked up the white cane beside me, let go, but then gripped it again. I tentatively took a step, experiencing the moment my shoe sole touched the ground with my eyes. One step, two steps. Drip. I turned my head and looked out the window. It was raining. 5 Ben and I first met on a rainy day. That day, I suddenly wanted to walk in the rain, so I only brought my white cane. But after walking a short distance, my path was blocked by an electric scooter parked on the tactile paving. Rain hammered around me, and my white cane felt like an oar floating on water, leaving me disoriented. A vast emptiness enveloped me, leaving me adrift. Strangely, I even felt an urge to throw away my white cane. But suddenly, the rain stopped around me. An umbrella shielded my head, followed by a faint scent of ocean breeze. “Hello, um, do you… need help?” The man’s voice was deep and magnetic, but his hesitant, stumbling speech made him sound awkwardly charming. Judging by his voice, he was probably about ten centimeters taller than me. I turned my head, slightly lifting my face, deliberately tilting my rain-drenched face towards him. The man’s breathing softened even more. “Yes, could you… could you take me home?” If you’re a bad guy, could you take me to your home? Lock me up. Or bury me. But he wasn’t. “Alright, um, forgive my intrusion.” He merely carefully circled my forearm with his cool hand, guiding my way. I could feel the glances that occasionally fell on me. Somewhat warm, yet not intrusive. “Here we are.” I stood at the door, tilting my head. “Would you like to come in for a bit?” “Would it be…?” “I’m alone at home, and I’m a little scared.” Even though I hadn’t eaten pork, I had seen many pigs run. In less than fifteen minutes, I had extracted most of Ben’s personal information. “So we live so close to each other, huh?” “Then, if you have time later, would you mind coming over to keep me company?” I changed into a silk nightgown, curled up on the sofa, and asked him. “Alright, yes.” From seeing each other once every half week, it gradually evolved into twice a day. Ben’s methods for pursuing me weren’t sophisticated, but they were heartfelt. Like a loyal dog, he’d offer me everything he thought was best. 6 “Are you… Eliza Shen?” “Unknowingly,” I had walked to the entrance of the Urology Department. The man opposite me was taller than I was, wearing a white lab coat, and I couldn’t clearly read the name on his badge. He wore rimless glasses, and his long hair was tied back. “Hello?” I still pretended to be blind. “My name is Noah Carter. I’m Ben Hastings’s, uh… friend.” It seemed he was the “Dr. Carter.” Seeing my “confused” look, Noah understood. “I’m a doctor here, just started working at this hospital recently.” “Ben and I were neighbors when we were kids, but we weren’t very close.” “So it’s normal that he hasn’t mentioned me to you.” Neighbor. I chewed on those two words in my mind several times. “Hmm… what was Ben like when he was little?” Noah opened his mouth, seeming to ponder his choice of words. We stopped at the hospital entrance. He finally answered my question. “My personal advice… keep your distance from him.” “What are you doing?” I was suddenly pulled into Ben’s embrace. He was still warm, having just gotten out of his car. Noah shrugged. “I only told Ms. Shen what I needed to tell her.” “And I also advise you to agree to our terms as soon as possible.” “Otherwise, more than just you will suffer.” After Noah left, I asked Ben, “Ben, what are you doing here?” “Came back early. Saw no one at home, thought you must be at the hospital.” “Did Noah say anything strange to you just now?” “No. He just started speaking when you arrived.” Seeing Ben’s furrowed brow because of Noah, I felt a little annoyed. I raised my hand and wrapped it around Ben’s waist. “Did you miss me?” Ben’s previously serious expression immediately softened. He gently rubbed his nose against my forehead. “Very, very much.” 7 When I woke up the next day, Ben had already gone to work. I rolled over, snuggled into his side of the bed, and turned on the surveillance footage. Although Ben hadn’t installed cameras in the bathroom, I had. I dragged the timeline to the moment he entered the bathroom. Ben, freshly awake, had slightly messy hair, his mature features looking a bit boyish. I watched him silently, with my headphones on, as he washed up and spaced out. At 6 minutes and 27 seconds, I saw what I wanted to see. A dark purple tentacle emerged from behind Ben, reaching for the bathroom door. Ben met the tentacle’s “gaze” in the mirror, his eyes filled with warning. The tentacle then timidly retreated, leaving behind a noticeable wet stain. Ben sighed in resignation, and began to wipe away the traces it left behind. I repeatedly dragged the progress bar. Watching it over and over. It wasn’t until my newly restored eyes began to shed physiological tears that I reluctantly turned off my phone. So this was Ben’s secret. So when Ben came home from work, I was already sitting on the sofa waiting. While Ben stood in the entryway, bending down to change his slippers, my eyes greedily traced him from top to bottom. Face. Back. Waist. Hips. Legs. If I ignored the tentacles that were already joyfully rolling around in front of me. Unlike the initial dark purple, the tentacles before me were now pink. Was it because they were happy to see me? How cute. 8 “By the way, Ben, I want to take a medicinal bath today.” “Why the sudden urge for a medicinal bath?” Ben approached, kneeling before me, looking up into my eyes. As he drew closer, the tentacles behind him gradually retracted. I lowered my eyes with a hint of regret. “Sweetheart?” Ben’s tone was filled with concern. After all, I usually took a medicinal bath once a month, but I had just taken one two weeks ago. “I just want to relax a bit, okay?” Ben, his ears turning red, agreed. “Okay.” He walked into the kitchen and brought out a glass of milk. “Drink your milk first. I’ll go run the hot water.” I nodded, taking a small sip of milk in front of him. Then, as he entered the bathroom, I poured the remaining milk into the potted plant beside me. Before long, Ben carried me into the bathtub. He tied a black silk ribbon over my eyes, covering my sight. He said it was to prevent the steaming heat of the medicinal bath from getting into my eyes. “Soak for a while first. I’ll gradually add the medicine.” “Mhm.” After a while, a familiar drowsiness crept in. I pretended to lose my strength, letting my entire weight press against Ben. At the same time, I used the movement to loosen the silk ribbon over my eyes. “Sweetheart? Eliza?” I didn’t respond. In the shadowy darkness, water was already overflowing. But I could no longer see below my waist. Pink tentacles crowded the bathtub, writhing continuously. So this was the “medicinal bath”? I slowly sank lower into the water, but a strong pair of hands supported my waist. A soft kiss and a whisper fell beside my ear. “Eliza, I love you.”

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