Category: English

After spending five years of sleepless nights working overtime in an overseas research lab, I had finally saved enough to pay off the massive research debt Arthur Sterling had accumulated. I was so excited to give him the ultimate surprise. I brought our daughter, Lily, back to the States, my heart brimming with anticipation of our family finally reuniting. But when we arrived at the luxury high-rise apartment Arthur usually stayed in, the concierge at the front desk gave me a strange look. “Mr. Sterling moved out ages ago. That penthouse has been empty for six months. Are you sure you have the right address?” I froze. Confused and unsettled, I took Lily’s hand and headed straight to the luxury hotel where Sterling Corp was hosting its highly anticipated product launch. I tried to slip into the backstage area but was immediately stopped by security. “Ma’am, you can’t go back there without a VIP pass. Mr. Sterling is hosting the charity gala in the main ballroom tonight. He isn’t taking personal visitors.” Just as I was trying to figure out what to do, the massive digital billboard in the lobby flashed a breaking news alert: “Sterling Corp CEO Arthur Sterling hosts million-dollar tech launch and charity gala, walking the red carpet hand-in-hand with business partner Chloe Sinclair. The two shared a picture-perfect, heartwarming moment.” A second later, my phone buzzed. It was a voice text from Arthur, his tone flat and distant: “Evelyn, the new lab equipment I ordered just got delivered to the lobby. Go to the front desk and sign for it.” In the background of the audio, a woman’s voice chimed in, dripping with amusement: “The bet is over. How much longer are you going to keep stringing Evelyn along with that fake marriage certificate? Playing the weak, struggling entrepreneur for all these years… aren’t you bored of it?” It turned out, I was the only one who had been taking this life seriously. It turned out that after all this time, I was the one who had been entirely written out of the script. Just then, one of Arthur’s groomsmen and oldest friends hurried over. He grabbed my arm with a look of pure disdain and dragged me to the side, hissing, “How dare someone like you show your face here? Aren’t you afraid Arthur will cut off the living expenses for you and your kid?” I gripped my phone in silence. Suddenly, the color drained from his face. He covered his mouth, looking at me with sudden realization. “Wait… do you actually not know?” He immediately backpedaled, his voice panicked. “I was just talking nonsense. I have somewhere to be.” Watching him practically run away, little Lily tugged at my sleeve. She looked up at me with big, innocent eyes and asked, “Mommy, what does it mean to be written out of the script?” I forced a bitter smile, my voice breaking as I whispered, “I guess it looks a lot like Mommy right now.” Chapter 1 1 It was probably the very first time I hadn’t replied to Arthur’s message immediately. My phone vibrated on the table. He was calling me. The background noise on his end was loud—clinking glasses, applause, and men laughing. It sounded exactly like a high-end gala. “What’s going on? Didn’t you see my text?” I ignored the accusatory edge in his voice and simply asked quietly: “Arthur, where are you right now?” “Where else would I be? I’m at the convention center for a partnership signing ceremony. Look, I don’t have time for this. Just remember to download the new project files from my email.” Before I could even get another word out, he hung up. Staring at the cold “Call Ended” screen, I tried to pull the corners of my mouth into a smile, but my face felt frozen. I realized I had never truly known Arthur Sterling. I never expected him to lie with such effortless ease, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Memories from a few years ago surfaced—the day we parted at the airport. He had solemnly shared his email passwords and calendar with me, promising that this way, we would always be synchronized. No distance, no misunderstandings. “Complete honesty is the only way we survive the distance,” he had said, his eyes full of tenderness. But for the past few years, I had been so drowning in lab work and paying off his debts that I never had the time or energy to actually check those shared calendars or emails. Now, acting on instinct, I unlocked my phone and opened his pinned inbox. The most recent automated forward hit me like a physical blow. The subject line read: “VIP Reservation: The Apex Room – Partnership Gala.” I stared blankly at the address. It was the most exclusive, astronomically expensive restaurant in the city. Arthur was there right now, spending a beautiful evening with the people he actually valued. Meanwhile, I was left staring at a screen, realizing every ounce of his affection had been a fabricated lie. 2 Holding five-year-old Lily’s hand, I walked into the grand lobby of the Sterling Corp headquarters. From a distance, I spotted Arthur standing in the VIP reception area. He was crouched down, gently and patiently tying the shoelaces of a little boy in a sharp miniature suit, looking up occasionally to make the boy giggle. The sight hit me so hard I stopped dead in my tracks. Lily was five years old now. A memory pierced through me—shortly after Lily was born, she had a terrible fever that lasted for three days. She cried non-stop. The doctor told us that a father’s soothing presence could help calm her down. But back then, Arthur had just stood by the hospital window, his back to us, and coldly tossed over his shoulder: “I’m not used to being around kids.” Even so, Lily had always tried so desperately to get close to him, yet she never received even a shred of warmth in return. Now, watching this man smile with such tender patience at a child from his new family, the truth finally slammed into me. He never lacked the ability to care for a child. He just never had any intention of loving mine. A harsh reprimand snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked down and realized my daughter was no longer holding my hand. I frantically looked around. Lily was standing right in front of Arthur, her little head tilted up, calling out “Daddy” with eyes full of desperate hope. “Daddy, look! I made this for you out of construction paper. It’s a special present just for you!” And then, the unthinkable happened. Arthur stared at the little girl with a look of utter bewilderment. He casually batted away the colorful paper Lily was offering him. “What kind of scam is this? Are kids doing shakedowns now?” “I only have one son. I don’t know you.” The moment the words left his mouth, Arthur impatiently brushed away Lily’s tiny hand as she reached for him again. He scooped up the little boy next to him and turned to leave. I sprinted forward, wrapping my arms around a sobbing Lily, and stepped directly into Arthur’s path, blocking his exit. “Arthur, what is the meaning of this?” Perhaps he hadn’t expected to see me here, or maybe he never imagined I would return to the States without telling him. For a split second, the man froze, his face a canvas of pure, unadulterated shock. A moment later, Arthur tightened his grip on the boy in his arms. When he spoke, his voice was low, carrying a rare tremor of panic and guilt: “How… how are you back?” As he said it, realization seemed to dawn on him. He snapped his head to look at Lily, who was wiping her tears. “Is she… Lily?” My lips twitched into a bitter, hollow smile. She was five years old. And her own father couldn’t even recognize her. “Arthur, aren’t you going to explain this?” “You…” Before he could answer, a fleet of luxury black SUVs pulled up outside the glass doors of the lobby. A crowd of people stepped out. When I saw the woman leading the group, an involuntary shudder ran through me, and a dull ache settled in my chest. “Sister. It’s been a long time.” It was Chloe Sinclair. My half-sister. Years ago, she and her father had systematically destroyed my family, driven my mother to an early grave, and pushed me into absolute despair. Meeting Chloe’s provocative, triumphant gaze, countless agonizing memories flooded my mind. I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. “Why are we standing out here? It’s freezing.” Chloe expertly linked her arm through Arthur’s. Her tone was intimate, laced with the casual arrogance of a victor. Before I could even speak, she announced loudly, making sure everyone in the lobby could hear: “Sister, Arthur has already told me everything.” “You insisted on clinging to him, willing to be the other woman just to stay relevant. But Arthur and I have our own child now. It’s time for you to let go.” “We’ve been married for years. Are you really trying to follow in your mother’s footsteps and become a homewrecker in someone else’s marriage?” The lobby went dead silent. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on me, whispering. Some looked at me with blatant disgust and mockery. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. I looked at the man standing beside her and asked, my voice barely a whisper: “Arthur… is this true?” Before he could answer, Lily pulled out of my grasp. She reached into my purse and pulled out our marriage certificate. She threw herself at Arthur’s legs, her tiny voice choked with sobs: “Daddy, didn’t you marry Mommy? Why do you have a baby with someone else? Did Lily do something bad to make you mad?” “Look, this is your and Mommy’s marriage certificate. Mommy carries it with her everywhere.” Chloe stepped forward, ignoring the little girl’s cries, and snatched the document from Lily’s hands. She flipped it open and examined it in front of the crowd. The next second, she held it up and waved it at me, her voice dripping with sarcasm and contempt: “Sister, you really are living in a fantasy world.” “This marriage certificate is completely fake. It doesn’t even have an official county seal. How much longer were you planning on playing make-believe?” Then, she pulled a genuine, official marriage license from her designer bag and held it up to my face. “Here. Let me show you what a real one looks like.” “Oh, by the way, Arthur and I took a video the day we went to City Hall. Want to watch?” She shoved her phone in my face. The video showed the two of them smiling brightly, signing the official registry. On the screen, Arthur’s smile was radiant. The sheer joy radiating from him pierced my eyes, forcing hot tears to well up. “Ignore her. Let’s go inside.” Arthur finally spoke. But when he said it, he didn’t even spare me a single glance. Seeing him turn to leave, Lily lunged forward and wrapped her little arms around his leg. “Daddy, please don’t leave Lily…” He frowned coldly. He forcefully pried her tiny fingers off his leg, his voice like freezing iron: “I am not your dad.” With that, Arthur walked deeper into the grand lobby, not looking back once. 3 I can’t remember how I walked out of that suffocating exhibit hall. I only remember pulling Lily into a desperate embrace when Chloe Sinclair appeared in front of me again. She stood on the marble steps, looking down at me from above the crowd, her eyes filled with absolute disdain. “Evelyn Hayes, you were destined to be crushed under my heel for the rest of your life.” She waved a VIP auction paddle in her hand. The charity painting that had originally been named after my family—my child and me—had just been bought by her for an astronomical sum. The applause and murmurs from the crowd surrounded us, as if the entire world had gathered just to witness my humiliation. Chloe smiled, taking her time as she handed over a signed receipt, her voice sounding like a judge delivering a sentence: “Did you really think anyone here would validate your little delusion of a family? Your pathetic memories and fake photos mean absolutely nothing in the real world.” I held my daughter tight, a freezing chill spreading through my chest. Still crying, Lily pulled a crumpled photograph from her backpack—our only family photo—and held it up to the crowd, her voice trembling but defiant: “This is Mommy and me’s home! We really were here, and we really loved Daddy…” Chloe let out a sharp, cruel laugh. She snatched the photo, threw it onto the pavement, and ground her stiletto heel into it. “Art is a mirror of reality. You two were erased from the picture a long time ago, and you certainly don’t exist in this family.” Her words sliced through my dignity like a scalpel. And Arthur, from beginning to end, never looked back. He just led his new family into the glittering, wealthy crowd. I stood outside the massive glass doors of the exhibit hall, holding my weeping daughter. In that moment, I realized that every single shred of warmth we had ever clung to had been ruthlessly, permanently stripped away. That night, after finally coaxing Lily to sleep, I collapsed onto the sofa in my study. My phone lit up. It was a text from Arthur: “Things got out of hand today. Don’t overthink it.” Reading those words, a wave of unspeakable bitterness surged up my throat, choking me. Arthur was always like this. He would shove you off a cliff, then toss down a crumb of comfort once you hit the bottom. The phone buzzed again. This time, it was Chloe: “Since you’re back, come to the corporate office tomorrow. It’s time we finally settled the inheritance issue once and for all.” Looking at my sleeping daughter, I took a deep, silent breath, picked up my phone, and called my best friend. “Hey, it’s late. What’s up?” “Are you free tomorrow? Can you watch Lily for the day?” “Lily? Since when do you have a daughter? With who?” I paused for a second. “Arthur.” The line went dead quiet before my friend’s shocked voice exploded: “Arthur Sterling?! Didn’t you guys break up seven years ago? How do you have a kid with him?” “And if I remember correctly, Arthur has been married to someone else for years!” She paused, as if suddenly connecting the dots. “Girl… please tell me you didn’t love him so much you agreed to be his mistress…” The corner of my mouth twitched, but I couldn’t form a smile. My eyes felt like they were made of ice. “It turns out… from the very beginning, I was the only one living in a lie.” 4 After ending the video conference with Arthur, I sat frozen, staring at my laptop screen. A string of messages from him popped up, leaving my mind entirely blank. The first was an address to a new corporate housing unit. “I’m swamped with work right now. You and Lily should move back into the apartment you were renting.” “Starting tomorrow, organize the physical archives in the office. Bring me lunch in the conference room at noon. I still prefer your cooking.” “Also, the day after tomorrow is Chloe’s birthday. As her older sister, don’t forget to prepare a nice gift.” As the messages rolled in, a blind, suffocating rage rushed straight to my head. Even now, Arthur offered absolutely zero explanation. Instead, he seamlessly slipped back into ordering me around like an unpaid servant, acting as if nothing had happened. He had even forgotten that today was Lily’s birthday. My fingers trembling slightly, I slowly typed out my response: “Arthur, do you even remember what day today is?” The chat went silent. He didn’t reply. Exhausted to my bones, I rested my head against the sofa and somehow drifted off to sleep. The next morning, while I was still half-asleep, I heard Lily’s cheerful voice right next to my ear: “Mommy, look! Daddy sent you a reward voucher!” I took the phone on instinct. Arthur had finally replied sometime in the early hours of the morning: “What day? Are you short on money again? You don’t need to make up excuses if you want an allowance. Don’t forget to use the digital voucher the company gave you.” Lily had already excitedly clicked the link to redeem the “reward.” It was a $2.50 digital gift card for the company cafeteria. It wasn’t even enough to buy the cheapest coffee on the menu. 5 Carrying a massive stack of project reports, I pushed open the doors to the press conference. Everyone was already seated. Chloe sat dead center on the main stage, looking every bit the confident, decisive executive. Seeing me walk in, the corner of her lips quirked up. “Since everyone is here, let’s officially begin.” She scanned the room, her tone authoritative. “As you all remember, ten years ago, my father’s dying wish stated clearly: Whoever launches an autonomous AI medical system first will be the true leader of this corporation’s future.” “Today, I am proud to announce that under my leadership, our team has successfully completed the development of this system.” “This breakthrough would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of a very important person.” Chloe’s eyes locked onto me as she continued, “Now, please welcome my brother-in-law, Arthur Sterling, to present the development history and technical highlights of our AI medical system.” The moment she finished speaking. Arthur, dressed in a sharp charcoal suit, confidently strode up to the podium in the multimedia hall. He opened the PowerPoint and flawlessly presented the data to the gathered media and investors. Every single slide, every data point projected on that screen, was the blood, sweat, and tears I had poured into my non-profit educational tech initiatives over the last five years. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I rushed to the front, grabbed Arthur’s arm, my eyes red and my voice a suppressed, furious hiss: “Arthur, what the hell are you doing?” But the next second, he forcefully shook off my grip. He turned to face the audience and the cameras, his voice cool and unwavering: “Ladies and gentlemen, there is a matter I must clarify publicly today.” “A year ago, Chloe and I co-founded the smart remote learning initiative. While Evelyn Hayes was involved in the preliminary research, the core breakthroughs that made this system possible were achieved by our joint team.” “However, I am fully aware that this system was originally built upon the foundation of Evelyn’s years of non-profit work and trial-and-error. I believe her contributions are valid and deserve recognition.” Low murmurs rippled through the hall. Some questioned my actual involvement, while others showered Arthur and Chloe with praise for their “generosity.” I looked up at Arthur from the crowd. Our eyes met, but he quickly looked away, refusing to engage. For years, I had poured every ounce of my energy into advancing educational equality through tech. I had been entirely transparent with Arthur about every single step. He knew better than anyone how important this project was to me, and he knew exactly how much suffering it had cost me. I never imagined he would trample on my trust and publicly team up with someone else to discredit my life’s work. I was about to speak up and defend myself when my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. It was my best friend. She was panicked. Lily was missing. I forgot about the conference, the project, everything. I scrambled toward the exit in a blind panic, but Arthur grabbed my arm, stopping me: “Evelyn, you owe Chloe an apology!” “Arthur, your daughter is missing!” I screamed at him, my eyes blazing red. The color instantly drained from Arthur’s face. Panic finally broke through his calm facade: “Lily? What happened to Lily?” Chloe quickly rushed over, grabbing his hand and whispering soothingly: “It’s fine, it’s fine. The nanny just texted me. She said Lily is just fast asleep at home.” Hearing this, Arthur let out a massive sigh of relief, his posture relaxing completely. Looking at the man who could switch his concern off so effortlessly, I gritted my teeth, ripped my arm away, and bolted out of the hall. I left him with one final sentence: “Arthur, you don’t even deserve to be called a father!”

