Category: English

At twenty-seven, my family started pressuring me to get married. I initiated a clean, cliff-drop breakup with the boyfriend I had been chasing and coddling for three years, and headed back to my hometown for blind dates. My friend asked me, “Are you really over Liam? You liked him so much.” I let out a scoff. “I’m not stupid. A guy like him is fine for a casual fling, but if I actually married him, wouldn’t I be miserable for the rest of my life?” Suddenly, a dark, familiar voice came from right behind me. “Oh, so is that your excuse for dumping me?” 01 When I dragged my suitcase home, I bumped right into a girl opening my front door to leave. She was wearing a loose black sweater that slipped off one shoulder to reveal delicate collarbones, an oversized-shirt-as-a-dress look, and a pair of Yves Saint Laurent stiletto heels. I recognized her. Her name was Chloe, the bassist in Liam’s band. A pretty girl in her early twenties. Instinctively, I stopped behind the hallway door, staying out of sight. A moment later, Liam walked out from behind her, wearing only a pair of jeans, leaning lazily against the wall to light a cigarette. He was shirtless, water still dripping down the sharp v-lines of his lower abs. After a few seconds, he casually tossed a Chanel handbag her way. “Take it.” Chloe’s eyes lit up. She turned and threw herself at Liam, squealing: “Ah! I’ve wanted this bag for so long! Where did you get it?” “Picked it up on a trip to New York.” “I love it so much, thank you, baby!” Chloe wanted to linger, but Liam was already getting impatient, his brow furrowing slightly. “Alright, hurry up and go.” The girl slid off him, half-pouting, half-flirting: “You’re so ruthless. Calling me ‘baby’ a second ago, and now kicking me out just like that.” But she wasn’t actually mad. She happily slung the bag over her shoulder and blew Liam a kiss: “I’m going. See you tomorrow.” After she left, I stepped out from behind the door. Liam clearly didn’t expect me to come back so suddenly. He froze for a second, but his expression instantly returned to normal. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” I stared at him for a moment. “It was too late. I didn’t want to wake you.” The hickeys on Liam’s neck were still fresh, but he didn’t look guilty at all. He pulled me into his arms and led me into the apartment. “I’m starving, make us something to eat.” He sat on the couch and turned on the TV, acting as if absolutely nothing had just happened. Seeing that I hadn’t moved for a while, he frowned: “What’s wrong?” Then, as if realization dawned on him, a lazy, arrogant smile floated into his eyes: “Missed me?” He got up, walked over, and hugged me from behind. His hot breath hovered ambiguously over my neck, and his hand slowly slipped under the hem of my shirt. “Then let’s eat you first, and dinner later—” Years of playing the guitar had left rough calluses on his fingertips, bringing a prickly, itchy sensation as they scraped across my skin. I closed my eyes, exhausted, and pushed his hands away. I really liked Liam’s body. The main reason I pursued him back then was because he was so incredibly hot. But maybe it was because I just got off a long flight, or maybe it was because of the girl who just left. Right now, I only felt tired. I wasn’t in the mood at all. Liam was rarely rejected by me. He paused, his face darkening slightly. “What’s the matter?” I looked down at a crumpled black mass on the rug. It was a pair of severely torn pantyhose. Liam clearly saw the pantyhose too. He clicked his tongue, his expression turning ugly. The living room fell into an agonizing silence. He pulled a cigarette from its pack and lit it. The crisp pop of the menthol bead being crushed echoed in the quiet room. “Her lease ended and she didn’t have anywhere to go, so I let her crash here for the night.” “There’s nothing going on between us.” I looked at Liam. Our intersecting gazes were blocked by the white smoke, blurring each other’s expressions. But we both knew how incredibly lame that excuse was. This wasn’t Liam’s first time cheating. He was probably born a player. That’s exactly how he was the first time I met him. Back then, my best friend dragged me to see a relatively well-known indie rock band, claiming the lead singer was insanely hot and tickets were hard to get. I’ve never been interested in rock music, so I wasn’t feeling it. Until Liam walked on stage. He kept his head down, tuning his guitar. He hadn’t put gel in his dark hair, allowing the loose strands to brush across his pale forehead, occasionally revealing thin, flushed eyelids. He was dressed the most casually of anyone on stage—just a simple black t-shirt and jeans—yet he instantly became the center of attention. That face was the most expensive luxury item in the room. He raised his eyes, the hazy stage lights reflecting in his amber pupils, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible smile. That was my first time at a band gig. My friend who brought me, and all the girls in the crowd, went completely crazy. Their screams practically blew the roof off. His gaze swept over the chaotic crowd, and for a split second, our eyes locked, before he quickly looked away. He sang beautifully that night, but I couldn’t hear a single lyric. Because in that moment, everything else went dead silent. All I could hear was the deafening roar of my own heartbeat. After the set, countless girls swarmed backstage to get his number, and I was one of them. Being single for my entire 23 years of life, that was probably the bravest thing I had ever done. Liam didn’t turn anyone away. He let every girl who asked scan his Snapchat QR code that night, including me. A year later, all the crazy groupies and butterflies chasing him had given up and faded away. I was the only one who kept persisting. I don’t know if it was out of pity, being moved by my dedication, or what, but Liam silently accepted our relationship. I became his girlfriend, right up until today. But I knew that throughout all our years together, Liam had never truly liked me. Or rather, he liked me, but he liked that I was understanding, generous, and never caused drama. I caught him cheating many times, but as long as he gave me a half-decent excuse, I would forgive him. He told me many times that I wasn’t his type, and that he was only with me because I treated him well. He even joked that the day he found true love, he would dump me. The only reason our relationship had survived this long was solely because I was willing to compromise and swallow my pride. “You promised me you wouldn’t cheat again.” My voice was low, my eyes fixed on the torn Balenciaga logo pantyhose on the floor. A flash of mockery crossed Liam’s eyes, without the slightest intention of comforting me. “I was just messing around, and you actually believed it?” He smirked, leaning in close, blowing the menthol-scented smoke right into my face. His features were filled with pure malice: “Can’t handle it?” “If you can’t handle it, we can break up.” He had said that to me countless times before. Every time, it ended with me hugging him, begging him not to leave. Over time, he learned exactly how to control me. He knew that once he said those words, I would cave. I turned my head away. “I’m tired. I’m going to get some rest.” Liam grabbed my wrist. He had a strong brow bone, and when his face was expressionless, it always gave off an oppressive, intimidating pressure. “Maya, don’t push it.” I shook off his hand and went into the bedroom. Not long after, I heard the deafening slam of the front door. Liam left. He was mad, I knew that. After all, throughout our entire relationship, I was always the one coddling him, chasing after him. I had never given him attitude like this before. I rolled over and opened my phone. In the family group chat, my mom sent a text tagging me. “I’ve never pressured you before, but you’re 27 this year. It’s about time you start thinking about marriage.” “My coworker’s son has a great background, and I think he’s handsome. You should come back home during your vacation and meet him.” I opened a message from my boss. “Maya, the new branch office is desperately short-staffed right now. Honestly, keeping someone with your skills as a deputy manager here is a waste of your talent. Are you interested in going to the branch office as the General Manager? Starting a new operation will definitely be challenging, so think it over.” My mom was calling me home for blind dates. The company just opened a new branch in my hometown city. Right place, right time. It seemed I truly had no reason to stay here anymore. I sighed. Honestly, I really did like Liam. He was handsome enough, his body was great, and we were incredibly compatible in bed. Most importantly, he was a massive player. Being with him was easy because I didn’t have to think about holding him accountable, and I didn’t have to worry about our future. When I first started working, I was so exhausted I couldn’t see straight. I desperately wanted to find someone to vent my stress with. But I’m just average-looking, yet I’m hopelessly obsessed with good looks. I looked everywhere but couldn’t find anyone I actually wanted, until I met Liam. He spent his best years with me, and when I was physically and mentally drained from my career, his body helped me relieve a lot of stress. And even though his relationships with women were messy, he was relatively careful in that regard. Before we got together, I heard he required any woman he slept with to show a clean STD panel from within the last three days. I always used protection, so I wasn’t afraid of catching anything. If I wanted to find another man this perfectly suited to my needs in the future, it would probably be difficult. But there was nothing I could do. Dating was one thing, settling down and getting married was another. I liked Liam a lot. But I also knew perfectly well that he wasn’t marriage material. Now, it was time for me to make a choice. 02 Liam didn’t come home that night. He didn’t show up for the next few days either. He didn’t answer my texts or my calls. When I tried texting him again, a red exclamation point popped up. He had blocked me. His usual, practiced silent treatment. This had happened a few times before. Liam was a master at the cold war. Every time, I had to swallow my pride and coax him for a long time before he would give me the time of day. Except this time, I was busy handing over my work responsibilities and didn’t have time to coax him. That night, as I was buying a plane ticket back to my hometown, my phone suddenly rang. It was one of Liam’s friends. The background was loud—men and women laughing and shouting, the music so blaring it was annoying even through the phone. “Maya, Liam had too much to drink. Can you come pick him up?” Liam loved hitting the clubs. His family was loaded; the band was just a hobby. He didn’t rely on it for money. I asked him once why he didn’t join the family business. He sneered, saying that his dad’s illegitimate kids were already tearing each other’s throats out over that little bit of money, and he had no interest in fighting over scraps. Anyway, whatever his grandfather and his mom owned would be left to him. He wasn’t hurting for cash, so he was just going to spend his life doing whatever he wanted. Liam had absolutely no career ambition. On that front, we had zero common ground. Every time I landed a new project at the company or got a promotion, he always looked completely disinterested when I told him. He once scoffed that working yourself to death for a standard monthly salary was pointless; it wasn’t even enough to cover the bottle service he bought in one night at the club. I knew that deep down, we weren’t the same kind of people. Aside from physical compatibility, we had nothing to talk about. I didn’t care about his soul, I only liked his body. He ignored my inner thoughts and was just used to me being compliant. That worked out fine. When we separated like this, neither of us would be sad. I thought about it and said okay. I hung up the phone and looked out the window. The city at night seemed even more magnificent than during the day. Millions of lights from homes and the endless stream of traffic blended together, drowning out the light of every star in the sky. I glanced at my plane ticket: 8:00 AM the day after tomorrow. I sighed. Actually, I didn’t want to break up this quickly. Liam and I were really great in bed. The pressure of switching companies these past few days had been huge, and I originally wanted to have breakup sex with him. I smacked my lips, feeling it was a bit of a waste. But since the opportunity had presented itself, there was nothing I could do. … When I got to the club, Liam was surrounded by a group of girls. All different types, all shapes and sizes. Their common trait was that they were all gorgeous. Even heavy makeup couldn’t hide the youthful collagen in their faces; they all looked very young. It was no wonder girls liked him. Liam’s family was rich, he was generous with his money, and he was incredibly handsome. Even his player reputation somehow added to his charm. I touched my own face, remembering the insulting things Liam had said to me before. “You’re 27. You need to go get some facials and treatments. Put some effort into your appearance, okay?” No wonder he found me repulsive. Turns out he was surrounded by girls in their early twenties. I didn’t say anything, just stood outside the crowd. My eyes met Liam’s. But he acted as if he hadn’t seen me, quickly looking away. Chloe’s face was flushed red. She pressed herself tightly against him, her voice sticky: “Liam, have one more drink.” Liam smiled. Under the club lights, the corners of his eyes curved up. He looked stunning, but there wasn’t a trace of warmth in his expression. “Drinking like this is boring. Why don’t you feed it to me?” “How?” Liam didn’t answer, just looked down at her. Half a second later, Chloe understood. A flash of delight crossed her eyes. She tilted her head back and downed the caramel-colored whiskey in her glass! Then, Liam suddenly hooked her chin and kissed her fiercely. There was no tenderness in his kiss; it seemed purely to vent his emotions. Chloe tilted her head back to accept it, the corners of her eyes gradually growing damp from the lack of oxygen. Liquor spilled from the corners of their mouths, catching the hazy colors of the club lights. It wasn’t until a long time later, when they separated, that a long, silver trail of saliva connected them. The atmosphere around them instantly exploded. Everyone was screaming and cheering. I knew he did it on purpose. He was punishing me. Punishing me for giving him attitude the other day, and for not immediately coaxing him afterward. It wasn’t until I walked right up to Liam that everyone else finally noticed me and gradually went quiet. Liam looked up, his face indifferent: “What are you doing here?” I looked at his face, vaguely recalling the days when we were inseparable. When the passion was high, we had even spoken of love. Did it hurt? I suppose a little. But it didn’t hurt that much, because I had known for a long time exactly what kind of person Liam was. He was a player, endlessly chasing thrills, incapable of saying no. He was selfish. Probably because he was spoiled growing up, always putting himself first and never considering anyone else’s feelings. My voice trembled as I said: “Liam, you’ve gone too far.” Liam looked up at me. Even though he was sitting and I was standing, I felt as if he was the one looking down on me. He still had that indifferent expression, wearing a contemptuous smile. “Too far? You can always break up with me. No one’s stopping you.” I didn’t say a word, just stared at him. I couldn’t count how many times he had used breaking up to threaten me. Fifty times? A hundred times? Even the friends around us felt he went too far. After all, they had all seen how dedicated I had been to him over the years. One of them whispered to him: “Liam, stop fighting with Maya. Look at her, she’s about to cry.” In fact, I was crying. If you’re going to put on an act, you have to go all the way. The moment that tear hit the floor, I clearly saw Liam’s expression change. The fingers holding his cigarette twitched. Yet, he still didn’t say anything, just watched me coldly. The next second, I said softly: “Okay, Liam.” “Let’s break up then.” Liam’s face instantly turned incredibly ugly. For a moment, I almost thought he was going to attack me! But instead of getting angry, he laughed. But no matter how you looked at it, the laugh seemed forced through gritted teeth. “You’re acting tough now, Maya. Fine. Just remember, I never go back to my exes.” “When the time comes, don’t come crawling back to me like a dog begging.” “Okay.” I nodded, wiping the tear from my eye. Then I turned and left, without ever looking back at him. Liam didn’t come home that night. I stayed up deleting Liam’s contact info and everything related to him, and packed my bags. Early the next morning, I took the first flight back to my hometown. As the plane broke through the clouds, I pulled out my SIM card and tossed it into the vomit bag. 03 I never contacted Liam again. I posted a few late-night, emo captions on Instagram to solidify my “heartbroken” persona, and then cleanly wiped him from my mind. Life back in my hometown fell into a routine. I quickly adapted to the operations at the new branch office, and started meeting the guys my parents set me up with. The guy sitting across from me—a 28-year-old mid-level manager who was already starting to go bald—was rambling endlessly: “I think women should focus on the family after marriage. What I mean is, after we get married, you shouldn’t work anymore. You shouldn’t be so career-oriented. Take good care of the house. Behind every successful man, there should be a woman…” He kept blabbering on. I smiled, looking at the coffee cup in my hand, thinking to myself: Hold it in. Do not dump this over his stupid pig head. When he finally finished, he looked at me: “Did you clearly understand everything I just said? Do you have anything to add?” I maintained my smile: “No. But Mr. Smith, I don’t think we’re a very good match. Let’s just not see each other again.” Then, amidst his rambling about how “women over 25 lose their value, why are you being so picky, old woman,” I turned and walked away. I had been back in my hometown for quite a few days now, and my mom had set me up on quite a few blind dates. Actually, some of them were pretty decent catches. But having experienced the absolute best, dealing with guys like Liam, I really couldn’t force myself to accept these average dudes. This mood carried over until my morning meeting at work. Everyone had arrived early, sitting silently around the conference table. The atmosphere was serious. I quietly asked the VP next to me: “What’s going on? Did something happen to the company?” The VP leaned in close to my ear: “The old Chairman’s son just parachuted in. Word is he’s using our branch as practice, and later he’s going to take over the entire corporation.” “I heard the new young CEO graduated from Harvard. After graduation, he spent a few years at Goldman Sachs. Then he started his own finance firm and made billions overnight. If the old Chairman hadn’t spent years threatening and bribing him, he never would have come back. He is absolutely ruthless, so be incredibly careful when you talk to him!” A moment later, a young man wearing a black suit walked in. An overcoat was draped over his shoulders. The moment he stepped into the office, someone behind him respectfully took his coat, and his leather shoes came to a halt. I looked up. It wasn’t just me; in that instant, everyone’s gaze was captured by him. The first thing that intimidated you was the aura emanating from this man. It was the aura of someone used to being at the very top, accustomed to absolute control. He didn’t even have an arrogant expression, but everyone in the room, including me, felt an irresistible urge to bow our heads, not daring to meet his eyes. Only upon the second glance did I clearly see his exceptionally bright eyes. His black hair was slicked back with gel, revealing prominent brow bones. I had heard that the Chairman’s wife was French. The elegance of blonde hair and blue eyes, combined with the grace of Eastern beauty, merged perfectly within him. A classic Western bone structure with Eastern features. This man was incredibly handsome, easily on par with Liam. But because his aura was so overpowering, people didn’t notice his looks at first glance. “Apologies, my flight was delayed. I’m late.” He started by admitting his fault, then sat at the head of the table and cut straight to the chase: “My name is Ethan Vance. From now on, I am the General Manager of this company. I have already reviewed the company’s basic profiles and financial reports. Now, starting with the VP, everyone will give a basic report on the business results of the past year and the projects you are currently handling.” The department heads stood up one by one, trembling as they gave their reports. The new young CEO, Ethan, was indeed the elite the rumors made him out to be. He pinpointed every single area where someone tried to gloss over the details. “I don’t like vague rhetoric, and I don’t like being played for a fool. I hope we can communicate effectively, but if my communication yields no results, I will consider other methods.” He clearly didn’t yell or physically attack anyone, but a layer of cold sweat broke out on everyone’s backs. Even when I stood up, my palms were slick with a thin layer of sweat. Luckily, I was fully prepared, and my business results from the past year were quite excellent. The more I spoke, the more confident and fluent I became. My resume and my career were my pride, the most important things in my life. I would never cut corners on that front. CEO Vance didn’t interrupt me. I saw a hint of admiration in his eyes. A moment later, I stopped and signaled that I was finished. He nodded: “Maya, right? Not bad.” “From now on, all business reports should follow this standard.” … Ever since CEO Vance arrived, everyone’s workload had increased significantly. He cleared out a lot of redundant tasks and toxic assets, and also secured many high-quality projects. Everyone was working longer overtime hours, but our salaries had also risen accordingly. My colleagues, especially the young female ones, were very interested in the new CEO. Two new young hires didn’t know what got into their heads, but they actually tried pulling the “domineering CEO falls for the innocent girl” routine from romance novels. One openly argued with him during a meeting. The other “accidentally” spilled coffee on his three-thousand-dollar shirt and tried to wipe it off with her hands. The first one was fired the very next day. The second one was fired that exact same day. The female colleagues finally behaved themselves. However, during breaks, they would still gather in the pantry to gossip about him. “I heard he’s never had a girlfriend before. Do you think he’s still a virgin?!” “How is that possible? You watch too much TV. A guy with his qualifications has tons of women eyeing him. There’s no way he’s a virgin.” “Let me sleep with him for one night! I’d gladly give up a year’s bonus. He’s an absolute specimen. Did you guys see him when he wore dress pants the other day? My god, he is seriously packing!” … Listening from the sidelines, I suddenly became interested. Without Liam around, this Ethan Vance seemed like an even better option. This man… I wanted to give him a try. 04 I started intentionally appearing in front of Ethan on a regular schedule. He arrived at work half an hour early every day. Three out of five days a week, I made sure to catch the same elevator as him. Usually, it was just the two of us in the elevator at that time. I didn’t talk much. I just said hello, pressed the floor button for him, and stood quietly to the side. Then, like clockwork, I went to get a cup of coffee every day at noon. He usually got coffee around that time too. I made sure to run into him in the pantry every time, but I always left before he finished pouring his, making sure he noticed me. Occasionally, I worked overtime, and he would walk past my desk when he left for the day. In short, I tried to appear in front of him as much as possible, while absolutely refusing to speak a single unnecessary word to him. Finally, on the 17th time he caught me working overtime, his footsteps paused, and he walked over to me. “I’ve noticed you working late a lot recently. Are you running into any issues?” I looked up, feigning surprise. After a moment of hesitation, I handed over the documents in my hands. “I just took over a new project, but there are some assets in this company whose risk levels I’m not certain about, so I just wanted to study it more carefully.” Ethan naturally sat down in the empty seat next to me: “Let me take a look.” He carried a faint, woody cologne scent. It mixed with the light rose perfume I wore, creating an indescribably intoxicating blend. “I think this project is viable. Look at their 2023 financial statements—the financial status is actually pretty good, and…” He spoke with ease and fluency. I sat beside him, nodding earnestly, occasionally asking highly specialized questions. After he answered each one, I would put on an expression of sudden realization. “So that’s how it works. Thank you, Mr. Vance. I never thought of looking at it from that angle before.” “Your professional skills are already quite strong; you just lack a bit of operational experience. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.” “Go home early,” he said, making a rare joke. “Don’t let people think I’m some kind of black-hearted sweatshop boss, forcing employees to work overtime every day.” I nodded, packed up my documents, and went downstairs with him. As we walked out the door, the wind blew raindrops onto me. I hesitated and took a step back. Ethan was about to leave, but seeing me stay put, he turned back and asked: “What’s wrong?” I waved my hand: “It’s nothing, Mr. Vance. You go ahead. I… I just remembered I have something else to do.” He didn’t ask further and nodded before leaving. Five minutes later, his car drove out of the underground parking garage. I was still standing at the entrance of the building. Ethan rolled down his window: “Did you not drive today?” I looked embarrassed: “Yeah. It’s hard to get an Uber when it’s raining. It’s fine, Mr. Vance. I’ll just wait a bit longer, one should show up soon.” He spoke: “Get in. I’ll give you a ride.” … I talked to Ethan quite a bit on the way. He was somewhat surprised to find that our interests aligned perfectly. Even my favorite niche indie film, The Holy Mountain, happened to be his favorite as well. Ethan’s initially aloof demeanor gradually became more conversational. By the time we reached my house, he actually missed the brake and kept driving past it. I pursed my lips, just about to remind him, but he had already noticed. “My apologies, I wasn’t looking at the GPS.” After the car stopped, I thanked him again for giving me a ride home. Ethan just nodded. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it back. “What is it, Mr. Vance?” I looked at him. “What perfume are you wearing? It smells nice.” He seemed to regret the words as soon as they left his mouth, but saying anything else would only make it more awkward, so he simply lowered his head and stayed silent. I smiled inwardly: “Penhaligon’s The Coveted Duchess Rose. Well then, Mr. Vance, see you tomorrow.”

