Category: English

In the interrogation room, I buried my face in my hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Later, the court declared me not guilty. With police officers escorting me, I walked out of the courthouse. In a quiet, unnoticed corner, I wiped away the tears at the corners of my eyes and let a faint, triumphant smile spread across my lips. “My name is Emily Stone, a student from Class 6 at Central High School.” “I was… in the same class as the deceased.” I sat up on the hospital bed, the IV drip still in my arm. I weakly took the water from an officer, wearing her police uniform, handed me, offering her a gentle smile. The officer sitting next to me nodded, trying to reassure me. “You don’t have to worry. Just try to recall all the details from that time.”

The one thing I could pride myself on was my looks. Whether it was older men or young boys on the cusp of adolescence, they were all creatures of the eye. It’s not hard to win the attention of a teenage boy. All it takes is a single glance, a casual touch, and a face that looks just innocent enough. With that, you could have him wrapped around your finger. For me, it’s effortless—being able to make others feel protective toward me comes naturally. But I never expected that these very traits I took pride in would one day bring me immense harm. That day, I found half of a torn note in my drawer. “After school, would you like to meet at the equipment room by the stadium? I have something I need to tell you.” When I saw the name at the bottom, I couldn’t help but scoff, tossing the note into the trash. I’d seen this kind of confession at least eight times before. And here came number nine. It was from Jason Lee, the guy everyone in class knew as the ultimate “sister complex” case. He was smart, and he kept his distance from everyone except his little sister. I didn’t expect someone like him—such a model student—to have any interest in early romance. But, no matter how perfect someone might seem, in the end, they were just another 17 or 18-year-old boy. I chuckled to myself. Honestly, I was curious about what he was going to say. “So, he invited you to the equipment room?” The officer paused, his pen hovering above the paper as he looked up at me. I gave him a reassuring smile in return. “Yes, officer.” “Alright, please continue.”

After school, I headed to the equipment room right on time. It was Friday, and by the time classes let out, the sky had already darkened. Most of the students and staff had left the campus, leaving the halls eerily quiet. I pushed open the door to the equipment room. The rusty hinges groaned in protest before the door swung open. Inside, it was dim and empty. I wasn’t in a hurry, though. I knew confessions were nerve-wracking, especially for someone as shy as Adam Blake. Strolling around the room, I noticed a cluttered shelf filled with old, dusty vases, all precariously stacked and out of order. With nothing better to do, I decided to kill some time by rearranging them. One by one, I lined them up, straightening out the mess. Suddenly, the door creaked again behind me, followed by a loud slam. I thought it was just the wind blowing the door shut, so I turned to open it again. Before I could move, a pair of hands grabbed me from behind. I froze, my body stiffening as I felt hot, ragged breaths against the back of my neck. He was panting, his voice shaky as he whispered my name over and over. His hands moved frantically, sliding under my shirt and groping at my bra. I felt my stomach churn with disgust. Humiliated and furious, I began to yell at him, twisting and struggling to get free. But he only held on tighter. His lips brushed against my neck, and his voice, trembling with emotion, murmured words of love into my ear. A cold shiver ran down my spine. My skin crawled. In that moment, I regretted everything—coming here, agreeing to his note, believing for even a second that a teenage boy could have any sense of control. He made me sick. I told him to stop, my voice sharp and firm, but my rejection only seemed to excite him more. To him, my “no” was some kind of game, a twisted form of encouragement. His breathing quickened, and I felt something hard pressing against me, grinding into me. Fear and anger surged through me, mingling into something wild and uncontrollable. You should know, when someone is consumed by rage, they can tap into strength they didn’t even know they had. Blinded by fury, I twisted my body sharply, breaking out of his grasp. With all the force I could muster, I shoved him backward. He stumbled, colliding with the shelf behind him. One of the vases teetered for a moment before crashing down directly onto his head. The sound of shattering ceramic filled the room, and a shard of the broken vase sliced into my shoulder, sending a sharp jolt of pain through me. His grip loosened, and his hands slipped away from my waist as his body crumpled to the floor. Clutching my bleeding shoulder, I stumbled toward the door, still trembling. When I pulled it open, the light from the hallway spilled into the dark room. That’s when I saw him lying there, motionless. Blood pooled beneath his head. He wasn’t breathing. He was dead. “That’s everything that happened,” I said softly, my fingers grazing the bandage on my shoulder as tears welled up in my eyes. Two drops slipped down my cheeks. “If I had known what kind of person he really was, I would’ve never agreed to meet him that day.” The air in the hospital room was heavy, suffocating. The officers standing around me exchanged silent glances, as if communicating through subtle nods and expressions. The lead detective finally stood, offering me a small, polite bow. “Thank you for your time. We’ll let you rest for now.” I gave him a faint smile. “Thank you, officer. Take care.” One by one, they filed out of the room, the door clicking shut behind them. The room fell silent. Alone at last, the faint smile on my lips vanished. My eyes darkened, and the corners of my mouth curled into something colder, sharper. My tears were long gone. And in their place, a quiet, satisfied smile lingered.

I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, the nurse was standing beside me, swapping out my IV bag. “This is the last one for today. Once this is finished, you’ll be free to leave the hospital,” she said with a bright smile, running her hand through my messy hair. “You’re such a strong girl. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself from now on.” I purposely lowered my gaze and blinked slowly. “I will, thank you. You take care too.” I’ve always known how to make people feel sorry for me, no matter who they are. Sure enough, the nurse gave my cheek a gentle pinch, then stuffed all the candy from her pocket into my arms. After she left, I let out a wild, carefree smile. I’m an orphan—never had parents since birth. A few years ago, I gained a family, but they’ve all passed away now. Now, I’m the only one left. I didn’t expect anyone to come help me check out. I followed the nurse through the discharge process. Thankfully, nurses are sharp and took care of most of the paperwork for me. When it was time to leave, she looked at me with teary eyes and said, “Please promise me you’ll live your life to the fullest from now on.” I put on my best performance, crying in her arms, and then wiped away my tears as soon as I turned away. It’s all just for show.

Although the school advised me to take a couple of days off to recover, I decided to go home that same day. I have a lot of friends, or rather, a crowd of people around me who always seem to appear when I get back. As soon as I walked in, they gathered around, bombarding me with a million questions. Though it was annoying, I still put on my best social smile, responding to their insincere sympathy and gossiping curiosity. “Did you really kill that guy?” “Huh? You actually killed him? You sure you’re okay with that?” I lowered my eyes, pressing my lips into a thin line. One of the girls clicked her tongue in displeasure. “Can you not speak like that?” Seeing her reaction, the guy who had spoken quickly shut up, grinning sheepishly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t be mad, okay?” I shook my head, pretending to be strong. “I’m fine.” Immediately, they all started comforting me. “That guy deserved it, honestly. I’ve never liked him, and he had the nerve to do that to you…” The girl clicked her tongue again, and the guy instantly went silent. While we were surrounded by chatter and noise, there was a stark contrast over by where Nina Young sat. Through the gaps in the crowd, I spotted her in the corner, looking longingly at the scene, her fingers nervously clutching her pencil as it trembled slightly. When our eyes met, she froze for a moment, then quickly looked down, her hands fumbling with the pencil as she scribbled on her notebook. Nina Young—a classic introvert. She never spoke to anyone, had no friends, and was always glued to her brother. Whatever she did, it was always with him, side by side. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I already knew how things would play out.

Our class has a reputation for being a total mess. Everyone here feels like they’ve been eaten alive by termites, with darkness buried deep inside them—an inescapable, root-deep kind of rotten. In this class, we have our own unwritten social hierarchy. There are three groups of people. One group is made up of the so-called “good students,” led by the late Jason. To avoid trouble with the school, anyone looking for conflict will intentionally steer clear of this group. Then there’s my group, the troublemakers—the ones who like to form cliques and cause chaos. The last group consists of the average students—those who aren’t great at studying or making friends. They end up becoming the fertilizer that feeds the termites. Sure enough, it didn’t even take two days before their attention shifted to Nina. Before, they were a bit wary of her because of Jason. Out of respect for him, they kept their distance from her. But now that Jason is gone, Nina is like a lost sheep with no one to protect her. She’s just another toy for them to play with. They’ll wait for her to go to the bathroom during break and steal her seat. When she comes back, she won’t be able to find a place to sit and will have to stand through class. Or they’ll leave empty drink bottles on her desk, throw used tissues in her drawer, then laugh at her, watching her struggle. “Oh, is this your seat? I thought it was the trash can.” And of course, the others will burst into exaggerated laughter, as if they’ve just heard the funniest joke in the world. The teacher knows exactly what’s going on. She’s not blind—she sees Nina standing, sees the trash piled up on her desk. But all she does is glance at it and say nothing. I’ve said it before—everyone in this class is rotten, not just the students. I know the real reason they act with such impunity is not just because Nina lost her brother. Nina’s family situation is similar to mine—she only has her brother left. Now that her brother’s gone, the one person who could protect her is gone too. With no one to back her up, they can do whatever they want. I rest my chin on my hand, watching Nina awkwardly stand at the front of the class. Such a shame. She’s nothing like me. She doesn’t know how to hide her feelings.

I’ve always known how to make people love me. Anyone. I know how to make myself appear fragile and helpless, triggering pity in others. At the same time, I know how to disguise myself with expensive, high-end brands, crafting an image of someone from a wealthy family. A sheltered girl from a rich family—who would dare to mess with her? But Nina doesn’t know how to do that. Her dislike, her fear, her anxiety are all written on her face. The slightest sound or movement makes her jump, and that only excites the bullies even more. Just like now. A paper ball hits Nina in the head, then bounces off and rolls to the floor. I hear quiet snickers from around the room, but Nina just lowers her head, her ears turning red, silent and weak. Then another paper ball. Then another. It isn’t until the teacher finally intervenes, but not for Nina’s sake—just to restore order to the class. Nina’s eyes are red, on the verge of tears, but she doesn’t cry. sigh—poor girl.

The bell rang, and I was ready to leave. A group of people gathered around me, boasting about how they’d protect me while asking endless questions. It was getting annoying, but just as I stepped outside the school gate, a man suddenly stepped in front of me. I looked up, recognizing his familiar face, and gave a slight nod. “Hello, Officer.” He seemed a bit taken aback by my calmness, then nodded back, though still looking slightly surprised. “We have a few questions. Are you available to come with us for a bit?” I glanced at my friends, the ones who had been clamoring to protect me. Now they shrank back, nervously ducking their heads. I looked over at the officer behind him, a young female cop, who was watching me intently. Finally, I nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.” I followed them to the police station and was seated in a chair. The officer handed me a glass of water, and I checked the temperature by feeling the outside of the cup before handing it back. “Could I have it warm, please? Thank you.” The officer blinked for a second, then rushed off to get the warm water. The lead officer cleared his throat, and the younger officer stopped in his tracks. “Get the water after the questioning is done.”The interrogation began. The harsh fluorescent light beamed down on my face. I instinctively raised my hand to shield my eyes, then slowly lowered it. The scene in front of me oddly reminded me of something straight out of a movie. My adrenaline spiked just a little. The officer spoke first. “I have to admit, I underestimated you, Miss.” He squinted slightly.

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In the hallway, a gigantic snake skin was discovered. I quickly alerted my neighbors in the group chat to be cautious. “Make sure to close your doors and windows! Snakes can swallow things much larger than themselves. This one is enormous, and after shedding, it will soon be on the hunt for food!” However, my neighbors brushed off my warnings, laughing at me for being overly cautious. The property management promptly replied, “There’s no snake in this building. Some residents need to stop spreading panic.” “Hiss, hiss.” So, what’s out there in the hallway now? While cleaning, the neighborhood janitor found a large snake skin in the building. Initially, everyone thought it was just a prank and that the snake skin must be fake. How could a snake possibly find its way into a high-end apartment? Having grown up in the mountains with my grandfather, I recognized it immediately. It was a freshly shed snake skin, which meant the snake had grown even larger. I quickly warned everyone in the chat, “Close your doors and windows! Snakes can swallow things much larger than themselves. This one is huge, and after shedding, it will immediately look for food!” My caution was met with ridicule, as many believed that being in the city center, far from the suburbs, meant there was no chance of a snake being around. If there were a snake, surely someone would have seen it by now. The mom from Apartment 606 said, “908, stop trying to scare everyone! We’re not in the countryside, so where would a snake come from?” She had a point, but what if someone was keeping it as a pet? After all, it’s not unusual for people to keep snakes as pets. I couldn’t help but continue in the chat, “Maybe someone is keeping it at home. Everyone should still be cautious.” The chat filled with snake emojis, as no one took it seriously. Only the resident from 707 seemed concerned: “If someone really is keeping such a large snake, maybe its owner has already been eaten?” The chat fell silent after that. The property management tried to reassure everyone, sarcastically adding, “There’s no snake in this building. Some residents need to stop spreading panic.” Just then, my takeout arrived, and I was about to open the door when a scream erupted from outside. I couldn’t reach the delivery person by phone. Instinctively, I hesitated to open the door. After a while, I peeked through the peephole and saw a foot slowly vanish from view. Pressing my ear to the door, I heard a distinct sound. “Hiss, hiss.” There’s said to be no snake, so what’s in the hallway now?

The delivery person likely didn’t make it. This snake must be highly venomous to take down an adult so quickly. I immediately called emergency services and told the residents in the group chat not to leave their apartments until professionals arrived! A resident from 1008 joked, “Is this some new kind of prank? Maybe the delivery guy is just pulling your leg?” The resident from 707 said, “I can’t stay in; I still need to pick up a package later.” The mom from 606 chimed in, “Our baby needs to go downstairs for some sun every day.” You can’t reason with some people. If something happens, they’ll only have themselves to blame. Locking all doors and windows and waiting for professionals is all I can do for now. I suddenly remembered that my best friend, Emily Johnson, was supposed to visit in two hours. I quickly called her to tell her not to come over yet. But when the video call connected, Emily was all smiles, “Surprise! I’m already downstairs at your building; aren’t you going to come out and greet me?” “Don’t come up, don’t enter the building! There’s a snake!” The video froze suddenly! Judging by the background, Emily was already in the elevator, and her phone lost signal, cutting off the network. As long as she goes back the way she came and doesn’t leave the elevator, she’ll be fine. I quickly messaged her, praying she wouldn’t step out! Meanwhile, the previously relaxed homeowners’ group chat exploded in chaos. The property’s surveillance confirmed there was indeed a large snake roaming the apartment complex. The property management quickly changed their dismissive attitude and issued a notice for residents to stay indoors. They also asked if anyone was keeping a snake at home. There was a lot of swearing, but no one answered the question. If the snake is wild, it would be even more aggressive. It’s uncertain if professionals can even catch it. My best friend finally messaged back, “I’m almost on the ninth floor. Come out and help me with my stuff!” It seems my message was delayed, and she hasn’t seen it yet. Her chat window kept showing “Typing…” Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Could it be her?

