Category: English

My younger sister Ella had a rare disease. The slightest touch would leave her covered in bruises, and a fall could shatter her bones completely. She was our family’s “porcelain doll.” Growing up, the words I heard most often were that I had to protect Ella at all costs. So when she fell down the stairs right in front of me, I didn’t hesitate to throw myself beneath her. Ella was fine. But I broke my leg and would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. After that, the words I heard most often changed to: “Anna, Ella will be grateful to you.” My parents’ praise made me even more devoted to protecting Ella. But after I protected Ella yet again, strange text appeared before my eyes. [Actually, Anna is pretty pitiful. She’s protected Ella for so many years, and she’ll die still believing Ella really is a “porcelain doll.”] [This is her fate—destined to be nothing but a tool to protect Ella!] I didn’t believe this nonsense. Until the day Ella fell and there was no swelling, no bleeding. She got up like nothing happened and sighed: “How much longer do I have to keep up this porcelain doll act!”

My deformed fingers unconsciously gripped the wheelchair armrest. That was from when Ella was three and ran into the street to grab a toy. I saved her but got run over by an electric scooter. Three of my fingers were nearly crushed and could never bend again. But even then, I hadn’t protected Ella well enough. Her knee scraped against the gravel road, blood flowing freely. When my mother arrived, she didn’t even glance at me, rushing Ella straight to the hospital. By the time she remembered me, the doctor said it was too late. My fingers would never bend again. Even so, my mother punished me when we got home. “Anna, can’t you put more effort into protecting Ella!” I don’t remember what the punishment was. My mother had too many different ways to punish me. But that disappointed shout and the pain of my broken fingers remained crystal clear in my memory. After that, I protected Ella even more recklessly. My gaze moved from my twisted fingers to Ella in the distance. At home, she always sat quietly on the sofa. Couldn’t run, couldn’t jump. Carefully playing her role as a “porcelain doll.” But now she was jumping freely to reach the leaves overhead. Chasing butterflies back and forth. Her pale arms scraped against tree branches. No bruises. No bleeding. Just a faint red mark that quickly disappeared. Ella had said, “How much longer do I have to keep up this porcelain doll act?” So she really was like those comments said—she wasn’t sick at all. [To get Anna’s protection, Ella has really suffered.] [Playing “porcelain doll” at home every day must be suffocating.] I lowered my eyes. So this was what Ella called suffering? When I looked up again, a familiar figure appeared beside Ella. I couldn’t help but sit up straighter. Did my mother know Ella was faking? The next second, I saw my mother gently tap Ella, her tone reproachful: “What if Anna sees you like this?” My breath caught. Ella pouted impatiently: “I’ve been pretending for fifteen years.” “I’m so tired. Can’t you just stop having Anna pick me up from school? I can get home by myself.” She clung to my mother’s arm, acting cute. In the past, my mother always gave in when Ella acted cute. But this time she shook her head, her tone leaving no room for argument: “No. There are too many dangers on the way to and from school. Anna must protect you!” I looked down at my broken body. Ella’s muttering drifted over: “I’m not really a porcelain doll. Can’t I just relax for this little bit of time?” My mother rarely put on a stern face, even her tone becoming heavy: “I said no and I mean it. You’re a porcelain doll in my eyes, and you can’t get hurt at all!” Their voices gradually faded into the distance. I stood behind the tree, almost turning into a statue. Only when their figures disappeared around the corner did I slowly move my eyes. So it was all fake. They’d lied to me, tricked me into recklessly protecting Ella for fifteen years.

When I got home, cheerful laughter drifted hazily from inside. The moment the key entered the lock, all sound stopped. I struggled to wheel myself through the door. Despite being extremely careful, I almost fell to the floor. I’d begged my mother so many times to have someone remove the threshold at the entrance. She always said okay, okay, okay. But no one ever came. Yet the foam padding on every corner of the house was replaced within a minute if even a single piece was missing. Thinking of what I’d just witnessed, I opened my mouth, my voice hoarse as I called out, “Mother.” No one answered. When I looked up, I found my mother staring coldly at me. She demanded: “Why didn’t you pick Ella up just now?” “Do you know Ella almost got hit by a car on her way home! If I hadn’t happened to be there, Ella would be in the hospital right now!” I looked at my mother’s face, flushed red with anger. I thought inappropriately that my mother really understood me well. Every time she said something like this, I would protect Ella even more carefully out of guilt. Even those floating comments knew it. [This trick of my mother’s never fails. Brilliant!] [After she says this, I feel like Anna would use her life to protect Ella next time.] Once a habit forms, it becomes automatic. I was stunned by my own “I’m sorry.” But my mother’s lips curved with satisfaction, seeming pleased with her tactic. “Since you know you were wrong, go bring Ella’s dinner over right now!” For the first time, I stayed rooted in place. I opened my mouth, wanting to ask why they lied to me. But I never dared to speak. Finally, I said softly: “I’m not feeling well. I want to go to my room to rest…” My mother froze. This was the first time I hadn’t obeyed her. After recovering, she furrowed her brow and raised her voice: “Go bring Ella’s dinner over, then you can rest!” Their eyes both fell on me, the cripple. Various chaotic emotions tangled together. I ignored my mother and turned my wheelchair around to head to my room. But my mother grabbed me. Her expression was ugly: “Anna, what’s wrong with you today!” “You didn’t pick up Ella, and now I ask you to bring Ella her dinner and you won’t do it. Are you trying to kill her!” My gaze swept across the distance from the living room to the kitchen—less than thirty feet. Even if Ella really was a “porcelain doll,” what could possibly happen? My mother followed my gaze and said coldly: “Have you forgotten how Ella got that scar on her head!” I hadn’t forgotten. Of course I hadn’t forgotten. That was the first time I came home in a wheelchair after breaking my leg. Ella went to get her own dinner and tripped. I couldn’t reach her in time. Ella’s head hit the floor, bleeding profusely. My mother and father nervously took her to the hospital. They were gone for half a month. I was forgotten. I could only sit in my wheelchair, struggling to make food for myself. I slept in my wheelchair for that entire half month. But when they came back, the first thing my mother and father did was blame me for not protecting Ella well enough. I raised my head, my eyes filled with a calm close to death: “I’m really tired.”

The pulling force disappeared. My mother instinctively let go. It wasn’t until I returned to my room and closed the door that her dissatisfied muttering drifted over faintly. [Anna is really strange today.] [Could she have found out that Ella being a porcelain doll is fake!] I ignored the shocked comments. My gaze swept across mine and Ella’s room. Bunk beds. She had the bottom, I had the top. Because my mother was afraid she’d be in danger climbing the ladder. I rubbed the thick calluses on my palms. All these years I’d relied on these hands to climb up and down. At first, I fell countless times. I’d asked my mother many times to change to two single beds, but it always came to nothing. It seemed like my requests were never fulfilled. The comments paused for a moment. [Don’t you think Anna is kind of pitiful?] [Pitiful? She’s just a tool to protect Ella. That’s her mission.] I smiled bitterly. The front door opened and closed. My father was home. His first words were usually to ask about Ella. Then, after noticing I wasn’t shadowing and protecting Ella as usual, he’d ask about me. It wasn’t hard to guess what my mother would tell my father. The bedroom door was soon knocked on. “Anna, come out. I have something to say to you.” I didn’t respond. My father quickly lost patience. The door was pushed open forcefully, slamming into the cabinet behind it. That was the only space in the entire room that belonged to me. From the impact, the dance costume and shoes hanging on the cabinet fell to the floor. My father didn’t even look before stepping on them. It lay quietly on the ground. Just like me. “Anna, what kind of tantrum are you throwing today?” my father’s voice was heavy. He was truly angry. My mother snorted coldly behind him: “This girl must be resentful because we keep making her protect Ella!” My father immediately put on a stern face, looking at me disapprovingly: “Anna, you’re the older sister. Isn’t it natural for you to protect Ella?” “What’s more, Ella is a porcelain doll!” What about my father? Did my father know Ella’s illness was fake? The question was almost on my lips, but my father’s voice drowned everything out. “Your mother says you’re tired. What’s so tiring about sitting in a wheelchair all day?” My heart suddenly felt hollow. The answer didn’t seem to matter anymore. I pressed my lips together, silently enduring my parents’ barrage of accusations. Finally, they seemed tired of talking and looked at me with confusion. Probably wondering why I’d suddenly changed. My mother’s eyes were ice-cold: “Fine, be stubborn. You don’t get any steak either!” Being denied food was too normal a punishment. After going hungry enough times, I guess I got used to it. They turned and left the living room without closing the door. The three of them laughed and chatted happily at the dinner table. The comments weren’t as active as before. [Anna’s silhouette is making me cry.] [It’s okay, it’s okay. Tomorrow Anna’s nightmare as a tool will end. After she saves Ella on stage and ends up bedridden, my parents will feel too guilty to make Anna protect Ella anymore.] I stared at the comment before me for a long time, then laughed. Was it because of guilt? It was clearly because I’d be bedridden and unable to protect Ella anymore.

The next day was the anniversary celebration at Ella’s school. This wasn’t my first time attending an event at her school. In fact, I’d been to every one. Whenever Ella went on stage, I had to be by her side. Because my parents worried there might be danger on stage. And because my broken leg forced me to drop out of school. So I was always especially happy to hear I could go to Ella’s school. On the way there, I used to excitedly ask Ella all kinds of questions. But I only ever got perfunctory answers. Today I was unusually silent. My mother glanced at me through the rearview mirror: “It’s been a whole night, Anna. Have you figured it out?” My father’s sharp eyes also locked onto me through the mirror: “If you still haven’t come to your senses, your mother and I will just pretend we don’t have a daughter like you!” I looked out the window, taking a long time before responding. “I’ve figured it out.” I seemed to hear all three of them sigh with relief. They automatically assumed I meant I’d continue protecting Ella properly from now on. My mother turned around with a beaming smile: “I knew my Anna was the most obedient!” My father’s gloomy expression also brightened: “That’s my good daughter!” “In a while, I’ll change those bunk beds in your room to single beds.” So the reason they’d refused to change the beds all along was for today. To reward me after I became their tool once again. Ella ate the snacks my mother had made for her and smiled sweetly. “Then thank you in advance, Anna.” In the past, I would have ruffled Ella’s hair and told her it was no problem. And secretly been pleased by my parents’ praise. But today I only managed a stiff twitch of my lips before turning to look out the window again. At school events, Ella usually performed ballet. After I broke my leg, my mother immediately signed Ella up for classes. Under the stage lights, Ella was like an elegant white swan. Her skin was smooth and fair. Not even a tiny scar anywhere on her body. Below the stage, besides the amazed gazes falling on Ella, there were also disgusted glances occasionally cast my way. “They’re from the same mother—how can the difference be so huge?” “The ugly duckling and the swan, literally!” “Why does Anna have to be on stage? To be laughed at?” The disdainful comments stabbed into my ears like little knives. Just like every time before. Except before, my mind was full of protecting Ella, so I never took these hurtful words to heart. I looked across the distance at my parents. They heard them but acted as if they didn’t. Their proud gazes remained fixed only on Ella. Never once speaking up for me. The comments before my eyes suddenly began scrolling frantically. [Here it comes, here it comes! The chandelier is about to fall!] [Anna, get ready! You have to save Ella!] I looked up at the dazzling chandelier overhead. Sure enough, just like the comments said, it was swaying slightly. And Ella, taking her bows on stage, was directly beneath it. I slowly turned my wheelchair amid my parents’ applause and cheers. The next second, the chandelier fell. I looked up and met my parents’ horrified expressions.

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After three consecutive months of receiving bed photos and videos from my Alpha husband’s lover, I publicly posted all the intimate footage on werewolf social media. My husband’s mistress cried her heart out, screaming that she had no face to show in any Pack anymore. The next second, Logan’s call came through, his voice cold as ice: “Delete it.” I didn’t delete it. Ten minutes later, all my accounts were deactivated. The entire operation—Logan only needed ten minutes. Three days later, he came to me with divorce papers, his fingers caressing the back of my neck as he coerced me softly: “It’s just a trick to placate the little omega. Play along.” I nodded and signed my name. He thought I would cry and beg him to come back like I had countless times before. But he didn’t know—I had long stopped wanting to be the Luna of the Blake Pack. Half an hour after signing the contract. Logan would never know how malicious the thoughts of his innocent, harmless lover truly were. Even though I had already signed the divorce papers, she still hired three Rogues to ambush me on my way to my father’s grave. Claws laced with wolfsbane tore open my abdomen. I couldn’t save my child—the last blood tie between Logan and me was severed. The communicator shrilled just as I came down from the hospital operating table. The anesthesia had barely worn off. The twisting pain in my abdomen and the burning sensation from the wolfsbane forced cold sweat from every pore. I answered through the pain. Logan’s icy voice came through: “Ella, move your things out of the main house.” “Okay.” I agreed readily. Five years as mates, and he’d kept one omega after another on the side. To avoid interfering with his trysts with his lovers, he had his deputy arrange a solitary cabin for me in Black Oak Forest, at the very edge of Blake Pack territory. He said: “When I want to find you, I’ll naturally send someone to fetch you. Without my permission, you’re not to step one foot outside Black Oak Forest.” The last time he knelt before me, forehead pressed against the back of my hand, begging me to move back to the main house. He said he’d reformed, that we’d live well from now on. I foolishly believed him and moved back to what should have been my home. But one week later. At Blake Pack’s Blackstone Club, a young omega server accidentally spilled red wine all over Logan. The omega stumbled to his knees like a startled fawn, apologizing with glistening eyes that happened to catch Logan’s gaze. I stood in the shadows on the second floor and saw the way he looked at her. I knew—he’d fallen again. That night, he took that server to the penthouse suite of the club. The news spread throughout the Northern Wolf Alliance overnight. Once again, I became the laughingstock of all the packs. This omega seemed truly special. For a whole year, Logan never tired of her. Recently, she’d grown even more brazen, sending me photos and videos of her with Logan for three months straight. Every word dripped with her ambition to replace me. Until three hours ago. For the first time, Logan placed the divorce parchment before me, his fingers stroking the top of my head: “It’s just for show. Be good, don’t make me angry.” My eyes reddened as I hesitated to put pen to paper. No matter how outrageous his behavior before, this document symbolizing complete severance had never appeared. But now, he stroked my head methodically, as if soothing a bristling kitten. I knew better than anyone the consequences of angering Logan. Just like this time—with a flick of his fingers, he could solve all the troubles for that omega named Mia. So I signed my name, leaving only one word: “Okay.” Returning to the main house, I didn’t see Logan or Mia. Old Mabel, the housekeeper, immediately approached when she saw me: “Miss? How was the prenatal checkup? Is the baby alright?” My face turned ashen as I shook my head. I had originally planned to tell Logan tonight that I was pregnant. But in just a few short days, I had lost this child. “I was attacked.” Under Mabel’s shocked gaze, I slowly spoke, “Even if I hadn’t been attacked, this child wouldn’t have been born into happiness.” Before Mabel could respond, the main house door was kicked open. Mia wore Logan’s black trench coat, carrying a pile of luxury gift boxes, with a dozen bodyguards behind her also laden with packages. Seeing me, Mia showed no surprise. She lazily leaned against my chair, smiling sweetly, though her words were laced with poison. “I’ve never understood—Logan treats you like this, yet you still won’t leave. What are you clinging to?” “Yesterday I said I wanted strawberries, and he braved a blizzard to run fifty kilometers to pick them for me. Have you ever received that kind of treatment?” I fell silent for a moment. Yesterday was the memorial day for my father, the former Alpha of Blake Pack. When I contacted Logan, he told me he was too busy. Turns out, he was busy picking strawberries for Mia.

I clenched my clothes tighter. Once upon a time, Logan was the person who loved me most, aside from my parents. He was my father’s most trusted Beta deputy. Since I was ten years old, he had always stood silently behind me. He said: “My duty is to protect Ella.” When I was a child with a fever of 104 degrees and the pack doctor was helpless, he carried me thirty kilometers through a rainstorm to find the best physician, staying by my bedside all night. When our territory was attacked by a bear pack, he shielded me with his body, letting bear claws tear open his back, blood soaking through his clothes. He endured the pain without a sound, still gently comforting my terrified self. On my coming-of-age ceremony, my father gave us his blessing. He placed the black wolf fang necklace symbolizing Blake Pack’s authority around Logan’s neck. “If you ever change your heart, I won’t hesitate to take her away. My daughter has never lacked for people to love her.” Logan clenched his fists and solemnly promised he would never change. He said: “I want to make you the happiest person in the world.” Our relationship was the envy of the entire Northern Wolf Alliance. One year after our marriage, my father died accidentally during a hunt, and Logan took over all Blake Pack affairs. Pack business was overwhelming. He collapsed into the hospital several times from exhaustion after taking office. I felt so sorry for him that I learned to cook, hoping to ease some of his fatigue. And every time he returned from a hunt, he would bring me a bouquet of my favorite lilies, saying these were flowers filled with love. He would watch the stars with me and hold me as I fell asleep. When exactly did everything change? I think it was probably after he completely transformed into the unquestionable Alpha of Blake Pack. He began having endless social obligations, spending every day at the Blackstone Club. When he came home, he reeked of pungent, unfamiliar perfume. Facing my questioning, he smiled and explained: “It rubbed off from people the cooperating pack leaders brought. Don’t overthink it.” He used one clumsy excuse after another, wearing down my unreserved trust time and again. Until he completely controlled Blake Pack’s power and subdued all the elders who opposed him—then he stopped bothering to pretend. And I foolishly remained immersed in the prison of love he wove for me. The first time I caught him cheating was at the full moon hunt victory banquet. At the feast, he was nowhere to be seen for a long time. Pack members had already started gossiping, so I had no choice but to check his location and discovered he was at the pack headquarters. All along the way, I grumbled about him not taking care of his health. When I pushed open the office door, I was still holding a cake I’d made myself. But on his desk sat the remains of a candlelit dinner, and clothing was scattered all over the floor. When I kicked open the door, Logan’s face showed not a trace of panic. He gently covered the person beneath him with a blanket, casually wrapped a towel around himself, and when he looked up at me, his eyes were as cold and indifferent as a block of ice. “Close the door. If you have no shame, she still does.” His composure made me look like a pathetic clown. I rushed forward like a madwoman to drag out the mistress, but Logan slapped me so hard I saw stars. In the chaos, I saw clearly the woman on the bed— it was the omega nurse who had changed his bandages the last time he’d collapsed into the hospital. The little nurse was terrified, tears streaming down her face: “Luna Ella, don’t misunderstand. I only came to deliver healing herbs. We had some drinks, and in our confusion…” Logan pressed his lips together, his cold eyes fixed on me: “Ella, I’m warning you, don’t lay a finger on her.” So his lilies filled with love were nothing more than casual compensation after his wild revelries outside.

From then on, the women around him changed one after another. He no longer cared about anything to do with me, finding even my existence annoying. It seemed only business profits and different omegas to bed could make him feel the meaning of life. I gradually became numb in the enormous sense of loss. Until one day, I no longer expected him to appear before me. I ignored Mia’s cold mockery and sarcasm, turned to go upstairs to get my black wolf pendant and documents, then hurried back down. Coming downstairs, I saw Mia rifling through the bag I’d left on the sofa. My breathing hitched as I rushed forward and snatched the bag back. Mia spread her hands and rolled her eyes: “Nothing valuable anyway. Why so nervous?” I felt for the hospital report at the very bottom of the bag and breathed a sigh of relief. Mia walked up to me and suddenly grinned: “I heard you encountered a Rogue attack yesterday. You’re really lucky to be alive. You look perfectly fine.” Looking at her smug face, I was about to step forward and teach this lowly omega a lesson, when Logan returned. He glanced at me, his tone casual: “Did you drop something?” I smiled and smoothly tucked the documents back into my bag: “Nothing.” Logan fell silent for a moment. Just as I lifted my foot to leave, he pulled out two black cards and held them before me. “Border Fortress Hotel presidential suite. Stay there for now. Yesterday… I really was busy.” Busy? Busy picking strawberries for Mia counted as business? At this moment, I only found the man before me utterly disgusting. I smiled sweetly, and the next second, delivered a resounding slap across Logan’s face. I shook my numb palm, my smile unchanged: “Logan, you’re truly disgusting. A Beta deputy who rose through the old Alpha’s favor, who by chance took the Alpha position—have you forgotten how you once begged me to help you stabilize the opposing forces?” I had never spoken words so cutting to him before. Logan didn’t strike back, but his expression darkened instantly, his gaze growing ominous. Before he could react, Mia grabbed the ashtray from the table and smashed it hard against my head. Warm blood flowed down from my temple. My head spun, and the living room lights suddenly became unbearably bright. Mabel rushed forward to support me, shouting anxiously at Logan: “Alpha Logan, don’t you know that Luna Ella she…” I stopped Mabel. “Mabel, I’m fine.” The man before me showed no reaction, only casually glancing at Mabel, his voice cold and cutting: “Mabel, remember clearly whose servant you are. Since she’s already divorced me, she’s no longer Blake Pack’s Luna.” Mabel looked at me anxiously. I gently shook my head. Saying anything to him now was meaningless. He was no longer the Logan who would smile and bend down to listen to me. Logan nervously held Mia’s slightly trembling hand, his tone tender enough to drip water: “Does your hand hurt from hitting her? Did any glass cut you?” Mia sobbed softly and shook her head: “It doesn’t hurt… I just couldn’t stand seeing someone bully you…” The light illuminated the gentleness in his eyes as he looked at Mia: “Silly girl, bullying me doesn’t matter, but I can’t let you be wronged.” Hearing this, Mia immediately became smug, her eyes full of provocation as she looked at me: “For that slap just now, I’ll return it to you tenfold.” Seeing Logan say nothing, Mia shook his arm coquettishly: “You’re Blake Pack’s Alpha. If word gets out that you were slapped, how humiliating would that be? How could you command respect?” Logan still didn’t relent. Seeing this, Mia stood on tiptoe and whispered something in his ear. Logan finally smiled with satisfaction, wrapping his arm around Mia’s waist and kissing her lightly on the lips: “Alright, I’ll listen to you.” I staggered back several steps, staring at the two people before me in disbelief. The bodyguards immediately shoved Mabel aside roughly and stepped forward to grip my wrists tightly. I began struggling frantically, but was frozen in place by Logan’s fierce gaze: “Logan! You…”

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At eight months pregnant, I accidentally discovered that my husband, Ethan Smith, was having an affair with my adoptive sister who had come to take care of me. When I caught them, his tone was flat: “So you saw everything? Actually, I started sleeping with her when you were three months pregnant. Every night for the past few months, I’ve been with her… Who told you to always refuse me during your pregnancy?” I couldn’t help but raise my hand and slap him. “You bastard! She’s my sister!” But Stella knelt before me, tears streaming down her face. “Natalie, don’t blame Ethan. I was the one who initiated it…” My head was buzzing, my body swaying, and Ethan caught me in his arms. I shoved his hands away. “Why?” Stella bit her lip, struggling to speak. “I’ve always liked him…” I slapped her across the face. Ethan pulled her behind him, his eyes cold as ice: “I’m a man. I have needs. Isn’t this arrangement better? She’s your sister—we’re all family. Would you prefer I cheat with someone else?”

I stood frozen, my throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. Ethan sighed helplessly and gently wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. “Natalie, your pregnancy hormones are just making you overthink things. Don’t get so upset—it’s bad for the baby.” The familiar features before me suddenly seemed like a stranger’s. So he did remember I was pregnant after all. Stella scrambled to her feet and headed for the kitchen, her legs still trembling as she walked. “Natalie, what would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you…” Their eager expressions made me wonder if everything I’d just witnessed was a dream. “When did this start?” Ethan frowned. “January 25th. That day you went for your prenatal checkup and asked Stella to deliver some documents to me. I couldn’t control myself…” The bright red hickey on his neck stabbed at my eyes. The baby in my belly kicked again. My lower back ached so badly I couldn’t straighten up, and tears fell in heavy drops onto the floor. So it was that day. I had taken a taxi to the hospital alone—waiting in line, getting my number, going through the checkup. I’d asked Ethan if he could come with me, but he said he had work. I’d asked Stella if she could help me, but she said after delivering the documents, her school advisor needed her assistance. My legs were swollen from pregnancy. Someone bumped into me at the hospital, and I nearly had a miscarriage. Meanwhile, my two closest people were tangled together on his office desk. I had made excuses for him, thinking he was just too busy. I never imagined he was busy in my sister’s bed. I was the only fool. Ethan suddenly crouched down and rubbed my legs. “If you hadn’t found out, you wouldn’t be upset. Wouldn’t it have been better to just play dumb?” Nausea surged in my stomach. I kicked him in the chest. “Ethan Smith, you disgust me!” But he used the momentum to help me onto the sofa. “If this makes you feel better, you can kick me a few more times.” As I struggled, my hand touched something on the sofa. I looked down. A pair of torn stockings. The blood in my veins seemed to freeze. Ethan hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back. Stella came out carrying soup. When she saw what was in my hand, her face went white. She rushed forward anxiously to explain. “Natalie, it’s not what you think…” Ethan calmly took the stockings, his tone casual. “No need to make such a fuss. Yesterday you said your stomach hurt, so I went to sleep in the study. Actually, I just tried it with Stella on the sofa. You didn’t even notice. It was quite thrilling.” Tears blurred my vision. I bolted up and rushed to the bathroom, retching violently. Outside the door came Stella’s worried voice. “Natalie, are you okay? Ethan was just talking nonsense. Don’t get worked up—your health is what matters. You still have a baby to think about.” The nausea only deepened. I stared at my swollen belly in despair. Why did it have to be at eight months? Why did it have to be Stella? All my life, I’d given way to her in everything. So she could go to college, I dropped out early to work. When she needed a place to stay in college, I let her move into the home Ethan and I shared. The thousand-dollar tablet in her hands—I bought it without blinking. The dress she wore, even those stockings—last week while shopping, she casually mentioned her legs weren’t smooth enough, and I bought them for her. I opened the door and stared hard at Stella. “Haven’t I been good enough to you?” Stella ingratiatingly handed me a bowl of soup, her voice careful. “Natalie, eat something first. We can talk after you’ve eaten, okay?” I knocked the bowl from her hands. The scalding soup splashed onto the back of her hand, leaving it bright red. “I don’t need your fake kindness!” Stella’s eyes instantly reddened. “Natalie, how can you say that about me!” Ethan’s expression darkened, glaring at me with displeasure. “Take your anger out on me if you must. Stella cares about you. Is there really a need to make such a big deal out of nothing?” He rubbed his temples while gently wiping Stella’s tears. “See? I told you we absolutely couldn’t let Natalie find out. Your parents were right—Natalie has such a difficult temperament. Now that she knows, this house is going to be turned upside down.” Stella looked at me with tears in her eyes, the picture of grievance. My throat tightened. It had always been like this since childhood. “I’m taking Stella to the hospital. You stay home and reflect on yourself!” The door slammed with an earth-shattering bang. I collapsed weakly into a chair, but soon a strange smell came from the kitchen. In their rush, they hadn’t even turned off the gas… I struggled to move my body toward the door, only to discover that Ethan had broken the lock when he slammed it. I desperately called Ethan’s phone. Ring after ring, he hung up every time. Finally, on the last call, he answered, his voice laced with impatience. “Can you stop being so paranoid? Because of you, Stella cried her voice hoarse, asking me over and over if you really hate her. She genuinely cares about you.” I dragged my heavy pregnant belly, my whole body weak and powerless. “Ethan, I…” “I’m still trying to comfort Stella. If there’s nothing important, I’m hanging up.” The dial tone sounded in my ear. The smell of gas had nearly filled the entire house. I finally despaired. Ethan Smith, I won’t love you anymore.

When I woke up, my mother was lying by my bedside. From extreme grievance and fear, I instinctively hugged her, my voice choked. “Mom…” “Ethan is having an affair.” My mother cut off my tearful complaint. My heart felt like it was being crushed by a giant hand. “Over such a small matter, do you really need to act like you want to die? Which man doesn’t cheat?” My emotions surged. “But the person he cheated with is…” Her tone was calm. “I know.” I looked up in disbelief, staring into my mother’s clouded eyes. Not a trace of guilt, only dissatisfaction with me. I grabbed my mother’s arm, my voice breaking. “You knew? You knew and you still…” “Men have work stress and need an outlet. It’s bad enough that you as the wife don’t understand.” “Women outside would cost money. Your sister is clean. Isn’t it good that she’s helping share your burden? What are you making a fuss about?” Her mouth opened and closed, every word criticizing me for being unreasonable. My mind went blank. Even though I’d long known her favoritism had no bounds. Even though I’d long known Stella was the apple of her eye. I still couldn’t comprehend it. I screamed and questioned her in despair. I thought she could at least show some concern for me, but instead she said, “When I gave birth to you, my body was ruined because of you. Since you were little, you’ve been an ungrateful wretch, always fighting with Stella over things. Now you even want to fight with Stella over a man!” My fingertips nearly drew blood. My phone chimed with a special notification. Stella had updated her social media: “Feeling down, so Ethan swept the whole claw machine arcade for me.” I was lying in the hospital from gas poisoning. My husband was accompanying Stella to check out the newest Western restaurant, playing at claw machines with her, taking her to Disneyland. “If you can’t hold onto your man’s heart, who’s to blame?” My mother’s light mockery made my red-rimmed eyes seem especially pathetic. When Ethan and Stella returned, I was still in the hospital waiting to give birth. “Natalie, I’m sorry. When I was cooking, I forgot to turn off the gas. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have…” Stella cried like a pear blossom in the rain, but I didn’t even bother to look at her. She cried harder. “Ethan, is Natalie mad at me? I’m so stupid—I can’t even handle such a simple thing.” Ethan gently comforted her. “It’s not your fault.” He looked at me, seemingly displeased with my attitude. “Natalie, Stella is apologizing to you. Are you deaf?” I suddenly felt like laughing, but tears fell traitorously instead. Ethan realized his tone was too harsh and softened it, pulling out two plush toys. “I know this scared you. I asked the doctor—you and the baby are fine. Stella is still young. She even brought you the dolls you like.” The necklace around Stella’s neck was blindingly conspicuous. It was the wedding gift I’d asked Ethan for over an entire year. To this day, my neck remained empty. Was I only worthy of these cheap dolls? I nearly bit through my lip. “In what capacity are you speaking up for Stella? Ethan? Her lover?” Ethan’s expression darkened bit by bit. He laughed coldly. “No wonder your mother doesn’t like you.” “Stella is sunny and cheerful, unlike you—petty and small-minded. If I were your mother, I would also…” I looked up in disbelief. Ethan’s eyes showed panic. “That’s not what I meant…” From my earliest memories, my mother had disliked me. Even with two chicken drumsticks, she’d give both to Stella. When I was little, every friend I made would be drawn to Stella and become her friend instead. Every late night, I hated myself for not being as likable as Stella. It was Ethan’s appearance that told me even if I wasn’t perfect, he would always stand by my side. But now, even he stood on Stella’s side. My tears poured out like a broken faucet, uncontrollable. I grabbed things and threw them at him, breaking down. “Get out! Just get out!” Over the next few days, perhaps from guilt, Ethan and Stella came to the hospital to see me every other day. Baby diapers and supplies, all kinds of pregnancy nutrition meals appeared endlessly. “Natalie, didn’t you always say you really liked this necklace? I specially bought it for you.” The necklace I’d wanted for so long was placed in my palm by Ethan, yet it felt cold to my heart. One year and three months. He knew I liked it but never thought to buy it for me. I raised my head and finally spoke the words I’d been holding in my heart.

“Let’s get divorced.” We spoke in unison. I looked up in shock, only to see a flicker of joy in Ethan’s expression. “That’s great—Natalie, you know about it?” Confusion crossed my face. Ethan had already pulled out divorce papers. “Here are the divorce documents. If everything looks good, just sign.” “After all, you and I have wronged Stella. I’ll get a marriage license with her, and you can give her the spousal work assignment quota. Consider it compensation.” “Don’t worry, you’ll actually still be my wife. Anyway, I’ll support you. Being a housewife from now on isn’t so bad.” By the time I finished signing, I finally registered what Ethan had said. “Ethan Smith, do you remember what you promised me?” Ethan paused, as if trying to recall. Clearly, he’d forgotten. Back when I’d been trying to conceive for two years, gave up my position in the capital, took countless ovulation injections to have this child, he’d promised me, “You’ve sacrificed so much for me. Even after you have the baby, I’ll make sure you have work.” Now he wanted a divorce and to give the spousal quota to Stella. The door opened, and Stella walked in. “Natalie, are you feeling better?” Ethan warned me with his eyes not to say anything. I smiled through my tears. “How can I be better with a homewrecker like you around? Seducing my husband isn’t enough—now you want to steal my work quota too. Stella, you’re shameless beyond belief.” Her face went deathly pale. Tears fell like broken pearls. Ethan’s face darkened. “Natalie!” “Am I wrong? She’s barely twenty and already knows how to climb into her brother-in-law’s bed! Isn’t that slutty?” I raised my voice. People around us looked at her with mockery. Ethan shielded her in his arms and sneered at me. “Who’s sluttier than you? At eighteen, you worked part-time at a bar, got drugged, and when I took you to the hospital, you refused. You insisted we do it in the woods…” Contemptuous jeers rose around us. My face flushed red and white with shame and anger. I rushed forward to hit him. Stella suddenly blocked him and took the slap. “Natalie, blame me if you want. It’s all my fault. Ethan already works so hard.” “Natalie, what’s gotten into you!” Ethan’s eyes flashed with heartache as he pushed me back hard. My belly slammed into the corner of the table, and blood pooled beneath me. Ethan shouted for a doctor in shock. Stella cried and hit him. “Natalie, I didn’t mean to. Please don’t let anything happen to you…” Ethan cried as he watched me being wheeled into the operating room. In the darkness, the surgical forceps opened, tearing pain. I cried my heart out as my life flashed before my eyes like a movie. It was eighteen-year-old Ethan on the grass, fingers intertwined with mine. “Natalie, I’ll be good to you for a lifetime.” A lifetime turned out to be only seven years…

The baby was premature and went into the incubator. Ethan grabbed my hand guiltily, eyes reddening. “Natalie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you. After this summer ends, I’ll make Stella leave our home.” I turned away, tears flowing silently. After being discharged, Ethan locked me in the house. He even hid my phone. The first day, they only brought me three meals. I held my newborn baby and cried myself hoarse. The second day, I smashed everything in the room and cut my hand. The third day, Ethan finally came to see me. I demanded hysterically why he wouldn’t even give me the freedom to move around. He frowned as he bandaged my hand, his eyes helpless. “Your emotions are too volatile right now. I’m afraid you’ll go out and ruin Stella’s reputation. She’s still a young girl. We can’t destroy her life over your momentary impulse, can we?” Stella beside him cast me a sympathetic look. “Natalie, don’t worry. I’ll do that job well, and I’ll maintain your friendships for you too.” My heart felt like a piece of flesh had been carved out. I was disheveled and deathly pale. “Ethan Smith, what gives you the right to let someone else replace my life! Is this what you call love?” Ethan froze for a moment, his patience exhausted. “When you learn how to be a magnanimous mother, I’ll naturally let you out.” He wanted me to learn to be a magnanimous mother, yet he stripped away my marriage, my work, my freedom. Meanwhile, under his protection, Stella enjoyed everything that should have been mine. I covered my face, laughing until tears streamed down. The baby beside me suddenly began wailing. I touched the child’s burning forehead, and my heart twisted like a knife. “Ethan Smith, let me out! Nathan has a fever!” I beat frantically on the door, my nails leaving bloody streaks. The crying finally brought Ethan. He frowned. “What are you making a fuss about now?” I begged without dignity. “Ethan, look at Nathan! He’s your son! He’s really going to die!” Hesitation and conflict flashed in his eyes. “But…” My mother suddenly entered. With one glance, she said lightly, “Making a mountain out of a molehill. You had fevers when you were little too. Just give him some fever medicine. You’re making such a scene—could it be because… Stella got confirmed in her position today, and you want to go ruin her work?” Ethan’s expression instantly darkened. “Natalie, enough is enough. When did you become so unreasonable? You’re even using your son as an excuse.” I laughed, my whole body trembling. “I’m unreasonable?” He didn’t understand. “Stella is your sister. Why can she accept all this, but you can’t?” It seemed my breakdown and helplessness were nothing in Ethan’s eyes. He answered a call, his face breaking into a smile, and left without looking back. “Mom, Stella’s promotion report is starting. Let’s go.” I looked at the child in my arms with his flushed face, feeling no pain as I desperately kicked the door open. But I was covered in blood. Passing drivers didn’t dare let me in their cars. When I finally got a taxi, I discovered Ethan had confiscated my phone—I had no money for the fare and was thrown out by the driver. By the time a kind stranger got me to the hospital, the doctor shook his head helplessly. “Why didn’t you bring him in sooner? The baby was already premature. As a mother, you’re too careless.” Holding my child’s cold body on the way home, I was dead inside as I lit a fire. In the firelight, the drone of a helicopter was especially jarring, and a figure slowly walked toward me… “Sorry. I came late.”

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After ten years of marriage, I finally got pregnant with the heir to the Sawyer family. On the day of my prenatal checkup, I caught my husband accompanying his first love through childbirth. An hour later, Ethan Sawyer ordered someone to abort my baby and gently coaxed me, “Be good, Aria. Madeline’s health is fragile. Can you let this one go, just this once?” When I didn’t respond, my mother, Clara, slapped me across the face. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble? If it weren’t for you back then, Madeline and Ethan would never have broken up. Think of this baby as your way of atoning to her.” Afraid I’d disturb Madeline during her postpartum recovery, Ethan had my mother take me away. I was sent to the old house in the southern district. The place was chosen specifically because snakes, insects, and rodents frequently appeared there—and I was terrified of these cold-blooded creatures. After Ethan left, my mother sneered coldly. “Your father killed Gabriel. You stole Madeline’s man. Both of you deserve to die.” Watching my lips turn purple, my mother remained unmoved. I struggled to call Ethan for help, but he said, “Aria, you don’t need to do this. You’ll always be my wife, but Madeline—I’ll always owe her.” Ethan didn’t believe me. My mother ignored me. At that moment, I finally understood the destructive power of first love. Not just on Ethan, but on my mother too. I thought, this is fine. Ten years—any debt of gratitude should be repaid by now.

When I woke up, I was already in the hospital. The nurse told me, “Lucky thing someone passing by found you, otherwise you would’ve lost that leg.” Just as I was about to thank her, my mother’s call came through. “Who gave you permission to leave? Aria, are you scheming to harm Madeline again?” My mother’s hysterical voice sounded like she hated me to the bone. Before I could respond, she scoffed coldly. “Aria, you forced my hand.” I didn’t know what my mother would do, but I knew she wouldn’t let me off. Before, for Madeline’s sake, my mother had directly destroyed my father’s grave. She’d said, “Your daughter deserves to die. Now you can atone for her first.” Thinking of this, I quickly called back, only to discover I’d been blocked. I stared helplessly at my phone, still unable to understand. My mother used to treat me well, but ever since I married Ethan, she changed. I still remember how my mother had said, “If you insist on marrying Ethan, I’ll kill myself.” It was only after Ethan talked to her that she reluctantly agreed to our marriage. After the wedding, my mother rarely contacted me. Instead, she grew close to Ethan. It wasn’t until Madeline returned to the country that I understood why. That day was also my birthday, but they both stood me up. Later, they all appeared on Madeline’s social media. That’s when I learned that Madeline was Ethan’s first love, and she was also the daughter of my mother’s first love. How wonderful to be someone’s first love. But me? I was nothing.

My phone suddenly rang, interrupting my thoughts. It was a call from Rose’s nursing home. (My grandmother, Rose.) That uneasy feeling instantly peaked. I quickly answered. “Is this Mrs. Spencer’s family member?” “Yes, I am, I…” “Please come to the nursing home immediately. Your grandmother is dying.” Ignoring the doctor’s warnings, I took a cab straight to the nursing home. But I was still a step too late. Rose had already left me. At that moment, I felt my life was hopeless—until the caregiver showed me the surveillance footage. I saw Ethan bringing Madeline to see Rose. They said, “Aria deliberately framed Madeline and tried to secretly give birth to my child. She deserves to die. It’s all your fault, you old thing, for failing to raise her properly.” My grandmother kept kowtowing. But Ethan remained unmoved. When Madeline said, “Your granddaughter sleeps with old men every day,” Ethan even nodded along. That’s what drove my grandmother to her death. I cried until I was exhausted, until I had no voice left. Ethan, how dare you? Don’t you remember at all? My grandmother watched you grow up. I know I was wrong. Crying, I dialed a number I knew by heart. “You saw everything, didn’t you? My child is gone. I really can’t handle Ethan anymore. Please let me go. My grandmother is dead. I really can’t hold on anymore.” “Yes, your family saved my father and grandmother back then, but now both my father and grandmother are dead because of your family. The debt is repaid, isn’t it? I won’t hold Ethan accountable, but I want a divorce.” Margaret Sawyer (Ethan’s mother) kept apologizing to me. But what good were apologies? My grandmother would never come back. “Alright, I agree.” She booked me a flight for ten days later and promised to help me divorce Ethan. Satisfied, I hung up and sent my mother a message. After all, Rose had passed away—surely she should attend the funeral. For three days, my mother didn’t call once. I was even cursed out on social media. In a mother’s tone, she tearfully said, “I never imagined my daughter could be this kind of person—stealing someone’s beloved, causing her own father and grandmother’s deaths. Can I really keep someone like this? Can you tell me what I should do?” My mother fabricated a perfect lie, with a clear chain of evidence to support it. I wanted to cry but had no tears left. After doing all this, watching me trend on social media, my mother sent me a message: [Hurry up and divorce Ethan. Don’t stand in the way of Madeline’s happiness.] This time I replied: [Fine.] My mother didn’t believe I truly wanted to divorce Ethan. She called to curse at me, saying I was playing hard to get. “Your grandmother is dead. Do you really think anyone will support you now?”

“Clara, you’re my mother. My grandmother was your mother-in-law. Today is her funeral, and she was literally driven to death by Ethan and Madeline. You…” “Enough. If anyone’s to blame, it’s you.” I could imagine my mother’s teeth-gritting expression even through the phone. She said a whole string of things, every sentence stabbing at my heart. I thought, fine. This is it. My mother’s love for me was truly gone. “Clara, if you get Ethan to attend Rose’s funeral, I’ll divorce him.” “What are you scheming now?” My mother still didn’t trust me. She started cursing me, saying I’d die a horrible death, that I’d never bear children. “If Ethan doesn’t come, I’ll never divorce him, even if it kills me. That way, your precious Madeline will be a mistress forever.” I said all this expressionlessly, then hung up. I knew my mother would make Ethan come, because she cared so much about Madeline. Sure enough, halfway through the funeral, Ethan appeared. It wasn’t that I insisted he come. I just wanted Rose to leave with dignity. At the funeral, I was the only family member. Everyone else was pointing and whispering. “Doesn’t the old lady have a daughter-in-law?” “Why didn’t she come?” “Yeah, I heard this granddaughter has a husband too. What’s going on?” “Tsk, abandoned in her old age.” I knew my mother wouldn’t come. Even if she did, she wouldn’t treat my grandmother kindly—she’d probably condemn her in front of all these people. After all, she’d done it before. When Rose discovered my mother treated Madeline better than me, she was furious. She pointed at my mother and demanded, “Why? She’s your biological daughter! Have you lost your mind?” “Yes, I have lost my mind—to have married your son in the first place.” That’s what put my grandmother in a wheelchair. “Aria, Rose…” Ethan seemed shocked that Rose had truly died. Seeing the shock in Ethan’s eyes, I couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. “What are you pretending for? Didn’t you and Madeline go to the nursing home together? Said all those horrible things and drove my grandmother to her death—didn’t you expect this?” “Enough, Aria. We didn’t expect things to turn out this way. Besides, don’t you have any fault in this yourself?” It was still my fault. My fault for trusting my mother. My fault for loving you. “Fine. This is my grandmother’s funeral. I don’t want to argue with you. After this is over, I’ll divorce you.” “I don’t want to divorce you. Stop making a scene. Madeline is still heartbroken. Go back and apologize to her properly, and all this will pass.” “Apologize?” What did I do wrong that I need to apologize? “Those things your mother posted online—even though they’re not true, they still involved Madeline. Now people suspect Madeline is a mistress. How can she not be upset?” “Isn’t she though?” Sleeping with my husband, bearing my husband’s child—if that’s not a mistress, what is? *Slap…* Ethan, as if pushed to his limit, slapped me across the face. “Aria, for Rose’s sake, I didn’t want to make things difficult for you. Do you have to do this?”

At that moment, I felt no pain—only the increasingly strange looks from people around me. I was wrong again. How could I pin my hopes on Ethan? I looked at Rose’s smiling portrait and apologized over and over. I’d messed everything up. Seeing my silence, Ethan finally came to his senses. He wanted to apologize, but I stopped him. Ethan didn’t stay with me for the rest of the funeral because Madeline called saying something happened to the baby. Ethan left in a rush without even telling me. That day when I returned home, I discovered I couldn’t get in. I tried for a while but couldn’t open the door. Then my mother came out from inside. “Get lost. Madeline is living here now. She doesn’t want to see you.” “I bought this house!” I demanded loudly. My mother sneered coldly. “So what? It’s under your father’s name now. We’re married. If I don’t want you living here, you can’t.” Then my mother threw my things out. She said, “If you’re smart, hurry up and divorce Ethan.” That was the last thing my mother said to me. Helplessly, I dragged my suitcase away. Suddenly I didn’t know where to go. As soon as I reached the street, a group of people blocked my way. I didn’t know these people, but they punched and kicked me. They called me a demon, said I deserved to die. From what they said, I knew they were Madeline’s fans. Madeline was a minor influencer with many supporters online. They said, “Divorce Mr. Sawyer right now, and maybe we’ll let you off.” I pulled out the divorce agreement. “I’ve already signed it. I won’t cling to Ethan.” “Smart move.” That day they also filmed a video. My disheveled appearance was posted online and mocked by countless people. Ethan’s company was affected as a result. I knew this was Margaret’s doing. She’d called me before coordinating with the trending topic. “I wanted Ethan to sign the divorce papers without knowing, but he discovered it, and he doesn’t want to divorce.” “But now, for the company’s sake, he’ll definitely compromise first. He’ll probably propose a fake divorce. Agree to it—I’ll make it a real divorce. Though you’ll suffer some grievances.” “Just rumors and gossip. It’s not like I haven’t faced them before. As long as I can divorce Ethan, I’ll do anything.” “I’m sorry, child.” She really was sorry. Back then, when Madeline left Ethan for fame and fortune, Margaret found me and asked me to help Ethan through the darkest period of his life. Later, when Ethan moved past his heartbreak, he held me and said, “Even though my love with Madeline was unforgettable, I only want to be with you now. I want to be with you for the rest of my life.” Unfortunately, men’s promises are like farts—gone once released. That night, Ethan found me looking dejected. “I’m sorry, Aria. I didn’t expect things to turn out this way.” “Let’s get divorced, okay?” “Okay.” Seeing my agreement, Ethan quickly explained, “It’s a fake divorce. Once the company gets through this period, it’ll be fine.” “Okay.” I chose to play along with Ethan. He held me and made a passionate confession. But I turned a deaf ear. That day we filed for divorce. This way the process would be faster. Looking at the proof confirming our divorce, I smiled wistfully. Finally—finally free of this man. For the rest of my life, I never wanted to see him again. I cursed him—may he never meet anyone better than me for the rest of his life. Let him be continuously hurt by Madeline, the woman who hurt him once before. That day, Margaret transferred a large sum of money to me. I transferred part of it to my mother with a note: Retirement fund. I sent my mother a message: [According to government-mandated support, I’ve given you more than enough. This money is the last connection between us as mother and daughter. Take care of yourself from now on.] I visited my father and grandmother one last time, then went to the airport. Before boarding, I posted the presentation I’d compiled during this period online. Why should I sacrifice myself to make them comfortable? Since Ethan always thought Madeline was such a wonderful person, I had to let him know exactly what kind of goods he’d fallen in love with. The moment the plane took off, Madeline’s name hit the trending searches. When Ethan’s assistant found him with his phone, he was playing with the baby. Seeing the trending topic, he nearly dropped the child to the floor. “How is this possible?”

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“Five million dollars. Keep tabs on Mia, and tell me the second she breaks down.” Gideon pushed the check across the desk toward me, his eyes filled with calculation. I picked up the check, verified the amount three times, and slipped it into my bag. “Don’t worry, Gideon. Last night Mia cried her eyes out in the bathroom over you. She even said she’d transfer that oceanfront villa under her name to you as a birthday gift.” Gideon smiled with satisfaction. Walking out of the office, I pulled out my phone and hit save on the recording. Mia would indeed stop breathing. But not until three years from now, when Gideon would have her committed to a psychiatric hospital and killed by electroshock therapy. I looked at the balance in my account and dialed Mia’s number. “Hello, Mia? Your husband just paid me five million to be his spy. How should we split this money?” Evelyn’s POV My name is Evelyn. I’m a scholarship student sponsored by the billionaire Lancaster family, and Mia’s personal assistant. To the outside world, I’m Mia’s lapdog. I bite whoever she points at, with no dignity, driven purely by profit. But they don’t know that just moments ago, when Gideon threw that check at me, a set of memories that don’t belong to me flooded into my mind. In those memories, Mia would be stripped of her entire fortune by Gideon, a man with ulterior motives. Gideon would team up with Lydia, Mia’s father’s illegitimate daughter from an affair. Together, they would gradually drive Mia insane and have her committed to a psychiatric hospital. Eventually, to claim the inheritance, they would stage a not particularly clever medical accident. And I, as Mia’s only loyal ally, would end up crushed to pulp by an out of control truck while trying to expose the truth. Standing outside Gideon’s company building, I stared at the five million dollar check in my hand. It was the largest denomination of paper currency I’d ever seen in my life. I used to think money was everything. Now I think staying alive is. Gideon’s disgusting face still lingered before my eyes. He didn’t just want me to spy on Mia. He also wanted me to slip something into Mia’s food and drinks when he told me to. Gideon called it a sedative, but I knew it was a hallucinogen. One that could destroy her mind. I didn’t refuse outright. I even haggled with Gideon and squeezed out an extra fifty thousand in hush money. Because I knew that in these billionaire family power struggles, so-called loyalty without the weight of financial incentive wouldn’t be believed by anyone. If I hadn’t taken the money, Gideon would have found someone else, or found a way to make me disappear. I hailed a taxi and headed straight to Mia’s luxury apartment in the city center. When I opened the door, the room reeked of alcohol. Mia wore a silk robe, slumped on the carpet, still clutching half a bottle of red wine, her eyes red and swollen from crying. In this state, she really did look like a woman on the verge of a breakdown. If I didn’t know that Mia had just been on a hunger strike yesterday because Gideon hadn’t replied to her messages, I might have actually thought she was mentally unstable. “Evelyn, you’re here.” Mia’s voice was hoarse when she saw me. “Did Gideon reply? Is he still busy? Am I being too unreasonable?” I didn’t answer. I walked over and snatched the wine bottle from her hand, slamming it down on the coffee table with a bang. “Gideon didn’t reply. He’s busy plotting how to get you committed to a psychiatric hospital and swallow your entire fortune.” Mia froze, then flew into a rage. “What are you talking about! Gideon isn’t like that! He just has strong pride and doesn’t like my family looking down on him!” “Is that so?” I pulled out my phone, opened the recording, and turned the volume to maximum. Gideon’s refined yet sinister voice echoed through the empty living room. “Evelyn, I know you need money. Five million, as long as you obey. That crazy woman Mia has been very emotionally unstable lately. Keep an eye on her for me. Also, if Mia does anything extreme, make sure to record it and send it to me. This isn’t just for me, it’s for Mia’s own good. After all, mental illness can hurt people if it’s not treated early.”

Evelyn’s POV Mia’s face instantly turned deathly pale. She stared at my phone as if it were a monster. “This… this must be fake, right? Evelyn, do you need money? Just tell me if you need money. Why would you make something like this to deceive me?” Mia was still being stubborn, but I could see her hands were trembling. I played another segment, the part where I haggled with Gideon. “Gideon, isn’t five million a bit low? After all, Mia’s been good to me. If I betray her, I won’t be able to survive in this circle anymore.” “Five hundred fifty thousand. Not a penny more. Evelyn, know when to be satisfied. Once I gain control of the Lancaster family, you’ll have your share of benefits.” When the recording finished, I slapped the check on the table. “This is the down payment from Gideon. The rest he said he’d give after the job is done. Mia, do you still think Gideon’s just protecting his pride?” Mia picked up the check with trembling hands. After seeing the signature and seal clearly, she suddenly let out a scream, grabbed the wine bottle, and rushed toward the door. “I’m going to kill Gideon! That bastard! I’m going to kill him!” I grabbed Mia around the waist and dragged her back, throwing her onto the sofa. “What can you do besides get yourself killed if you go now? If you charge into Gideon’s office with a wine bottle, you’ll just prove you’re mentally unstable! Gideon already has a draft of the psychiatric evaluation ready. He’s just waiting for you to make a scene!” Mia collapsed on the sofa, sobbing. She cursed while crying, cursing Gideon, cursing herself. I poured Mia a glass of warm water and watched her vent with cold eyes. “Are you done crying? If you’re done, listen to me.” I sat across from Mia. “Gideon dares to do this because he has someone backing him. That Lydia? You think she’s just Gideon’s assistant at the company? She’s your own father’s illegitimate daughter, born just a few months after you.” Mia’s head snapped up, disbelief written all over her face. “My father… that’s impossible! My father loves me so much!” “Your father loves you? If he loved you, would he make you marry a fraud like Gideon? If he loved you, would he keep you away from the core business all these years? Wake up. In your father’s eyes, you’re just a tool for marriage alliances. Now that the tool isn’t useful anymore, he wants to replace it with a new one.” I had to be harsh, or Mia would never wake up. Mia sat there in a daze, her eyes vacant, as if her entire worldview had collapsed. “Then… what should I do? Evelyn, help me. I can’t let them succeed!” Mia finally grabbed my hand, her nails digging into my flesh. It hurt, but I didn’t shake her off. “Listen. Starting today, you need to cooperate with me in putting on an act.” I leaned close to Mia and lowered my voice. “Gideon wants you to play crazy? Then you’ll go crazy for him. But you’ll do it under my control.” “This five million. I’ll take half, and the other half is your investment capital.” Mia looked at me, the fear in her eyes gradually transforming into ruthlessness. She wiped away her tears and picked up the check, kissing it fiercely. “Fine, Evelyn. I’ll listen to you. Keep all five million. As long as you can destroy them, you can have everything I own!” I smiled and put the check away. “I don’t need everything. Fair compensation for work done. Now go wash your face and change your clothes. Gideon will be back tonight. Your show is about to begin.”

Evelyn’s POV Gideon did come back. He brought Mia’s favorite mousse cake, wearing that nauseating mask of devotion on his face. “Mia, I’m sorry. I’ve been too busy with the company these past few days and neglected you.” Mia sat on the sofa, holding a pair of scissors, cutting up the designer bags Gideon had given her. The floor was littered with scraps of leather. Gideon’s eyelid twitched. He put down the cake and tried to rush over to grab the scissors. “Mia, what are you doing? Don’t hurt yourself!” Mia looked up, her eyes somewhat unfocused yet carrying a strange excitement. “Gideon, you’re back? Look, there seem to be bugs in these bags. They keep making noise. It’s giving me a headache. I cut them open and the bugs ran away.” This was the script I’d taught Mia. A touch of neurosis, but not too exaggerated. Gideon froze for a moment, then turned to look at me standing in the corner. I gave Gideon a slight nod and mouthed the words “having an episode.” A flash of barely concealed pleasure crossed Gideon’s eyes, but he hid it well, immediately putting on an expression of distress. “Mia, have you been under too much stress lately? It’s okay, I’m here. Evelyn, go call Dr. Hayes. Have him come check on Mia.” Dr. Hayes was Gideon’s college friend, now a psychiatrist at a private clinic. In the original timeline, it was Dr. Hayes who repeatedly issued false diagnoses for Mia, calling normal anxiety bipolar disorder and insomnia a precursor to schizophrenia. I’d been waiting for Dr. Hayes to make this move. “Of course, Gideon. I’ll contact him right away.” I turned toward the kitchen, pretending to make a call, but actually pulled out a packet of powerful laxatives from my bag. Dr. Hayes arrived quickly, carrying his signature silver medical case, wearing gold rimmed glasses, the very picture of a refined scumbag. “Gideon, how is Mia’s condition?” “Not good. She was just cutting bags, saying there were bugs inside. Dr. Hayes, please take a look. Has that illness gotten worse?” Gideon spoke while giving Dr. Hayes meaningful looks. Dr. Hayes understood perfectly. He sat across from Mia and began the diagnostic routine he’d rehearsed countless times. I walked over carrying water I’d just poured. “Dr. Hayes, thank you for coming. Have some water.” I deliberately handed the doctored glass to Dr. Hayes, my movements respectfully flawless. Dr. Hayes took the water without suspicion and drank a large gulp. “Miss Lancaster, have you been hearing strange voices lately? Or seeing things other people can’t see?” Mia hugged her knees, trembling. “Yes, many people are cursing me, saying I don’t deserve to live…” Her acting skills. Such a waste she wasn’t winning Best Actress awards. Gideon put his arm around Mia’s shoulders with false concern. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Those are hallucinations.” Less than ten minutes later, Dr. Hayes’s expression began to change. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He clutched his stomach, his face contorting. “Um… Gideon, may I use the restroom?” “Over there.” Dr. Hayes practically waddled into the bathroom with his legs squeezed together. While Gideon went to the balcony to take a call, probably reporting the situation to Lydia, I quickly walked to Dr. Hayes’s medical case on the coffee table and opened his laptop. I knew Dr. Hayes’s password. In the previous timeline, when he was on trial in court, this password was made public as evidence. It was his first love’s birthday. The computer booted up quickly. I rapidly located a folder named “Patient Files.” Inside was a medical record for Mia that had been prepared in advance, brazenly stating “severe bipolar disorder with violent tendencies, recommend involuntary hospitalization.” Besides Mia’s, there were several other false medical records of billionaire wives. Dr. Hayes was apparently a repeat offender. I pulled out a flash drive and copied the entire folder as fast as I could. The progress bar crawled agonizingly slowly. I kept my eyes on the screen while listening for sounds from the bathroom and balcony. The toilet flushed, followed by the sound of the door handle turning.

Evelyn’s POV I yanked out the flash drive, closed the laptop, and retreated to my corner, the entire process smooth as silk, though my heart was pounding like it would burst through my chest. Dr. Hayes emerged weakly, his face sallow. “Sorry, I must have eaten something bad.” He sat back down, not daring to drink any more water, and after asking a few cursory questions, pulled out a document. “Gideon, based on Mia’s current symptoms, she does show tendencies of severe bipolar disorder. I recommend starting with medication to control it. If the situation deteriorates, it would be best to send her to a professional treatment facility.” Gideon took the diagnosis, his hands trembling slightly from excitement. “Good. Whatever Dr. Hayes says. As long as Mia can be cured, money is no object.” Mia sat with her head down, shoulders shaking as if crying, but I knew she was trying not to laugh. Gideon locked the diagnosis in his safe, where he considered most secure. But I touched the burning flash drive in my pocket and smirked inwardly. That was nothing but waste paper. The real bomb was in my hands. After seeing Dr. Hayes off, Gideon was in high spirits, even giving me an approving look. “Evelyn, you did well today. From now on, make sure Mia takes the medication Dr. Hayes prescribes on time. Understood?” “Don’t worry, Gideon. I’ll make sure to watch her ‘carefully.’” I emphasized the word “carefully.” Those pills would go straight down the drain, every last one. Gideon moved faster than I’d expected. The day after obtaining the fake diagnosis, he brought Lydia home. “Mia, this is Lydia. She just returned from abroad and has nowhere to stay temporarily. You haven’t been feeling well lately, so Lydia can keep you company and cheer you up.” Lydia wore a white dress, her long hair flowing over her shoulders, that harmless smile on her face, carrying a basket of fruit. “Miss Lancaster, hello. Gideon’s mentioned you often, saying you’re beautiful and capable. Meeting you today, I see he wasn’t exaggerating.” The greeting sounded sweet, but I clearly saw the ambition and provocation hidden in Lydia’s eyes. Mia sat in a wheelchair. This was also my suggestion. If you’re going to play sick, go all in. Looking frail couldn’t hurt. Mia looked at Lydia, the pillow in her hands twisted out of shape. Last night I’d shown Mia Lydia’s file. This woman’s private life abroad had been an utter mess. She’d returned home to take over the Lancaster family business and snag Gideon, the scheming man. “If she’s Gideon’s friend, then let her stay. Evelyn, show Lydia to the guest room.” Mia’s voice was soft, sounding weak and breathless. Gideon nodded with satisfaction, seemingly surprised and pleased by Mia’s compliance. “Lydia, make yourself at home. If you need anything, just tell Evelyn.” I led Lydia upstairs. The moment she entered the guest room, the smile dropped from her face. She ran her finger disgustedly along the desk. “What kind of dump is this? So much dust. Is this how you people serve guests?” I stood in the doorway, expressionless. “Miss, this room was cleaned just yesterday. If you find it unsatisfactory, you’re welcome to clean it yourself.” Lydia turned around and looked me up and down, her eyes full of disdain. “You’re Evelyn? I heard you’re a dog Gideon bought with money? Since you’re a dog, you should act like one. Don’t bark at your master.” She pulled out a stack of bills from her bag and threw them in my face. “Take the money. From now on, you do whatever I tell you to do. Got it?” Bills scattered across the floor. I bent down and picked them up one by one. Why not take free money? This was emotional distress compensation. “You’re absolutely right. I’ll be obedient.” Lydia snorted and turned to unpack her luggage, muttering under her breath, “What a cheap bitch.” I pocketed the money, closed the door, and headed to the surveillance room.

Evelyn’s POV Yesterday, I’d already installed pinhole cameras in various corners of the Lancaster house, especially at the stairwell, living room, and Mia’s bedroom. I knew someone as scheming as Lydia would never behave herself. The first thing she’d do here was assert dominance over Mia and stage another sob story for Gideon. Sure enough, before dinner, the show began. Gideon hadn’t returned yet. Mia was reading in the second-floor sitting room. Lydia walked over carrying a cup of hot coffee, her steps deliberately swaying. “Mia, reading? Have some coffee to perk up.” Lydia approached Mia, deliberately stumbled, and the entire cup of scalding coffee flew toward Mia’s face. Mia was prepared. She dodged to the side, and the coffee splashed onto the sofa. “Oh my, I’m so sorry, Mia! I didn’t mean to!” While apologizing, Lydia took the opportunity to viciously pinch Mia’s arm. Mia cried out in pain and instinctively pushed Lydia. The push wasn’t forceful, but Lydia acted as if she’d been struck by a sledgehammer, her whole body flying backward and rolling straight down the stairs. “Help! Mia’s trying to kill me!” At that moment, the front door opened. Gideon happened to walk in. He looked up to see Lydia rolling down like a broken doll, landing at his feet with a gash on her forehead, blood flowing out. “Lydia!” Gideon dropped his briefcase and rushed over to cradle Lydia. Lydia leaned weakly against Gideon, pointing at Mia upstairs, tears streaming down her face. “Gideon… Mia… she said I was trying to seduce you… she pushed me… my head is so dizzy…” Gideon’s head snapped up, his eyes glaring viciously at Mia. “Mia! Have you lost your mind? Lydia is my friend. How could you be so vicious!” Mia stood at the top of the stairs, face pale, trembling all over. This wasn’t an act. Mia was genuinely furious at this scene and hurt by Gideon’s look. “I didn’t… Lydia did it herself…” “Shut up! I saw it with my own eyes! What excuse do you have?” Gideon stood up holding Lydia and strode outside. “I’m taking Lydia to the hospital for an examination! Mia, if anything happens to Lydia, I won’t let you off!” Mia tried to chase after them to explain, but I stopped her. “Don’t go.” I pulled Mia back to her room. “Let Gideon go.” “But Evelyn, Gideon misunderstood me! That woman did it on purpose!” Mia stamped her foot anxiously. “I know Lydia did it on purpose. Gideon probably knows too, but he just wants an excuse to blow up.” I opened my phone and pulled up the surveillance video from earlier. The footage clearly recorded how Lydia deliberately spilled the coffee, and how she deliberately used the force of Mia’s light push to jump backward and roll down the stairs. Especially that little adjustment Lydia made before rolling to protect herself. A perfect fake fall. “Look, this floor really is too hard. Lydia should wear knee pads next time she performs, or those knees are going to bruise.” I pointed at Lydia’s somewhat awkward posture on the screen and sneered. Mia watched the video and gradually calmed down, the tears in her eyes receding. “Should we… send this video to Gideon now?” “No. If we send it now, Gideon will just become angry from embarrassment and might even destroy the evidence.” I put away my phone. “We need to wait for the right moment. Like when we can slap Gideon in the face in front of everyone.”

Evelyn’s POV That night, Gideon stormed back. As soon as he entered, he slammed a diagnosis of “mild concussion” on the table. “Mia, you’re absolutely unreasonable! Lydia is such a pure and kind girl, and you could actually hurt her? Starting today, you stay in your room and reflect. Without my permission, you’re not to step one foot out!” Mia sat on the sofa holding a cup of coffee, surprisingly calm. “Gideon, are you sure I pushed Lydia?” “Of course! If not you, then who? Did Lydia roll down by herself?” “Perhaps.” I walked forward at the right moment, holding a tablet. “Gideon, to ensure the house’s security, I installed surveillance at the stairwell a couple days ago. It was meant to prevent thieves, but it captured something interesting.” Gideon’s expression changed instantly. I tapped the video and played it. In the footage, Lydia’s clumsy acting was laid bare, even capturing the look she snuck at the door to see if Gideon had come in. After watching the video, Gideon’s face turned from blue to white. What a sight. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out. “Gideon, does this count as… faking a fall for fraud?” I asked with a smile. Gideon took a deep breath, crumpled the diagnosis into a ball, and stuffed it in his pocket. “This matter… perhaps Lydia accidentally slipped. She was just frightened and spoke nonsense. Mia, since it’s a misunderstanding, let’s move on. Don’t be too petty. After all, Lydia is a guest.” That’s it? Moving on? Not even an apology? Mia was about to explode when I gently pressed her hand. “Gideon’s right. We all live under one roof. Why hold grudges? But Lydia’s balance really is concerning. She should hold the railing when using stairs from now on. Otherwise if she falls again next time, the surveillance might not always be running.” Gideon glared at me and went upstairs to Lydia’s room. I knew he was going to comfort that schemer, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that the seed of doubt had been planted in Gideon’s mind. Though he was protecting Lydia, someone as selfish as Gideon would never tolerate being played for a fool. Lydia’s sob story not only failed to hurt Mia, but actually made Lydia lose points with Gideon. This was my welcome gift to Lydia. Lydia’s fall didn’t manage to hurt Mia but left herself bruised and swollen, hiding in her room for several days without daring to show her face. But this didn’t make Gideon settle down. Soon, the Lancaster Corporation’s annual charity gala was about to begin. This was a major event in elite circles and a key step in Gideon’s plan to transfer assets. Two days before the gala, Gideon came to Mia with a thick document. “Mia, we need to set an example at this gala. I want to establish a charitable trust fund in your name and donate part of your shares in Lancaster Entertainment specifically to support education in remote areas.” It sounded noble. I stood nearby pouring water and glanced at the document. On the surface it was a charitable trust, but the terms hid traps. Though the actual controller and beneficiary were written vaguely, after layers of investigation, everything ultimately pointed to an offshore shell company belonging to Gideon. Once Mia signed, those shares would vanish into the fund, never to be seen again, while Gideon would get the reputation of a “philanthropist.” I sneered. Perfect. Using this “document,” Mia and I would prepare a surprise for Gideon.

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On my wedding day, my fiancé was taken away for raping a female student. I chased after him in my wedding dress, wanting to clear his name. Only to learn that he had turned himself in voluntarily. He said to me apologetically: “Lily’s family found out she was raped and forced her to marry the rapist. I couldn’t bear to see her end up like that, so I came forward to take the blame.” “Lily’s family said if I agree to marry her, they’ll drop the charges. Just handle the school’s inquiries and the public opinion for me.” “Lily and I agreed it’s a fake marriage for three years. After three years, I’ll make it up to you with a proper wedding. Will you wait for me?” I calmly turned and left. Casually removed my veil and placed it on a stray dog by the roadside. Ethan Miller, what makes you think I’ll wait for you? Ethan told me to return to the wedding venue immediately to appease the school leaders and calm the rumors. But I only did two things. First, I notified his school that I was withdrawing my investment in his project and closing his laboratory. Second, I left the wedding venue directly and went back to our apartment. I wiped away my tears and cleaned out every trace of Ethan from the house, one item at a time. The matching couple’s mugs we made together in our pottery class, the matching pajamas we wore every night… And the wedding photos we’d just received yesterday, carefully framed… I threw everything into the bathroom, lit them with a lighter, and watched them burn beyond recognition. Watching the flames rise, I called the wedding hotel. “I’m not getting married. Ask the groom’s side to settle the balance. Please send my things stored at the hotel to my house.” But the hotel manager’s surprised voice came through the phone. “But the groom just said the wedding is still on, just postponed by one day? He also said we got the photos and bride’s name wrong, and asked us to change the bride’s name to Lily Smith.” A sharp pain pierced my heart. That wedding was something I’d spent ten years planning, piece by piece. Whether the flowers or the decorations, everything was handmade by me over six months. Ethan clearly knew this was our dream wedding. Yet he wanted to give it to his female student? I took a deep breath, suppressing the pain in my heart, and said: “Whatever. Just send my things back. Especially the bracelet in the safe.” The manager sounded even more surprised: “But the groom already took the bracelet from the safe. He said he wanted to give it to the bride as a wedding gift.” My head exploded with a thunderous sound. I immediately hung up and frantically called Ethan. Every call I made was rejected by him. Finally, on the eighteenth attempt, he answered. With a hint of helpless irritation, he said: “Didn’t I already say not to contact me recently? I need to accompany Lily and play out this fake marriage properly. I was just chatting with Lily’s parents and almost slipped up.” My throat tightened as I hurriedly asked: “Ethan, did you take my bracelet?!” He paused, then laughed: “Yes. Lily’s mother said their custom requires a bracelet among the wedding jewelry. I thought your bracelet was heavy enough and beautiful, so I took it to give to her as a wedding gift.” But my heart still felt like it was being torn apart in pain. “Ethan Miller!!” My voice became shrill, breaking: “That was my mother’s keepsake! How dare you give it to your mistress!” 2 “Give it back! Right now! Send it back to me! Or I’ll call the police! I’ll have you both get married in prison!” I was trembling all over with rage, my words sharp as thorns. Ethan was startled by me, then became angry himself: “What are you saying! I told you it’s just acting! I’m only borrowing it! I’m not keeping it from you!” “I was planning to buy you several similar ones tomorrow as an apology gift. I didn’t expect you…” Rage surged through me. I didn’t want to hear his voice for another second. I hung up and immediately left, took a cab, and gave the driver Lily’s address. I also brought Ethan’s luggage with me. On the way, my phone kept dinging. Text messages from Ethan came through. “I got a bit anxious just now and spoke harshly. Emma, I apologize.” “How about this—I’ll return the bracelet tomorrow, but you need to come to the wedding as Lily’s bridesmaid.” “After all, we were about to get married, but suddenly I’m getting a marriage license with Lily. This doesn’t look good for the young lady’s reputation.” “If you come as a bridesmaid tomorrow, everyone will naturally not think Lily destroyed our relationship. If anyone asks about us tomorrow, cover for me… just say… you cheated and fell in love with someone else, that you wanted to break up with me for a long time. Anyway, don’t implicate Lily…” Reading his messages, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. But as I laughed, tears had already soaked the hem of my coat. The driver saw this and silently handed me a tissue. I thanked him softly, opened the car door, grabbed the suitcase, and rushed upstairs. I pounded on Lily’s door. The door shook with earth-shattering sounds. Hurried footsteps came from inside, and soon the door opened. “Who is it! At this late hour!” Ethan stood there wearing a pink apron, with flour still on his forehead. My eyes instantly reddened. I had loved Ethan for ten years. I’d witnessed his journey from a poor student to a respected professor. The deepest scar in his heart was from when he worked part-time in a restaurant kitchen during college. Rich kids at school, jealous of him, pinned him to the ground and poured leftovers over his head. “A useless cook dares to steal someone else’s woman.” Since then, he hated cooking with a passion. Even when I was engaged to him and brought him home to meet my gravely ill mother, I only asked him to help bring dishes from the kitchen, and he left with a cold face, slamming the door. Leaving my sick mother heartbroken for me, yet even then, I forced a smile to defend him. From then on, I was even more careful to protect him. I, who never knew how to cook, burned my hands countless times learning to cook for him. I never expected that his scar had already been healed by another woman. The moment Ethan saw me, he froze, then instinctively tugged at his apron guiltily. “Emma, why are you here…” Lily appeared behind him, her small face looking at me nervously: “Miss Carter, why are you here?” She stood in front of Ethan with tears in her eyes: “Miss Carter, if you want to vent, just beat me to death. Professor Miller only did this to help me…” Ethan looked at her with heartache, then yelled at me angrily: “Emma, how can you be so heartless? Lily was being forced by her family to marry the thug who assaulted her. I’m just helping her avoid that fate. Can’t you show some understanding?” 3 “No!” My voice trembled with fury: “If she’s pitiful, that’s a problem between her parents and the person who hurt her! She can refuse! She can call the police and have those people arrested! Why should I sacrifice my marriage and happiness!” “Unless…” My voice was already choking: “Actually, she was never assaulted at all! You two were fooling around and…” Before I could finish, my face was struck hard by a slap. Ethan raised his hand, his face full of anger: “I won’t let you talk about her like that! I already said it! Lily and I are in a fake marriage! Why must you think so maliciously of others?” Our argument drew neighbors from upstairs and downstairs to watch. Someone asked Lily and Ethan: “Lily, who is this? What’s her relationship with your husband?” Lily stammered: “She’s his… ex…” Seeing her hurt expression full of implications, the neighbor understood immediately, looking at me with disgust and even pushing me: “They’re about to get married, and you’re still clinging to her husband—that makes you the mistress! You look decent enough, but have some shame!” “Exactly! Take her picture! Post it online!” I laughed bitterly and threw the suitcase at their feet: “Ethan Miller, tell them who the real mistress is!” The suitcase popped open, but Lily screamed and crouched down. Ethan looked at the fingernail-sized red swelling on her leg. His expression changed instantly: “Emma Carter! Are you done yet! I already got a marriage license with Lily! Who are you calling the mistress!” I looked at him in disbelief and smiled bitterly: “Ethan Miller, this is what you call a fake marriage? Getting a marriage license is fake too?” Knowing he’d misspoken, Ethan guiltily changed the subject: “Over a broken bracelet, you came here to hit people!” “Emma Carter, this is the first time I’ve realized how selfish and cold-blooded you are!” My eyes widened as I watched Ethan storm back into the room in rage. He came out with the bracelet I treasured so dearly and smashed it to the ground. “You want your bracelet, don’t you! Take your junk and get out!” “No!” I screamed and lunged forward to catch it, but I was too late. I watched helplessly as the bracelet shattered on the floor. I looked up sharply, glaring at Ethan with hatred. This was the first time he’d seen anything other than love in my eyes. Even in his anger, there was a moment of panic. But the next second, Lily cried out: “Professor Miller, my leg hurts so much. Could it be fractured?” Ethan immediately snapped back, picked her up, and rushed downstairs past me. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll take you to the hospital.” He left so forcefully and hastily that he knocked me aside as I crouched on the ground. I tumbled down the steep stairs and crashed heavily onto the floor. Amid everyone’s screams and my weak cries, Ethan left without looking back. Before my eyes closed, all I saw was Lily leaning on Ethan’s shoulder, giving me a triumphant smile. In that moment, the sound of my heart breaking was as clear as shattering jade. … Once, Ethan used to protect me the way he now protected Lily. When I was being followed and harassed by those rich kids, terrified, he rushed out to stand in front of me, boldly telling them to get lost. He grabbed my wrist and broke through their encirclement. 4 Later, I learned he was targeted and made things difficult by those spoiled brats because of this. I found him with red eyes to apologize. He just smiled and patted my head, saying: “It’s okay. I just can’t stand to see you cry.” The man who once panicked just seeing my red eyes could now ignore my pain for another girl’s tears. When did Lily start coming between us? Perhaps it was from the day she became Ethan’s graduate student. When he talked about this girl, he said she reminded him of his younger self. But his eyes were full of affection. Or perhaps it was when she called Ethan in tears, saying male students at school were blocking her way to confess their feelings. Ethan, usually calm and rational, actually got into a fight with the male student like a hothead. When I went to bail him out, looking at his swollen lip, I felt bitterness for the first time. He explained to me: “Emma, when I heard about her situation, I thought of how you were bullied before, and I lost my head…” But… When I was in such a predicament before, he only led me away… … When I woke up, I was already in the hospital. The doctor told me worriedly that fortunately I was brought in time. I’d hit the back of my head, causing cerebral hemorrhaging. I’d almost not woken up. I thanked him softly, got my wounds treated, and left the hospital. As soon as I reached the entrance to my building, several sleazy men followed me. “You’re that bitch from online, right?” “You look decent, but you’re so vicious inside. You even hired thugs to bully a female student. Since you like finding men so much, today we brothers will let you experience it too!” They laughed menacingly and rushed at me, tearing at my clothes. I screamed desperately, kept backing away, but they still tore my clothes and pinched bruises all over my body. It wasn’t until the building’s security guard arrived and called the police that they scattered. I knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. The security guard looked down at me with contempt in his eyes: “You deserved it. Who told you to be so malicious and bully an innocent young lady?” I looked up sharply, my voice trembling. “What did you say?” The security guard sneered and left. My head buzzed and exploded. I quickly pulled out my phone to check. Sure enough, I saw a clarification post from Ethan. “Sorry for wasting public resources. Regarding my assault on a female student, it was a misunderstanding. My ex, Emma Carter, hired thugs to assault my student out of jealousy, causing her to be forced to marry that beast!” “I felt sorry for her and came forward to take responsibility to protect her. But I didn’t expect her to have such a bad attitude. Not only did she not repent, but she got worse, so I decided to expose everything.” “I will also take responsibility and marry my student, taking care of her for life!” Lily commented below: “With you here, I’m not afraid of anything.” Blood rushed to my brain. I felt like I’d been struck hard. Below this post were all blessings and horrifying curses. My photos were photoshopped into various obscene images, and some said they’d dox my address to teach me a lesson. My phone was filled with vile, abusive messages.

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01 I was a mute trophy girlfriend. Off the bed, I didn’t need to flatter my sugar daddy. On the bed, I didn’t need to praise him for being so good. The only problem was— When I was pushed to my limit, I couldn’t curse him out. Like right now. Liam Sterling noticed my mind wandering. His hands gripped my waist. He forcefully flipped me over. Biting and nipping. So fiercely it felt like he wanted to tear my skin off and swallow me whole. Ahhh, you son of a bitch! I cursed him out frantically in my head. But on the outside, I was the picture of pathetic submission. My eyes were red, tears falling in fat drops. I found an anchor point amidst the tossing. I wrapped my arms around the man’s neck. And rubbed my cheek against his in a silent plea for mercy. According to past experience, as long as I put on this expression, Liam would quickly finish the battle. But tonight, I don’t know what got into him. He pulled out one ultra-thin 0.01 after another. From the bed to the bathroom to the sofa. We went at it until midnight. Only then did he finally carry me back to bed, completely satisfied. I was exhausted. But the moment I thought about what was going to happen tomorrow, my sleepiness vanished instantly. 02 This afternoon, one of Liam’s frat brothers came over to hang out. The study door wasn’t closed tightly. Snippets of their conversation drifted out. “Chloe is coming back tomorrow. Are you sending a car, or are you picking her up yourself, Liam?” “Is ‘Chloe’ a name you’re worthy of using?” Liam’s voice went ice-cold. The guy quickly corrected himself. “Okay, okay, my bad. That’s your exclusive pet name for her…” It was an apology, but mostly he was just teasing. Everyone in their elite social circle knew Liam Sterling had a first love he could never forget. She was fiercely protected by him. People only knew she existed. No one knew her real name or what she looked like. No one even knew why they didn’t end up together. Once, when I was bored and organizing Liam’s study, I saw an old, yellowed photograph. The “first love” was wearing a hat, her face turned slightly away from the camera. The only half of her face that was visible looked about eighty percent like me. The memory of the first time I met Liam flashed through my mind. I was standing on the curb, playing on my phone. A car pulled up and stopped smoothly in front of me. I didn’t look closely, assuming it was the Uber I called. I opened the door and got right in. Whenever I go out, I invent an identity for myself. As a massive introvert, to avoid being talked to by drivers, I always pull out a pre-typed scrolling message on my phone every time I get in a car: [I am mute. Please do not talk to me.] The moment I shoved the phone forward, I realized the driver was a breathtakingly handsome, aristocratic-looking guy. He was way too good-looking to be driving an Uber. Even the car felt like a luxury vehicle just by his presence. He looked at my phone screen over and over again. He stared blankly for a long time before his voice went hoarse and he asked me where I was going. … Looking at the photo, everything suddenly made sense. His loss of composure back then wasn’t because I got into the wrong car. He didn’t kick me out on the spot not because of my fake mute identity. It was because I looked like his first love. The silence in the study broke as the conversation resumed. “What about the one you have at home?” “She’s timid, and she’s mute. She probably can’t handle seeing people…” I didn’t listen to the rest. I tactfully turned and left. If I didn’t leave right then, I wouldn’t have been able to control my emotions. I would have laughed out loud on the spot. Three years! Three whole years! I faked being mute for three years! And I’ve finally made it to the breakup! 03 I was so happy I couldn’t sleep at all. I turned my back to Liam. I unlocked my phone and clicked into the “Trophy Girlfriends Support Group.” I was pulled into this group by an enthusiastic girl in the bathroom during a business dinner I attended with Liam. The ultimate goal of every member in this group was to secure a sky-high breakup fee. Achieve financial freedom, and retire flat on our backs. I couldn’t resist sharing the news in the group. [Liam’s first love is coming back soon!] The moment the message went out, all the night owls who hadn’t slept yet exploded into the chat. [Ahhhh, congratulations, Maya!!] [Manifesting, manifesting, manifesting! Welcoming the first love back! I heard my sugar daddy’s first love is studying in Germany…] [So jealous of you girls. The one I have at home doesn’t even have a first love (dead inside). ] After a wave of envy, Chloe tagged me out of curiosity. [Mr. Sterling is so rich, and he’s always been generous with you. The breakup fee is going to be massive, right?!] Liam has always been very generous with me. My monthly allowance is $50,000. He frequently gifts me designer bags and jewelry. Occasionally, he’ll spontaneously gift me luxury cars and mansions. I never accepted the cars or mansions. After all, as a poor person, I absolutely cannot afford the maintenance on a luxury car! And I definitely can’t afford the HOA and property taxes on a mansion! It’s hard to take them with me, and selling them requires finding a broker… Just thinking about it gives a socially anxious person like me a breakdown. So, my only hope for getting filthy rich was the breakup fee Liam would give me. A few hundred thousand? Or a few million? The more I thought about it, the more excited I got, twisting like a pretzel on the bed. The next second, the man dragged me back into his arms. “Can’t sleep?” His burning body pressed against me again. I was terrified and pushed him away with all four limbs. I brought my hands together and rested them under my cheek. Indicating that I was going to sleep right now! “Tomorrow I have to go to the airport to pick up someone very important to me.” I snapped my eyes open, having just closed them. Liam asked, pretending to be casual: “Do you… want to go with me?” I was dumbfounded. Who? Me? He’s asking if I want to go with him? Taking the stand-in to pick up the first love. Is he planning to piss the first love to death on the spot? I shook my head violently. Liam looked at me deeply for a moment. “That’s fine too… You’re timid. We’ll wait until you want to see her.” Liam has always indulged me. When we first got together, he offered to arrange a job for me. After I refused, he never brought it up again. As an absolute homebody and introvert. This kind of life where I don’t have to leave the house to work. Where food is brought to my mouth and clothes are handed to me. I was actually a little reluctant to leave. My mood uncontrollably dipped. Right then, my phone vibrated. It was an SMS notification from the bank about a transfer. “I probably won’t be home tomorrow night. I might not have time to be with you for the next couple of days.” “Take this money and buy whatever you like…” I didn’t respond to Liam. My eyes were practically glowing as I stared at my phone screen. Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions… I rubbed my eyes. Tossed and turned and counted again. It was indeed eight figures! Liam gave me a $30 million breakup fee! Thirty million! A poor person suddenly striking it rich. The money completely fried my brain. In a moment of sheer excitement, I blurted out: “Thank you, boss! You are so generous, boss!” “…” Our eyes met. The atmosphere instantly froze. I’m doomed! I was so happy I forgot I was supposed to be mute! I mean, how could a mute person be so polite? After realizing what a stupid thing I had done. I covered my mouth guiltily. My waist went limp, and my body slid down. I buried myself entirely under the covers. The next instant, the man pinched the back of my neck and yanked me up. “Little mute.” The little girl he had pampered and held in the palm of his hand for three years was suddenly no longer mute. Liam was practically laughing out of pure anger. “Don’t tell me this is a medical miracle?” 04 Haha. That joke was not funny at all. There was nowhere to hide. To block the burning gaze raking over my body. I had no choice but to cover my face tightly with my hands. “Little mute, speak.” I shook my head, my voice muffled. “Mutes don’t speak.” “…” Liam pinched the bridge of his nose. Looking at the girl in front of him whose face was flushed red, wishing she could disappear, he felt a bit helpless. “Do you have nothing you want to say?” I bit my lip, feeling a bit lost. Yes, I pretended to be mute and lied to him. I won’t defend myself. And the breakup fee has already hit my account. What else is there to say? I have nothing to say! But obviously, I had to say something right now. I changed my line of thinking. I tried to think about what Liam would want to hear, what he liked to hear. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit me. “Daddy…” Liam’s breath hitched. As a literature student. I desperately recalled the steamy romance novels I used to read. I picked and chose, and finally found a line I could actually say out loud. “Daddy is so big… so good, I love it so much…” I stammered out the praise. I cautiously moved the two fingers covering my eyes. And peeked at Liam’s expression. His eyebrows were raised, and the corners of his mouth weren’t tight. It seemed like he wasn’t mad? I’ve been faking muteness to avoid this for so long, but in the end, I still couldn’t escape it. At least tonight is my last night as a trophy girlfriend. I racked my brains, searching through my entire mental inventory. “Daddy is so fierce at night, going hard like you took some kind of pill.” Liam’s face instantly went black. “What did you say? Say that again?” I gulped. Was there something wrong with that? Does he not like being called Daddy? But Liam is older, after all. He wouldn’t appreciate the “older brother/younger sister” vibe. My heart was pounding like a drum. I mustered up my courage and repeated: “Daddy is so fierce at night…” Before the rest of the words could come out. They were swallowed down by a sticky, tangled kiss. The man grabbed my hands, which I didn’t know where to put. And moved them lower and lower. Liam’s dark eyes glowed a faint green under the dim wall light. “Little mute, call me that one more time.” … The sky began to lighten. The man was so excited it was as if he had unlocked a whole new world. I buried my damp, sweaty head into the pillow. Thinking dizzily. Good thing I was smart enough to fake being mute for three years. Otherwise, I definitely would have died in this bed! 05 When I woke up again, it was already afternoon. My whole body ached. After screaming all night, my throat was so hoarse I couldn’t speak. Now I was a real mute. Dragging my legs that felt like prosthetics, I went downstairs. Maria, the housekeeper, saw me. She nodded in greeting, turned into the kitchen, and brought a bowl of warm porridge to the table. After doing all this, she vanished silently like a fairy godmother. Liam knew I didn’t like interacting with strangers. So he had instructed everyone from the very beginning. Anyone entering or leaving the house had to minimize their presence. It was incredibly friendly for someone with social anxiety. The more I thought about it, the more I realized Liam was actually pretty great. He had money, he had the looks. He was attentive when he needed to be. And rough enough when it counted. His only flaw was… He had another woman in his heart. “Sigh…” I felt melancholy for all of three seconds. My hand accidentally tapped on the $30 million transfer record. It seems, maybe… I didn’t love him that much anyway, haha. My heart is too small; it only has room for money. As for Liam? Whatever, considering how good he’s been to me. I’ll do him a favor! With that thought. I laid back on the bed with a clear conscience. I pulled a novel from the bookshelf. Chapter One: The Return of the First Love. Perfect, exactly what I need. Time to study up. Half an hour later. I was so pissed off by the male and female leads who refused to communicate that my liver hurt. I exited the novel with a blank expression. I opened iMessage and sent Liam a sticker of a kitten peeking its head out. Liam replied instantly. “You’re awake? Maria kept the porridge warm for you. Eat something good tonight, but don’t overdo it.” “Does it still hurt? Feeling any better?” Ahhhhhh! A capable man asks if you’re tired. A super capable man asks if it still hurts, and if you’re feeling better. I buried my face in the covers and kicked my legs wildly. It took me a good while before I replied coolly. “Yeah.” Liam didn’t reply instantly this time. He was probably busy. I took the opportunity to share some articles I had found. Don’t Miss the Girl Right Beside You. A Man’s Actions Speak Louder Than His Words. Thirty Tips for Pursuing a Woman: Catering to Her Interests. … After sending nearly ten links, I comfortably opened a game. I played for over two hours straight. When I checked my messages again, I saw Liam had replied a long time ago. “Received.” What does “Received” mean? Did he think this was a work memo? The next second, I got a call from Liam’s assistant. Confused, I went downstairs to open the door. The assistant pulled out a black Amex card and handed it to me. “Ms. Davis, this is the supplementary card Mr. Sterling asked me to bring you.” My eyes widened like fried eggs. “For… for me?” Mr. Hayes, the executive assistant, whose expression was usually as tight as a robot’s, completely broke in that moment. “Ms. Davis, you… you aren’t mute?” We stared at each other. I guess I forgot to tell him the truth, haha. Look at this mess. I totally short-circuited this elite professional’s brain. After hearing my explanation, Mr. Hayes pushed his glasses up. His brain began to function again. “My apologies, I just haven’t seen much of the world.” I pursed my lips, feeling extremely embarrassed, and changed the subject. “I heard Mr. Sterling is going to the airport this afternoon to pick up someone very important?” Mr. Hayes nodded. “Yes, Ms. Davis. Would you like to go together?” Taking the stand-in to pick up the first love. Are you straight men insane?! I let out an awkward laugh. “Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?” Mr. Hayes seemed to think of something. He corrected himself. “It is a bit sudden. It’s better to be mentally prepared before meeting.” What’s going on… Is this first love someone I have to meet eventually? I immediately bypassed that topic. “Liam is so busy. Since you’re picking them up, have you prepared flowers and gifts? Are you throwing a welcome dinner tonight?” “You don’t need to worry about that, Ms. Davis. Mr. Sterling had that all arranged last month.”

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I just found out my younger brother is the male lead in a romance novel. According to the plot, on his eighteenth birthday, he’s supposed to meet the female lead, and sparks will fly. Refusing to be part of their twisted game, I hurriedly packed my bags to leave the country. Learning I was leaving, the brother who usually acted so gentle sneered, trapping me in his arms with a look that was both sick and obsessive: “Sister, I forgot to tell you… we aren’t blood-related.” 01 After discovering my brother was a novel’s male lead, the way I looked at Liam changed completely. At the time, Liam was seventeen and a junior in high school. Wearing his blue and white school hoodie, he dropped his backpack, looking relaxed and a bit lazy: “Chloe, I’m home.” This kid. Ever since he started high school, he stopped calling me “sis” and always used my first name. Even though it annoyed me, seeing him towering at almost 6’2″, I didn’t dare push it too much. Especially since I had just learned that in this novel, Liam was a “naturally gifted, tirelessly energetic” male lead. Normally, when he refused to call me “sis,” I would run over and mess up his hair. But now… “Chloe, why are you looking at me like that?” Liam’s tone was cool as he glanced up at me. I pretended to stare at the TV, acting like nothing was wrong. “Nothing.” Honestly, the pet on this TV show is pretty cute… “What are you smiling at?” It was summer. Liam took off his jacket, revealing a white t-shirt underneath, his hair slightly messy. He swept his slightly upturned eyes over the TV and casually sat down next to me on the sofa. “What is that?” I choked on my own spit, coughing violently. Liam naturally reached out to pat my back. I froze, glanced at the TV, and said, “That… I think it’s a cockatoo.” “Hm.” He pulled his hand back, crossed his arms, and leaned back against the sofa. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes. His eyelashes were really long. I looked at his sharp, handsome profile. This kid, his skin was not only pale and clear, but his features were incredibly refined. Let’s just say he looked like a young movie star. The most distinctive thing was a small red mole right on his Adam’s apple. It was very eye-catching. I coughed, shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, and kept my eyes glued to the screen. But my mind had already drifted back to the plot of the novel. On his eighteenth birthday, Liam falls in love at first sight with a girl five years older than him. He becomes dangerously possessive and obsessively in love. And I, somehow, become a part of their twisted games. Finding torn clothes and crumpled tissues in the mansion I share with Liam… Thinking about it made me inexplicably annoyed. I grabbed my phone, wanting to retreat to my room. Before I could take a few steps, Liam stood up and grabbed my wrist. Thinking of that absurd plot, I snapped at him, “What?” The seventeen-year-old boy leaned down, glancing at me before lowering his head: “No head pats today?” Under the lamplight, his soft hair had a gentle halo. I don’t know what came over me, but I reached out and ruffled his hair like a dog’s, leaving a few strands sticking up in all directions. Finally, I instinctively patted his head, like praising an obedient pet. Once I was done, Liam straightened up, smirked, and threw an arm around my shoulder, leading me upstairs. He smelled faintly of crisp mint. I vaguely felt something was off: “Liam, what are you doing?” Liam glanced at me sideways, then pinched his earlobe and said, “Weren’t you going to your room? I’m going up too.” Wait… according to the novel, every time Liam wouldn’t let the female lead out of bed, he would pinch his own earlobe… But then again, maybe it’s just a subconscious habit? Feeling a strange, indescribable sensation in my chest, I hurried back to my room. 02 Back in my room, I couldn’t help but recall the scene when I saw Liam again at eighteen. My parents divorced when I was very young. I lived abroad with my mom, while Liam, who was barely a year old, stayed with my dad in the States. When I became an adult, my father passed away. I left my mother’s new family and resolutely returned to the States to take care of this underage, practically stranger of a younger brother. At my father’s funeral, I saw fourteen-year-old Liam wearing an ill-fitting black suit. Like a lone wolf, the boy stood in front of the tombstone, watching the people come and go with cold detachment. It was a gloomy day. The clouds were dark, and soon a light drizzle began to fall. I walked up to him with an umbrella, feeling a bit absurd as I spoke: “Hi, I’m your surprise sister, Chloe.” After that day, I became Liam’s legal guardian. At first, he would obediently call me “sister,” but after over a decade apart, there was an inevitable distance and caution between us. Yet, there was no denying we shared the same blood. What truly brought us closer happened the year Liam turned fifteen. It was the anniversary of our father’s death. School had let out a long time ago, but Liam still hadn’t come home. Without a second thought, I went to the cemetery where our father was buried. And there, I found Liam, eyes red, hugging the tombstone and crying. “How did you know I was here?” Are you kidding? You didn’t come home on your dad’s death anniversary, where else would you be? I didn’t answer. I just told him to come home with me. I remember clearly what he said: “I don’t have a mom, and now I don’t have a dad either.” I didn’t comfort him, because, in a way, I was the same. I didn’t have a dad, and my mom was busy being a mom to someone else’s kids. He and I, we were the same kind of people. “Liam, look on the bright side. I still have a younger brother, and you still have an older sister.” I stood there in a standoff with him for a while. Finally, Liam got up, slung his black cartoon backpack over his shoulder, followed behind me, and went home. I have to say, he was starving. He ate three huge bowls of rice when we got back. Regardless, from that point on, our relationship improved significantly. It wasn’t until he hit high school that he started rebelling. He stopped calling me “sis” and used my first name instead, which was highly disrespectful. This kid. I was the one who went to all his parent-teacher conferences. 03 A noise at the door interrupted my memories. Liam’s cool voice called out: “Chloe, sign this for me.” I opened the door, took the permission slip from him, and signed my name. In a daze, I realized Liam’s eighteenth birthday was fast approaching, just a few months away. Handing the slip back, I casually asked, “Liam, what do you want for your eighteenth birthday?” Liam glanced at me, looked away, paused for a moment, and said, “You guess.” I looked up and caught sight of the small red mole on his Adam’s apple. He was looking down, staring intently at me. An unnamed emotion flooded my heart. I pushed down the weird feeling, made a casual joke, and went back to my room. Would a docile-looking Liam really fall hopelessly in love with the female lead on his eighteenth birthday and turn into the psycho described in the plot? In the middle of the night, still baffled, I texted my friend to grab some late-night food. At the food truck, looking at my best friend Maya, I couldn’t help but ask, “Do you think it’s possible we’re actually NPCs in a novel?” Hearing this, Maya cracked open a beer, took a big swig, and said dismissively, “If we’re NPCs, we’re NPCs. NPCs still gotta drink beer.” This glutton. I couldn’t help but smirk, grabbing a skewer of grilled meat. “You’re right. NPCs still gotta eat barbecue.” We were in the middle of eating when Maya suddenly checked her phone and urged me, “Aren’t you going back? Your brother’s probably going to come dragging you home soon.” I took another sip of beer, annoyed. “What brother?” Maya looked behind me and gloated, “Chloe, good luck.” I turned my head a beat too slow and saw Liam in a black hoodie. He scanned a QR code to pay the bill, called an Uber for Maya, and after seamlessly handling all that, walked over to me. “Chloe, you don’t have a brother?” I explained awkwardly, “I’ve just been on my own for so long, I forgot.” I’d only been living with Liam for a few years. Besides, I was already eighteen when I met him. Subconsciously, I never really saw him as a brother. He was just some kid to me. Moreover, how did he know I was here? The tall, lean figure suddenly leaned down, and I heard him ask, “Are you drunk?” “No.” I’ve always had a high tolerance; I wouldn’t get drunk this easily. But then, Liam held up some fingers and asked how many there were. I just opened my mouth and bit his hand. “Why are you pointing at me…” I heard a soft chuckle near my ear. Liam pinched his earlobe, his tone dark. “I hope you really are drunk.” 04 When I woke up again, it was already noon. Liam had gone to school early. I rubbed my throbbing head and crawled out of bed. Looking in the mirror at a face that shared some resemblance with Liam’s, I suddenly noticed my lips were a bit swollen. Confused, I wondered if I was having an allergic reaction. In the afternoon, when Liam came home, I asked him, “Did you feed me jelly last night?” He raised an eyebrow and asked what was wrong. “Nothing, just felt like it tasted pretty good.” Liam seemed to think of something. He touched his nose, dropped his backpack, and said casually, “Glad you liked it.” I watched him go upstairs, then pulled out my phone to look for birthday presents for him. I was deeply engrossed when Liam’s homeroom teacher called. Liam was a senior now and had always refused to live in the dorms. With only a few months left until finals, even though his grades were excellent, his teacher hoped he would move in. After hanging up, I went upstairs and knocked on Liam’s door. When he opened it, his hair was messy, and he looked exhausted. I asked him what was wrong. He leaned against the doorframe, glanced at me, and said, “Catching up on sleep.” I remembered I was the reason he stayed up late last night and felt a bit guilty. But I still told him about his teacher’s call. Before, when he didn’t want to live on campus, I let him have his way. But finals were approaching, and to give him more time to study, I was very firm about him moving in. Hearing this, Liam lowered his eyes. Seeing that I wasn’t leaving room for negotiation, his expression remained flat as he nodded in agreement. Seeing him agree, I breathed a sigh of relief. If Liam wasn’t home, I wouldn’t have to overthink things. But I celebrated too soon. In the middle of the night, while I was sound asleep, a loud crash woke me up. It sounded like something heavy falling. I rushed out and saw Liam leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. His face was pale, cold sweat on his forehead. When he looked at me, his eyes were dark. I ran down, noticed his swollen red ankle, and anxiously asked what happened. Liam leaned his entire weight on me, his voice hoarse: “I missed a step.” Liam has perfect vision, and the hallway light was on. How could he miss a step? Before I could think too much, Liam rested his head on my shoulder, his breathing rising and falling by my ear. The pain made his breathing erratic. It looked serious. I quickly helped him into the car. In the SUV, leaning against the passenger seat, his voice was weak: “Chloe, buckle me in.” I leaned over him. The scent of crisp mint filled my nose. Just then, Liam lifted his arm slightly, making it look like I was being embraced by him. My heart skipped a beat as I hurriedly buckled him in. Anxious, I sped to the hospital. The doctor looked at Liam’s severely swollen ankle and asked, confused, “How did you fall?” Liam said flatly, “Missed a step coming down the stairs.” The older doctor frowned. “Missing a step wouldn’t cause a fall like this. It looks more like someone…” Before the doctor could finish, Liam interrupted, “Doctor, just prescribe some medicine for now.” The doctor looked at me, then at Liam, and sighed. “I’ll give you an analgesic spray and some ice packs. If it still hurts after a week, come back for another check-up.” 05 Liam is an arrogant kid with a slight germaphobe streak. But he never rejected me. So, I took the initiative to apply the ice packs for him, and then sprayed the medicine on his foot. On the way home, Liam looked out the window and suddenly said, “My foot hurts. Do I still have to live in the dorms?” I sighed. With a foot like that, applying medicine in a dorm would be inconvenient. It was best he stayed home so I could take care of him. “No, I’ll pick you up from school lately.” I casually turned on the car stereo. Liam was staring intently out the window. While waiting at a red light, I glanced over and noticed my reflection in the passenger window. “Does it still hurt?” He looked over, his Adam’s apple bobbing, that small mole highly visible. “It doesn’t hurt.” Because of his leg injury, I picked him up from school every day. Today, I saw a few guys walking next to Liam, seemingly asking him something. Being close, I heard everything. “It’s been three years, and you haven’t dated anyone.” “Yeah, a lot of girls like you, Liam. What exactly is your type?” I rolled down the window and waved at Liam. He said something to the guys and walked over, his steps looking a bit strained. As soon as he sat down, I asked curiously, “What were you guys talking about?” Liam crossed his arms and looked at me sideways. His hair covered his brows, a straight nose, thin lips—he was very good-looking. “Someone older than me.” I nodded in understanding. So he did like older girls. No wonder he’d fall in love at first sight with an older woman. For some reason, hearing him say that made me not want to continue the conversation. Instead, he broke his usual silence and asked me: “The music is so loud. Is the soundproofing good?” I answered without thinking, “Of course. Not only is the soundproofing good, but it’s also spacious. Two adults could lay down in the back seat without feeling cramped.” … Wait, could my car become a prop in his twisted games with the female lead? I shot him a glare and snapped, “Why do you ask?” He raised his hand, his long, thin fingers pinching his earlobe. “Nothing.” This kid, always acting so mysterious. 06 Since Liam had finals coming up, I went into his room at night to spray the medicine and massage his ankle. When I entered, Liam was lying in bed, seemingly napping. High school senior pressure was intense, and with his injured foot, I was genuinely worried. His room was all black and white, simple and clear. I walked in quietly, sat on the edge of the bed, and rolled up his sweatpants. His ankle was swollen, red, and purplish. It hurt just to look at it. How could he fall so badly just missing a step… I sprayed the medicine and gently massaged it the way the doctor showed me. The person on the bed opened his eyes, his dark gaze sweeping over me. He called me in a low voice, “Chloe.” “Hmm?” I focused on massaging his ankle without giving him a glance. “Go to sleep.” After massaging for a while, the person on the bed actually fell asleep. I pulled the covers over him and looked around his room. There was a large bay window behind the black curtains. In the plot, he and the female lead did many inappropriate things there. For instance, the female lead looking out the window, begging pitifully, “Don’t do this.” And beneath the sleek black desk beside it, the space was large enough to fit an adult. I frowned, understanding instantly. I’ve read too much of this stuff; my mind is tainted. Liam’s desk was very tidy. My sharp eyes noticed a black notebook at the very top. I subconsciously reached out to touch it. It seemed to be Liam’s diary. With a black leather cover, the diary seemed as cold and aloof as Liam himself. “Chloe, don’t look.” When did he wake up? Surprised, I pulled my hand back: “I wasn’t looking.” Liam propped himself up, looking exhausted, his voice hoarse: “Chloe, I want some of your noodles.” 07 On the day of our father’s funeral, I took Liam home. The fourteen-year-old locked himself in his room without a word and wouldn’t come out no matter how much I called him. That night, I made a bowl of noodles and left it at his door. In the early hours of the morning, I went out for a drink of water and saw Liam sitting on the floor in the hallway, eating the noodles. He was wolfing it down, completely abandoning his usual composure. I pretended not to see, went downstairs for some hot water, and waited a long time before returning to my room. The next morning, when I went downstairs, someone was washing dishes in the kitchen. The boy, wearing an apron, poked his head out and politely said, “Good morning, sis.” Remembering the past, I couldn’t help but smile: “Okay, I’ll go make some.” I happened to have a handful of noodles left. In the pot, the water was boiling violently. Watching the noodles toss and turn in the boiling water, I couldn’t help but think that in the predestined plot, we were just like these noodles in the pot—helpless duckweeds in the rushing river of fate. Lost in thought, a pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around my waist. Stunned, I was about to push him away when I heard the person behind me say, “I miss Dad.” When he said that, I simply couldn’t refuse him. Liam rested his head on my shoulder, his warm breath tickling my ear. He whispered, “Chloe, don’t be nervous.” I wasn’t nervous, just felt a bit unnatural. After a long pause, he sighed and murmured to himself, “Sister, we were always meant to be the closest of people.” Liam’s heart was beating like a drum against my back. I felt a wave of dizziness. …

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I am the only girl in my generation on both my mom’s and dad’s sides of the family, so I’ve been completely spoiled my whole life. During the holiday break, I was whining to my grandmother on the phone because I couldn’t book a flight home in time. After comforting me, Grandma remembered my uncle was actually driving back from my college town that very weekend. She told me to catch a ride with him, and I happily texted him to arrange it. So, the next day, I hopped into my uncle’s SUV. But my aunt—who used to be a notoriously trashy party girl back in the day—demanded I pay for the ride the second she saw me… 01 “Mia Sterling, right?” “Your uncle and I drove all the way out here to pick you up, and you’re not even going to show a little gratitude?” “You’re a college student now. How can you be so clueless?” The moment I got in the car and cheerfully greeted them, my aunt’s words completely blindsided me. Yesterday, when I was complaining to Grandma about the sold-out flights, my roommate overheard. She offered me a ride, since her parents were driving her to my hometown of Boston for the holidays anyway. I had initially planned to go with my roommate, not wanting to inconvenience my uncle. But when I texted him last night, he insisted that my campus was right on his way. Since he was family, I figured it would be better than intruding on my roommate’s family road trip. So why was my aunt now acting like they went out of their way just for me? Her snarky remarks made me flush with embarrassment. I instinctively looked at my uncle. He looked a bit torn, like he wanted to say something, but my aunt shot him a dark glare. In the end, he kept his mouth shut and turned his head to look out the window. My heart sank. Instantly, I realized that taking this ride was a huge mistake. But I was stuck. She was his wife, after all, and I didn’t want to make things awkward for my uncle, who had always doted on me when I was little. Reluctantly, I pulled out a velvet box from my bag. It was a solid gold necklace. I had worked a part-time job for months to save up for it, intending to give it to my mom for her upcoming birthday. But I had no cash on me, and no other options. Mom’s gift would just have to wait. “Aunt Brittney, here. Take this gold necklace.” “Consider it a late wedding gift for you and Uncle David.” I forced a polite smile, swallowing the heartache as I handed over the box. Aunt Brittney’s eyes instantly lit up. A flash of pure greed crossed her face. She snatched the box right out of my hands. “Well, that’s more like it. At least you know how things work…” She practically squealed with joy as she fastened the necklace around her neck, admiring herself in the rearview visor mirror. Through it all, my uncle just stared blankly out the window, not saying a word. Once she secured her “gift,” Brittney finally let David start the car. I breathed a sigh of relief, hugging my backpack and shrinking into the corner of the backseat to make myself as invisible as possible. Her behavior left a bad taste in my mouth, but I figured if I could just get home safely, it would be fine. I’d just make sure to never ride with them again. But less than an hour onto the highway, the SUV pulled into a gas station. Aunt Brittney reached back and slapped my arm, jolting me awake from a nap. I jumped, looking at her nervously. “What is it, Aunt Brittney?” Her face, caked in a thick layer of foundation, twisted into an impatient scowl. “Your uncle and I both have dead phones.” “We need gas. You’re going to pay for it.” 02 “Huh?” I was stunned. “What do you mean, ‘huh’? Hand over your phone, the pump is waiting!” “You’re in college and you don’t even know basic etiquette? You’re going to end up as a minimum-wage loser when you graduate!” She rolled her eyes at me. Then, without waiting for an answer, she lunged back and snatched my phone right out of my hand. “Passcode,” she demanded coldly. At this point, she was crossing a massive line. Fuming, I shouted toward the driver’s seat. “Uncle David!” But he pretended he didn’t hear a thing. Muttering, “I need to use the restroom,” he opened the door and walked away. … I was trapped. Since we were family, I didn’t want to cause a massive scene over some gas money. I unlocked the phone and opened my Apple Pay for her. But paying the $80 for a full tank wasn’t enough. Aunt Brittney took my phone right into the convenience store and came out carrying three massive plastic bags. My chest heaved with anger. I finally couldn’t hold it in and yelled: “Are you done yet?! Give me my phone back!” A flash of jealous rage crossed Brittney’s eyes. She threw the phone back at me, hitting me hard in the chest. I rubbed my aching collarbone and immediately checked my bank app. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. On top of the gas, she had spent over $200 on expensive road trip snacks, energy drinks, and even lottery tickets! My heart bled. That was literally all the money I had left from my part-time job! “What the hell did you buy?! How did you spend that much?!” “And what gave you the right to use my money?!” I was so angry that all my respect for my elders vanished. I screamed right in her face. “Stop yelling! Who do you think you’re yelling at?!” “So what if I spent a few of your precious dollars?” “Your uncle treated you so well growing up. As your aunt, I spend a little of your money and you throw a fit?” “You ungrateful little brat!” “Besides, who knows how ‘clean’ this money even is? I should be disgusted to use it!” I was suffocating with rage. “My uncle treated me well, and my parents treated HIM well! My dad literally paid the down payment on this SUV for him! And what is that supposed to mean?! Who are you calling dirty?!” Just then, Uncle David got back into the car. My fury boiled over. I turned my wrath on him. “Uncle David, what is your problem?!” “You offer your own niece a ride home and you charge her for it? If anyone in the family knew about this…” “You’d be the laughingstock of the whole family!” “And you let your wife steal my money and call me dirty?!” “Are you not afraid I’ll tell Grandma and Grandpa?!” Uncle David’s face instantly turned incredibly pale. But before he could say a word, Aunt Brittney reached back and slapped me across the face. I dodged the worst of it, but her fingernails still scraped my cheek. She wasn’t done. Her heavily powdered face couldn’t hide the cruel, bitter lines around her mouth. Looking at me with pure venom, she sneered: “You’re just a spoiled little freeloader. How does a college girl have this much money anyway?” “You think your money is clean?!” “Look at you! You’re a little tramp!” “I bet you don’t even study at that fancy Ivy League school. You probably just spend your days seducing rich men to pay your way!” I was seeing red. I opened my mouth to scream back— “Enough! Stop arguing!” Uncle David roared, finally intervening. “Are you trying to embarrass me?! Get back in your seat!” He pulled Brittney back to the front, slammed the car into drive, and sped out of the gas station. Only then did he look at me through the rearview mirror, his face full of disappointment. “Mia, I treated you so well when you were little.” “Why can’t you show me a little respect now?” 03 The moment he said that, the raging fire in my chest was instantly extinguished by cold, hard reality. I realized it was utterly impossible to communicate with these people. Uncle David used to be a genuinely good guy. I didn’t understand how marriage had turned him into this. Realizing that reasoning with them was pointless, I went completely silent. I didn’t defend myself. I just wanted to get home. I swore to myself I would never, ever get in a car with him again. Seeing that I wasn’t fighting back, Brittney’s words grew even more vicious and bitter. “I really don’t get your family. Why treat a useless girl like she’s royalty?” “David told me you’ve never had to lift a finger at your parents’ or your grandparents’ houses.” “No wonder you grew up to be such a brat!” “A woman needs to learn how to serve a man and manage a household. That’s the real world.” “Who cares about some top-tier degree or high-paying major? It’s all fake anyway!” She didn’t direct this at me directly; she was complaining to David, mocking me loudly. I sat in complete silence, enduring it. I didn’t even plan to tattle to my grandparents. It was family, and making a huge ugly scene would only hurt the older folks. They were getting up there in age. I would just treat this as an early lesson in how awful human nature could be. After she finished her tirade, Brittney stayed quiet for a long time. I checked my phone. We were about an hour away from Boston. The gloom in my chest started to dissipate. But right then, Brittney suddenly spoke up again: “Mia, what’s in that bag by your feet?” Her sudden friendly tone confused me, but it also sent alarm bells ringing in my head. “Those are the health supplements I bought for Grandma and Grandpa. Why?” I emphasized “Grandma and Grandpa.” Even though it was the truth, something felt deeply wrong. Brittney’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s perfect!” I was baffled. But a second later, the SUV suddenly swerved. We weren’t on the highway heading to Boston anymore. We merged onto a strange, rural county road. My anxiety skyrocketed. I immediately asked: “Uncle David, did you take a wrong turn? This isn’t the way home!” Without even looking back, he replied: “We’re stopping at your aunt’s parents’ house first to drop some things off.” I was stunned. “Really?” “Then I need to text my parents so they don’t worry—” Thump! Before I could open my messages, the SUV hit a massive pothole, violently jerking the vehicle. My phone slipped from my hands and flew forward. It landed perfectly between the front seats. I reached forward to grab it, but Uncle David blocked my arm. “I already told your mom and dad.” “You don’t need to text them.” “But my phone—” I started. Brittney grabbed it. With a fake look of clumsiness, she “accidentally” fumbled it right out her open window. “What phone?” She looked back at me, feigning total innocence. Watching this happen, a chill crawled up my spine. What are they trying to do? The thought exploded in my mind. Images from true crime documentaries flashed before my eyes. I pretended to put my head down in silent defeat. But under my sleeve, I was hiding my left wrist. The wrist with my Apple Watch. … 04 By the time we arrived at a desolate, rundown trailer park out in the woods, I had already slipped my Apple Watch off and hidden it deep inside a secret compartment of my backpack. At the exact same time, I had sent a desperate SOS message, sharing my live location to a group chat containing every single adult in my family—except Uncle David. When I stepped out of the car, I watched Brittney take all the expensive supplements I had bought for my grandparents and carry them into the rundown house. I looked at my uncle, who was watching her with a look of silent approval. I put on a terrified, sorrowful face: “Uncle David, what are you doing?” He sighed, shaking his head. “Mia, this is all for your own good.” “Your aunt is right. A girl needs to learn how to serve a man and manage a home to be truly happy.” “All those books you read are useless.” “It just so happens I brought you here today for a blind date.” “The boy is your aunt’s younger brother. It’s a perfect match. We can keep it all in the family!” The chill in my heart turned into absolute ice. My voice dropped all emotion. “Aren’t you afraid my mom will find out? Aren’t you afraid Grandma will find out?” A flash of deep resentment crossed his eyes. But after a moment of silence, he actually smiled. He patted my shoulder. “Mia, once you’re pregnant with his kid, everything will blow over.” “Your parents and your grandparents will understand.” The second the words left his mouth, my fists clenched so hard my nails dug into my palms. I stared at him, my eyes trying to bore a hole straight through his skull. “Oh, is this the little spoiled brat from the Sterling family?” “Look at her, acting all high and mighty.” “It doesn’t matter. Once she’s Travis’s woman, we’ll see how high and mighty she is!” “When the time comes, we can demand a massive dowry from her family. Perfect!” “Brittney, you finally did something useful for once!” A haggard, bitter-looking woman in her fifties walked out of the dilapidated house. She patted Brittney, who was smiling at her obsequiously, and looked me up and down with absolute disgust. Brittney laughed. “Mom, you have no idea how annoying this little bitch is, but luckily I’m smarter than her.” “This little slut is some Ivy League hotshot. She’s the golden child of both the Sterling and Hayes families.” “She’s got a massive trust fund and shares in both family companies. I guess that makes her barely worthy of our Travis.” As they spoke, the front door swung open again. Out walked a morbidly obese, greasy man. He had a sickening, lecherous grin on his face, and he reeked of cheap beer and body odor. The smell was so bad I nearly threw up my breakfast. “Travis, go on and give her a kiss! This is the little wife Mom found for you!” The older woman pushed the man forward, urging him toward me. “Hehehe, wifey. My wifey!” Drooling, the man lunged right at me. But right at that exact second… The deafening roar of engines shattered the silence. Seven massive black SUVs tore into the dirt driveway, kicking up a storm of dust. The doors flew open, and a sea of people poured out— My grandparents from both sides, my parents, my cousins… the entire family was here! 05 Seeing my family finally appear, my tears burst forth like a broken dam. Grandpa Sterling, leaning heavily on his cane, rushed forward faster than I’d ever seen him move. His cloudy eyes were wide with terror and relief as he pulled me behind him. My Apple Watch had a cellular connection. I had initiated a live audio call the second we pulled up. They had heard everything. I didn’t need to explain a thing. Grandpa Hayes was right behind him. Usually a gentle, smiling man, his face was now an absolute mask of frost. He pointed a shaking finger right at Uncle David’s nose, his voice trembling with unbridled rage: “David Hayes! You absolute animal! How did I raise such a monster?!” Both of my grandmothers had red, tear-streaked eyes. They flanked me on the left and right, grabbing my hands. Grandma Hayes’s hands were shaking violently. “Mia, my sweet girl, did they hurt you?” My mom sprinted over and practically tackled me into a hug, burying my face in her shoulder. She was sobbing so hard she couldn’t speak. My dad didn’t say a word. He walked straight up to Uncle David and landed a brutal right hook directly to his jaw. CRACK. “You sick bastard! Are you even human?!” “This is your own niece!” my dad roared. Uncle David stumbled backward, blood instantly leaking from the corner of his mouth. Faced with my dad’s fury, his face drained of all color. My mom held me in a death grip. The smell of her perfume mixed with her salty tears, enveloping me in absolute safety. “Mia! Oh, my Mia! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?!” Her hands frantically patted me down, checking for injuries. When she saw the dirt on my backpack, she cried even harder. Grandma Hayes, who had the most fiery temper of us all, didn’t hold back. She marched right past Uncle David, grabbed Brittney by her cheap hair extensions, and unleashed a flurry of slaps across her face. Smack! Smack! Smack! At first, Brittney screamed and tried to fight back, but soon she was beaten until her lip was split and bleeding. She collapsed onto the dirt, whimpering. “You shameless, wretched woman! How has the Hayes family ever mistreated you?!” “You dare plot against my granddaughter?! I’ll tear your mouth right off your face!” Grandpa Sterling didn’t lift a finger. He just stood there, staring coldly at the redneck family on the porch. Behind him stood five massive men in black suits—the security detail for my dad’s company. On his silent cue, the bodyguards surged forward. They grabbed the gross brother, Travis, and slammed him into the dirt. He was still giggling stupidly until a bodyguard planted a heavy boot into his stomach. He instantly curled up like a shrimp, gasping for air. Brenda, the bitter mother, shrieked and tried to dive onto her son to protect him. My dad kicked her right in the kneecap, sending her crashing onto the wooden porch steps. My dad, usually the most refined, well-mannered man in the world, had a face as dark as thunder. He stepped forward, the heel of his leather shoe pinning her hand to the wood. “What did you think my daughter was? A piece of meat? Your entire family is going to burn for this.” The yard was complete chaos—screams, curses, and the dull thuds of bone connecting with muscle. I huddled in my mom’s arms, watching my grandfather actually beat Uncle David across the back with his walking cane. Suddenly, I felt a morbid sense of irony. When I was little, David used to carry me on his shoulders. He used to tell me he’d make lots of money and buy me all the candy in the world. How did he become this monster? Brittney shrieked and lunged forward to shield him, but Grandma Hayes shoved her hard to the ground. “You toxic parasite! What did we ever do to you?!” Brenda tried to spit and curse at us. My cousin Tyler, who had ridden with my grandpa, kicked her right in the back of the knee. She dropped to the dirt, forced to her knees. Her son, Travis, shrank against the siding of the house, terrified. Two bodyguards hauled him up by his armpits while he babbled incoherently: “My wifey… my…” Grandpa Hayes turned around, slamming his cane hard into the dirt. “David. Explain yourself. Right now.” Uncle David covered his bleeding face, his eyes darting around, too cowardly to look at us. Brittney, however, suddenly started wailing: “Dad! Mom! You can’t be this biased!” “So what if Mia is a college student?!” “Why isn’t our Travis good enough for her? Keeping the bloodlines close is a good thing!” “Besides, she’s sitting on the Hayes family shares! Why should a little brat get all that money?!” “Shut your mouth!” Grandma Hayes roared. “Since when do you get a say in Hayes family business?!” “If David hadn’t begged me on his hands and knees, telling me you were pregnant, do you think I ever would have allowed him to marry you?!” “And those shares? We decided to leave them to Mia! It has absolutely nothing to do with you!” Only then did I realize that Brittney had been pregnant when they got married. But for some reason, she lost the baby. No wonder my grandparents had reluctantly agreed to the marriage back then. 06 Grandpa Hayes gently touched his wife’s arm to calm her down. He walked up to David, his voice eerily calm but radiating absolute authority: “David. I’m going to ask you one more time. Did you agree to this?” Uncle David’s lips trembled. It took him an eternity to squeeze out: “I… I was doing it for Mia’s own good…” The truth was, Brittney had been poisoning his mind for years. He had grown deeply resentful that the family shares were skipping him and going to me. He felt the money was rightfully his. So, he had greenlit Brittney’s psychotic plan. “For her own good?!” Grandma Hayes shook with absolute fury. “For her own good, so you throw her into a living hell?!” “You believe whatever poison Brittney feeds you? Did you forget who raised you?!” “Did you forget who carried you on her back to the hospital when your parents were working late?!” “You treat your own sister’s child like this?! Do you have a soul?!” Brought face-to-face with his past, Uncle David’s face flushed bright red, but he remained stubbornly unrepentant. “Mom, times are different now… Mia is a girl. What’s the point of all those degrees?” “Isn’t it better to just marry her off so she can live a quiet life?” “No, it isn’t!” I finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. My voice shook, but it was fiercely resolute. “I am in charge of my own life. I don’t need anyone dictating my future!” “Uncle David, I never thought you could turn into something so evil.” “When I was little, you used to buy me treats and say you couldn’t wait to see me go to college.” “You said you wanted to watch me succeed… did you forget all of that?” A flicker of genuine guilt crossed his eyes, but it was extinguished the second Brittney glared at him. She jutted her chin out defiantly. “What’s the point of crying about the past? What’s done is done!” “Either Mia stays here and marries Travis, or you pay us five million dollars in damages! Otherwise, this isn’t over!” “Damages?” Cousin Tyler let out a dark, mocking laugh. “You kidnap my sister, and you want us to pay you? You guys are going to rot in prison!” He pulled out his phone and hit play on an audio file. It was the exact conversation Brittney and her mother had just had on the porch, scheming about my dowry and forcing me to get pregnant. When I had sent the SOS, I hadn’t just shared my location. I triggered the emergency recording feature on my Apple Watch. The live audio had been streaming directly to the family group chat. Every single word they had said was recorded in crystal clear HD audio. Brittney’s face turned the color of chalk. She lunged forward to grab the phone, but Tyler effortlessly sidestepped her. Brenda started screaming and thrashing on the ground, but Grandpa ordered the bodyguards to drag her to the side. 07 Dad pulled out his phone and dialed 911. Brittney completely panicked. She threw herself at Uncle David, sobbing hysterically. “David! Say something! Don’t let them call the cops! I gave up everything for you! Did you forget the baby I was carrying?!” “The baby?” My mom let out a razor-sharp sneer. “You actually have the nerve to mention that baby? If you hadn’t insisted on going out clubbing and doing drugs while you were pregnant, would you have miscarried?!” “And now you project your misery onto my daughter?!” Everything clicked. Brittney’s hatred stemmed from losing her own child. The whole family knew the real reason, but out of pity, no one had ever said it out loud. She had a miserable upbringing, ruined her own life, and became insanely jealous of the overwhelming love and support I received. Her mind had warped into extreme resentment, leading her to methodically plot my destruction. Furthermore, because she was raised in a deeply sexist, abusive household, she had internalized it. She had absolutely no ill will toward her disgusting brother, but harbored immense malice toward successful women her own age. Watching me thrive in college, so utterly loved by my family, had completely consumed her fragile sanity. The state troopers arrived quickly. Taking one look at the scene and reviewing the undeniable audio evidence we provided, they slapped handcuffs on Brittney, Brenda, Travis, and Uncle David. Grandpa Hayes’s voice was heavy with ultimate disappointment. “From this day forward, you are no longer a part of the Hayes family. I will pretend the son I raised died years ago.” Uncle David slumped against the side of the police cruiser, finally breaking down into pathetic, ugly sobs. Looking at him, I didn’t feel the thrill of revenge. I just felt an endless, exhausting sadness. The drive back was completely silent. Grandma Hayes held my hand the entire time, sighing softly. Mom kept turning around from the passenger seat, her eyes full of lingering terror and heartache. Dad drove with one hand, using the other to call his legal team, instructing them to immediately seize the house he had bought for Uncle David. “Mia.” Grandpa Sterling suddenly broke the silence. “Don’t carry this in your heart. None of this is your fault.” I shook my head. “I know, Grandpa. It just makes me so sad. How could he become someone like that?” “People… sometimes their hearts get clouded by greed,” Grandpa Hayes murmured from the back. “Especially when envy takes root. They forget family, morality, everything.” “But don’t you worry. Nobody will ever dare touch you again.” 08 When we finally got back to my grandparents’ house, Grandma Sterling rushed to the kitchen and made me a steaming bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. Eating it, a warm, comforting feeling finally settled back into my chest. Mom sat beside me, gently stroking my hair. “Mia, I’m so sorry. We didn’t protect you.” “Mom, it’s not your fault.” I put down my spoon and looked at her seriously. “This whole nightmare taught me a lot. I’ll know how to protect myself from now on.” Dad walked into the dining room holding a sleek rectangular box. “Mia, I bought you a new iPhone. As for your old one…” “I sent a team to retrace the highway route, but even if they find it, it’s probably destroyed.” I took the phone, my eyes welling up. “Thanks, Dad.” “Silly girl, no need to thank me,” Dad smiled gently. “By the way, that necklace you bought for your mom…” Mentioning the necklace made my stomach twist with guilt. Mom reached out and grabbed both my hands. “It’s completely fine. It’s just a necklace. I don’t care if we ever get it back. The only thing that matters is that my daughter is safe.” Grandma Hayes walked out of the hallway holding a small velvet jewelry box. “Mia, this is from me. Think of it as a little something to calm your nerves.” I opened it to find a stunning, delicate platinum and diamond necklace—one far more beautiful and expensive than the one I had bought. “Grandma, this is way too expensive…” “Take it,” Grandpa Hayes insisted gently. “It’s just a token of our love. Remember, no matter what happens, this family is your impenetrable shield.” Right before I went to sleep, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Cousin Tyler. He said his guys had found my old phone on the shoulder of the county road. The screen was shattered, but the motherboard survived. He had already popped the SIM card out and promised to bring it over in the morning. Lying in my own bed, looking at the moonlight filtering through the window, a million emotions swirled in my chest. Today was a literal nightmare. But thank God, I had a family who loved me fiercely.

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“My customized succubus has been with me for a month, and he won’t let me touch him. What’s going on?” I frowned as I typed the message to customer service. The representative was perfectly polite. “Oh, sweetie, the succubi in our shop are usually practically begging to glue themselves to their owners. This sounds like a defect! We can absolutely process an exchange for you. A new model will arrive in about a week.” I looked over at Silas. He was designed exactly to my specifications, a perfect ten in my eyes. I decided to observe him a little longer before committing to the exchange. He was too perfectly tailored to my tastes to give up easily. But at a family dinner, I caught my customized succubus having an undeniable biological reaction to my step-sister sitting across from us. It was only then that a dazed memory surfaced—the day the package arrived, it was my step-sister who had opened the crate for me. That night, I contacted customer service again. “Is the new one still arriving in a week? Go ahead and process that creation order for me.” 01 Silas’s eyes were rimmed with red, his brow furrowed as if fighting against his absolute limit. Over the past few days, he had grown increasingly weak. He sat on the edge of my bed, panting heavily, while I flipped through the Succubus Handbook. “It says right here that the only way to satisfy the hunger is…” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “It’s not like it wouldn’t make you feel better.” I reached my hand out toward his collar. Right below his neck, on his collarbone, was a small, vivid red mole that rose and fell with his ragged breathing. It was incredibly alluring. Just as I was about to touch it, he shoved me away violently. I looked at my pale wrist, now blooming with a red mark from his grip, and frowned slightly. He still wouldn’t let me touch him. “I’m sorry. Instinctive reaction,” he said, his gaze deep and unreadable as he stared at me. “I’m going to take a cold shower.” Watching his retreating figure, I pulled out my phone and contacted customer service. I had bought Silas a month ago. I had spent a fortune to have him specially customized to my exact preferences. I had waited a full year for him to finally arrive. But the ironic part was, even though succubi were supposed to derive sustenance from their masters to feel full, he refused to let me touch him, no matter what. “Why is my succubus so different from the others? He’s clearly miserable, but he refuses to let me touch him.” Listening to the roar of the shower from the bathroom, I waited for customer service to reply. “Hi there, sweetie! Did you bind the contract with him?” I looked at the handbook. How could I make such a stupid mistake? “The very first night I brought him home, I pulled him into the contract.” The other end was silent for a long time before replying. “That shouldn’t be happening, sweetie. The succubi from our shop are all professionally trained to be top-tier clinger types. They usually hate being separated from their masters for even a second.” I was getting anxious. “Do you think I’m lying to you?” The rep answered patiently. “Please don’t worry, sweetie. Tell you what, ship him back to us. I’ll have the creation department start a new build for you. The new succubus will arrive in about 7 days.” Almost exactly as that message popped up, the bathroom door opened. Silas was wrapped in a single white towel. Water dripped from his wet hair, sliding down his angular cheeks, over his chest, down his abs, and disappearing beneath the towel. I swallowed hard. He was absolutely my type. He was literally tailor-made for me. And it turned out, he was broken. “I’ll observe him for a little longer. If it doesn’t get better, I’ll consider sending him in for repairs.” Customer service meant ‘scrapping’ him, which felt like such a waste. “Alright, sweetie. Just message me if you have any other issues! XOXO!” I locked my phone. Looking at the man’s pale face and crimson-rimmed eyes, I felt a twinge of pity. “I just asked customer service, and they said this situation has never happened before…” I looked at him sympathetically. How did such a perfect specimen end up sick? He looked healthy enough on the outside. His hand paused as he dried his hair. His dark eyes held no emotion when he looked at me. He was completely unlike the advertisements I had seen, where a succubus’s eyes would light up like stars when looking at their master. “If you still can’t accept it in a few days, I’m taking you in for exchanges.” He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as he nodded. I felt a bit aggrieved. Having delicious food right in front of me that I couldn’t eat was miserable. I got up and left the room. The only reason I bought a succubus was that I enjoyed that sort of dynamic. My phone rang—it was my dad. I answered irritably. “Your grandmother misses you again. When are you coming home?” I knew it was an excuse. The one who missed me was clearly him. My dad was a total helicopter parent. If he didn’t see me for two days, he acted like the world was ending. I rubbed my temples. “Fine, I know. I’ll head over in a bit…” I turned around and froze. Silas was already packing his bags. “You… really like going to the family estate?” I hadn’t even hung up the phone, and he was already packed. His hand paused, but he didn’t say anything. I didn’t think much of it at the time. 02 I really didn’t want to go back to that house, but I couldn’t resist my dad’s emotional blackmail. “Your grandmother only has so many years left. Is it wrong for her to want to see you?” And so, having been away for barely three days, I went back. But the moment I walked through the door, a girl threw herself at me. I frowned and stepped aside, looking at her coldly. Summer’s expression was aggrieved, her voice saccharine sweet. “Summer, you’re finally back! I missed you so much these past three days.” She was my dad’s step-daughter. It was ironic. Even though my dad loved me fiercely and had transferred all the company stock to my name. Even though he acted like his heart was breaking if he didn’t see me for a day, that didn’t stop him from marrying another woman and raising another woman’s child. I didn’t dislike Summer because of my dad; I disliked her because she was too fake. I had caught her being malicious toward me several times, before she could shift her expression back to “innocent.” Seeing that I wasn’t responding, she didn’t get embarrassed. Instead, she turned to greet Silas standing behind me. “Silas, isn’t carrying all that stuff exhausting?” 她埋怨要看有上眼。 “Summer, you really shouldn’t. Silas is a succubus you bought, not a house servant. Why are you making him do this kind of dirty, heavy work?” I let out a soft sneer. “Then you do it?” The girl’s expression froze for an instant. Silas looked at me, his eyes dark, but said nothing. I was annoyed. I zipped straight back to my room, not wanting to look at Summer’s hypocritical face for another second. So I didn’t notice that behind my back, Silas gave Summer a faint smile and a nod. At dinner, looking at Silas sitting next to me, my dad’s expression was very ugly. “Just a fancy toy, and you carry him around like he’s priceless.” The man beside me stiffened. I looked at my dad, feeling helpless. Before I could open my mouth to defend Silas, Summer spoke up first. “Dad, you can’t say that about Silas. Even though he’s a succubus, he still has his dignity.” The man beside me moved, and I turned to look at him. Silas was staring at Summer without blinking, his eyes full of gratitude. I frowned, scrutinizing him. Was it my imagination? Why did it feel like my succubus had little stars in his eyes when he looked at Summer? I found it almost amusing. I had spent a huge amount of money to buy him, I provided his food and clothes, I smashed tons of cash on him, and I was practically at his beck and call. He said he couldn’t accept me, so I didn’t touch him. Yet, in the end, it couldn’t compare to Summer tossing out a random line of defense. Summer, that little fake, was still chattering away without stopping. It was giving me a headache. “Can you just shut up?” When my words fell, the entire dining table sank into a weird silence. My dad frowned at me, seemingly wanting me not to be so wilful. Summer’s mom continued eating as if nothing happened. Summer looked at me aggrievedly, then looked at Silas, tears on the verge of falling. Beside me came the sound of cutlery clattering against a plate. Then, Silas’s uniquely cold tone echoed across the table. “Do you have to be so aggressive when you speak?” Everyone present was stunned. After all, no one in this house dared to speak to me like that. My dad slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his face red with anger. “You’ve really spoiled him into being lawless! I’ve never seen a succubus talk back to his master like that!” I wasn’t angry. I just looked at Silas thoughtfully. This man had been indifferent ever since I bought him. It was like he was an emotionless robot. I used to think that was just his personality, but suddenly I realized that wasn’t it. When I reprimanded my step-sister, his emotional swings were a bit too large, weren’t they? And the look he gave me was as cold as stagnant water, while the look he gave Summer held an indescribable ambiguity. The meal ended unpleasantly. That night, no matter what, my dad wouldn’t let me sleep in the same room as Silas. “You need to let him go hungry for a bit, let him know who the master is!” I was too embarrassed to tell my dad that Silas hadn’t had a full meal since he arrived, and that he was the one actively refusing to eat. That would be too humiliating. In the middle of the night, I got thirsty and went downstairs for water, but I heard noises coming from the room next door. I froze slightly. Why did I hear a woman’s voice in Silas’s room? 03 I got a little closer, and my eyes slowly went cold. I wasn’t mishearing. It really was Summer. Her delicate, soft voice was particularly clear in the silent night. “Silas, I really can’t thank you enough for speaking up for me at dinner. You don’t know that Summer doesn’t have anyone on her side in this house. I came over specifically to thank you.” Silas’s voice held a gentleness I had never heard before. “Summer’s personality is a bit harsh, but she’s not bad fundamentally. If she says something like that to you next time, just argue back. She won’t do anything to you.” A touch of mockery slid across my eyes. We had only been together for a month, yet he seemed to understand me quite well. But until this moment, it suddenly occurred to me that on the day the shipment arrived a month ago, it was Summer who helped me open the crate. I had a feeling of clarity, like the clouds parting. It wasn’t that my succubus was broken; my succubus had fallen in love at first sight with someone else before he ever bound his contract with me. No wonder he wouldn’t let me touch him. Thinking back to customer service, I turned around, went back to my room, and found the chat again. “My succubus is still broken. I don’t plan on fixing him. Exchange him for a new one.” The reply on that end was still quick. “Alright, sweetie. I’ll send the creation order out tomorrow. It should arrive in about a week.” After thinking about it, I asked again. “What do I do with this one?” This time, customer service took a long time to reply. “No need to worry, sweetie. For succubi like this with issues, returns, and bad reviews, we usually aggregate them for recall. We handle them at a low price for second-hand resale.” Second-hand resale? I thought about Silas’s expression of unyielding loyalty every time I approached. That was actually quite funny. I’m afraid if he didn’t end up in Summer’s hands, he would receive countless bad reviews and would never be “fixed.” Early the next morning, I was yawning as I walked out of my room, colliding head-on with Silas. He was wearing casual sportswear, looking like he had just come back from exercising outside. Summer’s voice was sickeningly sweet. “Silas, you have such a great body, and you’re so disciplined. If I had the money, I would definitely buy a succubus exactly like you.” Those words sounded weird—it was an open challenge to blatantly seduce him. Silas carefully observed my expression. After realizing there wasn’t a hint of anything unusual, he relaxed his brow and gave Summer a shallow smile. Watching the interaction between the two, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Trashy man and a cheap woman, flirting right under my nose. However, Silas had already been returned by me; he literally had nothing to do with me anymore. Summer didn’t have much money. My dad had transferred all the company shares to my name. Her and her mom just lived a wealthy, carefree life on his dime. Her allowance definitely wasn’t enough to customize an exclusive succubus. And she turned her nose up at those cheap succubi on the market. That night, without waiting for my dad to speak, I still chose to sleep in a separate room from Silas. Watching my retreating figure, Silas looked dazed for a moment, his pale fingertips gripping the doorknob slightly tighter. He had originally wanted to do what he usually did, push back a few times and not let me close the room door, forcing me to close it. He said he was uncomfortable, so I had helplessly given up on even just holding him to sleep like a warm log. But looking at the tightly closed door, Silas’s heart sank. I was in my room carefully reading the Succubus Handbook sent by customer service when a knock sounded on the door. I was determined to raise an exclusive succubus properly this time. I was scrolling through the handbook while walking to open the door. I assumed it was my dad bringing me milk. But I didn’t expect the person standing at the door to be Silas. Regarding my delay in opening the door, he seemed a bit impatient, but after seeing the content on my tablet clearly, his expression softened considerably. “All of that is book knowledge. If you have any questions, isn’t the real thing right here?” I looked up, a bit stunned. I looked at the tablet, then looked at him. It took me a moment to react. He seemed to have misunderstood something. 04 I found it a bit funny. My dad was right; I really had spoiled him too much. Did he think I was doing homework and memorizing notes overnight just to make him happy? But I didn’t argue. After all, what was the point of talking to a product that was about to be returned? “What do you want?” I leaned against the doorframe, my expression blank.max Silas froze. He hadn’t expected my reaction to be so cold. He didn’t know what he was doing here either. He had just lain back down on his bed, and the emptiness in his body was getting worse and worse. Thinking of the way I had just left, he had somehow come over and knocked on the door. I looked at the man standing blankly in front of the door, a wave of impatience coloring my eyes. “It’s the middle of the night. Is something wrong?” “I think…” His voice was a bit dry, staring intently at my lips. “Maybe we could try. Tonight, maybe I can accept you…” My eyes widened in shock. He was enjoying my expression with satisfaction, as if this were a magnanimous gift to me. I almost laughed out of sheer anger. My boundless coddling these past few days seemed to have made him forget that his entire existence was supposed to be for serving me. Not like now, acting as if he were granting mercy out of the goodness of his heart. I slammed the door with a loud bang, not even bothering to waste words on him. The person outside the door seemed to stand there for a long time. It wasn’t until past midnight that I heard him leave in my groggy, sleep-deprived state. Over the next few days, Silas acted like a completely different succubus. He started trying to seduce me in subtle ways, wanting to cling to me more and more. Looking at his increasingly pale face, I figured he must be absolutely starving. But I had already lost interest in him, so I simply pretended not to understand his hints. The day the new succubus arrived was a Monday. Dad left for work early, grandma went to her senior citizens’ center, and my stepmother went shopping. Scarcely anyone was home. The moment I opened the new package, the man smiled, his eyes wrinkling into crescents, looking moist and inviting. He struck right at the center of my heart. When he saw me, his eyes held tiny hidden hearts. “Good morning, Master. My name is Luca. It is a pleasure to serve you.” I swallowed. This was the kind of succubus I wanted. Customer service really delivered! I decided I would definitely give them a five-star review later. I circled around him, reaching out now and then to feel his muscles. He just stood there obediently, letting me take liberties. Noise came from upstairs. I froze slightly, temporarily reining in my lust to get up and see what the commotion was. Luca followed obediently behind me. Summer’s voice was coming from Silas’s room. “Silas, are you and Summer having a fight? I see you getting thinner and thinner lately. I specifically looked up the Succubus Handbook. It seems like you can’t get full if you sleep in separate rooms, right?” My sister was finally revealing her true colors. I leaned against the nearby doorframe to watch the show. I don’t know what happened inside the room, I only heard Silas’s voice, which sounded a bit panicked. “Summer, don’t be like this… Summer will mind if she finds out.” Summer’s voice was panting a little. “But you can’t even get full. I just want Silas to be full…” Before she could finish, the man shoved her out the door. The two who were pushing and pulling at each other froze when they saw me standing at the door. The scene instantly became silent. Summer’s clothes were a bit dishevelled. Her eyes widened as she looked at me in disbelief. “Summer, why are you at the door?” Silas’s face was pale, and there was a lipstick mark from Summer on his cheek. “Summer, it’s not what you think. I didn’t…” I shook my head. “I won’t mind. You’re mistaken, because you’ve already been returned.” Luca stepped forward from behind me. He still smiled brightly, but his words were utterly vicious. “Serial number 0201, Silas, right? Hello. I am serial number 0204, Luca. As a succubus, you seem to lack succubus self-awareness. The shop manager asked me to inform you that your contract has been completely transferred to me. You may leave now.” His smile widened as he looked at Silas’s instantly pale face. “Defective merchandise that gave the master a poor experience.” 04 That last sentence was an absolute finishing blow. I appreciated how sharp his tongue was, which was a bit different from my initial impression of him. Silas’s face was already completely white. But Summer’s eyes lit up when she heard this. She quickly pulled out her phone and searched for shop information. “Oh!” She squealed in surprise. “I managed to snag you for less than a tenth of the price! You’re my succubus now, Silas!” Her tone was full of the joy of finding a bargain. Silas looked at her, then looked at me. For a moment, he found it difficult to accept that he had been so unceremoniously swapped out. “Master…” I knew that Summer’s main motivation for seducing him in the beginning, and for binding him now, was mostly to annoy me. But you only get upset if you care. I had such a great new succubus in my arms; I didn’t have the leisure to get angry at them. At dinner, my dad looked at Luca sitting beside me and Silas sitting beside Summer, and rubbed his aching temples. “What are you two squabbling over now?” Summer was the first to tear up. “Dad, Summer didn’t want him, so I picked him up. I didn’t have that much money to buy a new one. Is it not okay to pick up what Summer discarded?” Before my dad could speak, Luca moved beside me. He picked up a sparerib that I had eaten half of and casually threw it onto Summer’s plate. “Since you love picking up trash, here. Consider yourself rewarded.” Summer’s face went pale with anger. I looked at him in surprise. I have to say, this succubus was really hitting all the right buttons for me. Watching Summer being rendered speechless, I was in a great mood and even ate two extra bowls of rice. After dinner, I was stuffed, so Luca sat beside me gently rubbing my stomach. I finally understood why so many people bought succubi. In the beginning, I was just driven by lust. Seeing so many good reviews, I thought it was only about that kind of thing. But it turned out everyone was eating this good. I cast a blaming glance at Silas sitting in the back. He really had almost ruined my entire vision of what having a succubus would be like. When I looked at him, his whole body shuddered, and he gave me a happy, broad smile. I found it incomprehensible. When I was his owner, I never saw him give me a single nice expression. Now that the bond was broken and he was with Summer, he was putting on this fawning act. Did he have some weird fetish? Did he like playing the cheating game? Thinking of that, my disgust grew, and even that face didn’t seem as handsome anymore. That night, Luca came into my room. His service was absolutely wonderful. As I was drifting off to sleep, I thought: tomorrow I must give him a huge five-star review. But in the middle of the night, I was woken by the sound of a phone ringing. I slid the bar to answer. It was Silas’s cold voice on the other end. I found it a bit baffling. Didn’t he live right next door to me? Why was he calling me for whatever it was? Besides, there shouldn’t be anything between us anymore. I wasn’t like Summer; I didn’t have a hobby of stealing other people’s succubi. “Master, it’s so hot. It hurts. I’m so hungry…” He was letting out weak groans on the other end, seemingly suffering intensely. The phone was pulled from my hand. Luca was leaning against the headboard. The bright moonlight shone on his snow-white skin, and his muscle definitions were exceptionally clear. He stared at my slightly swollen lips, reaching out to trace my face. “Defective product, go find your own master. Got it?” “I’m full right now, so I have energy. If you call again, I’m definitely going over there and kicking your door off its hinges.” Watching him threaten Silas, I giggled in the covers. The call was hung up. He leaned over a bit helplessly and acted cute. “This kind of succubus with a bad record should just be wiped out. You guys already broke the bond, and he’s still calling you ‘Master’.” I helplessly claimed my innocence. “I didn’t make him. He called me that himself.”

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