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On the day my childhood best friend—and husband—caused the biggest scene, he slapped me for the sake of the little girl he loved. I didn’t just take it. I exploded and broke three of his ribs in return. He screamed that he wanted a divorce, but I refused. At the time, I thought we would just keep tormenting each other like this until we both died. But reality hit me fast. Three months later, I fell head over heels for a sweet, innocent younger guy. He’s currently chasing me, begging to make things official. So, I was forced to pull that familiar number out of my block list. When I dialed it, that little girl’s playful voice picked up on the other end: “Elara, it’s too late, you know. Even if you come crawling back like a dog begging for forgiveness, Liam won’t even spare you a glance.” Facing the provocation, I just spoke calmly: “Tell Liam I want that divorce.” The next second, the phone seemed to be snatched away. There was a flurry of static and noise, and then Liam’s voice sounded, fighting hard to control his trembling. He said: “Elara, don’t you dare.” 01 The year I hated Liam Miller the most. I beat up the little girl he loved more than anything. He backhanded me in return and demanded a divorce. Over the years, what he said to me most often was for me to be “good.” For me to be gentle and submissive, just like Daisy. This was the first time he actually asked for a divorce. I didn’t agree. Instead, I pinned him to the ground, broke three of his ribs, and choked him into unconsciousness before he could say another word. Before Liam rolled his eyes and blacked out. The last words I left him with were: “You want a divorce? Not a chance in hell. Since you two forced me to go crazy, you can deal with the consequences. Daisy Miller will be nothing but a mistress her entire life. You both will live in my shadow forever.” At that time, I had a whole list of plans ready. I was prepared for how we would torture and entangle each other until the bitter end. I’ve always held grudges. Once I bite down on my prey, I never let go. Three years of marriage. Liam took me from a girl full of joy walking down the aisle to a full-blown psycho. That trashy couple ruined me. I swore that even if I spent the rest of my life on it, I would make them miserable. For this, I even bought a separate apartment across town, preparing for a long, drawn-out war. However, the universe never lets you know how to arrange the next step of your life. I thought I would be getting revenge on Liam for the rest of my life. I didn’t expect that just three days later. I would find Ethan Barrett fainted from hunger right at my doorstep. At that moment, I had heard Liam was awake in the hospital, cursing me out as a psycho in front of a whole crowd of relatives and friends visiting him. I had excitedly put on my makeup and picked out my brightest, most stunning outfit, getting ready to go there and make his blood boil. I just didn’t expect that as soon as I walked out the front gate, I would trip over a large, unidentified human-shaped object. In a daze, I flipped the person over and saw a face in the prime of its youth. Ethan had gotten his luggage stolen that day. He had gone to a supermarket to work as temporary labor unloading goods, only to be tricked into working three days for free. He was so hungry he was delirious. In a daze, his palm grabbed the hem of my red dress. I saw his lips move and couldn’t help but lean in closer. Then I heard his voice, weak as a dying breath: “Mom…” … After a long silence, I couldn’t help but mutter: “…You serious?” There was no response. He had completely blacked out from starvation. 02 It was only later that I found out. Ethan calling me “Mom” that day was purely a delusion brought on by hunger. When he was a kid, his biological mother abandoned him in a park. The very last image he had of her was her wearing a red dress just like mine. That day, when he collapsed in front of my house, he saw me squatting down close through his haze and thought his mother had come to take him to heaven. When he confessed this part, I couldn’t help but throw my head back and laugh. I laughed until I realized halfway through that nobody was laughing with me, and it actually wasn’t funny at all. Ethan was just crouching in front of me, watching my neurotic face with a pair of wet, round, puppy-dog eyes. There was no anger, no embarrassment, nothing but deep concern. He was very tall. Standing up, his six-foot-two height was quite intimidating. But his demeanor was so utterly harmless. Seeing me look at him, he instinctively got nervous. He rested his head on the arm of the sofa, just watching me with those watery eyes. He didn’t say anything, yet it felt like he said everything. Realizing that I had just directed malicious intentions towards such an innocent, almost transparent soul, I felt a stab of guilt. But I didn’t know how to lower my head and apologize. Three years of an unhealthy marriage had only taught me to use offensive shouting to cover up my own fragility. For three years, all my time was spent entangling with Liam. I had almost forgotten that before I married him, I was the proudest heiress in this city. That sophisticated, confident woman who knew exactly when to advance and when to retreat seemed to have been forgotten in the deepest parts of my memory. The current me was full of resentment towards the world. I once thought I would be trapped in this hate forever. But Ethan reached out his hand, like a dog pawing at my hand. Until I opened my palm, and he placed a pendant inside. It was the one he always wore around his neck. That was a gift his parents gave him right after he was born. Back then, he was still cherished and loved. But later, his father died in an accident, and his mother remarried and abandoned him. All he had left was this pendant. It was the only shred of good memory this world had granted him. But now, he had taken it off and placed it in my palm. He said: “This used to be the most important thing to me. But now, you are the most important person to me. I’m giving it to you, hoping you’ll be happy.” After saying that, he pushed my fingers closed over it, then gently kissed my fist. This was during Ethan’s third month living at my house. I had taken him in with a playful, mocking mindset, wanting to see what he really wanted from me. But he never did anything. He just stood up, put on an apron, and went into the kitchen to make me a newly learned nutritious meal. The spatula he was holding was one I had originally bought with the intent of using as a weapon to smash over Liam’s head during an argument. It looked a bit small and awkward in Ethan’s large hand, but his movements were nimble, not clumsy at all. The boy had a smile on his lips. The sunlight filtered through, making those light brown puppy eyes shine brightly. Spurred by some unknown force, I walked over and couldn’t help but ask him why he was so happy. “Because I get to cook for you.” It was such a simple reason. But it could be interpreted in so many ways. Because someone was eating the food he cooked, because he had a stable environment where he could slowly cook a meal, or simply because he liked cooking for me. Facing those eyes that easily saw through my pretenses, for a moment, I didn’t want to dig any deeper. 03 Under my protection, Ethan had successfully found a job. And nobody dared to bully this poor kid anymore, even though he had no family and was stubbornly kind and honest. He was nineteen this year. Last year, he had been accepted into a good university, but he couldn’t afford the tuition. So, he ran to the big city to find work, thinking there would be more opportunities, only to be scammed right out of the train station. Fortunately, despite the rocky start, things were going well now. He got his new ID sorted out, wore the clothes I bought him, and went to work every day full of energy. When he came back, he was always carrying several large bags of groceries. He thought I was too thin. He would always pinch my slender wrist, not knowing how to use his strength, a deep look of worry appearing on his sharply defined face. In all fairness, my figure wasn’t dainty. In fact, so that I could one day knock that trashy couple—Liam and Daisy—into next week with one punch, I had even taken up boxing. But there was nothing I could do about Ethan being too tall and having a large build. He used to do manual labor to get by. This meant he ate much, much more than the average person. That’s why, after his bag was stolen, he had starved so quickly. And now that he could eat his fill, a faint smile of happiness was always hanging on his face. However, in contrast to his tall stature, he was actually quite socially anxious, and his mind was rather sensitive. If I talked to him too much, he would get embarrassed. According to his colleagues, Ethan barely interacted with anyone at work. But nobody thought he was hard to get along with. Because he spent the whole day working. Whether it was his own job or helping someone else, if you gave it to him, he did it. Unsurprisingly, Ethan was friendly, sincere, and full of sunshine. He was completely different from me. The current me was a bit too dark. All I thought about every day was how to torture my cheating husband and his little mistress. Just because I had been worried about Ethan dying in front of my house and missed the chance to go to the hospital to gloat to Liam didn’t mean I was giving up on tormenting him. Giving up on that man who had been my childhood best friend for twenty-seven years, who had used his entire passionate youth to pursue me and protect me, only to get quickly bored of me after marriage and turn around to love a young girl who looked a few degrees like me. 04 I remembered the last time we met, it was in Liam’s office. I had originally gone there to talk about the divorce. Three years of marriage. My infatuation with him only lasted for the first year. For the remaining two years, I was constantly doubting myself and consuming myself from within. Finally, I was able to face this marriage properly, admit my failure, and want to have a serious talk with Liam. But I didn’t expect Daisy Miller to be hiding under his desk… The two of them were interacting right in front of me, exchanging glances. Acting as if nothing was wrong, treating me like a prop for their sick game. Daisy even thought she was hiding very well. She was leaning against Liam’s leg, smiling slyly. And I, at the very moment Liam looked entirely satisfied, throwing his head back and letting out a groan as his Adam’s apple bobbed, walked straight up to the desk. I grabbed that girl’s hair and dragged her out from underneath. Daisy screamed as she took a slap from me, her pale, pretty little face immediately turning red and swollen. And at that moment, Liam’s voice came from behind me. He called my name: “Elara.” I subconsciously turned around, only to be slapped so hard that stars appeared before my eyes. It took a long time to clear my vision. He was looking down at me arrogantly: “You finally learned how to fight for my attention? Too bad that when you’re like this, you only get uglier and uglier.” Mean words fell one after