“Liv, is that you?” I called out as I approached the entryway, but there was no answer, just incessant knocking. The knocking grew louder, as if something was chasing her. Emily called me again, breathless, “I was scared to death. Thank God I heard your voice message and closed the elevator. I ran out!” So, whoever’s at the door isn’t her! Anxiously, I approached the door and peeked through the peephole. It was the young girl who lived across from me. Her lips were purple, and she nervously looked around. We usually exchanged glances in passing, and I had a good impression of her. Just ten minutes ago, she was messaging in the group chat. Why was she outside now? “Help me! I left my keys inside!” she suddenly shouted, banging on the door harder. Her voice echoed through the hallway. The girl screamed desperately, and my compassion almost made me open the door. But then I heard her pleading voice. “Don’t bite me… I’ll find you new food…” “No!” “Hiss, hiss.” Then there was silence. I didn’t have the courage to look through the peephole again, but I could imagine the gruesome scene. Calming myself, I realized the girl across the hall wanted me to feed the snake so it would spare her. If I had opened the door, I could have been the snake’s next victim. But if this snake had already bitten the delivery person, how was it still searching for food? Could there be more than one snake in this building?

I informed the property management of the situation outside and urged them to check the surveillance to locate the snake. The residents were in an uproar, demanding the property management catch the snake immediately. But the property was powerless. The situation was unclear, and they couldn’t send anyone into our building. We could only wait for professionals to arrive. The property management finally responded, saying the snake that appeared on surveillance had suddenly vanished without a trace. They claimed to have checked all the surveillance footage but found no sign of the snake. Someone boldly speculated, “Could the snake have gained intelligence and learned to evade the cameras?” The group chat exploded with discussions. [Is someone keeping this snake? How does it seem so familiar with every floor?] I also suspected someone was hiding it, preventing anyone from finding it. The mom from 606 suddenly blamed me: [Is it 908 keeping it? Trying to catch a thief by shouting thief!] Good intentions were met with malicious speculation, and I chose to stay silent. The property then sent a photo of the snake skin, asking if anyone recognized it as their pet snake that had escaped. Upon enlarging the image, I realized that although it looked similar to the first snake skin I saw, the patterns were completely different. This confirmed my earlier suspicion; there was more than one snake in this building. And the snake skin shed by this snake was even larger. I hesitated about whether to inform the property management. Then a message came through the group chat saying the snake had been caught. I watched the video the property shared of capturing the snake. It was clear that the snake in the video couldn’t possibly have shed those two massive snake skins. Residents started celebrating, sending thumbs-up emojis to praise the property’s efficiency. I didn’t know how to voice my doubts. After all, I still had to live here. Exposing the property’s lie might make me a target. More importantly, I had decided not to meddle anymore. Reason prevailed over emotion, and I shared my assessment with them. The property manager was the first to dismiss me, calling my claims nonsense and insisting the snake had been caught. He even called me directly, berating me and resorting to threats. “You residents only cause trouble for us. I warn you, if you want to keep living here peacefully, you better shut your mouth!” Just in case, I recorded the entire call. The group chat divided into two factions: one believed I had a point and urged caution, while the other sided with the property and was ready to resume normal activities. I also warned Emily to head home and stay away from the building. She’s the type who loves excitement, and I feared she might get bitten if she’s not careful. But from twenty minutes ago, she hadn’t replied to any of my messages after the last emoji she sent. I remembered my balcony overlooked the area downstairs, so I stepped out to check. She wasn’t downstairs, so maybe she went home? Then I looked down and saw a massive snake tail hanging from the balcony of a downstairs apartment. The person inside hadn’t closed their floor-to-ceiling windows.

I quickly snapped a photo and posted it in the group chat, warning the downstairs residents to be careful. The mom from 606 freaked out, recognizing her son’s baby bib hanging on the balcony. Amidst a flurry of voice messages, she shouted, “That’s my house! Someone please save my baby!” “My mother-in-law and son are home alone! Why didn’t my mother-in-law close the windows?” The group fell silent, everyone knowing that responding meant they’d have to help. And no one wanted to take that risk. The mom frantically tagged the property, but they pretended not to see. Unable to stand by, I reminded her to call home and warn her mother-in-law to find a safe place to hide until the snake left on its own. Ten minutes later, the mom added me through a private chat. She made several video calls to me, but I didn’t answer. In this situation, everyone was looking out for themselves. “My mother-in-law and my son are the only ones at home! Why didn’t she close the window?” The group chat fell silent. Everyone knew that responding would mean having to help, and no one wanted to take that chance. The mothers kept mentioning property management, but they remained unresponsive, ignoring the calls for assistance. Feeling concerned, I suggested she call home to alert her mother-in-law. It would be best for her to find a safe place to hide and wait for the snake to leave on its own. Ten minutes later, the mom added me on the group chat and tried calling me several times through video, but I didn’t answer. In this situation, everyone was looking out for themselves, and I didn’t want to get involved either. The mom insisted that I should go to her house to assess the situation and bring her son and mother-in-law to my place for safety. But without knowing the snake’s location, going out blindly was risky. Even if there wasn’t a snake in the hallway, who could say if it had left her house? Going there might be dangerous. Waiting seemed to be the safest option. After all, I had done my part by warning her. I decided not to respond. She then began calling me out in the neighborhood group chat: “908, why aren’t you answering my calls? Are you just going to let them be in danger?” With the attention redirected, other residents joined in to criticize me. The messages came pouring in. “Yeah, since you saw it, you should help!” “We’re all neighbors here. 606 is a single mom and her child, 908, don’t be so selfish!” These people were quick to speak now, but they had stayed silent earlier. It made me angry, so I retorted: “If you’re all so concerned, why don’t you go?” “I’ve warned them numerous times to keep the windows shut and stay inside. If they didn’t listen, why blame me?” “608, 605! You’re right next door and across the hall, why don’t you go? It’s just a short walk!” The blame shifted, and 608 said they weren’t home, while 605 agreed with me. The mom was still desperate. Her latest private message pleaded for help. “My baby isn’t even a year old. Please help me!” She forwarded a video from her mother-in-law, showing the baby crying continuously, his face red and looking very pitiful. The grandmother was pacing the wooden bedroom floor, trying to soothe the child. I quickly advised her that snakes are sensitive to vibrations and suggested she stop moving. After my response, the mom thanked me repeatedly. She sent over ten videos in a few minutes, asking if I saw the snake. She even suggested adding her mother-in-law so I could keep an eye on the baby via video. How could someone be so demanding? I refused and told her to contact property management and emergency services if she was so worried. Speaking of which, why hadn’t the emergency services arrived? More than twenty minutes had passed. Suddenly, the mom messaged me: “My mother-in-law got bitten! Please save her!” How could that be? I had carefully checked the video and saw no snake in the rooms. The mom, with a sobbing voice, apologized: “My mother-in-law said the baby kept crying, so I thought it would be safer to run upstairs to you with the baby. But she got bitten as soon as she stepped out.” If it weren’t for the innocent child, I would block her. Isn’t she just making things worse? “My mother-in-law is still breathing. She crawled back home with the child. I’m begging you to help! You know snakes; surely you know how to deal with the poison, right?” I’m not a doctor. How could I know? It seems she can only rely on an ambulance now. The mom cried even louder, “There’s a city-wide marathon today, and all the roads are blocked. Not even a fly can get to our street, let alone an ambulance.” So that’s why the emergency services hadn’t arrived! But why today of all days? The mom then sent a screenshot from a video call. There was indeed the shadow of a large snake and a pair of sneakers. 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Caleb and I were the epitome of a loveless marriage. Outside of our obligatory duties, we barely interacted. He despised my strong-willed nature, while I resented his controlling tendencies. So when my body was taken over by an intruder, I held no hope that he would notice. After all, a docile, obedient wife was exactly what he wanted, right? But later, his expression darkened as he gripped “my” throat, his voice trembling: “Who are you really?” “Give me back the real Amelia!” In a desperate attempt to secure a client, I ended up in a car accident on the highway. With a deafening crash, my world spun violently. In those final moments of consciousness, a strange thought flashed through my mind: Well, there goes that client. And I didn’t even get to sleep with Caleb this month. How frustrating. When I next awoke, I found myself as a disembodied spirit, floating above my own body lying in a hospital bed. Caleb sat beside me, his handsome features etched with exhaustion and worry. I was taken aback. Wasn’t he supposed to be in London for a business deal? Suddenly, I heard an unfamiliar voice. It was coming from my own body. [So this is my new body? Not bad at all.] [The original Amelia was such an idiot, trying to compete with her husband for clients. But once I complete my mission, all this luxury will be mine!] [Men are such visual creatures. This task the system gave me will be a piece of cake.] The voice rambled on, though my body remained motionless on the bed. Was this… the voice of the new soul inhabiting my body? I listened intently, quickly analyzing my predicament. It seemed the car accident had somehow caused my soul to separate from my physical form. When I tried to approach my body, an invisible force repelled me. Clearly, I had temporarily lost control over my own body. And now, this so-called “Intruder” had taken over. Just then, the Intruder stirred. Her eyelashes fluttered as she began to wake. Caleb noticed the movement and quickly called for a doctor. The Intruder opened her eyes, a flash of admiration crossing her face as she saw Caleb. But it was quickly hidden. Her internal voice screeched excitedly: [Oh my god, is this the husband? He’s so handsome!] [Rich, powerful, and gorgeous – how could the original Amelia not like him?] [Well, he’s all mine now. Hehe.] I couldn’t deny it. Caleb did possess devastatingly good looks – the very picture of a refined yet dangerous man. Though the Intruder was screaming internally, she remembered she still had to mimic my personality. So she merely turned her head slightly and said coolly: “Why are you here?” Her smug inner voice continued: [Hah, good thing the system gave me info on the original Amelia. She’s supposed to act all cold towards her husband.] [Hmm, this whole “loveless marriage” setup is kind of hot. I bet I can complete the mission to sleep with him in one month instead of three!] Caleb didn’t seem to suspect anything amiss. He lowered his eyes and replied sarcastically: “I was worried you’d die and I’d have to explain that to the family.” “Just focus on recovering. I have work to handle at the company.” He stood up and strode out, leaving only a glimpse of his dark coat trailing behind him. I felt a pang of disappointment, though I wasn’t surprised. After all, Caleb and I were sworn enemies, weren’t we?

From the Intruder’s constant internal chatter, I pieced together her mission. She had to seduce Caleb and sleep with him within three months. I found the whole thing utterly ridiculous. What kind of system assigned such an absurd task? Was she plugged into some kind of erotic novel simulator? But I had to admit, it did cut straight to the heart of the matter. Caleb and I clashed in every other aspect of our lives. But oddly enough, we were surprisingly compatible in the bedroom. I had a domineering personality, but in those intimate moments, I couldn’t help but surrender control. By the end, I could only passively accept his passionate advances, cursing him breathlessly. “You bastard…” He would lean in close, chuckling softly in my ear. But his movements would grow gentler, bringing me even greater pleasure. Though our relationship was far from a normal marriage, the thought of this Intruder using my body to sleep with Caleb made me sick to my stomach. The Intruder’s thoughts continued to race: [I can’t believe he just left like that. When I succeed in seducing him, he’ll be the one chasing after me!] [Hmph, it’s all the original Amelia’s fault for being so cold. But once I complete my mission, I can stay in this world permanently and enjoy the life of a wealthy socialite.] My heart plummeted. Though the Intruder didn’t specify what would happen to me, it wasn’t hard to guess. Once she succeeded, I would lose any chance of reclaiming my body. And how long could a disembodied spirit linger in this world? When that time came, I would truly cease to exist, leaving no trace behind.

The Intruder was already making her move. She got out of bed, still in her hospital gown, and went to examine herself in the bathroom mirror. Satisfied with her appearance, she walked to the door, intending to leave. But Caleb’s assistant stopped her, his tone strictly professional: “Ma’am, you’ve just woken up. If you need anything, please let me know. You should rest in bed.” The Intruder frowned and argued, “I’m fine now. Get me discharged, I need to go back to the office.” The assistant didn’t budge, as if he had expected this response. “I’m sorry ma’am, but Mr. Thorne specifically said your health takes priority.” After a long standoff at the door, the Intruder finally relented. “Fine, if you won’t let me work, at least let me recover at home. The doctor said I’m okay, and I can’t stand hospitals. Tell Caleb I want to go home.” The assistant hesitated for a few seconds before getting Caleb’s approval. Only then did he step aside. “Of course, ma’am. I’ll arrange your discharge right away.” She had been staying in a VIP suite, and all her belongings were already packed up. A Maybach was waiting downstairs. The Intruder maintained a calm exterior, but inside she was ecstatic. [A Maybach? Just to pick me up from the hospital? All these people catering to my every need…] [Soon this will all be mine. The system wasn’t lying after all.] [The sooner I get home, the sooner I can share a bed with him. More opportunities that way. Caleb’s got a great body too, I definitely won’t mind sleeping with him. Hehe.] I jerked my head up in alarm. The Caleb I knew wouldn’t be so desperate as to take advantage of an injured woman. But I still felt nervous. Caleb was my last hope now. Tonight, would he notice something was off about her?

The housekeeper had dinner ready when we got home. Throughout the meal, they ate in silence, with the Intruder occasionally sneaking glances at Caleb. Caleb finished first, pouring himself a glass of milk before heading upstairs to his study. The Intruder instinctively reached for the milk jug as well. Caleb paused mid-step. The Intruder’s heart skipped a beat. [Shit, I forgot Amelia is allergic to milk.] [Seriously? Little miss princess can’t even drink milk? Now she’s gotten me in trouble!] While internally cursing me, she scrambled to think of an excuse. I did indeed have an aversion to milk. But it wasn’t a physical allergy – it was psychological. I grew up in a wealthy but controlling family. From a young age, every aspect of my life was strictly regulated. I wasn’t allowed any junk food. After puberty, I had to report every meal to maintain my figure. The food was nutritionally balanced, but utterly bland. This extended to the nightly glass of milk before bed. Under my mother’s watchful eye, I would dutifully drink it. But the moment she closed the door, I’d rush to the bathroom to throw it all up. The taste of milk made me feel suffocated. After marrying Caleb, I actually gained some weight. No one monitored my eating habits anymore. No one forced me to drink milk. I never touched dairy products, and Caleb knew this well. He stood frozen, looking back towards the dining table. The Intruder didn’t stop pouring the milk. She set the full glass at the other end of the table. “Housekeeper, there’s some milk left here. Please finish it when you’re done cleaning up,” she instructed casually. With a yawn, she walked past Caleb and headed upstairs. [Phew, that was close. I thought I was going to blow my cover.] [Good thing I thought fast. The Thornes treat their staff well, so what I did shouldn’t seem too odd.] Indeed, Caleb didn’t question it. His hand lingered on the stair railing for a long moment. Once the Intruder entered the bedroom, he slowly continued up the stairs.

With his back to me, I couldn’t see Caleb’s expression. But I knew the Intruder had passed this test. Caleb went to his study as usual. He was always busy, and flying back from London on short notice meant work had piled up. By the time he finished, it was late into the night. When he returned to the bedroom, the Intruder was already asleep. In the darkness, his brows furrowed slightly as he gently touched the bandage on her forehead. The car accident hadn’t caused serious injuries, just some bruising and scrapes. His hand moved lower. He softly brushed aside the hair near her ear, revealing a small red birthmark. Caleb’s frown deepened. He scrutinized every inch of her, searching for any anomalies. But the woman beside him continued to sleep peacefully. He finally let out a sigh of relief. After tucking her in, he closed his eyes as well. As Caleb’s breathing evened out, the Intruder suddenly opened her eyes. A triumphant smile played on her lips, her gaze filled with determination. I felt a mix of disappointment and resignation. Of course he wouldn’t notice anything wrong just by looking. After all, it was still my body. [He was definitely suspicious, but luckily this is Amelia’s real body so there’s nothing off about it.] [Though he was surprisingly gentle just now. I guess the original Amelia was just too unfeminine for his tastes.] [Completing this mission will be a piece of cake!]

Caleb was a staunch materialist who scoffed at any talk of souls or spirits. Tonight’s suspicions were likely just to rule out an impersonator. Once he eliminated that possibility, he probably wouldn’t care anymore. In fact, the more obedient and docile the Intruder acted, the more at ease he might feel. After all, in Caleb’s mind, a submissive wife was preferable. Whether it was really me or not didn’t matter to him. My marriage to Caleb had been an accident to begin with. Our families were old friends, and Caleb and I had been classmates since childhood. We never got along. In school we competed for grades, and at work we fought over projects. Neither of us would back down. Yet despite our constant clashes, our parents were pleased with the match. They had known us since we were young and were satisfied with our characters and backgrounds. Most importantly, our families were of equal status. There was no dramatic love story or convoluted history between us. Caleb and I were simply bound together for life. After marrying Caleb, I was finally free from my family’s control. Caleb gave me shares in the company – I was the second largest shareholder after him. I threw myself even deeper into work. Sometimes Caleb would forcibly close my laptop, saying, “Amelia, go rest. You can’t keep pulling all-nighters.” But I always insisted on finishing my tasks. People often wondered why I worked so hard when I was already the CEO’s wife. The answer was simple – for myself. I knew there was no love in my marriage to Caleb. It was more of a business transaction. He had shown his sincerity by giving me company shares. Of course I had to seize the opportunity and climb higher. In this world, no one can be your eternal support. Even if I left everything else behind, I wanted to ensure I could still live well on my own. That was my goal. But now, it seemed all my efforts would benefit someone else. The Intruder had taken over my body, easily stealing everything I had worked for. This was something I could never prevent, no matter how hard I tried. A deep sense of helplessness washed over me. Rustling sounds from the room interrupted my reminiscing. Perhaps spirits don’t need sleep, because time had passed quickly. The sky outside was already growing light. Caleb always went for a morning run. When he got up, the Intruder was still sound asleep. He carefully tucked the blanket around her and gazed at her sleeping face for a long moment. To my shock, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. His eyes held a rare tenderness. I instinctively touched my own face. Had he ever looked at me that way before? We rarely kissed, even during sex. I always felt that such intimacy required mutual affection. At best, we were business partners. On countless mornings, I would wake up to an empty bed. I never imagined he did things like this when I was asleep. For the first time, I began to doubt my understanding of his feelings. A tiny spark of hope flickered in my heart. What if… what if Caleb could figure it out? What if he realized my soul had been replaced? But the events of the next few days all but extinguished that hope.

Caleb went about his usual routine, only seeing the Intruder at night when he came home to sleep. Meanwhile, the Intruder was getting quite comfortable in my identity. Everyone close to us knew about the car accident, so no one bothered her with work matters for now. She was thoroughly enjoying the life of a wealthy CEO’s wife. Luxury goods flowed into the house like water. She spent her days at high-end spas and salons. I used to own designer items too, but I wasn’t very interested in them. Caleb would stubbornly have new collections sent to the house. I’d pick out one or two pieces just to save face for him. The Intruder was wary of Caleb noticing, so she only used my credit cards. She stood in the walk-in closet, admiring the shelves of handbags with undisguised satisfaction. [It feels amazing to be rich. I could never afford these bags before, but now they’re all mine.] [Caleb will be home soon. I need to get ready and try to seduce him tonight.] [Once I complete the mission, I want to vacation abroad. I heard the Thornes have a private jet – I’ve never flown on one before!] The Intruder was still daydreaming about her future lifestyle when a phone call interrupted her thoughts. She had scheduled an at-home manicure, and the nail tech was in the middle of applying nail extensions when the phone rang. Annoyed at having her fantasies disrupted, she yanked her hand away from the manicurist and frowned at the half-finished nails. “What kind of shoddy work is this? Your technique is terrible!” The nail tech apologized profusely. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Thorne. Let me redo them for you right away. May I have your hand back please?” The call was from my assistant, Lisa. The Intruder ignored it until it rang a second time. With an exasperated sigh, she answered on speakerphone. “Hello?” “Mrs. Thorne, I’m sorry to disturb your rest, but there’s been an issue with the Horizon project we were working on with Sterling Corp. Their representatives are already at the office. Do you think you could…” Lisa’s voice was filled with anxiety. Clearly the situation was urgent. I hovered nearby, growing increasingly agitated. The Horizon collaboration was a deal I had personally secured after countless negotiations. It was immensely important to me, to Caleb, and to the entire company. But the Intruder didn’t understand. She knew nothing about running a company or maintaining partnerships. She had no idea how to handle this crisis.

She panicked for a moment before lowering her voice to feign weakness. “Lisa, you know I just got out of the hospital. My head is still killing me. Why don’t you handle it for now? I’ll look over any documents you send me.” I had always been a workaholic, pushing myself even when ill. Others constantly had to persuade me to rest. I was competitive by nature and hated admitting defeat. This was the first time I had ever mentioned my own discomfort. Lisa became even more flustered, guilt creeping into her voice. “Of course, Mrs. Thorne. I’m so sorry, this came out of nowhere. Please don’t push yourself if you’re not feeling well. I’ll try to smooth things over with Sterling Corp.” “You should rest. Take care of yourself.” After hanging up, the Intruder let out a long sigh of relief. But she made no move to check her emails or messages. Hours later, when her manicure was finally complete, she admired the sparkling gems on her nails before reluctantly opening her laptop. As soon as she clicked on the files Lisa had sent, her eyes glazed over at the dense text and endless spreadsheets. It was all technical jargon and financial data. [What the hell is all this? Just looking at it is giving me a headache.] [How am I supposed to understand this stuff? This is so annoying. Amelia’s gone but I still have to deal with her mess.] [Why be a career woman when you could just be a trophy wife? Ugh.] The Intruder scrolled aimlessly, her frown deepening by the second. These documents would take even an expert like Caleb all night to review. And this was a project I had been overseeing, so he would need time to familiarize himself with the details. The Intruder stubbornly kept scrolling, desperately hoping to make sense of it. But she finally gave up. Her long, bejeweled nails tapped impatiently on the laptop. She glanced at the time – it was already 9 PM and Caleb still wasn’t home. I floated beside her, completely focused on the financial reports on the screen. I quickly identified where the problems lay. I yearned to take back control of my body, organize all the documents, and schedule a meeting with Sterling Corp. This was the business I had poured my heart and soul into. The Intruder would never treasure it the way I did. But every time I tried to approach her, an invisible force pushed me back. After several failed attempts, I could only watch helplessly as time ticked by. She opened her phone and started scrolling through celebrity gossip instead. By midnight, she was nodding off and went straight to bed. I remained by her side, unable to sleep. Caleb never came home that night. The next morning, the Intruder stumbled downstairs yawning, and ran into Caleb who had just returned. His suit was wrinkled and he looked exhausted, but still devastatingly handsome. “I handled the Sterling Corp situation. Lisa said your head still hurts? I’ll have the doctor do another full checkup. I need to be able to reassure your parents.” His gaze traveled downwards, noticing the Intruder’s freshly manicured nails. Slender and rounded, with diamonds glittering under the lights. “You got your nails done?” The Intruder froze.

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My name is Mia Lane, and this is the night my life took a turn I never saw coming. It all started with my daughter, Aimee, who was only five years old. She had been battling a severe illness for months, her body growing weaker by the day. We were desperate, clinging to the hope that a blood transfusion from her father, Logan Wesley, might save her. But Logan, my husband, wasn’t there when we needed him most. Instead, he was with Louisa Queen, the woman he’d been seeing behind my back, the one who had stolen his attention away from his own family. I had tried to reach him, begged him to come, but his cold responses and cruel words made it clear: Aimee’s life was of no importance to him. That night, Aimee collapsed. It was Aimee, my sweet, fragile child, gasping for breath as her fever spiked. I was already used to the constant worry, but tonight was different. The moment I saw her eyes flutter shut, I knew it was too late. I didn’t cry. I just… acted. The scene that followed was a blur of rushing to the hospital, frantic phone calls, and hospital staff demanding someone to sign for Aimee’s immediate treatment. I stood at the emergency entrance, numb and shaking, holding my daughter in my arms. Then, the cold truth hit me. “Who’s the immediate family member?” A nurse called out, her voice sharp as she glanced at me, waiting for an answer. “I’m her mother. I’m here to sign,” I said, trying to steady my voice. But she ignored me, turning to Ryan Wesley, Logan’s cousin, who had arrived just moments before. “I’m her uncle,” Ryan said, his voice firm. “Where’s her father?” I could feel the eyes of the hospital staff on me, waiting. I knew they were all wondering why Logan wasn’t here—why the father of the child wasn’t rushing to her side. “Please,” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “We need to begin the transfusion immediately. I’ll contact Logan—he’s just—” I trailed off, knowing my words were futile. I pulled out my phone, trembling. The numbers dialed one after another, but the calls went unanswered. Each rejection felt like a knife twisting in my chest. The first call went straight to voicemail. The second one rang only to be abruptly cut off. On the third attempt, I heard Logan’s voice crackle through the speaker. “What do you want, Mia?” His voice was cold, distant, as if I were a stranger. “You couldn’t handle this without me?” I felt my heart shatter at the words, but I kept my tone steady. “Logan, Aimee needs you. She’s dying—please, we need a blood transfusion. You have to come!” Instead of an apology or even a hint of concern, he laughed bitterly. “I’m busy, Mia. You know what? Maybe this is just payback for how you’ve always been. You think I’ll drop everything for you and that little brat?” The words hit harder than any punch. I didn’t say another word. I couldn’t. Before I could even react, a faint, trembling voice spoke from the background. Louisa. “Logan, I’m scared… Please, don’t go. You promised me…” The voice wavered with feigned innocence, and Logan’s response was a soft, dismissive murmur. He hung up without another word. I stood there, phone still in hand, my heart sinking into a void. Ryan, who had been watching in disbelief, exploded in anger. “I can’t believe this! No way am I going to let this man put his woman above his own child!” He grabbed my arm, urging me to follow him as he stormed toward the emergency room. The hospital staff was still waiting, clearly frustrated, but I just nodded silently. I couldn’t even bring myself to speak anymore. The nurse, seeing the tension, tried once more to get in touch with Logan. But after several failed attempts, she finally looked at me with sympathy and then at Ryan. “I’m sorry, but we need a direct family member. We can’t proceed without authorization.” I slumped into a nearby chair, my mind racing, feeling utterly alone. I could still hear Logan’s voice in my head, and the cruel words he’d spoken. He had chosen Louisa over Aimee. He had chosen her over the life of his own daughter. And now, I was left with nothing but empty promises and a child slipping further away with each passing second.

Ryan ran a hand through his hair and shouted, “Damn it!” Then, he pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling as he dialed Logan’s number. I looked up at him, my expression filled with gratitude. The call connected quickly, and as soon as it did, Ryan’s voice cut through the air like a knife. “Logan, I don’t care where you are or what you’re doing! Get your ass to the hospital right now!” I could hear a cacophony of noise on the other end, as if he were in a crowded place. “Ryan? Mia is something else. She’s got you wrapped around her finger, playing this little game! I can’t believe you’re going along with her nonsense! I’ve got real issues to deal with here! Every time I come to Louisa’s, she pulls this stunt, trying to find excuses to get me back! And now you’re in on it too? Can’t she handle things on her own? I’m busy, so I’m hanging up!” Ryan opened his mouth to respond, but Logan hung up without a second thought. Frustrated, Ryan stared at his phone before dialing again and again, but all he got was the cold, mechanical voice of voicemail. His anger shifted to helplessness and then to disappointment. Finally, Logan blocked Ryan’s number altogether. Unable to contain his fury, Ryan shouted at the phone, cursing into the void. I wiped my tears away, covering my face with my hands as silent sobs wracked my body. Honestly, I was afraid I might start laughing at the absurdity of it all. The nurse at the station sighed, looking at me with pity, and handed me her phone. “Use mine. This is a matter of life and death.” I took the phone, grateful for her kindness. After dialing, it didn’t take long for the call to connect. But as soon as Logan heard my voice, he exploded with rage. “What the hell do you want? If you want to die, just go ahead! Can’t you live without me? Just hearing your voice makes me sick! When I get back, I’m filing for divorce. I can’t take this anymore, you idiot!” With that, he hung up, leaving me reeling. The sympathy I had received moments ago turned into anger from those around me. “What good is a father if he can’t even be there for his own child in critical condition? He’s off with his mistress!” “Men like that are a disgrace, seriously!” People could swallow a lot of pain when no one was watching, but when someone showed a little concern, it all came spilling out. Tears streamed down my face, and I couldn’t help but let my mouth turn down in despair as I wiped at my eyes. A woman who had been watching the whole scene handed me a tissue and a business card. I looked closely—it was from a divorce lawyer named Fiona West. I took the tissue to dry my tears and slipped the card into my pocket, trying to keep my composure. I didn’t know how long we waited, but finally, the operating room light went out. A doctor stepped out, weary and removing his mask, shaking his head at Ryan and me in resignation. “She’s gone. We did everything we could.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving us in stunned silence. Aimee’s funeral was supposed to be led by Logan, but Ryan was adamant about not contacting him. “That ungrateful bastard doesn’t deserve to be her father. It’s a shame Aimee loved that man, only to be abandoned in her last moments!” Ryan’s eyes blazed with barely contained fury as he spoke. He was the most educated and capable member of the family, so his words held weight, and no one dared to argue with him. So, Ryan and I arranged the funeral services, and just when I thought Logan wouldn’t show up, he did. Today was Aimee’s burial day. Everyone was getting ready to pay their last respects when we heard Logan’s furious voice from outside. “Mia! Get out here! Who the hell told you to do this? You’re trying to trick me back, aren’t you? Teaming up with everyone to pull this stunt? Well, you’ve really outdone yourself!” The moment I laid eyes on Logan, a wave of fear washed over me, the kind that had haunted me in my previous life when death was just a breath away. Clutching Aimee’s will, I trembled uncontrollably, tears spilling from my eyes in a physiological response to the overwhelming stress. “Are you done making a scene? When we tried to reach you, you wouldn’t listen! You were too busy with that shameless woman to even hear us out! Now you come back and act like this? Get lost! The Wesley family has no room for scum like you! Just get out!” It was the first time I had ever seen Ryan this furious. “Ryan, Mia’s filled your head with some kind of nonsense! You’re all in on this to deceive me! No way, I’m going to find Aimee and get to the bottom of this. What does she think about playing along with Mia’s little charade?” As he shouted Aimee’s name, Logan frantically searched for her, his eyes darting around. Ryan closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. He carefully placed Aimee’s urn on the altar before striding over to Logan and yanking him toward the urn.

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My coworker Mia loves to take advantage of others. From small things like pens to big items like headphones and phones, she would always sneak them away when no one’s looking. “We’re all colleagues, what’s wrong with borrowing your stuff?” she would say. “Besides, that cheap brand you use ruined my hands. I should be asking you for medical expenses!” Rumor has it that her family owns the company, so everyone is angry but afraid to speak up. Until I joined and invited everyone to my birthday party. She stole an iPad from the yacht and then faked a heart attack. Hilarious. I’m a professional rescue worker, and CPR is my specialty! “Mia, why did you take my phone again? I need to call a client!” Sarah cried with a dejected look on her face. “What are you whining about? Your phone was just sitting on your desk not being used. I’m helping you make use of it. You should be thanking me,” Mia said as she scrolled through her phone with a face mask on, giggling every now and then in an irritating way. Sarah was fuming inside but didn’t dare to speak up. She could only complain quietly, “Just remember to return it when you’re done. How am I supposed to work without it?” Mia pretended not to hear her. Another coworker who couldn’t stand it anymore spoke up, “Mia, Sarah needs her phone. Why don’t you give it back to her?” “What are you yelling about? I don’t have her phone,” Mia retorted. Sarah panicked. “Then where did my phone go?” “The repair shop, of course! Your phone was broken so I took it there for you. Remember to pay me the $100 delivery fee,” Mia said, holding out her phone with a QR code for payment. Sarah’s eyes welled up with tears. “Mia, this is my new phone! How could it be broken when it was working fine?” “People can die suddenly even when they’re perfectly healthy. Why can’t a phone break unexpectedly?” Mia sneered. “You’re not refusing to pay the delivery fee, are you? Sarah, think carefully. My family owns this company. If you want to ruin your own career, be my guest!” Mia’s threats scared Sarah into silence. She scanned the QR code and paid $100 while holding back sobs. I had just finished my onboarding when I witnessed this scene. Curious, I asked a nearby coworker what was going on. The coworker rolled their eyes dramatically and lowered their voice to explain: “You’re new here so you don’t know. Mia loves to take advantage of others. From small things like pens to big items like headphones and phones, she’ll sneak them away to use when people aren’t looking.” “Things go missing after she uses them. This time she took Sarah’s phone. Sarah just graduated and saved up for months to buy that new phone. She guarded it closely but Mia still found a way to get her hands on it.” “Looking at Sarah now, she’ll probably be eating instant noodles for quite a while. I feel bad for her…” The coworker shook their head. Sarah returned to her desk, her eyes swollen from crying. Mia was happily watching videos when she heard the sniffling. She suddenly got angry. “What are you crying about?! Cry again and I’ll tell the manager to fire you!” Sarah immediately went quiet. I frowned. Is the company culture really this bad? I was about to say something when my dad called. I stepped out to take the call. When I came back, Sarah had already left. During afternoon tea time, the company had a special treat for employees. On birthdays, they would prepare a special gift for the birthday employee. Even the afternoon tea would include an extra small cake. As a new employee, I also received this special treatment. However, I didn’t really like the flavor of my cake. The male coworker at the next desk noticed my frown and offered, “You don’t like chestnut flavor? I have a mousse cake. Want to trade?” “Thanks,” I accepted his kind offer and we swapped cakes. Suddenly, Mia poked her head over unexpectedly. “We always just have fruit tea for afternoon tea. It’s so boring,” she complained. “Oh, Lucas, you have cake? Let me have a bite.” She immediately reached out her hand. Lucas quickly moved the cake away. Mia’s grab came up empty and the smile froze on her face. “Stingy! It’s just a bite of cake. You can’t even share?” Someone teased, “Mia, it’s because you always eat Lucas’ cake. He’s scared of you now and doesn’t want to share anymore.” “No way, he only has a birthday once a year. He’s too cheap to buy his own cake and has to mooch off the company. How many times could I possibly eat his cake?” Mia retorted. “Besides, this company belongs to my family. What’s wrong with me having a bite of his cake?” “Then why don’t you buy Lucas a big cake? We can all enjoy it too!” someone egged her on. Mia immediately clutched her wallet. “This is the company’s gift to employees. I won’t steal that spotlight,” she said. But eyeing Lucas’ coffee, Mia still couldn’t resist. She shamelessly sidled up to him again. “Lucas, is that hand-brewed coffee from downstairs? I’m tired of fruit tea. Want to trade?” Lucas didn’t even look at her and drank the coffee in front of her. The manager happened to call Lucas over to submit some documents. He got up and left his desk. Mia looked around furtively. Seeing no one paying attention, she quickly snatched Lucas’ cake and all his birthday gifts. She took everything back to her own desk and wolfed down the cake with her fruit tea in no time, letting out a satisfied burp. Then she slowly unwrapped the other birthday gifts and started trying them out one by one. When Lucas returned, he found his desk completely empty. Without a word, he stormed over to Mia. “What’s your problem? Why did you steal my things again?” “Watch your language! What do you mean steal? I just borrowed them to use,” Mia said. “Then give them back to me now!” Lucas demanded angrily. Mia defiantly took out the tea leaves from one of the gifts, dumped them in a cup, and took a big sip before holding it out to Lucas with a smirk. “Here, take it back.” Lucas was rendered speechless by her shamelessness. He angrily knocked the cup out of her hand. “Mia, have you no shame? Will you die if you don’t take advantage of others?” “Lucas, can’t you be more generous? We’re all colleagues, what’s wrong with me drinking some of your tea?” Mia shot back. “This limited edition dress I’m wearing costs $10,000. Remember to pay me back for ruining it.” “You-!” Lucas was so angry he was at a loss for words. Just as he was about to explode, Mia pulled out her trump card again. “Don’t forget, my family owns this company. If I want you gone, it only takes one word from me.” I couldn’t stand by and watch anymore. There had to be limits to bullying with power. My eyes swept over Mia’s dress as I said pointedly, “Your dress is fake.” “How dare you say my dress is fake? I bought it from a legitimate overseas shopping site!” Mia’s voice immediately rose. I pointed out the flaws in her dress. “The fabric is wrong, the stitching is sloppy, and there are so many loose threads.” “Would a $10,000 dress leave the factory with threads not even trimmed?” “What do you know! Designer brands sell an image. Having handmade touches proves it’s authentic!” Mia insisted. She was getting flustered and came right up to me, tugging at her dress. I took a step back. “Oh I see. Then this dress must also be stolen from another coworker.” “Are you crazy? How can you steal a dress? Did you expect me to strip it off someone?” Mia sputtered. “You can swipe phones from people’s pockets. Stripping clothes is nothing in comparison,” I retorted. Mia’s face turned red. Unable to argue back, she resorted to her trump card again. “Who do you think you are! This company belongs to my family. If I want you gone, no one can stop me!” “Stay away from me,” I said, ignoring her threats. Seeing her confused look, I pinched my nose and said, “I have allergies. I can’t stand the stench of people who love to take advantage of others.” “Hahaha!” The office erupted in laughter. Everyone was bent over laughing. Mia skulked back to her desk, seemingly truly angered this time. As she sat down, she knocked over the teacup on her desk. All the tea spilled onto her dress. Mia immediately let out a shrill scream. She grabbed her dress and ran straight for the dry cleaners downstairs. Lucas was grinning from ear to ear. He specially opened his drawer to take out some small gifts to thank me. Sarah came over with a worried look and asked me, “Mia is so high-profile. What if the company really is owned by her family?” “Aren’t you afraid she’ll get her dad to fire you for offending her like this?” I dangled my sports car keys. “It doesn’t matter.” “My family isn’t lacking either.” Sarah immediately cheered, “Awesome!” It was the weekend, which also happened to be my birthday. I wanted to get to know my coworkers better, so I invited them to my birthday party. “I have a friend whose family is in the yacht business. They’re letting us use one for free. I’d like to treat everyone to a day out on the water.” “That’s too generous! Why don’t we split the cost?” my coworkers offered. I smiled. “It’s my birthday. It only comes once a year. Let’s just have fun.” “Having everyone here is enough.” “Then we’ll definitely prepare a great gift for you!” they said excitedly. As everyone was chatting happily, I called the yacht company to request their most luxurious vessel. Mia had somehow snuck over and chimed in with a sly look, “I’ve never been on a yacht before. Fiona, can I join too?” I didn’t even look at her as I replied bluntly, “I’m inviting my friends. Freeloaders who take advantage of others aren’t welcome.” Mia’s expression immediately froze. “Come on, I’ll definitely prepare a big gift for you too. Don’t worry, it won’t be cheap,” she insisted. I agreed, and Mia happily left. The remaining coworkers crowded around me. “Why did you invite her? She always says that but ends up taking advantage of everyone!” “Exactly! Last time on my birthday, she went to my house and took my favorite Lego set. It was a Lego set! I still don’t know how she managed to sneak such a big thing out without anyone noticing.” “Fiona, you should really reconsider! Don’t let her take advantage of you.” Everyone looked very worried. I knew they were all afraid of being fired by Mia, which is why they didn’t dare speak up against her. “It’s fine. She won’t be able to take advantage of me,” I reassured them. Glancing at Mia, who was stuffing several plastic bags into her purse just to go on the yacht and swipe things, my smile deepened. “Not only that, I’ll make her return everything she’s taken from all of you.” You like taking advantage of others, huh? I’ll show her what it means to lose big by trying to gain small advantages. The yacht was huge. I told everyone to play in the pool first before trying other activities. Everyone took out the gifts they had prepared in advance. There were bags, headphones, perfumes – all quite valuable items. Several coworkers even pooled money together to buy a joint gift, which was also quite nice. Only Mia came empty-handed. When everyone’s eyes fell on her, she brazenly said, “What? I prepared a gift. I just forgot to bring it.” “That’s what you said last time.” “And the time before that!” “Mia, can’t you come up with a better excuse?” “Did you not prepare anything at all?” Everyone expressed their dissatisfaction. But Mia insisted, “I forgot means I forgot. If you really don’t believe me, I can go back to get it now.” She made a show of trying to climb out of the pool. No one stopped her. Mia kept pretending to struggle at the edge of the pool for a full ten minutes before I finally spoke up. “It’s fine. I believe Mia didn’t do it on purpose. If she says she forgot, then she forgot. I trust she’ll make it up to me later.” Everyone looked unhappy, but since I was the birthday girl, they didn’t say anything more. After we got out of the pool, a staff member brought over an iPad to ask what services we wanted. The iPad was passed around, but by the end it had mysteriously disappeared. The staff member was panicking. Everyone immediately pointed fingers at Mia. “It must be her! She hid the iPad!” “No one else here loves to take advantage of others like she does!” “She insisted on bringing her bag to the pool. I bet the iPad is in her bag!” People clamored to search Mia’s bag. Mia clutched her bag tightly. “Don’t accuse me falsely! I brought my bag because it’s very valuable and I was afraid the contents would get stolen!” “Besides, it’s just an iPad. I wouldn’t bother with something so cheap!” Seeing the situation escalating, I stepped in as peacemaker again. “Let it go. There’s only so many of us here. The iPad will turn up eventually. If not, I can pay for it, okay?” “Fiona is so generous,” Mia immediately beamed. She started stuffing the food everyone had ordered into her mouth, and even secretly poured some into the plastic bags she had prepared. Someone called her shameless. Mia immediately snapped back, “Isn’t the point of treating people to a meal to let them eat? Besides, this is Fiona’s birthday party. If she’s not complaining, what are you yelling about?” Mia kept eating and taking things, not even sparing the game controllers in the arcade. She stuffed two large bags full of various items. Afterwards, she claimed to have a headache and said she needed to rest in the yacht’s cabin. Someone grabbed her bag to stop her from leaving. “Mia, you promised not to take advantage today.” “How is this taking advantage? Fiona spent so much money, I’m just helping her get her money’s worth,” Mia retorted. “Besides, this is a yacht. It’s not like I can run away.” “Fine, I’ll leave one bag with you. This other one has my toiletries. I’m going to take a nap.” Mia left clutching her head. Lucas opened the bag she left behind and found it only contained some used tissues. He immediately flared up in anger. “I knew that woman would run off! She stole so many things. Fiona, you can’t let her get away with this! I’m going to drag her back here!” I twirled the pool cue in my hand and sank a ball with a smile. “Don’t worry. She won’t be able to escape.”

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On the first day of school, my roommate claimed to be the Princess of the Wolf Pack, carefree and rebellious. When she arrived, she was wearing full sable fur. I only took one look and immediately knew it was fake. It was obviously a rabbit fur. “Talia Coffey, what was that look you gave me just now? Get down on your knees!” She was holding a toad and claiming it was a golden toad that the Wolf Pack Leader had worked for a long time to obtain for her. Without thinking, I snatched the toad and shoved it into her mouth. “I’ll teach you some respect! You’re the Princess of the Wolf Pack? Then who am I?!” “Hello, everyone. I’m Jayla Farley, the Princess of the Wolf Pack.” My roommate made a dramatic entrance, wearing full sable fur, her makeup meticulously applied as if she looked down on everyone around her. “Princess of the Wolf Pack?! The legendary ancient tribe? I’ve heard their stories! They disappeared, but their legend still remains strong,” one of the other roommates said, eyes wide with surprise. She hopped over to Jayla, staring at her in awe. “Is that real sable fur you’re wearing? It’s so cool! I’ve never seen anything like it! I heard you guys always wear sable furs.” Jayla puffed up even more, her nose practically pointing at the ceiling. “Of course, this is a rare sable fur. My father hunted for a month to get it for me, and my mother sewed it by hand.” I glanced at her and rolled my eyes internally. She was really something. That wasn’t a sable fur. It was clearly a rabbit fur. “What’s your name?” No one responded, so I turned around to realize she was asking me. I pointed to myself. “Me?” “Yes, you. What’s your name?” I didn’t feel like causing trouble, so I casually answered, “Talia.” I was the only princess of the Wolf Pack on the grasslands. On the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, I personally hunted a sable and made myself a sable fur garment. Since then, I have become a legend. But I didn’t realize my story had turned into this, that my sable fur was a gift from my parents, and someone else was pretending to be me. Still, I didn’t want to cause any conflict. I was here to quietly spend four peaceful years. “Talia,” she repeated my name and then shoved our roommate, Riley Howard, aside and walked toward me. “What was that look? Are you questioning me? Kneel down!” Hearing that, I furrowed my brow. It was the first time someone had told me to kneel. I stared at her and replied, “First, you’re wearing rabbit fur. Second, you’re not a Princess of the Wolf Pack, so stop pretending. Third, don’t mess with me.” I warned her and turned to grab my things, but she took a toad out of her bag and shoved it in my face, shouting, “Golden toad! Spit on her! Poison her! She didn’t show me respect! Poison her now!” I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the sight of the toad. “Get that thing away from me!” “It’s a golden toad, not just any toad! My father got this for me! Kneel down!” she yelled. I had enough. In a flash, I snatched the toad from her hand and kicked her hard enough that she fell to her knees in front of me. I stuffed the toad into her mouth. “I’ll show you who’s in charge! You’re the Princess of the Wolf Pack? Then who am I?”

The situation quickly turned chaotic. Jayla screamed at the top of her lungs, and the toad in her hand kept jumping uncontrollably. Riley, my roommate, was so scared that she screamed, too, shouting down the hallway, “Someone, help! She’s bullying Jayla!” It might have been an accident, but I accidentally squeezed the toad in my hand to death. Feeling bored and thinking Jayla had been punished enough, I took the toad from her mouth and threw it in her face. “Stay away from me! I can’t stand this disgusting thing.” Jayla kept crying nonstop, and someone heard the noise and rushed in. They saw Jayla kneeling in front of me, crying, while I looked down at her coldly. “What’s going on here? Are you bullying her?” I glanced at the person who entered and calmly replied, “Are you blind? You can’t even tell right from wrong, and you’re accusing me of bullying her.” The person froze, completely speechless, startled by my response. Everyone around us started whispering, but I ignored them and went back to packing my things. My father and mother had told me when I came here not to cause trouble. But if anyone bullied me, they would step in and deal with it. Still, I didn’t want to drag them into a public scene, so I decided to spare Jayla for now. The others eventually grew bored, and after comforting Jayla for a while, they dispersed. I finished packing and left. What I didn’t know was that they had teamed up and started spreading rumors in a live stream. I was talking with my father and mother, who had come to visit me today, and the principal, Gerald Leach, who knew who they were, was graciously hosting them. I walked in, and Gerald stood up. “Talia, is everything ready now?” I nodded. “How’s everything going? If anything’s bothering you, feel free to let me know.” Gerald seemed genuinely concerned. My family had invested heavily in the school, and we were almost the largest shareholders. “It’s fine,” I replied, sitting next to my parents. My parents laughed. “Who could possibly bully her? With her temper, she’s the one who’d be doing the bullying, not the other way around. Talia, don’t get physical with anyone. No one can handle your moves.” Everyone laughed, and I, feeling a bit bored, took out my phone. To my surprise, I ended up on a live stream, Jayla’s. She and Riley were both crying, and the entire dorm seemed like it was in chaos. “Hello, everyone. I’m Princess of the Wolf Pack, Jayla. I just moved into my dorm today, and I can’t believe I ran into a bully. She looked down on me, mocked and didn’t believe my identity, and even insulted me.” Jayla cried as she spoke, “My father and mother told me to focus on my studies, and I didn’t want any trouble, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. “She kicked me as soon as she arrived, and then said… she said the sable fur I’m wearing is rabbit fur! This was a gift from my father after he hunted it for me as a coming-of-age present! And she killed my golden toad!”

Many people in the chat were furious on her behalf, some immediately cursing me out. “Who is she? What right does she have to bully Princess of the Wolf Pack? You should show her who’s boss! Beat her up!” “Exactly! I can’t stand bullies, especially when they target someone like Princess of the Wolf Pack. She picked the wrong person to mess with. Someone’s definitely going to take care of her!” Riley kept adding fuel to the fire. “Yeah, guys, she was so rude! Probably some country bumpkin who just got here. She killed Princess Jayla’s toad and insulted her…” More and more people were jumping to Jayla’s defense, even suggesting that they should destroy my things and see how arrogant I was then. I clenched my fists, watching as people in the livestream started rummaging through my belongings. “Talia, what’s wrong? Are you angry?” My mother placed her hand on my shoulder and spoke. I shook my head. “Mom, I’m fine. But something comes up. I’ll go handle it.” I smiled, gently pulled her hand away, and walked out. On the livestream, Jayla and Riley were still going through my things, throwing everything on the floor. They even pulled out my sable fur coat and held it in their hands. “You said mine was rabbit fur, but mine is genuine sable fur! I bet this is the rabbit fur you’re talking about! Just look at the quality. It’s obviously a cheap knockoff.” Jayla sneered, and many people in the live stream agreed with her. “Yeah, this looks like a rabbit fur for sure. No way sable fur is this shiny, probably just some rabbit fur with a little oil on it.” “Maybe it’s not even a rabbit fur. It could be fake…” Jayla scoffed, tossing my sable fur coat on the floor and stomping on it. “This is a knockoff. I could buy her ten of these! A country bumpkin dares to mess with me!” My coat was being stomped on, and my fists were clenching tighter with every second. They had tossed out all my things, including the gifts my parents had given me. They were ruining everything, things that were worth a fortune, things they could never afford to pay. Soon, they pulled out a photo of me with my parents. I froze. In the picture, the three of us were smiling brightly, dressed in matching sable fur coats, looking strong and dignified. Jayla paused and then sneered, “You look pretty imposing. Where was this taken? Was it some kind of photoshoot? Did you copy the Wolf Pack’s style?” Someone in the comments trembled and wrote: [I’ve seen the Wolf Pack Leader and his wife before! This is them!]

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Winning 50 million in the lottery should’ve been the start of a dream. My husband even promised me a villa. But on the day of our housewarming, his first love showed up at the door, clutching a child to her chest, tears streaming down her face. Her husband had died, she said. She had nowhere to go. Dave’s heart shattered at the sight. Without a moment’s hesitation, he ushered Bianca into our home. Our bedroom, to be exact. And suddenly, there were three people in our marriage. His high school sweetheart, who had been with him for seven years, now lived in my house. My rage exploded, and I let him have it. But instead of guilt, he accused me of being heartless. “You know her husband just died, Elise! She’s a widow with a child. Are you seriously so cruel as to toss them onto the streets? When did you become so venomous?” And then his mother, Tania, always the picture of soft-spoken kindness, revealed a new face entirely. “You know, rich men are never short of women, and my son is a man of wealth now. Even if Dave took another wife, he could afford it. He met Bianca first, so you can be his lover if you want!” My gaze shifted to Dave, who stood there silently, nodding like a puppet. My heart turned to stone. Without another word, I called my lawyer. Dave assumed I’d given in. He beamed with joy as he led Bianca and her son on a tour of the villa. But he forgot one thing: I had scratched that winning ticket. I would rather donate every penny of that 50 million than let him spend a cent of it playing house with his “poor widow.”

The moment I ended the call with my lawyer, Dave appeared behind me, his voice sickly sweet as he tried to reason with me. “Elise, listen. If it weren’t for me picking you up that night, I wouldn’t have missed Bianca’s wedding. I wouldn’t have let her marry that old man. Do you have any idea how much she’s suffered? She’s alone now, Elise, with a child. If I don’t take care of them, who will?” I turned slowly, staring at him like he’d lost his mind. “What’s your logic here, Dave? Why is she in our master bedroom? What’s next? Are the three of us sleeping in there together? And tell me, is a hotel not an option? Or does her suffering somehow evaporate only when she’s in my house, making me miserable?” Bianca might be struggling, but I wasn’t exactly living on a beach chair, sipping cocktails. I took care of his mother and our four-year-old daughter, and yet that didn’t count for much. Dave squinted at me, irritation flashing in his eyes. “Elise, when did you become so unreasonable? Bianca and I are over. She wouldn’t be here if her husband hadn’t died and left her penniless. She’s got nowhere else to go. Why are you always targeting her?” Maybe because Bianca and Dave had been together for seven years since high school. When they split due to work, it took her barely two months to marry a rich old man. And that was when I found Dave. He was drunk and heartbroken, nursing his wounds in a bar. I thought he was handsome and loyal, and I had a crush on him. Later, fate, or maybe coincidence, had us bump into each other again at work. I thought it meant something, so I asked for his number. Eventually, I helped him crawl out of that pit of despair. We got close, and then we soon got married. I still remember the day of our wedding. Dave stood there in front of everyone, declaring how I had saved him from the depths of misery. He called me his one true love. Now, here we were, just a few years later; he would rather comfort her than see what he was doing to me. I clutched my chest, forcing myself to breathe as I whispered, “You’re really letting Bianca move in?” Dave hesitated briefly and said, “It’s not like I’m marrying her, Elise. I’m her son’s godfather, so I have a responsibility to look after them. Besides, I’m rich now. Only I can give Bianca the life she deserves.” He kept going, ignoring the way my face darkened with every word. “She’s already a widow. How could I let her stay out there alone? Besides, she’s already said she’ll help around the house: cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kid. Why are you so upset? Bianca’s willing to shoulder all the housework, and you’re still not satisfied?” Such consideration and generosity must be based on deep affection. Dave sounded so confident and proud of himself. In his mind, he had it all figured out. He’d provide for the family while Bianca stayed home and kept things running. I was the woman with the marriage certificate and the mother of his child, yet I had become an unwelcome guest in my own home. I looked down, speechless and disappointed. My silence seemed to fuel his anger. “You know her husband’s dead. She’s struggling, and you want to throw her out? How could you be so heartless, Elise? When did you turn into this… this snake?” I looked up sharply, stunned at his rage. Not a hint of guilt. No apology. Just pure anger and disgust, all directed at me. At that moment, something inside me broke. “Fine,” I said quietly. “Let her stay for as long as she likes.” Dave blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then a smile spread across his face, smug and victorious. “See? That wasn’t so hard. If you’d just been reasonable from the start, we wouldn’t have had to fight. Now come help Bianca bring in her luggage.” I shook my head. “Congratulations to you both. I’ll be heading back to my parents’ house.” His smile vanished instantly. He stepped forward, blocking my path. “What do you mean by that?” I looked him dead in the eye. “I mean I’m done, Dave. I’m done with you.” Grabbing our four-year-old daughter’s hand, I stepped past him and headed downstairs. Before I could reach the door, my mother-in-law, Tania, appeared. Her expression was icy, her voice sharp. “Where do you think you’re going? You’re taking my granddaughter back to your parents’ house just so they can badmouth my son? I don’t think so. You’re not leaving this house.” I let out a humorless laugh. “What do you want? That I sit here quietly and wait on that mistress like a servant?”

Tania glared at me with utter disdain. “What mistress? Don’t be so nasty with your words. Bianca met my son first, so you’re the mistress here! “Rich men are never short of women. My son is wealthy now, so why can’t he support another woman? Bianca is prettier than you, perfect for public occasions. You can just stay home, do the housework, and take care of us.” I was so furious that I laughed. Fifty million in the lottery, and they were already comparing themselves to billionaires! How could they be so arrogant and stupid? I sneered loudly, mocking her, “Oh, right. You may not have the looks, but you’ve got the imagination.” Tania turned red with anger, jabbing a finger at my face. “How dare you speak to me like that? No manners at all! You’ve lived in this house for weeks and still haven’t learned how to cook a proper meal. Useless! My son was cursed to marry someone like you!” Dave, silent as a shadow, moved to stand beside her, his gaze cold and hostile. Like mother, like son. They were exactly the same, entitled and condescending. Crossing my arms, I said coolly, “Didn’t you say your new ‘daughter-in-law’ promised to take care of all the housework? Let her do it.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Bianca freeze mid-step, tears welling up in her eyes like she’d been wronged beyond belief. With a dramatic sob, she ran into the kitchen. Dave’s face twisted with panic. “Enough, all of you! I’m just letting Bianca stay here temporarily to help her get back on her feet. Elise, why do you have to act like some jealous shrew? We have a child together, for God’s sake! Do you really think I’d rekindle things with her?” He scoffed, his voice thick with disdain, “If I still wanted Bianca, do you think I would let you carry my child?” His words hit me like a punch to the chest, and I struggled to hold back tears. “Fine,” I said, my voice trembling with fury. “Let her settle in. I’ll leave.” Tania’s face darkened. “Ungrateful wench! Bianca’s son started calling me Grandma the moment they got here yesterday. She’s been massaging my legs and being so considerate. Look at the mute little girl you gave us. She doesn’t even know how to speak!” My blood ran cold. My daughter wasn’t mute. She was just silent, a silence born from trauma. Years ago, Tania had taken her shopping and lost her. I spent a day and night scouring the streets, only to find my little girl curled up and unconscious in a garbage bin. The police later told me she’d been smart, slipping away from traffickers when they weren’t looking and hiding in that bin. But the experience scarred her deeply. Since then, she rarely spoke, and when she did, it was in whispers. For a while, Tania had felt so guilty she spoiled her endlessly. She even went to war with a neighbor’s kid who had teased my daughter, yelling at their door until the child was sobbing. Now? Bianca’s son had turned her into a completely different person. Watching the blatant disdain on Dave and Tania’s faces, I couldn’t help but sneer. “Fine. Whoever wants to play the fool here can go ahead. It has nothing to do with me.” Dave wanted to be the hero while keeping me around, but I wasn’t interested in being his mistress. Whoever wanted him could have him. I was done cherishing this trash. Dave mistook my sarcasm for submission, his tone softening as he tried to play the voice of reason. “Elise, taking our daughter to your parents’ house will only stir gossip. People will say I’m abusive or cheating. Do you want to ruin my reputation just to get back at me?” I turned to him, a bitter smile on my face. “Ruin it? Dave, you’ve already done a great job of that yourself.” Whenever I called Bianca a mistress, Dave and Tania would accuse me of being jealous as if they were some generous saint. Dave pulled out his phone, transferred 100 thousand into my account, and sighed dramatically. “I lost my temper earlier. I shouldn’t have said those things. But isn’t this fight just about money? Here, I’ve given you some spending cash. Stop being so petty, Elise. Your jealousy is out of control.” He paused and then continued arrogantly, “And don’t push your luck. Next time, I won’t be so forgiving.” A slap, then a sweet. That was Dave’s routine. For every argument, he’d belittle me, tear me down, and then throw me a handful of cash as if he were doing me a favor. It used to work. Back then, I’d grit my teeth and let it slide because I would never turn down money. But after we got married and had a kid, he only went further. Now, looking at him, I realized just how much I’d let him get away with over the years.

Ignoring Dave completely, I picked up my daughter and headed downstairs, only to find Bianca blocking the front door. She had somehow changed into a maid’s uniform, one that conveniently hugged every curve, and held a broom in her hands like a trophy. The floor behind her sparkled, so spotless it could’ve been licked clean. Tania’s eyes gleamed with approval as she clapped her hands. “Bianca really is something. Beautiful and hardworking, unlike someone who doesn’t even know how to use a mop.” Bianca cast a demure glance at Dave, fluttering her lashes like a shy schoolgirl. “I just have a bit of a cleanliness streak. I want to keep the house spotless so that the people I care about can feel comfortable.” I shoved her aside calmly. “Move. A good dog knows when to get out of the way.” People like Bianca had been flattering others for so long, and it was hard for them to remember how to survive on their own. Tania’s face soured immediately. Her voice turned sharp as she spat, “Elise! Look at Bianca, sweating all morning to clean your house. You should be thanking her for sharing your workload, not humiliating her like this. You’re a disgrace to women!” I let out a cold laugh. “Thank her? For what? She hasn’t paid a cent for food or board, and all she’s done is sweep the floor. Do I look insane, or is your brain just not working?” The moment the words left my mouth, Bianca’s tears fell dramatically onto the pristine floor. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed, her voice trembling. “It’s my fault that my husband died. I shouldn’t have come here. Dave, I’ll leave. I don’t want Elise to misunderstand me.” She was a sobbing mess, yet somehow still managed to look delicate and pitiful. Dave immediately snapped, “That’s enough, Elise!” I rolled my eyes, my voice rising to match his anger. “Enough? Oh, we’re just getting started, Dave. Did I invite her into my house? Did I ask her to play maid and sweep my floors?” Before Dave could respond, Victor, my father-in-law, stormed over and snatched the broom from Bianca’s hands, flinging it onto the ground with a loud crack. “Enough yelling!” he barked. The room fell silent, tension crackling in the air. And yet, as Bianca, Tania, and Dave lined up like soldiers in solidarity, it was clear who the outsider was. Where was Victor when Tania was making her snide remarks? Where was he when Dave yelled at me like I was the problem? Now, the moment my voice rose, he suddenly cared about “keeping the peace.” I thought back to our wedding day. I’d asked for no dowry, gifting them a car and an apartment instead. Victor and Tania had sung praises of my generosity, promising they’d take my side if Dave ever mistreated me. They’d said, “Do whatever you like.” Looking at them now, this perfectly united front, I almost laughed. I huffed, deciding I’d get my daughter out of this mess first. But before I could leave, Bianca dropped to her knees in front of me. “Elise, please don’t blame Tania or Dave. This is all my fault. If I weren’t so desperate, I’d never have come here.” Her voice quivered like a fragile thread ready to snap. “I’ll take my son and leave. We can sleep under a bridge if we have to. I don’t want to be the reason your family falls apart…” Even as she spoke, her body betrayed her words. She leaned subtly into Dave, who didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her protectively. “Elise,” he said, his voice dripping with disappointment. “I can’t believe you. Bianca’s only staying here temporarily. She’s a widow with a child. Have you forgotten what it’s like to be a mother? If you want to throw a tantrum, just come at me. How can you be so cruel?” Bianca nestled further into his embrace, her face turned away but her expression smug. Oh, Dave still hadn’t figured it out. Who was truly “cruel” in this situation? Victor chimed, his voice gruff with irritation. “Enough fighting! We just moved into this house, and you’re already making a scene. Do you want to scare away the family’s luck?” I stared at them and marveled at the absurdity of it all. Would they still be standing here, so smug and self-assured, if I hadn’t won that 50 million?

I turned to Victor with feigned obedience, nodding softly. “You’re right. I shouldn’t argue in front of the child. But since there’s already a ‘new wife’ here, I’ll take my daughter back to my parents’ place for a few days.” Bianca’s smug expression nearly dripped off her face, though she managed to play her role with a simpering voice. “Elise, don’t go. How could I possibly take care of Dave all by myself?” Dave shot her an unreadable glance before his irritation landed squarely back on me. “Stop playing games, Elise. The kids are hungry. Go make lunch and quit threatening to go home just to spite me!” I rolled my eyes and didn’t bother answering. Instead, I picked up my daughter, grabbed the keys to my brand-new car, and strode past them. As I approached the door, Bianca pretended to persuade Dave. “Dave, are you really going to let her leave? Elise loves you so much. What if she doesn’t come back?” Dave snorted dismissively. “She’ll be back in three days, tops. Elise is too proud to admit it, but she burned all her bridges with her family to marry me. Where else would she go?” I paused mid-step, bitterness rising in my throat. This was the same man who once sat by my bedside for hours when I had a fever, promising he’d never let me feel alone again. Now? He knew I might not even have a home to go to, yet he still stood idly by, letting Bianca plant herself in our lives. It was a test, a blatant, degrading test of my obedience. If I stayed any longer, his entire family would only become even more shameless. They might even let me take care of Bianca when she got pregnant! There was only one solution when dealing with trash: run. And run fast. Quickly and efficiently, I strapped my daughter into the front seat, loaded my bags into the trunk, and prepared to drive off. Bianca appeared again, hovering by the doorway with that insufferable false kindness. “Elise, stop being so stubborn. Just apologize to Dave, and this will all blow over. Why slink back to your parents’ house in disgrace?” Dave, standing smugly behind her, folded his arms across his chest. “Elise, I’m warning you. Think carefully. You can still bring your bags back inside. But if your parents slam the door in your face, don’t come crawling back to me!” I ignored them both, utterly focused on strapping myself into the driver’s seat. Satisfied that I wasn’t backing down, Bianca smiled to herself and disappeared back into the house. Just as I started the engine, Dave blocked the car door with his arm, his face dark and threatening. “Elise,” he growled. “Don’t you dare regret this.” I snorted coldly and slammed the door shut. As I shifted into drive, Dave’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, and his expression instantly paled. Panicking, he pounded his fists against my window. “Elise! Where’s the lottery money? Which account did you transfer it to?”

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One week before our wedding, my fiancé Theo Lambert told me he had to marry his first love before he could marry me. His first love’s mother had passed away, leaving a dying wish for them to get married. “Megan’s mother always hoped she would marry a good man. I’m just fulfilling the old lady’s last wish. Don’t overthink it,” Theo said. But our company had already decided to launch the True Love jewelry collection on the day of our grand wedding. He impatiently replied, “It’s just a billion-dollar project. How can that compare to Megan’s filial piety? If you really want to earn that money, go find someone else to marry.” Faced with his cold words, I understood everything. I turned and dialed my family’s number. “Brother, help me find a new marriage partner.” My brother asked in disbelief, “You’re calling off the wedding?” “No, he’s marrying someone else,” I said with a bitter smile. To be with Theo, I had fought tooth and nail against my family’s objections to finally get my parents’ approval. We even scheduled the True Love jewelry collection launch for our wedding day. But now, everything had fallen apart. My brother was stunned for a long while before saying, “Then Arlo Shaw is our only option. His family has been pressuring him to get married, and he’s been looking for a partner recently.” I frowned. Arlo Shaw was my sworn enemy. On my engagement day, he had even cursed that my marriage would fall apart. I never expected his prophecy to be fulfilled. Time was tight, so I could only say, “Alright, it’ll be him then. Help me ask about his intentions. If he refuses, I’ll think of another way.” My brother replied quickly, “No need to ask. He’ll definitely agree.” “What?” Before I could ask anything more, a group of people surrounded me. “Are you Theo’s fiancée? You’re so beautiful!” “Are you here to wait for Theo to get off work? He’ll be down soon. You two are so sweet together.” I gripped the steering wheel, lowering my eyes to hide the self-mockery in them. Theo had introduced me to his colleagues and friends early on. In everyone’s eyes, we were an enviable model couple. But who could have guessed that he was about to marry someone else? After saying goodbye to everyone, Theo got into the car and handed me a necklace. “Megan asked me to give this to you. You embarrassed her at the funeral yesterday, so take some time to apologize to her.” This necklace was clearly a free gift that came with a purchase. I had seen it in Theo’s shopping cart a couple of days ago. I said flatly, “I don’t want it.” Theo frowned. “What are you upset about now? You barged into the funeral and said I wasn’t her fiancé, embarrassing her. She didn’t hold it against you and even thought to bring you a gift. How can you be so ungrateful?” The man who once protected me was gone. Now, he cherished someone else. Theo irritably opened the window to let in some air. After a long while, seeing that I wasn’t going to comfort him, he finally said, “Fine, we’re supposed to go try on wedding dresses today. I won’t argue with you.” This was the first time he had backed down this year. When we arrived at the bridal shop, the sales assistant greeted us: “Mr. Lambert, Miss Quinn, the twenty custom wedding dresses and tuxedos you ordered are ready.” But Theo’s gaze wasn’t on these clothes. He was looking down at his phone, his expression somewhat urgent. After noticing my gaze, he quickly put away his phone, his face showing a hint of apology: “Genevieve, something came up with Megan. I need to rush over there right away. Try on the wedding dresses yourself, and just pick a tuxedo for me. I trust your taste.” With that, he hurriedly hailed a taxi and left, leaving me alone. The sales assistant quickly approached me and tentatively asked, “Miss Quinn, would you like to personally select the tuxedo?” I looked away and nodded. Of course I would choose a tuxedo. Just not for Theo. After all, the groom had changed. I drove home, thinking Theo wouldn’t return all night. But he came back before dinner. He strode over to me, holding a takeout box. “I went all over town to buy this for you. It’s from Harry’s Bakery.” I looked at the box of Swiss rolls. There were three fewer than usual, and one of them had a bite mark, obviously having been eaten. Half an hour ago, I had seen Megan’s Instagram post. The photo was of the Swiss rolls in my hand. “Hubby bought me a midnight snack even though it’s so late. Thanks for working so hard, babe! XOXO!” I put down my chopsticks with a self-mocking smile, instantly losing my appetite. “I don’t want to eat it. Just throw it away.” Theo immediately looked at me with displeasure but held back from lashing out. He sat down beside me and complained: “You have no idea how pitiful Megan was today. My parents went to her house and scolded her family for being poor, saying they couldn’t even afford decent jewelry. She was so upset she cried.” “Megan just returned to the country and doesn’t have much money. I was thinking of lending her your jewelry.” His tone left no room for argument, making me feel sick. I looked at him sarcastically. “So I have to provide jewelry for your wife?”

In the past, I cared about Theo so much that I would give him anything he asked for and do anything for him. But now he had personally woken me up. Thinking back, ever since Megan returned to the country, everything he did was for her. He had forgotten that I was supposed to be the one spending the rest of my life with him. My response angered Theo. “What do you mean by that? You’re not willing? You’d better understand this: Megan is my best friend. You’d better make her happy, or I might not marry you!” With that, he slammed the door and left. Feeling frustrated, I went downstairs to jog in the park. After running one lap, I received a call from Arlo Shaw. Thinking of Arlo’s perpetually stern face, I hesitated for two seconds before answering. “Once you’re on my ship, you’re my person. If you dare to run, I’ll tie you up and bring you back!” Arlo’s first sentence was a direct hit. I remained silent, and he continued: “Let’s get the marriage certificate.” “I’m afraid you’ll change your mind.” Arlo Shaw, you’re acting strange. I had already imagined tens of thousands of scenarios in my mind where he would use our marriage to torment me. In the end, I could only muster up a sentence: “See you at the wedding, Mr. Shaw.” As soon as I finished speaking, Theo appeared behind me out of nowhere: “You’re inviting Arlo Shaw to our wedding? I forbid it!” He stared at me as if facing a great enemy: “Genevieve Quinn, didn’t I tell you not to associate with Arlo Shaw? His intentions towards you aren’t pure. If you insist on inviting him to our wedding, don’t blame me for getting upset!” Before I could say a word, he had already laid down his threat. Theo had always disliked Arlo Shaw and harbored an inexplicable hostility towards him. When we first got together, he even became jealous because Arlo and I often bantered on SnapChat. After that, I gradually cut off contact with Arlo. But he actually said… Arlo Shaw had impure intentions towards me? I was about to ask further when Megan suddenly leaned against Theo’s neck. “Theo, you’re hurting me…” Only then did I notice they were holding hands while taking a walk. Theo coughed awkwardly twice but showed no intention of letting go of her hand. Megan looked at Theo with deep affection, then turned to me with a pretense of helplessness: “Sister Genevieve, I’m sorry. Theo and I were just practicing the wedding procedure in advance. Please don’t mind.” “I won’t tell anyone about you hitting me or damaging my mother’s grave. But please don’t hurt Theo. True love can’t withstand tests.” Not wanting to watch her act, I turned to leave: “Since you’re so looking forward to it, I’ll find someone to beat you up tonight and then dig up your mother’s grave!” Slap! Theo slapped me hard across the face. “Genevieve Quinn, how can you be so vicious?!” His brows were furrowed, and his chest heaved. I’m vicious? He believed someone else’s manipulative words, but five years of our relationship couldn’t earn me even a bit of his trust. I suddenly felt a surge of anger and wanted to confront Theo, but Megan stepped in front of him: “Genevieve, please, I’ll return Theo to you as soon as the wedding is over.” “Please have mercy and don’t hurt the people around me, or Theo.” As she spoke, she was about to kneel before me. Theo quickly wrapped his arm around her waist, preventing her from kneeling, while glaring at me angrily. “Genevieve Quinn, stop playing your rich girl bullying games!” “You know I hate that the most. If you still want to marry me, stop making trouble!” With that, he warned me not to appear in front of them during the time before the wedding. Unexpectedly, Theo contacted me the very next day. He started with a barrage of scolding: “Genevieve Quinn, did you really go and dig up Mrs. Lee’s grave?! I never thought you were this kind of person!” Filled with confusion, I called my assistant to investigate, only to uncover an extremely shocking fact. Megan’s mother… wasn’t dead.

No wonder Megan could be so ruthless as to dig up her own mother’s grave to frame me. It turns out death was all a scam. I sent Theo a text message: “Megan’s mother isn’t dead. The truth is in the email I sent you.” Whether he looked at it or not was no longer my concern. The flight was booked for three days later, personally arranged by Arlo. When Theo returned, he saw me packing my things. Half of my clothes were thrown away, with a small portion being shipped to South City. “Why are you starting to pack clothes?” Theo asked with a dubious expression. I casually replied, “Moving.” He fell silent for a moment, not noticing anything amiss, and continued talking to himself: “The Quinn family company is in South City. We’ll settle there after getting married, so it’s good to start packing early.” After saying this, he fixed me with a stern gaze. “Apologize to Megan’s mother as soon as possible. Don’t make things difficult for me. How about on the wedding day? What do you think?” He tossed his phone aside and went to look for his ID card. Today was the day he and Megan were getting their marriage certificate. He didn’t return until late that night. I opened my phone to find a message from Megan pop up. The picture showed Theo and her wearing matching outfits, sharing a bed. I closed my eyes, my heart still aching despite my efforts. I suppressed that feeling and turned off my phone. Late at night, the phone by my pillow started vibrating every hour. Each vibration was Megan sending me videos of her and Theo to taunt me. Until early the next morning, when I received a message from Arlo. “Miss Quinn, the flower has bloomed.” The accompanying image showed a marriage certificate and a pot of vibrant red roses. I was surprised that he had kept the plant I casually gave him years ago. Inexplicably, a strange emotion welled up in my heart. I replied with a single word: “Okay.” I put down my phone and went to pack up my work files on the computer. I didn’t notice when Theo had returned. He was packing his daily essentials: “I’m moving in with Megan for a few days. She’s too busy preparing for the wedding alone. Remember to show up on time for the wedding the day after tomorrow. Don’t be late.” After saying this, he explained at length that he was just going to help normally and told me not to cause trouble again. “Mm, I won’t go,” I said, lowering my eyes. After last night, my last bit of affection for him had completely dissipated. Theo looked at my calm demeanor, and a nameless panic swept over him. He suddenly became hesitant. But thinking of Megan’s cloying clinginess, he loosened his grip on his phone. Genevieve loved him so much, what could possibly go wrong? Thinking this, he breathed a sigh of relief and no longer lingered with me, disappearing from my sight. I watched his departing figure and made a phone call. That evening, a helicopter landed in the square. A man approached me: “Miss Quinn, the helicopter you ordered has arrived. It will safely transport you to South City in half an hour.” I nodded, then handed him an envelope. “Deliver this envelope to the wedding venue tomorrow. It’s my wedding gift for the bride and groom.”

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## After three years of taking care of a man with amnesia, he finally recovered. The first thing he did? Get engaged to his first love. I showed up with a box full of cash—the payment for cutting all ties between us. He smirked, casually pulling a stack of bills from the box and handing it to me. With a raised eyebrow, he said: “Takes money to seduce someone, doesn’t it?” 0I stared at the diagnosis in my hand for what felt like an eternity. I used to want to die. I tried everything—slitting my wrists, jumping off buildings, even hanging myself—but somehow, I always survived. Now, just when I’ve finally found a reason to live, life decides to play a cruel joke on me. As I walked out of the hospital, my mind spiraled. If I die, what will happen to Connor? Connor is the man I found three years ago. He didn’t know who he was, so I gave him a name—Connor. He’s… special. A child in a man’s body. If I’m gone, who will take care of him? With that heavy thought weighing me down, I returned home. The front door was wide open. My stomach sank. Inside stood a man in a tailored suit, smiling like someone who didn’t want to be there but had a job to do. “Miss Moore,” he said, his voice smooth but cold. “We need to talk about Connor.” “Connor—” I began, but he cut me off. He opened a briefcase sitting on the table. Stacks of cash. “What’s this supposed to mean?” I asked, my throat tightening. “This,” he said with a polite smile, “is a token of gratitude for taking care of our Young Master all this time.” “And,” he added, his voice dropping slightly, “we trust you won’t speak to anyone about his… condition.” He was still smiling, but the threat in his eyes was unmistakable. I swallowed hard. “I don’t want your money.” “No?” He chuckled, his gaze sweeping over me like I was a beggar who didn’t know her place. “Not enough for you? Or…” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you hoping to latch onto the Grant family?” I froze, stunned, and before I could respond, he pulled out a business card and handed it to me. “If you change your mind,” he said, his tone clipped, “call the number on this card. But as for everything else…” His smile faded. “Keep it to yourself.” The diagnosis paper in my hand crumpled as I clenched my fist. Any hope I had of fighting this—of living—was crushed under the weight of that briefcase. 0

Curiosity got the better of me. I looked up the Grant family online. The first image that popped up was Connor—or, as I now learned, Austin Grant, heir to the Grant fortune. His world and mine couldn’t have been more different. The money in that briefcase? I couldn’t earn that much in a lifetime. After some thought, I called the number on the card. “Miss Moore,” the man answered, his voice calm and smug. “You’ve made up your mind so soon?” “I don’t want the money,” I said quietly. “Not enough, is it?” he said, almost amused. “Makes sense. Cancer treatments these days cost millions. A single injection can run up to $200,000.” “How much do you need?” My hand trembled as I gripped the phone. “I’m not planning to treat it.” The line went silent for a moment before he finally spoke. “Miss Moore, the Grant family isn’t the kind of place you can just walk into.” “Yes, you cared for the Young Master for three years, but that doesn’t mean you have a place here. Especially since…” He paused, as if savoring the blow he was about to deliver. “The Young Master is already engaged to someone else.” It felt like a rope had tightened around my chest, squeezing the air out of me. My voice shook as I replied, “I don’t want to be part of the Grant family.” “And I won’t tell anyone about Austin’s condition.” “I just…” My voice broke. “I don’t want your money.” Because taking their money would cheapen everything. It would make those three years—every moment I spent with Connor—feel like a transaction. The man sighed. “Miss Moore, this money is your compensation. I’m just doing my job. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” Before I could respond, he hung up. The dim light in the living room cast long shadows. Near the door sat a bag of empty bottles—Connor’s latest collection. I hadn’t seen him since yesterday. I’d searched everywhere but couldn’t find him. Exhausted and terrified, I had collapsed on the couch, crying my heart out. Then, late that night, Connor came home, covered in dirt and carrying a sack over his shoulder. When he saw me crying, he panicked. “Don’t cry, Harper!” he said, his black eye from a fight making him look even more ridiculous. He grinned and held up the sack. “Look! I found so many bottles today!” “A few old guys tried to take them from me, but I was too fast!” he added proudly. “Don’t worry, Harper. I can take care of you. You don’t need that man, okay?” I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry as I pulled him into a hug. “If you ever run off like that again,” I said, trying to sound stern, “I’m not keeping you anymore.” His eyes turned red as he clung to my sleeve. “I’ll collect so many bottles. Don’t leave me, okay? Please don’t leave me.” But in the end, it wasn’t me who left. It was him. And this time, it wasn’t me who gave up on him. It was him who gave up on me. 0

When there’s no reason to live, there’s no reason to seek treatment either. I decided to check myself out of the hospital. As I was leaving the house, I accidentally knocked over the small clay figurine sitting on the cabinet. I glanced at it for a moment, then shut the door behind me. At the hospital, the discharge process went smoothly—until I noticed Connor’s name on the inpatient list. I grabbed the nurse’s arm, my voice trembling. “Austin… is he the Young Master of the Grant family?” She yanked her arm away, scoffing. “And what if he is?” she sneered, giving me a once-over. “Someone like you thinks they can climb their way into the Grant family?” Her gaze burned into me, and I couldn’t bear to look her in the eye. Humiliated, I turned and ran out of the hospital. But later that day, I packed up the briefcase of money and headed back. This time, I couldn’t bring myself to ask the nurses where Connor’s room was—I didn’t want to see the judgment in their eyes. So I wandered through the hospital, floor by floor, peeking through room windows, hoping I’d find him. “Harper?” A familiar voice called out, and I froze. Hugging the briefcase closer to my chest, I turned around. It was Dr. James. “Dr. James…” He smiled kindly. “Here to pay for treatment?” I shook my head. He frowned, confused. “You know, with treatment, there’s a good chance your condition could be cured.” There might be a chance for a cure, but there’s no cure for the emptiness in my heart. “If you have the money, why not save yourself?” he pressed. I forced a bitter smile. “This money… it’s not mine.” He hesitated. “Then what are you planning to do with it?” I cut him off before he could finish. “Dr. James, do you know which room Austin is in?” He studied me for a moment, then sighed. “Fourth floor, second door on the left.” Patting my shoulder, he added, “If you need help, you know where to find me.” I nodded and made my way up to the fourth floor. Standing outside the room, I hesitated for what felt like an eternity before finally knocking. The door opened to reveal a man with a commanding presence, someone I recognized instantly from my online search. It was Austin’s older brother—Elliot Grant, the current head of the Grant family. He didn’t seem surprised to see me. With a slight nod, he motioned for me to come in. As soon as I stepped inside, my eyes were drawn to the hospital bed. Connor—no, Austin—was lying there, looking completely at ease. Beside him sat a poised, elegant woman in designer clothes. She cut a slice of apple and held it up to his lips, and he took it with a soft look in his eyes. I stood frozen, gripping the briefcase so tightly my knuckles turned white. Then, slowly, I let go. What was the point? 0

It wasn’t until Austin had eaten a few more slices of apple that he finally noticed me. Wiping his mouth with a tissue, he asked coldly, “Why are you here?” His gaze was sharp, indifferent, and it made me take two steps back instinctively. This wasn’t the Connor I knew—the one who used to follow me around like a lost puppy, calling me Harper. This was Austin Grant, heir to the Grant family empire. I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and opened the briefcase. “The money,” I said quietly, “I didn’t spend a single cent. I’m here to return it.” Austin’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curving into a faint, mocking smile. “Then what do you want?” he asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. “Are you here to claim the title of Mrs. Grant?” I froze, stunned by his words. “I—what?” I stammered, unable to believe what he’d just said. He leaned back against the bed, his smile cold and distant. “You think you’re worthy?” The room fell silent. Everyone’s eyes were on me, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Setting the briefcase down on the floor, I turned and fled the room. I made it to the stairwell, gripping the railing as I gasped for air. Tears blurred my vision, spilling down my cheeks before I could stop them. “Crying?” The voice behind me was familiar, and it sent a chill down my spine. I wiped my eyes quickly and muttered, “No.” Austin stepped closer, his sharp gaze sweeping over me. His lips curled into a smirk as he pulled a stack of cash from his pocket and shoved it into my hands. “Eat something,” he said with a mocking tilt of his head. “Your figure’s disappearing. It takes resources to seduce someone, you know.” I stood there, frozen, as his words pierced through me like knives. He turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the stairwell, clutching the money in my trembling hands. It wasn’t until his silhouette disappeared that I snapped out of it. “Connor…” I whispered his name like a plea, but he was gone. I stumbled out of the hospital, tears streaming down my face, not knowing where to go. I pulled out the stack of cash he had given me and stared at it for a long time. In this city, it felt like I was the only one left. 04 When I got home, the first thing I saw was a pile of broken pieces scattered across the floor. Among them were dozens of paper stars. I picked one up and carefully unfolded it. Inside, in messy handwriting, it read: “Harper, always stay happy!” It was part of a birthday gift from Connor. After my parents passed away, I stopped celebrating birthdays. Life had lost its meaning, and so had those special days. I found Connor three years ago. He was lying in an alley, bleeding and barely conscious. Out of pity, I brought him home. When he woke up, I realized he wasn’t… normal. But he was sweet. He’d smile at me like a child and call me “Harper” in the softest, most affectionate voice. Sometimes, he’d wrap his arms around me and whine for attention like I was the only safe thing in his world. In a city that felt cold and foreign, Connor became my anchor. He gave me a reason to keep going. There were days I thought about finding his family and sending him home. One time, I even took him to the police station to report him as missing. He was so calm and obedient the entire way—until I turned to leave. That’s when he grabbed my sleeve, his eyes turning red as he whispered: “Harper… you’re not going to leave me, are you?” I gently pried his hand away and forced a smile. “I’m just going to buy you some candy, okay? Be a good boy and wait for me.” He sat down on a chair, looking like a lost puppy, his wide eyes following me as I walked away. I thought that was the end of us. But three days later, on my way home from work, I saw him digging through a trash can. “Connor?” I called out, shocked. He froze, then slowly turned around. His face was streaked with dirt, and when he saw me, tears welled up in his eyes. “Connor, what are you doing here?” His voice trembled as he reached out toward me, his hand hovering in the air like he wasn’t sure if I’d let him touch me. “Harper… I’ll be good,” he said, his voice breaking. “Please… don’t leave me again.” It turned out he’d run away from the police station that same night. He thought I didn’t want him anymore. I was furious, but I couldn’t stay mad. I pulled him into a hug, my heart aching as he clung to me like a lifeline. That winter night was freezing, but we stayed wrapped in each other’s arms, two kids without a home, trying to keep warm. Back then, I thought we’d always be together. 0

The following summer, I celebrated Connor’s birthday for the first time. By the end of the day, his face was covered in frosting, but he just sat there grinning at me like a little kid. “Harper,” he asked suddenly, “when’s your birthday?” “December 22,” I told him casually, not thinking much of it. I didn’t expect him to remember. But when that day came, he showed up with a small, clumsy clay figurine cradled carefully in his hands. “Harper, happy birthday!” he said, beaming. The figurine was… well, ugly. Its belly had been scratched with the words: “Connor only loves Harper.” “Only loves?” I teased, laughing. “Do you even know what that means?” Connor puffed out his chest proudly. “Of course I do! It means I only love one person.” “I only love Harper!” Now, that little clay figurine—marked with “Connor only loves Harper”—lay shattered on the floor. There was no piecing it back together. Back then, I thought the figurine was the entire gift, so I tucked it away without a second thought. I didn’t realize there was something hidden inside. No wonder he pouted for days whenever I ignored it. Curious, I unfolded another paper star from the pile. This one read: “We’ll always be together.” At the bottom, there was a crude drawing of two stick figures holding hands. The effort he’d put into it was obvious, even through the childish scribbles. I stared at it for a long time, my fingers brushing over the tiny hearts he’d drawn around the edges. A tear slipped down my cheek, smudging the ink. “You little liar,” I whispered. 0

When all is said and done, I just want to go home. I sold my apartment, and the money was just enough to buy a burial plot. I’ll be laid to rest next to my parents. I also sold the bag of bottles Connor had collected. It brought in a grand total of sixteen dollars and fifty cents. “With this little money, how were you ever planning to take care of me?” I muttered to myself, half-laughing, half-crying. The paperwork was done. In two days, I’d leave this city full of painful memories. But the day before I was supposed to leave, an unexpected guest showed up. “Elliot?” He looked slightly surprised. “You know who I am? I’m honored.” “What do you want?” I asked, wary. Elliot’s face held that same polite, unreadable smile. “Miss Moore, I’d like to invite you to be my date for an event.” “Your date?” I stared at him, baffled. Rich people’s logic never made sense to me. He was handsome, wealthy, and powerful. Women would throw themselves at him with just a snap of his fingers. Why on earth would he ask someone like me—average in every way, with no fortune or connections? I was about to decline when he added, “My brother Austin will be there, too.” I hesitated. Even if I couldn’t say goodbye to Connor, maybe I could see him one last time from a distance. I didn’t know Elliot’s motives, but I still agreed. What could someone like me—a woman with no family and a terminal illness—possibly have to lose? Elliot provided a gown for the event. I stood in front of the mirror, nervously smoothing the fabric. When he saw me, a flicker of admiration crossed his face, though it was quickly masked with his usual composure. He draped a delicate necklace around my neck and chuckled. “Austin wasn’t just dumb. He was blind, too.” I pressed my lips together, choosing not to respond. When we arrived, I realized this wasn’t just any event. It was Austin’s engagement party. He stood in the center of the room, effortlessly elegant, exuding an air of cold detachment. He looked like something out of a winter dream—strong, poised, and untouchable, like bamboo standing tall in the snow. Next to him was his fiancée, wearing a dazzling white gown that sparkled like she’d wrapped herself in starlight. She was radiant, the kind of beautiful that made everyone else fade into the background. The emcee smiled warmly at her and asked, “Miss Sinclair, do you have anything you’d like to say?” She held Austin’s arm and spoke with a voice as soft as velvet. “I’m so grateful. Grateful that I could bring him back to who he truly is. And even more grateful that I’ve always been the one by his side.” Her words stung, but I forced myself to stay calm. I reached for my wrist, absentmindedly tugging at the bracelet Connor had made for me. It was a simple thing—braided string with a strand of his hair tied into it. But now, Austin’s hand wore nothing but a gleaming silver ring, impossibly bright under the chandelier lights. I let out a quiet sigh. I guess I’m grateful too. Grateful that during the darkest years of my life, I had Connor by my side. He was like a fleeting dream, comforting me when I needed it most before fading away. I just wish that dream had lasted a little longer. I wanted to leave, but Elliot stopped me. “Aren’t you going to congratulate him?” he asked with a smirk. Reluctantly, I followed him to where Austin and his fiancée were standing. Austin glanced at me, his expression unreadable, before his lips curled into a mocking smile. “So, this is your type now, big brother? Used goods?” The words hit like a punch to the gut, sharp and cruel. My chest tightened, and I struggled to breathe. Next to him, Miss Sinclair laughed softly, resting her hand on his arm. “Don’t be so mean,” she teased. “After all, she did take care of you for three years.” Austin’s expression didn’t change. He let out a dismissive “Oh,” then reached for a pen and asked someone nearby for a checkbook. He scribbled something down, tore out the check, and handed it to me. “Write whatever amount you want,” he said, his tone cold and detached.

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Twenty-five years ago, the nanny secretly swapped me with her daughter, but my six-year-old brother discovered the trick and quietly swapped us back. Now, 25 years later, the nanny showed up at my door with her daughter, claiming I was the fake heir of Wales Group. Even the janitor at the company started whispering behind my back, criticizing my lipstick as cheap. My boyfriend, Collin Ross, even joined in to humiliate me. “You really thought you were the Wales family’s daughter? You’re not even worth a single strand of Erika’s hair!” After the paternity test results came out, everyone was stunned. Collin begged me, “Jessie, I was manipulated by that bitch! Please forgive me. Give me another chance.” I shot him a cold glance. “What kind of chance? You mean the chance to clean the toilet?” Just as I entered the company restroom, I ran into the new janitor, Erika Waston. Her gaze lingered on my lipstick. In a mocking tone, she said, “Ms. Wales, I didn’t expect someone of your status would use such cheap products. This lipstick is only 19.9 dollars for three with a gift box!” I didn’t believe her words. The lipstick was a special gift from Collin, personally selected by him through a luxury personal shopper. He said it cost 2,000 dollars for three. Seeing my face fall, Erika seemed to realize her mistake and hurriedly left. As I stepped out of the restroom, I saw Yolanda Hall standing at the baby care room door, looking furious. It was rare to see her so angry, so I gently asked her what happened, and she immediately vented her frustration. “I went to change a diaper in the room, and who would’ve thought I’d find a used condom on the changing table! Who’s that shameless? Doing that kind of thing in the baby care room! I’m so pissed off! I don’t even know if there’s some dirty disease involved!” As the VP of the company, my anger surged. I immediately called the security office to review the surveillance footage and find out what happened. After giving those instructions, I headed to Collin’s office to complain this to him. When I walked in, I saw Erika, now wearing a slightly transparent deep V-neck shirt, mopping the floor. Her cleavage was practically spilling out. Collin glanced up at me, his face turning pale as he wiped away some nosebleeds. “The weather’s been dry lately. You need to drink more water, Jessica. I didn’t hear you knock because I was busy working.” I didn’t question him. After all, we’d been together for eight years since college. “Did you forget it? I never knock when I come in here,” I replied. Collin visibly tensed up, and I was about to ask what was going on when Erika interrupted. She shot a sly remark. “Ms. Wales, when you buy cosmetics, you should really go to a counter. Don’t buy those cheap things online. After all, you’re putting it on your face; you can’t afford to skimp.” I froze for a second, realizing she was talking about my lipstick. That lipstick was a Valentine’s gift from Collin, not some cheap knockoff. I was about to clarify with Collin, but before I could speak, he quickly said, “Jessica, that proposal you mentioned earlier was good, but I think it still needs some adjustments.” His words distracted me, but I couldn’t find my pen. Erika, eager to help, volunteered to grab one for me. As she reached for it, she tripped and fell straight into Collin’s arms. Her tight deep-V shirt couldn’t contain the fall, and her buttons popped open, revealing a stunning view. Collin, flustered, tried to help her rebutton, but the more nervous he became, the harder it was to fix. Erika, equally flustered, struggled to fasten her shirt, but instead, she ended up gasping for breath.

I watched the awkward scene between the two of them and cleared my throat. Collin suddenly snapped back to reality and pushed Erika away. “Jessica, I was just trying to help her with her buttons. It wasn’t intentional,” he stammered. Before he could say more, I interrupted him. “Enough. Go get me a coffee.” I’d known Collin long enough to understand his character. I suspected Erika, the scheming woman, was behind this, and since we were alone, I’d finally get some answers. To my surprise, Erika got up and walked out ahead of Collin. “Ms. Wales, let me get it for you.” She returned quickly with a cup of coffee. I didn’t even need to look to know it was instant coffee, while I only drank freshly brewed. I frowned and didn’t touch the cup. Erika’s voice quivered as she said, “Ms. Wales, you don’t like the coffee I made? I washed my hands really well before making it.” Collin, who usually indulged me, chimed in, “Jessica, don’t be so hard on Erika. She’s never made coffee before, and she doesn’t know how to grind it. Just drink a little, for her sake.” Still, I didn’t respond, and Erika began apologizing, her voice filled with emotion. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Wales. I come from a poor family. I’ve never had enough to eat or warm clothes, and my mom was always beating or scolding me. I’ve never had anything as nice as coffee. Please don’t laugh at me.” I was stunned by her sudden emotional outburst, and though I didn’t understand, it seemed to have an effect on Collin. His tone grew sharp as he said, “Jessica, I didn’t expect you to be so heartless. It’s just a cup of coffee. Why make a fuss over it and make things difficult for a young girl? You’re a VP now. Don’t make things harder for your subordinates!” Without another word, he grabbed the coffee and drank it all in one gulp. I couldn’t believe his reaction. But what shocked me more was Erika’s: she lunged forward, snatched the cup from Collin, and shouted, “Mr. Ross, don’t drink it! Please don’t!” Collin and I both stared at her in confusion. Her eyes darted around, obviously guilty. I immediately checked the surveillance footage. As I suspected, Erika had used toilet water to make the coffee. Fuming, I demanded, “Why did you do this? You better explain yourself, now!” I was about to call the police when Collin snatched my phone away. “Jessica, Erika’s young and ignorant. You don’t need to make a big deal out of this. You didn’t drink the coffee, and I’ve already had some without saying anything. Let’s just let it go.” Collin’s response only made my anger grow. “Why should I let it go? She looks older than my mother, and you’re saying she’s ignorant? She wanted me to drink it, but you drank it by mistake. If she’s willing to use toilet water to make coffee today, who’s to say she won’t poison me tomorrow? Why shouldn’t I call the police?” Realizing I was serious about calling the police, Collin tried to slam my phone down, but I snatched it back just in time. Before I could do anything else, Erika suddenly shoved Collin away and screamed at me, “You fake woman! Why are you stealing my place and my man?” Before I could process her words, my phone buzzed with a video from the security room. It was about the baby care room. I clicked on the video, which clearly showed Collin and Erika entering the room and staying there for almost an hour. After they left, Yolanda entered with a child and stormed out in anger. It was clear that the condom found in the room was left by Collin and Erika. I couldn’t believe it. The boyfriend I trusted most had been fooling around with a janitor behind my back. No wonder he’d been defending Erika so fiercely. Before I could even react, Collin stopped pretending. “The truth is, I like Erika, not you, the fake daughter! Erika’s gentle, kind, and considerate, while you just act like you’re on a pedestal all the time. You probably didn’t know, did you? The real heir to Wales Group is Erika, not you. You’re just an imposter!”

Just then, the office door creaked open, and my parents walked in, followed by a group of shareholders. My dad spoke first, “Collin, you said you had an urgent matter. What’s going on?” My mom added, “Yeah, what could be so important that it could affect the survival of Wales Group?” Collin glanced at me before answering, “Mr. Wales, Mrs. Wales, if you didn’t come, Wales Group might be taken over by outsiders!” The shareholders were shocked and immediately turned to me, asking what was happening. I could only force a smile and shake my head because I had no idea either. Erika walked up to my parents and suddenly collapsed in front of them. “Mom! Dad!” My parents froze, instinctively stepping back. My dad reacted the most strongly, pointing at Erika and shouting, “Who are you?! I’ve never betrayed my wife. I have only two children—Jessie and William!” Through her sobs, Erika said, “Dad, Mom, I was swapped with Jessica by the nanny, Mary. I’m your real daughter! Ever since I was little, Mary would hit and scold me whenever she was unhappy. I often went without food. I didn’t understand why my mom was so harsh with me, but one day I saw the footage from the old maternity center and realized I wasn’t even her biological child.” Many people in the room had red eyes, moved by her story. But my dad, having weathered many storms, wasn’t so easily swayed. “Do you have any proof of this?” Erika quickly pulled out her phone and cast the video onto the screen. The video was from over 20 years ago when my mom stayed at a high-end maternity center with cameras in every room. The video showed a nanny entering my mom’s room and taking one child out, then returning a short while later with another child dressed identically. The footage was over 20 years old, so the quality was poor, and it was impossible to tell if the two children were the same. After watching, my mom collapsed on the sofa, sobbing, “How could this happen? This can’t be true! I watched over my child day and night. How could she have been swapped?” My dad didn’t speak, but his face turned pale. Collin saw they were wavering but still unsure, so he tried to push further. “Mr. Wales, Mrs. Wales, now that we know the mistake, we need to correct it right away. We can’t let outsiders take advantage of the situation. Erika has suffered all these years. We need to make it up to her.” He then looked at me. “And those who shouldn’t be here—they need to be cleared out.” Several shareholders whispered to each other. “It makes sense. Since Jessica isn’t the Wales family’s biological daughter, she can’t keep her position as VP.” “Exactly, she’s an outsider. Who knows when she might turn against us?” “Before we deal with Jessica, we need to bring Erika in and train her properly.” I wasn’t interested in their conversation, though. I was focused on watching the video again. Something about one of the people in it seemed familiar. Seeing me replaying the video, Collin sneered, “Stop watching. Even if you study that video a hundred times, it won’t change the fact that you’re an imposter. The truth is right in front of you; how can you still sit here with any dignity?” Erika quickly interjected, “Collin, don’t say that. Mary is the one at fault, not Jessica. Let her have some time to accept the truth, and she’ll leave on her own.” I gave them both a cold look and ignored their words, instead asking, “Who’s the little boy standing behind Mary in the video?” Everyone froze in shock upon hearing my question.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295333”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring