Category: English

1 In the fifth year of my relationship with Alice Zinberg, we had another argument. She grabbed her keys and stormed out, once again choosing the silent treatment. I sat quietly on the sofa, fuming for a while, then scrolled through short videos, chuckling heartily. Around 2 AM, I was woken by my phone. Alice’s voice on the other end was icy enough to freeze water: “I’ve been out here all this time, and you haven’t called me once?” It was then I awkwardly remembered she was still out there, wandering in the freezing cold. I apologized, “Uh, why don’t you… just not come back? Let’s just call it quits.” A brief silence fell on the other end of the line after I said that. Then, with a “smash,” the call was disconnected. I was so tired I couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I rolled over and fell comfortably asleep in my warm bed. When I woke up the next day, I heard rustling in the living room. Going out, I saw Alice packing her suitcase. She seemed not to notice me, just silently stuffing her belongings into the suitcase. I stood there, frowning, watching her for a while, worried she might accidentally take some of my things. She finally finished packing, zipped up her suitcase, and then calmly said, “You need to cool down. Let’s not contact each other for a while.” Her words sounded familiar. It seemed like this happened once last year too. We had a huge fight, and she grabbed her keys, intending to leave. I went over and desperately grabbed her. “Why are you doing this again? Why do you always leave me alone? Can’t you just say what you mean to my face? Why are you always avoiding things!” She actually didn’t leave. Instead, she went back into the bedroom. When my emotions had somewhat calmed, I saw her emerge with her suitcase. Her voice was distant and calm, completely unlike my hysteria. “You cool down for a few days, and we’ll talk later.” For the next half a month, she truly didn’t contact me again. All the messages I sent, all the calls I made, vanished like stones in the sea, receiving no response. I was distraught then, crying every day and unable to sleep. In the end, I actually swallowed my pride and sent messages begging for forgiveness. Once it happened, it happened again. Alice discovered that the silent treatment worked exceptionally well on me; I didn’t need comforting and would sort myself out. So, she began giving me the cold shoulder repeatedly. I went from desperately craving a response to gradually learning to self-soothe, step by step. Only I knew how I endured that process. Now, just like last year, she stood before me with her suitcase, her expression blank, seemingly devoid of emotion. She even offered generous advice: “Don’t overthink things. Eat well, work well. You’re not without other things to do besides clinging to me.” I rubbed my sleepy eyes and casually replied, “Okay. Be careful on your way.” Alice’s previously indifferent expression stiffened slightly. Clearly, she hadn’t expected me to even utter a single word of retention. I took two steps towards the bathroom, then remembered something and turned back to remind her, “Did you pack your summer clothes too? Take them with you today if you can, save yourself another trip.” Her face darkened. She didn’t speak, just slammed the door shut and left. My heart suddenly relaxed. It felt good; it was finally over. 2 Today was Saturday. In the past, I would always pester Alice to spend the weekend with me. Later, Alice found her trick against me: whenever we argued, she’d grab her suitcase and leave. And once she left, it would be at least half a month. I was forced to get used to spending one holiday after another alone. From writing hysterical little essays at first to gradually becoming numb and detached, and finally returning to the joyful holiday state I had when I was single and spent time with friends, it only took a year. I cooked myself a steaming bowl of century egg and lean pork congee. After eating, I curled up on the sofa, petting my cat and watching a horror movie. Outside, the weather was gloomy, with a drizzling winter rain. I had the heating on, enjoying my comfortable solitude. As one movie ended, I made myself a hot drink and casually browsed my social media. To my surprise, the first post was one Alice had just made. 【Accompanying Mr. Davis on a business trip】 The accompanying photo was a selfie of her and Leo Davis, arms linked, at the airport. Leo was her university classmate and business partner. They were very close. Every time Alice and I had the silent treatment, it was always them two going on a long business trip together. The first time I found out, I was mentally drained for a long time. I wasn’t sure if they were simply colleagues or if there was something more. Until the second silent treatment, the third silent treatment, Alice, without exception, took Leo on a business trip out of town, leaving me alone at home. I started furiously messaging and calling Alice, demanding to know what she meant, why she always went on business trips when we argued, and always took Leo with her. She usually took an assistant on business trips, so why didn’t she take one with Leo? Three days later, Alice calmly replied with a few words: 【Think what you like.】 Then she disappeared again, not answering a single word. I knew then that there was no need to continue this relationship. I wiped my tears, my hands trembling as I typed a few words: 【Then let’s break up.】 Then I turned off my phone, forbidding myself from going crazy and making a fool of myself, trying to bury myself in work to distract myself. A few minutes later, my phone vibrated. I couldn’t wait three minutes and picked it up to look. It was a message from a work group. Various app notifications. A text from the bank wishing me a happy birthday. It wasn’t until 9 PM that a message with Alice’s name finally popped up. Two short, cold words. 【Whatever.】 I completely broke down, crying uncontrollably on the bed. As I cried, I sent messages accusing her of not loving me at all, meticulously listing all the disappointments and neglect I felt from her, trying to awaken a tiny bit of guilt in her, trying to make her realize she wasn’t fit for this relationship. But everything was, as always, a stone sinking into the sea. It was as if no one was on the other side. Or rather, she didn’t even bother to read a single word. I scrolled through her social media, seeing photos of her having dinner with Leo and clients, a harmonious scene, everyone smiling happily. A bucket of cold water was poured over my head. I clearly saw myself as a struggling, yet utterly pathetic clown. My reason clearly told me that she was not a good partner. I finally stopped sending messages. But life became a blur. I tried hard to act like everyone else, but everything became mechanical and numb. Only when I dragged my exhausted body home, looking at the empty house, could I not help but squat down and cry. I knew she was likely a terrible person. But I missed her terribly. I knew I was incompetent and fragile, but performing as a normal person had already drained all my energy. I indulged in my painful thoughts of her in the darkness. I didn’t know when it would end. Until thirty-six days later, she finally contacted me again. 【Calmed down yet?】 【Still breaking up?】 I stared numbly at the message. The message came too late, no longer stirring my anticipation or excitement. I slowly typed out two words: 【Up to you.】 She sent a voice message. “I brought you a birthday present. I’m coming back now.” Her voice was light, with a hint of laughter. There seemed to be another man’s laughter beside her. That laughter was distinctive—it was Leo’s voice. Even through the phone screen, I could imagine them, fresh off the plane, dusty but vibrant and full of spirit. Unlike me. I was like a dirty, trapped beast in a cage. All my pain and struggles had not affected Alice in the slightest. Everything I felt in this relationship felt like my own sensitivity, my own overthinking, a self-made drama. And Alice, generous and stable, had tolerated me. 3 My thoughts returned to that social media post. There were already several comments below it. A: 【A perfect match, Mr. Zinberg.】 B: 【Nonsense, our Leo is clearly both talented and handsome!】 Alice: 【Good eye.】 C: 【A month-long business trip? Leaving your boyfriend alone at home again? How do you smooth things over? #doghead#】 Alice: 【We’re adults. Do you expect me to be with him all day long?】 C: 【True, men shouldn’t be spoiled.】 Amidst all the trivial comments, a striking one suddenly appeared. Quinn Riley: 【Boyfriends don’t need company, but male partners on a business trip definitely do~】 That “~” conveyed a strong sense of sarcasm. This was the boyfriend of Eleanor Vance, another female partner at Alice’s firm. I’d heard they were supposed to get married this year, but it was already year-end, and there was still no news. Eleanor, his girlfriend, had been on just as many solo business trips with Leo as Alice had. I’d heard that the last time his mother was hospitalized with an illness, he was swamped at the hospital alone, while Leo posted a selfie with Eleanor, cheek-to-cheek, in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. They claimed it was a business trip, but anyone who didn’t know might think it was a honeymoon. Quinn had a huge fight with Eleanor over this. Although they reconciled, their relationship was no longer the same, and marriage hadn’t been brought up again since. When his comment appeared, the previously lively social media feed seemed to hit a pause button; there were no new comments for a while. Just as I was about to scroll away, I saw a new comment pop up. Leo: 【Buddy, don’t be overly dramatic. Is business more important, or your petty little love affairs?】 Leo: 【If you want to marry a rich person and get rich without effort, just be a pretty face, don’t mess things up for yourself.】 Quinn quickly replied: 【Compared to certain people who can’t travel for business without a female partner accompanying them every time, I’m much more independent at work. Who are you calling a pretty face?】 After a ten-minute pause, Leo replied with just two words. 【Nonsensical.】 Ever since Quinn found out Eleanor was always on solo business trips with Leo, he hadn’t gotten along with him. They’d always exchange words, even I had grown accustomed to it. I closed my social media and was about to make dinner when my landlord called: “Hey Adam, your lease is up next month. You’re renewing, right?” I looked around the apartment. A spacious, bright open-plan apartment with the most bustling night view of S City outside the window. Alice had always wanted me to move into her apartment, but I was always worried about the risk of being kicked out if I lived in someone else’s place, so I insisted on living alone. She was very clingy back then; the next day, she showed up at my door with her suitcase, looking pitiful. I had just started working then and didn’t have much money, living in a cramped thirty-square-meter apartment far from the city center. I knew Alice was used to a good life, and I always felt it would be unfair to her to make her live in such a small place with me. So, as soon as I became a full-time employee and got a raise, I gritted my teeth and moved here. It cost almost half my salary every month. “No, I won’t,” I told the landlord. “I’m planning to move to the east side of the city.” That would be closer to my workplace. I also wouldn’t have to leave home at 6 AM every morning to catch the subway. The landlord was a bit surprised: “What’s wrong? You used to say this place was convenient because it was close to your girlfriend’s company.” “Yeah,” I responded softly, kicking my slippers, and chuckled, “We broke up.” The landlord was very sympathetic, comforted me for a while, and then kindly introduced me to a moving company before hanging up. 4 The company was preparing for a live streaming event at the mall recently. I was busy coordinating with my new junior colleagues. The two new colleagues were recent female university graduates, full of energy and enthusiasm, which even invigorated us old hands in the workplace. After coordination that day, the two insisted on dragging me to eat barbecue, saying we needed to relax after so many tiring days. At a roadside food stall, I snapped a photo of the barbecue table, overflowing with food under the dim yellow lights. The two university girls tilted their heads into the shot, smiling cleanly and brightly. The photo frozen, I happily posted it on social media: 【Coordination complete! We can finally enjoy a good weekend tomorrow!】 By the time I got home, it was past midnight. A long-awaited message from Alice popped up on my phone. She had taken a photo of her eating with a client, almost as if she were reporting to me: 【I’ll be back in another week.】 【I brought you a gift.】 I pretended not to see it, disinfected and charged my phone, and placed it by my bedside. In the past, when I was first given the silent treatment, I would panic and furiously message her, just begging for a tiny response. Later, I forced myself, after each of her departures, to try and get used to single life. I gradually stopped messaging her. She, in turn, softened her silent treatment strategy, becoming less completely unresponsive. From sending me one message a month, to calling me every half-month, then weekly, then every three days. What a blessing. This kind of blessing, whoever wants it can have it. After showering and getting into bed, I saw Alice had sent a few more messages. 【What did you do today?】 【Work was tiring?】 【Fell asleep?】 I set her messages to “Do Not Disturb.” Not deleting, not blocking, not responding. I had learned very well from her.

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To save me from a fire, my boyfriend, Tristan, suffered severe burns and went blind. Guilt consumed me. I sold my parents’ house, worked multiple jobs, and saved every penny for his treatments, even enduring broken bones without medical care. Five years later, while delivering food, I saw him, unscarred, sight restored, proposing to another woman, Lila. I overheard his friend say that to buy his expensive medication, I’d been starving myself. Tristan coldly explained that my suffering was revenge: because I reported Lila’s drunk‑driving brother (who killed my parents), he wanted me to despair. He planned to later “recover” and return to me, claiming I’d have no choice but to obey. Holding my terminal cancer diagnosis, I smiled through tears. In a month, I’d be with my parents again. 01 The heavy delivery box dug into my shoulders. It was a familiar pain, one I had endured countless times. But now, it felt as if five years of numbness had been stripped away, and every sensation came rushing back, sharp and agonizing. Every pore in my skin felt like it was being pricked by a needle. The laughter from the private room seeped through the door. “I was at the night market last month and saw Aubrey selling socks from a little stall. A few local thugs were shaking her down for protection money.” “Those creeps were putting their hands all over her, and she just had to bow and scrape. It was pathetic…” Tristan’s friend sighed dramatically. “She used to be the star of the music department. You wouldn’t recognize that proud, aloof girl now.” I gripped the strap of my delivery box, my knuckles turning white. Tristan’s voice was suddenly tense. “Did you help her?” “Are you kidding? Last time I bought a bowl of noodles from her stall, you chewed me out for a month, said I was going to ruin your grand plan. This time, I just watched from a distance… You should have seen it. After those guys left, she knelt on the ground to pick up the scattered socks, and she just started crying. But after she cried, she went right back to selling. Like one of those resilient little weeds that just won’t die.” I remembered that day. The humiliation. The hospital had sent another bill, but I’d just spent everything I had on Tristan’s imported “miracle drug.” I was still three hundred dollars short. For that three hundred dollars, I had swallowed my pride and endured the thugs’ taunts, just hoping I could earn enough so Tristan wouldn’t be kicked out of his premium private room. “Good,” Tristan’s voice relaxed, laced with satisfaction. “If we don’t grind that pride out of her, how will Lila ever let go of her anger? And how will Aubrey ever learn to be humble?” Lila’s soft voice chimed in. “Tristan, honey, maybe… that’s enough? It’s been five years. I’m sure she’s learned her lesson.” “How can it be enough?” Tristan’s tone hardened. “Lila, I know you’re the kindest, most soft-hearted person, but she’s the one who insisted on calling the police, the one who sent your brother to prison. You cried for a whole month. I promised you, for every day your brother suffers in there, she’ll suffer out here. He’s not out yet, so her suffering isn’t over.” “But what if she finds out?” Lila whispered. “So what if she does? She has nothing left. Where can she go except back to me? Besides, Aubrey is too headstrong. If I don’t teach her to bow her head, she’ll just keep getting hurt. One day, she’ll understand I did this for her own good…” My fists clenched, and the chilblains on the back of my hand split open, welling with blood. Tristan, is this your professional code of ethics as a lawyer? He had probably long forgotten that my deceased parents were the benefactors who had funded his education for ten years. I turned, about to ask a waiter to deliver the food for me, when my phone buzzed. [You have 3 orders nearing their delivery deadline. Please complete them as soon as possible.] I fumbled to lower the volume, but the door to the private room swung open. “Is that my delivery?” Lila poked her head out. She froze for a second when she saw me. I kept my head down and held out the bag. “Your order. Please check it.” Lila let out a small, delicate laugh. She reached for the bag, but the moment her fingers touched it, she gasped. “Oh my! Why can’t you hold it steady…” The bag dropped from her grasp. The exquisite pastries inside shattered, splattering cream all over the floor. “Lila, are you okay?” Tristan’s concerned voice grew closer. I quickly pulled a mask over my face and tugged my helmet down low. Tristan wrapped his arm around Lila, pulling her into his embrace. The warm, yellow light of the hallway illuminated his expensive cashmere sweater. His skin was smooth and clear, without a single scar. His bright eyes swept over me, and then away. I stood there, head bowed, not knowing what to do. I turned to leave. But he grabbed my arm. 02 “You damage a customer’s order and think you can just run off? Apologize!” A wave of relief washed over me, immediately followed by a bitter pang. For a moment, I thought he had recognized me. The customer is always right. I bowed again and again, murmuring apologies. I bent down to pick up the ruined desserts. Tristan clicked his tongue. “Lila’s been abroad for five years. This is the one dessert she’s been craving. Now look at it. How is she supposed to eat this?” Lila tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft and sweet. “It’s okay, Tristan… I’m sure she didn’t mean to. It’s just a shame… And my new shoes you just bought me, they’re limited edition, and they got cream on them…” I looked down. A small smudge of cream stained her high-heeled shoe. “According to consumer protection laws, a delivery person who damages a customer’s property is liable for three times the value,” Tristan said coldly. I straightened up, looking at him through the visor of my helmet. For five years, I had visited him in the hospital every single day. I cleaned him, fed him, read him the news. He was “blind,” so he would always trace my face with his hands, from my brow to my jaw, and say with a pained voice, “Aubrey, you’ve gotten so thin.” Now he stood before me, his eyes perfectly fine, and he didn’t recognize me at all. “How much? I’ll pay.” “The shoes were thirty-two hundred… can you even afford that?” Lila whispered. Thirty-two hundred dollars. That was months of my blood and sweat. “And that doesn’t cover Lila’s emotional distress,” another man added, stepping out of the room. “Look, you obviously don’t have the money, and we’re not unreasonable. Just get on your knees, wipe the cream off Lila’s shoe, and we’ll call it even.” His eyes were filled with cruel amusement, as if I weren’t a person, but a dog to be toyed with. I looked at Tristan. He was gently comforting Lila, saying nothing to his friend’s suggestion. My phone buzzed with another deadline warning. If I stayed here any longer, I would lose my entire commission for the day. I closed my eyes, clenched my fists, and knelt. A low chuckle rippled through the room. Head bowed, I used my sleeve to wipe the cream from Lila’s shoe. Suddenly, she flinched back, pressing herself into Tristan’s arms. “Tristan…” she whimpered, her voice thick with tears. “It makes me think of my brother… I wonder how he’s doing in there, if his hands are getting ugly chilblains like this delivery person’s…” Tristan kicked me. It was so sudden I fell backward, and the leg I had broken slammed against the doorframe. A blinding pain shot up from the bone, but I bit my lip, refusing to cry out. “Get out,” Tristan said with disgust. “Don’t stand here upsetting Lila.” From the safety of his arms, Lila looked at me. Her eyes were gleaming with triumph. I pushed myself up from the floor, grabbed my delivery box, and stumbled out of the club. Behind me, his voice was as gentle as if he were a different person. “Don’t cry, Lila. I’m already working on the appeal. We’ll get your brother out of there soon…” The cold hallway wind seeped into my collar. I was frozen to the bone. I finished the rest of my deliveries in a numb daze and returned to the basement room I rented. The smell of mildew hit me as I opened the door. The ten-square-meter space contained a single bed and a wardrobe propped up on bricks. A thick layer of frost covered the windowpane, and the moonlight that filtered through was pale and ghostly. For all these years, I believed I was the one responsible for Tristan’s injuries. To ensure he got the best treatment, the most comfortable private room, I had scrimped and saved, living a life worse than a beggar in a slum. I held up my hands, swollen and red like raw carrots, and pulled a photograph from under my pillow. In the picture, I had just won the gold medal at a piano competition. My parents stood beside me, their faces beaming with pride. Tears dripped onto the photo. Mom, Dad, your daughter was a fool. It took me so long to see the truth. When we’re reunited, you’ll scold me for being so stupid, won’t you? A sharp pain twisted in my stomach. I reached for my painkillers out of habit, but my phone rang. “Aubrey, are you done with work? Why didn’t you come see me today? I missed you.” Tristan’s gentle voice was once my only salvation. Now, it felt like a thorny vine, wrapping around me, suffocating me. I limped into his hospital room. Tristan was once again the helpless patient, his eyes unfocused, his skin a mess of prosthetic scars. He was leaning against the headboard, his head turned toward the door. “Aubrey? Is that you?” Then his expression changed, his voice filled with alarm. “What happened to your leg? Who hurt you?” I stood in the doorway and just looked at him. For a long, long time. Then I walked in and sat by his bed, just like always. “Tristan, you can’t see. How did you know I hurt my leg?” 03 The alarm on his face froze for a fraction of a second. Then, he naturally reached out, his hand fumbling in the air. “I heard your footsteps. They were uneven… one heavy, one light. Aubrey, you always walk so quietly, like a little cat.” He turned his head, his expression full of pain. “Did you injure your leg?” I lowered my eyes. “It’s nothing. I just took a bad fall.” “How could you be so careless?” He grabbed my hand, his thumb stroking the chilblains on my skin, his voice thick with self-reproach. “Aubrey, this is all my fault… If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to work so hard. I’m just a burden to you…” I had heard those words for five years. Every time, I would fall into his arms and cry, telling him, “You lost your sight for me. It’s my duty to take care of you for the rest of my life.” Now, I just felt like a clown. I pulled my hand from his and handed him the glass of water from the nightstand. “While I was out delivering today, I heard a story.” “It was about a man who pretended to be paralyzed for five years, just to test if his girlfriend truly loved him. The girl sold everything she had to pay for his treatment. When she finally found out the truth, she jumped from the hospital roof.” Tristan’s hand paused. The water glass hovered in mid-air. After a long moment, he placed it back on the nightstand. “Why… why are you suddenly talking about that?” “I just wanted to ask you.” I leaned closer to his scarred face. “You’re not pretending, are you?” His entire body went rigid. The eyes that had played the part of a blind man for so long trembled for a split second. His lips moved, but no words came out. Before he could speak, I laughed. “If you were, that would be wonderful. I would rather you be healthy.” Seeing the complex emotion flash across his face, the pain in my stomach flared again. A metallic taste rose in my throat. I rushed to the bathroom. The moment the door closed, I braced myself against the sink and vomited a mouthful of blood. The red mixed with stomach acid, burning my throat. I turned on the faucet, washed away the evidence, and splashed cold water on my face. The person in the mirror was skeletal, with sharp cheekbones and sunken eyes. A breathing corpse. I could hear him on the phone, his voice low. “Are you sure? He’s being released on the 28th of next month?” “Good, that’s great! Lila will finally get to see her brother… Okay, I understand. I’ll be there to pick him up myself.” He hung up. I pushed the door open and walked out. He looked up, his face glowing with excitement. “Aubrey, the doctor just called!” “He said there’s a new technology from overseas. They can do the skin grafts and the eye surgery at the same time. The surgery is scheduled for the 28th of next month!” He was trembling with excitement, reaching a hand out towards me. “Aubrey, I’m going to get better! I’ll be able to see you soon!” I took his hand, watching the realistic ecstasy on his face. “That’s wonderful… that’s just wonderful…” he repeated, over and over. I looked down at him, my eyes stinging. One month. Lila’s brother gets out of prison, and he gets “cured.” Five years. He really was a man who kept his promises. My punishment would not be one day longer, or one day shorter. It was just a shame I wouldn’t be there to see it. Tristan’s hand fumbled by the bed and picked up a piece of paper. My body went completely still. It was my Do Not Resuscitate form. 04 But Tristan didn’t even glance down. He maintained his blind persona, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. “What’s this?” he asked softly. I looked at his charade of a face and gave a bitter, internal smile. “It’s your latest bill.” He pulled me into his arms. “Aubrey, when I get better, the first thing I’m going to do is buy back the piano you sold.” He stroked my hair, his voice a gentle murmur. “And we’ll have a wedding. You’ll look so beautiful in a wedding dress.” I managed a stiff smile in his embrace. Tristan, the future you’re promising… is one I can never reach. There is no future for us. I left the hospital and went back to my basement room. I pulled out a dusty cardboard box. Inside were the notebooks Tristan had made for me when he was my father’s student and tutored me. There were photos we had taken together, one for every day of our early relationship. And the nine hundred and ninety-nine handwritten letters he had sent me. I sat with the box in my lap for a long time. Finally, I struck a match. The flame licked at the edges of a photograph. His smiling face curled in the heat, then turned to ash. I opened my banking app and looked at my remaining balance. It was just enough to buy a small plot for myself, next to my parents. Just as I was about to close the app, my phone rang. “Ms. Aubrey? This is the Phoenix Crest Cemetery management office. Would you be able to come by? There’s an urgent matter.” My heart clenched. I grabbed my jacket and ran out the door. When I got to the cemetery, I could see a group of people gathered around my parents’ grave. Several workers with shovels were pointing at the headstone. “What are you doing?!” I screamed, sprinting towards them and throwing myself in front of the grave. “This is my parents’ grave! What do you think you’re doing?!” Lila stepped out from the crowd. “Aubrey, perfect timing,” she said with a gentle smile. “My little Sheldon passed away, and a mystic told me this plot has the best energy to ensure he has a good reincarnation. So, I bought it.” She paused, her smile widening. “Oh, by the way, Sheldon was my pet turtle.” “You’re lying!” I trembled with rage. “I never sold my parents’ grave!” Lila calmly pulled a document from her purse and unfolded it in front of me. “Look closely. A transfer agreement. In black and white.” My eyes fell on the signature at the bottom, and I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. Tristan. I knew his signature like the back of my own hand. For five years, I had signed countless bills, medical disclosures, and surgical consent forms for him. He claimed he couldn’t see, so I signed on his behalf. But for the documents that required his personal signature, I would guide his hand, tracing each letter. This signature… he wrote it himself. I remembered. The year my parents died, I was only twenty, and I knew nothing. It was Tristan who handled everything—the funeral, the cemetery plot, all the paperwork. I was so grateful then, I thought he was the best person in the world. It turned out, he had been “arranging” everything for me from the very beginning. I lunged for the paper. Lila stepped back, and several men immediately grabbed me, pinning me to the ground. They shoved my face into the dirt, the cold, earthy smell filling my nose and mouth. Lila took out her phone, dialed a number, and put it on speaker. “Tristan, honey…” “I want to bury Sheldon’s ashes at Phoenix Crest, but she’s blocking the way. What should I do?” Tristan’s voice came through, clear and crisp. “Lila, you’re just too kind. That’s why people take advantage of you. You need to be firm when it counts, or every stray cat and dog will think they can stand in your way.” Lila cooed a sweet reply. She turned on the video camera and pointed it at me. “How about this. You apologize, say you were wrong, and I’ll have them stop. What do you say?” My face was buried in the dirt, my eyes burning. “I… was wrong.” “Louder, I can’t hear you.” “I WAS WRONG!” I screamed with every ounce of strength I had left. Lila smiled with satisfaction and waved the phone. “See, Tristan? She apologized. Did I do a good job?” “Perfectly,” Tristan’s voice was laced with amusement. Lila put her phone away and sauntered off with her entourage. I lay on the ground, staring at the grave, which was now a chaotic mess of overturned earth. Tears mixed with the dirt on my face. After a long time, I climbed to my feet. With my bare hands, I began to push the soil back into place, handful by handful. From this day forward, this grave would not only hold my parents. It would also hold my heart, which had been tossed aside like trash. The day of Tristan’s “surgery” arrived. “Aubrey, when I come back from this surgery, I’ll be able to see you. Once I’ve recovered, I promise I’ll make up for these five years.” He got into the car that was taking him to the “airport,” and it drove away. He wasn’t just taking my lying lover with him. He was taking the last flicker of life from my body. The pain in my stomach was getting worse, a twisting, churning agony. I leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. I took out my phone and recorded a video of myself. “Tristan, in the next life… don’t let me ever meet you again.” I hit send. The phone slipped from my grasp. My vision blurred. In my last moments of consciousness, I thought I saw someone standing in a bright light, reaching out a hand to me. Mom, Dad, are you here to take me home?

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1 After graduating from college, my billionaire parents, claiming it was for my own good, signed me up for an overseas youth volunteer program. With a noble air, they arranged for the staff to send me to the most arduous location. Later, a new virus broke out in Niger, where I was stationed, causing countless deaths and injuries. Flights back home became impossible to find. I called my parents, begging them to help me return, but received only cold mockery: “Adam! You need to remember, you are an international volunteer now. This is your moment to shine and contribute!” “Don’t expect us to pull strings for you. You can only come back when the volunteer group returns!” “We’re very busy. Don’t keep calling us unless it’s important.” Helpless, I had no choice but to call my childhood friend. But even this last shred of hope was shattered by her utterly indifferent voice. “What? Do you have to be superior to everyone else? Everyone else can stay, but you can’t? Isn’t that what you told Aiden before?” “A malicious person like you deserves to stay in such a disgusting place and rot!” With that, she hung up the phone and pressured the agency, completely cutting off my hope of returning home. Everyone in the volunteer group eventually found ways to return home, leaving me with no one to turn to for help. In just two days, I contracted the supervirus. On the brink of death, I was rescued by a medical aid team dispatched by the government. I sat numbly in the temporary ward, awaiting treatment, when I saw a post from my foster brother, Aiden, on his social media. 【Grateful to my loving parents! They heard I was bored, dropped their work, and took connecting flights to accompany me on a trip abroad~】 I didn’t make a scene as usual. Even though I knew Aiden had done this on purpose, I just posted a sarcastic smiling emoji in the comments section. In the temporary ward in Niger, I was alone in a small room, waiting to receive treatment. A nurse, wearing a full isolation suit, walked in and hooked up my IV. The silence in the ward was broken by the continuous ringing of my phone. Recognizing the caller on the screen, I pressed the answer button with trembling hands. “Adam, do you have any humanity left?!” “Do you know how many times Aiden has been sad because of your comment! He’s your brother, how can you be so malicious!” I looked at my legs, growing weaker each day from the virus, and spoke with a bitter laugh. “What’s wrong with a comment? I just didn’t want to offer blessings. Is that such a heinous crime?” “Sometimes I really wonder, maybe you guys made a mistake back then. Maybe Aiden is your biological son, and I’m the one who was adopted!” A moment of silence fell on the other end of the line, then a familiar female voice finally spoke. “Adam, you’ve misunderstood your father and mother.” “Our family always goes on a trip during the summer break, and you’re volunteering now, so…” “When you come back, your father and mother can go with you again, okay?” My face felt as if it had been slapped hard. My lips trembled for a long time before I spoke with a self-mocking laugh. “Is that so?” “Do I deserve it?” My father’s angry roar suddenly echoed. “What’s the point of talking to such a rebellious son!” “I’m his father! Do I need his permission for what I do? Tell him I’m giving him one last chance. If he doesn’t apologize properly to Aiden, then he can reflect in Niger for the rest of his life!” After a string of harsh words, the call was abruptly cut off. The self-mocking smile on my lips hadn’t even had time to fade before I was engulfed by sadness. Yes, these were my parents. Didn’t they know the situation in Niger? International news reported it daily; even children knew how terrifying the supervirus was. But they simply didn’t care. Because the son they cared about most was always by their side, protected perfectly. In their minds, Aiden was obedient and sensible, while I was barbaric and unreasonable. So, as soon as I graduated from college, they went to great lengths to sign me up for the overseas youth volunteer program, and then self-righteously told the person in charge that I had voluntarily chosen to go to the most difficult place. Niger’s environment had been reported on the news many times; it wasn’t just poverty, but also many unknown viruses, and going there and never returning wasn’t impossible. They knew everything, yet they still insisted. If I showed even a hint of resistance, I became the “ungrateful,” “overbearing and pampered” prodigal son in their eyes. Under my parents’ daily high-intensity cold pressure, I reluctantly had no choice but to go. When I first arrived in Niger, the harsh environment and rough food, every single thing was unbearable. But all of that could be overcome. It wasn’t until the supervirus outbreak, when statistics showed the infection mortality rate was as high as seventy percent, that I truly felt a sense of fear. Recalling the despair of having no one to turn to for help, an unknown surge of anger welled up in my chest. Impossible. I wouldn’t apologize. I would never bow down, not in this lifetime. 2 The day the medical team returned home. I was dressed in the highest level of protective gear, dragging my luggage, looking disheveled as I exited the station. I brushed past Aiden, who was wearing custom-made clothes. “Mom, Dad, you’re both so wonderful! I said I wanted to go out and have fun, and you both dropped all the company’s business to accompany me.” A familiar, gentle male voice, etched in my memory, responded with a laugh. “You silly boy, you’re our precious son. It’s just a small wish, your dad and I will definitely do our best to fulfill it.” “Haha, silly child, no matter how busy Dad is with work, are you not more important?” “As long as you’re safe and healthy, your dad and I will be completely satisfied!” The voices weren’t loud, but they struck me like thunder, making me stop dead in my tracks, standing foolishly in place. My entire body felt cold to the point of numbness, as if even my blood had congealed from the sudden drop in temperature. Only then did I truly understand. When my parents said they had no time to help me, they were actually reserving that time for Aiden. In their eyes, my life was less important than Aiden’s travel plans when he was bored. For so many years, I had compromised countless times, without bottom, just to get my parents’ attention, yet I still couldn’t compare to Aiden. In the year Aiden was adopted, the company flourished, rising to become a top-tier enterprise in H City, and my mother also received good news about a pregnancy. But compared to the company’s booming success, the child seemed less important. From then on, Aiden was declared the Miller family’s lucky star by my father, believing that good fortune would follow if he was treated well. From a young age, I was indoctrinated with the idea that I must always yield to my brother. Until one time, during a primary school final exam, I came home with an award for being first in my grade, only to be met with a slap from my father. Because Aiden had run home crying, saying I looked down on him. No matter how I explained, in their eyes, I was just making excuses, bullying Aiden because I was the Miller family’s biological son. From then on, Aiden tasted the sweetness of manipulation, and I lost my parents. My relationship with my parents became increasingly strained and distant, all because of Aiden’s provocations. My memories stopped abruptly there. Dr. Lee, beside me, patted my shoulder. “Adam, what’s wrong? Is there something bothering you?” I forced a smile and shook my head, pretending nothing had happened. Reality was already starkly clear. Until I boarded the plane leaving home, I had still held onto hope, believing that family bonds were unparalleled. But this near-death scare made me realize that, in my parents’ eyes, I truly was expendable. 3 Due to the after-effects of the supervirus, even after returning home, I couldn’t go directly home. The medical team arranged for me to receive follow-up rehabilitation treatment at the hospital. Dr. Lee, seeing my continuous silence, thought I was homesick. He put one arm around my shoulder, gently reassuring me. “It’s alright, Adam. We’ve actually achieved a significant victory against this virus. See, you’re doing well now, aren’t you?” “And your leg needs better treatment to recover.” “If you’re homesick, I can help you talk to your family. We can do a video call so you can see them.” Hearing the caution in his voice, my eyes welled up slightly, but I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. After sending the address to Dr. Lee, I was assigned to a Level 1 isolation ward. A live video call was open on my phone. In the camera, Dr. Lee stood smiling at the entrance of my family’s villa. After confirming the house number, just as he was about to knock, he heard the sound of a car engine from outside the garden. My parents and Aiden got out of a black luxury car. The three of them were smiling sweetly, looking like a loving family. My father paused when he saw Dr. Lee. “You are?” Dr. Lee’s gentle voice came through the phone: “Hello, are you Adam’s parents? I’m Dr. Lee, from the medical aid team to Africa.” “It’s like this, a supervirus outbreak occurred in Niger, which you should all be aware of.” “Adam, while volunteering in Niger, unfortunately contracted…” Dr. Lee’s words were cut short by my father’s furious roar. “Enough! What kind of stunt is Adam pulling now?!” “Does it mean that what I say no longer matters?” “I don’t care if you’re a cat, a dog, or an actor Adam hired. Please tell that rebellious son that our Miller family has no room for deserters!” “My stance is still the same. He’s only allowed to return home when the entire national volunteer team has withdrawn!” The voice on the other end was slightly distorted, but the anger in the reprimand was clearly discernible. I looked at my father’s flushed face in the video and couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. Really, he thought too highly of me. Hiring an actor? He actually thought of that. If I truly had that capability, I would have cut ties with them long ago. Dr. Lee seemed stunned by the sudden outburst of anger, stammering for a while before speaking again. “No, no, I… I’m not an actor, I’m really a doctor from the city hospital, and a member of this medical aid team to Africa…” “Enough! I don’t want to hear any more of your lies!” “No matter what tricks Adam is playing, I will not budge on letting him come back!” “What supervirus, how ridiculous! Tell him, even if he dies, he better die honestly in Africa and not come back to defile our eyes!” With that, he didn’t wait for Dr. Lee’s response, tightly pulling Aiden by the hand, then strode purposefully into the house. With a loud bang, Dr. Lee instinctively covered the microphone of his phone. But with such a loud sound, how could I not hear it? Even though I had told myself a thousand times not to have any more expectations for the Miller family, not to rely on anyone anymore, at this moment, the world before my eyes still involuntarily twisted. My fingers trembled slightly as I put down the phone. I knew it all too well. They clearly knew that all I ever wanted was just a tiny bit of concern that parents could give. But even that little bit, they were so stingy with. After experiencing life and death, I should have given up on this fake family affection long ago. 4 After the examination and treatment reports came out, several specialists immediately gathered around me for a consultation. Although no one told me the detailed situation, from their fragmented conversations, I still gathered some information from the nurses’ chats. “Oh, what’s wrong with the young man in bed 37? He’s all alone, looks quite pitiful.” “I heard he was a volunteer in Niger, got infected there. Luckily, he ran into our hospital’s treatment team.” “But… although the virus problem is solved, the complications…” “Tsk, tsk, the follow-up treatment costs a lot too!” I looked at my bank card balance on my phone, feeling colder and colder the more I looked. Since high school, I had lived in the school dormitory, and my monthly allowance was always five hundred dollars, as suggested by Aiden. He claimed it was for my own good, fearing I would go astray if I had too much money, yet he himself squandered twenty thousand dollars a month on living expenses. But five hundred dollars was a luxury for a teenager, barely enough to fill my stomach. Even if I only dared to order the “poor student’s meal” in the cafeteria, I could only save enough money for cheap toilet paper each month. After entering college, while others were enjoying their long-awaited freedom, I was already rushing between three part-time jobs a day. After graduating from college, before I even had a chance to work, I was sent abroad by my parents with nothing. The little more than a thousand dollars left in my bank account was what I had saved from part-time jobs and work-study programs during school. This meager amount of money, how could it possibly cover the exorbitant medical fees? From the doctors’ words, I learned that not only did I need treatment for complications, but the subsequent rehabilitation costs were also significant. With no other options, besides my parents, I couldn’t think of any way to raise enough medical funds in a short amount of time. That afternoon, despite the doctors’ strong objections, I resolutely completed the discharge procedures. 5 Upon arriving home, my finger pressed against the door lock, but there was no response. I had to knock loudly. Soon, the front door opened, and Aiden looked at my disheveled appearance with some surprise. “Adam, why are you back?” I gave him a cold glance, offering no response, and dragged my suitcase past him into the house. But just as the front door closed, a remote control flew straight at my face. Unable to dodge, I felt a sharp pain on my forehead, and blood streamed down my cheek. “Why are you back?! Didn’t I already say you’re not allowed to return without permission! What methods did you use, where did you get the plane ticket?!” My father’s voice was filled with barely contained rage. “And you had the nerve to send someone to lie to me, saying there was a virus outbreak in Niger! Full of lies, utterly depraved!” “How can you be so useless! Why can everyone else persevere, overcome difficulties, but not you! Are you more precious than others?” “Look at your brother! How are you in any way comparable to Aiden! When will you finally stop causing me trouble?!” I looked up, wiping the blood from my face with my sleeve, my expression blank, but inside I found it laughable. Even now, he thought I had used underhanded means to return home without permission. The path from the front door to the living room wasn’t long, but it was certainly long enough for them to notice my already limping leg. Yet, from beginning to end, everyone in the family offered me only rebuke and disdain. If it weren’t for needing money for treatment, I think I probably wouldn’t have stepped foot in this house again. I struggled to drag my suitcase, wanting to go upstairs to my room to rest. Aiden, however, followed me, his face full of concern, trying to grab my luggage. “Adam, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Let me help you take your luggage to your room, okay?” Although his words sounded caring, his hand was tightly twisting my pinky finger, pulling it upward with all his might. The biting pain made me instinctively swing my hand to shake him off. Aiden, following the force, landed on his bottom, his face full of disbelief, an expression of hurt spreading across his features. “Adam! Are you… are you misunderstanding me? I just wanted to help you.” “Yes, I know you’ve always looked down on me. I’m just an adopted son of the Miller family; you’re the biological son.” “But, but I grew up in the Miller family. I’ve always considered you and Mom and Dad my closest family!” He spoke with increasing agitation, his voice growing louder and louder, until finally, he seemed to collapse to the floor from exhaustion. My father fumed, his already angry expression instantly turning crimson. But from my perspective, Aiden’s face, hidden beneath his arm, was clearly smiling. “Rebellious son! You ungrateful child!” “How dare you compare yourself to Aiden! How are you in any way comparable to Aiden! When you were born, I should have strangled you!” “To spare me from being infuriated to death now!” 6 Ignoring the theatrical farce, I limped back to my room. My body, not yet fully recovered, was weak, and all I wanted was to lie down and sleep soundly. But as soon as I opened the door, my entire body jolted awake as if by an electric shock. In my bedroom, all my personal belongings were piled in a corner like trash. Aiden’s piano, music stand, figurines… occupied every corner of the room. Even the bed was covered with his clothes. “Oh, I’m sorry, Adam. See, I was in a hurry and forgot.” “Mom and Dad bought me a new master-grade piano. To make space for my darling, I had to put the old piano in your room for now.” “Adam, you wouldn’t be so stingy, would you!” Aiden’s voice carried a hint of provocation. Even when he leaned in close to me, the malice in his eyes was clearly visible. Seeing that I didn’t respond, he took another step closer, whispered softly into my ear: “Why did you come back? You don’t actually think there’s still a place for you in this family, do you? Now, in Mom and Dad’s eyes, they only have one good son: me.” “Silly brother, I advise you to be smart and leave on your own, or don’t blame me for getting my hands dirty!” Watching Aiden’s smug expression, I was so furious I gritted my teeth. In that moment, anger surged through my brain. I dropped my luggage, grabbed Aiden, and threw him to the floor, starting to hit him. Aiden was stunned for a moment, then began screaming. “Help, help! Dad, Dad, come save me!” “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, I won’t do it again, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” “Waaah, please, Adam, let me go, I’ll never occupy your room again, ahh!” A wave of cloying sweetness made me feel nauseous. Just as I was thinking of giving up and giving him a few more slaps, a voice roared: “Enough!” A figure behind me threw themselves onto Aiden, shielding his body. “Adam! How did you become like this?! If you want to hit someone, hit me! Your brother is innocent!” “Waaah, what did Aiden do wrong!” “It was Mom who saw you weren’t home, so she temporarily lent your room to him.” My mother wept profusely, her tears falling like rain. With one hand, she shielded Aiden, and with the other, she didn’t forget to check his injuries. Just then, a large hand viciously seized my raised fist, dragging me from the floor and roughly throwing me against the wall. “You little bastard! Now you dare to defy your elders, even raising your fist at your own mother! You’re nothing but an animal!” As those words landed, the light in my eyes completely died. Was this house truly still my home? The curses uttered by my own father were the most venomous curses in the world. My body trembled with pain, but I didn’t pause, shakily getting back to my feet. My left hand, having collided with the corner of the wall, was already fractured and deformed. But I felt no pain whatsoever. Now, I just wanted to leave this place and never come back.

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To marry me, Alexander knelt for three days and nights, enduring his family’s brutal judgment. But on our fifth anniversary, I received a video of him in bed with someone else. It was clearly filmed in secret. The girl in the video lay on her back, a pillow propped under her hips. The frame shook for a few seconds before steadying. Then I heard that familiar voice. “Legs up. Ten minutes. It helps with conception.” That night, I handed him the divorce papers. Alexander’s eyes were red as he tried to explain. “The family needs an heir, Serena. It’s been five years, and you haven’t gotten pregnant. I was out of options.” “Please, don’t divorce me. I promise you, I’ll break it off with her right now.” Looking at the lattice of scars that still marked his back, my resolve softened. For the next three years, he was a model husband, constantly updating me on his whereabouts to put my mind at ease. Until the day I flew a thousand miles to surprise him on a business trip. And found him with a woman and a child in his arms. 1 “Daddy, can you stay with me a little longer this time?” The boy was about two years old, a cherubic little thing. Alexander knelt, pulling the child into a tight hug. “Of course. Daddy promises.” The woman, Jessica, immediately knelt beside them, gently pulling the boy back. “Sweetie, you can’t be demanding. You’ll make things hard for your daddy.” A shadow of guilt flickered in Alexander’s eyes. The next second, he covered the child’s eyes with one hand and leaned in to kiss her. When they parted, a glistening thread connected their lips for a moment. “Jess,” he murmured, his voice thick, “you’re always so understanding.” “Don’t worry. As long as you stay hidden, as long as you don’t make a scene in front of my wife, I’ll take care of you.” His voice was a low rumble as he nuzzled his nose against hers. My heart seized in my chest. The positive pregnancy report in my hand crumpled as my fist clenched around it. Alexander and I had once been that tender, that passionate. I knew that look in his eyes. He was aroused. I should have thrown the door open right then. I should have screamed at him. “You said you broke it off with her! Why did you lie to me? Don’t you know? I’m pregnant, too!” But I didn’t. I turned in silence and walked away. I went back to our home in Westwood, as if I had never been there at all. One day passed. Then two, then three. Alexander didn’t come home on schedule like he usually did. It wasn’t until a week later that he finally appeared, looking tired from his travels. “Babe, did you miss me?” I just stared at him, searching his face for any crack in the facade. But his dark eyes reflected only me. He looked as if I was still his entire world. Then my gaze fell to his neck. There, on the pale skin, were two stark, crimson marks. I reached out, my fingertip lightly touching one of the marks. “Alexander, what’s this?” I asked softly. He stiffened, his eyes darting away. “Probably a bug bite…” “It’s spring,” I said, cutting him off. “An allergic reaction, then,” his voice grew steadier. “I was at the construction site, and the wind was kicking up all kinds of dust. You know how sensitive my skin is. The slightest thing makes it red.” He took my hand, his tone sincere, his eyes clear. But I didn’t believe him. I looked straight into his eyes. “Is there anything else you have to tell me?” Alexander had always adored children. He was the sole heir to the Prescott Group, the future of the family. Outside the walls of our life, his illegitimate half-brother was circling like a vulture, waiting for him to fail. He needed a child. And yet, he had defied all that pressure to marry me, a woman who struggled to conceive. He had been so devoted, so loyal. So I, in turn, offered myself up as a sacrifice. I had tried countless remedies to get pregnant. Cold needles, one after another, piercing my skin. The medicine was bitter, the injections agony. But while I was dreaming of nothing but a child… He already had one. Now, all I wanted was the truth. “Serena, I love you,” Alexander said, leaning down to kiss me lightly. “I love you so, so much. It’s carved into my bones.” 2 He was lying to me again. My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number. “Ms. Serena, since you already know, can you please give Alexander back to us? A child can’t grow up without a father. I’m begging you, just let us be a family.” It was followed by a picture of a ring. I instinctively touched my own bare ring finger. Our engagement ring. I must have dropped it by accident, right outside the door of their villa in Brookhaven. But the ring wasn’t the only thing I had lost. My hand, holding the phone, began to tremble uncontrollably. Seeing my expression, Alexander immediately tried to look at my screen. “Babe, what is it? Did someone… text you?” I locked the phone and looked up, meeting the poorly hidden anxiety in his eyes. “No one. It was what you just said. It makes me sick.” I forced a smile, my eyes swimming with tears. “You love me,” I scoffed, “but that didn’t stop you from sleeping with someone else.” Pain flashed across Alexander’s face. He pulled me into a crushing hug. “I’m sorry, Serena. I know I hurt you. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, being good to you.” He thought I was talking about three years ago. I shoved him away and ran for the bathroom, doubling over the toilet and heaving until my stomach was empty. Alexander’s face went pale. “Serena, you’re thinking about it again.” He clutched his hair, looking utterly broken. “Can’t you just forget it? We decided to start over. Please, stop hurting yourself like this, stop torturing me with it.” He staggered towards me, reaching for my hand. “Let’s just move forward, okay?” I stared down at our joined hands. After I chose to forgive him, I could never stop my mind from wandering whenever we were intimate. His hands had touched that woman. His lips had kissed her. His body had been entangled with hers. The thought alone was nauseating. I was disgusted by his betrayal. But I was even more disgusted with myself for taking him back. Again and again, I would be sick. And he would jam his fingers down his own throat, forcing himself to be sick with me. Each time, he would end up a wreck, his eyes red and his face a mess, kneeling on the floor and clutching my hand. “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault,” he’d plead, over and over. “Serena, forgive me. Please, stop thinking about it…” Just like he was doing now. He looked so pitiful. And so detestable. I ripped my hand from his grasp. “Don’t touch me. You’re filthy.” Ding. Buzz. Both our phones chimed at the same time. “Ms. Serena, you can’t have children, and you’re not getting any younger. How much longer can you hold on to your position as Mrs. Prescott? Why not leave with some dignity? His heart has been with me for a long time. Do you need proof?” In the next instant, Alexander gripped his phone tightly. “Serena, there’s an emergency at the Brookhaven office.” He wouldn’t meet my eyes. He turned, grabbing his jacket. “I have to go right away. You should get some rest.” He didn’t have time to soothe me. Because on the other end of the line, Jessica was pregnant again. And their child was crying his little heart out. “Mommy, don’t get rid of the baby sister! Daddy, come back!” 3 On my phone, a flood of new messages was pouring in. On my birthday, Jessica had a high fever. Alexander stayed with her in the hospital room all night, holding their son. When I went to the chapel on Serenity Peak to pray for a child, he was with her at the old cathedral in Brookhaven, praying for a protection charm for theirs. Last New Year’s Eve, I went to the family estate alone, enduring a lecture from his mother in the library. He was at their villa in Brookhaven, setting off fireworks with her. In every moment of my loneliness, Alexander chose her, betraying me. The opening riff of my ringtone, a heart-wrenching ballad, tore through the silence. It was my doctor. “Serena, your uterus was damaged in the past, and the lining is very thin. For the first trimester, you need absolute rest. No major emotional swings. Bed rest is best. This might be your… your last chance to be a mother.” I laid a hand on my still-flat stomach. It felt like the whole world was closing in on me. My body moved before my mind could think. I ran out the door after him. But all I saw was the taillights of his car disappearing down the street. My hand trembled as I dialed his number. After a few long rings, a robotic female voice answered. “We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is currently busy…” He had rejected my call. At the same time, Jessica sent one last screenshot. It was a message Alexander had just sent her. “Jess, I promise you, I will handle everything. When you have this baby, I’ll give you and our children a real home. Wait for me. I’m on my way.”

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It was eleven o’clock at night. I had just locked my car when a crimson warning flared before my eyes. 【WARNING! Your husband, who is currently in a divorce cooling-off period, is about to kidnap you, broadcast your nude photos across all platforms, and then dismember you, throwing your remains into the sewer!】 【This gold digger, who shamelessly exploited love and money, now wants a divorce and a share of assets. She deserves this retribution!】 I was utterly bewildered. I’m just a single working woman; where would I get a husband? Before I could even react, a pair of cold hands suddenly tightened around my neck. “Run, why don’t you? Aren’t you trying to get a divorce?” In a daze, I was dragged and thrown into a black van. In the darkness, cold handcuffs clamped onto my wrists. … The moment the car door slammed shut, those hands clamped down on my throat. A wave of suffocation instantly sent my heart racing, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. “Sweetheart, I’ve been so good to you. Why do you insist on a divorce?” I used every ounce of strength I had, speaking in broken gasps. “Look, mister… you’ve got the wrong person! I’m not married, and I’m not your wife!” “You bitch, what are you blathering about?” My words completely enraged him, and the grip on my throat tightened even further. 【Is this woman insane? Lying through her teeth! She’s in a divorce cooling-off period with her husband and dares to say she’s not married!! Her husband has rage issues, saying this is a death wish!】 【If she quickly withdraws the divorce petition and softens her stance, she might survive!】 The crimson subtitles scrolled rapidly, making my heart clench. Despite my overwhelming sense of injustice, breathing became increasingly difficult. I dared not argue further and pleaded, “Please, let go of me! We don’t have to divorce, everything can be discussed! Just release me first, let’s talk!” The man paused, his hands loosening slightly on my neck. “Are you serious? You’re not lying to me?” “Absolutely not!” I quickly pressed on, gasping, “I was foolish before, overlooking your kindness. You’ve always been so attentive to me, working hard to support us, accommodating my every whim. I shouldn’t have impulsively filed for divorce…” I racked my brain, uttering insincere words, and thankfully, the man’s hands slowly released my throat. I slumped onto the seat, gulping for air, my back already drenched in cold sweat. He remained silent for a moment, then moved to sit in the empty seat opposite me. But even in the darkness, I could still feel the murderous intent in his eyes. I hadn’t eaten dinner, having worked late, and my emotions were running high. Suddenly, my blood sugar dropped. Feeling dizzy and lightheaded, I couldn’t hold on any longer and pleaded, “I… I have low blood sugar. Could I get something to eat?” As soon as the words left my mouth, the man abruptly stood up. I froze, startled, curling up into the corner of the seat. He leaned in close, his rough fingers abruptly hooking my chin, forcing me to look up at him. The sudden, intimate proximity made my heart pound. What was he going to do? Was he going to strip me and take nude photos? Or simply dismember me? I clenched my fists, trembling uncontrollantly, not daring to breathe loudly. “You better not try any tricks with me.” With that, he finally released my chin. At that moment, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Watching him get out of the car and walk to the trunk, for a fleeting second, I considered opening the door and escaping. But realizing I had no strength left, I quickly abandoned the idea of saving myself. The man unlocked my handcuffs and handed me a bag of bread. I wolfed it down, thinking he had finally calmed down. But just as I was about to take another bite, he abruptly snatched the bread away. The next second, he grabbed my hair, glaring at me fiercely. “I’ve been so good to you, giving you everything you asked for. Why did you still trick me, betray my feelings, and steal my money?” A sharp pain shot through my scalp. I quickly squeezed out a sob, feigning remorse. “I’m sorry! It was all my fault, I was foolish and made a mistake! I swear I won’t do it again, never!” The man finally calmed down, sitting back in the opposite seat. My taut nerves relaxed slightly, but the cold sweat on my back hadn’t dried. 【This guy yelled about revenge, but when it came down to it, he’s a total softie! His love-struck brain is beyond saving!】 【This woman has some tricks up her sleeve, she’s got the guy wrapped around her finger again! If she doesn’t mention divorce, he’ll probably treat her like a queen. It’s true love!】 The subtitles continued to fan the flames. But I didn’t even know who this man was; I was caught in this messy situation unjustly. “You keep saying you love me, but do you really know me? Look closely, who am I?” The man looked up, a cold, obsessive glint in his eyes. “Sarah Miller, the only daughter of the Miller family. I saw you in an alley when I was ten, and I’ve never forgotten you. Your waist is 24 inches, hips 35 inches, you’re a Cancer, you love sweet and sour food, can’t stand cilantro, are afraid of the dark and spiders, need hot ginger tea during your period, and always curl your feet against the wall when you sleep.” He described these minute details perfectly, and I was utterly bewildered. 【This guy is so devoted! He’s been waiting for this woman for fifteen years!】 【He knows even her smallest habits inside out! Let’s see how this gold digger tries to deny it now!!】 The subtitles scrolled furiously, and my mind was a jumbled mess… “Some things… even I don’t remember clearly.” Had I crossed into the wrong world? Or was there really someone with the same name as me who was involved with him? But why would someone slander my reputation, making me bear the ignominy of being a ‘gold digger’? I couldn’t just die without clearing my name; I had to explain! “I’ve never been married, you’ve definitely got the wrong person! A check of the marriage registry would show I have no marriage records whatsoever! My cloud drive contains everything from the past five or six years—my private photo albums are all of my daily life, not even a single photo with a man. My chat logs are only work-related with colleagues, or daily reminders from family. I’ve never had any romantic interests, let alone been engaged to be married or gone through a divorce!” As soon as the words left my mouth, the subtitles exploded before my eyes. 【Oh my god! Is this girl crazy? A knife at her throat and she’s still arguing!】 【Help! Does she think she can turn the tables with just her words? Doesn’t she see who she’s up against?!】 【I’m speechless, I don’t understand this move! Is she really not lying? But who would believe that?!】 But the man suddenly leaned over, snatching my phone from my pocket. His fingers rapidly scrolled across the screen, a fleeting flicker of doubt in his eyes. He then found my cloud drive and opened my private photo album. A sliver of hope had just risen in my heart, thinking he was finally going to believe me. But the next second, he suddenly let out a low chuckle, then angrily threw my phone away and savagely clamped his hands around my neck. “Do you take me for a fool?” “I… I didn’t…” 【This woman is too bold! Still trying to lie, even when the truth is practically staring her in the face.】 【The guy definitely won’t spare her now, will he? Stupid and wicked, still arguing now, she’s leaving herself no way out!】 【I bet a bag of chips this woman won’t survive tonight! Everyone, watch and see!】 Each subtitle made me crumble. “You really got it wrong! I don’t know who stole my information to impersonate me! I don’t even know you, why won’t you believe me? Why…?” Who could be so vicious as to frame me like this? Even if I die and become a vengeful spirit, I won’t let that person go! 【This girl’s hysteria doesn’t seem faked. Could someone really be impersonating her?】 【Oh my god! Is she being used as a scapegoat? The fake one played him, and the real one is taking the fall!】 【But how can marriage be faked? The guy’s face went green when he saw her phone, he must have seen something, right?】 【This drama is interesting! Am I the one who transmigrated, or is this woman the one who did? Waiting for the truth to come out!】 The man suddenly released his grip on my throat. I slumped back into the seat, gasping for air. “I really don’t know you, and I’ve never been married. You’ve definitely mistaken me for someone else!” Before I could finish, a sharp, cramping pain shot through my lower abdomen. I looked down and saw that my dress was soaked with a large patch of blood. Embarrassment instantly flooded me. I frantically covered it with my hand, wishing I could disappear into the floor. 【Holy crap! Her period just came at the perfect time! This woman is lucky! The guy’s probably going to feel bad for her, right?】 【I bet you! This guy won’t be able to lay a hand on her for a while. Next thing you know, he’ll be rubbing her belly!】 I endured the pain, not holding out any hope. This man had just been so menacing; how could he possibly care about me? But the man glanced at my flushed face and the hand covering my dress. Without a word, he suddenly started the car and drove out of the garage. The subtitles instantly flooded the screen. 【Help! Is this man actually going to buy brown sugar water? This thoughtfulness is so unexpected!】 【He was played by a woman and he’s still so protective of her, this guy isn’t losing out at all by being deceived!】 【The ultimate combination of a love-struck fool and a simp! This guy is beyond saving! The more I watch, the more annoyed I get!】 The car stopped in front of a coffee shop, and the man pushed open the door and got out. Not long after, he returned with a hot ginger tea, which he handed to me. I stood frozen, a mix of emotions swirling inside me. But before I could react, he drove to a convenience store, came back with a pack of sanitary pads, opened the car door, and took my arm. “I’ll help you to the restroom.” “I can manage myself,” I quickly refused, feeling deeply uncomfortable with such intimacy. But he didn’t let go, insisting on supporting me. He even took off his jacket and wrapped it around my waist to cover the stain, his movements clumsy but filled with care. 【Oh my god! This is too much pampering! What kind of spell did this gold digger use to trick this guy like this?】 【It was supposed to be a kidnapping, how did it turn into taking care of her period? This guy is something else!】 After I came out of the restroom, clutching the warm ginger tea in the car, my mind was in a whirl. But I was certain of my own character; even if I had amnesia, I would never toy with someone’s emotions. Yet, I was equally sure I hadn’t lost my memory, and everything before me felt bizarre. Could there truly be another woman in the world who looked exactly like me and was married to this man? But why would she try to smear my name? I closed my eyes, furiously racking my brain. The next second, I abruptly opened them. I knew why! Inside the car, the man and I sat opposite each other, in a long silence. I decided not to tip my hand just yet. The cramping in my lower abdomen grew more intense; I couldn’t bear it any longer and whispered, “Could you recline the seat a bit? I want to lie down for a while.” As soon as the words left my mouth, he reached out and adjusted the button, and the seat slowly tilted back. Before I could thank him, a jacket, still warm from his body, was placed over me. “Is the pain bad? I’ll go buy painkillers.” Countless question marks appeared on the subtitles, presumably expressing utter exasperation at the man’s “simping” behavior. “No need, thank you.” I quickly declined, a mix of emotions churning within me, but still felt compelled to explain. “I truly am single, I’ve never been married, and I don’t know you. Maybe… there’s someone else in this world who looks exactly like me, and she’s the one you’re involved with.” The man lowered his head, his fingers stroking his phone case, but didn’t respond. I dared not say more, and the car fell silent again. A while later, he opened his phone’s photo album. A glance from the corner of my eye, and I was instantly stunned. Every photo showed a woman who looked exactly like me, smiling intimately as she linked arms with him. But I was certain it wasn’t me. “We’d only been married for less than a month when you suggested living separately, always abroad, only communicating by email. You only contacted me when you needed living expenses!” He suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with an indescribable weariness. “I thought you were just throwing a tantrum, but I never imagined…” My heart jolted, and I finally pieced things together. The woman impersonating me had never truly spent time with him, merely maintaining an “online marriage.” And she had constantly been asking this man for money—not just living expenses, but also insisting on investments. In just one month, she had already swindled over a million dollars from him. No wonder the man was so furious; defrauding him was despicable enough, but she had also been constantly deceiving him emotionally. Just then, my phone suddenly vibrated. The screen displayed “Olivia.” I hadn’t seen her in over a year, and I’d heard she’d been sick. Why was she calling me now? Had something happened to her? I desperately wanted to answer, but the man immediately looked at me with alarm. “She’s my best friend! Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to her.” The man hesitated for a few seconds, then released my wrist. I answered the call, about to say, “I’m going to sleep, I’ll contact you later!” when Olivia’s voice preempted me: “Honey! The doctor I introduced you to has agreed to meet! Hurry up and finalize the divorce, don’t get tangled up with that lunatic, he’s not worth it!” I was instantly stunned, a surge of anger rising within me. “What are you talking about? When did I get married? Where are these divorce papers?” “Oh, come on, stop pretending!” Olivia’s tone carried a hint of mockery. “I know you don’t want to mention that psycho! Marrying him is a stain on your record! But don’t worry, I’ll find you someone better in the future! Leaving him is a new beginning, don’t dwell on it!” “I didn’t…” I still tried to argue, but the man suddenly snatched my phone, abruptly ending the call. The next second, he grabbed my hair, violently pressing my head against the car wall with enough force to make my scalp tingle. A flurry of dense subtitles instantly exploded before my eyes. 【Holy crap! Isn’t this ironclad proof? Even her best friend said so! How can this woman still argue?!】 【Serves her right! She’s still playing innocent at a time like this, it would be against all reason not to dismember her now!】 【No wonder she could trick the guy, she had someone advising her from behind! This best friend is quite something, not plastic, but genuinely helping with bad deeds!】 【I originally thought she was innocent, but now it seems she’s just a good actress!】 My eyes reddened from the pain, and I stammered out an explanation. “It’s not like that! I don’t know why she’s saying that! I really haven’t gotten married, and I didn’t ask her to introduce anyone to me!” “Still trying to deny it? Your best friend admitted it herself, how long do you plan to lie to me?” “I’m not lying to you!” Tears streamed down my face in desperation. “Olivia is lying…” Suddenly, a glaring red line flashed in the subtitles. 【When I was working abroad, I heard a plastic surgeon mention something similar! A woman had surgery to look like her best friend, then used her friend’s identity to trick a man out of his money! When the truth came out, she got away scot-free, and her best friend was the one who suffered!】 【There’s such a thing!! Quick, tell us more!】 But at this moment, the man suddenly pulled out a dagger and pressed it against my carotid artery. Just as the blade was about to pierce my artery, another red subtitle furiously scrolled across the screen. 【Holy crap! I remember now!! This plastic surgery girl, Olivia, bragged at a party abroad that she got surgery to look like her best friend, Sarah Miller, and would definitely hook the attractive man, Leo Evans, who had a crush on Sarah!】 【Olivia was full of envy and resentment towards her best friend. She meticulously planned it out, first deliberately distancing herself from Sarah, claiming she was going abroad for medical treatment, but secretly going to a plastic surgery clinic to transform into Sarah. The two friends already looked somewhat alike. After the surgery, Olivia used makeup to become Sarah’s spitting image, and began to deceive Leo! Leo didn’t suspect a thing, mistakenly believing Olivia was Sarah, and poured all his heart and money into her!】 【I’ve seen this story in novels! This is the first time in real life! This woman, Olivia, is truly malicious!】 I froze in place, my blood running cold. All those seemingly harmless details I had ignored now linked together into a complete chain of conspiracy. Olivia had been my inseparable best friend since college; we’d shared every joy and sorrow. I’d always considered her my closest confidante, never once thinking to guard against her. I remembered two years ago when she suddenly told me she was going abroad for medical treatment. She even borrowed my ID, claiming it was to help me obtain an international medical license. I agreed without much thought. After she returned, she always borrowed my clothes and frequently asked about my habits. For instance, I don’t eat cilantro, I’m afraid of thunderstorms, and I drink warm ginger tea during my period. She even grilled me about my little habit of curling my legs in my sleep. She also deliberately mimicked my makeup and speaking style. At the time, I simply thought she genuinely liked my aesthetic. Looking back now, that was all her premeditated groundwork! 【Here’s the kicker! Olivia is the illegitimate daughter of the Miller family, Sarah’s half-sister!! Olivia’s mother seduced Sarah’s father years ago, trying to use the child to secure her position, but even after the child was born, the Miller family never acknowledged her!】 【No wonder the two of them look somewhat alike! That explains everything! She was a parasitic sister masquerading as a best friend all along!】 【Jealousy truly distorts people beyond recognition! Her own mother shamelessly destroyed another family, and she followed suit. To steal her sister’s life, she even changed her face—what else is she capable of?!】 【Sarah is too pathetic! The best friend she poured her heart out to harbored such malicious intentions, she truly was unlucky in her choice of friends!】 【Thank goodness Leo had a change of heart and didn’t act! Otherwise, Sarah would have died such an unjust death!】 The cruel truth shattered my perception repeatedly! “Olivia, I won’t let you get away with this!” But the dagger in Leo’s hand remained pressed against my neck. Just as I was wondering how to explain, Leo’s eyes suddenly reddened. My heart gave a violent jolt, and I boldly guessed that he, too, could see the subtitles. The next second, the dagger slipped from Leo’s hand. He actually knelt down directly in front of me. “I’m sorry… I almost hurt the person I love most. I was foolish, deceived, and nearly killed you by mistake.” “You’re not wrong, Olivia is! She transformed herself to look like me, used my identity to scam a marriage and money, and had us all running in circles.” “You go now, we can involve the police later. I’ll definitely help you get justice; I won’t let her off easy!” “Calling the police would be disadvantageous for you. After all, you did commit kidnapping. If Olivia insists on pressing charges, you’ll also be implicated.” Leo was stunned, his eyes instantly welling with emotion. He bent down and picked up the dagger from the floor. “Then I’ll kill her myself and avenge you! A vicious woman like that doesn’t deserve to live!” “Don’t be impulsive!” I quickly grabbed his wrist. “It’s not worth ruining your life for a wicked woman like her. Her evil deeds will be exposed eventually; we don’t need to sacrifice ourselves in this way.” Leo stared at my hand holding his, his gaze gradually softening. “Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.” The subtitles on the screen suddenly refreshed: 【??? This development is a bit off! How did these two suddenly develop such chemistry?】 【What chemistry? They’re giving off major couple vibes, okay!】 【Help! Just a moment ago they were at daggers drawn, now it’s getting kind of sweet?】

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Stuck at a long red light, I opened my phone. A question on my feed asked: [Life, freedom, love, and money. How would you rank them?] The comments were a mess. Most ranked money first. Only one stood out: “Love will always be my number one. Without love, nothing else has any meaning.” Someone mocked them, calling them a hopeless romantic. But I silently agreed. Love should come first. After all, the love Mark gave me was always perfect. Amidst the ridicule, the original poster calmly replied: “If you were me, you would choose the same. Last year, I had acute kidney failure. He gave me one of his kidneys. And at the time, he wasn’t even my boyfriend. He was just my doctor.” My heart stopped. Last year, Mark had also donated a kidney—to a stranger. I’d been strongly against it, but he’d soothed me, saying, “Saving lives is a doctor’s duty.” My fingers went cold, trembling as I scrolled. The comment continued: “He only has one kidney now, but in that department… he’s still more than I can handle. Broad shoulders, narrow waist… he leaves me sore every single night.” A photo was attached: a man’s muscular back in a dimly lit bathroom, a faint bite mark on his left hip. I had left that mark on him at eighteen, as punishment for punching my high school crush. 1 It wasn’t until a chorus of horns honked behind me that I snapped back to reality. I was still twenty minutes from Mark’s hospital. I pulled over to the side of the road and killed the engine. I went back to the post. The tide in the comment section had already turned. “What? A love story this pure still exists in the 21st century? You’ve made me believe in love again.” The original poster continued her calm narration: “His parents divorced when he was a kid, and neither of them wanted him. Even though he’s successful now, deep down, he’s still a little boy who craves love.” A sharp pain lanced through my heart. “I grew up in an orphanage, so I guess we’re kindred spirits. I can’t give him anything but love, but that’s the one thing he needs most.” “It’s enough that we can heal each other. Even if he’s already married… I don’t care. I just want to be with him, one day at a time.” A storm of question marks erupted in the comments. But she seemed oblivious, continuing on. “I’m dying. I don’t have much time left. I was afraid of hurting him, I rejected him so many times. But every time I saw how broken and sad he looked, I couldn’t bear it.” “Life is too short, and our meeting was too beautiful. I’ll take whatever time we have.” The final post. “Here’s a picture of us.” I stared at the words, the screen’s brightness searing my eyes. The loading icon spun and spun, making my eyes ache. My finger hovered over the screen, unable to tap. The truth was a hand, squeezing the air from my lungs. A soft thump. I jerked back to the present. In my rearview mirror, a girl’s electric scooter was lying on its side behind my car. She was scrambling to pick it up. She was slender and frail, dressed in a faded white sweatshirt. As she hurried over to my car, my heart gave a strange, painful lurch. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!” she said, bowing, her palms pressed against my window in a panic. “It’s my first time riding one, I couldn’t brake in time… I’m really so sorry…” The window was fogged up. Her face was a blur through the condensation. But her silhouette, her eyes… a sudden, terrifying premonition washed over me. I took a deep breath, and my thumb finally pressed down. The moment the picture loaded, I heard my own breathing stop. On the screen, Mark’s head was slightly bowed, his gaze so tender it could drown a person. In his arms was a girl in a white sweatshirt, her face tilted up to his, smiling. She was identical to the girl outside my car window. The world went silent. The only sound was my own heartbeat, thudding so hard it hurt. I slowly lifted my head. Her hand was still pressed against the glass. She was still talking. And my eyes began to burn. 2 The air was unnervingly quiet when Mark arrived. Ten minutes earlier, the girl had made a phone call. We had remained on opposite sides of the car window, one of us standing, the other squatting by her fallen scooter. Neither of us had spoken another word. Until a familiar car turned the corner. Until a familiar figure strode towards us. Until Mark, without even a glance at my car, went straight to her and knelt by her side. “Not listening again. Didn’t I tell you to stay home and rest?” He took iodine and cotton swabs from his pocket and began to expertly clean her scraped knee. The girl giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “It’s nothing! I just wanted to go grocery shopping. It’s your birthday, I wanted to do something special.” “You can’t get hurt again,” Mark said, his head bowed as he carefully tended to the small scrape. “I don’t need any special occasions. I just need you to be safe.” “I know, I know~” I got out of the car. “Two thousand for the repairs. I’ll accept a private settlement.” In the moonlight, Mark looked up, his face instantly draining of all color. “Amber…” he stammered. I didn’t let him continue. “You got here fast,” I said, pointing first at him, then at the girl cowering behind him. “From the moment you answered her call to now, fifteen minutes. That’s all it took for me to see exactly where she stands in your heart.” The wind whipped into the collar of my shirt, and I suddenly felt very cold. “Mark.” I said his name. Three syllables I had been saying since I was ten years old. For fifteen years. I had called him to wake him up, to come to dinner, to say “I love you,” to say “I’ll wait for you.” I had never felt so tired. “Do you have any right to do this to me?” He didn’t answer. The girl shrank further behind him. I stared at her for a long time. Long enough for Mark to take a half step forward, shielding her even more completely. That single gesture hurt more than any photograph. I didn’t say another word. I turned, pulled open my car door, and sped away, just seconds before the tears could fall. In the rearview mirror, he was still standing there, his arm protectively around her, his eyes following my car. The streetlights cast a dim, yellow glow. The face that had made my heart race a thousand times suddenly looked like a stranger’s. The car went faster and faster, memories replaying in my mind like a movie. Ten years old. The day his parents left, he moved in next door. He was so thin, like a piece of paper. I would sneak food from my house and pass it to him over the balcony. He would eat ravenously, tears streaming down his face, saying, “I owe you. Thank you.” Eighteen. He repeated a year of high school just so we could go to the same university. A senior gave me a love letter, and he beat the guy to a pulp. I screamed at him, bit him. He wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, his eyes red. “Amber, I like you too. Be my girlfriend, okay?” On the rooftop, he kissed me for the first time. Then he picked me up and spun me around, laughing like a fool. “Amber, this is the happiest day of my life… Thank you, for healing me, again and again.” Twenty-two. On his first day as a resident, he proposed in front of everyone, swearing he would only love me for the rest of his life. I chose to move to another city for a career opportunity. He helped convince my parents, then told me with unwavering certainty, “Amber, you be you. I’ve got your back.” Every weekend, without fail, he would drive three hours to see me. Rain or shine. For over a thousand days, he never let me spend a weekend alone. Every night, we would talk on the phone for hours, never running out of things to say. Every anniversary I forgot, he would surprise me with something full of love. I don’t think I ever once doubted his love for me. But I don’t understand. I really don’t. How can one heart hold two loves at the same time? My eyes were burning. The wind rushing in through the half-open window stung them. But what hurt more was the heart that had loved for so many years. 3 I turned the car around and drove back to my own city. A hundred and twenty kilometers. I cried so hard I could barely see the road. It took me three hours. My best friend was waiting at my door, holding a cake, her face full of anticipation. “You’re back so soon? How did it go? Was Mark thrilled when you told him you were pregnant?” Today was Mark’s birthday. It was also the day I had planned to tell him I was pregnant. My job transfer had finally been approved. I could move back to his city. So the moment I got off work, I had rushed to see him. I wanted to tell him in person that we were going to have a baby, that we could finally end the long-distance, that we would never have to spend another weekend apart. But instead, I had walked into a nightmare. One I couldn’t seem to wake up from. I looked at my best friend, and my eyes welled up first. The composure I had been desperately clinging to finally shattered. “He’s cheating on me. With the girl he donated his kidney to.” My friend stared at me for three long seconds, and then her own eyes turned red with a fury that surpassed my own. The next second, she was sobbing and cursing Mark’s entire family tree. I completely broke down, collapsing into her arms. She had been there for all fifteen years of our story. When Mark couldn’t afford tuition and was about to give up on college, I stole my family’s savings for him. My dad beat me until my back was covered in welts. I had worked myself to the bone for twenty straight days on a project, just so I could get a promotion and apply for a transfer back to his city. The six months Mark was studying abroad, I broke my leg and lay in a hospital bed, never telling him a word about it. Every time, she would call me a fool, asking me if he was worth it. And I would always tell her, yes. Mark had had it so rough. He only had me. I had to be good to him, better and better. She knew. I loved Mark more than I loved myself. So now, she was a mess of tears and snot, crying and cursing. Cursing him for being blind, for being a heartless bastard, for being a dog who deserved to die. I knelt by the toilet, crying and throwing up. “I want a divorce.” “I’m not having that scumbag’s baby.” “I want Mark to suffer.” Three in the morning. I was curled up in the corner of the sofa, watching the city lights blink on and off. My friend, exhausted, was asleep on my shoulder, tear tracks still wet on her cheeks. I used to think that a good relationship was built on fireworks, on the moon, on roses brought from across mountains, on a million moments of hardship and a thousand tearful embraces. Now I know. Love is built on conscience. The front door suddenly opened. It was Mark. “Amber, it’s not what you think between me and Sarah.”

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When Cole Sterling couldn’t afford his college tuition, I was the one who stepped up. I funded his entire four years of university, bankrolled his lavish lifestyle, and helped him become a corporate CEO. With the endless resources I poured into him, he became a celebrated success story. But when he learned that his childhood sweetheart was getting married, he orchestrated a car crash to have me killed. As my consciousness faded, he walked over to me. “If you hadn’t used your money to tie me down, sponsoring me all those years ago, I would have been the one marrying Luna Reed! Only with you dead can I finally be with her!” The next time I opened my eyes, I was back on that fateful day, a black card in my hand, ready to fund his education. And he had been reborn, too. 1 I opened my eyes and found myself holding a credit card. Across from me, Cole Sterling stared with cold, hard eyes. He still carried the air of refined arrogance that my money had cultivated in him. He shot me a look of pure disgust. “Arabella Thorne, I’ve had enough of you!” he sneered. “Stop trying to corrupt me with your filthy money. I’ll figure out my own tuition. This time, I’m going to live my life my way!” In the next instant, his harsh expression melted away, replaced by a look of pure clarity. He bypassed me completely and walked straight to Luna Reed. He took her hands, his voice trembling with emotion. “Luna, this time, no one will ever keep us apart.” I watched the scene unfold, my emotions shifting from a burning rage to confusion, and finally settling into a cold, clear calm. In my last life, when I heard Cole’s family had run into financial trouble and he couldn’t afford tuition, I went to him immediately. I offered to pay for everything. He had taken my black card with a smile, calling me kind and gentle. Throughout his entire college career, I spent eighty percent of my allowance on him. I transformed him from a charity case into a playboy who drove sports cars, frequented exclusive clubs, and threw money around like it was nothing. After graduation, he wanted to start a business. Without a second thought, I gave him my entire trust fund—assets, stocks, and cash worth over a billion dollars—that my parents had set aside for me. With my money and my family’s connections backing him, he became a phenomenal success, a titan of the business world. Later, we got married. We had children. But I never knew that all along, he was hiding another woman in his heart. Not until the day the news of Luna Reed’s wedding broke. He went mad. He would fly into rages over nothing. He drank himself into a stupor night after night. Once, it was Luna’s fiancé who called, asking me to come and pick him up. When I arrived, I found him slumped in a drunken heap in Luna’s apartment, muttering her name. “Luna, it’s my fault.” “I never should have sold you out for a credit card.” “It was all Arabella’s fault. She blinded me with her money.” “I hate her. God, I hate her.” “Luna, can we get back together? Just like we were in college…” It was only then that I learned the truth. In college, he had been taking my money and spending it on Luna. When I found out, we had a massive fight. In my anger, I seized control of the company and froze all his accounts. I wanted to make him understand that I was the one who had given him everything. I never imagined it would drive him over the edge. He hired someone to stage a car accident, to have me killed. As I lay bleeding out, my vision blurring, he appeared at the scene. His voice was like ice. “If you hadn’t used your money to tie me down, sponsoring me all those years ago, I would have been the one marrying Luna Reed! Only with you dead can I finally be with her!” Remembering all this, I casually tossed the black card I was holding to a passing student. “Hey,” I said. “I’ll sponsor you through college. All four years, everything’s on me.” The student who caught the card stared at it, his face a mask of disbelief. Cole watched me give the card to a complete stranger, and a flicker of regret crossed his face. But it was quickly replaced by fury. “Arabella, don’t think you can provoke me like this. I won’t fall for it. No matter what you do, I will never accept your sponsorship!” I looked at him, feigning surprise. “Cole, what on earth are you talking about? Who said I was ever going to sponsor you?” 2 My words made Cole freeze. He stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Arabella, what are you playing at? You were obviously going to give that card to me. I’m the one who rejected it.” I laughed. “Could you be any more self-absorbed?” Cole refused to believe it. He scoffed, “It doesn’t matter what act you put on. Everyone knows you’re obsessed with me. But in this life, you’re destined to never have me!” Seeing that his narcissism was still fully intact gave me a sense of relief. In this new life, I was going to make sure he learned exactly how cruel the world could be. I ignored him and took the hand of the student I had just sponsored. “What’s your name?” The student was still in a daze. He blushed as I held his hand. “I’m… I’m Nathaniel Vance. Nate.” I smiled. “That’s a great name, Nate. Let me buy you dinner. Come on.” I took Nate to a high-end restaurant. He looked around, a little intimidated by the opulent decor. “Um, I’m a freshman this year,” he offered nervously. “I know,” I said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m a freshman too.” “What?” Nate stared at me, his cheeks turning pink. “What, I don’t look like one?” “You seem more like a senior, someone who knows their way around.” I laughed. “Do I look that old?” “No!” Nate quickly backpedaled. “That’s not what I meant. Oh, right, I still don’t know your name.” “I’m Arabella Thorne.” As Nate and I talked, I noticed he was actually very handsome. Exactly my type. And he was sweet and endearing. Just then, we heard footsteps approaching. It was Cole, with Luna in tow. In my last life, he had squandered my money without a thought, a regular at places like this. But in this life, he was just a poor kid whose family was in ruins, unable to even pay his tuition. Had he forgotten? Or had his rebirth somehow altered his circumstances? As I wondered, Cole spotted me. He clearly assumed I was there waiting for him. As he walked past our table with Luna, he sneered. “Trying to get my attention this way? Desperate for a little recognition? Give it up, Arabella. It’s never going to happen.” I rolled my eyes and turned back to Nate, placing a piece of food on his plate. “You have to try the house special. It’s delicious.” Nate blushed and nodded eagerly. Cole huffed and sat down at a nearby table with Luna. He still carried himself with the aristocratic air I had bought for him, ordering a dozen expensive dishes from the menu without a thought as to whether they could finish them. Luna looked worried. “Cole, it’s just the two of us. Don’t you think this is too much?” Cole spoke loudly, making sure I could hear. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. This is how I always eat. Besides, this place is just average. We’ll make do for tonight. Next time, I’ll take you to a Michelin-starred palace in Paris. The ingredients there are sold by the gram; every bite is worth its weight in gold.” 3 I had to stop myself from laughing out loud. He had truly forgotten that he was now a broke student who couldn’t even afford tuition. But Luna’s face lit up with happiness at his words. She shot me a smug, triumphant look. Then she raised her voice. “Cole, since this is the first day of our relationship, I have a gift for you.” Cole looked at her expectantly. “What is it?” Luna pulled a sweater from her bag. “I knitted this for you myself.” The light in Cole’s eyes dimmed. Luna had no way of knowing that in his past life, the gifts I gave him were watches worth hundreds of thousands and sports cars worth millions. After all that, how could a simple knitted sweater ever compare? Luna’s face fell. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it? I poured my heart into every single stitch.” Cole quickly plastered on a smile. “No, I love it! Of course I do!” But after taking the sweater, he tossed it aside without a second glance. I opened my purse. Inside, just as I remembered, was a small gift box. It contained a pair of matching couple’s bracelets worth sixty million dollars. In my last life, I had given them to Cole. He’d loved them and wore his every day. But one day, my bracelet disappeared. I thought it had been stolen. It wasn’t until I saw Luna again that I realized the thief was Cole. He had stolen my bracelet and given it to her. I took out the box and pushed it across the table to Nate. “What’s this?” he asked, curious. I gave him a mysterious smile. “Open it and see.” When Nate opened the box and saw the matching bracelets, he was mesmerized by their dazzling luster and exquisite design. “These are beautiful,” he breathed. “I’ve never seen anything like them.” “Of course not,” I said matter-of-factly. “The ruby and sapphire on those were bought at a high-end auction. I designed the bracelets myself and had them custom-made by an international team of jewelers. They’re one-of-a-kind.” Nate looked at them in awe. The commotion caught the attention of Cole and Luna. Luna’s eyes turned red with envy as she stared at the bracelets. Cole shot to his feet, his expression a storm of emotion. He rushed to our table and tried to snatch them. “Put those down! Don’t you touch them!” Nate quickly hid the bracelets behind his back, glaring at Cole. “What are you doing? Why are you trying to steal my things?” Cole seemed to snap back to reality, remembering that in this life, the bracelets were not his. But he still turned to me, his voice full of resentment. “It’s just a stupid bracelet. If I wanted to, I could buy ten of them.” I knew his pride was fragile and his ego was massive, but I hadn’t realized the extent of his delusion. I looked at him calmly. “Cole, if you can afford it, go buy one. Why are you shouting at me?” Nate chimed in, equally annoyed. “Yeah, what’s your problem?” Cole’s face flushed with anger, and he retreated to his table. Luna tried to comfort him. “Cole, just ignore them. So what if they have a little money? We don’t care about that.” “I’ve lost my appetite,” Cole snapped. “Let’s go.” The waiter had just brought their food to the table. “But I haven’t eaten yet,” Luna whined. “We’ll eat later,” Cole said dismissively. “I’ll treat you to something better.” Though reluctant, Luna had no choice but to follow him. But as they tried to leave, the waiter blocked their path. “Sir, your bill comes to a total of eight thousand, five hundred and twenty dollars.” Cole nodded. “Eight or nine thousand, that’s nothing. I’ll just…” He trailed off as he patted his pockets. The color drained from his face. 4 Feeling the empty lining of his pockets, Cole finally remembered. In this life, his father was a gambling addict, his mother was in long-term care at a hospital, and his family was drowning in debt. Eight thousand dollars was nothing to the man he used to be. But to the man he was now—a student who couldn’t even scrape together his tuition—it was an astronomical sum. His expression turned grim. His eyes flickered towards me. “Sir?” the waiter prompted. “How will you be paying?” Cole gritted his teeth and turned to Luna. “Luna, I… I don’t have any money on me. Can you cover this?” Luna was horrified. “Cole, are you kidding me?” Cole’s face grew even darker. “Why would I joke about this? I really don’t have any money.” Tears welled up in Luna’s eyes. “No money? Then why did you bring me to such an expensive restaurant? Why did you order so much?” Her suspicion grew. “Wait… you’re not one of those dining scammers, are you?” Their conversation put the waiter on high alert. He immediately spoke into his walkie-talkie, calling for security. Cole’s face was a thundercloud. In his past life with me, he could spend whatever he wanted. All he had to do was ask, and I would give it to him. He had never been humiliated like this. “Luna, just lend it to me,” he said through clenched teeth. “It’s not like I won’t pay you back.” Luna looked down. “My monthly allowance is only two thousand. I don’t have that kind of money.” Just then, his phone rang. “Hello, is this the son of Maria Sterling?” “Your mother’s hospital bill is due. The total is one hundred and thirteen thousand dollars, plus nursing fees, which comes to a total of…” Cole hung up before the person could finish. His face was ashen, all the arrogance of his rebirth completely gone. He looked at the tearful Luna, then his gaze drifted back to me. After a moment of internal debate, he clenched his fists and walked slowly towards my table. He stared at me, a bleak, defeated smile on his face. Then, as if surrendering, he forced out the words. “Give me the card.” I knew he was out of options. Reality had finally hit him. If it weren’t for our past life, maybe he would have had a chance. But now, I was only interested in giving him a final push off the cliff, not pulling him back up. I glanced at him. “What did you say? Say it again.” Cole’s fists tightened, as if he had made a momentous decision, or perhaps as if he were enduring the greatest humiliation of his life. His face was a mask of suppressed rage and shame. “I lose, okay? Is that what you want to hear? Stop humiliating me. Just give me the unlimited black card, and promise you’ll stop throwing your rich-girl tantrums at me… and I’ll agree to accept your sponsorship. I’ll be your boyfriend.”

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To save money, I bought a used tablet online. The seller I met for the in-person exchange was a pretty young college student. “Ma’am, this is the latest model. If my boyfriend hadn’t just bought me a huge high-rise apartment as our marital home and built me a custom media room, I would never dream of selling it!” Seeing the pure happiness radiating from her face, I couldn’t help but think of Liam. Once his company’s big project finally launched, we could move out of our tiny rental and buy a place of our own. “He also said no old things in the new house, so I have a lot more stuff to get rid of. You can follow my account and contact me if you see anything you need.” “Oh, my boyfriend’s here!” The girl, Jenna, waved her arm excitedly. I turned to look. A black Maybach was pulling up to the curb. The window rolled down, revealing a familiar face. Our eyes met, and we both froze. The man in the driver’s seat was none other than my boyfriend, Liam. 1 “I’m interning nearby, and he insists on driving me to and from work every day. He’s so worried something might happen to me.” “I told him he’s overreacting, what could possibly happen to me on my regular commute? But he just won’t listen.” I stood there, listening to Jenna’s gleeful chatter, a chilling numbness spreading through my body. A flash of panic crossed Liam’s face, quickly replaced by a look that was both a warning and a threat. His gaze fell to the tablet in my hands. “It’s just a tablet. Why didn’t you buy a new one?” Right. It was just a tablet. But I couldn’t bring myself to buy a new one, because I was trying to save every penny so we could have a home together sooner. Jenna shot me an apologetic look and playfully tapped Liam on the shoulder. “Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean everyone is.” “Besides, my tablet is practically new. If you hadn’t insisted on buying me a better one, I wouldn’t be selling it.” She turned back to me. “Don’t mind him. My boyfriend only ever buys new things. If he doesn’t want something anymore, he just throws it out. He doesn’t understand the secondhand market at all.” “I was going to rent a place near my internship, but he said he didn’t like the idea of me living in a pre-owned apartment, so the very next day, he bought me a new one!” “And now he won’t let me use any of my old stuff. My clothes and shoes have to be from the latest season, and my electronics have to be the newest models. He even got on my case for selling this tablet, said I don’t know how to save money.” Jenna gave Liam a mock-reproachful look. Her words were a complaint, but her face was aglow with happiness. But I remembered. I remembered when Liam and I were crammed into our tiny rental. To save money, all the furniture and appliances I bought were used. I remembered haggling shamelessly with sellers just to save a few dozen dollars. I had felt so embarrassed, but those few dozen dollars meant I could add a pork chop to Liam’s lunchbox. Back then, he would hold me, his eyes full of pain and guilt. “Chloe,” he’d said, “one day, when I make it, I promise I’ll get you the best house.” But eight years had passed, and I was still living in a rental, still using secondhand things. And he, without my knowledge, had bought another woman a brand-new home. Jenna’s words were like a gaping hole torn open in my chest. A cold wind blew through, freezing me to the bone. Liam glanced at me and cleared his throat. “Let’s get going. Don’t we still have to buy new furniture?” Jenna paused, then stamped her foot playfully. “Oh, right! I almost forgot. If you need anything else used, just let me know!” As Jenna walked around to the passenger side, Liam took the opportunity to lean in and whisper to me, “I’ll explain when I get home tonight.” The Maybach sped away, leaving me in a cloud of dust. I could just make out their conversation through the open window. “So what are we buying?” “Whatever you want. Only the best is good enough for my little princess.” I looked down at the tablet in my hands and suddenly felt like a complete joke. So, in Liam’s eyes, I was the one who only deserved used things. I walked home like a zombie, not even noticing when it started to rain. It was an old, run-down building, with terrible security. Not long ago, I’d been harassed by a man on my way home from working late. I was so terrified that day that every late night at the office since had been filled with dread. But I never moved. Because this place was close to Liam’s office. It meant he could sleep in for an extra hour, even if it meant I had to commute for two. But while I was living in fear, he was playing chauffeur for someone else. I sat on the sofa for hours, and then I turned on the tablet. The moment the screen lit up, I froze. 2 Jenna was still logged into her social media. The screen was on her latest post. It was a selfie of her lying in bed. Beside her, half of Liam’s face was visible. The caption read: [Found the perfect mattress! So expensive, but hubby’s paying! He says I deserve the best. Thanks, honey!] I scrolled down, torturing myself with post after post. Candlelit dinners, morning runs, vacations together… The one that stung the most was a travel vlog. It was from Lover’s Isle, a place I had told Liam I dreamed of visiting. Last year, he had asked if I wanted to go, but I’d calculated the cost and said no. He had just told me the day before that the company’s profits were down. The vlog was filmed during that exact time. The place of my dreams… he had taken someone else there. A surge of pure rage welled up from the pit of my stomach. I grabbed my phone and dialed his number. Again and again, he declined the call. My damp clothes were chilling me to the bone. I curled up on the sofa, a sharp, stabbing pain in my heart. In the middle of the night, I woke up burning with a fever. Through a hazy fog, I saw him walk in. He frowned at me, draping his coat over my shivering body. “Why are you sleeping out here? You know your immune system is weak. Are you trying to get sick?” I ripped the coat off and stared at him, my eyes burning. “It’s not what you think. Jenna is my mom’s friend’s daughter. My family asked me to take care of her.” I let out a hoarse laugh. “Take care of her? How? In bed? Or in a river-view penthouse?” His face flushed with the anger of being caught. “Don’t be ridiculous. Jenna is innocent and naive, she’s just starting out. The world is a complicated place, of course I have to look out for her.” “And what about me? Don’t I need to be looked out for?” He stared at me, a look of genuine confusion in his eyes. “You’ve been working for years. What do you need looking out for?” There was a time when all I had was a bad cramp, and he would risk getting reprimanded to bang on the dorm supervisor’s window in the middle of the night just to bring me medicine. And now, he said I didn’t need looking out for. Jenna was a recent graduate who needed care. What was I doing when I had just graduated? I was with him, meeting with clients, being forced to drink until I was sick. And because I didn’t want to jeopardize his project, I suffered in silence and never told him. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I shoved him, hard. “Liam, in your eyes, do I just not need anything? Do you have any idea…” He grabbed my hand, his voice laced with impatience. “Will you just stop? Why are you picking a fight with a kid who just graduated?” His words sent a wracking cough through my body. He reached out and touched my forehead, and his expression darkened. “You’re burning up, don’t you know that?” He swept me into his arms and rushed me to the hospital. I drifted off into a feverish sleep. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed with an IV in my arm. Liam was sitting by my side. The scene was so painfully familiar, a ghost of our past, and my eyes began to sting. He met my gaze and was about to speak when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and stepped out into the hallway to answer. A tearful voice drifted in. “Liam, I was putting a doll away in the closet, and I cut my hand. I’m so scared!” “How did you do that? Don’t be scared, I’m on my way.” He took two steps, then remembered I was still lying in bed. “Jenna cut her hand. I’m going to go check on her. You… just get some sleep. I’ll come back to see you later.” I watched his back disappear through the doorway, and the tears I’d been holding back soaked into my pillow. In that moment, I understood just how thoroughly I had lost. Later, I was jolted awake by a terrifying feeling of suffocation. I couldn’t reach the call button. I fumbled for my phone and dialed Liam. It rang a few times before he picked up. “Help… me…” Liam’s voice was annoyed. “It’s just a cold, what could possibly be wrong? Jenna cut her hand, I have to take her to get a shot. Stop making a scene!” The line went dead. As the dial tone droned on, I lost consciousness. 3 When I opened my eyes, a wave of soreness and a lingering sense of breathlessness washed over me. A doctor was standing by my bed, a complicated look in his eyes. “Ms. Noth, you had an allergic reaction to the medication in the middle of the night, which caused you to stop breathing. We were lucky we got to you in time.” “But we confirmed with the man who brought you in. He said you didn’t have any allergies, so we administered the drug. This is no joking matter, you could have died!” My fists clenched, a dull ache spreading through my chest. Liam. He didn’t even remember my allergies anymore. My phone screen lit up. I answered, and Jenna’s sharp voice cut through the line. “Why is your number in his phone? You already knew him, didn’t you? You bought my tablet just to provoke me!” “I knew his clothes smelled like someone else. It was you, you were seducing him! You shameless homewrecker, I’m going to expose you!” The words ‘homewrecker’ pierced me like a knife. “Liam and I have been together for eight years. Who do you think the homewrecker is?” The line went silent for a few seconds, then she hung up. Twenty minutes later, she called back. But this time, it was Liam. “Chloe! Why did you call and deliberately upset Jenna? She’s young and fragile, she doesn’t handle things well. Are you trying to drive her to suicide?!” “Jenna is threatening to kill herself right now. You need to get over here and apologize to her!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Liam, she’s the one who called and screamed at me. And you want me to apologize to her?” His voice was hard. “Jenna is young and immature, she was just blowing off steam. You’re so much older than her, you shouldn’t hold it against her. She almost killed herself, don’t you think you bear some responsibility for that?” I started to laugh, a broken, tear-filled sound. “In your dreams, Liam,” I said, each word a shard of glass. The next day, as I was checking out of the hospital, I noticed people pointing and whispering. “That’s her, right? The other woman who deliberately bought used things to taunt the wife.” “So shameless. Is she here for an abortion? Why doesn’t God just strike her down with lightning?” A jolt of fear went through me. I ducked my head and hurried out of the hospital. Jenna had posted about me online, painting me as the villainous other woman. My phone was flooded with hateful messages. My apartment door was splattered with paint. My boss called and fired me, citing my “poor character.” But I couldn’t let them rewrite the truth. I contacted a popular online influencer, gave him the full story of my history with Liam, and asked him to help me set the record straight. The influencer posted my story, and public opinion instantly flipped. I thought I had won. But I had underestimated Liam’s cruelty. He sent me a video. It was of my younger brother, Aaron. He was on his knees, held down by several men, his eyes wide with terror. Liam’s voice on the phone was chillingly calm. “Chloe, if you don’t apologize, then I’ll have to let your brother apologize for you.” I was in disbelief. “Liam, you’re using Aaron to threaten me? Are you even human?” After our parents died, Aaron had always looked up to Liam as a brother-in-law. A few years ago, when a business rival had sent thugs after Liam, it was Aaron who had protected him, risking his own life. In the scuffle, he had accidentally killed one of the men. He’d also suffered a head injury that left him with a mild intellectual disability and was sent to a juvenile correction facility. I remembered Liam’s tears that day. “It’s all my fault. I promise, I’ll take care of you and Aaron for the rest of my life.” But now, he was using Aaron to force me to my knees. He was silent for a moment. “I can’t let Jenna die.” Maybe it was the death of my last hope, but suddenly, I felt like there was nothing left to fight for. I nodded. An apology. Fine. From now on, I only had my brother. I was still waiting to bring him home. 4 I went to Liam’s office. The receptionist swiped me through the security gate, her eyes filled with contempt. “Mr. Hayes brings Ms. Miller here all the time. Everyone in the company knows they’re a couple. I’ve heard of the wife beating the mistress, but I’ve never seen the mistress cyberbully the wife. You’ve got some nerve.” When Liam’s company was on the brink of collapse, I had used my parents’ inheritance to bail him out. He had sworn then that he would never forget my kindness. But now, everyone in this company saw me as a shameless homewrecker. The irony was suffocating. On a large screen in his office, I saw my brother, screaming in terror. I lunged at Liam, but Jenna shoved me to the ground. My hand landed on the shattered fragments of a glass that had just fallen. Pain exploded in my palm, and blood began to flow. A flicker of pity crossed Liam’s face. He reached out a hand to help me up. But Jenna started to sob. “Everyone online is calling me names. My friends, my classmates… they’re all laughing at me. I might as well be dead!” Liam’s expression immediately hardened. “Jenna’s reputation has been destroyed because of you, she almost died. It’s not too much to ask for you to apologize.” “Kneel, slap yourself a hundred times, and bow your head to the floor ten times. Record a video admitting you’re the other woman, and we’ll call it even. I promise, your brother won’t be harmed. Otherwise…” My body trembled. I clenched my bleeding fist. But no matter how much my hand hurt, it was nothing compared to the feeling of being sliced apart from the inside. I walked over to Jenna, who was holding up a phone to record, and my knees hit the marble floor with a sickening thud. “I’m sorry. I’m the other woman.” I repeated the words, over and over, as I slapped my own face. Again and again. The initial sting gave way to a dull numbness. Soon, my mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood. On the screen, my brother couldn’t see what was happening, but he heard the sounds and began to struggle wildly. After the slaps, I began to bow, my forehead hitting the cold floor with a dull, rhythmic thud that echoed in the silent office. Liam nodded, satisfied. Just then, his assistant called him out of the room. Jenna knelt down and whispered in my ear. “Did you like the pictures on the tablet? Chloe, how dare you try to compete with me? I’m going to make you lose the most important thing in your life.” Suddenly, my brother clutched his throat, gasping for air. His asthma was acting up! I begged the men on the screen to give him his inhaler, but Jenna stopped them. “Don’t give it to him. He’s just like his sister. A great actor!” “Please, he’ll die! You’re murdering him!” My pleas were useless. I tried to run out to get Liam, but his assistant, who had just returned, pinned me to the floor. My brother lay on the ground, his body convulsing. As I screamed, his struggles grew weaker, until they stopped completely. I lay on the floor, my eyes filled with a burning hatred for Jenna. “What’s all the noise…” Liam walked back in. Jenna immediately threw herself into his arms, sobbing. “She suddenly attacked me! She said she would never apologize! In all the chaos, we didn’t even notice that her brother was having an attack…” Liam looked at the screen, his face turning to stone. “Chloe, was an apology that hard for you? Are you happy now that Aaron is dead?” “She wouldn’t give him his medicine!” I shrieked. “Jenna killed him!” Jenna put on a wounded act, which only made Liam’s gaze on me colder. “Since you refused to apologize, and now you’ve gotten Aaron killed, don’t blame me for what happens next.” After he left, I dragged my broken body to the city bridge over the river. My phone buzzed. It was a notification from the official account of Liam’s company, which I followed. They had posted a picture of a marriage certificate. Liam and Jenna’s. The influencer who had helped me had also posted a statement, claiming that the evidence I had given him was photoshopped, that I had deceived him. Public opinion had flipped again. But I didn’t care anymore. I climbed over the railing, looked down at the churning water below, and jumped. Liam. From this moment on, we are done. I didn’t see the phone I left behind on the bridge light up with an incoming call. And at that moment, as Liam was taking Jenna to the hospital, a strange, creeping unease began to settle in his heart. “Don’t worry, Ms. Miller is perfectly fine. This is just a minor scratch, it doesn’t even need to be treated.” Jenna pouted, pulling back her leg, which had a tiny scrape on it. “But it still hurts…” Liam looked at the scratch, and for some reason, he thought of Chloe, kneeling on the floor, her hands covered in blood. Chloe. That must have hurt so much. As he was leading Jenna out, they passed a doctor in the hallway. The doctor recognized him and his tone was reproachful. “Hey, it’s you. How could you not know your own girlfriend’s allergies?” “You didn’t even answer your phone that day. If we hadn’t gotten to her in time, she would have died!” Liam froze. “What did you say?”

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Before my father died, he left me four sealed envelopes, one to be opened every three years. The first told me not to study medicine. So I enrolled in the police academy. In three years, I earned two commendations for valor. The hospital where I was meant to begin my residency was destroyed in an explosion. The second told me not to stay in the country. So I transferred to an international law enforcement agency. In three years, I took down five major drug lords. The house I owned back home was blown up by my enemies. The third told me not to marry a comrade. I hesitated. But I chose my partner, the woman I’d gone through hell and back with. In the three years after our wedding, she took three bullets for me and shielded me from a dozen knife attacks. The day she found out she was pregnant, she told me: “I’ve already scheduled the abortion. Jasper and I have a son.” Jasper… my protégé. With trembling hands, I opened the fourth envelope. It said: 【DO NOT GET DIVORCED】 1 “What did you just say?” When Jocelyn Kane uttered those words so casually, I thought I’d misheard. “Is this some kind of joke?” She tossed a stack of photos onto the table. A little boy, looking so much like her, was cradled in her arms. Ninety-nine photos, all taken from a father’s perspective. The child looked just like him. The way she gazed at the boy was so tender, so full of love. They were both smiling, a perfect picture of a happy mother and child. “Remember that year I was on assignment overseas? And Jasper took a year’s leave of absence?” Jocelyn lit a slim cigarette, her movements unhurried. “He was with me. For the birth.” I snatched the pregnancy report from the table and threw it at her face. “He was my protégé! You slept with my goddamn protégé!” Her almond-shaped eyes narrowed. “Is there a problem?” “When did it start?” “Our wedding night. A funny coincidence, really. I was drunk and mistook him for you. He was good in bed. I developed a taste for it.” She picked up the crumpled report and tossed it into the trash. “And I promised him I wouldn’t have another man’s child.” “Jocelyn!” I lunged, my movements fast and lethal. She intercepted my strike with ease. After a few exchanges, she exploited an opening, spinning behind me with fluid grace. A sharp kick buckled the back of my knee. “I’ve been more than fair to you these past three years, Shane. Don’t push it.” I stumbled forward, catching myself on the wine bar. “I’ll tell you after we’re done here.” She turned to leave. “Stay where you are!” I threw a punch. She spun back to block it, and a blade slid from her sleeve. A flicker of shock went through me as the knife sliced across my chest. A searing pain tore through my pectoral muscle. She used the opening to kick my knee again, forcing me to the ground. She wiped her hands clean. “Be careful, or you might just die by my hand.” My head hit the corner of the table. Blood dripped into my left eye as I glared at her retreating back, the sound of the slamming door echoing in the room. Now I knew why my father had warned me not to marry a comrade. It didn’t matter that she was my partner for six years. That we had faced death together, that she had saved my life more times than I could count. Betrayal is betrayal. The fourth envelope was stained with my blood. The words DO NOT GET DIVORCED were a glaring, mocking red. I knew my father was always right. But this woman… I couldn’t stay married to this woman. Shaking the blood from my hand, I staggered to my feet and dialed my divorce lawyer. 2 I was in the middle of discussing the terms with my lawyer when Jocelyn stormed in with her people. She snatched the freshly drafted agreement and tore it to shreds. “Let’s go.” She grabbed my arm, her grip like steel. I twisted out of her hold, forcing her back. “You really intend to divorce me?” “That’s right.” Jocelyn nodded, then turned her cold gaze on the lawyer. “If you dare to type another word for him, you’ll regret it.” The lawyer’s face went pale. He stood, gave a nervous bow, and practically scurried out of the room. “Jocelyn!” I roared, my frustration boiling over. She smirked. “Come on, husband.” I ignored her. I had already memorized the terms. I went to the computer, added the final clauses, and hit print. “Shane Maddox!” She gripped my hand, trying to stop me, but I shoved her away and pressed the button. “Sign it, Ms. Kane.” She snapped the pen I offered her in two. With a sweep of her arm, she sent everything on the desk crashing to the floor. “Don’t you understand? The only reason you’re alive right now is because you’re married to me!” I frowned. “If you divorce me, you won’t even know what killed you!” She said it with such furious desperation, for a second it felt like we were on a dangerous mission, like I’d just charged in without my vest to take down a target, and she was tearing into me for being so reckless with my life. I pushed her away. “Who the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do?” “Your wife!” A sharp blow to the back of my neck. Darkness. When I came to, I was on the bed, my clothes in disarray. Because of the pregnancy, her usual fire was missing, but there was a searing pain on my shoulder. A fresh bite mark. She stood over me. “Don’t mention divorce again. Anything else, you can have your way.” She turned and walked out. I grabbed a wine glass from the nightstand and hurled it at her back. It shattered against the doorframe. She only paused for a fraction of a second before leaving. I scrubbed furiously at the lipstick smudges on my skin, only managing to smear them into a red haze. I gritted my teeth in rage. Not long after she left, priceless, one-of-a-kind auction items began arriving at the apartment, each one worth a lifetime’s savings for most people. “Ms. Kane said that if there is anything else you desire, sir, you only need to ask.” I didn’t even glance at the treasures. I could earn my own damn fortune. These things were no comfort. I needed an outlet. My protégé, Jasper, had vanished along with Jocelyn. I drove to my private firing range. “Change the targets. I want pictures of Jocelyn Kane and Jasper White.” 3 As I was setting up the range, my instincts screamed. I snapped my head to the side. A bullet grazed my hair and slammed into the reinforced concrete wall just inches away. I stared at the deep crater in the wall and spun around. “Who’s there?” A loud laugh echoed through the space. Jasper stood there, holding an assault rifle, aiming it right at me. “Sorry, boss. Ran out of targets. Mind standing in for a bit?” Beside him, Jocelyn sat calmly in a chair, dressed in full combat gear, watching the show. “You brought him here?” This range was mine. I had only ever given Jocelyn access. This was our place. We trained here, ran drills, even had dates here. It was our secret base. “Get him out of here,” I seethed. Jocelyn just smiled at me. “Jasper’s not a great shot, and you’re fast. He won’t hit you. As his mentor, you should give him some practice.” “Jocelyn—” Before I could say more, Jasper opened fire. A spray of bullets stitched across the wall. I dove, rolled, and scrambled for cover, using every evasive maneuver I knew. When it was over, the wall was riddled with deep gouges. I looked up, breathing heavily, at Jasper, who had emptied his magazine. He clicked his tongue. “This is boring. I can’t hit him.” Jocelyn rose from her chair and walked toward him with a smile. “You know what your biggest problem is?” She stood beside him, lining up the shot, her head tilted alongside his. Panic seized me. “Jocelyn!” “Focus on this point.” Her index finger covered his as they squeezed the trigger together. Jocelyn’s marksmanship was even better than mine. Even with a target moving erratically, I had nowhere to run. A bullet screamed past my cheek and exploded against the wall behind me. Blood dripped onto the floor. Jasper’s eyes lit up. Jocelyn smiled as he reloaded, taking aim at me again. This time, every bullet was a near miss, tearing through the air, grazing my skin. My knees gave out and I sank to the ground, gasping for breath. Jocelyn watched, her arms crossed. Jasper shouted, “Stay still, boss! Or the next one might just go through your head!” I pulled the dagger strapped to my thigh. I got to my feet and strode towards him. “Boss, I said don’t move!” I ignored him. Jasper took aim. Anyone trained by Jocelyn saw a massive improvement in their skills. I dodged the first shot, picking up my pace. Jasper started to panic. A hailstorm of bullets rained down on me. A few grazed my arm, leaving deep, bleeding furrows that exposed the bone. It only made me move faster. “Either you kill me right now, or I kill you.” The moment he aimed for my heart, I vaulted over a table, launching a flying side kick that sent him and his rifle crashing to the ground. “You lose.” I pinned him by the throat, the dagger raised high. “Aah!” As Jasper screamed in terror, I felt the cold press of metal against the back of my head. The Desert Eagle. The one I gave her. “Let him go.” 4 I’ve had enemy guns pointed at me more times than I can count. But this was the first time it was one of my own. “Jocelyn, are you really going to kill me?” Her voice was ice. “Try me.” I laughed. “Alright.” I plunged the dagger into Jasper’s shoulder. BANG! The bullet tore through my chest from back to front. In ten years of service, I’d never been shot. Because she was always there, standing in front of me. Now, the only gunshot wound I had… was from her. Jasper scrambled out from under me and ran to Jocelyn’s side. I coughed up a mouthful of blood. Jocelyn pulled Jasper away, turning to speak into her comms. “Med team to the firing range.” 5 Jocelyn had spared my life. The bullet missed my heart by a fraction of an inch. It didn’t even puncture a lung. But the recovery was long. When I finally woke up, the medical staff was gone. Only Jocelyn was there, watching over me. I flinched away from her outstretched hand. “Are you angry?” She settled for tucking the blanket around me instead. “I was worried about you.” I didn’t speak. “Shane, I was wrong. Whatever you want, just ask.” “Anything?” “Anything.” “Alright.” I sat up. “First, put on this blindfold.” She obeyed, letting me tie the silk ribbon around her eyes. I took her hand and placed a pen in it. “You want me to sign something?” she asked, an eyebrow raised. “My assets?” “Afraid you’ll miss them?” She laughed. “Of course not. Whatever you want, Shane. I’ll sign it all. You can have everything.” “Good.” I guided her hand to the signature line of the divorce papers. “Let me guess, fifty billion? A hundred?” I just smiled. She signed her name without hesitation. The moment the pen lifted from the paper, she went rigid. She ripped off the blindfold. “I knew it.” She waved the papers in my face. “Don’t play these games with me!” She threw the agreement towards the trash can. “Jocelyn!” I lunged for it, but she blocked my path. “Is there nothing else you want? You’re that determined to divorce me?” “Yes! Now move!” She grabbed my face, forcing me to look at her. “Divorcing me will get you killed!” I froze. “You think I don’t know what’s in the fourth envelope?” she asked with a bitter smile. “Your father was trying to protect you. He doesn’t want you to die, and neither do I.” “I don’t need your protection!” I shoved her hard. The next second, she pulled me into a brutal kiss. “Jo—mmph!” I struggled, pushing against her. My hand caught on her shirt, and as it tore, I saw it—the ugly, puckered scar of a through-and-through bullet wound she’d taken for me, surrounded by a roadmap of countless other scars. My resolve faltered. Instead of throwing her off, I bit down hard on her lip. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth before she finally let go. We were both a mess, panting as we stared at each other. She wiped the blood from her mouth, her composure seemingly restored. My voice was cold. “Find some time. Get rid of the baby.” A medical report landed in my lap. An abortion. “Did you really think I would keep your child?” I looked at the date on the form. It was from the day of our first big fight. I froze. Then, a slow, cold smile spread across my face. “Well done, my dear wife.” Her fists clenched. She surged forward, cupping my face in her hands, her expression fierce. “Promise me. You will never mention divorce again. We are going to be husband and wife for the rest of our lives.” A frantic pounding on the door. Jocelyn, who had been about to kiss me again, froze. The annoyance in her eyes was palpable. “Get out!” “Jocelyn!” It was Jasper’s voice. He burst through the door. “Jumper… Jumper’s gone!” 6 Jocelyn couldn’t believe it. She doted on that child. He had a security detail patrolling 24/7. Who could have possibly taken him? Jasper’s red-rimmed eyes shot to me. Jocelyn’s gaze followed. “It was you. You leaked his location.” She frowned. “I did not.” “Only you knew about him! Only you knew your wife’s every move! If you have a problem, you take it up with me! Why would you hurt a child?” “Enough!” I gasped, the pain in my chest flaring. “What’s the point of throwing baseless accusations? We need to figure out how to get him back!” Jasper choked out, “The people who took him… they’re the boss’s enemies…” Jocelyn went still. I understood immediately. We both moved at the same time. But I forgot about the blade hidden in her sleeve. In an instant, she had me pinned against the balcony railing, the knife pressed to my throat. “Shane, if Jumper dies, I have no reason to live. If you won’t agree to the exchange, we die together, right here, right now.” Everyone said Jocelyn Kane was heartless, except when it came to me. But even I didn’t know that her child with Jasper was her entire world. I stopped struggling. “Fine. But we’re getting a divorce.” Her hand wavered. “Deal.” I smiled. Turns out, getting a divorce wasn’t so hard after all… 7 Ever since we signed the papers, Jasper seemed a lot less frantic. Jocelyn, however, was in a rush. The moment my signature was on the page, she had me tied up, thrown in a car, and delivered to the kidnappers. She had shielded me from their bullets and blades countless times. Now, she was handing me over to them herself. The little boy was returned to her arms. “Jumper!” Her eyes were red as she clutched him, pressing a firm kiss to his forehead. She didn’t even notice as Jasper shoved me towards our enemies. I was dragged before their leader. The woman’s upper face was hidden in shadow, but her red lips curved into a smile. “Shane Maddox. After you killed so many of my people, I never thought you’d end up in my hands.” I just smiled back. “Still not going to untie me?”

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1 Online, a burning question once popped up: “What do you do when you’ve played the fake sister to a top-tier billionaire for ten years, and the real heir finally comes home?” The top-voted answer was a succinct two words: “Run. Fast.” My finger hovered over that reply on the screen for a long time before I finally hit ‘like’. But I couldn’t run. Because I wasn’t just Robert Marston’s fake sister; I was his dog, his blade, and the only tranquilizer in the rotten, opulent world of the Marstons that allowed him a moment of peaceful sleep. Just moments ago, I’d personally destroyed a priceless hard drive with concentrated aqua regia. It was Robert’s final ticket to send a competitor straight to hell. And ten minutes after I’d dealt with that “trash,” the anonymous exposé hit my phone’s homepage: The Real Marston Heiress Is Returning. Luella Vance’s Days Are Numbered. I sniffed the faint, acrid scent lingering on my fingertips and smiled. My days are numbered? Maybe. … I’d lived in the Marston mansion for ten years. The outside world whispered that Robert doted on his sister. But I knew it wasn’t doting. It was… tending. Like livestock. It was three in the morning, in the private lab on the top floor of Marston Industries’ corporate tower. The exhaust fan hummed, its drone barely masking the pungent chemical smell with a special air freshener system. I peeled off my goggles, then the ill-fitting hazmat suit, revealing a custom evening gown that felt completely out of place. “Cleaned up?” Robert sat on a leather sofa nearby, an unlit cigarette between his fingers. His voice was hoarse, carrying a post-coital languor and a chilling edge. Robert Marston. The ruthless head of the Marston dynasty in Sterling City, a man who’d clawed his way out of the slums, a madman, and for the past decade, my “brother.” “Hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Not a trace left,” I said, scrubbing my unblemished fingers under the faucet again and again. “The data on that hard drive? Not even a miracle could bring it back.” Robert gestured. “Come here.” I obeyed, walking over. He pulled me into his lap, burying his head in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. “Smells like chemicals,” he grumbled, though his arms tightened around me. “Disgusting, Luella.” “That’s the smell of your power, Robert,” I corrected him, my face a blank mask. Robert chuckled, the vibration in his chest sending a shiver up my spine. “These past ten years, without your hands, how many nights of sleep would I have lost?” I said nothing. I’d been the most inconspicuous child in the orphanage. Robert took me home when I was ten. He’d just taken power then, besieged on all sides. He didn’t need a sniveling sister; he needed a confidante, someone utterly clean, utterly loyal, a “shadow” who could handle his dirtiest work. I had a knack for chemistry. He got me the best tutors, built me the best lab. I didn’t disappoint. I learned to concoct hallucinogens that could drive someone insane with a single breath, how to assemble powerful explosives from common household items, and how to make bodies and evidence disappear completely. I was the Marston heiress, and Robert’s personal “cleaner.” Until that post appeared. On the drive back to the mansion, I sat in the passenger seat, my phone screen glowing. The anonymous forum post had exploded. Poster: [INSIDER INFO! The real heiress has been found! Rumor has it she was kidnapped to the borderlands back then, has a crescent-shaped birthmark on her neck! Mr. Marston has already sent people to pick her up!] 1st Comment: [Is Luella Vance screwed? Squatting for so many years, Mr. Marston is a ruthless man, won’t he flay her alive when he finds out the truth?] 2nd Comment: [Heard Luella was from an orphanage too, tsk tsk, time for the country bumpkin’s Cinderella dream to end.] … 188th Comment: [Bet you a bag of chips Luella gets tossed into the ocean for the fish.] I switched off the screen and gazed out at the blurring city lights. “Robert,” I said suddenly. He was resting his eyes, but didn’t open them. “Speak.” “I want to study abroad.” The air in the car instantly solidified. Old Robert, the driver in the front, visibly flinched, and the car swerved slightly. Robert slowly opened his eyes, his gaze, black as midnight, locking onto me. The warmth in them vanished, replaced by an arctic chill. “What did you say? Say it again.” “I want to study abroad.” I forced the words out, my nails digging into my palms. “My chemical research has hit a wall. There’s a professor overseas…” “Screech—!” The Maybach slammed to a halt at the roadside. The privacy partition rose, leaving just him and me in the confined space. Robert’s fingers clamped around my chin, his grip so tight I thought my bones might shatter. He leaned close, his eyes as menacing as a territorial beast. “Luella, who put that idea in your head? Hmm?” “That forum post? You saw it?” My pupils contracted. He knew. “You think the real one’s back, and you need to clear out?” Robert scoffed, his thumb tracing my lower lip, his voice dangerously intimate. “You’re my property. As long as I don’t let go, no one can replace you. Study abroad? Don’t even think about it. For your entire life, you’ll stay in the Marston mansion, by my side. Nowhere else.” His kiss descended, a punishing bite laced with the acrid taste of stale cigarette smoke. I closed my eyes, a cold dread seeping into my heart. He was lying. If he truly didn’t care about the real heir, why had he been frequently deploying private jets to the borderlands these past few days? Why was there a detailed investigation report titled Jenny in his study? He was soothing me. Or rather, he was keeping me stable. After all, I knew too many of the Marston family’s secrets. Until that “real sister” fully took over, I, the “fake sister,” couldn’t be allowed to cause trouble. 2 The day the “real heiress” returned was a lavish charity gala. Robert Marston never went into battle unprepared. If he dared to present that girl in such a setting, it meant he’d made exhaustive preparations. I wore the black velvet gown Robert had personally chosen, clinging to his arm, playing the part of the demure, aloof, and untouchable Marston heiress. Until the grand doors swung open, and all the spotlights in the room converged on that girl. Her name was Jenny. She stood there, timid and uncertain, in a faded white dress, like a delicate wildflower swaying in a storm. But the moment she raised her head, I heard gasps ripple through the room. The resemblance. It was uncanny. Not to me, but to Robert in his youth. The same innate coolness and stubbornness in her eyes, as if carved from the same mold. More importantly, when she tilted her head slightly out of nervousness, a crescent-shaped red birthmark on her neck stood out glaringly under the lights. It was the unique mark of the Marston family’s long-lost daughter. And it was something I, the “imposter,” absolutely did not possess. Robert’s arm stiffened for a fraction of a second. Just a fraction, but he still pushed me away, striding towards the girl. “What’s your name?” Silence descended, Robert’s voice echoing through the ballroom. The girl’s eyes were red-rimmed, her voice trembling. “Jenny… Jenny Vance.” In that moment, I became the biggest joke in the room. The whispers of the socialites surged like a tide. “Look at Luella, her face is white as a sheet.” “A fake is always a fake. The real one shows up, and the imposter’s true colors are revealed.” “How do you think Mr. Marston will deal with her? All these years, the money spent on a fake must be staggering.” I stood my ground, picked up a glass of champagne, and drained it in one gulp. The sharp, burning liquid slid down my throat, suppressing the stinging in my eyes. I didn’t envy Jenny. I was just afraid. I knew how Robert treated traitors and the useless. Those hard drives I’d destroyed, those people who’d simply vanished from the face of the earth, were all grim precedents. That night, Jenny moved into the Marston mansion. And, more strikingly, into the master bedroom next to Robert’s – a forbidden zone even for me. I was relegated to a guest room. The staff, masters of opportunism, immediately diverted the bird’s nest soup originally meant for my room to the master suite. “Miss Vance, I’m so sorry, but the young lady just returned and is a bit frail. This is the only bowl of bird’s nest we have.” I looked at Martha’s smirking face. “It’s fine, I don’t care for sweets.” Closing the door, I pulled a prepared black backpack from under the bed. Cash, a fake passport, several high-concentration anesthetics disguised as lipstick, and a miniature smoke bomb I’d concocted myself. This was my escape route. I’d hoped I wouldn’t need it, but now, it seemed I had no choice but to use it. Late that night, as I opened my door, I bumped into someone. Jenny. She was wearing silk pajamas, holding a glass of warm milk, standing in the dim light of the hallway. There was no trace of the timidity she’d displayed at the gala. She looked at me, a strange, twisted smile playing on her lips. “Going somewhere so soon, big sister?” Her voice was soft, yet it carried an indescribable chill. I frowned. “Move.” Jenny took a step closer, her gaze falling on my backpack, her eyes greedy and malicious. “How could someone like Robert Marston have kept a fool like you for ten years? You think you can just run away?” She reached out, her long fingers lightly tracing my cheek, her nails sharp. “If I were you, I’d get on my knees and beg for mercy. Maybe I’d be merciful enough to leave you a whole body, considering you’ve worn the Marston name for a decade.” I grabbed her wrist, twisting it sharply. “Ah!” Jenny screamed, the milk spilling to the floor. “What are you doing?!” A furious roar echoed from the staircase. Robert strode up, pushing me aside and shielding Jenny behind him. “Robert… she… she called me a wildling, said I didn’t belong…” Jenny clutched her wrist, tears instantly welling up, a picture of delicate sorrow. I watched the scene coldly. It was a cliché, a tired old trick. But in this house, cliché tricks often worked best, because the judge was already biased. Robert turned, his eyes fixed on me as if I were already dead. “Luella, apologize.” I stood tall. “I did nothing wrong.” “I told you to apologize!” Robert’s voice rose a few octaves, laced with unquestionable authority. I looked at the man I’d called brother for ten years. The last sliver of hope in my heart was extinguished. “I’m sorry.” I lowered my head, my voice so calm it surprised even me. “I shouldn’t have soiled the young lady’s dress.” With that, I turned and went back to my room, slamming the door shut. From outside, I could faintly hear Robert’s low murmurs, soothing Jenny. I leaned against the door, slowly sliding to the floor. It wasn’t sadness. It was clarity. Luella, wake up. This was never your home.

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