another. My world fell into a storm of confusion. I remembered the first time Liam confessed to me. He looked at me, his eyes shining, and said, “You look so proud with your head held high, like a princess. I want to protect you forever.” But afterwards, it was: “She knows how to be submissive and please me much better than you do. What about you? You need to show me some sincerity, prove to me that you love me more than she does.” He dragged Daisy into important social events, where she would hide behind him timidly. The guests present looked at us, standing on opposite sides, and whispered amongst themselves. I still stood tall, holding my head high like a princess with a lonely crown under the massive crystal chandeliers. But when I took off my wedding ring and turned around to leave without hesitation, he would chase after me. In a corner where nobody was looking, he would embrace me from behind. “Are you really mad? See, I knew my wife had me in her heart.” His kisses fell on my neck, one after another, his tone ambiguous and lingering. “I just wanted to make you jealous. How could she possibly compare to you? You’re the rose I personally raised for so many years.” He buried his head in my neck and laughed softly. “My stubborn little rose, refusing to bow her head, even your stubbornness is so cute.” At that time, I thought Liam was crazy. I wanted to get out, but due to the deep entanglement of interests between our two families, I chose to endure it again and again. Until finally, they pushed me too far. By the time I snapped back to reality, I already had Liam pinned to the ground. I was holding the ashtray in my hand, smashing it against him again and again, roaring: “I gave you an inch and you took a mile! You two are screwing right in front of me and don’t know how to act, and you even dared to lay a hand on me!” Liam’s face was covered in blood, looking quite frightening. His little girl was huddled up against the wall in a corner, trying her best to minimize her presence, too scared to make a sound. “Elara, if you don’t act ‘good,’ then we get a divorce.” Even now, his eyes were locked onto me, threats issuing continuously from his mouth. He always provoked me, then stood arrogantly on his high ground, savoring my breakdown. And now, looking at his face distorted by pain, I suddenly let out a relieved laugh. I said: “You know, Liam, intentionally hurting someone gets a heavy sentence, but domestic violence only gets a warning.” “As long as our relationship still exists, I will torment you for the rest of your life.” After saying that, I grinned widely, exposing two rows of white teeth. I said: “A divorce? Keep dreaming.” I must have looked incredibly insane. That’s probably why I saw clear fear in Liam’s eyes. The moment my hand choked Liam, I admit I wanted to drag him down to hell with me. But was it worth it? Just letting him off easily like that, letting him die, I wasn’t willing to do that. Yes. Revenge on him was the only thing keeping me going. Until now, I refused to turn back, and I was unwilling to admit that my life had completely become distorted. Now, I was a psycho, a shrew. My reputation was in tatters, and I was still entangled with a man who didn’t love me. My hand started trembling uncontrollably again. The next second, a warm touch pressed against my palm. I turned around and saw Ethan resting his chin on my knee. He was slowly, gently opening my hand, which I had clenched so tightly my nails were digging in, trying to uncurl my fingers. After trying to press on my palm and offering me water but failing, he directly pressed his cheek against my hand, finally succeeding in pulling me back from the emotional storm. At this moment, the boy was staring at me, unmoving, with those round puppy eyes. I lowered my eyes to scrutinize that face. It was youthful, yet had sharp features, giving him a somewhat exotic look. Ethan was undoubtedly good-looking. It was just that his eyes were too clean, making it hard to have indecent thoughts when looking at him. His cheeks and earlobes were turning red, but the sincerity in his expression overrode his embarrassment. Seeing me look at him, he seemed to finally summon his courage. He took a deep breath and spoke as if making a plea: “Don’t bully yourself anymore, okay?” After saying that, he gently picked up my other hand and reverently placed it on top of his head. When Ethan first arrived at the house, his hair was cut very short like stubble, and it felt really good to the touch. At that time, I had joked that the condition for taking him in was that I got to touch his head whenever I wanted. And now, looking at his clumsy, foolish attempts to comfort me, looking at the clarity in the boy’s eyes, I ultimately couldn’t restrain myself from asking that question: “Ethan, after hiding by my side for so long, what do you really want from me?” 05 Once, I also believed that a soul connection existed between people. Like between Liam and me. The first time he saw me when we were five, he put a ring he had woven himself onto my finger and declared that I was a princess he would protect for the rest of his life. In those years when he loved me loudly, he put me high up on a pedestal. During our high school years, almost no boys could get close to me. Correspondingly, Liam was also very conscious of his own behavior. Many girls wanted to get close to him, but Liam just sneered disdainfully. He pointed at me, not far away, and spoke indifferently: “With Elara around, I would look at you?” Later, I went abroad to chase my dreams, and Liam waited for me for three years. As long as he could find the time, he would fly to London to be with me. When the first snow fell, he embraced me from behind and told me, word by word, truly and plaintively, how much he missed me. Later, when I returned home to fight my father’s illegitimate children for the family inheritance, he supported me fully. Even when I successfully acquired the first company, he laughed happily and said: “I’m now a kept man with a CEO girlfriend. I’ll have to work hard in the future so people won’t call me a gold digger.” On the day he proposed successfully, he had fireworks lit up across the city for me. Under the romantic lights, he held my hand and swore he would use the rest of his life to cherish me. The sincerity in his eyes never seemed fake. It’s just that I ignored many details. For example, when he used to hug me and act spoiled, he had mentioned, as if joking, how other people’s wives acted after marriage—how attentive they were to their husbands. “Will I get treated like that one day?” He had looked at me with expectation in his eyes. I had poked his forehead with my finger. “You really think everything good in the world should just fall into your lap, don’t you?” At that time, Liam had sighed, as if resigning himself to his fate: “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I married a powerful woman, so I just have to follow her lead.” But not long after, he changed. The same tactics he used to pursue me were now all given to Daisy. As if intentionally seeking revenge on me, he bought all the gifts he had ever given me for Daisy, even more of them. He said: “She’s so good and obedient. She deserves these rewards.” But when facing me, he sighed: “Elara, I said I would protect my princess for a lifetime. But fairy tales only go up until the prince and princess get married. You’re already married to me now. What you need to do now is learn to be domestic and maintain our marriage, instead of thinking about that stupid company of yours all day, running around outside.” 06 I stood in place, feeling the blood freeze in my veins inch by inch. He seemed to admire my expression at that moment, savoring it bit by bit, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. The hurtful words continued. He said: “If time could turn back, I would still love the old Elara without hesitation. Too bad that the current you has absolutely nothing left that attracts me.” How high he had once placed me on a pedestal was how hard he was now throwing me down. After that, I no longer believed in anyone. Just as I didn’t believe in the current Ethan, didn’t believe that a boy in the prime of his youth would willingly stay by my side without wanting anything. I had been waiting, waiting for Ethan to actively ask me for something—resources or money. He had to want something. Once he opened his mouth, exposed his ugliness, exposed his weakness. Then I would grab hold of his weak spot. This relationship would be entirely dominated by me. I could keep him as a nice little toy or throw him away after I was done. At the very least, he should tell me what he wants. But Ethan just looked at me quietly, those light brown eyes so bright and honest. He said: “I’ve already looked at apartments. Tomorrow, once I get paid, I can move out.” So he had been planning to leave all along. Hearing this, I sneered. Perhaps my expression was too awful. When he spoke next, he became very cautious. He studied my face while his words came out slowly: “After that… can I still cook for you?” He spoke softer and softer. Finally, that head lowered deeply, not daring to look into my eyes. “Ethan.” I looked at him, suddenly speaking calmly: “Do you want me?” The boy’s body jerked. Immediately, a wave of red shot from his face straight to the tips of his ears. Seeing him not speak, I suddenly curled my lips, my smile malicious: “Last time you were in the bathroom, I heard you call my name.” “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” The boy’s eyes filled with tears, looking deeply ashamed, almost on the verge of crying. “You were kind enough to take me in, yet my thoughts are so filthy…” I remembered the second day Ethan stayed at my house. I had hired someone to investigate his entire past, every aspect, thoroughly. So I knew that he was still a blank slate. In that instant, the desire to tease him suddenly vanished. I lifted his chin with my finger and spoke bluntly: “Hold me.” When the boy’s muscular arms wrapped around me, I still felt a bit daze. I thought that at this moment I would think of Liam, think of my anger and heartache when he paraded Daisy around in front of me, that I would feel a sense of revenge. But I felt nothing. My gaze was completely drawn to the boy’s eyes, filled with love and adoration. Those eyes crinkled slightly, his eyelashes trembling. When I tightly gripped his full muscles, his breath would become erratic, with soft tremors, like a puppy whimpering. I had to admit, this was the most relaxed and pleasant moment I had experienced in these three years. Regardless of what Ethan’s motive was, at least right now, he was a useful distraction to pull myself out of the swamp of negative emotions. Besides, he was clean, healthy, and skilled. I wasn’t losing anything. I thought in my heart. The lips he was biting were brushed open by his finger pad. The boy’s movements were a bit frantic, a deep look of worry and pity in his eyes. My voice could no longer be controlled, but my ex-husband’s phone call happened to come in at that moment. During these past few months, I hadn’t had the time to find trouble for Liam, but he wasn’t used to that, so he pasted himself right in front of my eyes.

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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.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “409195”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

“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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My twin sister and I spent five years acting as Julian’s perfect little kept secrets. It was a simple arrangement with a clear division of labor: she handled the bedroom, I handled the bank account. Right after graduation, we were at a high-end club. My sister, eyeing a male model with a flawless eight-pack, suddenly turned to me. “Hey, on the wedding day… are you going, or am I?” I lazily picked up a die from the table, tossing it in my palm. “Low stakes. Loser has to wear the white dress.” Before the die could settle, a chillingly familiar voice echoed from behind us. “Hey man, how does my little birdie taste?” “Mediocre, at best.” Looking up, we saw two identical faces staring back at us. My sister and I froze, speaking in perfect, horrified unison: “Which one of you is the actual Sugar Daddy???” 01 We hovered behind a pillar, whispering furiously while staring back at the VIP booth. “The one on the right?” I hissed. “No, the left?” my sister whispered back. I turned on her. “Didn’t you sleep with him last night? How can you not tell?” “I was busy looking at the ceiling, not his face,” she shot back, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Besides, they are identical!” This was a major logistical problem. Before we could solve it, we watched “Julian A” curl his lip into a smug smirk. “So, bro,” he said, his tone mocking. “You taking the fall at the wedding, or am I?” His identical twin, “Julian B,” barely flickered an eyelash. He slowly reached for a die on the table. “Low roll wins. Loser gets hitched.” “You’re on,” Julian A replied, popping the top off the dice cup and beginning to shake it. The sycophants in the booth started egging them on. “Watch it, J-Two,” one laughed. “Roll a one and you’re doomed to be a groom.” “Why don’t you both just show up? Run a real-life Parent Trap on the girl.” “Man, can you imagine the bride’s face if she found out she’s been getting passed between two brothers for the last two years?” A woman swathed in designer gear, sitting in Julian A’s lap, giggled inanely. “Oh my god, she is so lucky. Two gorgeous billionaires fighting over who gets to marry her? I’m totally jealous.” That bitch. Julian A took a drag of his drink, used his thumb to tilt her chin up, and blew the smoke into her face with a harsh laugh. “Why? You want both of us to service you instead?” The woman practically melted into his chest, simpering. “Stop it. You know I only like you.” My sister and I made eye contact. Pure disgust. But behind the disgust in her eyes, I saw a flash of utter devastation. 02 “You lose, bro.” The dice cup was lifted. Julian A had rolled a perfect six. He didn’t seem upset. He glanced at the woman in his lap and grinned. “This little thing wants to see the Northern Lights. I’m going to take her on a trip. “The wedding is in five days. You’ll have to keep playing the part. I’ll be back before we have to sign the license.” His twin merely nodded, cold and expressionless. A few minutes later, the rest of the group started making noise about going to the track to race cars. Julian A immediately chimed in. “Losers owe me a massive wedding gift. The bride loves counting cash.” No one found the statement odd. They all laughed it off. “Don’t worry, man. We’ve got you covered.” “Alright, let’s roll. You coming, C?” Julian A asked his brother suddenly. As they rose to leave, the twin sat there for a beat, staring into space. Hearing his brother call him, he snapped back to reality and shook his head. “Nah. I’ll pass. Have to go back and keep up the act.” We all knew what “the act” meant. Only after they had both left did my sister and I poke our heads out. We both exhaled a breath we didn’t know we were holding. We looked at the dice cup on the table. Originally, we were agonizing over which one of us had to endure the wedding. Looking at it now, it seemed entirely unnecessary. By putting the pieces together, we quickly figured out who was who. The loud, obnoxious party animal was the younger brother. The cold, quiet, seemingly timid one was the older brother. “Given the current economic climate,” I said gloomily after a long silence, “I think this freelance gig just got terminated.” I thought about it for a beat, then made a proposal. “Runaway bride?” My sister nodded firmly. “If you run, I run.” 03 That night, we split up. She went to the clinic for a full medical checkup, and I went back to the penthouse to pack up the plunder. On the way back, I contacted a realtor in a quiet, coastal town three states away and secured a rental on a secluded house. I booked train tickets for five days out. The escape and the wedding would happen on the same day. When I got back to the penthouse, I ran right into the older brother. He had just stepped out of the shower. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, water dripping from his wet hair. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, fiddling with a small jewelers box. Seeing me, he beckoned me over. I walked over to him. Without warning, he reached out, pulled me into a tight embrace, and rested his head against my chest. A cold metallic band slipped onto the ring finger of my left hand. He took my right hand, gently kissed the ring finger on that hand too, and smiled. “Baby, only five more days until we’re married. “On that day, I’m going to place the most beautiful pink diamond right here. Okay?” I suppressed the nausea rising in my gut and nodded vaguely, staying silent. He reached up to pull me down to him. Suddenly, his phone, sitting on the nightstand, buzzed. When he saw the name on the screen, his expression changed instantly. He answered, offering a crisp “Okay” to whoever was on the other end. I asked, “Are you going out?” He stood up, kissed my forehead, his voice tender. “Just some trouble at the office. I need to go handle it. Be a good girl and go to sleep. Don’t wait up.” Then he went back into the bathroom to dry his hair. His phone buzzed twice more on the nightstand. I picked it up and entered the passcode. To keep up the charade, both brothers used my birthday as their phone passcode. They both knew I never checked their phones. This was the first time. And it would be the last. He had two new text messages from a contact named “Valerie.” “Charming, heard you’re marrying that girl. I can’t possibly miss a show like that.” “I’m back. Come pick me up. Miss you.” Valerie. I repeated the name to myself. Suddenly, a memory surfaced. Valerie. The heiress, the younger brother’s childhood sweetheart. He used to worship the ground she walked on, did whatever she wanted. She moved to Europe right after graduation. Well. Isn’t that interesting. Fully dressed, the older brother came out of the bathroom. Seeing me already lying in bed, he pressed his body down against mine. “Bye, baby.” I forced the muscles in my face into a smile. “Bye.” “Aren’t you forgetting something?” He stared at my lips, smirking. I leaned up and gave him a fleeting kiss on the cheek. He smiled, satisfied, kissed me again and again—as if he couldn’t bear to leave—before finally hauling himself up. “Go to sleep. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.” The roar of his sports car echoed from the garage below. I wiped my cheek hard, as if I had touched something filthy. Then I rolled out of bed. Sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. I hadn’t packed the designer bags and jewelry in the walk-in closet yet. This was a limited-time opportunity; I couldn’t afford to waste it. I have to hand it to them; both brothers were incredibly generous. The luxury bags were all limited editions; the necklaces and rings were either emeralds or massive diamonds. Looking at a raw, massive green diamond ring, I nearly drooled. Pack it. Pack it all. 04 While packing, I stumbled across a wedding certificate. I opened it. The handwriting inside was shaky and uneven. I laid the certificate on the floor and, face devoid of emotion, used a thick black marker to completely cross out my name. I needed to remind myself. Emotions are transactional. Once a fracture appears, no matter how much you try to repair it, it can never go back to what it was. After I packed everything, I put the defaced certificate back into his safe. That safe contained everything the older brother held most precious. Suddenly, another small box caught my eye. Driven by a morbid curiosity, I pulled it out. Inside were letters. No return addresses. Only four words on the envelopes: For Valerie’s eyes only. “Val, how is New York? Are you okay?” “I heard you cried over your thesis. My Val, don’t cry. Your beautiful eyes should only shed tears of happiness.” “I found that pink diamond you wanted.” “You said you wanted a wedding dress made of stars. I’ve already designed it.” “When you wear that dress, I hope I’m the first one to take your hand.” “Val, I miss you so much. I lied. I am trying to force you to come back.” Reading these, I realized that wedding certificate was a sickening joke. Just as I was about to put the letters back. My sister texted me three screenshots. Photos of a girl holding roses. In front of her, a man was down on one knee, holding a ring box. I stared at that kneeling silhouette for a long time. When the older brother left tonight. He was wearing that exact suit. The other two photos were of diamond rings, each one breath-takingly beautiful. The caption on Valerie’s post read: “Girls, do you like pink diamonds or white diamonds? I think white diamonds are ugly.” “No accidents, just destiny. My childhood best friend proposed with a pink diamond. Congratulations to me!” Looking at the band on my ring finger, I laughed until tears came to my eyes. I ripped it off and tossed it on top of the wedding certificate in the safe. I pulled up that Instagram post, stared at it for a moment, and manually liked it. I commented: [Congratulations!] A text from the older brother popped up immediately: [Baby, there’s too much work. I won’t be back tonight. Love you.] The man who had just proposed to another woman was currently texting me “Baby” and “Love you,” acting like nothing had happened. I suddenly wanted to text back. Do you get tired of playing this role of the devoted fiancé? In the end, I resisted. I deleted the words and sent back a simple: [Okay.] 05 Three days before the escape. My sister and I were at a pawn shop, haggling with the broker over designer goods. Outside, fireworks illuminated the downtown skyline. Drones swarmed together to spell out a romantic message that had the whole city talking. “Happy Birthday, Princess Valerie.” On my birthday last year, I was stuck at a college defense. The younger brother went out to celebrate the “birthday” with my sister. That night, the city had been just as spectacularly illuminated. My sister stared out the window. “That night, I only watched the fireworks for thirty minutes, but he kept me awake in bed for half the night. When I woke up, I could only remember him proposing.” That night, when my sister came back, she told me she might actually be falling for him. I guess time breeds attachment. Tonight’s fireworks would probably last all night, but the woman meant to be in that penthouse was standing right next to me. I ran my hand over the bags on the counter and asked the pawnbroker, “Can you go any higher?” The broker smiled and held up two fingers. “It’s just garbage trash-man tactics. Don’t look at it,” I mumbled, nudging my sister with my elbow, trying to drag her out of her memories. “The owner said he’ll add another twenty thousand. Deal?” My sister, hearing the money, nodded like a bobblehead. “Yes, yes, deal!” The owner shook his head, looking a little embarrassed. “I meant two hundred. Still interested?” All three of us froze. Especially my sister and me. Our expressions went purely contorted. I grit my teeth, pushing the bags toward him. “Deal!” “Sir, add a little more, please?” My sister gripped the strap of a bag, reluctant, trying to play pitiful to squeeze out a better price. I patted her shoulder, advising her, “If we don’t sell now, we might never get cash for them.” Stepping out of the pawn shop, I received a text from the older brother, telling me to come pick him up at a private club. I looked at my sister. “Who’s going?” “I don’t feel good. You go, Sis.” I nodded. “Go back and rest. If you feel bad, buy some Ibuprofen. You know where it hurts, don’t be a martyr. We have cash now.” My sister readily agreed, clutching the bag of cash, and skipped away. She didn’t look sick at all. 06 I carried a small bag containing Advil I had just bought downstairs. The hallway of the club was long, and the lights cast a patterned reflection on the oil paintings lining the walls. At the end of the hall, roars of laughter erupted from a private room. The entire floor had been rented out by the younger brother and his entourage; ordinary people couldn’t get near it. The manager recognized me and assumed I was my sister, coming to party with Julian A. A server was just exiting the room with a tray of empty bottles. As we crossed paths, one of the bottles on the tray tipped. I reached out to steady it, and the Buddhist prayer beads around my wrist snapped. Sandalwood beads scattered across the floor. My heart gave an involuntary throb of pain. The server crouched down to help, but I stopped him. “It’s fine. Go ahead, I can get them.” As I knelt there, Valerie’s voice floated out clearly from the open door. “You guys have no idea. J-bird bet me he could lock Mu Qing down in one month. It took him two.” “He dragged her around ruining her life for six months. Finally, when she showed up with an Ivy League acceptance letter to show him, he lost his mind. He packed up and left for Europe with me that same night.” I pressed my lips together, the beads in my palm feeling icy cold. Someone laughed. “Then what?” “Then we got the older brother to help out.” Valerie let out a sigh, her voice thick with resentment. “J-bird couldn’t get over it even when we were abroad. So I gave him this idea. This time, we are definitely going to humiliate Mu Qing publicly. How dare she try to steal my spotlight? I hate her!” The older brother’s voice rang out suddenly. He sounded drunk. His slurred words were full of indulgence. “Okay, okay. Don’t be mad. You’re too pretty to frown.” “Hmph. Did you sleep with her too, just like J-bird? Those poor trailer-park women are rotten to the core.” Valerie pushed. “How is that possible? I’m not J. I don’t just sleep with anyone.” His voice dropped, sounding annoyed. “Seriously? Don’t lie to me. When she gets here later, you have to help me get revenge.” Valerie giggled, simpering. “Mhm,” he mumbled, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her. “Don’t be mad, Val. You are everything to me. Those fireworks across the city were for you.” Standing outside the door, I actually started to laugh. I squeezed the beads I had gathered from the floor, pressing them into my palm until they turned red, but I couldn’t feel the pain. The Advil was tossed into a trash can by the elevator. Leaving the club, the manager chased after me. “Did you not find Mr. Vance? Let me take you up.” I offered a fake smile. “I found them. They’re still partying. I’ll just head out.” The fireworks across the city were still relentlessly going off. God, they were ugly.

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When I snatched Riley’s spot as the school valedictorian, her golden-boy childhood best friend asked me out the very next day. With that devastatingly handsome face of his, he asked me: “In my world, will you slack off and be a failure with me?” Of course. I agreed in a heartbeat and kissed those lips I had coveted for so long. After that, my grades steadily plummeted to the bottom of the class, and I devoured Lucas Thorne body and soul. It wasn’t until graduation day that he kissed me on his own initiative for the first time, telling me to go to community college with him. I knew that was his ultimate goal for approaching me all along. But this time, I just waved my MIT acceptance letter in his face: “It was fun playing with you this year.” “But the stakes are too high now. I’m out.” 01 The day I overheard Lucas and Riley talking was the day the final national standardized test scores were released. A perfect 1600. That was the highest score in the state. I had just breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Riley’s familiar voice from behind the door: “Lucas, don’t forget, you haven’t won our bet yet.” “You only win when you get Chloe to follow you to community college.” Lucas clearly scoffed at her words. “Have you seen her grades lately? She’s barely scraping by with a 1.5 GPA. What good university could she possibly get into?” Riley argued, “But she had such a solid foundation. What if—” “Even if she miraculously aced her finals, getting her blacklisted from any decent college is just one phone call away for my family, isn’t it?” Hearing that, the rest of their friends, who had been standing quietly on the side, erupted into laughter. The same people who usually called me “sister-in-law” to my face were now using the most vicious words to mock me: “With how desperately Chloe clings to Lucas, forget community college, she’d happily pick up trash on the streets if it meant being with him!” “Right?! Everyone knows she purposely dropped from rank number one to the absolute bottom just to be with him! What wouldn’t an extreme, love-struck idiot like her do?!” Another round of synchronized laughter followed. I heard every single word clearly, but I couldn’t care less. For a beautiful guy like Lucas, what did it matter if I put on an act and scored dead last a few times to make him happy? In places they couldn’t see, Lucas was “putting his back into” rewarding me quite generously. Thinking of how entirely different Lucas looked in bed compared to his usual arrogant, cool-guy persona—those slightly damp eyes, those swollen, red lips… I was just getting lost in my thoughts when another guy’s joke snapped me back. He winked at Riley: “Riley, if Chloe knew this was all your revenge plan, she’d probably hate you to death!” Riley rolled her eyes in disgust. “Idiot. That’s obvious. Do you even have to ask?” But they were wrong this time. I didn’t hate Riley at all. In fact, I was incredibly grateful to her. After all, for someone like me—with a face so plain you could lose it in a crowd of three—getting a chance with a Greek god like Lucas Thorne was a gift handed directly to me by Riley Mercer herself. 02 Since I was a kid, I knew all my skill points were allocated solely to academics. While others spent hours memorizing a textbook chapter, I could recite it backward after one read. Complex concepts clicked instantly; difficult AP physics equations were a breeze. But I also knew that in this mediocre, dead-end town, standing out too much wasn’t a good thing. So, even though I had to rank first every year to secure the merit scholarships, I always made sure my score was only exactly five points higher than the runner-up, Riley. There was only one exception. It was the day before midterms. I saw Lucas and Riley kissing outside the testing center. The stunningly handsome boy and the beautiful, preppy girl looked like a scene straight out of a teen movie, but I was consumed by jealousy. During the AP Calculus exam, I couldn’t resist answering the extra credit essay question. During the AP Physics exam, out of pure spite, I answered every single multiple-choice question correctly. That midterm, I beat Riley by a full 35 points. Afterward, I regretted losing my composure for days. Until the third day, when Lucas Thorne appeared in front of me. Wearing his bright yellow varsity basketball jersey, he jogged up to me, his beautiful face full of apology: “Sorry about that. My pass went wide and hit you.” “Are you okay? Should I walk you to the nurse’s office?” I could have guessed with my toes that the basketball flying straight at my head was no accident. Just as I knew perfectly well that Lucas was deliberately approaching me, definitely because of Riley. Maybe it was to vent her anger, or maybe it was a bet with her. But no matter the reason. That was my one and only chance to get close to Lucas. 03 That’s right. I wanted to possess Lucas Thorne. From the very first moment I laid eyes on him. 04 I have to admit, Lucas’s timing was impeccable. In the seventeen years before he appeared, I only had one dream. When my dad got blackout drunk and his fists rained down on me like a storm. When my mom, trying to save money to pay off my brother’s gambling debts, dragged my 13-year-old self to try and marry me off to a 50-year-old widower. “Get into the best university. Escape this place.” I never forgot that for a single second. I never dared to slack off. Later, when I could effortlessly score a perfect 1600 on any practice SAT I picked up, I knew the best universities in the country were already firmly within my sights. I was just waiting for the college admissions cycle next year for the final, fatal strike. Looking back at my gray, dust-covered seventeen years of life, there was only a depressing childhood and the numbness of burying my head in books. One day, I was watching a rerun of a classic 90s movie on cable TV. Looking at Leonardo DiCaprio’s beautiful, reckless face on the screen, I spaced out for a long time: “If only I could have a romance with a beautiful boy like that at seventeen. How nice would that be.” And then Lucas Thorne appeared. He was even younger and prettier than the movie star on my screen. As he jumped on the court, his jersey faintly outlining his lean muscles, he stirred my deepest, most hidden desires. I wanted him, but I couldn’t have him. As I said, all my skill points were in academics. Other than that, I was painfully average. Utterly forgettable. I was the type of girl Lucas, who was always the center of attention, would never look at twice. But now, he was being served to me on a silver platter by Riley. 05 I acted completely oblivious, happily accepting every calculated approach Lucas made afterward. In the noisy cafeteria, in the empty gymnasium, Lucas always managed an “unexpected” encounter with me. He lingered around me longer and longer, his gaze growing hotter, until one day, he pushed through the crowd and walked up to me. “Chloe, I like you. Will you go out with me?” When I fell into his arms, I pretended not to see the disgust he tried to hide beneath his long eyelashes. I just closed my eyes and deeply inhaled the scent of him—a mix of licorice and clean laundry detergent. It smelled so good. Books say that within their pages, you can find a house of gold and a Prince Charming. The ancients didn’t lie to me. But I also knew this Prince Charming would only be mine temporarily. Maybe he would soon end this revenge game, publicly dumping me to avenge his childhood sweetheart. Or maybe, he wanted to play a little longer, making me fall deeper and deeper before calling it quits. But what I didn’t expect was that the purpose of my Prince Charming being by my side was to smash my house of gold. The first time I realized this was at an internet cafe. I was sitting next to his gaming station, quietly working on an AP test prep book. The guy, who had been focused on his game, suddenly ripped off his headset in frustration. Hearing the commotion, I looked up and asked what was wrong. He stared at me for a long moment before suddenly speaking, his eyes dark: “I don’t like it when you do test papers while you’re next to me.” I was very willing to accommodate a pretty boy, so I packed up my papers and tossed them aside: “Then I won’t do them.” He kept staring at me, his expression growing colder: “I feel like the gap between us is too big.” “I don’t like it.” I realized what was happening, my heart beating fast. “Then… what do you think would be better?” He suddenly leaned in close, so close his forehead almost touched mine, his tone almost like a spoiled child’s: “Why don’t you just slack off and be a failure with me?” The blue light from the monitor silently glowed in those glass-bead-like eyes as he issued a siren’s invitation: “Chloe, come into my world. Be with me forever.” In that moment, I felt sheer ecstasy. So, this is what he wanted. So, this is what Riley wanted. 06 I hooked my arms around the back of his neck, rubbing against the red lips I had coveted for so long: “Kiss me.” I knew Lucas didn’t like me, and he didn’t like my touch. Usually, I didn’t dare to cross any lines, afraid he would get rebellious and call off the game immediately. But now, he wanted to get something out of me. Making an exchange was human nature, and absolutely necessary, wasn’t it? When those soft, slightly cool lips finally hesitated before pressing against mine, I silently, profusely thanked my past twelve years of burying my head in books. Chloe, heaven really hasn’t let you down. I stopped looking at books. I stopped studying. I recklessly accompanied Lucas in his downward spiral of slacking off. Consequently, my class ranking began to drop, test after test. The first time, of course, I dropped the number one spot right into Riley’s lap. Hearing the teacher call her name after the words “Rank Number One” for the first time, Riley went absolutely crazy with joy. She took the report card, looked at it again and again, and finally buried her face in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. I didn’t miss the triumphant look she shot me, pretending it was accidental, but I acted as if I felt nothing. I just silently thought, it’s time to collect my reward. Sure enough, Lucas was thrilled that day too. He ran toward me from afar, the hem of his varsity jacket catching the breeze and the sunlight. That was probably why, when he pulled me into a hug, I still felt a warmth. I asked him why he was so happy. He smiled and said he had won a beautiful basketball game today. I smiled too. Pretending not to know that this “beautiful game” was entirely fabricated, I smilingly placed a hotel key card in his palm. “Today is my 18th birthday.” “Celebrate with me, okay?” 07 I originally thought I would be the submissive one that night, inexperienced in the battle of life. Surprisingly, someone as wildly popular as Lucas had absolutely zero experience either. The superficial tips he had picked up from online videos were, of course, no match for my ability to draw inferences from textbooks, my superior structural 3D thinking, and my spatial imagination skills. Looking at him beneath me, the corners of his eyes flushed red, stubbornly biting back his whimpers, I finally understood the true meaning of the quote: “Book smarts are no match for hands-on experience.” I just didn’t calculate the physical toll perfectly. The next day, at the varsity basketball game, the “Slam Dunk King” Lucas Thorne lost his footing the moment he jumped for the first time. Men always love to fantasize that women will never forget their first time. But I practically proved that for men, sex and love are truly inseparable. He was young and hot-blooded, and he acquired a taste for it in bed. And out of bed, Lucas gradually developed an attachment to me that even he hadn’t noticed.

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I possess a “Rumors Come True” system, where any lie uttered about me manifests upon the slanderer. In high school, a classmate, envious of my generous allowance, claimed I was being kept by someone, selling myself. That very day, she was taken to a sleazy karaoke bar and forced into being a hostess. In college, a male student remarked that my queasy stomach and picky eating must be morning sickness. Immediately, his belly swelled; for ten months, he swelled, only to vomit nothing but sour bile. From then on, no one dared to gossip about me. That is, until my engagement party with my fiancé, James. His childhood friend, Maya, eagerly stepped forward to offer a toast. “Eleanor, darling, even though the hospital records show you’ve had seven miscarriages, I’m sure you and James will have a baby soon!” “And if not, you can always bring home that child you had when you were eighteen. James and I will help you raise it.” … After her little speech, Maya blinked her innocent eyes. “Oh dear, did I say something wrong? I suppose everyone didn’t know about Eleanor’s past, did they?” She regretfully covered James’s ear. “Just pretend I said nothing. Eleanor clearly didn’t tell you these private things because she didn’t want you to know.” She seemed to be trying to cover for me, but her misleading words only fueled the guests’ misunderstandings. Meeting the mocking gazes of our friends, James’s face darkened. He frowned deeply. “Eleanor, did you really get pregnant and have someone else’s child before we were married, and had seven miscarriages?” Hearing his sharp accusation, Maya feigned remorse and looked at me. “I’m so sorry, Eleanor. I thought since you two were about to be married, there wouldn’t be any secrets between you.” “But I don’t regret it. I couldn’t stand by and let James be kept in the dark.” Meeting her resolute stare, I scoffed, narrowing my eyes as I approached her. “I advise you to clear up these rumors immediately!” “Otherwise, it might be difficult to contain later!” Maya timidly hid behind James, her voice trembling with feigned vulnerability. “How could this be a rumor?” “I just wanted to find out what kind of woman James was marrying, and I never expected to uncover such unspeakable details about your past…” At her words, everyone watched like a crowd at a show, waiting for Maya’s next revelation. James’s brow was lined with an even deeper frown. Maya bit her lower lip, looking as if she found it difficult to speak. “These are all Eleanor’s private matters. Can I really say…?” James comforted her gently. “Maya, just say what you know. If she dared to do it, there’s no need to spare her feelings.” Listening to his defense, Maya’s eyes grew steadily firmer. “James is right. Everyone has the right to know the truth!” She blurted out, “The year she turned eighteen, in her freshman year of college, Eleanor was sleeping with several men. And that was the year she gave birth to a child.” The surrounding guests gasped in collective shock. Maya continued to spill the beans. “But she hooked up with so many men, she doesn’t even know who the child’s father is!” “That child has been raised in the countryside ever since. If you do the math, they must be eight years old by now.” The banquet hall immediately erupted in whispers. Scrutinizing glances continuously swept over me. “I can’t believe it! She looks so innocent, but she’s been playing around so much behind our backs!” “From the sound of her insatiable urges, she’s probably cheated on James countless times. Tsk!” I ignored the filthy whispers, calmly meeting Maya’s gaze, a smile playing on my lips. “Sometimes, the rumors you spread come back to bite you in unexpected ways.” “I’m asking you one last time, are you sure everything you’re saying happened to me?” A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, quickly masked, as she feigned composure. “Of course it’s about you! Whose else could it be?!” She adopted a righteous air. “I just want James to know your true character, so he doesn’t regret marrying you for the rest of his life!” But no sooner had she spoken than a small child rushed up to Maya’s leg, crying, “Mommy!” The entire banquet hall was stunned. Maya frantically tried to push her away. “Who’s your mommy? Don’t call me that!” The girl, however, clung to her, sobbing, “Mommy, I haven’t seen you in so long. Why are you trying to send me away again?” Maya’s composure shattered under the guests’ teasing gazes. She gasped in alarm, trying to cover the child’s mouth. I watched her panic, a faint smile on my lips. I told her, didn’t I, that spreading rumors would come back to haunt her? James looked at Maya, a complicated expression on his face. He asked bitterly, “Is she really your child?” Maya instinctively waved her hand in denial. I interjected, “Why don’t we just ask?” I walked toward the girl, but Maya suddenly blocked her. “Why should you ask?” I raised an eyebrow at her. “If you’re innocent, what’s there to be afraid of?” Maya looked at James, tears welling in her eyes. “James, you believe me!” Seeing her tears, James immediately stepped in front of her, frowning with displeasure. “Eleanor, Maya and I grew up together. I know her character better than anyone!” “How could she possibly have a child this old? Don’t spread false rumors!” He hadn’t trusted me, but now that Maya was being questioned, he fiercely protected her. My chest tightened for a moment, then I exhaled lightly. “Someone calling Maya ‘Mommy’ at a banquet will surely tarnish her reputation! If you truly care about her, you should inquire further!” James looked at the suspicious glances around them, clenching his fists. Finally, he pulled Maya aside. “Eleanor is right. For your reputation, we really should get to the bottom of this!” Maya glared at me with resentment. I knelt down and asked the girl, “Little one, how old are you?” “Eight.” “What’s your name?” “Lily Taylor.” I concluded, “She has normal conversational abilities.” Then I pointed at Maya. “Is she your mother?” Maya’s eyes shot daggers, and she glared at Lily. The girl flinched in fear, but still nodded gently. “She is my mommy.” Hearing her confession, the color drained from Maya’s face. “And your father?” The girl looked a bit sad, lowering her head. “I’ve never met my daddy.” Maya saw the shock on James’s face and glared at me with hatred. Suddenly, she shrieked, “It must be you! Eleanor!” “Is she an actress you hired to ruin my reputation?” “Otherwise, how could this child’s story perfectly align with what I said?” Then, Maya tugged at James’s sleeve, tears welling in her eyes. “James, believe me! I really didn’t do any of those things.” “I’m to blame for saying those things that upset Eleanor. She must have deliberately hired an actress to frame me.” James’s friends also came over to speak on Maya’s behalf. “James, you know what kind of person Maya is. Besides, her name is Taylor. What connection could she possibly have with Maya?” “But the child that Eleanor was supposedly found to have is also eight years old. Kids can be easily manipulated; how many truths can come out of their mouths?” I sneered, looking at the speaker. “So, Maya spreading false rumors was also part of my scheme?” James, listening to the argument, roared to interrupt. “Enough, Eleanor!” “Maya isn’t married yet; don’t slander her!” “This girl was probably sent by someone to deliberately frame her. I’ll have someone take her back to her parents soon.” Maya, hearing James say he believed her, began to sob again. Tears streamed from her eyes, and she sniffled. “Eleanor, I never imagined you’d go to such lengths, even hiring an actress to spread rumors about me, just to divert attention.” “Originally, there was some evidence I didn’t want to release, but since you’ve resorted to such underhanded tactics, don’t blame me for exposing it…” She opened her phone’s photo album, and an indecent, lewd sound filled the air. Projected onto the banquet hall’s large screen, everyone clearly saw a person wearing provocative lingerie, twisting their body, with my face prominently displayed. Maya pointed at the video and declared, “During that time, not only were you promiscuous, but you also loved filming these little videos. These are all the evidence your ex-boyfriends sent me!” “What do you have to say for yourself now?” “You want to have a good time before marrying James, but how do you think James’s family will feel about this?” Seeing the intertwined bodies on the large screen, whispers erupted among the guests. “I heard the Sterling and Taylor families arranged this marriage years ago. Eleanor knew about the engagement and still dared to mess around!” “She’s practically slapping the Sterling family in the face!” Maya seemed to fear it wasn’t enough; she played several more videos. Various types of sexy lingerie, and a different male lead in each video. James’s face grew grim. His voice was low and heavy. “Eleanor! I’ve kept my distance from other women since I learned about our engagement!” “But you… how dare you betray me?!” Maya fanned the flames beside him. “Eleanor could have a child out of wedlock at eighteen; it’s hard to say if she filmed these for thrills.” I looked at the furious man before me and suddenly felt utterly fed up. I was his fiancée of three years. Yet, he didn’t bother to question the truth, refusing to hear a single explanation. He had already decided I was a depraved woman. I simply explained, “I didn’t do any of these things. AI face-swapping technology is so advanced these days; it’s hard to say if someone deliberately replaced the person in the videos with my face.” Then, I stared unblinking at Maya. “This behavior has already violated my right to reputation. I have every reason to sue you!” Hearing my almost threatening words, Maya remained unfazed. “I already told you, I bought these from your ex-boyfriends.” She even mocked me. “You found a good man like James and still don’t appreciate him!” “You probably don’t know how many women dream of marrying him!” Her words were tinged with admiration for the man beside her. James clearly enjoyed her words, and his disgust for me intensified. “Eleanor, I cannot marry a woman as impure as you!” “I will inform my parents that I’m breaking off the engagement.” I gave a dismissive smirk. Whatever. It was the Sterling family who had begged for this alliance three years ago anyway. If I broke off this engagement, another Chen or Wang family would naturally come along. Before James left with Maya, I patiently offered one last warning. “Maya, I advise you to apologize for your inappropriate remarks.” “After all, spreading false rumors really does come back to haunt you!” She had just heard what she wanted to hear. She chuckled, her face filled with only defiance. “Eleanor, I think I should be saying that to you.” “I advise you to live a pure life from now on. Otherwise, the next rich man you try to hook, once he checks your background, will know you’re not clean~” Watching her walk away, I nonchalantly raised an eyebrow. Since good advice fell on deaf ears, then let her wait. Retribution might be delayed, but it would never be absent.

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My mother was gravely ill, desperately needing a million dollars, and I was frantically scrambling for money. In my despair, my childhood friend appeared with a million-dollar check, offering help on one condition: he wanted to marry me. Everyone expected me to say yes, but I calmly refused. Because even in my past life, when I married him, my mother still died from a failed surgery. Afterward, I overheard his conversation with a doctor. “Dominic, did you deliberately botch the surgery just to transplant Evelyn’s mother’s kidney to Leona?” “Is it worth it? If Evelyn finds out, you’re finished.” “I just want Leona to live. Besides, marrying a woman like Evelyn, my life would already be over.” Only then did I realize that our marriage was a carefully crafted lie he wove for the woman he loved. 1. “Evelyn, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, your mother will get better soon. I’ll take care of both of you.” I looked up, meeting his eyes that seemed brimming with concern. It was that very gaze that had deceived me for five whole years in my past life, costing even my mother’s life. The surrounding patients and their families started chanting, “Say yes! Say yes!” Dominic and I had grown up together, sharing an unspoken, simmering attraction for a decade. If he hadn’t suddenly become infatuated with Leona, a university student he was sponsoring, we might have married long ago. His proposal then had deeply moved me. I believed he truly cared for me. Only after our marriage did I discover it was merely a marriage of convenience. He had kept himself pure for Leona all along. I tried my best to please him, desperately wanting to maintain the marriage. But I never expected that this marriage, from the very beginning, was a sham. He had deliberately caused my mother’s death to get her kidney for Leona. And I, under the immense blow, got into a car accident and died. Heaven must have had mercy, returning me to the starting point of it all. This time, I only wanted to save my mother’s life and stay far away from their “true love.” I reached out my hand. Dominic thought I was going to take the check, and a triumphant smile touched his lips. The next second, I pushed the check back. “No, thank you. Marriage shouldn’t be so hasty. People who don’t love each other won’t be happy together.” His smile froze. “Evelyn, what are you talking about?” “I’m serious. Don’t you know how I’ve felt about you all these years?” “It’s not necessary. Keep your money. I’ll find a way myself.” Dominic sighed, shaking his head, looking utterly distraught. “Evelyn, why are you being so stubborn? There’s really nothing between Leona and me.” I lowered my gaze, masking the mockery in my eyes. If there truly was “nothing,” why would he be willing to kill and steal a kidney for her, even marry a woman he didn’t love? I asked coolly, “Then can you stop seeing her from now on?” He hesitated for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, a nurse rushed in, flustered. “Dr. Vance, the VIP patient is demanding to see you!” Dominic instinctively shifted his weight, though his face remained outwardly calm. “A patient needs me. I’ll be right back. Think carefully, your mother’s illness can’t wait.” Without waiting for my response, he rushed out. He always prided himself on his image, so his current state of panic could only be for Leona. In my past life, my mind was consumed by my mother’s condition, and I hadn’t even noticed Leona was also hospitalized here. I quietly followed him, arriving at the door of a VIP room. Through the slightly ajar door, I could see Leona lying in bed, her face pale. “Dominic, please don’t worry about me anymore. I’m dying of kidney failure. Just let me die!” Dominic held her carefully, comforting her softly. “Leona, don’t rush. I’ve already found a kidney donor.” “Just wait two more days. For you, I’m willing to marry a woman I don’t love and spend the rest of my life with her.” Leona reached out, stroking his face, her eyes welling up. “No, don’t sacrifice so much for me. I want you to be happy. It’s okay if I die.” Dominic lowered his head, his gaze becoming resolute and desperate. “No, I won’t let you die.” “Just tell me, do you have any feelings for me at all?” Leona’s eyes were red, her words hesitant. “Don’t say such things. Evelyn will be upset…” “I just want your answer. I don’t care about anyone else!” Leona finally stopped struggling, leaning in to kiss him. The two passionately embraced in the hospital room, lost in each other. I raised my phone, capturing this touching scene. In the past, seeing this would have pierced my heart. But now, I felt only numbness and disgust. I turned and left, calling my grandfather. “I’m willing to rejoin the family, but on one condition: immediately arrange the best heart surgery for my mother.” “The lead surgeon and medical team must be top-tier.” My grandfather, on the other end of the line, was ecstatic, agreeing repeatedly. “No problem, I’ll arrange it right away. I’m glad you’ve come to your senses!” In my past life, if Dominic hadn’t proposed to me, I would have contacted my grandfather. I was the illegitimate daughter of the Thompson family in Crestwood City, cast out long ago. Last year, after my father and his legal wife both died in an accident, the Thompson family finally contacted me, begging me to return and inherit the family business. I had always refused, simply because I was the product of my mother’s rape. She had suffered so much to raise me, and I didn’t want to acknowledge that rapist father. But now, for my mother’s life, I had no choice but to compromise. In my past life, Dominic, as my mother’s surgeon, had the means to ensure her death during surgery. Now, with a different hospital and different doctors, it should be foolproof. 2. Perhaps it was the promise he made to Leona, but Dominic became even more attentive. He appeared in the hospital room first thing in the morning. “Evelyn, I bought your favorite crab roe buns. Have some.” I didn’t even look up, continuing to pack my mother’s belongings, my voice cool. “No, thank you. I’ve already eaten.” His eyebrows furrowed slightly. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been very cold towards me these past two days.” Before, anything he bought, even a bottle of mineral water, would make me ecstatic. My coldness clearly made him uncomfortable. “Nothing. We’re just friends. There’s no need to be so intimate.” The words struck him as particularly harsh. Even though he, too, had always privately defined me as just a friend, he didn’t want to hear me say it out loud. His tone became somewhat displeased. “Don’t be ridiculous.” “I know you’re worried your mother will resent me, but everyone knows you like me.” I looked up, giving him a half-smile. “Didn’t you say that? You said we were just friends.” He had, in the past, repeatedly distanced himself from me, claiming we were nothing more than friends, all to avoid Leona’s misunderstanding. His face turned somewhat unpleasant, and he seemed to recall it. Suddenly, he noticed the empty bed and grabbed my arm, asking anxiously, “Where’s your mother? Why isn’t she in bed?” His grip hurt me, and I couldn’t help but wince. “I transferred my mother to another hospital.” “What?!” “Why did you transfer her? I’m her attending physician. Why wasn’t I notified?” “Evelyn, where did you transfer her?” I stared straight at him, a mocking curve to my lips. “Why are you so anxious?” He was momentarily stunned by my question, then stammered, “I… I’m naturally concerned about your mother’s condition.” “After all, she watched me grow up. I’ve always thought of her as a mother.” “And I’m currently the best cardiac surgeon in Silverwood. How could you transfer her without my consent?” The more he spoke, the more confident he became, his last two sentences even laced with an accusing tone. When he was a child, his parents were often away on business, leaving him to be abused by his nanny. He was so hungry he would come to our breakfast diner to pick up customers’ leftovers. He was so thin and small, looking only five despite being eight years old. My mother had a soft heart and felt sorry for him. She called his parents to discuss the nanny issue. She brought him to live with us, sharing our meals and home. It’s fair to say that without my mother, he might not have grown up properly. But even with such kindness, he showed no mercy when he acted against my mother. He released his grip on my arm, his eyes complex. “Evelyn, have you… been reborn too?” I admitted it openly. “Yes. So stop pretending, Dominic Vance.” He actually breathed a sigh of relief when I admitted to being reborn. “Evelyn, you know, the surgery last time was an accident.” “This time I’ll come up with an even more perfect surgical plan.” “Besides, who else in Silverwood has my skill?” He said, taking my hand, his gaze gentle. “We’ve been together for so long. Haven’t I been good to you?” “Why don’t you trust me?” He had always played the role of a devoted husband. Yet, after marriage, he would refuse my touch, citing “intimacy anxiety.” Secretly, he would give me antidepressants laced with sleeping pills, then bring Leona home for passionate encounters. The moments I vaguely stumbled upon, he would casually dismiss as my hallucinations. I even felt guilty for it, blaming my own mental state. “Dominic, did you ever love me?” I stared directly into his eyes, trying to find even a flicker of genuine emotion. He answered without hesitation, “Of course.” He truly was an excellent actor; it was a shame he became a doctor. “Then what about the ‘meat’ that was in the fridge that you never ate?” The composure on his face finally cracked, and his hand unconsciously gripped the hem of his clothes. I had found that item while cleaning the fridge, tucked away in a delicate little box. The box opened, and inside the lid, it read: To my dearest darling. I wanted to throw it out immediately, but Dominic slapped me, screaming hysterically. “Don’t touch my things!” That was the first time he had ever yelled at me, and the first time I had seen such a distorted look on his face. Later, I secretly asked a doctor friend, and they told me it was placental tissue. Whose it was, was self-evident. I never imagined he would be so reckless, keeping their deceased child’s remains at home. “It was merely a work of art that I, as a doctor, appreciated.” He paused, then adopted a gentle tone again. “Shall we have our wedding in a few days? I know you’ve always wanted to marry me.” “You should transfer your mother back to this hospital.” “Don’t gamble with your mother’s health out of spite. You don’t have enough money to treat her.” He seemed to think that he could simply declare this, and I would obediently comply. I was about to refuse when a weak voice cut in. “Dominic, are you two getting married?” Leona. She stood at the hospital room door, her figure frail, her eyes filled with shattered light. Her fragility made Dominic ache with sympathy. He immediately rushed to her side. “Leona, why are you here? You need to rest.” Leona’s tears fell fast and hard. “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have come. I just wanted to congratulate you both.” She spoke in broken sentences, her voice filled with grievance and unwillingness. Dominic became even more anxious. “You clearly know that…” He was mindful of me, and in the end, didn’t utter the last few words. I didn’t want to watch this disgusting charade anymore. I grabbed my packed belongings and turned to leave. Dominic grabbed my arm, his voice urgent. “Let’s get our marriage certificate tomorrow.” “I’m not going.” I shook off his hand. “Be a good girl. I’ll pick you up from your house tomorrow.” His tone carried an undeniable authority. I wanted to say more, but Leona “conveniently” fainted. Dominic gasped, holding her and shouting for a nurse. The hospital room instantly descended into chaos. In the midst of the confusion, he didn’t even glance at me again. Only Leona, in his arms, gave me a mocking smile. 3. My grandfather had my mother transferred to Sterling City overnight, and her surgery was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. When I video-called my mother, her complexion had improved, and I, too, felt a sense of relief. I slept soundly that night. In my past life, after my mother’s surgery failed and she passed away. I suffered from sleepless nights, plagued by depression, only able to sleep with medication. When I woke, Dominic’s face was inches from mine, startling me so much I almost leaped out of bed. “How did you get in?” He rolled his eyes, looking at me as if I were an idiot. Only then did I remember he had a key to my house. “Get up, it’s time to go register our marriage. Afterwards, we can go see your mother.” “I wonder how she’s doing.” Dominic urged, seemingly genuinely concerned about my mother. I frowned in disgust, unwilling to continue this charade with him. “In my past life, you deliberately sabotaged my mother’s surgery to transplant her kidney to Leona, didn’t you?” Dominic’s face stiffened, then he adopted a wounded expression. “How could you think that of me? I love you so much, why would I harm your mother?” “Stop pretending. I heard everything you said to your assistant doctor.” “You really went to great lengths for Leona.” His face changed several times, finally giving up the pretense. “Your mother wouldn’t have lived much longer even if the surgery was successful. Wouldn’t it be better to give her kidney to Leona?” “Wouldn’t it be good for Leona to continue living with her kidney?” I was seething, gritting my teeth. “You’re shameless! Despicable! Have you forgotten how good my mother was to you?” Dominic glared back, unyielding. “Didn’t I sacrifice my entire future for you?” “Without me, would you be enjoying a life of luxury?” “With your miserable job, you’d never live in a mansion in this lifetime!” My eyes red, I yelled, “I don’t need it!” “I just want my mother alive! You murderer!” I tried to push him out, but then I saw Leona sitting composedly on the living room sofa. My anger flared even more. I pointed at the door. “Both of you, get out!” Leona set down her teacup, her face full of grievance. “Evelyn, please don’t argue with Dominic because of me. I know I’m not good enough for him…” Dominic stepped in front of Leona, pointing at me and scolding, “Anything you have to say, say it to me! Leona is innocent! Stop bullying her!” Leona hid behind him, defiantly raising an eyebrow at me, her eyes filled with triumph. “I won’t marry you. Now, please get out of my house.” Leona approached, looking innocent. “Evelyn, please don’t be like this. I only came today to witness Dominic’s happiness.” “I heeded your warning and stopped having unrealistic thoughts about Dominic.” She was slandering me again, and this wasn’t the first or second time. But Dominic believed her every time. Sure enough, Dominic became furious and pushed me back. “Evelyn, are you done or not! How dare you secretly warn Leona!” His strength was surprisingly great. I was caught off guard, and my head hit the nail of the calendar hanging on the wall with a sickening thud. A wave of sharp pain washed over me. I reached up and felt my hand covered in blood. Dominic gasped, running over frantically. “This… I didn’t mean to.” I tried to call for an ambulance, but my body slumped, and I groaned weakly. “Hurry… save me…” Dominic was, after all, a surgeon, and he knew the gravity of the situation. He knelt down in a panic, trying to check my injury. Just then, Leona’s voice rang out again. “This looks like a major hemorrhage, doesn’t it? Evelyn seems to be the same blood type as me.” “Her kidney also looks like a good match. If we go to the hospital, maybe I could even get her blood.” Dominic’s hand, reaching out to help me, paused. His eyes flickered, as if he was contemplating something. I stared at him in horror, a chill creeping from my feet to the top of my head. “Evelyn, since you won’t let me touch your mother’s kidney, then yours can go to Leona.” “I already let you enjoy the good life in the past. Now, this will be… repayment to me.”

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