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I was on my way to deliver lunch to my brother when I was scrolling through Reddit and saw a post: “What should I do if I’m falling for my coworker’s wife?” I casually dropped a comment: Don’t be a homewrecker. The Original Poster (OP) replied almost instantly: “The woman I love just happened to marry the wrong guy before she met me. How does that make me a homewrecker?” “My coworker doesn’t appreciate her at all. Look, this is the lunch his wife brought him. He waited until she left, then tossed it aside. He didn’t even take a bite.” “A guy who doesn’t appreciate her doesn’t deserve her.” I clicked on the attached photo. Wait a minute… aren’t those the barbecue ribs I just dropped off for my brother? 1 My heart started pounding. I quickly scrolled back to the top of his post, analyzing every single detail. The OP wrote that his coworker had just gotten married two months ago. Usually, he didn’t pay attention to his employees’ personal lives, but this guy was just too much. “It’s bad enough he makes his wife drive all the way across town every day to bring him lunch, but he acts like he’s royalty. He eats, pushes the containers away, and expects her to clean it all up. He doesn’t care about her at all.” The more I read, the more familiar it sounded. Coincidentally, my brother had also just gotten married two months ago. Before the wedding, my brother and I made a bet. If he actually managed to win over his dream girl and marry her, I’d deliver his lunch to the office every day for two months. To my shock, the idiot actually pulled it off. I had to honor the bet and essentially became his personal Uber Eats driver. The OP continued: “I couldn’t stand watching it, so I privately hinted to my coworker that making his wife clean up after him wasn’t a good look, and that she was working hard too. He just brushed it off and said, ‘It’s her job, don’t worry about it.’” The OP was getting increasingly worked up: “He’s an absolute jerk. Sometimes I watch her carrying that heavy insulated lunchbox, sitting quietly while he eats, and then silently packing up to leave. She looks so lonely and mistreated. It breaks my heart.” The comment section was flooded with people agreeing: “Guys like that are the worst. They manipulate their wives but put in zero actual effort.” “I need to know who this is! The poor girl is too blinded by love. Tell her to run!” The OP sighed in the comments: “Exactly. She’s so kind, beautiful, gentle, and understanding. My coworker doesn’t deserve her at all.” He added: “And he complains about her cooking! She works so hard to make those meals, and he critiques them! If she were my wife, I wouldn’t care what it tasted like, I’d eat every last bite! She treats him so well, and he just bosses her around. I genuinely can’t stand it.” Okay, so… to mess with my brother, I occasionally dumped extra salt in his food. Naturally, he’d complain and refuse to eat it. I never imagined his coworker would misinterpret that as an abusive husband terrorizing his wife. Someone in the comments asked the OP what he planned to do. He responded bluntly: “What exactly do I need to do to make them get a divorce?” Redditors were telling him to calm down and not do anything crazy, but he was clearly obsessing over it. His replies were dripping with fixation: “I just can’t take it anymore. If this keeps up, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back.” “It was pouring rain a few days ago. He chose to play Call of Duty on his lunch break instead of driving his wife home. He has a car! He could have at least let her take it! Instead, he made her stand in the freezing rain waiting for a ride. He’s a monster!” Reading that, my memory instantly flashed back to that rainy afternoon. My brother had scarfed down his food because he was rushing to log onto a multiplayer lobby. He didn’t even look at me, just Venmo’d me a hundred bucks and told me to get an Uber. While I was standing on the curb waiting for my ride, I got soaked. My hair and shoulders were drenched. Apparently, this guy had watched the entire scene unfold. Also, the reason I don’t drive his car is that I don’t have my license yet… The further I scrolled, the more the pieces clicked together. The coworker who showed off his wife, left her in the rain, and didn’t appreciate her… was undeniably my brother, Mason. And the “mistreated wife” this OP was fiercely defending, obsessing over, and deemed too good for this world… was me. I stood on the sidewalk for a solid five minutes, completely stunned. My brain rapidly flipped through the faces of Mason’s coworkers I had seen recently. Who the hell was it? 2 Whenever I dropped off food for Mason, I never really paid attention to anyone else around. Now that I was trying to remember, my mind was blank. I couldn’t grasp a single clue. Unable to figure it out, I made a silent vow: tomorrow, I was going to investigate. Normally, I ignored his coworkers, but today I kept my eyes peeled. Just as I handed Mason his lunch, a guy named Kevin walked out of the crowd and approached me. He chatted me up with a friendly smile and casually found an excuse to get my Instagram. My stomach dropped. Could… could it be him? But the moment I walked out of the office building, the Reddit post updated. The OP’s tone was so sour you could practically smell the jealousy: “I realized today that my coworker truly doesn’t give a damn about his wife. Another guy from our department went out of his way to flirt with her today, smiling like an idiot, and her husband didn’t even try to stop it. If you truly love someone, how could you let them freely exchange numbers with other men?” The commenters saw right through him: “I’m just sensing a deeply, deeply jealous soul here.” “Let’s be real, OP. You’re just mad you weren’t the one getting her Instagram.” The OP’s reply popped up almost instantly, practically seething: “I’ve never even spoken a word to her! And they just openly exchanged socials right in front of me.” “I don’t care anymore. I’m making everyone in that department work mandatory overtime tonight.” Staring at the screen, a chill ran down my spine. I instantly caught the most important detail. This guy had some serious authority in the company. He might even be top management. Otherwise, how could he force an entire department to work overtime with a single sentence? But I remembered Mason telling me his direct manager was a balding guy with a massive beer belly… Honestly, I had considered clearing up the misunderstanding quietly, worried that this might hurt Mason’s reputation at work. But seeing how unhinged and extreme the OP was getting, I abandoned that idea immediately. If he found out the truth while in this manic state, God knows what he might do. Right now, my only priority was avoiding the radar of this creepy, obsessed boss. 3 For the next few days, I continued my lunch deliveries, but I treaded incredibly carefully. I kept my head down, secretly observing everyone, but I still couldn’t lock onto the guy hiding in the shadows. One afternoon, just as I got on the bus heading home, my sister-in-law, Emma, called me. “Harper, are you on the bus yet?” “Mason said he has to leave for a sudden, out-of-state business trip this afternoon. He needs you to swing by and bring his ID to the office.” But the bus doors had already closed, and it was a hassle to get off and turn around. “Never mind, I’ll just make the trip myself,” Emma sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on. Mason has been insanely busy lately. The mandatory overtime was bad enough, but now a sudden deployment out of state?” Hearing that, I felt a twinge of guilt. The mastermind behind this brutal overtime was almost certainly the Reddit poster trying to punish Mason. When I got off the bus near the office, I saw Emma standing across the street with the lunchbox. Suddenly, my idiot, hopeless-romantic brother dashed out of the building like a golden retriever, pulled Emma into a tight hug, and started kissing the top of her head, completely oblivious to the public setting. I stood on the opposite sidewalk, rolling my eyes so hard I practically saw my own brain. Come on, guys. It’s broad daylight. But right at that moment. From behind me, a low, suppressed, and faintly dangerous voice drifted over my shoulder. “He acts like that with another woman right in front of you, and you aren’t even angry?” My heart leaped into my throat. I instinctively spun around. Standing before me was a tall, incredibly handsome man with a sharp, tailored suit and deep, striking eyes. He stood out effortlessly against the bustling street. I stared at that familiar, dazzling face, and the words tumbled out before I could stop them: “Caleb? Caleb Sterling?” Caleb clearly froze. A flicker of shock crossed his eyes, and his tone carried a trace of confusion. “You know me?” I looked at him, my heart inexplicably skipping a beat, but I put on my best innocent, sweet smile. “Of course I do! I graduated from Lincoln High too. My name is Harper. You were basically a legend there. When you were a senior, I was a freshman. You were the ultimate crush for half the girls in my grade.” I paused, deliberately pretending I hadn’t heard his opening line. I tilted my head, blinking innocently. “Oh, by the way, what were you just saying? A bus drove by, I couldn’t hear you…” The dark intensity in Caleb’s eyes faded slightly. The corners of his lips curved into a faint, soft smile. “Nothing.” His gaze dropped to the insulated lunchbox in my hands. “What are you doing here?” “I’m dropping off lunch for my family,” I answered honestly. “Family?” he repeated softly, his eyes darkening a fraction. “Mhm.” I nodded, tossing the question back. “But what are you doing here, Caleb?” He pointed a long finger toward the imposing corporate skyscraper across the street. “I work here.” I was about to say more when my phone buzzed. It was Emma, asking if I was close. I quickly answered, “Be right there,” and hung up. I looked up at Caleb and offered an apologetic smile. “Caleb, I have to run, it’s urgent. Want to exchange numbers? Let’s catch up sometime.” A barely perceptible light flashed in his eyes. He pulled out his phone without a second of hesitation. After swapping contacts, I waved goodbye and jogged toward the building, my heart hammering wildly against my ribs. Based on what he had just said, I was 99% sure Caleb was the Reddit poster. So the guy who was losing his mind online, pining over a “mistreated wife,” and torturing my brother with overtime… wasn’t some balding middle manager. It was my untouchable, legendary high school crush. 4 After Emma handed off the ID, she had some errands to run and left. I looked at my brother, who was grinning like an idiot, glued to his phone texting his wife, and almost laughed out loud. I casually interrogated him and confirmed that Caleb Sterling was the undisputed CEO and heir apparent of the company. I genuinely never expected that the cool, distant senior from high school was secretly this possessive and unhinged in private. Thinking about his Reddit posts—She’s so pitiful, my coworker doesn’t deserve her, I want them to divorce—and contrasting it with my reality of being Mason’s unpaid delivery girl for the last two months… my mischievous streak ignited like a wildfire. Fate had literally handed me the ultimate prank script. It would be a tragedy not to play along. I deliberately lingered in the office a few minutes longer than usual, wandering over to the breakroom to get water. Sure enough, Caleb quietly appeared. It was strange. I’d been coming here for months; how had I never noticed him before? I pretended not to see him. I gently traced the edge of my thermos, keeping my eyes cast downward, exposing the delicate curve of my neck. I made myself look incredibly quiet, submissive, and like a woman silently enduring a world of grievances. A moment later, he actually approached me. The air around him felt heavy, making my pulse quicken. “Your family… makes you clean all this up by yourself?” He spoke in a low voice, heavy with undeniable heartache. “Does he treat you like this every time?” I looked up at him. I let a perfectly calibrated layer of sorrow and vulnerability wash over my eyes, then quickly forced it down, shaking my head gently. “It’s fine. He’s been busy with work lately. Doing a little extra doesn’t hurt.” With one sentence, I completely cemented the image of the long-suffering, neglected, overly-understanding wife in his head. Caleb’s eyes darkened instantly, his Adam’s apple bobbing hard. “Being busy is not an excuse to neglect you. Harper, you really don’t need to put yourself through this.” My heart did a violent flip. I don’t know why, but hearing my name roll off his tongue sounded incredibly rich and magnetic. It made my ears burn. I lowered my head, hiding a victorious smirk. When I looked back up, my eyes were shining with a glassy, unshed tear. My voice was light as a feather, soft and helpless. “But I don’t have a choice.” As soon as I left the building and hopped on the bus, my phone buzzed with a Reddit notification. The OP had posted a new update, and the words were practically bleeding with longing and bitterness: “I finally gathered the courage to talk to her today. Turns out we went to the same high school. We could have known each other so much sooner, but fate is a cruel joke. That bastard husband of hers was hugging another woman right in front of the building. I don’t know if she saw it, but it broke my heart. If I could, I would take her far away from a guy like that.” Reading that, I felt a twinge of guilt. Was taking this prank too far? But right then, a notification popped up in my family group chat. It was Mason, wailing in despair: “SOMEONE SAVE ME! Our boss has lost his damn mind! He just assigned me to a six-month deployment out of state!! I JUST GOT MARRIED!!” Seeing Mason suffering so spectacularly, I burst out laughing. It didn’t take a genius to figure out this was the jealous CEO’s retaliation. Whatever, I’ll let the game run a little longer. If Caleb was fully prepared to be a homewrecker, his moral high ground wasn’t exactly pristine anyway. Even if the truth came out later, he’d probably forgive me, right? 5 After exchanging numbers, Caleb and I started texting occasionally. It started with polite small talk, but we quickly realized we had a ridiculous amount in common. We loved the same obscure indie films, drank the exact same niche coffee order, and shared identical tastes in music and books. With every new shared interest, his texts grew warmer and more eager. I could practically picture his eyes lighting up on the other side of the screen. One night, we were texting late, and he sent: “It’s crazy how similar we are… I wish I had met you earlier.” I stared at the message, smiled, and didn’t reply. A few minutes later, the Reddit post updated. The frustration was palpable: “We have so many shared interests. We click perfectly. We’re obviously meant for each other. What right does her husband have? He just got lucky and met her first. How is he worthy of her? I just can’t accept this.” My inner demon took over. I switched to my burner account and replied to him as a “concerned netizen”: “Thinking about it won’t change anything, bro. You need to show her your masculinity. Remind her who the better man actually is.” Caleb apparently took that advice straight to heart. Early the next morning, my Instagram feed refreshed with a new post from him. It was a gym mirror selfie. He was wearing a tight black tank top. His shoulders were broad, his waist narrow, and his abs were sharply defined. It was the epitome of lean, functional muscle. The sheer testosterone practically shattered my phone screen. I stared at those abs, silently nodding in approval. Damn. You could do laundry on those. I smirked and obediently hit the ‘Like’ button. On his end, he was probably losing his mind. That afternoon, the Reddit post updated again. The tone was completely panicked and confused: “I posted a gym photo, and I set the privacy so only she could see it. She liked it. What does this mean? Does she have feelings for me, or is she just mindlessly liking posts?” The commenters were merciless: “Are you an idiot? She’s stringing you along!” “A married woman liking a thirst trap? Neither of you are innocent. One’s a tease, the other’s a simp!” Caleb immediately jumped to my defense, fighting the commenters: “No, you’re wrong. She’s a wonderful person. She’s just very polite and likes to support people’s posts.” The internet went feral: “Bro, you are down HORRENDOUS!!” I read through the comments, laughing so hard I almost rolled off my bed. Caleb was too entertaining. But Caleb was genuinely getting desperate. He was falling too deep. Unable to hold back anymore, he posted a fierce update: “I can’t wait any longer. Her husband is blatantly physical with another girl. I’m going to make sure she sees the truth.” Caleb moved faster than I anticipated. The next afternoon, just as I arrived downstairs at the office, I “coincidentally” bumped into him. His face was stormy. He handed me a photograph, his voice tight with suppressed rage. “Harper, look at this.” In the photo, Mason was holding Emma on the sidewalk, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. The angle made it look incredibly illicit and scandalous. Those two hopeless romantics couldn’t keep their hands off each other for five minutes. Caleb watched me staring at the photo and gently called out to me. “Are you okay?” I snapped back into character. I let my eyes immediately well up with tears. My fingers trembled slightly, like I had just been stabbed. My voice was breathless and hoarse. “…Who is she?” The anger in Caleb’s eyes was replaced by raw heartache. “I’ve seen them together several times. He hasn’t told you.” I gripped my phone, my knuckles turning white. I lowered my head, letting my shoulders shake just twice—the perfect picture of a woman utterly shattered but fighting not to cry. “He’s been ‘working late’ a lot recently. So… this is why.” Caleb reached out, lightly touching my arm before quickly pulling back, as if afraid of breaking me. “Harper, he is not worth putting yourself through this.” I bit my lip, staying silent for a long time before slowly, painfully shaking my head. “No, we… we can’t separate.” Can’t separate? Caleb froze completely. The shock, confusion, and agony in his eyes merged into something close to devastation. “He treats you like this, and you still refuse to leave him?” I looked up, my eyes red, my voice thick with unshed tears, but fiercely stubborn. “When you’re in a marriage… you can’t just walk away that easily. I can’t do it.” Caleb stared at me. His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. He looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. He didn’t push me. He just let out a soft sigh, a sound filled with helpless, agonizing pity. That night, the Reddit post blew up. You could feel the OP’s absolute despair through the screen: [She knows. She saw the proof with her own eyes, but she still refuses to get a divorce. How can she be so foolish? After everything he’s done to her, what is she holding onto? I’m so terrified she’s going to spiral. I’m afraid she’s suffering all alone in the dark.] [I can’t do anything right now except watch over her and make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.] Reading the post, my heart felt soft and strange. I had only meant to tease him, but over the past few weeks, his sincerity, his intense protectiveness, and his careful devotion had hit me right in the chest. I had to admit, it was working. I think I was actually falling for him. After debating with myself for a long time, I sent him a text: “Caleb, my head is a mess. I can’t say this to anyone else, I only want to talk to you… Can I buy you a drink? I hope I’m not bothering you.” He replied instantly: “You’re not. I’ll be right there.” When we met, his eyes were full of undisguised worry. As soon as he sat down, he asked softly, “Have you eaten? Don’t drink on an empty stomach.” I kept my head down, my voice muffled. “I don’t have an appetite.” He didn’t push it. He just poured me a glass of warm water and quietly kept me company while I sipped my drink. I deliberately drank a little too fast. Soon, my eyes were hazy, my cheeks were flushed, and I leaned against the table, acting thoroughly intoxicated. “Caleb… I’m just so sad.” “I’ve been so good to him. Why doesn’t he appreciate me…” His voice was incredibly gentle. “It’s because he’s blind. It’s not your fault.” I swayed my head, looking up at him through hazy eyes. I reached out and weakly grabbed the cuff of his shirt. “You’re so good to me…” His breath hitched. Riding the wave of liquid courage, I leaned forward. My gaze drifted from his intense eyes to his slightly parted lips. Acting on pure impulse, I leaned in and kissed him. It was just a brief touch, and I tried to pull back. But the next second, his hand cupped the back of my neck, holding me in place, and he deepened the kiss. It started with restraint, but quickly escalated into an explosion of repressed emotion, a desperate, careful plundering. My heart was beating so fast I thought I was going to explode. Only when we were both gasping for air did he abruptly stop. He rested his forehead against mine, his breath scorching hot, his voice dangerously raspy. “Harper, don’t do this… I’m terrified you’ll wake up tomorrow and regret it.” I didn’t say anything. I just buried my face in his chest. Letting the alcohol take over, I completely passed out. Unable to wake me to get my address, he had no choice but to take me back to his place. He carefully laid me on his bed and tried to wipe my face with a warm towel. I kept my eyes half-closed, acting delirious, gripping his shirt tight and refusing to let go. I was woken up the next morning by the sunlight. The space next to me was empty, and faint noises were coming from the kitchen. I was instantly wide awake. Oh god. I had played way too hard last night. The sheer embarrassment was enough to make me want to dig a hole and live in it. I couldn’t face him. I quietly slipped out of bed, grabbed my purse, and bolted. The second I got home, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Caleb: “Where did you go? Last night… I didn’t cross any lines, so please don’t be scared. It’s just that I really, really like you, and I want to take care of you.” My mind was a chaotic mess. I stared at the screen, unable to type a reply. Not long after, the Reddit post updated. The OP’s words were a mix of inner turmoil and ironclad resolve: “Last night, she asked me out for a drink to vent. I couldn’t hold back, and I kissed her. I know it’s wrong. I know I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t control myself. That guy doesn’t deserve someone as incredible as her. I’ve made my decision. I am going to steal her away from him, completely and permanently. I’m going to make them divorce.” “Step one: Remove him from her sight.” My heart dropped. The next second, the family group chat exploded with Mason’s frantic messages: “HELP ME! The boss has completely lost his mind! He just personally ordered me to oversee the out-of-state project! For SIX MONTHS!!” “I LITERALLY JUST GOT MARRIED!!” I stared at my phone, completely paralyzed. The prank… had officially gone way too far.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “395334”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I’m a girl, but I was raised as a boy my entire life. After turning eighteen, I worked construction to support myself, carrying bricks and pouring concrete. Until one day, a fleet of Rolls-Royces pulled up right in front of me at the job site. The people who stepped out told me I was the long-lost “Crown Prince” of the ultra-wealthy Sterling family in New York. Meanwhile, the fake heir, Julian Sterling—who had been living a life of unimaginable luxury for eighteen years—discovered the truth. Not only had he been switched at birth, but his biological parents were actually a poverty-stricken family that the Sterlings had been anonymously sponsoring for years. He completely broke down. He looked at his own tanned skin and muscular physique, and then looked at the soft, delicate “fake prince” standing before him. I fell into deep thought. They mistook me, a biological female, for their “Crown Prince”? Exactly how blind is the Sterling family? Chapter 1 “Young Master, please get in the car. The Patriarch, the Master, and the Madam are all waiting for you.” The elderly butler who had arrived with the motorcade bowed respectfully to me. Holding the two hundred dollars in cash I had just received for my day’s labor, I looked back at the dusty, chaotic construction site and remained silent. A few hours ago, I was screaming at my foreman until my face was red. Now, I was about to step into a luxury car and return to a place called “high society.” It felt like a fever dream. For as long as I can remember, I lived in an orphanage. The director gave me his last name, naming me Taylor Vance. Terrified that I would get bullied, he always kept my hair cut short and dressed me exclusively in boys’ clothes. Over time, everyone just assumed I was a boy. When I turned eighteen and aged out of the orphanage, I needed to survive, so I went to work in construction. On a job site, no one cares if you’re a man or a woman; they only care if you can lift the weight. I didn’t say a word. I pulled open the car door and got in. The butler led me into a mansion that looked more like a palace. Three people were sitting in the massive living room. In the center sat an elderly man with gray hair but a fiercely sharp presence. He radiated an imposing authority without even trying. Next to him sat a middle-aged couple. They had to be my parents. The man, dressed in a sharp suit, had his brows furrowed tightly. The woman, wearing elegant designer clothes, had red, teary eyes. And there I stood in the middle of the room, wearing a work uniform covered in cement dust, with a hole in my canvas sneakers. “Child, your… your name is Taylor, is it?” The elderly man, Arthur Sterling, the patriarch of the family, spoke first. I nodded. “You’ve suffered so much all these years.” He let out a heavy sigh. “It’s good that you’re home. From this day forward, you are the grandson of the Sterling family, Taylor Sterling.” “Dad, look at the state of him. He doesn’t have a single ounce of the Sterling family’s refinement…” my father, Richard Sterling, muttered with a frown. Before he could finish, Arthur slammed his cane hard against the floor. “Shut your mouth! The boy was lost out there for eighteen years because of our family’s mistake! What right do you have to look down on him?” Arthur snapped fiercely. Richard didn’t dare say another word. My mother, Eleanor, was sobbing quietly. “My son… how did he end up like this…” Right at that moment, Julian burst into the room. He threw himself to the floor, dropping to his knees right in front of Arthur. “Grandpa! I’ve called you Grandpa for eighteen years!” he cried, his voice tearing with grief. “I don’t want to leave the Sterling family! I don’t want to go live in poverty!” Arthur looked down at him, a flicker of pity crossing his eyes. “The Sterling family raised you for eighteen years. From now on, whether you choose to stay or leave, the decision is yours.” The crying stopped instantly. Julian turned his head and glared at me. His eyes held a bizarre mix of malice and smugness. At dinnertime, the long dining table was covered in a feast. In front of every seat lay an array of silverware I had never seen before in my life. My mother, Eleanor, spoke to me in a lecturing tone: “Taylor, when eating Western cuisine, you hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right…” I furrowed my brow. When we ate at the construction site, we grabbed a massive bowl, piled it high with whatever food was there, and shoveled it down in five minutes flat. Who had time for all these stupid, overly complicated rules?! I reached out with my bare hand, grabbed the thick cut of steak in front of me, and shoved it into my mouth. My action brought a sudden, dead silence to the entire dining room. Everyone stared at me, absolutely dumbfounded. Eleanor’s face flushed red, then went pale. She looked mortified. Richard’s face was as dark as a thundercloud. Julian immediately let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “So vulgar and unrefined! You actually grab your food with your bare hands? What’s the difference between you and a monkey?” “You’re going to completely destroy the Sterling family’s reputation!” Richard pointed a trembling finger at me, his lips shaking with rage. I looked at Julian, completely unbothered. “As long as it fills the stomach, who cares?” “Eating is just eating. Why make up so many exhausting rules? Doesn’t it tire you out?” Julian’s laughter caught in his throat, his face turning beet red. I was someone who traded my sweat and blood for a meal on a construction site. I was never going to belong to the same world as these rich people and their obsessive “rituals.” I stood up and shot a look of pure disgust at the fake, pretentious rich boy. “Also, don’t call me your brother.” “I’m not used to playing ‘brother’ with a useless piece of trash who probably can’t even lift a five-gallon bucket of water.” “You!” Julian’s face turned a violent shade of crimson. Just as Richard was about to explode in anger, the patriarch, who had been sitting silently at the head of the table, suddenly let out a booming, hearty laugh. “Hahaha! Good! Well said!” Arthur looked at me, his eyes shining with approval. “Doesn’t care about trivial details, speaks his mind directly! That personality… it reminds me a bit of myself back in the day!” The old man reached out his own hand, grabbed a lamb chop, and took a massive bite. “Refreshing!” This scene left everyone in the room completely stupefied. Julian stared at his usually strict and traditional grandfather in absolute disbelief. I allowed the corner of my mouth to curve up slightly. This Sterling family patriarch… he was an interesting guy. It seemed this life in high society was going to be a bit more entertaining than I had anticipated. 2 That dinner ended on a sour note. My father, Richard, kept a dark scowl on his face the entire time. After I had eaten my fill, the butler led me to a massive bedroom. The en-suite bathroom was larger than the entire apartment I used to rent. Early the next morning, I was woken up by a sharp knocking on my door. “Young Master Taylor, the etiquette instructor Master Julian hired for you has arrived. Please come downstairs,” the butler’s voice echoed from the hallway. Julian? What was he plotting now? I went downstairs and saw Julian standing in the living room. Next to him stood a middle-aged woman. The woman had her chin tilted aggressively high. she scanned me from head to toe, her eyes dripping with judgment. “Taylor, is it? From today onward, I am your etiquette instructor. You slouch when you stand, you slouch when you sit. All of that needs to be corrected,” she said, her voice gratingly shrill. A cold smirk played on Julian’s lips. “Brother, you just got back from the outside world, you don’t know our rules. So, I specifically hired Mrs. Davis, the best instructor in the city, just for you,” he said, dripping with fake sincerity. “You need to study hard so you don’t embarrass the Sterling family again.” Watching them put on this little two-person play, I just found it hilarious. “The first thing we will learn is posture,” Mrs. Davis said, tapping my back sharply. “Straighten up! Core tight! Chin up!” “Next is walking.” She placed a thick hardcover book on top of my head. “Balance this. Walk perfectly along this line. The book cannot fall.” “I’m not doing it,” I said calmly. “What did you say?” Julian couldn’t believe his ears. “I said, I’m not doing it!” I looked right at him and repeated myself. “I just want to ask you one thing: when Grandpa was fighting his way up in the business world, crushing his rivals, did he do it by practicing how to walk in a perfectly straight line?” The moment the words left my mouth, the entire living room fell dead silent. Julian’s smirk froze on his face. Even Richard and Eleanor, who had just walked down the stairs, stopped dead in their tracks. I didn’t spare them another glance. I turned around and walked right out the front door. The etiquette lessons were ultimately canceled because the patriarch simply said, “Let the boy be.” When his first plan failed, Julian immediately hatched another. A few days later. He organized a small, private wine-tasting gathering at the house and invited a few friends from his elite social circle. His excuse was that it was to help me integrate into high society as quickly as possible. An oil painting hung in the living room. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Julian, swirling a glass of red wine, walked over to me. He pointed at the painting and asked loudly, intentionally drawing everyone’s attention: “Brother, what do you think of this masterpiece? Dad won it at an auction for eight million dollars.” The painting was a chaotic mess of bright, clashing colors. It just made my eyes hurt. I stayed silent for a moment before speaking. “This painting… the layout isn’t bad.” Julian looked surprised. He clearly hadn’t expected me to say that. I continued: “Especially this section here, and over here. There’s a lot of blank, white space. It would be perfect for keeping a ledger.” “Back on the construction site, I always looked for blank walls like this. I’d write down exactly which foreman owed me how much money, and what day payday was. Nice and clear.” “Pfft—” I don’t know who broke first, but someone couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. Immediately, a chorus of mocking laughter and snide whispers erupted around the room. “He actually wants to use an eight-million-dollar painting as a ledger? Is he insane?” “A hillbilly is a hillbilly. Showing him fine art is an insult to the artist!” Julian looked incredibly smug. He squeezed the words out through gritted teeth: “You… you are a total joke!” I ignored him entirely and grabbed a glass of red wine from a nearby tray. Seeing this, Julian immediately launched another attack: “That is a 1982 Lafite. You have to sip it slowly…” Before he could finish his pretentious warning, I tipped my head back and downed the entire glass of Lafite in one gulp. Exactly like I was drinking a cheap beer at a greasy spoon near the job site. I even smacked my lips to give my review. “Sour as hell. Tastes worse than a ten-dollar bottle of cheap vodka from the corner store.” The living room was plunged into silence once again. Everyone stared at me like I was an alien that had just crash-landed. Julian pointed a shaking finger at me, stuttering “You, you, you” for several seconds without managing to form a coherent sentence. Right at that moment, the butler walked over. “Young Master Taylor, the Patriarch requests your presence in his study.” Seeing me enter, Grandpa Arthur pointed to a large, detailed diorama on a table. “Come here. Look at this.” It was an architectural model for a massive new development project. It was incredibly intricate. “This is the Southside Resort project the corporation is currently developing.” My grandfather’s sharp eyes locked onto me. “What are your thoughts?” I froze. I was a bricklayer. What did I know about multi-million-dollar commercial developments? I knew absolutely nothing about business strategy, urban planning, or architectural design. I forced myself to examine the model, my eyes eventually settling on the tallest, primary structure. After spending years grinding it out on construction sites, I had developed a natural, almost instinctual understanding of structural integrity. I reached out and pointed directly at the base of that main building. “Right here. There’s a fatal flaw in the load-bearing structure.” Arthur’s eyes narrowed sharply. “The placement of these primary support beams is wrong. The weight distribution is off-center. Plus, it’s situated right next to a lake. The foundation won’t be stable,” I said, frowning as I laid out my analysis. “It looks fine right now on paper, but once that building goes up, people move in, and you get hit with a few heavy rainstorms…” I paused, looking my grandfather dead in the eye, and delivered my conclusion. “If this building is actually constructed according to these blueprints, it will collapse within three years. Guaranteed.” Arthur’s pupils contracted again. He stared at me. He didn’t say he believed me, and he didn’t say he didn’t. He just looked at me in silence for a very long time. “You may leave,” he said, waving his hand. As soon as I was gone, Arthur picked up the phone. “Bring all the structural blueprints for the Southside project to my study immediately! Yes, every single one!” Outside the study door, a shadow slipped away quickly. It was Julian, hiding in the dark. He had clearly heard what my grandfather muttered to the butler right after I left the room: “This boy Taylor… he’s a diamond in the rough!” 3 Ever since he eavesdropped outside the study, the way Julian looked at me changed. It wasn’t just toxic resentment anymore; it had morphed into a deranged, desperate obsession to destroy me. Julian’s hatred had reached its absolute peak. One evening, the atmosphere at the family dinner was thick with tension. Julian sat in silence, his head down, lost in some dark thought. I just focused on inhaling my food. Suddenly, Arthur put down his fork at the head of the table. “I took a tour of the Southside project site today,” the old man said, his voice heavy and serious. “Due to a critical technical error, the entire project has been halted. We are bleeding money.” His gaze slowly swept over me and Julian. “I’ve decided to give you two an opportunity.” “Starting tomorrow, you will both join the project task force. Whoever can solve this crisis…” The old man paused, then dropped a bombshell: “Whoever solves it… will have the opportunity to secure the inheritance rights to the Sterling empire!” “Dad! The Southside project is massive! Taylor just got back; he knows absolutely nothing. Letting him get involved is completely reckless!” Richard, my father, was the first to object. “He’s right, Grandpa! That’s a multi-billion-dollar investment. We can’t treat it like a game!” Julian eagerly chimed in. My aunt, Victoria, sat there with a faint smirk playing on her lips, not saying a word. I stood up and bowed deeply to Arthur. “Grandpa, I accept the challenge!” Julian let out a slow, loaded smile. In his eyes, I was just an arrogant, ignorant fool actively digging my own grave. Early the next morning, two cars pulled out of the Sterling estate. Julian rode in a Bentley, surrounded by several assistants, all wearing sharp suits and holding open laptops. I rode in a rugged SUV. The driver was a man my grandfather had assigned to me—a retired military veteran. The Southside construction site was completely shut down. As soon as he stepped out of the car, Julian’s team marched straight to the project management office. The project director, a heavy-set man named Mr. Peterson, immediately plastered on a sycophantic smile when he saw Julian. But when his eyes landed on me, that smile vanished instantly. Mr. Peterson looked me up and down. “And this is?” “My brother, Taylor. He’s here to learn the ropes with me,” Julian introduced me dismissively. I ignored all the flashy data charts and complex blueprints they had laid out. I grabbed a hard hat and walked out into the construction site alone. An hour later, I returned to the project office. In the conference room, Julian was standing in front of a projection screen, pointing at a 3D model, talking with total confidence. “…Based on my precise calculations, the micro-fractures appearing in the load-bearing walls are caused by a deviation in the concrete mix ratio. We simply need to implement a new ‘High-Fiber Polymer’ secondary reinforcement protocol, and the problem will be solved!” As he finished, the room erupted into applause. Mr. Peterson and his team of engineers looked at Julian with absolute adoration. “Young Master Julian truly is a top-tier scholar! This solution is flawless!” “Incredibly scientific! The project is saved!” Seeing me standing in the doorway, Julian intentionally raised his voice. “Brother, you’ve been wandering around outside. Do you have any brilliant insights?” I walked straight over to the window and pointed at the massive expanse of dirt outside. “The problem isn’t the walls. It’s underground,” I said, my voice heavy. Julian let out a cold scoff. “Underground? Our geological survey reports are crystal clear. The geological structure is completely stable.” “Reports have an expiration date, but foundations are dynamic,” I said, pointing toward the large artificial lake nearby. “They excavated too deep over there, and they’ve hit an underground river. The earth beneath this site isn’t solid rock anymore. It’s the dry season right now, so it looks fine. But the second we get a heavy rainstorm, the groundwater pressure will spike, and the foundation will start to sink.” I paused, looking at the main structure that had already been topped off. “When that happens, forget about ‘reinforcing’ the walls. The entire building is going to tilt. The cracks you’re seeing now are just the beginning!” The conference room fell into a stunned silence for a few seconds, followed immediately by hushed, mocking whispers. “An underground river? Does this guy think he’s in an Indiana Jones movie?” “Basing engineering on ‘gut feelings’? This is an absolute joke!” “A bricklayer daring to lecture professional engineers? Ignorance truly is bliss!” Mr. Peterson chuckled and turned to Julian. “Young Master Julian, your brother is quite the comedian.” “Brother, science isn’t based on imagination.” Julian shook his head condescendingly. “You really should just stay out of this.” “Mr. Peterson!” Julian turned, waving his hand authoritatively. “Notify the construction crews immediately! Implement my protocol and resume work at once!” “Yes, sir, right away, Young Master!” Mr. Peterson bowed and scraped eagerly. Everyone in that room was looking at me like I was a clown. Staring at their faces, filled with contempt and disdain, I didn’t say another word. I quietly walked out of the conference room. I looked up at the sky. The sky had suddenly turned a violent, bruised purple. A jagged bolt of lightning ripped across the horizon! Followed immediately by a deafening crack of thunder! Massive drops of rain began slamming into the dirt without warning. A torrential downpour had arrived, just like that! My heart sank. It was happening! Right at that moment, a terrified scream tore through the air! “Look! The main tower!” The next second, the color drained from everyone’s faces. Through the sheets of driving rain, the massive main structure was slowly, visibly… tilting! The ground beneath our feet was vibrating slightly! “The building’s coming down! Run!” Someone screamed, and the entire construction site instantly devolved into absolute, chaotic panic! Workers scattered like frightened mice. The engineers looked like death. Mr. Peterson’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the muddy ground. Hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, a skyscraper dozens of stories high, was about to become a mountain of rubble! Julian stood frozen in place, staring at the apocalyptic scene unfolding before him, his face as white as a sheet of paper. In the midst of this utter chaos, I snatched a hard hat off the head of a worker running past me and slammed it onto my own head: “Don’t panic! Everyone, follow me!” 4 Everyone stared at me in shock. The building was about to collapse. Charging toward it now was a suicide mission, wasn’t it? I didn’t have time to argue with them. I grabbed the nearest engineer by the collar. “Where are the industrial water pumps and the backup generators?!” I roared at him. “In… in the east warehouse…” he stammered, his entire body shaking. “Take a crew, haul every single working pump down to the edge of the artificial lake! Pump the water out of the lake basin as fast as humanly possible!” I then pointed at the construction foreman. “You! Get cement and quick-setting accelerator! As much as you have! Grab your most experienced veterans and follow me to the foundation!” My orders were simple, blunt, and aggressive. “You’re insane, Taylor!” Julian finally snapped out of his shock. He ran over and grabbed my arm. “The building is going down! What the hell are you doing?” “Shut up!” I ripped my arm out of his grasp and glared at him coldly. “Your textbook theories can’t save this building. But my method just might!” I led a group of veteran construction workers charging into the wall of rain, heading straight for the dangerously tilting structure. We rushed to the leeward side of the building. The foundation there had visibly sunk, and muddy water was bubbling up from the earth. “Right here! And over there!” I pointed to the critical load-bearing points. “Mix the cement and the accelerator right now! Move!” At the same time, the roar of the industrial water pumps echoed from the other side of the site. All the pile drivers were hauled over. Following my directions, they began furiously driving supports into the ground. Grouting, pressure relief, drainage… The rain slowly began to ease up. I don’t know how much time passed, but the tilting of the massive structure finally stopped! Even though it was still leaning slightly, it hadn’t collapsed. The workers and veterans surrounding me looked at the miraculously stabilized building, and then looked at me, completely covered in mud. Their eyes shifted from shock to deep, profound respect. Just then, a sleek black sedan sped up and slammed on its brakes at the entrance of the site. The door opened, and Grandpa Arthur, supported by Aunt Victoria, stepped out. He saw the slightly tilted structure. He saw me, looking like a mud monster. And he saw Julian standing a short distance away, looking as pale as a ghost. Arthur walked straight through the crowd, stopping right in front of me. He looked at me, then looked up at the building. His expression was a complex storm of emotions. “How did you do that?” he asked. I wiped a mixture of rainwater and mud off my face. “The building is safe, for now,” I said, looking at my grandfather, my voice perfectly calm. “But it’s only temporary. If the foundation issue isn’t permanently resolved, it will eventually collapse. The repair costs alone will be at least a hundred million dollars.” The crowd around us inhaled sharply. Julian swayed on his feet, barely able to stay standing. Arthur slammed his cane hard into the mud. He demanded furiously, “And who is going to bear the responsibility for this hundred-million-dollar loss?” Julian immediately lowered his head, not daring to make a sound. Meeting my grandfather’s sharp gaze, I straightened my back. “I will!” Arthur looked at me. For the first time, his eyes held genuine, unadulterated admiration. He turned around and pointed his cane directly at Julian, who looked like a walking corpse. “Julian!” “Grandpa…” Julian’s voice was shaking uncontrollably. “Effective immediately, you are stripped of all duties and positions within the Sterling Corporation! You are grounded until further notice!” My grandfather’s command was absolute; no one dared to argue. Then, in front of everyone, he pointed at me and announced to the entire project team: “From this day forward, Taylor is in absolute, total command of the Southside project!”

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For twenty years, they refused to acknowledge my existence. But today, they all showed up. The living room was packed. My biological father, my mother, my younger brother, an uncle, an aunt, and several distant relatives I couldn’t even put a name to. My mother wore a stark black dress, her eyes rimmed with red, clutching a crumpled tissue. When I walked in, she stood up, her lips trembling. “Ethan…” It had been twenty years. It was the first time she had ever said my name with that much emotion. I just looked at her. I didn’t say a word. The estate attorney opened his briefcase. 1 When I was six years old, I was dropped off at my grandfather’s house. It wasn’t a “fun summer at Grandpa’s” situation. I stood on his porch with a single duffel bag containing two changes of clothes and a pair of worn-out sneakers, watching my mother’s back get smaller as she walked away. I didn’t cry. At six, you don’t really grasp the concept of “abandonment.” I only remember that she was holding my brother’s hand when she left. My brother was four then. He was wearing a brand-new, bright blue Gap hoodie, holding a massive caramel apple. He looked back at me once. Then he turned around and kept licking his candy. My mother never looked back. Grandpa stood behind me. After a long time, he let out a heavy sigh. “Come on, kid. Let’s get inside.” He took my hand. “I’ll make you some chicken noodle soup.” I ate a whole bowl that night. Grandpa asked me, “Do you miss your mom?” I said, “Yes.” He didn’t say anything, just put another scoop in my bowl. Later, I learned what my mother told Grandpa before she dropped me off. “Dad, you have to take Ethan. We honestly can’t afford to raise two.” Can’t afford two. Then why was I the one who had to leave, not my brother? I spent twenty years asking myself that question. The answer was actually very simple. My brother was the favorite. I was not. Grandpa lived in a modest suburb. Small house, a big oak tree in the yard. It wasn’t fancy, but it was clean. Grandpa was sixty-two then, still strong. He got up at five every morning, hit the grocery store, came back to make me breakfast, and drove me to school. He was always there at the pickup line in the afternoon. Rain or shine. He took care of me through everything. When I had a high fever, he carried me into the ER and sat in the hard plastic chairs of the waiting room until three in the morning while I got an IV. Everything my mother should have done, Grandpa did. But I knew Grandpa wasn’t Mom. Because every time I had to fill out parent information at school, the teachers would give me a funny look when I wrote “Grandfather.” “Where are your parents, Ethan?” “They live in the city.” “Why don’t you live with them?” I never knew how to answer that. Later, I learned a standard lie. “My parents are really busy with work.” Busy. So busy they barely visited me a handful of times in twenty years. I remember in first grade, the school had a drawing contest. The theme was “My Family.” Other kids drew a mommy, a daddy, and themselves—a perfect family, holding hands. I drew Grandpa and me. Two people. One big oak tree. The teacher looked at it for a long time and said, “You draw beautifully.” She didn’t ask, “Why are there only two people in your family?” But I saw her eyes tear up. I kept that drawing for a long time. I lost it when I moved out for college. 2 When Christmas came around that year, I thought I’d be allowed home. Grandpa made the call. I stood right there. I heard my mother on the other end say, “It’s just not a good time this year, Dad. The apartment is small, and Lucas just got a brand-new bed. There’s really nowhere for him to sleep.” Nowhere to sleep. Lucas got a brand-new bed. I didn’t even have an old cot. Grandpa hung up and rubbed my head. “We’re having Christmas just the two of us, kid. I’ll make a huge roast turkey.” That Christmas, Grandpa made a massive dinner. He ate a few slices and gave the rest to me. I ate so much I got a stomachache. Grandpa just smiled. “Slow down. No one’s going to take it from you.” Later, I found out that during that same Christmas, my parents threw a huge party at their place in the city. Two full tables of food. Every dish was Lucas’s favorite. Family photos were mailed out to the rest of the relatives. My dad, my mom, and Lucas were in the picture. I was not. My Uncle Gary later told someone, “Richard’s got that one boy, Lucas. They absolutely treasure him.” Someone asked, “Doesn’t he have an older son, too?” Uncle Gary said, “Oh, yeah. That one. He lives out in the suburbs. The old man is raising him.” “That one.” He didn’t say “Ethan.” I was “that one.” In the narrative of this family, I didn’t even deserve a name. When I was nine, Grandpa took me into the city to see a doctor. We stopped by my parents’ apartment on the way. I stood in the doorway and saw my brother’s room—one whole wall covered in toys, a new gaming PC on his desk, and a framed picture on his nightstand of him and my parents at an amusement park. In the living room hung a massive family portrait. Dad, Mom, Lucas. Three people. I counted twice. Three people. Lucas ran out, looked at me, and frowned. “Mom, who is he?” He didn’t recognize me. My own biological brother didn’t know who I was. My mom poked her head out of the kitchen and glanced at me. “He’s from your grandpa’s house. Call him your brother.” “From grandpa’s house.” Not, “He’s your brother.” It was “From grandpa’s house.” Lucas just said, “Oh,” turned around, and went back to his room to play video games. He didn’t speak another word to me the entire visit. On the car ride back, Grandpa didn’t say anything. When we were almost home, he suddenly stopped walking. “Ethan.” “Yeah?” He crouched down and looked me right in the eye. “Remember this. You are Grandpa’s Ethan. If nobody else wants you, Grandpa wants you.” His eyes got red. “As long as Grandpa is alive, I will take care of you.” I nodded. That year I was nine, and I learned a hard truth. Some people are family. Some people are just strangers you happen to share blood with. 3 Twelve years old. Middle school. I ranked number one in the whole district on the standardized tests. Grandpa called my mom. It was on speakerphone. I was right there, and I heard it perfectly. “Brenda, Ethan ranked number one in the district!” Silence on the other end for two seconds. “Oh. Okay.” “Ethan wants to go to the magnet school in the city. The tuition—” “Dad, money is tight right now. Lucas needs to enroll in prep classes next semester, and we have to pay for his travel soccer team.” Grandpa didn’t say another word. He hung up. That year, my brother ranked 138th in his grade. My parents paid for three different tutoring programs for him, costing twenty-four thousand dollars a year. I ranked number one in the district. Zero. Not a single penny of tutoring money for me. I went to the local public middle school. Lucas went to a private academy in the city. Later, I discovered that Grandpa had been wiring my parents three hundred dollars a month. For twelve years. The memo always read: “Ethan’s Fund.” Three hundred times twelve months, times twelve years. Forty-three thousand two hundred dollars. I never saw a single cent of it. The summer I turned fifteen, Grandpa took me to get new glasses. We ran into Uncle Gary on the bus. Uncle Gary looked me up and down, then said to Grandpa, “Wow, Ethan’s getting big.” Then he lowered his voice. “Richard and Brenda are really something. Originally they said they’d let Ethan stay with you for a couple of years, and it’s been almost ten.” Grandpa didn’t respond. Uncle Gary continued, “You shouldn’t spoil him too much, Dad. He’s a boy; ‘good enough’ is fine for him. In the future—” “Uncle Gary.” I spoke up. He stopped and looked at me. “I’m not a ‘good enough’ kind of person.” I looked him right in the eye. “In the future, please call me by my name. Ethan.” Uncle Gary’s face went stiff. Grandpa patted my hand and didn’t say anything. But I saw a hint of a smile on the corner of his mouth. Eighteen years old. College applications. I ranked 23rd in the entire city on my SATs. Got into the State University’s Honors Law program. Grandpa was so excited he couldn’t sleep all night. First thing the next morning, he called my mom. “Brenda! Ethan got in! The Honors program!” Again, silence on the other end. “Dad… that’s great.” “About the tuition—” “Dad, Lucas is getting his driver’s license this year, and we need to—” “I’ll pay,” Grandpa said. His voice was dead calm. “I will pay for Ethan’s tuition.” After he hung up, Grandpa sat in the backyard, looking at that oak tree. For a long time. I walked over. “Grandpa, I can apply for student loans, you don’t have to—” “No.” He looked at me. “Grandpa can afford to send you.” He smiled. “The proudest achievement of my entire life is raising you.” I couldn’t hold it back. That was the first time in twenty years I had ever cried in front of Grandpa. That same fall, my brother was rejected from every four-year college. He took a gap year, then got into a local community college. My parents spent eighteen thousand dollars and bought him a car. To celebrate him “getting into college.” An eighteen-thousand-dollar car. For my four years of tuition and living expenses, Grandpa spent a total of seven thousand two hundred dollars. They didn’t contribute a single dime. But they told all the relatives: “We worry just as much about both our boys.” As much. An eighteen-thousand-dollar car versus zero. That’s what they called “as much.” 4 During my four years of college, I went back to Grandpa’s house for every winter and summer break. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go to my parents’ “home.” It was that no one ever invited me. One Thanksgiving, I tried calling my mom. “Mom, can I come home for a couple of days over the break?” Hesitation on the other end. “Ethan… you know, the house is being remodeled right now. There’s dust everywhere. You should probably just go to Grandpa’s.” Remodeling. Later, I saw the photo my brother posted on Instagram. On Thanksgiving Day, the three of them took a family photo in their newly remodeled living room. New sofa, new TV, new curtains. My brother’s caption was: “New house vibe. Love it.” My mom left a comment: “As long as you like it, sweetie.” As long as he liked it. A new home for the three of them. There was no place for me. After I graduated, I stayed in the state capital. Got a job at a law firm. My starting salary was three thousand five hundred a month. I never asked my family for a single dime. Because I knew that even if I asked, they wouldn’t give it to me. And because I had known one thing since I was six years old— Depend on yourself. In this life, besides Grandpa, the only person I could rely on was myself. In my third year, I passed the bar and became a full associate. My salary jumped to twelve thousand a month. Fourth year, I was promoted again. Eighteen thousand. Fifth year, I was leading my own cases. During those five years, my mom called me exactly four times. The first time: “Ethan, your brother is looking for a job. Can you see if there are any openings in the city?” The second time: “Ethan, your brother has a girlfriend. They’re buying a house and are a little short on cash—” The third time: “Ethan, your brother—” The fourth time: “Ethan, your brother—” Every single time, it was “your brother.” Not once was it: “Ethan, how are you doing lately?” Did I give them money? Yes. The first time I lent them two thousand, supposed to be paid back in six months. Three years passed, and they never mentioned it. The second time was three thousand. This time she didn’t even use the word “borrow.” My mom just said, “Wire three thousand to Lucas.” Wire. Not borrow, wire. As if my money was naturally meant to be spent on my brother. Five thousand dollars total. To this day, they have never paid it back. But I didn’t care about the five grand. What I cared about was— When they wanted money, I was “family.” When they didn’t need money, I was “the one from Grandpa’s house.” I am twenty-six this year. It’s been twenty years. I gave up expecting them to call me their son a long, long time ago. Until Grandpa got sick. Last October, Grandpa was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. When the call came, my hands were shaking. I took an extended leave of absence and drove from the city back to the suburbs. Grandpa had lost so much weight. His hair was completely white. Lying in the hospital bed, he smiled when he saw me walk in. “Ethan is here.” “Grandpa, I’m here.” I held his hand. So thin. The bones felt sharp against my palm. “I’m here to take care of you.” Grandpa shook his head: “No need, your job—” “My job isn’t important.” I looked at him. “You are important.” Grandpa’s eyes got red. He didn’t speak. He just squeezed my hand tightly. For the next forty-seven days, I stayed in the hospital. During the day, I fed him, bathed him, and accompanied him to his scans. At night, I slept on a folding cot right next to his bed. Forty-seven days. My dad came twice. The first time, he stayed for thirty minutes, took a phone call in the hallway, and left. The second time, he brought a bag of fruit, dropped it off, and left. My mom came once. She sat for fifteen minutes. Looked at the IV drip, looked out the window. Said to Grandpa, “Dad, make sure you get plenty of rest.” Then she left. My brother never came. Not even once. Forty-seven days. Just me. The attending doctor pulled me aside once and asked, “Where are your grandfather’s other children?” I said, “It’s just me.” He looked at me. “And you are?” “His grandson.” He was silent for a moment. “His children really should come visit.” I smiled faintly. “They’re busy.” During Grandpa’s last week in the hospital, he couldn’t speak much anymore. One night, he suddenly grabbed my hand. “Ethan.” “Grandpa, I’m right here.” “In my dresser… there’s a metal box.” His voice was very weak. “There are some things inside… you need to take them.” “Grandpa—” “Take them.” He looked at me. “They belong to you.” He said one more thing. His voice was incredibly soft, but I heard it perfectly clearly. “Ethan, in this life, the person I failed the most is you. I never should have let you suffer those injustices.” Ten days later. Grandpa was gone.

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A gorgeous transfer student just arrived at our school. She’s boasting that she’ll have my childhood best friend in her bed within three months. Liam ice-coldly told her she was delusional, then immediately tightened his grip on my hand, practically melting against me: “Since we were kids, everyone’s known I’m yours.” “You said I’d get my official title after graduation. Are you really sure we can’t move that timeline up?” The transfer student’s aggressive pursuit lasted until the start of winter break. In all that time, Liam never once gave her a pleasant look. Then came the pre-semester party. Liam was drunk. I was the one taking him home. He mumbled my name the whole way. Something in me shifted. I leaned in, ready to steal a quiet kiss from him. It was going to be my first kiss. The second my lips brushed his, his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Baby, why are you so reserved this time?” “What happened to the french kissing?” I froze in place. Free Chapters: 1 ######################### Data Divider # Chapter 1 A gorgeous transfer student just arrived at our school. She’s boasting that she’ll have my childhood best friend in her bed within three months. Liam ice-coldly told her she was delusional, then immediately tightened his grip on my hand, practically melting against me: “Since we were kids, everyone’s known I’m yours.” “You said I’d get my official title after graduation. Are you really sure we can’t move that timeline up?” The transfer student’s aggressive pursuit lasted until the start of winter break. In all that time, Liam never once gave her a pleasant look. Then came the pre-semester party. Liam was drunk. I was the one taking him home. He mumbled my name the whole way. Something in me shifted. I leaned in, ready to steal a quiet kiss from him. It was going to be my first kiss. The second my lips brushed his, his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Baby, why are you so reserved this time?” “What happened to the french kissing?” I froze in place. 1 Liam’s kiss was deep. It didn’t feel like his first time. It felt like he was a pro. He said “this time.” So, who was the “last time”? Before I could even think of the words to ask him, he let me go. Liam was too wasted. His eyes were barely open, heavy with sleep. He grunted a muffled protest, his eyebrows twitching in slight irritation. “You little idiot. Did you still not learn how to breathe?” “Did I teach you for nothing?” I took a deep breath myself, my hand planted firmly on his face, pushing him back. My fingertips were trembling. It took everything I had to keep my voice steady. “Liam. Look closely at who I am.” Liam went quiet. He squinted at me through his drunken haze. I really hadn’t expected those few seconds to be so unbearable. I knew what the answer was going to be. The truth was practically screaming itself in my head. But I still wanted to hear Liam say it. Liam slapped his own cheek, then pinched mine, sounding utterly out of it. “Baby… why are you still in my dream?” “Maya. I like you better in the dream. You just let me kiss you.” My eyelashes fluttered. The instant I heard my name, that gnawing dread was crushed. He thought this was a dream. Liam cupped my face, his damp lips pressing against mine again. “Breathe, baby. Don’t hold your breath until your face turns red like last time.” Liam’s voice was full of cooing endearments, using all the same pet names he always had for me. After he finished kissing me, he just collapsed onto the bed, burying his face in the comforter like he was embarrassed. “Ugh. This dream feels way too real.” I sat by his side, my lips pressed thin. After a few seconds, I stood up. Whatever. Liam is an idiot. He’s been chasing me his entire life. If there was something going on, he couldn’t keep it from me if he tried. Nobody was home today. I opened my phone to order some hangover soup, but it pushed its limit and shut down. I didn’t feel like waiting for it to charge, so I just grabbed Liam’s phone. The lock screen was still the latest photo of me. Liam always said he was “fond of the new and weary of the old.” So, he insisted on getting at least three new, different photos of me every week. If he didn’t, he’d get all grumpy and ignore everyone. He was a nightmare to placate. I would always tease him about it. He claimed to get bored easily, but he’d still liked the same person for so many years. He’d just shrug and smile: “Meh. I just like liking you.” The next second, the fingerprint unlock failed. Out of the five fingerprints allowed to unlock Liam’s phone, only one was his. The other four were mine. I tried them one by one. All of them failed. Did I accidentally delete them? But Liam was not that idle. I tried the passcode. My birthday. Liam had used this passcode for years. He wouldn’t have changed it. It still failed. Just then, the phone screen lit up with a notification. It was an image. From Chloe. The transfer student who had been chasing Liam for months. 2 My grip on the phone involuntarily tightened. I was thinking, when did they even become friends? Doesn’t Liam hate her more than anything? Honestly, Liam has had a lot of pursuers growing up. But he’s incredibly aloof, with a sharp tongue, and on top of that, he makes his blinding preference for me absolutely clear. Most people give up after a while. Chloe was the only one who had persisted this long. And the only one who managed to get Liam absolutely furious. One night after evening study hall, she stopped me in the hallway and said, in a cold, arrogant voice: “Maya. You and Liam aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend yet, are you?” “Then we will just have to see who is more capable.” Her voice was thick with hostility. Before I could even open my mouth, Liam grabbed my backpack, slinging it over his shoulder with practiced ease. He handed me a cup of warm milk and fixed my scarf and beanie. Liam was usually quite docile, but that night, I could practically feel the low-pressure system radiating off him. He took my hand, his tall frame blocking her entirely, and said in a glacial tone: “She doesn’t need to compete with you. Because I have always been the one chasing her.” “We’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. I’m just her future husband.” Liam didn’t say a word the whole way home. I couldn’t resist poking his side: “Hey… what’s wrong?” Liam’s eyes were rimmed with red, and he pinched my cheek with genuine frustration: “Are you really not jealous?” “Someone just treated you like that and you didn’t have a reaction? Do you not like me at all?” Ah. So that was why. I shook my head: “No. Because I know that your heart only has me in it.” Liam’s lips thinned, as if he had been placated. He took my hand again. “Let’s just graduate already, Maya. I really want to be your boyfriend.” I looked down, remembering his mother’s instructions. “Maya, darling, little Liam has loved you since he was a baby. I don’t oppose the two of you, but could you please promise me… just promise me that you will only agree to be with him after graduation, okay?” I squeezed Liam’s hand and thought to myself. Liam, you just have to wait for me a little longer. We only have one semester left. 3 I set Liam’s phone down and went downstairs to my room. The room I’d lived in for over ten years. When I was three, my mom and dad got a divorce. My mom raised me alone, bringing me into Liam’s house. She worked and took care of me at the same time. Liam and I are the same age. We grew up together. Liam always had a “keep everyone away” vibe about him. I was really scared of him at first, but I’d still politely call him “Older Brother Liam.” He’d never answer, but he’d take me along with his friends when they went out to play. I guess I was pretty popular as a kid. One time, a kid told Liam that he should just “give” me to him. Liam, usually so indifferent, exploded, pinning the other kid to the ground and telling him to get lost. It was the first time I had ever seen him angry. The first time I heard him use a bad word. I followed him home later, terrified, timidly calling him “Older Brother.” He was still furious. He yelled at me for the first time in his life: “Stop calling me older brother!” He scared me so much that I avoided him for days, until he finally caught me. His tone softened a bit, and for the first time, he used my name: “Maya. Are you an idiot or something?” “Brothers and sisters can’t get married.” I froze in my tracks, my heart hammering like crazy. I had thought he disliked me, even loathed me. I had never once considered that he actually liked me. After that confession, Liam became even more shameless about treating me well. His love was a bit different from who he was as a person; it was flamboyant and passionate. To the point that everyone knew: Liam Parker will only ever marry one person in his life. And that is Maya. But tonight, I couldn’t help but let my thoughts wander. The natural way he kissed me. His “baby.” And that image I couldn’t see. 4 The next day was the start of the new semester. My mom had taken a month off work, and Liam’s parents were away on a business trip. The only people left at home were Liam and me. I hadn’t slept all night and then overslept. The second I opened my door, I ran right into Liam’s arms. The faint scent of citrus drifted towards me. I sniffed the air and subconsciously asked: “Did you change your body wash? It smells so unfamiliar.” He’d insisted on using the same body wash as me for as long as I could remember. He’d never changed it, not even yesterday when we went out. He still smelled like my body wash then. Liam’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He just hummed a non-committal response. He looked like he didn’t want to explain. “Breakfast is ready. Let’s get to school first.” I took the breakfast he handed me, pressing my lips together: “My mom said I should take care of you…” Liam took my hand and smiled faintly: “You? You think you know how to take care of someone? You just threw me onto the bed and left last night.” I seized the opportunity: “I was going to get you hangover soup. My phone ran out of battery. And you changed your passcode.” Liam paused, then explained: “Last time, one of them guessed my passcode was your birthday. It wasn’t safe.” “You know my phone is full of your photos. I’d go mental if a single one got out.” I made a sound of understanding. He continued: “It’s the day I confessed to you now.” I nodded in understanding, but I still couldn’t help but think. There was no reason to delete my fingerprint. Just as I was about to ask him, Liam placed his phone in my hand, then leaned against the car window and closed his eyes. “Look for yourself. It’s not often I let you give me an inspection.” “You’re finally showing a little bit of interest in me.” I had never done anything like this before, but today, it was all I could think about. So I opened his chat logs. Chloe was no longer in his contacts. I dropped the phone back onto his lap: “I saw Chloe send you a message yesterday. It was an image. It’s gone now.” Liam said, totally unbothered, “Yeah. She sent me an nsfw picture. I blocked and deleted her.” 5 …An nsfw picture? My breath caught in my throat. I really wanted to ask him why he’d even added her. Didn’t he hate her more than anything? But I felt weirdly out of place. What right did I have to ask him? This thing between me and Liam. Everyone else thought I was being difficult. Liam had pursued me to this extent, and I still wouldn’t agree to be with him. But Liam’s mother had taken my mom and me in all those years ago. We were always full of gratitude. The promise I made to her was one I had to keep. And besides, it was just a little later, that’s all. Being with Liam was already enough. “Maya. I didn’t know it was her when I accepted the request.” He showed me his lock screen, his expression gentle, his voice sincere: “I just thought it would make my eyes dirty. She’s nothing compared to my Maya.” Once we got to the classroom, Liam took his usual seat next to me. He expertly pulled all sorts of snacks from his backpack, along with newly bought school supplies and a few small items I’d occasionally need. He was always taking care of me with this level of meticulous detail. Chloe was the last person to walk into the classroom. In the dead of winter. She was wearing a tight, waist-revealing shirt with a thin jacket thrown over it, and a mini-skirt that didn’t even cover her knees. She was chewing gum, and she threw her bag into the seat right across the aisle from Liam. Liam’s pen paused, and he glanced at me. “Maya. Swap seats with me.” Chloe tilted her chin up and huffed, taking her seat with casual arrogance. I had just moved into Liam’s seat. As soon as I sat down, my nose was hit with that same citrus scent. The exact same one as Liam. And the smell was even stronger here. 6 The first period was a self-study session. I told myself to focus and started doing practice problems. Chloe handed me a note. I paused, but I opened the note anyway. He smells like me, you know. I crumpled it into a ball and irritably tossed it at Liam. Liam was still carefully organizing my corrections from my math homework. He raised an eyebrow at me and opened the note slowly. The second he saw the contents, his fingertips tightened around the paper. Liam spat out a quiet curse and pulled me out of the classroom. The disciplinary monitor tried to stop us, but he just ignored them. Our names got written on the board. At the end of the hallway, I yanked my hand out of his. “What are you doing?” “What kind of nonsense did she say to you?” I pressed my lips together: “She wasn’t lying. We really do smell the same.” Liam let out a soft sigh. He told me: “Don’t believe her nonsense. I bumped into her two days ago when I was getting you snacks.” “I guess she saw me when I was buying body wash. She did it on purpose.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that there were too many coincidences, but I chose to believe that Liam wouldn’t lie to me. “I understand. I didn’t say anything. Let’s go back.” Liam tried to take my hand, but I subconsciously dodged him. I was distracted all day. Even the simplest questions were wrong over and over again. When we went home together that evening, for the first time, Liam didn’t take my hand or talk to me. In the past, that walk from the classroom to the school gate… That was Liam’s personal time to be affectionate. I actually liked hearing his mindless chatter. It was so different from his cold, silent persona in front of others. The contrast was really quite cute. But today, he was just staring at his phone. He had long legs and took big strides. He had already forgotten me, leaving me behind. I grabbed my backpack and broke into a small run to keep up.

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My mother always told me that every child only gets to say “Mommy” a thousand times. By the time I was six, I had already used nine hundred and ninety-nine. “If you say it one more time, Mommy will die, and you’ll be all alone.” I believed her. From that day on, I never said it again. Twenty years later, in the bridal suite before my wedding, she looked at me with terrified, hopeful eyes. “Chloe, honey… could you say it just one more time? Just once?” I looked at the chest of solid gold jewelry she was offering me and gently used that very last time. “Mommy.” Then, I looked her in the eye. “That was one thousand. When are you going to die?” …… 1 Chapter 1 The harsh vanity lights made the burn scars on her face look even more terrifying. The chest dropped from her hands with a heavy clang, scattering glittering gold jewelry all over the floor. The bridal suite went dead silent for a heartbeat before exploding into chaos. “Did… did I hear that right?” “Your mother drove all this way to give you a dowry, and you wish she was dead?” A crowd of relatives and friends swarmed in, their voices overlapping. “She’s clearly embarrassed to be seen with her mother looking like that.” “Unbelievable. A daughter shouldn’t care if her mother is ugly. Look at all this gold; she probably spent her life savings on this, and this is the thanks she gets!” “I bet the mother got those scars because of her. She’s subhuman!” My mother scrambled to pick up the gold jewelry, her hands shaking. Among the gold, a single silver bangle lay quietly near my foot. I bent down and picked it up. My mother looked up, her voice trembling. “Chloe, that bracelet… I had it fixed for you. All these years, Haley never wore it…” She finished gathering the gold and packed it back into the chest, offering it to me with both hands. “Chloe, I just want you to be happy.” I took the chest without expression. “I’ll take the stuff. As for the blessing, save it for your real daughter, Haley.” The room gasped again. “This is too much!” “Someone record this. I’m putting her on TikTok. The whole world needs to see this monster.” My best friend, Sarah, rushed in from outside, spreading her arms to shield me. “None of you know the truth! How dare you say that about Chloe?” I gave Sarah’s hand a grateful pat, then sat back down in front of the vanity mirror. I let the makeup artist continue applying foundation, trying to hide the scar on my forehead. I got that scar twenty years ago, fighting Haley for this very silver bangle. It’s been twenty years. Now the bracelet is back in my hand, but it’s too small to fit my wrist. Just like the word “Mommy,” I no longer crave it. I let out a soft, detached smile. “It seems today is a good day to settle old debts.” Under their judgmental stares, I began to tell the story of the past. 2 Chapter 2 When I was little, my mother was my entire world. My father died before I was born, but I never felt like I was missing anything because my mother gave me all her love. She gave me the center of the cinnamon rolls, the tips of the strawberries, and made me the prettiest dresses. I loved clinging to her, chasing her around the house all day, yelling “Mommy, Mommy.” She would always put down whatever she was doing, scoop me up, set me on her lap, and rub her nose against my forehead. “Mommy’s here. Mommy’s right here.” I thought we would be happy like this forever. Until I was six, and my stepfather moved in with his daughter, Haley. That day, my mother put on nice clothes and beautiful makeup, checking herself in the mirror over and over. I ran over and hugged her. “Mommy, you look so pretty.” She flinched as if I were made of fire, taking a sharp step back. She looked in terror at my stepfather and Haley standing in the doorway. She bent down, looking me straight in the eye. “Chloe, Mommy has to tell you something important.” “Every child only gets to call their mom ‘Mommy’ a thousand times in their whole life. You’ve already used nine hundred and ninety-nine.” I froze. “If you say it one more time, Mommy will die, and you won’t have a mommy anymore.” “Do you understand?” I fought back the tears in my eyes and nodded vigorously. From that day on, I never called her Mommy again. When I was happy and wanted to share something with her, that word would rush to my lips, only for me to desperately swallow it back down. When I woke up screaming from a nightmare at night, my first instinct was to clamp my hands tightly over my mouth. I was terrified that if I wasn’t careful, I would accidentally kill her. I lived my life with that kind of agonizing caution, like a poor child holding their very last match, afraid to strike it for light. I was no longer the cherished child who got the cinnamon roll centers and strawberry tips. 3 Chapter 3 After my stepfather and Haley moved in, my mother lectured me every single day. She said I was the older sister, so I had to make concessions for Haley. A happy home requires harmony, she said. If things were harmonious, life would be better for us all. One afternoon, my mother baked a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. I smelled the delicious scent and ran out of my room. But I saw Haley already sitting at the kitchen table. She was picking every single chocolate chip out of every cookie with her fingers, putting them into her own bowl. My stepfather watched the whole time but didn’t say a word. I looked to my mother for help. My mother subconsciously opened her mouth to speak, but then glanced at my stepfather’s face. My stepfather turned a page of his newspaper, not looking up. My mother shut her mouth. She picked up the tray and held out the plain, picked-over cookies to me. “Be a good girl. You eat these for now. I’ll bake you some more later.” My stomach was full of grievance, but I didn’t want to embarrass her, so I reached out and took one. Just as I took a bite, Haley screamed and charged at me. “That’s mine!” She snatched the cookie out of my hand and, along with the rest on the tray, threw them all into the trash can. “They’re all mine! I’d rather throw them away than let you have any!” I hadn’t planned on crying. But that piece of dry cookie was stuck in my throat; I couldn’t spit it out, and I couldn’t swallow it. I finally couldn’t hold it back and burst into tears. My mother walked over and reached out her hand. I thought she was going to hug me. But she just covered my mouth. “Stop crying.” Her voice was very low, harsh. “Why are you being so difficult? How many times have I told you how to behave?” I stifled the crying. My mother let go, put on a smile, picked Haley up in her arms, and began to soothe her gently. “Haley can have as many as she wants. Mommy will bake you more tomorrow.” I turned and ran back to my room. I don’t know how long I cried under the covers, but eventually, I fell asleep. When my mother woke me up by shaking me, it was late at night. She was sitting on the edge of my bed, holding a plate of freshly baked cookies, looking at me with heartache. “Haley’s asleep. Eat quickly.” My eyes were so swollen I could barely open them, my throat was raw from crying, and I was in a daze. I didn’t want to eat anything. Seeing me shake my head, her expression changed. She slammed the plate down on the nightstand, her eyes turning red. “You’re learning to be spiteful now?” “I know you were hurt today, but Mommy doesn’t have it easy either. Can’t you show me a little compassion?” “Just so you could eat these, I stayed up all night. I waited until Haley was sound asleep to sneak up and bake these for you, and you’re throwing a tantrum?!” I wanted to tell her I felt sick. I couldn’t eat. I wanted to tell her she hadn’t hugged me in a long time. I wanted to say that this was my home. This house belonged to my father. Why was I eating in secret in my own house, sneaking around in the middle of the night? But I looked at her unfamiliar face and, in the end, said nothing. I sat up and, under her intense gaze, finished that entire plate of overly sweet cookies. She smiled with satisfaction and patted my head. “That’s my good girl.” That night, I got a severe case of gastroenteritis, vomiting and having diarrhea for days. 4 Chapter 4 After that night, my mother stopped bringing me late-night snacks. Instead, she would slip me cash behind my stepfather and Haley’s backs, telling me to go buy whatever I liked to eat. I still didn’t understand why her own money, given to her own daughter, had to be handled like stolen goods. But I asked nothing. I stopped initiating eating any food at home, and I wouldn’t touch a single thing that belonged to Haley. But the tree craves peace, and the wind will not subside. That silver bangle was something my father had custom-made for me before I was born. It was beautiful, with enamel work and filigree forming a flowering dogwood. I had worn it since I was a baby; it had never come off my wrist. One day, I came home from school. Just as I pushed open the door, Haley charged at me. She grabbed my wrist, staring at the bracelet. “I want this.” As she spoke, she clamped her hand around it and began pulling violently. I suppressed my rage and tried to be reasonable. “This was my father’s… he left it to me…” Instead of letting go, she started screaming at the top of her lungs. “It’s mine! Mine!” The fury I had bottled up finally erupted. I gave her a hard shove. “Let go!” I was a few months older than her, and I knocked her right to the floor. She sat on the ground and started bawling. My mother ran out of the kitchen, looking terrified, as if she were the one who had done wrong. My stepfather also came out of his room at the noise, standing silently behind Haley. After hearing the reason, my mother actually turned an imploring gaze toward me. “Just give it to your sister… We’ll get you a new one later.” I looked at her in absolute disbelief. She had told me herself, with her own mouth, that my father had drawn the blueprint. To get the filigree just right, he had visited every jeweler in the city. “Your father said a daughter should be like a dogwood flower—beautiful, resilient, and full of life.” “Just like your name, Chloe.” Since they moved in, my mother had used my father’s house and money to support my stepfather and stepsister; I couldn’t stop that. But this bracelet was the single, solitary thing that belonged entirely to me. It was my final link to my true identity. A stubborn streak hit me, too. I looked my mother right in the eye. “I can give up anything else in this house to her.” “But I will die before I give up this bracelet.” When Haley heard that, she cried even harder, kicking her legs on the floor. My stepfather knelt down to soothe her. After a few failed attempts, he looked up at my mother. And suddenly, my mother snapped. “Then go die!” She screamed with all her might, then grabbed the bracelet and yanked it with brutal force. The metal warped, scraping skin as it was torn off my wrist. The momentum sent me flying. I smashed my forehead against the corner of the coffee table. Blood poured down my face. I heard my mother’s terrified scream. “Chloe! Chloe!” Her pale face appeared above me, her voice growing distant. “I’m sorry, Chloe, I’m so sorry… Don’t go, please don’t leave me.” She scooped me up and ran out the door. The long-forgotten warmth of her arms made me want to cry. After getting stitches at the hospital and returning home, my stepfather and Haley were gone. They said they went back to his hometown to visit relatives. For those few days, it was as if she had turned back into the mother who loved me. She made me chicken soup and baked me cookies. She held me close while we slept at night, gently patting my back and telling me stories. It felt like I was that little girl again, often held in her mother’s arms. Except for one thing: I still didn’t dare call her Mommy. 5 Chapter 5 That ridiculous lie was exposed a few days later. I went to Sarah’s house to play. She was lying on the couch, calling out to her mother over and over. Mommy, Mommy, look at this. Mommy, Mommy, come here. I watched Sarah’s bright smile and finally couldn’t hold back. I spoke up to warn her. “You should say that less.” “Every child only gets to call their mom ‘Mommy’ a thousand times. When you hit the limit, Mommy dies.” “I’ve already used nine hundred and ninety-nine times. I don’t dare say it anymore. You should ration yours.” She froze for a few seconds, then burst into tears. She ran into the kitchen and hugged her mom, sobbing, saying Mommy don’t die, I don’t want Mommy to die. Her mother listened to the explanation, caught between laughter and tears. “Silly child, how could Mommy be killed by being called ‘Mommy’?” “Even if you said it a hundred million times, Mommy wouldn’t die.” To prove it to us, she found a hand counter and had Sarah say “Mommy” a thousand times right then and there. One, two, three. I realized then that a thousand times was actually so little. If you said it continuously, it only took ten minutes. Her mother was still alive. She was still smiling. “See? Mommy didn’t die, did she?” She affectionately pinched her daughter’s nose, but the look she then directed at me contained something I didn’t understand at the time. I learned later that it was called pity. At that moment, I just ran home as fast as I could. I was going to tell my mother that I knew. Mommy wouldn’t die from being called “Mommy.” I could call her Mommy again. Ten thousand times, a hundred million times—she wouldn’t die. Just as I got to the door, I heard my mother’s voice from inside. She was crying, asking my stepfather. “When do you think Haley will finally call me ‘Mommy’?” My hand, ready to push the door, stopped in mid-air. “I truly treat Haley like my own daughter. Just because I was afraid she would feel uncomfortable hearing it, I made Chloe stop calling me Mommy…” My stepfather soothed her in a low voice, but I couldn’t hear what he said. I only heard my mother say: “Even just once, I’d be content.” Turns out, in the whole world, only my “Mommy” would cause my mother to die. But one “Mommy” from Haley was something she longed for so desperately. I stood in the cold hallway, my hands hanging at my sides. I had nothing. My hands were empty. After that, I became very well-behaved. I yielded everything to Haley. In that house, there was nothing left for me to care about. Calling her Mommy—how was that important? I didn’t lack for food or clothing or pocket money. Even if those things were obtained in secret, handled like stolen goods. How was that important? I had a room to live in, I went to school, nobody hit me or verbally abused me. My mother’s embrace—how was that important? Fighting Haley for that miserable scrap of affection—how was that important? From then on, I had only one goal: get into a good out-of-state university and get far, far away from here. I thought that as long as I didn’t care, no one could hurt me. But I was still too naive.

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On the third day after Nate Sterling was convicted and placed on federal death row, his mother offered me a fortune to be his surrogate. She wanted me to leave the Sterling family an heir before his execution. I visited him in that maximum-security holding cell, caring for him with everything I had for three months, until I finally got pregnant. He promised me that if he ever got out of there, he would give me a grand, high-society wedding and make me his legal wife. On the eve of his execution, a miracle happened. His legal team won an appeal, and his name was completely cleared. Mrs. Sterling wept tears of joy and immediately began planning our wedding. But no one expected that his childhood sweetheart—the woman who had ruthlessly abandoned him the moment he was arrested—would suddenly burst through the doors. Clutching a faded promise ring, her eyes red with tears, she cried, “The woman he is supposed to marry is me!” I gripped my handkerchief tight, watching as Nate Sterling dropped to his knees before his mother. “Victoria and I grew up together. We made a pact when we were young. The Sterlings honor their promises. I must marry her as my lawful wife.” “Clara Hayes comes from a lowly background, but considering she is carrying the Sterling bloodline, I will keep her as my mistress. We can set her up in the guest house. The wedding date remains the same, but Victoria will be the lady of the estate.” Mrs. Sterling looked at me in absolute shock. I, however, let out a quiet sigh of relief. Back then, Mrs. Sterling had promised me: if Nate’s name was cleared but he refused to marry me, I was free to decide my own fate. I had wanted to move to Charleston for a long time. The person who loved me most in this world, my adoptive brother, was recovering from an illness down there. I wanted to go be with him. Chapter 1 The moment Nate Sterling’s words hung in the air, the eyes of everyone in the grand foyer locked onto me. Faint whispers from the household staff drifted into my ears. “Poor Clara. Abandoned by her parents as a kid, and the adoptive brother who raised her got terribly sick at such a young age.” “I heard she only agreed to be the surrogate for the Sterling family to pay for her brother’s medical bills. She finally gets pregnant, Mr. Sterling gets exonerated, and we all thought she’d be set for life. Who would have thought…” Mrs. Sterling glared at Victoria, then turned a livid face toward her son. “The Sterling-Kensington alliance was voided the very day you were thrown in a federal cell! The Kensingtons backed out!” Back then, she had begged the Kensington family to use their political influence to help find the truth. Terrified of being implicated, they had literally slammed the door in her face. Thinking of this made Mrs. Sterling shake with rage. “You want to talk about promises?! You should honor the promise you made to Clara! You personally swore you would walk her down the aisle in a white gown!” “If it weren’t for her visiting you in that damp, freezing cell every single day, bringing you food and medicine, you would have died in there!” Hearing this, Nate looked up at me. His eyes flickered with a trace of guilt, but he still insisted, “The promise ring is still here, which means our vow isn’t void. I must marry Victoria!” “Even as my mistress, I will ensure Clara lives a life of luxury. Victoria is kind-hearted; she will definitely treat Clara’s child as her own.” Hearing his condescending, charitable tone, I furrowed my brow. I suddenly remembered the scenes of visiting him in prison. The air had reeked of mildew. His designer clothes were torn, his face haggard and hopeless. When he first learned of my purpose there, he gave a bitter laugh. “Even my fiancée canceled the wedding, yet you’re willing to have a baby for a dead man walking?” I had nodded firmly. He pushed me away at first. But I insisted on visiting him every day during visiting hours. He rarely spoke, so I would just ramble on, telling him the latest news and funny stories from New York City. Half a month later, he finally spoke, asking if the media frenzy outside had died down. I pursed my lips and stayed silent. He asked again, “Is my mother’s health getting better?” My eyes widened slightly. His voice was hoarse. “I’m not stupid. She hasn’t come to see me once in weeks. You’re always in a rush when you leave, and you’ve visibly lost weight.” I didn’t say anything. He added, “Taking care of my mother, managing the Sterling family’s chaotic affairs, and coming here to sit with me every day… it must be exhausting, right?” He looked into my eyes, and for the first time, there was a different kind of emotion in them. After our relationship thawed, Mrs. Sterling’s health slowly improved. What happened next between Nate and me—facilitated by the private family visitation rooms—felt natural. He was gentle and affectionate. Stripping away the smell of the prison, everything actually felt somewhat beautiful. His muffled groans carried an undeniable, genuine passion. After that first time, everything fell into place. Two months later, a blood test confirmed I was pregnant. “Mr. Sterling, I will still come to see you every day before your execution date, but we can’t… do those things anymore.” He stared at my flat stomach for a long time before letting out a soft chuckle. “Clara Hayes, if I ever get out of here alive, I promise to give you the grandest wedding this city has ever seen. I will make you my wife.” Hearing those words, my heart fluttered. In that moment, I truly, foolishly hoped for a beautiful future with him. Back then, when he went silent for a few moments, I thought he was mourning the fact that he wouldn’t be able to watch our child grow up. But today, I suddenly realized the truth. He was probably thinking about Victoria. Thinking about how it would feel if he could marry her, if they could have children together… He had never forgotten his first love. I looked at Nate, who was kneeling stubbornly on the marble floor. I bowed slightly to Mrs. Sterling. “Ma’am, I refuse to be a mistress…” Before I could finish, Nate frowned and cut me off. “Clara, don’t push your luck. You aren’t the only woman in the world capable of having a child.” My heart physically ached at his words. After he was released, he had been so good to me. He would always look gently at my growing belly, whispering about the future of our family of three. But it turned out, my child and I combined couldn’t even compare to a single hair on Victoria’s head. I took a deep breath, steadying my emotions. “You misunderstand, Mr. Sterling. I am just a hired surrogate. Towards the Sterling family, I only have one task: safely deliver this baby.” “Therefore, I beg Mrs. Sterling to honor our original contract. After I give birth, let me leave.” 2 Hearing my words, a flash of shock crossed Nate’s face. He was about to say something, but Mrs. Sterling furiously ordered him out of the room. Only the two of us were left. She looked at me, tears welling in her eyes. “Clara, do you truly want to leave? Nate is just confused right now.” “Besides, I will never let Victoria step foot in this house as his wife. Could you please…” I shook my head, maintaining my stance. I gave her a polite bow, turned, and walked out. I was three months away from my due date. I wanted to write a letter to my adoptive brother in advance. Thinking of him, I quickened my pace back to my room. Just as I entered my private courtyard, I heard a woman’s whining voice coming from inside my bedroom. “Nate, you’re going to marry me, why do you still have to keep Clara as a mistress?” Nate coaxed her gently. “She is pregnant with my child, after all. It would look bad if I threw her out. But I promise, she will never outrank you…” He stopped mid-sentence as he caught sight of me in his peripheral vision. Victoria frowned, glaring at me. “Didn’t Ms. Hayes say she refused to be a mistress? What, did you realize your little playing-hard-to-get trick didn’t work, so you came crawling back to beg Nate?” I shook my head. “No…” “Are you trying to use the baby in your belly to demand the title of legal wife?” Hearing this, Nate’s brow furrowed sharply. “Clara, learn to be content. Even as a mistress, the Sterling family will never let you want for anything. Stop playing these manipulative games. As long as you quietly give birth to the child, I will give you whatever you want.” Victoria’s eyes flashed with dissatisfaction at his generous promise. She quickly put on a pitiful tone. “Nate, isn’t it inappropriate for Ms. Hayes to live in the same courtyard as you, considering she’s just a mistress?” Nate paused. I was living here because Mrs. Sterling arranged it. While he was in prison, this was the master suite—the best, sunniest part of the estate, perfect for a pregnancy. Mrs. Sterling had said the family had suffered too much bad luck; she wanted to give the absolute best to the only continuation of the Sterling bloodline. Nate had nodded in agreement to this arrangement back then. I looked at the two of them acting like tragic, star-crossed lovers. I lost any desire to speak. Nate’s gaze dropped to my swollen stomach. He hesitated before saying, “Clara, historically, only a husband and wife share the master suite. Why don’t you move to the adjacent guest rooms? That courtyard is also…” Before he could finish, Victoria interrupted him. “Let her live in the old pool house at the north edge of the estate. It’s quiet and secluded. Perfect for resting during a pregnancy.” Nate frowned slightly. The old pool house was at the absolute farthest edge of the sprawling estate, damp and freezing cold. I watched his silence and found it hilarious. Was this his version of ensuring I lived a life of luxury and suffered no grievances? Probably annoyed that I wasn’t throwing a jealous fit, Victoria complained, “What’s with that look? Are you relying on that baby to show disrespect to the future lady of the house?” “Nate, if she’s this disrespectful to me now, how am I supposed to manage the household later? If that’s how it is, let’s just cancel the engagement. I’m leaving right now!” She turned to storm out. Nate hastily grabbed her arm, immediately barking an order to the staff: “Move all of Clara’s belongings to the old pool house. Right now.” With that, he didn’t even spare me another glance, focusing entirely on coaxing Victoria in a soft voice. “Princess, whatever you say goes, okay?” Victoria finally smiled. “Should I help Ms. Hayes pack?” Nate pulled her helplessly into his arms. “That’s heavy lifting. I can’t let you do that.” I supported my aching lower back, clumsily stuffing my clothes into a duffel bag. When I turned to walk out the door, my eyes met Nate’s. He paused, looking as if he wanted to step forward to help me. I immediately averted my eyes and left without looking back. Behind me, I heard Victoria’s sweet, whiny voice demanding his attention. Nate didn’t follow me. The old pool house was freezing. I had to put on an extra heavy sweater just to feel marginally okay. I slowly unpacked my things in the dusty room. When I emptied the bag, I realized the silver locket my adoptive brother had given me was missing. Holding my stomach, I walked all the way back to the master suite, only to be blocked at the door by Victoria’s maid. “Mr. Sterling and Miss Kensington are spending quality time together. Outsiders are not to disturb them!” 3 “Mr. Sterling,” I called out toward the closed door. “I have no intention of disturbing you. I just need to find something I left behind. Please let me in for a moment.” The door swung open. Nate adjusted his rumpled shirt collar. There was a bright red lipstick mark on his neck. “What are you making a scene for?” His eyes were filled with blatant annoyance. “Clara, you’ve gotten more than enough because of this child. Stop causing trouble.” Hearing this, I asked instinctively, “What exactly have I gotten?” Nate’s face turned icy. “Do you really think I don’t know that when my mother first hired you, she gave you a massive amount of gold and cash?” I froze. Yes, that had happened. But I hadn’t accepted any of it. I instinctively tried to explain. “I didn’t…” But the moment I opened my mouth, he cut me off harshly. “Enough!” His gaze was freezing. “If you still aren’t satisfied, then you can just stay here without any title at all. When the baby is born, it will be legally adopted under Victoria’s name!” “What did you say?” I knew he didn’t love me, but we had spent months together day and night. The intimacy we shared back then wasn’t fake. I stared at him in utter disbelief. Victoria strolled leisurely out of the bedroom, twirling my silver locket in her fingers. A wave of anxiety washed over me. “That’s mine.” Victoria smiled cryptically. “It has the name ‘Arthur’ engraved on the back. That’s a man’s name, isn’t it?” Nate’s already cold face turned even darker. I frowned deeply. “It’s a gift from my adoptive brother.” The moment the words left my mouth, Nate snatched the locket from Victoria’s hand and violently smashed it onto the marble floor. With a sharp crack, the silver casing dented and the glass face shattered into pieces. My pupils dilated in shock. That was a gift my adoptive brother gave me when I was eight years old, the day he brought me home from the orphanage. I had carried it with me for ten years. Nate knew exactly what it meant to me! Shaking with fury, I bent down to pick up the broken pieces, but Nate shoved my shoulder hard. “You are about to become a member of the Sterling household. Whether it’s an ‘adoptive brother’ or any other man, you need to erase them from your memory immediately!” Caught off guard, I fell hard backward, landing heavily on the marble floor. A sharp, piercing pain ripped through my abdomen. I curled into a ball in agony, but Nate just scoffed coldly. “Stop using the baby as a shield.” I looked up at him, my eyes filled with absolute disappointment. I never imagined that the bright, kind, and gentle young man of the Sterling family could turn into something so monstrous. Meeting my gaze, Nate faltered for a second, but quickly hardened his face again. “Today is a punishment you deserved. Go back to the pool house immediately and reflect on your behavior!” With that, he took Victoria’s hand and walked back into the bedroom without a backward glance. Soon, the sound of their playful laughter drifted out, followed by increasingly heavy, ragged breathing. The fall had severely impacted my pregnancy. It took me a long time to even manage to stand up. I stayed holed up in the freezing pool house for half a month before my body finally started to recover. During this time, I heard plenty of gossip from the maids about everything Nate was doing for Victoria. Dropping millions on diamond necklaces, renting out helicopters to write her name in the sky… But none of that had anything to do with me anymore. On a sunny afternoon, I went to a boutique stationery shop downtown to buy some high-quality ink and paper. My brother always loved the supplies from that specific store. When I returned, I entered through the side gate. As I walked past the decorative hedges, I heard Victoria’s scornful voice coming from a hidden corner. “Nate’s father is a powerful Senator, and he’s just a junior partner at a law firm. Sure, he has a bright future, and he’s obsessed with me, but why on earth would I marry you?” She didn’t see me. The man standing opposite her sounded aggressive. “Your engagement to him was voided months ago! When you were trying to prove your loyalty to me, you literally shredded the marriage contract with the Sterling family. Do you really think the Sterlings will ever let you marry him now?” I froze. The contract was shredded? Then the marriage contract Victoria had shown Nate on the day he was released… was fake? 4 But what did any of this have to do with me? I had no intention of getting involved. I turned to walk back to my quarters, but my dress caught on a jagged branch, making a loud, unmistakable riiiip. “Who’s there?!” Victoria shrieked in panic. I grabbed my dress and power-walked forward, but I was intercepted by Victoria near the estate’s large decorative koi pond. She narrowed her eyes at me, her gaze toxic. “You heard everything, didn’t you?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Seeing my face remain impassive, the malice in her eyes amplified. “People who know too much don’t live very long!” She lunged forward and grabbed my wrist. Before I could even react, she shoved me backward into the freezing, deep water of the pond. I was heavily pregnant and clumsy. I thrashed wildly as Victoria held me under the freezing water. In my desperate struggle, I saw Nate walking hurriedly toward us from a distance. When we were both pulled onto the bank, I weakly grabbed Nate’s soaked sleeve, gasping for air. “Get… a doctor… my stomach… the baby…” Victoria was coughing and sobbing pitifully next to him. “Clara pushed me into the water… she tried to drown me…” The veins on Nate’s forehead bulged with rage. “Clara Hayes, seeing you spew lies with every breath is genuinely sickening!” My stomach was cramping with blinding, excruciating pain. I lay on the grass, convulsing like a dying fish. “Nate… believe me just this once. Hurry… get a doctor… me and the baby… we’re going to die…” But he just scooped Victoria into his arms, not even sparing me a glance. The piercing pain in my abdomen was overwhelming. I passed out from the agony, only to be shocked awake by another wave of pain. The estate doctor thoroughly examined Victoria first before finally coming over to check on me. Watching him and the midwife exchange panicked, evasive looks, I smiled silently. This was fine. I had finally repaid the debt I owed him from all those years ago. It was time for me to go to Charleston and be with my brother.

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To escape late-night seminars and mandatory study halls, I forged a medical record claiming I had night blindness. Everyone believed that once the lights went down, I was effectively blind. Then, one night, a murder occurred in my dorm hallway. When the killer was dragging the body at the dark end of the corridor, I was standing right at the other end. He saw me, but he didn’t panic. Because he knew me, and he thought I couldn’t see him. Right before my eyes, he calmly dragged the body away and cleaned up the blood. I could only stand there, pretending to enjoy the evening breeze, pretending to be blind. But the truth was, I saw his face perfectly. 1 It took me a long time to stop shaking. I thought about going to the cops, but I had my doubts. First, the killer was my roommate, Toby. Second, when he was dragging the body toward the stairs, someone else was clearly there waiting for him. I had no idea who the accomplice was. I couldn’t even make a guess. School was out on break now. We were just a few stragglers left behind in the dorms. My dorm room only had Toby and me left. So, his partner in crime definitely wasn’t one of our roommates. There were barely any other students left in the entire building, which is probably why he felt brave enough to kill someone in the hallway. Killing me wouldn’t be much harder. So, rushing to the police right now felt way too dangerous. Plus, if the cops couldn’t find where they hid the body, I’d be screwed. I could leave campus immediately, but if the police never found the body… Would I even be able to come back next semester? I could watch out for Toby, but how could I watch out for an unknown accomplice? And Toby was absolutely convinced about my night blindness. He must have believed it, otherwise, he would have come over and dealt with me right then. I should be safe, at least for tonight. I had to survive the night and wait for the body to be discovered; then I could make my move. Thinking this through, I exhaled, preparing to go back inside. But just as I turned around, Toby’s face was inches from mine! 2 I jumped. He must have taken the other set of stairs and circled back around behind me. That was definitely not part of my plan. But my long-term training as a patient had perfected my acting skills, and I held it together. I quickly defocused my eyes, frowned, and forced a smile. 「Is someone there? Wh-who is it?」 Toby’s expression was still tense, but his tone was casual: 「It’s just me, T-man… Are your eyes that bad you can’t see me this close?」 I nodded, still smiling, and explained: 「It’s not total darkness. Up close, I can make out a blurry shape, that’s why I asked. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked, or come out here in the first place.」 Toby’s gaze was icy, a total mismatch with his casual tone: 「Heh… Good… It’s getting late, though. Ready to head in and crash?」 I nodded again, keeping up the harmless smile: 「Yeah, I am getting a bit tired. Let’s go.」 Then we walked into the room. My performance was relaxed and natural, exactly how I always was. I couldn’t let him see even a hint of suspicion. He, on the other hand, was still super tense—classic signs of someone who just did something monstrous. That meant my act had worked. He believed me. That’s why he wasn’t bothering to hide his own anxiety. Before climbing into my bunk, I turned around and casually asked him: 「By the way, where were you so late? Out partying?」 Even with my eyes unfocused and my voice relaxed, the question hit a nerve. He instantly got more tense, staring at me intently. He paused for two seconds before explaining: 「Yeah, out grabbing late-night snacks with some guys. Eating this late is normal, you know…」 I thought back; he actually did grab late-night snacks a lot. I think I’d even met those friends. The one he was tightest with was Kyle. So, as I climbed into my top bunk, I continued nonchalantly: 「With your boy Kyle? He’s still stuck here on campus too?」 Toby answered without hesitation: 「Yeah, that’s right. It was him. I was out with him.」 I felt a pang of disappointment. This meant the accomplice wasn’t Kyle. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have admitted it so directly. 3 「Tired, tired… sleep, sleep…」 I lay down on my bed. But sleep was out of the question tonight. I just didn’t realize that even if I could have slept, I wouldn’t have been allowed to. About an hour later, Toby slowly sat up. The dorm room was dark; I could only see his shadowy upper body like a ghost. He turned his head slowly, appearing to be staring directly at me. He was checking to see if I was asleep. I pretended I was. Even if I was awake, I should be seeing nothing… That thought made the night even more excruciating. Not long after, I realized Toby had climbed down from his bunk. We have lofts with desks underneath, so it was darker down there. I could slightly squint my eyes and peek. I saw Toby put on a face mask, probably to remind himself not to make any sound. I saw him open the dorm door. And then I saw another person outside dragging a body in! They hadn’t disposed of it yet. I tried to see the accomplice’s face, but he was wearing a mask too. That wasn’t a huge problem, though. Because they brought the body into the dorm room, it meant they planned to hide it here. Wherever they hid it, come morning, one phone call to the cops would end this entire nightmare. But their next move was a little confusing. They very carefully looped a rope over the ceiling fan. I was stunned. Because I slept on that end, I was relatively close to the fan. And yes— The two of them looped the rope around the body’s neck and slowly hoisted it up. I stood there, watching a head rise up, rising until it was almost level with my gaze. In that moment, my heart was hammering against my ribs. Especially when I saw the body’s face— I really lost it. 4 It was our third roommate, Chris. But he was supposed to have left campus ages ago, and he wasn’t from around here. Why was he back? Why did Toby strangle him? And it was obvious Toby and the accomplice were staging a suicide. Even though he wasn’t actually hung, the face of someone strangled to death is just as terrifying. Because it was so close, I saw everything. His face was ghostly pale, his eyes bulging out of their sockets as if they were about to fall out. His nostrils were flared to their absolute limit, the corners of his mouth pulled back painfully to the sides, revealing a few terrifyingly white teeth. You could see how desperately he wanted to gasp for air, or scream, before he died. But it was all useless, and he died with that expression of pure agony. The worst part was, I had to pretend I couldn’t see him. An actual dead guy was swinging right next to my head, and his eyes… it was like they were staring right at me. Even if I closed my eyes, I could still feel that non-existent gaze. I knew tonight would be bad, right from the start. But I never imagined it would be this bad. A short while later, they finally finished everything, including cleaning up the tracks. They were seriously talented—they didn’t make a single sound the entire time. It didn’t even give me a reason to “wake up.” Then, the accomplice opened the door and left, and Toby slowly climbed back into his bunk opposite mine. So now, the two of us and the hanging Chris formed an isosceles triangle with a top angle of over 150 degrees. As soon as I opened my eyes, Chris’s horrifying face was right there above me. I really wanted to turn toward the wall, but I knew I didn’t usually roll around much when I slept. Suddenly turning over now would just raise suspicion. If I got caught, I would definitely be killed. There was zero doubt about that. But on second thought, this situation actually brought me a tiny grain of comfort. The body would definitely be discovered tomorrow morning, and I could smoothly point the finger at Toby. Even if I didn’t, he wouldn’t escape the forensic team’s eyes. Because strangulation and hanging have very different marks. How could a crime scene investigator not see that? And right then, something creepy happened— Toby’s cell phone actually started ringing! The sudden sound sent a jolt through my entire body. It was an involuntary reflex action I couldn’t control. Immediately, Toby’s apology floated over: 「Sorry, sorry. Forgot to turn the ringer off and woke you up…」 I realized instantly— He did that on purpose. 5 Given how meticulous he was about cleaning up the body earlier, there was zero chance he “forgot to turn the ringer off.” And it was so loud—loud enough to scare me. So this was definitely intentional. He wanted something from me. Because night blindness has a specific feature— After dark, in poor light, patients can’t use their phones. Because the phone screen’s brightness will actually worsen the condition, potentially leading to total blindness. And the dorm room was incredibly dark, much darker than the hallway outside. So he was banking on the fact that I wouldn’t discover the hanging Chris. Thinking this through, I adjusted my mindset and replied in a drowsy voice: 「Scared the crap out of me… but it’s fine… go back to sleep…」 I was deliberately saying that, because that’s how someone waking up in the middle of the night should act. Sure enough, Toby used this opportunity to keep talking to me: 「Hey, by the way, do you know anything about Chris?」 I couldn’t not respond to this topic. Because Chris was swinging right there in the middle of the room, near the head of our beds. I lazily countered: 「What? I thought he went home… did something happen?」 Toby immediately followed up: 「He didn’t go home. He’s out there ghosting… and it sounds like he’s in trouble. He said he was coming back tonight, but at this rate, he’ll probably have to scale the wall.」 Hearing that, I got it instantly. Toby was setting the stage for “Chris’s return.” And he stressed “scaling the wall,” because the main dorm entrance has surveillance cameras. Scaling the wall meant there would be no record of when he returned… I got it. Total clarity. He was trying to play me, to fabricate evidence! He was misleading me into thinking Chris came back later in the deep, dark night after we were asleep. And after he came back, he silently hung himself in a suicide… That way, Toby would naturally be cleared of suspicion. I chuckled inwardly. Did he really think the cops were idiots? Strangulation versus hanging—how could a medical examiner possibly not know the difference? 6 Toby was still making casual conversation, pretending nothing was wrong: 「You probably didn’t know, but word is he got into a heap of trouble, owed a ton of money, practically ready to skipped town.」 I ignored him, but he kept talking: 「With that kind of pressure, who knows what kind of state he’s in right now…」 My eyes drifted again to the hanging Chris. Caught sight of his face, made even more horrifying by the hanging. This state, yeah, it really wasn’t great. But I also got that Toby was planting the seed of the idea that “Chris was in enough trouble to commit suicide” in my mind. That way, when the body was exposed tomorrow morning, I would “unconsciously” tell everyone, including the police, this exact idea. Thus indirectly confirming that Chris’s death was a suicide. If this was Toby’s goal, then as long as I bought it, he would let me go to sleep. So I obediently countered: 「No way? What kind of major trouble did he get into? Is it that serious?」 Toby immediately opened up like a dam, words flooding out: 「You have no idea. He hid it so well in the dorm, you probably couldn’t even tell.」 「I’m telling you, he got mixed up in gambling, owed a massive, massive amount to loan sharks!」 「That’s why he was afraid to go home. Right at the beginning of break, he said he was going to make some money to win it back…」 「My guess is he lost it all this week, didn’t even have a place to stay tonight, so that’s why he said he was coming back.」 「Anyway, when he comes back, if he’s in a bad mood, just try to ignore him. Don’t get into any arguments with him…」 「I’m afraid he might do something stupid… sigh, life is hard…」 He sounded genuinely concerned, but all I felt was a hair-raising sense of the absurd. Because Chris’s body was hanging right next to us, and he was even facing me. 「I had no idea…」 I sighed too, ready to end the conversation with Toby. As long as I agreed with him and let him know the seed was planted. I chuckled again inwardly, thinking his plan was genuinely stupid. They spent so much effort staging Chris as a “suicide,” even guiding me to back them up, but it really wouldn’t work. Suicide or not, it wasn’t about what we said; it was about what the police found. Just as I was about to say the thought “I know Chris has suicidal thoughts” out loud… I suddenly realized things weren’t right. Because they weren’t stupid. From the clean, efficient killing method to the silent body transport, even staging this suicide scene without making a single sound… They were far from stupid; they were actually a lot smarter than the average person! And they definitely did a ton of prep work! How could they possibly not know that the police would definitely tell the difference between “suicide” and “strangulation”? So since that was the case, why were they doing this? I just felt my scalp go numb. Because another possibility hit me— Could dragging Chris back to the dorm and hanging him up all just be a performance put on for me?

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I was in active labor, dilated to six centimeters, when my husband burst into the delivery room. “Hand over your credit card right now,” he demanded. “The hospital admission deposit is eight thousand dollars.” I forced my eyes open with great difficulty. “Where’s your card?” He took a sharp step backward. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to use having a baby as an excuse to touch my pre-marital assets!” Chapter 1 1 The delivery room went dead silent. Even the woman in the bed next to me seemed to forget her own contractions. I stared at Mark, utterly incredulous. “What did you just say?” “Cut the crap!” The man squatted down and aggressively started tearing through my pre-packed hospital bag. “My money is money I earned by busting my ass out there! Competing with colleagues, battling subordinates, outsmarting bosses, and enduring impossible clients!” “Aside from my parents, I have no obligation to share my money with anyone irrelevant!” “I told you when we were dating: a marriage has to be an equal partnership. If one person is just a charity case, it won’t last. Nobody gets to take what doesn’t belong to them just because of a marriage certificate!” Listening to his speech, my heart turned to ice, inch by inch. Just how blind did I have to be to choose a piece of trash like this? Right now, I was absolutely certain that if something went wrong during this delivery, he would not hesitate to pull the plug to save a dollar. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was New Year’s Day. My parents had just boarded their flight; they were still two hours away from landing. Mrs. Gable, the nanny my parents hired for me, was still on holiday leave. My due date had jumped forward by a whole week. I had to stall until my parents arrived. Another wave of contractions hit me. I gripped the wall, barely holding myself up. Every nerve ending was strung to its absolute limit. Cold sweat soaked through my hospital gown. I hadn’t even had a chance to eat breakfast. The nurses had urged him several times to go buy some food for me to keep my energy up. So Mark brought back two packs of instant ramen. Setting aside whether it had any nutritional value, just figuring out how to eat it in this state was a problem. The expectant mother in the next bed breathed through her contraction, rummaged in her bag, and handed me a few Snickers bars. The young woman let out a soft sigh: “Whatever the outcome with him, you have to get through the hurdle right in front of you first. Hang in there!” Trembling, I took the hand extended to me by a fellow woman. My nose stung with overwhelming gratitude. After forcing down the first Snickers bar, I gained an unprecedented surge of strength. I looked at Mark, my tone resolute: “Stop looking.” “Go… go call Dave. Tell him to come pay the deposit.” “Dave?” Mark stopped what he was doing and slowly turned around: “Why the hell would he pay your deposit?” Dave was one of his buddies from his rec basketball league. A total, unadulterated scumbag. He’d gotten countless girls pregnant and vanished every time. Still single in his mid-thirties. Dragging him into this muddy water gave me no sense of guilt whatsoever. Since this marriage was definitely heading for divorce. I might as well give Mark a reason to file. The contraction eased slightly, and I met his furious glare: “Nobody gets to take what doesn’t belong to them just because of a marriage certificate! And nobody gets to claim a child that doesn’t belong to them just because of a marriage certificate either.” “Holy shit!” Someone gasped so loud their jaw nearly hit the floor. I looked over; it was the girl who had just given me the Snickers. “Honey, did you hear that?” she whispered to her husband. “I swear to God, the baby in my belly is absolutely yours, and your money is all mine.” Mark stood up abruptly, the veins on his hands bulging: “You have the balls to say that to me again! This child… is a bastard you made from screwing around with Dave?” A stroke of inspiration flashed in my mind. Wait. I missed one. “You might want to call Mike down here too.” The room took a collective, sharp intake of breath. Mike. Mark’s other best friend. A walking textbook of vices—drinking, gambling, whoring, you name it. He’d even given his own wife an STD, and they were currently in the middle of a nasty divorce. Since the pot was already boiling into chaos. What did one more or one less matter? Tom, Dick, or Harry, cheating is cheating. A woman, as long as she is willing to risk it all, cannot be bound by any chains in this world. Mark was completely petrified: “You were sleeping with Mike too? He’s diseased! Just how trashy are you to be that desperate?!” “And your dad,” Fighting through the intense pain, I unleashed the ultimate killing blow: “Call him here, too.” 2 Clatter. The sound of a metal medical tray hitting the floor rang out. Mark staggered back a step: “You’re joking, right? Just because I won’t pay your hospital deposit, you’re dumping a bucket of shit on your own head? It’s just eight thousand dollars, is it worth it? My dad is over sixty! You’re going to ruin him like this?” “Ruin him?” I looked at Mark, deadpan: “You’ve got it twisted. What’s wrong with a grandfather coming to pay a deposit for his grandson?” “Is it a son or a grandson?!” Mark’s eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets. “Either works. Up to you.” Turns out what people say is true. When a person is in a state of extreme excitement, they really can’t feel pain. Every cell in my body was screaming right now. Destroy him! Destroy him! It was a feeling I had never experienced before. The onlookers awkwardly pulled their privacy curtains shut. Everyone was getting full on the drama today. It successfully diverted the attention of the mothers-to-be, making them temporarily forget their contractions. Even the nurses stayed in this room for an absurdly long time. Who says you shouldn’t air your dirty laundry in public? It wasn’t me who looked ugly anyway. The next second, I held my phone out to him: “Should I call them, or are you going to?” “Call your fucking mother!” Mark snatched the phone and smashed it violently onto the floor, then grabbed me forcefully by the collar: “What the hell were you doing behind my back with Dave and Mike? Whose bastard is this exactly?!” “Take a guess.” I tilted my face up, looking at him mockingly: “Aren’t we just ‘irrelevant people’ to you? What does it matter whose it is?” Mark’s lower lip began to tremble uncontrollably. His calculations were just too perfect. He expected me to be financially independent while bearing his children, and also demanded that I be a submissive, traditional, perfectly faithful wife. There is no logic in this world that allows for such a cheap deal. “Fine! Good! Very good! This is how you want to play it?” Mark poked my forehead repeatedly with his index finger: “This is marital infidelity. No matter whose bastard this is, you deserve to leave this marriage with absolutely nothing! You brought this upon yourself, you can’t blame me.” I slowly curled the corners of my lips: “Don’t worry. Whoever the father is, I’m sure he’ll be happy to pay you compensation for the adultery. We won’t default on our debts.” Pfft… A snort of laughter leaked through the gap in the curtain next door. The girl silently gave me a thumbs up. The next second, the door was pushed open violently, and a figure flashed in. I looked over in pleasant surprise, only to see— Mark’s mother? 3 “What is going on here?” The old woman frowned as she looked over: “I could hear you two squawking from a mile away. It’s been hours, why hasn’t she given birth yet? My bridge group is missing a fourth player.” Mark abruptly let go of my collar. Driven by inertia, I fell heavily back onto the bed. “There’s a bastard in her belly! Whoever wants to stay can stay, but I’m not staying!” Mark grabbed his jacket, ready to leave. Mrs. Vance looked at him in confusion: “What do you mean, bastard? Where are you going?” “She admitted it herself. She slept with Dave and Mike, and she doesn’t even know whose kid is in her belly.” “What?” The old woman grabbed Mark’s arm: “A bastard? Then you absolutely cannot leave. Wait until the child is born, quickly draw blood for a DNA test, and then make this bitch pay! The wedding costs, emotional distress compensation—if we don’t bleed her dry, I’ll change my last name!” Mark stopped in his tracks. He narrowed his eyes and turned his head: “You’re right. We definitely need to settle this score properly.” The contractions hit again, and suddenly a warm stream ran down my leg onto the floor. My water broke. The previous hostility vanished into thin air. I tightly grabbed the nurse’s hand: “What do I do?” The nurse instantly supported me: “Lie down quickly, you can’t stand up!” She slapped the payment slip onto Mark’s chest again: “Go pay the deposit right now! This is a matter of life and death! Whatever conflicts you have, deal with them after the baby is born!” The next second, I was wheeled into the delivery room. Tears slid down from the corners of my eyes. Until the crucial moment, you never know if you married a human or a ghost. Mark and I knew each other back in college. We were both poor then, so there was no opportunity to spend his money. After graduation, I found a good job, and still didn’t have the opportunity to spend his money. After getting married, the nanny my parents hired for my dowry stayed by my side, giving me even less reason to spend his money. Gradually, I got used to being self-sufficient. The education I received since childhood was to be reasonable, know right from wrong, and have correct moral values. After marriage, one should be empathetic and treat every family member with sincerity. But no one ever told me that not everyone deserves to be called family. I walked through the gates of hell, and eventually, my long labor resulted in an emergency C-section. The moment I was asked to sign the consent form, my parents finally arrived. Lying quietly at the door of the delivery room was that deposit slip. Eight thousand dollars had allowed me to see through the coldness of human nature. My mom held me and cried for a long time. My dad glanced back and forth between me and the baby: “Not bad, she looks like you. Let’s call her Rain.” I finally broke down in tears. Everyone in this world might betray me, but my parents never would. My mom placed the baby into my arms. I looked down and kissed the top of her head. In that very second, a massive shift occurred in my mindset— I was a mother now. Therefore, I had to protect everything my daughter deserved. Soon, Mrs. Gable, the nanny, arrived looking travel-worn. “Why did she come a week early? I was so scared I didn’t sleep a wink last night.” Looking at my neat and complete family, I finally understood what security felt like. Mrs. Gable was the last bit of dignity my parents had given me. I didn’t have any traditional dowry; accurately speaking, I only came with a dowry nanny. At the time, I didn’t understand my parents’ actions at all. Logically, I am an only child. My parents had worked their whole lives, and their financial foundation wasn’t weak. But my parents completely deviated from the norm. And it was in that moment that Mark’s usually gentle and refined expression cracked for the first time: “Chloe, your parents aren’t confused, are they? Other people’s dowries are either houses or cars, and your family is just giving a nanny?” 4 My mom quickly opened the nanny employment contract: “Mark, don’t worry, this dowry definitely won’t leave you at a disadvantage. Nowadays houses shrink in value, and cars depreciate, but Mrs. Gable is different. She has lived with us for years, knows Chloe’s dietary habits perfectly, and can take good care of her for us. You don’t need to worry about the contract; treat it as Chloe’s dowry. You two living a good life together is better than anything.” Now, my mom took out the contract again and softly comforted me: “Don’t worry, no one can use a piece of paper like a marriage certificate to take what doesn’t belong to them!” Following that, Mrs. Gable handed me a card. I looked closely. It was my credit card. The one my parents strongly insisted I apply for before I got married. “These past two years, Mrs. Gable’s salary and most of your daily expenses have come from this card. After you maxed it out, your dad and I have been paying the minimum balance for you every month. We originally thought that if your marriage was happy, we would just cover this money. But looking at it now, this Mark is absolutely not worth trusting.” I suddenly understood everything. It turned out my parents had seen through the truth of this marriage two years ago, but at the time, I firmly believed that dedication always brings returns. As long as I worked hard to be myself after marriage and didn’t rely on anyone, I would never be looked down upon. And precisely because of this, in Mark’s eyes, it confirmed that I was just a fool who only knew how to talk about love. He took all the benefits I brought for granted. But when it came to an eight-thousand-dollar hospital deposit, it was like cutting his flesh, directly negating all my contributions over the past two years. As we were talking, the girl from the next bed was wheeled back in. She had given birth to a son. Her recovery was going relatively smoothly; she would be able to walk soon. The girl handed me her phone: “Hey girl, I recorded the part where you guys were arguing earlier. Could you use it later?” My family and I exchanged a glance: “Absolutely! Thank you so much!” It turns out there are still more good people in this world. After a night of rest, Mark and his mother came storming back in. As soon as he entered, he threw a divorce agreement at me: “I have nothing left to say. I don’t want to see a shameless woman like you for another day! Sign it.” My dad picked up the agreement and skimmed it: “Mark, after two years of marriage, our Chloe just went through the hardship of giving birth, and you’re forcing a divorce and demanding a massive compensation? What kind of logic is this?” Mark shot a cold glance at the baby: “Let her tell you herself, whose bastard is this exactly?” “Yours,” I raised my eyes and looked at him: “I was just saying that to piss you off before, so I spoke without thinking.” “Bullshit!” The old hag lunged forward: “If you say it is, it is? Now we are taking the baby for a DNA test, and the results will be final. Otherwise, you are definitely paying back the $20,000 wedding costs and $60,000 in emotional damages!” I pulled the baby closer into my arms: “I’m sorry, but absolutely no one is randomly testing my child’s DNA. I say the child belongs to whoever I say it belongs to. I accept no rebuttals.” After speaking, I curled the corners of my lips and pushed the credit card toward him: “From now on, all of the baby’s expenses will come out of this card, including Mrs. Gable’s salary, the baby’s formula, early education, insurance, and all living expenses. Since I won’t be able to work for the next two years because I have to take care of the child, I’ll trouble you to transfer $30,000 first. That should be about enough.” Mark looked like his eyes were about to tear open: “Chloe, you’ve gone fucking crazy from being poor! $30,000? Why don’t you just go rob someone?” I looked up at him, the smile reaching my eyes: “Robbing people is illegal. Robbing the child’s father is perfectly justified.” Chapter 2 5 Mark froze for two seconds: “Showing your true colors now, are we? Is this your real face?” I brushed my bangs aside: “That’s right, I’m done pretending. Oh right, for the past two years of marriage, Mrs. Gable’s nanny fees and our joint living expenses total $25,000. You might as well pay that off, too.” “In your fucking dreams!” Mark dropped a harsh threat: “That money was all a voluntary gift from your parents. I will absolutely not pay for your family’s extravagant behavior!” With that, he grabbed his mother’s arm and stormed out the door. The loud slam of the door made my daughter flinch, and I quickly patted her gently. Since I could see the end of this road, there was no need to leave any room for negotiation. “How about you come home with us after you’re discharged? I won’t feel at ease leaving you here,” my mom tentatively suggested while coaxing the baby. I shook my head: “Although I’ve been away from home for two years, with Mrs. Gable taking care of me, I haven’t suffered the slightest grievance. That’s the confidence you and Dad gave me. Furthermore, I haven’t collected the debts owed to me yet. I absolutely cannot just let this go.” A week later, I was finally discharged. During this time, Mark and his mother never visited. And Mark used these few days to scour through dashcams and home security footage, hoping to find evidence of my infidelity. He even stormed over to his two buddies’ houses and caused a huge scene. The two men were completely bewildered. In the end, he found absolutely nothing. Meaning, he had no grounds to file a lawsuit. Meanwhile, using the excuse of my husband abandoning me, verbally abusing me, and refusing to pay the hospital deposit during childbirth, I simply rented a three-bedroom apartment in another neighborhood. I also arranged a room for my parents. Then, I sent a screenshot of the $6,000 rent payment to Mark: “This is the rent for me and the baby for the next year. Remember to transfer the money. After all, it’s joint marital debt, you can’t dodge it.” At this point, he finally went crazy. Looking at the hundreds of missed calls on my phone, I let out a long, stale breath. “What exactly are you trying to do?” Good question. “I want you to be left with absolutely nothing!” 6 Many people know that only daughters like us are reasonable, know right from wrong, and hold proper moral values. But what they don’t know is that we also fiercely despise evil and tolerate no injustice. I am not lacking in love, so when I pull away, I never drag my feet. Eight thousand dollars might seem like a lot to him, but in my eyes, it’s just the price of a dog’s life. So, in the following days, I didn’t reply to a single one of the reconciliation messages Mark sent. I knew he was waiting for an opportunity. An opportunity to successfully get my daughter’s DNA. How could I let him get what he wanted so easily? After all, it would be much more fun to let the judge personally reveal this opportunity. Three days later, my phone rang. It was Mike’s wife, Nora. I thought she was calling to interrogate me, but her first sentence caught me completely off guard. “I know you and Mike are clean. Who would want that scumbag anyway? But I have something to tell you: Mark has someone else on the side.” I sharply inhaled— “Someone on the side?” “Yes, he would hide this from you, but not from his drinking buddies. I accidentally heard them talking about it when they were drunk. She’s a VIP bottle girl at a club. She’s been with him for almost a year. They hooked up right around the time you got pregnant.” “What?” A buzzing sound filled my ears. My memory flashed through all the signs he’d shown over the past year. Excuses to sleep in separate rooms, suddenly changing his phone password, working overtime more and more frequently, coming home later and later. It turns out this scumbag was only stingy with his own wife. Yet incredibly generous to outsiders. “So what are you planning to do next?” The voice on the phone pulled me back to reality. I rubbed my temples hard: “I don’t know, I need to sort this out properly. If the mistress charge sticks, it’ll count as evidence of major fault during the marriage. What about you? How far along is your situation?” The other party sighed deeply: “I lost. Even though he gave me an STD, it can’t be used as evidence of his infidelity. The first instance dismissed the divorce petition. I have to wait six months to file again. Why are women’s lives so bitter?” “So you have no leads on a mistress?” “I do, but I have no evidence to prove they are having an affair. The mistress works at a massage parlor, and Mike likes to get massages. On the surface, all the transactions look normal; it can’t count as evidence of maliciously transferring marital assets.” My mind raced: “Then how about this: you scrape together some money and buy that massage parlor, or buy shares in it. Once you’re the boss, won’t you be able to check the store’s books? When he comes for a massage, arrange a few extra girls for him. It’s just moving money from the left hand to the right.” The woman fell silent for a long time… “Buy the shop? I’ve never run a business before. What if… what if I lose money?” I scoffed: “If you lose money, you lose money! You aren’t divorced yet, are you? You were forced to invest and run a business in order to maintain family stability. Men have their schemes, and we women have our strategies.” “If you make money, you control the cash flow. If you lose money, naturally someone has to cover the losses for you. This is the greatest protection the law gives us primary wives! Doesn’t he want to avoid divorce? Doesn’t he want to drag this out and stall? Let him.” The woman took a sharp breath: “Holy shit, I never even considered this angle! I’ve been playing defense the whole time and couldn’t defend against anything. I didn’t realize I could go on the offensive! Okay, I’m going to figure out a way to get the money tomorrow!” Hanging up the phone, I began to formulate my own counter-kill strategy. A club girl? Alright, you’ve upped the difficulty for me.

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On the eve of Valentine’s Day, my fiancé, who works at a classified government agency, sent me a text. [Baby, I’m so sorry. The team got called out on an emergency mission, and my wedding leave has been canceled again.] The moment I received this message… I was standing less than thirty feet from the main gate of his agency. With my own eyes, I watched his female “bro,” Mia, slip inside his winter coat. He laughed and ruffled her hair. “Just to satisfy your sick sense of humor, I’ve stood Chloe up six times now.” “This is the absolute last time. Next year, no matter what, I’m marrying her.” Mia laughed and offered him a sip of the boba tea she had been drinking. “Didn’t you guys just buy a new mattress for the wedding? I’m going to help her ‘test it out.’” “No need to thank me, just consider it an early wedding gift.” Hearing this, I dug my fingernails so hard into my palms that they almost bled. I dialed Liam’s parents’ number. [Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, let’s get everyone together and decorate the new house tonight.] [Yeah, I mostly just want to give Liam a huge surprise.] Since he wanted to be shameless. He couldn’t blame me for burning everything to the ground. 1 [Let’s keep the fact that we’re all in Seattle a secret from Liam for now.] [Okay, I’ll wait for you guys downstairs at the apartment complex.] After hanging up the phone. I opened the app for the security cameras I had just installed yesterday. On the screen, they were tangled together, stumbling all the way from the entryway into the master bedroom. I saw the lucky charm I had once prayed so hard to get for him… Now lying discarded, broken in half amidst a pile of scattered clothes. My body went stiff, letting the freezing wind bite into me. It didn’t take long for both sets of parents and our relatives to arrive. Before they even got close, my parents hurried over, full of anticipation. “How is it, Chloe? Did you see Liam yet?” “Don’t worry, your grandpa just called his agency director.” “Even if the sky falls tomorrow, his team won’t be calling him out on any emergency missions.” I fought back the overwhelming urge to break down. I forced a smile for them. “Okay.” “Chloe, didn’t you say you wanted to surprise Liam?” “What are we waiting for? Let’s head up and start decorating.” Seeing the bright red balloons and streamers in my family’s hands. My nose stung, and I let the tears spill from my eyes. I’ve known Liam for ten years, we’ve been dating for eight, and we agreed to get married six years ago. Six years ago, exactly one month before our wedding… He said he wanted to run for team leader, so I agreed to postpone the wedding for a year. Three years ago, exactly one week before our wedding… He said he had to go on a classified mission. I agreed to postpone the wedding for another year. Until this year, when both sets of parents finally lost their patience. Three days ago, we brought all our relatives and friends… Arriving early in the city where his agency is located to prepare for the wedding. But I never, ever would have guessed. The home I spent six years carefully designing and furnishing. Every piece of furniture, every inch of the floorboards… Had been claimed by his female “bro,” Mia, first. The thought made my stomach churn. I rushed to a nearby trash can and threw up for a long time. I wanted to tell them. I wanted to tell everyone. Just half an hour ago. Liam personally texted me to say… The wedding scheduled for tomorrow was being postponed for another year. I wanted to tell my parents that Liam had betrayed me. For six years, every time he lied about his wedding leave being canceled… He was actually messing around with his female “bro,” Mia. But I found my throat felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t squeeze out a single word, couldn’t make a single sound. As I walked into the apartment building, I chugged a bottle of freezing cold water. “Liam, it’s time you got a taste of what it’s like to be played for a fool.” As soon as everyone stepped off the elevator. They saw a pair of women’s shoes and a coat scattered in the hallway. Seeing me awkwardly kicking the clothes toward the wall… Liam’s mother covered her nose and chuckled knowingly. She unlocked the door with a knowing smile. At the exact same moment, heavy, indescribable panting came from the master bedroom. “Liam… this bed is pretty comfortable.” “When you’re doing it with Chloe here in the future, are you going to think of me?” “We should change the sofa to leather; the fabric one scratches my skin when we’re on it.” Hearing this, everyone’s expressions froze. It was as if someone had cast a freezing spell on them. No one stepped closer to see what was happening. And no one made a sound. I forced my legs, which felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, to move. I picked up the lucky charm, shattered in two, from the pile of scattered lingerie and shirts. Even though I had prepared myself mentally for this… Actually being in the moment, I still acted as cowardly as a child who had done something wrong. 2 “Liam Hayes, get your ass out here right now.” “Liam, did you hear me?” “How dare you betray my daughter! You must have a death wish.” My dad charged toward the master bedroom, ignoring everything else. He slammed both fists heavily against the wooden door. Just as he was furious enough to kick the door down… Liam, wrapped in a bathrobe, slipped out through a crack in the door. “Mr. Davis, Dad, Mom, Mrs. Davis…” “W-why are you all here?” “Why didn’t anyone tell…” Before he could finish, my dad kicked him hard. “You heartless animal, you have the nerve to ask us?” “Chloe waited for you for six whole years, counting the days and the stars.” “Was it just so she could wait and see how you betrayed her?” Before Liam could recover from his shock. My mom had already rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a meat cleaver. “Where is that little tramp? How dare she ruin my daughter’s marriage!” “I’m going to kill her!” Just as she raised the cleaver, ready to storm the master bedroom… Liam snatched the cleaver from her hand and threw it on the floor. “Mr. and Mrs. Davis, are you misunderstanding something?” “My original plan was to leave the base and come home at 7 AM tomorrow.” “I wanted to give Chloe a surprise, so I came home early.” “I just finished showering and was about to change when you guys showed up.” While he was talking, my cousin had already charged into the bedroom. “Liam, if you really cheated on my cousin, I’m going to end you.” The moment he pushed the door open… The wedding bed was made impeccably. He scanned the entire room, but couldn’t find a second person besides Liam. Seeing this, Liam’s mother immediately chimed in to change the subject. “See, I told you. How could my Liam do something like that?” “Looks like we all misunderstood him.” “Chloe, really, you should have just waited upstairs with Liam for us.” “What, were you afraid we wouldn’t be able to find the way with so many people?” She grumpily picked up the coat from the floor and handed it to her son. “Honestly, Liam. Showering is one thing, but why were you watching porn?” “Now look what happened. Everyone misunderstood.” Liam’s cousin chimed in from the side. “Honestly, you and Chloe totally just had a passionate moment, didn’t you?” “You didn’t even clean up the ‘battlefield’ before having everyone come decorate the house.” “Yeah, you’re really treating us like family, not holding back at all.” Having quickly thrown on some clothes, Liam immediately played along with the excuse. “See, this is just my luck.” “Who else watches a little video in their own home and gets treated like they’re being caught cheating in public?” He faked an awkward cough. “Since everyone is here, why don’t we go out to eat?” “Chloe, what do you think?” Seeing that I remained completely unmoved. He walked right up, took my arm, and leaned in close to my ear. “Let’s just take everyone out to eat first. I’ll explain the video thing to you later.” “Things aren’t what they seem, trust me.” “Say something, hurry up. Everyone is waiting.” Hah. Is he afraid everyone is waiting? Or is he afraid the person hiding in the master bedroom is waiting? After ten years together, Liam knew exactly how to manipulate me better than anyone. He knew that every time he and Mia crossed the line under the guise of being “bros”… I would patiently believe his excuses, time and time again. But what he didn’t know was… when I found out that he had been lying about his wedding leave being canceled for six years, all for this so-called “bro”… I didn’t want to marry him anymore. At all. But I didn’t want to just rip the band-aid off right now. I wanted to see with my own eyes how they would reap what they sowed and suffer the consequences of their own actions. 3 I sneered and pulled my arm free from his grasp. “What just happened really was a misunderstanding.” “It’s our fault for not being careful and making a fool of ourselves in front of everyone.” “Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, since it’s so rare for us all to be together…” “How about we just order some hot pot delivery and eat here? It can be a housewarming party for us.” “No!” As soon as I said that, the three members of the Hayes family objected almost simultaneously. Seeing my confused expression… Liam’s mother was the first to explain. “There are no ingredients in the new house. Eating hot pot here would be poor hosting.” “Besides, it’s getting late. There’s no time to go grocery shopping and cook now.” “Liam’s mom is right. Let’s just go out to eat.” “My parents are right, Chloe. Mr. and Mrs. Davis, let’s just go out to eat.” In the entire room… Only me and the three members of the Hayes family knew. There was a master bathroom behind a hidden door. Did they want to use dinner as an excuse to get me and everyone else out of the apartment? So Mia could use the opportunity to sneak out? Keep dreaming! I ignored the Hayes family’s attempts to look calm. I pulled my parents and relatives to sit down on the sofa. “Oh, everyone has had a long day. Let’s not make things more complicated.” “I just ordered delivery on DoorDash. It’ll be here in twenty minutes.” “Does everyone want cilantro and green onions? I remember Tim doesn’t eat spicy food, right?” “Okay, I’ve added a note for the restaurant.” Although they looked incredibly reluctant. The Hayes family still had to bite the bullet and sit down. While I was in the pantry making tea for everyone. Liam looked embarrassed as he whispered an explanation to me. “Chloe, did you get my text? I wanted to surprise you, but I didn’t expect to mess it up like this.” I pretended like nothing happened, asking him casually. “What text? Did you just text me?” “Sorry, I was so focused on decorating the house, I haven’t had time to look at my phone.” I was about to pull out my phone when he raised his hand to stop me. “It’s good you didn’t see it. The wedding is going ahead as planned. After tomorrow, you will officially be my wife.” I sneered and pushed him away. I went back to the living room and warmly entertained my family and friends. While waiting for the hot pot. People were putting up wedding decals. People were blowing up balloons. And the task of decorating the master bedroom… Was given to the two of us, the engaged couple. I was just about to lift the blanket to scatter dried red dates and longans on the bed. When Liam yanked the fitted sheet and the duvet off the bed in one swift motion, throwing them on the floor. Seeing my confused look. He explained with an awkward expression. “No one has slept in it for a long time. I was afraid it was dusty.” He pulled out a brand-new set of sheets from the closet. “You sit down and rest for a bit. I’ll change them.” “Chloe, I know it’s been hard on you planning the wedding all by yourself these past few years.” “Don’t worry, once I get promoted in a little while, I’ll request a transfer.” “Then, we can live the normal, 9-to-5, everyday life you’ve always wanted.” I couldn’t be bothered to listen to his lies. I was just about to reach out and push open the hidden door to the bathroom. When he grabbed me from behind, hugging me tightly around my waist. “Wait!” 4 I looked furious and demanded loudly. “What are you doing? I need to use the bathroom.” The moment I broke free from his embrace. I acted completely enraged and demanded loudly. “Liam, what the hell are you hiding?” I rushed into the bathroom behind the hidden door like a madwoman. Even though I practically tore up the floorboards… I couldn’t find a single trace of Mia. Liam visibly breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, stop being so paranoid.” “Let’s get back to the living room. The hot pot is almost ready.” As the steam from the hot pot filled the air. I felt my eyes misting over too. This moment was exactly what I used to dream of the most. Parents, my fiancé, relatives, and friends, all by my side. Everyone eating hot pot together, having a few drinks. The elders talking business and family gossip. The younger generation talking about dreams, the collision of reality and the soul. “Chloe, what are you spacing out for?” “Eat up. After we eat, I have to take everyone back to the hotel.” It wasn’t until Liam started frantically throwing food into the pot, trying to rush the process. That I finally woke up from the illusion in front of me. “What’s the rush? Who finishes a hot pot dinner in an hour?” “Since everyone is here today, whatever else you guys want to eat, I’ll order more.” “Two orders of sliced beef, two orders of tripe, two orders of shrimp paste…” I completely ignored the anxious eyes of the three members of the Hayes family. If she wasn’t hiding inside the room. And the bathroom window happened to face the external AC unit. Then there was only one possibility left. Mia was currently hiding on the AC unit outside the window. At this point, I just wanted to see. Would Mia be frozen to the point where she had to beg us for help while stark naked? Admitting that she was the other woman destroying someone else’s relationship. Or would she, for the sake of her so-called dignity… Bite the bullet and endure the sub-zero temperatures? Social death or actual freezing death. Let’s see which one she chooses! As the second delivery order arrived. No one showed any intention of getting up to leave. Liam finally started to visibly panic. He was practically begging as he urged me. “Chloe, let’s head back to the hotel after we finish eating. If we stay any longer, something bad is going to happen.” “If you like eating hot pot, after the wedding tomorrow, we can eat it every day, okay?” I used the alcohol as an excuse to act belligerent and grabbed him by the collar. “What could possibly happen? What bad thing could happen?” “Liam, don’t tell me you actually hid someone in our new home?” “Where would you hide them? Outside the window? No, I have to go check.” As I stumbled drunkenly toward the master bedroom. Liam’s parents hurriedly followed behind me. “Chloe, are you drunk? How could someone hide outside the window?” “Exactly. Does this person have superpowers or something?” “In this freezing weather, wouldn’t someone freeze to death hiding outside?” At that moment, Liam scooped me up and carried me back to the sofa. “Chloe, your family is here. You can’t be acting like a crazy drunk.” “Mr. and Mrs. Davis, it’s getting late. I’ll take everyone back to the hotel first.” “Yeah, the in-laws should head back to the hotel quickly. We have the wedding ceremony tomorrow…” Before they could finish their sentence, the doorbell rang frantically. The moment the door opened, a group of firefighters and paramedics rushed in carrying a stretcher. 5 “Unit 1203, right? Someone called and reported that someone in your apartment is trying to jump off the building.” “Which room is the AC unit outside of? Take us there immediately.” Hearing this, everyone froze in shock. It was my dad who stepped forward and asked. “Officers, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” “These are the only people in our apartment, and no one is trying to jump.” A few relatives and friends also stepped forward to testify. “Yeah, you must have made a mistake.” “We came over today to celebrate the new couple’s home, and everyone is right here.” “Is it the neighbors who are trying to jump? Did you go to the wrong door?” While they were talking, a frantic voice came through the firefighter’s radio. “Team, they’re about to fall! The person is about to fall!” “Hurry up and save them, or it’ll be too late!” Seeing the incredibly embarrassed faces of the three Hayes family members. I rushed to the master bathroom, ignoring everything else. “Let’s stop arguing. Whether someone is trying to jump or not, we’ll know as soon as we look.” As I opened the window. I saw a naked female body hanging onto the AC unit below. At this moment, Mia was desperately clinging to the AC unit with both hands. Seeing everyone appear, she screamed desperately at Liam, who was behind me. “Liam, tell them to save me right now!” “I can’t hold on much longer! Hurry!” After seeing with their own eyes that Liam really had cheated and hidden a woman. My relatives behind me tackled him to the ground almost simultaneously. The firefighters also quickly climbed out the window to try and pull Mia up. Just as the entire scene descended into chaos. With a blood-curdling scream… Mia’s fingers slipped, and she fell backward. By the time everyone looked out the window again. She was sprawled spread-eagle, having crashed into a large, dead tree. “Help! Help me! Help me!” “Liam, you bastard! I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die!” “Chloe, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have messed around with your fiancé. Please, tell them to save me!” As she cried and begged for help, everyone finally noticed. Her entire face was a bloody, mangled mess. A thick tree branch had pierced right through her cheek. At this point, a firefighter had already repelled down to the tree using a harness. He shouted to ask Mia. “Are you okay? Where does it hurt?” “Don’t be afraid. Hold on to me.” “Don’t worry, saving you is our duty.” It wasn’t until the ambulance sirens wailed through the apartment complex… That everyone finally snapped out of the chaos. By this time, Liam looked like a pathetic, beaten dog. My dad, along with a few of my cousins… Had beaten him until his face was bruised and swollen, and his head was bleeding. “Liam, what do you have to say for yourself now?” I looked at everyone in the Hayes family, enunciating every word clearly. “I’m sorry for making everyone travel all this way.” “Tomorrow’s wedding is canceled.” After saying that, we turned and left without looking back. After Chloe and her family left. Liam suddenly realized in hindsight. She seemed different than before. In the past, when he and Mia wildly crossed the line… Her eyes held jealousy and disappointment. But today, her eyes held only a bottomless, icy indifference. Today, she had become so unfamiliar, so alien. So unfamiliar that it felt like she was a completely different person. Slap! Liam’s mother slapped her son, furious at his stupidity. “This is all your fault!” “I warned you a long time ago to stay away from that tramp, but you refused to listen.” Liam’s father also kicked his son in exasperation. “If she was going to hide on the AC unit, why didn’t she hide properly?” “Didn’t you see all the neighbors recording our apartment just now?” “If this gets out, your promotion is ruined.” “Hurry up and go find Chloe and coax her back!” “If she refuses to marry you, we’re disowning you.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “395339”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel